# Help in Design of Difficult New Home Theatre New Home Construction



## Conrad (Nov 24, 2007)

Hi I am in the middle of construction of our new dream house and we our having a dedicated HT room, but due to architects design of house the HT room was not an optimal shape and size please see attached drawing for specs and info. The room has a 9 ft in ceiling height.

The projector I am more than likely go to go with is a Sony Model Number: VPL-VW60 link for specs

http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs...10151&langId=-1&productId=8198552921665192796

First I would like to have two rows of seating with a riser but I think I do not have enough distance or length in the room at 15'2". Can anyone please advise either way on this if it is possible. Or should I stay with just one row of theater or recliner chairs or a couch. I am am open to any suggestions for furniture sizes that will work best to fit my room.

Secondly what size screen can I go to match the room perfectly. What is the optimal size I should go with. I want to have a stage built around the screen too. I think this will add to the overall effect to make room more theater like. And with that in mind what then what would be the optimal viewing distance. I do prefer a wider screen ratio too if possible if the room size allows it.

Thirdly where would be the best possible position for the speakers? I would like to run a 7.1 set up. I will have floor standing tower speakers for the front and rear. However I could go with wall mounted rear speakers if the room layout requires it. To optimize the shorter length in the room for better sound quality.

Right now the room is just been framed I am about to wire it up so any ideas would greatly help.

Thank You very much in advance 

Oil Country


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

Conrad said:


> First I would like to have two rows of seating with a riser but I think I do not have enough distance or length in the room at 15'2". Can anyone please advise either way on this if it is possible. Or should I stay with just one row of theater or recliner chairs or a couch. I am am open to any suggestions for furniture sizes that will work best to fit my room.


Hi Conrad and welcome to The Shack.

My theatre is the same length as yours and I can only fit one row of recliner seats..
I have however lost about 2' out of the length of the room by having a screen wall biult out from the front wall, so if you're not planning on a screen wall then you might just squeeze in two rows..
But that will also depend on what size screen you're going to use.. 



Conrad said:


> Secondly what size screen can I go to match the room perfectly. What is the optimal size I should go with. I want to have a stage built around the screen too. I think this will add to the overall effect to make room more theater like. And with that in mind what then what would be the optimal viewing distance. I do prefer a wider screen ratio too if possible if the room size allows it.


As mentioned above, that will depend on whether you go with two rows or one..
With one row I have a screen 8' wide in a room which is only 10' wide, but then I have a Cinemascope set up, using a constant image height..
In your room you would be able to use an even wider screen, and if you're planning on using the standard 16:9 AR then a 120" screen would fit well.. 



Conrad said:


> Thirdly where would be the best possible position for the speakers? I would like to run a 7.1 set up. I will have floor standing tower speakers for the front and rear. However I could go with wall mounted rear speakers if the room layout requires it. To optimize the shorter length in the room for better sound quality.


Yes, I would seriously consider going with di-pole surrounds mounted fairly high up, but you may not have enough length for 7.1..
I have a 7.1 receiver but can only use 5.1 in my room..

I hope that is of some help for you..


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## Sonnie (Apr 11, 2006)

You say that you are in construction... are the walls already up and/or do you have any options to move walls in the space above?


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## Conrad (Nov 24, 2007)

Hi thank you everyone so far for the info. This forum is great.

Sonnie quote:
"You say that you are in construction... are the walls already up and/or do you have any options to move walls in the space above?"

First of all the theatre is in the basement so the concrete is there. As for framing the walls have been put up, they have just been framed. Some furnace ducts in ceiling so far. The walls could be moved slightly, or another wall could be framed around some of them. Of course this would come at an extra cost, Sonnie what did you have in mind? Do think I should try to create a more rectangular room if possible? Please let me know what you are thinking? Is the room going to sound terrible? Because it is not the idea dimensions? Or can I make it decent sounding still?

Cheers

Conrad


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## Conrad (Nov 24, 2007)

Thanks Prof !!! How does your theater feel at that length do you feel like you are crowding the screen? And looking side to side during the action. Or can you enjoy the movies at that screen size? And do you have any photos of your HT room? I am favoring of only going with one row. As I want to build a stage too or screen wall. What width is your room? And what do you have for seating?

Thanks

Conrad


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## Scuba Diver (Sep 28, 2007)

I have a 15.5 deep by 13.5 wide room I set up a riser with two rows of seating. The screen distance is not a problem. However, I would like to have had a bit more clearance between the back wall and the riser seats. Screen size is 102 wide. 

Do you own a projector? Just setup some chairs and light up the wall to see what size screen works for you. Then shop for a screen to match that size.


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## bpape (Sep 14, 2006)

Having a false screen wall does not impact the proper placement of seating provided it is a false wall with just framing and cloth (no drywall) as the overall acoustical room dimensions are the same - it's just the visual size that's impacted.

You can fit 2 rows of 3 very nicely in there. You may want to consider non-recliners in the rear row to allow better placement options. 9.4' to seated ear position from the REAL front wall is a good planning point. Screen size in that area depends on a few factors:

- How do you like to watch? Are you a front of the theater guy, middle, etc.?

- Are you going with an acoustically transparent screen so speakers would go inside the screen width or not? (This will determine how much space you have for speakers to the side of the screen to avoid boundary issues)

Bryan


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

Conrad said:


> Thanks Prof !!! How does your theater feel at that length do you feel like you are crowding the screen? And looking side to side during the action. Or can you enjoy the movies at that screen size? And do you have any photos of your HT room? I am favoring of only going with one row. As I want to build a stage too or screen wall. What width is your room? And what do you have for seating?
> 
> Thanks
> 
> Conrad


I sit 9'6" from the screen and with an 8' wide screen, you really feel a part of the action!!
With a Scope screen (2.37:1) and an Anamorphic lens, you are generally able to sit closer without the need to look side to side..
With an 8' wide !6:9 screen however, you would find that you need more distance from the screen..
My room width measures 10'6" which lets me just fit in three recliners across the room...

When sitting in the room with the lights on, you feel that you're sitting very close to the screen and the room feels quite small..But when the lights dim and this bright image spreads virtually across the room, you forget about the size of the room..:T:bigsmile:

The photo's show the situation...

















This was just a temporary set up..The power cord was re-routed later..









I couldn't get far enough back to include the complete side seats, but they just fit across the room with only a few inches to spare..


