Recommendations for a Dedicated HT Room

[Tuhin Lavania]

Hello Guys..
So as the title says, i need some suggestions for a dedicated HT room. The construction will start in a month or so, so i think this is the right time to ask about it.
The layout will be a 7.2.4 system, or possibly a 7.4.4 system but thats far away.
I plan to add a projector in future, maybe 1 or 1.5 years from now ( Native 4k and they are costly so the wait time )
We are 4 people in the family ( My wife and parents ) so there will be 4 recliners.
The Room, by default will be 18*12 feet in dimensions and i can add extra 3 feet and make it 21*12 feet with extra expense of 36k.
The Room will have no windows and a door for entry/exit.
My current setup is a 3.1 system with a Marantz 6013, 65 inch 4k screen, Nvidia Shield, Q Acoustics 3050i and 3090Ci and a XTZ12.17 edge sub.
So there a few things i want to ask.
First is,
1. Do i need to extend the room to 21 feet with the extra expense of 36k ? Considering there are four people to watch and the future has a Projector with the screen size of a minimum of 120 inches to 150 inches ?

2. What should be the height of the ceiling ? In regard to Atmos Channels.

3. Do i need to paint the walls black ? There will be no windows so the room will be dark enough with the white too, i guess.

4. Anything i need to do with the flooring ?

I think this is it for now..
Any kind of help will be appreciated
Thank You

 

[msaab90]

Hi. Would attempt to answer some of your questions based on my experience with projectors.
Your room length of 18 feet is fine for a 120 inch diagonal projection but not enough for a 150 inch image. Since we don't have the make and model of the projector yet, it would be better to increase the length to 21 feet in case 150 inch diagonal is important. This would give you a much wider selection of projectors to choose from. Projection central website is the best tool to evaluate projection geometry of different projectors.
Link: https://www.projectorcentral.com/projection-calculator-pro.cfm

 

[Tuhin Lavania]

Hi. Would attempt to answer some of your questions based on my experience with projectors.
Your room length of 18 feet is fine for a 120 inch diagonal projection but not enough for a 150 inch image. Since we don't have the make and model of the projector yet, it would be better to increase the length to 21 feet in case 150 inch diagonal is important. This would give you a much wider selection of projectors to choose from. Projection central website is the best tool to evaluate projection geometry of different projectors.
Link: https://www.projectorcentral.com/projection-calculator-pro.cfm

Thanks for the reply
I have zeroed on JVC NX7 which has got some very good reviews. Sony 295ES can be a better option too and is cheaper also. ( Considering nothing else releases in the time i have to buy it ) But JVC has some good reviews overall.
Also, do you think the image deterioration will be a factor if i go from 120 to 150 inches ?
I think extending the room is a better idea just to be future proof, coz once done is done.
And Yeah, Thank you for the link. Checking it now

 

[Amarendra]

Hello Guys..
So as the title says, i need some suggestions for a dedicated HT room. The construction will start in a month or so, so i think this is the right time to ask about it.
The layout will be a 7.2.4 system, or possibly a 7.4.4 system but thats far away.
I plan to add a projector in future, maybe 1 or 1.5 years from now ( Native 4k and they are costly so the wait time )
We are 4 people in the family ( My wife and parents ) so there will be 4 recliners.
The Room, by default will be 18*12 feet in dimensions and i can add extra 3 feet and make it 21*12 feet with extra expense of 36k.
The Room will have no windows and a door for entry/exit.
My current setup is a 3.1 system with a Marantz 6013, 65 inch 4k screen, Nvidia Shield, Q Acoustics 3050i and 3090Ci and a XTZ12.17 edge sub.
So there a few things i want to ask.
First is,
1. Do i need to extend the room to 21 feet with the extra expense of 36k ? Considering there are four people to watch and the future has a Projector with the screen size of a minimum of 120 inches to 150 inches ?

2. What should be the height of the ceiling ? In regard to Atmos Channels.

3. Do i need to paint the walls black ? There will be no windows so the room will be dark enough with the white too, i guess.

