Gonna be doing a Home theater projector room in basement....need some help

Polkie918

Hey, So we have a split level house with a 1/2 basement that measures I think it was 24 long by 16 wide....I wanna finish it off into a bedroom/ home theater room(wont actually have bed or anything likw that)

___________________________________
I...........................................................I door to closet
I window...............................................I
Iwindow................................................Idoor to 1/2 bathroom
I____________________=_______=_____I

How the room is gonna be setup( the = is also doors


so anyways my main questions is on How I should set it up....kinda hard to pick a spot for the scree cause of the doors and windows......

other then that I need to know what kind of screen and projector to get...I dotn have alot of money but I want 1080p for sure....and then everything in my sig below will be coming downstairs (except the tv of course)and then I will be doing a 7.1 setup so I will also need 2 more speakers???


any other additional info or idea's would be great thanks alot!!

if u need more info please ask id pics of the room setup will help ill take em for ya

seeclear

What kind of screen? I would consider a pull down (or an electric switched) screen in front of the windows. You'll want to block light from coming in while you are using the projector, anyway. If you plan on a fixed screen, then you're right, placement will be a big question mark.

You probably want to use the FXiA4's for the side surround speaks and pick up another pair for the rears. RTi6 or 4 would be timber matched to the rest, but that is probably not critical for rear surrounds, so whatever fits and is mountable back there could work.

I'm sure some others will chime in with more and better advice, but that is my limited recommendations.

Sherardp

Pics of the room would be a great help. Ideally you would want to set the screen on the widest wall to maximize screen size. Black window blinds with blackout curtains on top should easily get it pretty darn dark in there during the day.

As for 1080p projectors prices have gone down allot. Grim, Bizill and myself were just talking about this last night while gaming on 360. If your in the 1K price range I would recommend the BenQ W1000, Optoma HD20. Up that budget to 1500 and you get even more bang for buck with Epson or Panasonic PJs with those brands featuring the 6100 3000U respectively. Since new models are being released you are sure to find an excellent deal out there for under 2k

As for screen I would recommend Carada or Elite. Think of Carada as the SVS of PJ Screens, offering awesome customer service for a stellar product compare to more expensive type screens like Stewart. If you feel the Carada is too much coin then go for an Elite screen, an excellent value screen that performs well.

As for surrounds I would go for a pair of RTiA1s or 3s. Mount your current FXiA4s on as your side surrounds with a pair of direct firing bookshelfs in the rear, or you could simply add another pair of A4s. That is completely up to you.

Other recommendations dark screen and ceiling to maximize contrast and reduce light reflection back to the lens of your projector. Anything else just ask.

If your going to store your equipment in a hidden rack, I recommend SpeakerCraft for you IR Kit as I have installed one in the rear of my room and it performs flawlessly with the Harmony One.

I also recommend bluejeans cables for your wires to include, HDMI, Component, Speaker, etc. Your PJ mount I would recommend Projectorpeople and even for your PJ/screen purchase as well. When you install your PJ I would run a full stack, which means you run everything. I ran 2 HDMI cables, 1 comp, 1 Lan, and even 1 legacy Svid cable but you dont have to pull everything through. It has been proven that sometimes cables do go bad so save yourself the headache up front and run them anyway. You dont have to wire them all in, in my case I ran them in the ceiling and hid them behind my connector plate. Also suggest you run LAN with at least 8 port switch as this should cover your components with firmware updates etc, since it seems most brands are going that route. All I can think of for now.

How many rows seating are you thinking? Also see this thread for ideas

http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=89489

Polkie918

Thanks so far....so painting the ceiling black is a good idea? then just a darker color for the other walls? probably go with a pulldown or powered one if they are not alot more....I will take some pics tomorrow any other info is awesome thanks

Sherardp

Painting the screenwall is an excellent idea, if you have WAF then a dark color will suffice but if you can paint it black it will look great and also create the look of a floating image while also preventing reflection back to the PJ. Pulldown is ok but if the budget allows consider the electric type. I would recommend projectorpeople for your screen since Carada does not offer pulldown or electric types.

