Requesting some input...

[Droff]

I've started working on a theater room in my attic and will need to purchase all the equipment (electronics) in the future, sometime early next year maybe. Any recommendations on what to go with - either an LCD, Plasma or projector? The room is roughly 14' wide x 20' long. It may just dependent on preference but I'd still like some suggestions with some pros and cons?

Concerning a projector, how far back from the screen should it be mounted?

Thanks.

 

[B5I8]

What is your budget and what do you need to purchase? A complete HT?

 

[Buckeyefan 1]

Are there any windows in the attic? Is it a bright room? If it's really dark, a projector would be perfect. In a really bright room with lots of windows, LCD's usually do best with their TFT screens (no reflections). Plasma's have glass screens, and sometimes have issues with reflections.

If you're looking for an all out HT audio system, there are some nice packages out there you can use with a budget receiver for under $1200. If that's too high, you could look at mini satellites such as HSU's Ventriloquist setup.

 

[Droff]

There are no windows in the attic, there will be ambient light coming from downstairs though that will be minimal.
I pretty much will need an entire HT setup and it needs to be on a budget, what that budget is I'm not sure yet but $5K for everything is a lot for me. I was thinking around $1500 to $2000 for an LCD or plasma, which should get me a good projector if I go that route.
Thanks for the input.

 

[Davidt1]

For a big room like yours, a front projector is an attractive option. You can get a good one for between $1500 - $2000. There is more to it though. While the initial price is low, the total cost can be substantially higher. There is the cost of mounting hardwares and cables. A screen can cost as little as $200 and as much as the projector. The lamp, which has to be replaced every 1000hr to 3000hr, cost anywhere from $200 to $400. As long as you know what you are getting yourself into, a front projector is one heck of a choice.

 

[Droff]

I knew there would be some ongoing costs to a projector (the bulb) but it's something I'd thought about for quite a while. Are there good projectors for around $1K? I should be able to make myself a screen shouldn't I, if my budget gets tight? I've seen a few posts where some guys have done this, but I haven't read any of the particulars on doing it. I can frame for a mount and run the wiring myself, so that's something that would be minimal.

 

[BMXTRIX]

You can get an Optoma HD70 for under $1,000 (close to $800 if you coupon things right at Best Buy and timing is right). A DIY screen of very good quality can be made for well under $200.00 while a Carada screen can be a bit more, but is much easier to deal with.

Cabling from www.monoprice.com is a great way to get high quality at a reasonable price.

Then you have sources (DVD player/etc.)

Plus the audio.

Audio, IMO, should never cost less than the video side of things, and should realistically cost a good deal more. I would plan on no less than $1,500 for the audio setup - and would shoot for more if at all possible.

If the room is unfinished (pre-drywall) then you have a lot of things you should do before drywall goes up. If you have space above the attic to move around in and run wires though, then that really is a big perk. Your timeline will dictate how quickly things will move along, but I would set a budget, with about 10% extra for 'misc' items. Then figure out everything you need for your setup carefully.

That room sounds pretty darn ideal for front projection and a 100"+ screen is pretty darn cool.

 

[Droff]

I've seen the Optoma HD70 and it sounds like what I'm looking for concerning price and performance. My only concern is that I want to connect a computer to this as well and I'm not sure if that connection is there on this type of projector from what I've read.
Any directions anywhere on building a screen as far as materials? What if I don't have enough room for a 100" screen, can I go smaller with this projector?

I'll need the A/V equipment and will be purchasing that as well, just not sure what route to take. I'm not much of an audiophile, I just want it to sound good so I don't feel I need to drop a lot of money. I'll be using this mainly for movies and satellite. I've got an Onkyo 6.1 TIB in my living room which I like but it's not a very high end system ($600 maybe).

The room is unfinished so I'm trying to plan for all needed wiring, which is a little tough as I haven't kept up on what the technology is nowadays, but I'm getting more up to speed by reading a lot. I was looking here http://www.cyberxlink.com/ for wiring (RG6, Cat5, 14ga Speaker wire and phone line). I'm still framing some things up but I should be jumping into the wiring within a week or two depending on how things go. I need to determine the placement of a projector so that's what I need some help with, it will be ceiling mounted though on a 7' ceiling.

Thanks

 

[BMXTRIX]

With the low ceilings and the unknown screen size/etc. I would recommend the Panasonic AX100 or Sanyo Z5 projectors instead. These two projectors have zoom lenses and lens shift which will greatly help with your setup unknowns.

2:1 zoom lenses means that if you put the wiring about 15 feet back on the wall you can get an image diagonal from about 70 inches diagonal to about 140 inches diagonal (or anywhere between).

The lens shift means that with your low ceiling you won't have to tilt the projector to get it to fit on screen correctly.

For DIY screens, I have yet to find more helpful information than what AVSForum.com has to offer in their DIY screens forum. Lots of links and a LOT of experience. I followed their instructions with a DIY blackout cloth (BO screen) and it looks phenomenal. That's a good 6-8 hour project, so be aware of that.

Most projectors include a VGA or DVI input that is computer compatible, but you should read the specs on any projector you purchase to make sure it has what you need. Most users manuals can be found on the ProjectorCentral.com website.

All three projectors discussed to this point have a VGA type PC connection and will work with any standard PC.

 

[Droff]

Sounds great, thanks for the info. I have been reading up about a DIY screen on the AVS Forum and I think I can fit in a 100" screen from the sound of it. Man, LOTS of info on this and a very good resource.
Would you still recommend the Panasonic or Sanyo based on the low ceiling?
Is there a calculation out there to determine distance to screen size?
Thanks.

