Future home cinema...
Discussion
I have a room that is in the midst of transformation, currently being a storage room,but eventually my home cinema. It'll be 6.6 long by 4.8 wide and 2.4 high. Is that a decent enough size for 7.1? Or maybe throw in some ceiling speakers too?
Plan to have the seating across the width measurement looking at the screen down the 6.6 length measurement.
I plan to carpet it, bit it also acts as a walk way between the games room.and the would be laundry, so the rear ~1.3m will be a tiled walkway, but speakers can be in these back walls. I believe there should be a distance from the rear seating and the rear speakers anyhow?
The 4.8 isn't too wide for seating by the time you walk around the sofa (probably) to sit, so I had thought of staging the seating and having a dual rowed seating, raising the second tier by a foot or so.
Anyhow, all a bit off but I'll frame it out soon to sheet over the rough block wall down two sides. Just need to budget for the speakers. Apparently the kitchen is more pressing....
The doorway near the mesh screen will be blocked in with a laundry shoot of all things, and the new glass door has replaced this access.
Also there's a chunky supporting beam that runs left to right mid way. It must be 3.3m or so from the proposed screen wall. Does that prose a problem for any would be projector throw distance?
Thanks.
Plan to have the seating across the width measurement looking at the screen down the 6.6 length measurement.
I plan to carpet it, bit it also acts as a walk way between the games room.and the would be laundry, so the rear ~1.3m will be a tiled walkway, but speakers can be in these back walls. I believe there should be a distance from the rear seating and the rear speakers anyhow?
The 4.8 isn't too wide for seating by the time you walk around the sofa (probably) to sit, so I had thought of staging the seating and having a dual rowed seating, raising the second tier by a foot or so.
Anyhow, all a bit off but I'll frame it out soon to sheet over the rough block wall down two sides. Just need to budget for the speakers. Apparently the kitchen is more pressing....
The doorway near the mesh screen will be blocked in with a laundry shoot of all things, and the new glass door has replaced this access.
Also there's a chunky supporting beam that runs left to right mid way. It must be 3.3m or so from the proposed screen wall. Does that prose a problem for any would be projector throw distance?
Thanks.
Stereo good dimensions would be about 15 foot by 12 or 13x10 firing down the long side of the room with standard floor to ceiling of about 7 to 8 feet. Hence the room is good for Audio barring bad surfaces in the room. For both Audio and Cinema a Gap behind the listener is desirable 2 or 3 feet.
The room looks great for the conversion and will make a lovely cinema 
I’d think hard about the two rows though. The front seats will be 2600mm from the screen wall, so both rows will be compromised. The ceiling is also quite low, if you’re to lift the second row a suitable amount.
If it was me spending the money, I’d want to sit as close to the sweet spot as possible.
If you have 4800mm width for seating, I’d hope that would be enough for a facially.
A couple af massive bean bags set just forward, could be used for overflow seating.
The ceiling joist should be changed for two slimmer sandwiched ones, side by side, or switch for a low profile rsj.
Add some aesemetric structure amongst the rest of the joists, (noggins) in two of the corners especially. The ceiling will tend to be excited otherwise.
Using this technique, you can have a ceiling that looks like a symmetrical design, but behaves structually at lower frequencies.
Don’t just box that in and split the ceiling!
Use the protrudence as part of a repeating ceiling design, that can be used as diffusion.
The large flat ceiling is bad for sound anyway, so use to your advantage for dealing with higher frequencies.
Consider the floor....
Is it poured screed over dpc?
If you can avoid the ceramic tiles for the rear 1300mm that would be good.
There are options of softer (non carpet) floor coverings that will be less reflective and still take the wear in a walkway.
Lots to think about!
When do we start
I’d think hard about the two rows though. The front seats will be 2600mm from the screen wall, so both rows will be compromised. The ceiling is also quite low, if you’re to lift the second row a suitable amount.
If it was me spending the money, I’d want to sit as close to the sweet spot as possible.
