I just wanted to post a quick note and express my appreciation to everyone on this board.

My last upgrade arrived Friday (QS8s). I had some M3s as surrounds but after listening to all the raves about the QS8s, had to give them a try - WOW :-) They complete the system - H/K 525, M60s, VP150s, QS8s and an HSU VTF-2.

Back to the apprication portion of our program....

I had never heard of these wonderful speakers, nor the fabulous resource that is this board. After many hours lurking and learning I slowly made the plunge, then upgraded and tweaked. Now I'm done and regularly just burst out laughing during music or movies from the experience this systems creates. Plus I get to relish in the speechless stares on friend's faces when this proud papa shows off the toys.

Thank you all for the generous advice and knowledge! I'm almost sad that I won't have any new presents waiting at FedEx for me anymore - snif, snif.

Congrats, Toby! I know the feeling you described. hehe...

I've got the same setup...60's, 150, QS8's. (I've also added a pair of M2i's in the rear) It's fun as hell isn't it??? I just LOVE watching movies at home now! (even with my puny little TV)

I am still amazed at the poor quality of some movie theater sound systems, although it makes me appreciate my Axioms all the more. Every movie I watch at home on the M60/VP150/QS8 combo is an "experience". Here's to a great line of products and an equally great forum. Really appreciate the knowledge transfer on this forum.

With this setup in place a new movie has got to be something that's visually overwhelming to get me to go to the theater instead of waiting for the DVD. No lines...no parking...and plenty of beer!!!

I'd love to put my M3s behind like you, but I just don't have any room behind the couch - @$%*@$#!

Replacing the puny TV is the next quest. RP, no DLP/LCD, no plasma, no FP - AAHHHHH!!!! I think I've settled on front projection for the 3rd time, just need a screen material that will work with moderate light.

Once you install the Axioms and the front projection, your motivation to go to the local cinema theater will really dwindle (unless it's IMAX or something)...

As for the screen, my Da-Lite High Power fabric (on-axis gain=2.8) works great even in a fully lit room at night. We've long stopped turning off the lights when we watch the TV program (which is a much brighter material than movies).

Thanks for the IMAX plug!

that sounds like it would hurt.

Your mind lives in the gutter doesn't it?

Yeah, and street cleaning only happens every other week.

Actually you'd recommended that material the second time I'd decided to go FP :-) I requested some samples and really like the performance of the material, but I don't know that it will work in my room.

My couch sits right against the back wall so the projector would literally have to sit on a shelf right above my head and I think that might be a bit claustrophobic (sp?) - not to metion one startling noise from a soundtrack and I just might knock myself unconcious! I really don't want to do a coffee table style setup and I don't know that I have any other options. Any ideas?

That brings up a question! Sushi, do you or anyone else know what the minimum depth of a rear projection cabinet is? I seen a setup at a hifi store that had the projector mounted on a rack that projected the image onto a mirror and then to a rear projection screen material. seems to me though the depth was about 4'. I really liked this because you could also store you audio and video equipment behind the wall out of the way. This room could also be cooled and ventilated well. Just something to consider if you have the space to loose, or use, (however you want to look at it.)

Toby, sorry for the duplicate suggestions. You've seen the photo of the backwall of our living room then, right? A similar shelf-mount setup might work for you.

modock, the minimum required depth of a rear-projection room will depend on the throw distance of the projector. If you use one mirror, the minimum depth will obviously be about a half of the projector's minimum throw distance.

I was really wanting to know more about the rack system (the metal framing that hold the projector and the mirror.) Have not ran across a website that sells these. I have only seen them in person. Mainly was curious about how deep they are not so much as the width or height.

I guess realy all I was doing was trying to remind others that this could be an alternative option!

timmy

Sorry sushi, After replying to your post I re-read it and I realized you were answering my question.
so for an example: if I have a projector that is supposed to be placed 12' from a screen for front projection and I wanted to rear project it using a mirror the distance from the mirror to the screen would be roughly 6' ??

anyways thanks for listening to me bable, like it says next to my name, NEWBIE :-)

timmy

Right. The mirror will simply fold the projection light path in the middle. If you place the mirror right at 1/2 the projector's throw distance, it will give you the shortest overall depth.

I don't think you will really need a special rack or frame, unless you need to move the setup often. The projector should be either shelf or ceiling mounted in the back room facing backwards, and the mirror should be placed vertically at a half the throw distance. The only tricky thing is that you will need a mirror that has a reflecting metal coating on the front surface, not on the back side of the glass (the latter will give you a bad chromatic aberration, i.e., a prism-like effect).

