Need help with Home Theatre cum entertainment room

[frank_dude_007]

Hey,
So i am planning to build a home theater in mew house in the basement and i had some queries with which i need help
Firstly i will tell the specification of the area i have and what i have planned
The room in is 20x20 ft in size and will seat 6 people. 2 individual recliners in the front and a sofa for 4 in the back which will be elevated a feet.
and am planning to install a projector which can project 100-150 inch of picture
due to the size of the room i am confused between a 7.1 and a 5.1 speaker setup
I will mainly use it for watching movies and playing games and the occasional cricket matches and as a sound system so pretty much everything.

The main help i need is
Deciding on a decent projector (preferably with 3d support)
Home theater package with Amplifier (7.1 or 5.1)
I will use a PS3 as the disc player
Also should i use the wall as the screen or if i can buy a decent screen in the budget then please suggest
My total budget for all the equipment is around 1.5 lakh rs (little flexible)

Thanks in advance

 

[prosenjit]

total 1.5 is okay.
projector-optoma hd 66 around 50k/check epson equally priced models also for demo...
so 1 lakh for sound.
7.1 is useless
get 5.1....even i suggest get 3.1 and buy rears later while stromng in budget.this way you wont have to compromise in quality.
denon 1912/onkyo equivalents...like 37k...
so 60k for speakers..
check polk rti/wharfedale diamond 10,sonodyne(giving 26 % discount now),paradigm etc...
try to get a centre very good...dont compromise in that...
fs is not mandatory...demo bs and fs both....take acording to your like..


imho get epson 6100 projector for 1 lakh(maybe little lesss)..
and get a 35k avr..
and sonodyne centre avant 12k and fronts sonus fs 22k...

so total becomes 1.7lakhs....

but epson 6100 is a very good pj...
get subwooefer 20k and rears 15k later....

btw almost all 35k avrs are already 7.1...so dont worry..although 7.1 is useless..you can buy speakers later as per your choice...

oh i forgot about screen,,...okay now enjoy in flat white wall...buy it later..witha very good pj and flat white wall...imo we can live without a screen for a while

 

[frank_dude_007]

Hey Prosenjit thanks for the response
The thing is my dad is not the type of person who will buy things in installments and i talked to him and he says that he is willing to spend max 2 lakh on the whole system with the surrounds and sub
and as far as the projector goes i want a display size of around 100-150 inches and it will be in the basement so light which is the biggest enemy of projector clarity won't be present, so if i can go with a cheaper alternative then it will be well and good.
He is now inclining towards Bose audio which i have said no to.
So if i could just know what is available in my price range then i can go out and demo the stuff and choose accordingly.

 

[harshi_n]

Prosenjit,
I'm relatively new but just curious to know why you are suggesting that 7.1 system is useless even for a dedicated setup.i thought it makes sense to go for 7.1in a dedicated setup or you say so because most of the content we play is 5.1 encoded.

 

[prosenjit]

yes reason is original 7.1 material is very rare even in original blu ray disks.
yeah well useless term is relative.
if someone likes 7.1 speakers..its no problem at all.
imho by that extra money better sub or better centre can do much improvement.
well this way i think..others may differ.

 

[manoj.p]

The classic question of 5.1 vs 7.1.

Your room is quite big. For a 5.1 setup, you will have speakers in front, and two surrounds in back. Your seating will be somewhere in between. The sound will be coming from front and back. Even if you put the surrounds in corner, your brain will perceive it coming from back. Your soundfield is either in front or its in back. No feeling of engulfing sound. I know this because my room is also 20 ft long. ;-)

Now, consider this. If you have a 7.1 speaker layout, two speakers right at your side, and two in the back. You get speakers almost in a circle or oval around you. Guess how the soundstage will be?

As for most discs being 5.1 only. Yes, many discs are 5.1. But there are technologies like Dolby PLIIx which will take any 5.1 source and perform extraction for the speakers. Studios have been using technics to matrix encode 5.1 into 7.1. The extraction tools are able to extract nice 7.1 sound from a 5.1 track. Just make sure that the receiver you buy is able to run PLIIx on high rez tracks as well like DTS-HDMA or TrueHD. Almost all receivers can run PLIIx on DD 5.1 or DTS 5.1.

If you are in doubt about matrix encoding or extraction - DTS just came out with 11.1 encoding. But there is no storage space for 11.1 in Bluray. Guess what they are using? Matrix encoding in 7.1. They have Expendables 2 on bluray with DTS Neo X 11.1 encoding into 7.1.

