# I'm Re-modelling My Theatre



## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

My current theatre has been in operation for just over 4 years now.. In that time I've made a few minor changes to the 
decor..notably new acoustic panels and the columns to the sides of the screen..which have since been
removed to make way for the wider screen..but it's still basically the same room and I feel it's time for a 
change..

Here are the proposed changes...

* Remove the suspended ceiling tray which holds the downlights...Done

* Remove side wall trays which hold downlights...In progress

* Build new design acoustic panels...Done 
http://www.hometheatershack.com/for...cs/51050-making-some-new-acoustic-panels.html

* Build a canopy / bulkhead over the top of the screen to house downlights...In progress

* Make and install soffits for side and back walls...In progress

* Install new LED downlights in soffits and canopy...

* Build a new centre ceiling light which will be lit with LED tubes...In progress

* Install new dimmer control for the ceiling light, downlights and ropelight..

* Install LED Ropelight around perimeter of soffits and canopy..

* Paint the room a different colour..

* Install new ceiling projector mount for new projector..

I will be using a very simple construction method for the soffits..It will consist of a timber railing mounted
to the ceiling and a timber rail on the side walls..The panels will be MDF, mounted to the rails..
There will be splayed dual moulding attached to the perimeter of the soffits to house the ropelight.. 

Here are a few photos of the progress so far..

The first of the canopy panels going up..










Canopy completed..The top left corner partly shows the new ceiling light under construction..










The framing for the soffits..I found later it wasn't necessary to have the struts because the MDF is self supporting..










The soffit starts to take shape..










Shortly after this photo was taken, I had to stop work as the temperature here hit 43.8C..(110.8F)!! :yikes: :sweat:
I've made a bit more progress of late, but not up to date with photos yet..

I bought a dual gang dimmer from the UK and I'm having problems trying to get the lights to dim right down..
It appears that the minimum wattage you can dim is 40W. and evidently this applies to most dimmers! even Isteon and Lutron I believe..
The problem is that it takes a LOT of LED lights to even get near 40W. since each bulb is only 9W.!

I will eventually have a total of 8 LED lights, but I wanted to have 2 phases for the dimming process..I'm not quite sure how I'm going to do this..other than putting in a couple of Halogens instead to raise the wattage..


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

Hey Prof, I used a Normal remote control Lutron dimmer with my LED lights and had one string of non LED rope light and thats all I needed to get full control of the dimming LED light. Might be worth a shot.


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

Thanks Tony..I can see how that would fix the problem but unfortunately I recently bought LED ropelights!
I had planned to have all the lighting in the theatre with LED's..
A couple of Halogens seemed like the solution, but all my LED's are "cool white" and I can't find any cool white Halogens..


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

Did you want Cool white LEDs? you can get warm white LED rope light as well. Thats what I use and you can hardly tell the difference between the incandescent rope light and the LED ones.


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## ALMFamily (Oct 19, 2011)

Prof,

I really like the look of the panels - I think you may see something similar in my HT when I get to that point. :bigsmile:

As far as the low voltage, I too will have this dilemma on the riser lights. However, if memory serves, Simon had the same problem and found some kind of device that you could put in line that would increase the line wattage. 

OK, I went back and read the thread and it was not Simon - it was actually Moggie on the other forum (whose thread Simon suggested I read ).

Here is a link to the unit that was suggested from that build - Power Booster.

I do not know if this will work for you or not, but I thought I would pass it along.


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

tonyvdb said:


> Did you want Cool white LEDs? you can get warm white LED rope light as well. Thats what I use and you can hardly tell the difference between the incandescent rope light and the LED ones.


Yes, I specifically chose the cool whites as my previous Halogens were warm white and they looked dull in my theatre..The difference in "whiteness" is quite amazing with these LED's and gives the theatre a fresh look..



ALMFamily said:


> Prof,
> 
> I really like the look of the panels - I think you may see something similar in my HT when I get to that point. :bigsmile:
> 
> ...


Thanks for that Joe.. I'll have a look through the post..At the moment I'm working in the theatre..trying to beat the increasing heat again today!! :rant:


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

Joe..

That Lutron Synthetic Load device looks to be ideal to fix my problem, but I've searched all the online stores I can find over here and can't find a seller anywhere..:scratch:

However..during my searching I came across a guy who had the same problem and he claims to have resolved it by simply adding a small 10W. incandescent light bulb into the light string..
It would raise the minimum wattage level to above the threshold of the dimmer and presumably be able to successfully, completely dim the lights..

Since I'm still building the soffits, I could place the bulb inside the soffit so as not to see the extra light!
Since it would only be a low wattage bulb, heat shouldn't be a problem..
If it works it would certainly be a cheap remedy for the problem.!..:yes:


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## ALMFamily (Oct 19, 2011)

Now there was a smart idea! Let us know if that works - I may just do the same for my riser lights. :T


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## Quijibo (Feb 8, 2011)

Prof. said:


> Shortly after this photo was taken, I had to stop work as the temperature here hit 43.8C..(110.8F)!! :yikes: :sweat:


I've run into a slightly different problem while working on my subwoofer... it was -24 deg c in my garage last night.
Good thing I was using a circle jig for the router because I couldn't see anything because the dust mask directs my breath onto my safety glasses causing them to fog up.
couldn't see a thing.

I'm looking forward to seeing how your room changes.


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

WOW!! :yikes: -24C.!! Are you building a theatre on the North Pole!!? That is an incredibly low temperature..
I could do with some of that down here! :bigsmile:


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

Prof. said:


> WOW!! :yikes: -24C.!! Are you building a theatre on the North Pole!!? That is an incredibly low temperature..
> I could do with some of that down here! :bigsmile:


LOL it was -31 here in Edmonton this morning without the windchill. After a long spell of unseasonably warm weather for winter we finally got hit hard.


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## ALMFamily (Oct 19, 2011)

It getting cold is one thing - going out in the garage to WORK in it is quite another! I mean - that's hibernation weather for goodness sake..... :bigsmile:


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

All I can say is you guys must be conditioned to such cold weather..
Last year the lowest I got down to here was -1.0C. and for me that was very cold..I can't begin to imagine what those temperatures you experience would feel like! :unbelievable:


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## Quijibo (Feb 8, 2011)

If I only worked while it was 'warm' I would lose from November to April for garage time.

And yeah you get used to it... Kinda.

As for the lighting problem, what if you installed a hidden halogen bulb in an adjoining room attached to the same circuit? I'm sure there's better solutions, but it would work.


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

That's a very good idea..:T It would make it easier to access the bulb if it should blow anytime..

All the AV gear is in my office next to the theatre, so I already have wires running between the two rooms..
I would just need to run an extension cable from the soffit to the office..

I bought a 28W. halogen bulb yesterday (the lowest wattage I could find) so I'm going to try it out tonight..


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## raZorTT (Jan 17, 2008)

Prof. said:


> Joe..
> 
> That Lutron Synthetic Load device looks to be ideal to fix my problem, but I've searched all the online stores I can find over here and can't find a seller anywhere..:scratch:
> 
> ...


Hey Prof,

I was going to suggest maybe putting a small bulb (painted black) hidden somewhere you can't see it to lift the wattage of the circuit. 

Would it be possible to put some sort of resistor/capacitor inline instead of a bulb? My knowledge of electronics isn't very good so not sure if it would work or not??

Cheers,
Simon


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## raZorTT (Jan 17, 2008)

ALMFamily said:


> Now there was a smart idea! Let us know if that works - I may just do the same for my riser lights. :T


It definitely works.

A mate of mine bought a bunch of LED downlights for his room and had the same problem with the load being too low. One halogen bulb installed into the circuit fixed it straight away.. flickering and abillity to dim to 0% was achieved.

I'll ask what he ended up doing for a more long term solution.

Cheers,
Simon


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## raZorTT (Jan 17, 2008)

PS the panels look great! :T


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

raZorTT said:


> Hey Prof,
> 
> I was going to suggest maybe putting a small bulb (painted black) hidden somewhere you can't see it to lift the wattage of the circuit.


Hi Simon.

LOL!..That's what I was planning to do when I thought about putting the bulb in the soffit..I have some special black acrylic paint which is for glass! I could still do that and just place the bulb behind the chairs instead of running a wire into the office.. 



> Would it be possible to put some sort of resistor/capacitor inline instead of a bulb? My knowledge of electronics isn't very good so not sure if it would work or not??


