Need Suggestion for Professional HT Designer in Delhi NCR

[srinisundar]

Vinay, I agree with your points from your view...

Room distance i have mentioned is backed on my usage for last 4 years of various contents..Including my 480P benq/ to latest Mits4800. I never felt fatigue of watching at sitting at 10 feet( if we use recliner automaticaly you are sliding to 11 to12 feet). It you Go further you are in balcony/like manu at 18feet and like you / come one step down to 10 feet you are in 1st class- 6 to 8 feet is lower class.:lol: Theoraticaly some websites have given as 13 to 14 feet. Viewing Distance Calculator

To mention in my Mits i watched one movie at exactly at 6 feet( Bheema- DVD-9), one of the best transfers made recently in DVD.. I enjoyed that movie sitting at 8 feet / You will feel like you are gone inside it during songs

Yes, for us the snacks are the part of the HT,, I love to have an bar & popcorn outside not inside.. Rest assured if you drink( a lot) and watch you whether watch at 6 ft or 18ft doesnt matter.

Plasama lifts cost USD300 in china and it is worth for an HT to get imported. Including shipping and duty you will be able to get below $500.

anyway our experience should help Sam to go into his own:clapping: and save plenty of money to get some more recent gadgets.

 

[srinisundar]

The charm level is dynamic when you use your private theatre only for music, movies, or other things which are projector based, and maybe gaming too. I watch movies more frequently, the thrill to open the room mainly for movies is just great. In my theatre there will not be a single routine item of the house like comb, slippers, mobile, etc.

Indeed one can use the room for TV, for that matter it can be used for anything under the sun, the point is if one wants a full theatre feel, it has to be dedicated, that is how it is being used by people who understand what is a mini theatre.

Vinay.

Yes as u said it is applicable to an dedicated HT Guy Like you... Like feeling to go to theatre and coming out watching an movie... Exclusively..

No body want to leave the space unutilised which was poured with money to be only UTILIZED only for watching movies...Who will go DIY? Budget minded people / Knowledgable personnel / Experiment oriented personnel... We are getting lot of advices on gadgets/ acoustic-- all because of some DIY efforts which were done in the HT DEN, we cannot leave it unutilzed/ we have to tweak our installed gadgets..

So Budget minded people will connect all kind of gadgets as much as possible and utlize
Knowledgable people will try to ulize as much as possible by using daily and advice us to select the products
Experiment oriented personnel will do experiment daily with those gadgets and utilize the results and help us to do more DIY

 

[vinay]

Thank you very much for the writing.

It is interesting that there is no fatigue at 10 feet, i will try in the following days. You have good calculations on recliners.

I am watching the movie from 23 feet, i still feel that if i had an opportunity to go behind by another 2 feet, the joy part would escalate. If someone wants 6 recliners of lazy boy, naturally the room length should be at least 30 feet while the room width should be a good one, the viewing distance calculator, should be good, because that has been worked on research based but then i say one thing, we have to see how we enjoy the most, like in your case it is fine from 10 feet, but i say it should be at least 23 feet. I like the language you have used balcony, lower class, etc, that is the way how an private theatre should be spoken off.

Actually i love the concept of lifts, i too have a lift for the projector, it gives a great feel once it rolls down and up. In-fact one of my screen automatically rolls down and up, once the projector is on and of.

Indeed the forum members experience of making a private theatre and related will help others at this forum.

Vinay.

 

[ashishkesarwani]

No issues... ....and yes inviting people for audition and sharing information is ofcourse a generous act, infact I took the first step when Ashish was kind enough to invite me to experience his set up, though right now its placed in his casual bedroom he will soon shift the setup to his basement which is under development. I visited both his flat and his basement. he has a Polk Audio 5.1 setup with a kick ass ONKYO amp. If details are needed I would leave that to him. He shared a "LOT" of information with me and I am really thankful to him for that. Looking forward for more assistance from him as well as the forums members here.....

No need to thank me and my initaitive to join this forum is to help people by sharing my knowledge with them and in the course also gain some from them. I am happy to help you in getting your dream project come true, and you are free to share your feelings with others about the experience you had at my place and I don't have any objection to that either.