If you have 4800mm width for seating, I’d hope that would be enough for a facially.
A couple af massive bean bags set just forward, could be used for overflow seating.
The ceiling joist should be changed for two slimmer sandwiched ones, side by side, or switch for a low profile rsj.
Add some aesemetric structure amongst the rest of the joists, (noggins) in two of the corners especially. The ceiling will tend to be excited otherwise.
Using this technique, you can have a ceiling that looks like a symmetrical design, but behaves structually at lower frequencies.
Don’t just box that in and split the ceiling!
Use the protrudence as part of a repeating ceiling design, that can be used as diffusion.
The large flat ceiling is bad for sound anyway, so use to your advantage for dealing with higher frequencies.
Consider the floor....
Is it poured screed over dpc?
If you can avoid the ceramic tiles for the rear 1300mm that would be good.
There are options of softer (non carpet) floor coverings that will be less reflective and still take the wear in a walkway.
Lots to think about!
When do we start
The ceiling will be plasterboarded. 200mm or so joists, so most of that will be insulation (?) as the above rooms are bedrooms.
Left is a games room, so not worried about that, and right is a laundry and shower room, so they're fine, and also mostly block walls. Just upstairs to worry about.
I plan to metal frame the rough block walls to allow for a smoother plasterboard finish. This'll also allow for cable running.
I didn't want to alter the middle ridge beam, but I may double it up if the floor upstairs has bounce in it before our hardwood floors go in upstairs.
This room is sat on a concrete slab. One big patio door and window at the rear, then windowless on the other three walls.
In regards to noise reduction to upstairs... double plasterboard and Rockwall (Aussie equivalent) ?
I did fancy the possibility of ceiling speakers to add an extra dimension.
Regarding the back tiled walk way. We have no pool, but I'd like one. With that in mind, this downstairs shower room would be the nearest toilet area, so the tiles being water proof and hard-wearing is the main reason for keeping them as a path through the cinema, laundry and onwards.
Currently a kitchen needs finishing, but I'm plodding away opening the area up. Only the beginning of this week there were two extra walls and I've pushed back the external entrance door where before the entry was set in an alcove as it were.
I planned a fixed screen, no tv. Thought I could frame up and create a screen using the appropriate fabric.
All very budget conscious. It probably sounds grander than it is, but this house is not in the UK, so a bit cheaper square footage...which is nice 😃
Left is a games room, so not worried about that, and right is a laundry and shower room, so they're fine, and also mostly block walls. Just upstairs to worry about.
I plan to metal frame the rough block walls to allow for a smoother plasterboard finish. This'll also allow for cable running.
I didn't want to alter the middle ridge beam, but I may double it up if the floor upstairs has bounce in it before our hardwood floors go in upstairs.
This room is sat on a concrete slab. One big patio door and window at the rear, then windowless on the other three walls.
In regards to noise reduction to upstairs... double plasterboard and Rockwall (Aussie equivalent) ?
I did fancy the possibility of ceiling speakers to add an extra dimension.
Regarding the back tiled walk way. We have no pool, but I'd like one. With that in mind, this downstairs shower room would be the nearest toilet area, so the tiles being water proof and hard-wearing is the main reason for keeping them as a path through the cinema, laundry and onwards.
Currently a kitchen needs finishing, but I'm plodding away opening the area up. Only the beginning of this week there were two extra walls and I've pushed back the external entrance door where before the entry was set in an alcove as it were.
I planned a fixed screen, no tv. Thought I could frame up and create a screen using the appropriate fabric.
All very budget conscious. It probably sounds grander than it is, but this house is not in the UK, so a bit cheaper square footage...which is nice 😃
mgv8 said:
Think about cabling and soundproofing plus deadening. Get the room to sound good will put you way ahead of the game. If you can also run dedicated power to the room for the amps that would be good.
