# First Timer looking for suggestions



## CompguyRG (May 19, 2008)

Hello all! 
I recently purchased my first home in Richmond, VA and it will be just me and my wife in a large home. SO... I decided what better use of a converted garage (20'x12'x10') than to turn it into a home theater! 

I've been reading on here quite a bit, and I think I can handle most, if not all, of the work myself. There is one open doorway leading into the room, and one outdoor sealed door leading to the side walkway. Acoustically I plan to close the open door entrance, but some suggestions there would be helpful. There are also 2 windows on the far end of the room. I was wondering what creative solutions some of you may have to keep them open sometimes, then seal out light during a "showing." 

I think wiring should be fairly simple (as simple as it can be), the area above the garage is finished with a large crawlspace door that opens from that room. 

I am fairly skilled with electronics, but acoustics is not my forte. I was wondering what type of setup you all would employ. Feel free to be super creative, I'm open to anything! 

Thanks in advance for the help, and a big thanks for having all this info available, it has helped immensely so far!!

-Richard

PS - After reading through some of the other subscribers detailed postings, I will nab some pictures and specific room layout dimensions and have them posted shortly. Thanks!


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## bpape (Sep 14, 2006)

Welcome to the forum. Looking forward to the pics and sketches so we can better see what's happening.

Bryan


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## mdrake (Jan 31, 2008)

Sounds like a FUN project can't wait to see the pictures and drawing. 

Matt


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## salvasol (Oct 31, 2006)

Welcome to the forum :wave: :wave: :wave:



CompguyRG said:


> ... Acoustically I plan to close the open door entrance, but some suggestions there would be helpful. There are also 2 windows on the far end of the room. I was wondering what creative solutions some of you may have to keep them open sometimes, then seal out light during a "showing." ...


Door need to be solid core for better isolation and to cover the windows during movies and open when you need light look at this thread ... http://www.hometheatershack.com/forums/home-audio-acoustics/9610-blocking-out-window.html ...

You can see a picture of what I did in my room on post #4 :bigsmile: ... I build a sliding door/panel, so if I need my room to be dark I close it and open it if I need light :yes::yes::yes:


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## CompguyRG (May 19, 2008)

Wow, you guys are awesome. Thanks for the early suggestions. Looks like I'm gonna be a bit delayed on the pictures. Sadly, my schedule is filling up fast (wedding on the 31st, interviewing w/companies etc) so I'm not going to be able to make it to the house until we move in on June 18th. Until then I'll start throwing up potential sound system combos and projectors for the approval of this prestigious group :spend: I'm gonna borrow some help from Tom's DIY thread as well.http://www.hometheatershack.com/forums/home-theater-design-construction/8354-tanner-ridge-cinema-construction-thread.html(phenomenal detail and explanation btw, really appreciated and will help me immensely.) 

I'm looking to keep the project as a whole under 6k if possible. The room doesn't need much work, but I will be purchasing the entire sound system and projector. So I'm expecting to pry open the wallet a bit there. I'm thinking of buying a few high end pieces to begin with and some low end to fill space and then upgrade as cash allows. But I wanted to see what you all thought first. Medium level system or half high end, half lower end?

Also, with the possibility of some light creeping into the room, what type of screen and what color would fit best? I've read the forum on DIY screens and found it phenomenally helpful, not to mention cost effective. But I was a bit unclear on how to determine what color works best in what environment.

Lastly, before I go shopping, is 1080p worth the hefty price tag that seems to accompany it? I've found some amazing projectors for under $1300 at 720, but the jump to 1080 may be a good future investment.... any thoughts?

Thanks for the interest and help, you all are a huge help!:yay:

-Richard


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## bpape (Sep 14, 2006)

720 vs 1080 is somewhat dependent on your expectations, the sources you intend to use, your screen size, and your seating distance.

Personally, I love 1080. However, you can always start with a nice 720 (not all 720's are the same by any stretch) and then upgrade in a few years.

Bryan


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

CompguyRG said:


> I'm looking to keep the project as a whole under 6k if possible. The room doesn't need much work, but I will be purchasing the entire sound system and projector. So I'm expecting to pry open the wallet a bit there. I'm thinking of buying a few high end pieces to begin with and some low end to fill space and then upgrade as cash allows. But I wanted to see what you all thought first. Medium level system or half high end, half lower end?


I would advise you to initially spend big on your speakers and a 1080p. projector, if the budget allows..
The rest of the gear..Receiver, DVD player etc.. can just be mid range gear to start with, and then later you can update them..



> Also, with the possibility of some light creeping into the room, what type of screen and what color would fit best? I've read the forum on DIY screens and found it phenomenally helpful, not to mention cost effective. But I was a bit unclear on how to determine what color works best in what environment.


The Black Widow screen sounds like it would be ideal in your situation..


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## CompguyRG (May 19, 2008)

Ok, so I was looking into either a basic paradigm set: 3 Cinema LCR's and 2-4 ADP surround's and a sub (still looking into those)

or Aperion Intimus 533 VAC center, 2 533 PT's, and 2-4 523 LR Bookshelf speakers, and a sub.


