AVS Forum banner

904WMC Media Room | Basement Renovation Thread

90K views 459 replies 56 participants last post by  jennimi3322 
#1 ·
Hello AVS Forums…


It’s been a couple of years since I’ve posted but I’ve been reading these forums for quite some time now. It is just a wealth of information and I am thankful for stumbling upon it a few years back. I am posting today because I am FINALLY in the PLANNING stages for fixing up and furnishing our already-finished 1,200 SF basement. When we moved in 3 years ago – as any man would be - I was excited to get moving on the basement with a sick A/V set up. However, we’ve had countless other priorities and, well, after $100K in renovations, repairs, replacements and upgrades, I still have yet to put a DIME into the basement! Good things come to those who wait, right? I’ve spent the last few weeks touching up the bare white walls with spackle and primer, tearing out the baseboards, cutting out some damaged drywall and tightening up the stairwell and treads a bit. I am slowly attacking this basement and if it takes me 2 or 3 years to complete it, so be it. At this juncture my wife and I are deciding how and where to lay everything out (bar/counters, refrigerators, etc.) and I need a little advice on the audio/video end of things to get me started. Yes, the location of EVERYTHING ELSE revolves around where I decide to put the screen (or the TV) as options are quite limited. Let’s face it, the A/V system will be the most important thing down in the basement!


In recent months I have been reading about PJs on this board and I can say that I am leaning hard in the direction of a projector in the $2K range (something along the lines of a BenQ W7000 or a JVC – I am not even CLOSE to deciding on that at this time). In this first picture, I am actually standing under a drywall bulkhead (that houses ductwork) and I am facing the wall that I think I would like to project on. The distance between the window (left) and the little bump out on the right is approximately 13.75 ft (165 inches). Plenty big. The wall is standard 8’ high.




This second photo is a shot I took standing with my back to the wall that I would project onto – looking back at where I would install my PJ. Just for reference, the bottom of that bulkhead is 80” off the floor and it extends up to another 14-15” to the ceiling.




I could hang the PJ from the ceiling with the rear of the PJ unit butting right up next to the bulkhead (which would result in a 12’ throw at that point) OR I could make a cut-out in the side of the bulkhead (which I have seen done here on the forums) and set the PJ up in the cut-out and gain another foot or so of distance – say maybe 13’ or 13’ 5”. I got extremely lucky because that side of the bulkhead has no ductwork in the way, which is what this 3rd picture shows from inside the bulkhead (I was able to get this shot because I have cut out a section of the bottom of the bulkhead where the previous owner overflowed a toilet and leaked through the ceiling).




Let me also say that the power/cables/HDMI’s for the projector (and other speaker wires) would run thru this bulkhead into a storage room about 7 feet away where I will have my equipment rack. I would like the equipment rack to be in-wall style and I plan on building that myself as well.

The projector calculator is telling me that for a 12’ 6” throw – for say a BenQ W7000 – I would be looking at a diagonal screen size of about 88”. As I said before, if I can set it back in a cut out in the bulkhead I MAY be able to stretch it to 13’ 5” or so which would take me up to the low 90’s for diagonal screen size. I do not have the option of hanging a PJ any further away from the wall (underneath the bulkhead) because it would obviously be hanging way too low.

This last photo is a snapshot of my basement layout and for the sake of getting it on here tonight, I just hand wrote in some of the details that relate to my initial vision for the A/V system.




With all of that said, my questions are as follows:


1) What is the typical/recommended height that PJ’s are mounted in a situation like this for projection on an 8’H wall? Would a PJ mounted at a height of 84”-85” still work if I were to put it in a cut out halfway up the bulkhead and have a throw ranging from 12’ 6” to 13’ 6”?


2)I am perfectly fine with a diagonal screen size of 88” – 93” but would I still get the same quality of picture - 2D & 3D – with a throw that short? Is that generally considered too short for most projectors on the market today? (I am CLUELESS when it come to projectors)


I do have one other option for the PJ and that is to put the screen on the adjacent wall but the width of that wall is much smaller. I would also lose an incredible amount of opportunity to run my cables/wires/speaker wires through my bulkhead and into my storage room where I would like my equipment rack (due to power sources available in there).


The last option would be to stick to buying a flat screen around 65” in size but who the heck wants to do that?



Your comments and advice would be greatly appreciated.


P.S. Does anyone know of any good A/V techs in the MD/DC area that would be willing to come out and see what I have and give me professional advice as to what can be done and what cannot? I've got one hell of a challenge wiring the front and center channel in-wall speakers (since the walls are finished) and that one really has me boggled...
 
See less See more
5
#2 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by AnnapolisSony  /t/1451113/and-so-begins-the-904-wm...sic-advice-needed-on-projectors#post_22813532



1) What is the typical/recommended height that PJ’s are mounted in a situation like this for projection on an 8’H wall? Would a PJ mounted at a height of 84”-85” still work if I were to put it in a cut out halfway up the bulkhead and have a throw ranging from 12’ 6” to 13’ 6”?