Dedicated power?I am rewiring, so as each area comes up it all changes. The fuseboard is on the otherside of the wall externally. It's possible. Does it make much difference??
Very similar sized room to what I had to put together my budget cinema room.
I originally was going to use it length ways, as in have the screen on the smaller wall and have two banks of seats.. But decided to rotate it round and project onto the main wall, and have one sofa.
I've got my couch pretty much hard up against the opposite wall, and my surrounds sitting at 90degrees to the couch, which is where I believe is the correct placement for them, rather than behind. I think if you then go to 7.1 you'll have speakers behind you. Happy to be corrected though.
I'll see if I can get a pic
I originally was going to use it length ways, as in have the screen on the smaller wall and have two banks of seats.. But decided to rotate it round and project onto the main wall, and have one sofa.
I've got my couch pretty much hard up against the opposite wall, and my surrounds sitting at 90degrees to the couch, which is where I believe is the correct placement for them, rather than behind. I think if you then go to 7.1 you'll have speakers behind you. Happy to be corrected though.
I'll see if I can get a pic
I've always considered 7.1 a bit of a waste with 4 speakers behind you and only 3 in front.
5.1 with speakers properly positioned (fronts at 30 degrees from the centreline and surrounds at 20 degrees behind the seating position) is remarkably effective. Loads of diagrams available via google of correct speaker positions for various layouts including for 2 or 4 atmos speakers.
Your projector throw distance will vary with the projector, you should be able to find one with a throw ratio that will allow you to avoid the beam.
Also look up the suggested ratio between seating distance and screen width to avoid getting a screen that is too big (between 1.5-2 to 1 works quite well) especially if you have more than one row of seats.
5.1 with speakers properly positioned (fronts at 30 degrees from the centreline and surrounds at 20 degrees behind the seating position) is remarkably effective. Loads of diagrams available via google of correct speaker positions for various layouts including for 2 or 4 atmos speakers.
Your projector throw distance will vary with the projector, you should be able to find one with a throw ratio that will allow you to avoid the beam.
Also look up the suggested ratio between seating distance and screen width to avoid getting a screen that is too big (between 1.5-2 to 1 works quite well) especially if you have more than one row of seats.
tonyg58 said:
I've always considered 7.1 a bit of a waste with 4 speakers behind you and only 3 in front.
5.1 with speakers properly positioned (fronts at 30 degrees from the centreline and surrounds at 20 degrees behind the seating position) is remarkably effective. Loads of diagrams available via google of correct speaker positions for various layouts including for 2 or 4 atmos speakers.
Your projector throw distance will vary with the projector, you should be able to find one with a throw ratio that will allow you to avoid the beam.
Also look up the suggested ratio between seating distance and screen width to avoid getting a screen that is too big (between 1.5-2 to 1 works quite well) especially if you have more than one row of seats.
Thinking of an Atmos system. 7.1.4 maybe..... I'll frame out and allow for it anyhow with cable runs. See how much budget is available after the kitchens in. Probably just a sound bar then...5.1 with speakers properly positioned (fronts at 30 degrees from the centreline and surrounds at 20 degrees behind the seating position) is remarkably effective. Loads of diagrams available via google of correct speaker positions for various layouts including for 2 or 4 atmos speakers.
Your projector throw distance will vary with the projector, you should be able to find one with a throw ratio that will allow you to avoid the beam.
Also look up the suggested ratio between seating distance and screen width to avoid getting a screen that is too big (between 1.5-2 to 1 works quite well) especially if you have more than one row of seats.
Umming and ahhing over two rows or one. When it's framed out I'll see what fits better. It's a 5 bed house, so seating for only 4 seems a miss small. Thought of the odd bean bag, but dogs would probably take them up, so that is what lead me to a second (cheap seats) sofa. I'd probably optimise the sounds for the middle of the front row. That's my thoughts, but that's all they are currently.
