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Home theater setups

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I know a bunch of you have HT-set up somewhere in your home. So, what do you have? Feel free to also post pics:)

I will get some pics up shortly, but here is what we have put into it.
HP DLP projector,
custom made screen(about 9 1/2-10 feet wide feet wide, displays picture up to 120" diagonally on wide screen)
Sony 1000 watt 6.1 Home Theater Control System(...epic...)
Remote system switching...ultimate laziness feature:)
xbox 360 halo ed. with hd-dvd player
messaging chair:)

I'm obsessed with building HT rooms. This is our second house that we built a HT room in. This was the most fun to build, which involced tearing down all the walls and ceiling(stupid plaster!), and routing so many wires. I'm am currently about to start routing a new hdmi-dvi cable for the new apple tv that is coming. I always get someone who says something along the lines of, "man! I got this new 52" xxxxxxx lcd...it's so big!" I just go, "wait till you see my setup!"

extras:
-There are 4 halogen bulbs that aren't turned on...
-check out my cool xbox live score...4321:)

IMG_0267.jpg

IMG_0274.jpg

IMG_0276.jpg

IMG_0270.jpg
 

pigoo3

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A lot of your setup sounds similar to mine...I have a:

- Infocus DLP projector
- homemade screen (I don't remember the exact dimensions but I know that it's over 100 inches)...using "official" projection screen fabric/material.
- Sony components for the home theater...don't have a full set of speakers yet.
- PS3

- Nick
 
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Believe it or not, the hardest part about making my room was getting the screen dimensions right for the distance between the projector and the screens position. I got the screen height just perfect(as you can see by the 1st pic) and the extra width is for pic-in-pic or extra wide screen movies.
 

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Just don't have the room in my house for a projection system.

Living room:
Panny 58" plasma - wall mounted
Sattelite receiver
Toshiba HD-DVD
Panny B-R
Home built quad core Win 7 box with the LG HD-DVD / B-R combo drive with TotalMedia Theater3 in conjunction with MyMovies and Slysoft, currently with 2TB of storage
a Time Machine provides ethernet to all 4 of the above
Onkyo provdes 4 port HDMI switching
Infiniti surround speakers all ceiling mounted with a decent enough sub for the room
All wiring inside the walls including new electrical - that was a chore - my house is almost as old as I am and was an old 2 wire system, meaning no ground.
2 Logitech remotes control all switching of the devices - one for the wife and one for me so we're not having to pass it back and forth
Logitech DiNovo mini for control of the HTPC

MstrBdrm:
Panny 42" plasma
Satellite
Toshiba HD-DVD
PS3
Sony receiver providing 3 HDMI switching along with an iPod dock - provides plenty adequate sound for a 13'x13' room - they didn't make this model for long and I managed to grab the last one sitting on the shelf in the DFW area
Infinity surround speakers ceiling mounted here as well
Logitech remote provides all the switching

Have permanently semi-hidden cabling in both locations easy to pull out for attaching my MBP to the TVs and receivers.

Office:
HPMediaSmart server, I can stream content to either of the above locations as well as any computer in the house, currently with 4.5TB storage
About another 3TB of storage not included in any of the above.
 

pigoo3

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Believe it or not, the hardest part about making my room was getting the screen dimensions right for the distance between the projector and the screens position. I got the screen height just perfect(as you can see by the 1st pic) and the extra width is for pic-in-pic or extra wide screen movies.

I did the screen dimension thing I think the "goof-proof" way. I placed the projector the exact distance it would be from the wall where the screen would be...turned on the projector...and measured the dimensions of the projected picture on the wall...then added approx. 6 inches or so for the final dimensions of the screen. Then built a frame to stretch & attach the projector screen fabric over.

- Nick
 

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Just don't have the room in my house for a projection system.

My system isn't very fancy...it's not like my projector is mounted in the ceiling or speakers hung from the walls or anything. When it's "movie time"...the projector is pulled out off the storage shelf...the component video cable laid across the floor to the stereo receiver...movie time. Then pack everything up afterwards.

