Ronnie's Home Theater Construction Begins [Text View] - Page 5

ronnie_jackson

06-15-07, 04:47 PM

Grafik EYE 3806 update: I pretty much followed most of the advice in the Grafik Eye Master Thread for my install. Its a must read for those of us installing one of these. I decided to use a very deep 4-gang box. I think it was like 2.5" or 3" deep. I wanted to be able to tuck all the wiring to the back of the box so the GE would not have any trouble mounting. Since my back wall needed to be furred out 2" to accommodate the 2" of acoustic treatment, using a deep gang box was not an issue and its partly recessed into the sheetrock behind.

I have my zones set up as follows:

Zone 1................... Blue rope lights in soffit tray
Zone 2................... Overhead stage lights
Zone 3................... Stage step lights
Zone 4................... Star Ceiling (later project, but wired and ready)
Zone 5................... Riser and riser step lighting.
Zone 6................... 3" perimeter can lights in soffit tray

I used a 3/4" piece of mdf for something solid to mount the 4 gang box inside and mounted that to a couple of 2x2 strips that i cut down to 1.25x2. That put the box out 2" from the wall to accommodate the 2" of Linacoustic that would go on the wall. I kept the existing light switch (the blue box on the right) that is wired to the rooms 4 existing 6" can lights. I didn't want these on the grafik eye as they will only be used for cleaning. I simply used an outlet extender for this existing switch.

http://www.ronniejackson.com/theater/forum/ge/IMG_1594.jpg.....http://www.ronniejackson.com/theater/forum/ge/IMG_1590.jpg

Here is what it looks like installed before the fabric is put up. The blue cat5 cable you see at the bottom is coming off the PELV connector and is going to be ran through the sheetrock to the other side of the wall. I plan on installing something like the 2 button entrance control (NTGRX-2B-SL) on the outside of the theater to run the lights upon entry so I don't have to find my way to the GE 3806 in the dark. The pelv wire is coming straight off the bottom of the GE and is routed away from all the other wiring.

http://www.ronniejackson.com/theater/forum/ge/IMG_1602.jpg

Here is how it looks after the fabric panels and trim have been installed.
NOTE: I still need to paint the white plastic of the GE black so that it matches everything else.

http://www.ronniejackson.com/theater/forum/ge/IMG_1813.jpg.....http://www.ronniejackson.com/theater/forum/ge/IMG_1807.jpg

I am really impressed with the GE and cant wait to get all the IR automation going with the HTPC so going from previews to feature presentations will all be automated.

Ronnie

ronnie_jackson

06-15-07, 06:15 PM

Screen and Frame update:

I used 1"x4" pine for the screen frame. The corners were biscuit joined and metal corner brackets were added to each corner for strength. Once assembled, I added a raised lip around the outside edge using some screen door molding. This helps to keep the screen fabric away from the frame. The screen door molding worked well, but in hindsight I probably would have went with something an inch wider to make attaching the velvet screen border a little easier.

http://www.ronniejackson.com/theater/forum/screen/IMG_1604.jpg......http://www.ronniejackson.com/theater/forum/screen/IMG_1606.jpg
http://www.ronniejackson.com/theater/forum/screen/IMG_1614.jpg........http://www.ronniejackson.com/theater/forum/screen/IMG_1616.jpg

Mounting the screen was achieved by using a french cleat. I cut a 45 degree angle on the mounts and the back of the screen frame using a circular saw.

http://www.ronniejackson.com/theater/forum/screen/IMG_1613.jpg.....http://www.ronniejackson.com/theater/forum/screen/IMG_1619.jpg

Here are a couple of shots of the mounts and a test fit. I like the french cleat method. It makes removal or side to side adjustment very easy. Its also rock solid.

NOTE: The blue 5.5" cotton that you see in the center behind the screen wall has since been covered with black material to avoid reflections. You may also notice that I slightly modified my screen wall to accommodate the center channel to be behind the AT SMX screen instead of above it or below it as previously planned before going with the AT screen. I built a few speaker grilles to cover the top and bottom holes that I will show you later.

http://www.ronniejackson.com/theater/forum/screen/IMG_1621.jpg.....http://www.ronniejackson.com/theater/forum/screen/IMG_1623.jpg

Ronnie

ronnie_jackson

06-15-07, 06:44 PM

I used SMX screen material for my AT screen. I accidentally deleted most of the pictures of the actual screen material install :eek: :eek:
The picture below is all I have left and it shows the angle of tilt I used to help prevent miore just in case it was an issue. I used the standard procedure that you would use for stretching canvas. HERE (http://www.ucsart.com/index.php?p=How_To/How_To_Stretch_a_Canvas&gclid=CKz9sd-V34wCFR9mgQod-BXVyw) is a link to the procedure I followed. It seems tricky at first and you think you have wrinkles, but as you work your way around in the star type pattern, it all stretches out very evenly. I suggest you invest in a $20 pair of canvas stretchers. These helped tremendously.

http://www.ronniejackson.com/theater/forum/screen/2a38_1[1].jpg .....http://www.ronniejackson.com/theater/forum/screen/IMG_1627.jpg

Ronnie

ronnie_jackson

06-15-07, 07:34 PM

:rolleyes: I purchased some Black Velvet from JoAnns Fabric for my screen border. The framing for the border was 3" wide base molding that I picked up at Home Depot. The molding was cut to lenght and a 45 degree angle was cut on each corner. I left about a 1/16" gap on the corners so I could tuck the fabric into them for a clean look.

http://www.ronniejackson.com/theater/forum/screen/IMG_1700.jpg

To create the velvet border, I layed out the material on the front side of the screen and stapled it to the top. Next I placed the 3" moulding on top of the velvet and secured it with nails.

http://www.ronniejackson.com/theater/forum/screen/IMG_1698.jpg.....http://www.ronniejackson.com/theater/forum/screen/IMG_1703.jpg

The velvet was then folded over the 3" moulding, the excess was cut off, and it was stretched and stapled to the backside of the screen frame.

http://www.ronniejackson.com/theater/forum/screen/IMG_1705.jpg.....http://www.ronniejackson.com/theater/forum/screen/IMG_1708.jpg
http://www.ronniejackson.com/theater/forum/screen/IMG_1709.jpg.....http://www.ronniejackson.com/theater/forum/screen/IMG_1714.jpg

The corners were trimmed, pulled tight, and tucked under the moulding using a small flat head screwdriver.

http://www.ronniejackson.com/theater/forum/screen/IMG_1728.jpg.....http://www.ronniejackson.com/theater/forum/screen/IMG_1710.jpg

ronnie_jackson

06-15-07, 08:15 PM

I repeated this process on the opposite long side of the screen and did the ends last. I used the small screwdriver again for the corners. I am totally pleased with the way it turned out and it really looks like the entire thing was purchased. A few people saw it and couldnt believe I made it.

http://www.ronniejackson.com/theater/forum/screen/IMG_1726.jpg
http://www.ronniejackson.com/theater/forum/screen/IMG_1720.jpg.......http://www.ronniejackson.com/theater/forum/screen/IMG_1723.jpg

120" Diagonal 2:35 SMX screen

http://www.ronniejackson.com/theater/forum/screen/IMG_1738.jpg

swithey

06-16-07, 12:50 AM

Sweet Ronnie. Nice job on the frame. I need to make another trip over there to see/hear it in action. I'll wait until you get your new Manafold installed so we can rock the house :D

BritInVA

06-16-07, 02:53 PM

Can't wait for another trip back to DFW :D

Looks Great.

Mark

ronnie_jackson

06-16-07, 05:21 PM

Thanks Steve and Mark. You guys are welcome anytime. I have actually finished making the manifold except for mounting it in the ceiling. Im working on mounting it this weekend hopefully. Pics are coming soon on this as well as the few other things I have finished. I sure hope it cures the vibration issues I had.

You know, I have never seen so much sawdust in my life as when I routed out those speaker holes the other day!!! :eek: :eek: I think my garage (and me) were covered in 6" of sawdust.

Ronnie

ronnie_jackson

06-25-07, 09:56 AM

I cant remember is I posted up a pic of all my speakers and was to lazy to go back and look :rolleyes: , so I figured I would throw up another one just in case.

Rear Surrounds = Axiom QS8's
Side Surrounds = Ascend 170 SE's
L/R/ Mains = Ascend 340 SE's with matching stands
Center = Ascend 340 SE Center

http://www.ronniejackson.com/theater/forum/speakers/IMG_1584.jpg

The L/R mains are located behind the proscenium columns on each side of the stage. Center channel is located behind the SMX screen. Side surrounds are in the rear side columns and the rear surrounds are mounted exposed on the back wall (no columns)

Ronnie

ronnie_jackson

06-25-07, 10:38 AM

I spent some time over the last few weeks re-doing my 18" dual IB subwoofer installation. The manifold design I originally installed had way to much mechanical vibration on the ceiling. I really liked the look of the manifold and it was a great wow factor, but it really detracted from the sound once they got moving. I was also beginning to worry about the ceiling and sheetrock as I found a lot of nail pops when I began taking it down.

For the second attempt, I went with the standard manifold design. The manifold is 25.5"X22.5"X24" (LxWxH). The outer shell is made out of 3/4" MDF and the inner shell is made out of 3/4" plywood. The outer shell was biscuit joined, brad nailed, and clamped until dry. The inner and outer pieces are laminated together using liquid nails, screws, and brad nails. Once assembled, all seams were sealed with caulking.

http://www.ronniejackson.com/theater/forum/speakers/IMG_1819.jpg.....http://www.ronniejackson.com/theater/forum/speakers/IMG_1823.jpg
http://www.ronniejackson.com/theater/forum/speakers/IMG_1828.jpg.....http://www.ronniejackson.com/theater/forum/speakers/IMG_1832.jpg

Ronnie

swithey

06-25-07, 10:43 AM

Ronnie,

I am very curious how this will sound in the room once installed! Hope you can get it installed this week so you can do some testing :)

ronnie_jackson

06-25-07, 11:19 AM

Instead of purchasing a jasper jig for routing out the speaker cutouts, I made my own out of a scrap piece of 1/4" plywood. It took a few test runs to get the correct positions marked out on the jig, but it saved me $50 :p If you look close you can see the various test holes in the jig. The ones I chose for the final cut are marked with an X.

http://www.ronniejackson.com/theater/forum/speakers/IMG_1927.jpg Homemade jig............. 2 test pieceshttp://www.ronniejackson.com/theater/forum/speakers/IMG_1926.jpg

Once I had the jig figured out, I marked the center of my manifold and routed out the outside portion of the speaker cutout. This was done at a depth of 1/4". This recessed portion will help hold the speaker in place for mounting. Two passes were made using different positions on the jig.

http://www.ronniejackson.com/theater/forum/speakers/IMG_1936.jpg

Next I adjusted the jig and cut out the center portion of the box for the actual speaker opening. It took about 5-6 passes to cut all the way through. I wedged a 2x4 under the center to hold the material so the router and jig wouldn't fall through when making the final cut.

http://www.ronniejackson.com/theater/forum/speakers/IMG_1937.jpg.....router bit coming through..http://www.ronniejackson.com/theater/forum/speakers/IMG_1939.jpg
Finished cut.http://www.ronniejackson.com/theater/forum/speakers/IMG_1943.jpg

Ronnie

ronnie_jackson

06-25-07, 11:26 AM

Next it was time for a test fit hoping it came out right ...... Perfect fit!
http://www.ronniejackson.com/theater/forum/speakers/IMG_1947.jpg

I cut the other side out using the same procedure. Wow, routing makes a ton of dust. I think I had 4" of sawdust on my floor and me!! If there is ever a next time, I am doing this outside. Actually I would have done it outside this time, but it was midnight and I didnt think the neighbors would appreciate me routing wood for an hour.

http://www.ronniejackson.com/theater/forum/speakers/IMG_1948.jpg

ronnie_jackson

06-25-07, 11:30 AM

Ronnie,

I am very curious how this will sound in the room once installed! Hope you can get it installed this week so you can do some testing :)

Its already installed and an opinion is coming after I finish updating the IB build. Your too quick for me Steve...LOL

:D :D :D is what I did when I powered it up.

