[dfang]

Hello All,

I'm hoping for some expert consensus to my seating design dilemma. My theater room will be 22.5' long from the back wall to a 120" wide 16:9 AT screen. The plan currently is for 2 rows of theater recliners and a back bar for the third row.

My installer says that conventional wisdom will dictate that from the back to front, leave 3' of walkway space to the back of the bar chairs. Then 3' of space for the bar and chairs. Then 7' for the riser. That's 13' between the back wall to the front of the riser, leaving 9.5' between the screen and the front of the riser. That's approximately 8.5' from screen to front row eyeballs. I'm afraid that the front row will be way too close in this setup.

I'm debating with myself and the installer about shaving 6" off the riser and then moving the riser back 12" toward the back wall. That will place the front row at approximately 10' eyeball to screen. I think that would make the front row distance better. I am unsure about how that would crowd the back of the room. I plan on only making the bar top depth 12" to save space.

So ... from the back wall, it'll be 5' to the front of the bar, then 6.5' riser depth, then 11' from the front of the riser to the screen.

Am I making the right decision to move the riser back? Are there better ways to save space that I've not thought about? Thanks!

David

 

[billwil]

If you don't need to walk between the 2nd row seats and the bar (not sure why you would need to), I think you can compress that a little. 6.5 feet should be plenty for each row of recliners. I would just mock it up if you have another bar somewhere in the house...see if it's comfortable to have only 2.5 feet behind the stools or something. I bet you could shave a foot off of there, somewhere.

 

[dfang]

If you don't need to walk between the 2nd row seats and the bar (not sure why you would need to), I think you can compress that a little. 6.5 feet should be plenty for each row of recliners. I would just mock it up if you have another bar somewhere in the house...see if it's comfortable to have only 2.5 feet behind the stools or something. I bet you could shave a foot off of there, somewhere.

No there will not be a walkway between the bar and the second row of seating. The bar will be built right up against the back of the riser. Also, the entrance to the theater will be from the back wall. Therefore, the first thing that people see when they enter the theater will be the bar. I don't know if that changes anyone's feelings on how much room should be behind the bar. 2.5' behind the bar stools is a pretty good estimate.

 

[jautor]

That's my room depth, with the same seating layout... It is a close fit to get everything in, and my middle row riser is too shallow (my 5.5' depth works, but just barely, and I'd do 6.5' next time).

My 2.35 screen is 125" wide - in 1.85 / 16x9 it's a 108" screen. I wouldn't go larger than due to the front row distance...

Be careful with the bar placement, you need to make sure the recliners have the inches of space they need to recline and not hit the bar skirt (if you have one).

Jeff

 

[BIGmouthinDC]

I'd skip the bar and build a theater for how it would be used probably 97% of the time, just the immediate family.

Chair backs at 11 1/2 and 18 Ft from the screen

If you want to put a half wall with 6 inch drink ledge for some standing room only spots for the big game you could, maybe move the seats up 1/2 ft

 

[Spaceman]

It will be a pretty tight fit, especially with the entrance being in the back of the room. It's going to fill pretty pinched. Big's drink ledge idea would give you a little extra breathing room to move in and out of the room.

As jautor pointed out, any layout with the bar option will most likely put your front row too close to a 120" wide 16:9 screen. My front row eyeballs are 9.5' back from a 115" wide 2.35, or roughly an 88" wide 16:9 image. I couldn't watch a 120" wide 16:9 image from that distance because of motion sickness and not being able to see the bottom of the screen from the back row.

If you're dead set on having the rear bar, you might want to reconsider your screen size and/or aspect ratio.

How much room were you planning to leave behind your AT screen? Any chance that could be reduced to gain back some real estate?

