Shrike's home theater project

[shrike126]

So, I have a finished basement space that I want to use to setup a home theater area. I'm new to this, so suggestions or tips are appreciated.

We're looking at painting the space, redoing the trim, and figuring out a layout before we get started.

We have a sectional on order, which can be rearranged as needed, and would have the dimensions of 130" by 150" or so. In my 2 layout mock-ups, it's the gray thing.

A not-to-scale overview of the space:

It's a rough sketch, if anyone has any thoughts on any tools I can use on an iPad that would make this more "to scale" I'm open to suggestions.

Some images of the space. Ignore the furniture here, we have a friend who has been living with us for a few months, while he did some shopping and bought a home nearby, and he closes and moves in on August 1st now. So all this stuff will be gone, this space will be 100% empty.

ROOM PICTURES



Facing the south, with 2 windows, this is on the right side of the room as you enter. The couch will be gone.

Facing east, no windows, this is I think the most sensible place to put the screen against the far wall. There's a space heating fireplace ish thing on the right. But the far wall is where the speaker wires are routed to (there's 4 in the top of the ceilings).

Facing north, no windows, this is a flat wall that seems pretty perfect for couch space.

Facing west, this is the entry way, with some wall on the right that sticks out about 78" inches. Behind that wall is the utility closet where all the home ethernet network and routing is being handled.

A couple more images of the entry way and hallway area.

And here's a picture from within the room facing towards the entry way with the lights off showing where the light would need to be handled. I'm thinking blackout curtains for the 2 windows, and either curtains on the door & window at the end of the hallway, or a curtain that blocks out that light. Either way is an option.

So, with all of this in mind, I have 2 layouts I'm considering. In either layout scenario, I'll be needing to choose between an ultra-short throw projector and a screen.

LAYOUT ONE

With this layout, I'll be putting the screen where it seems to belong for the room on the east side of the space.

PROS

• 4 in-wall height speakers are already setup for height/surrounds in this layout.
• The flat wall is a good clear space we can use for wall mounting a fixed frame screen.
• Projector could either be an ultra-short throw in front of the screen, or a ceiling mounted or shelf mounted option on the back of the room against the utility closet wall.

CONS

• The sofa layout will be a problem. The L shape will stick out on the gap opening area either 130-150 inches, which gives about a 4 ft ish gap on the right.

LAYOUT TWO

This layout really works better for the couch but also comes with some pros and cons.

PROS

• The couch layout just works better. It puts the back of the sectional along 2 walls in an L-shape that almost fits too perfectly.
• The screen would likely need to be in front of the windows, likely a motorized ceiling mounted retractable one, that would block out some of the lighting and potential glare.
• This would create a bigger entry way, and a lot more open space in the middle of the room. With the L-shape sectional not blocking off the way in to the room and people having to walk around the edge of the couch.

CONS

• This layout totally ****s up the preinstalled speaker arrangement. I could reuse the wiring, but would need to redo the speakers before they'd be usable.
• Putting the screen in front of the windows means it would pretty much have to be a ceiling mounted, motorized, retractable screen.

THE ASSUMPTIONS

Assume that I have speakers already and a receiver to handle up to a 7.2 layout (yes I know this leaves height channels out for now, I'll upgrade the receiver and aim for a 7.2.4 layout next year to bring those in).

I have a media console to set stuff up on, I may replace it eventually but it works for now and will hold the receiver, streaming boxes, and stuff.

I will be painting the walls and replacing the trim, so assume all of this is a darker gray color. If you have suggestions on paint samples, let me know.

The budget, overall, is roughly $5k and must include the projector and the screen.

THE QUESTIONS

• Do I go with layout 1 and have a wall mounted fixed frame screen? Or option 2 and have a motorized ceiling mounted retractable?
• Do I lean towards an ultra-short throw? Or a ceiling mounted projector with a longer throw since I have the 12-13' space either way?
• Does anyone have any projector and screen recommendations?
• Any thoughts on projectors I should be looking into?

