Help required for a entertainment room set up

Hello All,

I am new to Hi Fi vision, and have been going through the posts for some time now and this site has been extremely helpful and I appreciate all the efforts from the members here.

I am currently designing my 3 bedroom flat and have dedicated 1 room for entertainment only. The size of the room is about 16X20 and has a balcony which I am enclosing to get more space.

The following stuff will go into the entertainment room and will need your suggestion on choosing the right VFM product,

1. A complete 5.1 home theater
2. A projector with HD 1080
3. LCD TV
4. Screen
5. Gaming device
6. Seating
7. Remote controlled lighting
8. Acoustics material

Now taking each of these things, I would like your suggestions for choosing the right product.

Home theater – My budget is 150,000 for the complete set up including the AV receiver and the speakers. What I am looking is for a set up which brings out the clarity in sound and also has a very tighter bass effect. Though don’t mind stretching a bit if justified well. I have auditioned the following brands so far,

a. Klipsch RF 62 series with onkyo 705 series – I found these speakers very loud and really didn’t enjoy the audition
b. Elac 100 series with onkyo 705 series – Much better compared to Klipsch
c. Jamo 606 series with onkyo 705 series – Same qualities as Elac
d. Usher, with Marantz receiver – Very mild, and looks like most suited or a 2 channel
e. Polk, KEF, and other Pro FX brands – which didn’t make an impact
f. Mordaunt Short Mezzo 6 series with Cambridge receiver – Was impressed with the package and sounded really good. The speakers were quoted around 65,000 and the reciever i guess was around 31,000

Now my dilemma is if Mordaunt Short is the best VFM product in the market, and are there any other brands which can be compared to this one?

Projector – For the projector I am looking at getting one from the US, since the prices are much cheaper compared to the ones available locally. I have looked at Optima and Infocus. And I am particular about the HD 1080 projectors.
What I would like to know is the difference between a DLP and LCD projector.

LCD - I am importing a Sony Bravia 40” W400 series from Japan for a price of $800. This was part of a large consignment we were getting for a hotel being constructed.

Screen - After reading all the reviews I have zeroed in on a fabric screen instead of a painted wall. I would like to know the size of the screen to be chosen and what brands are available in the market and the price. I am not keen on a motorized screen, but will have a pull down screen.

Gaming Device - I have decided to have the PS3, but does any one have good reviews on Nintendo WII?

Seating – Where can I source the kind of seats used in PVR? I may have a few seats of this type and another solution for lying down option,

Lighting – I am yet to see the products available in the marker for a remote controlled lighting system, has any member used any such system and what would they cost?

Acoustics Material – I need a big help from all here to choose the right material for the acoustics, is it important to have sound dampeners on all sides of the room including ceiling and floor area?

I have looked at some POP material being used along with glass wool, are these the best suited for acoustics? Has any body got some knowledge on another material called the mineral fiber which is less expensive compared to the POP.? What about stuff like dynamite used in cars?

I plan to keep this thread alive through out the period until the entertainment room is completed, which may take another 2-3 months. I will also keep posting pictures periodically as the work progresses.

I am sorry for the long thread, but wanted to have all these in one place to be reviewed easily.

Regards,

Srisha

Hi Srisha

I think the best person who could help you in setting up a theatre is Mr.Vinay and Mr.sunil , they are a active forum members and you can get the help of these gentlemen.

regards

Hi Srisha,welcome to this amazing forum.
To start,am not gonna answer for all your list,as you will have the most apt suggestions and recommendation shortly from some of the pro members here.
As am a hardcore gamer and work in the game industry,its easy for me to guide you in the gaming device section.
Purely choose the ps3,as it is the only cheapest blu-ray player in the market.
It delivers 7.1 audio,with latest additions like Dts mater audio capability(guess via LPCM).
So you can very well zero in on the ps3.
Coming back to the Nintendo Wii,its a family console,which can entertain your whole family with its functionality.But sadly it cannot deliver HD content,as it is a SD console.You could have it as an additional console,which u can hook it up to your amazingly cheap Bravia.
Try importing the ps3 too,as now you have the 80 gig and 160 versions available in the US,japan etc,which is not here i guess,also its pretty cheap there.
Make sure your A/V reciever has HDMI I/O.just to make full use of the HD era.
Lastly my suggestion will be to go for a 7.1 A/V receiver instead of a 5.1,as you have dedicated room.
Our guys here will be glad to help you out with Receivers,Speakers etc.

