Browse Forums Home Theatre & Automation 1 May 10, 2007 11:31 pm Hello,
When I have seen home theatres, I am always curious to know if there is an optimum screen size to go for – based on the distance you would sit from the screen. I believe that there is some kind of ratio (but don’t know it) and that bigger is not necessarily better. You know, nothing worse than getting stuck in the front row of a movie theatre and not being able to really see it all properly. What about furniture? Are those special home theatre lounges really worth worrying about? I have seen some home theatre applications where the seating is on a raised platform. It looks like a stage maybe, not sure of the best way to describe it. Does this actually have a functional purpose, or is it really just an aesthetic thing? All I can think of now, only 18 more to go vanderlay! Cheers Tony Re: Home theatre layout 2May 11, 2007 10:11 am Hi Uncle Ant.
Screen size: Subjective. I hear you on the 'front row theory' and agree. The calcs thrown around can be used as some sort of guide, and in fact I think it's pretty true for my setup. I think (from memory) the suggestion is your seating distance should be about 3 times the height of the screen. My screen height is approx. 1.4m and I sit about 4.5m back, and it feels pretty right. It is still a matter of taste though. To be honest if I could have fit in the next size up screen I would have, and that would have been enough. Home theatre recliners are pretty cool - both my wife and I like to sit in them, reclined or not. The stage is for when you have more than one row of seats - it's so the people in the back row can see over the front row - simple. Putting one in for any other reason would be mostly cosmetic. If you wanna see some pics you can have a look at the gallery at our web site (in my signature). Mine's the first theatre in there, Matt Walker's is the second one. help on my media layout 4May 24, 2007 2:06 pm Hello Rod,
Just a quick question.. What do you think of the Media Room size for projector fitting in the link below. The size is 3.8 x 5.2. There is 0.6 to add to 3.6 due to the bulk head which make it 4.2. I want to project to as per the settings shown now (ie into the bulk head). What size screen do you suggest? Is 4.2 meters enough distance generally? http://bp0.blogger.com/_w_JQW0a2eYA/RlN ... r_Plan.JPG Do you have any problem when projector screen is 16:9 and the transmission is 4:3 (sometimes from TV signals - This often happens on foxtel too) ? What do pple do in this case? Thanks Re: Home theatre layout 5May 25, 2007 10:07 am Hi Satskape.
OK. The main reason you get a big screen and projector is for watching movies (you wouldn't go to the trouble or expense just for old fashioned TV or the odd music DVD). These days, pretty much any movie released on DVD (certainly newer movies) is in an aspect ratio of 16:9 (1.78:1) or wider - up to 2.40:1. Chuck in Digital TV - SD or HD - which is also broadcast in 16:9, and this should make up the bulk of what you would watch on a setup like this. A decent Home Theatre projector is also generally going to be native 16:9 projector. For these reasons I say the only way to go is with a 16:9 screen. In my opinion the most important thing is for your movies to look as good as they can, and everything else needs to fit in with that. "Home Cinema" - what do you go to the Cinema to do? Not to watch TV. If you are watching 4:3 content then you simply do what the rest of us do - you accept the black bars down both sides and very quickly learn to forget they are even there. I don't watch very much TV on my projector though - start doing that a lot and you'll need to replace the projector's bulb a lot earlier than necessary. Now for the distance. At just over 4 metres back a screen size of 90" to 95" (92" is a not uncommon size) is pretty good. I think 100" might be a little too much (having to actually turn your head to take in all of the picture is not an ideal situation). 84" might also serve very well. What some people may not be aware of is that the smaller the picture you force your projector to spread, the sharper and more intense that picture will be (even if only slightly). Re: Home theatre layout 6May 25, 2007 11:03 am Thanks Rod. Yes I very much agree with you on 16:9. I too see there is no point in watching normal TV on big screen (except simpsons )
Do you prefer having speakers inside the walls/ceiling or hung on & placed on floor? Are the ceiling speakers as powerful as the ones come in box shape? The reason I ask is I am planning to buy a new set after I move in and I think it will be too late to put them into wall/ceiling..but I might be wrong here..please correct me. Can we place the box speakers into the wall? Also what about a Bose system? Is that good? How much does that cost? Our Entertainer - http://ausdreamhome.blogspot.com/ Re: Home theatre layout 9May 25, 2007 2:15 pm Just now had a look at prices from b*se.com.au and now I know why its a magic word..or is there something else? Our Entertainer - http://ausdreamhome.blogspot.com/ Re: Home theatre layout 10May 25, 2007 2:21 pm I can't beleive Rod hasn't jumped on this subject...he must be busy!
This is a subject Rod is extremely passionate about. Here is a post from another forum: ---- If you are considering buying a Bose system (I'm really referring to their HTIB - home theatre in a box-type systems here), or have bought one and are having doubts as to whether it meets the hype, here is why Bose is one of the (if not the) most bashed audio brand on the market. If you have bought Bose and still believe it's the best then I guess you're already beyond saving In a nutshell you can spend far less money than Bose would have you spend and end up with a system that will blow the Bose system clean out of the water. Bose advertising suggests you get amazing sound quality and perfomance from a tiny, attractive, unobtrusive package, all for merely thousands of dollars! (is the Lifestyle 50 system still around the $7500 mark? It was only a year ago. A decent $2500 Marantz/Jamo system made the Lifestyle 50 sound like the ridiculously overpriced heap of junk it was/is). In reality what you get from Bose is a sound system made of pretty cheap components that fails to live up to it's reputation by a mile. Very average sounding in the upper regions of the sound spectrum and downright pathetic in the low end, with obvious holes in the audible spectrum as well. No genuine volume to speak of, and almost no options for integrating any other components either. They do look sort of OK (depending on taste), they are quite small, and the remote (depending on which system) can be quite nice, but if they were the system's only qualities would you want to fork out the Bo$e price they ask? I know I wouldn't in a million years. I guess I'm sick of hearing people say "Bose is the best, isn't it?" or even worse "I just bought a Bose system.....". Obviously many of them have way more money than sense. People, save your money and buy a system that truly will put you back in your seat, and deliver on the promise of really good sound. If you want to read the whole thread link here: http://www.xpmediacentre.com.au/community/ettamogah-pub/13623-why-you-should-think-twice-about-bose.html?highlight=bose ---- enuff said?? Matt Re: Home theatre layout 11May 25, 2007 5:34 pm I am definetly not going to Bose after what you have said and the also considering the price they have on their site.
I am sure that I will be better off with other brands and on top I can't afford to spend more than $1000-1200 on sound...My friend just got a Yamaha 6.1 (>1000watts) for $1050 at DSE and its really cool. I might go for one of that.. Our Entertainer - http://ausdreamhome.blogspot.com/ Re: Home theatre layout 12May 25, 2007 9:34 pm Sorry I missed the opportunity to vent my personal feeling on the Bose stuff - if I have a bad day at work I just don't get a chance to think about anything else (Hey Adrian, how's my connection from the SOE Lab coming along? ), although it appears as though I don't need to worry as Matt reproduced the thread I posted on another forum....
The upshod is simple: If you are considering a Bose Lifestyle system for your home theatre sound system I'd like to know one thing - why? Thanks for the suggestion. The space between shower and sinks was too tight. I agree about the toilet location. So I have tried two other options: The lower one is… 3 6144 Possibly both depending on the sizing. Idea of working from the centre is that you dont have a 20mm thin tile at one end and a 400mm at the other end. A quick search on… 3 8423 You never have a fridge against wall as you’ve drawn. The doors can’t open past 90 degrees and it’s difficult and maybe impossible to remove drawers 2 15610 |