Quote:
Originally Posted by
Billy_P 
Did you do anything special in the ceiling above the TV to prep for adding a drop-down screen?
We are about to sheetrock my basement HT, but we aren't spending for a projector/screen now. Yet I want to make sure I can handle it when the time comes. Any tips on prepping for projector or screen would be much appreciated.
Billy_P,
I'm adding a motorized screen for my set-up. The obvious point here is to make sure if you are going motorized that there is power near the screen casing. Nobody wants to see an ugly extension cord running down the wall! Depending on the weight of the unit, you may have to drill into a stud, but many of the screens come with brackets that mount onto the wall, and then the screen connects to the bracket like a french cleat. I doubt there would be much prep work to do now.
As for the projector, I always went to projectorcentral dot com for throw distances, so I would know where the projector would be positioned. If you can figure out where you would put a projector if you went that route, then you can prewire some cabling there. You can either just put in a bunch of cables in your ceiling (such as HDMI, CAT6, CAT5), or you can run conduit (e.g., central vac tubing) to your proposed projector location from your equipment location for future cabling. That way, it future-proofs your set-up in case the connections change. The conduit can then terminate into a flat plate in your ceiling.
The only other thing to prep for would be power. A projector can't be connected to an extension cord, so there needs to be an outlet in the ceiling. Many people (myself included) have opted for a power bridge, which is basically like running an extension cord through your ceiling, but using proper gauge in-wall wiring and meeting all code requirements. This allows you to plug your projector into an outlet in the ceiling, but have the other end plug into your power conditioner or UPS.
Hope this helps.