2)I am perfectly fine with a diagonal screen size of 88” – 93” but would I still get the same quality of picture - 2D & 3D – with a throw that short? Is that generally considered too short for most projectors on the market today? (I am CLUELESS when it come to projectors)

Use the projector calculators (projectorcentral.com) to figure out throw distances and screen sizes for any projector you're looking at. Then check the manuals of those projectors to see about any limitations regarding mounting height above the screen edge. I'm going to say though, that with an 8' ceiling max you shouldn't have any trouble by putting the projector as high as you can...
Quote:
P.S. Does anyone know of any good A/V techs in the MD/DC area that would be willing to come out and see what I have and give me professional advice as to what can be done and what cannot? I've got one hell of a challenge wiring the front and center channel in-wall speakers (since the walls are finished) and that one really has me boggled...

You need to check to see what Jeff (BIGmouthinDC) charges for a consultation... And pay it.


Jeff (different Jeff)
 
#3 ·
Jautor:


Thanks so much for the reply. I pulled the manual on the BenQ W7000 (just as a reference) and, after converting from everything from mm, found that for a 90" diag screen the min throw would be 10.5' (127"), average is about 13.25' (159" - right in my wheelhouse if I tucked the PJ up in the bulkhead) and max is 15.8' (190"). For a 100" diag, the min throw is 11.75' (141"), average is 14.6' (176") and max is 17.6' (212").


I am a little confused though by the far right column of the chart on page 14 titled Lowest/Highest Lens Position. Here is the link: http://www.projectorcentral.com/pdf/projector_manual_6743.pdf . For the 90" diag it says 140mm and for the 100" diag it says 156mm. Call me crazy but when you convert those numbers, they come to 5.51" and 6.14" respectively? Did they make a mistake and these numbers are really listed in inches (not mm) and they would convert to 11.6' and 13'?? Logic tells me that 11.6' and 13' would be close to a maximum height for a PJ? If not, can someone clarify what these numbers mean? Like I said, I am clueless when it comes to projectors but am trying to learn.



I have read many posts/responses by BigMouthinDC and it would appear that he is one the most well-respected members on these boards and he has built some awesome HTs
Although I am not building a HT per say, I would love to have someone of his caliber take a look at my basement and offer his advice. I just want to do this basement right and I need to make some major A/V decisions now so I can plan accordingly for other areas. I don't know of any local experts in this area and God knows what I am going to find if I just pull companies off of the internet!


The good news is that it does look more and more like a PJ is going to be possible (from the data above). This would eliminate me having to mount a big flat screen on the wall (which will be out-of-date in 2 years anyway) and wrestle with fishing HDMI's through finished walls and moving power and cable outlets up into position. The thing that has me most perplexed is how I am going to run speaker wire from the equipment rack (storage room) to the in-wall fronts and center speakers that would be mounted on either side and below the screen. Those are the details that I need to talk with a pro about! Lots of questions. We'll see if Jeff chimes in to this post!
 
#4 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by AnnapolisSony  /t/1451113/and-so-begins-the-904-wm...sic-advice-needed-on-projectors#post_22814691


I am a little confused though by the far right column of the chart on page 14 titled Lowest/Highest Lens Position. Here is the link: http://www.projectorcentral.com/pdf/projector_manual_6743.pdf . For the 90" diag it says 140mm and for the 100" diag it says 156mm. Call me crazy but when you convert those numbers, they come to 5.51" and 6.14" respectively? Did they make a mistake and these numbers are really listed in inches (not mm) and they would convert to 11.6' and 13'?? Logic tells me that 11.6' and 13' would be close to a maximum height for a PJ? If not, can someone clarify what these numbers mean? Like I said, I am clueless when it comes to projectors but am trying to learn.

No, that's actually correct. That measurement "E" is the highest (for ceiling mounting) the lens can be ABOVE the top edge of the screen. So if your screen is mounted 12" below the ceiling, for example, the projector lens cannot be higher than 6-7" from the ceiling. Yeah, the diagram is a bit confusing.


That is a normal projector limitation and one to pay attention to - as most of us need to mount the PJ fairly high relative to the screen so that it doesn't get damaged by heads hitting it (might hurt, too, but that's not important...
)
Quote:
I have read many posts/responses by BigMouthinDC and it would appear that he is one the most well-respected members on these boards and he has built some awesome HTs
Although I am not building a HT per say, I would love to have someone of his caliber take a look at my basement and offer his advice. I just want to do this basement right and I need to make some major A/V decisions now so I can plan accordingly for other areas. I don't know of any local experts in this area and God knows what I am going to find if I just pull companies off of the internet!

Bribe him to come. I hear a good bourbon and ice cream work. (not necessarily together)
Quote:
The good news is that it does look more and more like a PJ is going to be possible (from the data above). This would eliminate me having to mount a big flat screen on the wall (which will be out-of-date in 2 years anyway) and wrestle with fishing HDMI's through finished walls and moving power and cable outlets up into position. The thing that has me most perplexed is how I am going to run speaker wire from the equipment rack (storage room) to the in-wall fronts and center speakers that would be mounted on either side and below the screen. Those are the details that I need to talk with a pro about! Lots of questions. We'll see if Jeff chimes in to this post!

