# Projector Calibration and Center Channel Placement?



## Dethfyre (Feb 10, 2010)

Hello everyone

This is my first post, although I've been reading here for a while now. My basic question comes down to correctly calibrating a new projector - I've never owned or calibrated a projector before (I have used them on and off for business) and I've never calibrated an HDTV before, so I'm fairly new to this concept.

What tools, procedures, etc are there for actually doing this? It is something that a newb like me can handle, or am I better going with the standard color tables already in the projector and not messing something up in the process? I'm a computer programmer by trade, so my technical level is up there, but I don't know how much previous experience with this specific sort of thing matters - do you have to have an eye for it, etc?

I have one secondary question as well and I hope someone can help point me in the right direction - center channel mounting location... My ideal placement would be about 32" to 36" up on the wall. Well, since that's going to be completely covered by a screen now (I forgot about the 20" drop required between the ceiling and top of the screen, but it wouldn't have changed things in the end anyway I suppose), my choices are either above or below the screen (I ruled out Acoustic screen material - it seems like too much compromise on both sound quality and display quality). Neither location is ideal, but which is better generally? Below would put it about 20" off the ground, and above would put it about 70" off the ground... below would be closer to seated ear level than above so I'm leaning that direction right now. Typical usage for my system is about 75% DVD Movies and DD 5.1 / DTS Live Audio and Concerts (Eagles Hell Freezes Over DVD etc), with CD listening accounting for most of the other 25%, if that makes a difference.

I'll list out my equipment information and the rest of the details of the system below - I appreciate any help you can offer! Thanks in advance, and thanks for putting up with my newb questions!

Dan


Details of the room and the system:

I'm in the process of finishing my basement to become my first true Home Theater right now - it's on the smaller side compared to most of your setups I imagine (it's aprx 16' X 13') and I'm still in the initial construction phases. I have open walls at the moment with electrical run around the room and 5.2 in the walls already, and I've set the fronts up with two runs of wire for Bi-Amping. There are 10m HDMI and Component cables (and AC) through the ceiling at the Projector mount point, and then everything terminates at the front left corner of the room where I've planned to put the main equipment rack.

For equipment, almost everything is already purchased and some of it is already in use with my 50" Plasma upstairs... all the speakers, the BluRay player, CD changer, and the receiver are running up there right now. The projector has been tested and is in a closet for storage until this is finished, along with the screen. When these speakers move downstairs I'll put my previous Energy Take Classic 5.1 system back up there - they've always sounded very good and very crisp, just as long as not much volume is required of them if anyone had an interest in those but hadn't heard them yet.

Room : 16 x 13, one window that will be completely blacked out via a removable insert I am making. Four can lights in the ceiling using dimmable CFLs for ambient lighting if desired. Room will be able to become completely dark if desired/required. All interior walls will be insulated for sound deadening. Obviously no drywall is up yet, but I imagine it will be painted a lighter cream or beige color (wife won't go for dark walls). And I have absolutely no idea about acoustical "treatments" - I've heard of people putting sound panels on the wall etc, but I know nothing about that sort of thing. 

Projector : Mitsubishi HC3800
http://www.mitsubishi-presentations.com/products/projectors/HC3800.html

Screen : Elite Screens 92" ez-Frame in CineGray (R92H1)
http://www.google.com/products/cata...result&resnum=3&ved=0CBwQ8wIwAg&os=tech-specs

Receiver : Yamaha RX-V3900
http://www.yamaha.com/yec/products/productdetail.html?CNTID=5016803

Speakers - Sub and Fronts all carpet spiked :
Front - 2x Yamaha Towers NS-A1738 (Bi-Amped)
http://www.yamaha.com/yec/products/productdetail.html?CNTID=200429&CTID=5002900 

Center - Yamaha NS-C444 (closest match I could find to the towers at the time)
http://www.yamaha.com/yec/products/productdetail.html?CNTID=200122

Surround - 2x Dayton Audio BR1 (previously they were my mains and center before the new Yamahas)
http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=300-640

Sub - Yamaha YST-SW315
http://www.yamaha.com/yec/products/productdetail.html?CNTID=200489

Seating - No idea yet, the Wife basically veto'd dedicated Home Theater seating which is what I was hoping for, so probably reclining couch or sectional at this point. Bah.


----------



## Dethfyre (Feb 10, 2010)

Hmmm... And sorry for writing a book, which I just realized is what I did.

My bad.

Dan


----------



## mechman (Feb 8, 2007)

Welcome tot he Shack DanO! :wave:

I would start by reading the stickies in the HDTV | Video Displays | Processors forum on video calibration. There's a lot of information there. :T 

If you have any questions regarding calibrating your display, I'd recommend posting a question in the Video Calibration Q&A sticky. Bill from CalMAN watches that thread and is pretty good at replying to questions.

