Starting From Scratch
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New member Username: HogwildPost Number: 1 Registered: Aug-05 | I need some advice regarding setting up a home theatre from scratch. I'm refinishing a recreation room in my basement. I want to ensure the room is properly wired before the drywall goes up. I really don't know what kind of components I want/need. I don't know if I want a projector or a flat screen...or what/how wiring should be run. I do know that I want two way-communication between the home theatre and a computer. (to play games/music and record) The theatre is one end of an open room 15X32. There will be games/bar at the other end. I have the computer already and want to spend not much more than 10K on equipment. Please explain your advice...I'm experiencing some technical difficulties (with the jargon). |
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Bronze Member Username: FeotTexas USA Post Number: 56 Registered: Apr-04 | Rob, If you plan to go the route of quality, you can throw out the idea of a projector altogether and just focus on a DLP, LCD or Plasma as your monitor. You can however always wire for a projector screen if you think you may upgrade in the future. The cost of the wiring is about 5X less expensive when you have the walls open as opposed to trying to wire it later. 1st decide on your equipment area where all your wires will be run to. If you are wiring for the projector you will need to run wires for the projector video output. I would run 3 quad shielded RG6 cable and 1 CAT5 wire from about 10' from where the viewing wall is to the equipment. The 3 RG6 will give you the component video (RGB) and the CAT5 will offer a DVI alternative through a balun. Do the same from where you would mount or place an HDTV against the wall. If your equipment will be situated on the same wall as the TV, you may run the wires a short distance about 4' up if you mount an LCD or Plasma down to where your equipment will be. Make sure you run electrical to the ceiling area where a projector could be mounted and if you plan to have a motorized screen, wire the ceiling screen area as well for electricity. Make sure your main cable or satellite feed is wired to where your equipment will reside. Will your equipment be in plane sight? Behind Closed doors? Will you ventilate if behind closed doors? You can hide all your equipment if you want in which case, a CAT5 wire would need to be run from your TV or screen area to place an IR receiver to wherever your equipment is. If you don't use an IR receiver you will need to look at radio frequency remotes but the IR repeater is more reliable. Run a CAT5 wire from where your equipment will be to your computer area if you plan to use a hard disk mp3 player. If you just plan to play audio direct from your computer, run 2 RG6 quad shield cables for analog right and left audio, terminate with cable ends and use composite to f-connector adapters. Speakers...Wiring for 5.1 or 7.1 or both? In-Wall, Floor Standing or in-ceiling? Best sound usually comes from floor standing and you can even combine having floor standing front right and left with an in-wall center channel or in-wall surround or rear speakers. Follow the guidelines on the following link for speaker placement. Again, it costs less to run the wires while the wall is open and you don't have to use wall plates to know where you ran the wires, you can conceal them in the wall that way if you never use them, you never see them. https://www.ecoustics.com/electronics/products/articles/129023.html Also, another wiring tip, it's better to run too much cable rather than not enough. |
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New member Username: HogwildPost Number: 2 Registered: Aug-05 | I had a home theatre installer come by today. He wasn't too fond of rear projection images. He said a front projector would perhaps be my best option. I did mention that I wanted two way communication with my computer and he recommended VGA connections. I have no experience with big screen picture quality. Why do you suggest that front projection would have inferior quality? He recommended that the projector be set for an 84 inch picture and the seating about 15 feet from the screen. He recommended an infocus 7205 projector and onkyo 7.1 speaker system. He also offerred to take me to view several different systems at a showroom. (Most electronics stores don't have front projection set up). Please keep the information coming...it doesn't make sense to me yet. |
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Gold Member Username: Paul_ohstbucksPost Number: 1853 Registered: Jan-05 | Rob, The best thing to do is look at the alternative technologies for yourself, and a preference will emerge. Good luck. |
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Unregistered guest | Hi, This may sound crazy, but I can't get my new DaeWoo DVD player DVG-9200N to show a picture or audio from disc connected to a 3 yr old RCA TV with Guide Plus system. The instructions are not really clear to me.  Maybe I'm not hooked up right, even. Can anyone out there help me with this? This is my first DVD player. Thank you |
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New member Username: HogwildPost Number: 3 Registered: Aug-05 | I had a look in a couple of showrooms. In Front Projectors I've seen a high end LCD Marantz (loved it but $19000.00) a mid level DLP Runco $7000.00 (hated it) and a Sony vplhs51 LCD $5000.00 (loved it). All were in ambient light controlled showrooms on Stewart Screens. Having seen the Runco DLP, and only two LCD's, I have not been impressed by the DLP technology. So far - I would be happy with the Sony. Do you have any suggestions for other prjectors I should look at - comparable to the Sony. |
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Gold Member Username: Project6Post Number: 3323 Registered: Dec-03 | Marylo884, I suggest you start a new thread. If we are to address your problem it is not a good idea to jump in on rob misek's inquiry. |
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