Ronnie

ronnie_jackson

06-25-07, 12:21 PM

I wanted the inside of the box to kinda pop and show off these 18" monsters if anyone ever wanted to see them. So I primered and painted the inside of the box a really bright blue. Normally there will be a black speaker grill covering the opening into the room and they will be completely stealth.

http://www.ronniejackson.com/theater/forum/speakers/IMG_1962.jpg......http://www.ronniejackson.com/theater/forum/speakers/IMG_1969.jpg

To attach the speakers, I used a combination of things. 8 screws will go through the spider baskets to secure them in addition to 4 pipe clamps/tnuts. The pipe clamps probably were not needed, but oh well. The final installation pics from the attic side show the mounting screws and clamps better.

http://www.ronniejackson.com/theater/forum/speakers/IMG_1964.jpg...T nuts, clamps, washers...http://www.ronniejackson.com/theater/forum/speakers/IMG_1958.jpg

The box is 22.5" wide and fits perfectly between the ceiling joists. My plan was to slide the box into the ceiling, then attach 2x4 braces to each side and allow it to sit on top of the joists. I cut the 2x4's and pre-drilled the holes for the mounting bolts.

http://www.ronniejackson.com/theater/forum/speakers/IMG_1971.jpg

Here is the new hole for the manifold. The old round hole will need to be patched.

http://www.ronniejackson.com/theater/forum/speakers/IMG_1966.jpg

Since I didnt have 4 guys to help hold the manifold in the ceiling while I went up and secured the 2x4 cleats, I rented a drywall lift. Best $35 ever spent. I dont have pictures, but I placed some plywood onto the lift, put the box on top, and simply raised it into place. My brother-in-law helped me to line it up as it went into the hole, but I could have easily done it by myself with this lift. Once in place, i went into the attic and attached the 2x4 cleats. Easy as pie. I also ran some 3" screws through the manifold and into the ceiling joist below the cleats to secure it from moving.

Final pics from room side and attic side.

http://www.ronniejackson.com/theater/forum/speakers/IMG_1975.jpg.........http://www.ronniejackson.com/theater/forum/speakers/IMG_1978.jpg
http://www.ronniejackson.com/theater/forum/speakers/IMG_1982.jpg..........http://www.ronniejackson.com/theater/forum/speakers/IMG_1983.jpg

The only thing left now is to trim it out and make it look nice. I plan on doing that once I get to the star ceiling.

Ronnie

ronnie_jackson

06-25-07, 03:49 PM

You guys are probably wondering how it sounds? I know Steve is :D

I think my mission was accomplished. It sounds solid now without any of the previous vibrations I had with the array design. You can still cause some vibrations if you want, but that seems to be purely from the sound pressure and nothing mechanical. I went through the LFE demo disk I have and its 100 times better than the old array style. I am impressed. The crash scene from "Flight of the Phoenix" is downright scary!! Next on the demo list is the computer scene from "Pulse". That should be interesting.

It actually sounds a lot louder and cleaner than the manifold. I am sure the cleaner sound is because everything is no longer vibrating, but I did not expect it to sound louder though and actually thought I would be loosing something by going with the manifold vs the array. I had to back the amp down about 1/3 of what it was before. My EP2500 is at the 12 o'clock position now after the changes. I also notice that the MCACC auto eq on my Pioneer 82TXS set the sub at -3db even after lowering the amp. It sure seems like they have more power now. Maybe somebody knows why. :confused: I have the sub crossed over at the 80hz mark. Is that what everyone else sets theirs at?

I still need to hook up the BFD and EQ everything out to get the best performance, but I am happy for now.

Oh ya, I have also been listening to some CD's and IPOD audio for the last few days. The IB sub combined with the Ascend 340 SE's are simply amazing. The IPOD connection for my Pioneer is also pretty cool. You can control the entire IPOD from the remote and have pretty much the same functions as if you were touching the IPOD itself. Evertyhing shows up on the AVR display. Pretty cool stuff.

Ronnie

ronnie_jackson

06-25-07, 04:21 PM

Since Im on an update roll, I might as well show you the tray lighting I finished this weekend also. I picked up some 3" 110v halogen can lights from Home Depot. They had a sale on a 6-pack of these for $32. They only had brushed nickel, but I figured I could paint them black for that price. I had to buy 2 singles since I needed 8 of them, but it was still less than $60 for all of them. Wohooooo!!!

http://www.ronniejackson.com/theater/forum/lighting/IMG_1985.jpg ..................http://www.ronniejackson.com/theater/forum/lighting/IMG_1989.jpg

Here is a shot of a single can installed and also with the trim painted black.

http://www.ronniejackson.com/theater/forum/lighting/IMG_1997.jpg ..................http://www.ronniejackson.com/theater/forum/lighting/IMG_2029.jpg

A Panoramic view of the can lighting. This also gives you a view of the back wall I finally completed a few weeks ago.

http://www.ronniejackson.com/theater/forum/panos/pano2.jpg

ronnie_jackson

06-25-07, 04:28 PM

I am also in a Panoramic mood, so here are a few others. The 1st picture is the most accurate color of what the room looks like to the eye. I will be hanging some black sheets over the light blue 5.5 cotton you see between the screen wall and front proscenium columns. I also need to drag in the 2nd row of seating.

http://www.ronniejackson.com/theater/forum/panos/pano.jpg
.
.
http://www.ronniejackson.com/theater/forum/panos/pano1.jpg

Ronnie

Minhas

06-25-07, 04:34 PM

Ronnie,

AMAZING work. Its nice to see some updates over the past couple of weeks after your long hiatus :)
Cant wait to see how you do on your star ceiling, im sure it will be amazing.

Sunny

strange_brew

06-25-07, 05:36 PM

Looking great. I really like the column design. Any tricks to the panorama shots?

swithey

06-25-07, 07:10 PM

ronnie_jackson

06-25-07, 07:41 PM

Ronnie,

AMAZING work. Its nice to see some updates over the past couple of weeks after your long hiatus :)
Cant wait to see how you do on your star ceiling, im sure it will be amazing.

Sunny

Thanks Minhas, it feels good to be back on the bandwagon again. Sorry to keep you guys waiting so long.

Ronnie

ronnie_jackson

06-25-07, 07:47 PM

Looking great. I really like the column design. Any tricks to the panorama shots?

Thanks StrangeBrew. Not much to the panorama's if you use AutoStitch (http://www.cs.ubc.ca/~mbrown/autostitch/autostitch.html). Just mount your camera on a tripod, swivel it around and take the shots making sure to leave some overlap. Load em up in autostitch and 10 seconds later you have a nice panorama.

Ronnie

ronnie_jackson

06-25-07, 07:55 PM

Ronnie,

Room looks great! Now onto the star ceiling my friend :D Ahh.. HT work is NEVER done!

And great news on the new IB setup. I plan to get my other (2) 15s added soon so I can compare (4) 15's against your (2) 18's. Now that should be FUN :eek:

Thanks Steve. Somehow I think 4-15's are going to outperform my 2 18's. Your just insane my friend!! :eek: But dont forget, I have room for 2 more right next to these! :D :D

I really would like for you to come over and give me your honest opinion on my IB since your ears have probably been tuned very well over the last month or so on yours. I think it would be easy to spot the differences if we played the same demo materials.

I watched chapter 15 from "Pulse" earlier and was afraid to get the AVR past -12. It feels like your chest is going to explode. I wonder how much difference its going to make in sound pressure once I get the theater doors installed????

Ronnie

chinadog

06-25-07, 10:57 PM

Ronnie, glad to see your back in a grove. I thought you'd like those 340s.... :D

Bud

ronnie_jackson

06-26-07, 12:06 PM

Ronnie, glad to see your back in a grove. I thought you'd like those 340s.... :D

Bud

Thanks Bud. They are excellent speakers. I wouldnt hesitate to buy another set at all.

BTW, your theater, and basement turned out very nice. Its great to be able to finaly enjoy all that work huh?

Ronnie

rsberg34

06-27-07, 11:14 AM

Excellent work as usual Ronnie....looks great!

SVonhof

06-27-07, 01:27 PM

I guess I will have to check out the latest updates from home as my work server seems to be blocking all your images again Ronnie. Maybe your server is choking on the bandwidth you are taking up and that is the issue? Who knows, but I will check this thread again from home to confirm!

EDIT:
After making this post, I went back and was able to see all the images. Glad to hear things are working out for you now. So, patch up that ceiling, trim the sucker out and get your stars up and running!

BTW, you saw the LED light source on Steve's thread, right?

ronnie_jackson

06-27-07, 03:00 PM

Scott, sorry about the glitch with the pictures. My service was down to my server for a few hours today. As you mentioned, its fine now and you should have no trouble.

Yes, I saw the LED box and that will most likely be the way I will go depending on how satisfied Steve is. Im letting him be the guinea pig on this one :D

Ronnie

swithey

06-27-07, 07:54 PM

Yes, I saw the LED box and that will most likely be the way I will go depending on how satisfied Steve is. Im letting him be the guinea pig on this one :D

Ronnie
Happy to be one :p Hopefully I can get that installed in the next week or so to let you know.

iGirl

07-01-07, 11:31 AM

I have a room that is nearly identical in appearance that we are converting (on a much smaller scale, LOL). Your stage, curtains and side screens are perfect looking ideas - though we won't go to the lengths of building the soffit, and the stage will be much smaller. Our side walls will be simple 9' velour curtains on long tracks which will allow the to open/close to convert/blackout the room as needed...when not is use they can stack away up by the stage. We'll probably do just one riser, but try to keep it very simple, and hopefully lightweight!

Anyway, hope you don't mind if we "borrow" some things from the look of your design! :)

ronnie_jackson

07-01-07, 07:29 PM

iGirl, feel free to borrow anything you need.

You have a nice space to work with. Enjoy your build and let me know if you need any additional pics, details, or drawings.

Ronnie

hlomax

07-10-07, 03:48 PM

I set up the seating for a quick test fit. Front row eyes are about 11.5' from screen and rear row eyes are about 17.5'. There is a 2' walkway behind the riser.

http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/seats/P3190079.jpg

I have 30" of space on the left and right side between riser and wall.
http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/seats/P3190082.jpg http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/seats/P3190096.jpg

With the rear seats fully reclined, I have 12" of space between the front row. This allows plenty of space so your feet do not hit the person in front of you. If your not fully reclined, a person can walk in between the rows.

http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/seats/P3190084.jpg

Here is a full shot of all seats reclined.
http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/seats/P3190089.jpg

Looking into theater from doorway.
http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/seats/P3190099.jpg

Thanks again for everyone's input on the riser and seating placement. I'm happy I went with the centered version with all seats as everyone suggested.

Ronnie

That is an awesome look at building a platform riser... Well done
and it will also help give me some ideas as to what i should do for mine..

Max

ronnie_jackson

07-19-07, 05:37 PM

Thanks Max.

strange_brew

07-20-07, 11:16 AM

I finished up the 1st layer of plywood on the riser tonight. Only thing left is the roofing felt, second layer of plywood, and running the rope lights. I guess thats tomorrows task.

1st, here is a picture of the riser stuffed with 6 bags of R-13 insulation.

http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/riser/P3140001.jpg

Here it is topped with the 1st layer. I couldnt have asked for it to come together any better. It was perfectly square, my cross-members matched up, and a nice 2" lip with no cutting except for the steps and the front 2 feet' of plywood that overhung. I wish everything came out that easy. ;)

http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/avs/riser/P3140015.jpg

RonnieGlad I checked in and looked at the pic that Max referred to. I had forgotten that your riser is almost identical to what I'm planning to do so I went back and checked out your riser build steps. That is going to be EXTREMELY helpful, so thanks in advance ;)...now if my bloody seats would just show up....

A couple of quick questions: 1) you mention 30" from wall to riser. Are you happy with that? do you think it could be 24" and still be ok? 2) what did the final dimensions of the riser end up being?

ronnie_jackson

07-20-07, 05:26 PM

A couple of quick questions: 1) you mention 30" from wall to riser. Are you happy with that? do you think it could be 24" and still be ok? 2) what did the final dimensions of the riser end up being?

Craig, I checked out your thread and you have a really nice setup there. I wish we had basements in Texas. Some do, but its not the norm.

Anyway, The 30" seems perfect to me. Its comfortable and seems about right. I think 24" would be ok, at least for someone my size, but it may seem a little squeezed. My side colums stick out into the floor about 6", so its actually 24' between those and the seating. I will take a pic that might show the spacing a little better now that everything is finished. I can post it up later.

I believe that the final dimensions are somewhere on one of the pages close to the posts you guys referenced above. I can look through the thread a little later and find them once I am at home. If not, I have plenty of Sketchup drawings with all the dimensions that I would be happy to provide for you. I tried to make the riser almost the same size as my seating so I would have maximum floor space.

I am very happy with it. I will follow up with the pics and additional info later.

Ronnie

strange_brew

07-20-07, 06:55 PM

Craig, I checked out your thread and you have a really nice setup there. I wish we had basements in Texas. Some do, but its not the norm.

Anyway, The 30" seems perfect to me. Its comfortable and seems about right. I think 24" would be ok, at least for someone my size, but it may seem a little squeezed. My side colums stick out into the floor about 6", so its actually 24' between those and the seating. I will take a pic that might show the spacing a little better now that everything is finished. I can post it up later.

