Please Guide Me in Setting Up My First Ever Home Theater System

[HDTV1080p]

I am going to set up my first ever Home Theater system. As I am a noob in this field (sp. in section 5 with red marking), so please guide me.

I will set up in the dining having length 25 feet, width 8-9 feet and ceiling height is 9 feet. The dining will have other things like dining table, freeze etc in the opposite and far away from the projector screen.

My requirements are as follows:

1> PROJECTOR : I made up my mind in buying Epson projector. I am more concerned in 3D quality. So, what should I buy (TW 6700 vs TW8300)?
As TW6700 has more luminescence value (3000) than TW8300 (2500), will it give brighter and vibrant 3D compared to the latter one?

2> Both the projectors I mentioned supports active 3D, will I go for passive 3D projectors (if any, please suggest) as its more soothing and cheaper glasses than the active one or stick to the active one as it gives better 3D experience compared to passive technology.
Please share your experience of watching 3D movies with active glasses.Any discomfortess?

3> Projector Screen: Dont have any idea what kind of screen will be better , what parameters should I focus on before purchasing. I need brighter 3D and natural colour reproduction.
Will the screen quality varies (in long run) if I go for motorised/manual screen?

4>SOUND SYSTEM: As I mentioned the dining is 25 feet long, will it be justifiable to invest on 7.1 dolby atmos or will I stick to 5.1.2?
I also need suggestion on what brand will I go for?
Budget for sound system : 50K - 60K

5> A/V RECEIVER and PLAYER: This is where I am stuck in. I need a player/system which can take external hard disc (and of course play 2d/3d bd iso,mvc,hevc 8/10 bit, all kinds of 3d format), laptop, set top box as inputs and give video outputs to projector and sound to 5.1.2 music system. DVD / BD ROM is not essential though. If I go for TW 8300, then 4k60fps, HDR, rec .2020,madvr features needed.
If there is any player fulfilling my requirements, can I eliminate A/V Receiver.

Please do suggest any retail store if any in Kolkata.​

 

[kneo]

AVR and player are two different product categories. You will need a good source (player) and to process the AV signal you will received an AVR.

There are multiple sources available and you will have to search the forum based on your budget. Same goes for AVR. AVRs typically last a long time and players tend to become obsolete in 3-4 years, so plan your budget accordingly. Get a good AVR to meet your future needs (budget permitting) i.e. 4K, Atmos, etc.

Figure out whether you need it for music or movies (typically users need both, but you'd still have a preference). Decide by estimating how much time you'd spend listening to music and how much time in watching videos. At least in my case, even though I like music, I just don't get time to listen to music on my home system, so my system has primarily become a movie-focused home theatre.

If you're confused of the source, you can always use a full scale HTPC or a small scale RPI based Kodi setup (again search for information).

Once you have budgets decided, you can start getting recommendations.

 

[shibashis]

Plenty of options in Kolkata. For projectors look up Sound and Shadow Kolkata in Just Dial, they are the distributor of all major Projector brands in the east. It looks like a dingy shop on Lenin Sarani near Esplanade, but their prices can not be matched by any online or the other AV shops in Kolkata.

As for your AVR and speakers, you need to visit all available stores and listen to different combinations and find which you prefer the most. Options are plenty depending on your budget.
Look up the following places.

* Harmonie Audio in New Alipore, near Hindustan Sweets.
* SKS Traders in Behala, 14 no. bus stand.
* Auditro in Park Street.
* Solfege in Ballygunge
* Promises opposite Kala Mandir
* Watteffects in Southern Avenue
* Yamaha AV Square
* ProFx at Hindustan Park
* Digital Acoustics at Maddox Square

Listen lots and choose which fits your bill.

 

[HDTV1080p]

There are multiple sources available and you will have to search the forum based on your budget. Same goes for AVR. AVRs typically last a long time and players tend to become obsolete in 3-4 years, so plan your budget accordingly. Get a good AVR to meet your future needs (budget permitting) i.e. 4K, Atmos, etc.

can you suggest good AVR within 40K-50K.
Media Player within 10K. I dont want to invest on extra DVD/Blu-Ray player if the media player itself can play Audio CDs and DVDs.

Figure out whether you need it for music or movies (typically users need both, but you'd still have a preference). Decide by estimating how much time you'd spend listening to music and how much time in watching videos. At least in my case, even though I like music, I just don't get time to listen to music on my home system, so my system has primarily become a movie-focused home theatre.