Projectors currently on my short-list:

• Epson 5050UB | Long Throw - $2,999 (Best Buy)
• BenQ - V7050i 4K l Ultra Short Throw - $3,299 (Best Buy)
• Optoma Cinemax P2 | Ultra Short Throw - $2,299 (Best Buy)
• LG CineBeam HU715Q | Ultra Short Throw - $2,749 (Best Buy)
• Samsung - The Premiere 4K UHD | Ultra Short Throw - $2,999 (Best Buy)

I know that's biased pretty heavily towards ultra short throws. If you have suggestions on short-throw or long throw alternatives, feel free to toss something out there. You'll also notice the projector budget is roughly half the overall budget, I have no idea what screen to pick-up. If I got with an ultra short throw against the east wall, then it'll be a fixed frame ALR and depending on what that is, I'll either have more or less to spend on the projector. If it's a ceiling mounted motorized one that hangs in front of the windows, that'll probably be $1-2k range, and that'll leave me with the under $3k I've been eyeing for these projectors.

Either way... thoughts?

 

[dodger]

I'd just save money and go with 1 which also gives you a wider selection of projectors to use. 2 is fine if you can totally block out the window during the day but sound wise I worry your front left is going to get a very different reflection patterns than your front right unless the two tower speakers I see in your pictures aren't rear ported. Not that you don't have the same issues with 1 but rear surrounds hardly do anything.

 

[shrike126]

I'd just save money and go with 1 which also gives you a wider selection of projectors to use. 2 is fine if you can totally block out the window during the day but sound wise I worry your front left is going to get a very different reflection patterns than your front right unless the two tower speakers I see in your pictures aren't rear ported. Not that you don't have the same issues with 1 but rear surrounds hardly do anything.

I'm personally biased in the same way. I know that the couch sticking out will be a bit of an issue, but I feel like in the grand scheme of things, it's a pretty minimal problem to have. I thoroughly understand that this is a pretty privileged problem to be having. "Oh no I have to walk a little bit around the giant sofa..."

So, I think I'm leaning towards going with Layout 1, getting a fixed frame screen in the 120-150" range, wall mounting it, and picking the projector based off of that.

 

[Gandalfthewhite]

go for a sectional that you can get sized so it doesnt over hang

 

[Lazy8s]

Free (in app purchases) home/room design for iPad. We tried it for a bit and liked it, but don’t have much use for it today.

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/home-design-3d/id463768717

I would go for layout 1 all the way, but with a question. Are you and the wife open to replacing the sofa for another seating solution?

 

[shrike126]

go for a sectional that you can get sized so it doesnt over hang

Well the sectional is already picked out and ready for delivery August 1st. It was the thing she got to decide whatever she wanted. So I'm working with that, but it's a small price to pay for getting approval factor on everything else.

Free (in app purchases) home/room design for iPad. We tried it for a bit and liked it, but don’t have much use for it today.

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/home-design-3d/id463768717

Okay, that's helpful. I'll give this an install and play with it this afternoon. Mostly in terms of timing the downstairs will be available end of the month once our friend moves out. So there's not a huge rush to have things figured out by this weekend.

I would go for layout 1 all the way, but with a question. Are you and the wife open to replacing the sofa for another seating solution?

Out of curiosity what did you have in mind? I'm not sure how negotiable or flexible the seating options will be. It'll be entirely up to her. It's ordered, but I think, until they put it on the truck, we can make changes (if we find something else from the same furniture store).

Here's the sectional that she fell in love with and picked for our area. There was a lot of pros and cons to other options but she liked the color, functionality, the seats were durable, and they're really wide so there's some snuggle factor involved.

https://www.afw.com/drew-6-piece-p2-recline-leather-sectional

 

[Lazy8s]

Well the sectional is already picked out and ready for delivery August 1st. It was the thing she got to decide whatever she wanted. So I'm working with that, but it's a small price to pay for getting approval factor on everything else.



Okay, that's helpful. I'll give this an install and play with it this afternoon. Mostly in terms of timing the downstairs will be available end of the month once our friend moves out. So there's not a huge rush to have things figured out by this weekend.



Out of curiosity what did you have in mind? I'm not sure how negotiable or flexible the seating options will be. It'll be entirely up to her. It's ordered, but I think, until they put it on the truck, we can make changes (if we find something else from the same furniture store).

