Theater Layout Advice

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  • Jeff Hartford
    Member
    • Jul 2003
    • 53

    Theater Layout Advice

    Am in sort of a quandary with laying out my home theater. Some complicated questions and would appreciate insight from the enormous expertise in this forum. I have the use of a finished basement (translation- was banished from the family room) and have two areas that might be suitable. First, my equipment is an Epson TW100 LCD projector, Denon 2900 DVD, Rotel RMB-1095 and Rotel RSP-985 amp/prepros, NHT SA-3 Biamp/amp, NHT VT-2.4 fronts with NHT VS-2.4 center and surrounds.

    Some of the issues- The NHT's have side firing woofers and cannot be too close to the walls. (Ideally 3' but I would squeeze that down as it "narrows" the room). Room A is a pool room that would require moving a 9' pool table (major ballbuster) but seems to provide the easiest room. However, on the wall are doors that cover the breakers that will preclude any reasonable wall mounted screen (hoping for at least 92" HDTV) requiring an electric tensioned or hanging screen (thinking DIY with Dalite HCCV material).

    Room B would require taking down a back wall, which I am not adverse to, but the wall incorporates a support pole that could be boxed in, but would be around the ideal seating area, but seats could be placed on both sides of it. The front wall also would be perfect for a mounted screen.

    Potential problems, other than the minor teardown, is that in Rm B the left front speaker woofer would be firing into the wild blue yonder as there is effectively no "wall" on that side of the room. The right channel would fire into the wall the extends out about 2' away from it. This area is not as "closed in" as the pool room, but would preclude moving the pool table and trying to find a place to put it in the basement. The rest of the basement is quite large, but a slightly lower ceiling and many support beams. What sort of acoustic mods could be done to improve on this. Feel that I have a good solid home theater electronics wise, and do not wish to screw it up with a poor placement decision. Would greatly appreciate any advice from people who have tackled a similar problem or any of the acoustic/video gurus.

    Thanks

    Jeff
    Had a sketch but did not realize could not post attachments
    Room A is 13' X 22'
    Room B is 13.5" X 16'

    ___________________ ____________________
    13.5' l
    l_S_l Room B l__
    Room A l_T_l
    13' 9' Pool Table l_A_l
    l I_ lRemoveable wall c post ^
    l_R_l_____^_________I_ 13'
    S Hallway ^
    ______22'____________ ____________________16'


    Guest BR BR Guest BR
  • Lex
    Moderator Emeritus
    • Apr 2001
    • 27461

    #2
    Were it me, I think I'd have to vote on the pool room. I'd go with the 13 feet wall of screen and equipment up front, and then you've got lots of seating depth, as well as lots of room for a 7 channel configuration with rear speakers and sides. Myself, I just don't think a 13 feet depth is enough. I think you need that 22 depth to really make it feel like a theater. And it gives you lots of wall room for posters, light boxes, etc to do it up right.

    Lex
    Doug
    "I'm out there Jerry, and I'm loving every minute of it!" - Kramer

    Comment

    • Jeff Hartford
      Member
      • Jul 2003
      • 53

      #3
      Lex- No doubt that would be easiest. My problem is that I would have to put a hanging or tensioned electric screen that would protrude at least 4" off the front wall. Plus I need to find a place for a 9' pool table which is huge. In the other room I can get almost 16' by taking down the back wall and using some of that hallway. Sorry for the diagram- had wanted to use an attachment. Also, it does not look the way it did when I made it. Agreed, all things equal, the pool room seems the obvious choice. My question I guess for convenience, was could the other space be made to work reasonably well?

      Thanks for the input Doug.

      Jeff

      Comment

      • Lex
        Moderator Emeritus
        • Apr 2001
        • 27461

        #4
        Certainly Jeff, for a more intimate theater, 16 feet can work. But you will have a difficult time putting rows of seats, and a a riser at the rear, if you'd thought of that. Now, if you just want to plan on seating a few people in no more than 2 rows, 16 feet can work well. You will however loose some separation from side to rear channels, if you plan on 7 channels.

        For myself, 1 row is plenty, as I just don't have a lot of people over. I guess I spend to much time on this thing instead of interacting with people, lol. So, I could make 16 work.

        Just keep in mind with these budget dlp and lcd projectors, you do need to maintain some distance form the screen. LCD at least I know you do. For most LCD, you want to be at least 14 feet back from say a 100 inch screen.