Same thing is applicable for me also. Movie:Music = 85:15

If you're confused of the source, you can always use a full scale HTPC or a small scale RPI based Kodi setup (again search for information).

What I want is to play (mainly) from External HDD having all sorts of file format (2D, 3D, 4K).

Once you have budgets decided, you can start getting recommendations.

Projector : < 2 Lakh (Epson TW 5700 Vs Epson TW 8300 whichever has better 3D brightness)
AVR < 50K
Media Player ( all forms of file supported) < 10K
For Audio system, I have few confusion. For 25:9:9 (length:width:height in feet) room, sitting arrangement will be in the middle region. So will I go for 7.1.2 or 5.1.2? Budget for audio system < 50K
(All prices are in INR)

If I want to keep my budget within 2.5 Lakhs, then what parts should I compromise?

 

[HDTV1080p]

Plenty of options in Kolkata. For projectors look up Sound and Shadow Kolkata in Just Dial, they are the distributor of all major Projector brands in the east. It looks like a dingy shop on Lenin Sarani near Esplanade, but their prices can not be matched by any online or the other AV shops in Kolkata.

As for your AVR and speakers, you need to visit all available stores and listen to different combinations and find which you prefer the most. Options are plenty depending on your budget.
Look up the following places.

* Harmonie Audio in New Alipore, near Hindustan Sweets.
* SKS Traders in Behala, 14 no. bus stand.
* Auditro in Park Street.
* Solfege in Ballygunge
* Promises opposite Kala Mandir
* Watteffects in Southern Avenue
* Yamaha AV Square
* ProFx at Hindustan Park
* Digital Acoustics at Maddox Square

Listen lots and choose which fits your bill.

Thanks for the info, I will listen to AVR + Speakers in coming weekend and decide.
I met the person in Sound and Shadow. He prefers Yamaha AVR over Denon, with Sonodyne 5.1. I came to know while browsing that the AVR should cater 100-150 watts to each channel of the speaker system. Are there any other parameters required for best AVR+Speaker combinations?

 

[dr_rocket]

Few observations..

For 1 lac budget for AVR plus speakers, 50-50 ratio is not optimal. 50k for speakers would give you something like wharfedale dx1se 5.1 system. You can do better by starting with a 2.1 setup and add rest of the speakers later. In 50k you can get subwoofer like sonodyne roarr 1210 plus bookshelf speaker pair like dali zensor 1, polk RTI a1, polk signature s15, q acoustics, wharfedale diamonds, etc. You can audition and decide.

Alternatively taga harmony tav 606 5.0 system for 25 k and add subwoofer separately.

AVR in 50 k, denon x1300, Yamaha rxv 581 or marantz nr 1606.

You need not worry about 7 channels or Atmos immediately. If you buy any of the above receivers and start with 2.1 or 5.1, you can upgrade to 7.1 or 5.1.2 later

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3003 using Tapatalk

 

[dr_rocket]

Thanks for the info, I will listen to AVR + Speakers in coming weekend and decide.
I met the person in Sound and Shadow. He prefers Yamaha AVR over Denon, with Sonodyne 5.1. I came to know while browsing that the AVR should cater 100-150 watts to each channel of the speaker system. Are there any other parameters required for best AVR+Speaker combinations?

Don't go blindly by what the sales persons say. There are many members here who are satisfied by various makes of receivers. None are "bad" and none is "best". Try to audition with your own files. Use few tracks and scenes as reference for each setup.

100-150 watt per channel while driving 5 channels is a lot and the receivers you are looking at won't pump that. Neither those speakers would be able to tolerate that kind of load. The receivers and speakers which I mentioned are all compatible and will produce good sound surely. Again, audition well.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3003 using Tapatalk

 

[shibashis]

You should only look at the projectors at Sound and Shadow, for speakers and receivers visit the places I mentioned. dr_rockethas rightly pointed out that 100-150W/Channel with all channels driven will not be in your budget, such specs are available with high-end AVRs, you will have to fork out the entire budget on the AVR alone in that case.