 

[srinisundar]

Thank you very much for the writing.

It is interesting that there is no fatigue at 10 feet, i will try in the following days. You have good calculations on recliners.

I am watching the movie from 23 feet, i still feel that if i had an opportunity to go behind by another 2 feet, the joy part would escalate. If someone wants 6 recliners of lazy boy, naturally the room length should be at least 30 feet while the room width should be a good one, the viewing distance calculator, should be good, because that has been worked on research based but then i say one thing, we have to see how we enjoy the most, like in your case it is fine from 10 feet, but i say it should be at least 23 feet. I like the language you have used balcony, lower class, etc, that is the way how an private theatre should be spoken off.

Actually i love the concept of lifts, i too have a lift for the projector, it gives a great feel once it rolls down and up. In-fact one of my screen automatically rolls down and up, once the projector is on and of.

Indeed the forum members experience of making a private theatre and related will help others at this forum.

Vinay.

Hi vinay,
Just u mentioned about the lift and i am about to send an PM to you, i saw the video of yours and itz nice.. where u got it, in india, if so what is the price... If it is quiete reasonable price i will opt for one.
Regards

 

[sam9s]

So good to see people sharing all kind of information and inputs.....

I am out of words when you say that the projector clarity has not impressed you, i and many of my contacts are totally happy with it, in-fact till today i have not come someone across who says that they are not happy with the projector. Indeed you will have to increase budget for projector and the screen. If you are planning to go for only a TV, then i recommend you to drop the idea of making a theatre in the basement, because it can never be a theatre, and spending on acoustics, etc, for the source to view being TV?

I think you should go for the projector and screen, which falls in your budget, or rather increase the budget to whatever you can, you will not be disappointed by dropping the TV. At a later time, you can always upgrade with a better budget.

Vinay.

Well with a couple of Demos and ashish setup as well, I have decided to go with a projector, now weather I put up a TV with a lift (which indeed is a very good suggestions) would depend on the budget and price factor. if 500USD is what would take for a lift setup I have to think about it. Though I will be installing the Projector lift (coz that serious adds to the room esthatics)
The projector till now what I have reviewed are EPSON and Panasonic A3000 suggested by Ashish. now 4000 series has been launched so would check out that as well. Rest equipments would be finilised after subsequent demos in the up coming weekends. I am preparing a 3D plan layout for my basement. 1st draft would be out soon. Floor plan is already ready and I will soon share everything with you people. I am just waiting it to be in final stage.

Yes as u said it is applicable to an dedicated HT Guy Like you... Like feeling to go to theatre and coming out watching an movie... Exclusively..

No body want to leave the space unutilised which was poured with money to be only UTILIZED only for watching movies...Who will go DIY? Budget minded people / Knowledgable personnel / Experiment oriented personnel... We are getting lot of advices on gadgets/ acoustic-- all because of some DIY efforts which were done in the HT DEN, we cannot leave it unutilzed/ we have to tweak our installed gadgets..

So Budget minded people will connect all kind of gadgets as much as possible and utlize
Knowledgable people will try to ulize as much as possible by using daily and advice us to select the products
Experiment oriented personnel will do experiment daily with those gadgets and utilize the results and help us to do more DIY

I agree here, though watching TV is the least probabl activity I would do in that room, but Gaming, Music would definately be there. I also agree on connecting as many gadgets as I can and make a complete convergence room for all kind of flavours. I would also connect a "wii" and would jump around in front of the screen while playing tennis or Boxing...... ....so though I am not a very Budget minded personal but would definately fall in the Experiment Oriented one.....

It is interesting that there is no fatigue at 10 feet, i will try in the following days. You have good calculations on recliners.
I am watching the movie from 23 feet, i still feel that if i had an opportunity to go behind by another 2 feet, the joy part would escalate. If someone wants 6 recliners of lazy boy, naturally the room length should be at least 30 feet while the room width should be a good one, the viewing distance calculator, should be good, because that has been worked on research based but then i say one thing, we have to see how we enjoy the most, like in your case it is fine from 10 feet, but i say it should be at least 23 feet.

