Here is the deal. We moved from the crowded suburbs of Washington, DC to the suburbs of Salt Lake City Utah a little more than a year ago. We bought a new home that is approx 3600 sq ft (2 story + basement). The basement is approximately 1400sq ft and was unfinished when we purchased the home (spec). There were some interior walls and insulation on some on the exterior walls and in the ceiling. After moving in late 06, we decided to start the basement in early 07. Here are the before pics of the area that will become the media/play/office room.

Photo of the back wall where the projector will eventually go:

http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh91/ack_bak/of50332442.jpg

Photo of the whole room which was to be finished by yours truly (approx 640sq ft):

http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh91/ack_bak/of50590442.jpg

Photo of the side of the room where you first enter into the finished portion:

http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh91/ack_bak/of50590442-1.jpg

Background on me. I am a computer guy (security) by trade and had some experience with framing and finish work since my Dad builds custom homes for a living. That said, let's just say that I did not seem to get the "building jeans" that were passed on from multiple generations on my father's side :)

My brother-in-law played a major role in helping me finish half the basement into a media room/play area for the kids/office area. We started on the project in late Jan 2007. We built everything to code (unfortunately I have no pictures of the work in progress, I really wish I would have taken pics)....

There was some trickiness to the build sine we had to frame around a load bearing header, and a ton of duct work, as well as build a room for the HVAC/water heater. That said, things went pretty smoothly. I subcontracted out the drywall and had a "connection" for the electrical. The electrician (relative to my brother-in-law) is a Master Electrician and did an awesome job. He did the whole thing in one day for very low money.

I did all of the framing (we framed all new exterior walls against the concrete area), all of the insulation (double in most areas and all acoustical), some of the electrical, all of the trim work, and all of the painting.

Here are some of the finished pics.

Picture of the finished area before I purchased the PJ (had a 56" Samsung DLP):

http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh91/ack_bak/IMG_0068.jpg

Picture of the main seating area:

http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh91/ack_bak/IMG_0217.jpg

I purchased my 720P native Samsung DLP almost 3 years ago (my have the priced dropped). Around January 08, I started reading up on front projection. When I saw the Mitsubishi 4900 (1080p) PJ drop to under $1400 after rebate, I jumped! I picked up a cheap 100" Accuscreens manual pull down for now (want to get something electric and nicer down the road).

Here are some pics of the PJ (installed/ shelf mounted):

http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh91/ack_bak/IMG_0206.jpg

I used some cable channeling to hide the HDMI cable and the power cable. I hope to paint it in the next few days to match the walls (blend in).

As you can see, I also installed some RBH in-ceiling loudspeakers for surrounds. They sound AMAZING! I really like RBH (I picked up the the MC-815's). Also own some small RBH bookshelf speakers for the upstairs LCD HDTV.

Here is a shot of the area where I hung the 100" (diagonal) manual pull down Accuscreen (it is matte white with a 1.1 gain):

http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh91/ack_bak/IMG_0072.jpg

Here is the PJ screen before install:

http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh91/ack_bak/IMG_0085.jpg

Here is the screen post install (I have since removed the string that hangs down from the handle):

http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh91/ack_bak/IMG_0117.jpg

I decided to build my own media console using birch 3/4" plywood, and poplar (for the trim). It needed to house my HD-A2 (HD-DVD) player, my PS3 (90% Blu-Ray movies, 10% gaming), my Wii (mostly for parties and when kids come over), my DISH VIP 622 HD DVR (love this thing), the Polk center speaker, and my receiver (Onkyo 605).

Here are some pics (during and after):

http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh91/ack_bak/IMG_0087.jpg

http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh91/ack_bak/IMG_0076.jpg

http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh91/ack_bak/IMG_0075.jpg

After:

http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh91/ack_bak/IMG_0116.jpg

http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh91/ack_bak/IMG_0220.jpg

http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh91/ack_bak/IMG_0210.jpg

That console took 4 coats of Minwax stain/poly blend! I think it turned out nice..

One of the challenges I had was running the HDMI cable from the rear shelf of the PJ area to the front area where my HDMI receiver was. I really debated what to do. I knew that there was going to have to be a ton of wholes cut in the drywall (ceiling) especially around the HVAC soffits to get the cabling run properly. One of the biggest mistakes that I now realize I made was not running conduit for future cabling/wiring plans :(

Instead of tearing major holes all over my drywall I discovered several posts here at AVS where folks ran Atlona flat HDMI cables under their carpet. I really debated and decided to give the flat Atlona HDMI cable a shot. Here is what they look like:

http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh91/ack_bak/IMG_0077.jpg

http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh91/ack_bak/IMG_0079.jpg

Here are the after shots. Here is the one running to the PJ:

http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh91/ack_bak/IMG_0112.jpg

Here is the other end coming up from the carpet (to be plugged into my HDMI receiver):

http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh91/ack_bak/IMG_0082.jpg

Very happy with the outcome. I ran the cable underneath the carpet and pad using a fish tape. Was pretty easy. There is a very slight "bump" underneath the carpet where the cable is, but you almost have to know it is there to even feel it. It definitely is not visible.

