Media Room questions

1,977 Views | 13 Replies | Last: 7 yr ago by MW03
MW03
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AG
I've got a finished media room that we want to get up and running. Some details:


  • It's an interior room with no windows, chocolate walls and carpet, and complete control over lighting that will go completely pitch black.

  • There's enough room on the front wall for 120" screen. Might be able to go bigger if we move the left, right, and center speaker ports.

  • Projector would be ceiling mounted, and I'm betting the distance is somewhere in the neighborhood of 15 feet or so. I need to measure it to be certain.

  • The floor tiered for "stadium" seating.

  • We intend for the room to be used for sports and movie watching with some occasional video games.

  • The room is already wired for surround sound, but needs speakers.

  • I'm planning to build my own screen by framing up some sheeting from Amazon.

Now for the questions:

I've read that lumens is less important in a room with complete control over the lighting. Is this true, and if so, what should I be looking for?

This is a total luxury set up so we're looking to save dollars where possible. That being said, we'd like a nice picture. I've been pricing projectors under $700. Thoughts on these, or other suggestions?

[url=http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-500-projector/][/url]BenQ TH670
The Wire Cutter review

Epson HC1040

Any advice from folks out there with regrets or regarding things that worked well?

What's a reasonable price /hr to have wiring run by a company like Star Power or something?
Señor Chang
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AG
I spent a lot of time researching on www.projectorcentral.net before buying mine.

I don't have any experience with this model, but I saw the BENQ HT1075 on slickdeals a few days ago for $630.
http://slickdeals.net/f/8752675-lower-than-last-month-home-page-deal-benq-1080p-dlp-home-theater-projector-ht1075-629-99-free-shipping-no-tax-except-ca-tn-in-nj?src=SiteSearch
stridulent
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AG
Look into buying screen material from SeymourAV instead. Their Centerstage XD is amazing. I just built a new screen (replaced an old one that used blackout material from carlofet.com) and the increase in picture clarity and color accuracy was impressive. My room is full blackout as well. I recently finished the project and can provide you some pictures once I get around to uploading them.

I also think that if your projector is only 15 ft away, the 120 in. diagonal screen may be too big (assuming you have 2 rows of seating that are both less than 15 ft). You'll also want to go 16:9 aspect ratio since you will use it primarily for sports, but you probably know this!

I went from a seating distance of 13 ft with a 120" 2.40:1 aspect ratio screen to a seating distance of 12 ft and a 95" screen. I use to be all about the bigger, the better. But when I downsized, I realized that watching movies is a great deal less stressful on the eyes. Color and contrast also got better because the projector was throwing a more concentrated picture, but that is of course projector and screen dependent.

Also, in terms of screen width, make sure you take into consideration that your L and R speaker may need to stand outside the screen width.

Also, what kind of wiring do you need run? And where are you located?
aezmvp
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I can definitely tell you that bigger is not always better. Making the screen the right size for the distance from your front seats is the key. Also make sure whatever receiver that you get can adjust the delays in sound for when you wire. Additionally, if you're framing out a tiered seating make sure that you don't place your sub on the riser. It will actually distort your base.

Speakers matter a lot depending on how much of an audiophile you are, but it's really easy to overpower a media room experience. There are plenty of companies that will come out and tell you the power that you need and will price match the equipment.

Also if you're going to go on the low end get a calibration disc. Blu-ray is the current standard. I'm sure there are some specialist 4k ones that are done by the major calibration certification companies, but they generally require you to go to the developer settings on your projector/tv and you can brick it if you don't know what you're doing. I'd start with these:


Disney World of Wonder (Beginners)
http://disneydvd.disney.go.com/disney-wow-world-of-wonder.html

HD Basics (Intermediate)
http://www.videoessentials.com/

Spears & Munsil (Advanced-Expert)
http://www.spearsandmunsil.com/

$30-40 but worth it. The biggest difference you'll see other than taking away the artificial edges and providing better detail (helpful on a big screen) is better blacks which in a no-light environment is key. You can also have it done by an ISF or THX certified calibrator but that is in most cases unnecessary.
MW03
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AG
quote:
Look into buying screen material from SeymourAV instead. Their Centerstage XD is amazing. I just built a new screen (replaced an old one that used blackout material from carlofet.com) and the increase in picture clarity and color accuracy was impressive. My room is full blackout as well. I recently finished the project and can provide you some pictures once I get around to uploading them.

