Author Topic: HREY HT room project in progress.... (Read 12679 times)

raiden213 · « **on:** Oct 25, 2013 at 01:21 AM »

Hi everyone!

I am on the planning stage of building a small theater/game room for myself and would really appreciate for any practical or expert advice from you guys. The room is very limited on space at about 15ft×8ft. It is suppose to be a basement storage room so it doesn't have any windows on it, ceiling is 9ft high so there is enough vertical space. I am also thinking of extending the length of the room for atleast 2 more ft. if it possible to move 2 heat/water tanks.

Also, I am not sure if I can use my current sound set up (Klipsch gold series) on my living room because of the limited space. I would also need some help choosing a good projector device and screen so basically I will be starting from scratch for this media room.

Keep suggestions/advice pouring guys, I really need some great ideas to start this project. Many thanks in advance!

raiden213 · « **Reply #1 on:** Oct 25, 2013 at 03:07 AM »

I will be posting some pictures of the intended media room and my current set up on our living room as well.

raiden213 · « **Reply #2 on:** Oct 25, 2013 at 03:22 AM »

Another shot of the room...
May crawl storage space sa left side ng wall, maganda naman seal pag nakasara ang door nya so sana walang vibration kapag malakas audio.

toys4geeks · « **Reply #3 on:** Oct 25, 2013 at 03:37 AM »

a. projector: look for one that can do short throw and optical zoom
b. speakers: go for separates, subs at the corner. align them ideally at ear level from your seating sweet spot
c. speaker wiring: plan for wires if you later decide from 5.2 to 7.2 or 9.2 if hiding the cables are a challenge when routing from the AVR to the speaker placements.
d. noise: check if your heater/water tank make noise when in operation. if yes work on containing the noise if it can be helped.
e. where to put the screen and 2nd row an option? will depend on your entry to the room, putting more rows may be done if you go 17ft (screen.wall to projector)
e. decide whether to put your equipment horizonally (rack) vertically (in a closet/cabinet) coz all wires emanate from there
f. aircon :go split inverter get whatever recommended capacity of the 17ft x 8ft room + .5hp
g. reduce reflection(lights, surface) at the projector screen/wall area. use darker colors,
h: go for long HDMI 1.4 when investing with projector cables, even if your current PJ is just 720p.
i: for big sports game events, the best ang HD broadcast/PPV over SD
browse the HT gallery. masayang makita yung kanilang transformation.

saw the room pix, you can still go PJ pero also consider a bigger TV for that as an alternative.

the tank may need to be relocated unless you intend to put a door+wall right after the tank.

suggest go pahaba, alaganin yung 8ft di mo malakihan

good luck!

raiden213 · « **Reply #4 on:** Oct 25, 2013 at 06:04 AM »

Thanks for the advice toys4geeks!

Quote from: toys4geeks on Oct 25, 2013 at 03:37 AM

a. projector: look for one that can do short throw and optical zoom
I will be on the lookout for the best my budget can afford at bestbuy, amazon or futureshop. I live in canada and I've seen many choices regarding PJ.

b. speakers: go for separates, subs at the corner. align them ideally at ear level from your seating sweet spot
I currently have a decent speaker set-up on my living room and I will see if I can move them on the basement media room.

c. speaker wiring: plan for wires if you later decide from 5.2 to 7.2 or 9.2 if hiding the cables are a challenge when routing from the AVR to the speaker placements.
I will probably hide the wires on one side of the wall and run it to the other side via the ceiling or flooring whichever is convenient.

d. noise: check if your heater/water tank make noise when in operation. if yes work on containing the noise if it can be helped.
I will try to make the length of the room at 17-18ft if I can have the water tank moved. I will have them enclosed and they will definitely stay out of the HT room.

e. where to put the screen and 2nd row an option? will depend on your entry to the room, putting more rows may be done if you go 17ft (screen.wall to projector)
I will put the screen at the far side of the room where the foam bed is located on the picture and would try to utilize the 8ft horizontal dimension for the screen. Depending on the theater seats I get, I plan on having 2 rows of chairs if they are not bulky.

e. decide whether to put your equipment horizonally (rack) vertically (in a closet/cabinet) coz all wires emanate from there
I would probably put my rack horizontal and hide them under the pj screen if I can find sometime to cover them but at the same time easy to access. Also thinking if I will put a vertical rack close to the seats for ease of operation if space would be available.

