Browse Forums Home Theatre & Automation 1 Jul 24, 2009 3:27 pm Hi all, I'm looking at doing up a conservative (I think compared to some I’ve read outlined here ) media room (4.1m wide X 5.3m deep) for a house we are building. It’s not started yet. Below is a sketch of the room with basic notes of where I think I would put speakers etc. I'll have blackout curtains of some kind on windows. I want to have a HD projector, with a PS3 and AMP in the cupboards, probably with a HD set top box for watching HD TV live (PS3 will stream recorded HD content from a media server located elsewhere in the house. I'm thinking of running the cabling myself. I'm thinking: HDMI, Component, Composite cable for video from cupboard to projector. I was considering building in the speakers, but am not sure (front speakers built into cupboard, rear speaker built into bulkheads over linen cupboards). Should I just put speaker cabling with wall sockets in those locations and mount speakers later? Is the location of speakers ok? Any specific speaker cabling type i should try and use? As for the hardware, I don't have any specific makes, models in mind. I have got an older Yamaha AMP which I have been happy with, its just doesn't have HDMI switching etc. Best video it has is component and only has 2 inputs of those. I guess I’m budgeting fairly cheaply for this, and hoping to come in around $5000 for projector, amp and screen. Suggestions for make / models etc? Maybe a few hundred more for a HD set top. Should I get speakers with the amp (some sort of package) or get them separately. I guess this also depends on whether I build them in or not also. If separate, what should I budget for? Again, just want something that does the job well for what I guess you would call a normal consumer. I don't nit pick HD displays because I don't notice minor shortcomings and same with sound. Once I have an idea of the projector, I’m guessing this will then tell me where the best location to mount it is, i.e. distance back from screen, so I can put in the cable outlets in the ceiling. Am I missing anything critical? Am I budgeting too cheaply? Main purpose will be to watch movies and major sporting events, and play PS3 really big We'll have the old SD plasma and AMP out in a family room for regular TV watching etc. Any pointers on lights and locations for the room also would be handy. Apologies for the many questions and rambling format. We're getting to final contract stage and I’m trying to organize a lot quickly. Re: new HT - my thoughts and many questions 3Jul 24, 2009 4:02 pm Only comment I have is that if sound quality is important to you most experts will tell you that speakers function alot better when they are away from the wall and standing on their own rather than built into a cupboard. Even bookshelf speakers are recommended to be placed away from the wall on a stand rather than in a book case or on a shelf against the wall. Or course this is not allways practical but I wouldn't build the speakers in if I didn't have to. Re: new HT - my thoughts and many questions 5Jul 24, 2009 9:18 pm I was once told that you should spend half of your allocated budget on the speakers, and the other half on the rest of your system. Good and cheap don't match when it comes to HTs especially if you want to enjoy it I'm in the exact same situation as you. As a matter of fact my HT will be 4100mm by 5500mm in length, which is close enough in size to yours. I bought top of the range Krix speakers but I have them on laybay until the house gets built. The projector, you shouldn't be concerned about it now since new projectors with new competing prices will come up by the end of the year. Whether you want in-wall or standalone speakers, that's up to you. The image below from the BigPicturePeople made me go for the latter one The same goes for the amplifier. I wanted to go with the Yamaha RX-V3900, but a guy at the BigPicturePeople told me that I could have it on layby, and if the new model (which I assume will be RX-V4000) comes out, they'll order it for same price as the old one. I'll be getting the cinemascope 130" screen with an anamorphic lens, but it's too early to pay for them now. Bottom line, pay what you can afford for a good set of speakers now, and then decide on buying the projector, screen, and amplifier later.. hope this helps Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Re: new HT - my thoughts and many questions 6Jul 27, 2009 8:56 am Interesting. Thanks. Looking at that picture, i'm now thinking of scrapping the cupboards at the front and just putting speakers there, and putting all the gear in the cupboards at the back.... Re: new HT - my thoughts and many questions 8Aug 01, 2009 8:14 am With apologies I don't have a lot of (or any) spare time at the moment as I've just bought a house that we're renovating before we move in, and I'm completely consumed by it at the moment... Re: new HT - my thoughts and many questions 9Aug 02, 2009 7:10 pm In my last house I had a room that was 3.9x5.5 and I wired it for 7.1. You're building from scratch so you might as well, it's only cable! On your plans, push the couch back a bit and site the surround speakers (ie, the surrounds if you were doing 5.1) either side of the couch. On the back wall somewhere above (?) the linen cupboards put your rear surround speakers (only needed for 7.1). Lose one of the linen cupboards if you can and turn it into an AV rack/DVD shelves. I'd attach some pics but it won't let me... I would never build with Fowler homes. I built with them in 2021 and till date maintenance issues are pending. All their existing trades and businesses don't work with… 14 105609 They already have two well known ones (HIA & MBA) that many new home buyers mistakenly think are regulatory bodies that Joe Public can complain to. 6 18030 Hi Suku18 In NSW the statutory required insurances are: 1. HBCF ( Home Building Compensation Fund) - This is if the builder dies or goes broke. But this only covers 20%… 1 2714 |