Even I feel 10' would be way to near for a 100" screen, even the calculator shared here put a min of 14.5' for a 120" screen and my placement is in the same way. My room lenght is around 25'. I will very soon share the plan.

 

[vinay]

I had bought the projector lift for about Rs.35,000/-, while from whom i had bought the fibre based screen he was selling for 75,000/-, if you wish to know something more then please do let me know.

Vinay.

Hi vinay,
Just u mentioned about the lift and i am about to send an PM to you, i saw the video of yours and itz nice.. where u got it, in india, if so what is the price... If it is quiete reasonable price i will opt for one.
Regards

 

[vinay]

It is very good that you have realized that the projector is the way to go forward, since you have a budget problem, it will not be viable for you in getting a TV lift, furthermore if you buy a TV, again it will drain your budget, and do not forget with your for kind of a room at least an 42 or 50 inches TV is required. Moreover it is not wise to even think of a lift for TV because as it is you will be using the TV rarely.

The projector lift is going to cost good amount of money and please be guided that to install the projector lift, you will have to make a false ceiling first, if you go for the branded acoustic tiles, then they will cost you around 50,000/- rupees for your size of room.

Please be guided on basis of my earlier reply, that the screen size and seating capacity which you are looking for, will not be viable in your room dimensions, so forget the floor plan, i am telling you now only that it will not work out. Therefore please look at my earlier reply.

About considering projectors and other gadgets at this point of time, with so and so model number will hold no ground because you have a long way to go before you need to install them, so please reduce your time considerably to take the demos. Furthermore i think you need to focus more time on this thread, as there have been occasions you do not reply point to point and related, the more effective you are on this thread, better the ball game for you.

So good to see people sharing all kind of information and inputs.....



Well with a couple of Demos and ashish setup as well, I have decided to go with a projector, now weather I put up a TV with a lift (which indeed is a very good suggestions) would depend on the budget and price factor. if 500USD is what would take for a lift setup I have to think about it. Though I will be installing the Projector lift (coz that serious adds to the room esthatics)
The projector till now what I have reviewed are EPSON and Panasonic A3000 suggested by Ashish. now 4000 series has been launched so would check out that as well. Rest equipments would be finilised after subsequent demos in the up coming weekends. I am preparing a 3D plan layout for my basement. 1st draft would be out soon. Floor plan is already ready and I will soon share everything with you people. I am just waiting it to be in final stage.



I agree here, though watching TV is the least probabl activity I would do in that room, but Gaming, Music would definately be there. I also agree on connecting as many gadgets as I can and make a complete convergence room for all kind of flavours. I would also connect a "wii" and would jump around in front of the screen while playing tennis or Boxing...... ....so though I am not a very Budget minded personal but would definately fall in the Experiment Oriented one.....



Even I feel 10' would be way to near for a 100" screen, even the calculator shared here put a min of 14.5' for a 120" screen and my placement is in the same way. My room lenght is around 25'. I will very soon share the plan.

 

[vinay]

Indeed having a full fledged private mini theatre in your house is a great joy.

About leaving the space un-utilized, there is nothing wrong in that, if there are foreign things in the room, then how does it become a private theatre? I too had bought so many things during the making, but i had to remove them from the theatre because it was spoiling the grace of a theatre, etc. If we need to tweak theatre related, there will be so many options of which one can try in a phased manner but to tweak other then theatre related, it loses it's rating of a private theatre.

Vinay.

Yes as u said it is applicable to an dedicated HT Guy Like you... Like feeling to go to theatre and coming out watching an movie... Exclusively..

No body want to leave the space unutilised which was poured with money to be only UTILIZED only for watching movies...Who will go DIY? Budget minded people / Knowledgable personnel / Experiment oriented personnel... We are getting lot of advices on gadgets/ acoustic-- all because of some DIY efforts which were done in the HT DEN, we cannot leave it unutilzed/ we have to tweak our installed gadgets..