Have Fun
Vj

Try importing the ps3 too,as now you have the 80 gig and 160 versions available in the US,japan etc,which is not here i guess,also its pretty cheap there.

Unfortunately I cannot since the LCD are bought in bulk and hence I was able to get a discount.

Make sure your A/V reciever has HDMI I/O.just to make full use of the HD era.
Lastly my suggestion will be to go for a 7.1 A/V receiver instead of a 5.1,as you have dedicated room.

The AV receiver is going to be a 7.1, but at this point of time I am planning to have only 5.1 since the DVDs available in the market are only 5.1. I will keep the option of 7.1 also

Regards,

Srisha

In my opinion, Yamaha may be a better choice for movies' sound. Their AVRs have specialised DSP processes, and some of their models now support 2 sub woofers. They call it 5.2 or 7.2.

If you are looking for 'tighter bass', what you should do is to buy 5 speakers from a regular brand (such as MS) and a sub woofer from a specialised company such as Revel, Velodyne, Thiel, REL Acoustics, etc. Take a look at HSU Research also. Their sub woofers go very low and generate very tight base, and they are inexpensive.

In your list of speakers to audition also include Wharfedale.

LCD projectors passes a light beam through a prism that dissects the light into three beams. Each beam is passed through one of three panels each of which has red, blue, or green filters representing the primary colors. The beam is them passed through thousands of small pixels gates that allow or disallow the beam to pass through. The number of pixels usually represent the resolution stated in the projector's specifications.The combination of open and closed pixels can produce a wide range of colors and shades in the projected image. These light beams are then combined by a dichoric prism and passed through a lens to your screen.

A DLP (or Digital Light Processing) is a technology created by Texas Instruments. In this, a light beam is thrown on thousands of microscopic mirrors. The number of mirrors again represent the resolution of the projector. These mirrors can be moved rapidly to reflect or not reflect a light beam that represents a pixel. The chip containing the mirrors is called a Digital MicroMirror Device (DMD).

Just before hitting the lens, the light beams pass through a rapidly rotating color filter wheel that generate the color. In the next step, the beams hit a lens that sends them to a scream.

There is a more expensive version of the DLP that uses three DMD chips instead of one. The light beam is first, like in the LCD, broken into three beams. Each of these beams is then sent to one of three DMD chips. After this the, the three beams are combined using a prism, and passed through a lens. A quick comparison of the two technologies.

LCD Projectors:

* More color dynamics
* Uses lesser power
* Generates lesser heat
* No color filter wheel = No "rainbow effect"
* Slightly quieter
* Sharper image for data projection.
* Lesser moving parts and lesser noise.

DLP Projectors:

* Smoother video
* Smaller box
* Pixels closer to each other and far less visible
* More filmlike on DVD and HDTV
* Generates "blacker" blacks
* Higher contrast

Since you seem to have connections in the hotel business, the easiset way would be to get carpenters to design and make your seating. If you want really professional ones, go for Lazyboy recliners (La-Z-Boy Recliners and Reclining Chairs- Official La-Z-Boy Website). This will cost you around 75K each.

Take a look at Anutone (Anutone - Enhancing Living Experiences). They make the best sound proofing and sound absorbing material in Asia. And it is an Indian company! They are expensive, but the 50 to 100 Rs a square feet they charge more is well worth it. If you need more information or what products to choose from from Anutone, let me know. They also make thin sheets that can be glued to doors and small areas, completely soundproofing your HT room.

Cheers

Venkat, thank you for you valuable response.


If you are looking for 'tighter bass', what you should do is to buy 5 speakers from a regular brand (such as MS) and a sub woofer from a specialised company such as Revel, Velodyne, Thiel, REL Acoustics, etc. Take a look at HSU Research also. Their sub woofers go very low and generate very tight base, and they are inexpensive.

