A very much long awaited dream will come true for me very soon. I will be builiding my AV / Home Theatre room!!! Yay for me . After almost a year of designing and redesigning the room, I finalised the designs about 2 months ago. The contractor just finished fabricating the parts, cabinets dewign accents and started bringing them over to my house.

But first here is a glimpse of my AV Room before the build..... actually I have the electrician doing some wiring already.

The room is situated on the 3rd floor, has a funny shape, but it is generally rectangular staircase (see black grille) and an access door on one side. The staircase picutred leads to the 2nd floor. The door leads to a flat roof where I place the water tanks, air conditioner compressors and water filters for the house. The wall with a lamp will be where the screen will eventually be placed.


This next picture shows the other end of the wall where the screen will be placed.


This picture is of the rear of the room. I will be placing build in display cabinets here and the Epson projector will be housed at the top of the cabinet just below the Air Conditioner. I have a dedicated fuse box for the AV Room. Notice the black grille, thats part of the staircase that leads to the 2nd floor.


A closer look at the wiring mess... The suqare box you see in tis picture is my DIY 12" servo subwoofer.


More wiring mess


And the contractor brought the fabric wall panels... somehow the reds did not turn out as dark as I had wanted..


Base for the screen housing


Cabinets...


And yet more cabinets...


I'll take more pictures and go thru the build as the contractor starts work tomorrow. I'll keep a close eye on them to make sure everything is doen up to my standards.

Jason

This post has been edited by jasonlky: Jan 23 2008, 12:32 PM

Please don't be jealous of this. An AV room is possible for every kind of budget. As for me, I do not know the final price of the build yet. The contractor is actually my wife's Uncle, and he only charges us material and labour. I guess I am lucky I don't have to worry about sky high markups.

So after Day 1.... all I can say is that progress is slow. Only major acomplishment is to get the ceiling section of screen area up plus some wall panelling.

Ceiling Section was a real tough one to mount. It is really heavy and required 6 workers to mount. The worker had to crawl into the ceiling to secure the section to the ceiling trusses.


Ceiling section done


Here are some wall panelling...


And more wall panelling...


Jason

This post has been edited by jasonlky: Nov 18 2007, 01:42 AM

The build is coming along nicely. Display cabinets are going up for it as we speak. The screen mountings will be up later today, minus the screen. I STILL have not gotten around to selecting a screen yet.

The artificial floor that will cover staircase access area will probably go up tomorrow. Why an artificial floor? So that that area can be used as well and not end up as just empty space.

I have taken many pictures of the build as it proceeds, but I cannot download the pics, as my PC seems to be acting up and refusing to recognise the camera. Will try to resolve this asap so that I can post the pics.

The size of the area is roughly 4.5 x 5.5m. But its in a funny rectangular shape. I am trying to use all the available area as best I can. See attached sketch but note that it is not drawn to scale.



Jason

I never thought about sound proofing coz the nearest bedroom is the master bedroom which is right below and even then there is very little sound intrusion. My house is not condo or terrace so I dun have to worry about the neighours.

Just before everyone thinks I am super loaded with cash let me explain a bit.....

I am getting this project done by my Uncle who is a contractor for built in furniture and interior carpentry. He is one of the carpenters that worked on restoring Mahatir's house and turning it into a museum in Alor Setar.

So I prolly will not be spending as much as one would expect since there is no markup..... uncle mah!! I'll give you a rundown of the cost once I get the bill from him. Anyone care to estimate.... lets see who gets the correct guess....

Jason

The wood panelling took an agonisingly long time to decide. I was to-ing and fro-ing between my wife and the interior designer. I must say that I think it is integrating very well with the overall design. But the wood panelling is only veneer, cannot afford solid woodlah.

haha termites.... I had the soil treated before the house was built and the pest control inspects the house every 3 months. But more importantly I insisted on using hardwoods for all flooring, fencing, windows, doors and frames.... cengal, resak and jati.