So Budget minded people will connect all kind of gadgets as much as possible and utlize
Knowledgable people will try to ulize as much as possible by using daily and advice us to select the products
Experiment oriented personnel will do experiment daily with those gadgets and utilize the results and help us to do more DIY

 

[santhosh]

the thrill to open the room mainly for movies is just great...... the point is if one wants a full theatre feel, it has to be dedicated, that is how it is being used by people who understand what is a mini theatre.

Among the problems of TV in a private theatre, eventually one will start seeing all the routine programmes there, followed by snacks and what not, the dedicated concept of a theatre will go to the gallows.

Indeed having a full fledged private mini theatre in your house is a great joy.

@Vinay: One must appreciate your passion for HT especially the way you visualise your "Mini Theater" and hold it as a very 'special' part of your home. Hats off!!:cheers:

 

[santhosh]

I have some online resources that will help you plan your seating and also choosing an ideal screen size and viewing distance. I shall post them tomorrow.

About seating and other HT design aspects:
Towards a Successful Home Theater Design: A series of articles to get started.

For viewing distance:
1) Srini has already posted
2) http://www.hifivision.com/television/1676-viewing-distance.html

Even I feel 10' would be way to near for a 100" screen, even the calculator shared here put a min of 14.5' for a 120" screen and my placement is in the same way.

Srini is right about viewing distance and screen sizes. When I was deciding the screen size, even I used the same calculator that Srini has mentioned earlier. This calculator recommends only a maximum distance and not a minimum distance. I am quoting some of the important aspects and have also some text in bold from that website below:

Maximum recommended viewing distance: Suggests a viewing distance of three to six screen widths for video. This corresponds to the point at which most people will begin having trouble picking out details and reading the screen. Probably too far away to be effective for home theater, OK for everyday TV viewing. Most people are comfortable watching TV between this distance and half this distance.

Maximum SMPTE recommended viewing distance: SMPTE standard EG-18-1994 recommends a minimum viewing angle of 30 degrees for movie theaters. This seems to be becoming a de facto standard for front projection home theaters also. Viewing from this distance or closer will result in a more immersive experience, and also lessen eye strain caused by watching a smaller image in a dark room.

Maximum and Recommended THX viewing distances: THX also publishes standards for movie theaters to adhere to for THX certification. THX requires that the back row of seats in a theater have at least a 26 degree viewing angle and recommends a 36 degree viewing angle.

I have a 120 inch screen and am able to watch movies comfortably at 13.5 feet and sometimes even move the sofa closer to ~10 feet. This gives me a more "immersive" experience. No, I do not have a problem with my eyesight. So, plan your screen size based on your preference. My suggestion is minimum 120 diagonal 16:9 screen for your room size.

 

[vinay]

I am having 72 and 82 inches screen, while i watch from 23 feet, yet i feel that i should watch from 25 feet, so watching from 13 feet, that too a 120 inch screen, alarms me. I think you have no choice that is why you are watching from such a small distance. It is a open knoweldge more the fair distance, better one enjoys the movie, classic example is when we go to a cinema hall, why does one prefer to take the backer seats? Furthermore, if you will open your room door, go further behind 4 feet, see the joy of picture quality. Therefore taking the sofa closer to 10 feet, is completely alarming for me, and for sure, there will be eye problems at a later date, i must add here that watching from 10 feet, is like taking the front row seat of a theatre, which no one would like to take.

Vinay.

About seating and other HT design aspects:
Towards a Successful Home Theater Design: A series of articles to get started.

For viewing distance:
1) Srini has already posted
2) http://www.hifivision.com/television/1676-viewing-distance.html


Srini is right about viewing distance and screen sizes. When I was deciding the screen size, even I used the same calculator that Srini has mentioned earlier. This calculator recommends only a maximum distance and not a minimum distance. I am quoting some of the important aspects and have also some text in bold from that website below:



I have a 120 inch screen and am able to watch movies comfortably at 13.5 feet and sometimes even move the sofa closer to ~10 feet. This gives me a more "immersive" experience. No, I do not have a problem with my eyesight. So, plan your screen size based on your preference. My suggestion is minimum 120 diagonal 16:9 screen for your room size.