Remember that your front two speakers are the most important ones in any setup, so pay more for those. Once you have listened to a few combos if you prefer a certain sound then I will suggest not to compromise on the front speakers. Perhaps a 40+60 split is a more prudent way forward. 40K will get you a decent AVR, something like a Marantz slim line model, now pay the rest for either the front two speakers or front + centers. Add a decent sub down the line and even further down rears/surrounds, this step by step progress ensures in the long run you get a much better setup and will keep you happy for a while. One of my tips which I have followed myself is to go for the next higher model when buying speakers, even if it is out of your budget by 10-15K. You may stretch now but in the long run you will not feel an itch to upgrade in 6 months to an year's time. Trust us the itch gets hold of everyone as you start to hear more and get accustomed to the new improved sound quality, you yearn for even more detail, more depth and resolution.

Marantz + Dali Zensor
Yamaha + Dali Zensor
Marantz/Dennon + KEF Q
Dennon + Polk Rti

These are some favourite combinations of the forum to begin with but you should explore all available options.

 

[HDTV1080p]

Thanks again.

can you suggest any retail store in kolkata selling media players?

 

[dr_rocket]

Thanks again.

can you suggest any retail store in kolkata selling media players?

I don't think popular media players are available in stores. You can try this thread for more info on media players
http://www.hifivision.com/media-str...edia-player-4k-3d.html?highlight=media+player

 

[Decadent_Spectre]

If you are more of a visual person than aural I highly recommend the 8300, it is a very good PJ in terms of brightness,sharpness and maintaining good color while being bright. You won't get better unless you start spending substantially more.

As for the audio part, if you go with the 8300 that will limit your budget and will mean something more basic, especially with the cost of the receiver factored in. I'd recommend just going with 2.0 or 2.1 for now and add surrounds later.

I think you might want to consider a PC as a source, if you want to use multiple sources then just use a matrix switch unless I am missing something. A Popcorn hour is a realtively cheap and easy way to play media, I own of the very early versions and it's been hassle free and works today, 10 years on. I only use it with a USB HDD though, nothing over network.You should isolate your viewing habbits and your actual usage of media to understand what you need or don't need. You mention a set top box, but do you really want to use that on a projector, much of it is SD and the PQ is really bad on a large screen. If you still want to I'd consider a PC source and the set top box, you can use both inputs on the PJ as they usually have 2 inputs. For more inputs get a matrix switch as mentioned.

If you can't make your dining pitch black, don't consider a PJ. You won't get what it can do unless the room is properly dark. Ask the dealer to show what a PJ can do in your room with the lights off and with as much light control as you can practically manage.

IMO, of course. Good Luck.

 

[grunthos]

If you are more of a visual person than aural I highly recommend the 8300, it is a very good PJ in terms of brightness,sharpness and maintaining good color while being bright. You won't get better unless you start spending substantially more.

I think you might want to consider a PC as a source, if you want to use multiple sources then just use a matrix switch unless I am missing something. A Popcorn hour is a realtively cheap and easy way to play media, I own of the very early versions and it's been hassle free and works today, 10 years on. I only use it with a USB HDD though, nothing over network.You should isolate your viewing habbits and your actual usage of media to understand what you need or don't need. You mention a set top box, but do you really want to use that on a projector, much of it is SD and the PQ is really bad on a large screen. If you still want to I'd consider a PC source and the set top box, you can use both inputs on the PJ as they usually have 2 inputs. For more inputs get a matrix switch as mentioned.

If you can't make your dining pitch black, don't consider a PJ. You won't get what it can do unless the room is properly dark. Ask the dealer to show what a PJ can do in your room with the lights off and with as much light control as you can practically manage.

Very sound advice

 

[HDTV1080p]

If you are more of a visual person than aural I highly recommend the 8300, it is a very good PJ in terms of brightness,sharpness and maintaining good color while being bright. You won't get better unless you start spending substantially more.

As for the audio part, if you go with the 8300 that will limit your budget and will mean something more basic, especially with the cost of the receiver factored in. I'd recommend just going with 2.0 or 2.1 for now and add surrounds later.

I think you might want to consider a PC as a source, if you want to use multiple sources then just use a matrix switch unless I am missing something. A Popcorn hour is a realtively cheap and easy way to play media, I own of the very early versions and it's been hassle free and works today, 10 years on. I only use it with a USB HDD though, nothing over network.You should isolate your viewing habbits and your actual usage of media to understand what you need or don't need. You mention a set top box, but do you really want to use that on a projector, much of it is SD and the PQ is really bad on a large screen. If you still want to I'd consider a PC source and the set top box, you can use both inputs on the PJ as they usually have 2 inputs. For more inputs get a matrix switch as mentioned.