I believe that the final dimensions are somewhere on one of the pages close to the posts you guys referenced above. I can look through the thread a little later and find them once I am at home. If not, I have plenty of Sketchup drawings with all the dimensions that I would be happy to provide for you. I tried to make the riser almost the same size as my seating so I would have maximum floor space.

I am very happy with it. I will follow up with the pics and additional info later.

RonnieThanks Ronnie. I should read your posts a bit closer, but I couldn't find anything that gave the final depth of the riser (front to back). I'll go back and check it out. I know the width, but I was more interested in how deep/long the 2 front/back sections ended up being after you put them together.

ronnie_jackson

07-21-07, 03:44 PM

Thanks Ronnie. I should read your posts a bit closer, but I couldn't find anything that gave the final depth of the riser (front to back). I'll go back and check it out. I know the width, but I was more interested in how deep/long the 2 front/back sections ended up being after you put them together.

Craig, Here is a sketchup of the riser dimensions as well as a shot of the isle. There is a 3" overhang of the top platform beyond the base to hide the rope lighting. As I mentioned earlier, its 30" from the seating to the wall and 24" from the seating to the side columns. I curved my columns to get wider as they get taller specifically so I would have as much room at the floor as possible.

I built my riser deep enough for the second row seating that they can be fully reclined and you can still walk in front of the chairs without anyone having to sit up so you can get by. It worked out perfect with the 6' riser depth. The bottom row of seating sits in front of the riser and flush against it.

http://www.ronniejackson.com/theater/forum/riser/riser_dimensions.jpg

http://www.ronniejackson.com/theater/forum/riser/IMG_2141.jpg ............http://www.ronniejackson.com/theater/forum/riser/IMG_2140.jpg

If you need any additional info or perhaps my sketchup files, you are more than welcome to them. I hope this info helps.

Ronnie

strange_brew

07-21-07, 05:52 PM

Thanks Ronnie, that's going to be a huge help!

Unfortunately, I won't be able to put it into action for awhile - just found out my seats are delayed another 2-3 weeks :(

ifeliciano

07-21-07, 09:59 PM

Hey Ronnie,

The room is looking sweet !

My build halted as soon as my boy got out of school for the summer. Will pick up again in the fall.

Ivan

timatraw

07-22-07, 09:12 AM

ronnie_jackson

07-22-07, 12:39 PM

Hey Ronnie,

The room is looking sweet !

My build halted as soon as my boy got out of school for the summer. Will pick up again in the fall.

Ivan

Thanks Ivan.

I know what you mean about getting halted. I took a few long breaks as well. Its only human :-)

Ronnie

ronnie_jackson

07-22-07, 12:45 PM

Ronnie,
Great riser! I want to build my own riser like yours. May I ask the final dimensions (HxWxD) of your riser? I'm trying to figure out what I need to buy to get started on my riser. Did you use any 4x8's? Do you have a list of the lumber you used for the riser?
You are an inspiration to us all!
Thanks.
Tim

Tim, The dimensions are listed about 4 posts back on the riser diagram. Its 12" high. I dont have an exact punch list because I purchased a ton of wood all at once to do the stage, riser, and screen wall. And as usual, I probably went back to Home Depot a few times to pick up things I forgot :rolleyes:

Its a combination of 2x12's, 2.6's, and 2x4's. Then topped with 2 layers of 3/4 plywood.

My web site is extremely far behind in updates, but I do have a detailed riser build on it. Check it out and see if it helps. The link is in my signature. Once on the site, click on the "seating" option from the left. That will pull up the riser build.

I hope all this info helps. If you need anything else, just let me know.

Ronnie

ronnie_jackson

07-22-07, 12:48 PM

Thanks Ronnie, that's going to be a huge help!

Unfortunately, I won't be able to put it into action for awhile - just found out my seats are delayed another 2-3 weeks :(

Your welcome. That sucks about your chairs. Its nice having your chairs prior to building the riser so you can build it exactly to fit them. I remember setting mine up on the floor, spacing them out and getting a good feel for things before I ever cut a peice of wood for the riser.

Good luck, thats a great looking theater you have started.

Ronnie

timatraw

07-22-07, 01:45 PM

Ronnie,
Would'nt two layers of 3/4" plywod on top of a 2x12 make the riser higherthan 12"?
Thanks.
Tim

swithey

07-22-07, 03:26 PM

Ronnie,
Would'nt two layers of 3/4" plywod on top of a 2x12 make the riser higherthan 12"?
Thanks.
Tim
Tim,

Yes it would. A 2x12 is actually 11.5" and 3/4 ply is slightly less than 3/4" -- roughly 11/16"

11.5" + .6875" + .6875" = 12.875" or 12 7/8".

ronnie_jackson

07-22-07, 05:18 PM

as Steve explains above, yes it would. I guess I should be more technical next time :p

There are a lot of things to take into account when deciding on the height of your riser. There is a calculator and plenty of good reading located HERE (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=505237) . You dont want to be looking at the back of someones head or not being able to see the bottom of the screen from the back row after you get it built ;)

Ronnie

mikeloxlong

08-01-07, 01:22 PM

Wow dude! Just Wow!...I can't seem to come up with anything to say now, just wow.

jerrodshook

08-01-07, 09:04 PM

ronnie_jackson

08-01-07, 10:18 PM

Wow dude! Just Wow!...I can't seem to come up with anything to say now, just wow.

Thanks Mike!

ronnie_jackson

08-01-07, 10:24 PM

Long time no post Ronnie. Room is coming along nicely, althought I gotta say that your house might fall down with the massive 18's pounding away!!! I have the AScend's too and agree... what great speakers those things are. How do ou like them with the QS8's? I was tempted to go that route, but decided to go with the 170's all around. Still love those columns of yours!

Hi Jerrod, good to see your back. Your room looks amazing also. Maybe we can both start on our star ceilings soon. If I could quit watching movies in there, I could probably get something done :D

I love the QS8's the are very nice looking speakers and they seem to match up with the Ascend 340's very well. Everyone that hears them is impressed. I had my parents up a few weeks ago and I played some demo stuff for them of the LFE disk thats floating around, then we watch "The Shooter". My 3rd time to watch that flick, its great. They were simpy amazed. My mom couldnt figure out where all that earth shattering bass from the explosions were coming from until I showed her. Then she was like OMG :eek: :eek: LOL

Ronnie

ejhuzy

08-08-07, 02:42 PM

Since Im on an update roll, I might as well show you the tray lighting I finished this weekend also. I picked up some 3" 110v halogen can lights from Home Depot. They had a sale on a 6-pack of these for $32. They only had brushed nickel, but I figured I could paint them black for that price. I had to buy 2 singles since I needed 8 of them, but it was still less than $60 for all of them. Wohooooo!!!

http://www.ronniejackson.com/theater/forum/lighting/IMG_1985.jpg ..................http://www.ronniejackson.com/theater/forum/lighting/IMG_1989.jpg

Ronnie,

How do you like these lights? Do they work well with your GE? Any humming issues? I'm looking for lights now and it's not easy to find ones that fit in the light tray.

They look like they're about 5.5" high, I didn't think your light tray was that high?

Also, how do they wire up? Hard wired back to the GE or is it GE->plug->lights?

Sorry for all the questions, but I gotta know! :D

Ed

drin

08-08-07, 02:46 PM

How do you like these lights?

Hi Ed. I can't speak to the GE since I don't have one, but I have the exact same lights. They're standard line voltage cans - no humming, no transformers, regular Romex circuit wiring. They work well although they get REALLY hot. I mean second degree burns if you touch the glass while they're in operation.

-drin

ejhuzy

08-08-07, 03:00 PM

Hi Ed. I can't speak to the GE since I don't have one, but I have the exact same lights. They're standard line voltage cans - no humming, no transformers, regular Romex circuit wiring. They work well although they get REALLY hot. I mean second degree burns if you touch the glass while they're in operation.

-drin

Drin, thanks for the info.

That answers most of my questions. Now I'm wondering what kind of paint he used to paint them black. And how he kept them hidden in the tray. I found way back that the tray is 5" high.

Ed

ronnie_jackson

08-08-07, 03:32 PM

Ed, I see that Drin took care of a few of the questions. Your right, my tray is 5" high and these are slightly taller than that. Even though they are slightly taller, they are farther back in the tray and you really do not see them from the floor. I painted the silver electric connection box on the top of them black also, just in case. I painted the trims black with some flat black high temp paint. Not sure if it makes a difference or not, but I kept them at a really low level until the paint cured. they do get hot as Drin explained, but any light of this style would do the same.

Im very happy with them. works perfect with GE and I used standard romex. I was also pleased that there doesnt seem to be any light spillage from the top.

Ronnie

W00lly

08-08-07, 04:55 PM

ronnie_jackson

08-08-07, 07:46 PM

Ronnie

Did the OSB route ok on your riser when you rounded off the edges. I priced OSB $13 a sheet to plywood $23-$27 a sheet :eek: I think going with the OSB is a no brainer.

thanks for taking detailed pics of your build. I really liked the stage design you copyed and I just copyed it also :D I think it came out real close to yours but I could not find that siding you used all I could find was 8"

The OSB routed fine for me. No problems at all. Im glad the stage design worked out for you. Isnt this forum a gold mine???

I used the siding because it was laying in a scrap pile down the street where they were building some houses. It was the exact height and it was easy to bend. The radius is not really that great, so 1/4" or 1/2" ply would have worked just as well. I just needed something to glue the Oak facing to.

Ronnie

W00lly

08-08-07, 08:08 PM

It is and to think I was just gunna buy a big tv for my movie room. Thanks to AVS ill never have to go to the movie house again :cool:

ejhuzy

08-08-07, 08:28 PM

raZorTT

08-16-07, 06:51 PM

ronnie_jackson

08-16-07, 10:33 PM

Hey Ronnie,

I've just been reading through your thread for about the 15th time (everytime i'm amazed at your work!) and was wondering if you were treating first reflection points?

I'm about 20 pages into the acc. master thread and the consensus seems to be to have panels at those points as well?

From the photos I could find and your descriptions you have treated up to ear level with linacoustic and scrim, but were you planning on targeting reflection points higher up the wall and on the ceiling?

Cheers,

Simon

Thanks for the kind words Simon. I did not do any treatments higher than the 4' of Linacoustic on the side walls. I can easily go back and take a panel off to treat this as needed. I know its recommended and I should probably go back and do it. The sound is still incredible though :)

However, I do plan on treating the first reflection point on the ceiling once I begin to work on the star ceiling.

Ronnie

Minhas

08-16-07, 10:52 PM

Ronnie,

Once again, great thread. Nice to see you back posting some updates, i was beginning to wonder if you had completed the theatre and locked yourself down there.

I was curious as to why you chose the Ascends over, say a full axiom set up, or something else entirely. My original plan was to go all axiom, with m60s and a vp150 in the front and qs8's on the back. But now, considering i can get the same LCR you're running for $700 with Ascends new b-stock, im heavily considering them and saving myself about 600 bucks.
My room is a little bit bigger than yours, at 16x31. Having first hand experience with the exact setup im now considering, would you recommend it? Do you think it would be able to fill room nicely?

Sunny

chinadog

08-16-07, 10:58 PM

Sunny, the Ascends are the best bang for the buck I've seen for some time. I have the 340s across the front now for almost two years and would buy them again. No regrets here and from a lot of the others. Put the extra 6 bills into the power option on a recliner or get yourself a BR player or something. I'm sure Ronnie knows what I'm talking about!

Bud

Minhas

08-17-07, 12:23 AM

Thanks Bud. After seeing all of your excellent work in following your thread, your word is all I need. I will be placing an order for the Ascends next week!

ronnie_jackson

08-17-07, 06:32 PM

Im with Bud on this. There was a lot of guys using this exact setup and every one of them had nothing but good to say about them. The price is right also. I love the ascends. I went with the axioms for the rear because those were exposed and I wanted something nice looking to compliment my woodwork. Killed 2 birds with 1 stone.

You wont be dissapointed!!

Ronnie

W00lly

08-17-07, 06:58 PM

Ascends new b-stock whats that. I must know more do tell

chinadog

08-17-07, 07:13 PM

W00lly

I think this is it:
http://ascendacoustics.com/pages/news/specials.html

Bud

Minhas

08-18-07, 01:45 AM

yup, the b-stock i was referring to is the link Bud mentioned. More info here: http://forum.ascendacoustics.com/showthread.php?t=2861

ronnie_jackson

10-02-07, 01:44 AM

Just wanted to let everyone know that I am still alive and kicking. Have not had much time over the last few months to get anything done due to work and other activities. Hopefully one of these days I will finish up what little is left :(

Ronnie

swithey

10-02-07, 01:28 PM

Glad to hear you are still alive :) Hope you can get it finished up soon.

chinadog

10-03-07, 10:51 PM

Ronnie, welcome back. Not sure how you guys can take these long hiatuses, I would have withdrawals and night sweats ...... :p

Bud

rsberg34

10-08-07, 12:16 PM

Ive finally had a chance to catch up on your work Ronnie....amazing as usual, it looks great. I woul dlove to hear that IB and teh rest of it as well. Ive been going back and forth in my mind between a similar setup to all Axioms....I may have to stop by and hear yours sometime...especially that IB :D

Awsome work....simply awsome!

ejhuzy

10-08-07, 03:13 PM

ronnie_jackson

10-09-07, 09:21 PM

Light tray?