 

[santhosh]

I think you have no choice that is why you are watching from such a small distance

, although I could not make my room longer, I always had the choice of going in for a smaller screen but still chose a 120 inch after reading on various online resources. Guess it is a matter of personal preference.

It is a open knoweldge more the fair distance, better one enjoys the movie, classic example is when we go to a cinema hall, why does one prefer to take the backer seats?

Not sure about the others, I prefer rear seats(preferably center of the hall) in a cinema hall for two things:
a) I will be closer to the speakers and hopefully seated in the 5.1 sweet spot
b) People movement does not affect us much

Furthermore, if you will open your room door, go further behind 4 feet, see the joy of picture quality.

Since I am using a 1080p projector, there is no pixelation even at 4 to 6 feet. Even for a 720p projector, there should be no loss in clarity at my viewing distance.

Therefore taking the sofa closer to 10 feet, is completely alarming for me, and for sure, there will be eye problems at a later date,

Frankly, there is no eye strain after watching even a 4 hour movie (with four planned breaks of 5 minutes each). I have read the below-quoted fact on several web sites:

Viewing from this distance or closer will result in a more immersive experience, and also lessen eye strain caused by watching a smaller image in a dark room.

i must add here that watching from 10 feet, is like taking the front row seat of a theatre, which no one would like to take.

Not really Vinay. As long as you are able to see the entire image without having to move your head and viewing angle is taken care of, you should be fine. Like Srini suggested, you should try it out. Could you also share some details of your Projector model..Thanks

 

[vinay]

I too had the problem, could not make the room longer, so i broke the bathroom, and took a small portion of the living room too, that is how i ended up with a bigger room. If i had not broken the bathroom i would have to go for the smaller screen, which is not a good respect for the private theatre. Indeed it is a matter of personal preference to go for a bigger screen with a smaller room.

Indeed center seats in the hall are the best for reasons you say, no wonder in a home theatre also, we prefer centrally located.

I had bought the projector around 3 years ago, it is a 720p, indeed there could be no loss in clarity by viewing from smaller distance, but i can bet my right hand, if one watches from a larger distance, the joy is any day better.

So does it mean that if one watches from 23 feet, and the other one watches from 13 feet, the eye impact will be same on both? It is very difficult to digest this. I use 2 to 3 intervals each for about 30 minutes, i use a timer for this. By this i can catch up; with the routine works and shut down the projector too, moreover i can not watch a movie too much at a stretch, therefore these larger intervals.

For me it is impossible to digest that seeing a movie from the front row of a theatre is fine, if this is how private theatre has to be, then there would have never been one. I had bought the projector over 2 years ago, it was a Hitachi make, i think let the projector be the world's best, by no way it would licence you to see from a front row, the charm of watching movie from a distance, nothing can match by a front row, no wonder they are least respected in a cinema hall, and they go cheaper too, this says it all.

I thank you very much for the detailed writing, i was recently in Bangalore for a day, i would have loved to come over to see your home theater.

Vinay.

, although I could not make my room longer, I always had the choice of going in for a smaller screen but still chose a 120 inch after reading on various online resources. Guess it is a matter of personal preference.


Not sure about the others, I prefer rear seats(preferably center of the hall) in a cinema hall for two things:
a) I will be closer to the speakers and hopefully seated in the 5.1 sweet spot
b) People movement does not affect us much


Since I am using a 1080p projector, there is no pixelation even at 4 to 6 feet. Even for a 720p projector, there should be no loss in clarity at my viewing distance.


Frankly, there is no eye strain after watching even a 4 hour movie (with four planned breaks of 5 minutes each). I have read the below-quoted fact on several web sites:



Not really Vinay. As long as you are able to see the entire image without having to move your head and viewing angle is taken care of, you should be fine. Like Srini suggested, you should try it out. Could you also share some details of your Projector model..Thanks

 

[santhosh]

Sam, sorry to have de-railed your thread Sam. We are trying to help you but have different views on viewing distance and screen size. Rather than getting confused, please make this decision after a few demos. This way, you can save yourself the trouble of wishing later on that you should have gone in for a larger screen or vice versa.

