Theater Room and Game Room almost Done

[H4CK3R]

Wanted a space to play racing games on a large screen, so I bought a chair added the G25, and then decided to build a theater Room out of my loft area.

Theater Room, Used a Denom AVR-5308CI amp/reciever.
with front left and right speakers Klipsch R-3800, the MTX HT2625W as a center, and 4 Klipsch R-2650 in the ceiling for Left right, and left right rear.

The Sub is a Polk Audio DSW MicroPRO 4000.

Projector is a Mitsubishi HC 6500, in 1080P. Displaying a 15 foot Display. ( Makes Sniping super easy... lol )
PS3 60 gig ( upgraded HD to 500 )
Xbox elite

Still need to raise the rear seating area, above the Futon area.









Heres a Video of the Kids Playing in the house =)



Tell me what ya think =)

EQDruid

[urbecrisch]

Projector is a Mitsubishi HC 6500, in 1080P. Displaying a 15 foot Display.

H4CK3R, I have the same projector   Love it!  So what are the dimensions of the screen?  How far away are you projecting your image?  Is the PJ hooked up to Bluray or HDTV or just video games?  My PJ in action:

[severdhed]

awesome...that must be a pretty big room.  i have a lower end mitsubishi projector (hc1500) and a 102" screen(8.5ft)..i can't imagine going much larger than that in my room.    that is a very nice setup you have there.

[H4CK3R]

Projector is a Mitsubishi HC 6500, in 1080P. Displaying a 15 foot Display.

H4CK3R, I have the same projector   Love it!  So what are the dimensions of the screen?  How far away are you projecting your image?  Is the PJ hooked up to Bluray or HDTV or just video games?  My PJ in action:

The screen size is 15 Foot, Room size is 22' x 15'.  The PJ is Hooked to a Denom AVR-5308CI, which has HDMI inputs, all hooked to a HD cable box, xbox elite, and a PS3.  Everything in 1080P

[urbecrisch]

Looking at the HC6500 calculator, your PJ throw is around 26' from the screen?  Did you make the screen yourself?

[protokatie]

Nice looking set-up, and love the projector screen. One thing tho, why did you leave those two sex toys on the floor when you took the pics? The one on the left looks like standard fare, but the one under the couch I have never seen before...

[RyoriNoTetsujin]

Nice looking set-up, and love the projector screen. One thing tho, why did you leave those two sex toys on the floor when you took the pics? The one on the left looks like standard fare, but the one under the couch I have never seen before...

LOL.  There's also a dog (Boxer?) in the pictures.  Maybe those are dog chewies.

... Of course, they could be sex toys.

... Maybe dog sex toys? 



Sorry, that was just too funny to pass up.  Nice set-ups all.

[mwong168]

Wanted a space to play racing games on a large screen, so I bought a chair added the G25, and then decided to build a theater Room out of my loft area.

Very nice room setup but where is the G25 racing setup?  Here is what I use to play Forza 3.



No, not the Little Tikes car on the left but the playseats.com setup on the right

[Hoopz]

No, not the Little Tikes car on the left but the playseats.com setup on the right

You ruined some great jokes that were about to be posted.   


 

[mwong168]

You ruined some great jokes that were about to be posted.   

 

I already realized that right after I clicked on the Post button    So I quickly edited the post.

[DashRendar]

Great looking game room! 

I hope to pick up a projector one of these days- gotta wait till after I'm done saving up for my wedding though.   

[RandyT]

Great looking game room!

I hope to pick up a projector one of these days- gotta wait till after I'm done saving up for my wedding though.   

Yes, very nice.  I wish I had the space to do something dedicated like this, instead of my current 11' setup viewed past machinery.  Someday.....

But if anyone out there is shopping, I thought I would throw out a recommendation for the new Panasonic PT-AE4000.  I recently switched to one of these from an older DLP unit and the 1080P output is excellent.  I always thought DLP would maintain the advantage, but times have apparently changed.  It has many "high-end" features, with a very modest price tag compared to similar units.