 

[dragonleepenn]

My room is 286" long,my screen is 126" wide 2.35.1 aspect ratio. The center speaker is recessed into the front wall out of the way,the speaker is 38"h 13"w12"d and is just 8" behind the Seymour center stage (AT) screen. In that 8" cavity/space is 4" of ultra touch batting/insulation floor to ceiling with a 2" space in front and behind the ultra touch. It's a bass trap across the entire front wall. The first row of recliner seats are 110" to the screen (eyes). Row 2, is 180" from screen (eyes). The riser is 11" high and only 54" deep by 110 wide for row 2. Behind that is a counter with two stools that can be raised or lowered for height as needed, the counter is 30"deep x 84" wide . The counters front comes to about 18" behind the
Second row detached. The stools back are 43" from the back wall. Hope this helps.


PeterV

 

[dragonleepenn]

This is the space behind the counter/ stools.



PeterV

 

[cdelena]

Individuals are often comfortable at different distances from the screen depending upon the width. We experimented and over more than a year of tests decided 10ft was as close as we wanted to be to our 110" screen. We had guests that liked closer and a few that liked being in the back row better.


It is hard to get flexibility in layout but it is nice to adjust with experience. We started the front row 11.5 feet back and the second row pushed back. As we changed we pulled the front row up and built an extension to the second row platform.


All that to say we changed from the initial layout and you may want the option.

 

[kmhvball]

I am in the process of building my room, which is right about 22.5 feet as well. My door is in the back, middle, of the room and I have a bar - I'll measure tonight, but I think the bar on the 'screen' side is about 5 1/2' or so from the wall. I have double wall in the back, one door opens away from the theater, and the other one is 36" wide and opens 'into' the theater. If I didn't have the door opening into the theater, I would feel good about the distance. My theory is if I actually have enough people in there to use the back bar, it will probably be a sporting event, and I'll likely just leave the door open - so, it isn't swinging in and out.

The back of my first row is ~10 1/2 feet back, and I have purchased a 132" wide 2.35:1 screen. My 2nd row riser is ~ 6 1/2' deep.

I can't speak yet whether the screen is 'too big' or not, but it is what it is. I asked Mario in the Cinemar thread his opinion of being ~ 10.5 - 11 feet away from his 136" wide 2.35:1 screen, and he says it is fine and would go bigger if he were to do it again (posts 3104- 3106 of his thread). Part of my concern was with the back row being ~ 18 feet from the screen, I wanted to keep it fairly large.

Everyone has their own opinion on screen sizes, so, if there is anyway to test a size for a few movies that is your best bet. I have read several comments about needing to watch a few full movies to tell whether you will adjust to it or not.

 

[kmhvball]

I just measured down in my theater room. Wall to wall is right at 23', but I have mounted 'inwall' speakers on the front of the front wall, and by the time I put up my 2" of linacoustic and 3 1/2" minimalist screen wall supports and 1-2" of linacoustic on the rear wall, I'll be round 22 1/2' from screen to rear wall.

The very front of the riser will be right about 10'2" from the screen, based on where I think I'll put the screen. I am guessing depending if sitting upright or reclined, that will put eyes in the 9 - 9 1/2' range up to maybe the 10' range from my screen.

The backbar 'edge' starts about 4'5" from the rear wall & door. With my 36" door, if someone is sitting in a bar seat at the doors 'widest' spot, they would need to pushed almost all the way up to swing the door open. The door will open fine if the bar stool is pushed all the way up. My bar will be ~16" deep.

 

[MIDEV0L]

Mine is 12'x16' not very big but I managed 2 row seating with a 120" elite screens silver screen, I finished it Dec 11

 

[empirebuilder]

I will tell you from my experience that if you question the seating distance then you should put in a projector and simple sheet for a screen and test it out.
I built my riser then took it apart after family review resulted in a "seats too close to screen" rating.

As others have said, despite all the calculators out there for optimum screen distance it seems to be personal preference.

 

[Jeff in Canada]

I'd skip the bar and build a theater for how it would be used probably 97% of the time, just the immediate family.

