Pics of my current setup and a future home theater...

[cynatnite]

I'm the wife who wants a mega home theater setup and I have a husband who isn't as into it as I am. Although, since he is a Nascar fan and he can watch the races in HD the idea is growing on him.

So, I added the pictures of our basement that I want to turn into a home theater.

The only corner you can't see is where the washer and dryer sit. I haven't decided if it's something I want or if it should be relocated to the garage (which is connected to the house). Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Our little setup is upstairs in the living room, but I want bigger and better.

[Hammie]

What are the actual dimensions?

Are you looking at building walls and enclosing a room?

Do you have an equipment list in mind?

Or at least a budget in mind?

Sounds like a fun project.

[cynatnite]

Originally Posted by louhamilton

What are the actual dimensions?

Are you looking at building walls and enclosing a room?

Do you have an equipment list in mind?

Or at least a budget in mind?

Sounds like a fun project.

The room is about 18' x 20'. I hadn't considered closing off any of it, but it's something to think about. The stairs come down to almost the middle of the room. Perhaps closing off the smaller side, where the washer and dryer sit, might not be a bad idea.

I want a larger TV, but it would have to wait until the room is done first because I doubt we could afford both plus the other additions I'd like to make. I also want to find a good HT system with surround sound speakers for the walls. I still have to research that. Also, some good lighting, too. Oh, and I want an oversized couch. Something that me and the husband can cuddle up on while watching movies.

We can afford a few thousand dollars right now, but what I have mind might add several hundred dollars (possibly more) which would strain the budget. That's not counting the upgraded TV I want.

Two of three kids have moved out of the house and money is a little more available than it once was.

So, there you have it.

[Kai Winters]

Budget, budget, budget...that is the primary key.
Do your research, think about and decide on what you mean by "home theatre". It makes a huge difference in the overall cost.
Looking at the room photos you first need to determine how much of a footprint you can utilize as the HT. Now you have to decide how you are going to treat, isolate and construct the room.
Next is gear. Are you going projector or tv? Then comes the audio section.
Maybe 7K'ish will get you a decent "theatre" if you can do the room construction yourself with family and friends.

If you mean a nice room you can chill in and watch tv or a movie you can get a nice system and create a bit of home theatre ambiance for 5K'ish.
Start with what you consider the most important. If it is the tv then go for the best you can afford with the budget you have to work with. Next, for me, would be the speakers. They make the biggest impact. I would spend the most on the center and fronts, then sub and last the surrounds. This is also a pricey, or can be, area but speakers last for a long, long time with very little care so they are a big part of the budget. Last is the receiver, imo. Electronics improve and change therefore I would buy the best I could get with the money I had left over. You can get a very, very nice receiver for around $500 that will provide plenty of power and signal to give you what you need and probably want for some time.
Room dividing walls are inexpensive and fairly easy to construct. Make sure to run your speaker wires through the walls for a clean look. Paint is a very inexpensive way to make a room look fantastic for movies/tv. Carpeting warms it up and sofa's, etc. are not expensive and adds a nice finishing touch for a cost effective home theatre.

Create a line drawing of the room, adding the stairs, etc. and put it in your gallery. There are some great folk here that will offer their suggestions, etc. on how to get the most out of what you have.

Heres a quick pricing info on what I would consider a nice system for the area and using your "few thousand dollars" as a budget. You have not described what gear you have and/or what you will continue to use in this room so I went from scratch except I left out the blu-ray dvd player as you mentioned your collection so you have one.

50" plasma tv: $1800
Speakers: $1450, I used Paradigm as a model as I know them best and prefer their sound and they are value priced to their sound and quality. Fronts/mini monitor, center cc290 (pricey at $500 but a huge improvement over the 190 for the extra cost), sub $350ish and surrounds are the Atoms at $250 per pair.
Receiver: $400 to $500
Wall mount for tv: $150
Cables/wiring: $100
Total is $4000. You can do better with a bit of negotiation, sales research and careful shopping. Add another grand for some room improvements...paint, carpeting, wiring and a nice sofa...and you will have a very, very nice room.

Keep the info coming and good luck...the research is half the fun.

[cynatnite]

Originally Posted by Kai Winters

Budget, budget, budget...that is the primary key.

Keep the info coming and good luck...the research is half the fun.

Pardon my snipping. Thanks so much for the great advice! Husband is starting to really like the idea.

[Kai Winters]

Most of us love to share our knowledge and experience.
If you are going to start researching I suggest the following...yep I am anal.
Put together a compilation cd of a variety of your favorite music...the wider the range the better. Example: My wife and I love Annie Lennox and I use some of her songs as a test of vocals. I also use Frank Sinatra (my favorite male vocalist), AC/DC, Queen, Aerosmith, Dire Straits (MTV song), Stevie Ray Vaughn, etc. just to name a few...my compilation test cd has 20ish varied songs that test/push speakers, etc....I also know the songs best so can easily hear the differences. I also have several DVD's (Blu-ray and SD) that have great audio and will test/push audio gear as well.

I carry a small notebook and jot down what I hear/like/dislike/price/salesperson's name/etc. It is much easier than trying to remember everything. I also Google search for reviews on the device and will either save and/or print out the review. I also download the pdf file owners manual when able and read it at my leisure.
I have found...after making many and costly mistakes...this method works best for me, is tons of fun and has saved me a bundle over time.
Have fun.

[Beta Man]

I had to make due with a much smaller room..... so it can be done (I ended up with a 106" screen, as I didn't want to zoom too much to get a larger one)

What you'll need to know......

1) Ceiling height....

2) wall you'd want your screen on

3) distance away from the wall you could mount a projector with no obstructions (I see a support pole of some sort there.... but it looks to be out of the way)

4) desired screen size (which will be limited by the above restraints)

5) budget, which is always the biggest limitation to any system (since there have been those who have built separate structures to house their cinemas )


If you have $3,000 to spend (for instance) you can make that into a very inviting room for movies/sports (and even Nascar)

[Shu76]

Actually, If I had the room for a home theater set-up, I'd go with a front projector with projection screen. If you want some nice lighting, go with some in the ceiling lights with dimmer for that "theater like feeling". Add some cool framed movie posters hanging on the walls,ect...Build slowly,it's not all gonna happen over night (as much as we'd all like too). might wanna save the "Big screen TV" for the living room if you wanna watch regular tv (in high def of course) "Movie Night" would be in the basement.