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## Conrad (Nov 24, 2007)

Prof. said:


> I sit 9'6" from the screen and with an 8' wide screen, you really feel a part of the action!!
> With a Scope screen (2.37:1) and an Anamorphic lens, you are generally able to sit closer without the need to look side to side..
> 
> Hi Prof thanks for the pics, a picture say a thousand words. I am fairly new to the projector and screen terms. As I have not bought either or have had any experience with them. What do you mean by the terms Scope screen and Anamorphic lens? I like the idea of not moving my head side to side. And for cost of the above how do they compare to an normal fixed screen and lens?
> ...


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## Conrad (Nov 24, 2007)

Hi Bryan thanks for the info. First I am going for a fixed non transparent screen. With 2 Tower speakers beside screen I guess, and center underneath I thought. I do prefer to be back or middle when viewing in actual movie theater. What side do you think I should have screen on and why? I am leaning toward 23'7" side for screen I thought. So I would have more room for speakers.

Cheers

Conrad


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## Conrad (Nov 24, 2007)

Hi Scuba diver I do not have either of the equipment yet to test anything out. Do you have any photos of your room I would love to see what a room close to mind would look like approximately.

Cheers

Conrad


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## bpape (Sep 14, 2006)

I'd personally have the screen on the top wall of the drawing. That allows me a lot of good with one tradeoff:

Positives:

- Screen is father from doors for any light spill when people come/leave
- Seating in rear row is MUCH more open on the sides
- Entry/exit to the room does not impact screen visibility
- Treatment of front corners of room is possible

Negatives
- Need to watch L and R speaker spacing

Realistically, in a room that length and with you being a mid to rear type of guy, the screen isn't going to be large enough to cause a speaker positioning problem with regard to the side walls IMO.

Bryan


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## jt1 (Nov 2, 2007)

I am new to this but if you could get rid of the 4 x 9.5 wall you would have an 18 x 15 room to use. You could even put a smaller door in the other storage room to use that wall for your screen.


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

Conrad said:


> What do you mean by the terms Scope screen and Anamorphic lens? I like the idea of not moving my head side to side. And for cost of the above how do they compare to an normal fixed screen and lens?
> Conrad


Conrad...A Scope screen is also known as a Constant Image Height (CIH) screen...
This means that the aspect ratio's 16:9,1.85:1 and 2.35:1 are all projectored to the same height, which negates the need for any top and bottom masking...just side masking only..
This is achieved by using an Anamorphic lens, which sits in front of your normal projector lens..The Anamorphic lens stretches the image 33% wider than the projector lens..

Here's how it works...
If you're viewing a movie that has an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, and your screen has an AR of 16:9, you would normally see black bars top and bottom that require masking..
If you then project that image onto a 2.35:1 screen and zoom the image to fill the screen, then you don't see any bars..
The problem with doing it this way however is that you are increasing the pixelation of the image which shows up as increased "screendoor effect" (SDE)..and requires you to view from a longer distance..

With CIH and Anamorphic lens setup, you first set the AR on the projector to 16:9 for your 2.35:1 image..
The image is then electronically stretched vertically by either the built in projector facility or a DVD player that has that facility..
This of course will make figures look tall and skinny so the Anamorphic lens then stretches the image horizontally to return the image to the correct size and shape..

The advantages of doing it this way is that you haven't increased the size of the pixels from the original AR, and you haven't had to zoom the lens to fill the screen..
The end result is that you're able to sit closer to the screen than would normally be possible, and you get a very immersive image that is crystal clear..
There are other advantages as well, one being that you don't have to zoom your lens in and out and re-focus each time for different AR's...

The down side is that the Anamorphic lenses in the US cost as much as a good projector and do require some additional mounting system for them to sit in front of the projector..

If your budget permits...It's the way to go..particularly for a room of your size..


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## MatrixDweller (Jul 24, 2007)

I can see the benefit of having the screen on the south wall. The rear seating riser can run wall to wall, and will look better.

As for screen size and how far back you're going to sit. The Sony projector you're considering won't have any screen door effect so you can sit pretty close. Optimal THX viewing is a 26° angle from the rear most seats and 36° optimal. A calculator can be found -> here <-. Also check out projectorcentral's projection calculator for a rough guess to the screen size to brightness given where it's mounted. According to them the VPL-VW60 is not too bright so you'll probably not want a huge screen.

Given that 2 rows of seating is better than 1 (looks impressive too) you'll need a good 5 feet or more (if you want recliners) for the platform. That leaves the primary viewing distance at around 9 to 10 feet. That's almost the same as the room I'm constructing. I calculated that a 90" diagonal screen was optimal according to THX standards. If you like to sit closer than 2/3rds the way back in a movie theater then bigger might suit you.

At full zoom and the VPL-VW60 mounted 9' 4" back you could have a 92" screen. According to projector central's calculator the Sony would output 18fL which means you won't be able to watch with the lights on.

Have a look at the Panasonic PT-AE2000U. It's not an SXRD projector, but it's quite a bit cheaper, brighter and has a pretty sharp picture. The Sony has a better contrast ratio on paper but according to reviews it's misleading. For a couple grand less you wouldn't think the Panny could compete, but that's not the case. I would definitly demo some other 1080p projectors unless you are getting an unbelievable deal on the Sony.


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## MatrixDweller (Jul 24, 2007)

Prof. said:


> If your budget permits...It's the way to go..particularly for a room of your size..


Don't good anamorphic lenses start at around $2000. Then add the increase expense of a 2.35 ratio screen, plus a projector that supports anamorphic stretching and you've upped the price by a factor of 3 over a standard 16:9 setup.

Nothing beats cine-wide though.


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## Conrad (Nov 24, 2007)

Hi folks thanks for all the info so far. This is what I have thought about if I decide I have enough room for two rows. I will probably put the screen on the south wall as then I can put that back row right against the wall. However if I go with the screen on North wall I would go with one row and have a bit more room to play with the surround room speakers sound field. As for light entering room the area is dark leading up to it and light leaking in will not be an issue. The room will be pitch black if I want it to be. That is one good thing so far about the design. 

And regarding the Projector I am very intrigued about this anamorphic lens. This seems the way to go. I have chosen the Sony projector because my brother works for Sony of Canada and I get any item 10% below cost plus 5% tax. However with that being said I will still look at other projectors. 

Can anyone name a couple anamorphic lens models for me to look at on the web. So I can see how the pricing compares. And would it work with that Sony Model Number: VPL-VW60 link for specs http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/...52921665192796.

And is a special screen required also? If so any models or links would be greatly appreciated.

Thank You

Conrad


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## bpape (Sep 14, 2006)

If you decide to go with the screen on the south wall, PLEASE do not put any seating right against a wall. That's an awful place for sound. Your bass will be very boomy and you'll find it next to impossible to get a decent surround effect.