For receivers, I found an Onkyo TX-SR805 for $800 and was thinking that may be a decent receiver to start with.

I'm still researching projectors a bit, but I'm leaning towards a newer 720p for budgeting reasons. I was looking at the Panasonic PT-AX200U as a possibility, but we'll see what else I can dig up.

I'll keep posting as the days roll on. Thanks again for the early stage help!

-Richard


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## YW84U (Apr 29, 2007)

Hi Richard - 

Welcome to the HT neurosis! Good luck with the 6K....:whistling: ....I tried that once, and it didn't work out so great :daydream:

Sounds like you have some great space to work with - I'll echo the request for sketches or photos so that we can see what's going in in the room!

Anyways, I thought I'd jump in with some quick thoughts on the Onkyo you mentioned earlier - I was also recently looking at their lineup, and had a chance to demo a 605, 705, and 805 side-by-side a few weeks back. I was impressed with the sound, but one thing about the 805 is that it really throws a lot of heat! I mean, fry-an-egg-on-it kinda heat!! The 605 was a tad cooler, but IMHO the 705 was far, far better in that regard - it was produced sometime after the release of the other two models, and the newer design/specs make it a lot better on power consumption and cooling. I would encourage you to see if you can find all three to demo first before pulling the trigger on one of them to see if this might be an issue for you.

Good luck on the build, and welcome to the forums!

Cheers,


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## bpape (Sep 14, 2006)

You might want to take a look at Ascend Acoustics for speakers also. Very nice performance for the money.

Bryan


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## CompguyRG (May 19, 2008)

Thanks for the speaker advice! In regards to the Ascend System, would you recommend them over a complete SVSound system? Perhaps a mix and match? They seem to be very similar price wise, so I think either is a great option for the money. Thanks again for the help, and when I get into the house I'll be sure to get those pic's and floor plans up asap. Thanks again!


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## bpape (Sep 14, 2006)

IMO, the Ascend mains/surrounds are far superior. As for the sub, depends on what you want. Both SVS and HSU are bargains for their performance levels for HT. If you're going to do music, I personally prefer the HSU. It's a little quicker and a little more musical.

Just my personal opinion.

Bryan


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## CompguyRG (May 19, 2008)

I'm finally in my house! YAY! Now after I get done with all this pesky moving and maintenance business I can get to working on this theater! Here is the room I'm going to be putting it in. It is an old finished off 1 car garage. The dimensions are 10ft ceilings, and 25ft long by 14 ft wide. I've taken care of the windows with blinds and blackout drapes, but I'm still looking for some creative solutions on the akward entrance, I'll get the exact measurements tomorrow, but safe to say its not your standard door size and the wife isn't too keen on installing a soundproof door that connects directly to the living room. The construction to be done is a DIY screen, riser, and perhaps stage. I'll also be putting in some creative lighting that hasn't been decided yet. (Though I'm leaning towards 2 sconces on each wall and a few movie posters with art-style over hang lights. Then some path lighting and a step light for the riser.) 

Just to keep an update on the sound, I'm leaning towards the SVS SCS-01 7.0 complete system (http://www.svsound.com/products-spks-scs01.cfm)
and the PB12-NSD sub. The debate is still out on whether or not I want to break the piggy bank and buy a 1080p projector or go for a really nice 720p. More on that to come.

Here are the room shots. The camera is getting full so until I go get a new memory stick this is what I got. Thanks again for all the help!



































I had a 4th pic on here, doesn't seem to be showing up... odd...


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## salvasol (Oct 31, 2006)

Nice ... this will be a :yay: experience for you ...

Just a couple of questions/suggestions: 
1) Are you placing the screen in the wall near the entrance??? ... if that's the case I'm sure that Bryan (bpape) will suggest agains that; the reason will be the accoustic problems you can have with the speaker placement; I think that is better on the wall with the big window (you can seal it completely in the inside to avoid the light and leave the window in place just for the outside look.

2) The riser will be fine near the entrance, this will help you avoid the steps down too :bigsmile:

3) You can use an exterior door between living room and HT ... but if you can convince your wife to get a soundproof door ... that will be better. I also saw a post somewhere where the poster used two doors in the same place; that created an air gap that according to him helped to isolate the room :huh:

4) Are you planning to paint the room??? ... at least the screen wall and ceiling has to be darker to avoid light relections :yes: ... there's a lot of nice neutral colors to choose from (I used is burgandy).


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

A rough plan of the room showing your proposed layout would be of some help in determining best equipment placement, acoustic treatments etc..


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## CompguyRG (May 19, 2008)

1&2) 
Yes. I had planned on placing it near the wall by the entrance. The reasons, however, are two-fold. The furniture I have in there will not fit in the room with the step there, unless of course I build the riser to meet the step height wise as you suggested. I just measured and moved it around a bit, and that looks like an excellent idea. Thanks for the suggestion!

3) 
The problem is the door frame itself is wider than a standard door. I suppose I could frame it in, but as long as I have a longer door, I was thinking about getting creative with it. I just have to make it aesthetically pleasing to the chief financial officer. 
4) 
Yes, I am planning on painting the room a midnight blue. I'm going to use sconces to enhance the room a bit and highlight some movie memorabilia and autographs on the wall. I'd also like to put in some stair lights and LED walkway lights. I haven't worked out all the details yet. I'm painting today, I'll post some pics when its done.


