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The Big Daddy Theater

9K views 75 replies 18 participants last post by  NotShorty 
#1 · (Edited)
Well, its a theater, and its big, and I have five kids. Hence, the Big Daddy theater. We love watching movies together and this will hopefully be the place to be for movies and parties. I'd say it will be used for about 60% movies and about 20% gaming and 20% sports parties. No music happening here.

So here is my diagram:



The room is about 29 feet long and 24.5 feet wide. It has double sliding telescoping doors in the back of the room that can close it up movies, or be kept open for sports parties.

You can see on one side of the room is a kitchenette area, really just a sink with a mini-fridge. I wanted a place to set the snacks and drinks during movies and parties.

Two rows of seating and right now I'm thinking couches rather than theater chairs. They are more versatile because you can pack them full for large groups or spread out in comfort with small groups. Then there is a bar with chairs so people can eat and watch the game. I like to have parties with food and sports, and it isn't fun to eat with a plate in your lap, so the bar will be nice.

One thing the diagram doesn't show is the area behind the bar will be LVP flooring. Everything forward will be carpet.

Equipment:
Screen: 160” diagonal Screen Innovations Fixed Frame screen, Slate 1.2 ALR material
Speakers: Paradigm CI Elite E7-LCR https://www.paradigm.com/en/in-wall-speakers/ci-elite-e7-lcr
For the surrounds, Paradigm Elite E80-IW and for the ceiling Atmos: Paradigme Elite E80-R.
Projector: Epson 6050 UB
Receiver: Anthem MRX 1120

Subwoofers: Facing the screen, looking to the right, you can see a recessed black box area that will house my subwoofers. It is basically an area that is framed in. I'm thinking of stacking two SVS PB-3000s there. They will sit on the concrete footing, but I'll surround them tight with 3/4 mdf with just a minimal gap for air cooling. In the back of the room, behind the chair, I'd like to put a SVS PC-4000, but due to aesthetic considerations my wife might only allow the SVS PC-2000, since it is lower in height and will hide behind the chair. Yes, I know that co-locating two subwoofers in one place up front isn't ideal for sound. But my wife wants them off the floor and out of the way, so that is the likely location. I've had a few conversations with the SVS guys and they have said that the dual PB-3000s up front just might be enough for this room, but putting the PC-2000 in the back wouldn't hurt. They even talked me out of spending even more on dual SB-16 Ultras, they said the PB3000s will be much better low end for movies, my main use (I can't fit PB-16 Ultras).

Sound isolation? Nah. I spent a bunch of time and money on my last theater, and it ended up being super sound proof, but it wasn't worth the money or effort. No bedrooms share walls with the theater and above it is a kitchen with a gypcrete floor. We only watch movies at night and sound just isn't an issue. It would be pretty tough anyway with those big sliding doors in the back.

I'll post some more pics of the actual space soon.
 
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#2 ·
Well, its a theater, and its big, and I'm a decently big guy with five kids. Hence, the Big Daddy theater. We love watching movies together and this will hopefully be the place to be for movies and parties. I'd say it will be used for about 60% movies and about 20% gaming and 20% sports parties. No music happening here.



So here is my diagram:







The room is about 29 feet long and 24.5 feet wide. It has double sliding telescoping doors in the back of the room that can close it up movies, or be kept open for sports parties.



You can see on one side of the room is a kitchenette area, really just a sink with a mini-fridge. I wanted a place to set the snacks and drinks during movies and parties.



Two rows of seating and right now I'm thinking couches rather than theater chairs. They are more versatile because you can pack them full for large groups or spread out in comfort with small groups. Then there is a bar with chairs so people can eat and watch the game. I like to have parties with food and sports, and it isn't fun to eat with a plate in your lap, so the bar will be nice.



One thing the diagram doesn't show is the area behind the bar will be LVP flooring. Everything forward will be carpet.



Equipment:

Screen: 170” diagonal Screen Innovations Fixed Frame screen, Slate 1.2 material

Speakers: Paradigm CI Elite E5-LCR https://www.paradigm.com/en/in-wall-speakers/ci-elite-e5-lcr

For the surrounds, Paradigm Elite E80-IW and for the ceiling Atmos: Paradigme Elite E80-R.