First person shooters and driving games on big screens, with a quality surround system, are a totally different experience.

RandyT

[drventure]

+1 on the panasonics. I picked up a PT-ae900u some time ago and have been very pleased with it.
Great zoom adjustability, no screendoor effect AT ALL, HD1080i (won't do P), but for my eyes at least, there's so little difference it just wasn't worth it at the price point. And the price couldn't be beat.

[DashRendar]

Something I find with cheaper projectors is that the image either isn't crisp, or it's washed out/faded.

Instead of spending $2000 on a new big screen TV, I'd rather spend that money on a quality projector that has the benefit of a bigger picture and portability if I want.

[RandyT]

Something I find with cheaper projectors is that the image either isn't crisp, or it's washed out/faded.

Instead of spending $2000 on a new big screen TV, I'd rather spend that money on a quality projector that has the benefit of a bigger picture and portability if I want.

PT-AE4000   In that price range, it currently has few, if any, real challengers (based on virtually everything being said about it.)  It's not a "cheaper" projector.  It's the latest in pushing the performance vs price bar.  Compared to some of last years offerings, including the ones mentioned in this thread, it's 50% brighter, better color range, twice the contrast ratio and less expensive.

There have been some major advances in projectors just this year alone, and many of the differences in the newer models tend to be subtle.  Unless you try to go the ubercheap route, it's not hard to get something really nice nowadays.  This wasn't the case just a couple of years ago.

RandyT

[Loafmeister]

Sorry for the off-topic post H4ck3r (what a basement though, I'm jealous of all the pins)

Projector dudes/dudettes:  I've seen many projectors and I have no problems with the quality on some of these, they've made great strides. What I do have a problem with though, is the bulb lifetime.  My home entertainment room has the TV on for at least 3-4 hours a night. Sometimes, it's more an ambient thing so it's not like we're stuck to the tv.  Anyway, the bulb life on these things a couple of years ago was 2000 hours or so.  Has this been improved at all?  Until they do, I can't see myself owning one of these. Too bad too, I'd love to go from my present 60" grand wega to a nice 10' screen!

[RandyT]

Projector dudes/dudettes:  I've seen many projectors and I have no problems with the quality on some of these, they've made great strides. What I do have a problem with though, is the bulb lifetime.  My home entertainment room has the TV on for at least 3-4 hours a night. Sometimes, it's more an ambient thing so it's not like we're stuck to the tv.  Anyway, the bulb life on these things a couple of years ago was 2000 hours or so.  Has this been improved at all?  Until they do, I can't see myself owning one of these. Too bad too, I'd love to go from my present 60" grand wega to a nice 10' screen!

Heh.  You do know that there's a bulb in your "Grand Wega" too, right?  Looks like lots of folks only saw 2 years of life from that model before a replacement was in order.

But of course, bigger pictures mean more light is required to "paint" the larger screen, and longer distances from the screen compound the issue.  The lamps need to work a lot harder in a projector, and the old adage of a candle burning twice as bright lasting half as long, applies here as well.  That being said, there have been some advancements here as well.  Some models boast as much as 5000 hr life in their "Eco" modes, which are usually sufficient in dark rooms.  The price isn't really as bad as it used to be either, and when you consider the quality of entertainment you are getting, it's even easier to swallow.  If you have a family of four, you can buy a Blu-Ray disc and watch it 40 times before you begin to approach the cost of watching it in the theater....and you keep the movie!

Keep your 60" for watching Oprah.  If you do that, then the bulb will probably last you until you buy the next projector.

RandyT

[DillonFoulds]

Nice looking set-up, and love the projector screen. One thing tho, why did you leave those two sex toys on the floor when you took the pics? The one on the left looks like standard fare, but the one under the couch I have never seen before...

How about one of these?

