Home Theater
I've loved going to the movies ever since I can remember. The town where I grew up had a one-screen theater with terrible sound, so it was always a treat to go to a nice cinema and take in a great movie. While I can't stand going back to my hometown's theater, I still love hitting up my local cinema for a flick. But when I had the chance to build my very own home theater in my house's unfinished basement, I jumped at the chance.
As I was building, the internet was the greatest resource I had for ideas and direction. I wasn't as detailed in my construction progress as I wanted to be, but I do have a Photo Gallery with all of my photos from the start of construction to the finishing touches. There are pictures from the complete basement construction project, including the home gym. Someday I'll attempt to organize them a little better, but feel free to take a look at everything.
Equipment List
As this is my first home theater, and since I was attempting to keep costs under control, I kept things really simple. Therefore, you won't find any extra amplifiers, bass shakers, or any other audiophile extras. I had a fairly small room to work with - around 12x16 - so I didn't feel that a lot of the extras were needed anyway.| Component | Model | Vendor |
|---|---|---|
| Receiver | Sony STR-DG910 | Amazon.com |
| Projector | Sanyo PLV-Z5 | ProjectorPeople.com |
| Screen | self-built (details) | |
| HD-DVD/DVD Player | Toshiba HD-A3 | Amazon.com |
| Gaming System | Playstation 3 | Circuit City |
| Gaming/MC Extender | Xbox 360 | Amazon.com |
| Front Speakers | Paradigm Cinema 110 L/R | Avio [info] |
| Center Speaker | Paradigm Cinema 110 C | Avio [info] |
| Surround Speakers | Paradigm Cinema ADP | Avio [info] |
| Rear Speakers | Paradigm Cinema 90 | Avio [info] |
| Subwoofer | Paradigm CT v.3 | Avio [info] |
| Speaker Wire | 14 AWG UL2 In-Wall Speaker Wire (~250 ft) | Firefold.com |
| Lighting Control | Lutron Maestro IR | Westside Wholesale |
| Wall Sconces | ? | Lowes |
Overall, I've been very pleased with this. It's nothing high-end, but the speakers fit the room nicely, the PS3 is an excellent Blu-ray player, and the remote-controlled wall sconces are a nice touch. The next upgrade will likely be the projector (bumping up to 1080p), but I've been very happy with the Sanyo, so it probably won't be until the current lamp dies.
Another note: the PS3 is my main gaming machine; the 360 is used primarily as a Media Center Extender. I use an self-built HTPC to distribute music, videos, and recorded tv throughout the house; details are below.
Home Theater Personal Computer (HTPC)
I became a big fan of Microsoft's Media Center software when it was introduced as Windows XP Media Center 2005. Since then, I've been building my whole-house audio/video solution around it. The main function is as a DVR - I couldn't see paying a monthly fee to Tivo, so the "free" part really appealed to me. And since I like building computers, this is a great fit.My current setup is this: an HTPC in the living room, an Xbox 360 extender in the theater, an Xbox 360 in the gym, and a Linksys extender in the master bedroom. Recorded TV is stored on the HTPC and all other media is stored on a Windows Home Server.
| Component | Part/Model |
|---|---|
| Case | Antec Fusion 430 |
| Processor | AMD X2 3600+ AM2 |
| Motherboard | Foxconn A7GM-S AM2/AM2+ |
| Power Supply | 430 Watt ATX12V v2.0 (included w/case) |
| Memory | Corsair XMS2 4GB PC2-6400 DDR2-800 |
| Video Card | onboard Raedon 7600 |
| Audio Output | onboard HDMI |
| Optical Drive | Lite-On iHOS104-08 Blu-ray |
| Hard Drive | Western Digital 1 TB Caviar Green SATA |
| TV Tuners | Hauppauge WinTV-HVR 1600 |
| SiliconDust HDHomeRun Dual Tuner (external) | |
| SiliconDust HDHomeRun Dual Tuner (external) | |
| Case Fans | Antec 120mm Case Fan (x2) |
| Operating System | Windows 7 Home Premium |
Three of the four tuners in the HDHomeRuns handle over-the-air ATSC content, while the other tuner and the HVR 1600 handle QAM cable. I really love the HDHomeRuns - they sit nicely tucked away in my basement next to my networking gear and work extremely well.
Equipment Diagram
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