As for the budget, since you are buying everything now, you will need bit more money. Definitely buy a screen. You can use a wall, if you get a good painter who can make the wall almost textureless, completely flat and paint it so it won't have any hotspots. By the time this is done, you will be quickly approaching a fixed screen costing.

As for 4 surround speakers, no need for those to be expensive as they are mostly ambient.

 

[vinay]

It seems you are lucky that you have the opportunity to make a private theater in basement instead of house area. Congratulations.

Since it is basement the width is more, generally a house would have a width of around 12 feet. You can take advantage of width by having more seating if the need be with good gaps between the seating's , and the 7.1 idea seems to be a good one but if the width was a standard one of 12 feet, then a 5.1 would have been easily enough.

It is much better to use a fixed screen because it is a dedicated room otherwise a drop down will be better.

In Noida, there is a forum member who has made a very good entertainment room, it would be a great idea that you go and have a look because it will help you a lot. The member is Alok, request him if he can allow you to visit his place.

One of the crucial tip is that make the room from start to finish with all the desired things as many members have done so, because it is seen many a times that later for reasons we are not able to add up the things be it a screen, recliner, in-complete interiors, etc. In case there are budget issues then it would be a good idea to hold on till enough funds are available.

V.

 

[frank_dude_007]

total 1.5 is okay.
projector-optoma hd 66 around 50k/check epson equally priced models also for demo...
so 1 lakh for sound.
7.1 is useless
get 5.1....even i suggest get 3.1 and buy rears later while stromng in .....

......oh i forgot about screen,,...okay now enjoy in flat white wall...buy it later..witha very good pj and flat white wall...imo we can live without a screen for a while

Well thanks for the suggestions and i discussed these with my father who is also as excited about it as me and he is not the type of guy who will spend in installments and is willing to spend maximum 2 lakh on the whole setup
I researched according to your suggestions and found that both the recommended projectors are great but i am leaning towards epson for minor reasons.
and as far as the speakers and AV receiver goes i think i will need to audition the brands you mentioned

The classic question of 5.1 vs 7.1.

Your room is quite big. For a 5.1 setup, you will have speakers in front, and two surrounds in back. Your seating will be somewhere in between. The sound will be coming from front and back. Even if you put the surrounds in corner, your brain will perceive it coming from back. Your soundfield is either in front or its in back. No feeling of engulfing sound. I know this because my room is also 20 ft long. ;-)

Now, consider this. If you have a 7.1 speaker layout, two speakers right at your side, and two in the back. You get speakers almost in a circle or oval around you. Guess how the soundstage will be?.....


.....As for 4 surround speakers, no need for those to be expensive as they are mostly ambient.

The size of the room is the only factor making me lean towards the 7.1 setup and by your suggestion i think i should go ahead with a 7.1 AV receiver and put a 5.1 setup and if i feel the need then maybe i can add the side surrounds later or should i get a 7.1 system and get over with it, What do you think ?

It seems you are lucky that you have the opportunity to make a private theater in basement instead of house area. Congratulations.....
......One of the crucial tip is that make the room from start to finish with all the desired things as many members have done so, because it is seen many a times that later for reasons we are not able to add up the things be it a screen, recliner, in-complete interiors, etc. In case there are budget issues then it would be a good idea to hold on till enough funds are available.

V.

Hey, Thanks but i must appreciate that i was lucky enough to have a father who was willing to let me do my thing with the basement
I have already procured the Recliners and have planned the seating as well, i don't need many seats thus i have kept the total number of seats to just 6.
I will upload a rough layout plan soon so that i can receive better input from everyone.
And thanks for the suggestion on the screen, i think i will go with a fixed screen now.
can anyone please direct me to Mr Alok's profile so i can have a chat with him about the theater.

 

[frank_dude_007]

I am attaching the basic layout if i decide to go with 7.1 system.
And keep in mind the enclosed portion for the theater measures 20x20 ft.
Please pour in your suggestions and help me decide on the specific equipment so i can make adjustments as early as possible.
Thanks guys

 

[GeorgeO]

No one has mentioned a good subwoofer.

 

[Thtpro]

What is the height of the room? That will define the screen size

 

[manoj.p]

I am attaching the basic layout if i decide to go with 7.1 system.
And keep in mind the enclosed portion for the theater measures 20x20 ft.
Please pour in your suggestions and help me decide on the specific equipment so i can make adjustments as early as possible.
Thanks guys

Bring both front speakers little bit in. Keep them approx at 25% of wall width from each corner in both direction.

Put the side speaker right at the side of ears of the front recliners or bit forward (like 6" or so)

Back speakers should be on the back wall, not in the corner, making about 60 to 90 deg angle to the center of front row.

