[judsonp]

I know this seems like a strange dilemma, but my wife and I just purchased a new home. It is twice the size of the one we moved from, and because of this we don't have enough furniture to fill the house. I know this will change as time goes on and we consider how to decorate each room. But in the short term because we spend all of our time in the family room the living room is empty.


I originally planned to use a nice area in the basement for my home theater. This area, about 13x16 would house an SP4805 pointing at a 76 inch screen. My goal was to start slow, get the projector and screen up, add my speakers and the like and then get some chairs and do some decorating.


Well, then the wife got involved. She loved the idea of a theater, but wanted to use the space in the basement as a kids play room. Her idea was to move the theater upstairs into the living room. Her reasoning is this: Use the money we were going to spend to get living room furniture for home theater furniture, and keep the theater on the main floor closer to the kitchen.


The living room is 21x17 and would be a great room with the exception of a few things that needed to be worked around. 3 large windows, a room that might be too big, and walls and ceilings that are already finished, making it difficult to hang speakers, projector, etc.


I see good points to both, but still think the basement with no windows, and better sound proofing, drop ceiling will be a better place to start. Plus it is further from the bedrooms for those days when you feel like cranking up U-571! Any thoughts would be appreciated! Thanks in advance, and sorry this is so long winded.

 

[suffolk112000]

Quote:

Originally Posted by judsonp I know this seems like a strange dilemma, but my wife and I just purchased a new home. It is twice the size of the one we moved from, and because of this we don't have enough furniture to fill the house. I know this will change as time goes on and we consider how to decorate each room. But in the short term because we spend all of our time in the family room the living room is empty. I originally planned to use a nice area in the basement for my home theater. This area, about 13x16 would house an SP4805 pointing at a 76 inch screen. My goal was to start slow, get the projector and screen up, add my speakers and the like and then get some chairs and do some decorating. Well, then the wife got involved. She loved the idea of a theater, but wanted to use the space in the basement as a kids play room. Her idea was to move the theater upstairs into the living room. Her reasoning is this: Use the money we were going to spend to get living room furniture for home theater furniture, and keep the theater on the main floor closer to the kitchen. The living room is 21x17 and would be a great room with the exception of a few things that needed to be worked around. 3 large windows, a room that might be too big, and walls and ceilings that are already finished, making it difficult to hang speakers, projector, etc. I see good points to both, but still think the basement with no windows, and better sound proofing, drop ceiling will be a better place to start. Plus it is further from the bedrooms for those days when you feel like cranking up U-571! Any thoughts would be appreciated! Thanks in advance, and sorry this is so long winded.

Sounds like a plausible plan, but unless the living room is/can be some how separated from the rest of the house, I would go with the basement idea.

I really don't know what degree you want to go with a surround set-up/home theater, but for the most part, I would not want my theater in my living room. Having a stage, proscenium, and riser with seats that have cup holders in them and wall treatments all around the room would be a real turn off for me. For me, a living room should have seats facing each other so people can talk, not facing a screen on the wall. Then as you mentioned, there is the ambiant light issue. A basement is the ideal environment for a HT. Take your wife to a couple of nice stores with HT set-ups. Crank up the volume and ask her if she wants that kind of sound playing through the whole house.

It would seem like you would still have room for a play area in the basement for the kids. Just build a separate room for the HT and then put a lock on the door(s) so you don't have to worry about kids writing on the screen with crayons or what ever.

I see you are from Toledo... ever been in Jamisons Audio? Cool store.


Craig

 

[scottro]

Definitely the basement. Even if you didn't do the full theater treatment (risers, etc), there are a lot fewer obstacles to building your theater in a light controlled, unfinished basement with a drop ceiling vs. retrofitting a finished living room. Make the kids play outside

 

[viking_theater]

Light control is critical when using a front projector. For that reason, I would say go with the basment.


It is not a big deal to physically mount the projector to the ceiling, but running the cables if the attic is not directly above would be a challenge. I am sure running the wires after finishing is possible, but I don't have any experience with it.

 

[suffolk112000]

Quote:

Originally Posted by scottro Make the kids play outside

Hehehehe.... well Toledo is a bit south of me but when winter arrives, Toledo gets mighty cold as well. I can see his point about having a place for the kids to play. Brrrrrrr.


Craig

 

[mdputnam]

Forget the play room the kids are going to spend ALL their time in the home theater playing video games. Their not old enough you say, then they will spend all their time in the home theater watching their favorite movie over and over and over and over again.

 

[judsonp]

That is my thought as well, I like the basement space soooo much more. The living room just would be too much work. Now, just to find a way to convince the wife.


Jamisons is very cool. I picked up a pair of Paradigms from them.

 

[suffolk112000]

Quote:

Originally Posted by judsonp That is my thought as well, I like the basement space soooo much more. The living room just would be too much work. Now, just to find a way to convince the wife. Jamisons is very cool. I picked up a pair of Paradigms from them.

Yup, I auditioned the Studio 60's and 100's there. Great sounding speakers by the way.

I am going to have to get back out there again.


Craig

 

[dc_pilgrim]

I guess it really depends on your sound containment expectations and needs. Bear in mind that a drop ceiling won't do much, though the relative distance from the bedrooms should help.


