# [Down Under] Building a new home with theatre



## HatlessChimp (Dec 31, 2013)

Hi Lads,

Im down Under in Australia and im building a new house and I want to have a dedicated home theatre room. I have decided on a house plan that has a dedicated theatre room in it and measures in at 5.4m x 3.6m. 
I dont know if thats big enough. I think the 5.4m length will be ok, but 3.6m wide may be to small.

Im a true novice to all this and cant wait to here some advice from people that have been through all this themselves or just love to take interest in helping others with their 2 cents.

Things I'm thinking about doing so far-
Closing the en trace off with a heavy sliding door.
When framing has finished - run speaker wire, cat6, rg6 etc
Get sound proofing batts installed in walls
Get the plasterers to use green glue and thicker plasterboard than standard.
Carpet floor and maybe even a step up or the room sunken.
Brick all windows in the room.

I really would appreciate some help because I have one chance to get this right.

Thanks


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

Welcome the the forum..

The very first thing you need to consider with a new build is how many seats you plan to put in!
Will there be 1 row..2 rows? What type of seating..recliners, sofa's. or theatre chairs.? How many across the room?
Are there any restrictions on the size of the room that you're allocating for a dedicated theatre?
These are just a few things to plan for before any construction begins..
Then you need to calculate front row position in the room in relation to the size of the screen to use..
I hope this will give you something to work on..


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## HatlessChimp (Dec 31, 2013)

Prof. said:


> Welcome the the forum..
> 
> The very first thing you need to consider with a new build is how many seats you plan to put in!
> Will there be 1 row..2 rows? What type of seating..recliners, sofa's. or theatre chairs.? How many across the room?
> ...


Thanks *Prof.*

I think 2 rows of 2. (2 Recliners and one double Sofa behind.)
It will be me on my seldom 75% gaming or sport, 
Me and Wife or random other 18%, 
Me, Wife and other 5%, 
And 2% is the occasional random family and friends gathering.

2700mm (9 foot) high ceilings throughout house is all i can work with there. Room size varies plan to plan. I noticed that its not good to have a cube theatre room. Most house plans are within 4.1 to 5.1 in dimensions i.e 4.3m x 4.1m, 4.4m x 4.8m, 4.6m x 5.0m. All very squarish!!!
I would like a raised step/second level for second row too. But Depending on the size of the room and down the track flexibility I may not do it. 

Whats the general consensus with theatre rooms in a house. I notice a lot of house plans have them now but are people generally interested in them that are not that way inclined and hadn't thought about incorporating one in to there house before. So if I fully deck this theatre room out with wiring and sound proofing etc would a non home theatre buyer be put off? To me it would be a selling point! But hey I am a Gen Y LOL.


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## HatlessChimp (Dec 31, 2013)

I updated the Original Post with the plan my wife and I have decided on.


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## HatlessChimp (Dec 31, 2013)

Just done a quick Sketchup.

Thats my 65" Sony 4K tv wall mounted with a centre height of 46" (1.16m).
Viewing Distance is 9 foot (2.75m) That the max distance I can go back according to THX (6 - 9 Feet).

What sort of speakers should I use? I have the Cambridge Audio 5.1 Minx set (S325v2) already and the Cambridge Audio AZUR 351r AVR.

I would like to get the Bowers & Wilkins 804 Diamond floor standing speakers if I have some change left over when I move in. But not sure if its over kill for my room and god knows what I would need to get them to run at full potential. Also where should I stack all my gear in the room? IE PS4, AVR, Foxtel box, computer etc?


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## bpape (Sep 14, 2006)

The room size should be fine with the number of seats you're planning. The additional ceiling height is certainly a benefit. You should easily be able to add a riser for the 2nd row as long as you leave a walkway on the door side. Or you could sink the front section. 

I would be very careful about a sliding door. Most of them will rattle and buzz terribly when the sub gets going. A standard solid core wood door is likely your best option.

Bryan


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

HatlessChimp said:


> Whats the general consensus with theatre rooms in a house. I notice a lot of house plans have them now but are people generally interested in them that are not that way inclined and hadn't thought about incorporating one in to there house before. So if I fully deck this theatre room out with wiring and sound proofing etc would a non home theatre buyer be put off? To me it would be a selling point! But hey I am a Gen Y LOL.


Dedicated theatre rooms are becoming more popular here now and some of the top builders are including them in their designs..
If you do a good quality build with nice decor, it can create interest when selling..

Are you planning on putting in a projector and screen, or are you just using the TV?


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## HatlessChimp (Dec 31, 2013)

Im thinking because its not the widest of rooms I may buy a 84 inche 4k tv if they drop a little this year. Or a 4k pj if they drop too.


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

If you haven't decided on whether to have a TV or projector screen, I would leave making a riser at this stage..because your seating position maybe different between the TV and a large projection screen..

It will probably be quite sometime before 4K. projectors and TV's come down in price here, since they've only just recently been released..so I would be more inclined to decide now on whether it's going to be a TV room or a projection room..
you will also need a bigger audio system if you use a projection screen for it to be proportionate to the screen size..
From a reselling point of view, a projection theatre has that wow factor!..

My room is slightly narrower than yours but I have a 106" 2.39:1 AT scope screen with horn speakers and a horn sub across the front..The sound is appropriate to the image size!


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## HatlessChimp (Dec 31, 2013)

Wow im loving the in put guys! I really appreciate it!! I went to the display home today and got the total house cost priced for what we want in it. Ill post the pics when I get home.


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