Home Theater Question

[Anthony]

are there any sites where you can build your "dream" set-up and then see what it'd wind up costing? like if i want to add x, y and z - i'd like to see the tally.

my modus operandi when it comes to purchasing leisure things is to think of the most expensive set-up possible that's out of my price range, then work my way down to the ultimate final result that is as close to my ideal as possible.

there are a couple things i want to do home theater-wise and i have no clue as to what it'd wind up costing, so rather than get my hopes up i'd rather go somewhere that would let me know what's a pipe dream and what's economically possible.

word.

[the_meanstrosity]

I don't know of a website like that, but you could probably price it yourself by going to a forum like www.avsforum.com and asking around.

[Anthony]

k, thanks. i had hoped there'd be a "one-stop shop" to put all these things in a shopping cart and see what the damage would be.

[henry296]

HA,

What kind of equipment are you looking for. A retailer like Crutchfield: www.crutchfield.com sells almost all of the equipment you might want. Add it to your shopping cart but don't purchase.

Todd

[jamesUMD]

I just bought a home projector for $976, have the screen @ 110", but it would go as large as 260" if I had the actual wall space.
Ceiling mount for projector $78
Monster component cable and S video cable for HD television and DVD player $175
Screen I am ordering $250
Sound system I am buying $300

So far it rocks. I can get the same picture quality as a plasma and the screen is huge but doesn't take up any space since there is no actual tv. I can't afford the $4,000 TV's my friends are buying, but I still feel like I have something that is still somewhat unique. Obviously I am on a budget but I think I will have a pretty cool theater when all is said and done.

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by henry296

HA,

What kind of equipment are you looking for. A retailer like Crutchfield: www.crutchfield.com sells almost all of the equipment you might want. Add it to your shopping cart but don't purchase.

Todd

see, this is more in line with what i was thinking. the only thing is that i want price of installation factored in as well.

i want to create as many configurations of components as possible and compare the price. then i also want an estimate as to the cost of installation. not sure if i want a digital projector or a (now) more conventional flat-screen mammoth tv that i can hang like a picture frame. i want to measure size vs. cost, and learn more about pros/cons of each (one might be better for a true "theater" experience but the other might be more practical for my tv-obsessed wife, not sure how practical it is to use a projector to watch, say, American Idol or The Apprentive on a 110"+ screen).

i want the American Dream: either digital projector/flat screen, hang-on-a-wall tv. theater style seating (4-6 chairs). 2-4 smaller flat screen monitors. then i want those monitors placed *inside* the walls, not on. separate tuners for each monitor to tune into different games. i want a universal remote that can control lighting, connect to the internet (why not?) and control all the A/V equipment. if i get the projector i want it to be motorized so that it retracts when not in use. if i get the flat screen tv it has to be thin enough to hang on a wall.

that's pretty much it. now, the fun part is deciding if i want an exclusive home theater just to view movies or a fun room - pool table, wet bar for a "sports bar" theme. which is why i'd like to be able to go to one place where you just put a check next to everything you want and you get a rough estimate as to the final damage. the stuff i listed above are merely optimistic dreams. somewhere in there is a configuration that i can afford that balances quality with quantity - "quantity" being as many things on my "want" list as possible.

this is how i do all major purchases. start from the top and work my way down. one of my motto's is life is merely a compromise between that which we want and that which we ultimately wind up with.

but for now i'll check out that link, thanks.

[Flasch186]

nice

[Pyser]

Originally Posted by Hell Atlantic

i want the American Dream: either digital projector/flat screen, hang-on-a-wall tv. theater style seating (4-6 chairs). 2-4 smaller flat screen monitors. then i want those monitors placed *inside* the walls, not on. separate tuners for each monitor to tune into different games. i want a universal remote that can control lighting, connect to the internet (why not?) and control all the A/V equipment. if i get the projector i want it to be motorized so that it retracts when not in use. if i get the flat screen tv it has to be thin enough to hang on a wall.

i want to move in.