Projector: Epson 6050 UB

Receiver: Anthem 1120



Subwoofers: Facing the screen, looking to the right, you can see a recessed black box area that will house my subwoofers. It is basically an area that is framed in. I'm thinking of stacking two SVS PB-3000s there. They will sit on the concrete footing, but I'll surround them tight with 3/4 mdf with just a minimal gap for air cooling. In the back of the room, behind the chair, I'd like to put a SVS PC-4000, but due to aesthetic considerations my wife might only allow the SVS PC-2000, since it is lower in height and will hide behind the chair. Yes, I know that co-locating two subwoofers in one place up front isn't ideal for sound. But my wife wants them off the floor and out of the way, so that is the likely location. I've had a few conversations with the SVS guys and they have said that the dual PB-3000s up front just might be enough for this room, but putting the PC-2000 in the back wouldn't hurt. They even talked me out of spending even more on dual SB-16 Ultras, they said the PB3000s will be much better low end for movies, my main use (I can't fit PB-16 Ultras).



Sound isolation? Nah. I spent a bunch of time and money on my last theater, and it ended up being super sound proof, but it wasn't worth the money or effort. No bedrooms share walls with the theater and above it is a kitchen with a gypcrete floor. We only watch movies at night and sound just isn't an issue. It would be pretty tough anyway with those big sliding doors in the back.



I'll post some more pics of the actual space soon.
This sounds like a fantastic theater. I would offer 3 suggestions. Baffle wall, AT screen and relocating your subwoofers to the baffle wall. You definitely have the space and you could have your LCR and subwoofers behind the screen
LCR could all be vertical, the same exact speakers and at ear level and hidden behind the screen in the baffle wall.

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#3 ·
This sounds like a fantastic theater. I would offer 3 suggestions. Baffle wall, AT screen and relocating your subwoofers to the baffle wall. You definitely have the space and you could have your LCR and subwoofers behind the screen
LCR could all be vertical, the same exact speakers and at ear level and hidden behind the screen in the baffle wall.
Good thinking, I thought about this but I just don't have a lot of depth for this theater, given its width. It is 24 feet wide and 29 feet deep, so it is close to being a square. If I lose 2-3 feet of depth for a baffle wall, the room would be square shaped and the front row would be too close to the screen. I would almost have to narrow the width of the room if I also shrunk its depth, and neither are happening...

I have an AT screen now, and its okay, but I'm pretty excited about the Screen Innovations Slate 1.2 material. It looks better than the AT version. This is an ambient light rejecting material that is awesome. To add an acoustic transparent screen would also be ALR would be about $4k extra if I stayed with Screen Innovations. Ouch.

https://www.screeninnovations.com/materials/slate/
 
#5 ·
Okay here are a few pics of the space so far. The space is pre-wired, drywall is up, and the flooring is installed in the back, though it is covered in RAM board so you can't see it. Risers are built, and I taped out on the wall the approximate spaces for the architectural columns and the screen.











 
#6 ·
Okay here are a few pics of the space so far. The space is pre-wired, drywall is up, and the flooring is installed in the back, though it is covered in RAM board so you can't see it. Risers are built, and I taped out on the wall the approximate spaces for the architectural columns and the screen.























Man that is going to be such a sweet home theater thanks for sharing the pics

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#7 ·
That's a huge space. My current framed space is 14'x25'-9"x8'-10" and have been thinking of going 20'x25' with an false wall with an 166" 2.4:1 AT screen. No I am only thinking of going with on row of 6 seats with a bar and bar stools. Most of the time it will just be my wife and maybe some friends over once and a while. I have a beam running through my room with a column 16' from my front wall. If I could move my column it would be nice to do what you have, but not sure how many times a year I would fill that many seats. I take it you have a big family? This will be a fun build to watch.
 
#8 ·
Yeah we have 5 kids so it is a decent sized crowd when we watch movies as a family, and I enjoy having sports parties with friends, or hosting big gaming parties for my teenage son and his buddies. You can spend your money on lots of things like sports cars and motorcycles, but I love the idea of having our house be the fun place to hang out so my kids and all their friends want to be in our home instead of off who-knows-where.

The next item on my list is planning for acoustic panels. I like the look of these panels that run tight to the columns:



I'm going to be doing some similar looking architectural columns, so I could duplicate this look pretty closely. But I'm not quite sure how to build these panels. I'm guessing you have to frame them each separately and then somehow hang them on the wall with Z clips or some other fastener, or maybe just liquid nails... I was hoping there would be some way to build them in place on the wall, and avoid having to build frames.

