roachman313

Hi all,

I am new here and I really like the site. After reading a variety of the posts here, now I am caught up with the home theater bug.

My den is about 30 foot long and 15 foot wide. It is actually made up into two rooms but it is one big space. My idea is to turn it into a gameroom/home theater room. I would like my couch and regular tv on one side of the room and the pool tabel and bar tables on the other side. If I get a projector, the best place to put the screen would be to put it in the middle of this room.

So my question is, do they make a screen that will show the image on both sides of the screen? Also, will there be a loss of picture quality or brightness if I do it this way? If so, then if I still put it in the middle, would I need something in back of the screen to make the picture better?

I appreciate the help in advance.

Numanoid

If such a screen does exist, and you used only one projector, you realize that the image on the side opposite the projector would be flipped horizontally, right? So everything would be mirror-imaged. It would really be noticeable on text (including signs and such in movies).

roachman313

Yeah..that would be ok. Most of the time, we would be viewing it from the couch. So we would be on the right side of the screen. I would just like it if we had a group come over, then they could watch it while playing pool.

Brian Shannon

I do not believe this is possible. In order to have the image on both sides, it would either need to show through which gives you the reverse image on one side or the projector would need to project along the edge of the screen so the image could be dispersed onto both sides perhaps with some type of mirror system. Yes brightness and picture quality would all be compromised.

I think you would be better off to put the screen at one end of the room and the pool table at the opposite end.

Dead

Ditto... this would allow for proper viewing of the image from both the couch and the game room area.

Sdallnct

I don't know. I think I would at least consider splitting the room into two 15X15 rooms. Possible even with partition wall, with maybe over sized double pocket doors.

Seems to me if I really want to sit and watch a movie, I would want the light control, noise control, etc which would mean cannot use the pool table area. But if you split into two rooms you could have both going on the same time. Or if you wanted a "sports night" then just slide open the doors and people could walk freely between the two.

Just an idea....

Dead

Splitting it into two rooms using a divider might not be bad, but I'd still put the screen on a far wall if possible so that I had the option of opening it up and viewing from the game room. Sure, viewing from the game room wouldn't give an optimum image for movies, but it would probably give a reasonable image for watching a ball game while having people over to play pool.

Sdallnct

Yea...I could see that to. Course I would go for a large bar with several pub tables instead of a pool table, but that is another thread...

Did you ever get seating for your HT room?

sdcrym

You could consider purchasing two screens, one designed for front projection (reflecting the light) and the other designed for rear projection (transmitting the light). When you're on the side of the room with the projector, lower the reflecting screen. When you're on the opposite side, lower the transmitting screen. You may be able to find a projector that can mirror the image when it's being used for rear projection, although I don't know much about built in features for commonly used HT projectors. Obviously you'd only be able to watch the image from one side at a time, though.

roachman313

Ok..that's what I thought. I guess my next question is do I have to have the screen up against a wall? I would rather not seperate the room into two if I don't have to. I might try that dual screen idea at a later time though. That sounds pretty cool.

Sdallnct

No. Remember your high school geography class when your teacher would grab the screen mounted to the ceiling near the front of the room and pull it down to reveal a pic of the world? Then when she was done, she would give it a good tug and it would roll back up? They of course make PJ screens exactly like that. You can even use free standing ones like your dad use to show slide shows on.

For these type of screens you can spend anywhere from $75 to several thousand and above. They now make them where you can "hide them in your ceiling", can be motorized, have bracing so they don't curl or bend, etc. And of course there is a ton of different colors/textures/gains, etc.

Personally if you are not sure what you want as far as room set up, you might pick up one of the cheap ones that hangs from the ceiling and going ahead and use it for a while. See what works, what doesn't work, etc.

Dead

Nope, for now the Mrs. has convinced me to stick with the couch and love seat.

Sdallnct

Really, opposite for my. Wiffy gave me the go ahead for 4 Birkline 088's, I got a great quote and just couldn't pull the trigger. I just don't know if that is what I want.

We did order new couches for the living room, so I'm going to put our "old" one in the HT room till I decide. Maybe getting a front row (couch) in there will help push me in a direction.