# Micro Cinema - Micro Budget



## DocFJ (Apr 17, 2013)

I have enjoyed reading other's stories and (mis)adventures in theater-building, so I felt I should share my own build that started a couple of months ago. Due mainly to budget constraints, the build is progressing very slowly, but this has given me plenty of time to plan and revise everything.

This is my first effort at a home theater. Growing up I had a variety of stereo setups hooked up to my 13" bedroom TV, and I finally got an early 5.1 Pioneer system from Costco in the 1990s. I haven't ever progressed beyond hobbyist to audiophile, so my standards are quite modest. My goal is to have a space for my wife, kids, and I to watch movies on the weekends and special nights, and my wife was foolish enough to give me leave to transform half of our small basement into whatever I wanted.

So I have an approximately 8' x 13' space to work with. Tiny, but fitting to my budget--also tiny at $2,500 (for everything from nails to seats to speakers and projector). I am going a bit overboard in squeezing in two rows of seating and 6.1 surround, but I think it will work.

First is the plan and some photos of the space before I started.


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## Horrorfan33 (Jun 11, 2013)

Looks like a fun project to me!!..Its also very doable on your budget!!..You can look at some of my pics and posts and might get some pointers..I spent about the same as your budget on my living room and I'm very happy with the results!!..Here is what I would do with $2,500 and your space (this is just MY opinion )

Epson 710hd projector--$650
84" or possibly 92" DIY screen--$100
Pioneer VSX-523K Receiver--$250
Polk Monitor55T--$250 (Fronts)
Polk Monitor45 B--$150 (Rears)
Polk Monitor15 C--$100 (Center)
Polk PSW110--$200 (Subwoofer)
Total--$1,700

I have used this same set up in a 16x20 room and was very happy with the results!!..Plus, you would still have $800 left over for your seating!!


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## bpape (Sep 14, 2006)

13' is pretty much impossible to get 2 rows of seating and have either in a good place for listening - much less 2 rows with decent viewing angles - sorry. Just being honest.


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## Norcuron (Jul 11, 2013)

It is a bummer sometimes dealing with room constraints. I have two unused channels on my preamp and amp but my current room makes it impossible to add the two side axis for 7.1. It's best just to maximize what you can and don't look back. Have fun!


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## Tedd (Feb 2, 2007)

some small inspiration for you. 


http://www.avsforum.com/t/1303660/mini-man-cave-phase-2-could-use-help-planning


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## DocFJ (Apr 17, 2013)

Thanks for the ideas and inspiration. I have to use $400-600 of my budget for construction - framing one wall, installing doors, and a seating riser, so I have about $2,000 for seating and components. I am planning on the following, with some holes still to fill in:

Projector - ViewSonic PJD5533W (native 16:10) ~$500
Speakers - Pioneer SP-BS21-LR for center and fronts, still looking for surrounds; Dayton Audio Subwoofer ~$240 so far
Screen - 84" DIY screen with blackout cloth

For the surrounds, I am still trying to figure out what to do in the back of the room. From the pictures above you can see an alcove where I am putting the main seating area (a couch). It will put the viewer about 2 ft off the back walls, and 1 foot off either side wall, but that doesn't leave much room for speaker placement. I obviously don't want a speaker in someone's ear, kinda ruins the effect. I am considering some in-ceiling or in-wall speakers, but I am hesitant from all the discussion about poor sound. Again I am not going for audiophile sound, just "good enough" sound. I am open to any ideas or advice. I will attach a drawing to help show what I mean. I also plan on treating the alcove with a couple of bass traps and panels at first reflections. With that tiny space in the back, and that many wall/floor/ceiling intersections, acoustics are going to be a challenge.



bpape said:


> 13' is pretty much impossible to get 2 rows of seating and have either in a good place for listening - much less 2 rows with decent viewing angles - sorry. Just being honest.


Thanks for the blunt truth, always appreciated. I am trying for one "real" row of seating with a small row of folding movie seats for my kids (2 and 5 yo).

