We are starting on an addition to our home and the lower level of the addition is going to be a 24' wide x 28' deep media room. A major use of the room is going to be watching movies and as such I plan on investing in a nice A/V system. I really want to install a front projector with a 120" screen but I am a little concerned about controlling the ambient light in the room. We are going to have four 2'x6' windows scattered throughout the room and a 9-12' wide glass sliding door. We do plan on having curtains to block out the light but I am sure how effective they will be and I am also not certain we would always want them completely closed if we were watching a movie during the day. As far as projectors I would probably be looking at 1080p models in the $3,000-4,000 range but it will probably be about a year before I actually make the projector purchase. I do, however, have to consider my future plans right now so I can design the room around them. Aside from a front projector my other option is a 70ish inch rear projection television for approximatley the same price as the front projector and screen. I really, really want the front projector with a great sound system but I would hate to buy and install the system and then have the performance be compromised by the environment it will be operating in. So, if anyone has experience with a situation such as this I would love some input. Are there measures I can take in building the room to better accomodate a front projector or would I be much happier with a (smaller) rear projection unit? Does the room have to be completely dark to enjoy the picture from a front projector or can there be some light? I don't necissarily need perfection to justify a front projector but I do want it to look good and don't want to be dissapointed everytime I watch it either. Thanks for any input you can offer.
You are calling this a media room and you want to put in a 120 inch screen with a front projector. So why are you putting in all those windows? The difference between 70 inches and 120 is a very big difference, the difference between front a projector (the best video set up) and a rear projector (the worst video set up) is a big difference. 24 x 28 are not the best dimension for a media room but 23 x 28 x 9 would be much better (none of the numbers can be divided by the others). There are screen technologies that can deal with that much ambient light, but will cost more than the projector. Which brings us to another subject the projector, for a 3-4 grand projector a 120 inch screen is to big, you will need a better projector or a smaller screen?
Thanks for the info. This is a learning experience for me so I will likely make alot of changes/modifications as the project progresses. The size of the room was dictated by several factors but mostly by the scale of existing structures. Also, while the exterior dimensions are 24x28 the interior dimensions will be more like 22x26 with an alcove in the front where the screen/television will go. Construction is going to be a slab with ICF walls and a coffered/drop ceiling to help isolate the lower level from the upstairs rooms. Technically the room is going to be more of a rec room than a dedicated theatre and is going to open up to a patio area with a large glass door. We cannot justify spending the money and devoting that large and central of an area to a dedicated theatre room so we need to make it suitable for other uses as well such as a pool table, card table, etc... Obviously these features will make it not as ideal for a front projector but I need to do what I can with what I am provided. As stated we will install black out blinds and curtains as necessary to block any exterior light and we will also install and use materials to help accomodate my plans of a projector.
As far as the screen size/projector issue, it will be a while before I actually make that purchase so I will see what is available and what our budget is at that time and purchase accordingly. My main concern with the projector is when we are entertaining and want to have the room open to the patio but want to have a movie on at the same time. In any case I guess I can future proof by running conduit for the projector and having power available. That will at least allow us flexibility when it comes time to implement the plan. In the meantime I value any other insight/opinions anyone can offer.
Use 'phi' ratio to design room dimensions. This is about 1.62 A room with this ratio will have few excitable frequencies. It will make subwoofer placement easier. Google.....'room mode calculator' and enter your dimensions. This will give readout on frequencies below 300hz where all the bass trouble lies. avoid multiples.....like 10x20x30 or 8x16x24 which are only a little better than square... The idea is to have a room in which bass reflections don't 'stack up'.