Can anyone point me to a step-by-step on how to do these types of acoustic panels? And do people usually do one inch deep panels? Two inches might be a little too dead. But I do have a big chunk of wood floor in the back of the room for the bar area, so I want to compensate for that...
 
#9 ·
Yeah we have 5 kids so it is a decent sized crowd when we watch movies as a family, and I enjoy having sports parties with friends, or hosting big gaming parties for my teenage son and his buddies. You can spend your money on lots of things like sports cars and motorcycles, but I love the idea of having our house be the fun place to hang out so my kids and all their friends want to be in our home instead of off who-knows-where.



The next item on my list is planning for acoustic panels. I like the look of these panels that run tight to the columns:







I'm going to be doing some similar looking architectural columns, so I could duplicate this look pretty closely. But I'm not quite sure how to build these panels. I'm guessing you have to frame them each separately and then somehow hang them on the wall with Z clips or some other fastener, or maybe just liquid nails... I was hoping there would be some way to build them in place on the wall, and avoid having to build frames.



Can anyone point me to a step-by-step on how to do these types of acoustic panels? And do people usually do one inch deep panels? Two inches might be a little too dead. But I do have a big chunk of wood floor in the back of the room for the bar area, so I want to compensate for that...
As a father of a seven-year-old boy and a five-year-old girl I am very glad to hear a father of teenagers feeling the same way I feel about my kids now I'd rather have them at our house hanging out with us than who knows where. Your children don't know how lucky they are to have a mom and dad that is thinking about them not just right now but thinking about their future. Good luck with the room it looks like it's going to be amazing

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#14 ·
Does anyone have any advice on how to build those acoustic panels that run tight from column to column? I’m thinking I have to take a sheet of 1/2” MDF, cut it precisely to fit with about a 1/4” gap on both sides, and then frame a 1” thick wood border around it to create the recessed area for the acoustic insulation and have something to staple the fabric to. And then I’ll have to figure out how to hang them on the walls with some type of clips or maybe liquid nails, but they have to stand up to years of abuse. Or is there an easier way?
 
#15 ·
Doing some searching I think I may have found an answer for my question of how to do full-wall acoustic panel coverage. There are several companies that sell a track system that mounts to the wall and allows you to tuck the fabric in tightly using a tool. Pretty cool actually. This one is made by Fabricmate:

https://fabricmate.com/fabric-wall-finishing-system/

Does anyone have any experiences with fabricmate or similar systems and could point me to their build thread or other sources?
 
#16 ·
#17 · (Edited)
Sound isolation? Nah. I spent a bunch of time and money on my last theater, and it ended up being super sound proof, but it wasn't worth the money or effort. No bedrooms share walls with the theater and above it is a kitchen with a gypcrete floor. We only watch movies at night and sound just isn't an issue. It would be pretty tough anyway with those big sliding doors in the back.

My theater is being built under my kitchen and living room and have been going around on spending the extra money on soundproofing or not. The thing I want to control is sound from above coming in and hearing my HVAC come of or hear my sump pump run. I was thinking maybe just do double drywall and green glue all around and decouple would be enough, but do you think it is worth it? I don't plan on having mega bass in my room like 8-18" subs, but may do the BOSS platform for my chairs.


My plan I uploaded is just a plan with all the subs. My wife probably won't go for that.
 
#18 ·
I spent a lot of extra for resilient channel double drywall etc. etc. cuts the highs down from traveling but the whole house still shakes from the bass, not going to stop that unless your in a full concrete bunker or a separate structure.
 
#19 ·
So I’ve decided on my speakers, going with the Paradigm Elite E7s. I’m scaling the screen back to a measly 160”. That will be a little better for the front row which is 12 feet away.

What do you guys think about a hush box for the Epson 6050UB projector? With a 160” screen it might have to play on the higher powered mode to be bright enough, which I hear makes the fan a little louder. And then I have to decide to buy or make one.
 
#25 ·
Pardon me fellas, but I have some questions about you know, the theater after which this thread was named.

