SpuddybabyUK
Established Member
Hi all,
I've been a long time reader and admirer of the home cinemas on this site and I've finally been given permission by the wife to build my own.
A bit about me...
Been into home cinema since the 1990s when I realised that the only way I could own my favourite film in full widescreen was laserdisc.
So I invested in a player and pro logic amp, and a widescreen tv.
Then bought Ghostbusters on LD (£90 Criterion version from the US!) and finally had it in widescreen.
Upgraded all my equipment over the years, got a student loan to get a Chipped US DVD player when they were first released and I've never looked back.
I've recently got into the 4K world with the Samsung UHD player and a 65imch LG TVs. Made sure it was one of the top ones with Dolby vision support as well for future proofing.
So a few months back I started reading up on Dolby Atmos and decided that I wanted to get involved.
I'm currently limited to a 5.1 setup "wife friendly" in the living room so has to think about it.
We have an integral garage that we don't use for car parking and it's full of junk. Casually remarked to the wife a few weeks back that I'd love to make it into a home cinema and to my surprise she said yes!
What's more she gave me carte Blanche on it, the only proviso being that we could ask let the kids use it to watch TV if they wanted. No problem I said , we can just get a second Sky Q mini box and hook it up in there. Job done (also, that means I can watch the football in there too!, it I didn't mention it was a plan along!) she also doesn't mind speakers on the walls or wherever they need to be, unlike the living room.
So we went down to Richer Sounds in Maidstone a few weeks back and asked for a demo of Dolby Atmos. We watched a clip of John Wick and a trailer and I have to say I was extremely underwhelmed. But they did only have a 5.1.2 set up.
Around the corner is Sevenoaks Sound and Vision, and having bought from them before we booked a demo with them.
They have 7.1.4 and it absolutely blew me away! And it takes a lot to do that now. What's more it also seriously impressed the wife.
So it's full steam ahead on the garage conversion.
But... now we come to the potential sticking point. Our house was a new build in a cul de sac and we are sure that the planning permission for it had conditions that stipulate it must have space for 3 cars. Two on the drive and a garage. We spoke to the council last week to start the planning application to brick up the garage and put a window and they couldn't find the original planning permission document so could be very helpful. So we are just going to have to put it in and hope it goes through.
The garage itself isn't big, 5.5x3m and at the back we have the boiler and the other end the fuse box.
My plan is to build a partition wall so we have a small utility room and a home cinema. This obviously cuts the size of the room to 4x3m.
I've measured up for a projection screen and think I can get a 110 inch screen in, and because I was underwhelmed by 5.1.2 I am going to go for full 7.1.4.
I hope the room is big enough for it and not overwhelmed by the front soundstage.
So hopefully the planning will go through and I can get started, will probably be looking on here for advice as there's lots to consider, projector with the right throw, distance etc.
But I'm very excited, especially to get a sounds system that most cinemas don't have!!
I've been a long time reader and admirer of the home cinemas on this site and I've finally been given permission by the wife to build my own.
A bit about me...
Been into home cinema since the 1990s when I realised that the only way I could own my favourite film in full widescreen was laserdisc.
So I invested in a player and pro logic amp, and a widescreen tv.
Then bought Ghostbusters on LD (£90 Criterion version from the US!) and finally had it in widescreen.
Upgraded all my equipment over the years, got a student loan to get a Chipped US DVD player when they were first released and I've never looked back.
I've recently got into the 4K world with the Samsung UHD player and a 65imch LG TVs. Made sure it was one of the top ones with Dolby vision support as well for future proofing.
So a few months back I started reading up on Dolby Atmos and decided that I wanted to get involved.
I'm currently limited to a 5.1 setup "wife friendly" in the living room so has to think about it.
We have an integral garage that we don't use for car parking and it's full of junk. Casually remarked to the wife a few weeks back that I'd love to make it into a home cinema and to my surprise she said yes!
What's more she gave me carte Blanche on it, the only proviso being that we could ask let the kids use it to watch TV if they wanted. No problem I said , we can just get a second Sky Q mini box and hook it up in there. Job done (also, that means I can watch the football in there too!, it I didn't mention it was a plan along!) she also doesn't mind speakers on the walls or wherever they need to be, unlike the living room.
So we went down to Richer Sounds in Maidstone a few weeks back and asked for a demo of Dolby Atmos. We watched a clip of John Wick and a trailer and I have to say I was extremely underwhelmed. But they did only have a 5.1.2 set up.
Around the corner is Sevenoaks Sound and Vision, and having bought from them before we booked a demo with them.
They have 7.1.4 and it absolutely blew me away! And it takes a lot to do that now. What's more it also seriously impressed the wife.
So it's full steam ahead on the garage conversion.
But... now we come to the potential sticking point. Our house was a new build in a cul de sac and we are sure that the planning permission for it had conditions that stipulate it must have space for 3 cars. Two on the drive and a garage. We spoke to the council last week to start the planning application to brick up the garage and put a window and they couldn't find the original planning permission document so could be very helpful. So we are just going to have to put it in and hope it goes through.
The garage itself isn't big, 5.5x3m and at the back we have the boiler and the other end the fuse box.
My plan is to build a partition wall so we have a small utility room and a home cinema. This obviously cuts the size of the room to 4x3m.
I've measured up for a projection screen and think I can get a 110 inch screen in, and because I was underwhelmed by 5.1.2 I am going to go for full 7.1.4.
I hope the room is big enough for it and not overwhelmed by the front soundstage.
So hopefully the planning will go through and I can get started, will probably be looking on here for advice as there's lots to consider, projector with the right throw, distance etc.
But I'm very excited, especially to get a sounds system that most cinemas don't have!!