Bryan


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## Conrad (Nov 24, 2007)

Hi Bryan thanks for the tip. How far off the back wall should I keep the rear seats to have any sort of surround effect still exist and not have the bass sound awful?

And to update my interest in Anamorphic lens I spoke to a fellow at Panamorph and he explained all about the UH380 Professional Grade Horizontal Expansion Lens. It sounds amazing like Prof had described above but you need the screen to go with it too he said. However with the UH380 Professional Grade Horizontal Expansion Lens MRSP at $2995 it is a steep price tag. He also said it is very beneficial to have a M380 Transport for UH380 Lens MRSP $2995 and the P380 Attachment Kit for the UH380 Lens and/or the M380 Transport MRSP $ 495. However after a lengthy conversation he agree that I could do with out the Transport but life would be easier with the Attachment kit. Does anyone have any experience without the transport? The fellow at Panamorph said the resolution would degrade by 15% at the most or would not be as sharp or accurate as it could be unless I all the movies I played were at 2.35 to 1 AR. 

Thank You 

Conrad


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## John Simpson (May 10, 2007)

Hi Conrad,

Call it personal taste, but once you experience 2.35:1 home cinema it's hard to go back to regular 16:9. Well, that's how I'm justifyig the massive price jump to the wife at least... :whistling:

The anamorphic lens works by stretching your *projector beam *out horizonally, as explained by Prof. So that you don't end up with lots of fat people and even longer black bars at the top and bottom, the *projector *stretches the image out *vertically*. Together you get an image that looks correct, in a lovely widescreen format.

The Pana guy reckons you'll lose 15% if you keep the lens fixed, which I assume means 15% of the picture (top and bottom). The project will still stretch the 16:9 movies vertically, thinking they have black bars, and you'll end up with a 2.35:1 movie with the top of people's heads cut off.

But I'm not sure why you'll get a loss of quality and sharpness. The projector is making the vertical stretch, not the lens, so you should still have the same number of pixels on screen.

Can anyone else see what the salesman is talking about? :scratchhead:


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

What the salesman is talking about is if you leave the lens in place to watch 16:9 movies or tv transmissions, you lose about 15% (?) of resolution when you project through the anamorphic lens..
I doubt it's this much and even though I can notice some difference with and without the lens in place. it's minimal..
When you leave the lens in place for 16:9 viewing, you have to set your AR on the projector to 4:3 anyway, which maintains full pixel resolution, and is then stretched out to 16:9 by the lens..The same height of image is maintained for all AR's..
I leave my lens in place all the time..as do many others

The Transport he's referring to is just a slide assembly for moving the lens away from the projector..
At that price it should be a motorized remote control device..Totally unnecessary in my opinion..unless you have to stand on a ladder to reach your projector!

Conrad..If you are a DIY type of guy, there is a much cheaper way of having an Anamorphic lens and Scope screen..

An Anamorphic lens is basically just two big prisms ( some commercial brands use three or four ) aligned in a certain manner and housed in a box..
Many guys have made their own by just buying the prisms and making a box to suit.. 
I bought my lens in kit form and assembled it and did the aligning myself, and believe me, If I can do it, anybody can..
Some guys who have table mounted projectors just stand the prisms in front of the projector lens...
That's how easy it can be..

As far as a Scope screen goes, many including myself make their own screen, and using the right type of materials produces a screen almost as good as many expensive commercial screens..

If you're interested in going this route, I can give you further information on what is requited to do a complete DIY Anamorphic set up..


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## bpape (Sep 14, 2006)

Hi Conrad.

At a very bare minimum, I'd want 3' behind my seated ear position. 

Bryan


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## Conrad (Nov 24, 2007)

Hi Prof and John, you are absolutely correct in describing the anamorphic lens. As I thought to myself in thinking that transport sled was more of a extra add on that was not really needed. Even the sales guy kind of came clean when I said the wife would not go this lens and the sled. After I told him that he said the lens is good enough by itself. The sled is only really an extra feature, but I guess by quoting the 15% improvement in picture he was justifying the extra $3000 dollars. Go figure I guess his money comes from a different tree than the one I planted 

Prof I am very excited and interested in making the screen and setting up the lens for a fraction of the cost. I am not to bad at DIY projects as long as the instructions are easy to follow. Also I was speaking to my carpenter today is there anything I should know or do to the screen wall before drywall or electrical goes in? Like reinforcement to wall, extra studs to be added? How far on the wall will the screen come out? 

And for a quick measurement what is the height and length of scope screen that will fit in my room. See diagram at top of post. I need to know this so I can measure how close the screen will come to the media storage closet doors when they open up. Will I have enough room for scope screen and a tower speaker PSB Stratus Gold i's with out the door smashing into speaker.

Cheers

Conrad


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## Conrad (Nov 24, 2007)

Hi Bryan thanks for the heads up on the measurement. I am really racking my brain on this one. I was speaking to my carpenter today and we were remeasuring the room today and we can not get one extra inch out of the room. I guess if I do not build out a stage  this will help a bit I guess or not? So with just a scope screen as described by Prof above right against drywall with Tower speakers to the Left and right and center below screen. Here are three options I will attach for folks to give me their honest opinion what they would choose and why.

1# option Lets say first the maximum room length that we would get would be lets say 14'10" after drywall, and if I were to leave 3 feet behind back row as Bryan suggested and then have a 5 foot riser base to allow for couch or chairs to be placed on. That would leave the first row at a approx distance 6"10' from the scope screen. Is that seem to close for viewing a scope screen? 

Or option #2 What I could do is have the riser base only 2 feet from the back wall, and make the riser base only 4 feet in depth, and this would bring the front row to viewing distance of 8'10" if my calculations are correct, which to me seems more livable with me as long as the surround effect is still there for the second row. 

Option #3 I could scrap the whole idea of second row and riser and then place the theater seats 4 feet from the back wall not on a riser and your prime viewing distance from a single row would be 10'10" from the scope screen. But it would be nice to have more seating than for just three.


Or Option #4 What ever you think my work better than the three suggested above.

I will attach the three scenarios below please anyone let me know what you would prefer to do if it were HT room and why. 

Thanks In Advance

Conrad


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

Conrad,

Option 1....No
Option 2....possibly, but a bit too close
Option 3....better, but still not right..
Option 4....?

Since you have more width to your room than I have, you can use a screen 8'-9' wide...
However, the width of your screen will determine how far you need to sit back from it..
With my 8' wide Scope screen, I sit 9'6" back, and that's as close as I can get and still feel comfortable watching it..