Ronnie,

I'm ready to build my light tray and something in your thread caught my eye. You did the old Ruben MDF/veneer route, which I think looks great. But you mentioned that if you had to do it again you would use 3/4" oak plywood (like your columns).

The first question that comes to my mind is why do you feel that way? Was the veneering just a huge PITA?

Next is how you would build it? Mitering plywood would be tough I think. I could see using plywood for the bottom of the tray and using stock (1x6?) for the vertical portion. Is that what you were thinking?

I'm thinking of going the plywood/stock combo route, but I'm worried about attaching the tray. Screw holes would be too big and screw up the finished product and are nails good enough?

Thanks for your thoughts...

Ed

Ed, the reason I said that was because it was a chore to veneer the mdf after it was installed. It wasnt that bad, but just staining some oak would have been easier. Have you ever tried to veneer something upside down and above your head????

I would use screws and a counter-sink bit. Then putty up the holes and stain to match or use some of those wooden screw plugs.

Ronnie

ejhuzy

10-10-07, 09:55 AM

Ed, the reason I said that was because it was a chore to veneer the mdf after it was installed. It wasnt that bad, but just staining some oak would have been easier. Have you ever tried to veneer something upside down and above your head????

I would use screws and a counter-sink bit. Then putty up the holes and stain to match or use some of those wooden screw plugs.

Ronnie

Nope, never veneered anything in my life. I figured that's why you said that. Well, I think I'm going to go the route of using oak plywood under the soffit and finish it with solid stock. Somebody's got to try it, right? :)

Nice idea on the wooden screw plugs.

Ed

ronnie_jackson

10-10-07, 11:00 AM

Nope, never veneered anything in my life. I figured that's why you said that. Well, I think I'm going to go the route of using oak plywood under the soffit and finish it with solid stock. Somebody's got to try it, right? :)

Nice idea on the wooden screw plugs.

Ed

Veneering is actually pretty easy. Its the upside down, above your head part thats tricky :-)

Be sure and let us know what you do and document your thread with the progress. We are all interested.

Ronnie

ejhuzy

10-10-07, 05:54 PM

Veneering is actually pretty easy. Its the upside down, above your head part thats tricky :-)

Be sure and let us know what you do and document your thread with the progress. We are all interested.

Ronnie

I don't have a thread yet, but will soon. I've been spending all my "free" time working in the room. I have been taking pictures though. I've got the stage built and filled with sand (yuck!) and the soffit is build and stuffed. That's why all the questions about the light tray, it's next.

Last question for awhile I hope. How did you attach your wall GOM frames to the drywall? Just velcro? Was the velcro stapled to the wall? (I just went through those posts and I couldn't find that factoid mentioned).

Ed

John Martin

10-11-07, 07:45 AM

strange_brew

10-11-07, 08:56 AM

Nope, never veneered anything in my life. I figured that's why you said that. Well, I think I'm going to go the route of using oak plywood under the soffit and finish it with solid stock. Somebody's got to try it, right? :)

Nice idea on the wooden screw plugs.

EdI think if I were to do the soffits again, I would still do the veneer as I love the effect when a single piece of veneer is wrapped around the light tray. But I think I would do the veneering before putting it up, then use PL Premium to secure it (held in place with finishing nails until it cures) and biscuits to join the corners. I did my riser that way and it was much, much easier.

Ronnie, couldn't agree more on the upside down, above your head bit - that was a PITA.

ronnie_jackson

10-11-07, 09:17 AM

Last question for awhile I hope. How did you attach your wall GOM frames to the drywall? Just velcro? Was the velcro stapled to the wall? (I just went through those posts and I couldn't find that factoid mentioned).

Ed

Ed, I tried velcro for the very first panel and it works, but it made the panel overlap the trim slightly and it was no longer flush. I ended up using some 2" brad nails for the rest of the panels. The panels were a pretty tight friction fit to begin with, so it only took 6-8 nails around the edges to hold them in place. I tried to hit wall studs. Since the brads were only 2", by the time they went through the fabric frames and the sheetrock, the panels can still be easily removed by carefully prying the panel away from the wall.

Ronnie

ronnie_jackson

10-11-07, 09:25 AM

Ronnie,

WOW! I just read your whole thread again last night and you have done a wonderful job. I am very, very impressed. Especially the screen wall and columns. Simply puts yours in a different class than most.

I do have a questions though. When you were installing your rope lighting in the riser, how many times did you have to tee it to make it work like you have it and where did you get the rope itself?

Keep up the great work.

John

Thanks for the compliments John. I just picked up some standard rope lighting from Home Depot. Nothing special. I did not use any T's for the rope lighting. The rope lighting is very flexible and it bends perfectly around the corners. I would have to search back through the thread to find the exact lenghts I used. I know I used a single short piece, I believe 24" for one of the steps, then I used 2 peices to go around the rest of the riser and the steps. On one side, to get it on both steps, I actually cut holes into the riser and routed part of it through the inside of the riser.

Check out my web page link in my signature. The website is way behind, but you can click on the Seating link and I describe the riser lighting in detail. Hopefully this helps. Let me know if you have any more questions.

Ronnie

ejhuzy

10-11-07, 08:11 PM

I think if I were to do the soffits again, I would still do the veneer as I love the effect when a single piece of veneer is wrapped around the light tray. But I think I would do the veneering before putting it up, then use PL Premium to secure it (held in place with finishing nails until it cures) and biscuits to join the corners. I did my riser that way and it was much, much easier.

Ronnie, couldn't agree more on the upside down, above your head bit - that was a PITA.

Now there's an idea. Glad I asked Ronnie about this. I know have two alternate ideas to research and determine which I will use.

Thanks Ronnie and Craig!

ronnie_jackson

11-27-07, 05:24 PM

W00lly

01-02-08, 03:55 AM

I'm bringing you back to the top ronnie :) whats the latest goings on in the HT

John Martin

01-02-08, 07:45 AM

I picked up the Toshiba HD-A3 at Best Buy on black friday. I couldnt resist the price and I missed out on the Sears special which was $30 cheaper. Guess I should have been there a little earlier :mad: As everyone knows, it comes with "300" and "The Bourne Identity" in the box and you get 5 additional titles via mail in rebate.

Wow, HD looks incredible on my Mitsubishi HD1000 even though it only does720p. I am amazed:D. Standard DVD's seem to look improved with the upscaling as compared to my cheap upscaling Samsung 860.

Over all I am impressed and pleased with this purchase.

Ronnie

I wish I had a HD DVD player. Or even and upscaling one. I am still using a cheap Zenith progressive scan LOL As a matter of fact, I have never watched any HD content at all except the stuff on TV in the store (never on a PJ) so I really do not know what I am missing right now. I have an Oppo in the box unopened but do not want to take it out and use it until I get the HT done. I may have to get the A3 soon. I have read reviews on the A2 and it seems most are impressed with that model so I would assume the A3 is better or the same. I am using a Z4 right now on a wall in out family room and the basement is nearly finished (mid-Feb completion?). At that point my wife is going to FREAK out when I buy a new HD DVD player, receiver, extra cable box, Ascend speakers and HSU sub. She assumes that I will be using my old Onkyo and Bose stuff so I will have to let her down easy.

BTW, how are things progressing on the theater? I know you have not been idle this whole time.

John

Shan

01-02-08, 12:17 PM

If you have a Media Center PC, I reccomend the LG Dual Format Blu-ray/HD-DVD drive. I just installed it in my MCE Vista PC this weekend and it is amazing. I can watch HD-DVD or Blue-Ray and while PowerDVD does not integrate with Media Center, it does with My Movies so I launch movies from there. Very good experience and terrific sound. I highly reccomend it. PM me if you want more details.

Shan

ronnie_jackson

01-02-08, 01:44 PM

I'm bringing you back to the top ronnie :) whats the latest goings on in the HT

Thanks. I bet you had to dig deep to find me down there at the bottom of the pile :)

Not a whole lot of updates. As I mentioned earlier i purchased the HD-DVD player and installed that into the equipment rack. I have also painted the ceiling black while I wait to start on the star ceiling. I figured I might as well make it look finished out as I got tired of looking at the almond color. Its amazing how much difference it makes the room look and feel just by painting the ceiling black.

I also moved my screen down about 4 inches to help with some keystoning I was getting with my projector, but I think I might move it back up a little.

Another item I purchased, but have not installed yet is black velvet curtains. I will be plaing these above the screen as a valance of sort and also hanging to the floor between the screen and side speaker colums. That should finish dressing out the stage area.

Oh ya, I got a Logitech 880 remote control for Christmas from the girlfriend. That things is sweet. I have been playing a little with it trying to get everything set up and tweaked out. Very easy and very cool. Even controls my Grafik Eye lighting controller and gives me additional lighting scenes that are only available by remote. :D

Ronnie

ronnie_jackson

01-02-08, 01:49 PM

I wish I had a HD DVD player. Or even and upscaling one. I am still using a cheap Zenith progressive scan LOL As a matter of fact, I have never watched any HD content at all except the stuff on TV in the store (never on a PJ) so I really do not know what I am missing right now. I have an Oppo in the box unopened but do not want to take it out and use it until I get the HT done. I may have to get the A3 soon. I have read reviews on the A2 and it seems most are impressed with that model so I would assume the A3 is better or the same. I am using a Z4 right now on a wall in out family room and the basement is nearly finished (mid-Feb completion?). At that point my wife is going to FREAK out when I buy a new HD DVD player, receiver, extra cable box, Ascend speakers and HSU sub. She assumes that I will be using my old Onkyo and Bose stuff so I will have to let her down easy.

BTW, how are things progressing on the theater? I know you have not been idle this whole time.

John

Hi John, You will love HD content. It also does an amazing job on the upscaling. It doesnt offer much in the aspect ratio scaling, so when watching SD DVD's I have been using my Samsung upscaling dvd player so I can scale things to fit my 2:35 screen.

Good luck on the new equipment and the wife ;) I would start prepping her now.

I posted some progress on the post just above this one.

Ronnie

ronnie_jackson

01-02-08, 01:52 PM

W00lly

01-02-08, 09:50 PM

One thing about the construction forum now threads do not stay on the front page vary long any more :eek: busy place :)

ronnie_jackson

01-14-08, 03:14 PM

One thing about the construction forum now threads do not stay on the front page vary long any more :eek: busy place :)

Yes, its very busy now. It might help me a little bit if I posted some progress from time to time also ;)

Ronnie

ronnie_jackson

02-27-08, 08:07 PM

I figured I should probably say hello to everyone so you dont think I disappeared and my thread gets archived :D

Oh ya, im one of the lucky ones that has an upscaling Toshiba HD-DVD player. I was hoping they would stay in the game longer. Guess I will be picking up a PS3 soon.

Ronnie

BritInVA

02-28-08, 08:27 AM

Oh ya, im one of the lucky ones that has an upscaling Toshiba HD-DVD player. I was hoping they would stay in the game longer. Guess I will be picking up a PS3 soon.

Ronnie

Me too - but just an A3 - althou I do find it upscales better than my Oppo 971. The Panny BD-30 gets good reviews especially now they fixed LFE bug but I'm going to hang out a while and see the BD-50 costs & reviews.

Cheers,
Mark

John Martin

02-28-08, 08:32 AM

Once they made the announcement I was going to get the A3 since prices plummeted (I saw some advertised for as low as $99) but I could not find one. Every place was sold out that I looked at. I was only getting it instead of an Oppo solely for the upscaling and a a few free movies with the purchase.

chinadog

02-28-08, 08:34 AM

strange_brew

02-28-08, 09:34 AM

Welcome back Ronnie.

I bought the HD-A2 since it was cheap, but bought very few discs, assuming BD would win eventually. I just used Netflix. It is a great standalone upscaling DVD player though. Now that the war is over, I'm starting to do some research to figure out what BD player to go for. I may wait until the Sony BDP-S550 comes out in the fall.

http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9877956-7.html

The Panasonic DMP-BD50 does look promising though.

http://ces.cnet.com/8301-13855_1-9842339-67.html

BudGreat to see one of my favorite threads back at the top of the pile!