Here's the sectional that she fell in love with and picked for our area. There was a lot of pros and cons to other options but she liked the color, functionality, the seats were durable, and they're really wide so there's some snuggle factor involved.

https://www.afw.com/drew-6-piece-p2-recline-leather-sectional

I went to something like this when I saw the room layout.

https://www.wayfair.com/furniture/p...al-reclining-corner-sectional-w001094738.html

Modular would be even better, but with this, everyone is sitting at full on viewing angle with slight angles at the ends. I think the view is deceptive in the pic though as it makes it look more semi circular than a right angle. hard to tell.

 

[shrike126]

I went to something like this when I saw the room layout.

https://www.wayfair.com/furniture/p...al-reclining-corner-sectional-w001094738.html

Modular would be even better, but with this, everyone is sitting at full on viewing angle with slight angles at the ends. I think the view is deceptive in the pic though as it makes it look more semi circular than a right angle. hard to tell.

We looked at a few that were pretty similar to that but they didn't get approval from the Domestic Review Committee.

The alternative we looked at that was a close 2nd, I can't seem to find on the AFW.com website. But it was similar to this thing, but the seats were slightly narrower. She liked this setup because the seats were wide (could squeeze 2 in per seat really) and it was about $1,400 cheaper.

 

[Lazy8s]

We looked at a few that were pretty similar to that but they didn't get approval from the Domestic Review Committee.

The alternative we looked at that was a close 2nd, I can't seem to find on the AFW.com website. But it was similar to this thing, but the seats were slightly narrower. She liked this setup because the seats were wide (could squeeze 2 in per seat really) and it was about $1,400 cheaper.

Those review committees can be pretty particular

The one I posted has a version that’s modular. I was JUST looking at it and now I can’t find it because of course I can’t.

Anyway, here’s one that’s close.

https://stores.advancedinteriordesigns.com/brando-home-theater-seats-curved-row-of-4/

If you search “curved sofa, home theater ideas” (I’m sure you have already) you’ll see a lot of what I was thinking about.

 

[shrike126]

Those review committees can be pretty particular

The one I posted has a version that’s modular. I was JUST looking at it and now I can’t find it because of course I can’t.

Anyway, here’s one that’s close.

https://stores.advancedinteriordesigns.com/brando-home-theater-seats-curved-row-of-4/

If you search “curved sofa, home theater ideas” (I’m sure you have already) you’ll see a lot of what I was thinking about.

I don't know if convincing her to accommodate a different sofa is gonna be the way we go. I talked to her a bit about it last night, and I think our arrangement is that I can do whatever I want with the technology and layout and speakers and stuff, and she gets to pick the paint for the walls, and furniture.

So, I think for now we're sticking with that 6 pc leather sectional from AFW.com and honestly I don't want to try to change her mind, she's pretty excited about it.

We actually started with me pointing her at Valencia theater seating, but we got a chance to look at one of these in person and she wasn't sold.

https://us.valenciatheaterseating.com/pages/collections

So... anyone have any experience with any long-throw or short-throw projectors and screens?

 

[dodger]

Get an acoustically transparent screen so you can at least hide the center speaker behind it? I hear some folk have issues with large center speakers getting in the way of UST projectors.

 

[AllexxisF1]

I'm moving onto stage 3 construction of my soundproofed home cinema right now.

Link to photo album.

Do I go with layout 1 and have a wall mounted fixed frame screen? Or option 2 and have a motorized ceiling mounted retractable?

I would go with this layout. Remember, the first thing you have to do is pick the size and type of screen you want to go with. EVERYTHING to do with a home cinema starts with that.

That determines how far you have to sit from the screen, which determines how many speakers, how powerful those speakers need to be and the placement of everything.

The longest seating arrangement in your room is the one I have pictured below. Now your couch is going to sit around 12 feet from that wall. Going by THX screen distance calculator you need a screen that's around 120". You want a size that envelopes you, but able to fit your field of view without any strain or movement.

The second question is content. Do you primarily want to watch films or TV content? That answer will determine whether you go with a 16:9 aspect ratio or 2:35:1 cinemascope. I prefer my cinema scope screen which means I see bars on 16:9 content but not 2:35:1 media. Once you figure all that out (and even measure with painters tape on the wall) then buy a fixed frame screen with +gain. Elite Screens are the best bang for the buck.