[DaOld Man]

Nice looking set-up, and love the projector screen. One thing tho, why did you leave those two sex toys on the floor when you took the pics? The one on the left looks like standard fare, but the one under the couch I have never seen before...

Katie, get your mind out of the gutter!! 

[Loafmeister]

Projector dudes/dudettes:  I've seen many projectors and I have no problems with the quality on some of these, they've made great strides. What I do have a problem with though, is the bulb lifetime.  My home entertainment room has the TV on for at least 3-4 hours a night. Sometimes, it's more an ambient thing so it's not like we're stuck to the tv.  Anyway, the bulb life on these things a couple of years ago was 2000 hours or so.  Has this been improved at all?  Until they do, I can't see myself owning one of these. Too bad too, I'd love to go from my present 60" grand wega to a nice 10' screen!

Heh.  You do know that there's a bulb in your "Grand Wega" too, right?  Looks like lots of folks only saw 2 years of life from that model before a replacement was in order.

But of course, bigger pictures mean more light is required to "paint" the larger screen, and longer distances from the screen compound the issue.  The lamps need to work a lot harder in a projector, and the old adage of a candle burning twice as bright lasting half as long, applies here as well.  That being said, there have been some advancements here as well.  Some models boast as much as 5000 hr life in their "Eco" modes, which are usually sufficient in dark rooms.  The price isn't really as bad as it used to be either, and when you consider the quality of entertainment you are getting, it's even easier to swallow.  If you have a family of four, you can buy a Blu-Ray disc and watch it 40 times before you begin to approach the cost of watching it in the theater....and you keep the movie!

Keep your 60" for watching Oprah.  If you do that, then the bulb will probably last you until you buy the next projector.

RandyT

Of course Randy, but the Grand Wega's bulb is set to last 8000 hours, while the projectors I saw lasted 2000 hours.  4x the lifetime was a sufficient difference for me, as it means at worse, I'll probably change the bulb once over the projected lifetime of the unit (10-12 years) which considering I paid less than 2K on the GW, I've factored that into the price and still come out on top quality wise.  It's a fine screen, no regrets but at some point, would be nice towards a projector.

Thanks for the info, 5000 is a step in the right direction, though I found projectors running in "econo" mode tend to miss that "pop" and downgrades the experience a bit.  IMHO anyways.

[RandyT]

Of course Randy, but the Grand Wega's bulb is set to last 8000 hours, while the projectors I saw lasted 2000 hours.  4x the lifetime was a sufficient difference for me, as it means at worse, I'll probably change the bulb once over the projected lifetime of the unit (10-12 years) which considering I paid less than 2K on the GW, I've factored that into the price and still come out on top quality wise.  It's a fine screen, no regrets but at some point, would be nice towards a projector.

I guess it boils down to reasonable expectations.  A bulb that lasts 5000 hrs in eco mode and is capable of projecting from 20' away, a bright image with over four times the area of a 60" DLP, would probably last 15000 hours (or more) in a smaller rear projection system that needs to cast an image only a few feet.  If you can get 5000 hours out of a bulb that costs $300, then that comes out to 10 measly cents per movie (average length: 1hr 45mins), or roughly 6 cents per hour of operation.  Cheaper entertainment of the caliber you can get from huge screen viewing is hard to find.

Thanks for the info, 5000 is a step in the right direction, though I found projectors running in "econo" mode tend to miss that "pop" and downgrades the experience a bit.  IMHO anyways.

No problem.  Just bear in mind that a 1600 lumen projector that loses a couple hundred lumen in "eco" mode, still outperforms a 1000 lumen projector in standard mode by 40% or better.  Many of the affordable 1080p projectors were only hitting that 1000 lumen mark (and estimating high based on reviews) last year, so the current crop of slightly higher end projectors is "blowing them away" even in their "eco modes".  Plenty of pop, just not as much as if you were pushing the limits of the hardware.  In a lighting controlled environment, you still get blinded when the scenes go from dark to bright.  The only difference in the two modes is the level of pain .