I have a Samsung BD-P1200 right now which I can't wait to get rid of. I'm going to go pick up the Panny DMP-BD30. If your receiver/pre-pro can do the decoding of the new formats I think its the best out there right now. It will bitstream everything via HDMI. And Panny is very good about fixing bugs with firmware updates (LFE bug being a prime example). The new Sony's do look nice though. But I can't stand the Samsung any longer...

aham23

02-28-08, 02:12 PM

i have an a3 that i picked up this past november when amazon was running a deal that included a bunch of free movies. i just picked up an a30 from frys for dirt cheap. i needed an upscalling dvd player for my snack bar area and they are not much cheaper or better then what the toshibas are.

i will run the panny bd30 and toshiba a30 in my dedicated theater and the a3 out in the snack bar.

the investment was small compared when compared to everything else.

later.

ronnie_jackson

02-28-08, 09:37 PM

Good to hear from you guys again!

I really like the A3 and its a great upscaler as everyone else is noticing. One thing I really wish it would do is scaling. I have to use my samsung HD-860 if I want to fully utilize my 2:35 setup. Oh ya, I am still waiting on my 5 free movies to arrive. November seems like a long time ago!!

I will probably stick it out for a while before I do anything defenitive on the BD stuff. I want to build an HTPC, so maybe by the time I get to that the internal drives and software will be much better.

Ronnie

BritInVA

02-29-08, 08:42 AM

Oh ya, I am still waiting on my 5 free movies to arrive. November seems like a long time ago!!

I sent my rebate form in mid-Nov and got my movies yesterday - so hopefully you will get yours soon.

Cheers,
Mark

strange_brew

02-29-08, 09:20 AM

I will probably stick it out for a while before I do anything defenitive on the BD stuff. I want to build an HTPC, so maybe by the time I get to that the internal drives and software will be much better.I'm officially throwing in the towel on the HTPC....for now.

longbow

03-01-08, 10:42 AM

I sent my rebate form in mid-Nov and got my movies yesterday - so hopefully you will get yours soon.

Cheers,
Mark

I sent mine in November as well and they arrived this week.

ronnie_jackson

03-05-08, 02:51 PM

My 5 free HD-DVD movies finally came in today. Over 3 months to arrive, but I got them :)

Wonder if I should keep them shrinkwrapped for historical purposes......LOL:D

Ronnie

carboranadum

03-05-08, 03:25 PM

I'm officially throwing in the towel on the HTPC....for now.

Craig:

Why are you throwing in the towel on this? I'm thinking about building one to house my DVD's and am interested in your experiences.

CJ

strange_brew

03-05-08, 06:20 PM

Craig:

Why are you throwing in the towel on this? I'm thinking about building one to house my DVD's and am interested in your experiences.

CJA few reasons:

Firstly, getting HDTV into Media Center is a PITA if you live in Canada - doable, but a PITA. I can only get OTA HD from Buffalo. And we don't have Cablecard up here so none of the premium channels are available (Discovery, etc...). That means I need a cablebox no matter what. So, basically, I can't use it for TV exclusively.

I primarily watch Blu-ray movies now. And that is simply not there yet on the PC. The SD side of things works well with MyMovies, but I just don't use it that often. Plus, I have a Control4 system now and they have a great solution with the 400 disc Sony DVD changer that I can also use for my kids DVD's. Much cheaper than an HTPC and more extensible. Yes, hard drive space is cheap, but I could have 1200 DVD's of storage for about the same cost as an HTPC. And I can use them anywhere in the house.

For music, I also use my Control4 system now, so I don't need it for that.

Lastly, and probably most importantly, I'm sick of tweaking and having things not work. Since installing the Control4 system, the WAF is through the roof. And that is worth its weight in gold.

I will no doubt go back to an HTPC when the Bluray solutions have stabilized, but I don't see that happening for awhile. For now I'll use my Panny BD30 and enjoy my Theater.

ronnie_jackson

03-11-08, 05:50 PM

I picked up a Belkin PureAV power console today. Fry's had a rebate of $50 on these and they seem to have very good reviews. Final cost will be $79 after rebate (which ended today). I saw this just in time :D Its rack mountable also. I thought about getting the PF31 which had 1 more High Current outlet and a few other features, but there was no rebate on that model. This unit should be perfect for my needs.

Belkin PF-30 (AP20800fc10-BLK)
http://catalog.belkin.com/PureAV_detail.process?Product_Id=178339

http://www.ronniejackson.com/theater/forum/equipment/AP20800fc10-BLK-web.jpg

http://www.ronniejackson.com/theater/forum/equipment/belkin-pf30-back.jpg

Product Features
Power conditioner cleans noise in power lines for better home theater experience
Surge protection for up to 3,245 joules/165,000 amps
Protection for coaxial cable, DSL, phone, and ethernet lines
Eight surge-protected outlets
Device measures 17.25 x 1.75 x 9.0 inches (W x H x D)

Technical Details
Model Number: AP20800fc10
PureAV level: Level 4
Joules: 3245 joules
Amps: 165,000 amps
Protection level: 4
Phone/pay-per-view line protection: 2 lines with built-in splitter
Network protection: RJ45 Ethernet
Coaxial protection: 2 pairs
Multi-phase PureFilter technology: Phase 3 (1 x audio, 1 x video, 1 x HiCurrent)
Isolated filter banks: Yes
HiCurrent outlet: 1 outlet
Surge protected outlet: 8 outlets
Control panel: LED
Delayed outlets: Yes
Mount: Rack-mountable
Power code length: 10 feet
Warranty: Lifetime warranty

Ronnie

strange_brew

03-11-08, 07:48 PM

Great price! I think you'll like it. I picked up the PF60 and I'm very happy with it.

ronnie_jackson

04-09-08, 11:34 AM

Just a small update. I picked up some black fleece throw blankets that I found on sale and had my mother embroider some logo's on them. I plan on draping these across the back of each chair. The women seem to always want a small blanket to cover up with while watching a movie.

She has several very large (and expensive) embroidery machines and can do just about anything on them.

The logo is approx 6"x6" in size.

http://www.ronniejackson.com/theater/images/accessories/blanket_logo.jpg

http://www.ronniejackson.com/theater/images/accessories/blanket.jpg

Ronnie

miltimj

04-09-08, 11:41 AM

Wow Ronnie, that is so cool. Colored, custom logo.. nice.

I also have first hand experience with my wife always using a blanket (or three), especially on leather furniture..

swithey

04-22-08, 10:01 PM

Ronnie,

Those look great! I need to get some "dedicated" blankets for my HT. I'm surprised my wife has not suggested this before.

BritInVA

04-22-08, 10:09 PM

Nice touch...we have a number of blankets in HT.....will have to find somwhere that does that type of custom embroidery.

What else is going on - you been pretty quite of late.

Cheers,
Mark

Cathan

04-23-08, 09:25 AM

Nice touch...we have a number of blankets in HT.....will have to find somwhere that does that type of custom embroidery.

What else is going on - you been pretty quite of late.

Cheers,
Mark

Check in the mall if there is a baseball cap embroidery store. I go to one in Pentagon City when I need things like aprons embroidered for work. They would be able to do blankets too.

SVonhof

04-23-08, 10:13 AM

Check in the mall if there is a baseball cap embroidery store. I go to one in Pentagon City when I need things like aprons embroidered for work. They would be able to do blankets too.

Talk about giving away the area you live in! ;) I like that area during the spring and fall (will stay away in the winter and summer).

swithey

04-23-08, 11:17 AM

Nice touch...we have a number of blankets in HT.....will have to find somwhere that does that type of custom embroidery.
Hmm -- maybe your Mom could start a little business on the side ;)

ronnie_jackson

04-24-08, 10:43 AM

Thanks guys. It really does add something extra to the theater. Its one of those small things that everyone notices. I am trying to figure out what to embroider next :p

She would probably be happy to do these for some other people. As long as you supplied the blankets, she would probably just have a minimal charge for the logos. I can talk to her if anyone is interested.

Ronnie

mastiff34

04-24-08, 11:06 AM

I'd be very interested, if she's willing to do it, and its not to much of a burden.

ronnie_jackson

04-24-08, 05:01 PM

I'd be very interested, if she's willing to do it, and its not to much of a burden.

Mastiff34, she indicated to me that she would be interested. I will try to find out what she would charge to help us do this. The hard part was coming up with what to put on the blanket. She has 4 or 5 theater type logos she can use (popcorn, tickets, clapboard, etc). If you wanted the same design as mine, it would be as simple as changing the theater name.

I will talk to her and find out what she would charge to do this.

Ronnie

mastiff34

04-25-08, 08:25 AM

Awesome, feel free to pm me if you like, I hate to take over your thread. Also, any particular type of blanket to get? Or will the machine basically do anything, I was thinking like three fleece blanks or so, one for each seat.

swithey

04-25-08, 09:58 PM

Ronnie,

I tried to send you a PM but your mailbox is full.

ronnie_jackson

04-28-08, 12:20 PM

Ronnie,

I tried to send you a PM but your mailbox is full.

Sorry Steve. Its cleaned up now. Try again :)

ronnie_jackson

05-30-08, 06:09 PM

I should probably get busy finishing up the theater huh? Here is a quick list of the few things I have left to accomplish. I might actually surprise you guys with some progress sometime soon :-)

Build Marquee to go above stage on soffit
Finish entry doors
Install my IR repeaters
Finish out trim on bottom of screenwall
Finish out trim on front soffit
Install homemade powerbridge between projector and pureav
Reroute HDMI cable in ceiling to projector
Dress out AV rack with cable mgmt
Start working on star ceiling plans

Probably a few things I left off, but that should give me something to strive for.

Ronnie

swithey

06-01-08, 02:21 PM

Install homemade powerbridge between projector and pureav

Ronnie,

What is this? Is this basically an extension of power from your equipment closet to the projector area for surge/UPS protection?

ronnie_jackson

06-10-08, 12:45 AM

You got it Steve. Its a way to have an extension to your UPS/Surge protection and still stay in code. Check out the PowerBridge site (http://www.powerbridgesolution.com/). Its pretty cool. I made my own for about 1/3 of what they charge. Picked up evertyhing I needed locally.

I started with the following items:

Standard computer power cord.
Female receptacle end for power cord
5278-ss Flanged Inlet (http://www.passandseymour.com/productcatalog/product.cfm?cn=5278SS&)
Standard decora style outlet
Blank face plate
2 single gang work boxes

http://www.ronniejackson.com/theater/forum/powerbridge/IMG_3175.jpg

I ended up with this.

http://www.ronniejackson.com/theater/forum/powerbridge/IMG_3179.jpg

Painted to match my equipment room.
http://www.ronniejackson.com/theater/forum/powerbridge/IMG_3191.jpg

I will run romex in the wall and ceiling between the outlets. The Decora outlet will be next to projector in the ceiling and the female 5278-ss will be next to my equipment in the equipment closet. Power will be supplied to the projector by plugging the cable I made between my PureAV power console and the 5278-ss. Pretty simple, extremely clean, and the projector will be protected. :D

Hopefully I explained it ok. If not, check out THIS (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=978306) thread.

Ronnie

ronnie_jackson

07-22-08, 03:44 PM

I made a little progress over the weekend on the list of remaining items that I had to do.

Finished:
Finish out trim on bottom of screenwall
Finish out trim on front soffit

In progress:
Finish entry doors (50% complete)
Install homemade powerbridge between projector and pureav (50% complete)

Remaining:
Build Marquee to go above stage on soffit
Install my IR repeaters
Reroute HDMI cable in ceiling to projector
Dress out AV rack with cable mgmt
Start working on star ceiling plans

Hoping to knock out the rest with the exception of the start ceiling plans this coming weekend.

I figured I better start posting again before I get archived :D

swithey

07-22-08, 06:36 PM

Go get 'em Ronnie! Glad you are moving again :)

I trying to get my bar cabinet completed so I can build a new AV rack. It will live in my equip closet and poke into my wet bar area (similar to what you did). I'll cover the opening with a hinged panel to match the others in the main HT.

Seems there is always something left to do!

ronnie_jackson

07-28-08, 04:44 PM

I knocked off a few more items off the list this weekend. Getting closer.

Finished:
Finish out trim on bottom of screenwall
Finish out trim on front soffit
Install homemade powerbridge between projector and pureav
Reroute HDMI cable in ceiling to projector

In progress:
Finish entry doors (75% complete)

Remaining:
Build Marquee to go above stage on soffit
Install my IR repeaters
Dress out AV rack with cable mgmt
Start working on star ceiling plans

Its good to get those power and HDMI cables in the ceiling for the projector. Much cleaner now and I can close the door on my equipment rack since thats where they were coming out of and hanging from the ceiling :-)

Ronnie

ronnie_jackson

07-28-08, 05:07 PM

I dont think I ever posted my solution for my Panamorph U85 lens. Its been up for a long time now, so I should probably show how. Nothing fancy and only cost me about $10.