Do I lean towards an ultra-short throw? Or a ceiling mounted projector with a longer throw since I have the 12-13' space either way?

Since your screen will be below 120" I would opt for the short throw, just because it saves you the ease of ceiling mounting and cabling a long throw projector. However, keep in mind it sits right where your center channel is supposed to go. If you get a low to the ground center console where you short throw projector sits and center channel below it in the cabinet (not usually a fan of that) that will work.

Does anyone have any projector and screen recommendations?
Any thoughts on projectors I should be looking into?

Elite screens, Epson, Sony are my favorite.

Also, given how small the room is, I would only do a 5.1 system. Doing 7.1 is overkill and will just fill the room with ridiculous amounts of energy to manage. It will be a muddled mess. A great setup 5.1 is universes better than a 7.1 in an unoptimized room.

Good spot for the data closet and you can have all your gear there and access it with RF receiver. Nice clean look and the Wife will appreciate it.

Go with nice dark colors, for the screen wall Sherwin Williams Tricorn Black is a gorgeous color and paint the rest of the room a complimentary color that always goes with black.

Don't do L shaped couch, lousy seating for viewing and sound. If you need more seating in the front, luxury bean bags for the kids.

For the front stage and rears, bookshelves can easily handle the load. Especially if you go with horn setups like Klipsch RP600M (on sale now).

 

[SD-[Inc]]

Layout 1 is much better. It creates a space where both TV and fireplace are available to everyone on sofa. The 4 feet space won’t be bad. Put the sofa in before deciding.

 

[shrike126]

First off, this is amazing feedback. Thank you.

I'm moving onto stage 3 construction of my soundproofed home cinema right now.

Link to photo album.

Internal monologue just now...

"Wow that's a lot of pics. Okay I like what he's doing here. Man that looks like a lot of work."

[LOAD 75 MORE IMAGES?]

"Sweet **** are you kidding?"

"Is that a truck mounted boom arm? We are clearly in two entirely different categories of home theater hobbyists. "

I would go with this layout. Remember, the first thing you have to do is pick the size and type of screen you want to go with. EVERYTHING to do with a home cinema starts with that.

That determines how far you have to sit from the screen, which determines how many speakers, how powerful those speakers need to be and the placement of everything.

The longest seating arrangement in your room is the one I have pictured below. Now your couch is going to sit around 12 feet from that wall. Going by THX screen distance calculator you need a screen that's around 120". You want a size that envelopes you, but able to fit your field of view without any strain or movement.

In my original post I definitely felt like I had typed up so much I skipped over some details that were probably relevant.

A couple setup considerations are:

• The "Design Approval Committee" has decreed that the space in the middle needs to remain as open a space as possible for little one play time and activities. So plunking seating right in the middle was shot down (it was a pretty early on question and decision)
• The primary use case will be evening and weekend movie watching via mostly streaming services (i.e. Disney+ or something off Apple TV), with some Sunday afternoon sports watching. Hence the need for the open space if I'm glued to a chair and there's stuff going on around us.
• Some occasional sports watching with friends, so seating needs to accommodate 6 ish butts on weekends. Primarily it will be just 2 of us in the prime movie watching seating positions directly in front, but needs to at least be serviceable for adding 4 more peeps from time to time. Hence the seating she picked out.
• She already picked out the seating but is amenable to laying it out in one of the two ways I mentioned.
• There's already speaker wire run to 4 height speakers in the front and rear of the room (if you're facing East, so Layout #1 is already pre-wired. I didn't mark it on the maps, but you can see the speakers in the pics.

The second question is content. Do you primarily want to watch films or TV content? That answer will determine whether you go with a 16:9 aspect ratio or 2:35:1 cinemascope. I prefer my cinema scope screen which means I see bars on 16:9 content but not 2:35:1 media. Once you figure all that out (and even measure with painters tape on the wall) then buy a fixed frame screen with +gain. Elite Screens are the best bang for the buck.

