Browse Forums Home Theatre & Automation 1 Feb 10, 2011 5:31 pm Hi, I'm ashamed to admit I am a complete technophobe (yes, there's still a few of us around!) My problem is this: in my house plans there is space for a media room 4900 x 3600 but its a blank canvas! That is, I dont have a clue what to put in it or where, and what is crucial at the planning and construction stage, and what can be added later. I know there's a lot of technical stuff on this forum, but can anyone please explain home theatre for dummys? All comments and suggestions gratefully accepted, just say em slow! Re: Help- my media room is a blank canvas! 2Feb 10, 2011 5:34 pm I just deleted your second post nicenurse ….good luck with a techo response you can understand. Internal and External Building and Colour Consultant Online - Worldwide http://www.denovoconcepts.com Re: Help- my media room is a blank canvas! 3Feb 10, 2011 10:13 pm I am no expert but have been looking at this my self - so here goes nothing... A bit more info would help a lot for others that will follow Is this a dedicated HT or more a general purpose one? Is your house a single or double story ( changes what can be done later ) Do you like big big projector type screens or a little smaller plasma types ( take a look at HN or the like if you need to ). Are you into Audio in a big way or just to support the latest block buster? Do you want the full automation or are you on a tight budget? My 2c start... Re: Help- my media room is a blank canvas! 4Feb 11, 2011 7:09 am Further to SOS's comments/questions above, what sort of budget did you have in mind, both for the room construction and for the Home Cinema equipment? Re: Help- my media room is a blank canvas! 5Feb 11, 2011 8:15 am Ok, sorry, will try to respond without knowing exactly whats involved. Firstly, double storey brick veneer house, media room on ground floor. I see it as a totally dedicated HT since we have plenty of space elsewhere. Its not the biggest room for a HT, we are thinking large wall mounted plasma, will probably get an expert in to add on as need be, but we are concerned in our ignorance we will leave out crucial elements during the build. What is the minimum we should include at this stage. Budget not an issue, within reason. I guess what I mean is, middle of the road! Re: Help- my media room is a blank canvas! 6Feb 11, 2011 8:19 am Can't help you with the techy side of things but if you are wall mounting a TV (or anything for that matter) get the carpenter to add extra supports when he is doing the framing. We got our chippies to add support beams in all the rooms that TVs were going to be wall mounted as well as another for a massive heavy framed photo we have. Then mark it on a plan so you have the exact place where to screw in the hanging paraphenalia. Some things are worth waiting for. Re: Help- my media room is a blank canvas! 7Feb 11, 2011 8:22 am nicenurse Ok, sorry, will try to respond without knowing exactly whats involved. Firstly, double storey brick veneer house, media room on ground floor. I see it as a totally dedicated HT since we have plenty of space elsewhere. Its not the biggest room for a HT, we are thinking large wall mounted plasma, will probably get an expert in to add on as need be, but we are concerned in our ignorance we will leave out crucial elements during the build. What is the minimum we should include at this stage. Budget not an issue, within reason. I guess what I mean is, middle of the road! I would consider a Screen and projctor aswell.. no point in looking at all your options you will need to get all your cabling sorted asap.... as it is a bottom floor there will be no access later on... start talking to a cabler in your area. Generally to a TV you will need: 1 x RG6, 1 X Cat6, 2 x HDMI or if you use an AMP with the right features just one HDMI and a power feed. also factor in Speaker cabling aswell the only other thing is to add extra noggins to support the TV Mounting bracket (as others have said) Kodiak Data Cabling onFaceBook Consult*, Design and Installation Data, TV, Home Theatre/ AV Cabling, Multi Room Audio, IP CCTV and Door Intercoms Ask for a Quote. *DIY DATA Cabling Is Ilegal Re: Help- my media room is a blank canvas! 8Feb 11, 2011 6:34 pm Hi NN, can you answer the below please? 1. do you want to future proof for projector as well? 2. will you run bluray? 3. do you want to play media of a server or network attached storage(NAS)? 4. will you run foxtel / cable tv 5. will you run Tivo or other PVR? 6. will you run any type of game console in this room.? 7. whats your speaker budget? 7.1 under 2K 7.2 under 5K 7.3 under 8K 8. Do you have a preference for in wall / ceiling or floor / wall mount? 9. do you want a control system, EG: proto remote, control 4, RTI..etc... Look these up, 10. do you want to automate lights and curtains in the room, (if you have windows) 11. do you want to go to the extent of a stepped floor ( like a commercial cinema) Re: Help- my media room is a blank canvas! 