To quote again from the website...

This calculator is intended only to give a general idea of proper viewing distances and angles. You need to experiment and find out what works for you and your situation. Your actual mileage may vary.

Indeed it is a matter of personal preference to go for a bigger screen

I think we should just leave it at this Vinay.

but i can bet my right hand, if one watches from a larger distance, the joy is any day better.

Not required Vinay, I went by calculations and I really enjoy the result. I do wish I had a larger room. But only so that I can have 4 full sized Lazboy recliners. Definitely not because of viewing distance. Even if I had a slightly larger room with two rows of seating, I would still enjoy watching from my current viewing distance. Ofcourse, this doesn't mean I like first row of a Cinema Hall:lol:

So does it mean that if one watches from 23 feet, and the other one watches from 13 feet, the eye impact will be same on both? It is very difficult to digest this

For me it is impossible to digest that seeing a movie from the front row of a theatre is fine, if this is how private theatre has to be, then there would have never been one.

i think let the projector be the world's best, by no way it would licence you to see from a front row, the charm of watching movie from a distance, nothing can match by a front row, no wonder they are least respected in a cinema hall, and they go cheaper too, this says it all.

Ofcourse I did not mean any of these. I just meant that the viewing angle should be considered while designing a HT. In a real Cinema Hall, it is almost impossible to optimise the viewing angle for all rows. Even more difficult with risers or arc seating. Worst hit is the first row and it is definitely bad, no doubt about it. For the inconvenience, prices are low.

I use 2 to 3 intervals each for about 30 minutes, i use a timer for this. By this i can catch up; with the routine works and shut down the projector too, moreover i can not watch a movie too much at a stretch, therefore these larger intervals.

Thanks for sharing this, I will also try this.

I thank you very much for the detailed writing, i was recently in Bangalore for a day, i would have loved to come over to see your home theater.
Vinay.

Vinay, your HT is an inspiration for many including myself. It would have been my pleasure if you had visited my home. Please do drop into my Home to checkout my HT next time you are in Bangalore. I am still very new to HT world and am learning each passing day. Without doubt, my HT will benefit from your suggestions. You have a great eye for detail and I could only benefit from this and improve my HT's look and feel

 

[sam9s]

It is very good that you have realized that the projector is the way to go forward, since you have a budget problem, it will not be viable for you in getting a TV lift, furthermore if you buy a TV, again it will drain your budget, and do not forget with your for kind of a room at least an 42 or 50 inches TV is required. Moreover it is not wise to even think of a lift for TV because as it is you will be using the TV rarely.

TV is and never was in my HT budget, so if I do plan to have a TV installed, that would be extra shelling. I would not compromise on my HT budget. But yes I have to see where can I put the TV. If lift does not work out will put the TV in the breakout room for some casual viewing while having drinks.

The projector lift is going to cost good amount of money and please be guided that to install the projector lift, you will have to make a false ceiling first, if you go for the branded acoustic tiles, then they will cost you around 50,000/- rupees for your size of room.

I will have a false ceiling anyhow, and dont worry about the money, just keep pouring ideas, yes I do have budget but I can pour in if I am taken in for some seriously well designed idea.

Please be guided on basis of my earlier reply, that the screen size and seating capacity which you are looking for, will not be viable in your room dimensions, so forget the floor plan, i am telling you now only that it will not work out. Therefore please look at my earlier reply.

I dont know what will not work out, your statements are plain contradictory to santho and Sri AFA viewing distance is concerned, and since I presume you have designed your HT by your self (unless otherwise) you should know that no design can be finalized unless you have a basic floor plan

About considering projectors and other gadgets at this point of time, with so and so model number will hold no ground because you have a long way to go before you need to install them, so please reduce your time considerably to take the demos. Furthermore i think you need to focus more time on this thread, as there have been occasions you do not reply point to point and related, the more effective you are on this thread, better the ball game for you.

