Can it be done???

[Johnny-Drama]

I have an unfinished basement at the moment. I have been reading these threads for awhile now but there's just so much info out there it's hard to narrow it down. Now I won't be finishing this basement until the fall but I figured I'd start asking now so I know what to be saving and looking for. I also live in Canada so if a piece of equipment is suggested with a price, just let me know if you mean US Dollars thanks. I know most of the people here appear to be from the US but it'll make things extra clear for me.

So ya, I've always wanted a home theater with a projector but I'm limited to space. Getting a house in Toronto was hard enough for me so my space in the basement isn't huge. I just want to know if it's possible with my dimensions to put in a decent home theater. I will be buying everything piece by piece.

I have included 2 layouts. One with dimensions, the other where I was thinking about putting the gear. I want the home theater to be on the side where it says windows (the S,D,W is the laundry area). The dimensions I've given are what it will be when it is framed and drywalled. Now as you can see, I only have roughly 12' to work with distance wise. I want the full package so surround sound is a must so by the time I put my speakers behind me and have the couches in, I guess we're around 10' viewing distance. Is that do-able? How big of a screen could I get with that distance without having to scan the screen as I watch & keeping the PQ high. If the gear setup is no good, please let me know. Hopefully you can tell that the little box is the sub (I really hope this doesn't get too confusing for everyone)

I'm also worried about all the windows (the windows are the OUTER boxes on the attachments) I know it's open concept but if we move, I want it to be as re-sellable as possible. I'm never home during the day so everything will be watched mostly at night, except maybe the weekends if I want to play some video games so if the windows need to be covered, what's the best thing to use (nothing permanent)

Now for audio, is it being open concept going to be a huge problem for my audio? I won't be going 7.1, just 5.1 but I want to make sure it sounds as good as possible.

When the time comes. I'll be looking to spend roughly $6000 on the total package. I know it's not much but the basement will be costing me a ton on it's own. I have a PS3 already that I'll be using as my blu ray but that's the only gear I have so far. I will not be using the projector to watch TV. I have a Sony Bravia KDL-w4100 upstairs for that. I would like to focus most heavily on the projector so I'm hoping when the time comes, November/December to buy everything, whatever you start suggesting now, will be cheaper (especially around Christmas) so if you have any thoughts on gear, please let me know. From what I've gathered, in the audio department, pricewise & quality wise, it seems Paradigm & PBS are the best way to go to keep the budget decent and the quality good. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Another issue, the furnace is really loud. I know zero about construction but is there any tips, special materials to use to quiet it down. My brother in law knows this stuff and he'll be helping me with the basement but it's hard to get a hold of him right now so if you have any thoughts, please share. Also, I live in a townhouse and my neighbors are located on the side where the stairs/laundry is. That's why I'm putting the screen, sub woofer on the other side to keep it more quiet.

Flooring is another concern. I have settled on putting carpet but is there a certain type of carpet that's better for sound or anything? Probably a stupid question but I will ask all I can.

Last but not least. We are thinking of moving the Dryer (D) to the other side of the Sink (S) and using the space where the dryer was to house all the gear (as demonstrated in my GEAR attachment). I will separate it with a wall so that the washing machine won't come in contact with the gear in case something happens.

I know this is a lot to ask but searching these forums is super time consuming and there's so much out there it's hard to pinpoint so I figured I'd start my own and see what people think. I also know it's a bit away from start date but from what I read, it takes months to get everything right so I best start now.

To sum it all up, I want to know if my distance is doable, is open concept doable, are the windows a major issue, is carpet good for sound, is my setup okay and I would like to start putting a list of gear together so I know what I need to start saving for. I will talk to the pro's eventually but the more I know now, the better I'll be when i speak to them. I hope this all made sense and any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your time and sorry this was sooooo long. I look forward to hearing from you. If you think my layout can be better, just let me know. Also, if this is in the wrong forum, please tell me. I figured with talking about gear as well and layout, it shouldn't be in the construction section. I'll shut up now.

Adam