The important part being you get a 96"+ diagonal picture & pretty decent sound. My room isn't humongous....the projector is about 10 feet from the screen. My DLP projector is a few years old...so not the newest...and I do get the "rainbow" effect when watching sometimes...which is irritating!

- Nick
 
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pics...please? :(
 

pigoo3

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pics...please? :(

I just looked at the photos you added. Looks like a real nice "cozy" setup!:) What's the deal in photo #2...where you can see the back of your screen?

I don't claim to be any sort of home theater expert...so I was wondering why:

- The screen is hung what looks like 3-4 feet away from the wall?
- Why there's a light of some sort shining on the back of the screen?
- What is that "unit" behind the screen that the light is coming from?
- Where is your projector located...is it mounted from the ceiling?

I simply hung my screen right on the wall. And wow...those are some BEEFY brackets you used for the screen frame!!!;)

- Nick
 
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I just looked at the photos you added. Looks like a real nice "cozy" setup!:) What's the deal in photo #2...where you can see the back of your screen?

I don't claim to be any sort of home theater expert...so I was wondering why:

- The screen is hung what looks like 3-4 feet away from the wall?
- Why there's a light of some sort shining on the back of the screen?
- What is that "unit" behind the screen that the light is coming from?
- Where is your projector located...is it mounted from the ceiling?

I simply hung my screen right on the wall. And wow...those are some BEEFY brackets you used for the screen frame!!!;)

- Nick
1. I didn't want to hang it directly in front of the wall because I wanted to have room to store dvd's and other stuff on top of that cabinet(where the light is coming from).
2. The light is just there because it was part of a bar setup where you would place wine bottles in front of the light. It's useless now, but I just turned it on for the camera to get a better pic. It is always kept off.
3. ^^
4.If you look at the first pic, you will see the white projector on the ceiling, towards the top left side of the pic.

5. I use poplar hardwood to prevent any sagging from the weight. I LOVE to over do everything if I have the means to. Those brackets are beefy because I made them:) It took about 3000 staples to staple the screen material to the frame(one box has 2000 staples. I used a little over 1 1/2)!
The screen is also removable via 3 eye-bolts and 3 hooks. Should've seen the size of those! O.O

The walls/ceiling were also coated with sound dampening material( seriously looked like cat litter).

IMG_0284.jpg
 

pigoo3

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1. I didn't want to hang it directly in front of the wall because I wanted to have room to store dvd's and other stuff on top of that cabinet(where the light is coming from).
2. The light is just there because it was part of a bar setup where you would place wine bottles in front of the light. It's useless now, but I just turned it on for the camera to get a better pic. It is always kept off.
3. ^^
4.If you look at the first pic, you will see the white projector on the ceiling, towards the top left side of the pic.

5. I use poplar hardwood to prevent any sagging from the weight. I LOVE to over do everything if I have the means to. Those brackets are beefy because I made them:) It took about 3000 staples to staple the screen material to the frame(one box has 2000 staples. I used a little over 1 1/2)!
The screen is also removable via 3 eye-bolts and 3 hooks. Should've seen the size of those! O.O

Thanks for the info!!!:)

I totally understand the light behind the screen now (light on for the pictures). In photo #1 you have something projected on the screen & the light on behind the screen...so I thought maybe the light behind the screen was some sort of "Home Theater Trick"...even though I always heard the darker the room the better.

Wow you made the brackets! Nice...I do a lot of metal/wood fabricating myself. What gauge steel/metal did you use...that looks like pretty thick stuff...too thick for hand shears...looks like you would have had to use a band saw (with a metal cutting blade) or cut it with a torch.

Yes I see the projector now in photo #1...didn't see it before in the upper right corner.

Jeez man...3000 stables!!!;) I wouldn't think 3000 staples would even fit along the perimeter of the frame. I think that I used some reasonably straight pine furring strips for my frame...and probably stapled the screen material every 2-3 inches along the perimeter of the frame. My screen came out great...no buckling, creases, or non-flat areas on the material.