Are HSU sold in India, if so does somebody have any leads?



Since you seem to have connections in the hotel business, the easiset way would be to get carpenters to design and make your seating. If you want really professional ones, go for Lazyboy recliners (La-Z-Boy Recliners and Reclining Chairs- Official La-Z-Boy Website). This will cost you around 75K each.

I have seen the la-z-boy and they are excellent. I also saw some stuff in Stanley and they were quite nice and excellent comfort.


Take a look at Anutone (Anutone - Enhancing Living Experiences). They make the best sound proofing and sound absorbing material in Asia. And it is an Indian company! They are expensive, but the 50 to 100 Rs a square feet they charge more is well worth it. If you need more information or what products to choose from from Anutone, let me know. They also make thin sheets that can be glued to doors and small areas, completely soundproofing your HT room.

The dilema i have is how much of dampning is required, I am getting mixed responses and some say the entire are, some say a part of the room should be sufficient. Is there any study as to what is the most appropriate?

No they are not sold in India. But you can get them from Singapore. I paid just Rs.2000 as customs duty for the VTF3. The customs officer was shaking his head in dismay at my 'stupidity' in buying some Chinese sounding stuff. Ha! Little did he know.

Yes, Stanley is also good. My only concern with both these is the use of leather or rexine. I feel cotton will be better for Indian conditions, though they are more difficult to maintain. .

Well, the best is, of course, to cover the whole room. But there are easier and cheaper methods. The trick is to find out which part of the wall, ceiling, and floor actually reflect.

For the side walls, a simple way to locate the exact points that reflect sound is to use a mirror. Seat yourself in your listening position, and get a friend to walk along the left wall with a mirror held at the height of the tweeter. He should start from near the left speaker and walk towards you along the wall. As he moves keep watching the mirror, When you see the left speaker, mark that spot with a tape. As he continues moving you will then see reflection of the right speaker. Mark this position also.



Repeat this for the right wall. Now you have four spots on the walls that that have maximum reflection. If you mount sound absorbing material some 2 feet to either side of the four spots, you are done.

Repeat the same procedure for the ceiling also. Use a long pole, or make the person stand on a moving stairway. As he moves the mirror from top of the speaker towards you, you will see a reflection of the speaker. These points have to be treated

Though you can do the same for the floor, the best is to carpet the floor. Or you can locate the reflecting spots and cover them with a thick rug.

The best way to treat the wall behind your sitting position is to treat it for diffusion. Line the wall with bookshelves up to the height of the tweeter. Or use special diffusion material.

To add to the effect you can treat the four corners of the room with small bass traps.

Cheers

Has anybody tried using inwall speakers for a home theater, I am sure they will save some space, but not siure whether there will be a compromise in terms of sound quality,

I would request, if some one has used these to share their view and also pix if any.

Thx

Srisha

Guys,

pls help me choosing the right HDMI switch. I have shortlisted 2 products available in the US and here are the links to them,

OPPO HM-31, Advanced 3x1 HDMI Switch, 1080P and HDMI 1.3 Certified

The oppo HDMI switch connects 3 sources, but the input can be connected to only 1 display either the projector or the LCD, this means every time I change my viewing source I will have to manually change.

HDMI Matrix Switch - 4X2 - HDMI 1.3

The other switch is a matrix switch which can connect upto 4 sources and can be connected to 2 displays, this was I can easy remote control the viewing sources with out inter connecting. However I am not sure of the quality and reliability of this product.

Can some one share their views on these and suggest the right product.

How come not many suggestions are coming from some of the experts on the forum here, have I opened this thread in the wrong section?

Regards

Srisha

Srisha:

HDMI switches are extremely simple devices. They just route data from 'x' number of input sockets to 'y' number of output sockets. There is no major electronics or design involved here. What is important is the quality of the sockets used, and the wiring inside.

What you have to decide is how many inputs and how many outputs you need. Based upon that you buy the appropriate unit.

Oppo, of course, has a great reputation for DVD Players, and their HDMI switch has also been rated well. But since you need two outputs (or at least more tha one) you should look at other brands/devices.

Cheers