# MysticalJet Theater 2.0



## RanZiv

***EDIT 1/11/2014

Some newer photos taken with Canon T3i. Still learning the camera but these are better than the previous set.

Picture from doorway entering Theater.









Entering the Theater with lights on









Similar photo with less light









Similar photo a bit over exposed so you can see everything a bit clearer - but colors are off.









From just behind second row seating.









From directly in front of center of screen facing seats. In the back right you can see the fabric door I built to conceal the A/V rack.









Angled shot from the front.










Well, had to leave the last theater behind because we moved for a job. I was in Connecticut and now I'm in North Carolina. We have been in the new house for a little over a year (and boy do I miss the theater!). Unfortunately, it is difficult to find houses with basements so we did our best to find a house with a room that could be transformed. The house we bought has a bonus room above the garage, and although not ideal, I could envision a theater.

Over the year there have been other projects that had priority over the theater, but I am finally at the point where I have started the build and thought I'd share it on this forum. I plan on indexing the progress with quick links within the thread (if I can figure out how). So here we go...

*** Reserved for final photos

Index

A) Plans/Drawings with measurements
B) Electrical/Wiring Layout
C) Removing Carpet
D) Wiring, Moving HVAC Vents, Installing Can Lights
E)  Drywall Patching and Painting
F) Stage Build
G) Riser Build
H) Window "Plug"
I) Carpet Selection/Install and here
J) Crown Molding/Rope lighting
K)  Front wall Treatment/Bass Traps 
L) False Wall Build
M) Column build and install
N) Rack Closet/Rack Build
O) Screen Build
P) Screen Wall Fabric Frame Install
Q) Baseboard and trim install
R) Seating
S) Wall Panel, Decoration, Popcorn/Candy Stand
T) Rear Speaker Upgrade
U) HTPC (final) - Link to build thread in my signature


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## RanZiv

A) Plans/ Drawings with Measurements

Here are the "final" plans. Of course, these are always subject to change .

A Brief Description:
The theater will be above the garage with slanted ceilings. The last photos are before pictures of the room to give an idea of what it look(ed) like. There will be a false wall for the screen. The screen will be AT with a 2.35 aspect ratio. Also will have a 7.2 or 9.2 speaker set-up and 4 bass shakers. There will be 2 rows of seating, second row on a riser. The wall will have columns that house the surround speakers and there will be panels for sound treatment. 

Basic Room Design:

















And the before Photos...

























On to the theater design photos:


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## RanZiv

B) Electrical/Wiring Layout

Brief Description:

There are/will be 4 circuits of electrical wiring:
2 X 20 amp - one dedicated for AV closet, one for lighting
2 X 15 amp - each will power half of the outlets










Measurements for the can lights









Here is calculated power consumption (thus far):









Diagram of the Audio/video wiring for the room. This was from an earlier design where the seating was centered. I have changed that but the placement of the wiring hasn't changed.


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## RanZiv

C) Carpet Removal

Brief Description:
I will be putting a new carpet in the room - a darker color. Before starting any tear out or build, I decided to remove the old carpet.

Removal of the baseboard









Cut the carpet in sections for easier removal down the stairs.

















Room with no carpet.


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## RanZiv

D) Electrical Wiring/Moving HVAC Vents/Audio Video Wire runs

Brief Description:
Based on the plan, the fron HVAC outlet vent was in the way so I had to move it back a couple feet. Also, the Ceiling Fan had to be removed and the existing Can lights. Along with that, all the wiring was removed and rewired.

Here's the front vent being moved. I had to cut out a much larger hole than i was expecting.

















Ceiling Fan and electrical box was Removed.









Existing light switch was removed and cut out a large section for wiring additional zones of lighting.









Since there was only one circuit run to the room originally, I had to run additional circuits from the box (in the garage). Fore this I had a friend (electrician) help with the runs. We had to go up a level which made the wiring a bit more tricky.

















From the Garage, the electrical wire was run up to an adjacent (unfinished)area upstars. A portion of the floor was removed and the wiring was snaked through the floor and up to a couple junction boxes.

















From the junction boxes, the wiring was run into the room. Here is the area where the light switches will be - you can see the extra 12-2 wiring for three lighting zones.









Additional wiring was run through the ceiling - there is a tight crawl space which I got up into above the room - which is dark, hot, and loaded with unfaced insulation. Not the funnest part of the build!! Heres a photo of the wiring coming out of holes where the the can lights will be.









Throughout this process I also ran speaker wire and HDMI to the appropriate locations on the walls and ceiling. Electrical and HDMI to the future projector location was run from where the AV closet will be. I will be running power from the closet to the projector through a power bridge.

Once all the wiring running was complete, the sheet rock was repaired where it was needed and the can lights installed.


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## RanZiv

E) Drywall patching, priming, and painting

Brief Description: 
Next steps were to patch the drywall (mudding and Sanding) where needed.


























The color scheme so far:








Ceiling is the mouse ears black and walls are the chipolte paste

Primed all walls and ceiling first.

































Installed the can Light Trim then painted ceiling mouse ears black

























Connected the power, installed temporary light switches and painted the walls chipolte paste.


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## RanZiv

F) Stage Build

Brief Description:
Two tier curved stage that is 6" and 12 " tall. Here is the sketch with measurements:









Materials:
(2) 4'X8'X3/4" OSB
(8) 2" X 12" X 10'
(1) 4'X8'X1/8" Hardwood plywood
(2) boxes of 2 1/2" screws
Roofing felt
(3) old work 1 gang electrical boxes









Process/Progress:
Stage was built to be free floating so (2) 2"X12"X10' were cut in equal lengths to match the width of the room (slightly shorter ~1/2" total). Each joist was cut to length X 2 (according to the sketch plan) and the notched to account for the step. (see above photo.)

30 lb roofing felt was laid on the floor to cover stage area. 