Ever planning should go simultaneously, specially when you have only weekend to act, and I seriously believe in pre planning everything, yes its still a long way to go, but the time my architect completes his drawing (complete house) with the basement model I want it still would easily take couple of months, in the mean time I can take demos which in itself would take its own sweet time unless I am in some kind of hurry (which I am not), this is my Dream project, every material, equipment, how so ever big and small would be researched upon and ever detail looked upon. If I decide to do it consecutively its gonna take years to complete. Every thing should be simultanious.

Plus which part have I not replied that to point to point....... kinldy quote and I shall try to provide an ans more comprehensively

Indeed having a full fledged private mini theatre in your house is a great joy.
About leaving the space un-utilized, there is nothing wrong in that, if there are foreign things in the room, then how does it become a private theater? I too had bought so many things during the making, but i had to remove them from the theater because it was spoiling the grace of a theater, etc. If we need to tweak theater related, there will be so many options of which one can try in a phased manner but to tweak other then theater related, it loses it's rating of a private theater.
Vinay.

There would NOT be any foreign thing in the HT I know what exactly you are getting here. Even I am VERY VERY particular about the grace and esthetics, trust me on that. So if I do decide to incorporate anything as an equipment, gadget or interior, rest assured it would; at all cost blend with the ambiance and theater feel. As I said even I share the same passion and Dream, it was just a matter of right time and money to materialize it.

About seating and other HT design aspects:
Towards a Successful Home Theater Design: A series of articles to get started.

For viewing distance:
1) Srini has already posted
2) http://www.hifivision.com/television/1676-viewing-distance.html

I have a 120 inch screen and am able to watch movies comfortably at 13.5 feet and sometimes even move the sofa closer to ~10 feet. This gives me a more "immersive" experience. No, I do not have a problem with my eyesight. So, plan your screen size based on your preference. My suggestion is minimum 120 diagonal 16:9 screen for your room size.

Thanks bro for the links, I would go through them and post my experience.
As I said you n vinay are on different opinions with a 100" screen. I feel 10' is tooo close and 23' is way to far (which is what vinay has). Any way the distance calculator site also provides........"Recommended THX viewing distance (36 degree viewing angle)" which is 13.4'. So I think 15' should be a safe bet for 120" screen.

 

[vinay]

Please be assured that the thread is not derailed, with such discussions one is bound to benefit.

So moral of the story is simple that you will prefer viewing distance much lesser then the distance at which i view.

I greatly appreciate that you find my mini theatre an inspiration, well i went through hell during the making, i had tried with some architects but it did not work out in the planning stage, at that point of time i decided that i will get all done by myself other then the acoustic part. It took me more then 12 months to make the theatre, so many times the work used to be stopped for 2 weeks and more because i had a particular problem, and i wanted full satisfaction, so i saw to it that i found a way out. You and others are very lucky that you'll came across hifivision, had i known hifivision during the theatre making days, my theatre would have been much better, as so much more i would have got to learn from some of the members, who these days do not write on theatre.

Thanks for the invitation to see your home theatre, i shall keep you posted on this.

Sam, sorry to have de-railed your thread Sam. We are trying to help you but have different views on viewing distance and screen size. Rather than getting confused, please make this decision after a few demos. This way, you can save yourself the trouble of wishing later on that you should have gone in for a larger screen or vice versa.

To quote again from the website...




I think we should just leave it at this Vinay.


Not required Vinay, I went by calculations and I really enjoy the result. I do wish I had a larger room. But only so that I can have 4 full sized Lazboy recliners. Definitely not because of viewing distance. Even if I had a slightly larger room with two rows of seating, I would still enjoy watching from my current viewing distance. Ofcourse, this doesn't mean I like first row of a Cinema Hall:lol:







Ofcourse I did not mean any of these. I just meant that the viewing angle should be considered while designing a HT. In a real Cinema Hall, it is almost impossible to optimise the viewing angle for all rows. Even more difficult with risers or arc seating. Worst hit is the first row and it is definitely bad, no doubt about it. For the inconvenience, prices are low.