It's that damn pesky physics again! Just when you think you've gotg everything figured out, physics comes in and makes everything complicated!

There is no escape.

Toby.. Here's a thought.. What's on the other side of the wall that your couch is against ? Would it be possible to mount the projector on the other side, with an opening into the viewing room ? You could put a cabinet around it, or mount it into one if one already exists, or just set it on a shelf ? The work involved would be nothing really.. Two layers of drywall, a little sill and casing work, and shes a done deal..
Shoot, even if the other side is the out doors, you could box it all in, making it weather tight, etc.. There are vents to match every need in building supplies these days..

If you have an attic above your HT room, you could mount the projector pointing vertically straight down through a hole in the ceiling. You would then mount a mirror on an adjustable tilt (starting at roughly 45-degrees) directly below the hole. Since the mirror would be pretty close to the projector in this setup, it wouldn't have to be as big as in the "half the throw distance" rear-projection setup.

wow, you guys will go to any length to mount a projector

Why not simply hang the projector from the ceiling over the couch? As long as your ceilings aren't abnormally low you won't hit your head.

Actually the thought crossed my mind. It's the garage so aside from heat issues, it would be pretty simple I think. I am in Phoenix so the garage could easily get 120 plus degrees on some summer days. As some have so graciously suggested, I can't mount it to the ceiling because of a ceiling fan. Again, Phoenix, there's no way that fan is coming down. I also have a pretty nice 4 coat faux finish applied to the walls that took about a week to paint so I'm hesitant about carving that up.

It's a one story house so the ceiling is an option, but that attic gets pretty damn hot (did I mention I live in Phoenix )

Right now I'm toying with the idea of building a oak box that could be stained to match the cove moulding along the ceiling and suspending it from the ceiling with some cables or pipe above the couch. Then run power into the box for an outlet that would power the projector and some low voltage lights mounted in the bottom of the box. Sort of a projector house - shelf - track lighting system all in one.

Sushi, don't worry about the duplicate suggestion, I'm grateful for the help.

Or.....

In my situation, I could place the projector on the bottom shelf of an A/V rack, under the screen, facing the seating position then build a small mirror that could be placed on the floor blocking the lens of the projector from the seating position and reflecting the image to a screen above the projector.

This would enable the use of the retro-reflective screen you suggested - light path and audience are both on the same axis and the projector (with it's heat and noise) are the furtherest away from the seating position possible. Not to mention greatly reduced cable cost, because...the projector is right next to the rest of the A/V equipment!

Bingo! We have a winner!!!

Sounds like a good plan, but you'd need to make sure that all seating positions had no line-of-sight to the lens. The glare would be significant.

Toby,

Sorry but that winner idea will unlikely work. First, you have to place the mirror well into the middle of the room. Second, depending on the geometry of the projector/mirror/screen, the mirror size can be fairly large. Third, even though the mirror is on the direct light path, you will still be bothered by the scatter light coming from the projector that is facing right at you.

I still think the shelf mounting the projector right behind and above the main viewing position would be the best solution for you (unless you are serious about using the back room).

Have you considered buying a projector with a short-throw lens? That might fix all your problems by allowing you to place the projector in front of you and facing the screen.

Yeah, actually I have. If I didn't HAVE to leave the ceiling fan up this would all be very simple.

I'm basically trying to get by on the biggest bang for the buck until HD has more content and projector prices drop a bit. This is pretty much for movies and maybe the occasional football game. Most of the short throws seem to be in the $2500+ range. I'm trying to figure a way to get the X1 to work with the least headaches.

My house is less than ideal for this, but I just can't quite justify buying a monster RP tv or an inferior DLP/LCD RP, or plasma and still not being happy after spending $3k.

So the plan is save the $2k and have some fun now with a projector I'll likely use for outdoor movies or something in a couple years when prices for true HD projectors are more reasonalble.

Darn, I was really getting excited there Masa. Thanks for the words of reason. I'm guessing that shooting for a 90" screen I'd be looking at a 45" mirror give or take right?

So close...

Okay, back to the shelf and pricey video cables it is.

Thank you.

A gargae ? Great ! Just insulate the box on the garage side.. The open end would be open to the inside of the viewing room, so it would stay the same temp as the rest of the house.. And yes, just frame it to match the rooms moulding.. Power would probably be accessed from the garage, and the other cables could be routed up thru the attic, then into the garage side of the box.. Invisable ! Sweeeeet..