Building New House. Thinking to Prepare for Possible Future Home Theatre

greentoad on 21/08/2019 - 13:43
Last edited 21/08/2019 - 14:12 by 1 other user

Hi,

I am building a new 2 storey house in near future and at the moment I am at planning stage. I have an extra living area in front ground floor which I am thinking to convert into home theatre in future. I have put a double door so that it can be shut.
I am noob in this regard but I wanted to get it wired for potential future home theatre option considering the room is on ground floor and it is harder to do later.
What is the best way to do it? I am thinking we only need a conduit for projector (from rear ceiling) cord to front wall where entertainment unit may sit. Extra power plugs for speakers. Is that all I need?

Additionally is this setup (projector, 5.1 speakers, fixed screen etc) best thing that people are doing nowadays? Or has the technology and type of equipment changed?

Thanks
Aj

Home & Garden

Comments

  • ShortyX on 21/08/2019 - 13:52
    +4

    https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/337261

    • You could run conduit or pilot wires through the frame to pull wires through later, or run the actual cables before the walls go up (much easier). You'll need cables for surround/ceiling speakers (and fronts if you want to run them through the wall) and a HDMI cable from an AV receiver/amp to projector. I just ran all the cables back through a bullnose wall plate under the screen (so during prewire, set a bracket frame on the stud and feed all the cables through it so when walls go up, a hole will be punched through the gyprock with the cables sticking out).
    • How large is the room? Typical setups are 5.1, 7.1 or Atmos so it'll depend on the size of the room and budget.
    • You typically don't need power plugs for speakers but you'll need one for where the AV receiver/amp and other equipment will sit (normally under screen) and one for the projector (this can sit in the ceiling).
    • Side note - you should run network cables throughout the whole house as well.
    • greentoad on 21/08/2019 - 14:10

      Thanks for the post. The room is 4.6m x 4.2m so not huge.

      You think it would be easy to pilot wires through later considering the room is on bottom floor?

      Sorry I am a noob here. The only wire that connects to projector is the HDMI cable right? We need a power point in ceiling where projector would go.

      The sound system which I am interested in have 2 rear wireless(sound) speakers so may only need power point I think? It also has few front wired speakers which can sit next to the entertainment unit.

      • ShortyX on 21/08/2019 - 14:19
        +1

        The room is 4.6m x 4.2m so not huge

        Ours is a similar size room and I find 5.1 sufficient (our receiver isn't Atmos capable) but others may prefer more speakers (and Atmos) - good info here

        You think it would be easy to pilot wires through later considering the room is on bottom floor?

        I'd run the cables before the walls are up regardless of the floor it's located.

        Sorry I am a noob here.

        Don't apologise! :D

        The only wire that connects to projector is the HDMI cable right? We need a power point in ceiling where projector would go.

        Correct, you normally only need a HDMI cable from the AV receiver to the projector. The power point can sit in the ceiling so the HDMI cable and power cable run into the ceiling (typically through the projector mount to make it nice and tidy).

        The sound system which I am interested in have 2 rear wireless(sound) speakers so may only need power point I think? It also has few front wired speakers which can sit next to the entertainment unit.

        Which system? I'm no expert but I'd go wired speakers with a decent AV receiver.

  • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 21/08/2019 - 13:56

    Get all the cabling done before the plaster is up. Not just conduit, the cabling. You can buy the rest of the gear, projector, speakers, later.

    • [Deactivated] on 21/08/2019 - 14:31

      But how would you know what cables are required?

      I remember our first home theatre, coaxial cables everywhere. As soon as we got a new receiver, those cables were obsolete like unsliced bread.

      • ShortyX on 21/08/2019 - 14:34
        +1

        But how would you know what cables are required?

        Speaker cables and a HDMI cable to the projector?

        • [Deactivated] on 21/08/2019 - 14:45

          Speaker - passive surrounds, active, XLR or RCA (RCA most likely but hey, things have changed so much. I never thought I'd see the day WiFi speakers work well).

          Video - assuming HDMI doesn't change for the duration of OP's stay. Unlikely but that's what we thought with the coaxials and DVI cables.

