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Author Topic: Home screening room
Jason Black
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1723
From: Myrtle Beach, SC, USA
Registered: Nov 2000


 - posted 04-30-2002 02:17 PM      Profile for Jason Black   Author's Homepage   Email Jason Black   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
For anyone with working knowledge of putting together a true home screening room, what would be a good overall deminsion for the room itself, and what kind(s) of equipment would you use?

Also, what kind of cost are you looking at given you have the room to do it?

Toying with an idea here, trying to make a reality of it..

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The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese!

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Antonio Marcheselli
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1260
From: Florence, Italy
Registered: Mar 2000


 - posted 04-30-2002 02:24 PM      Profile for Antonio Marcheselli   Author's Homepage   Email Antonio Marcheselli   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Jason,

I'm planning to transform my car box into an home theater. 30mq of area. 6.5m x 5m. I believe that it is enough.

For speakers, I used the Dolby formula to calculate the power needs and I found that I have to use professional speakers because home speaker will be not enough.

For example I get my old cinema subwoofer for free (4688) but it is not enough because the power needs at 113dB is more than what the sub can offers.

Do you know the dolby formula? I've get it from Steve.

Bye
Antonio

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Ron Lacheur
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 650
From: British Columbia, Canada
Registered: Feb 2002


 - posted 04-30-2002 02:47 PM      Profile for Ron Lacheur   Email Ron Lacheur   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
is having a 35MM screening room in your house actually worth it? Getting the prints must be a major hassle.

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Brad Miller
Administrator

Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99


 - posted 04-30-2002 02:56 PM      Profile for Brad Miller   Author's Homepage   Email Brad Miller       Edit/Delete Post 
Actually, Jason did not say he wanted to run 35mm. He might want to run 16mm or 8mm, or more possibly DVDs on a portable DLP video projector. Audio-wise, DVDs would need similar sound system requirements to a 35mm digital sound system and the design of the room would be just as important. Then again, maybe he just wants mono. His only question was a good size for the room and equipment (of which he did not specify which format he wants to run).

Regardless, Film-Tech is not a forum for film collectors. Discussing equipment and room design, yes, but not for discussing collecting film regardless of format.

Jason, if you are going the DVD route with a video projector, expect to lay down at least $20,000 to do it full blown. However you can obtain perfectly fine results for under $5000 by using used video projectors and cutting costs all along the line while still having a nice room. If you want to go the other end of the road to 35mm, expect to pay well over $100,000 to do it up all out and full blown. That being said, there are lots of used projection equipment out there in good shape that can be had cheap. (There are lots of people out there who have put together nice screening rooms for only a couple of thousand by being patient and snagging up the good deals, occasionally rebuilding the equipment themself.) Really, you should post your dollar limit as to what you are willing to spend on it before anyone else even takes the time to answer this thread.


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Paul G. Thompson
The Weenie Man

Posts: 4718
From: Mount Vernon WA USA
Registered: Nov 2000


 - posted 04-30-2002 04:07 PM      Profile for Paul G. Thompson   Email Paul G. Thompson   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
It can be expensive to build a 35MM Home Screening Room. Most of the expenses will involve obtaining processors like the Dolby CP-*, and soundheads such as the RCA 90**, or the Simplex SH 100*. and projection lenses.

Pedistals are dirt cheap, and so are arc lamps.

Small Xenon systems such as the ORC XH-16S and XPS 16S power supplies can still be pricey, but the bulbs will definately deplete your funds very rapidly.

Maybe the best way is to buy a booth of a closing theater, and go from there. Some booth packages have prices that are very inviting.

But remember - residential power here in the United States is all single phase. If you get three phase equipment such as the xenon systems, it'll be practically useless. There are phase conversion devices that can be made to run three-phase stuff, but that can get very expensive, and probably is not worth the hassle.

Brad suggested you take your time. He is right about that.

When I helped Josh put his together, I had alot of junk laying around that was still good, and I gave him most of what I had. But lot of it needed rebuilding.

He had a stash of Brenkerts, RCA Soundheads, some lenses, some pedistals, and arc lamps along with a 500-watt Xenon lamphouse.

Just how much money he has tied up in his booth, I would not even guess. By any means, it certainly was not coffee money.


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Jason Black
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1723
From: Myrtle Beach, SC, USA
Registered: Nov 2000


 - posted 05-01-2002 07:10 PM      Profile for Jason Black   Author's Homepage   Email Jason Black   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Brad/Paul,

I'm thinking the DVD route. 35mm is not worth the hassles of actually getting film in, and I'm not interested in 8/16mm.

I'm just wondering what a decent sized room would be, perhaps a conversion of a two car garage, approx. 400sq foot garage.

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The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese!

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Brad Miller
Administrator

Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99


 - posted 05-02-2002 06:41 AM      Profile for Brad Miller   Author's Homepage   Email Brad Miller       Edit/Delete Post 
I would think that would be plenty big. Since DVD only has so much resolution to begin with, you probably don't want to make the screen but say 12-15 feet wide, and most certainly not more than 20 feet wide. Plus, with a garage (or actually any "normal" height room) you will be limited to how tall the screen can be anyway. I would recommend you optimize the screen for full "scope" letterbox. Make sure you have the proper lenses and throw distance so that you can zoom the picture out to fill the screen.

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John Anastasio
Master Film Handler

Posts: 325
From: Trenton, NJ, USA
Registered: Sep 2000


 - posted 05-02-2002 07:00 AM      Profile for John Anastasio   Author's Homepage   Email John Anastasio   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
My screening room is 18'x 15' with an 8-foot wide screen optimized for CinemaScope. I can run 8,16,35 and video. The Brenkert BX80, RCA 9030 and a pedestal totalled under $1k. I added a stereo cell and Smart processor and additional amplifiers later on. The most expensive item in the whole setup was the video projector, and that was purchased used for around $1,000. I'd say the total for the room ran around $4k - $5k, but I had to rebuild everything myself and do all of the construction work (be sure you get permits, especially for electrical changes!) I already had a lot of the audio gear. It took a year to complete.

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Joe Beres
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 606
From: Minneapolis, MN, USA
Registered: Nov 2000


 - posted 05-02-2002 08:50 AM      Profile for Joe Beres   Email Joe Beres   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
John,
Your screening room sounds nice. You should send Brad some pics for all to see.

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Thomas Hauerslev
Master Film Handler

Posts: 451
From: Copenhagen, Denmark
Registered: Aug 2000


 - posted 05-03-2002 04:11 AM      Profile for Thomas Hauerslev   Author's Homepage   Email Thomas Hauerslev   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I'll vote for the DVD and DP70 in-the-office solution, which I toy with. I also have a multiplex of 3½ screens of various sizes + one rolled up in the basement and not forgetting the vintage cinema neon sign on the wall. A fantastic versatile installation which capabilities exceeds even the official Danish Film Museum, when we talk about 70mm projection. My son August also has loads of fun with all the CP100 switches. All film sound goes from the CP100 to my ext 5.1 input, and voila, I use my HiFi to play film sound. Besides the funtionality of these various projection tools, it is hard not getting in-the-mood, to upddate the DP70 web site once in a while, when a breeze of DP70-lubrication-odour fills the room.

No seriously, at home, go for the DVD solution, real film and projection takes up too much space.
Best to all for the weekend

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Cheers, Thomas
www.in70mm.com - The 70mm Newsletter

www.dp70.com|www.70mm.dk|www.hauerslev.com|http://hjem.get2net.dk/in70mm

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