Been a lurker here for quite a while, and picked up quite a few good tips and ideas. When I decided to make a theater of my own, and put some of those ideas into use, it just seemed right somehow that I should document the effort here. So, I'm beginning this thread in the hopes that maybe I can help someone, the way the rest of you guys have helped me.
My situation is very odd, to say the least. 1st - I live in an apartment. It's an old concrete high rise. I've been here forever, and I'm probably gunna die here, so why the hell not make myself as comfortable as possible until then? LOL Since I'm usually alone when I'm here - I was really the only 1 I had to take into account when planning this thing. I knew right off the bat, I was really only interested in 2 things - a giant kick ass 3D screen/wall and teeth rattling sound. Everything else - I really couldn't care less about. Rugs, posters, furniture, decorations? Are you serious? Who cares?!
At least, that's what I thought would be the case when I 1st started. It's funny how quick stuff you were SURE wouldn't mean zip to you - all of a sudden, and without you even realizing it - magically becomes critically important. What's even funnier, at least I thought so anyway, was how this *whatever it is* attains this new found level of importance with absolutely no identifiable or discernible reason WHAT SO EVER! LOL
It just does. And that's all there is to it. But I'm getting off track here. Back to the pathetic thing I call my home theater. The space I had to work with, was about 16X25. Of which, I could dedicate a 16X18 area. After a few days of researching hardware and stuff, these are the components I settled on.
Optoma HD66
Denon AVR1911
Onkyo HT750 speaker system
LG 3D Bluray player
Nvidia 3D Vision setup w/ 4 prs of active shutter glasses
Asstd cables, extensions, and wires
And that was pretty much it... To start off. All of that cost about 1500 bucks. Got most of the cables and things off ebay, along with the Denon, which I got for about 300 new. Got the pj from 6th ave on sale for 700. Got the speakers from B&H photo downtown, also on sale, for 220. The LG blu ray I already had, and the Nvidia setup I got off ebay for 125 which is a KILLER deal for having 4 pairs of glasses. The glasses ALONE go for about 100 each!
Bought a great ball and socket custom mount for my pj - again off ebay for about 30 bucks. Mounting that to the ceiling took 2 days cause I have a poured slab ceiling, and I needed a special drill to make holes in it. Man was THAT a nightmare, but I got it done. Got the pj bolted up, hooked it up to the Denon, hooked up all the speakers to the Denon, hooked up my PC to the Denon - (had to do that for the 3D) mounted the 3D emitter on the ceiling4, put the glasses on, turned everything on and WA LA!
Absolutely NOTHING worked LOL
This is now the point where you find out all the little things they forgot to mention in all those reviews you read, or the sales guy forgot to tell you. Like for example that the Nvidia 3D system will not work when routed thru a receiver 1st. Or the fact that the HD66 - a 3D capable pj is not actually capable of 3D UNTIL YOU SEND IT BACK TO THEM FOR A HARDWARE/FIRMWARE UPGRADE.
Now maybe it's just me, but don't you think that's the type of info that they should tell you BEFORE you buy it? Oh well, minor hiccups actually when you look at the big pic. I send the pj in, they do what the need to and send it back. I will definitely say optoma did a great job with handling my 'pissed-off' ness LOL They fedex'd it both ways free of charge, and had the actual upgrade done the same day it arrived at their factory, So I had it back in 3 days. I worked around the sound thing by running a digital out from the computer to the Denon(just a simple RCA cable), and running an hdmi cable straight from the vid card to the pj. The 3D emitter for the glasses then gave me a prob because it's more than 15 feet from the computer. but a 40' active repeater cable off ebay for about 25 bucks solved that problem rather handily if I do say so myself. I then picked up a wireless kb+mouse set up for like 15 bux-yup, off ebay, and I gotta tell ya - this is hands down the best -functioning- apartment hook up I've ever seen. Worst looking, best functioning. I'm ok with that.
The image is awesome, the sound from the Denon will rattle the fillings out of your teeth, and the speakers just simply look and sound fantastic. Keep in mind now, this is all straight out of the box stuff, and I'm just using a plain wall to throw the image on.
*update*
After reading some DIY screen threads, I decided to give it a whirl. I ran over to home depot, got a can of behr silver screen for 30 bucks, got a 2 dollar roller, a pizza and a 6 pack on the way home, then proceeded to see what damage I could do. 3 hrs later, I was stuffed, buzzed and had an awesome new wall screen. That behr stuff is PURE MAGIC!! If your using a wall, get this stuff!! It's awesome!!! The best way I can think of to describe the effect this paint had, is to put like this - Have you ever watched a tv show on an old crt tv that had a dirty screen? Back in the old days, like before remote control old days, every so often you'd have to get up and wipe the dust off the screen. That happend slowly over time due to all the static buildup and whatnot. And when you did it - it was like getting a new TV. You couldn't believe the difference in the image. It was brighter, clearer, sharper and it was hard to believe you were looking at the same tv as 10 seconds ago. The build up was so slow and so gradual that you never realized it was even happening. The 1 day out of nowhere, you just get up and wipe off the screen and POW - new TV.
THAT'S EXACTLY THE SAME EFFECT THIS PAINT HAD!
OK As soon as I figure out how to, I'll post a bunch of pics.