Prof, this is where I'm a total newb. Is there a certain program you all use to do this? Or is a paint drawing or hand drawing scanned good enough? 

Thanks!

Richard


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

A lot of people use Sketchup to do a three dimensional layout but all we need is something showing window and door locations..room dimensions and proposed positions of equipment, screen, seating etc..

I would just use Windows "Paint" if you have that, or otherwise just draw it by hand and scan it..


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## CompguyRG (May 19, 2008)

Here's a quick mess I put together in paint. If more detail is needed I'll sit down one weekend and play around with a more sophisticated program. If you have any specific questions fire away. I just finished repainting the room a midnight blue, I'll post those pics later.












I'm looking to put the screen over Window B. Up front I'm contemplating building a stage to surround the screen and hold the center left front, right front, and perhaps the sub. (Though the sub is in question depending on optimum sound) The right surround is looking to go between the door and window A and the left surround will be positioned between the entrance and the wall to match its counterpart. The rear surrounds will go behind the platform seating. I will post pics on the proposed position of the platform and seating later.


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

CompguyRG said:


> Here's a quick mess I put together in paint. If more detail is needed I'll sit down one weekend and play around with a more sophisticated program. If you have any specific questions fire away. I just finished repainting the room a midnight blue, I'll post those pics later.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


That's all we needed..:T

Wall B looks to be a good position for the screen, but you haven't mentioned what size screen you're looking at..
The size of the screen will determine your seating distance and in turn, your surround speaker positions..



> I'm contemplating building a stage to surround the screen and hold the center left front, right front, and perhaps the sub.


Do you mean that it will be a high stage, with you speakers mounted inside it, or are you talking about building a false screenwall and placing your speakers behind it?


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## CompguyRG (May 19, 2008)

Here is the newly painted room. Its a midnight blue. I don't have any lighting hooked up just yet, so there is a bright floor standing lamp providing light for the first 2 pics. 




















These next 2 are with the lights off, only flash.


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## salvasol (Oct 31, 2006)

I don't have any experience with screen and projectors ... but, What about using this calculator http://www.projectorcentral.com/projection-calculator-pro.cfm or http://myhometheater.homestead.com/viewingdistancecalculator.html

If I recall correctly Bryan (bpape) posted the 62% rule :huh: ... using that formula the first row of seats will be at 15'-16' :scratchhead:


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## CompguyRG (May 19, 2008)

Prof,

I'm planning on having 2 rows of seating, one against the wall shown in the new pics above on a platform. The first rowwill be roughly 3-4 feet in front of it. The viewers from the first row will be ~12 ft from the screen, and as a result 2nd row will be 15-16 ft. The first row is the priority. 

As far as the stage goes, I'm open to suggestions. You see the windows dimensions, and I'm not sure what would fit best. kjlewie posted a nice graphic of, what I consider to be, a reasonably close idea to what I'm looking for.









But like I said, I'm a first timer and will love any coaching or suggestion before I get going. Thanks again for helping!

-Richard


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## salvasol (Oct 31, 2006)

CompguyRG said:


> Here is the newly painted room. Its a midnight blue. I don't have any lighting hooked up just yet, so there is a bright floor standing lamp providing light for the first 2 pics.


Looking good ... Are you excited??? :bigsmile:

I'm sure you're overwhelmed by all the equipment list and decisions of What to get???... can I add another thing to the list??? ... Have you ever though about using some buttkickers??? ... they will add that extra effect to your movie experience :yes: ... here is the link http://www.thebuttkicker.com/home_theater/products/bk_lfe_kit.htm

I have one on each row, you need to try it to see what I mean ... :bigsmile:


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## CompguyRG (May 19, 2008)

Oh I planned on buttkickers lol, but I'm trying not to break the piggy bank. I was thinking of building the buttkickers into the platform for the 2nd row and putting 1 or 2 in the front row as well. At some point I found a thread where someone built them into a back row platform, so as soon as I can find that I'll toss the link up here. Its eluding me at the moment. 

As far as my equipment list is concerned heres what I'm going for so far:
SCS-01 center and fronts
SBS-01 surrounds (4)
PB12-NSD Sub

Onkyo TX-SR705 7.1 receiver

Panasonic PT-AX200U (unless I see a fairly significant price decrease on the PT-AE-2000U)

DIY Screen, I haven't put a ton of evaluation time as to what kind or color and whatnot, but thats going to be happening soon.

I have an Xbox 360 atm, but a PS3 for the bluray will likely be purchased as well.

After reading the EXTREMELY helpful speaker wire forum, I went out and got some generic 16 gauge speaker wire. (In summation theres only a small technical difference and almost never, if ever, an audible one between monster wire and radio shack generic)

I'm still tossing around what I want to finish this weekend, I think I'll start on the stage or lighting. I was leaning towards popping some Insteon programmable lighting in (http://www.smarthome.com/2493.html.) To be honest though, I'm not sure of any other options. I've heard mixed reviews about them, but they seem to be the biggest around. 