          • greentoad on 21/08/2019 - 14:48

            @[Deactivated]: Interesting thing you said about HDMI cables for videos. With the technology improving so rapidly who knows.

          • ShortyX on 21/08/2019 - 14:50
            +1

            @[Deactivated]: Fair call. I think OP should be safe enough with speaker cable (if using passive speakers) and HDMI. I'm out of touch with wireless speakers.

        • greentoad on 21/08/2019 - 14:50

          I am starting to think we may only need a HDMI cable for video laid in, considering the huge improvements in wireless speakers for sound. Is that fair to assume?

          • [Deactivated] on 21/08/2019 - 14:57
            +3

            @greentoad: I avoid wireless for stationary items.

            Wires are simply less hassle to troubleshoot.

          • ESEMCE on 22/08/2019 - 14:16
            +1

            @greentoad: You're going to need to power the speakers if you go wireless.
            That means a powerpoint at every single speaker Position.

            Wired speakers aren't going away any time soon for that reason alone.

            They're also cheaper, better quality (at this stage), more reliable (both in terms of longevity and in resistance to interference) and will work with current and future technologies for many years to come..

      • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 21/08/2019 - 15:19

        "The sound system which I am interested in"

        OP knows what they want already.

        And you don't even need HDMI 2.0a for current gen gear let alone last year's gear. Won't go obsolete during a regular build.

  • AustriaBargain on 21/08/2019 - 14:21

    make a door or window big enough to carry in a 200 inch TV in 2023. Projectors are great and all but one day you may want a huge futuristic TV.

    • ShortyX on 21/08/2019 - 14:31

      Lol… if you put that size TV on the 4.6m side of the room, it will take up the whole wall space!

      • ESEMCE on 21/08/2019 - 14:38

        What do you think the projector is going to do?

        • ShortyX on 21/08/2019 - 14:40

          120 or 130 inch screen won't take up the whole wall. :D

          • ESEMCE on 27/08/2019 - 08:10

            @ShortyX: My 1080p projector is pumping out a 3.7m diagonal (145") screen restricted solely by TV on one side and bookcase on the other.
            I have the lens zoomed almost all of the way in to achieve that from the current projection position and the lamp is running in Eco mode and still a smidge too bright.
            It would happily push a 200" screen with ample brightness were I to be bothered.
            Jump to 4K projection and even the pickiest person couldn't even complain about the resolution.

            • psdillon on 27/08/2019 - 08:23

              @ESEMCE: What model is it?

              • ESEMCE on 27/08/2019 - 08:35
                +1

                @psdillon: Bog standard Epson TW-5600…
                Chucking the numbers into https://www.projectorcentral.com/Epson_Europe-EH-TW5800-proj…
                (they don't have the right model option), maybe my statement about the zoom is incorrect and maybe I'm closer to wide angle than zoom? (but I'm pretty certain it's the other way)

                • psdillon on 27/08/2019 - 14:24
                  +1

                  @ESEMCE: Thanks scubacoles, that's a great calculator. Planning to buy a projector for a 150" screen. I always thought a 2000 lumens projector would not be able to deal with ambient light, but calculator says otherwise. Was originally thinking I need to get something like the Xiaomi 4k laser projector @ 5000 lumens.

                  • ESEMCE on 28/08/2019 - 07:54
                    +1

                    @psdillon: Also good for checking whether you can achieve the screen size at your desired throw.

                    As above, I'm projecting a 145" diagonal in Eco Mode and it's still borderline too bright.
                    What I didn't mention is that I am projecting to a white (very pale grey tint) house paint wall.

            • ShortyX on 27/08/2019 - 09:21

              @ESEMCE:

              restricted solely by TV on one side and bookcase on the other.

              All good, this was my point. The 200 inch screen (in a room with a length of 4.6m and a height of 2.4m) would essentially cover the entire wall. This is typically not practical in most houses due to restriction of furniture placement, speakers (if not in wall), etc along with restrictions in screen projection size due to projector throwing distances. In any case, with a viewing distance of about 4m for OP's room, most would find a 200 inch screen too large. 😀

              • ESEMCE on 27/08/2019 - 09:45

                @ShortyX: Gotcha..
                Yeah 200" diagonal would be pushing it at my 5m seating position.
                In a dedicated room though, easily doable.