Thanks for sharing this, I will also try this.


Vinay, your HT is an inspiration for many including myself. It would have been my pleasure if you had visited my home. Please do drop into my Home to checkout my HT next time you are in Bangalore. I am still very new to HT world and am learning each passing day. Without doubt, my HT will benefit from your suggestions. You have a great eye for detail and I could only benefit from this and improve my HT's look and feel

 

[vinay]

I am pleased to note your writing on TV. If one wants to watch some major TV programmes, one can always go via set top box, there can never be a better way then this.

It is nice to know that you are game for false ceiling, as that will play a good role for the acoustic front too, and the decor level will also increase. About well designed part, that will not be inch of a problem, we can do so much of mix and match, generate new ideas and what not, you can visit the forum members home theatres.

Indeed the floor plan is a must, all i am saying is that the seating and screen size which you are looking for, will not work in your room size, you will have to reduce the screen and seating, furthermore please realize once you have the seating arrangment, your several feets would have been chewn, so you remain with how many feet from the screen?

There are several things where the planning is required much later on, we need to focus on what is required now, if we lack here, then naturally the foundation stone is going to be weak.

About which part you have not replied etc, that also i have to tell you, this is very interesting.

It is great that you realize that no foreign object should be in a home theatre and that you understand the importance of grace and aesthetics, i sure trust you the way you have written to me.

One of the things which we can do is at a later date start making the cost structure so that you can get a idea as to how far you can go, once the items are decided then you can take 3 quotes for comparison.

Vinay.

TV is and never was in my HT budget, so if I do plan to have a TV installed, that would be extra shelling. I would not compromise on my HT budget. But yes I have to see where can I put the TV. If lift does not work out will put the TV in the breakout room for some casual viewing while having drinks.

I will have a false ceiling anyhow, and dont worry about the money, just keep pouring ideas, yes I do have budget but I can pour in if I am taken in for some seriously well designed idea.

I dont know what will not work out, your statements are plain contradictory to santho and Sri AFA viewing distance is concerned, and since I presume you have designed your HT by your self (unless otherwise) you should know that no design can be finalized unless you have a basic floor plan

Ever planning should go simultaneously, specially when you have only weekend to act, and I seriously believe in pre planning everything, yes its still a long way to go, but the time my architect completes his drawing (complete house) with the basement model I want it still would easily take couple of months, in the mean time I can take demos which in itself would take its own sweet time unless I am in some kind of hurry (which I am not), this is my Dream project, every material, equipment, how so ever big and small would be researched upon and ever detail looked upon. If I decide to do it consecutively its gonna take years to complete. Every thing should be simultanious.

Plus which part have I not replied that to point to point....... kinldy quote and I shall try to provide an ans more comprehensively

There would NOT be any foreign thing in the HT I know what exactly you are getting here. Even I am VERY VERY particular about the grace and esthetics, trust me on that. So if I do decide to incorporate anything as an equipment, gadget or interior, rest assured it would; at all cost blend with the ambiance and theater feel. As I said even I share the same passion and Dream, it was just a matter of right time and money to materialize it.


Thanks bro for the links, I would go through them and post my experience.
As I said you n vinay are on different opinions with a 100" screen. I feel 10' is tooo close and 23' is way to far (which is what vinay has). Any way the distance calculator site also provides........"Recommended THX viewing distance (36 degree viewing angle)" which is 13.4'. So I think 15' should be a safe bet for 120" screen.

 

[sam9s]

A quick share...

Check this dude's theater, he has a TV and a screen both on his HT, rest ambience is also not bad at all.

The Coronado Home Theater

 

[srinisundar]

A quick share...

Check this dude's theater, he has a TV and a screen both on his HT, rest ambience is also not bad at all.

The Coronado Home Theater

Yes,, agree and it is one of thousands who has installed like this.. What is your point on this...
Vinay debate is HT should not have TV and it will spoil the purpose of word "Theatre"..Then it can be called as "Entertainment room" or someother "VDR"-Video cum music room".