Just got back from my future college today and unfortunately learned that freshman have to stay in the dorms the first year and single dorms and suites are only available to upper classmen. My home theater dream was so close to being realized, I had the projector picked out, I knew how to make a nice neutral gray screen for super cheap, I had my cable situation worked out; and then that dream was beaten to death, burned, and spit on. This truly blows, and I found this out just in time to miss the XBR970 sale at CC for $650 and now it's back to $1000. On the plus side I love my college, the dorms are pretty nice (just too small for a pj), and the program I'm going into is awesome. I'd like to thank everyone on this forum nonetheless and when I do have the space to put my little theater together I'll be able to use the knowledge I've gained here to put it together. And hell maybe by that time solid 1080p projectors will be in the HD1000U and HD70 price range.

just how small is the room?

The room doesn't define the theater aspirations, the theater aspirations define the room. For example, my buddy can't do a dedicated room for his home theater, so he built a box valance with drapes over his windows. Cleverly concealed behind it, is a manual, pull down screen. He has his projector shelf mounted across the room.
Many projectors do short throw.

You could have a cheap pulldown screen and say an older projector (Sanyo Z2, Infocus, etc.) for 1000 combined.

Your dream doesn't have to die, unless you let it. ;)

Dude don't let your theater aspirations die. Sure you'll have to share a room and won't have your own dedicated space and maybe you can't do the whole surround sound thing. You can still get a pj and enjoy the picture even if you have to get an 80" screen and tripod so it can be stored when not in use. These could be just temporary solutions until you get your own room a year from now. Heck I have a Z2 that I'll be getting rid of in a few months(upgrading) I was going to keep it for another room but I'd even sell it to you for $150 so you'd at least have a cheap temporary solution.

Don't give up so easily. There's always a way.

Trust me - if you have a projector in college - you will be the hottest room/dorm/whatever in the entire place, even if it's just a cheapo 480p.

Buy a cheap projector/dvd player, and take it from your room into the common area whenever you want to watch a movie. Stick it on a table, the floor, and a shelf. Go ahead and keystone if you have to (no one will care). Use a crappy 2.1 computer speaker setup (again, no one is going to care). Finally, invite the friends over and enjoy movie nights.

Now it's true that you won't have a beautifully light controlled, 7.1 surround 1080p 100" + screen environment, but you're only in college. You've got many years to enjoy HT - it's okay to start at the bottom and work your way up. Take the time to enjoy all the people you'll meet and don't care about having a luxurious system.

edit: if you're super resourceful you can figure out how to make this projector pay for itself :)

... Hmm maybe you guys are right. Come to think of it if it's cool with my roommate I could hang the screen over the window when it's in use (which would be extra handy in blocking out the ambient light, and I won't have to worry about it leaking through the screen since it's a piece of 1/4" fiber board) and then mount the pj on the other side of the room. I may not be able to go with the HD1000U or the HD70 like I wanted to because of throw distance issues but maybe a nice 480p pj would do the trick (I really wanted HD for my games though). I'll check further into this, thanks for the support guys. I'm going to guess the ceilings are maybe 7 feet and I probably have a solid 8-9 feet of throw distance, anybody got suggestions for a good pj that would maximize my screen size on this?

Screw the dorms, join a fraternity, use the money to road trip, have a great time, and get into HT when you hit the real world.

Though I wouldn't recommend it for a dedicated HT room, I would strongly suggest you check out the Optoma MovieTime DV10. It is around $700 I think and it has a DVD player and speakers built in. It would provide you with the ultimate in portability and it has a very short throw. Plenty bright and if you're not susceptible to RBE (as I am), it throws an amazing, vivid picture with vibrant colors.

I should know, I owned one for a day. ;)

Check it out.

http://www.projectorcentral.com/Optoma-MovieTime_DV10-user-reviews.htm

http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Optoma-MovieTime-Digital-DVD-Projector-DV10/sem/rpsm/oid/148180/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do

It might be hard finding units in your price range with a shorter throw than the HD1000U.

There's one I can think of that can throw a 100" diagonal image from only 3.9' away though. The Toshiba ET20U. Some places have it pretty high, but you can get it for about as much as an HD1000U. That's a bit pricey for 480p, but such is the price of owning a pj with such extreme short throw with a built in DVD player and speaker system/subwoofer.