I was planning on co-locating a pair of SVS PB-3000 subwoofers in the front corner, to the right of the screen. I realize that putting subwoofers inside a cabinet is not ideal (it isn't a cabinet really, just a framed out area, the subs would actually be sitting on concrete and encased in 3/4 mdf). And the subwoofers would stick out proud of the wall by an inch or two, firing right into the room. And the SVS subs I'm looking at are front firing.



After looking at the space of things here, it would be possible for me to fit a single SVS PB-16 Ultra, or, if that wasn't enough, I could do dual SVS PB-16 Ultras, one stacked on top of another, snugly fit inside that cabinet.

However, would what would sound the best? Yes, I know it would be better to put one sub on the left side of the screen. I've wired for that, but for now, aesthetic limitations are limiting them to this cabinet (wife and interior designer are against me). Maybe I could move things around one day and pretend that the PB-16 is too heavy to put back. ;)

In the back corner, could go an SVS PC-2000, behind that chair. Or not...

I'm leaning towards the dual PB-3000s and the PC-2000. Looking at the specifications, it looks like the dual SB-3000s would have more mid-level slam, though they wouldn't match a single PB-16 Ultras in super low end rumble. Of course, dual PB-16s would maybe wake up the neighborhood...

Thoughts?
 
#26 · (Edited)
Pardon me fellas, but I have some questions about you know, the theater after which this thread was named.



I was planning on co-locating a pair of SVS PB-3000 subwoofers in the front corner, to the right of the screen. I realize that putting subwoofers inside a cabinet is not ideal (it isn't a cabinet really, just a framed out area, the subs would actually be sitting on concrete and encased in 3/4 mdf). And the subwoofers would stick out proud of the wall by an inch or two, firing right into the room. And the SVS subs I'm looking at are front firing.







After looking at the space of things here, it would be possible for me to fit a single SVS PB-16 Ultra, or, if that wasn't enough, I could do dual SVS PB-16 Ultras, one stacked on top of another, snugly fit inside that cabinet.



However, would what would sound the best? Yes, I know it would be better to put one sub on the left side of the screen. I've wired for that, but for now, aesthetic limitations are limiting them to this cabinet (wife and interior designer are against me). Maybe I could move things around one day and pretend that the PB-16 is too heavy to put back. ;)



In the back corner, could go an SVS PC-2000, behind that chair. Or not...



I'm leaning towards the dual PB-3000s and the PC-2000. Looking at the specifications, it looks like the dual SB-3000s would have more mid-level slam, though they wouldn't match a single PB-16 Ultras in super low end rumble. Of course, dual PB-16s would maybe wake up the neighborhood...



Thoughts?
Would the wife and designer allow for front placement, left and right of screen if you bought, built, or had built some custom enclosures that would be focal points/highlights of the front wall? Could you put one subwoofer inside the kitchenette cabinets in the back and the other right where you have it now? I think you would have more of an overall sweet spot with that placement. If you did that I think you could forgo the PC 2000 and maybe go dual 4000's. [emoji16][emoji3][emoji1]

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#27 ·
I would stick with putting the subs in the front and maybe make your third row bar a Nearfield with some 18" or 24" subs in it. Check out @d_c's build where he has to Dual Stereo Integrity HS24 nearfield sealed subs in his second row bar that is awesome to watch a movie or listen to music. Especially in the MLP. In have sat through two movies in his theater and it is very impressive. This is just a suggestion.



https://www.avsforum.com/forum/19-dedicated-theater-design-construction/1719578-doug-s-basement-theater.html
 
#28 ·
Good suggestions guys.

Unfortunately the subwoofer inside the kitchenette cabinet is a no-go, I tried that route but the wife wants all that space.

Putting subs inside the bar is another idea that other guys on the forum have executed with amazing results. I considered this but it just takes a lot more time and skill than I have to dedicate right now.

So I'm going with dual SVS PB-4000s. I'm going to try and talk the wife into letting me do them in the front right and left screen corners. If not, they'll go into that recessed cabinet... Either way, a pair of those is going to be so far beyond any subwoofer I've owned, it will be awesome.

Update: My carpenter is cranking away. I really like how these columns turned out:




 
#29 ·
Good suggestions guys.



Unfortunately the subwoofer inside the kitchenette cabinet is a no-go, I tried that route but the wife wants all that space.



Putting subs inside the bar is another idea that other guys on the forum have executed with amazing results. I considered this but it just takes a lot more time and skill than I have to dedicate right now.