It probably could be done that way..In fact I wouldn't mind guessing that that's what the Lutron Synthetic Load uses..but my electronic knowledge is not what it used to be...I even had problems the other day trying to remember how to do an Ohms Law calculation!! :reading: :scratch: lddude: 




raZorTT said:


> It definitely works.
> 
> A mate of mine bought a bunch of LED downlights for his room and had the same problem with the load being too low. One halogen bulb installed into the circuit fixed it straight away.. flickering and abillity to dim to 0% was achieved.
> 
> I'll ask what he ended up doing for a more long term solution.


That sounds very promising..I would be very interested to know if he found a better solution..




> PS the panels look great! :T


Thanks Simon..I think they're going to match in well with the new decor..


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

I have to warn you guys, that this re-modelling is going to take some time to complete! 
I'm still trying to keep the theatre operating while I make the changes, so instead of ripping it all down to the bare bones and starting from fresh, I'm doing it piece meal..

Also,I already spend 4-5hrs. on the computer everyday..I also have to spend time looking after the dogs..and of course there's the occasional housework to be done...Very occasional I might add!!:bigsmile:
So I hope you guys will bare with me and stick around..


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## ALMFamily (Oct 19, 2011)

With you til the end my friend! :TT

Wanna make bets on which of our rooms is done 1st? The smart money is on you! :yes:


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

Thanks Joe..:T
I think I've got a bit of a head start on you! :bigsmile:


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## raZorTT (Jan 17, 2008)

Prof. said:


> I have to warn you guys, that this re-modelling is going to take some time to complete!
> I'm still trying to keep the theatre operating while I make the changes, so instead of ripping it all down to the bare bones and starting from fresh, I'm doing it piece meal..
> 
> Also,I already spend 4-5hrs. on the computer everyday..I also have to spend time looking after the dogs..and of course there's the occasional housework to be done...Very occasional I might add!!:bigsmile:
> So I hope you guys will bare with me and stick around..


That's ok Prof. We will be here to annoy/guilt/motivate you  :T


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

Cheers Simon..I might just need a bit of motivation down the track...I seem to nap off every now and then!! :rofl:


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## ALMFamily (Oct 19, 2011)

Speaking of annoy/guilt - shouldn't you be at it now?! :innocent:


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

I was just taking one of my half hour breaks at the time...that went on for a bit longer than a half an hour!! :R..I have manged to get two pieces of timber up today!!  
Oh..and got the halogen light wired into the LED string..so not a bad days work!! :rofl: 
Going to give it a shot tonight..


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## ALMFamily (Oct 19, 2011)

Sounds good - will check in the AM to see how you came out - hoping that works as intended!

If you get a chance, take a peek at my last post in my build thread and let me know what you think of that resolution........

Cheers (my first use of this - love it! :T),

Joe


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

IT WORKS!!..The halogen bulb added to the LED string eliminated all the flashing and all lights are completely extinguished! :yay2: What a simple cheap remedy..
The amount of heat from that 28W. bulb really surprised me though and is a bit concerning..I wouldn't like to put it in an enclosed soffit..so having it on the outside in the room or in another room is the way to go..

I've decided to change the number of lights in each phase of the dimming process and the first phase will have two more LED downlights added to it to bringing the total wattage up to 72watts..That means I won't need to add the halogen..
The second phase dimming will now be only a total of 36watts, so I will add the halogen to that to bring the wattage up..


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## raZorTT (Jan 17, 2008)

woohoo :T :T

Sounds like a random (to any visitors) black light blub in your office is in order


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## raZorTT (Jan 17, 2008)

woohoo :T :T

It'll be fun trying to explain to people why there is a black light bulb in your office 

Cheers,
Simon


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

That's just reminded me Simon..Whatever happened to those coloured incandescent bulbs you could once get for strings of party lights etc?..You could get black ones (black light) in that type..I've never seen a CFL or Halogen replacement..Is black light no longer available?


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## raZorTT (Jan 17, 2008)

I thought I saw some black light bulbs in bunnings just before xmas, but I might have imagined it.

I suspect ebay will be your friend. especially some of the Halloween themed gear.

Cheers,
Simon


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

Thanks Simon...I found a CFL black light on Bunnings website, but unfortunately you can't dim CFL's..
I check out ebay later today..


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## Quijibo (Feb 8, 2011)

From what I remember, you want to keep halogen bulbs as clean as possible to extend life. extra heat tends to fry them up faster. so painting it black might significantly shorten the bulb life.

Glad it's a good solution though.


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

Thanks Ryan..I did wonder about that..
I'm thinking that if I can't find a black light I might have to get one of those heat proof covers that are used on halogen downlights..


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## ALMFamily (Oct 19, 2011)

Nice Prof - glad that worked out! Good point on shortening the life of the bulb - I never thought of that. Any chance you have a place where you could set it up as a back light instead? It would solve your problem and create a neat effect in your office at the same time. Just a thought......


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

Not really..It's actually not that big a problem if I have it in the office..
If I have the halogen in the theatre, (a lot less wiring) that's when I'll need to cover it up..
Still weighing it all up..


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

I think I've found a way how to incorporate the halogen bulb into the theatre, without needing a black light or painting the bulb black or even covering it up!..I can use it as a sort of feature light..similar to the idea Joe mentioned..:T

My idea is to get one of those cheap "goose neck" type desk lamps and place it on the floor behind the centre seat..and shining upwards..That way it wouldn't be seen..
My projector is mounted on the ceiling and just back from the chair..The light would shine up onto the projector to highlight it!!
What do you guys think?


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## ALMFamily (Oct 19, 2011)

I think it sounds very neat - it would be like a spotlight which IMO gives a very "theater-like" feel, but I am a little unclear how the lamp would not be seen. Do you have a pic by chance?


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

No..not at this stage..I'll take one when I get it all setup..
Since the desk lamp will be on the floor, the bulb will be inside the reflector hood of the lamp which will stand about 12" off the floor.. My centre recliner chair will be in front of the floor lamp so you won't be able to see it..

This the desk lamp I'm going to get..It will twist right up to the vertical position..


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## ALMFamily (Oct 19, 2011)

Sorry, it is the "behind the center recliner chair" I am not quite clear on. I have never come across pics of your space prior to the remodel - do you have one row of chairs and then wall behind it where no one walks behind that row of chairs?

If that is the case, I understand and think that would be supremely awesome and would give it one of these :TT!!


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

Ah..Yes! Sorry Joe I should have explained that..The length from the screen wall to the back wall is only 13' and I only have the one row of seats..


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## ALMFamily (Oct 19, 2011)

I think you are golden then Prof - great idea!! Can't wait to see the pic of that!


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

Thanks Joe..I'll be catching up on pics next week..


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

A bit more progress..

The basic soffits on the side walls are up..I still have two small sections to go up on the back wall..
All the wiring and control for the first phase lighting is done and the ceiling light is completed..I didn't use gold on this one as previous..It caused too much distraction with the reflective glow from the projector light..

As you can see from the photos..there is a lot of cleaning up and painting to be done on the walls..:R










The light looks bigger than it actually is..camera angle..But it is a metre long, with two 900mm.long LED tubes..










The next stage is to finish the two soffit sections on the back wall and then fit the mouldings around the soffit perimeter for the ropelight..


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## ALMFamily (Oct 19, 2011)

Nice work Prof - and quick too! Wanna come to the States and do some work?! :whistling:

Are those 4" recessed cans in the soffits?


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## raZorTT (Jan 17, 2008)

Nice work Prof! :T

That photo looks the new light look massive!. The first photo gives it a little perspective though . Do you still get that floating effect that you seemed to get with the gold one?

So what colour are you going to paint the room?

Cheers
Simon


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## ALMFamily (Oct 19, 2011)

Just so you guys know, one of these years I am going to make my much anticipated trip to Australia and you are going to have to invite me over for a movie!! :bigsmile:


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

ALMFamily said:


> Nice work Prof - and quick too! Wanna come to the States and do some work?! :whistling:


Thanks Joe..Send me the tickets and I'm on my way! :bigsmile:



> Are those 4" recessed cans in the soffits?


They're actually 90mm. (3 1/2") adjustable downlights with 50mm.diam LED bulbs..no coverings..The LED bulbs are sealed on the back (unlike the halogens) so there is no need to enclose them in cans..
They're only rated at 9W. but their light output is amazing!


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

raZorTT said:


> Nice work Prof! :T


Thanks Simon..



