Media Room

[Kori Ellis]

We are thinking of converting an extra room in our house to a home theater room.

If you have a media room, what kind of TV/projector/screen/seating, etc do you have?

I'm looking for recommendations on all things involved.

Thanks.

[MannyIsGod]

I'm jealous. Definitely going to have a home theater room when we buy our first house.

[DPG21920]

I recommend going to Bjorn's. It has a lot of great stuff.

[DMC]

I just made one for my wife where my pool table used to be (sacrifices, I know). I put a 55" Samsung with a Samsung sound bar and wireless subwoofer. It's not the epitome of home theater, but the sound is great and the picture on the LED screen is awesome. I put a simple Samsung DVD player with it, but I also have a Sony PS3 for the high res stuff if I need it.

For seating, we bought just a couch and loveseat from Ashley's. Got them both for under 500.00. I couldn't pass that up. They are both dark brown. I would prefer cup holders in them but my wife thinks that's too man cave like for her room. Add some complimentary lighting and tables and it's ready to go.

I have my own room upstairs, all Yamaha sound and a Samsung 52" LCD with just black leather furniture and DVD racks for movies.

[mouse]

Movie theater-quality home audio and video products are more affordable than they have ever been, and homeowners are jumping at the chance to convert their living room, den, or basement space into a supercharged media room. Whether you are a movie buff, sports fanatic, audiophile, or just a hedge fund king with money to burn, planning a new home media center around your tastes and budget is a lot harder than choosing between a Tom Cruise or a Humphrey Bogart flick. That's why many turn to the experts.


"Whereas before, [media rooms] were a luxury, now they are a lifestyle standard for a lot of people. Getting it done properly is important—you want a system that looks good, is easy to use, and operates when you use it," says Andy Willcox, president of the Custom Electronic Design & Installation Assn. (CEDIA), an Indianapolis trade group of more than 3,000 contractors, manufacturers, distributors, and consultants in the $8 billion industry of residential electronic systems.

If you're looking for the very best in home theater design, many experts will point you to New York City-based Theo Kalomirakis, a 20-year veteran whose honors include CEDIA's 2004 lifetime achievement award and best home theater award for nine consecutive years. Theo Kalomirakis Theaters' awe-inspiring architectural designs—ranging in price from $50,000 to $18 million, and in style from 1920s-era ballrooms to futuristic space stations—have been featured in Architectural Digest, The New York Times, and House & Garden.

The 8-to-12-month process of building a state-of-the-art dedicated home theater involves many of the same steps as any other architectural design project, says James Theobald, spokesman for Theo Kalomirakis Theaters. "We start with schematic design, move through design development, and then draw up the construction documentation [the homeowner] needs to build it," he says.

MORE THAN A THEATER. The company usually charges about $15,000 for the design, brings in builders and construction materials that cost $35,000 and up, and works with premier electronics contractors to install $50,000 to $1 million in audio and video equipment. Typically, Theo Kalomirakis Theaters designs rooms for newly constructed homes—working alongside the homebuilder—but the company has worked with existing homes on many occasions.

If you prefer everyday practicality over opulence, you can find one of many residential electronics contractors who specialize in integrated multimedia systems—those that blend into the look of your home and automate a wide variety of processes. " 'Home theater' suggests you're going to go into a room separate from your house to watch a movie," says Anson Fogel, COO/CTO of Aspen (Colo.)-based Electronic Systems Consultants. "The modern version of a home theater is you press a button, the shades come down, and your family room transforms into a media space where you can play video games, surf the Internet, work, read e-mail, watch movies, watch TV, and plug in your iPod."

For an average of about $350,000, Electronic Systems Consultants will turn your new or existing residence into a "smart house," where audio, video, temperature, lighting, and other controls throughout the home are integrated into a single easy-to-use interface. The systems typically revolve around a family room or other central space as the focal point of media activity, where there will be a surround-sound system and video projection unit that will "put to shame the video and sound reproduction you'll find in any commercial theater besides an IMAX," according to Fogel.