 

[Droff]

I took some measurements in the room I'm finishing and the screen wall is at most 60" high due to the slant of the roof/ceiling. The width will be fine, but for a 16:9 screen, with a 100" diagonal, it will be only about 5" off of the floor. Could that present a problem in anyway?
At most the viewable area in the room will be 18' from the screen due to the stairs in the back of the room.

 

[BMXTRIX]

The typical viewing distance for a 100" diagonal screen is about 10-15 feet. 18' is actually on the 'far away' side of things. I know it sounds huge, but THX standards which many movie theaters follow, put the center seats of the theater at (about) 1.5x the screen width away from the screen. So an 87" wide screen would put THX standard seating about 10.5 feet from the screen.

I do have issues with the screen sitting on the floor... Is there no way around that? Pushing the wall forward a few feet jumps into my head as a potential solution. You can then put all your front speakers and perhaps your components behind that front 'false' wall and clean up the look of the room (very stylish!) while giving you a bit more space for that screen to go. But, this falls into the 'I'm not there to really see things.' category.

www.projectorcentral.com - If you choose the projector you want to find the throw distance for, has a 'PROJECTION CALCULATOR' which will show you the range of distances and screen sizes you can use. You can specify a screen size and it will show you the throw distance range (100" = 10 to 20 feet!) or you can pick a throw distance and it will give you the screen size range.

I am not sure with how high the projector is compared to the screen which projector I would specifically recommend or where I would specifically recommend wire to be run to. If the screen MUST go low, then the HD70 projector comes back into play as a more viable solution.

The distance between the top edge of your screen, and the center of the projector lens is called the 'offset'. Just like different projectors have different zoom lenses, they also have different offset. Lens shift is a variable offset (AX100/Z5) while the HD70 has a fixed offset. I believe it may equate to about 18" above the top of the screen for a 100" diagonal... but don't quote me on that! It just typically puts the screen down LOW when you are dealing with 7' ceilings which is common for budget oriented setups.

 

[Droff]

Thanks for the input and the link. The screen will be about 7-8" off the floor with the center channel speaker underneath it. I don't want to move the screen out from the wall as I don't want to eat up anymore floor space than I have to. I had considered what you mentioned about having all the components behind a 'wall' with the screen in front, but it just takes up too much of the room. I'm planning on building an in wall cabinet/closet to keep all the gear and put the shelves on a slide so I can move them in and out as I need.
I'll look into the calculator to find out what combos of throw and screen size I can go with that would work the best. From what I'm reading, the HD70 looks like the most feasible due to performance and cost. I NEED a 100" screen, so that can be smaller if necessary. I know basically nothing about projectors and throw and what would be best, good or decent. Figure it out as I go along.
Thanks.

 

[BMXTRIX]

Running wires is a toughie without knowing 100% where things are going. But, if you have attic access - or above the ceiling access, you can really leave yourself some options open.

1. Run 2" conduit from the equipment location to the projector location. If you are unsure where to put the projector (10 feet or 15 feet?) then run that conduit along a line in the center of the room with access inside every ceiling joist or with multiple access boxes. That way, you can run the wires later and put them EXACTLY where you want them!

2. Speaker wiring is easy - this site has good info on where to place all your speakers.

3. There is almost no such thing as running to many wires... and www.monoprice.com is your friend on good quality cables.

 

[Droff]

As far as the throw is concerned, will I have to be a specific distance from the screen for best performance (right at 13') or is there a window there (10'-15')?
Any suggestions on good cheap conduit?
Thanks.

 

[BMXTRIX]

You can pick up low voltage conduit from www.smarthome.com - Search 'CONDUIT' and the Carlon 2" conduit is a great way to go.

The throw distance will have a window, but that window will depend on two things.

1. How big is your screen.
2. What projector are you using

Let's assume a 100" diaogonal 16:9 screen and the Optoma HD70...
First we go here...
http://www.projectorcentral.com/Optoma-HD70-projection-calculator-pro.htm

Then we put set the image diagonal to 100"

Now we can see that the front lens of the projector must be between 11.5 and 13.8 feet from the screen. The projector itself is likely about 12-14 inches deep, so about the furthest you can place cabling is about 15 feet from the screen. I would likley go at about 14' if I KNEW my screen size was 100" and I was pretty sure on the projector.

This distance will also work for the AX100 and Z5 projectors we previously discussed.

 

[Droff]

Excellent.
Thanks for all the input.

 

[GreenJelly]

If your looking at less then $1K for speakers, let me recommend that you go stereo. You will save allot, and get a VERY clean, crisp sounding setup. A Sub is needed for Movies, so call it a 2.1 channel system.

Either that, or go with a bit more and buy some used speakers. Thiel, B&W, Paradigm and a few others can be bought for around 60% their original value when you go used. They require power, which isnt cheap and should rarely be bought used.

I would recommend buying the Projector ONLY, and then spending the money on the speakers.

Their is a calculation to determine distance to screen, but I do not know it off the top of my head

I recommend the cheapest speaker cables you can find... in fact go down to a local home depot/electornic store and buy some lamp cable. Their are allot of people who feel that speaker cable is VERY important, yet from every reasonable study I have seen, people cant tell the difference. I have heard of reports of blind tests involving strung together coat hangers compaired to expensive speaker wire, where their was no difference in what people noticed.

Mike