Tedd,
Thanks for the link. This is one I have had bookmarked, but it is due a re-read.

And here is a side view of the planned theater so you can visualize the seating placement and the alcove in the back.


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## bpape (Sep 14, 2006)

The front row in that setup will be MUCH better sounding than back in the alcove, close to the wall, low ceiling height, etc. For surrounds, put them behind the seating but up as high as possible given the low ceiling. 

Bryan


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## DocFJ (Apr 17, 2013)

I have been thinking I will sit in the front row with the kids and let the wife (who cares little about quality sound) sit in the back.

What problems would I have if the surrounds were in the back corners next to the ceiling? I am guessing there would be some boominess to the bass and a lot of reflected, indirect sound, but for surround sound, maybe not a big problem?

Thanks Bryan, your advice and wisdom has been very educational as I have browsed the forums these past few months.


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## bpape (Sep 14, 2006)

Do what you can to get the surrounds at the proper angles and try to keep out of corners a bit. Push them up as high as possible - ideally about 6-6.5' from the floor that the front row sits on.

Bryan


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## DocFJ (Apr 17, 2013)

*Time to Create the Space*

To continue with the constructions side of things:

So I set out to build the partition wall aligned with one side of the rear alcove, only to realize the joist above was offset by about six inches. At this point I could tear out parts of the ceiling drywall and add cross braces to support the new wall, or I could move the new wall out a few inches and secure it to the existing joist. This being my first real construction project of any kind, I opted to move the wall. This had the added benefit of giving more width, but also added some corners to the room to mess with the acoustics. Oh well. I finished the wall on the theater side with drywall to be textured and painted, and the theater entrance with faux brick to hopefully give it more of an outside feel.


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## Tedd (Feb 2, 2007)

Flip the room end for end, and black out the alcove and soffit, with black velvet to trap light coming off the screen? Those soffit lights become your screen lights. A friend uses speaker cloth as wall fabric, pretty nice looking in a plain and simple way. 

The header of the door should have be doubled up, so you have a nailing surface for trim work. Too late but you might keep that in mind for when you trim the top of the doorway. 

You could do the theater seats as one row and use bean bag chairs for the little ones, in front. 

Use dipole speakers up high at the end of the adult seating row, and stick with 5.1 

Now you need a couple of movie posters on both sides of the door on the brick wall.


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## DocFJ (Apr 17, 2013)

Thanks for the out-of-the-box thinking, but I am actually farther along in construction than the current pictures and it would be tough to make any structural changes. Thanks for the tip on the door, too. I learned a lot from my mistakes on that one doorway (so many lessons that it is a bit embarrassing). Thankfully everything else has gone rather smoothly considering this is the first time I have ever done any DIY beyond some minor electrical and plumbing.


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## bpape (Sep 14, 2006)

Actually, the header of the door should be on its edge to provde more structural strength also. One each side with a small gap in the middle so you have a full face in the room and outside the room.

Bryan


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## DocFJ (Apr 17, 2013)

*Some color*

Some updates:

I spent a ridiculous amount of time deciding on a color for the theater. After scouring the internet and sites like houzz.com, I finally followed the advice I found on this and other forums: choose a dark neutral tone. I went with Pittsburgh paints Ceramic Flat Enamel; a flat paint that is also washable (important with two little kids). I went for the darkest brown I could find - it ended up being the color of a Hershey bar. I went with brown as it would go better with the dark red furniture I had planned. The first picture shows up lighter and yellower than it really is. The picture with my best helper (my son) shows the color more accurately.


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## ALMFamily (Oct 19, 2011)

Oh, that looks nice mate! Good dark tone while still adding some warmth to the room...


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

Looks a nice warm brown..