4. Anything i need to do with the flooring ?

I think this is it for now..
Any kind of help will be appreciated
Thank You

Just increasing length may not be ideal since to get a 150 inch diagonal you need 131 inches of length which is approx 11 feet. Since the width of your room itself is 12 feet this could be a challenge. Hence measure first and then decide whether to spend or not .

 

[msaab90]

Thanks for the reply
I have zeroed on JVC NX7 which has got some very good reviews. Sony 295ES can be a better option too and is cheaper also. ( Considering nothing else releases in the time i have to buy it ) But JVC has some good reviews overall.
Also, do you think the image deterioration will be a factor if i go from 120 to 150 inches ?
I think extending the room is a better idea just to be future proof, coz once done is done.
And Yeah, Thank you for the link. Checking it now

Are you sourcing the projector from India or abroad? Do give serious consideration to warranty and support available in India. I have abysmal experience of optoma warranty support in Delhi.

 

[liverpool_for_life]

I have zeroed on JVC NX7 which has got some very good reviews.

Fantastic choice, IMO. The fact that they added Dynamic Tone Mapping recently via firmware makes this series the stand-out choice for watching HDR content. Might be close between the NX5 and NX7 unless you have a true bat cave.

 

[Tuhin Lavania]

Are you sourcing the projector from India or abroad? Do give serious consideration to warranty and support available in India. I have abysmal experience of optoma warranty support in Delhi.

I havent thought about that. Getting from abroad, i might save atleast a lakh or a lakh and a half.

 

[Tuhin Lavania]

Fantastic choice, IMO. The fact that they added Dynamic Tone Mapping recently via firmware makes this series the stand-out choice for watching HDR content. Might be close between the NX5 and NX7 unless you have a true bat cave.

Yeah, thats why getting the room very dark is a top priority.
Also, what do you think about the Lamp Life ? 4500 Hours on low output which i think is bright enough for HDR and for several hours a day upto 2 years. What then ? What is the cost of a new lamp ?

I will keep aside the TV for sp gaming and not for movies then. But the lamp cost and all this makes the Projector even more costly. The OLED, i heard has a life of 1,00,000 hours so 4500 is nowhere near it. I might be mistaken, and i need some clarity. ( The TV, i have is not a OLED btw, but just to get a idea of the lifespan )

 

[Tuhin Lavania]

Just increasing length may not be ideal since to get a 150 inch diagonal you need 131 inches of length which is approx 11 feet. Since the width of your room itself is 12 feet this could be a challenge. Hence measure first and then decide whether to spend or not .

Im not so much in need for a 150 inch screen. 135 should be good enough.
I will take measurements this Sunday. But if i dont lose on Picture clarity, why not 150 inches, as picture size is too important for immersive movie watching.

 

[msaab90]

As for finish on the walls I would recommend room treatment finished with any dark colored acoustic fabric. It might seem optional at the outset but in my opinion makes a huge difference.

 

[Tuhin Lavania]

One thing more, Will i need a power amp for the setup ?
Like i said i have 3050i FS, 3090Ci and the surrounds, i guess 3020. A 7.2.4 layout.
I was guessing i need atleast a 5 channel power amp for the setup.

 

[Amarendra]

Im not so much in need for a 150 inch screen. 135 should be good enough.
I will take measurements this Sunday. But if i dont lose on Picture clarity, why not 150 inches, as picture size is too important for immersive movie watching.

The question is not about preference but getting a 150 inch screen to fit in the available space. If the wall itself is 12 feet and the screen is 11 feet where will the speakers go ? They will end up covering the screen from both sides. If not then you need to plan a baffle wall so that you maximize screen size and put the speakers behind the screen

 

[tumula]

Recently my friend has installed a 7.2.4 setup in a dedicated HT Room. The room size is 19 x 14. Screen size 11 x 5.7 feet with 2.35:1. Projector is JVC NX5. They faced problems when installing this projector. The projector not able to throw picture on the screen. So they made a chamber behind the wall by cutting the wall and put the projector in the chamber.
This info may help you as you are also going for native 4k JVC projector.