So I'm going with dual SVS PB-4000s. I'm going to try and talk the wife into letting me do them in the front right and left screen corners. If not, they'll go into that recessed cabinet... Either way, a pair of those is going to be so far beyond any subwoofer I've owned, it will be awesome.



Update: My carpenter is cranking away. I really like how these columns turned out:









Those columns turned out so well. Going to be a great feature in the room. Are you putting speakers in them?

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#30 ·
Yes, speakers go right and left, and below. Paradigm Elite E7s.

Here are some more questions for you guys:

I'm planning on doing acoustic panels that fill the entire space in between the columns, with the fabricate system, like this:




Question: Should I go with a 1" thick acoustic panel? Or half-inch thickness? All the walls would be treated, minus the columns. The ceiling would remain untreated. The back of the floor is a hard LVP flooring product, the front 2/3 of the theater is carpet. The 1/2" insulation has an acoustic absorption rate of .6 NRC, the 1 inch is .75 NRC.

How much is too much acoustic treatment?
 
#31 ·
Update: Screen wall cabinetry is finished.

Speakers cutouts are done for the Paradigm E7s.



You can't really see it, but the cabinetry that holds the center channel speaker is angled upward slightly, about 10 degrees. Not much but it might help.

A 160" diagonal Screen Innovations Slate 1.2 ALR screen will go in between those columns.

You can also see the trim around the soffit that will hide the led tape up-lighting.
 
#32 · (Edited)
Here is the recessed area that will house the AV equipment. My plan is to put a small AV rack on the top shelf, but it won't be much, just a receiver, AppleTV, and XBOX. Leaving room for an external amp in case I feel the LCR channels are lacking power.

Below the shelf, in the lower part of the cabinet, my plan is to put a subwoofer(s). That cabinet is 21 inches wide and 28 inches deep, so I have a decent amount of space to work with.



As you can read above, I've considered stacking a pair of SVS PB-3000s on top of one another. Another sub I've been looking at is the Monoprice M-215, as well as the PSA V3612. The big Rythmik subs are all 21 inches wide, just a little too wide for this space.

The M-215 or PSA V3612 would fit nicely in that area. I've been somewhat concerned that any sub or subs might rattle the AV cabinet above a little too much, but I've thought of a few things to plan for that. First, the sub itself would sit on concrete and the foundation, and not a wood cabinet. (I plan to pour more concrete so the floor is level). Second, I'll put some good isolation feet on the subs, like those that SVS sells. Third, I also plan to reinforce that cabinet with some heavy duty screws, mass loaded vinyl, and some high density foam so it is both really sturdy and there isn't any dead air gaps behind the sub that can build up resonances. All the subs I'm looking at are front firing and ported.

Another problem is accessibility of this sub. I have to move it to adjust the controls. Perhaps I should stick with my idea to do dual SVS PB-3000s there, with their app controlled subs.

Thats all folks. Any thoughts or comments are welcome!
 
#33 ·
Updates. Theater kitchenette cabinetry is in.



The idea here is just a place where we can set food out or make popcorn during game day parties or big movie nights. There will be a mini-fridge that is pretty quiet but I will set to a smart switch so I can turn it off with my phone during serious movie nights.



Some screen wall carpentry detail. You can see how the center channel will be angled upward:

 
#34 ·
After much research and talking with a lot of people smarter than I am, here is my subwoofer plan. First some background: my wife isn't keen on the idea of big subs sitting out in the open, a big box to trip over, even in the corners. So I needed to disguise them somehow. The obvious way would be to do some in-wall subwoofers, but the performance would be sub-par at best and would also shake the walls. I have that recessed area in the corner of my room, but I was worried that would be too localized or would shake the AV gear in the shelves above it if I put in a dual driver monster sub. So I started looking into the idea of using the subs as end tables for the front row. A sub in this application has some specific requirements. First, it must be higher than the couch's seat cushion of 17 inches but lower than the couch arm (23 inches). The cables of the subwoofer can't be dangling out the back or the front of the sub; I wanted them concealed by the couch, so the amplifier plate hides in between the sub and the couch. Lastly, it has to be a great sub.

So my idea is a pair of PSA 3012 subs disguised as end tables. Each one houses a pair of 15" drivers in a sealed, opposed configuration that is essentially inert. If you place a drink on it, it shouldn't go anywhere. So with just the subs on the end of the couches as end tables, that would be four 15" drivers pushed by 4,000 watts RMS, that isn't a bad start.

