Need recommendations on pretty much everything for basement build

[Gunslinger08]

So I'm starting to plan out my unfinished basement and I need some help with the theater section. It's going to be about 20 feet deep by 14 feet wide, with the back open to the rest of the basement. The area I want to project onto isn't an entirely flat wall (has a 2' bump out on about 3/4 of the wall). I'm planning to build some shelves into the bump out to hold movies, receiver, PS3, and center and front right speakers. Then I'll have an electric drop down screen (8' ceiling). I would really like to have 2 tiers of seating. I've looked at the attached home theater recliners with built in cup holders, which look pretty awesome. I don't have a solid budget in mind yet - I just want to get a good value for my money.

Anyway, here's what I need recommendations on:
- Projector. I'm thinking Optoma HD20.
- Screen
- Receiver. I'm open to a box system (I have the Onkyo HT-S6300 in my living room), but I'll also go for individual components if it's a good value and performs better. I'm not sure if I should do 5.1/7.1/7.2 or something else. I'm not sure where I would mount the rear speakers, unless I hang them from the ceiling or mount them in the ceiling.
- Speakers. Read above.
- Seating. I want to do 2 tiers. I have about 10' of width to work with, leaving a walkway on one side. Reclining and individual seats (instead of just wide open couches) would be nice. I also need a riser for the back row. I'm not sure how high this should be. I figure I can probably make this myself with some lumber and plywood that we carpet over.
- Remote. I'm thinking about the Harmony 1100. The projector will be mounted on the ceiling while the components will be under the screen, so I'm not sure if I'll need an IR extender or not.
- In-wall cabling. What should I run the cables through? I'm thinking something like 1.5" or 2" PVC so that I can pull cables through easily if I need to replace them or standards change.

I'll try to take some pictures and update this post when I have a chance.

 

[queequeg99]

You've got a lot of open issues. I would suggest reading through some of the forums over at avsforum.com. There are about 4 or 5 different forums that should have valuable input. There is also a forum dedicated to the design and construction of theater rooms (either dedicated theaters or theater/rec rooms). Be careful, however. Once you see pictures of some of the projects, you will be tempted to go down a very slippery slope.

Although you say you don't have a solid budget, you might really want to come up with some figure to give others to work off of when they are providing suggestions. Otherwise, you'll likely get suggestions for outrageously expensive stuff. Also, be more specific about how the setup will be used. Do you watch a lot of action and sci-fi movies (i.e. lots of explosions and other deep sounds) or do you just pop Eat, Pray, Love in the BD player every night? You've got a pretty large room to fill with sound so being more specific about use and budget will elicit more useful responses.

 

[3chordcharlie]

You really need to think budget first, and I would say worry about finishing and cabling more than specific components to begin with.

Assuming you:
1. run speaker wire for 7.1 or 9.1 sound and conduit to feed video to your projector
2. are not planning in-wall speakers
3. build enough shelving to have flexibility in your components

Then worry about building first; even 3-6 months may bring a whole new generation of projectors, receivers and media players into play, and drop the prices on existing models. If it takes you a year to plan and build this, anything you decide on today is likely to seem obsolete or overpriced.

Speakers you can certainly research and maybe even purchase; they don't change in features, quality, and price at the same kind of pace, and a great speaker purchase today is probably still going to seem like a good purchase in a year.

Edit - value for money is subjective; there's no way you could watch enough movies to make this a 'good deal'. You have to want a theatre even after you consider the realistic cost.

 

[cheesehead]

Projector:
If you're on a budget, the Epson 8350 pretty much blows everything else on the market out of the water. (I own one. )

Screen: DIY. A mix called "Black Widow", comprised of aluminum airbrush paint and pinkish-beige latex enamel, is a remarkably good substitute for the real thing. You can paint it on a stretched sheet of blackout cloth, a piece of drywall, or just straight on your wall.


Receiver: I like Yamaha products, if only because I've had a few and they seem quite reliable.

Speakers: If you can find them, Infinity Primus 150/160s. I think B&H still has a few - if memory serves, you can get four 160s and the matching center channel for about $450 shipped.

Subwoofer: DIY saves a lot of money. Parts Express has some decent kits, and if you build the box yourself, the cost drops even lower. If you're on a budget, the Classic 18" subwoofer ($110) plus 300W BASH plate amp (on sale for $100) will give you a decent sub for not a lot of money. Free shipping, too.

PE also has some decent surplus subs - they're mostly last-gen stuff from mid-grade manufacturers. None of them are terribly large, but you could buy a few and place them throughout the room.

Seating: Multi-tier seating generally costs more than the rest of this stuff put together - good luck!

 

[joetekubi]

+1 for running cables and buildout long before you order components.

another suggestion, if you have raised seating for the second tier, you
can and should build a subwoofer under that row of seats. With something
about 15 inches high, 20 inches deep and about 7 feet wide (usual couch),
you can drop in 2 or 4 12 inch woofers and rock out.

Not a fan of the Infinity Primus. Once you get an idea of total budget, the speaker
choices will get clearer.

 

[sdifox]

floorplan? Acoustics should be taken into consideration when it comes to room sizing.