Sherardp

Deal of the day for you, pair it with an Elite Cinetension 2 Electric screen and enjoy the ride.

http://www.projectorpeople.com/projectors/projdtls.asp?itemid=24159&itmname=Panasonic+PT%2DAE3000U&sid=PREV

Grimster74

Polkie918 wrote: »

Thanks so far....so painting the ceiling black is a good idea? then just a darker color for the other walls? probably go with a pulldown or powered one if they are not alot more....I will take some pics tomorrow any other info is awesome thanks

All GREAT info there Sherard. As far as painting the ceiling, best damn thing I've done so far in my room.

Polkie918

I probably cant go above $1000 for a projector that may even be pusing it. will have to see how much it cost to finish the basement.

Sherardp

Polkie918 wrote: »

I probably cant go above $1000 for a projector that may even be pusing it. will have to see how much it cost to finish the basement.

With the Panny 3000U being closed out keep your eyes open for nice deals on used units on Ebay, you maybe able to pick one up there within close range of your budget. The 3000U should last you a while and perform well for you.

hockeyboy

Congratulations! Here is a link to a site that is useful when looking for a projector. I personally bought my PJ from a display model I found by using this site. I called the guy and offered about 300 less than he was asking.

http://www.projectorcentral.com/home-theater-multimedia-projectors.htm

I painted my walls dark maroon with the ceiling and screen wall flat black. The room looks great and you cannot even see your hand in front of your face with the lights out. I recommend a Carada screen. I got a Criterion Brilliant White for something like 600 shipped. You can email the guys at Carada and get thier best recommendation for your need- that's what I did and felt like I got a terrific deal. Try searching Carada in this forum and you will find many positive experiences.

http://carada.com/default.aspx

Sherardp

hockeyboy wrote: »

Congratulations! Here is a link to a site that is useful when looking for a projector. I personally bought my PJ from a display model I found by using this site. I called the guy and offered about 300 less than he was asking.

http://www.projectorcentral.com/home-theater-multimedia-projectors.htm

I painted my walls dark maroon with the ceiling and screen wall flat black. The room looks great and you cannot even see your hand in front of your face with the lights out. I recommend a Carada screen. I got a Criterion Brilliant White for something like 600 shipped. You can email the guys at Carada and get thier best recommendation for your need- that's what I did and felt like I got a terrific deal. Try searching Carada in this forum and you will find many positive experiences.

http://carada.com/default.aspx

Very informative post and a kicka$$ setup in your sig line.

Polkie918

here are some crappy pics of my basement.....the back 2 rooms are gonna be a closet and a 1/2 bath.....

Sherardp

Well the room has plenty potential. Start by emptying it out and going from there. Get a layout by planning the room on how/where you want things located. From there it will be easier to work with, make suggestions,etc.

Polkie918

yes hehehe need to be cleaed out....from the pics like someone said before im thinking the projection screen by the windows and then have the projector itself right arounf the bulge in the ceiling....then i was thinking of doing a small built in on the wall by the door for the receiver, ps3. xbox etc....cause the wall goes right through to a closet...

Sherardp

Polkie918 wrote: »

yes hehehe need to be cleaed out....from the pics like someone said before im thinking the projection screen by the windows and then have the projector itself right arounf the bulge in the ceiling....then i was thinking of doing a small built in on the wall by the door for the receiver, ps3. xbox etc....cause the wall goes right through to a closet...

That would work, is it possible to cover that window or just take it out and close in that area. You're going to need that room as dark as possible. So dark window shades/blinds, plus blackout curtains.

Polkie918

yea I plan on dark blackout blinds and then blackout curtains...

hockeyboy

Thanks for the comment Sherardp- I love my system and it keeps getting better. 918-If you are going to drywall that ceiling fill it with insulation as tight as you can first. That will help with sound proofing. I would paimt those walls black and acoustic panel them too. Get the cheap ones from ATS- they work great, are cheap and look good. I used the fireproof ones in black on my setup. You can do those a little at a time if budget is an issue.

http://www.atsacoustics.com/cat--ATS-Acoustic-Panels--100.html