Questions on setting up Home Theatre

oznow · Oct 09, 2007 12:20 pm

Hi all,
I have some questions on Home Theatre.
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In case the picture not showing up, the link is below
http://i21.tinypic.com/9axrua.jpg

1. Speakers 5.1. I will put two rear speakers on ceiling. One subwoofer at the rear. For the front speakers, are they better in the ceiling or in the wall?
2. Projector. I plan to put the projector at the end of the room (room length is 5m). Is this too long distance?. What is the acceptable minimum “resolution/type” for the projector?
3. Screen size. What screen size is appropriate if the room width is about 4m, and the room lentgh is 5m.
4. LCD TV. Is the location of TV good? I was thinking to put the LCD on the same side as the screen, but then I need to recessed the wall for the TV. I am afraid the the wall is not thick enough (The total external wall brick, insulation, gypsrock is only 250mm).
5. Will you consider to add windows on the northern wall, if it will become the side of you screen?

thanks.
Ozn

Rodda · Oct 09, 2007 12:37 pm

Hi mate.

Neither the picture nor the link work.

1. Much prefer you use In-walls instead of In-ceilings for front speakers if you can. In-ceilings for surrounds are perfectly fine.

2. Projector distance depends on the actual projector and the size of the screen. Most of the projector's makers' web sites either have these distances or actual distance calculators for determining this (I know some of the BenQ stuff off the top of my head

).

3. Screen size depends on how far back you will be sitting. If you're gunna be sitting back more than 4.5m then I'd say don't go any smaller than a 100" 16:9 and you could go up to 120" 16:9 if you wanted. Then you need to consider how wide the overall screen (including it's borders) will be and how much room either side that will leave you for the speakers you want.

4. If you want to mount a LCD TV on the same wall then what you need is a motorised screen (forget manual pull-down screens - no good for anything other than classrooms). Therefore you don't necessarily have to recess the LCD TV into the wall - you can have the motorised screen mounted a little forward of the LCD and have it roll down right in front of it.

This is exactly what we did for a guy only a couple of months ago. He has a 46" 1080P Samsung LCD on the wall (not recessed) and a 120" 16:9 motorised screen coming down in front of it (misses the TV by about 20mm!). His room has an overall depth of about 4.8m and his seats are against the back wall. His room is a little wider than 4.0m though (just a little)...

5. I'm a Home Cinema person - I hate windows (not just the Microsoft type, either)...

Rodda · Oct 09, 2007 12:51 pm

Dude, Adrian has just fixed the link to your image and I have just seen it, and I've gotta tell you that whole arrangement is gunna give you quite a few challenges (where the seats are, where the doors are, where you want to put the screens, controlling light in there....).

From where you are proposing to put the seats you can scrub what I said about the screen size. 100" would be the absolute biggest from that seating distance (3m ??), and you might even need to go as small as 84".

Where is this house being built? (update your profile

)

oznow · Oct 09, 2007 1:33 pm

Thanks Rod for the replies.

I will be using the HT once or twice a week for watching movie.
1) Do you think a projector HT is still feasible if i put in heavy curtain to block the lights (daytime)? and in "open" areas like the houseplan? Or i just stick to the bigger size TV?
2) If the seating if 3 m from screen, what is the best size screen, and distance of the projector from screen, and type of projector (projector budget about $2000s)?
3) The house is in Canberra, ACT. Do you have anyone in this area?

Ozn

Rodda · Oct 09, 2007 2:50 pm

Hi Oz.

At that range (seating distance) and with those conditions, you may find it a whole lot easier and just as satisfying to go with a big plasma or LCD screen (plasma cheaper).

You can get a 50" Sammy these days for well under $3K, or you may wanna go up to a 60".... You won't have to worry about light, where to mount a projector (getting the calculations re whatever screen you'd get vs the projector model you go for), what type of screen exactly, or even how to mount both a TV screen and a projection screen (as pictured). Cabling will be a little easier too.

We don't know of anyone in the A.C.T., sorry.

ahuang · Oct 09, 2007 3:06 pm

One extra question about the in-wall front speakers, is there any min requirement for the depth of the wall? The wall I have is standard 90mm, is that enough to squeeze an in wall front speaker in there?

matt walker · Oct 09, 2007 3:17 pm

All in-wall speakers are designed to go in standard 90mm wall cavities!!

Matt

ahuang · Oct 09, 2007 3:20 pm

Thanks! One less thing to worry...

oznow · Oct 09, 2007 4:03 pm

The hardest thing now is to convince my oh to be happy with the TV.

Any member of this forum who has the similar challenging floorplan?

ozn

ahuang · Oct 09, 2007 4:10 pm

what's "oh"? Get a 50"/60" plasma and anyone would be happy... with the quality, not sure of the $ part though...

oznow · Oct 09, 2007 4:19 pm

Allan,
Sorry for the oh, means= other half
ozn

Rodda · Oct 09, 2007 5:14 pm

When you can get a 50" Plasma for less than $3000, a good one at that (Samsung, which in my opinion looks better than it's Panasonic and Pioneer equivalent), and compare that to the fact that a little over 3 years ago they were around the $17,000 mark!, I reckon that's pretty bloody good value.

And, for let's say $2800, Oz would need to spend about the same (maybe a little less, maybe a bit more, depending on the screen) amount for a projector setup that would, yes, give him a bigger picture, but, would have some disadvantages over the plasma as well (shorter life on the globe, wouldn't look anywhere near as good with ambient light coming into the room).

Everything has it's purpose. In a Theatre (where the light can be controlled) a projector wins by a country mile, but in an open lounge area this is not always going to be the case...