Hi all,

I am moving into a new home sometime next year, and have been working on plans for a home theatre.

Firstly I would like to say the room is just a bit smaller than I would like, especially in length. I really want to have two rows of seats, but it gets a bit tight. But having only one row would be a pain if I ever have friends over.

The ceiling is quite high, and has wooden beams, but I am considering building a flat ceiling onto them for a couple reasons. Firstly the house is brick, so running cables will be a pain. Everything will have to be channelled into the brick and re plastered. Secondly a ceiling will allow greater choices of lights.

My current HT has an 100" 16x9 screen. I am wanting to go to a scope screen, but use motorised curtains for masking 16x9 material.

The second smaller door is a small wine room, which I will convert into my equipment room.

At this stage I would really like some input on the current design. Do you think the front row is too close for that size screen? I've done the calcs, and its a litle closer than recommended.

I would have liked to have a false front with speakers behind the screen, but then that will bring things way too close.

The back row of seats are close to the back wall too. This isn't ideal for back speakers either. Will it be an issue?

Haven't really worked out a colour scheme yet either. I'm no interior decorator! In fact I would rather pay someone to do this for me. Any suggestions on this?

Thanks for your advice.

Cheers
Jamie
http://i376.photobucket.com/albums/oo209/wilsonjpr/HT1.jpg

http://i376.photobucket.com/albums/oo209/wilsonjpr/HT12.jpg

http://i376.photobucket.com/albums/oo209/wilsonjpr/HT11.jpg

OK ok, the silence is deafening. What did I do wrong? Not use exclamation marks in my title? ;-)

centimeters vs inches? A lot of us are in the US, we can convert them ourselves, but. . .

Your questions don't really jump out - other than can I fit two rows (I'd need to convert the measurements to guess), and are your seats to close to the rear wall (yes, but most people make that compromise for the spare seats if they have no choice).

Your design looks pretty nice, I'll add.

I was taught that the metric system was a communist plot. How close is that front row again? Hmm 319 cm is .........10.5 ft.

So what is the screen width you are planning? I'm assuming you are keeping the same height?

My gut tells me you'll be OK but it will be big in front row. I'm assuming you will have a 1080P projector.

OK ok, the silence is deafening. What did I do wrong? Not use exclamation marks in my title? ;-)

Jamie, no one elected me moderator around here, but just a piece of friendly advice from one DTDC noob fighting for information to another; these guys who are the thread's "heavy hitters"...over the months, and years, they're probably subscribed to many, many threads. Following that progress must take an awful lot of time, and let's give them the benefit of the doubt and assume most of them have jobs and families as well (otherwise how would they pay for beautiful HTs, and have WAF to contend with).

The number of new builds popping up these days is enormous, and a lot of them, when they start off, are nothing but sketch-ups and/or a list of gear, and dreams of the builder's vision for their room. No offense to him, but one guy even wanted to know where to put the bed in his Bedroom HT.

My point is, and I'm only qualified to say so because I went through the same thing, you need not take it personally if these guys don't have a "that-a-boy" for your moch-up. One of the things I learned is these guys love pictures, so once you get started, make some progress, and document that progress by posting pics, people will take notice and it'll be easier to elicit feedback or opinions about your build or a problem you may be running into.

FWIW, I agree with DCP; it's a fine-looking design (oh, and that the cm thing didn't help :D Just my .02. Good luck,

CD

I was taught that the metric system was a communist plot. How close is that front row again? Hmm 319 cm is .........10.5 ft.

So what is the screen width you are planning? I'm assuming you are keeping the same height?

My gut tells me you'll be OK but it will be big in front row. I'm assuming you will have a 1080P projector.

And see, there ya go: you already have DCP and BMDC commenting on your room. Among the heaviest of "heavy hitters" :D

CD

Oh, for color schemes - Its really up to you. Darker is better, don't do white trim. There is this thread:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=834185&highlight=show

And, browse through the "Show me" sticky (especially screenwalls) to come up with ideas.

And see, there ya go: you already have DCP and BMDC commenting on your room. Among the heaviest of "heavy hitters" :D

CD

No fat jokes! ;)

OK, good point about measurements. Here are the same pics in imperial.

Thanks so far for the comments. I have gone right through many build and design threads on this forum. Some fantastic HTs, far beyond what I am trying to accomplish.

I know I don't really have any burning questions. I was more after general comments, any potential problems and suggestions to improve my design.

One thing I don't know what to do with is the walls. I feel they need something. I feel they are too boring left flat.

[/IMG]http://i376.photobucket.com/albums/oo209/wilsonjpr/HT1impa.jpg


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[IMG]http://i376.photobucket.com/albums/oo209/wilsonjpr/HT1impc.jpg

Looks good. I don't think your front row is too close. Are those recliners you are envisioning? It has been done, but two rows of recliners in 18 feet can be a little tight.

Is the door going to have enough clearance? Will it open in? I think you are basically on the right track.

Dave, thanks for the comments. Firstly, the door will swing out. It currently swings in, but as you noted there really won't be enough clearance. No real problem as there is plenty of room for it going the other way.

Yes they will be recliners. Although I did consider using more "theatre" like chairs with flip up seats. But I just don't think I would be anywhere near as comfortable.

You may have also noticed the lack of a subwoofer! I'm hoping it will work ok in the back right corner. Its pretty much the only place it will fit. I should try a room standing wave progs, but having a sloping ceiling causes issues. I might just have to suck it and see.

My main concern at this point was having the screen too large for the front row. I currently have a 100" screen, and the thought of getting another one just doesn't feel like and upgrade!

BTW I have a JVC RS1. So yes, 1080p.

You may have also noticed the lack of a subwoofer! I'm hoping it will work ok in the back right corner. Its pretty much the only place it will fit. I should try a room standing wave progs, but having a sloping ceiling causes issues. I might just have to suck it and see.

As I recall the sloping ceiling will probably be a help acoustically. As I recall, non parallel surfaces help eliminate standing waves. (I never could quite understand why all these people who are spending obscene amounts of money on their home theater keep using a rectangular box as the basic shape. :rolleyes:)

wilsonj,
Look's like a good layout! If your useage is typical, you will have several empty seats..most of the time...so my advice is try to optomize for the rear seats. The front seats will then be for overflow...10.5' assuming Hidef programing and you should be golden;)JB

Hi frank1940, yes I am hoping that the sloping ceiling will be beneficial. Just that most of the modeling software I have seen doesn't take into account a room with a sloping ceiling. Unless someone knows of one??

olinda cat, I hadn't considered optimising for the back row. I just thought the front centre would be the "money" seat. But I may find I like the back row more. At least I will be able to roll jaffas down the isle!!! :D

Hi frank1940, yes I am hoping that the sloping ceiling will be beneficial. Just that most of the modeling software I have seen doesn't take into account a room with a sloping ceiling. Unless someone knows of one??

There probably is but the cost would probably be prohibitive. I suspect the program would have to use finite element analysis to preform the calculations. (Remembering the problems--- from my college days about in the early 1960's--- with solving microwave propagation in waveguides. There once the waveguides were neither rectangle nor curricular, all solutions were approximations or SWAG's.) However the standard modeling programs will give the frequencies for the nodes for the sidewall-to-sidewall and the front-to-back. You just won't have the floor-to-ceiling ones.