> That photo looks the new light look massive!. The first photo gives it a little perspective though . Do you still get that floating effect that you seemed to get with the gold one?


No.. I had to forgo that idea..too much reflection from the gold and the prismatic acrylic..
With this one the special acrylic / fabric combination looks like a light grey colour, so no reflections..and now that It's mounted to the ceiling, it's further out of eye sight when seated..

The tubes have Super Bright LED's in them and the total light output (26W.) was way too bright, so I had to reduce light output with the special acrylic combination..It also helped to diffuse the light more evenly..so you don't see any tubes..



> So what colour are you going to paint the room?


It will be a very dark graphite blue called "Blue Moon"..It's not a paint colour, it's a Formica colour, so I'll have to get it specially mixed..


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## Dale Rasco (Apr 11, 2009)

Looking great Prof! I have been so scarce lately I didn't even know you were making changes! I really need to free up some more time soon. Work has just been crazy and trying to catch up on the equipment reviews has left little time for everything else.


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## ALMFamily (Oct 19, 2011)

Prof. said:


> They're actually 90mm. (3 1/2") adjustable downlights with 50mm.diam LED bulbs..no coverings..The LED bulbs are sealed on the back (unlike the halogens) so there is no need to enclose them in cans..
> They're only rated at 9W. but their light output is amazing!


Do you have them on a dimmer? I was considering doing LED for mine as well, but I thought the output would be too low for the QS to be able to handle dimming them. Plus, the only ones I have found so far are $50 a light.... :yikes:


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

Dale Rasco said:


> Looking great Prof! I have been so scarce lately I didn't even know you were making changes! I really need to free up some more time soon. Work has just been crazy and trying to catch up on the equipment reviews has left little time for everything else.


Thanks Dale..

With all that work commitment..I don't know how you even find the time to do the Blu-ray movie reviews!!
Take a break!


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

ALMFamily said:


> Do you have them on a dimmer? I was considering doing LED for mine as well, but I thought the output would be too low for the QS to be able to handle dimming them. Plus, the only ones I have found so far are $50 a light.... :yikes:


Yes they are on a dimmer circuit, but you do require enough bulbs for the dimming control to work properly..
I'm using an HPM Super Dimmer to control phase one of lighting..

That's around the price they are normally here as well..but I found a pack of 6 for just over $60.00 from an eBay store..I couldn't believe my luck and they are nice quality as well!!


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## ALMFamily (Oct 19, 2011)

Oh duh - there are times when I can be a complete woolhead. :dumbcrazy: Mine are all wired in series so I won't have a problem either.

Thanks for the heads-up - I will have to keep my eyes peeled out there to see if I can find about 15-20..... :bigsmile:


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

ALMFamily said:


> Oh duh - there are times when I can be a complete woolhead. :dumbcrazy:


Join the club! lddude: :rofl:


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## raZorTT (Jan 17, 2008)

Prof. said:


> It will be a very dark graphite blue called "Blue Moon"..It's not a paint colour, it's a Formica colour, so I'll have to get it specially mixed..


Sounds great. Look forward to seeing it :T


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

It's difficult to get a good shot in a darkened room with my camera..but here's a shot of the ceiling light which shows the acrylic face colour more accurately..It's actually a bit darker grey than the photo shows That's not illuminated of course!
I tried to take a shot with the light on, but it just came out with the whole image a white blur..


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## raZorTT (Jan 17, 2008)

I like the new light :T

Did you get in the HT over the weekend?


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

raZorTT said:


> I like the new light :T


Thanks Simon..I think it's more in keeping with the rest of the decor...which will be a combination of Black, Dark Blue and Grey..



> Did you get in the HT over the weekend?


Only to watch a movie..It's still been very hot here, too hot to work!


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

Things are slowly coming together.!..
The soffit sections are nearly complete and the moulding is being attached..





































I didn't want a fancy crown moulding type of finish to the soffits, but more inline with the simplistic shapes in the room..
The double "bullnose" skirting moulding is the same basic moulding I used on the individual acoustic panels, so I thought that was appropriate..
It's angled out about 15 degrees..just enough room to put in the ropelight..

Next comes the part I'm not looking forward to..filling and sanding!! :rant:


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## ALMFamily (Oct 19, 2011)

Looking great Prof! :T I agree - matching the style for the moulding really helps draw your room together. I am curious - what color is that for the walls / ceiling? I really like it.

Also, I do not remember - did you decide on a color for the rope lighting?


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## raZorTT (Jan 17, 2008)

great job Prof :T

Good luck with the sanding! That was the thing I loathed most about my build  Everything else I was happy to do, but sanding.... 

Cheers,
Simon


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

ALMFamily said:


> Looking great Prof! :T I agree - matching the style for the moulding really helps draw your room together. I am curious - what color is that for the walls / ceiling? I really like it.
> 
> Also, I do not remember - did you decide on a color for the rope lighting?


Thanks very much Joe..The wall and ceiling colours are different in each shot (stupid camera) so I'm not sure which of those colours you like!

The actual colours are..Ceiling is a dark grey called "Ticking" from Dulux..
Walls are a darkish grey/olive green (the last photo shows the colour better, only it's darker than that) from Dulux called "Ocean Wave"..


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## ALMFamily (Oct 19, 2011)

Prof. said:


> Thanks very much Joe..The wall and ceiling colours are different in each shot (stupid camera) so I'm not sure which of those colours you like!
> 
> The actual colours are..Ceiling is a dark grey called "Ticking" from Dulux..
> Walls are a darkish grey/olive green (the last photo shows the colour better, only it's darker than that) from Dulux called "Ocean Wave"..


Both are good IMO. For my color scheme, I am planning for a grey "top half" of the walls so the ceiling one is the one that really stood out for me. I will have to check here to see if I can get that.

Sorry - did you decide on rope light color? I am really wondering how a blue would look against that grey! :bigsmile:


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

Thanks Simon..

I'm trying to decide between hand sanding or using an orbital sander...The orbital sander would make short work of it but would produce a lot of dust..Not a good idea with the projector still mounted..and it's a pain to take down with the anamorphic lens and then set up again..
I guess I'll just have to make sure that's it's all covered up well so no dust can get in! :dunno:


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

ALMFamily said:


> Both are good IMO. For my color scheme, I am planning for a grey "top half" of the walls so the ceiling one is the one that really stood out for me. I will have to check here to see if I can get that.
> 
> Sorry - did you decide on rope light color? I am really wondering how a blue would look against that grey! :bigsmile:


Sorry Joe, I forgot to answer that..Yes I'll be using a blue LED ropelight..
I think it should show up quite well against the grey since it's a neutral colour..

At the moment I'm trying to decide the colour/s for the soffits..I was originally just going to paint them the one colour.. satin black..but now I'm thinking that it might look better done in two dark colours..like the fronts and underside one colour and the mouldings another colour..
In keeping with the general colour scheme it can only be black, dark blue or grey combinations..decisions, decisions!! :bigsmile:


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## ALMFamily (Oct 19, 2011)

Yay! I can't wait to see how that blue on the grey looks - I bet it will look great.

You know, as I was reading about the soffits, I was thinking "I wonder how 2 colors would look....". What do you think about doing the satin black for the front and sides and then doing the molding the same color as the walls? I am just wondering if it might create the effect of "tying" the whole room together.........


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

That sounds like an interesting idea Joe..:T
I think what I might do is run up a few colour variations and combinations using "Paint" sketches and see how the different combinations look..
I might also see if I can dig up some photos of other peoples soffits and see what they've done..


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

Well.. after looking at dozens of soffit colour schemes, it seems to come down to these combinations..

1. Paint the whole soffit including mouldings the same colour as the walls..

2. Paint the soffits the colour of the walls and the mouldings black..

3. Paint the face of the soffits and moulding the wall colour and the underside black or grey..

4. Paint the soffits black and the moulding the colour of the walls..

5. Paint the whole soffit black including the mouldings..

6. None of the above!

I would be interested to hear what you guys think would look the best..


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## ALMFamily (Oct 19, 2011)

Prof. said:


> Well.. after looking at dozens of soffit colour schemes, it seems to come down to these combinations..


Hope you do not mind - I thought I would break down thoughts a bit:



Prof. said:


> 1. Paint the whole soffit including mouldings the same colour as the walls..


Not sure about this one - I like how the soffits came out and feel that painting them the same color would not make them stand out enough - it would seem like a continuation of the wall rather than a separation.



Prof. said:


> 2. Paint the soffits the colour of the walls and the mouldings black..