Photos coming soon, gonna try to uninstall and reinstall the drivers and related programs.

Jason

The build continues with the installation of the sliding wall panels that will be used to close the windows during movie time.


At the same time the display cabinets go on the back of the theatre.


The rest of the display cabinets are installed, this is the portion that sits on top of the staircase.


The artificial floor over the stairs are also installed... This is the fixed part, picture taken from the underside showing the supports bolted to the wall.


And this is the door that will allow access to the stairs. Note that the railing has been removed to allow free movement when the door is closed.


The door to the stairs are closed. Don't worry it is supported by very strong wood and it can easily take the weight of 4 adults!! unfortunately due to safety concerns the other railing cannot be removed.


This is the completed display cabinet at the rear of the theatre. Glass doors are already installed. Here is the main section with the open shelve ready to receive the projector.... just below the air conitioner.


And here is the other section with the cabinets on top of the artificial floor. Notice the door on the right side of the picture...


Here is the door leading out to the flat roof. The fixed cabinets that will be housing the AV systems are in place. The removeable cabinet will go in to cover the door, so that you will not see the door. Good idea eh...


Last but not least... the unfinished frame for the screen.


This is where the build stand after 7 days of non-stop work. Quality is top notch, fit and finish is really good. However it just dawned on me that I may have made a fatal mistake in the design....

Notice that I have used glass doored display cabinets at the rear of the room. In addition, I am using Rythmik Audio's subwoofer that can effortlessly go down to 14hz. Put the two together and what do you get? The glass doors in the display cabinets will have a hell of a time when the movies start. Granted this is only a conjecture at the moment as I have not started watching any movies in the yet unfinished theatre. But I am pretty sure it will be rattle central when the bass starts hitting. Any suggestions on how to remedy the situation.

Jason

ps- I have just been given a hint of the cost...

This post has been edited by jasonlky: Nov 24 2007, 02:50 AM

You scored a bingo on both counts.....

Jason

This post has been edited by jasonlky: Nov 24 2007, 11:17 AM

Thanks, the screen will measure 110" diagonal.... 96" x 54", 16:9 format.

Jason

I was contemplating the idea of using curtains, but I think that the low frequency will pass through the heaviest curtain that can be hung in my theatre. But then again I don't know what is the resonant frequency of the panes of glass. Each pane of glass could theretically resonate at a different frequency as they are all at different lengths.... Will have to setup everything and find out how big the problem is before I attempt anything.

I am now contemplating a way to physically damp each pane of glass... via some kind of rubber stopper. Currently, each pane of glass has a hinge on one end and it is secured in the close position by the magnet "push on"/"push off" mechanism.

Its just an idea at them moment, need more time to work out the details. I am not going to give up the glass dispay cabinets so easily...

The cabinets and screen frame has been completed today. With the exception of attaching the screen to the screen frame... the mechanical build is completed. The contrator spent Sat and Sun touching up and cleaning up. The pictures are roughly as you have seen them in the pics above. The electrician will be here Monday/Tuesday to wire up the theatre and install the lighting. I will take more pics after this is completed.

Jason

Actually I have discussed this at length with my Home Theatre projector buddies. Contrary to popular belief, the Home Theatre is ultimately an approximation of what going to the cinema is all about. Maybe my kids won't know the difference as they seldom go to the movies. E.g. my kids have only been to Chicken Little, Happy Feet and Ratatoille.... that is about once every six months. When I ask them about the cinema, they have a vague idea of what the experience was all about. But when I was a kid leading up to my teenage years... movies were a weekly affair... well almost depending on the pocket money availability.

There is a whole ritual about going to the cinema, choosing the movie, calling/making appointment with friends/gf. Arguing which cinema to go: Ruby Theatre because toilet is cleaner, or which Rex because got more leng lui... deciding to sit upstais or downstairs...Then meeting up for a snack/dinner, proceeding to the theatre, lining up to buy tickets... deciding where to sit... who to sits next to whom (especially important when there is a certain someone in the group u are trying to woo... but trying not to be so obvious. Then choosing your snack and drink, making sure there is enough to last the whole movie.