I might start the screen this weekend as well... we'll see....so much to do!!


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## CompguyRG (May 19, 2008)

Accidental double post


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## bpape (Sep 14, 2006)

62% is just a theoretical point where you're minimizing your interaction with the major room modes. It's not a hard and fact rule. You'll want to play with a few measurments to see how things react in your particular room.

The calculator on projector central is pretty accurate - though it doesn't make use of seating dimension IIRC.

Bryan


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

CompguyRG said:


> As far as the stage goes, I'm open to suggestions. You see the windows dimensions, and I'm not sure what would fit best. kjlewie posted a nice graphic of, what I consider to be, a reasonably close idea to what I'm looking for.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Richard,

Are those side projection cabinets going to be solid timber with cloth fronts?
If this is the case, then it's far from the ideal situation..

Speaker boxes should be in free air space as much as possible..Enclosing them in any sort of solid structure will present all sorts of problems..

Is there any particular reason for having those side cabinets protruding from the front of the screen, or is it just a design style that you liked?


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## CompguyRG (May 19, 2008)

I more liked the design for the aesthetics. I am custom making this. So by all means let me know what would be ideal acoustically and I can make it work aesthetically.

-Richard


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## CompguyRG (May 19, 2008)

Prof. said:


> Richard,
> 
> Are those side projection cabinets going to be solid timber with cloth fronts?
> If this is the case, then it's far from the ideal situation..
> ...


I was also oggling over our friend chinadog's stage. He's got a handy construction thread too.


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## CompguyRG (May 19, 2008)

I had a quick question on buttkickers. I'm planning on putting together the riser this week and I wanted to mount them in the riser. The buttkicker website says that the vibration is contained within the chair. Now, I have a 4 seat couch that comes in individual seats, will I need a buttkicker for each or will 2 in the riser be enough? I would like to put 2 in the back row and 2 in the front. If you look at the pictures I posted earlier you can see the back row seats for reference.


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

CompguyRG said:


> I more liked the design for the aesthetics. I am custom making this. So by all means let me know what would be ideal acoustically and I can make it work aesthetically.
> 
> -Richard


Screen wall design and aesthetics is a very personal thing and what appeals to someone, may not appeal to others..

If your intention is to just hide your speakers behind a screen wall..then the simplest of constructions can be quite effective..
This usually consists of a timber frame from floor to ceiling, with an opening for the screen to be mounted..and the whole framework covered in acoustically transparent cloth..

This is putting it very simply, and you will need to have a look at what some people have done..

Bud's theatre is a good example, but you'll need a couple of weeks to read through his thread..:bigsmile:
I think he has the all time record for the longest thread..

There are numerous construction threads available to peruse, and most people do this first before starting on their own build..

If you click on "My Photo's" in my identity, you can see the photo's of my screen wall under construction..

Once you've decided what your going to build, then we can help you with any queries or problems..


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## CompguyRG (May 19, 2008)

Ok, so to clear it up a bit I threw down on paint what I'm envisioning in my head. The wood will be covered with black felt, but for contrasts sake, I made it brown. The grey on the left is an AV equipment box. The overhang will have some sort of track lighting. I would like to put a black mesh over the speaker holders. The only debat I'm having is where to put the center channel. Perhaps I could add a small cabinet area under the screen. I'm up for any suggestions. 

But to answer your post Prof, I have scoured these forums quite a bit. I even read that massive post chinadog left. Below is a VERY basic sketch of what I'm looking to do. It doesn't seem too difficult, but if there is a simpler way, I would LOVE to hear it. Thanks again for taking to the time to help out!

-Richard


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## salvasol (Oct 31, 2006)

CompguyRG said:


> ... I'm planning on putting together the riser this week and I wanted to mount them in the riser. The buttkicker website says that the vibration is contained within the chair. Now, I have a 4 seat couch that comes in individual seats, will I need a buttkicker for each or will 2 in the riser be enough? I would like to put 2 in the back row and 2 in the front. If you look at the pictures I posted earlier you can see the back row seats for reference.


You can do it either way :yes:

You can use two buttkickers on each couch (even if they're individual seats I'm sure they're somehow connected to each other, Right??? ...I have three seats on each row (8'), and I'm using just one buttkicker for all; you can feel the effect but mostly in the middle where the buttkicker is installed.

If you install them inside the riser ... don't forget to use "ruber isolators to decouple the riser from the floor; but if I were you I just install them under the couch because it will easy to move the weight of the couch and people seated instead of couch+people+ riser :bigsmile: ... you still have to use the isolator when installing on the couch :yes:


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

CompguyRG said:


> Ok, so to clear it up a bit I threw down on paint what I'm envisioning in my head. The wood will be covered with black felt, but for contrasts sake, I made it brown. The grey on the left is an AV equipment box. The overhang will have some sort of track lighting. I would like to put a black mesh over the speaker holders. The only debat I'm having is where to put the center channel. Perhaps I could add a small cabinet area under the screen. I'm up for any suggestions.
> 
> But to answer your post Prof, I have scoured these forums quite a bit. I even read that massive post chinadog left. Below is a VERY basic sketch of what I'm looking to do. It doesn't seem too difficult, but if there is a simpler way, I would LOVE to hear it. Thanks again for taking to the time to help out!