Just to be sure - is the screen wall black? It looks like it from the pictures, but I did not want to make an assumption. If so, I like this combo as I feel the black moulding would "draw" the eyes to the soffits while also providing separation between the wall and ceiling as well as matching an existing room color to stay within a relatively small color range. IMO, once you go beyond 3 colors, it might be a bit hard for eyes to adjust to the varied colors.. (probably did not explain that well but I couldn't come up with a better way :huh



Prof. said:


> 3. Paint the face of the soffits and moulding the wall colour and the underside black or grey..
> 
> 4. Paint the soffits black and the moulding the colour of the walls..


I like both these options - pretty much the same reasoning as explained above.



Prof. said:


> 5. Paint the whole soffit black including the mouldings..


I think this would look fine, but I guess I am probably hung up on the wanting to draw eyes to the soffits concept. I am suddenly thinking of a concept we talk about with projectors / screens where people talk about colors "popping" off the screen. This is what I am thinking for the soffits - a change in color in the soffit itself helps draw the eye to it and shows off your handiwork.



Prof. said:


> 6. None of the above!


Not this! :bigsmile:



Prof. said:


> I would be interested to hear what you guys think would look the best..


If I had to order them, I would probably go 4, 2, 3, 5, 1. And, not 4 because it was my suggestion! :rofl2: I just really like how the soffits turned out and would want to make sure they are "seen". I am curious to see what Simon thinks - he is a better color coordinator than I am!


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

Thanks for your detailed input Joe..:T

No.1


> Not sure about this one - I like how the soffits came out and feel that painting them the same color would not make them stand out enough - it would seem like a continuation of the wall rather than a separation.


I agree with you on this one..I think the whole thing would just blend into the walls..

No.2


> Just to be sure - is the screen wall black?


Yes.. The whole front wall is black acoustic fabric..


> I like this combo as I feel the black moulding would "draw" the eyes to the soffits while also providing separation between the wall and ceiling as well as matching an existing room color to stay within a relatively small color range. IMO, once you go beyond 3 colors, it might be a bit hard for eyes to adjust to the varied colors.. (probably did not explain that well but I couldn't come up with a better way :huh


This one is also my choice at this stage..
While I was in the theatre last night I tried to visualize that colour scheme...and I think it would look quite nice..and yes, I definitely don't want to bring in another colour.. 

Nos.3 & 4


> I like both these options - pretty much the same reasoning as explained above.


I've gone off this combination..I think no.3 would look a bit disjointed..and with no.4..I prefer the colour combination as in no.2..Sorry Joe :hide:

No.5


> I think this would look fine, but I guess I am probably hung up on the wanting to draw eyes to the soffits concept. I am suddenly thinking of a concept we talk about with projectors / screens where people talk about colors "popping" off the screen. This is what I am thinking for the soffits - a change in color in the soffit itself helps draw the eye to it and shows off your handiwork.


I'm thinking this might be too much of a standout..and the moulding would probably blend into the whole soffit..

Another combination I saw recently that I thought looked good and was on a similar design to mine with the moulding being fitted to the bottom edge of the face, showed the same colour for the underside and the moulding..with the other colour on the face..
So that could be black for the soffit underside and moulding..and the wall colour on the face...Or the other way around..

So many combination to choose from!..I want to get this right the first time and not have to paint it all again because it doesn't look right! :hissyfit:..and besides..my old legs probably couldn't handle two sessions of climbing up and down a ladder!! lddude: :rofl2:


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

This is the first try out of the LED ropelight..

It's not exactly an evenly lit rope for some reason..and the next photo shows the unevenness and flaring more clearly..It is actually very blue, unlike the second photo shows..and that brighter edge near the moulding isn't there to the naked eye..

Admittedly it's showing on raw MDF so I'm hoping that when the face of the soffits are painted that it might help to even out the lighting a bit better..
I'm now thinking that the wall colour blue might be the right colour for the soffit faces!

Ceiling light only on in the first photo and all lights off in the second photo..



















Also I'm not getting that almost sharp line reflection on the ceiling that I've seen in some theatres..
I've tried the ropelight in the bottom of the two moulding and on top of the first one..The latter looked slightly better (as in the photos) but both positions still flare unevenly..
Anybody have any ideas?


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## ALMFamily (Oct 19, 2011)

Prof,

I can't remember what Simon did for his - I seem to recall him using something to reflect the light, but I could be wrong on that. I will give it some thought and see if I can come up with anything else.

REALLY like that blue!! :T

Joe


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## sparkymt (May 19, 2010)

I think I have heard of people making sure the the lights in the rope are all positioned the same way. I'm not sure if that applied to non led rope lights or the led version.


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

Thanks Joe,

Some people like that flaring look, but I do prefer it to more of a solid line..
The blue looks even nicer than the photos are showing and with all the other lights off the whole room takes on blue glow!


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

sparkymt said:


> I think I have heard of people making sure the the lights in the rope are all positioned the same way. I'm not sure if that applied to non led rope lights or the led version.


Yes I read that too..but this ropelight doesn't have a "right" position..The illumination is even all around the tube..
I also heard about the alum. foil in the bottom so I'll try a section of that and see if it makes any difference..


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## ALMFamily (Oct 19, 2011)

Did you get a chance to give the aluminum foil a go? The only other idea I came up with so far was to glue a small strip of wood to the back of the molding to somewhat close that gap - something like this:

||||| <------- small strip
|
|
|oo <----- rope light
|oo
||||||||||

Not sure if that will work or not - I will continue to give it some thought.


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

I tried the foil last night but unfortunately it didn't make any difference..I tried both sides of the foil..

I remember seeing photos of a ropelight setup which looked very good and he hadn't even painted the back of the moulding!
Ii looks like the distance of the ropelight out from the face of the soffits.. i.e the distance the moulding is angled away from the soffit face has a big bearing on the end result..When I move the ropelight closer to the face, it gets worse..Unfortunately I'm stuck with the angle I have..

I'm going to add a quarter round moulding where the top of the soffit meets with the ceiling, which might help to reflect some light back..filling in the area more..and I'll also try your idea of the timber strip attached to the back of the moulding..:T
Hopefully one of them might give some improvement..


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

OK..neither of the above ideas worked..

Placing a strip of timber at the back of the moulding, partly covering the ropelight only reduced the light output and didn't have any affect on the ceiling flare..

I did however discover during trying different things, what is causing the flaring! :yay2:

The ropelight is positioned at the optimum distance from the ceiling which is 51/2" - 6"..so that shouldn't be the problem..
The rope is positioned only about 1/2" down from the top of the moulding..I felt that this would be low enough not to see the lights from the floor..

When I moved the rope right down into the bottom of the moulding (right up against the soffit face) the light intensity dropped and the flaring remained! :scratch: That showed me that the ropelight needs to be away from the face of the soffit to get full light output..

The next thing I tried was increasing the height of the face of the moulding by adding a 20mm.thick strip of timber on top of the moulding..This effectively placed the ropelight further below the top of the moulding....and hey presto!! It worked!! :yay:

I now have an almost sharp line where the reflection is cutoff on the ceiling..which leaves a band of light about 5" wide out from the face of the soffit..

The more you increase the height of the moulding (ropelight left in same postion) the narrower and more intensive the reflected band of light on the ceiling..

The flaring is still showing to some degree on the face of the soffits, and I think this has to do with the way the LED lights are positioned in the rope..They're definitely not precision light sources!

Here is a rough sketch showing the positioning of the ropelight..










I realised after I had tried this that if I added a piece of timber on top of the moulding by screwing it on, (which would give me a defined light band on the ceiling) I could also remove it anytime if I wanted the flaring look..or I could have a defined band of blue light over the screen area and flared light down the sides of the room..or vice versa ! :bigsmile:

I hope this will be of some help to you Joe when you come to do yours..


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## ALMFamily (Oct 19, 2011)

Great news Prof! I am definitely going to have to jot that down so I do not forget it. Glad you were able to get the look you wanted! :T


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## ALMFamily (Oct 19, 2011)

Speaking of the look you wanted - we sure would love to see new pics! :bigsmile:


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

Not a lot more to show at the moment..I ran out of the moulding so I had to source some more just to finish the job..
I can't finish the wiring because the ropelight will have to come down when I do the filling and sanding..and then finally the painting..

All of the wiring for the audio, video and lighting controllers run through the soffits into the AV rack in my office next door and also behind the screen, so I still need access to the wiring at the moment, before I can seal the soffits off..