Sure there is that annoying guy 3 rows back that needs to show how smart he is by narrating the entire movie to impress his friends. Then there is the lady sitting right infront of you with the funky hairdo that reaches up to the ceiling. Dun forget the feel and sound of the kuaci as you walk to your seat. And the occasional chewing gum stuck to you brand new Fung Keong!!

The experience now with the cineplex is a little different but its largely unchanged... but the guy talking loudly in the 3rd row is still there and now has a handphone that refuses go into silent mode. Lady with the big hair is still there. (And the couple sitting the the back corner are still there ...fondling each other in the dark.... thinking no one notices

Heck, sure I will still go to the movies. Why ever not?

But the benefits of the Home theatre are plenty ...can pause the movie to go to the toilet or to get a hot drink, can rewind to re-listen to dialogue can tapau roti canai or char kuay teow (extra chilli with kerang ) to eat during the movie, no loud guy with handphone (probably coz you ARE that guy ), no big hair lady.... and can watch comfortably with the family.

Jason

Don't just think about doing an AV room, if you have the space, then you should just go ahead and do it. If you don't have space then you can convert your living room quite nicely. Bro Timothyy has converted his living room in to a AV room as well with very nice results. Can visit his thread here in LyN.

As for opening the Box Office, I won't be issuing an open invitation. However if anyone is interested to come see see, then just drop me a PM and I can try to arrange for a visit. I live in the vicinity of Kota Kemuning...
Weekends works best for me.



The short answer is I don't know. To shatter glass you have to playing sound at the piece of glass's resonant frequency and it needs to be with sufficient energy that will cause it to vibrate so violently that it exceeds its mechanical "strength" and therefore shatter or that it vibrates so violently that it comes into contact with another object that will cause it to break. I do not believe that it matters which direction the subwoofer or any speaker for that matter faces...

I don't think that I am "blasting" when I watch movies. I think Avia and THX recommends setting the volume so that the sound pressure is at 85db.... I tried this and it was like too loud, like in a rock concert hall!! After calibration I listen to movies at 65-75db.(Measurement done using RadioShack Sound Level Meter) I will need to recalibrate the speakers and their settings for the new AV room...

Jason

Very true, everything in this world need $$. I guess we need to prioritise ur spending and then work hards towards the objectives.

Update

Lighting, wiring and electrical works have been completed. After closer inspection, there are a couple of defects and areas needing some additional attention from my contactor. Unfortunately, my uncle is off to his next project and will only be able to spare some time after the New Year... guess I will have to live with it for a while.

The cleaning up is just horrendous work. I have given the AV Room a once over with the vacuum cleaner. However, it needs a thorough wipe down... my lazy bones are telling me to leave that to the weekend.

Jason

I have just ordered my projector screen material from ebay. I ordered blindly. But the reviews in the feedback had nothing but nice things to say about the material. So we'll see how it goes as soon as it arrives. The material size is 60" x 112", my screen size is 54" x 96". It should be more than enuf. Here is an excerpt out of the marketing material, click on the spoiler.



They said no glare or hot spots (fingers crossed) and I hope that with a gain of 1.3, the viewing cone is not too narrow. I did not spend too much on it, so I guess it won't hurt too much if I had to throw it out.

Jason

Actually there is a dedicaed HT Projector discussion going on here... http://forum.lowyat.net/topic/397986

Jason

The contractor has finished all the woodworking and cabinetry. So for the moment the condition is still the same as in the previous pics that I have posted. I spent all last weekend cleaning the floor and cabinets. Note to self: Glass cabinets need a lot of care, even the smallest fingerprints are easily visible and are a pain to clean!!! It was really tiring.....

