# SLM's Non Dedicated Basement HT



## slm72 (Feb 4, 2010)

Learning lots of good stuff on this site, seem to be plenty of good advice!

I'm starting to demo my basement and I've been trying to plan out a space for my HT. Basement will be a shared space and needs to serve not only the HT but a kids play area too for watching kid shows and playing video games. The area I want to use for HT is 12' x 20', I plan on putting the PJ screen on the 12' wall. I don't want the kids to use the projector for their movies or video games so I'm planning on installing a flat screen of some kind on the wall as well then have a 120" electric screen come down when we want to fire up the PJ. One of the challenges is that my ceilings are only 7' 1" (suspended ceiling), and with a 120" screen I'm guessing the bottom of the screen will be only 20" off the ground, is that too low? Should I cut back to a smaller screen? Currently the first row of seating is about 11' from the screen, and the second row is about 17'.

I'm planning on building a nice 'built in' unit that I was planning putting Audio transparent screens on to hide the speakers, one question was I was planning on putting my center channel beneath the the screen inside the built in, being that the screen is so low will my center channel sound ok? Maybe I could pitch it up and aim it at the seats? I was also thinking about putting a front firing sub in the built in also, any reason that might not work?

I've mocked up the HT area in Google Sketchup, here are some shots. Looking for any advice or comments. Thanks.










Top View









From behind the rear seats









The PJ Screen raised up









The Panels removed from the built in









Showing the riser and rear seating


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## bpape (Sep 14, 2006)

That's a big screen for a 12' wide space. It pushes your speakers very close to the side walls which isn't good. Rethink the cavity around them too. It will cause lots of resonances. 

If you have to keep it this way, I'd just redo a tiny bit of the drop ceiling to allow a slot for the screen to drop down from and keep the mechanism above the drop ceiling.

Bryan


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

If you have to put the centre speaker in the cabinet, allow plenty of space around it or you will have problems as stated..


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## rickp (Jan 14, 2008)

Nice job with the sketchup.


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## slm72 (Feb 4, 2010)

Started construction, couple of before shots. The basement was already 'finished' just not very nicely, there were 2x4 walls built 3 feet up the walls and then the exposed concrete was textured with something unknown...


















Ripped the paneling off, started to pull the ceiling down...


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## bbieger (Sep 15, 2009)

I can say that I have 7' 1" ceilings and a 103" wide 16:9 screen. Honestly, I wouldn't go any bigger than that. The bottom of the screen is pretty close to the floor. 

I went with an acoustically transparent screen and put the speakers behind the screen. I'm going to post pictures tonight on the monkeyboy theater thread. However, while a DIY AT screen will only cost $200 an electric or pull down version is over a $1 k  

I'm in the same boat as you with the kids and LCD. I may build a small box and install a electric lift gor the TV in front of the screen. I must say though that the AT screen in black material, velvet boarder and AT screen looks sooooo money


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## slm72 (Feb 4, 2010)

I think you might be right, 120" screen may be too big for that space, now looking at a 106" screen. That should give me 24" on each side of the screen for my speakers.

Transparent electric screen is for sure not in the budget!

I'd love to see what you did with your space, I'll be looking out for your pictures.


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## bbieger (Sep 15, 2009)

Didnt get to take photos but I will tonight. The false wall approach really only cost me about $250 more than a non AT setup. The cost was in guilford of main fabric (thanks Bpape  ) and the expense of the Seymour screen fabric. You can paint the back wall or some other substrate to make a cheaper screen or use Lycra over a frame and save a tiny bit of cash by not going AT but it is nice to be able to hide all your gear (and ridiculous sized tuba sub  ) behind the screen not to mention the better sound imaging.

My false wall consists of 4 vertical 2x4's painted black. The screen and velvet frame are screwed to the inner 2x4's and what are essentially speaker grills are velcro'd around the screen. No need to frame a false wall like a normal wall....
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## slm72 (Feb 4, 2010)

Getting closer. Got most of the drywall up over the weekend, Hope to have it all taped and sanded by the end of this weekend.


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## dpromano76 (Dec 22, 2009)

Nice space , good luck & Ill be watching!


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## bbieger (Sep 15, 2009)

Are you going to keep the fluorescent lights? Haven't taken pictures yet  been busy putting my house back together after tearing it apart to get the couch downstairs. Sigghhhhh


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## slm72 (Feb 4, 2010)

I have not decided yet on the lighting. If I keep the florescent I plan on separating the room in multiple zones so I can have all the lights in the HT section off with other lights on. I have to remember to keep the space multi-purpose. That's the one advantage of the drop ceiling,at least if I'm not happy with the lights I can just pop out the tiles and change the configuration or just put new lights in.


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## bpape (Sep 14, 2006)

Just remember that flourescents are very very noisy both physically and electrically. I try to avoid them or any other low voltage type of lighting like the plague if possible. 

Bryan


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## bbieger (Sep 15, 2009)

The noise and inability to dim are bigfactors, not to mention the ambiance that is more akin to a 7-11 than a HT. 12 can lights and bulbs and trim would set you back around $250 but make a world of difference. It may sound over the top but being able to control the lights with my all in one remote is not only very cool, its super conienant. I still have those spacer dimmers but they are going on fee bay this week
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## slm72 (Feb 4, 2010)

yeah, the more I think about it I think I will get rid of all the florescent lighting and go with 6" cans all over. 



bbieger said:


> It may sound over the top but being able to control the lights with my all in one remote is not only very cool, its super conienant. I still have those spacer dimmers but they are going on fee bay this week
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


 What are you using to control the lights with? via remote?


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## bpape (Sep 14, 2006)

I use a standard Universal Remote. I use a Lutron Graifk Eye and just program the codes into the UR.

Bryan


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## bbieger (Sep 15, 2009)

http://cgi.ebay.com/Harmony-890-Adv...emQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item2eab999e26


Super easy to program. plug it in to the computer and DL the codes from logitech. I am using the radio frequency function (as all my gear is out of site) and so I don't have to point the remote at the switches. I enabled this by splicing about 15' of speaker wire into one of the IR blasters so I could run it through the wall. Works stellar.


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## slm72 (Feb 4, 2010)

Been working on things, haven't taken as many pictures as I should but progress is happening...

Here is a shot of the screen wall with the screen retracted into the drop ceiling and one with it lowered down....









I went with the can lights as suggested and I do like the way the light feels.

Going to build my second row riser this weekend and possibly rough in a bar to sit behind the seating, sketched up with sketchup and I think it will look pretty good. Plan on using the cabinets below to store the kids toys.


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## bbieger (Sep 15, 2009)

Someone has been playing xbox.......LOL

Looking good!! Lighting is key! Nice to see you taking some suggestions to heart. I just put my extra lutron spacer dimmers on feebay if your interested.
Keep on keeping on.


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

Now that you have your screen in place, that alcove looks quite narrow and deep..
I think you might have some boundary issues and you will need to heavily treat those side walls..


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## bbieger (Sep 15, 2009)

Heavy treatments for sure. Unless you like your movies to sound cave like. Man I soo would have built a false wall in that space. But I guess the kids need their tv. 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## slm72 (Feb 4, 2010)

Well, I have not posted in a while but I have been working. And I'm just about finished, took more time then I thought it would to build the bar and all the cabinet doors but in the end I'm really happy with the result. Everything looks and sounds great (for my taste anyway). I did not use the highest end components but my eyes and ears will never know the difference. I really want to find a way to hide the speakers and sub woofer, here are some pictures...


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