Followed the plans, measured, framed, and secured all pieces.

















Cut the hardwood plywood to height and length, doubled up and secured to the front for the top and bottom step.









Added the angle pieces near the walls.









Cut holes in the joists to run the speaker wire, added insulation, and ran the speaker wire.









Added OSB top. For this I laid the OSB down, traced the outline of the curve from underneath, then used a compass set to 2" and retraced to add 2" overhang. Cut trace with a hand held jigsaw, then secured to the joists.


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## RanZiv

G) Riser Build

Brief Description:
The total height of 12". There will be/is an outlet on the front, back, top, and electric run to the step for a step light. There is also speaker wire run to the back and front of the riser for the eventual buttkickers/bass shakers. 

Here is the sketch with measurements. One step on the front left of the riser.









Materials:
(6) 2"X12"X10'
(2) 2"X12"X8'
(3) 4'X8'X3/4" OSB
Roofing Felt
2 boxes of 2 1/2" screws
(6) single gang old work electrical boxes
14-2 electrical wire

Process/Progress
Cut all 2"X12" to appropriate lengths according to the plan, cut out spaces for electrical boxes, and pre-drilled holes for the electrical and speaker wire runs. Laid out the roofing felt, framed and secured all the wood joists. The Riser is floating and was kept ~1/4 inch off the wall.

















Laid insulation in between all joists, ran electrical wire and the speaker wires.









Measured, cut OSB, precut outlet box openings, and installed OSB top. Left a 2" overhang on all sides. Same with the step. Installed all electrical boxes.

















A picture from doorway behind riser facing stage.


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## RanZiv

H) Window "Plug"

Brief Description:
The front of the Room (behind the screen) is a double window. I need something that is WAF - meaning that it has to look like "normal" windows from the outside and, if necessary, accessible without having to rip down sheet rock etc. (plus there is a code issue with "perminantely" covering these windows with sheet rock). The entire size of the double window (including top and side moldings) is 63" wide by 66" tall (to this inside of the window sill).

So this is what I came up with:

Materials:
(4) 1"X4"X8' primed finger joint boards
(1) 4' X 8' X 1/2" sheet Styrofoam insulation
Crazy Glue
Caulk
Finishing nails
Black Paint and White paint
Velcro

Progress/Process

Here is a picture of the window from the side that gives a good idea of the window sill. There is to be no ripping out of the molding or the sill! so I had to plan around it. The idea was to frame around the window and attach the styrofoam insulation onto the frame with velcro. This would allow for the molding, window sill, and blinds to remain - thus keeping the window in tact and looking like a regular window from the outside - with access if needed from the inside.

Here's side view of molding and sill.









I decided to frame around the window with 1" X 4" finger joint board. The sides and top boards are outside the moldings and the bottom board sits on the inside of the window sill, but the entire frame sticks out further than the sill or moldings.

















Next up was creating the styrofoam cover. The 4' X 8' sheet was cut into 3 sections - one large piece and two smaller so as to meet the dimensions of the frame.









The pieces were glued together with crazy glue then "joints" were caulked when the glue set.









When the caulk was dry, one side was painted white (outside facing) and one side (inside facing) was painted black.

















Velcro was applied to the edge of the finger joint frame and to the edge of the styrofoam panel.









Then the panel was attached to the frame.

















Two more shots from further back.

















Some Notes: I wasn't sure how sturdy the styrofoam panel would be, especially the joints where it was glued together. Surprisingly once the glue and caulk set and paint dried, it was very sturdy. This method blocks about 95% of the light as some still seeps through the Velcro. I am not worried however because I will be covering the back wall with Linacoustic (or something similar) which will block all the remaining seepage of light. I will either paint the bottom of the window sill black or the linacoustic will cover.


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## Prof.

How to build a home theater in one easy lesson!  Very nice job.. and it looks like it will be a very nice theater when completed..:T


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## Cyberfloatie

Wow! That's coming along nicely!

You didn't mention doing anything specific for soundproofing. Is it pretty good as is or a non-issue for you?


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## RanZiv

Cyberfloatie said:


> Wow! That's coming along nicely!
> 
> You didn't mention doing anything specific for soundproofing. Is it pretty good as is or a non-issue for you?


Hi Thanks. No soundproofing planned. The room is above the garage with only one common wall with the rest of the house. We'll see, but its only my wife and I in the house so not too worried about disturbing others 

There will be sound treatments throughout the theater though.


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## jeremytodd1

I've been following this thread on AVS and I'm still quite excited to see what the finished thing will look like.


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## RanZiv

jeremytodd1 said:


> I've been following this thread on AVS and I'm still quite excited to see what the finished thing will look like.


Thanks - right now I'm in the process of getting quotes on carpet install - so there is a pause here for the moment in progress.


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## RanZiv

I am still in the process of getting pricing on carpet and install. The process is taking longer than expected mostly because I am waiting for pricing to come back. Wasn't happy with the first bids so I am waiting on a second and third. Anyway, the front runners for carpet (and fabric for panels) are below. Your opinions welcome.

These are not in any particular order of preference:



















































There may be more as I go through this ....


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## RanZiv

1) added crown molding with lighting
2) Carpet install

This reply will be dedicated to the crown install and a separate reply for the carpet.

So while waiting for the carpet, I got the itch to do something else... and of course I started searching this site looking at several theater builds. Then I get the bright idea that "Hey I want some ambient crown lighting to hit on the slanted ceiling walls that are controlled by a light switch." The other advantage is that I can now build the columns right up to the crown without having to deal with the angled ceiling.

So - although not in my initial plans, I decided to do just that. To do so I had to tap off one of the electrical runs, and so I added another circuit to the existing 20 amp that is dedicated to lighting. This was fairly easy and I am way below the max amp usage.