I'm sure he can help with fishing cables, or showing you where to swing the hammer and who's a good drywall guy. If you're concerned about a flat screen being out of date in two years, you probably don't want to look at the price/performance curves of projectors over the last few years...
And we've got LED and 4K coming. Don't buy one until you're absolutely ready to install it, make sure you have your mounting as flexible as possible (avoid extremes that will restrict you to a specific PJ if at all possible), then put it up and enjoy it. Don't read any more projector reviews until it dies.



Jeff
 
#6 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Lepus  /t/1451113/and-so-begins-the-904-wm...sic-advice-needed-on-projectors#post_22815227


I would recommend using PVC conduit so you can run future cables if you ever decide to upgrade your or at least a pulley system since it is nice and open. Maybe run a closeline type of pulley in there since it appears you have plenty of room.

Flex conduit is always a good idea. With open access to ceiling spaces, a toy crossbow or tennis ball with a string tied to it works... (there are "pro" versions of both of those!)
 
#7 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by jautor  /t/1451113/and-so-begins-the-904-wm...sic-advice-needed-on-projectors#post_22815359


Flex conduit is always a good idea. With open access to ceiling spaces, a toy crossbow or tennis ball with a string tied to it works... (there are "pro" versions of both of those!)

Only thing with flex conduit is that it's not always flat. Either or would work..
 
#8 ·
Thank you for clearing up that lens positioning issue for me Jeff. If you can't tell, I am absorbing info like a sponge
Ideally, I'd like to get my wiring "plan" ironed out for things like my projector, front/center/rear speakers, subwoofer, equipment rack, etc. Once I confirm that I (or an installer) can physically get wiring over and thru certain ceilings and walls, I will then have some direction. That's really what I need a consultant for. I am definitely handy enough to tackle a lot of the "fishing" and wiring myself but I won't know where to make my wall cut-outs for things like my fronts and my center channel until I know the exact size/location of the screen (I see a lot of blue masking tape in my future
).


I had to laugh at your comment about reading projector reviews because I spent about 2 hrs. yesterday reading many reviews on this site. I can definitely say that I will not be purchasing a projector in the next six months (or maybe longer)...so I will be sure to scour the boards for the latest technologies before I make my final decision (and opinions because this place isn't short on them).


Lepus, the flex conduit suggestion is an excellent idea as well. As you can see from one of the pics above, I have a large section (approx 4' X 8') of the bulkhead opened up right now (plus there is a small access hatch on the opposite end) so I will eventually install some sort of a pulley system in there before it all gets patched back up. This would allow me to pull cables from the proposed PJ location to my equipment rack and from my proposed rear speaker locations (bottom of the bulkhead) back to the equipment rack. I have also discovered another bulkhead (it only hangs down about 6" from ceiling) that is accessible from the storage room. It would allow me to run wires from my equipment rack to the front wall (noted in my updated sketch below - both bulkheads highlighted in yellow now). I can get wires up thru that smaller bulkhead but then when I hit the front wall I won't be able to move down the wall and then horizontally across (towards the screen) unless I cut into drywall and drill thru studs. Another alternative to get speaker wire to the front wall would be to go above the ceiling between the joists (center of the room - access starting from the large bulkhead) but I'm not sure I'd be able to make the turn down towards the floor. If I could get down the front wall (say at dead center of the screen) I would still have to move horizontally in each direction for the L and R front speakers which would still mean removal of drywall. When working with finished walls such as I am, do installers normally cut strips (or large sections) of drywall for running cables/wire horizontally and then just replace/patch when finished? Is that the norm? Cables/speaker wire are just too thick to try to run these things together underneath the baseboards or under the carpet.


I am also planning to demo the 18" X 12" box around the 3.5" lally column. Not sure what the previous owner was thinking going that big around it. As luck would have it, on the back side is an outlet which I will have my electrician route back up thru the bulkhead and into the storage room for more power (or for the PJ power). I have to assume that it is against code to install an outlet inside my bulkhead to plug my projector into. Do installers often hard wire these projectors if the standard issue power cord is not long enough to reach the final destination?


Updated sketch

 
#9 ·
Are you planning on making your screen retractable into a hidden area? If so you could use 1"x1" timber and create a false bulk head above your screen and house some pot lights, and then fish the speaker wires into the wall. Don't forget a hookup for your sub woofer.
 
#10 ·
Lepus, I haven't even thought about the type of screen yet!
But, the suggestion sounds like a great idea that probably wouldn't cost that much to do. I'll add her to the list of options on the table for sure. Since it is not a dedicated HT room per say, it might be cool to have the option of making that screen go away. My wife might even go for that as well.


Jeff, I just clicked on your theater link in your sig and words absolutely fail me. What a awesome home and theater! Read a little about your opening weekend in the theater. Good stuff.
 