If you're ceiling mounting you could always project onto a mirror to extend the throw distance.

PS: Forgot about the MovieTime DV10. That's a good choice, but if you can project onto a mirror the HD1000U is still the best choice.

Well, while you're having fun, don't forget to do some studying!

Well, while you're having fun, don't forget to do some studying!

Haha, of course of course. Studies come first but college is about fun to you know.

It might be hard finding units in your price range with a shorter throw than the HD1000U.

There's one I can think of that can throw a 100" diagonal image from only 3.9' away though. The Toshiba ET20U. Some places have it pretty high, but you can get it for about as much as an HD1000U. That's a bit pricey for 480p, but such is the price of owning a pj with such extreme short throw with a built in DVD player and speaker system/subwoofer.

If you're ceiling mounting you could always project onto a mirror to extend the throw distance.

PS: Forgot about the MovieTime DV10. That's a good choice, but if you can project onto a mirror the HD1000U is still the best choice.

Hmm, explain the mirror method it sounds intriguing. Especially since I just found out I can get an HD70 from Dell for $840.

Edit: Just made it more intriguing since I just found out, thanks to the HD1000U screen size calculator, that I can get between a 67-75" screen (maybe bigger) if I project to the wall where the window is. That may be small but in a little dorm that's a huge screen. I'm back in action baby.

Dude, when I was in college we didn't even have tv's in our rooms (no cable and no stations at Penn State). Suck it up, man!!!! Oh, and we also walked up hill in the snow and ice to and from class all winter. That was before global warming, of course.

I agree with thoe post that says forget the theater for now..Son, you are going to college where there are many many many Hot girls..Do something great and wear that **** out. Then worry about that theater later. You wont regret it. Trust me.

I agree with thoe post that says forget the theater for now..Son, you are going to college where there are many many many Hot girls..Do something great and wear that **** out. Then worry about that theater later. You wont regret it. Trust me.

True true, nonetheless when I'm not in hot pursuit of the ladies I thought it would be neat to have a little home theater at my place for me and my friends to chill and watch a movie or have the guys over for some Halo on a ginormous screen. It was just a pipe dream but it started becoming more and more feasible and I was starting to get excited about it, it still may happen we'll see. O btw happy 4/20 everyone :p .

True true, nonetheless when I'm not in hot pursuit of the ladies I thought it would be neat to have a little home theater at my place for me and my friends to chill and watch a movie or have the guys over for some Halo on a ginormous screen. It was just a pipe dream but it started becoming more and more feasible and I was starting to get excited about it, it still may happen we'll see. O btw happy 4/20 everyone :p .
Studies first, then the ladies, then . . . well gotta eat and sleep and do a few other things. For the first year I'd mostly concentrate on the first two subjects mentioned. Sounds like a good life. :)
Time enough for geeky, techno stuff later. Enjoy!

EDIT: But, then again, where's a will . . . :D

When I was an undergrad at Purdue (1971), my freshman room was too small for a 30" screen. But I know the strategy.

What is important is the size of the open wall and the positioning and throw of the PJ. Make sure that you have both horizontal and vertical keystone correction as the fit will likely be a kluge. Use a good front surface mirror to get a longer throw.

Hook your computer to it and do your homework with it. Write a program that locks out media center until the homework is done.

Also use advanced placement to test out of all possible courses. Get through undergrad in minmal time and get someone to give you an RA for grad school. Like Caltech or MIT. Then get rich quick and you'll have women knocking down you door.

They alll love money.

As a college professor my advice is to make the opposite sex your first concern and your academic studies second. The lessons learned from women, all shapes and sizes will outweigh anything you learn in a classroom. Most colleges have dumbed down their requirements so you should be able to earn a degree even using half your available neurons.

So flirt, date and have fun. Earn your degree...in fact pick up a few more before you enter the real world. You can completely avoid real life up to your 30th birthday if you pursue doctoral studies. It is a wonderful thing to cruise through your 20's surrounded by beautiful, energetic, intelligent females in the prime of their physical beauty.