9Feb 11, 2011 7:35 pm Hi GL, I'm not a psychic, but I dont see a projector in our future. Bluray - definitely! Foxtel, most likely. Games console probably. Tivo - doubtful. As for speakers I wouldnt mind wall mounted, unless you are going to tell me they arent as good as floor or ceiling. Price - would be willing to pay around $5000 if that gets something decent (can you recommend anything). The automation system will probably be me (can you get one that works when you clap your hands?) I love the idea of a stepped floor, but would it look corny in such a small room? And as for a control system, could you please tell me what price they start at? Thanks for your help - I'm thinking there might be a few other technophobes out there gaining some knowledge from your advise. (OK, I'm probably alone!) Re: Help- my media room is a blank canvas! 10Feb 11, 2011 8:57 pm OK, Here is a stab at what I am thinking - I am sure the others will jump in You are looking at ~50-55" screen ( from what I can tell from reading ~1/3 of the seated distance from the screen is an optimal size – phooey - I want bigger so 60-65 is what I am looking for ) Plasmas are currently the best price point in this size, but it is changing fast. As far as sound and speakers Speakers first - 5.1 ( 2 rear, 2 front, a center - [5] and a sub woofer [.1] ) is a good middle ground ( 7.1 is overkill for me ). These are one of the key things that makes great sound - when matched to the amplifier - see the next point... Now you need something to connect your Foxtel, game consoles etc ( called sources ) to your speakers for sound ( and TV for video as a bonus ) - an amplifier - this should support HDMI 1.4 if you want 3D ( HDMI is in effect a type of cable that connects everything together ) and most likely about 100 watts per channel ( the amount of power pushed out to the speakers ) So before you go too far there are some other items you may want to think about - Do you want connections to The internet - common place for the new tvs almost mandatory these days, maybe more than one To other TVs in the house? To other areas in the house for sound from the HT - different zones So what is important before and while you are building - from what I have seen so far ( not finished so I am sure I will miss things ) - Physical support for your large TV - do you need additional wood work - Think about where you want to locate your subwoofer – in a front cabinet or beside one - Cabling for Sound - 5.1 or whatever you select, 16awg or larger seems good size for the cable Between the TV and the Amplifier ( so you don’t have cables dropped down from the TV ( maybe a duct so you can update the cables later on ) Cables for your foxtel ( two if it is a satellite ) Cables for your free to air TV antenna ( and the antenna if you don’t get one – a story in its self ) Power for the TV behind the TV ( think about this for your other tvs in the house ) Power for the sources and the Amplifier Lighting - do you want to be able to dim the lights A good cable guy can be a great asset – but also knowledge is valuable Another one is sound proofing - it needs to be looked at before the walls go up... So guys what have I missed? Re: Help- my media room is a blank canvas! 11Feb 13, 2011 7:53 am Thanks for that. Looks like I should probably get a cable guy in during the build. As for the amp, is there a reliable source to find out recommended brands/ specifications, or can you make any suggestions? Re: Help- my media room is a blank canvas! 12Feb 13, 2011 5:38 pm SinkOrSwim OK, Here is a stab at what I am thinking - I am sure the others will jump in You are looking at ~50-55" screen ( from what I can tell from reading ~1/3 of the seated distance from the screen is an optimal size – phooey - I want bigger so 60-65 is what I am looking for ) Plasmas are currently the best price point in this size, but it is changing fast. As far as sound and speakers Speakers first - 5.1 ( 2 rear, 2 front, a center - [5] and a sub woofer [.1] ) is a good middle ground ( 7.1 is overkill for me ). These are one of the key things that makes great sound - when matched to the amplifier - see the next point... Now you need something to connect your Foxtel, game consoles etc ( called sources ) to your speakers for sound ( and TV for video as a bonus ) - an amplifier - this should support HDMI 1.4 if you want 3D ( HDMI is in effect a type of cable that connects everything together ) and most likely about 100 watts per channel ( the amount of power pushed out to the speakers ) So before you go too far there are some other items you may want to think about - Do you want connections to The internet - common place for the new tvs almost mandatory these days, maybe more than one To other TVs in the house? To other areas in the house for sound from the HT - different zones So what is important before and while you are building - from what I have seen so far ( not finished so I am sure I will miss things ) - Physical support for your large TV - do you need additional wood work - Think about where you want to locate your subwoofer – in a front cabinet or beside one - Cabling for Sound - 5.1 or whatever you select, 16awg or larger seems good size for