DIY OPTION. If contractor offerings are out of your price range, you should give careful consideration to a do-it-yourself media room project. "You can do it all for about 30% of the cost, and you wouldn't notice the difference," says Danny Briere, co-author of Home Theater for Dummies (2nd edition; July, 2006; For Dummies).

"I respect expertise, but in my mind there are only two reasons you would hire someone to come and do [a full installation]: One, you really want to show off, or you just want to hand the whole thing over and have someone to tell you what to do—like you would do with carpenters, plumbers, etc."

But DIYers be warned: Building a professional-looking media room is not as simple as taking components out of the box and hooking up a few wires.

When Jim Millay, a photographer and homeowner in Portland, Me., decided to create a home theater out of the unused space in the basement of his condominium, he thoughtfully weighed the fair amount of construction experience he brought to the table against the expertise he would require in the form of consultants and technicians. An acoustics specialist, hired for two hours at $40 per hour, proved to be the most valuable investment he could have made: "[He told me] the biggest consideration was how much sound I wanted to keep in the room. You have to think about the room as an upside-down swimming pool, where sound is the water. If it's not insulated well, you'll have a leaky pool."

HOME VALUE DEBATE. Per the sound technician's advice, Millay applied multiple layers of moisture-resistant drywall on his walls and ceiling—a widely available material that is denser and about $2 more expensive per sheet than normal drywall. For all of his electronic components, he simply went to the local retailer—New England Hi-Fi—and purchased a $12,000 system. He paid store technicians $900 for installation. In all, Millay's media room cost about $14,750, excluding the labor he put into it—about half the minimum price you'll pay for a full-service contractor.

"I probably wouldn't have done it if I didn't think most of the value would be recouped," Millay says. "In the community we live in, people put a premium on certain amenities in the house, and a home theater is one of them."

Estimating how much resale value your new home theater will add to the home, indeed, does depend a lot on your local market, according to Jonathan Miller, president and CEO of Miller Samuel Real Estate Appraisal. "For high-end property, it's an expected amenity," he says. "It's not that it adds X amount to the value, but there's an expectation that a group of amenities like this would be included."

In some situations, overinvesting in a media room could actually decrease your home's resale potential: "If a media room was a former bedroom or it was out of proportion to the size of the property—a smallish property with a very large media room—then it would be a negative, because the cost to remove it would be what is going through the buyer's mind as opposed to [their enjoyment] of the system," Miller says.


http://images.businessweek.com/ss/06/09/media/slideshow.htm

[Frenzy]

Media or theater? I wouldn't put a tv in a theater room(projection is better for me)if it's a media room sure....since you won't need/have the darkness if you plan on putting other media in there.

[Kori Ellis]

I'm leaning more toward just projection TV, screen and seating, but it could be anything. Right now, the room has nothing in it.

[djohn2oo8]

Don't really know much about the subject, but my cousin runs this company called InstallingFlats, or BossyHD, that specializes in home theater. Here is a link

http://www.bossyhd.com/2010/12/23/items-needed-to-start-a-home-theater-system/

[djohn2oo8]

Home theater systems are a valuable part of the home theater experience. Below we will take you through a step-by-step process to assemble your home theater system.
The Room

The first place to start is the room you intend to place your home theater system. The size of the room will determine the size and type of video display device (TV or projector) that would be best to use. However, whether your room is large or small, additional questions to consider include:

How much ambient light is present?
Is the room carpeted or not carpeted?
What type of wall construction do you have?
Will you be placing your home theater system components in free space, or will you be housing your components in a cabinet or closet and installing your speakers in the wall or ceiling?
Where will you be sitting in relation to the screen image?
Before embarking on buying your actual home theater system components, especially for a medium-to-high end system, it might be a good idea to consult with a home theater installer to come onsite and assess your room and address the above questions. The installer can make useful suggestions on components or installation concepts that will work best in your room environment, keeping in mind your own specific home theater system budgetary considerations.
The Video Display Device

This is the first actual component to consider for your home theater system. After all, the idea of home theater is to bring the movie theater experience home. The most important element of this experience is the visual experience of viewing a large image on a screen. This is where you have a choice of:

A large screen (35 or 36-inch) traditional CRT-based television (New units are no longer available as CRT televisions have been phased out – but you may be able to find a used one).
Rear-projection Television
Flat Panel LCD or Plasma Television.
Video Projector/Screen Combination.
The actual size of the room will help determine the size of screen that can be accommodated. From there, you need to decide what type of video display device would be most appropriate.
In addition, at this point in time, with the increase in the amount of available HDTV programming sources, as well as HD source components, consider a fully-integrated HDTV (ATSC tuner built-in), HD-compatible Television (requires an external ATSC tuner), or a Video projector, instead of a traditional analog television. HDTVs, HD-compatible Televisions, and video projectors will deliver the most from new HD sources, but will also work with your older analog components, such as a VCR.
Audio Reproduction – Home Theater Receiver or Preamp/Amp Combination
The next essential element of the movie theater experience is sound. The way this is implemented in a home theater system is with either an AV receiver or Preamplifier/Amplifier combination.

An AV Receiver usually combines the functions of three components:

A radio tuner for AM/FM and, in some cases, HD (High Definition Radio), Internet Radio, or XM and/or Sirius Satellite Radio.
A Preamplifier that switches and controls which audio and video source is selected (such as a DVD player, VCR, CD player, etc…) and processes the incoming stereo or surround sound signals and distributes them to the correct amplifier channels and the subwoofer output.
The preamp in an AV receiver can also route video signals coming from source components (such as a DVD player) and direct the video signal to the television.
A built-in Multi-channel amplifier (5.1, 6.1, or 7.1 channels) that sends the surround sound signals and power to the speaker system.
A Home Theater, AV, Surround Sound Receiver or Separate Preamp and Amplifier
The Home Theater, AV, Surround Sound receiver is the heart of a home theater system and provides most, if not all, the inputs and outputs that you connect everything, including your television, into. A Receiver provides an easy and cost-effective way of centralizing your your home theater system.
However, in many higher-end home theater system installations, the functions of a Receiver are often provided by separate components: Preamp/Processor, Tuner, and either a single multi-channel amplifier or even separate amplifiers for each channel. Such a setup provides more flexibility in switching out and/or upgrading the separate aspects of the home theater system as well as isolating any interference that is caused by having all these functions combined in a signal chassis and sharing the same power supply. For the average consumer, however, a good Receiver will function just fine.

[djohn2oo8]

all of the important stuff from the article didn't show up in the post, but again here is the link

http://www.bossyhd.com/2010/12/23/items-needed-to-start-a-home-theater-system/

[MannyIsGod]

Are projectors better? Every home theater that i've been in with a projector has underwelmed me when compared to a good 60 inch plasma.

[MannyIsGod]

Obviously if you want bigger than that you have to go with projector I think but yeah.

[mouse]

I figured LJ would be building one himself 8 hours after you guys moved in. It's really like a classy man cave but for family and friends unlike the dark smelly no females allowed man caves of today. If you want to save cash go used! No one can tell a used high end lens from a new one. Also there are tons of people on craigslist and eBay selling new one month old projection units, if you have the cash then sub it out, many people build those at a fair price. Due to the economy you can get all kinds of stuff cheap. You can have a pool removed or installed for 50% of the price of 2004. I would go with a room full of lazyboy recliners on one end and comfortable professional office meeting chairs for the other end. That might require a room that spins, or the walls spin, or the screen is mobile. have you seen these?






http://www.house-decorating-ideas.com/rateimages/home-theater-325x235.jpg


http://www.hometheaterdesignmag.com/images/archivesart/706howto.2.jpg




http://realty.railey.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/wisp-fractional-overlook-villas-media-room.jpg

[ALVAREZ6]

Are projectors better? Every home theater that i've been in with a projector has underwelmed me when compared to a good 60 inch plasma.

Oh yes. Thing is, people probably don't know how to mess with the projector's crazy settings or they bought a crappy projector. A high quality projector blows any type of TV out of the water. My friend is a complete projector nerd, they're like his favorite thing in the world and has spent so much time researching and fucking around with them over the years. The image quality is unbelievable, honestly more enjoyable watching movies on his current projector than if I could at a theater with no people in it being loud.