#11 ·
Greetings,


I hope you don't mind if I tag along for the journey. Looks like you have a great space to work with for sure. Having met Jeff (BigmouthinDC Jeff not jautor Jeff) in person and his work first hand I can second Jeff's (jautor Jeff not BigmouthinDC Jeff's) suggestion to get Jeff (BigmouthinDC Jeff not jantor Jeff) involved in at least a consult. I think all of that made sense. Money spent on a consult would be money well spent. Getting jautor involved is good as well, lets face it, his theater is no slouch either.


It looks like you are going to steer clear of a big mistake I see a lot of people make that start out. Many purchase equipment up front and then take two to three years to finish the theater and the equipment they have is outdated. I continued to keep an eye on all things electronic during my build so I had a rough idea of the equipment I wanted. Early on in my build I tried to nail down where I wanted to mount the PJ and that drove me to at least including PJ's with lens shift and some mounting flexibility. My equipment "short list" changed multiple times through my build. Save the money for equipment until the end.


Good luck and welcome to madness.


Regards,


RTROSE
 
#12 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by RTROSE  /t/1451113/and-so-begins-the-904-wm...sic-advice-needed-on-projectors#post_22817888


I hope you don't mind if I tag along for the journey. Looks like you have a great space to work with for sure. Having met Jeff (BigmouthinDC Jeff not jautor Jeff) in person and his work first hand I can second Jeff's (jautor Jeff not BigmouthinDC Jeff's) suggestion to get Jeff (BigmouthinDC Jeff not jantor Jeff) involved in at least a consult. I think all of that made sense. Money spent on a consult would be money well spent. Getting jautor involved is good as well, lets face it, his theater is no slouch either.

Wait, wait, wait... If I'm him and he's me, then who are you. again? I'm confused...



Oh, right - First Base!
 
#14 ·
RTRose, Thanks for dropping by on the post. I am thankful for this forum because I know people here will tell me if I am going about something in the wrong manner, taking the wrong approach, etc. The best advice is from people who can offer it based on their own experiences!


The one thing I have to keep telling myself is that this is not going to be a dedicated Home Theater in my basement. It is a good size area and my wife and I are really trying to keep it more of a “liveable” space especially since we have two young children 4 & 7. Might be more appropriate to call it my basement Media Room I suppose?
For the time being, the small side of the basement is where we are housing the children’s toys (sort of been designated their space). I plan to put together a little 8 x 4 train table for my 4-year old son late this winter so that will surely keep him entertained on the other side while Daddy slowly works on the “other” half. With all of the said, I have always wanted a TV (larger than 65") down there with a powerful sound system where I can escape to watch a movie with the kids, watch a movie with my lovely wife or watch movies/big sporting events with family and friends. I have a great little system in my family room that I am more than happy with but the idea is to take it up a notch for this one. The other thing to be said here is that I am going to go with what a lot of people around here would consider “middle of the road” components and speakers. The reason for that is that I can be more than happy - in fact blown away - with middle-of-the-road gear and I am not in competition with anyone but myself! I guess if I spend $2K-$2500 on a PJ then that too would be considered “middle of the road” around here on the forums!
I certainly do not want to break the bank with A/V on this project because it is also a priority for us to put in many other amenities like some nice cabinets/bar/counter top, microwave, refrigerator, wine refrigerator etc. When everything is in and painted, the last thing I will be doings is pulling the carpet and replacing with new. That alone will run me $4K (ouch). I would also like to include my nice dart board cabinet, a portable poker table, an in-wall aquarium and some other fun things further down the road. There is a long wall that I am potentially “eyeing up” for a shuffleboard table but I can guarantee that will not be on the “approved list” until EVERY SINGLE THING THAT MY WIFE WANTS - FURNITURE WISE - is purchased.
Rome wasn’t built in a day, right?!


So, this past weekend I actually made some great progress with some of my A/V decisions/plans despite all of the football that I watched:

Screen Size


I have committed 100% to a 92” diag. screen size (16:9) - 45” X 80”. I put these dimensions up on the wall (leveled and squared) with blue painters tape this weekend and the size is absolutely perfect for the room. As I mentioned before, I am planning to put a cut-out in the existing bulkhead which will have its own outlet and will house the PJ. Throw will range from 12’ 6” to 13’ 3” depending on how far back I set the PJ in the cut-out box that my wonderful drywall contractor will build. I did a bunch of research this weekend (looked at a bunch of manuals for recommended projectors in the $2K price range) and I think this screen size is a very safe bet for me. Sure, I could probably go 100” or so but my C speaker would be on the floor. Screen height is at 81” now and I don’t want to go any higher than that. Plus with 2 ¼”of MDF and 3” of Hardwood casing around it, it all tops out at 86 ¼” – giving me only about 12” to the ceiling.