    • ihbh on 21/08/2019 - 17:27

      a 200 inch TV in 2023

      It might just roll up like a blind and you can carry it under your arms through a normal door.

  • EightImmortals on 21/08/2019 - 14:28

    Don't skimp on the speaker cables. :)

  • 87percent on 21/08/2019 - 14:28
    +1

    dont forget extra sound proofing

  • [Deactivated] on 21/08/2019 - 14:42
    +2

    Everything ShortyX said plus:
    1. Noise block plaster is. SoundChek
    2. In wall sound insulation ie. SoundScreen
    3. Where you'd mount a TV, double stud and use lots of horizontal blocks so you have a lot of flexibility for mount locations.
    4. Don't forget ceiling insulation.

    Everything else can be done later.

  • lewislardboy on 21/08/2019 - 14:55
    +4

    Voice of reason:

    I built a few years ago, and was also super excited about my new home theatre setup. Mid-range 7.2 receiver ($1000), low-mid range 5.1 speaker array ($1500), 65" panel ($3200 at the time, pretty high range), in wall cabling/networking/sundries ~$900 (had an electrician do some of the termination work). Let's say $6.5k all up. Flash forward; it doesn't bring me $6.5k worth of happiness. Tech evolves; you're left behind, and it's an expensive economy to be in. Depreciation leaves my gear worth cents to the dollar. If i had my time again, I'd probably just pay $15 to see a movie every fortnight ($390/yr pp) — it's outrageously better value (still buy a solid $1500 tv though, maybe a sound bar). The same way having a home-gym will rarely be as cost effective as a 24-hr gym membership.

    But, geez, i love audio/visual tech. And i get the appeal. And sometimes i'm tempted to go around again.

    • greentoad on 21/08/2019 - 15:00
      +1

      I needed to hear this. Thanks. This home theater is definitely not high on wish list. Considering we have an extra room so wanted to see if we can do something now that is easier rather than later.

      With huge advancements in TV quality and big sizes (coupled with decent sound system) I think all we may need in future.

      • 87percent on 21/08/2019 - 15:09
        +2

        ive said it before, but people i know who have home theatre setups, use them purely for their babies to sleep in OR for their playroom

        • [Deactivated] on 21/08/2019 - 15:36
          -2

          Our old house had a theatre room, a formal sitting,a library room, a study AND a rumpus. None of which got used much which is why we sold it and downsized and halved our mortgage in the process.

          At the end of the day all you really need are enough bedrooms for everyone, a kitchen, living-dining, at least 1 bathroom and a small yard for the kids and dog to roll around in.

          • ihbh on 21/08/2019 - 17:31

            @[Deactivated]: What happens as the kids get older? Do you anticipate needing more living space?

            Would you have kept the place if the mortgage had been paid off?

            • [Deactivated] on 21/08/2019 - 19:31
              -1

              @ihbh: We actually sold our old house because someone knocked on our door one morning and made us an offer we couldn't refuse. It paid off our mortgage, with enough money left to buy another house.

              My wife wanted us to buy something ridiculously small ( she's the real ozbargainer in the family!) but I had the same concerns you have. In the end, we settled on a house with a floorplan identical to this one. The twins are upstairs and the little one downstairs with us.

              We are also walking distance to beach and a park, which is where the kids spend most of their time anyway. When we're indoor, the kids are either doing their homework at the kitchen table while we're cooking or we're all huddled together on the couch watching tv. We're a very close-knit family and we like spending time together:) My wife and I also love that the upstairs "retreat" is open-plan and we can check on the twins without being too obvious about it.Our current house really works for us.

              At least it did, until Mr Threenager decided he wanted to be upstairs with his siblings in the "kidszone" aka "the fun part of the house."🙄 We briefly toyed with the idea of house-swapping with a mate and get this one but when we realised it would be almost impossible to fit an L-shaped couch big enough for the 5 of us and the dog in that living room, we agreed as a family that it wasn't for us.

              So we're staying put until we move to Paradise Island :)

              How about you? What kind of house do you have?