RandyT

[DashRendar]

This has been educational.  Didn't even think that the bulb would be a factor in choosing a projector (never bought one, so...).  Good to know that I need to keep that in mind, in case any deals too good to be true are because of a short bulb life.

 

[Gamester]

No problem.  Just bear in mind that a 1600 lumen projector that loses a couple hundred lumen in "eco" mode, still outperforms a 1000 lumen projector in standard mode by 40% or better.

You might be understating the effect of Eco mode a little bit.  I know every projector is different, but from what I've read, the Eco mode on the AE4000 reduces the brightness by 32% (nearly 500 lumen).  Certainly not just "a couple hundred".  Regardless though, 800-900 lumen is more than sufficient for any decently light controlled room.

Also, I wouldn't say the Panny is necessarily a slam dunk choice, as it has some very tight competition from Epson and their new 8500UB model.  Depending on one's particular situation and priorities, the Epson might actually be a better option.

It's amazing to me how far projectors have come in both price and performance over the past few years.  I think the improvement is now such that I'm having to seriously think about upgrading from my old Sony VPL-HS20.

[Ummon]

Nice looking set-up, and love the projector screen. One thing tho, why did you leave those two sex toys on the floor when you took the pics? The one on the left looks like standard fare, but the one under the couch I have never seen before...

Righteous. I was gonna say something but thought I might better not. Glad someone did. Yer such a bad girl! (Ahem, apparently in more ways than one...)

[RandyT]

You might be understating the effect of Eco mode a little bit.  I know every projector is different, but from what I've read, the Eco mode on the AE4000 reduces the brightness by 32% (nearly 500 lumen).  Certainly not just "a couple hundred".

Not true.  It depends on the viewing mode.  If you you are using it in the "best quality" modes, which limit overall light output to the maximum output available evenly across the visible spectrum, which most will be doing when watching a movie, the light output is already reduced significantly from the stated maximums.  So the eco mode is indeed, for practical purposes with the AE4000, a "couple hundred lumen less".  Because it is a percentage of a whole, as the output increases, so does the number of lost lumen.  The max output is based on a green push inherent to the high-pressure bulb.  This push is the same with pretty much every projector, so it is accurate to use total lumen output when comparing models.  But the important thing is the ability of the projector to produce good color within the limitations of the light source, which the AE4000 does extremely well.

Also, I wouldn't say the Panny is necessarily a slam dunk choice, as it has some very tight competition from Epson and their new 8500UB model.  Depending on one's particular situation and priorities, the Epson might actually be a better option.

Both have been given very good marks.  However, it seems that the AE4000 has come out on top in the eyes of most due to 2 things;  Price ($400 to $500 less expensive)  and the ability of the projector to zoom 2.35:1 material for full, wide- screen viewing without the need for expensive Cinemascope lenses.  The latter, it can even do without user-intervention by automatically identifying the format of the content, or manually through a number of user-defined lens position memories.  The AE4000 can also be set to have a quicker frame response time, which is crucial to avid gamers.  But you are correct in that, like anything, a prospective buyer needs to educate themselves and shop around for the unit which fits their budgetary and feature requirements.  There's a lot to learn about them, in order to really understand how the specs relate to the viewing experience.

For those interested in a decent comparison between these two heavy-hitters, you can read one here.

It's amazing to me how far projectors have come in both price and performance over the past few years.

That's what got me off the fence.  When you hang out at the home theater forums for a bit and see the normally very critical folks there raving about these new units, and dumping their older, more expensive toys in favor of them,  you know it's probably time to join in  .

RandyT

[javeryh]

That is a sick set up you have going on in your house.  Do you mind if I ask what city/state you live in?  I need to move if I ever want a dedicated theater/game room but I can't afford anything around here that would be big enough.  It is depressing.  I'm about 15 miles outside NYC in NJ but I'm in the process of looking for a new job...

