PGA Theater begins

EDIT... UPDATED WITH RECENT PICS 2/5/10

Well... finally gonna get started with my home theater in the basement. Have read and looked at all of your theaters and let me thank all of you for posting. I am hesitant about doing a thread like this because of my lack of construction knowledge.... I can help you with your alls golf swings but when it comes to how pieces of wood should be put together to form something useful then I'm lacking... Always need somebody to tell me how and I'll give it a try..

Thats why I've gotten to this point. Watching all your threads go up and giving step by step instructions gives me more of a sense of actually being able to get things done.

I've got the walls framed up and will be putting up electric and thought I'd start putting some pics up so the project could get picked apart. I really want criticism and feedback about everything you think is stupid or could be done a different way better... at least before I get into it.

Anyhoo.. I'll shut up and start posting... i've got some renderings and I'll get some regular pics up tommorrow.

Thanks again for everybody who has given their step by step advice.

O.. PS... forgive some of the chairs and barsets.....thats the only thing the program had and I haven't had time to get more exact yet..... and the colors are NOT what I am going with, I just put them up there to see. Some of the dimensions around the stairway are a bit off for some reason so there are a few places where it doesn't fit exactly... The home theater area is about right dimension wise. Those walls are up. I had a lot of space to make many floorplans but this is what the wife liked and I got tired of moving walls around.





all the cloumns will have arches above them going from column to column. Couldn't figure out arches yet.




The table behind the seats was the best thing I could find. I didn't see any bar type objects... It will be more of a bar like a lot of other theaters have had built into the riser.






A couple of updated pics using the DIY masking system
I made...

Edited by Wazzey - 12/23/12 at 8:52am

Some pics of where I'm at... won't bore you with details... Screen is where its gonna be. Watch a lot of 16x9 but I'd like to make a manual mask from the top and bottom for movies when I incorporate the stage area.

Edited by Wazzey - 12/23/12 at 8:54am

Well that sucks... the old father in law in charge of my progress never said anything about that nor did I obviously think about it. I'll blame him

O... this is exactly the kind of feedback that I wanted... I'm not going to take offense to anything like that. I appreciate yours and anybodys elses help very much.

I will look into making the half wall a bit more sturdy as you suggest and look forward to more advice.


Thanks

No.. no windows.. no outside access via steps either... my father had a walk out basement and it always seemed to get wet in the rainy season so I built on a hill and hope to keep the water out with good engineering.

and you are exactly right about the projector and I have just started this project.... It like... ok I'll put on lord of the rings or the matrix or sumpin I like just to be in the background and if a good scene comes on then you crank up the speakers and sit down for a few...
Or the kids are playing Lego Star Wars and they say dad we need help with this level....... so I gotta stop their suffering and sit and play for few.

Just got some new.. used.. htseats in.. had no intention of getting seats until later down the line but saw a good deal on ebay from an individual and won them... they will serve their purpose well... now the pace will slow even more.

Edited by Wazzey - 12/23/12 at 8:56am

I'm slow. If I knew more of what I was doing or could see projects in my head it would be easier.
Anyway, probably not up to code but got the pocket doors leading to the storage area up. Being level is very important and I didn't get level enough but luckily smarter people are able to fix things.
Won't bore you with many more construction pics because I'm sure you've seen it before.
At last minute I was putting up this small wall behind the furnace and thought, you know I bet I could put in one of those recessed areas that can hold a movie poster and maybe put a light on top of it just for looks cause this wall is gonna do nothing. So anyway I made it a couple inches bigger than the average 27x40 movie poster and just plan on drywalling inside and painting and maybe framing around it with the small light on top.... hopefully will be a good look... I've seen a few in the forums and thought why not.

So next will be more planning on the electric and the drywall/dropceiling guy will be here tommorrow to measure and tell me how much I owe.