I also think that if your projector is only 15 ft away, the 120 in. diagonal screen may be too big (assuming you have 2 rows of seating that are both less than 15 ft). You'll also want to go 16:9 aspect ratio since you will use it primarily for sports, but you probably know this!

I went from a seating distance of 13 ft with a 120" 2.40:1 aspect ratio screen to a seating distance of 12 ft and a 95" screen. I use to be all about the bigger, the better. But when I downsized, I realized that watching movies is a great deal less stressful on the eyes. Color and contrast also got better because the projector was throwing a more concentrated picture, but that is of course projector and screen dependent.

Also, in terms of screen width, make sure you take into consideration that your L and R speaker may need to stand outside the screen width.

Also, what kind of wiring do you need run? And where are you located?
Great stuff.

I think I may have underestimated the distance from the projector itself to the wall, but I think my seating would be about 12 feet or so, so a smaller screen sounds like it might be appropriate.

With respect to wiring, I think the speakers are already wired. I just need to fish an HD cable to where ever we're going to be putting the entertainment system. I'd try and do it myself, but it's on a second floor with practically zero attic space, so I need someone willing to belly crawl hand over hand in the dark through insulation.

Although, I say that, but there are wires running from the wall to ceiling already. I might be able to zip tie on some fish tape pull through an HDMI cable that way, but i don't know if the wiring bore through any 2x4s in the framing.

Anyway, sounds like something to pay someone to figure out for me.

I'm in North Dallas.
MW03
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AG
quote:
I can definitely tell you that bigger is not always better. Making the screen the right size for the distance from your front seats is the key. Also make sure whatever receiver that you get can adjust the delays in sound for when you wire. Additionally, if you're framing out a tiered seating make sure that you don't place your sub on the riser. It will actually distort your base.

Speakers matter a lot depending on how much of an audiophile you are, but it's really easy to overpower a media room experience. There are plenty of companies that will come out and tell you the power that you need and will price match the equipment.

Also if you're going to go on the low end get a calibration disc. Blu-ray is the current standard. I'm sure there are some specialist 4k ones that are done by the major calibration certification companies, but they generally require you to go to the developer settings on your projector/tv and you can brick it if you don't know what you're doing. I'd start with these:


Disney World of Wonder (Beginners)
http://disneydvd.disney.go.com/disney-wow-world-of-wonder.html

HD Basics (Intermediate)
http://www.videoessentials.com/

Spears & Munsil (Advanced-Expert)
http://www.spearsandmunsil.com/

$30-40 but worth it. The biggest difference you'll see other than taking away the artificial edges and providing better detail (helpful on a big screen) is better blacks which in a no-light environment is key. You can also have it done by an ISF or THX certified calibrator but that is in most cases unnecessary.


Do you mean base as is the tiered floor, or bass as in the sound?

I'd like to call myself an audiophile, but the plan at the moment is to re-purpose my old Onkyo speakers and receiver from the old house. New house already had in-ceiling 5.1 setup, so they're just doing nothing at the moment.
MW03
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AG
I appreciate the replies, guys. Thanks.
stridulent
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AG
quote:
quote:
Look into buying screen material from SeymourAV instead. Their Centerstage XD is amazing. I just built a new screen (replaced an old one that used blackout material from carlofet.com) and the increase in picture clarity and color accuracy was impressive. My room is full blackout as well. I recently finished the project and can provide you some pictures once I get around to uploading them.

I also think that if your projector is only 15 ft away, the 120 in. diagonal screen may be too big (assuming you have 2 rows of seating that are both less than 15 ft). You'll also want to go 16:9 aspect ratio since you will use it primarily for sports, but you probably know this!

I went from a seating distance of 13 ft with a 120" 2.40:1 aspect ratio screen to a seating distance of 12 ft and a 95" screen. I use to be all about the bigger, the better. But when I downsized, I realized that watching movies is a great deal less stressful on the eyes. Color and contrast also got better because the projector was throwing a more concentrated picture, but that is of course projector and screen dependent.