After earning the doctorate...get yourself an academic position. With this you can entirely avoid any real work and remain emersed in the fantasy life of a university. Stay single throughout your 30's and ...ah....share your knowledge with as many young folks as you can. Play the game and get tenure...this is essential if you are to avoid working for the rest of your life.

As you enter your 40's...find a bright young female grad student (in her early-mid 20's) to fall in love with...marry her. Help her find a good job...take early retirement and raise your new child.

It is a beautiful thing :)

I'm going to have to be the curmudgeon here. I went in the military for six years, then went to college. I have to say that the women coming out of high school are incredibly childish, relatively speaking. You do a lot of growning up between the years of 18 and 24. I just don't understand the infatuation older men have with younger women. Other than they're nubile, younger women simply aren't more mature enough. Moreover, if you're looking for someone to teach you the facts of life, go out with a 40 year old women. You'll learn more from that woman than you'll learn from all of the women you go out with in college. And, you'll have a hell of lot less stress. The upkeep on most young women is simply too much. "You're doing laundry? You obviously don't love me." (And that's an actual quote.)

As a college professor my advice is to make the opposite sex your first concern and your academic studies second. The lessons learned from women, all shapes and sizes will outweigh anything you learn in a classroom. Most colleges have dumbed down their requirements so you should be able to earn a degree even using half your available neurons.

So flirt, date and have fun. Earn your degree...in fact pick up a few more before you enter the real world. You can completely avoid real life up to your 30th birthday if you pursue doctoral studies. It is a wonderful thing to cruise through your 20's surrounded by beautiful, energetic, intelligent females in the prime of their physical beauty.

After earning the doctorate...get yourself an academic position. With this you can entirely avoid any real work and remain emersed in the fantasy life of a university. Stay single throughout your 30's and ...ah....share your knowledge with as many young folks as you can. Play the game and get tenure...this is essential if you are to avoid working for the rest of your life.

As you enter your 40's...find a bright young female grad student (in her early-mid 20's) to fall in love with...marry her. Help her find a good job...take early retirement and raise your new child.

It is a beautiful thing :)

I can't believe I am reading this!!!! Thanks for giving the profession such a bad name!

Hey your a college student, be different, you don't need a bigger room. I suspect you've got a big white screen right above you. Lay on your back and point the projector up, ;)

Star56 is not giving "the profession" a bad name. He's a &^%ing genius! Star, where the heck were you when I was a teenager. I believed my folks who told me college was all work and get thru as fast as possible. I blew through in two and a half years and have regretted it ever since! " It is a wonderful thing to cruise through your 20's surrounded by beautiful, energetic, intelligent females in the prime of their physical beauty"...brilliant. Sure, ctviggen is right...they are immature...but when you're a 24 year old dude you don't know it because you're immature too. Yeah, I think by the time you're thirty you need to hang up the playboy thing, but college should be the best seven years of your life. Just don't tell my daughters that!

ur in college man, you are supposed to be poor. What little money you do have, should be spent on beer, and chicks...




your priorities are completely screwed up, it's college dude

Dude, when I was in college we didn't even have tv's in our rooms (no cable and no stations at Penn State). Suck it up, man!!!! Oh, and we also walked up hill in the snow and ice to and from class all winter. That was before global warming, of course.Ah that's nothing we had to walk up hill both ways in a freezing blizzard carrying nothing but a hot potatoe to keep us warm. This was before coats were even invented of course. :D

Ah that's nothing we had to walk up hill both ways in a freezing blizzard carrying nothing but a hot potatoe to keep us warm. This was before coats were even invented of course. :D

You're complaining! We didn't even have potatoes. Just a bowl of cold porridge once a day. And we had to climb a mountain to get to and from class. Top that!

I can't believe I am reading this!!!! Thanks for giving the profession such a bad name!


:) There is truth in what I posted.

As far a maturity level it varies from young woman to young woman. I married my wife when she was 24 and I was 48. Almost four years later it is the best relationship of my life. She is mature, thoughtful...and yes nubile :eek:

48 and 24?


I tell my girl when she hits 40 i'm trading her in for two 20's.