Among other things, I managed to installed my AV Receiver, DVD, Subwoofer and Front left/right speakers to test the sound. So far at moderate listening levels, no reflections, vibrations or shattering of glass . I will test with a movie when I get some time. Things left to do:
1. Install speaker cables. Aiming to get 2x 50Ft reels of Acoustic Research 12awg speaker wire (Made in China) only US$12 per reel!!
2. DIY Video Component Cable using Maspro RG/6U coax cable with Neutrik shielded RCA plugs. I will need 6 runs of cables, 3 from DVD to AMP, and another 3 from Amp to Projector. I will jump onto the HDMI bandwagosn when I upgrade to HD and HDMI1.3!!!
3. Refinish my teak floor with some light sanding and a coat of matt varnish coz the contractor's workers left many scratches
4. Paint the ceiling, fan and uncovered walls with a dark blue paint.
5. Get 3 or 4 seater sofa.
6. Get contractor to touch up some unfinished areas.
7. Install Projector Screen


I have no new pictures to show. Damage is just under to RM20k. An outside contractor quoted RM27k for less work!!!


I stay in Bukit Rimau.... right next to Kota Kemuning. Drop me a PM and we can set something up.


Oh.... forgot that both you and bro dirtrun had bought your screens before me. Should have checked with you first. I went to many fabric shops, even those wholesalers on Petaling street and I cannot seem to find a similar matt white fabric at the size that I need. The closest was canvas (which is not white) but only with a width of 36".

I found a nice off white fabric at IKEA, 60", but it was not very close knit and a lot of the light would pass thru.....

As for this cloth that we are using.... they said no glare / hotspot... but I do remember seeing some hot spotting ou your screen.... well at this price point we cannot expect it to be perfect.

Jason

Bro I put in my order 2 days ago.

You can get the cables at MCMINONE.COM. The shipping is not cheap, US$40 for 1-3 reels, so after much comtemplation I ordered 3 reels. The list price is US14.95, but if you put in a source/discount code "EMC021", the the price is US$12.00 each. For a branded 12 gauge cable, you cannot do better than this.

I got the 3rd reel primarily because my wife wants to install ceiling speakers for the kids' rooms. If I have a substantial amount left over I'll I sell to youlah.

Jason

I think in Malaysia, almost everything is taxed. But it depends if the packaged is held by our customs at the KLIA Mel Udara depot. If I get a letter from KLIA Mel Udara depot... then I sure kena tax oledi.

I am not sure what is the tax for copper cables, someone told me that its as high as 25%. Anyway I am prepared for it, just don't like to drive down to KLIA...

Jason

Err... the connectors that are provided with the 50ft Acoustic Research 12awg speaker cable are not the standard 4mm "banana" connectors. They are much smaller... more like 2mm and the are called "pin" connectors. These pin connectors are usually used to connect the speaker cables to the amp's speaker terminals. The reason they use the 2mm connector is because of the limited space at the rear of the amp... if you have seen how cramp the backside of an AV receiver, you'd understand what I mean.

Actually I vote for bare wire connection. If done properly bare wire connection can be very neat and will definitely provide a superior electrical connection compared to pins and bananas....

Jason

Roger that. I received the traking number a couple of days ago. Hoping to receive it by the end of next week.

Jason

Updates

Well, the screen material that I ordered through ebay is here. On my initial inspection it looks good, just like any of the megabucks screens that I have had to chance to view. But I'd need to really install it and view it with my projector to assess its performance. I will mount it on the frame and put it up over the weekend. If I can get the neutrik connectors in time, I'll post pictures of the projected picture.

On another note of interest, the speaker cables should be arriving anytime now, but I have some bad news for mysghooi and timothyy. MCMINONE originally quoted shipping as US$40 for all 3 reels, they subsequently charged me US$96 for shipping!! So I asked them to honour the original quote, which they subsequently did. To mysghooi & timothyy, please take note of this if you are ordering. The combined weight of the shipment is 17lbs, I did a quick check on USPS and the shipping came up to US$90.

Jason