I'm leaning towards a 2.35:1 orientation screen. Since the primary movie watching experience will be streaming movies. Yes, later on we'll add in some higher quality sourced content but realistically, for the first year or so, it'll be streaming stuff.

I've been eying the Elite Screens, fixed frame, and watching reviews on them but wanted to hear someone else say they were decent, and not to steer towards Silver Ticket, or something else like that.

These are the two I've been looking at:
https://elitescreens.com/products/aeon-acousticpro-1080p3-series/
https://elitescreens.com/products/sable-frame-acousticpro1080p3-series/

Both are acoustically transparent, 2.35:1 aspect, and fixed frames. I'm leaning towards a 150" diagonal screen size and 1.0 - 1.1 gain. Based on what I'm finding, it's tough to find an acoustically transparent screen that is also ALR especially for ultra short throw projectors, since the perforations for the sound tend to not work well with the angle those screens need to deflect and direct light.

Since your screen will be below 120" I would opt for the short throw, just because it saves you the ease of ceiling mounting and cabling a long throw projector. However, keep in mind it sits right where your center channel is supposed to go. If you get a low to the ground center console where you short throw projector sits and center channel below it in the cabinet (not usually a fan of that) that will work.

Elite screens, Epson, Sony are my favorite.

I've actually been aiming for something right at 120" diagonal screen size. In my sketch I have 169" from the "back" of the room to the front where the screen will be. So, with a 14 foot throw, based on the Projector Central calculator that gives me the following. I just plugged in the Epson 5050UB as an example.

But that's assuming I'm abandoning the UST's and a related screen, in which case, if I had to pull the trigger on something right now it might be that Epson 5050UB. I haven't looked much at Sony but will take a look.

Also, given how small the room is, I would only do a 5.1 system. Doing 7.1 is overkill and will just fill the room with ridiculous amounts of energy to manage. It will be a muddled mess. A great setup 5.1 is universes better than a 7.1 in an unoptimized room.

For starters it'll be a 5.1 setup. I actually already have 4 height speakers preinstalled. So they're basically free. And I figure I'll hook them up eventually. Right now I don't have a 7.2.4 receiver so it's not a thing that'll happen this year. But eventually I'll probably add em in. Also all my current speakers need to be replaced, after I do the room, screen, and projector.

Good spot for the data closet and you can have all your gear there and access it with RF receiver. Nice clean look and the Wife will appreciate it.

Yeah, the utility closet with the network stack being so handy will be nice. I'm tempted to see if I can get away with running speaker wire down around the room hidden in baseboards, and avoid having any of the heat generating equipment out in the room with us.

Go with nice dark colors, for the screen wall Sherwin Williams Tricorn Black is a gorgeous color and paint the rest of the room a complimentary color that always goes with black.

I actually JUST painted my office accent wall with Inkwell from Sherwin-Williams, both to see how I like it for eventually putting in the theater, and to break up some of the room I'm in all day.

I will be putting new baseboard trim on once it comes in, and painting the rest of the walls, but probably not this week. I ordered some cable hiding baseboard trim, so I want to play with that in the office to get a hang of running speaker, network, and other wiring with it.

Don't do L shaped couch, lousy seating for viewing and sound. If you need more seating in the front, luxury bean bags for the kids.

Too late. She already picked it out.

For the front stage and rears, bookshelves can easily handle the load. Especially if you go with horn setups like Klipsch RP600M (on sale now).

Thanks for the tip. I'll be taking a look.

 

[Lazy8s]

I wish I could offer more help Shrike, but I literally know jack all about home theater. If you were building a new room…that I can do lol.

Looks like you got some solid advice though

 

[shrike126]

I wish I could offer more help Shrike, but I literally know jack all about home theater. If you were building a new room…that I can do lol.

Looks like you got some solid advice though

Oh I wouldn't say that. Just having someone to bounce ideas off of and put thoughts into words out loud really helps.

But like... Holy **** AllexxisF1

 

[dodger]

For the front stage and rears, bookshelves can easily handle the load. Especially if you go with horn setups like Klipsch RP600M (on sale now).

