Rave: Enormous home theater setups

[Maclowery]

Prior notice and apologies: This thread is 100% intended to be a bragging thread. But as a secondary reasoning, I truly want you guys - all of you - to jump in on this. On with it:

You all know those sci fi movies where people are watching an entire wall that is a TV? Whoah, it's crazy! Now, three months after I purchased a 110" projection screen and a nice 3D-capable projector, I am baffled why this isn't a bigger deal. Most of my guests walk into our very normal, borderline ugly 2 bedroom city apartment without immediately noticing a high shelf along one wall of our living room. On it, I have a pull-down screen, just like those ones in our high school classes - just a bit wider is all. Covers the normal wall-mounted cheapo TV and a closet.

Once you sit and I swap my receiver over to the projector over our heads, people immediately say things like "Holy [expletive] man this is nuts" or "Holy [expletive] you are a moron, dude" or "Holy [expletive] this how much did this cost?!" (it was cheaper than any 65+ inch standard tv). I am about 25 for 30 on "Holy [expletive]", and the two grade school kid 2nd cousins were among the Non Cursers.

Watched Gravity 3D last night, and it was absolutely stunning. My girl fell off the couch to dodge an exploding space thingy. It was incredibly compelling. Nothing like any home viewing of anything I've ever seen. When I have new guests, I show everyone a 3D iMAX blu ray I grabbed, and every time someone reaches out to pet the sea lion that looks like he's 10 feet into the room.

Sorry, I am definitely raving, but I tell everyone, and you guys, and I probably already did not-sober a week or three ago. Get a screen and a projector. Keep your 40 or 55" TVs, watch normal stuff on them. But make your whole wall a screen, watch a summer blockbuster or the Super Bowl (we did) and you will not be disappointed.

[stlouie_lipp]

Very cool. Did you do anything new/special for sound?

[Jocephus]

[Schlich]

life goals

[letsgocards89]

Awesome! I have a pretty solid surround setup, but we watch the movies on an 8 year old 60" rear projection TV. We have an unfinished basement, and I really want to build a theater room down there. I want to go full out too, sound isolation, risers with multiple rows of seats, etc. That can get pretty pricey in a hurry though, and I am not sure I'll be able to get it past the Finance Committee(aka wife).

[GeddyWrox]

LOL... "Finance Committee". I call my wife the budget nazi.

[Maclowery]

Because there's a family above us and our floor is creaky and thin, I didn't get a big surround sound system like the screen deserves. Just a nice soundbar and sub I usually keep very low. I miss having a house where I could absolutely blast my old 5.1 Dolby system. Alas. It's loud enough, but definitely could do better.

Letsgocards, you could start with just the projector onto a white wall! I got mine, a well reviewed Acer, For 550. Didn't bother to ceiling mount for month's, just propped it on a shelf.

[pioneer98]

I will have to check this out. I did look into this probably ~4 years ago, and these projectors were still quite expensive at that time. I bet they've come down.

Is your screen mounted to the ceiling or is it a stand alone thing?

[Maclowery]

I mounted a 6" shelf the length of my living room, with an inch behind for cords. The screen is hung from under it. So when it's not in use, I roll it up, and it blends in with the nice plants n books on the shelf, and the regular flat TV mounted behind where the big screen hangs.

[IMADreamer]

Sounds pretty sweet. I have a 42 inch TV I've turned on twice in the last month. I think it's a Samsung. I'm sure you are all super jealous.