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## DocFJ (Apr 17, 2013)

Time for the riser. There will be a couch on the riser, and I tried to make the riser deep enough so the couch doesn't sit up against the back wall. Nothing in the theater will recline (hard to do in a 13' long room), so I went with 5' deep and 12" high. In such a small room, bass is likely to be a problem, but I am hoping by stuffing the riser full of pink insulation and adding vents along the back, I can turn the whole thing into a bass trap. We'll see. At best, it will help absorb some bass, at worst it will keep the whole riser from resonating.

I lucked out with the carpeting. I was looking at spending $50-100 for the carpet, but when I mentioned I needed a 6'x8' section of carpet, a kind salesperson showed me some 6'x8' area rugs of indoor/outdoor carpet for $10. Installation was easy with some carpet tape, and I think it looks great.

A Note:
So, I am not actually proceeding as quickly as the photos and updates might lead one to believe, but I am almost caught up to where I really am in the process. I hope to have premier night sometime in August or September. But I still have a lot to get done first: Install doors and trim, seating, AVR receiver, Blu-ray player, and projector; and design, build, and install the screen and acoustic panels. I just got my main speakers though! I got two pairs of the old model of the Pioneer Andrew Jones designed bookshelf speakers on sale for $59.99/pair. Hard to beat.


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## Peter Loeser (Aug 11, 2012)

Been casually following your build and the room is turning out really nicely! Good use of limited space here. I like the color choice, reminds me of what I used in my HT, maybe a little darker. Have you chosen a movie for your premier night yet? From what I've read and heard, you will love those Pioneer speakers. What will you be using for front and rear center channels?


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## DocFJ (Apr 17, 2013)

*Making Progress*

I am loving the dark brown. It looks much better in person too. One bonus to dark brown is that wall plates, outlets, switch covers, etc. are all available in dark brown at the same price as white or beige, so I went through and replaced all the outlets and faceplates so they blend nicely.

For premier night, I am thinking _Tangled_ with the kids, and maybe _The Fifth Element_ for me and the wife.

The Pioneer speakers will serve as the front, right, center, and back channels, with some in-ceiling speakers for surrounds (maybe Dayton?), and a Dayton 8" subwoofer.

I have been making a lot of progress in the room this past week or so, and it is finally feeling like a theater. I got doors and trim installed, 16 acoustic panels built and installed, and I am working on the screen.

First, the entrance. I am open to any suggestions for sprucing up the entrance (please!). Below is a picture of how it looks now and a mockup of how it might look. I have been thinking of either painting it red or going for the upholstered look similar to this.


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## Peter Loeser (Aug 11, 2012)

I like the look of the red door against the brick wall. The upholstered one is cool, but might look funny without the porthole window?

Curious what you're using for your mockup images?


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## bpape (Sep 14, 2006)

Looking good!

For opening night:

Fifth Element - great choice - or The Matrix

For the kids, try Finding Nemo

Enjoy!

Bryan


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## DocFJ (Apr 17, 2013)

*Acoustic Panels*

I had hoped to make acoustic panels out of rigid insulation such as Owens Corning 703 or Roxul AFB, but I couldn't find anything locally (in rural Nebraska, go figure), and shipping costs were pretty hefty. So I pulled the trigger on a total experiment and went with 3 1/2" cotton batt insulation I could get at the local hardware store. The advantages were cost, thickness, and ability to work without gloves, mask, longsleeves, etc., but it sure is some floppy stuff to work with. I am still not sure how the panels will hold up.

18"x48" Acoustic panels (16):
Insulation: Ultratouch denim - $60
Wood: 1x2 Furring strips - $22
Fabric: 12 yds (on sale) - $34
Staples, adhesive, etc. - $50

About $10/panel for 16 panels

So far they look good and seem to be working out.



Peter Loeser said:


> Curious what you're using for your mockup images?


I used SketchUp to model everything to do with the theater and to make the mockup images. A great free program that is certainly worth a try if you haven't tried it before.


Now on to the pictures!