I wouldn't wait too long on the RP600M's as the Mk2's have been out a month or so now and the OG 600M's are probably being cleared out. Some say you can EQ out the OG 600M's to be as good as the Mk2's so worth considering, other than that the Mk2's have prettier binding posts (and maybe less real sensitivity, Klipsch has some controversy regarding that measurement).

 

[AllexxisF1]

First off, this is amazing feedback. Thank you.



Internal monologue just now...

"Wow that's a lot of pics. Okay I like what he's doing here. Man that looks like a lot of work."

[LOAD 75 MORE IMAGES?]

"Sweet **** are you kidding?"

"Is that a truck mounted boom arm? We are clearly in two entirely different categories of home theater hobbyists. "

Waited 30 years for professional sound managed and treated theater, and yes, I'm clearly nuts and butt tired.

Your setup isn't too far off to what I had in a house we rented two years ago. Very simple setup (albeit with a 158" cinemascope silver ticket screen), 1080P Epson Projector and Elac Debut 2.0 6.2's (also on sale). Wife and kids loved it.

Given that the couch is set, you have to go with layout 1. With Home Theater its always about compromises. There isn't one theater in existence (even the million dollar one's) that somewhere, someway had to compromise.

The good part about this setup below, is that its very easy to conceal cabling for the front stage because all the gear is in the closet. The only runs you need to fish is for the rear channels. Especially the right rear which may, go across joists. Big sectionals like this are easy to just bundle and tuck the wires behind.

With this setup you can still have front tv stand that holds game consoles or just decorations. It's main purpose is just to hold the center channel.

*Just remember, everything starts from the screen. So your first homework is a silver ticket 120" cinemascope screen fixed frame, white with gain.

I don't know how high your ceilings are or how high you sit on that couch, but get that measurement with your eyeballs DEAD ON 1/3 up from the bottom of the screen. Then when you know where your screen is on the wall, figure out the height of your center channel, then you know the height of the tv stand you need. It's ok if the center channel blocks the black velvet frame of the screen, you just don't want it poking above it.

The negative part of this setup is the rear channels and the left channel proximity, but that can be EQ'd and corrected to be really quiet.

Home Theater is about getting the foundation right first. Then if that's done well, you can build and grow it later on. It's a fun space you have and it can work. Stick with 5.1 and ignore the height cabling already there, its all garbage and in the wrong spots anyway. Your speakers will be at ear height, with the rears just 1.5 above ear height from the floor.

Now *If the projector being too close to project a 120" screen is an issue, you can go baller and put the projector in the utility closet and cut a hole with a pane of glass for it to project in the room. The advantages for that is one, the projector can sit far enough back to project the picture, the heat and sound isn't over your head on the couch, and the wife loves it.

Also get the Epson projector mentioned above. I love my Epson and the saved picture screen settings makes going from 2:35:1 content to 16:9 easy and efficient. ***Update*** I would check on Epson's new line of 4K Laser projectors that might still be in your budget. If you're spending 3k I would seriously look into them.

 

[Lazy8s]

The man clearly knows his stuff

 

[shrike126]

Waited 30 years for professional sound managed and treated theater, and yes, I'm clearly nuts and butt tired.

Oh I completely get it. I don't know if I'm in a place to gut and completely redo a movie watching basement setup anytime soon but I'm definitely a new member of the Jealous-of-AllexxisF1 crowd. That's gonna look sick as ****. But I love the idea of having a longer term project to work on. What part of the world do you live in?

Your setup isn't too far off to what I had in a house we rented two years ago. Very simple setup (albeit with a 158" cinemascope silver ticket screen), 1080P Epson Projector and Elac Debut 2.0 6.2's (also on sale). Wife and kids loved it.

Given that the couch is set, you have to go with layout 1. With Home Theater its always about compromises. There isn't one theater in existence (even the million dollar one's) that somewhere, someway had to compromise.

Yeah, I think I didn't really make it clear up front that this isn't going to be a movie-first dedicated setup with seating in optimal position for full surround sound experience. I think having the theater seats pushed out into the open space would have given us better positioning for rears and height speaker separation. But I don't think that's a thing that I'll be able to really get away with this year.

The good part about this setup below, is that its very easy to conceal cabling for the front stage because all the gear is in the closet. The only runs you need to fish is for the rear channels. Especially the right rear which may, go across joists. Big sectionals like this are easy to just bundle and tuck the wires behind.