Screen Type


I have done a lot of crown molding and wainscoting in my houses over the years so I am quite handy when it comes to trim and moldings. After reading countless threads on DIY Screens, there is no reason why I cannot build my own and save myself some money. Plus, I get exactly what I want. I have what I think is a good plan underway thanks to many threads on AVS and I’m looking forward to getting started. I feel like I have to construct my screen now…so I can plan where the fronts and center channel speakers will be...so I can make sure that I have my cut-outs/wiring in the right place. I have ordered the Triple Velvet already and it looks like I will wrap/staple it around primed MDF casing (9/16” x 2 ¼”) instead of the wider base MDF that many people on the forums have used for their screens (I think it is 3.5” thick). This will then be surrounded by a hardwood fluted casing (7/16” x 3”) with hardwood rosette blocks on the four corners (the fluted casing will match the trim color that the wife has selected for the baseboards, windows, etc). I have decided to paint the screen on the wall and I am in the process of PMing a few select forum members that have a great deal of knowledge in this particular area. I have a few specific questions about wall prep, priming, rolling, etc. (Mississippi Man is one of them). Leaning towards the Glidden Diamond 450 Titanium White (in Velvet Matte) right now but that could change. If my calculations are correct, I should be able to build this screen for about $125 or $150 and that’s assuming I have to buy a gallon of paint at $50 or so (they don’t sell quarts apparently). This one seems like a no-brainer.

Wiring Speakers


The other decision I made this weekend is that I am going to stick with a simple 5.1 surround format in my basement (I know, I know). I have a little 5.1 system in my family room upstairs and it is surprisingly impressive (55” SONY Bravia XBR, Mirage Nanosats, 8” sub, Onkyo receiver, Blu-ray, Sonos, etc). Put on the Dave Matthews / Tim Reynolds Live at Radio City Music Hall Blu-ray and I can literally blow my guests out of the room (for those you looking for INCREDIBLE quality audio, you need to buy that Blu-ray and check it out). So back to wiring the basement. This weekend I found an access hatch halfway down the front wall directly below the small bulkhead that I am using to fish my speaker wires from the storage room to the front wall. Amazing luck. I also decided that I am going to cut the bottom 4” of my drywall out (in 24” sections) along the front wall. This will allow me to fish/run the speaker wires horizontally across that wall and then I’ll just fish them up at the appropriate speaker locations with my tape. I am putting back 5 ¼” OG baseboards throughout the basement so I can just cut strips of drywall to fill in what I cut out and not worry about having to technically “finish” it. The rear in-ceiling speakers will be a breeze as well as I already have the bulkhead opened up. The end of the bulkhead dumps right into the storage room right above the location of my equipment shelf. I’ve got speaker wire coming from Monoprice so that will most likely be my task next weekend. I’ve really got to commit to speakers soon so I am in the process of sorting that out now.

Speakers


As much as I would LOVE to have some nice powerful tower speakers for my L & R fronts, I have decided to go in-wall. For my rears I have decided to go in-ceiling right up underneath the large bulkhead. 1) it would be overkill to have towers in the room, and 2) in-wall will look MUCH better IMO. My wife wants to be spared from big towering speakers and I actually agree with her 100% (in this scenario). We also have children over frequently and can just see my son’s little buddy aggressively tipping over a $500 tower speaker. There will be nothing on the floor (furniture wise) below the screen so putting a couple of tower speakers there just won’t look right IMO. Although Polk is sometimes considered a “middle-of-the-road” speaker company now, I am heavily leaning towards Polks. Polk 265RT’s for my L & R and a 255C-RT for the Center (just below the screen). At this juncture, I have not yet ordered the speakers but am getting close. I have read some very good reviews online about these speakers and I think they will work fine for what I need down there. Also looking at the Polk DSW Pro 550wi which is moderately-priced 10” sub that will more than get the job done down there. I love the fact that it can be down-firing or front-firing. Rears, I am strongly considering a pair of Polk RC80i’s. Great reviews on multiple sites and they are moderately priced at $139. If anyone out there knows of better options for in-wall speakers out there in the same price range or recommends against going with some or all of these Polks, I am all ears. Enlighten me.

Equipment Rack/Shelf


This weekend I completely changed my mind and decided that I would build the in-wall shelf on a completely different wall of the storage room. It will be built on the other side of the hot water heater so I don’t have the rack located between the heater and the door. If I were to build my rack in the original location and something were to go wrong with my HWH, I’d have to dismantle the shelf/rack (not to mention unhooking all of my components) to get a new HWH in there. Not worth the risk.


Tonight when I get home I’ll post a shot of the equipment rack/shelf location and the screen location. I plan to trim out the front of the in-wall shelf with the same 3" fluted casing (and Rosette blocks) that I am using for the screen. They should complement each other pretty well IMO.


I welcome all criticism and comments that you might have. After all, I am putting all of this info up here so that I can learn the do’s and dont's from others.
 
#15 ·
Shot of proposed equipment rack/shelf and screen location from bottom of stairs.



Another shot of screen from left side



Shot of proposed PJ location at 85"H (bulkhead still needs to be notched out) - marked with blue X



Bulkhead that I opened up due to damaged drywall by previous owner. 8 ft. from left to right if you can believe that and it stretches across the width of my basement 20+ feet or so.



