Anyone got a Home Cinema set-up at home? I dont just mean a widescreen telly plugged into the hi-fi, at the very least a cheap video projector and pull down screen, or a plasma screen system with dedicated surround sound. Just interested to see what others have done.

I set up a fairly basic home cinema last April with a cheap DLP projector (Optoma H30) and a wall screen (7ft X 4ft) with curtains from the mill shop in Hillsborough for that cinema effect. A bit tacky but I wanted to do it, and I wanted projection on a big screen rather than a TV based system.

Not got 5.1 surround sound yet, still stereo only, the DVD player is a bit on the antiquated side, but getting there. Next job is in fact to get surround sound installed, so its a trip to Richer Sounds for one of their package deals.

I bought a Sony LCD projector a while back, screen is just a large sheet of white material tacked onto two dowel rods (not ideal as it lets quite a bit of light through and gets rather creased, but once the film gets going its fairly easy to suspend disbelief).

"Fortunately" my stereo amp packed in not long after getting the projector. Even more fortunately, this coincided closely with one of Richer Sounds's "open box" sale days, so I picked up a £400 6.1 AV Receiver for about £80. I then gathered together the many speakers I had lying around the house and cobbled these into a decent 5.1 system (the main stereo speakers are decent ones, a pair of Gale 3040s, but everything else is cobbled together: the centre speaker is an ancient 1960s Wharfdale Denton, the only one surviving since its twin blew up a few years ago; the subwoofer is a very old computer one, it could do with replacing as it doesn't have a lot of punch; the rear speakers are actually a pair that my dad built with his own hands circa 1960).

All-in-all it's not perfect, but it does a pretty good job. I get a bunch of mates around once a month for "film nights", plus I can hook it to the video recorder and then hook that up to the TV arial and so screen sporting events, not bad as the screen is about twice the size as the ones in any of the pubs around here.

Originally posted by DanSumption
I bought a Sony LCD projector a while back, screen is just a large sheet of white material tacked onto two dowel rods (not ideal as it lets quite a bit of light through and gets rather creased, but once the film gets going its fairly easy to suspend disbelief).

All-in-all it's not perfect, but it does a pretty good job. I


What size image to you get with that projector? My DLP can apparently do a 20ft wide picture but I dont have a room long enough!!! My screen was proper screen fabric bought off a web site, cut to 7ft by 4ft in 16:9 widescreen ratio and tensioned by me(not very well though) on a makeshift wooden frame and then hung on the wall. It works fine, just looks a bit home-made. The trouble I had carrying the frame with the tensioned fabric on it down the hall and round the corner without ripping it on door handles was hilarious. You dont know how big 7ft by 4ft is until you try and manipulate something that size around corners. Wish I had put it on some kind of roll or pull down frame....

SOund comes from an old 1970's MARANTZ amp that kicks out an impressive 250 RMS watts per channel, linked to 2 JAMO bass enhanced cabinet speakers I used to use as a mobile DJ in the early 90's. Awesome floorshaking bass....but I must get a basic dolby digital sound system.

Originally posted by goldenfleece
What size image to you get with that projector?

I did measure it, but I forget exactly what size it is - about 3m diagonal, I think: roughly twice the size of the screens you get in pubs. Not bad when you think how many thousands you could shell out for a flat screen about a third of the size.

Like yours, it will go quite a bit bigger, but I don't have a room big enough. The projector is about 4-5m away from the screen.

Hi Ya,

I have got a Denon AVR-2805 A/V Receiver, the one with Auto Setup, Auto Room EQ and parametric equalizer. I have Mission Pilastro speakers as fronts which kick out some great notes, along with Mission M5 rears. I have an MS10 subwoofer, which is a little too powerful for my needs but serves my requirements well! (and the neighbours).

My tele is a 42 inch Panasonic Viera Plasma (with black drive technology) which i have mounted to the wall (I had to rip the fireplace out but was well worth it.

Additionally I have Windows media centre connected to it which allows instant playback of DIVX movies and Mp3 files stored on my home server.... this is connected via a 54g wireless network set up. I use a maxtor 10,000rpm 200gig hard drive (seperate PC in basement) for file storage with a 200gig hard drive on the same machine which backs disc 1 up every week (disaster recovery purposes).

My DVD player is a multi region Denon DVD 3910 (I had it chipped) with Optical throughput.

The set up works quite well.

the neighbours adore me!

Originally posted by bigflesh
the neighbours adore me!

Mu neighbours had a fit the first time I ran TITANIC movie and forgot just how loud and deep the bass is from that film soundtrack when put through a massive pair of JAMO's floor mounted. Even with 2 channel stereo the sub bass effects on that DVD are immensely powerful....real concrete shaking bass. I had the system whacked right up as it was the first movie I ran to test the whole set-up, and of course forgot all about the neighbours. It really did feel like seeing the movie at the cinema (minus real surround sound)...

The Titanic sank....and so did most of the street!!!! I was not very popular until I did some basic soundproofing the following week......

I wish there was a shop in Sheffield that specialized in home cinema projection.....most of them just do plasma TV stuff.

H30 nice bit of kit, use an old Sonyo pv 30 lcd on to a 5ft electric at the moment, Harman -Kardon AVR 630, with a Mordaunt short package, 908 avant 905 C Boston rears and boston sub, this is a kick ass system, on doth music and films, lucky no detached, but still have the odd coment. want to upgrade projector when funds allow to H57, work in the trade so if I can offer any advice feel free to drop us a mail.
Kind regards scotdoggie

I've got a 43" plasma panasonic at home, with a denon dvd player, and a seperate denon amp, I forget the model numbers, and I can't for the life of me remember where the speakers are from, I think they came via B&O but it was about 6 months ago, and since the system is at home and I'm sheffield I can't easily check for a few weeks!

I miss it so :(

there is a shop in crooks called A1 sound which has a demo room in the back which is perfect if your spending a bit of money and want to know what you are really getting.

Im looking for a company who come out and mounts my TV on my wall pluss hide all my 7.1 surrounds sound wires and leads. i guess I will need floating shelf to put things on aswell. So does anyone know who I can contact thanks.

HI Jibbs1977 we have an installer that works with us, he has done some great work for us, his name is Leigh and the company is called home cinema solutions mobile 07825587524 if you could mention Tim from A1 Sound recommended him, hope he can help you out.

sevenoaks is the place it's based in Ponsfords. You may regret it though cos its awesome and probably beyond your budget

Andy at Sevenoaks is very good, but they usually only install their own gear they sell, Leigh at Home Cinema Solutions installs all kit, and if needed can supply kit through us.

Andy at Sevenoaks is very good, but they usually only install their own gear they sell, Leigh at Home Cinema Solutions installs all kit, and if needed can supply kit through us.

Thanks Ive PM'd you.