If you're mounting the screen on the wall, then you haven't taken anything out of the length of the room, so you still have about 14'10" to play with..

Now, if you use an 8' wide screen and sit at 9'6" you have less than 5' left (taking into fact that the 9'6" is the head position, so you have a few inches to include for the thickness of the chair back)..which would still give you enough room for a second row couch or non recliners..

If you go for a 9' wide screen ( which I think would look ideal in that width room ) you will need to sit back a minimum of 10'6", which only leaves 4' to the back wall and probably just enough room to squeeze in a small chair, but that would not be a good position sound wise..
You are also getting close to the limit for free space needed behind your front chairs to the back wall as Bryan mentioned..

In a nutshell, 8' wide screen...2 rows possible..9' wide screen...1 row only..

BTW...You only need standard framing on the front wall for mounting the screen...
If you use a "French cleat" to hang the screen, which is the simplest and most effective way of mounting a screen, it will just be attached to the upright timbers across the width of the screen..


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

Conrad said:


> And for a quick measurement what is the height and length of scope screen that will fit in my room.


An 8' wide scope screen will have a height of 41"...and a 9' wide screen 46"..


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## bpape (Sep 14, 2006)

Having a stage has nothing to do with seating position. Even with a false wall (that you could easily do if you flipped the room as I recommended), the seating is based on the hard surfaces. 

If you have to go 2' instead of 3, that's fine - do what you can. Just remember that's to your ear, not the back of the chair

Bryan


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## Conrad (Nov 24, 2007)

Hi guys thanks for all the help so far. I spoke to a fellow at Theatreseatstore and he gave me a good idea about having a single row of five chairs, kind of in a sort of curved manner. He says this will give you slightly better viewing angles instead of being straight on and turning your head to look at other side of screen. You are already slightly angled to wards screen. 

I think with this arrangement I still can sit 5 instead of just 3 and don't have to worry about being to close with have two rows. Any thoughts on this curved seating arrangement?

I think it allows for the best of both ideas more seating than just one row and and little more distance from rear speakers and screen? I think my veiwing distance would be about 10 to 11 ft then. Should I then go with 8 ft or 9 ft screen?

And Prof just to make sure a 8ft wides screen would measure 96 inches length x 41 inches in height?
Is that correct. When you order or make a 2.40 to 1 screen do you specify width and height and then diagonal just happens how does this work?

Thanks

Conrad


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

Conrad said:


> Hi guys thanks for all the help so far. I spoke to a fellow at Theatreseatstore and he gave me a good idea about having a single row of five chairs, kind of in a sort of curved manner. He says this will give you slightly better viewing angles instead of being straight on and turning your head to look at other side of screen. You are already slightly angled to wards screen.
> 
> I think with this arrangement I still can sit 5 instead of just 3 and don't have to worry about being to close with have two rows. Any thoughts on this curved seating arrangement?


I think that's a good idea..and gives you plenty of back space to play with..
It should also give better surround sound imaging, rather than having the back row getting comprimised sound. 



Conrad said:


> I think it allows for the best of both ideas more seating than just one row and and little more distance from rear speakers and screen? I think my veiwing distance would be about 10 to 11 ft then. Should I then go with 8 ft or 9 ft screen?


I would go for the 9' screen, and set the centre of the 5 seats at 11' -11'6''..This should keep the outer seats at still a reasonable distance from the screen..



Conrad said:


> And Prof just to make sure a 8ft wides screen would measure 96 inches length x 41 inches in height?
> Is that correct... When you order or make a 2.40 to 1 screen do you specify width and height and then diagonal just happens how does this work?


Yes that is correct..The 9' screen will be 108"x46" 
The AR of a Cinemascope screen using an Anamorphic lens is actually 2.37:1..
If you're ordering a commercial screen from a well known manufacturer, you only need to specify the width and the required AR, although some of them only sell a stock line which they have determined to use a 2.40:1 AR..If that is the case, you can still use that AR..It just means that you will have a bit more overspill at the top and bottom of the screen..


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## Conrad (Nov 24, 2007)

Hi Prof thanks for the info I just finished creating a computer rendered model in sketch up. I hope to have file together to show everyone the HT room. It looks great, will keep you posted. Do you know if it is possible to show or view that sketch up file on this forum?

Thanks

Conrad


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

I don't see why you couldn't post a sketch up here...
I've never done one, but I think you would post it in the same way as a photo..
Maybe someone can correct me if I'm wrong..

Looking forward to seeing it...


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## Conrad (Nov 24, 2007)

Sorry but can not make files small enough to post any suggestions?

Thanks

Conrad


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## bpape (Sep 14, 2006)

Just put it in your gallery and link to it instead of embedding it. There is a size limitation but I believe Sketchup will let you export to .jpg where you can control the file size.

Bryan


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## John Simpson (May 10, 2007)

One thing that just occurred to me (and I'm not sure if this has been mentioned)... why don't you continue the wall down from the wall that has "equipment racks" written on it? Put in a second door and you've created an airlock... perfect for sound insulation, and removes the possibility of that nook becoming an "echo chamber" of sorts.

To me it would also "feel" more comfortable. As the nook is directly to the right of the screen, it may feel a little distracting while you're watching movies... like a void breaking the symmetry.

Just an idea! :daydream:


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## Conrad (Nov 24, 2007)

Thanks John for the idea, I never thought about that I guess what you are asking for me to do is create a double door into the room is this correct? How much would this help the sound proofing do you think? The room is already surrounded by 3 walls of concrete the East ,South and North walls I guess for sound proofing I need only to do something do ceiling and West walls then? Or would you put special sound proofing in those walls too?

Cheers

Conrad


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## Conrad (Nov 24, 2007)

Thanks Bryan for the tip. I think I got it do display as a jpeg. Please everyone take a look and see what you think. The sketch up is in scale. It is much more interactive when you can move walls and change views of actual room, but this will help.


Thanks

Conrad


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## John Simpson (May 10, 2007)

Conrad said:


> Thanks John for the idea, I never thought about that I guess what you are asking for me to do is create a double door into the room is this correct?


Yep -- essentially continuing the right hand side wall to make the room into a perfect rectangle. For me it's more an aesthetic thing, but the benefits to soundproofing and sound dissapation would also make it worth considering.

(Someone actually suggested this for* my *HT room, but I dismissed it because my alcove was at the back of the room, and the second door would open right next to a step. Still, it wouldn't be too hard to add the wall during construction, if I think it really needs it.)

*Edit: *Incidentally, look at my thread and then check out this guy's thread. This is what convinced me to go with an accoustically transparent screen. And the more I read about the sound localisation from that method, the more it makes sense. Worth considering if you're building from scratch!