Oh yea.. I was so worried about not having enough space around the chairs and I am so glad I lucked into the deal on these. 18" between the wall and the chairs on paper looks like nothing and was worried it wouldn't be enough. But I think its plenty to get by with now.. especially with the open area beside where the movie poster is gonna be... that will make it easier to get to... Now I might be looking at getting some wider chairs for the back since I'm not worried about the space. Having the chairs here to look at has been great...
Another thing I wasn't thinking about was how far out your feet stick past the end of the chair when you recline. I will be adding more space between the front and back rows because of that.



Gotta move the water heater



poster window



18" between chair and wall still looks small in the picture but its not that bad.

Edited by Wazzey - 12/23/12 at 8:57am

... tell me about it. I've been in my new home build for about a year and I've had the sound and screen up for most of that year without starting to upgrade the basement. So its been up before I had the funds to start. I probably do need to take it down but my wife and I have to have it otherwise the treadmill would collect dust.


I'll have the spot for the equipment right under the staircase.. I intend on making a framed in window rack like in other theaters there. I plan on giving access to it under the staircase from the storage room beside it. I've got a new Yamaha RX-V1800 that I've been trying out and have the one HDMI cable running to the HD70 projector right now with the Xbox 360, satellite and the HDa2 and intend on having the computer hooked up here pretty soon. Just haven't got that far yet... Am afraid if I hook the comp up to it right now I'll get even less done

Well... I'm slow on getting things done... mostly because I always need somebody else to confirm things. Getting the electrical lined out and pulled as we speak and have put up soffit in the the theater area to seperate the black ceiling theater area from the rest of the basement that will be a different color.

Just ordered an IR repeater block and emitters to control the equip closet, projector and hopefully the lighting.

I've talked myself into the lutron spacer system for the entire area... have read about it and it seems simple enough for me to understand. Thought about the grafik eye but I think this is the less expensive way, I could be and usually am wrong.

I'll be putting up one main control in the theater... possibly in the same gang box as the 4 other dimmers that will be contolling the 4 different lighted areas in the theater... rope lighting, sconces, can lights in front of screen, can lights above bar attached to seat riser. Ya don't have to have those dimmers in the same box as master but I think I want em there for individual touch contol.
This master will also ir control 3 other zones in the other areas of the basement. The ir from the master in the theater will go to the gang at the bottom of the stairs which will have 2 seperate 3-way (multilocation) ir dimmers as well as one single location ir dimmer. One 3-way controlling the middle room behind the theater, one controlling the cans over the bar area by the bathroom, each of these will have an accessory 3way dimmer in those locations. The single location ir dimmer will control the sitting area as soon as you get into the basement.

The whole system for the lighting switches is gonna cost $581 through an online dealer

http://www.lutron.com/CMS/CMSSystem_...d=1013&id=7334

Quantity Color Cost Total
SPS-600 Single Location Dimmer 4 black $58.50 $234.00
SPS-600 Single Location Dimmer 1 White $58.50 $58.50
SPS-600 Multi Location Dimmer 2 black $62.73 $125.46
SPS-AD accessory dimmer 2 black $17.88 $35.76
SCS-5WCR 1 black $127.50 $127.50


Kinda writing this down so I understand it more and also to see if anybody chimes in and says there is a better system or a better way to do it with the system that I have described. I could save some money by not separating the 3 locations, they are small, but I want individual control over them for different situations that might arise.

Will be pulling wire and wiring boxes and looking into finishing the soffit box where the projector is gonna be. I kinda screwed that up ,nothing major, and am trying to figure out the best way to proceed.... I'll have some pics up to get better ideas.

until next time

fore

..... I don't laugh much when someone tells jokes but I had to chuckle at the golf metaphor.

I'll probably be limiting the pics when it goes to page 2.... I get tired of them loading up myself....

Golf pros in indiana have lots of time in the winter so I'll be heading back down to the basement now

Ahhhh happiness is getting your new stuff to work on the first try.