Still mulling things over. Starting to seriously re-think in-wall speakers. My family room set up is DIRECTLY above where I am doing this basement media room (same wall too) and I'm concerned that sound may shoot up the walls more so with in-walls even if the walls are well insulated. I also know how much how much better quality and deep rich sound I can get out of tower speakers and a nice center.
Taking a deep breath to research more and weigh out the options. Plenty of time.
 
#16 ·
A couple more things. If yo are doing a painted screen (I did) you can wait to see if the 92" diagonal is actually the "right" size for you. I experimented with several screen sizes before I decided. On the PJ location mount. Why make it any more difficult than you have to. Why not just build a shelf on the bulkhead to place the PJ on and that way you don't have to perform major surgery on the bulkhead. Plus if you place the PJ back in the bulkhead you could cause cooling issues. On the speaker front I will always try to suggest other options other than inwall speakers. If you have to you have to, but there are so many compromises you have to make sonically and typically only the truly "high end" inwalls make the best use of materials/design to minimize the issues. Plus if you did want to ever go bigger with the screen you won't be limited by speaker location.


Looks like you are trying to take all things into consideration. A very good thing.


Regards,


RTROSE
 
#17 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by RTROSE  /t/1451113/and-so-it-begins-the-904-wmc-basement-media-room-thread#post_22830138


If you are doing a painted screen (I did) you can wait to see if the 92" diagonal is actually the "right" size for you. I experimented with several screen sizes before I decided.

Great suggestion. I'll most likely stay at 92" because if I go any bigger, I would have limited room (height-wise) for some sort of a media stand below the screen (I would need something for a large center speaker). I will most likely paint a screen area a touch smaller than the width/height of my proposed trim plan so I still have that option to increase size further down the road.
Quote:
Originally Posted by RTROSE  /t/1451113/and-so-it-begins-the-904-wmc-basement-media-room-thread#post_22830138


On the PJ location mount. Why make it any more difficult than you have to. Why not just build a shelf on the bulkhead to place the PJ on and that way you don't have to perform major surgery on the bulkhead. Plus if you place the PJ back in the bulkhead you could cause cooling issues.

Another great suggestion. Last night I looked around online and found many great options. I'll definitely be shelfing it off of the bulkhead. I will lose about a foot but I'll still be able to go 92". Ran into some info last night in a posts talking about the need for projectors to breath. No sense in spending that money for a knockout only to have a PJ burnout on me.

Quote:
Originally Posted by RTROSE  /t/1451113/and-so-it-begins-the-904-wmc-basement-media-room-thread#post_22830138


On the speaker front I will always try to suggest other options other than inwall speakers. If you have to you have to, but there are so many compromises you have to make sonically and typically only the truly "high end" inwalls make the best use of materials/design to minimize the issues. Plus if you did want to ever go bigger with the screen you won't be limited by speaker location.

I am seriously re-thinking this one. As I am a big Polk fan, I'd consider a pair of Polk RTi A7's for the fronts, CSi A6 for center and stick with in-ceiling rears. I am going to lay off the speaker thing for the time being and try to focus on building my in-wall equipment rack and demoing out my drywall around my lally column!
 
#18 ·
I'm watching this one.



I've got a few varying suggestions, but I don't want to intrude if you think you have a plan firmly laid out at this point.


But I'll relate this.....


..........using a Polk CSi A6 "OVER" the top of the Screen and angled effectively toward the general seating area, and maintaining as large a screen as possible is what you really, REALLY want to do here. A "under the Screen' position is just so wrong on so many levels.


All other considerations would be "Kiss yer Sis" propositions, affecting performance, cosmetics, and run contrary to well known and accepted design.
 
#19 ·
^^^^Hey there MM. I see you are still cruising around AVS once in a while.
I visit the Epson 8350 thread but you rarely make any appearances anymore. I gather you are still doing well?


Regards,


RTROSE
 
#20 ·
Last night I decided that I am going 100-inch. If you’re gonna do it, DO IT. Many people have given me some good advice here on the forum and I’m going to listen to them. Got my nose back into some manuals online last night for some of the PJs that fall into my price range (Panny 8000,7000, Epson 5010 and others). It looks like I am still good with a 100-inch even with a 11' - 12' throw. My exact throw is yet TBD because the PJ will be backed up against the bulkhead (on a shelf). So the depth of the actual PJ I go with will ultimately determine it. I REALLY like the pros on the Epson 5010 by the way...seems that this PJ may suit me well. I've got some time.


Today I drew out the new screen scenario (below) so I could see it to scale before I tape it up on the wall. As you can see, I don’t have much room for adjustment (floor to ceiling) anymore - with a 100" screen - particularly if I want to use the CSi A6 in my set up. Wish I had a 9' ceiling down there but I don't. Trying to get the screen as low as possible but also keep it high enough to be able to accommodate the CC speaker. If I stick to my plan for the 5.25" trim around a DIY screen, I lose 10.5" vertically. I’d rather the CC speaker not block any part of the surrounding trim and in this scenario it would not. I guess the other option is to just buy a fixed frame projection screen and scrap the trim idea. Another option that I am mulling over now.
Trim on those fixed screens are typically 2" thick so I'd gain 3.25" on the top and bottom - 6.5" overall vertically.