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## Owen Bartley (Oct 18, 2006)

"The Micro Cinema" ...I like the sound of it. Great way to use a small space. We can't all have huge rooms to design around, so we just have to work with what's available. In your case I think you're doing a great job, and the kids are going to love it.


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## DocFJ (Apr 17, 2013)

*Finally, an update*

Summer break ended, and the remainder of my budget money came in, so I have been busy in good and bad ways. Beside being busy with work again (bad), I have a ton of preparation for premier night which I hope to happen THIS weekend!

First to catch up. After finishing the acoustic panels above, I made a screen from a hardwood frame with blackout cloth stretched and stapled to the screen. It was cheap (~$40), easy, and took only about 30 minutes. Best of all, it has a great picture (oh yeah, I got my projector), and looks professional. I plan on masking it with black felt tape as some point in the near future, but against the flat dark brown wall, it looks really good.

In preparation for the projector, I cut some drywall and framed the hole for a projector booth. I first purchased Viewsonic's entry-level 1080p projector ($650 on sale!), but I am apparently sensitive to the "rainbow effect" found in DLP projectors. I exchanged the DLP projector for a 3LCD projector. The blacks aren't as good and it is only 720p, but no rainbows makes it worth every compromise.

I got a Denon AVR-1712 to drive my 6.1 system. I have never had anything more than a HTIB receiver, and holy schmoley what a difference a quality receiver makes! Suddenly my speakers have a low end and the mids and highs are defined and full. Add-in my Dayton Audio Sub-800 and Micca in-ceiling speakers which showed up yesterday, and I now have the best surround sound I have ever heard. Makes my living room setup sound pretty sad in comparison.

I am just waiting for a different projector mount and the sofa, and it will be time for premier night. Overall the budget hasn't been as "Micro" as originally planned. I made a lot of decisions to go for solid quality and performance so I wouldn't feel the need to upgrade immediately. All told I am in the neighborhood of $3,000 spent on everything (lumber, drywall, paint, doors, furniture, flooring, speakers, projector, receiver, etc.).


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## tripplej (Oct 23, 2011)

Wow! You did a great job so far! Nice transformation! From going from a very small room to a nice home theater! I am sure it will sound great and the visuals will be very impressive! good job!


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## Mike0206 (Jul 14, 2013)

I really dig what you did! It's looking real good. Just goes to show you don't need never ending pockets to enjoy this hobby! It would be nice though..........haha!


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## hyghwayman (Jan 15, 2008)

Looking good and very inspiring, thanks for sharing :T

Sorry if I missed it but what subwoofer are you going to be using ?


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## Peter Loeser (Aug 11, 2012)

I agree with the others. Great looking room. The project is really coming along nicely!


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## Mike0206 (Jul 14, 2013)

hyghwayman said:


> Sorry if I missed it but what subwoofer are you going to be using ?


Dayton Audio Sub-800 is what he stated a few posts up.


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## DocFJ (Apr 17, 2013)

*Finished! (Mostly)*

Haven't posted in a while as I got everything up and running! I can't seem to tear myself away from the basement other than for work and occasional meals. Anyway here are some photos for the mostly finished room. I still need to bolt the theater seats to the floor as opposed to scrap wood. And I want to tweak the entrance. The lights look cool, but I will be brainstorming for a more theater-like decor.

Thanks for all the comments. I feel like this forum and the great people on it deserve much of the credit for how well everything turned out.


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## Peter Loeser (Aug 11, 2012)

*Re: Finished! (Mostly)*

Great build and nice use of the space!


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## DocFJ (Apr 17, 2013)

So I accidentally hit the new thread button instead of the new reply button and created a new thread with the pictures of my finished theater here. Check it out! And if admin were to magically deleted the thread and/or move it to this thread, that would be awesome.


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## Peter Loeser (Aug 11, 2012)

DocFJ said:


> So I accidentally hit the new thread button instead of the new reply button and created a new thread with the pictures of my finished theater here. Check it out! And if admin were to magically deleted the thread and/or move it to this thread, that would be awesome.