If you can't make your dining pitch black, don't consider a PJ. You won't get what it can do unless the room is properly dark. Ask the dealer to show what a PJ can do in your room with the lights off and with as much light control as you can practically manage.

IMO, of course. Good Luck.

Thanks a lot for your valuable feedback.
For the time being, a dedicated pc is not possible. But I can connect my laptop. If I play 3D iso, AVC, MVC in 2D laptop, can projector generates it to 3D output?

For the room -> I kept a dedicated closed room for that, it has windows though. Will I paint pitch black in all the walls or use sound proof curtains all over the walls and use black paint/wallpaper on the ceiling?

Please suggest on the screen also (for TW8300). What quality/material/parameter should I give importance on for the screen? Also, give feedback on motorized vs manual screen.

 

[Decadent_Spectre]

Thanks a lot for your valuable feedback.
For the time being, a dedicated pc is not possible. But I can connect my laptop. If I play 3D iso, AVC, MVC in 2D laptop, can projector generates it to 3D output?

For the room -> I kept a dedicated closed room for that, it has windows though. Will I paint pitch black in all the walls or use sound proof curtains all over the walls and use black paint/wallpaper on the ceiling?

Please suggest on the screen also (for TW8300). What quality/material/parameter should I give importance on for the screen? Also, give feedback on motorized vs manual screen.

I would suggest just seeing what you can do with a laptop then, assuming the laptop is capable of playing back your media, it should function like a PC.

Some PJs can convert to 3D (please refer to the manuals) but brightness and color accuracy are two things that suffer significantly with 3D on any Projector. If you don't mind watching 3D on TVs or in theaters and do not get eye strain or headaches then I think it should be fine if the brightness is sufficient for you but I would not buy a PJ just for 3D. Also to note that 3D is not a format that gains much support these days, how much content you may have in the future is something to think about. Finally the 2D to 3D feature is obviously not as good as a proper 3D source, if you have seen 2D to 3D on TVs then I think it is similar.

Painting it black helps, if that is not an issue for you, you may also consider other darker colors. With curtains use black out cloth and perhaps try to put some dark film over the windows, this will reduce light leakage into the room. I'm not sure about wallpaper as that may turn out to be reflective, in general you don't want reflective walls etc. The most important thing is to keep the room dark, preferably dark enough that you can't see your hand in front of your face with the lights off.

The screen is something people have varied opinions on, some prefer contrast screens, others prefer high gain. Some of the basic things to consider are viewing angle that you need, gain and keep in mind some screens are retro reflective while others are angular reflective. Retro reflective reflects light back to the source while the angular reflective reflects light back at an angle. If you ceiling mount the PJ then you want to use the angular reflective surface but if you table mount it then you should use retro reflective. Most however just use a simple matt white 1.0 gain screen for viewing in dark rooms. This is likely the safest bet. Consider brands like Liberty,Elite,Grandview and Da Lite, see what works for you in terms of budget. High gain screens increase brightness but can suffer from various problems, that may or may not bother you. If you are not aware of them then I do not advise risking it and buying one blind. Motorized vs manual is just preference but do keep in mind that some cheaper brands have motors that do not last long and/or may be noisy. Since the motorized screens do have electric parts in them they are more susceptible to issues than a manual which can last very long, of course you must manually pull it up/down.

 

[HDTV1080p]

Thanks a lot for explaining the jargons beautifully.

As you are using TW8300, although it is not true 4K projector, and I haven't watched any demo, so I am very much curious about its madVR rendered 10 bit colour gamut reproduction in 120 inch screen compared to uhd hdr tv.
How does the bright/dark/shades look compared to a true 4k hdr tv? Is it able to produce exact brightness, darkness, colour?

I know that 3D movie Blu-ray future is at stake so I am investing on future ready 4K projector rather than on tw6700 model but I love to watch 3D in theatre and on my 24 inch AOC passive 3D Monitor. I am satisfied with the Monitor 3D brightness although I increase brightness to max value and contrast to 75 when I watch 3D to minimise the darkness due to the glasses. Will I get similar brightness in this projector if I keep the brightness to the max value for 3D.

According to me, only cinepolis has brighter 3D compared to others (inox,pvr etc) in Kolkata,but I am not satisfied with their brightness, It's bit darker, can't produce daylight scenes what it naturally looks or what my cheap Monitor can. I am very much excited to have feedback on this.