The approach was a combo of a couple threads (and unfortunately at this point I can't remember which ones -sorry). Anyway, I have a switch that controls two outlets that I put in. The outlets will be behind the screen wall, and the rope lighting for the crown plugs into the outlets. Once the screen wall is up, the wiring will be hidden.

To follow the previous posts here we go ...

Materials:
(6) 1"X2#X8' furring strips
(6) 1"X4"X8' primed FJP boards
48' crown molding (cut into 12' lengths)
(2) 25' rope lighting - cut to size as needed
75' 12-2 Electrical wire
(6) brackets
(3) Old work single gang box
(2) outlets
(1) light switch (temporary)
(2) black outlet covers
Black paint - mouse ears
Chipolte Paste Paint

Total Cost (minus paint and nails) = $200

Process:

Here is a picture of a small model - actually, I ripped the 1"X2" into 1"X1" (3/4"X1" actual).









Here are the all the boards painted:
1"X1"









1"X4" FJP









Crown









Attached the furring strip to the wall. At first was using screws, but they were starting to split the wood, so I reverted to finishing nails.









Attached the 1"X4" to the bottom of the furring strips with finishing nails. I also used 6 small brackets for additional support.









Added the rope lighting on top with included mounts.









Attached crown molding to the edge of the 1"X4" boards.









I touched up the holes with wood putty and painted.
Broader picture of the finished product:









With the lights dimmer:









With lights off:


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## RanZiv

This to me is a huge milestone in the progress. I can now focus on the screen wall, columns, sound treatment, and AV closet.

Not much to talk about for the carpet, but here is some info.

Carpet amount - 498 sq. ft. - There is a decent size piece left over.
Stainmaster Fort Valley
Pattern: 5458
color: 95688 Nightfall
Cost - $2000 including pad and install
The install took the better part of a day. Installer arrived at 8 am sharp and was finished walking out the door at ~ 3:30 pm. Just one guy - he usually has a helper but he was sick. Anyway on to the photos.


































finished product:


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## RanZiv

Over this past weekend, I concentrated on the front wall. Two goals were to build bass trap s and treat the front wall for sound.

Materials:
144 sq ft. 2" OC703
2.5” Fine Thread Drywall Screws (1 box)
Speaker Grill Cloth Black Yard 70" Wide (From Parts Express) 
Grip-Rite Round Plastic-Cap 
1”X2.25" furring strips (cut from 1"X4" FJP board)
3/8" Staples
1/4" Hardboard 4'X8'
1"X2" furring strips

Total Cost = approx. $250

Process:
Cut 1"X2.25" furring strips, painted them black, and attached to the ceiling, stage floor, and side walls to frame in the OC703. This is what I stapled the cloth to.

Built 2 bass trap frames using 1X2 furring strips and the 1/4" hardboard cut into triangles. Painted the outer frame black.

















Cut the OC703 into triangles - 8 per sheet









Installed the traps into the corners and also installed the OC703 on the front wall. I used the Grip-Rite Round Plastic-Cap to attach the OC703 to the wall. I removed the nails and added the 2.5" fine thread drywall screws.

























Finally, attached fabric (speaker cloth) to furring strips with 3/8" staples (utilizing a pneumatic staple gun) and pulled taut.

























I am in the process of building the screen wall. I should have that finished by this weekend and will post updates.


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## Cyberfloatie

Nice work!

Did you notice any difference in the room acoustics after installing the panels? I'm just curious how significant the difference would be without digging out the calibrated mic and REW.


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## Owen Bartley

Looks like its coming along really well! I like the lighting effect with the rope lights behind the moulding below the angled ceiling, it must look really cool in a dark room. That's very similar to what I was thinking about for the front wall acoustic treatment and I'd love to know if the result is what you were looking for.


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## RanZiv

Cyberfloatie said:


> Nice work!
> 
> Did you notice any difference in the room acoustics after installing the panels? I'm just curious how significant the difference would be without digging out the calibrated mic and REW.


Thanks for the compliment.
Honestly haven't tested it out yet with speakers. I can tell a difference just with working in there - with quite a bit less echo although the side/back walls have no treatments yet. Kinda going on faith at this point, but I will fire up the speakers i have and do a qualitative listen this weekend.


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## RanZiv

Owen Bartley said:


> Looks like its coming along really well! I like the lighting effect with the rope lights behind the moulding below the angled ceiling, it must look really cool in a dark room. That's very similar to what I was thinking about for the front wall acoustic treatment and I'd love to know if the result is what you were looking for.


Thanks.

Yeah the rope lighting does give a nice ambiance to the room. I actually stole the idea from another build with sloped ceilings. Not only does it look nice, but when I put the columns in, I will not have to worry about angle cuts at the top as it will go flush against the crown.


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## RanZiv

Finished the screen wall framing. I utilized the minimalist approach - built with primed FJP boards. All my HD carries are 1" not the 5/4", but the framing is sturdy and I expect no issues.

Materials:
(6) 1" X 4" X 12' Primed FJP
(1) 1" X 8" X 12' Primed FJP
1 box 2 1/2" deck screws
Black Paint (Left over MM Ears)
Finishing nails (1 1/4")

Cost: approx. $90

Progress/Process:

The wall is a bit more tricky than the average because the uprights are attached to the slope ceiling. Also, the screen wall is not straight across as there is a bump, then an angle forward. The below Sketch shows what I'm trying to explain.









Here are sketch designs for the framing of the wall.

















For the main supports, the 1" X 8" were ripped to 6" wide. I have an angle measure tool which helped determine the angles needed for the top, so there was several measurements made prior to cutting. But the boards were cut to angle and size. A 1" X 3" was attached to the 1" X 6" with finishing nails and 2 1/2" screws to for an L shape. An additional 1" X 3" was attached to form a Z shape.

















A top and bottom plate was attached and are used to attach the column to the floor and ceiling.