Just got in this yesterday
http://www.smarthome.com/8130W.html
http://www.smarthome.com/8191.html
and 4 of these http://www.smarthome.com/8171s.html

Ran the cat 5 cable from the wall by the front speakers to the equip closet and hooked them up. The IR repeater gives a green light when it accepts the signals. Used it on all my equipment and it worked fine. Will be able to control the projector/hopefully the spacer lighting system that I haven't gotten in yet/and the equipment with it. I'll give more detailed pics and wiring for it when my wife comes home from watching her nephew graduate from the marine corp training on paris island. She has the camera...
I'll keep the pics small

Question for anybody out there...

Originally intended on putting up drop ceiling everywhere... now I've isolated the theater ceiling area with soffit because I needed this ceiling area to be higher because of the projector needing to be so high. Would it be stupid to use RSIC clips on the walls and ceiling in that area with drywall when I will have no other sound reduction plans except for insulation above thicker drop ceiling in the rest of the basement?

Just kinda curious if anybody had similar situations or knowledge. Would the added cost be worth it I guess is the question or would it be stupid when the rest of the basement is Drop Ceiling.
The theater area is closer to being under the kids and our bedrooms as well. The rest of the drop down ceiling part is under the living room and kitchen areas. Great planning huh?

Using a program call Punch Pro bought at BB.... I really haven't gotten into doing all it can do with landscaping and such but it does an ok job for this. Google Sketch up can do just as good a job if not better with a little bit of messing. I finally used sketch up to make some results with putting up soffiting which I couldn't figure out how to do with this program. When I bought it, Punch, it said it was vista compatible, it is to an extent. Everything works EXCEPT the help menus.


Glad to see there are other PGA AV addicts out there in AVS land.


Thanks for the reply... I'm thouroughly enjoying watching your theater develop. Although I've got to say how jealous I am from how well you have gotten your theater to look. Gives the rest of us something to strive for. Thx again for the help.
I'm sitting here at the shop on a wet foggy day so I'll have plenty of time to look over your info.

Some progress. More would have been done if I understood more about electrical and construction. Bathroom has been plumbed in and the water heater has been moved. Paid someone to do that so it looks good. 99% of the electrical has been ran and I still have to make a few receptacle adjustments as well as wire the equip closet.

Arches were put up today, that was not fun, trial and error kind of thing. Instead of using plaster board or plywood on the outside we decided, mainly because of having a long span and trying to keep steps out of the process, decided to use 2x4s cut to patterns and attached togeter. We thought this would give the drywall something solid to attach to. I could detail the process but I don't think anybody would want to hear it mainly because I'm sure there are better ways to do it. Plan on putting 1x4 inch particle board on the bottom of the arch to hopefully give it a good fluid consistent curve.

I did the soffits so they are a bit unconventional but they are serving their purpose. Decided to put a soffit to seperate the theater ceiling from the rest of the area. Theater ceiling will be black. Theater ceiling had to be higher than the rest of the area because of the projector needing to be high. The projector will be in the drop ceiling behind the center soffit and I intend on putting up a GOM panel over the front of the projector to give it a clean look.

Have got to frame up the corner area over the fireplace tommorrow. Going to try and get all the wiring to the tv over the fireplace done so I can start drywalling.

Misunderstood Bigs explanation of making the half wall more solid and put plywood under the spliced area and screwed them together hoping that would help instead of just putting another layer on top... well it didn't. Will put another layer on top before drywalling.

Going to go through the setup of trying to change channels over the fireplace tv just for my own sanity.

I've got pictures written down of wiring but nothing fancy. I live in the sticks of Souther Indiana so satellite is my only option and I don't want another set top box so I'm gonna use the one in the closet in the basement and the one upstairs right above to use to get a feed.

I'm gonna buy another ir emitter connecting block and daisy chain to the block from the closet and set up another eye in the tv area. I should be able to control whatever either connecting block has on it. Run blasters to the 2 dimmers at the base of the steps, sat upstairs, and possibly another receiver (have a decent one laying around) to use as a switch for that area. Split the XBOX 360 signal from the closet and send it to the TV. Run component cables from the satellites to the fireplace tv while using the HDMI from the satellites to feed the tv and projector at their positions.