So I take it that you're not actually making a false screen wall, but rather the screen will be mounted on the front wall and the timber surround cabinets will house your L & R speakers?...

Is the screen in the shadow box idea your priority for the design?..

If this is the case, then I would advise you not to have solid timber cabinets at the sides, but rather make up a framework in the same size and shape and cover the whole assembly with black cloth..
This will give you the same shadow box effect, but will leave your left & right speakers in free air..

Your only possible location for the centre speaker would be underneath and in front of the screen on the stage..possibly on a stand..


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## CompguyRG (May 19, 2008)

To begin with, I think I'll build the platform with the lip and then attach the stand for the screen later. I got final approval from the better half to press the order button on the sound system and get it on its way, so now I need to start working on positioning for the speakers. I'll do my best to explain the seating position to you all mathematically and given what little visuals I have. 

The room is 14x25x9'6" (odd height I know) The riser I am building will go from the back of the room (opposite the large window) to the end of the stair. (Roughly 11'6"x6'6"x9") I can post my designs for it later, but its a fairly simply build. (2x8's with 1/2 ply) taking 6'6" off the room makes it roughly 18' from screen to back of the front row. The viewer will sit between 17' and 18' from the screen itself. This can be adjusted, but with the rooms length it will be difficult to change. (unless you theater wizards have a good idea) :T Given these dimensions I'm looking at putting in a 110" screen (larger is possible, I've got the whole wall, but I don't want to lose too much clarity) With a 7.1 coming in, I'm going to wall mount the rear surrounds, though the jury is still out on where. I may wall mount the the left and right surrounds, but stands are also a possibility depending on the best positioning. (And how much I feel like going into established drywall to run the wires :rolleyesno: ) For now the fronts and center will exist on stands until a more complete design of the stage is done. It is looking like the sub will be positioned to the right of the screen in the corner, though it is available to be moved anywhere in the room to improve sound, with the exception of the seating areas of course. Let me know what you all think! 

Thanks a ton and I'll keep you posted!

-Richard


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## salvasol (Oct 31, 2006)

CompguyRG said:


> ... The riser I am building will go from the back of the room (opposite the large window) to the end of the stair. (Roughly 11'6"x6'6"x9") I can post my designs for it later, but its a fairly simply build. (2x8's with 1/2 ply) ...


How did you determined the height of the riser??? ... will this size 8" - 8.5" will be enough???

Just in case ... here is a calculator to double check http://www.theater-calc.com/


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## CompguyRG (May 19, 2008)

Salv, thanks for reminding me. It all depends on the height of the screen. As long is it's above 36" from the floor I should be golden. (Riser height min was 7 3/8) By the time I slap 2 pieces of 1/2" ply and some carpet on that bad boy it should be (8 + 1/2 + 1/2 = 9 + carpet) a little over 9". But if you all think more is needed let me know. I'm all ears... or eyes as it were.


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## bpape (Sep 14, 2006)

36" from the floor implies a smaller screen or a very tall room. Seated eye height in the front row should be approx 1/3 up the screen.

Bryan


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## CompguyRG (May 19, 2008)

With this newfound knowledge I ran a few numbers:

9'6" ceiling = 114"
110" screen = 96"x54"
114-54 = 60" to play with

So 1/3 of 54" is 18". 46-18 = 28" from the floor. 

According to that riser height calculator:
Floor to bottom of screen 28"
Height of seated front row viewers top of head 50"
Height of rear row viewers eyes 46"
Screen to front row viewers eyes 17'
Screen to back row viewers eyes 21'
Minimum riser height 9 1/8"

Hows that lookin to you all?


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## salvasol (Oct 31, 2006)

CompguyRG said:


> ... Minimum riser height 9 1/8" ... Hows that lookin to you all?


Looks good ... remember prepare for the unexpected (riser was calculated for 46" height of viewers eyes; what if a shorter person seats there??? ... 2" means another 2" height on riser :bigsmile


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## bpape (Sep 14, 2006)

Generally, an average person in an average chair has seated ear level at approx 40-42". Eyes and ears are usually about the same. 48-50" for top of head is probably a good number to use. Obviously, if you're 6'9" or 4'5", things will change...

Bryan


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## CompguyRG (May 19, 2008)

Well, things are under way! I ordered my SVS SCS-01 7.1 surround system and a PB-12plus yesterday!!:yay: Today my Onkyo TX-SR805 arrived and I got the pleasure of opening my first piece of new equipment :jump: I ran all my speaker wire this week and will be ready to put things in as they arrive. I'm getting the lumber to put together my riser and stage this friday. I'm going to finish the riser first with some 2x10's, which the home depot sales person told me were actually 9 1/2", so that should put me at about a 10 inch riser or so. I'm going to build the stage platform and lip first and decide what to do about the top later, I figure I can get this out of the way and get rollin on the other stuff too. 