Been a lurker here for quite a while, and picked up quite a few good tips and ideas. When I decided to make a theater of my own, and put some of those ideas into use, it just seemed right somehow that I should document the effort here. So, I'm beginning this thread in the hopes that maybe I can help someone, the way the rest of you guys have helped me.
My situation is very odd, to say the least. 1st - I live in an apartment. It's an old concrete high rise. I've been here forever, and I'm probably gunna die here, so why the hell not make myself as comfortable as possible until then? LOL Since I'm usually alone when I'm here - I was really the only 1 I had to take into account when planning this thing. I knew right off the bat, I was really only interested in 2 things - a giant kick ass 3D screen/wall and teeth rattling sound. Everything else - I really couldn't care less about. Rugs, posters, furniture, decorations? Are you serious? Who cares?!
At least, that's what I thought would be the case when I 1st started. It's funny how quick stuff you were SURE wouldn't mean zip to you - all of a sudden, and without you even realizing it - magically becomes critically important. What's even funnier, at least I thought so anyway, was how this *whatever it is* attains this new found level of importance with absolutely no identifiable or discernible reason WHAT SO EVER! LOL
It just does. And that's all there is to it. But I'm getting off track here. Back to the pathetic thing I call my home theater. The space I had to work with, was about 16X25. Of which, I could dedicate a 16X18 area. After a few days of researching hardware and stuff, these are the components I settled on.
Optoma HD66
Denon AVR1911
Onkyo HT750 speaker system
LG 3D Bluray player
Nvidia 3D Vision setup w/ 4 prs of active shutter glasses
Asstd cables, extensions, and wires
And that was pretty much it... To start off. All of that cost about 1500 bucks. Got most of the cables and things off ebay, along with the Denon, which I got for about 300 new. Got the pj from 6th ave on sale for 700. Got the speakers from B&H photo downtown, also on sale, for 220. The LG blu ray I already had, and the Nvidia setup I got off ebay for 125 which is a KILLER deal for having 4 pairs of glasses. The glasses ALONE go for about 100 each!
Bought a great ball and socket custom mount for my pj - again off ebay for about 30 bucks. Mounting that to the ceiling took 2 days cause I have a poured slab ceiling, and I needed a special drill to make holes in it. Man was THAT a nightmare, but I got it done. Got the pj bolted up, hooked it up to the Denon, hooked up all the speakers to the Denon, hooked up my PC to the Denon - (had to do that for the 3D) mounted the 3D emitter on the ceiling4, put the glasses on, turned everything on and WA LA!
Absolutely NOTHING worked LOL
This is now the point where you find out all the little things they forgot to mention in all those reviews you read, or the sales guy forgot to tell you. Like for example that the Nvidia 3D system will not work when routed thru a receiver 1st. Or the fact that the HD66 - a 3D capable pj is not actually capable of 3D UNTIL YOU SEND IT BACK TO THEM FOR A HARDWARE/FIRMWARE UPGRADE.
Now maybe it's just me, but don't you think that's the type of info that they should tell you BEFORE you buy it? Oh well, minor hiccups actually when you look at the big pic. I send the pj in, they do what the need to and send it back. I will definitely say optoma did a great job with handling my 'pissed-off' ness LOL They fedex'd it both ways free of charge, and had the actual upgrade done the same day it arrived at their factory, So I had it back in 3 days. I worked around the sound thing by running a digital out from the computer to the Denon(just a simple RCA cable), and running an hdmi cable straight from the vid card to the pj. The 3D emitter for the glasses then gave me a prob because it's more than 15 feet from the computer. but a 40' active repeater cable off ebay for about 25 bucks solved that problem rather handily if I do say so myself. I then picked up a wireless kb+mouse set up for like 15 bux-yup, off ebay, and I gotta tell ya - this is hands down the best -functioning- apartment hook up I've ever seen. Worst looking, best functioning. I'm ok with that.
The image is awesome, the sound from the Denon will rattle the fillings out of your teeth, and the speakers just simply look and sound fantastic. Keep in mind now, this is all straight out of the box stuff, and I'm just using a plain wall to throw the image on.
*update*
After reading some DIY screen threads, I decided to give it a whirl. I ran over to home depot, got a can of behr silver screen for 30 bucks, got a 2 dollar roller, a pizza and a 6 pack on the way home, then proceeded to see what damage I could do. 3 hrs later, I was stuffed, buzzed and had an awesome new wall screen. That behr stuff is PURE MAGIC!! If your using a wall, get this stuff!! It's awesome!!! The best way I can think of to describe the effect this paint had, is to put like this - Have you ever watched a tv show on an old crt tv that had a dirty screen? Back in the old days, like before remote control old days, every so often you'd have to get up and wipe the dust off the screen. That happend slowly over time due to all the static buildup and whatnot. And when you did it - it was like getting a new TV. You couldn't believe the difference in the image. It was brighter, clearer, sharper and it was hard to believe you were looking at the same tv as 10 seconds ago. The build up was so slow and so gradual that you never realized it was even happening. The 1 day out of nowhere, you just get up and wipe off the screen and POW - new TV.
THAT'S EXACTLY THE SAME EFFECT THIS PAINT HAD!
OK As soon as I figure out how to, I'll post a bunch of pics.