the cable Between the TV and the Amplifier ( so you don’t have cables dropped down from the TV ( maybe a duct so you can update the cables later on ) Cables for your foxtel ( two if it is a satellite ) Cables for your free to air TV antenna ( and the antenna if you don’t get one – a story in its self ) Power for the TV behind the TV ( think about this for your other tvs in the house ) Power for the sources and the Amplifier Lighting - do you want to be able to dim the lights A good cable guy can be a great asset – but also knowledge is valuable Another one is sound proofing - it needs to be looked at before the walls go up... So guys what have I missed? Sounds pretty good to me.. in all honesty the most important point of of any home theatre/media room is sound proofing it. Theres no point spending excessive amounts of money on better quality speakers if you dont first get the infrastructure or room design planned properly. One point you have missed is control? im not a fan of having multiple different remotes so whats your views on controlling all the gear? Re: Help- my media room is a blank canvas! 13Feb 13, 2011 9:15 pm nicenurse - I would have a chat with the friendly guys at Selby Acoustics ( no connection - just spoke to them for myself and they were great ) or your preferred local HI FI store as there such a wide range to choose from that will foot the bill... Take a quick look at the web if you are interested... For me i think Onkyo or Yamaha will be the front contenders when I am ready to buy - some of this is personal and some driven by price and features... Jezza - Not 100% sure yet, but at the simplest end of the spectrum and from friends experience the logitech devices work well. I have looked at a few of the HDMI over IP devices and am going to have cables in place to support them as they mature - lighting control, other than dimmers, for me is not a high priority. Beyond that I guess the sky ( well the bank account size ) is the limit... Thoughts? Re: Help- my media room is a blank canvas! 14Feb 15, 2011 10:21 pm There were 5 aspects to the wiring of my theatre room I had to consider; 1) lighting 2) data cabling 3) speaker wiring 4) HDMI cabling 5) power supply For the lighting I opted to just have a provision for downlights left in the ceiling, as well as the standard 2 x baton fix lights (aligned across the room, rather than down the middle of the room to allow for my DLP). I will be putting in 6 x downlights, removing the 2 baton fix lights, and putting in two lamps that I found that look like old movie prop staging lights with the little adjustable flaps - I'll be hooking them up to a dimmer switch for 'mood' lighting. Almost all the Home Theatre componentry these days have network cable hookup; TVs, blurays, recorders/tuners, amplifiers/receivers, projectors, so I ensured that I have enough CAT5/6 cabling installed for all current and future components. For example, I ran a CAT5 cable to behind where my projector screen will be, just in case I ever decide to put a Plasma/LCD on the wall behind it. Similarly, with my speaker wiring, even though I currently only have a 5.1 amplifier, I ran speaker wires for a 7.2 system, for if/when I get a new receiver. Think carefully about what heights you want your speakers (and wiring plates) at, especially if you ever decide to buy new speakers. I currently have smaller 'bookshelf' type speakers, but placed the front speaker wall plates at ground level in case I ever get floorstanding speakers. Rear and surround plates are at ear level as I would only ever use 'bookshelf' wallmounted speakers. HDMI Cabling is also very important to consider - as mentioned a couple of points up, I don't currently have a flatscreen to mount on the wall behind my projector screen, but I ran a 5 metre HDMI just in case. I'd rather spend $80 now and not use it for a few years, rather than have to spend a lot of time and money running them through walls down the track. TIP: if you're going to run the HDMI cables yourself (or have a contractor do it) make sure you do it as close to gyprocking as possible, that way there is less time for them to go 'missing'. In regard to power supply,work out how many points you'll need at your 'componentry' area (dvd player, vcr, bluray, set top box, amplifier, xbox, ps3, router, etc) and double it! better to be safe than sorry. I've gone for an 'awesome foursome' wall plate, as well as having my 'surge protector' 6 plug powerboard. I've also allowed for two low mounted double power points at the rear to accommodate powered subwoofers, with the 'double' powerpoint being for anything else I might need/want such as lamps etc. I made sure not to have them mounted too low, as I am having a 300mm raised platform at the rear of the room for the back row of seats. I also included a power point provision in the roof to power my ceiling mounted DLP, as well as a double point behind my projector screen for the future possibility of a Plasma/LCD. I also have a double point at the front on the side wall for general use, such as vaccuuming etc. As a bonus tip, go spend $20 at your