Stephen Hopkins
02-07-08, 11:07 PM
My brother is cheap... really cheap... but since seeing my modest front projection setup in my 3rd floor theater room he's decided he wants something similar, but on a much tighter budget. For comparisson sake my system consists of:
Panasonic AE700u Projector
100" Elite Electric screen
Pioneer Elite 82TXs
Swans Diva 6.1 mains, C3 center, and 2.1 surrounds
DIY Avalanche sub w/ 500w Bash amp
Toshiba HD-A2 HD-DVD player
Samsung BDP1000 BluRay player
TivoHD DVR.
My room is 17' x 24' (14' viewing distance) w/ a 3pc Coaster Matine theater set. My brother's room is much larger... around 20' x 40' and will be split into a 20' x 20' theater are and a 20' x 20' bar/pool-table area. He also wants a "cleaner" install and decided in-wall/ceiling speakers would serve him best. He was impressed enough with the image quality of my old AE300 projector (1/4 HD) so for cost sake I decided to recommend a 480p projector. Because of the lower resolution display I was recommending a 100" screen but out of a bit of one-up-manship he decided he wants a 120" screen. He was going to go with a low-end receiver with only component video but I was able to convince him to go HDMI w/ an up-converting receiver. His sources will be HD Cable DVR, DVD, and SD Dish Network (usually in his camper). So... here's the entire system I've helped him put together and what I think will be alot of wow factor (mostly from the projection and clean setup) for a very small amount of money. We've gone with some used and refurbished items to keep costs down. While it's by no means high end it will provide alot of enjoyment for his mainly HDTV and sports oriented viewing....
Optoma H27 480p Projector ($270, eBay, 627 hours)
120" Elite 16:9 Manual Screen ($82, Provantage, new)
Denon AVR-887 Receiver ($310, eCost, refurb)
Dayton CS620W In-Wall Mains & Center ($59/pr x 2, Parts Express, new)
Dayton CS630C In-Ceiling Surrounds ($43/pr, Parts Express, new)
Dayton SUB-120 12" Subwoofer ($149, Parts Express, new)
Philips DVP3960 HDMI Divx DVD Player ($29, Philips Outlet, refurb)
Motorola 6416 HDTV DVR ($15/month, New Wave Communications, new)
Assorted HDMI, Subwoofer, & Speaker cables ($55, MonoPrice, new)
Total Equipment Price - $1,100 ish
I'm pretty sure the biggest compromise is the subwoofer given the size of the room. That said, with a placement near the main seating position it should be adequate for his minimal expectations. If not, we'll either add a second SUB-120 or step up to a PB10 or DIY on down the road.
When I compare what we'll have invested in his system to what I have invested in mine (around $5k) it makes me question, however briefly, how much of my system is just overkill. I love my system and there aren't many parts of it I'd change without spending alot more money... but the challenge of helping him put together an "ultra-cheap yet extremely impressive for the money" system has been very fun and rewarding. It's shown me you really can get ALOT of wow factor out of a small amount of money and totally surpass what you'd expect to get out of $1k. The fact that his entire system will cost about what my receiver did makes me think his setup may be more impressive when you think about how little it all cost.
As for room construction, in-wall cabling is run and dry wall is up/taped/mudded. Sanding is happening in the evenings. Carpet, paint, and furniture should happen in the next month, at which point I'll heat up to KY from GA to help him install everything. At that time I'll take pics and update this thread.
Panasonic AE700u Projector
100" Elite Electric screen
Pioneer Elite 82TXs
Swans Diva 6.1 mains, C3 center, and 2.1 surrounds
DIY Avalanche sub w/ 500w Bash amp
Toshiba HD-A2 HD-DVD player
Samsung BDP1000 BluRay player
TivoHD DVR.
My room is 17' x 24' (14' viewing distance) w/ a 3pc Coaster Matine theater set. My brother's room is much larger... around 20' x 40' and will be split into a 20' x 20' theater are and a 20' x 20' bar/pool-table area. He also wants a "cleaner" install and decided in-wall/ceiling speakers would serve him best. He was impressed enough with the image quality of my old AE300 projector (1/4 HD) so for cost sake I decided to recommend a 480p projector. Because of the lower resolution display I was recommending a 100" screen but out of a bit of one-up-manship he decided he wants a 120" screen. He was going to go with a low-end receiver with only component video but I was able to convince him to go HDMI w/ an up-converting receiver. His sources will be HD Cable DVR, DVD, and SD Dish Network (usually in his camper). So... here's the entire system I've helped him put together and what I think will be alot of wow factor (mostly from the projection and clean setup) for a very small amount of money. We've gone with some used and refurbished items to keep costs down. While it's by no means high end it will provide alot of enjoyment for his mainly HDTV and sports oriented viewing....
Optoma H27 480p Projector ($270, eBay, 627 hours)
120" Elite 16:9 Manual Screen ($82, Provantage, new)
Denon AVR-887 Receiver ($310, eCost, refurb)
Dayton CS620W In-Wall Mains & Center ($59/pr x 2, Parts Express, new)
Dayton CS630C In-Ceiling Surrounds ($43/pr, Parts Express, new)
Dayton SUB-120 12" Subwoofer ($149, Parts Express, new)
Philips DVP3960 HDMI Divx DVD Player ($29, Philips Outlet, refurb)
Motorola 6416 HDTV DVR ($15/month, New Wave Communications, new)
Assorted HDMI, Subwoofer, & Speaker cables ($55, MonoPrice, new)
Total Equipment Price - $1,100 ish
I'm pretty sure the biggest compromise is the subwoofer given the size of the room. That said, with a placement near the main seating position it should be adequate for his minimal expectations. If not, we'll either add a second SUB-120 or step up to a PB10 or DIY on down the road.
When I compare what we'll have invested in his system to what I have invested in mine (around $5k) it makes me question, however briefly, how much of my system is just overkill. I love my system and there aren't many parts of it I'd change without spending alot more money... but the challenge of helping him put together an "ultra-cheap yet extremely impressive for the money" system has been very fun and rewarding. It's shown me you really can get ALOT of wow factor out of a small amount of money and totally surpass what you'd expect to get out of $1k. The fact that his entire system will cost about what my receiver did makes me think his setup may be more impressive when you think about how little it all cost.
As for room construction, in-wall cabling is run and dry wall is up/taped/mudded. Sanding is happening in the evenings. Carpet, paint, and furniture should happen in the next month, at which point I'll heat up to KY from GA to help him install everything. At that time I'll take pics and update this thread.