        Lex
        Doug
        "I'm out there Jerry, and I'm loving every minute of it!" - Kramer

        Comment

        • David Meek
          Moderator Emeritus
          • Aug 2000
          • 8938

          #5
          Hi Jeff.

          Sheesh, that's a couple of interesting issues you've got going there.

          In the long run, I'd advise going with the pool room. You've got a simpler set of acoustics to deal with and no support poles altering your layout. Yeah, moving the slate on that 9' monster will be a royal pain, but in the end, you'll be able to do more with the simpler room design.

          Some side questions: On the NHT 2.4s, can you reverse the mains and turn the sub's inward rather than using them in an out-firing set-up? What does that do for your soundstage? Also, what about a drop-down screen? Just trying to figure out options. . . .




          David - HTGuide flunky
          Our "Theater"
          Our DVDs on DVD Tracker

          .

          David - Trigger-happy HTGuide Admin

          Comment

          • Jeff Hartford
            Member
            • Jul 2003
            • 53

            #6
            David-

            The low frequency drivers are designed to fired outward, not at each other. You better than I would likely know what mayhem that might cause. They are bi-amped with the SA-3 and the limited times I have had to connect them, they provide very substantial bass as an alternative to subs. They also circumvent the bass management issues with the Denon 2900 as I am not running a sub setup. It is not so much moving the table, as where to move it to. It is for that reason that I was wondering if the other room could work. As far as screen door that Lex is referring to, the high res of the Epson (XVGA) makes screen door absent from about 1.5 times the width of the screen out which I believe would be around 120" or 10+ feet. I would only need to seat about 4 or 5. Acoustically, how much of a problem would the "openess" of room B cause?

            Jeff

            Thanks for the assitance BTW.

            Comment

            • Lex
              Moderator Emeritus
              • Apr 2001
              • 27461

              #7
              Well, your not going to get even reflections, and that could make it difficult to get same side feel left and right.

              Lex
              Doug
              "I'm out there Jerry, and I'm loving every minute of it!" - Kramer

              Comment

              • David Meek
                Moderator Emeritus
                • Aug 2000
                • 8938

                #8
                Jeff,

                Right now my temporary HT setup has a cased (open) doorway behind the right main speaker. The sides are enclosed so that's the only "hole" I have in the walls. It's cause me quite a bit of greif trying to balance the system out to compensate for it. I prefer to listen to music in a "direct-type" mode which adds no processing to the signal, so the drop-out caused by the doorway is VERY significant. Movie viewing is another issue, one in which the soundfield can be corrected a bit with judicious use of the balance and EQ functions. I'm still not happy with it, but being it is a temporary condition, I'm living with it (now, if I can ever finish Cinemeek). Your second room's unique layout WILL affect your acoustical signiture. First off, I'd recommend doing a quick 'n dirty setup of your proposed equipment layout in the room and see if you can corrrect for the acoustic anomalies - hey you wanted to burn a Saturday afternoon didn't ya?





                David - HTGuide flunky
                Our "Theater"
                Our DVDs on DVD Tracker

                .

                David - Trigger-happy HTGuide Admin

                Comment

                • Jeff Hartford
                  Member
                  • Jul 2003
                  • 53

                  #9
                  Seems the pool room, which I always suspected, is the place to go. Have been mulling over the screen location issue as I do not wish to put a couple thousand into an electric, tensioned screen. Think will make my own frame and us Dalite HCCV material. I suspect that is a good match for a moderate output LCD like the Epson. Then I will put it on the wall on a sliding track that when it is pulled out it protrudes about 4 inches off the wall to clear the breaker panel doors. (Can you visualize what I mean?) The track will have to be about a foot long with about 4" extensions that swing the screen up but hold it in place with stability. Now I am getting excited about this. If I give the NHT's about 2 and a smidge feet to the walls with 8" wide speakers, that will leave me just under 90" for the screen width. Had thought about 45X80, but since it will be a custom frame, could squeeze a couple more inches out (48X851/3") or give more clearance for the speakers? Probably more room is smarter. Suspect a 92" diagonal screen in that room will still pack a wallop.

                  Thanks for the congitation gents.

                  Jeff

                  Comment

                  • David Meek
                    Moderator Emeritus
                    • Aug 2000
                    • 8938

                    #10
                    Seems the pool room, which I always suspected, is the place to go.

                    Excellent! Oh, BTW on the day you are moving the pool table, I'm really really busy. . . . :B




                    David - HTGuide flunky
                    Our "Theater"
                    Our DVDs on DVD Tracker

                    .

                    David - Trigger-happy HTGuide Admin

                    Comment

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