The room already has some wiring for rear height speakers which terminate at the east wall in a box of labeled speaker wiring right now. Which means, even if I don't use those exact positions or speakers themselves, I at least have some wiring run through the walls already.

One thing that I'm puzzling through is whether or not I want to run a bunch of speaker wires around the room to different corners or sides through the baseboard trim. I have some on order that I can play with and share pictures, thoughts, feedback on. It's baseboard that has room in it for running wiring so the only real questions I have is what to run where, whether it will all fit, and how do I get the cables out of the baseboard in a way that looks purposeful and not hacked.

I ordered a few pieces and lengths to use in the office so that I can play around with this and share feedback here. It should arrive Saturday I think.

With this setup you can still have front tv stand that holds game consoles or just decorations. It's main purpose is just to hold the center channel.

So, right now I have 4 speaker wires that terminate in a gang box on the bottom of that east wall (see pic below).

*Just remember, everything starts from the screen. So your first homework is a silver ticket 120" cinemascope screen fixed frame, white with gain.

So, about that. Silver Ticket 120" CinemaScope screen, fixed frame, non-acoustically transparent?

Like this one? https://www.silverticketproducts.com/products/str-235125

It looks like a 127.75" diagonal, white with 1.1 gain, and not all that expensive. Do you find that you prefer letterboxing to happen on the sides when you're watching native 16:9 content? Or on the top and bottom if you have a 16:9 screen and watch 2.35:1 content?

I don't know how high your ceilings are or how high you sit on that couch, but get that measurement with your eyeballs DEAD ON 1/3 up from the bottom of the screen. Then when you know where your screen is on the wall, figure out the height of your center channel, then you know the height of the tv stand you need. It's ok if the center channel blocks the black velvet frame of the screen, you just don't want it poking above it.

They're 8 ft ceilings. I just went and stuck the tape measure up to the top and grabbed a pic of the height dimension.

So 1/3rd up from that would be roughly 2.5 ish ft. Let's say I get that particular Silver Ticket cinemascope screen, that's 54.75" height. So, 96" to the ceiling, assuming I come down 12 inches from the ceiling (gap above screen for trim n' such) that's 54.75" off of 84" which leaves me with 29" (roughly) from the floor to the bottom of the screen.

The negative part of this setup is the rear channels and the left channel proximity, but that can be EQ'd and corrected to be really quiet.

Home Theater is about getting the foundation right first. Then if that's done well, you can build and grow it later on. It's a fun space you have and it can work. Stick with 5.1 and ignore the height cabling already there, its all garbage and in the wrong spots anyway. Your speakers will be at ear height, with the rears just 1.5 above ear height from the floor.

Out of curiosity what would be less garbage positions for height?

Now *If the projector being too close to project a 120" screen is an issue, you can go baller and put the projector in the utility closet and cut a hole with a pane of glass for it to project in the room. The advantages for that is one, the projector can sit far enough back to project the picture, the heat and sound isn't over your head on the couch, and the wife loves it.

That's come up also. Here's a couple pictures from within the utility closet.

This is facing east, so the other side is this wall here.

Also get the Epson projector mentioned above. I love my Epson and the saved picture screen settings makes going from 2:35:1 content to 16:9 easy and efficient. ***Update*** I would check on Epson's new line of 4K Laser projectors that might still be in your budget. If you're spending 3k I would seriously look into them.

I went to a local Best Buy yesterday afternoon and looked at the Epson LS12000 in person. I gotta say I really liked what I saw. The LS11000 it seems is $1k cheaper, comes with less of a warranty, a couple fewer accessories like the ceiling mount, but is otherwise virtually the same. It looks like it's basically the 5050ub but with a laser instead of a bulb light source.

So, this is in the shopping cart right now and might be what I end up going with.

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/epson-...hz-home-theater-white/6495336.p?skuId=6495336

I will never not use the picture of the toilet now as my ideal seating position diagram. Though out of curiosity, as you've been taking pictures and documenting your home theater project, what did you use to do sketches of the layout and diagram out everything? Was it an app?