It's one of those things that you need to know about though, which probably makes a plasma a better option for most people. I have no idea what it costs to have some projector dude fuck with your shit and make it awesome.

[Kori Ellis]

Are projectors better? Every home theater that i've been in with a projector has underwelmed me when compared to a good 60 inch plasma.

That's what I thought too, but most people seem to think projectors are better.

The room isn't gigantic or anything. It's just an extra room that I figured we should use. So I'm thinking of just two rows of three seats.

[JudynTX]

That's what I thought too, but most people seem to think projectors are better.

The room isn't gigantic or anything. It's just an extra room that I figured we should use. So I'm thinking of just two rows of three seats.

If you get a projector, be prepared to pay $200-$250 to replace the bulb. We had to replace ours at least twice. We started watching regular tv on the big screen. :lol I do not recommend that.

[Sportcamper]

Kori- You can also go directly to Sony’s website & talk to a consultant…I am a fan of the new flat screens…The picture is beautiful & they come with lots of HDMI & Optical slots…The new sound bars make home theater installation a piece of cake…

I just purchased a 40" BRAVIA EX720 Series HDTV…It is perfect for the room…240 Hz…1080 p…Energy efficient….The only complaint I have is that the picture is not as bright as the older “non energy efficient” models…

Don’t get talked into the older HD TV’s with 60 Hz & 120 Hz …Places like Costco & Best buy always have these older models on the cheap…But there is a huge motion improvement with 240Hz & higher when watching sporting events…

Also I can’t hang with these Bose surround systems…The front speakers just sound brittle & they are expensive…Old JBL studio monitors speakers sound full & warm to me…If you find some used ones on EBay they can easily be re coned by most speaker shops, spray painted & they look fine…Nothing moves air like JBL’s…:lol

[RandomGuy]

But DIYers be warned: Building a professional-looking media room is not as simple as taking components out of the box and hooking up a few wires.

This dovetails with what I have heard from other DIY'ers. Even hooking up the wires is far more daunting than one might think. I would think that y'all are *probably* a tad more tech savvy than your average joe, but still, figuring in a few extra bucks for some sound professional advice or help, even if you do the bulk of it yourself, is never really a bad idea.

As a regular matter: Stay away from Conns for purchases of any home stuff. They suck.

Sorry I have little else to add. Let us know how this turns out, and whenever our family gets our own room, you can give *us* some advice.

[PM5K]

I'm not sure what copy and pasting of articles from the net brings to this discussion. I'm pretty sure Kori knows how to use Google.

There's a noticeable difference between how you'd setup a room with a projector and one with a flat panel. A room with a projector is best setup as close to pitch black as possible for the best picture. It's also something most people would use occasionally because the bulbs only last for so long. It's the type of room you'd use on the weekend to watch a movie, or maybe the big game on Sunday, but not something you'd typically use daily. Of course if you don't mind shelling out for the bulbs more often you could certainly use it as often as you'd like.

On the plus side you wind up with a screen that's much larger than what you'd normally find with a flat panel television.

If you were to use a flat panel you'd be able to use it more often, and the kids could sit in there with the drapes/blinds whatever open while still being able to watch NickJr or whatever.

I assume Kori knows what she wants though, especially if they have a nice sized flat panel tv somewhere else in the house.

[Dr. Gonzo]

I'm leaning more toward just projection TV, screen and seating, but it could be anything. Right now, the room has nothing in it.

Can I move in there?

[ALVAREZ6]

I'm not sure what copy and pasting of articles from the net brings to this discussion. I'm pretty sure Kori knows how to use Google.

There's a noticeable difference between how you'd setup a room with a projector and one with a flat panel. A room with a projector is best setup as close to pitch black as possible for the best picture. It's also something most people would use occasionally because the bulbs only last for so long. It's the type of room you'd use on the weekend to watch a movie, or maybe the big game on Sunday, but not something you'd typically use daily. Of course if you don't mind shelling out for the bulbs more often you could certainly use it as often as you'd like.

On the plus side you wind up with a screen that's much larger than what you'd normally find with a flat panel television.