I'm going to pick up supplies for the screen I think as well. Based on what you fine folks have seen of the room, what colors would you recommend? The black widow seems quite impressive, but I saw prof used another blend. Any thoughts would be helpful.

Also, though I have run wires, I haven't finalized the speaker positioning as of yet. The room is 20.5 ft long, not 25 as stated when they sold us the house. Which changes things a bit. The riser will come about 7ft off the back wall leaving 13 ft the front row will sit about 11 feet from the screen. Here is the proposed speaker position. I'm a bit unsure on the height but the fronts are on stands and the back 4 will be mounted.


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

CompguyRG said:


> I'm going to pick up supplies for the screen I think as well. Based on what you fine folks have seen of the room, what colors would you recommend? The black widow seems quite impressive, but I saw prof used another blend. Any thoughts would be helpful.


Richard...If your theatre is going to be totally light controlled, then the Silver Pearl would be a good choice...providing that you are confident using a roller..
Have a read through the Silver Pearl thread, and see what you think..



> Also, though I have run wires, I haven't finalized the speaker positioning as of yet. The room is 20.5 ft long, not 25 as stated when they sold us the house. Which changes things a bit. The riser will come about 7ft off the back wall leaving 13 ft the front row will sit about 11 feet from the screen. Here is the proposed speaker position. I'm a bit unsure on the height but the fronts are on stands and the back 4 will be mounted.


11' to the front row might be a bit too close for a 110" screen..
In the drawing your showing the L&R speakers within the screen width..with the speakers below the screen presumably.. 
You stated that the bottom of the screen will be 28" above the floor..This doesn't leave much room for stands, unless you have very small speakers..


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## salvasol (Oct 31, 2006)

CompguyRG said:


> Well, things are under way! I ordered my SVS SCS-01 7.1 surround system and a PB-12plus yesterday!!:yay: Today my Onkyo TX-SR805 arrived and I got the pleasure of opening my first piece of new equipment :jump: ...


:clap: :T How do you feel??? :whistling: :yay: I'm sure :bigsmile:



> ... I'm going to finish the riser first with some 2x10's, which the home depot sales person told me were actually 9 1/2", so that should put me at about a 10 inch riser or so. I'm going to build the stage platform and lip first and decide what to do about the top later, I figure I can get this out of the way and get rollin on the other stuff too....


Did you purchase the lumber??? ... I forgot to mention this before, if you want to save some money, to get two 2"x4" instead of one 2"8" ... is cheaper (in this case maybe one 2"x4" and one 2"x6" ... :hide: 



> ... Also, though I have run wires, I haven't finalized the speaker positioning as of yet. ...


If you run the wires and haven't finalized the position ... you better leave enough wire to move it to the final position instead of cutting and later on add an extra piece (I prefer to don't have a splitted wire)

As far as your tentative position, I suggest to move the LSR and RSR between the two rows, or at least a little behind the front row :yes:




Prof. said:


> ... This doesn't leave much room for stands, unless you have very small speakers..


He ordered SVS SCS-01 7.1 surround system and a PB-12plus ... :T


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

I'm afraid I don't know that system..How big are the speakers?


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## CompguyRG (May 19, 2008)

Prof, heres a link. http://www.svsound.com/products-spks-scs01.cfm

I'll check out silver pearl and get back to you. I'm pretty confident. The screen is adjustable, but of course we all love to have a bigger picture :bigsmile: Is there a handy calculator for that somewhere?


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## CompguyRG (May 19, 2008)

Salv, I am all smiles. I think they're backed up a bit and will resume shipping on the 25th, so with luck I'll have the system by the end of the month. I'm hoping to get that riser constructed by this weekend and the stage started if not done. They're fairly simple projects, just boxes essentially. I do need to get some insulation to pack them with though. Do you all recommend standard home insulation? I thought about sand for the stage and home insulation for the riser. 

As far as the size goes, I'm going to ere on the side of bigger. So I think I'm wanting something closer to 10" tall. According to the Home Depot guy, 2x10's are more of a rounded number and they are actually about 1 7/8x 9 3/8 anyway. (I plan on measuring myself before buying anyway) 

Check out this cool toy I found. Helps with seating optimization based on screen size. http://www.htmart.com/pages.php?pageid=16


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## salvasol (Oct 31, 2006)

CompguyRG said:


> ... I do need to get some insulation to pack them with though. Do you all recommend standard home insulation? I thought about sand for the stage and home insulation for the riser...


That's correct ... you can use insulation form Lowes or Home Depot (here is a link of a thread about riser construction http://www.hometheatershack.com/forums/home-theater-design-construction/11528-need-riser-advice.html)



> .... According to the Home Depot guy, 2x10's are more of a rounded number and they are actually about 1 7/8x 9 3/8 anyway. (I plan on measuring myself before buying anyway) ...


He's almost correct ... a 2"x4" comes to around 1.5"x3.5" if you get a 2"x10" you'll get 1.5"x9.5" :yes:


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## CompguyRG (May 19, 2008)

I noticed Bryan mentioned something in the forum Salv posted about leaving the back of the riser open

_I think the suggestion was to make a long opening the full width of the riser and then just carpet over it. It'll be behind seating so no big deal. The more surface area the better.