The rest of the supports were cut, nailed, and screwed together ... with many measurements in between. All pieces were painted black and attached in place on the stage.

































A support brace was added to the center of the top cross member and attached to a joist in the ceiling. Here is a photo of the finished product:









That's pretty much the framed screen wall - I just need to touch up some areas with paint.

I know the pictures aren't that great - I'll take some new and re post when I do.

Next onto the columns.


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## Quijibo

I really like how this room is coming along. Keep pluggn' away at it.


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## RanZiv

Alright I have made some progress but just haven't uploaded all the photos yet. I have a few sub-projects going on with the theater at once. Building the screen, the screen wall, and the columns. Here is an update on the columns - not finished yet. I'll update with progress on the screen and screen wall by the weekend. 

There will be six total with 4 housing in wall speakers. The columns will be 3 3/4" deep and come flush with the crown that was installed earlier. 

Materials:
To be added when finished

Cost:
To be added when finished

Here is the basic design for the columns. I may have them be all black in color to match the trim in the room.









To be most efficient with wood usage, I mapped the cutting pattern so to use the minimum amount of MDF and have the minimum waste.









Cut all the MDF based on the plans above.









Then just a matter of assembling the columns. I glued, nailed (finish nails), and screwed in may cases.









One column finished with assembly

















Location of the columns were marked on the walls and 1" X 2" furring strips were attached to the wall studs. I Made the size of the columns and locations so the bracket wall studs. The columns will fit snug around the furring strips and the columns will be held in place with friction and finish nails.

Here are pictures with all 6 columns in place (dry fit).

















**Updated 11/22/2011
Ok made a bit of progress since I last posted.

I bought my four in-wall speakers ( to go into the columns). I initially wanted to go with the Aperion, but they were out of stock (transitioning to a new version) and I was too impatient.... so I went with HTD (Home Theater Direct HD inwalls. From my initial tests they sound good for the purpose of side surrounds. Incidentally, Aperion has just listed their new in-walls . I have 30 days for the HTD if I want to return and go with the Aperion - but right now from my initial trials I see no reason to return the HTD's

























My goal is to have a 7.2 with 9 speakers - so the 4 sides will all play the same. I have yet to decide on Subs or back surrounds.

Secondly, the columns are completed. Well, almost - I just need to add baseboard to the entire room - including the bottom of the columns.

So I may have mentioned that there are 6 columns in the room. The front columns are purely aesthetic and for room symmetry. The back columns will house 4 side surround in-wall speakers.

With this in mind, I had to design the column so that the speaker cloth could cover the fronts of the speakers. So here is progress pics with the final results. These continue from an earlier post where I had the intitial build photos.

Cove molding to soften the transition to the base of the column









Column primed with hole cut in for speaker.









Fabric frame for speaker cloth attached









Painted column and fabric frame attached (this is one of the front columns which is why there is not hole.









Columns on one side of the theater - no frames but you can see the holes for the speakers. As you can see, I had to add a 5/8" thick case molding to the column in order to raise the fabric frame above the front of the speaker once installed. 









Three columns on one side - two with speakers installed.









Finished product with fabric:
One side:









The Other:


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## RanZiv

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I have three mini projects within this build that I am working on in parallel: False Wall; Screen; Columns.

I am waiting for the screen material from Seymour AV (XD material) and I have completed the false wall. I am waiting for the in-wall speakers to arrive so I can rough cut and finish the columns.

In any event, for this post I'll focus on the screen frame and the false wall.

Screen Frame:
Initially contemplated what Brad did here and buying the frame from Jamestown and using the XD material from Seymour AV. 

I decided against it because my frame required a bit more customization due to the angled ceiling. You can see in the design below that I need the top edges to be angled which allows me to have the screen high enough for the visibility from second row seating.









Materials:
4' X 8' X 3/4" Hardwood plywood
4 L brackets
2 Straight brackets
#10 3/4" wood screws
Kregs Jig pocket screws
Wood Glue
Microvelvet (Jo-Ann Fabric - the $27/yard stuff)
3/8" staples ( a bunch)

Cost: (with screen material on order) about $400 - $450

Build/Progress

The screen is not 100% complete, but the frame is done for the most part. There are several documented screen build threads so I will give the cliff notes version.

The plywood was ripped in 3" width X 8' pieces and cut to length based on the plan. Pocket holes drilled with Kregs jig on any joint edges.

















The screen was pre-assempled with pocket screws and braces at each joint to ensure proper size, fit, and squareness. The long sides were built with equal length smaller pieces pocket screwed, glued, and braced.









The screen was disassembled and the top corners of each side piece were cut to match the ceiling angle. Then each piece (4 separate pieces) wrapped in velvet and stapled. The frame was then reassemble using pocket screws and braces. (Picture a bit further down in this post). Piano hinges (2) were attached along the top edge. these will hold the screen up and allow for the screen to be swung open.


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## RanZiv

False Wall fabric:

I am utilizing fabric frames that are attached to the false wall for the screen wall. I was debating quite a bit on whether I wanted acoustically transparent fabric for the false wall for flexibility in speaker placement. Ultimately I decided on going with the AT screen right away, so I decided to use micro-velvet: boy is it nice material. 

Material:
4' X 8' X3/4" hardwood plywood (cut in 1 3/4" wide 8' lengths)
9 yards microvelvet
3/8" staples (a boat load)
Heavy Duty Grill Guides (from parts express) 9 bags

Cost: about $200

Build/Progress:
Don't really have in progress pics of this, but basically there was a lot of measuring and cutting. the angles created a bit of a challenge, but ultimately came together.

The frames were put together with pocket screws and glue. And all put together (dry fit) before adding the fabric. (Notice the screen frame is up there as well)









And how did he attache those to the wall framing you ask ... with these of course:

















Once all fit in place, all frames were taken down, wrapped in fabric and stapled.