[SFL Cat]

Originally Posted by Hell Atlantic

i want the American Dream: either digital projector/flat screen, hang-on-a-wall tv. theater style seating (4-6 chairs). 2-4 smaller flat screen monitors. then i want those monitors placed *inside* the walls, not on. separate tuners for each monitor to tune into different games. i want a universal remote that can control lighting, connect to the internet (why not?) and control all the A/V equipment. if i get the projector i want it to be motorized so that it retracts when not in use. if i get the flat screen tv it has to be thin enough to hang on a wall.

Be sure to post pics before the Repo men show up.

[BigJohn&TheLions]

I just got a RCA Receiver/Phono/8-track combo at the Salvation Army for $12! One of the knobs is missing, but I figure I can just clamp on a mini vise-grip...

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by Pyser

i want to move in.

ass, gas or grass, baby.

[Karim]

Originally Posted by Hell Atlantic

(one might be better for a true "theater" experience but the other might be more practical for my tv-obsessed wife, not sure how practical it is to use a projector to watch, say, American Idol or The Apprentive on a 110"+ screen).

I don't have a projector but having hung out at the home theater forum for years, it's not generally suggested to "waste" a projector on TV. If it's a solid HD signal, fine, but if the source sucks, the flaws will only be that much more visible on a huge screen.

I suggest you hang out at the AVS and Home Theater Forum as you make decisions about your dedicated theater or what have you. Many have already gone through this and would be an invaluable asset.

I want the theater featured on this homepage:
http://www.faroudja.com/homepage.phtml

[thetrilogy]

I am about 2 weeks away from completing my theater.
It's amazing the content written about these projectors!
There's hundreds of different projectors to choose from now. Because HT is such a
hot thing right now in home improvement.

The Twilight Theater:

http://www.higleylaw.com/ht05/ht2005_april.html

It has more work to be done to get it ready for opening, but:
It has seating capacity of 16.
From the pics. you can see the projection booth. A real theater always
has a booth. It houses all of the equipment:
Video is an HT1000 DLP Projector.
Sony 5-disc DVD player using S-video to projector for trailers and short subjects. With optical audio.
Denon 955S DVD player using DVI-D to DVI-D (HDCP) for the feature with coax audio.
Audio is an Onkyo HTS770.
Screen is my own invention. It is 10 feet wide.
I use a 16:9 setup. I can even run super wide anamorphic at full
screen.

If you request more info. I can divulge here. There's a ton to learn.
One important thing, always choose a projector with Faroudja processing.
It makes movies look like film on a screen. Not video on a screen. It makes a
difference.

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by thetrilogy

If you request more info. I can divulge here. There's a ton to learn.
One important thing, always choose a projector with Faroudja processing.
It makes movies look like film on a screen. Not video on a screen. It makes a
difference.

while i didn't click on the link yet, it seems you might have what i dream of having but won't be able to afford.

i did not know about "Faroudja processing" till today. thanks for the info. i'm leaning towards the DLP projector, most if not all the movies that i enjoy (epic war flicks like Troy, Gladiator, any Mel Gibson action movie like Braveheart or Patriot) translate very well in larger formats, much easier to appreciate the huge armies and such.

we first have to buy our house, which will be done by fall, then i get to start compiling the items for my home theater. already have a very nice DVD player and surround sound system.

edit: just looking over your setup, why do you have 2 DVD players?

[Anthony]

wow...your cinema is insane. you realize there never is a need for you to go to the movies again, right? i'm very impressed.

i'm not sure i want to go the "dedicated home theater" route though, i'm undecided if i want that (which looks sort of expensive) or a gameroom/movie viewing room. i do like to drink so i'm not sure if i can sacrifice not having a wet bar and i do want to have one of those "bubble hockey games".

[thetrilogy]

Originally Posted by Hell Atlantic

edit: just looking over your setup, why do you have 2 DVD players?

The 5-disc changer is for several trailers on different discs and short subjects and cartoons on different dics. The player will let you start the trailer and then I stop it. I do this for each one and when the show runs, I just stand at the DVD player and advance each disc at the proper time.
The Denon player is a high-end with DVI-D output. That allows me to run a DVD at it's native resolution. In order to do this you need an HDCP compliant projector and DVD player (High Definition Content Protection). Otherwise the image will be compromised as a copy protection. So my features will run at native resolution for the best possible image.
In my test runs, I haven't really switced back and forth that much. So I may end up getting rid of the one DVD player.