Overbuilt or not...it looks great!:)

- Nick

p.s. Coating the walls/ceiling with the sound dampening material shows a true commitment to the "Home Theater Room". That stuff is pretty permanent...and a lot of work to remove if you don't like it...or have to convert the room back to a "regular room" in the future.
 
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The staples would have been fine with using only 1/4th the box, but the problem came when I noticed that the edge of the screen would show bubbles/curves from the screen being stretched. I stapled every bump that put up a fight, until everything looked perfectly flush when looking at it from the front. It is also a 3 part screen(matte vinyl front/thing rubber center/cloth backing), that's what made the warps tougher to get rid of. You know something came out good when you made it and cant fault it:)

All I need is maybe a new L sofa...but school $$$ is killing me.
 

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The staples would have been fine with using only 1/4th the box, but the problem came when I noticed that the edge of the screen would show bubbles/curves from the screen being stretched. I stapled every bump that put up a fight, until everything looked perfectly flush when looking at it from the front. It is also a 3 part screen(matte vinyl front/thing rubber center/cloth backing), that's what made the warps tougher to get rid of. You know something came out good when you made it and cant fault it:)

Yes...I can understand wanting to remove every every defect from the screen surface. I'm pretty sure mine doesn't have any...but if I looked hard enough I could probably find some very small ones requiring some extra stapling. But I think from my viewing distance of 8-12 feet...nothing that small is noticeable in my setup. Plus in your case...a large 3-part screen does have it extra complexities...needing extra staples.

I just remeasured my screen...and it's 86" wide by 64" tall...so a maximum of 107" diagonally depending on the ratio of what's being projected (16:9, 4:3, etc.). Your screen appears to be larger. I kept my screen simple...and just made a single panel from 4 pieces of wood. So again less staples needed.

- Nick

p.s. Regarding the "L" shaped sofa. Believe it or not...I've always wanted to try to build my own sofa. Many sofa's today are simply made from 3/4" plywood...which can be pretty structurally sound if built properly...the challenge is sourcing the cushioning material & upholstering material. Think about it...you could custom make any dimension & shape sofa you want...the possibilities are endless!:) What has stopped me is finding a decent "basic" plan to build the frame (modifying as necessary for the size & shape)...and finding an affordable source for the foam cushioning material (which can be pretty darn expensive when making a LARGE sofa)!
 
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p.s. Regarding the "L" shaped sofa. Believe it or not...I've always wanted to try to build my own sofa. Many sofa's today are simply made from 3/4" plywood...which can be pretty structurally sound if built properly...the challenge is sourcing the cushioning material & upholstering material. Think about it...you could custom make any dimension & shape sofa you want...the possibilities are endless!:) What has stopped me is finding a decent "basic" plan to build the frame (modifying as necessary for the size & shape)...and finding an affordable source for the foam cushioning material (which can be pretty darn expensive when making a LARGE sofa)!

I've had the same thought, especially since almost all of my mothers closest relatives are sofa and other sitting furniture builders. You want my advice? I'll give it anyways. It's one of those things that you get excited about because you can make it how you want it, but when it comes to it, it will be REAL hard. Now, they make quality stuff, so there's a reason why it take many men, and a long time to do something, but its just really hard to do that on your own, while still having comfort. Many fabric stores have materials for them though. I too get excited about the thought of building a sofa...only for the structural part though:) screw cushions!
 

pigoo3

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I've had the same thought, especially since almost all of my mothers closest relatives are sofa and other sitting furniture builders. You want my advice? I'll give it anyways. It's one of those things that you get excited about because you can make it how you want it, but when it comes to it, it will be REAL hard. Now, they make quality stuff, so there's a reason why it take many men, and a long time to do something, but its just really hard to do that on your own, while still having comfort. Many fabric stores have materials for them though. I too get excited about the thought of building a sofa...only for the structural part though:) screw cushions!