Here are the pieces used:

4" threaded pvc (this allows me about an inch of vertical adjustement)
2 exterior lighting plates (not sure of the real name)
The existing bracket that came with the U85

http://www.ronniejackson.com/theater/forum/lensmount/IMG_2436.jpg

Here they are put together and painted black:

http://www.ronniejackson.com/theater/forum/lensmount/IMG_2491.jpg

And finally a few pics after its mounted: (wow, i need to dust that thing!)

http://www.ronniejackson.com/theater/forum/lensmount/IMG_4005.jpg

suffolk112000

09-06-08, 08:25 PM

Nice looking room and great thread!!
I have to say I am looking forward to seeing your marquee. :)

swithey

09-08-08, 03:13 PM

I dont think I ever posted my solution for my Panamorph U85 lens. Its been up for a long time now, so I should probably show how. Nothing fancy and only cost me about $10.

Here are the pieces used:

4" threaded pvc (this allows me about an inch of vertical adjustement)
2 exterior lighting plates (not sure of the real name)
The existing bracket that came with the U85
Simple but elegant Ronnie. Nice job :)

So, do you have plans to upgrade to 1080p sometime soon? What are your plans for a BR player?

ronnie_jackson

09-12-08, 07:33 PM

So, do you have plans to upgrade to 1080p sometime soon? What are your plans for a BR player?

Steve, I dont have any plans to upgrade yet. Im pretty satisfied with my setup at 720 since I only watch movies from my HD-DVD and an upscaled Samsung player. Once I run Satellite TV in there, or The Jones's shows me their picture with a 1080p, I might change my mind. My current plan is to get as much mileage out of the HD1000 Mitsubishi as I can and pick up something better when the prices and technology require it.

As for Blu-Ray, I want one of those also. But again, spending $300 for a player somehow gets to me. I thought about going the playstation route, but I dont really game that much, so in my opinion, I would still be spending 300-400 on a player with that option. Now one thing I am seriously considering is building a HTPC. I could accomplish several tasks household wide with that piece of equipment and somehow justify it in my mind ;). I have seen a few internal Blu-Ray and even combo drives for a little over $100 that I could put in it. I already have an HD TV tuner card, so I could even begin watching TV and using the DVR functions in the theater. Lots of ideas, just have not pulled the trigger yet.

Hurry up and get those other 2 15" subs incorporated into your IB design. If you need help, I can sneak over during the day while you send your wife on a shopping spree. shhhhhhhhhhhhh, she will never need to know :D

Ronnie

swithey

09-13-08, 10:37 AM

Now one thing I am seriously considering is building a HTPC.
I have a buddy that did that with that combo LG drive with pretty good success. I think he had an issue with his ATI video card in the beginning. He recently purchased a newer model and the problems nearly went away. Sometimes the PC just reboots without warning or requires a reboot before some BR movies will play. I still have my HTPC but for simplicity sake am using my PS3 to play my BR and SD movies. Luckily I never purchased any HD-DVDs :)

Hurry up and get those other 2 15" subs incorporated into your IB design. If you need help, I can sneak over during the day while you send your wife on a shopping spree. shhhhhhhhhhhhh, she will never need to know :D
Adding those other (2) woofs is on the list. The wife has insisted that I finish the wet bar 1st. I kind of slipped in the new rack (and glad I did) but it did put me behind a few weeks. Thanks for the offer to come over, though. But I think it's my turn to come over there and help you :D

SVonhof

09-19-08, 01:01 AM

ronnie_jackson

09-19-08, 11:28 AM

Ronnie, before you go the HTPC route, make sure you are willing to spend the time tweaking everything. I have not read up a whole lot about them, but know that they are not an easy thing to get set-up and working fast.

Agreed, they can be very finicky. But what would be the fun in plugging it in, powering it up, and everything working properly :D As an IT engineer for a very large corporate messaging system (which became even larger on Monday, can you guess who?), tweeking, testing, etc is right up my alley. I have already tested most of the software available for HTPC and a few components on some old equipment trying to narrow down my selections. Lots of cool stuff out there, but cant seem to find the crown jewel unless you combine a few of them. The good thing is that this concept is becoming a little more mainstream now and both software and hardware vendors are taking notice.

If your interested in HTPC, I would highly suggest you frequent the HTPC area of the forums. There is a goldmine of information available and you can learn a lot from others. I know I do.

Ronnie

SVonhof

09-19-08, 12:04 PM

Well Ronnie, it looks like an HTPC really is right up your alley! Not mine though. I use computers all day every day for work, but notice the term: USE. I don't work on them much, if ever as I don't know what I am doing enough to bother. My cousin is the head IT guy at his company and he is who I normally go to when I have issues.

mastiff34

09-19-08, 12:25 PM

Agreed, they can be very finicky. But what would be the fun in plugging it in, powering it up, and everything working properly :D As an IT engineer for a very large corporate messaging system (which became even larger on Monday, can you guess who?), tweeking, testing, etc is right up my alley. I have already tested most of the software available for HTPC and a few components on some old equipment trying to narrow down my selections. Lots of cool stuff out there, but cant seem to find the crown jewel unless you combine a few of them. The good thing is that this concept is becoming a little more mainstream now and both software and hardware vendors are taking notice.

If your interested in HTPC, I would highly suggest you frequent the HTPC area of the forums. There is a goldmine of information available and you can learn a lot from others. I know I do.

Ronnie

So, the big question will be what flavor you will roll with? Windows / Linux or Mac =P...

I'm very encouraged by the xbmc's port to linux, but plex is also very nice on the mac...

Decisions Decisions...

ronnie_jackson

09-23-08, 12:00 AM

Im a windows guy, so I will stick with what I have the most experience with. Nothing wrong with the others, its just a familiarity thing for me :-) HTPC's are complicated enough to build and get working without throwing another variable into the picture.

Ronnie

bleachum

10-09-08, 12:55 AM

i have finally finished going through your entire thread and i love how your theater has turned out and plan to use alot of your ideas. so like others, i have some questions

first, i plan to place an electric curtain and i noticed u left a space of 17" between your stage speaker columns and screen wall. was this space sufficient or do u think you could decrease that space? also, leaving 12-16" of curtain material showing, do u think the look would be the same if made smaller? im asking because i have 17' width and plan to use a 120" screen and i dont think i have alot of room to play with.

second, u mentioned for the curved speaker screens that if you could do it again you would use a different material to make the screen curve. what material is that exactly and do u still think it could work or do u have a better solution?

finally, i remember you were going to build a box for your projector. do u still plan to do that and if so, what are your ideas for building this?

thanks for any help

marc

ronnie_jackson

10-28-08, 04:17 PM

Bleachum, sorry for the delayed response. Things have been pretty busy in my proffesional and personal life lately and I have neglected to keep up with my thread.

I left the 17" of space there mainly because I wanted to ensure that I would have plenty of space to move speakers in and out of that space without the column causing problems. Handy for future speaker upgrades. It also looked asthetically pleasing with my stage design. Another thing is I wanted to be able to get behind them myself. They could have been made closer to the screen wall and things would still look good, but it would not have been able to meet my objectives. Your situation could be completely different though and you might be fine. Another option would be able to make the colums hinged, that way if you have a small space, you could swing them out to access your speakers and the space behind them.

For the curved speaker columns, If i were to do it again, I would purchase some metal meshed material that could be curved and applied to the front of the colums, then covered with fabric. This would give you a nice smooth curve. I could actually go back and do this now without much work. Mine look pretty good, but if you look closely, you can see the plywood ribs that i used to produce the curves pushing the speaker fabric out a little. I probably notice it more than anyone. Most people think its supposed to be that way, but it bothers me.

I had planned on building a box for my projector in the beginning because thats what everyone else was doing. They look nice and hide the projector. Since my projector is black and dark grey, it blends into the ceiling very well and you dont really notice it. Its also at the very back of the room. Actually a lot of people dont even see it until I point it out. Once i upgrade projectors in the future, if its noticable, I will build a box for it.

Hopefully I answered your questions.

Ronnie

ronnie_jackson

12-04-08, 11:53 AM

I have a quick question. Hopefully there are a few of you guys that are still looking at my thread even though I dont update it much.

Im looking for some sort of lighting solution for my equipment rack. When I open the door under normal movie watching or intermission lighting, I can hardly see any of the buttons, dials, knobs, etc on the equipment. I dont do this very often, but when I do, I would like to be able to see it. Currently I have been using a small handheld LED light, but thats a pain. I want something that is pretty directional and would only light up the faces of the equipment. I also dont want it to be overyly bright.

Any ideas?

Ronnie

FusionRx

12-04-08, 11:56 AM

Have you thought of using the Light bars PC case modders use to illuminate the inside of their cases? Get a few of those and wire them up so that when you open your equipment case door they go on...

erkq

12-04-08, 12:07 PM

Pro power strips for DJ setups, etc. have pop-out LED lights that can be rotated to face any direction in the vertical plane. They are cheap on eBay too. Good power distribution solution too. And they're rack mountable. And they look cool.

miltimj

12-04-08, 12:19 PM

Cheap solution might be a rope light (colored maybe, to make it dimmer) inside a L or U track to make it more directional.

ronnie_jackson

12-04-08, 12:41 PM

Wow, thanks for the quick responses guys.

I have thought about the strip style lights used in pc cases. I would have to rig up a 12v power supply to accomodate them. I have also seen a few people using the 120v style from Ikea and Costco to illuminate around their TV's and thought this might work, but seems a little bright and non directional.

I will have to check out the DJ lights. Are these the snake style lights you see them using over the console boards?

Rope light might be the correct intensity for this application, but coming up with a design might be tough.

I only want it to illuminate the face of the equipment. Nothing else.

Ronnie

erkq

12-04-08, 12:45 PM

I will have to check out the DJ lights. Are these the snake style lights you see them using over the console boards?

No, these are just pop-out. Generally you put the strip at the top of your stack. Then you have these LED lights aim down your stack. They sometimes have volt and/or amp meters as well as a power switch so it's kinda cool to have this in the top position.

ronnie_jackson

12-04-08, 12:51 PM

ERKQ, Can you post a link or picture to what you are describing. Can you get the lighting only? I dont need any guages, meter, or outlets.

I found these, but sounds like your talking about something different.
http://namm.harmony-central.com/SNAMM04/Content/Furman/PR/RL-LED.jpg

erkq

12-04-08, 01:12 PM

I found these, but sounds like your talking about something different.
http://namm.harmony-central.com/SNAMM04/Content/Furman/PR/RL-LED.jpg

Well THAT looks cool... seems to be what you need.

This is what I was thinking. There are further links to a hi-res pic and owner's manual:

http://www.samsontech.com/products/productpage.cfm?prodID=1921&brandID=2

ronnie_jackson

12-04-08, 01:21 PM

Ahhh, I see now. I have actually seen quite a few of those in pictures of peoples racks on the forums. It would be a great idea if I didnt already have my own power distribution. Probably way overkill for my situation.

I like the snake light design I found so far. Im wondering if I cant fabricate my own out of some LED strips.

Ronnie

jamis

12-04-08, 01:21 PM

Those look similar to the Littlite rack lights...

http://www.littlite.com/products.php?category=2

I just put some Littlites in my theater (though not on the rack)....

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=15201289#post15201289

Littlite has tons of options and types of lights with various connections, lengths, and features.

ronnie_jackson

12-04-08, 01:35 PM

Cool Jamis. Those are also about 1/2 the price of the Furman rack mounts.

I see you went with the standalone L-3 series. How bright is a single lamp? Would it be sufficient to light up the face of a rack about 5 feet tall?

Ronnie

dc_pilgrim

12-04-08, 03:27 PM

Clarence added a gooseneck lamp to his rack, here is a pic:

http://crtforum.com/img/racklight.jpg

raZorTT

12-04-08, 04:15 PM

Hey Ronnie,

Do you have an IKEA near you?

You could maybe look at using their strip lighting.

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/50119407

Cheers,

Simon

ronnie_jackson

12-04-08, 04:15 PM

Clarence added a gooseneck lamp to his rack,

Thanks DC, that looks like one of the Littlites series similar to what Jamis installed. I think those are going to be perfect. Trying to find some, or something similar, locally now.

I will keep you guys posted.

Let me know if anyone else has any ideas.

Ronnie

ronnie_jackson

12-04-08, 04:24 PM

Hey Ronnie,

Do you have an IKEA near you?

You could maybe look at using their strip lighting.

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/50119407

Cheers,

Simon

Thanks Simon, yes I have one about 45 minutes away. I had seen those before as thats what a lot of guys are putting behind their flat screens to give them a backlit glow.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=949467

Im thinking these would be way to bright. Another thought for these would be to mount them at the back of the rack so the light would glow through. Probably a cool effect, but I will still need a way to light up the face of the equipment.

Ronnie

jamis

12-04-08, 05:14 PM

One high intensity light MIGHT be bright enough for a 5' rack if placed properly. I'd probably consider two of them though.