Here is the product thus far without the screen material. Color is a little off because my point and shoot doesn't do so well in low lit rooms. the walls are a deep burgundy.


















**Updated 11/22/2011
I bought my front three speakers. I went with 3 Aperion Intimus 5T towers 
for the LCR. - My initial impressions are WOW ... crystal clear sound and they haven't been broken in yet. They are plenty powerful enough for my room.

















**Update 11/26/2011
Finalized the screen build and install:
The screen material is the centerstage XD from Seymour AV that Chris precision cut for me. Nothing fancy with the attachment - good ol staples.

Here are some photos:

Laying the screen out over the frame.









Shots of the screen up and hanging:


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## Prof.

Very nice work!..Looking good..:T


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## RanZiv

Prof. said:


> Very nice work!..Looking good..:T



Thanks - I only wish I had more time to focus on this ... and I'm getting to the anxious point in the build where I can see the finish line :bigsmile:


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## ALMFamily

Man I love following build threads! So exciting! Looks fantastic! :T:T


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## RanZiv

ALMFamily said:


> Man I love following build threads! So exciting! Looks fantastic! :T:T


Thanks...me too - usually one of the first things i do is check the build threads in the morning with a cup of coffee in my hand


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## RanZiv

This is a bump as I added updates to sections:

M) Column build and install - I finished the columns with new Pics!

and

P) Screen Wall Fabric Frame Install - added LCR speakers and Pics!


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## fitzwaddle

Everything looks great MJ - how have the HTDs worked out for surround duty?


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## RanZiv

fitzwaddle said:


> Everything looks great MJ - how have the HTDs worked out for surround duty?


Thanks! I haven't been able to really push the HTD's, but from my initial tests, they will do well for the surround duty. Give me about another week and I should be able to give you a better review for all the speakers.


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## RanZiv

Bump this thread for 2 reasons:

1) Another update for P) Screen Wall Fabric Frame Install - updated photos with screen shots.

and 

2) My father in law is up for the holiday and I was able to take some photos with his camera - which is nicer and does better in low light (I'm still lobbying for a DLSR for XMAS ). Here are some shots of the screen wall from the entry way:


















On to the A/V Rack ...


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## RanZiv

The A/V rack/Closet has been a work in progress since the beginning of the build. I had framed it very early and ran all wiring to terminate in the closet.

I have been focusing more attention on the rack and closet of late. this is 100% DIY so I did not buy a commercial rack. Instead I am using MDF for shelving and racking system typically used in closets (metal track and metal arms that slip into slots).

Closet is not complete - I still have to wire management, trim it out, add face plates, and add a rear access door but here are the progress pics thus far.

I think this one might be earlier in the post somewhere, but here is the original cutout for the recessed rack.









Anther earlier pic.









Pic from behind closet with the vertical support and shelf brackets to be used.









Pic from behind with unfinished shelving.









Pic from the front with unfinished shelving.









I painted the shelving black and started loading up with equipment. Still need to finish up with wire management. There are a few empty spaces for future components (particularly a couple amps I'm targeting),

From behind:









Front View:

















** Update 12/21/2011
As you can see here, the case molding around the AV rack closet is installed and painted. Baseboard cut and dry fitted.








BTW- The edit function is gone for the first thread so I cannot update the hyperlinks for the specific topis within the thread - anyway to fix this?


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## Renato Pimentel

Congratulations!!!
Very good!!


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## RanZiv

Baseboard, trim molding, and door.

well, spent a majority of my recent theater time doing some finishing type work. added molding around the sub cubby's and A/V rack closet. Also cut and installed all the baseboard moldings.

Materials: 
48 linear ft. 5 1/4" X 1/2" MDF baseboard
12 linear ft. pine molding
16 linear ft case molding
finishing nails
black paint

Cost: roughly $80

All in all, I think the baseboard and the moldings really pull everything together. the theater is useable and I have tested the sound and the picture and so far I am very pleased. I will try to get some screen shots up, but my camera does not do very well with that - so we'll see.

Progress/pictures:

Baseboard dry fitted:

















Baseboard painted and attached to the wall:

















closer-up pic of one column:









Another of the AV rack closet:









Entry Door - I have additional plans for the door in the future, but for now here it is painted.









Next up: (not necessarily in this order)
Move candy stand and popcorn machine in room
Install AV closet door
Install sound treatment panels on walls
purchase and install theater seats
purchase and install dimmers


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## FettFanatic

Very nice looking. I like the colors.


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## ALMFamily

Great work! I agree - I really like the color combo - it really pops! :T


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## RanZiv

Thanks I appreciate the compliments. Getting closer ... I have the seats coming in either tomorrow or Friday.


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## Prof.

Very nicely done..:T


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## RanZiv

Watched my first full movie in the theater last night - cowboys vs. aliens. How can I do that without seats you ask .... here is your answer.

Decided to go with RSH fusion Lagoon seats. 2 rows 3 seats. I will be posting my review in the seat section and will update the link here. Lets just say they are very comfortable and well worth the price!

I ordered the seats on Tuesday and they arrived on Thursday in six separate boxes:










I unpacked all the chairs in the garage and had a buddy help me carry them upstairs to the theater. They aren't really that heavy each, but you do need two to maneuver because they are to bulky for one person. The tops are separate from the bottoms which make it easier to move around.

So we got all the bottoms in place:

















Then attached all the tops:









































Here is a major contribution from my wife 









Wow they look comfy!

Also, just ordered the dual band insteon dimmers. Should arrive by the end of the week.

Any recommendations for an IR blaster/repeater if I decide to go that route? Preferably on the utilizes Cat5 or better.

Oh by the way, I also moved my candy stand and popcorn machine into the room:









Ok so I still owe you all screen shots and I will do that soon. I also still have to install the door for the AV closet, fabric panels to the walls, light dimmers, and improve the entry door.


