What display type and location would you choose for this room?

I have about $2500 for either a flat panel or a projection/projector. Some choices:

1) Put flat panel or DLP on white cabinet to right of fireplace
2) Hang flat panel above fireplace
3) Hang projector from ceiling and project onto area above fireplace.
4) Put set in corner off of the left portion of the picture.

I'd like a scenario that still makes sense for a 5.1 audio setup. I'm all ears.

Opie,

What is on the wall 90 CCW of the fireplace? I would stay away from the fireplace, either for mounting a flat panel, or for a projection screen. I'm wondering if the viewing angle will force your head upwards while watching TV or a movie.

Is that door to the right of the fireplace the main front door to your home?

- Steve O.

Thanks for quick response Steve. Door to right of fireplace is half bath. Past the doorway is the main entrance to the house.

The wall 90 CCW from the fireplace is attached here (with windows). I am considering putting a set in the right corner (of the picture attached to this message, 90 CCW from fireplace) and blocking the last window on the right, as well as the space to the left of the fireplace. I guess I'd put the sub in the corner behind the set.

Is that the best option?

I agree. I think your neck would get sore looking up over the fireplace. I am also not sure if angling all of your furniture toward the corner would look good either. I would think about a drop down screen that would lower far enough so the projected image would be at the correct height for watching.

Joe

Opie,

This is pretty roomy, so you should have a lot of flexibility here.

Is the part of the floorplan opposite from the fireplace off-limits for a display and speakers? This is tricky, because with a room shaped like this, you want to maintain a free flow from the stairs to the patio.

What kind of seating/furniture do you plan to have in this room? What kind of viewing/listening setup do you want? i.e. everyday TV, kids playing video games, dedicated movies? Or just you and your records?

A top-down floorplan view would really help :) But the photos give a good idea of the space as well.

- Steve O.

I've attached an overhead view here, with penciled in chair and couch. I'd want to avoid a situation with my back to the fireplace.

I'd like this to be everyday TV as well as movie night and some kids shows.

Opie,

I assume you will be using the fireplace. If not, that's the ideal wall for an all-purpose display and speakers.

- Steve O.

I'd like to continue to use the fireplace. What is the best alternative? What is the downside of using that corner on the left, other than blocking one window? Isn't it better to have the display facing away from the windows anyway in order to reduce glare?

Opie,

The corner to the left of the fireplace looks like a better spot for a display. If necessary, you can close the blinds or add curtains for light control of the deck windows. That corner allows for viewing from the breakfast nook, kitchen prep area, and of course the main room.

If it were my home, I would first have the display on a easily adjustable enterntainment stand or console table (assuming this is a flat panel) and try different placements (straddling the corner vs. against a wall). Same things with speakers if possible - if you have some speakers and stands lying around, see if just having front-left/right + center is good enough. For the surrounds, you might have to go with ceiling-mounted speakers - will that interfere with the room's decor and flow?

BTW - did you ever consider putting the A/V entertainment in the dining room and having your formal dining table across from the breakfast nook?

- Steve O.

Good points Steve. I think the surrounds will probably have to be ceiling mounts, or perhaps in-ceiling speakers. I plan to put the sub all the way in the corner, behind the set, unless told that's a bad idea. Are there adjustible stands for DLPs?

Interesting idea to try to sell the wife on the entertainment center in the dining room. It would be a good room for it, although it would lose the sight lines you mentioned were a benefit of the left corner of the other room.

When you say consider putting the formal dining table across from the breakfast nook, where exactly would you put it?

How hard would it be to do some reworking of that shelf on the right? You could drop it down so that the TV would sit where the first shelf is and angle the TV towards the breakfast nook. As a result, you can setup the furniture so that the fireplace and TV have equal focus in the room and still see it from the breakfast nook.

Thanks kjr39. I was thinking of asking the builder to completely remove that cabinet so that the TV could sit in that corner. Perhaps making it a corner cabinet with the set sitting on the bottom shelf would work.

No problem.

FWIW, I'd put it high enough so that it would clear the couch and you could see it from the breakfast area.

When you say consider putting the formal dining table across from the breakfast nook, where exactly would you put it?

Depends on the shape of the dining table. If it is long, align it parallel to your deck windows. For large get-togethers, having everyone eating and socializing in one area (breakfast nook + dining table near the fireplace) would be good.

I am not a fan of built-in cabinetry done by a builder. For example, I have an entertainment nook in my master bedroom (I wasn't the first owner of the home) that has a TV nook with a maximum width of about 34". Annoying... ;)

- Steve O.

I know that everyone is on the edge of their seats, so here's an update:

The cabinet to the right of the fireplace was built into the house, so the builder told me it would cost $1300-1400 to deconstruct and rebuild the drywall behind it. I'd rather use that money towards a set!

I've considered the drop down screen option but I think it would be down a lot of the time, and the screen would probably be costly (I've never bought one). I also have a fan in that room that wouldn't be able to run when the screen is down, right?

It seems like my two options are to either put the set on top of the cabinet to the right of the fireplace, or to use the corner to the left of the fireplace and block one of the windows (low wife approval rating on that option).

Personally, I think it depends what kind of space you have for video in the rest of your house. I dislike the plasma-above-the-fireplace thing as much as the next guy, but if it were mine I might hang a plasma there anyway and use it only for "casual" viewing (read: from the kitchen, when lots of people are over and thus many are standing, etc), and save some money to use a different room for "real" home theater activities.

My vote is for the corner.

You have a big room and some challenges including room acoustics, but I believe in a room like yours the corner layout is the best all around. It gives you good choices on seating and does not disrupt traffic, as well as allowing the person in the kitchen to watch.

Your main speakers will neither be in a corner nor necessarily on a wall, and this can be good.

Once you have your preferred layout, you might want to start a thread about the room acoustics and optimal speaker setup. There are some very knowledgeable folks who will ring in.

Thanks trek and Soapy.

I am considering the plasma idea but I think I'm going to try to put my 51" CRT HDTV in the corner turned in front of the cabinet, with the amp and receiver on top of the cabinet, and perhaps the subwoofer inside of it. Hopefully I'll have enough space as to not block passage into the room. I don't know if there is enough space there, or what that will look like, but I'm going to try.

I LOVE FP but it just isn't possible in a room like that. You have a beautiful room with walls of windows. You would go crazy trying to get that room into proper condition. I also think it would kill me to watch a movie on a plasma above a fireplace. Its just not close to where it should be compared to your eye level. That leaves the corner which gets my vote here. Good luck!

I'm finally getting around to finishing this room. In the attachment is the configuration I decided on, and in red boxes behind the couch are a proposed location for dipole surrounds (that I originally used in another home). The rectangle in the middle is the couch. The wall fish guys are coming on Friday so I need to know the following:

1) Is this the right location for dipole surrounds? Or should I purchased direct radiating to point toward the couch? (These were purchased to be positioned at the sides of the listener, but there's no way to do that here).

2) Wife approval factor (WAF) for this location isn't great, but in-ceiling speakers requires significant drywall work to fish, I've been told. So, is this where you would put them?

Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?

The wiring guys are coming tomorrow so any insight would be appreciated!