Granted, this might not be the optimal sub placement, but it is what it is. If there are some nulls in the room at the listening positions, I can add subwoofers in the corners, one behind the chair and one in the bottom shelf of the recessed cabinet area, like this:



Here is the recessed area that will house the S1512:



It isn't ideal to go with sealed subs for a big room like this that is mainly for movies, but my design is essentially driven by the aesthetics of the subs looking like end tables. I couldn't find a ported sub that met my requirements (the SVS PB3000 came close, but I didn't like the wires dangling out the back).

The only thing I don't like about the PSAs is that they don't have the smart phone app control like the SVS, Paradigm, or ELAC, etc subs. But their performance on paper seems amazing and I'm sure once I get it dialed in it will blow my socks off if I want it to....

Any thoughts or opinions are welcome.
 
#35 ·
Another update: The oak columns got stained. The baseboard had to be an inch thicker to account for the fabricate acoustic panels.


 
#36 ·
If you went the DIY route for your subs you could build them exactly (or almost) to the size and shape you need them to be. As a bonus they would be cheaper and sound as good or better than many commercial subs.
 
#43 ·
Brazensol, you are absolutely right going DIY would be cheaper. After your post I started looking into some DIY options. Unfortunately I just don’t think I’m willing to put in the time for this project...

So I pulled the trigger on a SVS SB16 Ultra, Black Friday deal for $1500! it will go in the bottom of that recessed area in the front right corner. I’m still going with dual PSA 3012s as end tables, but I wanted the SVS for that recessed area because it has the app control. The back of the sub won’t be accessible so having app control is a must, unless I wanted to be sliding a heavy sub in and out every time I wanted to tweak a setting...
 
#37 ·
#38 ·
I have or someone else may have mentioned you could do a BOSS sub system where the subs are under each chair to give you the TR you may want. I plan on doing this.
I picked up one of the JBL subs on Black Friday for $29.99 and have the amp and cables set to arrive today - I'm going to try a single BOSS built into my chair to see how it works. Hope it's everything I've heard it is...
 
#39 ·
1.
Before getting any screen it's very recommended it be used on a wall for a few weeks to see what works.


An 160" 2.39:1 screen fits inside a 169.3" 16:9 screen. Square surface for this 169.3" screen is 85.08 ft².
16:9 needs to be used for calculations since this is the format the projector outputs and brightness goes to the black bars as well.

These measurements are taken with 100% zoom.



Zoom Lens Light Loss. Going from the widest to the full telephoto setting on the 2.1x zoom lens resulted in a little more than 28% loss of light in any given color mode.


With the current setup about 50% of zoom is used, so 14% of light loss.

To calculate the fL the lumens of the present and lamp mode needs to be divided by the square surface.
Example:
Natural preset in Eco lamp has 1438lm. 1438/85.08=16.9fL
Now take out the light loss: 16.9 x 0.86=14.53fL
After this add in the gain of the screen.
Can't remember if the Slate 1.2 actually has 1.2 gain, but let's assume that it does.
14.53 x 1.2=17.43fL

15fL is recommended for SDR, 30+fL for HDR.
Lamps loose around 25% brightness after 500h, after that the light loss is linear until the estimated hour rate of the lamp, which is 50% of it's original brightness.
The closer a projector is, the brighter it will be.

That being said, for this type of fabric and ALR's in general, in order not to experience visual artifacts a minimum throw range of 1.5x is recommended. It;s very likely that even at this throw range some artifacts will be visible with bright images. A throw closer to 2.0x would be better suited.
Throw range is calculated by the width of the screen. The width of this screen is 147.6"=12.3'.
22'/12.3'=1.78x

It's unknown how much the image will be impacted by artifacts at 1.78x throw range.
Can the projector be placed further back?
You can get the screen and try the projector at different distances, with smaller images.


What are the color of the walls?
The ideal setup is a room without any reflections and a white screen. Some users are unhappy with the image of any ALR screen, without any obvious artifacts like hotspots or sparkle. But you might not notice.
While an ALR screen is good at combating ambient light, a white screen, one with maybe a bit of gain would be better. The workaround is the light should not hit the screen directly. Recessed lights in the viewing are and not in the screen area.
And for only 5-10% of sports use I would just get a white screen and manage the lightning in the room.