The bass will go right through the carpet._

Is this something I should look into? I had planned on just a solid box essentially.


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## salvasol (Oct 31, 2006)

CompguyRG said:


> I noticed Bryan mentioned ... about leaving the back of the riser open


Yes, I think it helps with the bass absorption :yes:



> ... Is this something I should look into? I had planned on just a solid box essentially.



Don't forget to plan for the buttkickers ... if you'll be installing them inside the riser you can make a small cut with a door to have access in the future, you need to install an outlet and the necessary wiring; don't forget the isolators to decouple riser from floor.

If they'll be under the couch/chairs ... that will be no problem, but if you still want to use rubber under riser to decouple from floor is fine too ... :bigsmile:


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## bpape (Sep 14, 2006)

That was a situation where there wasn't a lot of other space for deep bass control in the room. My larger point was that IF you were going to leave the underside exposed or try to use it as an absorber at all, to make the holes relatively large to prevent it from potentially acting as an unknown tuning Helmholz absorber which is very narrow in range.

Bryan


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

CompguyRG said:


> Prof, heres a link. http://www.svsound.com/products-spks-scs01.cfm
> 
> I'll check out silver pearl and get back to you. I'm pretty confident. The screen is adjustable, but of course we all love to have a bigger picture :bigsmile: Is there a handy calculator for that somewhere?


Thanks for the link..Obviously the're not going to fit under the screen with the stands alone being 31" high..

Here's a link to a screen and seating distance calculator that might help you..
http://myhometheater.homestead.com/viewingdistancecalculator.html


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## CompguyRG (May 19, 2008)

Ok, so here's the riser and stage pics. I've finished the riser totally, though I'm considering adding a nice finished bull nose on. The higher part of the stage is also complete and tomorrow I'll be tackling the step up. 
I was at home depot and when I saw the cost of the r-16 ($20 for 6"1/4 thick x 48" long x 15" wide) I decided to get a little innovative. Wal-Mart was right down the road, so I went and got a buttload of 2 for $5 pillows and stuffed them in both the riser and stage. I figured it wasn't a bad jimmy rig. Don't thrash me too badly for not using the 'spensive stuff. :surrender:

I'm REALLY inexperienced with carpeting these bad boys, so if anyone has some advice or a link that would be phenomenal. Until then, I'll be googling trying to figure it out. Thanks for the help so far, its been really encouraging.

The stage pic just has some leftover wood laying in front, its not part of it, btw.


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## thxgoon (Feb 23, 2007)

CompguyRG said:


> I was at home depot and when I saw the cost of the r-16 ($20 for 6"1/4 thick x 48" long x 15" wide) I decided to get a little innovative. Wal-Mart was right down the road, so I went and got a buttload of 2 for $5 pillows and stuffed them in both the riser and stage. I


Nice! I see your supervisor in the second pic there...


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## salvasol (Oct 31, 2006)

:clap: :T utstanding:

It seems that somebody is having fun ... :bigsmile:


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## CompguyRG (May 19, 2008)

thxgoon said:


> Nice! I see your supervisor in the second pic there...


Yea lol, it was a game... I'd toss the toy and see how many nails/screws I could get in before she got back lol. 

I just installed and wood filled a bullnose to the riser and upper part of the stage. Tomorrow I'll be prestaining and staining them "old maple" color. Pics will follow.

After examining the carpet laying, I decided that was a job better left to someone who has a clue. (and tools for the job) Now I just need to go find some carpet that matches the stuff I have in there now. 1 color on the riser and 1 on the carpet seems like it may clash a bit. 

Does anyone know where I can get the black material used to cover a stage, and for that matter what it is? I'd prefer a home depot or lowes over ordering, its just easier. 

and yes Salv, I'm having a blast:yay::jump: SVS is supposed to resume shipping this week, so I'm hoping to get a notice that they're on the way. 

Thanks again for the help,

-Richard


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## salvasol (Oct 31, 2006)

CompguyRG said:


> ... Does anyone know where I can get the black material used to cover a stage, and for that matter what it is? I'd prefer a home depot or lowes over ordering, its just easier...


You can go to Lowes or Home Depot, they have an outdoor carpet that is not to thick (is what I used to cover my riser, I used burgandy) it has rubber in the back not like regular carpet.

The other option is to get some car carpet ... I'm sure you can find it at Pep Boys??? ... or any place that sells auto parts (big chain preferable) :yes:

You can see it here


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## CompguyRG (May 19, 2008)

So salv, it looks like you may have laid that yourself. Did you just put down some foam and staple that right to the riser/stage? If its that easy I think I can do it myself, I just want to make sure I do it right is all.


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## salvasol (Oct 31, 2006)

CompguyRG said:


> So salv, it looks like you may have laid that yourself. Did you just put down some foam and staple that right to the riser/stage? If its that easy I think I can do it myself, I just want to make sure I do it right is all.


It's fairly easy to install :yes:

I didn't use any foam/pad ... I'm trying to recall exactly what I used (I did it like 1.5 years ago); I'm almost 100% sure I used this tape (http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=129584-71363-33139) around all perimeter and in the middle of the riser.