They do get hot, though. If that is a concern, check out the LED ones.

ronnie_jackson

12-22-08, 01:24 AM

I picked up one of these today at my local Home Depot for $20. I think it might be a good solution for my rack lighting. I plan on modifying it a little and recessing it into the bottom of a slide out tray. Since my rack is hidden behind a door, I couldnt mount anything that would permanently stick out beyond the face of the rack. My plan is to build a small shelf and route a slot for the light to fit into. Then mount this shelf to the bottom of an existing shelf using a drawer slide. From there, i can simply pull the shelf out when lighting is needed on the front of the rack. When its not in use, it will blend into the rack as just another slim peice of equipment. I might even wire up a switch that would turn the light on when the shelf is pulled out. Probably take me a week or so to get this made and going. When finished, It will look similar to THIS (http://www.markertek.com/Product.asp?baseItem=CBT-RAIL&cat=RACKSCASES&subcat=&prodClass=RACKLIGHTS&mfg=CBT+Systems&search=0&off=)

http://www.ronniejackson.com/theater/forum/lighting/ge1.jpg

http://www.ronniejackson.com/theater/forum/lighting/ge.jpg

ronnie_jackson

02-20-09, 10:59 AM

ronnie_jackson

02-26-09, 04:32 PM

I finally bit the bullet and ordered all the parts for my HTPC. Its based on the Intel/Intel Midrange ATX system described in the "Guide to Building a HTPC" located Here (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=940972). I made a couple of changes, but overall, the components are the same.

I purchased:

Case: Silverstone SST-LC17B
Power Supply: Enermax PRO82 525w EPR525AWT
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3P
Processor: Core 2 Duo E7400
CPU Fan: Xigmatek HDT-SD964
Memory: OCZ Technology 4GB DDR2-800 Kit (Two 2GB Memory Modules)
Video Card: HIS H467QS1GP Radeon HD 1gig
BR/HD-DVD: LG Black 6X Blu-ray/HD-DVD GGC-H20L - Retail
IR: Antec Multimedia Station Basic (3.5 external bay, IR, and Remote)

It will be loaded with 64bit Windows Vista Ultimate.

Ronnie

kjlewie

02-26-09, 06:52 PM

ronnie_jackson

02-27-09, 01:49 PM

Your build is awesome. Lots of helpful details, some I won't even attempt. I've likely overlooked it somewhere in your thread, but do you have any "money" pics of your room in its nearly complete state?

Thanks

Thanks kjlewie, i appreciate your kind comments. I actually need to take some more up to date pics room in its near final stage. At the bottom of page 34 (post 1019) is a few pics to give you an idea for now. It only has my first row of seating in place on those pics and the ceiling had not been painted. Everything is in place now and the ceiling is temporarily painted black until i construct the star ceiling. I would say I am 99% complete.

I will get up there and take some new ones as that is something I have been meaning to do anyway. Thanks for giving me the push.

Ronnie

Chiahead

02-27-09, 02:31 PM

ronnie_jackson

02-27-09, 04:34 PM

Hey Ronnie, keep us posted on the PC build. I am interested in this. I built a PC about 6 years ago, and it was a miserable experiance. cards dying, machine crapping out. I thought to myself never again. But now seeing what I want to do in a theater, I don't want to shell out the amount needed to get what I would want from PC company.

I sure will. I have never ever bought a preconfigured PC and probably never will. I have built so many pc's for myself and others that I dont think i could even begin to count them. In my opinion, building your own is the only way to go to get the best components at the cheapest price, with the greatest ability to upgrade these components. Nothing wrong with pre-built OEM computers and there are definately some nice rigs out there ready to plug in and go. One thing to note is that I say this because I have been involved with this stuff since I was young and it seems easy for me and I like to do it. That might not be the situation for everyone though. I vote for anyone to try it. Its really pretty easy and there is plenty of help around here if you need it. My bet is you can get better tech support on the AVS forums than you can from the computer vendors :D

As a side note, UPS shows my stuff to be delivered on Monday.

Ronnie

ronnie_jackson

03-09-09, 05:22 PM

After staring at the stack of boxes for my HTPC all week long, I finally had a chance to start the build over the weekend. It was a pretty tight fit to get all the components installed and the wires neatly arranged inside the Silverstone LC17 case. Lots of tape, wire loom, thought and patience for sure, but I finally got it the way I want it.

Here is a shot of everything installed, wired up, and ready to go.
http://www.ronniejackson.com/theater/forum/htpc/inside.jpg

The front of the case. One thing I am not particulary fond of is the way they make the openings for the 2 internal slots on the front of the case. They are only big enough to let the tray slide out and the actual drive is recessed into the case about 1/2 inch. They provide a blank panel that attaches to the front of your drive tray with double sided tape to give it a clean stealth look, but im going to just leave that off for now. I wish they were full height and they would give you the option to flush mount the actual drive without using the blanks. I might change my mind, but here is how it looks right now. LG GGC H20L BluRay and Veris Multimedia Station Basic are occupying those two slots. The Veris Multimedia Station Basic is a 3.5" device, so i had to use a 5 1/4 drive tray converter. The converter has a couple of usb headers on it, but they are not being used. I painted the converter tray black to match. The panel at the bottom right opens to expose 4 usb ports, headphone, mic, and a 1394 port.

http://www.ronniejackson.com/theater/forum/htpc/case.jpg

Here is the new list of updated components: Most of the product links are to Newegg for info purposes only.
Case: Silverstone SST-LC17B (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811163055)
Power Supply: Enermax PRO82 525w EPR525AWT (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817194034&Tpk=EPR525AWT)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3P (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128358&Tpk=ep45-ud3p)
Processor: Core 2 Duo E7400 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115206&Tpk=e7400)
CPU Fan: Xigmatek HDT-SD964 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233014&Tpk=sd964)
Memory: Corsair TWIN2X4096-6400 XMS2 4GB HIS DDR2-800 (PC-6400) (http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0274412)
Video Card: HIS H467QS1GP Radeon HD 1gig (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161251&Tpk=H467QS1GP)
BR/HD-DVD: LG Black 6X Blu-ray/HD-DVD GGC-H20L - Retail (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136133&Tpk=GGC-H20L)
IR: Antec Multimedia Station Basic (3.5 external bay, IR, and Remote) (http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0294496)
Keyboard: Logitech Dinovo Mini (http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/keyboards/keyboard/devices/3848&cl=US,EN)

After getting the hardware installed (before loading the OS), i normally do a burn-in on all the compents with several utilities that stress test all the components. These tests usually run for 8-24 hours and ensure all compnents are working properly. If they can pass this, then most likely they are good to go. The Ram was the only thing that kept failing. I was using memtest86 to stress test the ram. After messing with the ram config for 2 days, i could not get it to pass the tests successfully. The ram is OCZ OCZ2G8004GK. Tech spec HERE (http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0264254). Even though the OCZ ram was listed as supported on the Gigabyte website for the GA-EP45-UD3P board, i could not get it to work in any configuration. Tested various slots, voltages, timings, etc. I assumed I just got a bad memory kit and returned it. I also decided to try another brand rather than risk having the same issues again by exchanging for the same kit. I went with Corsair TWIN2X4096-6400. Tech specs HERE (http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0274412). After installing the Corsair memory, it passed the initial testing and also an overnight test run with flying colors.

At this point, i was satisfied that the hardware was good and ready for an OS and application load.

Windows Vista Ultimate 64 bit was loaded, along with all the latest drivers, firmwares, etc for all the various components in the system. Once everything was up to the most currrent versions, windows update was run to finish it off and bring the entire system up to date from a software perspective.

I am going to be working on getting all the applications purchased and loaded this week. Below are the items that I think I need. Stuck on deciding PowerDVD or TMT, or both. Seems to be dedicated crowds for either and its much like the mac vs pc world.

AnyDVD HD (Slysloft)
Power DVD 9 Ultra (Cyberlink)
TMT (Arcsoft Total Media Theater)

Does anyone have any suggestion, comments, or feedback on applications they use for HTPC?

Ronnie
My Movies 2 (for collection mgmt and content)

oman321

03-09-09, 05:29 PM

ronnie_jackson

03-09-09, 05:52 PM

Another thing i worked on over the weekend was the mount for my equipment light. Several posts above you can see what I had in mind for lighting up the front of my equipment rack.

At first, i was going to build a pull out shelf with a light on the bottom of it. Simply pulling out the shelf would activate the light and provide lighting to only the front of the rack. After some thought, i decided why not make it a drawer instead of a shelf. That way I could store things like remotes, manual, etc in one easy to find place.

So here is what I have so far. I took one of my existing rack shelves and mounted a keyboard drawer slide to the bottom of it. I then made a small drawer out of 1x4's that is 16" wide and 18" deep and painted everything black. Once mounted to the slides, it will have 6" of storage height (this can be adjusted later if needed). Once I move some equipment around in the rack, i will make the drawer front for it at the appropriate size and mount the light to the bottom of it. The plan is to have the drawer front hang down well below the actual drawer bottom to hide the light, direct it downwards and keep it from spilling into the room.

I dont know if everyone remembers how I built my rack, but its simply a couple of shelf brackets on the backside of the theater room wall. The shelving has notches on each side that allow the shelves to protrude through the wall and to be flush with the theater room side wall. From inside the theater, the shelves appear to be floating.

A pic of the backside of the rack from the equipment room:

http://www.ronniejackson.com/theater/forum/rack/IMG_1520.jpg

Here is the drawer, and the handle i will use once I make the drawer facing. Should I paint those slides black????

http://www.ronniejackson.com/theater/forum/rack/drawer.jpg

As soon as I get things moved around and the drawer facing made, I will post some follow up pics.

Ronnie

Ronnie

ronnie_jackson

03-09-09, 05:59 PM

Sweet HTPC,

Can't really offer any suggestions as I have yet to build a HTPC but it's something I hope to eventually get to. Pretty cool how you were able to test everything out beforehand and trouble shoot. Good luck with getting it going.

Thanks Omen. I like it so far. One of the things I find really cool so far is that the Antec Multimedia station will allow me to turn on and off the pc with a remote. Its tied into the power of the motherboard. This will make it handy for my Harmony 880 Remote.

Stress testing all the compents for a build is something critical for anyone building thier own pc. It validates thier functionality and performance. You also only have about 30 days to return any defective parts unless you want to go throught the warranty RMA process which I like to avoid, so this makes it even more critical. Some of the items also had rebates that needed to be submitted quickly, so i didnt want to cut any of the UPC codes from the boxes until I was certain the items were working 100% and stable.

Ronnie

Ronnie

Scawt

03-09-09, 06:00 PM

Thanks for the info on the HTPC stress test. I'm currently building a similar machine, and was wondering what the startup process is usually like. Nice work on the room too!

miltimj

03-09-09, 06:26 PM

Sweet rig, Ronnie. Though if it were my case, I'd attach the stealth panels to the optical drives (much better looking than all the logos, etc).. :)

ejhuzy

03-09-09, 06:40 PM

ronnie_jackson

03-09-09, 07:09 PM

Thanks for the info on the HTPC stress test. I'm currently building a similar machine, and was wondering what the startup process is usually like. Nice work on the room too!

Scawt, A great list for these utilities in one spot and is constantly updated is over HERE (http://forums.tweaktown.com/f69/latest-overclocking-programs-system-info-benchmarking-stability-tools-30530/) Its the Latest Overclocking Programs, System Info, Benchmarking, & Stability Tools section on the Gigabyte section of tweaktown.com forums. This forum caters to the overclockers in general, but contains good info for the masses as well.

Check it out.

Ronnie

ronnie_jackson

03-09-09, 07:15 PM

Sweet rig, Ronnie. Though if it were my case, I'd attach the stealth panels to the optical drives (much better looking than all the logos, etc).. :)

I agree Tim, it would probably look better. It bothers me that I have to attach it with double sided tape. I am worried that it wont come off easily without messing up the drive tray in the event i decide to upgrade the drive and use the current one in another machine.

For sure I will put the stealth panel on the bottom slot to cover the Multimedia Station IR box. I plan on routing an internal ir emitter inside the case and attaching it to the front of the Multimedia station sensor with a jack on one of my back slot covers to connect it to my repeater. At that point, I can cover that slot with the stealth drive cover.

Do you have any experience with Power DVD or TMT????

Ronnie

ronnie_jackson

03-09-09, 07:27 PM

Ronnie,

Cool idea on the drawer for the rack. Nice implementation as well.

WRT the HTPC, how is a HTPC difference that one of those Network Media Tanks? Other than the DVD drives and HDDs are in the HTPC. I've never built a PC or a HTPC. I'm sure I could after hours of reading and then many more hours of trial and error, but the NMT seems easier (although NOT easy).

Any thoughts for a newbie to both technologies?

Thanks Ed.

When you say "Network Media Tanks", are you referring to a network attached storage device? Something thats basically a box full of drives? Or a PC with tons of storage?