As to what white screen you should get, make a thread or read some of the other ones here:https://www.avsforum.com/forum/23-screens/
Of course a simple Silver Ticket/Carl's/Elite white fabric would do well.

If you want a screen with some ALR properties without the downsides, and increase the contrast of the image certain paint mixes can be used:
https://www.avsforum.com/forum/110-diy-screen-section/
https://www.avsforum.com/forum/110-diy-screen-section/1311989-official-silver-fire-v-2-thread.html


To read more about projector use in ambient light, check out this thread:
https://www.avsforum.com/forum/68-d...msrp/3101870-projector-use-ambient-light.html

A general discussion on white/grey/ALR screens:
https://www.avsforum.com/forum/23-s...screens-vs-gray-screens-color-pop-whites.html



2.Use this calculator.
https://www.projectorcentral.com/Epson-Home_Cinema_5050UB-projection-calculator-pro.htm

3. I don't believe there is any significant light output difference between the 5050 and 6050.

4. The lamp will wear out quicker if used on a higher setting. But they are not that expensive.
There is an increased thermal stress when using the projector in a higher lamp mode, but I don't know how much that will actually affect it's lifespan. If it's going to be used 5 hours every day for 10 years, that might cause some components to fail quicker. I'd say don't worry about it.

5. The mount the 6050UB is great.
Not sure how flush it gets.

Please consider treating the room for wall reflections.
Demonstration:
https://www.facebook.com/projectiondream/videos/1692721894385217/
 
#40 ·
A few pages back on the 5050/6050 thread someone asked how does the projector look like with lights on.
From this post onward:
https://www.avsforum.com/forum/68-d...ub-thread-no-price-talk-146.html#post58830924

Some examples of Slate 1.2:
https://www.avsforum.com/forum/23-screens/3063460-retractable-screen-decision-help.html#post58039340

There was a post with pictures on the 5050/6050 thread about someone using the projector with a Slate 1.2, and there were no visible hotspots sparkle, nor did the user claim to be any. But the throw range was around 2.2x.

Slate 0.8 and 1.2 have been compared to the Cinegrey 3D/5D and Carl's ALR. The link above with the projector use in ambient light thread has a few pictures with a Cinegrey 3D, and a link with more pictures. The throw range is 1.5x, and a hotspot is clearly visible when the image is bright/close to white.

An example of an ALR material similar to the Cinegrey 5D, with an Epson 6030UB projector. There seems to be no discernible hotspot. It does not mention the distance from projector to screen though:
https://www.avsforum.com/forum/23-screens/2333145-carl-s-place-alr-review.html#post41598081


For room treatment and wall reflections, there is this thread:
https://www.avsforum.com/forum/24-d...1465053-blacker-theater-better-image-232.html

The issue is what will the negative effects of the 6050UB and a Slate 1.2 at 1.78x throw range.
You could try it and see what it looks like, and send it back if it's too bad.
Or get a white screen.
Or use paints.
 
#46 ·
So here is a diagram of my theater with angles:



You can see that the worst angle will be the far side seat on the front row, with a 22 degree viewing angle. The primary viewing row will be the second row, and that will have an even better viewing angle of approximately 10-12 degrees. So I think I will be okay on viewing angles and brightness....

Painting a screen is an intriguing option that is inexpensive and I could always upgrade to a screen later. But, I have some texture to my drywall, and I might have to get the drywall guys to come in and smooth it out. That would be costly, not sure what, and that is pretty hard to do right now since they are painting the theater right now, so I’d have to kick the painters out and that would probably cost me something too since I’m messing up their schedule. Plus it doesn’t look great, unless I painted a black border around the projector area, but now I’m paying for all that too. Between the drywallers smoothing it out and the painter doing a special spray paint color there with a black border I’m probably looking at $1000 bucks. DIY is not an option, my paint skills aren’t put to my standards...

So going back to the Slate 1.2, my main concern is risk of visual artifacts. I’m going to see if I can back up the projector and give Screen Innovations a call to see if they have any real world safe distances they can give me.

Thanks for the input!!!!
 