Because the riser is wall to wall, I just inserted the carpet between wall and riser and I used staples but just around the bullnose to hold it in place. (As you can see in the picture I didn't really care about that finishing because is inside and behing my second row of seats, I have one of the subs there :bigsmile

You can also use this adhesive http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=41222-61-FP00346069073 ... but the tape will work fine too :yes:


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## CompguyRG (May 19, 2008)

So I've gotten a lot finished since the last post. Screen is done, 44in tall by 104in wide (1:2.37) The riser is done and carpeted, I added and stained a bullnose. (Though I haven't sanded off all the woodfiller yet) Along with the screen I made a frame for around it and finished it off with a little drape at the bottom. 

SVS has had a little delay with the speakers, so I'm going to hold back on the new projector a while, maybe with luck the ae2000u will drop a bit in price. :daydream:

Until then I just need to throw the back row in and put some decorations up. If I can fit it in the current budget I may see if I can squeeze the buttkickers in sooner rather than later as well. 

Thanks to everyone on the forum for posting, it has been a driving force in my getting this moving!!

Heres some updated pics:


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

Looking good!!..:T

So what type of screen did you finish up making?


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## bpape (Sep 14, 2006)

Nicely done! I like the carpet and trim contrast. Makes it 'pop' and look very classy.

Bryan


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## salvasol (Oct 31, 2006)

Nice job!!! :T


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## CompguyRG (May 19, 2008)

Ok, now that I'm coming off of a slight budgetary holdup, its time to finish this bad boy up!! I am planning on building something to house the equipment, and while I'm at it, I figured I'd make something to fit around the screen and provide some lighting. Currently I'm using floor lamps as the primary light source. I'd like to put soffits up with recessed lighting all around the room, meeting at the screen with 2 columns(maybe cabinets, still working on the details). I really like Prof's new look in his home theater, so I think it will be something to that effect. 

I really appreciate all the help everyone on here has given, I seriously LEARNED everything I've done so far just by reading these forums, most of them including posts that people who have responded to me made. You guys are awesome.


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## salvasol (Oct 31, 2006)

CompguyRG said:


> I am planning on building something to house the equipment, and while I'm at it, I figured I'd make something to fit around the screen and provide some lighting. Currently I'm using floor lamps as the primary light source. I'd like to put soffits up with recessed lighting all around the room, meeting at the screen with 2 columns(maybe cabinets, still working on the details).


Are you planning to leave the equipment in the front??? ...if I were you, I try to place them on the back of the room, then build a false wall around the screen, then add the soffit and columns to hide speakers and lights :yes:

I don't know if you're handy as carpenter, but here is a couple of pictures of columns that I think it won't be to hard to build raying:


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## CompguyRG (May 19, 2008)

Hey Salv,

I did some research on your suggestion, and I agree, I'd love to build my own columns and soffits. I'm pretty decent building things, but have very little experience doing so, so I like to have detailed instruction before I undertake anything. As far as the false wall goes, I'm not sure if I'd rather have that or a Proscenium. I found a website that has some pretty nice home done woodwork, Steve McConnell Theater, and he shows his being built. Either way theirs not really a lot of room for the equipment in the back of the room, so I'd like to have something up front that will house the equipment. I though about putting it under the screen in some sort of sideboard cabinet type thing. Currently I have a 10" tall stage at the front, with 9'6" ceilings.

Do you all know of any DIY column, false wall, or Proscenium building threads? I think I'd like to give it a go. Prof has generously been helping me with my soffit questions as well, so once I get a good idea of how it all fits together I'll get started, just want to get a wholistic picture before any works gets underway.


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## salvasol (Oct 31, 2006)

CompguyRG said:


> Do you all know of any DIY column, false wall, or Proscenium building threads?


Here is some of my favorites

http://www.hometheatershack.com/for...-tanner-ridge-cinema-construction-thread.html

http://www.hometheatershack.com/for...-x-23-media-room-converting-into-theater.html

http://www.hometheatershack.com/for...construction/15841-profs-theatre-remodel.html

http://www.hometheatershack.com/for...9-slaughter-house-cinemas-project-thread.html

http://www.hometheatershack.com/for...construction/8587-blaser-ht-build-thread.html


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## CompguyRG (May 19, 2008)

Below is my not-to-scale paint drawing of the proscenium with underlying construction.

I noticed on Salv's first link to Tanner Ridge Cinema (which was the first post I ever read on these forums, phenomenal!) that he stuffed insulation in the empty cavities around his proscenium. Conversely, I have seen a few others leave theres empty. Tom's rationale was to use the area as a bass trap, but I've heard open air is best to have around the speaker. Should I leave the air around the speaker open and then insulate everywhere else? Pack the whole thing? Leave it open?


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

If that's a shadow box screen set up with solid timber at the sides of the L&R speakers, then I would suggest filling in around the sides with insulation..


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## bpape (Sep 14, 2006)

Absolutely. And also, you really want the entire thing to just be a skeleton with cloth coverings. As little hard, flat surface as you can provide is the best solution.

Bryan


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