Home Theater

120 Comments

1. Carlton, I am in the final stages of building my dream home, which includes a home theatre. The room is 20.7″ x 17.5″ with 9 ft ceilings. I have an Onkyo TX-NR3010 Receiver, Onkyo BD-SP809 Blu-Ray Player and Harmony 1100 Universal Remote. I have 4 in-ceiling Proficient C840 Surround Speakers, 2 in-wall Polk 265-RT speakers for my front R&L speakers and a Polk 255c-RT as the front center speaker. I still have a few items left to purchase and would appreciate your opinions on each. The first is the subwoofer, which I have been looking at getting 2 SVS SB13 Ultra subwoofers. I have read some great reviews, but would like to know if you have any experience with them? Also, I have been looking at the Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 5020e Projector and am curious of your thoughts on this one and lastly on the screen. I have actually purchased a Da-lite Cinema Contour DaMat 65×116 screen, which is 133″ diagonal. My fear is that this is actually too large and am thinking of going down one size screen to the 119″D screen. Again, I appreciate your thoughts on this as well. Thank you in advance! Dennis

   1. Author

      Hi Dennis. Sounds like an awesome setup. I don’t have any direct experience with SVS SB13 subs, but I have with other (lower) models and they were awesome. I think you will be very happy with 2 SB13s.

      From what I understand, the Epson 5020e is quite bright. In a light-controlled room, I think it could do a great job on a 133″ screen. I would try it with that screen first before downsizing. Given the option, I would pick the 133″ screen (unless the room is really bright.)

      Good luck finishing your build!

2. why aren’t your new subwoofers listed?

3. Hi, sweet site love all the ideas! i have a question is 100inch screen to larger for a 16 1/2ft long 11ft wide?

   1. Author

      No, it’s not too big. This seems about right.

4. Hi Carlton,
   I’m getting ready to install a home theater in a new construction basement. I love how your equipment is organized. Could you point me to the type of racking that you have?
   Thanks!
   Chad

   1. Author

      Hi Chad. My equipment rack is from Middle Atlantic. They can be ordered in a variety of configurations and heights. I got the standard version (no side panels or other add-ons) and installed it in a drywall enclosure. The rack shelves are Middle Atlantic as well. They have a huge database of components and custom laser cut each one to exactly match each component. If they are missing a component in their database, you can either send it to them or send them the measurements. (You typically order through a dealer/retailer, not directly from them.)

5. Hi Carlton,

   First of all I have to say that’s a awesome home cinema. I am interested in one to make so, I was checking your list and googling it where can I get the stuff half the stuff from the list is discontinued from the manufacture. Is it possible for you if you can update this list with the best products in available in the marker and roughly how much it’s cost.

   Thanks
   Akki

   1. Author

      Akash, I’ll try to update this page at some point, but my suggestion is that you start with the Gear page for now.

6. What is the size of your theater

   1. Author

      It’s 13 feet wide by 22 feet deep. The ceiling is 8 feet high at the highest point.

7. I can get a used by in great shape JVC DLA-HD750 for $1500. Is that going to still be good, or have other projectors improved enough that I could get the same quality at a lower price new ? What is the difference between a D-ILA and a DLA ? Thanks for all of your research and sharing.
   Lance

   1. Author

      Lance, I still have my HD750 and haven’t found a compelling reason to upgrade. The newer JCV projectors have slightly better native contrast ratios, and a gimmicky pixel shift faux 4k mode, neither of which are astronomical jumps forward.

      The only reason to consider alternatives is brightness. You can now get much brighter projectors in that price range. But JVC still excels in native contrast ratio, and that is what makes the picture “pop” (versus other projectors that use an iris to make certain scenes darker than other and measure “dynamic” contrast ratio instead.)

      1. Thanks Carlton, that makes me feel better. I ended up buying it for $800. I think I got a bargain. I may be looking to you for configuration down the road. Thanks again for all of your research and calculation spreads.
         Lance

8. Hello Carlon,

   how are you?

   i have to know what is use of Sage TV?

   1. Author

      Gafoor: SageTV is PC software that records live television and plays back movies at full Blu-ray quality from a server on your network. SageTV media extenders and/or PC clients are at each TV. The company was acquired by Google and the software is now open source. http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/

9. Hello Carlton, who do you recommend for home theater installation? Any company in Bay area which really can be trusted?

   1. Author

      Sorry, I don’t know the installers in that area. You’ll need to interview them and select the one that you think best matches your objectives. CEDIA is a good place to start to find well trained dealer and installers.

10. Hi Carlton, your blog is great! I am in the midst of building my home theater, but kind of stuck with a 17′ by 16′ by 9′ height ceilings room. I am planning on using the Epson 5040UB. I did plan on putting a riser for the back seats that sticks out about 5′ therefore leaving around 12′ for the first row and the back row a little further back. My question is do you think a 120″ screen be to big? Should I just go with a 110″? Thanks!

    1. Author

       I think 120-inches is perfect. I sit 11 feet from a 123-inch screen.

11. What is the weight of your theater???

12. Hey Carlton, great blog and VERY informative! Probably one of the better blogs on home theater design. Quick question for you. I am very interested in creating a screen enclosure like the one you have pictured here, as my screen is also 123″. Do you have the specs on how you built it? It looks like it is covered in similar fabric covering as your panels, but black, right? Is the enclosure hollow? Thanks!

    1. Author

       Thanks for the positive feedback!

       The enclosures beside and below the screen are hollow frames made out of 2×4 pieces of lumber. The edges of the frames were rounded using a router and then painted black and covered with black speaker cloth. There is a separate frame covering the center, left, and right speakers. Each frame has 2 sides/faces, with the other 6 “sides” bring against the walls, floor and ceiling. Otherwise, too much light will show through the speaker cloth and you can see inside.

       I hope this helps!

       1. Thank you for your reply, Carlton. So you actually built your speakers (left, right, and center) into the frame? Interesting. Additionally, I’ve always read that you want to make sure the wall behind your screen is completely sound proof. Wouldn’t having hollow frames around the screen impact the overall sound in your theater? Would an option be to build the frame as you have done with the speakers built in, but perhaps fill the frame with insulation? Thanks again for your time!

          1. Author

             I wouldn’t describe it as the speakers being built into the frame. The frames are 98% air. The frames are basically acoustically-transparent speaker cloth being held up in front of / beside the speaker. Because it’s acoustically-transparent material, it has virtually no effect on speaker performance (just like a speaker grill covered in grill cloth).

             The front wall of the theater (behind the front speakers) is covered in sound absorption insulation. You wouldn’t want to surround speakers or fill the frame in that material. The speakers need some free space around them. The acoustic treatments should only be on the wall behind the front speakers.

13. Hi Carlton. Your blog is great! I find myself coming back to it quite often to reference during my home theater project. One quick question. What did you do for ventilation?

    1. Author

       Josh, for my home theater, I added a flexible supply line feeding 2 vents in the theater room. This is in addition to the one vent that was already there.

       For the return, I installed a silent bathroom exhaust fan in the equipment rack closet that vents to the room outside. This helps move air through the room, and hot air out of the closet. This in addition to the one return already in the room.