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## bpape (Sep 14, 2006)

That little area over there would also make a killer enclosure for an IB sub.... :hide:

Bryan


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## John Simpson (May 10, 2007)

Haha... now you're just confusing the poor guy!

But Bryan is right... building in that extra wall (and reinforcing it) will allow you to use that "room" as an infinite baffle, running 2-4 18" subwoofers in-line... probably vertically arranged.

If you're not sure what and IB sub system is, see this website. Infinite baffle setups will *always *perform better (and go lower) than any boxed sub.


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

The Sketchup came up well..
I have a suggestion, other than what has already been suggested..
If you are considering an acoustically transparent screen, then you will need space behind the screen for your speakers..
This requires the fitting of a false wall (screenwall) about 2' out from the front wall..This would still give you enough room for a single row of seats..

Even if you don't go for an AT screen, you will be able to hide the speakers behind the screenwall...unless you like to see your speakers..Personally I find it a distraction to be able to see speakers, and it tends to direct your eyes to them during a movie..
The other benefit of screenwall is you have more choice of positioning the speakers when they are placed above or below the screen., particularly if you decide on a Scope screen, where the speakers need to be within the sides of the screen..


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## Conrad (Nov 24, 2007)

Hi Prof thanks for the all the advice so far and everyone else. Just to update on project over the last 3 weeks I have been pulling Low voltage wires for my Crestron home automation system Now I finally have made it to the Home theatre room today and starting drilling holes for speaker runs and video connections. I came up with the following issues or questions I am not sure what to do. 

Just to recap I am going to be purchasing a Sony projector Model Number: VPL-VW60 seelink for specs http://www.sonystyle.ca/commerce/se...1&catalogId=10001&langId=-1&productId=1004354 And as for video source I want to go for a Sony Blue Ray or HD player or both depending what happens over the next 7 months of battle between the two formats but lets not get into that here :no: And I wish to watch other video sources such as HD satellite or HD digital cable also through projector

1. First for video connections what I was planning to run to projector was the following 

a) 2 HDMI cables
b) 1 component video cable
c) 2 Cat6 cables
d) 2 RGB cables

I am using a Crestron home automation system to video switch everything but not sure if should do this here or run independent of Crestron system, this is why I have Cat 6 running to projector.

As for HDMI cables I have no idea what to get here. My length of run is between 10 to 20 feet depending on where the player goes into communication room see diagram of room in earlier thread. Can anyone recommend a cable here. I purchased my speaker wire from Monoprice they seem to have good prices even with the shipping to Edmonton AB Canada. Are all HDMI cables the same? Can you terminate them after the pull through the walls?


Do I need both a componet and HDMI cables? Or should two HDMIcables do the job sufficient and better than a single componet cable or to bullet proof the system should I use both?


Do I need the RG6 cables there? They are inexpensive so I thought what the ****, better safe than sorry. If I do really need them will these work fine?

As for the audio or speaker side of the room I have drilled holes through the floor joists to carry the cables to the control or communication room. I have 12 AWG wire from Monoprice on the way for this. I have kept the runs pretty well separate from everything else to lessen a chance of interference or hum from power. I still have to cross in a couple of spots but they are at 90 degrees to each other. 

Does it matter if at the end of the speakers runs the speaker cables come in contact with each other? As they go through the walls? Does it matter if they come close to Cat 6, HDMI or RGB cables? I am trying to do my best but sometimes they cross.

And for speaker runs I am wiring for a Left, Right, Center, Right and Left side of couch and 2 rears and wiring for two subs. So a total of 9 separate speaker runs. I am not sure if room needs two subs or side speakers but it is easy to wire for it so what the ****

And lastly I may run some conduit if possible for the future. And if I am missing any cables or future proof wiring for this Home theatre room please let me know. I will post some actual photos of room shortly. 

Thanks


Conrad


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## John Simpson (May 10, 2007)

Personally, I'm running conduit to the projector, as well as HDMI and component cables. The latest Home Hi-Fi magazine was discussing a new format (*groan*) to supercede HDMI... we know it's going to happen eventually, so plan ahead.

You can bunch speaker wires and digital cables together without any worries. It's power cables that tend to muck things up, so avoid those (and never loop them!).


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

Hi Conrad...

I'll try and answer some of your question..


Conrad said:


> As for HDMI cables I have no idea what to get here. My length of run is between 10 to 20 feet depending on where the player goes into communication room see diagram of room in earlier thread. Can anyone recommend a cable here. I purchased my speaker wire from Monoprice they seem to have good prices even with the shipping to Edmonton AB Canada. Are all HDMI cables the same? Can you terminate them after the pull through the walls?


I bought a 25' Monoprice HDMI cable for my set up, and found it to be an excellent cable and very cheap..compared to Australian prices..
The main thing with long run HDMI cables is to get one with at least 26awg wires...and Monoprice fits the bill..
The cables come with connectors already fitted and normally you just plug them into your equipment..
No need for any other termination..


Conrad said:


> Do I need both a componet and HDMI cables? Or should two HDMIcables do the job sufficient and better than a single componet cable or to bullet proof the system should I use both?
> 
> 
> Do I need the RG6 cables there? They are inexpensive so I thought what the ****, better safe than sorry. If I do really need them will these work fine?


I would definately run RG6 component cable as well..



Conrad said:


> As for the audio or speaker side of the room I have drilled holes through the floor joists to carry the cables to the control or communication room. I have 12 AWG wire from Monoprice on the way for this. I have kept the runs pretty well separate from everything else to lessen a chance of interference or hum from power. I still have to cross in a couple of spots but they are at 90 degrees to each other.
> 
> Does it matter if at the end of the speakers runs the speaker cables come in contact with each other? As they go through the walls? Does it matter if they come close to Cat 6, HDMI or RGB cables? I am trying to do my best but sometimes they cross.


You have the right idea...The power cables are the only ones you need to keep seperate from the others, and if they do have to cross over the others, crossing at 90 degrees will alleviate any problems..

Looking forward to seeing some pics..


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## Conrad (Nov 24, 2007)

The other benefit of screen wall is you have more choice of positioning the speakers when they are placed above or below the screen., particularly if you decide on a Scope screen, *where the speakers need to be within the sides of the screen.."* 


Hi Prof I am just curious what you mean by this especially the bold print. I was planning of going with the scope screen but was not planning of placing the speakers behind the screen wall as the depth of room is to short I think? I was thinking of just having the speakers on the left, and right of screen and center channel below center of screen. Can I do this with anamorphic screen still? if not why or why not? What would be the advantage of setting up a screen wall like you described?