Hey you're advice is appreciated...especially since you mentioned the family has so much experience building furniture.

For me building the "frame" for the sofa wouldn't be a big deal. My first "crack" at college I wanted to be a Wood Shop Teacher...where they initially make you build everything from hand tools before they "allow" you to start using power equipment. But then I decided that college at the time wasn't for me...and I joined the military...then when I got discharged...I went back to college to study something completely different.

Since then I've been an "amateur" woodworker for about 30 years...I have most of the tools I need (lathe, radial arm saw, chop saws, power miter saw, band saw, table saw, drill press, jigsaw, sanders, and all of the various power hand tools)...and my favorite material to work with is (believe it or not)...3/4" plywood!;)

But I do like working from a good set of plans (then modifying them for the specific size & shape sofa I would want). The cushioning & upholstery steps would be the bigger challenge for me. But with so much DIY info on the internet...I'm sure I could get the basics mastered quickly. I just need to find a decent set of basic sofa building plans...which the last time I searched the internet...was tough to find.

Maybe I'll just stop being lazy & put together my own plans...and get on with it!!!:) Like you said...it's a BIG job...so maybe a little voice inside it says..."Don't start the project unless you're willing to see it thru to the end & give it 100%!"

- Nick
 

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I refuse to read any more of this thread as I am positively green with envy. If any of you guys are accepting house guests let me know. Anyone care to comment on which remotes you are using to control things. I am seriously looking at the prospect of using my iPad as a touch screen remote. My logitech 550 got crushed in an unfortunate accident.
 

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I refuse to read any more of this thread as I am positively green with envy. If any of you guys are accepting house guests let me know. Anyone care to comment on which remotes you are using to control things. I am seriously looking at the prospect of using my iPad as a touch screen remote. My logitech 550 got crushed in an unfortunate accident.

I've tried various remotes to try to consolidate everything into one...but then things get too confusing...and I just revert back to using the 5-6 original remotes.

With all those remotes...it makes you feel like you're piloting the Starship Enterprise with a crew of one!!!;) Ha ha!

- Nick
 

bobtomay

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Come on by sly. Latest B-R I got is Prince of Persia. Am planning on watching it again this weekend.

I've been using the Logitech remotes for several years now. They've just been too easy to program using their online service. I can usually catch one as a refurb at Amazon when I'm needing a new one.

Pics'll have to wait on mine. Planning on building a cabinet/shelf system on the fireplace wall with the TV mounted above it. Really hoping I can do that this winter and maybe have some before and after shots.
 

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Pics'll have to wait on mine. Planning on building a cabinet/shelf system on the fireplace wall with the TV mounted above it. Really hoping I can do that this winter and maybe have some before and after shots.

That would be cool! Don't forget those before shots...many times when I build something cool I forget or am too lazy to take the before photos...then I regret it later!:(

- Nick
 
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I refuse to read any more of this thread as I am positively green with envy. If any of you guys are accepting house guests let me know. Anyone care to comment on which remotes you are using to control things. I am seriously looking at the prospect of using my iPad as a touch screen remote. My logitech 550 got crushed in an unfortunate accident.

I use all *stock* controllers. It's easier than having an all in one, like the harmony880 that I have, which was $139(!). It's dumb! They trick you into buying it because of that cool looking color screen. You will always lose some kind of feature, unless you buy an actual house remote(easily $500-$1000), where you have a tech. come in and program all the functions, but at that price, you have to really be hating your remotes. You also have to be the one using the remote all the time because they are always complicated to use when someone else runs into a problem:Angry: Don't waste your money. They only remote I have that I needed to purchases was to control all the component devices.
 
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I have been dealt a great defeat. I just found out that my projector doesn't handle dvi-d to hdmi conversion real well. The ATV only has HDMI(??WHY??)! I just canceled my order. So bummed out... Why can't it also have component??

I gotta step up to a Panasonic PT-AE4000U, or an Epson logo Home Cinema 8500 UB soon.
 

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