Screen, speaker, a/v placement

Just built a new house and am starting to finish the basement. I finished framing it and am having a friend of mine that is an electrician wire it for me. Im really struggling with where to put everything, and honestly dont know for sure what im going to be using. Im torn between a projector (what I want but my wife says its overkill) or a flat panel. Im also not sure on what wall I should put the screen on.

The size of the main room this will be going in is 23'x20'. 23' N to S and 20' from the stairs to the W wall. Along with the big screen, I will also be putting a small bar and pool table in it. It obviously wont be a home theater room. More media, game, mancave.

A 7 ft pool table needs an area of 13x16 for unubstructed shots. Im hoping I can run the pool table so the 16' is running the way of the room that is 20' to free up more room on the other side of the room for furniture and the tv. That would give me atleast 10' and possibly a little more depending how I squeeze it in.

I will have a storage closet built underneath the stairs, where I plan on having some shelves built for the a/v equipment..

Im still unsure on the size and shape of my bar. Its going to really depend on the rest of the space and furniture in the room. Im willing to make it work around everything else.

I will have a soffit built around the ductwork and water lines that is about 2 1/2' away from the stairs that is about 3' wide.

OK, so I hope that is enough info about the room that will help you help me.( If not ill try to elaborate on anything else you might need to know)

My main questions are...
- Projector/LCD/Plasma
First off what would you recommend/pros cons.
I dont really have a budget set but with as much money as the entire basement is costing id definately like to spend the least amount possible, but dont want junk by any means. <$1000 even possible? Dont care about 3D. Would take it but not on the priority list. Will be using it mostly for Bluray movies and lots of sports games. Have a PS3 and 360 but use them minimally for gaming.1\
Also where would you recommend me putting it. If I use a projector, how far back should I have the power/hdmi/ethernet box on the ceiling ran?
I cant decide which will be best spot for the screen. N wall or W wall on the N side of the wall. I originally wanted the screen on the N wall with the back of the seating toward the pool table. In that case though the screen will be approximately 7-8' away from the seating. I can put it on the W wall but would really only have room for a couch between the pool table and wall but could move it back much farther away.

- Speakers/Speaker wire
Not sure if ill go with 5.1 or 7.1
What kind of wire and where would you recommend I run it. The room will be used for movie nights but also just have a game on with the guys sitting around and playing pool and stuff so I need the audio able to hear everywhere in the room.

Im sure ill have a hundred more questions but all of a sudden im drawing a blank. I really need some help here and really appreciate anything you can do for me, thanks!

Basement.png 21k .png file

Idk if my attachment worked on my first post. It was something I through together quick on my cpu before I posted. It's not to scale but gives a general idea. If I had it on the west wall, the width of the room is about 20' so really back as far as needed. That is where you come down the stairs, so I would want some walk way of a few feet at least. So I would say it could go back as far as 15' or so.
One reason I was really thinking a projector, is because if me and some buddies are down shooting some pool and watching a game or something, we're not going to be cuddled up on the couch or anything lol. Well be sitting at the bar or on the other side of the room at the pool table. I was thinking projector might be best case scenario so everyone could clearly see what was on from the whole room.
I also was under the impression though, that a projector would be cheaper than a really large plasma or lcd. From glancing through the forums though, I'm starting to think it might not be?

Ok thanks, that's what I'm thinking. I definitely would rather have more wire than not enough ran.
Based on the room I have, does anyone have any layout suggestions? I know the sketch I made isn't the best. I tried to do one on sketchup earlier but it was taking me a while. I'm not dead set on what I have right now. But with the 23x20 room, how would you guys lay out the pool table, bar and little cinema area?

I read some posts in another forum earlier and was blown away by some of the awesome ideas people were coming up with.

I'm pretty handy, but home design definitely isn't my thing. I'm just in a jam, because my project is at a stand still until I figure out exactly where to run all these speaker wires, and all the other av stuff on top of it.
Thanks for the responses so far. Pease keep them coming lol

I downloaded Sketchup, and made a whole floor plan that might make it easier for everyone to see what Im working with. Unfortunately, now I cant figure out how to attach it. It says the .skp file doesnt work...

Br4 is actually last priority in the basement right now. Since we just moved in we still have a need for some extra storage. I have it framed. I will probably run electrical to it while the electrician is here. Possibly hang the drywall but that is all its going to get for a while.

There is going to be a door underneath the stairwell and be used for extra storage. I figured I could build some shelving toward the top and use it for all the equipment. It's kind of centralized. I considered making Br4 a office and have all the receivers in there but...
Like I said I need the storage right now,
And it is just that much farther I will need to snake speaker wire and run conduit, get that much longer hdmi etc.

If I put the receivers in the stairwell closet ill just have to figure out how to get the remotes to work, but I've read on here there are something I can get to resolve that issue?

Still can't figure out though weather to put the tv on the n end of the West wall with the seating at the top of the room facing west, pool table being to the south of the seating and bar built next on the outside of the stairwell.

Or tv on the n wall with the couch facing n with everything else in the same spot.

Or any other good designs? I feel like I'm getting tunnel vision from thinking too hard.

Either way I think I'll want some sort of even audio for the whole room, which I was I'm kind of struggling with the first layout. It seems the best from what I can see but I would have so much audio to the south. Don't know if that will be a problem. Plus it's closest to the stairs therefore sound upstairs.

I will have the room 100% light controlled. All on can lights on dimmers. Only windows are br.

I want there to be decent sound throughout the whole room if possible. I know this isn't possible to have perfect home theater sound when sitting on the couch watching movies but with the set up shown above, will the sound be ok if watching a game or something and standing over by the pool table or sitting at the bar? And where would be the best placement for the sub?

I also am trying to figure out what I need to buy for speaker wire. Since the runs will be between 15-40' what guage wire should I get? 14awg? Does it matter where I get it or what kind? I see a lot of people mentioning monoprice?

Ivealso gotten a few ideas on here but wanted to try to clear it up. So, my plans are in the A/V room, I will probably have some kind of HTIB. This is the area I probably know the least about. I dont know if i will need separate receivers, amps, or anything other than what comes in the box? It will be atleast a 5.1 possibly 7.1. I will have my my screen, but want to wire for the possibility for 2 more in the future.

Outside of the HTIB I will have a xbox360 I will use (mostly for streaming and things more than gaming, but do play cod and kinect here and there) and then also a directv client box (have the genie upstairs with whole home dvr).

My big question is what should I run? Like I posted above, 14awg speaker wire to all the locations? Will I want hdmi over cat6 ran to all the possible locations? I havent got a exact measurment for the distance to the main tv but it will be approximately 40 ft (after snaking it up and down wall and ceiling). Can I get HDMI that long? I wanted to have all the components buried in the closet but if its not possible or ridiculously more expensive I can put them on a stand under the tv.

Other than the speaker wire, and the hdmi/cat6 is there anything Im forgetting? Is monoprice the place to get all this? Do you recommend I run everything through conduit? Even speaker wire?

My ceiling will be drywalled btw.