And for cables I will definitely try to run a conduit if I can. What diameter John do you recommend or did you use?

And John and Prof I notice you are both from Australia, I spent 6 weeks there and have very close friends living in Wagga Wagga, Wollongong, Port Macquaire, and Melbourne. I think AU is amazing hope to see rest of it some day.

Cheers

Conrad


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

Conrad..If you ever get the chance to come again to Australia, you'll have to see the best place..South Australia...Although John might disagree with me.:bigsmile:

Getting back to business...
It has been shown that with a Scope screen, the *best* place for the L&R speakers is within the side borders...Particularly with a very wide screen..
This helps to give a more even spread of sound across the screen and beyond..

This can easily be done when you use an AT screen because you can just space your speakers along a horizontal line behind the screen..

If you're using a solid screen, then this can only be achieved by mounting the speakers above or below the screen..
This is where the screenwall comes in...You are then able to mount the speakers behind the screenwall, above or below the screen...Generally the above position is preferred, particularly if you have a second row...but if you have tall speakers, then below the screen is the more likely place..

I have my speakers mounted above the screen, with the L&R speakers about a 6" in from the sides of the screen..
The other benefit of doing it this way is the sound is better positioned for when you watch 1.78 or 1.85 movies..

If this is not practical for you then the configuration you mentioned should be OK...
The wider the scope screen , the more critical this becomes..

From memory (and I just can't find the dimensions at the moment) your room is about the same size as mine..
My screenwall extends 2' out from the front wall, and still leaves me plenty of room for single row viewing...and without adversely affecting the surrounds, so you should be able to include a screenwall if that's what you plan to do ..


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## John Simpson (May 10, 2007)

Prof's right that South Australia is a nice place -- especially if you like red wine. Best red wine region in the world, I say...

I used to live in two of those places you mentioned: Wagga Wagga and Melbourne. Both fabulous places.

Heh, I sound like a tour guide... back to the discussion!


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## MatrixDweller (Jul 24, 2007)

Prof. said:


> Conrad..If you ever get the chance to come again to Australia, you'll have to see the best place..South Australia...Although John might disagree with me.


I lived in Inverloch Victoria for a year when I was a kid. That's about a south as you can get in Australia. I hear you guys are having some issues with water shortages. I work for Trojan Technologies in Canada who is helping to solve some of your problems.


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

I don't want to hijack Conrad's thread so I'll keep it short..

Here in South Australia our water situation has improved..even though we've had a lot of hot weather..
On the other side of the Country (Eastern states), they have flood problems at the moment..
The end result...Some of that water will eventually come down to us..

The biggest problem Australia has with water....*POLITICS!!!*


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## Conrad (Nov 24, 2007)

Hi sorry for delay in HT design but other parts of house being built, back at home theater now. Having now pre wired HT room and drywalled. And selected a single 4 seat curved seating arrangement for the room. The seats will have the head position at approx 11 feet from screen and 3.5 feet from back wall. 

The way I prewired room was 1 sub and Left, Center and Right in front of room and a corner back speakers outlets for floor standing speakers and speaker outlets on back wall of room one foot from each side wall. And an additional sub wire in back right hand corner of room opposite other sub in front of room.

Now what the problem is as I was shopping for chairs and screens everyone told me that my speaker set up was not optimal. I should of had wires or speaker jacks at the head position even with the seats about 1 foot down form ceiling or right below bulk head. And using a dipole speaker so the rear surrounds would create more of a surround field. 

I did however put extra wire into bulkhead for a 7.1 system but I did not pull them out of wall so what I need to now is it worth it do cut into drywall or bulkhead and pull those wires out before house is completely painted as it is primed only now. I hate the thought of cutting into drywall again and having someone to come repair the cuts but if this is important I am totally fine with this. As long as it is worth it for the love a a better sounding Home theater room. 

Would someone please tell me what to do here??? It probably wont take long to find wires but why do this if floor standing speakers or speakers mounted in back corner of room good enough for my room set up.

Please Advise Thanks in Advance.

Have attached photos the Wine color wall is the back wall you can see the speaker outlets in the upper corners and lower speaker outlets in bottom corners and open wall pictures you can see by pot light where blue wire is by pot light

Conrad


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

Conrad said:


> Now what the problem is as I was shopping for chairs and screens everyone told me that my speaker set up was not optimal. I should of had wires or speaker jacks at the head position even with the seats about 1 foot down form ceiling or right below bulk head. And using a dipole speaker so the rear surrounds would create more of a surround field.


Hi Conrad..
The advice that was given about the surround speaker location is correct...particularly for dipole speakers..
They should be placed on the side walls, about 6' above the floor and level with the back of the seats..
It's probably better to move the wiring now, rather than have to do it after everything is finished..

Are you planning to use dipoles for the rear speakers as well?


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## bpape (Sep 14, 2006)

If you have only one row - or - you want to optimize for the front row at the expense of the 2nd, then dipoles directly beside the front row are correct. If you want to compromise slightly to improve the effect for the 2nd row, then placing the sides between the rows (still 6-6.5' high) is an option.

Rears, personal preference. I prefer monopoles in a 7.1 setup with dipole sides. In either case though, they should also be around the same height.

Bryan


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## Conrad (Nov 24, 2007)

Thanks Guys for the info, just to recap. First I am only going to have one curved row of four seats. I figure to my best guest my head will be approx. 11 feet from screen and 3.5 feet from back wall. 

So I should have wires come out at side walls 11 feet back at 6 to 6.5 feet above floor? Is that correct?

I spoke to Drywall guy and he said he can fix anything I cut. Of course it will cost $$$ because I did not think to pull those wires. But at least I put wires there whew!!!

Once I have wires pulled I will post new photos of all wire placements. And will post all exciting screen info I have gathered so far soon.

Thanks

Again in Advance

Conrad


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## Conrad (Nov 24, 2007)

Oh sorry Prof I do have front firing speakers for rear as of now I may switch to Dipole if I need to. Do you think this room because of its shape would benefit from Dipole speakers.?

Cheers

Conrad


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

Conrad said:


> Thanks Guys for the info, just to recap. First I am only going to have one curved row of four seats. I figure to my best guest my head will be approx. 11 feet from screen and 3.5 feet from back wall.
> 
> So I should have wires come out at side walls 11 feet back at 6 to 6.5 feet above floor? Is that correct?


If you're 11' back when sitting in the centre of the curved seating..then yes..

I would just have dipoles on the side walls and monopoles on the back wall..as Bryan suggested..should be fine in that room..


