hail-hail

I am currently drawing up plans (well an architect is, not me) and I want to ensure that I have thought of everything.

It is double garage (currently a games room with pool table, darts, scalextrix etc....) and is being converted into a proper family / living room. Pool table has already gone

I intend to install the following:

Big LCD / Plasma telly, 50" possibly.
Sky HD
Surround Sound Stereo
XBOX 360
PC, maybe with a monitor switch between the PC monitor and the telly.
Phone line for the Lazy Boy

I have thought about the following:
Network cabling from my office to the Family room. Avoiding wireless communication.
Hidden wiring for surround sound speakers.
TV mounted on a false wall to allow access to connect more toys.

Anything I have not thought about, any cool ideas? I have a blank canvas.

Philip Attaway

hidden DVD/games storage (in false wall?)

Hidden cables for cinema lighting

Beer fridge

OllyK

Projector rather than Plasma
Consider a loft box to get Sky round the rest of the house.

hail-hail

Hidden storage space for DVD / CDs...I like it.

Already got a Fridge Freezer in there at the moment, I think that is on the wifes 'no fluffing chance' list. Got a fridge in the LazyBoy anyway.

I aready have sky Multiroom and using RF connections, so I have sky in 4 rooms, including the garage. I will be moving the HD box from the living room to the gargage and running the RF back the way.

May look into the Projector option. But I have one at the moment, it's quite old and a new bulb is £300 add so may just scrap it. Bought is off someone on here iirc. Would have to go down the HD 1080p projector route and looking at about 6-10k so may back of that idea for a few years. Can pick up a good 1080p telly for around 2k.

Philip, talk to me about cinema lighting, I would normally sit in the dark or have a small lamp on, is cinema specific lighting worth it?

GazTheHat

Lighting!

Good lighting & mood lighting for instance, especially in a HT room will make a MAHOOSIVE difference.

Go onto AVForums, there's a sub-forum for Home Theatre DIY. There's plenty of people on there with detailed builds similar to yours.

You'll pick up plenty of ideas.

davyboy

Are you getting another garage built?

GazTheHat

A pronto. A must too.

hail-hail

Got plenty driveway to park our two cars, but may build a single garage on the other side of the house. Depends on the next go fast toy I buy.

hail-hail

Yup, just googled it and yes, it is a must!!!!

Freak

Definitely echo the lighting comment....

Sosbanite

Pronto?

Why stop there, go on, push the boat out
Crestron Electronics, Inc.

corradoboy

INSPIRATION

RMA26

Not so much a home cinema, but this little lot is interlinked to my surround sound/TV etc

Very loud and very crisp!

Combination of Technics / Wharfedale / Alesis / Vestax Gear

RMA666/Decks - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

westy04

Checkout what this guy did.
The later pictures look stunning.

Groove's new lounge with floating wall build - AVForums

+Doc+

Air con?

Dream Weaver

The AV Forums DIY and Gallery sections are excellent, although be warned - I've gone from ordering a basic Panasonic Plasma TV with retail surround sound to currently planning my full house automation and entertainment system with floating kitchen walls, wireless music and so on

Its going to cost me a small fortune if I dont watch it

Check out the automated systems for heating, lighting etc - amazing.

NeilT

We bought our house a few years back and the previous owner had already converted the integral double garage into a living room and built a new double garage at the side of the house. Having a 'spare' living room was a big plus point for buying the house

Spent some money redecorating, sticking a new door in to the hall(previously only had access through the utility on back of kitchen) and recarpeting.

Also installed a projector (ceiling mounted), electric screen and bought a Yamaha amp, to drive the 360, Wii and DVD player. Got bought some Mission floor standers by my mrs for xmas (2 yrs back) and backen them up with the Misson dipole surrounds and sub. Gets used loads for films and playing games, well worth the investment and should definately help sell the house when we decide to move again.

Didnt bother with network cabling (now that Wifi is available), but did get plenty of sockets installed and speaker cabling (inc extra lenghts) run throughout room.

Used X10 automation to switch the power off to the units and a Philips pronto for control.

One thing though - the sofa we bought for the room wouldnt fit through the doorway (eek) so had to have a window taken out to get it in.

Neil

GazTheHat

That's the one i recently read. Great use of rope lights.

I would've built the bottom units into the wall, to give more floor space though.

corradoboy

Makes mine look very amatuerish

GazTheHat

Here's mine:

Viera 42", PionDV444, Pio250gbHDD, Yam610, Kef2005 & 5005 centre, Rel Quake sub, QED silver ann and other qed cables, pronto ru960.

Took the wall down, re-enforced the joists, put 18mm ply in between the joists where the bolts for the tv went. Used uber coach bolts.

I could hang on the tv mount. It tilts too. Created a AV cupboard, to put all the components in. Still not finished & missing the glass doors, after 3 years.

No cables anywhere, all under the floor. Turned out to be very kiddy friendly, which is what i was aiming at and not taking any space up with stands/units/racks.

alistair

Some more Scoobynet setups here including mine

50" Plasma recessed into the wall (well I actually built all the rest of the wall out except for the TV & Centre speaker). I also have an 8ft wide motorised screen (with hidden wiring) that comes down in front of it for the projector

Other things that I did are built out all the walls and filled them with acoustic mineral wool which greatly reduces the sound transfer to the rest of the house. I also have the roof cavity filled with it and you can't hear it in the bedroom above.

Definately lighting - I've got 12 circuits with a pair of connected Lutron controllers. Basically I have all sorts of lights, come direct wired and others to lighting sockets around the room. With the controller you set the dim level to each light and then set that as a memory, so I have TV mode, film mode, eating mode etc - press the mode button and the light slowly adjusts over several seconds to the mode you want. Lighting wall plates in 4 places plus remote control.

I also have a floor box under the sofa - that includes mains power, 2 lighting sockets and every type of cable you can think of running from there to my kit cupboard. I did this because the sofa is in the middle and I didn't want any dangling cables. So I even have things like monitor cables so I can plug a lap top in for the TV or Projector, HDMI, 4 network, 4 TV, Speakers, USB, Firewire etc.

If wiring the speakers, don't forget the sub woofer.

I also wired electric blinds (roller blackout variety) and ran the cabling to the kit cupboatd where the lighting controllers are - then connected them to an interface box so they close with movie mode

Al

stoneface

iTrader: (6)

Looks good mate like the use of the veneered panel. Good tv choice

hail-hail

Thanks for all the info. Some nice Scoobynet installs. I have also joined AVforums for some more ideas / info.

+Doc+ I did think about air con, then remembered that I live in Scotland