I've also decided to change the appearance of the acoustic covers that fit above and below the screen..Just to make them more inline with the current decor style..

I should have so more photos next week..


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

OK..Before I take down the ropelight, here is a shot of the reflected light with that extra piece of timber added..
To the naked eye, you can't see that slight blue beyond the straight edge..


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## ALMFamily (Oct 19, 2011)

Prof. said:


> OK..Before I take down the ropelight, here is a shot of the reflected light with that extra piece of timber added..
> To the naked eye, you can't see that slight blue beyond the straight edge..


Oh that looks smashing Prof - I really like that look as well. Good call on the timber strip! :TT


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

Cheers Joe...

I must admit that I'm liking that effect as well..It looks so much cleaner than the flaring..
I was thinking of having that extra strip removable..but I think I'll now just fit it there permanently..


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## raZorTT (Jan 17, 2008)

Hey Prof,

Sorry I missed your posts for the last week or so. I usually get an email when a new post is made :dontknow:

Glad you were able to get the look you wanted. I've seen a few people put diffuser over their ropelights to even things out. Mine I just dimmed it down until you couldn't notice the flaring. I think I went down another 20-30% again because it was still a tad too bright in a completely dark room.

Cheers,
Simon


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

raZorTT said:


> Hey Prof,
> 
> Sorry I missed your posts for the last week or so. I usually get an email when a new post is made :dontknow:


Yes..that's happened to me a few times..Not even being notified of posts in my own threads!!
Must be some sort of glitch in the system..:dontknow:



> Glad you were able to get the look you wanted. I've seen a few people put diffuser over their ropelights to even things out. Mine I just dimmed it down until you couldn't notice the flaring. I think I went down another 20-30% again because it was still a tad too bright in a completely dark room.


I would like to maintain max. brightness if possible..Won't know for sure until it's all painted..
The new dimmer I'm getting to control the back lighting and ropelight can be set to 50-75% of max. brightness, so I will have some control if needed..

Finished the filling yesterday (what a pain!) so it's onto sanding today..


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## raZorTT (Jan 17, 2008)

Prof. said:


> Finished the filling yesterday (what a pain!) so it's onto sanding today..


Good luck! I especially hate sanding above your head. You end up with a face full of dust and aching arms and shoulders! Enjoy 

Cheers,
Simon


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## ALMFamily (Oct 19, 2011)

I think I am going to invest in some Ben Gay when I start sanding - I have a feeling I will ache all the way to my toes by the time it is all said and done.... :R

Good luck and enjoy the work Prof! :T


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

raZorTT said:


> Good luck! I especially hate sanding above your head. You end up with a face full of dust and aching arms and shoulders! Enjoy
> 
> Cheers,
> Simon


Yeah..I don't mind sanding when I'm on top of the timber, but sanding overhead and on a ladder is not my idea of fun! 
I will be taking lots of breaks!


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

Thanks Joe,

I think I'll have the heat lamp on standby!! lddude:


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

Well I managed to get most of the filling and sanding done with only a few aches and pains!! :bigsmile:
I got the canopy painted and then another heatwave struck!! Two days of temperatures over 42C.!! :sweat:

While I was waiting for things to cool down, I took a couple of shots of the progress so far..I'm afraid my camera just isn't up to the task anymore and I've had to edit the photo to get it somewhere near the right colours..It's still not right but it will give you a bit of an idea of the colour scheme I've decided to go with..

BTW..The top edge of the face on the moulding was slightly rounded, so that when I added that extra strip of timber to the top of it, it showed a grooved line..as you can see in the photo..
I decided to leave it showing..rather than filling it..as it looks like a routed groove in the moulding itself..










In this shot the ropelight hasn't been positioned correctly due to the painting, but it gives some idea of the lighting effect and the painted canopy..










The heat has now passed so I can continue with the painting of the soffits and then start preparations on the walls..


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## ALMFamily (Oct 19, 2011)

Wow Prof - that looks fantastic - great work!!! :TT

I completely agree on the gap - it really does look like it was routed in - neat effect!


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

Thanks Joe,

I'm hoping to get the soffits painted in the next two days, so I'll post some more pics when they're done..

The dimmer controls presented a few problems..For some reason the Harmony remote couldn't distinguish between the two control units..so I've had to drop one from the remote and just control it manually with it's own remote..
I think it's time to get a new Harmony remote!


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## raZorTT (Jan 17, 2008)

Prof. said:


> Thanks Joe,
> 
> I'm hoping to get the soffits painted in the next two days, so I'll post some more pics when they're done..
> 
> ...


Looks great Prof!

Did I hear you say iRule?


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## ALMFamily (Oct 19, 2011)

raZorTT said:


> Looks great Prof!
> 
> Did I hear you say iRule?


How funny - that was my first thought as well! Come on Prof - join the dark side! :devil:

Plus, then both you and Simon can answer all my set-up questions when I go to set mine up! :bigsmile:


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

raZorTT said:


> Looks great Prof!
> 
> Did I hear you say iRule?


Thanks Simon..

No you didn't hear me say iRule!  Anything beginning with "I" is a dirty word for me!! :rofl:
As strange as it may sound, I've never had any interest in that side of technology..lddude: I'm still using a mobile that's 12 years old!! :bigsmile:


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

ALMFamily said:


> How funny - that was my first thought as well! Come on Prof - join the dark side! :devil:
> 
> Plus, then both you and Simon can answer all my set-up questions when I go to set mine up! :bigsmile:


I'm afraid I'll have to leave that side of technology to Simon to help you with..When it comes to that sort of technology, I'm worse than dumb!! and too old to start learning about any i what'sit lddude: :bigsmile:
I can barely keep up with all the changes and latest technologies in the HT world!


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## raZorTT (Jan 17, 2008)

Prof. said:


> Thanks Simon..
> 
> No you didn't hear me say iRule!  Anything beginning with "I" is a dirty word for me!! :rofl:
> As strange as it may sound, I've never had any interest in that side of technology..lddude: I'm still using a mobile that's 12 years old!! :bigsmile:


:rofl: yeah I don't think it will run on a nokia phone with a 96x65 monochrome screen


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

The soffits are finally painted!! :yay: I added an extra bit of trim under the soffits just to give a more finished look..and the colour in the photo is just about spot on this time! :bigsmile:.. 










I'll be taking a break over the weekend ( V8 Supercars this weekend in Adelaide) so next week I'll start on prepping the walls..


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## raZorTT (Jan 17, 2008)

Great job Prof they look fantastic! :T

How are the shoulders after the filling, sanding and painting?


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## ALMFamily (Oct 19, 2011)

Agreed - great job Prof and excellent choice on the color scheme! :T


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

raZorTT said:


> Great job Prof they look fantastic! :T
> 
> How are the shoulders after the filling, sanding and painting?


Thanks Simon...The filling and sanding did more damage to my back than shoulders..Stretchng across for sanding underneath the soffits from a ladder, put my back out!
However..I'm back to normal again and the discomfort was well worth it for the end result..:bigsmile:



ALMFamily said:


> Agreed - great job Prof and excellent choice on the color scheme! :T


Thanks Joe... I'm very pleased with the end result and the room is already taking on a different feeling!

One disappointment though..The screen wash lights are not giving me enough coverage and because the lights are fairly high above the top of the screen, they're not very bright either..
I've just found some 12W. LED's (current ones are 9W. with a 60 degree beam) that have a 120 degree beam angle, so I think they will give me a better coverage..


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## ALMFamily (Oct 19, 2011)

Hey Prof - how was the V8 cars weekend?!


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

Most enjoyable Joe...from my comfortable recliner in the theatre..watching it on the big screen! :bigsmile:
I don't go to the race anymore..Getting too old to hastle with the crowd! lddude:


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## ALMFamily (Oct 19, 2011)

LOL - very nice! So, speaking of the theatre........


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

Nothing further at this stage..I decided it was about time I did some cleaning around the place..and also clean up the workshop..Everything is covered in sawdust..and living in the "bush", the spiders seem to like spinning their webs in the sawdust!..What a mess!! :yikes:

The weather has been very mild just lately, so it's a good time to get a few things done..
When that's all done, I might take a day off and go fishing (which is only 100 metres from the house)..and after that I'll start on the walls..