Done!


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## ALMFamily (Oct 19, 2011)

Great job Tom! :T

And, I know exactly how you feel. There are days I have to be pulled out of my room kicking and screaming...


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## bpape (Sep 14, 2006)

Nice after all the work to be able to sit and enjoy it. Congrats.

Bryan


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## Mike Edwards (Mar 10, 2011)

closer and closer!


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## Greenster (Mar 2, 2013)

Looks Great! I bet it sounds awesome.


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## microtheater (Sep 21, 2013)

Very nice! 
I'm currently building a micro theater so I look to you as inspiration.


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## orion (Sep 18, 2009)

Try to buy used speakers. You can get great deal if you keep a look out. I have sold some fantastic speakers for half of new cost. You can buy fantastic used speakers with that budget


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## mpednault (Dec 20, 2012)

Never thought I would say this, but I actually like how small it is! The bright colors used helps make the room "pop"! The small size of the room gives it the appearance that it's purpose built, which it is! Nice job with the resources and budget you had to work with! Can't wait to enjoy my dedicated room!


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## DocFJ (Apr 17, 2013)

Thanks everyone for the kind words! I have been so busy enjoying my theater, I have neglected to post some updates. I have a few new projects on the horizon: a marquee, manual masking, and a small concession counter; but I probably won't get started on any of that until winter vacation. Until then, it is all about tweaking settings and tinkering to get everything just right. So some notes on what I have been tinkering with:

First of all, the projector. Though I first tried DLP, I found I am very sensitive to the rainbow effect, so I went went the best 3LCD projector I could find in my ~$600 budget, and I got the Epson 707 Gold, and I love the thing. The colors are amazingly accurate and vivid, and while the resolution isn't 1080p, it still looks sharp (just don't sit right in front of the screen!). The one disappointment I have had is in the black levels. I never noticed just how many dark movies I watch: Blade Runner, Dark City, The Matrix, Fight Club, etc. are all some of my favorites and most watched. So I looked into ways to improve perceived contrast. While one can't make a budget projector look like a pro projector, there are some tricks. I now have an ND (Neutral Density) filter on my projector, which is basically like sunglasses on the projector. The image below shows the difference. _ Please note_: the image is not mine and not from my theater, but it accurately reflects the results I have been getting. I will post one of my own eventually. I am also looking to mask the screen horizontally to get rid of the letterbox bars at the top and bottom, and make the blacks "pop" a bit more.

I have also been adjusting the sound settings a lot. I had high hopes for the Audyssey Multeq, and I must say that I don't like the results of the auto room correction. The bass disappears and everything sounds tinny. Audyssey thinks my bookshelf speakers are floorstanding and doesn't adjust the crossover at all. Does Audyssey do anything other than adjust crossover and volume for each speaker? Any advice for making Audyssey work better?

I spent a lot of time learning everything I could about acoustic treatment, and then I put in the effort and money to do a good job treating the room. So my room sounds great without the correction, and when I put in a nice 7.1 DTS-HD Audio blu-ray, I am blown away! Oddly enough _Finding Nemo_ is one of the best test discs out there. 

I will keep tweaking and sharing what I like and don't like. I know I learned a lot from everyone else's experiences here, and now it is time to return the favor. Best of luck!


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## DocFJ (Apr 17, 2013)

I got a couple of new accessories for Christmas. My wife found a couple of old movie theater poster light boxes for $40. I had to completely redo the lights for one of them, but it turned out nicely. It was hard to get good pictures because of the bright border lights, but you get the idea. 

I also got a complete surprise from my dad, a popcorn machine! This thing is tiny, but awesome. Perfect for one bowl of movie theater popcorn and it fits the table I had in the theater anyway.


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## orion (Sep 18, 2009)

Very very nice. Where did she find the movie poster boxes? They look awesome and would look great in any theater. Great find. I have been meaning to find a popcorn maker for my room as well. Maybe next year


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