I originally posted this in the Dedicated Theater Builder forum, but have realized that they are a bit out of my league, and my true brethren are in this forum, so here it is, folks...
Well, after many many years of having a pretty kick-@$$ surround system in my living room, a couple years ago I was finally able to set up a dedicated, 9.5' x 17.5' room. I had bought a house that had room with a makeshift screen on one end, so I picked up a cheap Epson 720p HD projector on craigslist and moved my existing surround system into the room.
That has served me well for a couple years. I've made some equipment upgrades, including going with a Marantz SR5005 AVR and upgrading to an Optoma HD20 projector.
But now it's time to upgrade.
• The screen was originally mounted on the wall perpendicular to 3 large floor to ceiling windows - obviously not great for daytime viewing. I hung curtains, which did a nice job of blacking out the room, but I like to have a little bit of natural light in the room while watching football on a Sunday.
• The makeshift 96" screen (a solid piece of white linoleum) was starting to sag in places. Not terrible, but watching sports was starting to make me seasick on quick pans.
• One of the floorboards was also starting to weaken. This is also the workout room (Nike+ Xbox 360 Training - down 45 lbs. this year) and the floorboard had taken a bit of a beating.
So over the last month or so, I've been making plans and started this past weekend. I'm spinning the room 180º. There's a narrow space on the other end of the room, and I'm going to have to blackout 2 windows (they never let in much light and have no view, as they're under a deck) and use the soffits for L-R speakers. In between the two windows was an old non-functioning wall furnace which we removed, and the hole that left behind will be utilized for the center channel speaker.
The 96" piece of linoleum will be replaced with a 115" DIY screen made with Seymour AV's Center Stage AT material. Seymour is located right in town and they've been supremely helpful with my planning. Great people at that place. Smart, friendly, and helpful. I've invited Chris over for a beer and a movie when it's complete. He offered to swing by and help if needed, as he lives just around the corner. I'm trying to save him from that offer, but I haven't ruled it out yet, either. smile.gif
I removed the built-in cabinet along one side of the room to free up more room for working out (hoping to drop another 10-15 by the holidays, even with tailgating season upon us). The components will be housed under the screen, some behind the false wall. I can dim/turn off all the front display lights, so they won't bother us during viewing.
For now the seating will just live at the other end of the room. Eventually I plan on purchasing a pair of theater-style recliners for a front-row (which will be in the actual 'sweet spot') and I'll build a platform in the end of the room to raise the couch for sight-line.
I'm hoping to be done with this project relatively quickly. We've already made great progress over the weekend.
Well, after many many years of having a pretty kick-@$$ surround system in my living room, a couple years ago I was finally able to set up a dedicated, 9.5' x 17.5' room. I had bought a house that had room with a makeshift screen on one end, so I picked up a cheap Epson 720p HD projector on craigslist and moved my existing surround system into the room.
That has served me well for a couple years. I've made some equipment upgrades, including going with a Marantz SR5005 AVR and upgrading to an Optoma HD20 projector.
But now it's time to upgrade.
• The screen was originally mounted on the wall perpendicular to 3 large floor to ceiling windows - obviously not great for daytime viewing. I hung curtains, which did a nice job of blacking out the room, but I like to have a little bit of natural light in the room while watching football on a Sunday.
• The makeshift 96" screen (a solid piece of white linoleum) was starting to sag in places. Not terrible, but watching sports was starting to make me seasick on quick pans.
• One of the floorboards was also starting to weaken. This is also the workout room (Nike+ Xbox 360 Training - down 45 lbs. this year) and the floorboard had taken a bit of a beating.
So over the last month or so, I've been making plans and started this past weekend. I'm spinning the room 180º. There's a narrow space on the other end of the room, and I'm going to have to blackout 2 windows (they never let in much light and have no view, as they're under a deck) and use the soffits for L-R speakers. In between the two windows was an old non-functioning wall furnace which we removed, and the hole that left behind will be utilized for the center channel speaker.
The 96" piece of linoleum will be replaced with a 115" DIY screen made with Seymour AV's Center Stage AT material. Seymour is located right in town and they've been supremely helpful with my planning. Great people at that place. Smart, friendly, and helpful. I've invited Chris over for a beer and a movie when it's complete. He offered to swing by and help if needed, as he lives just around the corner. I'm trying to save him from that offer, but I haven't ruled it out yet, either. smile.gif
I removed the built-in cabinet along one side of the room to free up more room for working out (hoping to drop another 10-15 by the holidays, even with tailgating season upon us). The components will be housed under the screen, some behind the false wall. I can dim/turn off all the front display lights, so they won't bother us during viewing.
For now the seating will just live at the other end of the room. Eventually I plan on purchasing a pair of theater-style recliners for a front-row (which will be in the actual 'sweet spot') and I'll build a platform in the end of the room to raise the couch for sight-line.
I'm hoping to be done with this project relatively quickly. We've already made great progress over the weekend.