f. aircon :go split inverter get whatever recommended capacity of the 17ft x 8ft room + .5hp
g. reduce reflection(lights, surface) at the projector screen/wall area. use darker colors,
I dont think I will need an AC on this room, it is very cold on this area as it is on the basement, even on summer season this area remains cool.

h: go for long HDMI 1.4 when investing with projector cables, even if your current PJ is just 720p.
i: for big sports game events, the best ang HD broadcast/PPV over SD
browse the HT gallery. masayang makita yung kanilang transformation.
HDMI are very expensive here esp. the branded ones, I've heard some wireless hdmi and still need to read about them if they are reliable.

saw the room pix, you can still go PJ pero also consider a bigger TV for that as an alternative.

the tank may need to be relocated unless you intend to put a door+wall right after the tank.

suggest go pahaba, alaganin yung 8ft di mo malakihan

good luck!

raiden213 · « **Reply #5 on:** Oct 25, 2013 at 06:10 AM »

My current set-up on our living room.

raiden213 · « **Reply #6 on:** Oct 25, 2013 at 06:13 AM »

Sanus Entertainment rack

raiden213 · « **Reply #7 on:** Oct 25, 2013 at 06:15 AM »

Pioneer 7.2 receiver vsx-1128

raiden213 · « **Reply #8 on:** Oct 25, 2013 at 06:18 AM »

Telus pvr, xtreme magicsing, ps3 wireless headset with PS3 console, games and bluray movies

raiden213 · « **Reply #9 on:** Oct 25, 2013 at 06:19 AM »

8 pairs of active and passive 3d glasses

raiden213 · « **Reply #10 on:** Oct 25, 2013 at 06:21 AM »

Klipsch gold reference tower speaker

raiden213 · « **Reply #11 on:** Oct 25, 2013 at 06:22 AM »

Klipsch center speaker

raiden213 · « **Reply #12 on:** Oct 25, 2013 at 06:23 AM »

Klipsch sorround speaker

raiden213 · « **Reply #13 on:** Oct 25, 2013 at 06:24 AM »

Klipsch 12" subwoofer

raiden213 · « **Reply #14 on:** Oct 25, 2013 at 06:28 AM »

Living room tv right now is Sony KDL R550 70" Smart LED HDTV

ricky · « **Reply #15 on:** Oct 25, 2013 at 09:30 AM »

If you can add that 2ft for the length so much the better. The width is somewhat on the tight size, max screen size you can fit on it is 100" viewed at 13' so for a 17' long room room you can opt for a 2nd row of seats.

Toys4geeksis right that you have to contain the heater tanks. Also since you already have a very decent setof gears to use,you can prioritize first the projector(panasonic ae 8000 is my choice) and the room treatment. You really have to plan for the treatment for you to enjoy your ht location.

May i ask where are you located? Parang hindi sa Pilipinas located yung house mo hehe

toys4geeks · « **Reply #16 on:** Oct 25, 2013 at 09:32 AM »

Quote from: ricky on Oct 25, 2013 at 09:30 AM

May i ask where are you located? Parang hindi sa Pilipinas located yung house mo hehe

hindi nga siguro, ang alam ko lang na water heater dito yung maliliit na nakakabit sa gripo hahaha

ricky · « **Reply #17 on:** Oct 25, 2013 at 10:03 AM »

@jim sa akin yung bombilya wala na kasi gumagamit nyan dito sa atin hehe

raiden213 · « **Reply #18 on:** Oct 25, 2013 at 11:11 AM »

Quote from: toys4geeks on Oct 25, 2013 at 09:32 AM

hindi nga siguro, ang alam ko lang na water heater dito yung maliliit na nakakabit sa gripo hahaha

Sa Canada ako nakatira kaya heating ang importante, di masyado gamitin aircon dito. Yung water tank ie-enclose ko ng cabinet to minimize noise.

Nelson de Leon · « **Reply #19 on:** Oct 25, 2013 at 11:45 AM »

Quote from: raiden213 on Oct 25, 2013 at 11:11 AM

Sa Canada ako nakatira kaya heating ang importante, di masyado gamitin aircon dito. Yung water tank ie-enclose ko ng cabinet to minimize noise.

kung kaya mong ilipat ang water heater, sana mailipat mo kasi ang laki ng na-compromise sa area. Ang laki na ng footprint, ang taas pa niya. Wala na din makaka-upo anywhere behind the heater kasi mukhang blocked na ang viewing.

raiden213 · « **Reply #20 on:** Oct 25, 2013 at 02:51 PM »

Quote from: Nelson de Leon on Oct 25, 2013 at 11:45 AM

kung kaya mong ilipat ang water heater, sana mailipat mo kasi ang laki ng na-compromise sa area. Ang laki na ng footprint, ang taas pa niya. Wala na din makaka-upo anywhere behind the heater kasi mukhang blocked na ang viewing.