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## Conrad (Nov 24, 2007)

I took everyones advice here and it is done I now have another option for a pair of speakers. You can say now I can have wired in my room 9 speakers and 2 subs do they even process that yet?

I will send updated photos when I get a chance.

Cheers

Conrad


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## Conrad (Nov 24, 2007)

Just to update on room design now I am in the middle of now selecting my home theatre projector and I am definitely going to go with Panasonic PT-AE3000. As being able to have a 2.40 screen without all the extra gear is just great. It is a dream come true at the right time I was ready to drop maybe 8 to 12 grand for Panamorph set up now should be able to save thousands of dollars!!!!!!! I have been doing a lot of reading of the pros and cons of this projector but the price is right and I what I am hearing your are not giving much up on image quality!!!

That being said my projected screen size is to be 45 inches by 108 inches with a 117 inch diagonal. I figure top of screen material will be at 83 inches from floor. My room is 15 ft 2 inches deep and 14.5 feet wide with 9 foot ceiling as seen in earlier posts here. I figure seating position will be at 11.5 to 12 feet back from screen. Walls and ceiling will now be medium brown in color with Wine color wall in back of room. And room is 100% light controlled complete darkness if needed.

I want to build a shelf for projector to sit on at back of room coming from back wall. Instead of ceiling mount I have my own personal carpenter and he can build this shelf very easily and it wont distract from LED Rope lighting like ceiling mounted projector would.

Question 1. At what height should I build shelf for Pany 3000 to sit on and how far from back wall should I allow for air space? And should projector be at front of shelf? And should shelf just be big enough to hold projector?

Question 2. Any thoughts or comments on screen size? I spoke to Stewart and Da-Lite and they both came up with this size but when was at local Audio/Video store they thought screen was to big and said Stewart and Da-Lite reps just use formulas and don't really understand what to use? And I should go for a 40 inch CIH screen. This seems kind of small any thoughts on this?

Question 3. And lastly any thoughts on what Stewart or Da-Lite screen to go with my room. 

Question 4. Now I am going with Anamorphic screen at 117 inches where should I put my front speakers I think I do not have enough room depth for stage and hidden speakers. Will the sound field be to far away from a screen this wide? Has anyone had a similar size screen width towers at ends of screens? Did this sound good still?

Thanks In Advance

Conrad


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## MatrixDweller (Jul 24, 2007)

The 3000 has lens shift so you could mount the shelf at practically any height. The only thing you need to consider is obstructions (ie: people standing up, chairs int he way. Ideally you want the PJ as close to the screen as possible to give you your desired picture size. That helps with brightness and people standing up and blocking the image.

For the shelf you'll also want to make sure you have adequate airflow by the intake and exhaust. My Epson 550 has it's intake on the bottom so I cut some breathing holes in the bottom of the shelf. As long as the intake isn't obstructed and there are no obstructions to the left and right of the projector then minimal space should be needed. Make sure the exhaust isn't contaminating the intake (which it shouldn't unless blocked).

As for shelf size and projector placement on the shelf. You could use any size really. You would not want the projector lens to be back too far if the shelf was deep as it might block the light, but other than that shouldn't matter. Projectors can run while sitting on desks so airflow shouldn't be an issue.

Screen width could be 2/3 as wide as your seating position is from the screen. So if you sit 12 feet back then approximately an 8 foot (96") wide (not diagonal) screen would work. Check out this viewing distance calculator: http://myhometheater.homestead.com/viewingdistancecalculator.html. At 40" height and 2.35:1 ratio the width would be 94". If you like to sit closer to the front of the movie theater then bigger might suit you. 

You will also want to consult the projector's projection calculator (www.projectorcentral.com) to see where you can place your projector and still get the image size you want.


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

Conrad said:


> That being said my projected screen size is to be 45 inches by 108 inches with a 117 inch diagonal. I figure top of screen material will be at 83 inches from floor. My room is 15 ft 2 inches deep and 14.5 feet wide with 9 foot ceiling as seen in earlier posts here. I figure seating position will be at 11.5 to 12 feet back from screen.


That size screen and seating distance is about right for a CIH screen...Front row seating is usually about 3 times the screen hieght..and it wouldn't be too wide for that room.



> Question 4. Now I am going with Anamorphic screen at 117 inches where should I put my front speakers I think I do not have enough room depth for stage and hidden speakers. Will the sound field be to far away from a screen this wide? Has anyone had a similar size screen width towers at ends of screens? Did this sound good still?


My room is the same length as yours, and I have a screenwall 2' out from the front wall..
Of course, that only leaves enough room for one row of seats..Otherwise, if you want the extra length, placing the fronts at the sides of the screen will be fine..


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## Conrad (Nov 24, 2007)

[You will also want to consult the projector's projection calculator (www.projectorcentral.com) to see where you can place your projector and still get the image size you want.[/QUOTE]

Just curious would you not want the projector always as back possible in a room size my lenght to achieve the largest possible screen. Would not most projectors be able to handle this for lighting up screen?


Cheers

Conrad


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## Conrad (Nov 24, 2007)

Just curious Prof with a screen this wide and sound field this far apart would the sound still seem to come from the movie or would it be to far apart? Or the turning the speakers to the curved seating position do this for you?


And prof with a room the same lenght as mine did you find 2 feet of screen wall still allows enough room for speakers to perform and play like they are suppose to? And do you have a couple photos of your theatre and your screen wall?


Cheers

Conrad


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## MatrixDweller (Jul 24, 2007)

Conrad said:


> Just curious would you not want the projector always as back possible in a room size my lenght to achieve the largest possible screen. Would not most projectors be able to handle this for lighting up screen?


The farther back the projector is, the intensity of light hitting the screen becomes weaker.

For example, if you use the projection calculator at projector central

Throw Distance: 9'
Image Height: 45"
Zoom: 2.02x (Full)
Screen Gain: 1.0
Image Brightness = 32 fL

Throw Distance: 14'
Image Height: 45"
Zoom: 1.28x
Screen Gain: 1.0
Image Brightness = 21 fL

When using your projector in high contrast mode, or when there is some ambient light in the room this becomes important. You should still be fine with the PTAE3000 since it is a fairly bright projector.


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

Conrad said:


> Just curious Prof with a screen this wide and sound field this far apart would the sound still seem to come from the movie or would it be to far apart? Or the turning the speakers to the curved seating position do this for you?


Conrad..with floorstanders at the sides of the screen, and angled in slightly..and providing that you have a good centre speaker, then you should have a solid sound field across the screen..