I have a Harmony One remote upstairs which I brought over with me from the UK. Love it, so am thinking of buying a newer version for when the time comes downstairs. I'd ideally like this to be able to dim the lights, so I need to also look into what systems are available here and hopefully not find too big a bill attached to it all.
I got a bit bored and prematurely excited last time and mocked this up on some free software. It's a bit poor, not to scale, but gave me 5 minutes of joy.
Move the front L/R speakers slightly in, away from the corners.
The sub needs to go into a front corner ideally.
The surround speakers should be either side of your head (or just a few cm behind) when you are in a relaxed position.
Either side of the chair, is different!
Surround back speakers need to be close together. A different design from the normal box speaker will help.
If you can’t do this, then don’t add them. Instead, use di-pole surround speakers.
The front Atmos speakers should be moved forward. Half way between your ears and the front L/R speakers.
The Rear Atmos and centre speakers look to be correctly located.
This is a lot of speakers to buy!
Remember though, that domestic AV systems usually suffer poor centre sound quality and whoefully lacking LFE.
I would suggest two subs, instead of trying to do an imperfect 11ch system.
I’ve only had a quick look, but I couldn’t find any placement diagrams without mistakes in them.
Even if you can find one, it would explain how to get the best, from a compromised layout situation.
Keep adding your plans here though
The sub needs to go into a front corner ideally.
The surround speakers should be either side of your head (or just a few cm behind) when you are in a relaxed position.
Either side of the chair, is different!
Surround back speakers need to be close together. A different design from the normal box speaker will help.
If you can’t do this, then don’t add them. Instead, use di-pole surround speakers.
The front Atmos speakers should be moved forward. Half way between your ears and the front L/R speakers.
The Rear Atmos and centre speakers look to be correctly located.
This is a lot of speakers to buy!
Remember though, that domestic AV systems usually suffer poor centre sound quality and whoefully lacking LFE.
I would suggest two subs, instead of trying to do an imperfect 11ch system.
I’ve only had a quick look, but I couldn’t find any placement diagrams without mistakes in them.
Even if you can find one, it would explain how to get the best, from a compromised layout situation.
Keep adding your plans here though
Red 5 said:
Move the front L/R speakers slightly in, away from the corners.
The sub needs to go into a front corner ideally.
The surround speakers should be either side of your head (or just a few cm behind) when you are in a relaxed position.
Either side of the chair, is different!
Surround back speakers need to be close together. A different design from the normal box speaker will help.
If you can’t do this, then don’t add them. Instead, use di-pole surround speakers.
The front Atmos speakers should be moved forward. Half way between your ears and the front L/R speakers.
The Rear Atmos and centre speakers look to be correctly located.
This is a lot of speakers to buy!
Remember though, that domestic AV systems usually suffer poor centre sound quality and whoefully lacking LFE.
I would suggest two subs, instead of trying to do an imperfect 11ch system.
I’ve only had a quick look, but I couldn’t find any placement diagrams without mistakes in them.
Even if you can find one, it would explain how to get the best, from a compromised layout situation.
Keep adding your plans here though
Many thanks. The drawing was just a bit of 5 minute fun, but those wise words are invaluable, thanks. The sub needs to go into a front corner ideally.
The surround speakers should be either side of your head (or just a few cm behind) when you are in a relaxed position.
Either side of the chair, is different!
Surround back speakers need to be close together. A different design from the normal box speaker will help.
If you can’t do this, then don’t add them. Instead, use di-pole surround speakers.
The front Atmos speakers should be moved forward. Half way between your ears and the front L/R speakers.
The Rear Atmos and centre speakers look to be correctly located.
This is a lot of speakers to buy!
Remember though, that domestic AV systems usually suffer poor centre sound quality and whoefully lacking LFE.
I would suggest two subs, instead of trying to do an imperfect 11ch system.
I’ve only had a quick look, but I couldn’t find any placement diagrams without mistakes in them.
Even if you can find one, it would explain how to get the best, from a compromised layout situation.
Keep adding your plans here though
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