 

[prateekatasniya]

The question is not about preference but getting a 150 inch screen to fit in the available space. If the wall itself is 12 feet and the screen is 11 feet where will the speakers go ? They will end up covering the screen from both sides. If not then you need to plan a baffle wall so that you maximize screen size and put the speakers behind the screen

These speakers aren't sensitive enough to be placed behind the screen as there will be 2-3db loss due to screen.
There are a lot of better options.

 

[prateekatasniya]

Recently my friend has installed a 7.2.4 setup in a dedicated HT Room. The room size is 19 x 14. Screen size 11 x 5.7 feet with 2.35:1. Projector is JVC NX5. They faced problems when installing this projector. The projector not able to throw picture on the screen. So they made a chamber behind the wall by cutting the wall and put the projector in the chamber.
This info may help you as you are also going for native 4k JVC projector.

Then that's the mistake of the designer.. as he didn't check the throw distance needed to project on the required screen size.

 

[prateekatasniya]

Hi. Would attempt to answer some of your questions based on my experience with projectors.
Your room length of 18 feet is fine for a 120 inch diagonal projection but not enough for a 150 inch image. Since we don't have the make and model of the projector yet, it would be better to increase the length to 21 feet in case 150 inch diagonal is important. This would give you a much wider selection of projectors to choose from. Projection central website is the best tool to evaluate projection geometry of different projectors.
Link: https://www.projectorcentral.com/projection-calculator-pro.cfm

As he already has low sensitivity speakers speakers - big screen will lead to the seats being farther away from the screen and speakers leading to reduced SPL at the listening position.

And screen size doesn't matter.. What matter is the angle of view(AOW).

In this case
I would rather suggest a 100" screen which would give 40° AOW at 10 feet from the screen.
Keeping the seats closer to speakers will lead to lesser SPL demand from the speakers--> lesser power demand from AVR--> lesser distortion.
Money saved on the screen as Obviously a smaller screen costs less.
Smaller screen size means Lesser light output demand from projector leading to longer lamp life.

And smaller room size means less work to do for the subwoofer and money saved as room extension not required.

Above are the few things which should be consider while designing this HT.

Good luck

 

[msaab90]

One possible solution in case large scree size is important would be to elevate the listening position and bring the front speakers few feet towards the seats with appropriate tow in, center can also be put on a stand at the same lavel. This would allow you to have a higher screen positioning, and the combination would result in more impactful sound plus no obstruction to the screen by the towers. AOW is important as elucidated by Prateeek, but for me nothing beats the wow factor of sheer size

 

[Tuhin Lavania]

One possible solution in case large scree size is important would be to elevate the listening position and bring the front speakers few feet towards the seats with appropriate tow in, center can also be put on a stand at the same lavel. This would allow you to have a higher screen positioning, and the combination would result in more impactful sound plus no obstruction to the screen by the towers. AOW is important as elucidated by Prateeek, but for me nothing beats the wow factor of sheer size

The problem with me here are the two rows of seats. If there was only one row, this could have been very easy. But with the addition of the 2nd row, a 135 inch screen becomes challenging. I dont want to sacrifice on the screen size as the picture size is very important for immersion haha, but lets see.

 

[prateekatasniya]

Yeah.. big size will surely add to aesthetics of the room.
However even the speaker positioning has to be considered as they should not be placed too close to the side walls.
And the added screen cost.( Depending on the screen)

And everything depends on the viewer what he prefers and expects from his system.. and most importantly Budget.

 

[prateekatasniya]

The problem with me here are the two rows of seats. If there was only one row, this could have been very easy. But with the addition of the 2nd row, a 135 inch screen becomes challenging. I dont want to sacrifice on the screen size as the picture size is very important for immersion haha, but lets see.

Immersion depends on the angle of view which is dependent on the screen size and viewer distance.

And as far as two rows are taken into account one row has to compromise.
So Choose the primary seat and, design accordingly.