local hardware store and get some 190x40 timber cut to size to use as mounting points for any location where you might ever consider wanting to put a plasma/lcd in the future. I've done this at 5 different points at my place that is currently under construction, as well as an extra one in the laundry for the dryer mount... In regard to the actual equipment - head out to a few audio visual specialists as well as your local Harvey Normans/JB Hifi and have a play. There's no need in spending $10,000 on a top of the range amplifier/receiver/theatre media centre if you're never going to use it to it's full potential. A simple $800 amplifier (say Yamaha or Onkyo) will give you outstanding sound. Combine that with a 7.2 speaker pack for around $1,200, as well as a projector for $2,000, screen for $400, bluray player/tuner/recorder in one for $600, and you have yourself a pretty bloody awesome home theatre set up for $5K, plus say $200 worth of cables. hope it helps <EDIT> +1 for sound proofing - I have in-wall acoustic insulation as well as soundcheck gyprock on all walls and the ceiling. I will also be putting in a bass trap and drapes/material wall hangings for added accoustic control. Re: Help- my media room is a blank canvas! 15Feb 17, 2011 9:45 am Shacky raises some good points to consider. If are going the non projector route, I'd opt for a 63in or similar flat screen TV mounted on the wall with HDMI, & Power point at approx 1100mm height going to 300mm height where you may put your lowline entertainment unit housing your equipment (Digital pvr, blu-ray player & receiver). Whack your centre speaker on top of this and Left & right speakers on the sides (you may want to have the speaker cables going through the walls to wall plates at each side to tidy it up a bit) with speaker cables connected to them. A raised rear floor is a good idea to put some theater style seating. Run rear speaker cable through the walls to the top rear left and right back to the front for a nice sounding 5.1 set-up. Don't forget to position the subwoofer off to either side of the front arrangement. If this is all a bit daunting to organize, just duck down to http://www.bigpicturepeople.com.au/cinemapackages.html for some ideas. Builder: Dennis Family Homes House: Hartley Facade: Provincial Suburb: Lyndhurst Moved in! http://cynash.blogspot.com Re: Help- my media room is a blank canvas! 16Feb 17, 2011 10:54 am 4.9m is a good length (if you intend on sitting near the back of the room) for a 110"~120" screen. If you are going to sit as far back as your can (or near enough to it) then even a 63" plasma is not going to give you the real Cinema feeling. For that depth I say you only have room for one row of seating, and if the room has ceilings no higher than 2.7m (9 feet) then I don't see a need for a raised floor for the seats either. My advice: 1. You say it will be a dedicated HT - I therefore say it should have a projector - you have the depth for it. 2. Given the width, you need to think about leaving room either side of the screen for your Left and Right front speakers, and may have to limit yourself to a 110" (16:9) screen - which is still an awesome size for your room. Get a Fixed Frame screen - they are the cheapest option and as the room is dedicated there is no reason to pack the screen away when you're not watching it. 3. Cable accordingly - if you do not have your AV Receiver yet then you only need to run 1 decent (1.4a) HDMI cable from where the gear will sit up to the projector - and leave leftover at each end. 4. Remember to consider power for your projector and for where you'd like to put your subwoofer - the subwoofer really can go anywhere in the room, as long as it stands on the floor (and shouldn't be hidden down behind furniture - that will reduce it's impact). 5. Get a sound system that is equal to the task. It should wow you as much as the picture! 6. Get as many soft furnishings/curtains/floor coverings (carpet really is a must) into that room as you reasonably can - the less higher-frequencies bouncing around in there the better your sound system will sound. Insulation inside the walls will help reduce the bass from bouncing around (causing it to 'boom'), and reduce the transfer of sound outside the room. Re: Help- my media room is a blank canvas! 17Feb 17, 2011 9:11 pm Thank you all so much, I didnt realise there were so many elements to making up a theatre room. I have jotted down all your advice and feel ready now to hit the stores and see what I can get for my money, without sounding like a complete um, er technophobe! Can anyone help with the layout of my living room, it seems that no matter what I do it never looks right. I have an awquard kind of l shape with 2 doors, bay window and… 0 8355 Hey, I am wanting to add a second toilet to my house, bit we have limited room. There is a hallway/entry that is never used, so was thinking this could be an option. Only… 0 4714 Hi all, My first post, we are building a house and can’t decide the layout of the lounge room. We have a large N/W facing window and are wanting to have a wood slow… 0 13729 |