If my wife and I can find a piece of furniture or a low media stand-type piece around 22”-23” H to put the CC speaker on, it should work out just fine. For the sake of the sketch, I just dumped in a 5 1/2 -foot long piece of furniture approx. 22” H. The speaker would be sitting at 22”-30” in height. Hell, the top of the A5’s are at 39”. I'm sure I wouldn't be the only one with a CC speaker this low? This speaker is a MONSTER and mounting above the screen would not be aesthetic-pleasing to me (and I sure know what my wife would say). We want this room to be an ordinary living space that just so happens to have a 100-inch projection screen in it and a kick-ass speaker system to boot!



Speaker update: Leaning towards RTi A5 for the fronts...


CSi A6 for Center...


...still mulling over timbre-matched rears...and subs. Many are saying stay away from Polk for subs...need alternatives but have plenty of time on my side. Please enlighten me if you have suggestions/comments about anything...

 
#21 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by AnnapolisSony  /t/1451113/and-so-it-begins-the-904-wmc-basement-media-room-thread#post_22843043


Last night I decided that I am going 100-inch. If you’re gonna do it, DO IT.

What's your seating distance? I assume it's under the PJ so 12'-ish feet? That sounds like a good size (mine is 108" from a 10' front row seating).
Quote:
Today I drew out the new screen scenario (below) so I could see it to scale before I tape it up on the wall. As you can see, I don’t have much room for adjustment (floor to ceiling) anymore - with a 100" screen - particularly if I want to use the CSi A6 in my set up. Wish I had a 9' ceiling down there but I don't. Trying to get the screen as low as possible but also keep it high enough to be able to accommodate the CC speaker. If I stick to my plan for the 5.25" trim around a DIY screen, I lose 10.5" vertically.

Be careful about putting the screen too close to the ceiling, as there will be reflections from the ceiling. If it's going to be that close, you'll want to paint that soffit a dark, flat color to absorb light, and may want to cover it with fabric or some other treatment to avoid any reflections.
Quote:
I’d rather the CC speaker not block any part of the surrounding trim and in this scenario it would not. I guess the other option is to just buy a fixed frame projection screen and scrap the trim idea. Another option that I am mulling over now.
Trim on those fixed screens are typically 2" thick so I'd gain 3.25" on the top and bottom - 6.5" overall vertically.

Having a bigger, black velvet-covered trim (more than 2") will give you better results.
Quote:
If my wife and I can find a piece of furniture or a low media stand-type piece around 22”-23” H to put the CC speaker on, it should work out just fine. For the sake of the sketch, I just dumped in a 5 1/2 -foot long piece of furniture approx. 22” H. The speaker would be sitting at 22”-30” in height. Hell, the top of the A5’s are at 39”. I'm sure I wouldn't be the only one with a CC speaker this low?

You're not... The issue with the center below is mainly if you'll have more than one row, where the low angle becomes a problem. I had trouble finding a piece of furniture the correct size as well, especially one that didn't have glass (to avoid reflections). I found the "Stockholm" table at Ikea that was the right size, came in all black and had no glass (but it doesn't seem to be available anymore, at least a quick check of the website didn't show it).


Jeff
 
#22 ·
Looks good, but yet a couple of suggestions. On the center, you can go lower than what you show. You could actually move it down say another six inches and get it (the top of the screen) further from the ceiling which would be better. You can always angle the center speaker up to compensate. If you can't find a suitable table you could always build a center channel stand yourself (I did).


As far as subs, yes stay clear from Polk (there are much better options) and look to SVS, Epik, Rythmik, HSU, and Lava for their offerings.


Regards,


RTROSE
 
#23 ·

Quote:
What's your seating distance? I assume it's under the PJ so 12'-ish feet? That sounds like a good size (mine is 108" from a 10' front row seating).

Right now it could vary between 10 and 14 feet. Not sure what we will do in terms of seating. We've got many options which I'm sure my wife will play a big part in. Could be a couch or two, definitely some leather recliners worked into the equation 2-4 maybe? We've got some nice Pottery Barn leather chairs up in our family room so I could envision something like those down there. As a guy, I'd like to just call it a day and buy 4-5 leather recliners and be done with it. Something tells me that WON'T be happening.

Quote:
Be careful about putting the screen too close to the ceiling, as there will be reflections from the ceiling. If it's going to be that close, you'll want to paint that soffit a dark, flat color to absorb light, and may want to cover it with fabric or some other treatment to avoid any reflections.

Actually, the pictures that I posted above (taken while standing underneath my bulkhead) are creating an illusion. There is no soffit on the ceiling in front of the screen wall. I just looked at the pictures and realized this. It appears that there is a soffit there with the recessed lights in it. That is not the case. The distance from the screen back to the bulkhead that I have opened up is about 13' (where the PJ will be).
Quote:
Having a bigger, black velvet-covered trim (more than 2") will give you better results.