Since you are building a riser, you can build a subwoofer in there. Look for diy TH-SPUD plans on the web. That would be a very powerful but economical sub for you. PM me if you can't find the plan.

 

[frank_dude_007]

What is the height of the room? That will define the screen size

The final height will be at the very least 9 ft.

Bring both front speakers little bit in. Keep them approx at 25% of wall width from each corner in both direction.

Put the side speaker right at the side of ears of the front recliners or bit forward (like 6" or so)

Back speakers should be on the back wall, not in the corner, making about 60 to 90 deg angle to the center of front row.

Since you are building a riser, you can build a subwoofer in there. Look for diy TH-SPUD plans on the web. That would be a very powerful but economical sub for you. PM me if you can't find the plan.

Thanks for your help
Ok i will edit it according to your suggestions and upload a fresh one.

 

[cmsajith]

Just now I saw this thread and didnt go through it properly. Is the room already built or is in construction stage? Doing acoustics and getting a near flat response from a square room (20x20) will be a very difficult task. As per the golden ratio, the best suited size was 20' x 13' or 23' x 14' 6" (roughly). If you have any chance to do any changes I would suggest stick somewhere near to the golden ratio or atleast a rectangle room.

 

[frank_dude_007]

Just now I saw this thread and didnt go through it properly. Is the room already built or is in construction stage? Doing acoustics and getting a near flat response from a square room (20x20) will be a very difficult task. As per the golden ratio, the best suited size was 20' x 13' or 23' x 14' 6" (roughly). If you have any chance to do any changes I would suggest stick somewhere near to the golden ratio or atleast a rectangle room.

It's a basement with pillars and nothing else, the partition will be made in a few weeks.
The room is 20x20 because of the pillar of the structure but as per the rough drawing i uploaded it will have 4 ft of walking space on both sides so the actual usable area will be around 20x12, that's pretty close to the golden ratio you mentioned. Also i can get floor standing and move them accordingly. What do you think ?

 

[cmsajith]

It's a basement with pillars and nothing else, the partition will be made in a few weeks.
The room is 20x20 because of the pillar of the structure but as per the rough drawing i uploaded it will have 4 ft of walking space on both sides so the actual usable area will be around 20x12, that's pretty close to the golden ratio you mentioned. Also i can get floor standing and move them accordingly. What do you think ?

I am talking about the room size. Sound will not consider a walking space as walking space if it is inside the room. If you are planning for acoustics in your HT room and planning for DIY, please try to get info about acoustics as much as possible. Also you can go through the FMs' theater threads in HFV and if possible, try to visit some HT rooms in your area.

 

[frank_dude_007]

I am talking about the room size. Sound will not consider a walking space as walking space if it is inside the room. If you are planning for acoustics in your HT room and planning for DIY, please try to get info about acoustics as much as possible. Also you can go through the FMs' theater threads in HFV and if possible, try to visit some HT rooms in your area.

Ok, i get your point and the solution i think is to change the room orientation and size. If i do that i end up with a room of 20x14 ft. Is it better ?

 

[Thtpro]

A 20 deep by 14 wide by 10 tall is definitely better than a 20 by 20 feet room.

If you have a sketch showing the new room layout-- we can provide additional feedback

 

[frank_dude_007]

Bring both front speakers little bit in. Keep them approx at 25% of wall width from each corner in both direction.

Put the side speaker right at the side of ears of the front recliners or bit forward (like 6" or so)

Back speakers should be on the back wall, not in the corner, making about 60 to 90 deg angle to the center of front row.

Since you are building a riser, you can build a subwoofer in there. Look for diy TH-SPUD plans on the web. That would be a very powerful but economical sub for you. PM me if you can't find the plan.

Sorry for the late reply, is this better ?

And i googled about the sub diy TH-SPUD, shouldn't that be custom built and could you please guide me on how to go about it ?

Just now I saw this thread and didnt go through it properly. Is the room already built or is in construction stage? Doing acoustics and getting a near flat response from a square room (20x20) will be a very difficult task. As per the golden ratio, the best suited size was 20' x 13' or 23' x 14' 6" (roughly). If you have any chance to do any changes I would suggest stick somewhere near to the golden ratio or atleast a rectangle room.

A 20 deep by 14 wide by 10 tall is definitely better than a 20 by 20 feet room.

If you have a sketch showing the new room layout-- we can provide additional feedback

This is what i am proposing to do but my dad says its too less of space.

 

[Thtpro]

If your dad thinks it is too small -- go with 15 wide by 22 deep by 10 high (feet)