jmmurphy

Hey everyone. I've read the DVD Talk forums for a long time, but never had anything to post. But now I've moved into a new house with a dedicated media room, and I need some help. The media room is wired with front and rear speakers set into the walls, so the layout is pretty much predetermined. My issue is the stairwell the enters the room right in the middle of the viewing area.

Front of the room


Rear of the room



I'm having trouble envisioning the room with the TV off center. I really just need suggestions or tips on how to set this up optimally. For instance, where do I place the center speaker and subwoofer? And what kind of media storage would look nice in such a room?

Additional info: The room is about 11' by 22', and any setup must look relatively attractive (IE no wires strung across the ceiling to a subwoofer, etc.), according to my wife.

Thanks in advance!

Jesse

RockyMtnBri

This may sound weird, but can you reverse the set up so that the front is the back and vice versa? I would do that because it'd be easier to not offset your TV at the rear window. Just put a treatment on it to block light.

BTW, take a look at my set up - I'm using Billy bookcases from IKEA with glass shelves that look pretty good.

Superman07

I don't suppose you have any more photos?

What equipment do you have? TV size? Speaker size?

I doubt you're going to go for this, but I'd almost say put the TV on the long wall to the right (if you're facing the window). That way you could have the back left become the front left to compensate for the pre-wired speakers (I only see the backs - couldn't make out any in the front or ceiling).

If you don't go for that I'd say put up a suedo half wall of some sort with a gap of 2 feet (?) between the wall and top step. That way you could hide the wires and maintain front-to-back seutp. Otherwise I agree that the TV would be forced off center and it would look off.

Superman07

Or you could do the easy solution like Rocky pointed out and flip the room.

Spiky

I would hazard a guess that the room was actually designed with the window end as the "front". So I concur.

jmmurphy

I don't have any more photos uploaded, but I can easily take some. Are there specific things you'd like to see?

I've thought about flipping the room either 90 or 180 degrees, but either option would involve some amount of rewiring. I have easy access to the wiring on every wall except the one on the window - moving the speaker inputs to that wall is probably beyond my capabilities. (My other idea was to keep all components save the TV in the nook by the stairs, and place the TV in front of the window. Again, though, I think that rewiring that end of the room is more than we want to attempt.)

The rear speakers are placed in the rear wall about 7' apart. The front speakers are perhaps 3' in front of the stairway. They are place in the walls; there are no other speakers in the walls or ceiling. I really think the idea of converting this room into a media room came as an afterthought (I think the original plan was for a bedroom), hence the unusual arrangement of the wiring.

As for equipment, other than the installed speakers... I have an old subwoofer that I can get by with, but everything else will be from scratch. We'll be getting a TV (looking at Sharp Aquos LCDs at the moment; my current thinking is that anything over a certain size will be impractical due to the offset caused by the stairs) and a receiver. I'll need to buy a center speaker, but I need to figure out a way to place it that my wife approves of.

With that said, neither of us really want perfection from our HT setup. I'd just like to see if there is a way to make the most of a somewhat awkward situation.

Rocky - I do like the Billy bookcases. We're going to be near Atlanta this weekend and I believe they have an Ikea store. We may be able to stop in and look.

I appreciate everyone taking the time to respond!


Thanks,
Jesse

Superman07

Unless I'm mistaken the rears are supposed to be to the side, not behind you. Your descritpion of the setup in line with this would suggest that the "front" is indeed by the window.

If it were my setup I'd probably put the components by the nook by the stairs as well.

It seems like you're only real challenge is getting the video feed from the nook to the tv by the window. I assume there isn't a feed through the wall?

Only picture I'd be curious to see is from that landing on the stairs towards the window.

Spiky

So, where does the wiring come out? That is pretty much where your receiver has to be, to hook up the speakers. I'm assuming one of those plates in the nook is it. And then, do you know how it is run through the walls to get there? Up? Down? Around?

The sub likely wants to be in a corner, it might fit in right in that nook, which should fit the WAF just fine.

If you do post more pics, take the widest angle you can from the stairs towards the window to see the whole room in one shot.

jmmurphy

From what everyone has said, it sounds like I need to find a way to place the TV on the window side of the room. I'll have to see I'll be able to pull cable through the wall. Like I said, I have access to the exterior of each wall except that one.

I took a couple more widescreen shots for everyone: More photos

I'm wondering if there was some sort of mix up, and a video connection was meant to run between the nook and the opposite wall.

Superman07

Very possible.

Few more questions:

What are the two left most outlets in the nook? Cable COAX lines?

Also, I assume the two outlets on the bottom of the window wall are electrical? Same for the two on either side of the long walls at the window end? (Think it's pic 3 where you can see 4).

jmmurphy

One is COAX and one is a phone line. All outlets outside of the nook area are just electrical.

vlad

I looks to me like the room is set up for the tv to go infront of the window, with the two front speakers facing you, the two on the the wall facing in the room are the rear speakers.

Just because the equipment set up is in the rear, doesnt mean the tv, or projector in this case was meant to have the screen at the rear.

Ya this is a projector set up prolly with the screen covering the window.

Numanoid

I agree with vlad. Except for the window (which can be dealt with), this room screams for a projector. All equipment and projector behind you, screen in front of window in front of you. No wires across floors, walls, or ceilings.

Just get blackout drapes for the windows and a pull-down screen. One moment you can have a nice, well-lit sitting room, the next it can be a dark, cool little home theater.

RockyMtnBri

Vlad and Numanoid...

Brilliant! I didn't even think of that (and shame on me because I just got a projector!) and that resolves two issues right there - equipment placement and light control.

Spiky

Well, you do still need to get the wires up to the ceiling with a projector. Not that I'm against that idea. Another consideration would be an acoustically transparent screen, since those speakers would likely be behind it.

Numanoid

Sure, if you happen to put the projector on the ceiling. My current projector sits on a shelf about five feet off the floor, just above and behind the top of my sofa. My last projector sat on top of my equipment cabinet, again at about five feet high and behind my sofa.

Despite it being everyone's first inclination, there is no rule that says a projector must go on the ceiling. I love having my projector within reach to adjust the lens, swap inputs, etc., without having to get on a chair or ladder. Also, you avoid a lot of keystoning with an eye-level projector.

RockyMtnBri

Numanoid...

You've done it again!

Spiky

Maybe I'm just taller than you.

I would definitely not recommend anything that would involve keystone adjustments. But most PJs seem to have offsets that demand low or high placement, and invariably high is better than low. EG: Inexpensive DLPs are pretty much all fixed offset these days and there is no way to put the PJ in the middle. (vertically speaking)

Superman07

Nonsense! Just have a big arm coming off the wall that the project attaches to.

jmmurphy

You guys are totally right about the projector. While I had considered a projector, I totally ignored the possibility of a projector facing the window.

Brilliant!

The only other issues I have with that setup:

1. Subwoofer placement. I assume this is not an issue because, to the best of my knowledge, the subwoofer can be placed anywhere in the room.

2. The center speaker. Speaker wire will be much easier to pull through the wall than any kind of video cabling, but that's still an ordeal.

However, a projector facing the window would solve 95% of the problem.

Thanks,

Jesse

Drexl

If you're having trouble with finding room for the subwoofer, you might want to look into the cylinder subs from SVS. They have a relatively small footprint, taking up a 16-inch circle. They're just taller than the box subs.

Spiky

The reason subs can be almost anywhere is that the frequencies they play are too low for our ears to localize. This is why they always recommend an 80Hz cutoff. Personally, I recommend a 50Hz cutoff to be sure.

BTW, it's a 17" circle.