Baka hindi kona kailangan i-move yung water heater kung i-reconstruct ko yung sa left side wall. Baka ma-expand ko pa ng close to 20'X15' , mas malaki lang kelangan budget since kelangan i-rebuild and give support sa ceiling ng crawl space. May nagsuggest dito kanina pero nawala post nya. Dun ko tuloy naisip gawin yon since wala akong balak dati dahil newly bought house itong place ko pero kung gagastos narin lang bakit hindi pa yung sulit diba. My main hurdle lang nito is kung ma-approve sa building permit and coding, as well sa house insurance ko. Subukan kong ipost yung itsura ng crawl space sa left side ng wall, mabigat na hukayan kung nagkataon since naka-cement na floor ng crawl space but worth it since 2 car garage ang itaas nito kaya malaki ang pwedeng madagdag na space.

Gino · « **Reply #21 on:** Oct 25, 2013 at 04:30 PM »

I suggested that. I accidentally pressed delete while editing. Got lazy to type again. Breaking that crawl space wall is the way to go. Google Cardas speaker placement and you will understand why. Speaker placement is key to great sound. Your layout leaves you putting the main speakers on the short wall. But 8' is too narrow to follow conventional speaker placement rules. 20'x 15' may be a bit wide. You don't want it approaching a square shape. Worst room to set up. Maybe 20' x 12' 6". Or 20' x 13'. Use what's left of the crawl space for the heaters. Or leave the heaters where they are and build a wall on that side. Provide an access panel for heater maintenance. Then widen the room towards the crawl space.

I have a 19' x 10' room. My speakers are on the short wall and its imaging and tonal balance are spot on. See my gallery.

Oldboyracer · « **Reply #22 on:** Oct 25, 2013 at 06:28 PM »

Hi Raiden, know your dilemma only too well, I've been in the design stage for quite some time but if you look at my thread I have not yet got a room to start work. Saw your thread at breakfast but been out all day & it's given me time to think. I'm glad to see that you've already been given some good advice but I'll still put in my few centavos worth.
I can't speak the language & the wife hasn't got time to translate for me so I may get a few things wrong.
1) The first thing you need to do is have a good think & write down what you want your new room to achieve & of course the budget you have to work with.
2) From your initial post your first problem would have been the width of your room but if I am correct in my interpretation of today's posts & Gino's especially (thanks Gino) it looks as though it's possible for you to achieve 20' x 15'. On the room size some good points have been raised re the crawl space & your heaters. With your possible available space a room of 20' x 12' 4" x 7' 8" high would be one of the ideals.
3) If you can go to the room size that Gino & I have suggested there is no reason why you shouldn't use your existing gear. It would also give you the opportunity to go the PJ route if you so should desire & also to install a 2nd row of seats without it being too much of a squeeze.

Unfortunately all my relevant helpful information is storage waiting to be shipped & will not arrive in Cebu for about 2 months. I'll check on all my helpful web sites & post them. If you need any help feel free to contact me.

raiden213 · « **Reply #23 on:** Oct 25, 2013 at 06:43 PM »

Thanks Gino for the great suggestions and tips. I still don't know too much about speaker placement and ideal room dimensions so I will try to read more on that. If everything would go as what my plans are right now, I might even have a room for a pool table if I will occupy half of the crawl space on the left side.

Out of nowhere, I suddenly have a change of plan once I saw some of the great ht set-up here on pinoydvd. Backyard landscaping will be in the back burner for now until summer time comes. Wifey is not too pleased with my plan but I need to reward myself for working hard is my explanation lol.

Also, can you give me a link on your HT set up as I am having trouble trying to locate it. Thanks!

raiden213 · « **Reply #24 on:** Oct 25, 2013 at 07:03 PM »

Quote from: Oldboyracer on Oct 25, 2013 at 06:28 PM

Hi Raiden, know your dilemma only too well, I've been in the design stage for quite some time but if you look at my thread I have not yet got a room to start work. Saw your thread at breakfast but been out all day & it's given me time to think. I'm glad to see that you've already been given some good advice but I'll still put in my few centavos worth.
I can't speak the language & the wife hasn't got time to translate for me so I may get a few things wrong.
1) The first thing you need to do is have a good think & write down what you want your new room to achieve & of course the budget you have to work with.
2) From your initial post your first problem would have been the width of your room but if I am correct in my interpretation of today's posts & Gino's especially (thanks Gino) it looks as though it's possible for you to achieve 20' x 15'. On the room size some good points have been raised re the crawl space & your heaters. With your possible available space a room of 20' x 12' 4" x 7' 8" high would be one of the ideals.
3) If you can go to the room size that Gino & I have suggested there is no reason why you shouldn't use your existing gear. It would also give you the opportunity to go the PJ route if you so should desire & also to install a 2nd row of seats without it being too much of a squeeze.