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## fitzwaddle

Those seats look VERY nice MJ - I kinda wish Berkline had gone out of business a few months earlier! (so I would have bought those instead). The pillows are a nice touch too, I need to find something like that to add a little color and tie them into the overall color theme.

For IR repeater, I used a Hot Link Pro XL - it extends over cat5 wiring (I have the eye over the screen, and the gear in a closet, with ethernet connecting them). They're very affordable, and functional - not as fancy as some of the higher end offerings though, you just stick the emitters to the face plates, if you want one that hooks into mini jacks on the back of gear, it gets more complicated and expensive.


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## RanZiv

fitzwaddle said:


> For IR repeater, I used a Hot Link Pro XL - it extends over cat5 wiring (I have the eye over the screen, and the gear in a closet, with ethernet connecting them). They're very affordable, and functional - not as fancy as some of the higher end offerings though, you just stick the emitters to the face plates, if you want one that hooks into mini jacks on the back of gear, it gets more complicated and expensive.


The seats are very comfy for me. I had tried quite a few and went with these sight unseen - took a gamble based on previous reviews and the fact that they are from Roman.

Thanks for the info on the IR repeater - exactly what I'm looking for !!! thanks Brad.


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## RanZiv

Received the insteon and installed. Went with three dual band and one relay. The three dual band dimmers control the main lights in the room. The relay switch controls the rope lighting in the crown molding. I haven't programmed them yet but they are pretty cool so far. Here are some pics:
















I will ultimately get the Central Controller or ISY99 so I can control the lights via the web/smart device.

Also, my original plan was to build my own fabric wall panels. My wife surprised me with one of these:









From pier one. They are painted canvas and about 1.5" thick. I really like the look and I think is a bit classy/ ol' school in design. 
They also have this:








Plan is to add rigid insulation within the frame and hang them on the wall in between the columns. 

So I went back to pier one and bought enough for two of each. The pictures do not do justice to the room, but here is some updated photos. (I really really need a better camera - yes I'm working on it  ).

























Oh by the way .. candy stand is filled:









Still working on the punch list and will continue to update as I go.


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## Dale Rasco

Man that looks absolutely phenomenal! Excellent work!


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## Quijibo

nice work, it's all come together nicely.
thanks for the great thread.


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## RanZiv

Dale Rasco said:


> Man that looks absolutely phenomenal! Excellent work!





Quijibo said:


> nice work, it's all come together nicely.
> thanks for the great thread.


Thanks guys. I love this stuff so its fun to see the progress and all the others on this board as well. I am not sure if one is ever "finished" but I am on the home stretch for "completion."


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## Quijibo

MysticalJet said:


> Thanks guys. I love this stuff so its fun to see the progress and all the others on this board as well. I am not sure if one is ever "finished" but I am on the home stretch for "completion."


My wife thought I was done.... Muhahaha on to the sub build.


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## ALMFamily

Great find on the panels - I completely agree, they are very classy. Oh, and yay for candy!! :clap:


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## Twin_Rotor

Very nice!

If you know any C+, you could use an Arduino based controller for your dimmers.


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## RanZiv

ALMFamily said:


> Great find on the panels - I completely agree, they are very classy. Oh, and yay for candy!! :clap:


Thanks - been checking up on your thread a bit and waiting for some latest photos . 



Twin_Rotor said:


> Very nice!
> 
> If you know any C+, you could use an Arduino based controller for your dimmers.


I am tech savvy and I know a little about computers, but a programmer I am not - unfortunately I would not be able to do this ... but maybe I know someone who does


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## Twin_Rotor

lol Fortunatly, the majority of the code is available. The Arduino code is an open source version of C+, so there is a lot of people who have played with it.

I'll look through your equipment and see what exactly would have to be bought and programed. It might not be more economical. The contollers are cheap ($20-50) and can be integrated in several manners. The advantage I see is being able to change the program on a whim. My idea would be to simply piggy back on your existing iR(gott look at your equipment again) and have the arduino dim your lights according to remote keystrokes. The controller itself can be had in USB, CAT5, WiFI and Blue tooth for programing and control.

This is actually a neat little challenge. Most of the applications I've seen in the last couple of years with the Arduino have been pretty unpractical. The EE department at my university has been hung up on building robots with the Arduino. However, the more complex robots also use an mITX or simular hardware with Linux to activly control the Arduino. They've built some simpler "line followers" with just the Arduino. Maybe its just my lack of intrest, but most of that stuff has already been in practice for years. They've just made the hardware the size of a credit card(the 128 based Arduino is about that size. They also offer the same chip on a micro card thats about the size of a cigarette lighter, but with fewer pinouts)

Sorry for rambling, but this has grabbed my attention. Give me a few days and we'll see what I come up with, in your application.


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## RanZiv

Twin_Rotor said:


> lol Fortunatly, the majority of the code is available. The Arduino code is an open source version of C+, so there is a lot of people who have played with it.
> 
> I'll look through your equipment and see what exactly would have to be bought and programed. It might not be more economical. The contollers are cheap ($20-50) and can be integrated in several manners. The advantage I see is being able to change the program on a whim. My idea would be to simply piggy back on your existing iR(gott look at your equipment again) and have the arduino dim your lights according to remote keystrokes. The controller itself can be had in USB, CAT5, WiFI and Blue tooth for programing and control.
> 
> This is actually a neat little challenge. Most of the applications I've seen in the last couple of years with the Arduino have been pretty unpractical. The EE department at my university has been hung up on building robots with the Arduino. However, the more complex robots also use an mITX or simular hardware with Linux to activly control the Arduino. They've built some simpler "line followers" with just the Arduino. Maybe its just my lack of intrest, but most of that stuff has already been in practice for years. They've just made the hardware the size of a credit card(the 128 based Arduino is about that size. They also offer the same chip on a micro card thats about the size of a cigarette lighter, but with fewer pinouts)
> 
> Sorry for rambling, but this has grabbed my attention. Give me a few days and we'll see what I come up with, in your application.