Despite my handiness and my prior commitment to build a DIY screen, I made the decision last night to purchase a fixed mount Elite screen (Sable series). Been talking with some owners of the same screen and they absolutely love it. Bhphoto has it for $233 shipped so I am going to buy it now to take advantage of the price. I'd spend at least $175 on building one and it's a toss up of whether or not I'd be 100% satisfied. For another $60, I get a great screen and I save a TON of time. I won't be hanging it for a few months but as many of you know these expenses go over MUCH better with the wife when they are stretched out over a period of time
I went ahead and taped the exact dimensions on the wall last night. RTROSE made a suggestion yesterday to bring it down another 6" or so and that actually worked out very well with the dimensions of the Elite Screen. I left 12" on top and I've got about 29.5" below. Although I did not do this on purpose, it ended up being centered (vertically) with the window to its left. Very happy with where I've got it mapped out right now. Here's the final layout:




This wknd I am going to determine where I am going to put my rears on the side walls. It is between the RC65i's and the RC85i's which are timbre-matched to the RTi series. Have both templates printed out from their website...just need to see which size works better. Hopefully the 85i's



If Monoprice hadn't botched my zip code on my spool of speaker wire, I'd be fishing my walls and installing some wall plates this weekend. Oh well, it'll be delivered to the office on Monday
 
#25 ·

Quote:
This wknd I am going to determine where I am going to put my rears on the side walls. It is between the RC65i's and the RC85i's which are timbre-matched to the RTi series. Have both templates printed out from their website...just need to see which size works better. Hopefully the 85i's

Well, after some good sound advice from another forum member, I decided to go with the in-wall Polk 65RT's for surrounds. I've noticed that a few websites (Amazon being one of them) claim that the RC 65i/85i's along with some other in-walls are timbre-matched to the RTi series. After double-checking this on Polk's website, they state that "RCi Series speakers are timbre-matched to other Polk speakers to insure utterly seamless blending from speaker to speaker in systems that combine traditional and built-in speakers" here. If you look up the 65RT's here they say that "Vanishing Series RT speakers are timbre-matched to Polk RTi speakers to insure utterly seamless blending from speaker to speaker in systems that combine traditional and built-in speakers." Much safer bet going with the 65RT's as Polk specifically states that they are matched to the RTi series. It did cost me a few extra bucks but it is well worth it IMO.



Big spool of speaker wire arrived from MP today so I can at least pull the wires for all 5 speakers. Wall plates/mounting brackets/banana clips arrive later this week so hopefully I can get the wiring wrapped up by the weekend.


A few different people have asked me to provide photos and a little better explanation of my basement layout, etc. This weekend I shot a video so that I could document the "before" condition as this thing gets off the ground. It will be a sloooooooooow process but watching this will definitely clear things up a bit: Click Here for Update 1


Cheers
 
#26 ·
Last night I notched out the walls for my Polk 65RTs (left and right surrounds) and they look great. The plan was to run these speakers along with RTi A7's in front and an CSiA6 as CC (all timbre-matched obviously) in a 5.1 or 5.2 format (still deciding on dual subs or not). Late last night another forum member Carlos (who has graciously been helping me along) suggested that I think long and hard about adding back surrounds to the mix and go 7.1 / 7.2 instead of 5.1 / 5.2. After some exploration last night I believe I can install two in the ceiling in the back area and fish the wires back to my bulkhead which is serving as my gateway to my equipment rack anyway. I don't want to spend another $300 on back surrounds (overkill in my book) so I am considering the RCi80's. The RCi80's are generally priced at $99/pair and I'll only pay $62 when its all said and done. Although the RCi80's are not technically timbre-matched to the RTi series, I think they should do just fine. The 70-RT, 90-RT and 620-RT in-ceiling Polks (which are obviously timbre-matched to the RTi series) run $195, $297 and $127 respectively EACH!
Do you all agree that I could get away with the RCi80's? How much different can they really sound?


Here are 2 panos I shot with my iPhone last night. This should help people better understand how large this 8-ft wide bulkhead is that essentially divides my basement in half. I was standing under the bulkhead when I took the panos from both sides. The red arrows coming off my 65RTs show the direction that I will direct the swivel-mount tweeters (towards the seating):






Lastly, this is a shot of the back section that I am now considering the back surrounds for. Thinking that the swivel tweeters on the RCi80s might give me the ability to sort of "bounce" the sound off the back wall and down (as shown by the red arrows). Is it not a good thing - acoustically - to try to do that? My seating area will be just in front of the bulkhead and partially underneath the bulkhead and I am worried that the sound from the in-ceiling back surrounds would sort of be blocked by the bulkhead (I certainly would not be able to see them or the 3 lights from the seating area because of the bulkhead).




Putting the speakers on the back wall is not an option because eventually we will doing a bar/counter top, cabinets, refrigerator, etc. along that entire wall. Plus, getting the wires there would be virtually impossible without really tearing into the drywall. I've done extremely well at minimizing that up to this point.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top