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## ALMFamily (Oct 19, 2011)

Oh man - I don't think I would make it through a whole day without heading down to drop a line if I was that close!:bigsmile:


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

LOL!..That's how it was for me when I first moved here!..Out fishing everyday..but it became a bit much after awhile and nothing was getting done around the house or property..Most of the fish were "catch and release"and it got a bit monotonous after awhile..:bigsmile:

These days it's almost a luxury again to go fishing..and particularly at the moment with all the time I'm putting in to renovate the theatre!


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## HTip (Oct 10, 2011)

Hey Prof. Your ceiling is amazing. Great ambiance you have created! :T

My ceiling is too low for this kind of light, but otherwise I probably would have done the same.

Keep up the good work...


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## Owen Bartley (Oct 18, 2006)

Nice work trimming out the soffits, Prof. Things seem to be moving along at a nice steady pace. What's the next step after you clean the workshop up and evict all those spiders?

On a side note, since racing has already been brought up, I just realized that the Melbourne GP is this weekend, I must have phased out for a few weeks and now I can't wait!


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

HTip said:


> Hey Prof. Your ceiling is amazing. Great ambiance you have created! :T
> 
> My ceiling is too low for this kind of light, but otherwise I probably would have done the same.
> 
> Keep up the good work...


Thanks HTip..
It's all coming together very nicely and with the new colour starting to go on the walls, it's beginning to feel like a new theatre!  



Owen Bartley said:


> Nice work trimming out the soffits, Prof. Things seem to be moving along at a nice steady pace. What's the next step after you clean the workshop up and evict all those spiders?


Thanks Owen..
The workshops been cleaned up and the painting of the walls has begun..The new colour has really changed the feel of the room..



> On a side note, since racing has already been brought up, I just realized that the Melbourne GP is this weekend, I must have phased out for a few weeks and now I can't wait!


Yeah..It's going to be another weekend where no more work will get done..Races take priority!! :bigsmile:


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

First look at the new wall colour!..
This photo was taken with daylight coming through the window to the right..With just the room lights on it's even darker! :rubeyes:
You can see the original colour on the baseboard..I'll be putting on new baseboards which will be painted black..


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## Owen Bartley (Oct 18, 2006)

I think that's a great colour, and a nice improvement, Prof. Black baseboards should blend perfectly in the dark, but give it some definition in the light, so nice choice there as well.

I'll be cheering for Webber this weekend, I'd love to see him win his home GP!*



_*I am cheering for him, but anticipating (and dreading) another DNF._


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## ALMFamily (Oct 19, 2011)

That color looks great Prof - nice choice there! And, I am in complete agreement with Owen - black baseboards will really blend well.


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## HTip (Oct 10, 2011)

Nice looking color. Photographing a dark room is not easy. Do you have a tripod? Then you can take a HDR picture. That's how I do it.

Nice to see F1 fans here. Good luck with Webber and Ricciardo!


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

Owen Bartley said:


> I think that's a great colour, and a nice improvement, Prof. Black baseboards should blend perfectly in the dark, but give it some definition in the light, so nice choice there as well.


Thanks Owen..I'm very pleased with the way it turned out..
I watched a movie last night..and it was interesting to see the difference between the original colour on the left wall in bright scenes and the new colour on the right wall..The left wall lit up as always , but the right wall barely changed! 



> I'll be cheering for Webber this weekend, I'd love to see him win his home GP!*


Me to! 





> _*I am cheering for him, but anticipating (and dreading) another DNF._


Yes..Mark has his good days and bad days..Let's hope it's a good one!


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

ALMFamily said:


> That color looks great Prof - nice choice there! And, I am in complete agreement with Owen - black baseboards will really blend well.


Thanks Joe..That colour blue is exactly what I was looking for..My local paint shop suggested it!
I'll be using that same bull nose moulding for the baseboards, that I used on the soffits..Should match up nicely..



HTip said:


> Nice looking color. Photographing a dark room is not easy. Do you have a tripod? Then you can take a HDR picture. That's how I do it.


I do have a tripod, but I usually take photos by hand, using the self timer to prevent any shake..Forgive my ignorance, but what's a HDR photo?



> Nice to see F1 fans here. Good luck with Webber and Ricciardo!


Cheers!.. We have our fingers crossed..


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## HTip (Oct 10, 2011)

Webber and Ricciardo did well. The Red Bull is at the moment not as good as last year, at least in qualifying. Race will be exciting :T

A HDR photo is the overlaying of several (2 or more) pictures each with different lighting. I usually take 3 and set the camera to under expose 3 stops, 1 stop and over expose 1 stop. This way you have detail in dark and light areas in the same picture. You can use Photoshop or Photomatix. I hope I make sense


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

HTip said:


> Webber and Ricciardo did well. The Red Bull is at the moment not as good as last year, at least in qualifying. Race will be exciting :T


From the looks of it, McLaren might be the one to beat..but I don't think Red Bull is up to it for this race! Lets hope Webber gets a break!



> A HDR photo is the overlaying of several (2 or more) pictures each with different lighting. I usually take 3 and set the camera to under expose 3 stops, 1 stop and over expose 1 stop. This way you have detail in dark and light areas in the same picture. You can use Photoshop or Photomatix. I hope I make sense


I see what you're saying about taking different exposures, but I don't have Photoshop or any other program like that, that will allow me to overlay the images! Sounds like a very good way to get a good light balance in the photos though.. :T


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## Owen Bartley (Oct 18, 2006)

Webber didn't do too badly at all, especially considering his off in the first corner after being pinballed by 2 other cars... maybe some damage kept him from going faster later on?

Some cameras have an HDR mode built in to their "scenes" or whatever they are called, so if you have a newer camera take a look and see. Then do what you're doing, set it somewhere steady with the timer and it will automatically take 3 shots and combine them in the camera, giving you one final output shot.


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

Owen Bartley said:


> Webber didn't do too badly at all, especially considering his off in the first corner after being pinballed by 2 other cars... maybe some damage kept him from going faster later on?


It was a good race but Webber didn't quite make it to the Podium..It would have been just that bit better if he had got there for his home crowd..



> Some cameras have an HDR mode built in to their "scenes" or whatever they are called, so if you have a newer camera take a look and see. Then do what you're doing, set it somewhere steady with the timer and it will automatically take 3 shots and combine them in the camera, giving you one final output shot.


Ah yes..I have heard of that feature on some camera's..Unfortunately my camera (Nikon compact) is pretty old now ..and doesn't have that feature..
Probably time to get a new camera!


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

Yesterday I finished the second coat on the walls..All that's left to do now is to paint the baseboards and fit them..
My next lot of photos will be of the finished room! :yay2: 
Oh!..and I have a new projector on the way!


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## raZorTT (Jan 17, 2008)

nice job Prof! :T 

I have been stuck in the garden the past few weeks, oh and the GrandPrix last weekend , so haven't done anything for a while!

Look forward to the pics!

Cheers
Simon


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

Thanks Simon,
I know the feeling! ..Chores still have to get done! 
How is the remote control curtain set up going? Any further progress?


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## raZorTT (Jan 17, 2008)

no none


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## HTip (Oct 10, 2011)

Prof. said:


> Yesterday I finished the second coat on the walls..All that's left to do now is to paint the baseboards and fit them..
> My next lot of photos will be of the finished room! :yay2:


Great news! :T



> Oh!..and I have a new projector on the way!


New equipment is always exciting. Care to reveal the model or is it a surprise? 

By the way, my Sony A550 can make HDR photos also, but not as good as doing it "manually". The program takes 3 pictures but doesn't overlay them. I use Photomatix to overlay the pictures I need. In fact I can make as many pictures as I like and it even compensates for motion blur.


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

HTip said:


> New equipment is always exciting. Care to reveal the model or is it a surprise?


It's a Mitsubishi HC4000..I'm finally moving up to 1080p! 



> By the way, my Sony A550 can make HDR photos also, but not as good as doing it "manually". The program takes 3 pictures but doesn't overlay them. I use Photomatix to overlay the pictures I need. In fact I can make as many pictures as I like and it even compensates for motion blur.


Thanks HTip..
I've just had a quick look at Photomatix and it looks very interesting..You can get a free trial period, so it might be worthwhile downloading to do my finished theatre photos..
Even though I don't have the multi shot option on the camera, I can increase or decrease the exposure level that the camera sets, so that should still work ok?..