I'd grab the living room for the convenience of having it close to the kitchen, and I don't like living rooms (spend a lot of money on a formal space that is rarely used). That being said, we are now furnishing our living room after one year of it sitting empty. So draw your own conclusions.

 

[judsonp]

Hey DC_Pilgram, you and my wife are on the same page. She would rather spend the money on HT seats that we would actually use than go out and buy a bunch of useless fancy furniture that will sit in a room we will never use. I think that is how this whole thing started.

 

[suffolk112000]

Quote:

Originally Posted by judsonp Hey DC_Pilgram, you and my wife are on the same page. She would rather spend the money on HT seats that we would actually use than go out and buy a bunch of useless fancy furniture that will sit in a room we will never use. I think that is how this whole thing started.

Thats why it will ultimately be up to you.

What do you expect out of your space?

Do you want light control?

Sound control?

Separation from the rest of your home?

In other words do you want all those electronics exposed?


Give us some more insite as to what you want.


Do you expect one or two rows of seating. Full blown stage and proscenium. Accoustic treatments. Or will you just be happy with a projector hanging from your ceiling and a drop down screen.


Somehow, I picture you sitting down in your living room after everyone is off to bed and you fire up U-571 and when the depth charge scene hits, I can just picture your family running into your room asking what the HE!! exploded!!! Hehehehe. makes me laugh every time I think about it.


All I had to do to convince my wife that I needed to decouple the room was explain what the system was capable of. For example, our sub in our living room is 150 watts. Our SVS Ultra for the basement theater is 1000 watts.

She has told me to turn down the 150 watt sub at times.


To be quite blunt, if my wife didn't agree to the sound proofing procedures I wanted for our basement theater, she would have had to deal with the sound that escaped the room. No matter what volume or time of day/night



Craig

 

[efritz]

Another thing I like about the basement in addition to that which has already been stated, is that since you are going to an area of the house that your not in everyday all the time, the newness doesn't where off. My wife and I have ours in the basement and it's like going out to the movies every weekend. It is still special. If we had it upstairs, I don't think it would be as "special" anymore.

 

[scottro]

Quote:

Originally Posted by judsonp That is my thought as well, I like the basement space soooo much more. The living room just would be too much work. Now, just to find a way to convince the wife. Jamisons is very cool. I picked up a pair of Paradigms from them.

Jameson's might be a good way to convince the wife...sauce her up a little and start convincing!



Yes, I meant to add that about the "special destination" aspect - ours is in a finished attic that we primarily only use for special events, entertaining or "movie night". It's an event - "let's go watch the Steeler game on the big screen", or fire up the system for the lastest Michael Bay blow-em-up movie.


Of course being a finished attic also makes it an oven in the summer and meat locker in the winter...

 

[CaspianM]

If the plan is for full grown TH like stage, curtain, sound treatment and so on, the basement is the only option IMO. Because that would interfere with your house value at the time of sale. If it is screen on the wall or even retractable and no special sound treatment then living rm is fine. You may use this option anyway til your basement TH is done then move your hardware.

 

[suffolk112000]

Quote:

Originally Posted by efritz Another thing I like about the basement in addition to that which has already been stated, is that since you are going to an area of the house that your not in everyday all the time, the newness doesn't where off. My wife and I have ours in the basement and it's like going out to the movies every weekend. It is still special. If we had it upstairs, I don't think it would be as "special" anymore.

Interesting thought.


Craig

 

[suffolk112000]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ArtisTech If the plan is for full grown TH like stage, curtain, sound treatment and so on, the basement is the only option IMO. Because that would interfere with your house value at the time of sale. If it is screen on the wall or even retractable and no special sound treatment then living rm is fine. You may use this option anyway til your basement TH is done then move your hardware.

Another good point.

He could start building his system now and be using it and when he gets his basement finished, he could move everything down stairs.


Of course, if he decides to go ahead with his living room theater, his wife/family will understand first hand the advantages of a decoupled room in the basement that separates the theater from the rest of the home.

So maybe the living room route is the way to go in the beginning.


Craig

 

[dc_pilgrim]

Its settled then HT in living room till basement is ready.


Then pool table in living room once the HT moves south. (this is what I tried for, but lost. I am trying to live vicariously)


Then again, I hear buying a projector would preclude ever actually finishing the basement.

 

[judsonp]

Quote:

Originally Posted by suffolk112000 Another good point. He could start building his system now and be using it and when he gets his basement finished, he could move everything down stairs. Of course, if he decides to go ahead with his living room theater, his wife/family will understand first hand the advantages of a decoupled room in the basement that separates the theater from the rest of the home. So maybe the living room route is the way to go in the beginning. Craig

Good thought!

 

[judsonp]

Thanks everyone for the input! I always knew I could count on the AVS Brotherhood (and Sisterhood too)!

 

[suffolk112000]

Quote:

Originally Posted by judsonp Thanks everyone for the input! I always knew I could count on the AVS Brotherhood (and Sisterhood too)!

Sooo... are you going the basement route or the living room set-up.

Tell us why.


Craig