Over the last several years I have learnt so much from the AVS forums and what you have all done with your home theaters, so I figured I would give back and hope my experience helps others!
I started out in 2006 when I moved to this great home with a full walkout unfinished basement, it has a space under the front of the home that is approximately 11’ by 26’ which I figured was great for a home theater space.
I was able to just about get 3 seats in a row with space to walk by the first row, I would love to have a few more feet but this was an amazing space coming from the UK, so I can’t complain!!
My budget was limited and I knew nothing but I did know that I wanted to recreate a theater experience. I decided I would build a screen-wall to surround the screen and house the speakers. This would give me a 106” screen which at that time was just amazing to me…. I didn’t want to see or hear the projector so I also built a drop down boxing for the projector which turned out to be around 15’ back from the screen, right over the first row of seats. After reading the sub $3000 projector forum I decided on the Infocus 4805 and got the Da-Lite Perm Wall with Cinema Vision 1.3g material. At that time I was 100% DVD and was very happy with the PQ, I guess the fact that the first row was 15’ back and that the projector was a great DLP for the money, HD didn’t do anything for me, just made me mad that the BD version of movies was 1.5 to 2x the cost of a DVD and I wasn’t ready to pay that!!!
For the first few months I made do with a cheap $500 all in one Yamaha 5.1 sound system I already had, it wasn’t bad really, and being my first experience was still amazing but I quickly wanted more and purchased an Onkyo TX SR-674 with full tower fronts, center and rear surround Monitor series Polk speakers. At the same time I was having bad echo effects in the room so purchased some DIY materials to make several sound panels, boy did that help improve things! I didn’t and still don’t have any measuring tools etc. I just put them on the side walls and at the back of the room, it sounded great so it worked for me J
Later the 4805 had the infamous light tunnel failure and after a DIY repair job that didn’t help much, I replaced the PJ with the then replacement model, the InFocus Big Play IN72. This was a drop in replacement, same spec for zoom and placement so worked really well. And that was my setup for the past few years!
Then came 3D and after having a 3D TV I really wanted to see what that would be like in my theater, anyone who watches 3D movies knows bigger is better lol. Plus my PJ was getting on a bit and I was reading all the great reviews for the Epson 5020UB…. I really wanted one of these projectors.
So the move to HD is underway, I get my Epson PJ and also take the plunge and get an Oppo 103 to get the best from this PJ, wow just wow…the blacks are incredible and so is the higher resolution… This light cannon PJ made my screen a little too gain’y where you could see some sparkle in bright scenes, 3D was amazing but my Onkyo was not 3D ready….yes I ended up replacing that as well after getting a good discount on the Onkyo 818 which also drove me to adding another 2 speakers and a second sub to move me to a 7.2 sound setup….Now watching Transformers in 3D and HD sound was just out of this world. Totally amazing what you can do at home now and all this didn’t cost the earth, it’s all entry level stuff as far as I can tell looking at some of the equipment you guys have!
After about a year of that I am taking the next step, upgrading my screen to a 131” AT Falcon Screen and redoing my sound panels…Pictures and details following;
Epson 5020UB (Infocus 4805 and IN72 previously)
Falcon Screens AT 131" (Da-Lite 16:9 Perm Wall - Cinema Vision 106" previously)
Onkyo TX NR818 (Yamaha HTR5835 and Onkyo TX SR674 previously)
Emotiva XPA-5
Polk 265-LS/255c-LS LCR, 80iF/X-LS, LSiM703 surrounds (Polk Monitor 50 Fronts, CS2 center, 30 surround, 40 rears, (Replacing Monitor 30 surrounds for RC80i in ceiling) previously)
SVS Dual PB-2000 Subs (PSW125 main sub and a second Sub PSW111 previously)
Oppo 103 (previously Yamaha DVD91500 and LG BD player)
HTPC with MediaBrowser3
DIY sound Treatments (re-design by sinking into walls and using printed fabric)
Monster speaker cables
RedMere HDMI to projector (Monoprice)
I started out in 2006 when I moved to this great home with a full walkout unfinished basement, it has a space under the front of the home that is approximately 11’ by 26’ which I figured was great for a home theater space.
