Please help.... small theater, alot of ideas, where to start

Well, it sounds like you have a lot going on...some of which the forum isn't really going to be able to help you with (staying on budget, other priorities like the Living Room set, restrictions to the HT because of your living situation, etc.). Also, with your budget and room size of 12x12, don't set your expectations on some of the rooms you've seen here on AVS; for example, you don't have enough room to realistically do 2 rows of seats or a 150" screen, or a stage like you mentioned. That being said, if you've looked in particular at the Small Theater builds here http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...t=996973ttp://, there's no reason you couldn't do a cozy HT with the space and budget you've got.

First step: clear the room out and send us a pic. Also, start to explain some of your design priorities in plain language; soundproof "padding"...not really sure what that means. Are you talking about Linacoustic? Do you want to keep sound in or sound out? Just try and tell us what you need to accomplish without getting into the jargon just yet.

CD

Winehouse says "no, no, no"

Winehouse says Back to Black. If you can; but if you can't paint Black, because of your living situation, go darker than Cream or Beige.

CD

DJ, how did you plan to mount the PJ? With 12', I'd suggest a shelf-mount at the back of the room. Also, as you have mentioned, you gotta block/black out those windows, and I would get that room a little darker.

Other than that, the good news is you seem to have a big, unobstructed screen wall.

CD

Nah, you don't want to do that my man. You've got a LOT of light coming in through those windows...and curtains won't block things 100%. It's one thing to have some residual light from the back of the room, but from behind the screen? No good; I'd go the other way.

CD

It sounds like that you want more than:

1. You can afford
2. You are willing to do to make work
3. You have room for

First, take a deep breath and relax. The worst possible thing that you can do is to rush into something as big and complex as trying to make a HT room.

With only 12 feet and your unwillingness to properly treat the room, you might want to consider a big LCD TV rather than a projector. Projectors only work when there is little to no ambient light. Those 2 windows, even when covered by shades/curtains, will still let a LOT of light in.

Assuming those are the recliners that you want to use, your head will be at approximately 9.5 to 10 feet from the screen. Your ideal screen size would be anywhere from a 47 inch to 52 inch TV (and of course you can go bigger or smaller if you want).

First things first though, update that room! Paint the walls a darker color -- khaki for instance if you don't want to go TOO dark. Get some nice carpet in there. Run the wires under the baseboard (hiding them).

I know this isn't what you want to hear but you have to start somewhere. Just doing these things will make a BIG difference.

Good luck!

EDIT: same problems for that 12x16 foot room.

OK, well...if you really want it straight...you don't have a very good room to work with. The shape, the wide door opening on one wall, the windows...all make for true home theater challenges. One other issue is your living situation, and here's what I mean; if we were truly giving you advice about how to best turn that room into an HT, we'd probably suggest you build completely over those windows...or at the very least plug them up with plywood or something.

I think everyone is trying to tread lightly with suggestions like that though, because with only 2 rooms to live in, it seems unlikely that you'll want to turn one of them into a truly dedicated HT; dedicated meaning exactly that, it is a theater and nothing else. It sounds like what you're trying to do is a Family or Living room with a projector, and that's not always easy to do.

You mentioned in your PM how 65" TVs are like $3k, and with some PJs only being $1k it seems like a no-brainer. And in some cases I agree, but the downside if you will...and the reason EVERYONE doesn't get a PJ instead of a big TV, is a PJ needs certain things...like dark rooms and little light...to do their best. Whereas traditional TVs do not. Also, you mention needing to isolate the sound of the theater, and things like a Subwoofer's frequencies, from your Mom living downstairs? Dude, I don't mean to burst your bubble, but soundproof "padding" alone is not going to do the trick. There are guys in here who isolate the construction of the room, making sure 2 pieces of wood never touch each other...using whisper clips, and hat channels...and other exotic construction techniques...and then use fiberglass insulation, and/or Linacoutic insulation, etc...and still never achieve true sound isolation. So some thick carpet pad isn't going to protect your Mom from you're rocking out The Dark Knight.

I'm not trying to talk you out of the HT; we're all enthusiasts, and try to be encouraging of newbies. But JS10 is right; I'm not sure you can do what you want with what you have. And maybe a nice, big TV would be better? In any case, you might try looking around here some http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=15, where people specialize in multi-purpose rooms, as you might get some better ideas of how to deal with challenges from rooms that aren't dedicated just for movie-watching.

CD

What to say? Looks like a Home Theater to me.

CD

A couple of nice small room builds that might be inspirational:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=921414

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=896437

I think you have the possibility of a great gaming/daytime viewing parlor in one room and a dedicated ht across the hall. Integration is the key as you'd want to keep a consistent color style and a unifying theme. I start with a couple of things:

Is the carpet going to stay? If not, you'll want to coordinate the wall paint to the new flooring. On a side note, I would consider accenting the trim around the windows and doors. It looks horrible right now blended into the white walls.

Window treatment needs to block light more. Consider tinting the windows (like a car tint) and solid blinds augmented with thick curtains for a finished look.

Dedicated furniture such as bookcases and coffee tables. Though it appears you've settled as black for your sofas, its not necessary to have more black furniture. I'd consider dark woods and then accent black accent pieces (vases, plates, etc.) to integrate the sofas. Finally add artwork to carry the theme onto the walls. Movie posters are an easy choice but not the only option for wall art. See the walls of my theater as an example.

I don't know what stereo you have but the smaller room can easily handle 6.1. You could do 7.1 but seeing black or silver boxes all around the back can become too distracting. Inwalls should be a consideration if you decide something more than 5.1.

There's a ton more info but I covered some of the basics to get you on your way.

Victor