Chair backs at 11 1/2 and 18 Ft from the screen

If you want to put a half wall with 6 inch drink ledge for some standing room only spots for the big game you could, maybe move the seats up 1/2 ft

Jeff, I use my bar top in the back. I have an 8 year old and when the kids are watching a movie, I often go in there to watch them and I bring my laptop in and sit back there.

I agree that for most people it is a waste, but it happened to work for us. To what I think is your point, I've yet to have people over and have them sit back there. I think the OP's room is too short to go three rows plus the bar. I'm three rows and a bar with a 136" wide 2.35:1 screen and I"m 27' deep.

 

[dfang]

Thank you all for the feedback. They've been extremely helpful.


@Jeff, the plan is for two rows plus the bar, not three. I do agree with your point about using the bar. The wife and I discussed Big's suggestion regarding just a standing room drink stand, and it does have it's space saving merits. At the end of the day, I feel like we would prefer to have the bar stool seating. I'm impressed that you can fit 3 rows plus a bar into 27' of space. What is your viewing distance up front, and how much space do you have behind your bar?

@Kevin - Thank you for your input. I'm happy to see that someone else was trying to fit all of this into the same amount of space and came up with similar dimensions. We have now decided to leave 5.5' of space in the back of the room for the 12" deep bar top with stools. The middle row riser will be 6.5' deep and 12" high. I will now have about 10.5' from the screen to the front of the riser. I think that given the space limitations, it is a very workable compromise and still get everything we want into the room. The prime seating will be the second row on the riser. The front row will probably just be for the kids. They love being close to the screen anyways.

@jautor - How much space is behind your bar, and do you find it to be too crowded back there?

Thanks!
David

 

[Jeff in Canada]

Thank you all for the feedback. They've been extremely helpful.


@Jeff, the plan is for two rows plus the bar, not three. I do agree with your point about using the bar. The wife and I discussed Big's suggestion regarding just a standing room drink stand, and it does have it's space saving merits. At the end of the day, I feel like we would prefer to have the bar stool seating. I'm impressed that you can fit 3 rows plus a bar into 27' of space. What is your viewing distance up front, and how much space do you have behind your bar?

@Kevin - Thank you for your input. I'm happy to see that someone else was trying to fit all of this into the same amount of space and came up with similar dimensions. We have now decided to leave 5.5' of space in the back of the room for the 12" deep bar top with stools. The middle row riser will be 6.5' deep and 12" high. I will now have about 10.5' from the screen to the front of the riser. I think that given the space limitations, it is a very workable compromise and still get everything we want into the room. The prime seating will be the second row on the riser. The front row will probably just be for the kids. They love being close to the screen anyways.

@jautor - How much space is behind your bar, and do you find it to be too crowded back there?

Thanks!
David

I have two rows plus the bar with stools. My theater is 27' 6" and it is spaced out with the required spacing. If you are 5-6' less, I think you really need to consider Big's advice.

 

[jautor]

jautor - How much space is behind your bar, and do you find it to be too crowded back there?

My bar is ~12" deep and at table/counter-height (regular chairs, not bar stools) because my bar is on a second riser (total of 5.5' from the rear wall). There's 4' from the back of the bar to the rear wall, which is plenty of space to walk behind while folks are seated. Having enough space behind the bar is very useful when the room is full of people, as it allows folks to exit from the front two rows without crossing in front.

I didn't catch that your entrance is in the rear of the room - that also adds to the complexity and the need for a walkway back there...

6.5' of riser depth can certainly work, just check the chairs and know that folks probably won't be able to pass each other. With my too-shallow 5.5' riser, fully reclined the seats almost touch. I got lucky there.

Jeff

 

[dragonleepenn]

Here is a better photo with the counter and seats. I have no problems with view at my distances. I use the second row as my
MLP. Never had a complaint from the front row,it is immersive yet exciting.

PeterV

 

[dragonleepenn]

Another view



PeterV

 

[dragonleepenn]

Sorry about the photo quality.


PeterV