I had just a 27'' flat tube when I was in college w/ a 5.1 setup and my room was the party room/movie room of the section for 4 years. You don't have to have the big screen, just have the sound to put up a good party and watch action movies and play video games on, and you'll be the hit of the section. I often had to kick people out of my room as it was such a popular room when I had a date, etc.

Size doesn't always matter, the overall feel of the room, if it's neat, clean, doesn't smell absolutely horribly like most guys room, and people will flock.

Actually, you can have it all and the HT is the ticket. Certainly your date would like to watch one of her favorite movies on the big screen and as a cheap date, you can save $$$ by watching movies in the dorm room instead of having to come up with big bucks to take her to the local cinema. Also, the guys in the dorm are going to want to see the big games on the big screen. You just tell them that you would be happy to let them come watch if they bring the beer (you get to drink for free).

Take the earlier advice and pick up a good used one, such as the Z-2 offered up. It will be the best money you ever spent.

Actually, you can have it all and the HT is the ticket. Certainly your date would like to watch one of her favorite movies on the big screen and as a cheap date, you can save $$$ by watching movies in the dorm room instead of having to come up with big bucks to take her to the local cinema. Also, the guys in the dorm are going to want to see the big games on the big screen. You just tell them that you would be happy to let them come watch if they bring the beer (you get to drink for free).

Take the earlier advice and pick up a good used one, such as the Z-2 offered up. It will be the best money you ever spent.

Wow, you my friend are an evil genius... and I like the way you think. I'm still looking into an HD70, they've dropped another $40 on dell.com so they're only $800 now and since it has a better throw distance then the Mits HD1000U I think I can get around an 80" screen out of it.

You better buy insurance for all these HT purchases. Electronic gear in a dorm room (good stuff at that)? You are asking for it to be stolen and/or damaged, my friend. You have no idea who these people are coming and going from your room. Sorry to say this., and it may seem anti-social, but it happened to me and at a very nice private college too (where you would think studius "bookworms" wouldn't be as tempted by the "five finger discount") !!

C.Y.A., dude.

Dan

You better buy insurance for all these HT purchases. Electronic gear in a dorm room (good stuff at that)? You are asking for it to be stolen and/or damaged, my friend. You have no idea who these people are coming and going from your room. Sorry to say this., and it may seem anti-social, but it happened to me and at a very nice private college too (where you would think studius "bookworms" wouldn't be as tempted by the "five finger discount") !!

C.Y.A., dude.

Dan

Well no one will be coming and going unless I'm in the room, and I might be rooming with a guy I know who I trust so that would be good.

I lucked out an in 4 years, I had a DVD collection of over 250+ dvd's and this was back when dvd's were 25-30 a pop, and Never had one stolen, and I never locked my room as I was the dorm blockbuster so everyone would come by when I was out to rent. One time I thought I had one stolen, but a year later, it was mailed back to me, someone must've forgotten to return it, and then just anonymously mailed it back.

Seriously though, don't let your dream die, get a 42'' plasma, that's still better then 99% of dorm rooms.

Most people donated toward my dvd collection as I had an optional charge of .25 cent donation for each dvd rented to help buy new ones, and when you have a lot getting rented out, it adds up reasonably fast. I also had people do my taxes for me, get me alcohol, for the use of my room as it was the main movie, party, gaming room.

Be warned though, as a projector in a dorm room will get used and abused. I personally would get something a little hardier then a projector, as that could potentially see 8 hours of use a day or more by your roommates (esp. if they're business majors. ;)

My space is currently limited and no way was I gonna let that stop me from getting a pj! I went "all in one" with an Epson moviemate and portable 80 inch screen. Short throw of 6.6 feet!

Dont let the dream die!

Heck, if ya cant even do that, get a 32/36 inch direct view for cheap - just have a few guys help ya carry it cuz - OUCH! They are HEAVY!

:) There is truth in what I posted.

Truth indeed...it's advice I'm passing on to my son who's only getting one of two options: HYP (harvard, yale or princeton) or big party school near a beach (the only possible improvement on the advice given by Star56...). Ain't likely to make it into HYP so...party time it is.

Wife disagrees but you'd kinda expect that.