Unfortunately all my relevant helpful information is storage waiting to be shipped & will not arrive in Cebu for about 2 months. I'll check on all my helpful web sites & post them. If you need any help feel free to contact me.

Thanks oldboyracer! Indeed Gino has made a great suggestion which opened many possibilities for me. Since I live in Canada, labor cost for reconstructing the area would be the main concern financially. I would probably afford to get the PJ of choice and a decent screen to start and have my existing sound set up to compliment it. I might add a pair of speakers and second sub to make a 7.2 sorround if that would be ideal on a suggested 20'X12' room size. With all the work and cash to spend, I would definitely go the PJ route as I find my 70' LED tv not enough for gaming and movie watching bec. wifey likes her tv drama so much. I just Hope everything will go as planned. I've been thinking of this the whole day and it is not making me productive at work lol.

Keep the suggestions coming guys....

mbtorn · « **Reply #25 on:** Oct 25, 2013 at 09:13 PM »

Quote from: raiden213 on Oct 25, 2013 at 06:21 AM

Klipsch gold reference tower speaker

Is this Klipsch RF82i or RF82ii? Great speakers by the way.

raiden213 · « **Reply #26 on:** Oct 25, 2013 at 09:44 PM »

Quote from: mbtorn on Oct 25, 2013 at 09:13 PM

Is this Klipsch RF82i or RF82ii? Great speakers by the way.

The ones I got are the Klipsch RF800B. Money well spent for a casual a/vphile like me. Thanks!

mbtorn · « **Reply #27 on:** Oct 25, 2013 at 10:04 PM »

Quote from: raiden213 on Oct 25, 2013 at 09:44 PM

The ones I got are the Klipsch RF800B. Money well spent for a casual a/vphile like me. Thanks!

RF800B is actually a rebadged RF82 sold by futureshop exclusively in canada. Their only difference are the feet used. Klipsch are good for both audio and HT.

Oldboyracer · « **Reply #28 on:** Oct 25, 2013 at 10:31 PM »

Quote from: raiden213 on Oct 25, 2013 at 07:03 PM

Thanks oldboyracer! Indeed Gino has made a great suggestion which opened many possibilities for me. Since I live in Canada, labor cost for reconstructing the area would be the main concern financially. I would probably afford to get the PJ of choice and a decent screen to start and have my existing sound set up to compliment it. I might add a pair of speakers and second sub to make a 7.2 sorround if that would be ideal on a suggested 20'X12' room size. With all the work and cash to spend, I would definitely go the PJ route as I find my 70' LED tv not enough for gaming and movie watching bec. wifey likes her tv drama so much. I just Hope everything will go as planned. I've been thinking of this the whole day and it is not making me productive at work lol.

Keep the suggestions coming guys....

Hi Raiden, You being in Canada is not a problem (that explains the hot water tanks). If you think that you can fund the work needed to get a room of around 20' x 12' go for it & utilise your existing equipment, you'll get the upgrade bug soon enough. If you take a look at the threads in the HT gallery you'll see we all started small & grew as funds became available. My journey started 10 years ago in the UK but having relocated to Cebu I am fortunate to be bringing a sizable system. I'm just a little sad I didn't document the growth as others have done here on the forum.
If you have any questions feel free to ask.

raiden213 · « **Reply #29 on:** Oct 26, 2013 at 05:55 PM »

Here is the messy floor plan I have in mind. The whole floor is on my basement area. Anyone who has a creative brain can share their suggestions as well. Currently the crawl space is atleast 4 ft elevated from the basement floor so a lot of work will need to be done. Wall on the left side needs to be removed as well to expand the HT room. I did some measurement today and the most practical dimension I can have as illustrated on the plan is 18'X12' so that I don't have to remove the support keeping the garage afloat the top floor on the crawl space. Hopefully that space is enough to accomodate 2 row of seats. Thanks.