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## HTip (Oct 10, 2011)

Nice upgrade! Welcome to the world of 1080p 

And your HDR technique will work fine too. In very tough circumstances I do just that. Photomatix requires a little practice and then you're on your way. The trial version doesn't expire and is full featured but places a watermark in the processed photo. There are ways to get around that


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## Owen Bartley (Oct 18, 2006)

Great news on your progress, Prof! I can't wait to see the final room. I bet the new Mistu projector is going to look spectacular, especially if you were used to watching in lower resolution before.


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

I can't imagine it being all that much better than my present projector..but I've read a lot of reviews on this model projector and read dozens of posts from people who have bought one..
Without exception, they say the difference is immediately noticeable (even from people who had the same projector as myself) and that the Mits. ranks very highly in the under $5000 range..
I can't wait to see it in action!

I watched my first movie in the re-modeled theatre last night and immediately noticed that the perceived contrast of the image was better than before..
Even though the walls were a dark colour before, this even darker colour has brought about this improvement!..


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## ALMFamily (Oct 19, 2011)

Great news Prof - looking forward to the pics! And, congrats on the new PJ - you know we would love to see pics for that too, right?!


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

Thanks guys..I've just finished taking the photos, so I'll be posting them tomorrow..
Unfortunately I won't be able to produce HDR photo's..A problem with my camera..and yes Joe..There will definitely be photos of the new projector when it arrives! :bigsmile:


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## HTip (Oct 10, 2011)

So you watched the movie on your Optoma? With a new projector with new lamp you will definitely see a big difference.

Shame that you have a problem with your camera. Too bad you live just a little bit too far away


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

Well..here are the photos of the finished room..
As I mentioned previously, my camera is not up to the task of taking photos in low light conditions..It over exposes everything and I've had to under expose the shots and then run them through a photo editor to get the colours as near as possible to the right balance..

This shot is looking through the entrance door..Only the effects lighting is on..










This photo was taken from the same position but with just the ceiling light on..
I need to get a black double adapter! :R










This shot shows the true colours..









































































So there it is!.. It's only taken just over 2 1/2 months to transform the room..and considering I did the whole thing myself..and at my age lddude: I feel pretty pleased with myself!! :bigsmile:
It's only a small room but I think it looks pretty good now!


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

Well Prof, that looks just amazing to say the least. Its really a great looking room:T :clap:


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

Thanks Tony..Much appreciated..


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## Owen Bartley (Oct 18, 2006)

Prof., the room looks fantastic. I love the pot lights right above the panels, which look awesome themselves. The blue accent lighting is great too, I think everything is coming together really nicely!


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

Thanks very much Owen for your favourable comments...and thanks for the photo help..:T


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## PTAaron (Feb 16, 2012)

Room is looking excellent! Definitely a nice color scheme you chose. 
I really like the ceiling, when I redo mine eventually I would like to do something similar.


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## bigjbk (Jan 28, 2012)

Wow dude, it looks like a fun project. Personally I would add a heater and some hot chocolate dispensers for the winter time and some heated rumble seats.


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## robbo266317 (Sep 22, 2008)

Since my other hobby is photography I appreciate how hard it is to create a new theatre and take great pics. However these capture your space quite well and you have done a fantastic job. 

Now, on a more serious note! 

I assume you have regular garbage collection around Adelaide :yes: 
OK, Take the white double adapter to your trash receptical and deposit it there. :yes:
Now either replace the single power point with a double or get a leco to do it for you. 
A lot of house fires in Oz are started from double adapters and I want to see you here for a long time. lddude:


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## jswag (Feb 22, 2010)

Great job on the re-model Prof.!! I love the look of the blue lights. One of these days I am gonna start a garage to HT conversion.


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## ALMFamily (Oct 19, 2011)

.................

That, my good sir, is SPOT ON! :TT Be very proud of that work Prof because it looks amazing - I wish I lived close enought to see it in person! 

Now, sit down, relax, and enjoy it! :bigsmile:


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## HTip (Oct 10, 2011)

Great job on the photos :T They give a good impression of how your room looks like.

And the wall-to-wall 21:9 screen looks amazing. Do you have a problem with the fabric? I also really like the invisible speakers. That way the speakers don't take up so much room.


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## JBrax (Oct 13, 2011)

Wow! I'm just amazed at the work all of you guys do. That room is superb! My living room setup is sooooo not worthy. Congrats on some wonderful work.


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

PTAaron said:


> Room is looking excellent! Definitely a nice color scheme you chose.
> I really like the ceiling, when I redo mine eventually I would like to do something similar.


Thanks very much..The ceiling does set off the whole effect..
I'm very interested to see how your colour scheme works out..



bigjbk said:


> Wow dude, it looks like a fun project. Personally I would add a heater and some hot chocolate dispensers for the winter time and some heated rumble seats.


LOL!!..I do have a large Panel heater, that was out of sight when I took the photos..but I don't have a chocolate dispenser (apart from a variety of chocolates in the fridge!  ) and no rumble seats..I get vibrated through the floor when the sub's powering! :bigsmile:



robbo266317 said:


> Since my other hobby is photography I appreciate how hard it is to create a new theatre and take great pics. However these capture your space quite well and you have done a fantastic job.


Thanks for the compliment Bill..



> Now, on a more serious note!
> 
> I assume you have regular garbage collection around Adelaide :yes:
> OK, Take the white double adapter to your trash receptical and deposit it there. :yes:
> ...


:laugh: Thanks for your concern Bill..
Being of the old school, the old double adapter was used everywhere in my day, and some were even piggy backed!! :dumbcrazy: I do need to get with the times and do as you suggest by putting in a double point..It looks neater also..:T


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

jswag said:


> Great job on the re-model Prof.!! I love the look of the blue lights. One of these days I am gonna start a garage to HT conversion.


Thanks for your compliment..The blue LED ropelight lights really look nice and just complete the whole overall effects lighting..



ALMFamily said:


> .................
> 
> That, my good sir, is SPOT ON! :TT Be very proud of that work Prof because it looks amazing - I wish I lived close enought to see it in person!
> 
> Now, sit down, relax, and enjoy it! :bigsmile:


Thanks very much Joe..I haven't watched any more blu-rays for the moment, but just watching HDTV in the new room gives me a good feeling! 

Should you ever do a trip to Australia, you'll be welcome to call in..



HTip said:


> Great job on the photos :T They give a good impression of how your room looks like.
> 
> And the wall-to-wall 21:9 screen looks amazing. Do you have a problem with the fabric?


Thanks HTip..Yes I do have a bit of a problem with the fabric..We had several days here over 43C.! and the material stretched a bit..That's going to be my next job..



> I also really like the invisible speakers. That way the speakers don't take up so much room.


Yes..The speakers are mounted in a baffle wall behind the AT screen..The benefit of that is that I can have a very wide screen in a narrow room..Plus..I prefer the speakers to be out of sight anyway..



JBrax said:


> Wow! I'm just amazed at the work all of you guys do. That room is superb! My living room setup is sooooo not worthy. Congrats on some wonderful work.


Thanks very much for your compliments..It's all just a labour of love!


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## raZorTT (Jan 17, 2008)

Great effort Prof! :T And in only 2.5 months to boot 

How long before your new projector arrives?

Cheers,
Simon


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

Thanks Simon...The new projector should be here sometime this week!..It's coming from Melbourne..


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

robbo266317 said:


> Now, on a more serious note!
> 
> I assume you have regular garbage collection around Adelaide :yes:
> OK, Take the white double adapter to your trash receptical and deposit it there. :yes:
> ...


I've now replaced the double adapter with a double power point!  Thanks for your concern Bill..


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

IT"S ARRIVED!!! :yay2: arty: My new Mitsubishi HC4000 projector has finally arrived!! :bigsmile:

It took longer than I expected, but the wait was well worthwhile..:T
It's a very nice looking projector with a black mirror finish..The lens focus a zoom are very smooth to use, (unlike the Optoma) and has plenty of space between the lens and the main body to get your fingers in to focus..One of the difficulties I had with the Optoma was that the perimeter of lens and the body were very close together, which made it difficult to get hold of the focus ring with the anamorphic lens in place..

The projector is quite a bit larger than the Optoma, but it won't be a problem as I had bought this a few months ago..










And here it is!




























Yesterday afternoon I set up the new ceiling mount and attached the projector..
The Peerless projector mount has a quick release system, so the projector can be easily removed without having to re-align anything..

I had previously removed the back window plug so as to have plenty of daylight coming into the room..
The new projector had to be positioned further back than previously, which meant I needed to move the timber mounting plate to a new location..

By the time I had the projector mounted and connected, it was just coming on sundown, but still plenty of light coming into the room..