If you were to use a flat panel you'd be able to use it more often, and the kids could sit in there with the drapes/blinds whatever open while still being able to watch NickJr or whatever.

I assume Kori knows what she wants though, especially if they have a nice sized flat panel tv somewhere else in the house.
This. If you guys aren't too worried about the money, then projector is the way to go, but if you do, black that shit out. All the walls pitch ass black with a quality projector and you will never be satisfied watching movies in any other way again.

[mrsmaalox]

It's not the kind of thing I'm into, but I know 2 people with enormous, professionally designed/installed media rooms. I found the one that had a couple of big plush sofas much more comfy than the one with those theater seat/recliner system things :)

[PM5K]

Whatever is it I need to be able to get my feet up. Either a recliner or a plush sofa with an ottoman.

[Kori Ellis]

I'm not sure what copy and pasting of articles from the net brings to this discussion. I'm pretty sure Kori knows how to use Google.

There's a noticeable difference between how you'd setup a room with a projector and one with a flat panel. A room with a projector is best setup as close to pitch black as possible for the best picture. It's also something most people would use occasionally because the bulbs only last for so long. It's the type of room you'd use on the weekend to watch a movie, or maybe the big game on Sunday, but not something you'd typically use daily. Of course if you don't mind shelling out for the bulbs more often you could certainly use it as often as you'd like.

On the plus side you wind up with a screen that's much larger than what you'd normally find with a flat panel television.

If you were to use a flat panel you'd be able to use it more often, and the kids could sit in there with the drapes/blinds whatever open while still being able to watch NickJr or whatever.

I assume Kori knows what she wants though, especially if they have a nice sized flat panel tv somewhere else in the house.

The room in question has only one very small window and can easily be blacked out -- that's why I wanted to use it for this. It's a room upstairs on the opposite side of the house from the rest of the upstairs area (it has its own staircase and is not accessible from the rest of the upstairs rooms). It's what would have been originally like maybe a maid's room above the garage (our garage is converted into a playroom). The room is only about 18 x 12 feet -- so there's no plan for a mega-extravagant set-up, but something nice and simple.

timvp thinks maybe we should put it off for now, since the kids are too little to sit through movies anyway :lol But I thought it might be a good idea. Maybe we'll build some kind of cabana area by the pool instead or something. (Maybe I'm just watching too much HGTV.)

[stretch]

http://scrapetv.com/News/News%20Pages/Technology/images/old-tv.jpg

you wont be disappointed

[TDMVPDPOY]

fck that shit, get a sex swing........timvp wants one NAO!!!!

[Slomo]

Projector
+ bigger picture
- Lower light output
- Lower contrast
Which means you have to buy a really good projection screen (that's not a problem if you are thinking about a fixed screen - it becomes expensive if you want an electric screen). And you have to think a lot more about the room's lighting.
Be careful about the min. and max viewing distance (if you watch a large pic too close they will look worse than they really are).

LCD Screen
+ better contrast
+ better sharpness (although in reality that's often just a side effect of the screen being smaller)
- screen size is limited
- price when you start getting in the large sizes

Plasma
+ best picture above a 60" diag
- $$$

If listening to music is not a big deal then save some money on the sound system and put the savings into a better TV/projector. A good movie sound for home is not that difficult/expensive to achieve.
If you want to listen to music a lot then we need to talk, because there's a few pitfall that can end up costing a lot.

That's a quick answer. If you need more info feel free to ask.

I just came back from the latest installation we did. You could say it was the ultimate media room for 36000 people :lol

http://www.cikava.com/gallery/albums/dump/ESC_2011.jpg

Psssst LJ: The screen at the end is 60m x 18m I bet the games would look good on it :D

[Slomo]

If the room is not too big I would go for something like a 60" LCD with a nice high refresh rate and a middle of the road home theater sound system. Be careful that your TV and Amplifier have enough HDMI inputs (I would say min. 3).

Give us the dimensions of the room (and your budget :) ) and I'm sure between us on the forum we can figure something out.

[PM5K]

I think for an 18X12 room I'd lean more towards a flat panel, rather than a projector, but you could get a projector if you really wanted one, it's just not a terribly big room.