I was able to just about get 3 seats in a row with space to walk by the first row, I would love to have a few more feet but this was an amazing space coming from the UK, so I can’t complain!!
My budget was limited and I knew nothing but I did know that I wanted to recreate a theater experience. I decided I would build a screen-wall to surround the screen and house the speakers. This would give me a 106” screen which at that time was just amazing to me…. I didn’t want to see or hear the projector so I also built a drop down boxing for the projector which turned out to be around 15’ back from the screen, right over the first row of seats. After reading the sub $3000 projector forum I decided on the Infocus 4805 and got the Da-Lite Perm Wall with Cinema Vision 1.3g material. At that time I was 100% DVD and was very happy with the PQ, I guess the fact that the first row was 15’ back and that the projector was a great DLP for the money, HD didn’t do anything for me, just made me mad that the BD version of movies was 1.5 to 2x the cost of a DVD and I wasn’t ready to pay that!!!
For the first few months I made do with a cheap $500 all in one Yamaha 5.1 sound system I already had, it wasn’t bad really, and being my first experience was still amazing but I quickly wanted more and purchased an Onkyo TX SR-674 with full tower fronts, center and rear surround Monitor series Polk speakers. At the same time I was having bad echo effects in the room so purchased some DIY materials to make several sound panels, boy did that help improve things! I didn’t and still don’t have any measuring tools etc. I just put them on the side walls and at the back of the room, it sounded great so it worked for me J
Later the 4805 had the infamous light tunnel failure and after a DIY repair job that didn’t help much, I replaced the PJ with the then replacement model, the InFocus Big Play IN72. This was a drop in replacement, same spec for zoom and placement so worked really well. And that was my setup for the past few years!
Then came 3D and after having a 3D TV I really wanted to see what that would be like in my theater, anyone who watches 3D movies knows bigger is better lol. Plus my PJ was getting on a bit and I was reading all the great reviews for the Epson 5020UB…. I really wanted one of these projectors.
So the move to HD is underway, I get my Epson PJ and also take the plunge and get an Oppo 103 to get the best from this PJ, wow just wow…the blacks are incredible and so is the higher resolution… This light cannon PJ made my screen a little too gain’y where you could see some sparkle in bright scenes, 3D was amazing but my Onkyo was not 3D ready….yes I ended up replacing that as well after getting a good discount on the Onkyo 818 which also drove me to adding another 2 speakers and a second sub to move me to a 7.2 sound setup….Now watching Transformers in 3D and HD sound was just out of this world. Totally amazing what you can do at home now and all this didn’t cost the earth, it’s all entry level stuff as far as I can tell looking at some of the equipment you guys have!
After about a year of that I am taking the next step, upgrading my screen to a 131” AT Falcon Screen and redoing my sound panels…Pictures and details following;
Epson 5020UB (Infocus 4805 and IN72 previously)
Falcon Screens AT 131" (Da-Lite 16:9 Perm Wall - Cinema Vision 106" previously)
Onkyo TX NR818 (Yamaha HTR5835 and Onkyo TX SR674 previously)
Emotiva XPA-5
Polk 265-LS/255c-LS LCR, 80iF/X-LS, LSiM703 surrounds (Polk Monitor 50 Fronts, CS2 center, 30 surround, 40 rears, (Replacing Monitor 30 surrounds for RC80i in ceiling) previously)
SVS Dual PB-2000 Subs (PSW125 main sub and a second Sub PSW111 previously)
Oppo 103 (previously Yamaha DVD91500 and LG BD player)
HTPC with MediaBrowser3
DIY sound Treatments (re-design by sinking into walls and using printed fabric)
Monster speaker cables
RedMere HDMI to projector (Monoprice)