I could immediately see the image on the screen quite clearly, which quite surprised me because when I first set up the Optoma..under similar conditions, I could barely see the image with daylight on the screen!

I did a quick alignment and set the correct AR..and re-fitted the rear window plug..
I didn't make any changes to any of the settings on the projector, because I was interested to see how it looked straight out of the box!

I set the AVR to receive HDTV only, because I wanted to see how the image compared to my LCD TV..

The projected image just blew me away!! It was INCREDIBLE!!! The image was vibrant with colour but at the same time skin tones looked very natural..The whites were blindingly bright!! so much so that in some scenes. I felt I needed sunglasses!! :bigsmile:

According to the Projection Calculator Pro for the HC4000, the projected image from 3.4M. onto a 1.2 gain screen is 30fL.and I can believe it!

The blacks were inky black, which together with the brilliant whites gives very good contrast to the image.. But at the same time, the shadow detail was exceptionally good.. 
The quality of the image overall was far better than anything I've ever seen..and of course the difference between 720p and 1080p was obvious!..

I now know why there has been such good reviews and owners reports on this projector..It's OUTSTANDING!!
I think the biggest surprise for me was just how good this projector is..straight out of the box!!
With the Optoma, I was continually having to make changes to the image and altering the gamma settings..It just never seemed to look 100% right!
If this projector stays as good as it is now, I'll never have to make any changes to the settings..:bigsmile:

I bought this projector for an incredibly low price and it came with a three year guarantee!

I'm a very happy boy!!! :dancebanana::dancebanana::dancebanana::dancebanana::dancebanana:


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## raZorTT (Jan 17, 2008)

Congrats prof! Looks sensational :T


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## Dale Rasco (Apr 11, 2009)

Man that's all shiny a pretty! NICE!


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

Thanks Simon..I can't wait to watch a blu-ray movie with it!


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

Dale Rasco said:


> Man that's all shiny a pretty! NICE!


Yeah..Only problem is that nice shiny black shows up every speak of dust! It's going to have to be cleaned on a regular basis..


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## raZorTT (Jan 17, 2008)

keep the lights dimmed down, that's what I do


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

:T :bigsmile:


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## HTip (Oct 10, 2011)

Boys with toys  Congrats on your new projector. It looks very good indeed.

In the first 200 hours of a new lamp the shift in picture quality is quite significant. After that you calibrate it and then you can do with those settings for about 500-800 hours depending on your taste, but that will be a while 

Enjoy your new picture! :TT


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

Thanks HTip..I am expecting that to happen, but I just hope it doesn't drop too much..The picture is perfect now (anamorphic lens in place) and doesn't need any further calibration..

I was expecting there to be initially an excess of red..particularly in skin tones, as there is in many projectors..my Optoma included..but the balance is very good, so I just hope it stays like that, even if the lamp dims a little..


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## ALMFamily (Oct 19, 2011)

I just re-crossed the US / Canadian border today and was greeted with this wonderful news - Congrats Prof! She is a beauty! :clap:

I actually thought of you a couple days ago when I passed Melbourne, Ontario which was then followed by Adelaide Road...... :bigsmile:


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

Thanks Joe...As you can tell, I'm wrapped with this projector..Best purchase I've ever made!
Hey!..how about that!..Australian names in Canada!!.. There are a number of commonalities in the US, Canada, Australia and the UK..including towns and road names..
We are after all..all brothers!


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## ALMFamily (Oct 19, 2011)

So, I am in the process of locating lights and was looking for ideas of distance of screen wash lights from the screen.

So, I came back and looked at your pictures again Prof - and, again, great job! It really turned out spectacular.


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

Thanks again Joe..:T

Unfortunately I had a bit of a set back recently, which I had intended to post about shortly..

I decided to make up a dummy load for the LED lights..instead of using a light bulb in the string for the extra wattage....
I accidentally shorted out the whole lighting system when I connected up the dummy load! :yikes: :unbelievable: ..The short circuit breaker on one of the power boards tripped, but the other one didn't!! It blew my recently purchased dimmer unit and half of the LED's in the ropelight!! :hissyfit: :rant:
Fortunately all the LED downlights were on the board that tripped, as well as the power to the IR repeater so they're OK..:whew:

So I've had to buy another new dimmer and a new ropelight..The new ropelight has just been installed..This one has several switching sequences that I can change if I need to, but I'm still waiting on the dimmer before I can wire it all up..

In the meantime, I've changed the back wall window acoustic panel to include another 2" of insulation and added some trim to match the rest of the mouldings..It looks a lot better and does a good job of absorption / reflection..


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## raZorTT (Jan 17, 2008)

Hey prof

Very frustrating 

Glad it was just a lighting circuit and wasn't connected to your projector!

Simon


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

Hi Simon,

Yeah..I shudder at the thought if that had been the case! :gulp:
Just watched "Cowboys and Aliens" again, this time on the new projector the other night..Absolutely brilliant image, even in the night scenes!


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## raZorTT (Jan 17, 2008)

Good movie? I think I just added that to my latest order


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

Yes..I enjoyed it..It is different than your normal run of Alien type movies...with the cowboys included in the plot..but it makes for an interesting combination!
I think you'll like it..


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## ALMFamily (Oct 19, 2011)

Argh! Sorry to hear about the mishap Prof.  As Simon said, really glad it was not the PJ.

I have yet to see Cowboys and Aliens as well - I really should add it to my queue.

And, a new avatar Prof! Why the change?


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

Thanks Joe..No major harm done!
The movies definitely worth a watch..Reviews have been from one extreme to the other..Audio and video are very good..

I decided to change my Avatar to a character closer in years to me! lddude: :rofl:


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## HTip (Oct 10, 2011)

That was quite a scare I believe. Glad you're not harmed :T

I noticed the avatar change too


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

Thanks HTip..
Fortunately my hands were no where near the short when it occurred! :whew:


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

Well I finally got my new ropelight installed and wired up to the new dimmer..
I don't have any photos as it looks exactly the same as the previous unit..except this ropelight comes with a sequential controller for changing light patterns..

While I was waiting for the parts to arrive, I came up with an idea for some additional effects lighting..
I will be adding some halo lights to the acoustic panels!..

I'm planning on using RGB LED strip lighting behind the acoustic panels..
I bought a short length of 5050 LED strip with a 24 key controller for various colours and changing light patterns..
The effect looks very good, so I've now ordered 5M. of the strip lights..

The biggest problem is going to be wiring up the four panels in parallel, by running 12M. of the RGB cable around the room..
When I fitted the new skirting boards around the room, it left a channel between the old boards and the new ones..so I will be able to hide the wiring in that..but it's where the the RGB wire comes out from the bottom of an acoustic panel, down to the skirting boards is where the wiring will be seen..
Fortunately the four wires are bonded side by side so it's like a ribbon, and it won't protrude very much from the walls..but being four different colours, it will standout against the wall colour..

I thought about using some sort of adhesive tape to cover the wire and then painting it the same colour as the walls..but I'm not sure how well that going to stick after it's painted..
Anyone have any suggestions? 

when it's installed, I'll get some photos up..


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

Glad to hear thats your rope light incident wasn't more serious. Sounds like your theater room upgrades are doing better than your expectations and thats great :T


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

Yeah..thanks Tony..
Fortunately it only hurt me in my back pocket!! 
I thought I had finished with all my upgrades..but some new ideas kept coming to me!
Note to brain!...STOP THINKING!! You're costing me money!! :bigsmile:


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## raZorTT (Jan 17, 2008)

Good stuff Prof

What if you put the cable behind a small piece of timber that you painted black? You could run it from the skirting to the bottom of the panel and then put a piece of painted timber from the top of the panel to under the soffit to make it a feature?

Not sure if that makes sense or not?


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

That's an interesting idea Simon...:T
In fact I could even go with a wide piece of black painted moulding of some sort, above and below the panel and make a real standout feature of it..


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## raZorTT (Jan 17, 2008)

That sounds like great idea :T


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

I'm now thinking that I might be able to use the same moulding that I used for the soffit mouldings..

Basically make up a flat panel..the width and size of which will fit underneath and above the acoustic panels..and frame it with the soffit moulding..The wiring would then be behind the panel..
I think that might work!


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

I've mounted the power convertor and LED controller in one of the acoustic panels..All the LED strips will be controlled from that point..
The open weave fabric covering the panel will pass the IR remote control signals for the LED controller..
I've since filled in that space with additional insulation..


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