We have a large window less room of 3.6 meters by 6 meters where we plan to have a projector setup. Looking for good recommendation for a Home theater Setup. I'm not an audiophile, This is just to watch good HD movies online like netflix and Amazon. Any recommendation for companies or people who can be consulted. Budget is between 4-6k CHF. Thank you for your inputs.
Hello Folks,
Getting companies to set it up for you will cost a lot more than 6k.
I did most things myself, except for hanging up my new 77" TV on the wall.
There is a lot of info on the internet, and you have a pretty good room size.
https://www.audioadvice.com/home-the...sign/#designer
As audio tech has not really developed that fast, you can go the second hand route with the sound system like this one:
https://www.tutti.ch/de/vi/thurgau/t...1500h/49115227
I know a lot of people will talk about the latest sound formats (Dolby Atmos and so on), but I also figured out that you would need 7 speakers to enjoy that. A 5.1 system will suffice for your budget, even though your room is ideal for a 7.1 system. You can always add a pair of speakers at a later stage.
But video tech is changing all the time. 4K, 8K, HDR, etc. etc. and there's not a lot of 4K projectors around for under 2k.
I had a projector which in my view made sense until about 3 years ago. Now big TVs are getting cheaper and better. So last Black Friday I invested in a 77" TV to replace my 100" Full HD screen and projector. I do miss the larger screen a bit, but I find myself rewatching a lot more now because the TV with 4K is just better, quieter and less of a hassle to switch on.
When I removed the projector screen from the wall and the projector from the ceiling, there was suddenly a lot of echo in the room. I never noticed it before I guess because the screen and projector acted like absobers and diffusors (though not very good ones). So I spent about Fr.400 on absorbing panels and diffusors and now the sound is so much better. I wished I did that sooner.
So my suggestions: Go for a 5.1 system (with the possibility to go to 7.1 at a later stage). Try the second hand market. Spend almost half your budget here. Then decide on the Projector (4K minimum), and a screen of at least 100" as you will sit about 5m away. My preference is to get the largest TV I can afford, it certainly gets much more use than the projector. This should be half the budget, and spend about Fr.500 on acoustic panels/sound proofing the room.
Interesting question - and interesting budget as well. Near-complete amateur, so this isn't professional advice, merely personal opinion.
You have two main paths here:
- a _very_ nice TV (better quality, you would easily get into 4k/8k) OR
- a good projector (can get into 4k, but might stretch your budget)
First: audio system. As axman noted, audio tech (marketing) is thankfully not evolving at the same speed as that for video. You can easily get by with a 5.1, can even get into 7.1 or higher. A good audio receiver is a must. Trawl Ricardo/anibis/tutti and see what's on offer, read reviews etc. Note: if you only need one video output (as opposed to plugging in both a TV and a projector), the choice at a given price point increases significantly.
Important - budget for proper cabling. Some people say 5%, others 10% of the price of the audio gear should be for cabling - I think that's a bit much if you go for new and expensive gear, but don't skimp on that. Good copper cable and good connectors aren't that expensive, but poor ones can ruin the experience. Personal opinion - if you have to make a choice where to optimize cost, get better speakers instead of a shiny receiver; speakers will typically outlast the receiver as features etc. change.
Second: think out your layout. If going down the projector route, take a look first at a projector calculator (I tried prefilling some values that might fit - feel free to adjust) and see how that fits with your space. Can you/will you hang the projector off the ceiling or put it on top of a piece of furniture? Don't forget to leave space to the sides for the front speakers (unless you plan to have them "under" the image/screen). Aim for flexibility - maybe in a year's time you will move and need a projector with a longer/shorter max/min throw distance. What level of noise can you tolerate? And so on. Read reviews, compare prices etc.
Axman gave great advice.
I recommend getting a good audio system... so will recommend that you spend about two thirds on the television and then the other third in the sound.
Thank you so much for the advice. We have a living room in the ground floor with a 77 Inch TV, There will will have a simple setup with a soundbar as that's only for Music and light watching. This room is in the basement, he we want to go the projector route. Buying a used sound system is a good idea and thanks for the link, I'll contact them.The room is well insulated, and is underground, so sound is not going to be a problem. I intend to go for a 5.1 setting. My budget was between 2-3 k for the projector (including the screen) and 2-2.5k chf for the sound system. I have some appointments with Muller+Spring in Brugg tomorrow. So you know people or Handymen who can help in setting this up if I buy stuff individually? Without costing an arm and a leg?
Thanks again for the great advice.
4-6k is obviously a significant budget for home cinema, especially if you are 'not an audiophile'. Does that include the projector or just the AVR and speakers?
Take your pick... https://www.whathifi.com/best-buys/b...peaker-systems
To go with it you could then get a decent mid-range AV receiver.
If you are planning to use long throw projector, for optimal picture (contrast ratio) make sure to paint walls/ceiling black or cover with light absorbing material, see here http://projectiondream.com/en/contra...r-environment/ . If this is not an option as an alternative consider going with an ultra short throw (UST) projector paired with an ambient light rejecting (ALR) projection screen.
For optimal sound make sure to install some sound absorption and/or diffusion panels.
And please don't read what is written on whathifi.com. It is nothing but a platform for advertising various hi-fi products and has nothing to do with fair/objective product reviews.
Muller & spring is a good shop, good variety and knowledgeable staff.
When I mentioned sound proofing, it is not about keeping noise in. It is about removing echo that distorts your listening pleasure. You have 4 walls with no opening except a door, this is just like my setup. The audio will definitely bounce off the walls and ceiling. This means that you will hear dialogue and then hear it again and again a few miliseconds later.
I actually thought my center speakers were not good enough as I frequently had to increase the volume to understand the dialogue when there is a noisy action scene for example. When I added some absorbers on the ceiling, the dialogue suddenly became clearer. Then I added some diffusers on the wall, it became even better. There is now just much better separation and I don’t have to increase the volume. As I started reading up on this, I understand now that all the echo was simply confusing my ears and made it very tiring and therefore not very enjoyable.
Mmartins mentioned paint. I just told my painter that I wanted a home theater and he went ahhh.... man cave. First attempt some years ago was dark red. My curent room is dark blue. Important thing is that it’s light absorbing.
While you're at it, don't forget to plan for network connectivity if not already there. I would strongly advise having an Ethernet cable run to/near the location where the source device(s) - e.g. AppleTv - are going to be located. You can always link a local access point to ensure you have good WiFi coverage and, since it's only for one room, you don't need anything expensive (an older 802.11ac router, employed in an Access Point mode, will provide both wired and wireless coverage). There's nothing more frustrating than the 'buffering...' message in the midst of an action scene.