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I'm not going to go back and fourth on the details of components or even design the bloody system for the OP. I was only trying to offer suggestions to him on items he should consider when looking into his HT. I presume he'd get a proper electrician (and probably a HT consultant) to do the room right.
I enjoy and learn from your postings on CD. I was just questioning the specific comment of one benefit of adding the subpanel. Those planning a HT may not need the added expense of adding one. The rest of your original comments brought up things I wouldn't have thought about.
I'm not going to go back and fourth on the details of components or even design the bloody system for the OP. I was only trying to offer suggestions to him on items he should consider when looking into his HT. I presume he'd get a proper electrician (and probably a HT consultant) to do the room right.
I've never designed a Home Theater, (I have designed quite a few rooms housing sensitive and EXPENSIVE computers, and figured the concepts were pretty similar - except the OP probably isn't concerned about getting Tempest compliance! )
I agree that the electrical work should be performed by a proper electrician. However, I think people can save a significant amount of money by doing a bit of research on their own. In many cases, people will end up with a better design as well. I just completed my third HT (have moved a few times) and I have yet to see anything at even twice the price that can match what I have.
If you have the time to do the reading, you can do a remarkably good DIY design job. Starting with new construction makes it *much* easier! Some tips, learned from my one (shockingly successful) attempt:
There are all sorts of screen size / distance / height calculators. See Dolby Labs' recs for optimum speaker positioning and consider Audyssey DSX placement options as well.
Do *not* use in-wall speakers unless aesthetics trumps sound quality for your purposes. If you want truly visceral subsonics, dual (or more!) subs are a must for a room volume like you've got. Multiples will fill the large space much more effectively, and will also go a long way toward eliminating nulls/peaks in the bass response.
Put the gear in a rack in a conditioned and exhausted closet, ideally with a door on the back side as well (for easy access to the rear of the equipment). And use a few wire management looms. You will thank yourself 1000 times for this!
Put in at least a couple dedicated AC circuits.
Run LV conduit between the display area(s...overhead PJ and front flat panel) and the equipment location. Never know what cables you'll need in a couple years...
There are a lot of good points made, but lets not drift away from the original posting about a HT going in an existing Bonus Room, (my guess above a garage). There are a lot more concerns when trying to adapt an existing space rather than being able to build-from-scratch.
There are a lot of good points made, but lets not drift away from the original posting about a HT going in an existing Bonus Room, (my guess above a garage). There are a lot more concerns when trying to adapt an existing space rather than being able to build-from-scratch.
If working with an existing space, it will be difficult to do much with sound isolation, unless someone is willing to tear out the walls. The room is only as good at its weakest point. However, you can address most acoustical issues (relating to sound quality) with an existing room by using either commercially available solutions or various DIY options.
As said before, the use of a qualified electrician is necessary. Beyond that, most people should be able to do everything else themselves as it really is not that hard (provided you do a bit of homework).
As mentioned.... AVS Forum is your friend. I spent a good 6 months just reading and reading build threads... My design kept changing and changing as I read more and more. Started out as a 50" plasma with surround and end up with a 120" screen/projector, stage, theater chairs, riser, popcorn maker, etc.... I "borrowed" tons of ideas from different people.
I did my whole basement (1,900+ sq ft) and theater by myself.... except for drywall & HVAC. Took a couple years, but the finished product exceeded my expectations! Here are a couple pics....
Last edited by Ronnie Fastback; 08-03-2011 at 10:53 AM..
.... I did my whole basement (1,900+ sq ft) and theater by myself.... except for drywall & HVAC. Took a couple years, but the finished product exceeded my expectations! Here are a couple pics....
All I got to say is ..... WOW!
About the only thing that would top this would be an indoor pool, ... and I guess that's a different forum!
If it is prewired, you probably don't need the help from an outside installer. This will save you some $$$$. You can post here as to what you have and what you want to do or you can send me a message and I can point you in the right direction. As said before, the AVSforum webiste is a great resource. It is a very large HT community and almost every subject is covered. You will also find out many more options for equipment that could offer you better performance and/or much less cost versus only looking at local options.
janster100, I just PMed you with a question. Appreciate you taking time
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