A HTPC is a full blown PC. While it could function as a storage only device, there are cheaper ways build a pc for network storage it if all your interested in is storage. You would not need all the processing power, graphics capability, sound, etc that you need for the HTPC. You could also build one that covers both HTPC use and lots of storage, but it will be louder than a standard HTPC because you will have to cool all those drives and high end components. You would not want that whirring away in your theater room :D

I know you say you dont want to read, but I would suggest checking out The Guide to Building a HTPC (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=940972) over in the HTPC area of this forum. It covers both standard HTPC's and Media Storage PC's. Good stuff.

Ronnie

ejhuzy

03-09-09, 11:14 PM

When you say "Network Media Tanks", are you referring to a network attached storage device? Something thats basically a box full of drives? Or a PC with tons of storage?

A HTPC is a full blown PC. While it could function as a storage only device, there are cheaper ways build a pc for network storage it if all your interested in is storage. You would not need all the processing power, graphics capability, sound, etc that you need for the HTPC. You could also build one that covers both HTPC use and lots of storage, but it will be louder than a standard HTPC because you will have to cool all those drives and high end components. You would not want that whirring away in your theater room :D

I know you say you dont want to read, but I would suggest checking out The Guide to Building a HTPC (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=940972) over in the HTPC area of this forum. It covers both standard HTPC's and Media Storage PC's. Good stuff.

Ronnie,

I don't mind reading at all, I've done lots of it on this forum. It was all worth it as I now have a great HT (with thanks to you too bud). I will definitely check out those links.

I read all 38 pages of this thread (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=14533122#post14533122) on the Popcorn Hour NMT. They are a NAS, but can connect to one. I guess they're more like streaming devices.

I know you know a lot about HTPC, I was hoping for a few words comparing the two (HTPC vs NMT). I'm leaning towards a NMT because it seems like it handles what I want and is less of a $ commitment. Although after you buy the BD drive, HDD/NAS, and the NMT, it might be close to the same $.

Anyway, good luck with the HTPC and keep the updates coming. I'm real interested in learning about them.

ronnie_jackson

03-10-09, 02:04 AM

Ed, I dont think I could do a comparison between a network storage device and a home theater pc. They are two different beasts serving two different purposes. While a person might be able to accomplish the functions of both in a single device, I chose not to go this route.

What you choose to build is mainly based on your requirements. For me, it was first the ability to play blu-ray and hd-dvd content. Another item of interest was to be able to play movies and things ripped to my hard drive. I have a few hundred movies on a single 1.5TB drive. I will also keep a little music (mp3's) on the same drive, just so i dont have to load up or change cd's. With my setup, I can have it play my trailers, special content, etc before the movie, then the main movie, all while dimming the lighting to coincide with the specific events. It can pretty much be automated to do anything. I also wanted to be able to do light web browsing and a few occasional pc related things on the big screen. Things i choose to put on the HTPC can also be streamed to media center extenders.

For me, i didnt want or need 30TB of storage that would house every movie, picture, or MP3 that i own or will ever own. I just needed space to keep some of the latest and greatest stuff on it, provide some automation, and also a little cool factor for the guests.

My HTPC case does have the ability however to hold 6 hard drives. So, if I ever want to upgrade its storage, i could easily put 12TB of internal storage using todays 2TB hard drives. I can also easily add external storage like a nas type device. Just some other benefits of this particular setup.

So as you can see, you must start with your requirments. Then build the system to fit those needs. I hope this helps and I have answered your questions.

Ronnie

ejhuzy

03-10-09, 10:08 AM

Ronnie,

The NMT's are not NAS's. I had a typo in my last response. Sorry about that. You would think with 20 yrs of computer programming I'd know how to type by now.

NMTs are actually very close to being HTPCs. The NMT doesn't come with any storage and doesn't actually require any. It's basically a box with the sound and video cards in your HTPC with software that allows for streaming content over the net. NMT is a general term for several hardware boxes that share a firmware from one company. More info on the products here (http://www.gizmodaddy.com/storefront/)and community forums here (http://www.networkedmediatank.com/).

Enough with my NMT derailment. :-) I just thought you might be interested in them and given your in depth knowledge of HTPCs give a comparison. I've been reading up on them and while everyone that owns them think they are easier to set up compared to HTPCs, that could just be fanboy talk.

ronnie_jackson

03-10-09, 11:17 AM

sorry Ed, I guess I did misunderstand you.

Those things look like media extenders to me. Seems like it would work for its purpose.

I dont have any experience with any of those. I use my DirecTV HDR recievers for streaming content from my HTPC to my tv's. From what I have read, Popcorn Hour is a pretty good one.

Ronnie

Scawt

03-10-09, 11:25 AM

Scawt, A great list for these utilities in one spot and is constantly updated is over HERE (http://forums.tweaktown.com/f69/latest-overclocking-programs-system-info-benchmarking-stability-tools-30530/) Its the Latest Overclocking Programs, System Info, Benchmarking, & Stability Tools section on the Gigabyte section of tweaktown.com forums. This forum caters to the overclockers in general, but contains good info for the masses as well.

Check it out.

Ronnie

Awesome, thanks for the link!

ronnie_jackson

03-16-09, 02:32 PM

I installed all the media applications over the weekend and got everything set up. Right now I am testing the trial versions of PDVD8 and TMT to see which one I like or if I actually might need both.

Power DVD 8
My Movies 2
Total Media Theater
Vista Media Center configured with TV Pack.

I originally tried PowerDVD 9, but there seems to be an issue with this software and HDMI right now. Everyone on multiple forums have the same issue and nobody has an ETA on the fix, therefore I went with PowerDVD8. 8 seems to be working, but i need to do some more tweaking.

I watched a standard def DVD to completion from my hard drive through PowerDVD8 and everything looks just as good as my standalone players. I also watched a little Blu-Ray and played with some of the BDLive stuff. Pretty cool. Awesome picture and sound.

So far I am satisfied with the build, so I am going to work on mounting the HTPC into my rack and cleaning all that up. From there I will continue to tweak it out and integrate it into my automation. Other than the PowerDVD9 snag, things are good.

Ronnie

swithey

03-18-09, 12:09 AM

ronnie_jackson

03-18-09, 04:36 PM

Looks like you're having some fun Ronnie. I've had my HTPC in place for a few years now Its been pretty darn reliable. You used the same case I used - you'll love it.

BTW -- I never stuck that little DVD face plate on the DVD player in fear I would upgrade to BR. Guess I should put it on one of these days.

Lots of fun, just wish I had more time. I need to pick your brain sometime on your setup and get some pointers on software, config, etc. Its funny that a lot of our equipment turned out to be the same. I didnt plan that :p I really do like the case. It looks great in the rack.

I ended up sticking the faceplate on last night. It looks better and if I ever have to swap out the drives, i guess i will do the best I can to remove it without tearing something up.

Ronnie

ronnie_jackson

03-23-09, 04:28 PM

I pickep up a Logitech Dinovo Mini keyboard over the weekend for the HTPC. Wow, what a cool little addition to the HTPC and theater room. It fits in the palm of your hand, is backlit, and has mouse controls. It can also be operated in Media mode for WMC or standard mode. Its not something you would want to do a lot of typing on because of the small size, but its perfect for the HTPC. Reminds me of an oversized BlackBerry keyboard. It was highly recommended on the forums and seems to be well worth the money.

You can check out the details HERE (http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/keyboards/keyboard/devices/3848&cl=US,EN).

http://www.logitech.com/repository/620/jpg/5816.1.0.jpg

http://www.logitech.com/repository/620/jpg/5921.1.0.jpg

ronnie_jackson

03-23-09, 04:46 PM

Sweet rig, Ronnie. Though if it were my case, I'd attach the stealth panels to the optical drives (much better looking than all the logos, etc).. :)

MILTIMJ, this one is just for you :D. I attached the stealth drive bay panels.

It looks like this now:

http://www.ronniejackson.com/theater/forum/htpc/LC17B.jpg

Ronnie

swithey

03-24-09, 10:45 PM

miltimj

03-24-09, 11:58 PM

Nice. :)

I've never seen that keyboard before, either - very cool, and I can definitely how it'd be useful for an HTPC, as you said.

raZorTT

03-25-09, 12:03 AM

Slightly OT, but I think it can turn on a PS3 as well can't it?? Vaguely remember reading that.

Mind you with this on it's way soon..
http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/19/logitech-harmony-adapter-for-playstation-3-answers-a-million-pra/

Shan

03-26-09, 03:00 AM

ronnie_jackson

03-26-09, 11:46 AM

[QUOTE=raZorTT;16117467]Slightly OT, but I think it can turn on a PS3 as well can't it?? Vaguely remember reading that.

Yes, the Dinovo Mini can be operated in PS3 mode. There is a switch inside the back battery compartment that allows it to change from PC to PS3 mode.

Ronnie

ronnie_jackson

03-26-09, 12:02 PM

Are you getting good range out of the new keyboard Ronnie? I have the Wireless Desktop 8000 from Microsoft and I am not really impressed with its range. When I am about 25 feet away, the keyboard still works well, but mouse movement is very erratic.

Shan

My theater room is 16'x20' and the HTPC is on the left side of the room about 4 feet from the back wall. I have no issues at all using it anywhere within the theater room. It uses blue-tooth 2.0 technology and the box rates its range at 33 feet. My maximum seating distance from the HTPC is probably 13feet. My favorite seat is about 8 feet from the HTPC, so it works great in my environment.

I am in the process of dressing up the equipment rack with wire management and installing the drawer with equipment light. Currently all my wiring is disconnected. I should be done in a few days and I will try to see what the max distance I can achieve on the Dinovo Mini would be for me. I will report back to you.

Im thinking that you could probably plug the BT receiver into a USB extension cable and move the receiver to a more centraly located position that would give you better coverage if you need slightly more range. Just a thought.

Ronnie

ronnie_jackson

03-26-09, 12:12 PM

Nice. :)

I've never seen that keyboard before, either - very cool, and I can definitely how it'd be useful for an HTPC, as you said.

Ya, me neither. I ran acros it doing a search in the HTPC forum section for "Keyboard". There are several good threads on HTPC style keyboards. The Dinovo Mini was highly recommended in almost every thread I read.

The coolest full size keyboard is the Dinovo Edge (http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/keyboards/keyboard/devices/192&cl=US,EN). I would have purchased that, but I wanted something small that could easily be stored. Plus the little thing has such a cool factor. I figure if I really need to do some serious typing, i can always plug in a USB keyboard to the front panel of the HTPC.

Ronnie

miltimj

03-26-09, 12:38 PM

Shan

03-26-09, 01:07 PM

My theater room is 16'x20' and the HTPC is on the left side of the room about 4 feet from the back wall. I have no issues at all using it anywhere within the theater room. It uses blue-tooth 2.0 technology and the box rates its range at 33 feet. My maximum seating distance from the HTPC is probably 13feet. My favorite seat is about 8 feet from the HTPC, so it works great in my environment.

I am in the process of dressing up the equipment rack with wire management and installing the drawer with equipment light. Currently all my wiring is disconnected. I should be done in a few days and I will try to see what the max distance I can achieve on the Dinovo Mini would be for me. I will report back to you.

Im thinking that you could probably plug the BT receiver into a USB extension cable and move the receiver to a more centraly located position that would give you better coverage if you need slightly more range. Just a thought.

Ronnie

Thanks Ronnie. I did some more research last night and decided I had to have one. I should get it from Amazon tomorrow. I'll probably buy a second one for my MCE box in my MBR if it works out well. *fingers crossed*

Thanks for pointing me to it!!

ronnie_jackson

03-26-09, 02:44 PM

Speaking of "easily stored", do you have somewhere that you can put all of the "input devices". Maybe that's your only "universal" remote, or maybe the Dinovo and a separate universal remote, but there could also be console controllers, etc.. Do you have some kind of closed up box or somewhere that you put them out of sight?

Tim, I use a Harmony 880 to do just about everything. The Dinovo Mini will come into play when I need additional keyboard input and to do things the Harmony will not do.

I dont have any gaming consoles, etc in the theater room at this time, but they could easily be stored in the drawer. I could have made the drawer even larger if I wanted to house additional things. At this point, i will use it to store all the dedictated remotes that come with each piece of equipment, some often used manuals, and anthing that i frequently might need, but want put away. The drawer was kind of an afterthought as I was mainly interested in a way to have a pull out light to illuminate the front of my equipment rack.

Also, I have a 2 drawer legal file cabinet in my equipment room that I keep a ton of theater, network, audio and video related things in. But i have to go out of the HT to access that stuff, so it only stores the extras such as wiring, manuals, adapters, etc.

I am almost done with the drawer/light. Waiting on some paint to dry and then I will mount the lighting and install it into the rack. Pictures to follow.

Ronnie