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#47 ·
So here is a diagram of my theater with angles:

You can see that the worst angle will be the far side seat on the front row, with a 22 degree viewing angle. The primary viewing row will be the second row, and that will have an even better viewing angle of approximately 10-12 degrees. So I think I will be okay on viewing angles and brightness....

Painting a screen is an intriguing option that is inexpensive and I could always upgrade to a screen later. But, I have some texture to my drywall, and I might have to get the drywall guys to come in and smooth it out. That would be costly, not sure what, and that is pretty hard to do right now since they are painting the theater right now, so I’d have to kick the painters out and that would probably cost me something too since I’m messing up their schedule. Plus it doesn’t look great, unless I painted a black border around the projector area, but now I’m paying for all that too. Between the drywallers smoothing it out and the painter doing a special spray paint color there with a black border I’m probably looking at $1000 bucks. DIY is not an option, my paint skills aren’t put to my standards...

So going back to the Slate 1.2, my main concern is risk of visual artifacts. I’m going to see if I can back up the projector and give Screen Innovations a call to see if they have any real world safe distances they can give me.

Thanks for the input!!!!
Stealth walls are not bad looking, and you can use whatever format you want:
https://www.avsforum.com/forum/68-d...ub-thread-no-price-talk-142.html#post58806334

In any case, masking can be used to cover the part of the unwanted wall.

This thread is very similar to yours and a stealth wall was also discussed, with the same projector even:
https://www.avsforum.com/forum/23-s...0-scope-120-16-9-150-16-9-a.html#post58835254

But if painting the wall is a problem, you can build a screen and buy fabric to paint on. Or make a screen as big as the wall :D.
Or buy a cheap screen with a white PVC and paint it.

If you really want an ALR, why not go for something that has a lower minimum recommended distance. Some of these also come with wider viewing angles:
https://www.avsforum.com/forum/23-screens/3094730-picking-screen-budget.html#post58660388
https://www.avsforum.com/forum/23-screens/3094730-picking-screen-budget.html#post58660710
 
#48 ·
Yeah painting on my screen just isn't the best option in my opinion. I'd have to pay the drywaller to smooth out the screen wall, because it has a texture and variation to the current drywall finish. Then I'd have to pay the painter to paint a black frame for the screen and then spray the screen paint, which is a lot of masking and painting. All of this adds up to at least $1,000, which is a good chunk of what it would cost to buy a pretty top notch screen. And making my own screen isn't an option either, my DIY skills in this department simply don't match my standards for finish quality...

I measured my projector throw distance and the outlet for the projector is currently sitting at about 23.5 feet from the screen. So I could mount the projector in front of that outlet at 22 feet, or just a little further back so the outlet is directly above the projector and we'll call it 23 feet distance. Or I could mount the projector just barely behind the outlet so it is a 24 foot run. Or I could move the outlet back a bit, but then we are trading brightness. I think I'll just get the Epson 6050 and play around with some mounting distances. I'll try it in the forward position and see if the artifacts are noticeable.

I actually called Screen Innovations and they said I should feel comfortable mounting the screen up to 17 feet with that projector, and that the risk of visual artifacts is minimal at the distances I'm looking at. Overall I'm feeling pretty comfortable the ALR Slate 1.2 is a good choice. My primary viewing row is the second row, and the far seat in that row has only a 10 degree viewing angle, which looking at your graph seems like 95% brightness. Only the far sides of the front row will see the worst viewing angles, and even then it is just 22 degrees, probably 70% brightness. These couches are 12-13 feet wide, each fits 8 people at least, so we are talking about a crowd of 16 people, and only two of those people have a less than optimal seat (but still pretty dang good!). I can live with that for now. In five or so years when high powered laser projectors really come down in price, I can upgrade and sell the 6050UB.

Thanks for your advice!
 
#49 ·
At 22 degress the gain of the screen will be around 0.75 gain (from the 1.2 in the center). That's around 60% of the center brightness.
Might be ok.

You can try the ALR sure, and see how it works out.

It's easy building a DIY screen, just build a wooden frame and stretch the fabric on it.
The other option would be to buy a cheap screen and paint it.
This could be the back up option if the ALR doesn't work out. It would also fix any hotspot and angle issues. It's significantly cheaper than an ALR that size.
 
#50 ·
The color for the ceiling and the cabinets is 7265 Mount Etna by Sherwin Williams. I couldn't get away with an all black theater, but this is pretty dark:

 

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