              • ihbh on 21/08/2019 - 20:13
                +1

                @[Deactivated]: Like your old one with 5 bedrooms (typical around my suburb). It is conveniently located near transport and infrastructure and also parks, national parks and rivers, although the beach is 15 mins drive away.

                We're a bit odd in that we don't watch any TV (just parents watching occasional movie, TV series, and a lot of docos & lectures), but have an indoor monkey bar and semi-pro table tennis table which hasn't been used since kids born, but will be soon.

                A small house is so much easier to clean; I'm developing systems as the kids get a bit older to be more efficient.

                • [Deactivated] on 21/08/2019 - 20:34

                  @ihbh: An indoor monkey bar would be my youngest's dream come true :)

                  A small house is so much easier to clean

                  This! My wife is by far the messiest of us all. She likes spreading things around to make the house feel "more homely"😑

      • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 21/08/2019 - 15:23
        +1

        You don't have to spend big bucks.

        The current model Epson 5600 is crazy good value for ~$850 (wait for an ebay sale).
        Easily pick up a speaker package for ~$600.
        Receiver ~$300
        Add ~$50 for HDMI cable and $2 a metre for cabling your rear speakers and you're set.

        Excellent bang for your buck that you won't upgrade for ages and provides ample upgrade options.

        Installation will be easy peesy during build stage.

    • ShortyX on 21/08/2019 - 15:08
      +1

      Valid point, although movies are a lot more expensive with a family, so for us it has probably been worth it as we have family movie nights sometimes on weekends and during holidays.

      • lewislardboy on 21/08/2019 - 15:13

        Convenience factor, for sure. But, from experience, the kids can't tell HD from 4k. Or Atmos vs DTS. A good middle-of-the road TV should still cater for an immersive family night. I was more so cautioning from going in hard. As fun as it is.

        • Rockets84 on 22/08/2019 - 13:51
          +1

          For me building our home theatre was about me getting the most enjoyment out of it. The kids might not notice 4K or Atmos but I do. I've only got a FullHD projector right now as the true 4K projectors are a tad too expensive and if I bought an upshift 4K projector I'd know it wasn't true 4K so I think it would probably eat at me.

  • Zachary on 21/08/2019 - 15:18

    Don't forget a place for a couple or so rotary subs.

    • AncientWisdom on 22/08/2019 - 15:26

      How much do they go for?

      • Zachary on 23/08/2019 - 02:39
        +1

        Last I checked, if you want someone to design and fit this all for you, around $20k….maybe more as I think these don't exist in Australia yet so you would need to import them first, from US of A….and have someone here who knows their shit about these subs and where and how best to fit them in your setup for optimal sub-bass performance with your theatre setup.

        These are also the only way to get below 30Hz that will make those sound with authority which are much needed in those action/adventure/fantasy/sci-fi movies! …and not sound too wussy…or too quiet if a traditional ever manages to re-produce the less than 30Hz perfectly somehow as is with some top end subs……

        I know some are used to reproduce the 5Hz rumbling sound of a waterfall that comes crashing at some place that I forget. Supposedly works well, sure be nice to experience these 1st hand….

        • psdillon on 23/08/2019 - 08:47

          And you need two rooms. One for the theatre, another for the air baffle on the other side of the sub. If you have a timber frame house it will probably vibrate the nails out, crack the plaster and crack tiles in other parts of your house. And your neighbours will be wondering why their tea cups are rattling. Despite all that, totally worth it. :)

          • Zachary on 27/08/2019 - 20:19

            @psdillon: I take it you already have one or more of these at your place?

  • lockers on 21/08/2019 - 23:02

    I'd put in high grade speaker cable for all speaker points, if you want to go Atmos, put a couple in the ceiling, don't go wireless rear if you're able to put in speaker cable. Speaker cable doesn't really change much, so don't worry about that.

    As to the HDMI, you might want to get the latest 2.1 HDMI, but what I'd do is put in some conduit for the HDMI, that way you can run whatever you want and then just pull the new cable through when you need to upgrade.

    As to screens, personally, i'd rather have a ~70" 4K tv that is beautiful quality than a larger screen that is only 1080p, but thats me.

    I'm doing the exact same thing in a house I'm building now, only thing I would add is to put in 2 or 3 ethernet cables to the front, use Cat6 if you can to future proof as much as you can.