Nigel

I was going to advise against the dorm HT and tell you to put it off 1 year until you could move out (and point out the nearly all colleges require Freshment to live in the dorms unless they are married), but Jim1921 and a few others have just made too much sense. Use the setup to save you money on dates (although the women I dated always paid for themselves anyway), and also to make money by making people bring the beer and food.

That said, be very wary of thieves. Do not drink to excess in your room when others are over. You could pass out and wake up with all of your equipment gone. Secure the pj as best you can with a custom locking device. Same goes for the audio equipment if it's anything decent.

Last, sound will be a problem. You will be tempted to match the screen with good sound. You will likely have to cut-down on the bass more than you would like in order to avoid the numerous noise complaints I forsee in your future.

Truth indeed...it's advice I'm passing on to my son who's only getting one of two options: HYP (harvard, yale or princeton) or big party school near a beach (the only possible improvement on the advice given by Star56...). Ain't likely to make it into HYP so...party time it is.

Wife disagrees but you'd kinda expect that.

Nigel

Your son can party all he wants. But don't expect this to lead to a job at a
decent university where you can avoid ever doing any work. My objection
to Star56's post was his description of the route to a university position and the
representation that tenure is a licence to do nothing.



... Most colleges have dumbed down their requirements so you should be able to earn a degree even using half your available neurons.

So flirt, date and have fun. Earn your degree...in fact pick up a few more before you enter the real world. You can completely avoid real life up to your 30th birthday if you pursue doctoral studies....

After earning the doctorate...get yourself an academic position. With this you can entirely avoid any real work and remain emersed in the fantasy life of a university. Stay single throughout your 30's and ...ah....share your knowledge with as many young folks as you can. Play the game and get tenure...this is essential if you are to avoid working for the rest of your life.

As you enter your 40's...find a bright young female grad student (in her early-mid 20's) to fall in love with...marry her. Help her find a good job...take early retirement and raise your new child.

It is a beautiful thing :)

In many disciplines the competition to get into a top graduate school is more difficult than getting into law school or medical school. Completing your undergraduate degree on cruise will not get this done.

Completing a Ph.D. requires a significant ORIGINAL contribution to one's
discipline. The success rate is certainly less than for medicine or law
which are both essentially undergraduate degrees in spirit.
Even after completing a strong Ph.D. there is still only a relatively small chance of landing a tenure track position at a research intensive university
which you must do if you want to have graduate students. Even for the lucky ones
there is usually 2 or more years as a postdoc working long hours for very little pay before the first tenure track job.

Once you start a tenure track position you are looking at 5 plus years
in which you must compete for research funding, establish an international
reputation in your discipline and demonstrate that you can be succesful
in a classroom full of students who are interested in partying first and studying second. Most of my young colleagues work 60 hours per week or more
in tenure-track positions. These days, once tenure is granted there is little relief in the pressure to publish or to be succesful in the classroom
(playing the game?). However, you will now be required to add administrative duties to the mix and start to supervise research students.

Star56's experience might well have been different. If so good for him.
However, I think that his comments feed into a stereotype that
does a disservice to many. I could offer an alternative to his route to the good life:

Party hard, buy a lottery ticket, win $100 million and have everything that you ever want.

Just because it happens for some does not mean that it is the best
advice...

As for the OP. I would give a serious look at something like the Optoma
MovieTime. These little machines are surprisingly good for the price.

Here's your budget solution: I just bought a new Epson PowerLite Home 20 480p projector off Ubid.com for $435, AND it included a tripod-mounted horizontally opening 80" diagonal screen with a click stop at 4:3 size. Add a reciever, DVD player and speakers, which you may already have. For game or movie viewing, the price of admission is everyone else furnishes drinks and snacks/pizza. You'll save a few hundred bucks over the course of a year or two. AND, be sure to keep the pj under lock and key when not in use.

I can't believe I am reading this!!!! Thanks for giving the profession such a bad name!
He's probably the best prof we have in Madison, WI!

He's probably the best prof we have in Madison, WI!


And that is why I decided not to go to Madison, I wanted a job when I graduate.

you in college dog, theres a lot of women. i go to the univ of cincy and theres no shortage of girls. after your first 3 or 4some u'll be like projector what?