[AcidArmitage]

Your son is a camper! 

[H4CK3R]

I have the racing seat, with the G25.  Its in the photo to the left when viewing the screen.  I am building another one with Butt shakers, so when the controllers shake with the PS3, or the bass hits, your ass moves... lol.

Here are some updated pics, Finished putting all the Trimming around the walls to cover the speakers, and give the room a more, well "Theater Feel".

And yes, thoose are dog toys...  Tho I would stick it in my wifes ass if it would keep her trap shut for 10 mins... lol












Bulb life on the Projector states 5,000 hours...  I would expect 3,000.  Tho for the WOW factor, and for gaming, I don't mind spending 300 bucks every 6 months.  The total experience, either playing games, or watching a movie, leaves me breathless. 

The screen I built, all it took was some KILLS, some fast drying mud, and some sand paper.  First I put up the projector where I wanted it to be, outlined the screen area, and started to apply the mud straight to the wall to make it as flat as possible, sand and repeat till its smooth.  then applied the Kills to the area, ( helps any paint for color from leaking threw) let that dry, and then apply a few coats of Egg Shell White paint. 

After that, I bought some crown molding to place around as the frame of the screen. 

All said and done, the theater room cost me around 8,000.  Thats including material, speakers, amp, ps3, projector, everything.  Ran all the wires in wall.  Working on a custom floor frame to place the back theater seats on, so it sits a little higher then the futon in front, this will also have ground lighting on it, that will be hooked to the above lighting to a remote dimmer switch.

Will post more once I am truely 100% complete.

H4CK3R

[protokatie]

Nice setup!

BTW, what paints did you experiment with? When I was looking into making a screen, most of the suggestions I saw involved using light gray paint esp a gray paint with the small chromium speckles in it. Does the eggshell paint give a good black level? (This was the reasoning for using light gray paint, for the black levels, and the sparkles were to help the white levels)

[H4CK3R]

Egg shell white is what I read works best, and when friends come over for the first time to see the screen, they swear it looks as good if not better then a plasma. 

Also heard of people using a pexi glass on top of the screen.  I have not seen it in action, so i am not about to spend a few extra hundred just to test it.  Once I see it, and if it looks even better then what I have, I am sure I will.

If anyone has more info on this, I am all ears.  I can handle 50 bucks to play with it a little.

Tho when i was appling the paint, and it was still wet, it looked awesome, but I think for movies it would of been a little too much reflection.

[drventure]

Have you ever seen stuff like this?

http://www.paintonscreen.com/

I haven't used that particular brand, but I saw mention of "screen paint" or "screen goo" quite a lot when I was researching screens and projectors. Ended up with a 90" tab tensioned Draper, because that's what came up on CL (was a pull out from a classroom at a college nearby). But otherwise, I was seriously considering that kind of screen paint.

I've heard the same thing about white's vs greys, that greys work better. The draper screen is a grey with metal flecks or something in it. Supposed to up the contrast somewhat. I've been very happy with it. And when I don't need it, I just flip a switch and it disappears into the ceiling.

But dang, I could sure see one of those 10 or 15' screens with motorized drapes to cover it!

[pinballwizard79]

nice setup 

[protokatie]

If you say you have 50 bucks that you could play around with to test things out, maybe you could buy some paint samples of different style paints (gray, gray with speckles, paint-on-screen) and paint them on some pieces of scrap sheetrock or even on your wall to see if they look any better.
Then again, if it looks great the way it is, then I wouldnt worry. The big thing about using gray over white is that if you happen to have a light colored interior, the light from the screen will reflect off of the furnature and walls in the room back on to the screen. This is what kills black levels.

IE
If you have a white screen, have the darkest interior you can make (black walls, ceiling, floor, seats, etc)
If you have a light gray screen with speckles, it isnt so much of a worry.

Regardless, your setup looks nice, but don't be afraid to play around more. If you do experiment and do more research, you will have more to brag about