    Have fun!

  • Skramit on 22/08/2019 - 09:13

    If it were me, I'd run the speaker wires and terminate them and that's about it.

    Left Front
    Right Front
    Right Rear
    Left Rear

    So at worst you'll have an epic 5.1 sound system which is really more than ample.

    Just run good quality speaker wire. It's not about to go end of life as a technology. So you'll be safe in that regard.

    Everything else like HDMI etc do later at the time of install if you go down that path.

  • psdillon on 22/08/2019 - 12:58

    I am in the same boat, but a bit further ahead. Our house is half-way built and I've had various wiring put in and about to put up soundproofed plaster, sealed door, ventilation, etc. If you're the DIY type you can do it relatively cheaply yourself. If you weren't born with the DIY gene (like me) it can be expensive. For example a sealed and somewhat sound-proofed door set (installed) starts at about $2k.

    Having always lived in small houses, and not being able to watch movies at normal (not loud) volume after my son goes to bed, having a relatively soundproofed home theatre is a priority for me. On top of that my wife and son play various musical instruments, so having a place to escape to, or a place to lock the family away when they are practising should come in handy.

    Considering your room is small to medium, I would aim for a 5.1.2 or 5.1.4 atmos set up. At a minimum I would:

    • Put in 12-gauge speaker wire through walls/ceiling for 2x surround speakers and 2x or 4x ceiling speakers. For the front speakers I'm not that fussy and would just run the cable along the floor or hide behind entertainment unit.
    • Put in 40mm conduit for HDMI cable to your projector. Keep conduit bends to a minimumn of 150mm radius so that you can upgrade to fibre-optic HDMI cables which are becoming more and more necessary with long cables that can do 4K HDR or better.

    If you want to do some sound proofing, you could (in order of benefit vs cost):

    • Get a solid timber door (thicker is better) and add a perimeter and drop seal kit. Avoid double doors as they are difficult to seal.
    • Ensure that wall penetrations (speaker terminals, power points, etc.) are sealed.
    • Add a layer of MDF to the door, with a product called "green glue" in between.
    • Buy enclosed ceiling speakers so that you don't have to make speaker backboxes (though you might want to do this if you have a room above).
    • Use high density plaster on each side of wall
    • Use two layers of high density plaster on one or more sides
    • Add "green glue" in between each layer of plaster

    There are many more things you could do, but it gets more and more expensive. Also having a sealed door with your sized room means that with more than 2 people in there it will get stuffy in about an hour and you'll need to open a window, open the door, or invest in a ventilation system with sound treatment. If you have ducted heating or cooling into the room I would not go further than solid timber door with seals, unless you add duct silencers.

    I'm no expert, this is my first home theatre, and this is just what I've learnt from home theatre forums and talking to installers.

  • MrBear on 22/08/2019 - 13:30

    Make sure you paint the room in VantaBlack or Black 3.0 !

    • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 22/08/2019 - 18:43

      Lol you'll need another mortgage to paint in room in those :P

      This stuff is cheap and works great. Easy to apply. Easy to clean.

  • Rockets84 on 22/08/2019 - 13:46

    We did a major home renovation a few years ago. I got a home theatre built as part of that with a projector & Atmos setup. Run conduits for your rear speakers and at the front where the receiver will be. I ran extra conduits at the front for future but we have brick walls. I'm surprised that no one has mentioned it but think about getting some Cat6 ethernet run to behind where your sources will reside and back to where your Internet router is going to live so you don't have to use Wi-Fi for everything. I'd avoid wireless rears too, not worth it. Your is room isn't that big so if going to go with a projector you need to check the throw size of the projector you looking at and how big a screen you can go. I've got a smallish room and with my Sony, 105" was the biggest I could go.

  • AncientWisdom on 22/08/2019 - 15:32

    Personally I ended up realising that I'm more than happy with good quality 2.1 setup, I leave the surround experience to the movie theatre. Much easier to set up and easy to do well.

    • psdillon on 23/09/2019 - 23:03
      +2

      Sounds awesome, but needs photos to fully appreciate.

    • Zachary on 26/09/2019 - 17:19

      How much did all that cost ya?

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