Very cool. Ideally I would like to control all via wifi - lights, htpc, etc. - just setup some scenes hit play, pause, stop, etc. and all is coordinated and synchronized.

I have to admit though that automation is not my strong suit and I refuse to use a system where I have to rely on someone else making changes whenever I need something (i.e. creston, control 4, HAI, etc.).

Any help is much appreciated


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## Twin_Rotor

The idea of not having to know code by heart is why I mentioned the Arduino. I don't like to program, but when it comes to C+, its not a difficult language to understand. If you can follow HTML, you can program in C+(comparing the learning curve, not the actual code). Heres a sample code to use the Arduino analog control and fade an LED:




Code:


/*
  Fade
  
  This example shows how to fade an LED on pin 9
  using the analogWrite() function.
  
  This example code is in the public domain.
  
  */
 int brightness = 0;    // how bright the LED is
 int fadeAmount = 5;    // how many points to fade the LED by
 
void setup()  { 
  // declare pin 9 to be an output:
   pinMode(9, OUTPUT);
 } 

void loop()  { 
  // set the brightness of pin 9:
   analogWrite(9, brightness);    
 
  // change the brightness for next time through the loop:
   brightness = brightness + fadeAmount;
 
  // reverse the direction of the fading at the ends of the fade: 
  if (brightness == 0 || brightness == 255) {
     fadeAmount = -fadeAmount ; 
  }     
  // wait for 30 milliseconds to see the dimming effect    
   delay(30);                            
 }



As you can see, its fairly straight forward. If you wanted to change dim time, you'd simply add more time to the delay line. Anything with // is ignored by the chip.

My idea is a bit different in the sense of having to deal with A/C. I've got a few ideas written down, but each one has its own drawback. I'm not going to pitch anything untill I'm comfortable with my research. As I stated before, the biggest benifit of using a controller like this is flexibilty and user access.


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## FettFanatic

I really like those pics from pier 1. I may have to look and see if I can find some of those myself. Your theater is looking nice.


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## RanZiv

FettFanatic said:


> I really like those pics from pier 1. I may have to look and see if I can find some of those myself. Your theater is looking nice.


Thanks for the compliment. Yeah I like them and as I mentioned, my wife surprised me with one and went back to get more. Good Luck.


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## Twin_Rotor

I have not forgot about this, Mystical. Time has been short as of late, but hopefully I'll have time to poke around this weekend.


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## RanZiv

Twin_Rotor said:


> I have not forgot about this, Mystical. Time has been short as of late, but hopefully I'll have time to poke around this weekend.


Thanks Ben. For the moment I have the IRLinc setup and using the harmony one. In the future I would definitely like to control everything from a computer/tablet though.

Thanks


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## Twin_Rotor

So far I have only worked out a light fading code and asssociated equipment. The only advantage, at the moment, is custom coding. I also do not like how it works, as it has an analog component. I'm still a bit of a novice engineer(sophmore), so maybe I'll get some of my question ansered in the near future once I have a bit more edumakashun. For now, I'm going to keep my ponderings to myself. You'll hear from me in the near future though. The wheels never stop turning... onder:


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## RanZiv

Well its been a little bit since my last update. Unfortunately I haven't taken any screenshots yet ...

But couple updates. 

1) Bought and installed the IRlinc for my insteon lighting. Works like a charm with the scene settings and now my Harmony 1 controls the lighting along with all the audio and video. So know when I start the movie (hit play) the lights dim to off. When I hit pause, certain lights come on to a certain level (set to a slow speed so not to blind you ). And when I hit the stop button, another scene with all the lights come on to a certain level at a set speed. All in all its such a cool effect and convenient.

2) Upgraded my rear speakers to the Aperion 4BP. They do a wonderful job and the rear surrounds now have an unbelievable sound stage. They are also take up less space than previous and are less intrusive. Highly recommend. Here are some pics:

































3) I've ordered and received the components for my HTPC build. (See my HTPC build Thread - Link at Bottom). I'll post pictures of the final result here, but keep the progress photos in the HTPC build thread.


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## RanZiv

Here is the final product in the rack.










Now - the fun part  - installing all the software needed to rip and play. So WMC, XBMC, MPC-HC? - oh my.

Any recommendations here?


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## RanZiv

Bump - I updated the table of contents in the first post to link directly to the sub-sections.


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## RanZiv

Hey Everyone.

Been a little while since I posted and I'm due. 

Been busy setting up my HTPC and media application. Ultimately went with XBMC due to the flexibility and the fact that it now supports HD Audio bitstreaming.

Anyway on to the interesting part .... Photos. Hopefully the quality is a little better. Utilized my tripod and low light settings.

Updated room photos































































Some screenshots:


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## Prof.

MJ..I added a space between your photos say they can be more clearly seen..


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## RanZiv

Prof. said:


> MJ..I added a space between your photos say they can be more clearly seen..


OK cool - looks much better


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## ALMFamily

Great pics MJ! The Thor screenshot really caught my eye - now I am going to have to watch it again! :bigsmile:


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## engtaz

Man, what a Amazing job your HT is. Wow. Thanks for sharing you work. Diffidently can tell you have done this before.

Very cool.


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## RanZiv

ALMFamily said:


> Great pics MJ! The Thor screenshot really caught my eye - now I am going to have to watch it again! :bigsmile:





engtaz said:


> Man, what a Amazing job your HT is. Wow. Thanks for sharing you work. Diffidently can tell you have done this before.
> 
> Very cool.


Thanks guys. I'm really enjoying the outcome. Don't know if I'll ever be 100% done - there are always tweaks that pop in my mind and punch list items but it is a great space to watch movies.


