# Hi, new home theatre in planning stages, lots of ??



## mach (Dec 22, 2008)

hey guys, just joined this great forum. I just finished building our dream home, so now it's time to build our home cinema room. The room is carpeted & heavily insulated, and has painted sheet rock walls. ceiling is 8 ft high, room is 17' x 15'6". I plan on mounting the lcd tv / projector screen on the 15'6' wall. This allows me to use the 17' width for extra seating. I may start with 2 large couches in a "V" shape pattern facing the screen. I'm leaning towards using a 52" lcd tv. but a projector mounted in the ceiling might work better. I've seen many viewing range calculators, but it seems each of them gives me a different viewing distance. I figure my average viewing range will be about 10' from the screen. I've been told a 52" is as large as i can go, with a 10' viewing distance. I will be viewing in hdtv. Does a 52" LCD screen @ 10' away seem about right to you guys?

Also, I am thinking about recessing a mini-snack bar into one of the back walls. I have a section of my back wall, that has a 4' x 4' area behind this wall that could be used to build my snack bar. I'd like to layout a this area to hold a mini-fridge, microwave, and some cabinets & counter tops, to give this room a real cinema feeling, Any idea, where i could get some idea's to build/layout my snack bar?

Thanks, I'm sure, i will have many more questions in the weeks and months ahead. thanks guys,
Mach


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## bpape (Sep 14, 2006)

Welcome Mach

Pish posh on 52" at 10'. I run 92" at 10' with no problem and could go bigger. General recommended minimum THX viewing cone is 36 degrees included angle.

I'd seriously rethink doing 2 couches side by side. You'll be putting several seats way off to the side which will give poor viewing angles, poor stereo/surround imaging, and poor bass response by being very close to a wall. 2 rows of seating with 1 raised would be a far superior solution if you can swing it.

Bryan


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## Anthony (Oct 5, 2006)

I'm also running 92" at 10' or so and it looks great. I could maybe go up to 100" in my room, but I'd have to buy shorter speakers 

A quick trick a friend taught me from film school (he was there, not me): Sit in the desired seating position (usually determined by acoustics). Extend your arms all the way out in front of you and open up your hands wide. Touch your thumbs together.

The width pinky to pinky is pretty close to the ideal screen size. Obviously some people will have massive hands with short arms or vice versa, but for most people this works as a ballpark. In film school they actually taught this as light balance -- i.e. you want a certain percentage of your viewing area lit up to reduce eye strain, but not so large that you have to turn your head to see everything on screen.

Good luck, and Welcome to the Shack!


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## salvasol (Oct 31, 2006)

I'm using a Samsung 67" DLP, my first row is just 9' from TV and it looks good.

I agree with Anthony and Bryan, place the seats first and then determine the screen size, and if you can accomodate two rows of seats instead of the V shape; it will work better :yes:.


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

I have a 15' wide room just as you do but longer and currently have the dreaded "V" shape sofa layout and it does not work very well sound wise my screen is 96" and my seating distance is about 14' back. 
As soon as I have the budget I will be building a riser and going two rows as well.


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## mach (Dec 22, 2008)

if i go 2 rows, using a riser for the back couch, the people on the front couch will only be about 8' from the tv. i was planning on using an lcd, but i have the option of recessing a dlp set, into my wall, because i have access to the back side of that wall. i could save some money going with a 65" dlp set. mitsubishi has a new on out that has a 120hz refresh rate, for about $2000.00 bucks, but if i'm only 8' from the tv, a 65' may be too big. what do you guys think?


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## salvasol (Oct 31, 2006)

mach said:


> ...if i'm only 8' from the tv, a 65' may be too big. what do you guys think?


I think is not a problem, I have a 67" DLP and the first row is just about 9' ...:yes:

But a prefer to seat in the back row :bigsmile:.


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