I don't know much about your kids but little kids can sit through movies, if they are interested. Think anything Pixar. I have three boys so I have a bit of experience in that regard.

I think between the kids, yourselves, and friends you could get good use out of a room like that.

[Slomo]

A quick and nasty calc for an 80" screen.

The drawing is to scale, but I obviously chose chairs that are too big for this setup. It should give you a first idea of what you can fit in your room.

http://www.cikava.com/gallery/albums/dump/Kori_Cinema.jpg

[Slomo]

Oh yes. Thing is, people probably don't know how to mess with the projector's crazy settings or they bought a crappy projector. A high quality projector blows any type of TV out of the water. My friend is a complete projector nerd, they're like his favorite thing in the world and has spent so much time researching and fucking around with them over the years. The image quality is unbelievable, honestly more enjoyable watching movies on his current projector than if I could at a theater with no people in it being loud.

It's one of those things that you need to know about though, which probably makes a plasma a better option for most people. I have no idea what it costs to have some projector dude fuck with your shit and make it awesome.

It is very difficult to design and setup a home theater with a projector to achieve a better picture than a good quality modern flat screen. Even if you do, you shouldn't underestimate the necessary regular maintenance in order to keep it at that level. Even most of the biggest nerds I know got fed up with it. If you want a setup that sits there and is ready for you whenever you feel like it, then I would probably stay away from a projector setup.

[ChumpDumper]

If the room is not too big I would go for something like a 60" LCD with a nice high refresh rate and a middle of the road home theater sound system. Be careful that your TV and Amplifier have enough HDMI inputs (I would say min. 3).I might lean towards plasma for a pure media room, but Slomo knows of what he speaks.

[leemajors]

the new samsung LED LCD's are looking pretty damn sweet. Little to no bezel, and very thin

[MannyIsGod]

The newer LED LCDs have looked almost as good as Plasma's but I always think that Plasma inevitably looks better. Thats why I still laugh that people have been saying for years that Plasma will be going away.

[ALVAREZ6]

It is very difficult to design and setup a home theater with a projector to achieve a better picture than a good quality modern flat screen. Even if you do, you shouldn't underestimate the necessary regular maintenance in order to keep it at that level. Even most of the biggest nerds I know got fed up with it. If you want a setup that sits there and is ready for you whenever you feel like it, then I would probably stay away from a projector setup.
I agree with all of the above. I'm not professional, but it definitely seems from a practical standpoint considering Kori isn't a tech nerd and I'd imagine the room being used almost daily or relatively regularly, I'd also go with the TV.

I guess I'm just being influenced by my one friend's projector..I've seen things on the newest of TVs and tons of movies on his projector and in my opinion that thing blows anything out of the water. It's especially good for particular movies where the image style and lighting are a selling point, he knows how to tamper with the settings and everything and doesn't mind the upkeep because projectors are his passion and I can never see him getting fed up with it.

[sandman]

We have a 12x20 media room that was designed into the center of the house. One door, no windows. We ended up with the 60" Mitsubishi LCD HDTV instead of the projector and a Harman Kardon surround sound system with built in speakers. For that size room, it is all more that adequate. Besides, I have airflow problems in the room along with the heat from all the equipment, required the install of a ceiling fan. Can't have the ceiling fan and projector.

One riser built in for the back row, set of four theater chairs that I found at The Dump for $1100, matching two in the front row.

[robino2001]

We recently just built a house and I've finished the main electronic stuff for the media room... have a 50" panasonic plasma on the wall - about the same size room as you mentioned (I think ours is 12'+ x 16'+). We haven't done any of the seating or anything yet (very last priority w/ a new house) but the screen seems to be appropriate for the room.

Main reason I'm responding - if you're going to be doing the install/setup yourself, I love monoprice.com for everything electronic related. We bought the mount there (~$15) and all of the wires/components... including stuff to make our own wall plates to run hdmi/component/etc through the walls... even the usb for the kinect and wii connections. Dirt cheap stuff and great quality @ 1/10 the price of best buy, etc.