 

[Decadent_Spectre]

Thanks a lot for explaining the jargons beautifully.

As you are using TW8300, although it is not true 4K projector, and I haven't watched any demo, so I am very much curious about its madVR rendered 10 bit colour gamut reproduction in 120 inch screen compared to uhd hdr tv.
How does the bright/dark/shades look compared to a true 4k hdr tv? Is it able to produce exact brightness, darkness, colour?

I know that 3D movie Blu-ray future is at stake so I am investing on future ready 4K projector rather than on tw6700 model but I love to watch 3D in theatre and on my 24 inch AOC passive 3D Monitor. I am satisfied with the Monitor 3D brightness although I increase brightness to max value and contrast to 75 when I watch 3D to minimise the darkness due to the glasses. Will I get similar brightness in this projector if I keep the brightness to the max value for 3D.

According to me, only cinepolis has brighter 3D compared to others (inox,pvr etc) in Kolkata,but I am not satisfied with their brightness, It's bit darker, can't produce daylight scenes what it naturally looks or what my cheap Monitor can. I am very much excited to have feedback on this.

I do not have a UHD TV but I have seen a few, if you have never seen a PJ let me assure you it doesn't look like a TV, it looks different. I also do not pay that much attention to things like 10 bit or MadVR, I generally use the default settings on JRiver. A PJ can not match the brightness or color of a TV IMO, it can produce great blacks, in a properly dark room and achieve high contrast ratios, I mean at any price. It is good but IMO you must sacrifice some of that "TV look" for size, particularly brightness.

Please understand that a PJ has limited brightness and in general is not the ideal tool for watching 3D. You will not get the same amount of brightness as a monitor.

I think you may not have enough exposure to what a modern projector looks like outside of theaters, I highly recommend you see one. Also the projectors at theaters are arguably the best there is, they are usually 3 chip DLP projectors with 6,000 lumens (usable) or more. They are less bright in theaters because of the massive screen they must fill. The larger your screen, the less bright it is. If you are you used to TV/monitor brightness I highly urge you to consider going no larger than 100" in size. I hope my post will help you set expectations accordingly and also try to seek a demo before investing your money.

 

[HDTV1080p]

Could any one suggest 120 inch Liberty manual/motorised (manual preferred for costing) screen which will be best fit for Epson TW 8300 projector? Projector will be ceiling mounted.

Budget within 15K INR

 

[srsuresh]

My humble submission is that.. if its not a dedicated HT room, and being a first time HT setup, please go for a "Home Theater In A Box" option....(5.1 speakers including Blu-ray/DVD players).... there are plenty of very good models available on 25-40K range. these are good for both movies and music.

p.s: my living room is 25x10 Sqft - Panasonic Projetor - 8 x 6 screen - connected to a sony Home theater (purchased for Rs. 20 K in 2010) it was great and sufficient for a normal/common person... recently spent a lakh in upgrading to Tarvin speakers and a yamaha rx-v679 receiver... for whatever reason.. i miss the sony HTIB :-( inspite of spending 5 times more !!!!

 

[HDTV1080p]

My humble submission is that.. if its not a dedicated HT room, and being a first time HT setup, please go for a "Home Theater In A Box" option....(5.1 speakers including Blu-ray/DVD players).... there are plenty of very good models available on 25-40K range. these are good for both movies and music.

p.s: my living room is 25x10 Sqft - Panasonic Projetor - 8 x 6 screen - connected to a sony Home theater (purchased for Rs. 20 K in 2010) it was great and sufficient for a normal/common person... recently spent a lakh in upgrading to Tarvin speakers and a yamaha rx-v679 receiver... for whatever reason.. i miss the sony HTIB :-( inspite of spending 5 times more !!!!

Its dedicated home theatre room. 25 x 10 x 10 (in feet).

 

[HDTV1080p]

So far I booked the followings ->

1. Projector => EPSON TW 8300 (~ 400 Watts)
2. AVR => Yamaha RX V581 (~ 120 Watt)
3. Speaker 7.2 => Bose Acoustimass 10 (5.1) (~Max 320 Watt) + Acoustimass 5 (2.1) (Passive)
4. Liberty 120 inch White Matte Screen

The max total watt rating is coming as 840 Watt, for the safe site I am keeping it 1KW. Now how much KVA do I need for online UPS.(APC preferred, if anyone has other brand suggestion,please write)