Some other odds and ends.

I moved my subwoofer to the the rear of the room behind the sofa. It sounds much better there (used the old crawl around the floor method to find the best spot). The sub is an Elemental Designs A2-300 and is a tremendous subwoofer. I have been known to shake the whole house with it (at least that is what my wife tells me) :)

Here is a pic of the sub in it's new home. I ran a thin RCA cable between the carpet and pad and out the other end into a an RCA wall plate. Nice clean look, with no cables. Gotta love fish tape :) :

http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh91/ack_bak/IMG_0209.jpg

I also installed a Lutron 3-way IR dimmer (Maestro). I can control the recessed lights now from my Harmony remote from the couch :) Works like a champ and both dimmers were installed in about 45 minutes (and I take my sweet time):

http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh91/ack_bak/IMG_0213.jpg

I will post some shots of the rest of the room as well as some shots of some Blu-Ray movies playing on the screen. I am very happy with my Mitsubishi 4900 projector. Blu-Ray and HD DVD movies look amazing, and the sound is stellar.

I am also going to build some built-in DVD shelves where the subwoofer used to be located.

Here is a quick rundown of my equipment:

Video: Mitsubishi HC4900 PJ (1080p), Toshiba HD-A2 (HD DVD), Sony PS3 (Blu-Ray)

Audio: Polk Rti 8 fronts, Polk Csi25 center, RBH MC-815 in-ceiling loudspeakers (surrounds), Elemental Designs A2-300 subwoofer

Screen: Accuscreens 100" manual pull down screen. Matte white with 1.1 gain.

Accessories: Harmony 659 remote, Lutron Maestro IR dimmers

Gaming: PS3 and a Wii

Looks great. I like the media cabinet.

Looks great. I like the media cabinet.

Thanks cathead. I was going to go out and buy something, but decided to try my hand at making something. I am pretty happy with the results. I plan on starting some built-in DVD storage shelves this week. I am going to use birch plywood and poplar again :)

i love the idea that a person can put together a great ht like yours and not have to spend a ton of $.
im impressed! im sure u and your family will get to spend countless hours together enjoying this ht.

A few lessons that I learned that may help others. When I was framing around the duct work, by brother-in-law suggested using plywood across the bottom of the duct work versus 2x4's. This allowed for additional headroom.

I did not make this mistake, but I have seen other's do it and that is to make sure and use pressure treated wood for the base plates in a basement.

As I mentioned earlier, the biggest mistake I made was not running some flexible conduit in the ceiling and down a few walls and plan for the future. Huge mistake and the stuff is not expensive at places like Lowes/Home Depot. I may eventually add another receptacle for the projector as well as run an HDMI and ethernet cable (at the least) through the ceiling.

My room did not allow, but I am hoping that a future house will allow me to make a dedicated home theater. That said, I am still thinking about adding some acoustical treatments down the road.

i love the idea that a person can put together a great ht like yours and not have to spend a ton of $.
im impressed! im sure u and your family will get to spend countless hours together enjoying this ht.

Thanks westgate. I got a couple of quotes from contractors who were working on the house and they wanted $19-22K+ to finish the space I finished (640 or so sq ft) :eek: I was shocked. I figure that I spent around $7K to do the space myself and that was with higher end carpeting and pad compared to what they put down in the rest of the house. That cost was also factoring in hiring out all the drywall hanging, mudding, taping, and texturing of the ceiling. I plan on finishing the rest of the basement (3 bedrooms and a full bath) sometime in the next 24 months myself and will hang the drywall myself next time and just hire out the mudding and taping.

We are really enjoying the space. My 2 year old son calls the 100" screen "Daddy's really really big TV" :)

That's a nice cabinet. I was going to ask where you bought it, but saw that you made it yourself. Excellent craftsmanship.

I might have given the Wii a little more breathing room, both for ventilation and possibly plugging in some Wavebird receivers to the GameCube ports, but that's just my opinion. :)

That's a nice cabinet. I was going to ask where you bought it, but saw that you made it yourself. Excellent craftsmanship.

I might have given the Wii a little more breathing room, both for ventilation and possibly plugging in some Wavebird receivers to the GameCube ports, but that's just my opinion. :)

Thanks for the compliments, and good points on the Wii. If you notice to the left and right of the center speaker there are bigger slots there for future growth. I may move the Wii to one of the bigger slots if there is a need. This area is in a basement in Utah which stays cool all year long (there is AC for summer).

As for the Wii, we rarely play it unless there are kids over. My children are still too young for gaming and I find myself gravitating to the PS3 more and more :) That said, the Wii is a blast when you have parties.

