DIY, I need some advice for my home theater loft
By Matt Burns 
posted Mar 22nd 2006 11:37AM
posted Mar 22nd 2006 11:37AM
I have good news folks. I have officially started my home
theater loft but still need to make one important pre-construction decision: install a front projector or use a large
rear-projection. That is were you come in as I would like to know what you would put in my given room. Here is the issue. The room is only 6.5 feet high at the peak so a projector just does not make sense hanging therefore it would have to be installed on a coffee table. This would push the couch back to at least 10.5 feet. The rear-projection TV would make it a lot easier to install and run wires but would not give us as big as screen. We plan on using it just for movies and high-def so the picture quality is not a problem sitting that close, we want that big screen movie theater experience.
Take a look at the pictures and let me know what I should do. I have a construction page up at AVSForum if you want to follow along with the construction. Thanks for the advice guys!
Get this one;
http://www.tacp.toshiba.com/televisions/product.asp?model=72mx195
I did, and it is fantastic. Now all I need is some 1080P content ;^)...
Dude,
You are indecisive! You mention here that:
"A projector just does not make sense hanging therefore it would have to be installed on a coffee table. The rear-projection TV would make it a lot easier to install and run wires but would not give us as big as screen."
And on AVSForum:
I was going to do a projector but given the rooms 6.5 peak, it would have to be on a coffee table and that is something I simply do not want to do. That may change in the future but right now it is not in the plans.
So what changed your mind from last night? 32' room and you only want a 60" TV?!? Which do you want: An easy install or a bigger screen?
I don't know how big your speakers are, but you could get a 92" in there (possibly, definitely bigger than 60") if you moved the speakers forward. A lens shift projector ceiling/shelf/center of the peak with a creative shelf mount can take care of your coffee table woes/issues.
All these things depend on your budget which you haven't mentioned either. If you're thinking about the above suggested Toshiba, then for that kind of money you can do a whole lot creatively.
TV, why yes, I did change my mind sence last night. Good catch. As for the screen, the best match I have found is by Elite screens and fits right between the front speakers and extends all the way to the ceiling but it is only a 74-inch screen.
Plus the other problem is that there is that small window behind where the screen would be so I would have to cover that too.
Have you had a rear-projection television before? Before purchasing my Hitachi, I hadn't. And I was just not prepared for being so annoyed by the internal reflections. A night-time scene with, say, a lamp or moon in the corner totally ruins the movie experience, because the internal reflections cause a wash of light elsewhere on the screen.
This is a problem will ALL rear projectors, to one degree or another. You can't get around it, AFAIK, because there's a huge mirror in there bouncing the light around.
My next set will definitely not be an RPTV, unless a solution can be found.
But on the upside, if you're acoustically sensitive (I am anyway) you can get an acoustically transparent screen and place the center right behind it, mounted at head height. Good placement, with quality speakers, makes a huge difference in my experience. And if it's strictly a home theater, go theater all the way.
I would still install a rear projector and mount it from the ceiling. I would try to find some ceiling light fixture (hanging?) that could sit directly behind the projector, effectively hiding it from view so it's not an eyesore. This way you could have a massive screen and it would be simple to swap out in the future for a 1080p model. Projectors constantly drop in price, so a 1080p model in a year or so will be mainstream. It could be Christmas (or later) before we see affordable combo HD-DVD/Blu-Ray players capable of true 1080p output.
Another way to go could be mounting the projector inside a modified or custom coffee table hiding it from normal view, rather than on top of it. Since you are starting from a clean slate, I would still try to mount it up high.
Since light doesn't seem to be an issue, then I'd go for a front projection system.
http://home.apu.edu/~jlgarrison/webhost/loft1.png
http://home.apu.edu/~jlgarrison/webhost/loft2.png
done!
I have my front projector on the top shelf of an Ikea book case behind the sofa. Even if its in the middle of the room it will look fine since there isnt much to the structure (you can see right through it. With the book case you also have a place for all the A/V equipment.
Its Ikea model ENETRI, it looks modern and doesnt take up to much room.
No doubt in my mind Rear projector, sxrd. You could get the 60" now or you could wait for the new updated 1080P 60 or the 1080P 70. I have the 1080i 60 at 9.5 feet and it is plenty large. The price right now gives you enough saved that you can happily by a 70 or 80" 4k projector in a few years when they up the resolution on us all again. Bear that in mind. IMO, 70" is the maxiumum I would expand the current 1080 resolution even with HD content. Otherwise I see the pixel structure too much and it looks crummy. The second thing is that we all watch quite a bit of SD stuff still, at least some even on those nice big sets. SD just shouldn't on any set be expanded more than 60-65", or 70 at the extreme. It will just look painful and you shouldn't do it.
I spent my money exactly where my advice is. I got a great bargain on a 60 sxrd and it was perfect in quality developing nor having any of the defects that some complain about. I still get "oh wow" from all visitors and I know that the price right now left enough room that the "budget committee" otherwise known as my better half, isn't going to worry in the least if in 4-5 years I decide I want the next best thing out there.
Now as one final caveat, if you buy from a place with a solid 30 day return program, you should easily be able to up the size or buy something bigger should you get the thing home and it really doesn't live up to what I've said. I remain utterly convinced however, that should you put this TV in your wonderful abode, you will love it to death.
May you enjoy!
Almost every projector made these days can be mounted for rear projection, so you might want to consider that. Not sure if a rear-projection screen is in your budget.
You can do a projection system from the back and use 1 or 2 mirrors to greatly increase you focal length which means a larger picture. I see these in comerical applications a lot. Not sure of the price for a rear projection screen.