The easiest thing to do though would be to buy a calibration disc such as Spears & Munsil or DVE. Buy the Blu Ray disc if you have a Blu Ray player. These discs will get your white/black levels adjusted properly and also help with color, tint and sharpness.

If you feel the need to delve further then you may wish to buy a meter and software to go with it. There are two reasonable software programs out there for sale - CalMAN and ChromaPure. And there's also a free program called HCFR. The advantage of the non-free software is that they will walk you through the steps if need be. You can also buy a meter bundled with the software from one of the vendors. All this can cost anywhere from a couple hundred dollars to several thousand dollars.

If I were you, I'd start with the disc - I like the Spears & Munsil. :T By the way, Spears & Munsil is only available on Blu Ray I believe. So if you need a DVD, get DVE or AVIA.


----------



## Dethfyre (Feb 10, 2010)

Hey Mech!

That sounds good, I'll give the Spears & Munsil BluRay a shot and hit the other boards and go from there 

Hey, any thoughts on the Center placement? Or am I making a bigger issue out of that then it really is?

Thanks!
Dan


----------



## mechman (Feb 8, 2007)

Dethfyre said:


> Hey Mech!
> 
> That sounds good, I'll give the Spears & Munsil BluRay a shot and hit the other boards and go from there
> 
> ...


For the center channel it's probably better to get the advice of someone not as audio deficient as myself.  :T


----------



## Dethfyre (Feb 10, 2010)

Heh Ok - thanks again 

Dan


----------



## chadnliz (Feb 12, 2010)

I have been using a projector a couple years and some form of surround for almost 20, below screen is going to IMO work best, its closer to the drivers in your mains and your ears, you can tilt it up in front to pitch its drivers to your ear if you think it will help. Your ears will decide for you, your also going to have better lucj with sound pan and scan with drivers being closer as opposed to way above the screen.


----------



## Dethfyre (Feb 10, 2010)

Thanks for the info everyone - I'm going to get an 18" center stand that will angle the speaker up slightly and put it below the screen.

I appreciate it!
Dan


----------



## mactuna (Jun 28, 2008)

Sorry to chime in now, but i have the same "theoretical" dilema. I say in theory because i did not start my HT construction yet, but it is slowly being drawn in my head. I will be building it from scratch in a new home so 100% free from constraints.

In my current setup (not so dedicated room) i have 56"Rear Proj TV so the obvious place for centre speaker placement is on top of it. I find it to be an optimal placement. I tried below the screen and in front of the TV and HATED it.
But my TV is only about 5 feet tall, so the speaker is away from the ceiling and its reflexions.

In the new future scenario i plan to have 120"ish screen and that will make all the difference.
From examples that i have been seeing here, from builders, centre speaker placement is very tricky.
I also do not like the idea of transparent audio screens, and have to decide where to put a decent centre speaker. My current one is big and weighs in a heafty 15Kg.

On an important (or not) note, in Cinemas we are used to sound coming from the top of the screen...not from below.


----------



## Dethfyre (Feb 10, 2010)

Hello

It's gotta be nice having the option to do it right the first time 

If you have *no* constraints my best recommendation (which I wish I had the option of right now) would be to make the room taller than would be normal. Give yourself enough wall space to mount the bottom of the screen at about 4 feet off the floor (and don't forget to allow extra room at the top if it's a ceiling mounted projector for the drop needed). That would let you mount the center channel on the wall or on a stand of decent height at about 36" off the floor.

That's I'm planning for my next one anyway - of course I need to finish the first one before I worry too much about the second one heh.

Good Luck with it!
Dan


----------



## chadnliz (Feb 12, 2010)

If you measure where your fronts are going to go then a safe bet is to mount the center wherever it is closest in line with the mains midrange and tweeters for a more seamless sound field. If that means up above so be it but I always prefer it below screen becuase many times the screen is close to the ceiling and can lead to reflections where as on the floor you have more room and this isnt an issue. Also many times there is carpet or some more ideal than a drywall reflective surface. To each their own but I have done many theaters and have done many systems in almost 20yrs of surround and theater use, below works best for me.


----------



## mactuna (Jun 28, 2008)

Dan,

In fact i was thinking the exact way around. That beeing using a high enough ceiling in order to have and IB subs below the screens and using a rear chamber. The centre speaker would be placed in the wall but on top of the screen. If the speaker can be tilted down, i believe that will make a more natural "voice placement".

It truly is a hard choice and unfortunaly none is ideal. In a small sized screen (up to 60") it is easy to put the centre on top and get great results.
In a EXTREMELY large one like the theaters (20 metres large) the room is so big that Top placement is also do-able !
In a medium size....like 100-130" in our homes...its not small enough to make it un-important...and not large enough to make the screen a part of it.
I guess i am going to try and error when i start building it !!
Cheers !


----------