I love the thought of using a Harmony to turn off your lights... ingenious. And that's a pretty beautiful cabinet shelf thing, I don't think you can claim not to have your father's craftsmanship genes anymore.;)

I love the thought of using a Harmony to turn off your lights... ingenious. And that's a pretty beautiful cabinet shelf thing, I don't think you can claim not to have your father's craftsmanship genes anymore.;)

Thanks :) My father was the one who recommended that I use birch plywood and poplar, so I have to give him some of the credit.

On a side note, I am getting a very slight hum from my subwoofer after I ran the small RCA cable underneath the carpet. I tested it before I ran it underneath the carpet and there was no hum.. Ugh. You can only really hear it if you stick your ear about 1ft away from the sub, but I know it is there all the same. I am going to test the wallplate to see if that is the issue. If not, it looks like I may be running cables through the walls. It will give me a good excuse to pull the flat HDMI cable up and run it through the wall as well vs under the carpet.


I should also be starting my built-in DVD shelving unit soon. There never seems to be enough time when you have a 2 year old and a 3 month old :)

I don't think I could manage kids, I see relatives with them and it seems like so much work... that and everything has to be childproof in your house, you cant have crap that they'd kill themselves on or break and make you want to kill them...

And uh, this may be a stupid point, but why do all that work of running cables through walls if you can only hear the sound a foot away from the sub?

What Harmony do you have, btw?

I don't think I could manage kids, I see relatives with them and it seems like so much work... that and everything has to be childproof in your house, you cant have crap that they'd kill themselves on or break and make you want to kill them...

And uh, this may be a stupid point, but why do all that work of running cables through walls if you can only hear the sound a foot away from the sub?

What Harmony do you have, btw?

I have the Harmony 659 series remote. I would like to update to a larger, color remote done the road, but the 659 works great. No complaints.


As for the hum from the subwoofer the problem I see is that the sub an auto/on-off circuit powers the sub on or off when it detects a signal. With the hum, I am afraid that the sub may stay powered on, and it is a pain to manually turn it on and off.

I will most likely purchase the necessary cables in the next month or so, and make the runs and add a wall plate into the wall.

Kids are a ton of work. But they say and do things that will make your day. My son has been really good with my AV gear. He cannot get to the majority of it, but he does not even try to turn my gear on and off like other kids do. And he loves tools and home projects. He is not even 3 yet, but asks me to take him to Lowes all the time (he likes to look at and hold the tools and sit on tractors).

I was 33 when we had our first kid :) You have to be ready. Your life definitely changes.

I will post some shots of the rest of the room as well as some shots of some Blu-Ray movies playing on the screen. I am very happy with my Mitsubishi 4900 projector. Blu-Ray and HD DVD movies look amazing, and the sound is stellar.

I am also going to build some built-in DVD shelves where the subwoofer used to be located.

Here is a quick rundown of my equipment:

Video: Mitsubishi HC4900 PJ (1080p), Toshiba HD-A2 (HD DVD), Sony PS3 (Blu-Ray)

Audio: Polk Rti 8 fronts, Polk Csi25 center, RBH MC-815 in-ceiling loudspeakers (surrounds), Elemental Designs A2-300 subwoofer

Screen: Accuscreens 100" manual pull down screen. Matte white with 1.1 gain.

Accessories: Harmony 659 remote, Lutron Maestro IR dimmers

Gaming: PS3 and a Wii

You must be having loads of fun with your set up... waiting for those pics :)
Love to see images from your A2 (I got one too, but it's paired with a hd1000) and your PS3. Thanks

You must be having loads of fun with your set up... waiting for those pics :)
Love to see images from your A2 (I got one too, but it's paired with a hd1000) and your PS3. Thanks

Will do on the pics. I have been having trouble capturing screenshots with the lights out. But, I am working on it :)

Kind of an unrelated question, but I can't help but keep thinking about these Lutron dimmers. Only thing is, can you turn them off without a remote? Looking at the pictures of them it's unclear as to whether there's any manual switch-ing involved or solely IR... cause they'd make a damn fine addition to my room, provided I could turn them on and off without finding the Harmony (I'm terrible with remotes...) :D

Kind of an unrelated question, but I can't help but keep thinking about these Lutron dimmers. Only thing is, can you turn them off without a remote? Looking at the pictures of them it's unclear as to whether there's any manual switch-ing involved or solely IR... cause they'd make a damn fine addition to my room, provided I could turn them on and off without finding the Harmony (I'm terrible with remotes...) :D


Yes, there is a manual switch as well as well as several desired settings that you can program. Very happy with the dimmer. Especially for the price I paid :)

I have decided to re-route all my cables the right way. I am going to buy some conduit and tap into the unfinished portion of the basement. I have a ton of other projects going on right now (yard) but hope to get to it this summer. I will post pics as I go.

We are really enjoying the space though.