Also, in terms of screen width, make sure you take into consideration that your L and R speaker may need to stand outside the screen width.

Also, what kind of wiring do you need run? And where are you located?
Great stuff.

I think I may have underestimated the distance from the projector itself to the wall, but I think my seating would be about 12 feet or so, so a smaller screen sounds like it might be appropriate.

With respect to wiring, I think the speakers are already wired. I just need to fish an HD cable to where ever we're going to be putting the entertainment system. I'd try and do it myself, but it's on a second floor with practically zero attic space, so I need someone willing to belly crawl hand over hand in the dark through insulation.

Although, I say that, but there are wires running from the wall to ceiling already. I might be able to zip tie on some fish tape pull through an HDMI cable that way, but i don't know if the wiring bore through any 2x4s in the framing.

Anyway, sounds like something to pay someone to figure out for me.

I'm in North Dallas.

Make sure you run a pull string or something equivalent with that HDMI cable that way you can run other things in the future, too! Hopefully you don't have to go through any bored framing.

When it comes to speaker placement (even though you didn't ask :P), I like to refer to any of the popular companies out there such as dolby, THX, crutchfield, etc.

https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=7.1%20speaker%20placement

Good pointers on layout, placement, direction, and height. You'll want your front (L, R, C) tweeters at ear level. With tiered seating, I've seen some people split the height between the two listening ear positions and I've also seen some target the primary listening position (usually the front row in a 2 row setup).
stridulent
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AG
Here is my screen: https://db.tt/Nk4HVHgp

Here is a picture of Bane on the screen taken with my camera phone: https://db.tt/22tjYdJC

Here is a quick look at my screen framing and the pieces I covered in velvet and used for trim: https://db.tt/HP3o7WvX
Señor Chang
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AG
Nice looking theater!
jeffdjohnson
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Use this projector calculator to determine the relationship between distance, screen size and zoom for your prospective projector.

http://www.projectorcentral.com/projection-calculator.cfm

I bought an Epson Home Cinema 3000 last year. I don't have a dedicated media room so I needed the additional lumens for watching during the day. Using the projector calculator I was able to determine that a 120" screen would work for my room. Also you might look into wire molding for your HDMI cable. I have a long HDMI run and used wire mold above my baseboards. It blends in very well and is easy to install. If you are a perfectionist then it might bother you but it is an option.
aezmvp
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Bass. #Damnyouautocorrect
MW03
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AG
quote:
Also make sure whatever receiver that you get can adjust the delays in sound for when you wire.

Can you touch a little bit more on this? I was hoping to replace my old receiver on the main TV with a new one, and then relocate my older equipment upstairs for the projector. I know this may seem counter-intuitive, so let me explain.

The vast majority of the TV watching will be in the main living room. Our TV is 4K, old receiver isn't compatible with HDMI 2.2. Out old receiver also doesn't have bluetooth. Putting a new receiver downstairs solves my 2.2 problem, and it adds bluetooth compatibility for streaming music or whatever. Our downstairs is already wired with in-ceiling speakers for 5.1, btw.

Upstairs, I'll be repurposing my Onkyo speakers. It's a small, enclosed room, so I don't need some any additional wattage than what my old Onkyo receiver can handle. And it has a pretty decent sub that will suit the area. The wife also wouldn't hate a newer, smaller sub downstairs.

All of this is blown out of the water if my old Onkyo won't delay sound if that's a necessary factor.

------------

A couple of other thoughts since my last post.

- Measured and the distance from the mounting location to the wall is about 18 feet. Back row of seating tier is about 17 feet. Front row on "ground level" is probably 10 feet.

- Pretty much decided on these items. Thoughts welcomed and appreciated.

Projector: Optoma HD141x

Receiver: Denon AVR-S510BT

Sub: Polk PSW10
Señor Chang
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AG
I have that Optoma projector. Bought it due to my budget at the time and having no experience with projectors. It doesn't have image shift, so make sure you mount it perfectly center or the image will always be a little off. I'm really ocd, so I'm probably the only one who notices.
MW03
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AG
Do you wish that you had bought a different one in the similar price range?
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