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## fitzwaddle

Everything came out great MJ, I'm sure you're having a great time enjoying it now. :clap:

I've been using XBMC as well recently, and looks like we're both resizing the XBMC desktop to fit the screen, I was happy that that worked out.


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## RanZiv

fitzwaddle said:


> Everything came out great MJ, I'm sure you're having a great time enjoying it now. :clap:
> 
> I've been using XBMC as well recently, and looks like we're both resizing the XBMC desktop to fit the screen, I was happy that that worked out.


Thanks! Yep - resizing and I really don't mind the images are stretched a little for the XBMC. I think it's more impressive having the screen filled.

Finally got XBMC to play flawlessly (knock on wood) but I did have to get a separate video card. For whatever reason, and I could not figure it out, the intel HD graphics couldn't play without stutter and blocking.

In the end it all worked out and I'm happy with the outcome.


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## Prof.

The Theatre looks great..from what I can see!..Any chance of getting some more light in there, so we can see it more clearly?


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## RanZiv

Prof. said:


> The Theatre looks great..from what I can see!..Any chance of getting some more light in there, so we can see it more clearly?


I'll take some more shots over the weekend. I can bring the lights all the way up. The lighting in these latest pictures was set to the pre-movie setting.


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## RanZiv

Some more pictures - tried Panaorama. Unfortunately the image hosting site resizes so it is going to look small here. Anyone know how I can share the image on the board at the smaller size but link it to a larger size? And what image hosting site will not re-size on me? The original image sizes are ~8500X2000.


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## Prof.

I tried one of those panorama programs once, but could never get to work properly..I don't think you can link it to a larger image but I may be wrong..
Perhaps someone else has been able to link it..


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## RanZiv

Happy New Year everyone. Hope you and your families had a safe and fun holiday. I updated the first post with new photos. Really enjoying the Theater and hoping the new pics inspire some folks start a new HT in 2014 or to continue on with their current projects in 2014. Enjoy 

Link to first post: http://www.hometheatershack.com/for...767-mysticaljet-theater-2-0-a.html#post459414
MJ


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## ALMFamily

Great job MJ - it looks fantastic! :T


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## phillihp23

Very nicely done, impressive!


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## RanZiv

ALMFamily said:


> Great job MJ - it looks fantastic! :T





phillihp23 said:


> Very nicely done, impressive!


Thanks guys!


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## Six172

Theater looks great, love the colors you chose. I really like 3d modeling software that you used to lay out everything what is that called?


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## RanZiv

Six172 said:


> Theater looks great, love the colors you chose. I really like 3d modeling software that you used to lay out everything what is that called?


Thanks. Its Google sketchup. Best part - its free!


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## Six172

That's my favorite price. Thanks for the quick follow up.


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## joed

WOW!! you did an amazing job. I have a few questions. Maybe your already talked about them but I didn't see it.

1. my room also has a window in the same spot yours does. Can you access it to make sure there are no leaks etc. how does it look from the outside as my window is in front of the house. 

2. I don't know the rules but my room is similar in size and my wants are about the same as yours and I am looking at a 9-10K budget all including. What was your budget.

thanks,
Joe


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## simpsonb4

mysticaljet said:


> here is the final product in the rack.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> now - the fun part  - installing all the software needed to rip and play. So wmc, xbmc, mpc-hc? - oh my.
> 
> Any recommendations here?


dvd fab and make MKV to play on XBMC. Best combo on the cheap and works like a charm. Never had an issue on playback.


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## NBPk402

simpsonb4 said:


> dvd fab and make MKV to play on XBMC. Best combo on the cheap and works like a charm. Never had an issue on playback.


Why do you use make mkv... I use dvdfab and it converts it to mkv?


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## simpsonb4

Sorry, I meant to say "use DVD Fab to make MKV files"  I forgot Make MKV was a program (and not a very friendly one)

I've been using XBMC for over 2 years now and love it. I have a small AMD Net Top box I use and control it with Roomie (via IP and IR) from my iPad.


----------



## RanZiv

simpsonb4 said:


> Sorry, I meant to say "use DVD Fab to make MKV files"  I forgot Make MKV was a program (and not a very friendly one)
> 
> I've been using XBMC for over 2 years now and love it. I have a small AMD Net Top box I use and control it with Roomie (via IP and IR) from my iPad.


I use MakeMKV and works like a charm. Guess its just a matter of preference.


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## RanZiv

Thanks!

1) I built the room so the window is not that accessible, but you can get to it if needed without tearing the whole theater apart.

Here is the link within the thread specific to the front window http://www.hometheatershack.com/forums/home-theater-design-construction/49767-mysticaljet-theater-2-0-a.html#post459460

from the outside it looks like a regular window with blinds and all. Can't tell its blocked or there is a theater in there 

2) It depends on what you mean by "all including?" Do you have any equipment? For me, it cost 9 - 10 K but I had the projector and some equip. I've upgraded since on a few things and the total is up near 16k. I think you can do it for 9 -10k it just all depends on the quality of the equipment you want.




joed said:


> WOW!! you did an amazing job. I have a few questions. Maybe your already talked about them but I didn't see it.
> 
> 1. my room also has a window in the same spot yours does. Can you access it to make sure there are no leaks etc. how does it look from the outside as my window is in front of the house.
> 
> 2. I don't know the rules but my room is similar in size and my wants are about the same as yours and I am looking at a 9-10K budget all including. What was your budget.
> 
> thanks,
> Joe


----------



## joed

I don't know how I missed that in your thread but I like the way you did that. I don't have any equipment at all but the room is already carpeted. I am going to start a new thread in the construction section next week as soon as I can get pics of the room this week end. 

I am going to go back and go through your thread again because it seems I have missed some good stuff the first time.

Take care and great job.

Joe


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