The room has a dual focus, media and rec room...so its not a true media and there will be ambient light. I am not sure if a totally black room would be nice with pool and ping pong table...and being in Hot Houston. So there will have to be some compromise. The screen will mostly be used at night.
Please use directional lighting and multiple loads of lighting. Plan on 3+ loads in the basement to separate the different areas. One set of lights near the screen which can be turned off. One near the seating which can be dimmed. One near the gaming which can be dimmed. Despite all the other mess ups I see in this business, the worst is poor lighting design.
Take a quick look at my family room:
http://www.avintegrated.com/lighting.html to get an idea of how much light you can have in a room while still having a solid image up on screen.
What i could do is put a plasma up on another wall that can be used while plalying pool or ping pong and use the large screen soley for night movies or with the blinds down i could watch some football.
Yes, but you want to make sure to wire audio and video for this properly and have it done by a qualified A/V person who knows what the heck you want the end result to be. Do you want a 'stand alone' secondary display? Do you want to split all signals to your projector and TV and have them match always? Do you want separate audio? Very important stuff!
That being said, I think 120" screen is the way to go. The Carada's are really nice. They have 2 types of screens, is it worth the extra money for the nicer screen?
The reality is that the screen MATERIAL is identical between the Precision and Criterion screens. But, the Criterion is a much better frame design. It is thicker and uses a beveled edge to deliver a better masking edge to the onscreen image. The difference in price - about $100-$200 depending on screen size is ALL about the frame and nothing else. A 10% (or so) difference in price for the quality jump in the frame is appropriate. I can say that I've installed both types, and the Criterion is worth the couple hundred bucks if you can spend it.
For the comparabile Da-Lite Cinema Vision screen...
http://www.dalite.com/products/pricing_pdfs/234.pdf
At 133" diagonal: You have a MSRP of almost $2,000 - even if cost is half that, you aren't getting it for under about $1,500 from an online seller.
http://www.google.com/search?q=87174V+dalite&rls=com.microsoft:en-us&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&startIndex=&startPage=1
Maybe its better to get everything prewired for now and wait till I move in to see what things look like?
It is best to ensure that when you move in, you don't need to reposition wiring, or redo walls to accomodate mistakes made by lousy A/V engineers or greedy builders. It might make sense to contact a local A/V firm to ensure that you are actually getting a proper installation the first time. Even if it's just a few hours. Not sure where you are located, but you might want to make some phone calls and do some Internet searches for local installers who may find it in their best interests to help your cause. If you spend $400 or so on a A/V Engineer and he makes it so you don't have to repostion a wire and cut into finished drywall, you can save that $400 right there. Likewise, they can ensure you have conduit run to the perfect locations for any future needs and discuss things like equipment placement, lighting, universal remotes, etc. Remember - the worst place to put your gear is the front of the room - to many lights flashing where you don't need them!
On another thread I have written about speakers. I am debating between In-wall Axiom's (w22) vs. there new cabinet speakers (T60's, which are like their M60's) I would get a 7.1 system. But pre-planning this may be tough and better to see how things look once I am in the new house...what do you think?
I like floorstanding speakers when practical, but I really lean towards the Sonance 8" speakers (831, 832, 833, etc.) because of their 3-way design and full pivoting design. Other brands, including Axiom, sound excellent.
Dont' forget that subwoofers can be pricey for a good model.
I think I will have do decide between the JVC, Epson and Sony. If it is only a differenc of $1k or so, I will probably opt for the JVC.
The JVC is an excellent choice - and the Sony's really are nice as well. Really, lots of VERY good projectors on the market right now.
Does the Carada screen offer a better viewing angle than the Da-lite?
I think the similar material from both is about the same. You can sit pretty wide on either screen with minimal dropoff in screen gain or obvious light uniformity change.
what is the benefits of white, brilliant white and grey with the Carada's? If there may be some ambient light, is one better than the other?
I think that most people, when using screens in ambient light, are not watching movies where the loss of a bit of shadow detail is critical. Usually, they are watching sports. So, I would stick with the brilliant white under almost all circumstances. This is similar to Da-Lite and other manufacturers having different screen materials. The Brilliant White offers a bit of positive screen gain and will give you a punchier image - especially at 120"+ in screen size. After dark viewing won't be improved with the grey screen, but it could help contrast ratios in serious movies when some lights are on. But, if sports is more likely with lights on, then stick with the Brilliant White surface.