If all goes well I should be able to change inputs at the fireplace tv and watch either the upstairs sat, downstairs sat, Antenna feed or XBOX 360 at that tv.

Whew

Also last night, I did an experiment with RG6 coax and did 3 long 40 ft runs to use as component cable. Seemed to work just fine, just got done watching the steelers on the projector with it. My process was to put regular old F connections on the ends and then use a

http://www.radioshack.com/product/in...entPage=search

F to RCA connector and it worked fine... I didn't use the gold plated ones, bought the silver ones for a lot less and they work fine. I did buy 2 gold ones and made a 35 ft cord for the subwoofer. Seemed to sound just fine.

Well I'll read over and edit what I said to see if it makes sense but it would be better if I had a diagram to show you the connections. The more I type or talk about it the more I understand it.

Almost forgot, got one of the lutron dimmers put in at the bottom of the steps. Seems to work fine. This one will be controlling the fireplace area and will have an ir blaster ran to the back of the box.
It will be contolled by the master when they all get put in. I've already got the lutron blaster wired up and clipped on to the top of it.

Heres a wonderful explanation on how the spacer system works with pics... a lot better explanation and pics than I would be able to provide.

http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htf/...-emitters.html

Anyhoo.. here are some updated pics

soffit that sepearates the areas. I plan on putting up some trim on the outside of the bottom of it to have a place for rope light. The bottom has a 2x2 sticking out to hopefully make this work as planned.


arches. Drop ceiling will show about 3 inches of the arch at the apex so I hope I calcualate that right.





Where 4 switches and the master are going to be. The master will also control the 2 gang boxes by the steps.


Lutron dimmer with IR receiver.

Edited by Wazzey - 12/23/12 at 9:05am

ahhhh...... finding out that an outlet in the drop ceiling isn't code either. Seem to be batting a thousand. Any ideas on how to make it work and not show anything and still be in code?

I guess I'll just put that receptacle in the closet and get a longer power cord for the projector but that seems kinda stupid to have to do that. Hell its probably not code to put the projector in the drop ceiling either.

http://www.easy-arch.com/

oh well... too late... would have been a whole bunch easier



Getting some insulation tommorrow morning and drywall delivered on wednesday. They will be bringing it down but I still do not look forward to cornering it down the stairway. Got all the electrical done except the closet and I should be good to go. Looking forward to seeing the place with walls up.

Got the insulation up and am waiting on drywall. Ran the IR blaster and 3 home made component cables with audio down from the upstairs Satellite to the fireplace area. That was no fun, had to run them one by one but they all made it. Got the top of the fireplace framed in yesterday as well.
Put up the IR blaster to the gang boxes at the bottom of the steps so the other 3 small areas in the basement can be controlled via the IR over the fireplace or the IR in front of the theater.
Drywall was supposed to be here yesterday but rain postponed and now was supposed to get it this morning and haven't heard from them since this morning so hopefully we will get it this afternoon.

More pics to come... hopefully more interesting ones as I get to finishing the theater and getting all the lights to work together.

Heres the framing above the fireplace. Will be a 12 inch gap between the mantle and the framed area.


The monster of wires above the fireplace.


Thanks to BigMouth my wall didn't fall over when the drywall movers used the half wall as their starting point. I believe it would have broke othewise.


Runs of cat to everywhere I could think of. Two runs of component and audio out to the FP. One for Sat and one for XBOX. There are easier ways to do it but I didn't to pay the extra money for one of those component over cat 5 baluns. The run is under 40ft so the picture shouln't be compromised.


Had some leftover faceplates from the housebuild so I used them and dremeled one in half. The other coax is going to the sub.

Edited by Wazzey - 12/23/12 at 9:06am