> And prof with a room the same lenght as mine did you find 2 feet of screen wall still allows enough room for speakers to perform and play like they are suppose to? And do you have a couple photos of your theatre and your screen wall?


My cinemascope screen is almost wall to wall ,as you will see in the photo.
My room is only 10'6" wide and the screen is 8' wide, so it doesn't leave enough at the sides for speakers..consequently my speakers are mounted above and below the screen..6 in all..and I get a smooth sound field across the screen, sitting just 9' away.!!





































If you click on the "My Photos" link, you can see the pics of the construction process..


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## Conrad (Nov 24, 2007)

Prof thanks for the pictures your room looks great and I am sure sounds awesome too!!! As I am 99.9 % sure on the Panasonic 3000 now for my projector. What I am trying to decide is to go for either the following screens?

Part Number Da Lite #33099V HC-DMAT 45 x 106 inch 2.35 to 1 ratio 1.1 Gain screen
Da Lite #33110V HC-DMAT 45 x 108 inch 2.40 to 1 ratio 1.1 Gain Screen

If I do not go for Da Lite, I may choose Carada instead. Price and picture quality will be the deciding factor here. I have samples of both here now. Just waiting for projector and Room to be finished first.

I attended a Anamorphic Wide screen demo of a Schneider lens and Meridian projector worth $29,000 CAD last week to see what this Anamorphic deal was all about. Which Prof introduced to me a few months back. WOW and WOW again I am sold on this.

But of course I will not spend $29,000 for that set up I will live with the Pany 3000 with the zoom feature memory mode to create this affect.

What my question is do I go with 2.40 to 1 or 2:35 to Ratio? The Meridian Rep said since all projectors have a 16:9 chip in it to go with 2:35 to 1. But when I spoke to Panamorph guys earlier in year they said to go with 2:40 to 1 ?????

There will be a 3 inch black border around either screen I am sure of. I am so torn over what ratio to go here??? Does this extra 2 inches from 45 x 106 2:35 to 1 compared to 45 x 108 2:40 to 1 make any difference to the actual experience??? Will I notice the over scan here? Or under scan?? What is the safe bet here to go with? What will I see with either screen compared to each other?

Any advice here greatly appreciated on what screen ratio to choose here and why?? As for cost the 2:40 is about $250 dollars more since they charge for the larger screen of 49 x 115 and cut it down to 45 X 108.

Cheers

Conrad


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

Hi Conrad..and thanks for the compliment..


Conrad said:


> Prof thanks for the pictures your room looks great and I am sure sounds awesome too!!! As I am 99.9 % sure on the Panasonic 3000 now for my projector. What I am trying to decide is to go for either the following screens?
> 
> Part Number Da Lite #33099V HC-DMAT 45 x 106 inch 2.35 to 1 ratio 1.1 Gain screen
> Da Lite #33110V HC-DMAT 45 x 108 inch 2.40 to 1 ratio 1.1 Gain Screen
> ...


Carada would be my first choice, but both are good screens..



> [I attended a Anamorphic Wide screen demo of a Schneider lens and Meridian projector worth $29,000 CAD last week to see what this Anamorphic deal was all about. Which Prof introduced to me a few months back. WOW and WOW again I am sold on this.


That's some serious gear!!..No wonder you got hooked..:bigsmile:



> What my question is do I go with 2.40 to 1 or 2:35 to Ratio? The Meridian Rep said since all projectors have a 16:9 chip in it to go with 2:35 to 1. But when I spoke to Panamorph guys earlier in year they said to go with 2:40 to 1 ?????


You need the 2.40:1 ratio screen for anamorphic projection..



> There will be a 3 inch black border around either screen I am sure of. I am so torn over what ratio to go here??? Does this extra 2 inches from 45 x 106 2:35 to 1 compared to 45 x 108 2:40 to 1 make any difference to the actual experience??? Will I notice the over scan here? Or under scan?? What is the safe bet here to go with? What will I see with either screen compared to each other?


The reason you need the 2.40:1 screen is that the 16:9 image is stretched out to 2.37:1 when using a lens..Ideally it should be a 2.37:1, but most manufacturers use the 2.40:1 AR for their screens..
If you are only zooming the image, then you only need a 2.35:1 AR screen..but If you are going to be using a lens further down the track, then I would get the 2.40 screen now and just overscan a bit, top and bottom, or mask the sides if you don't want to overscan.. for the time being..

Hope that helps..


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## Conrad (Nov 24, 2007)

_"If you are only zooming the image, then you only need a 2.35:1 AR screen..but If you are going to be using a lens further down the track, then I would get the 2.40 screen now and just over scan a bit, top and bottom, or mask the sides if you don't want to over scan.. for the time being..I]

Prof just to clarify as of now I will use the Panasonic 3000 for sure so that is what you refer to as a zooming method correct? And if I was to use a sled and lets say Isco lense that is the lens set up you mention to go for 2.40 to 1?

But can the image still look good with a little extra zoom even if I am using a 2.40 screen with Panny projector. What happens if I use this set up what would I see here I am not following this still? Sorry for confusion!!!

Is there any disadvantages of going with Panny 3000 and 2.40 screen? 

How about split difference any going for 2.37 to 1 screen?

And lastly I spoke to Carada rep a while back and they seem to be great screens for sure what I have read. Why would you choose Carada over Da Lite ?? Just curious.

Cheers

Conrad_


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

Conrad said:


> Prof just to clarify as of now I will use the Panasonic 3000 for sure so that is what you refer to as a zooming method correct?


Correct..


> And if I was to use a sled and lets say Isco lense that is the lens set up you mention to go for 2.40 to 1?


Correct again



> But can the image still look good with a little extra zoom even if I am using a 2.40 screen with Panny projector. What happens if I use this set up what would I see here I am not following this still? Sorry for confusion!!!


Yes, it will look fine..The only difference with a 2.40 screen..as opposed to a 2.35 screen (using the zoom method) is that you will have small black bars at the sides...
With the lens method, you won't have any black bars..



> Is there any disadvantages of going with Panny 3000 and 2.40 screen?


No..only what I said above.. 



> How about split difference any going for 2.37 to 1 screen?


It's virtually "six of one and half a dozen of the other"..If you can get a 2.37 commercial screen, then that's fine..It's not all that critical..



> And lastly I spoke to Carada rep a while back and they seem to be great screens for sure what I have read. Why would you choose Carada over Da Lite ?? Just curious.


Only from what I've heard of someone who had both brands and preferred the Carada..Plus screenshots I've seen on the Carada which were very striking..
I personally have always been a DIY screen builder, so you might want to ask around for other opinions..

I hope I've clarified that a bit better for you..


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