Hey all. Question. I have a 7.1 Axiom setup right now (VP150, 2 M60s, 2 QS8s, 2 M2s) and an SVS PB2-Plus. I want to upgrade my old Sony 53" standard tv to a roughly 100" projector screen. In doing so, I have a couple options, but one seems pretty easy when figuring where the screen would go. Here's the deal. I have my room set up what I figure is probably ideal for sound...the long way. Where as I have one whole blank wall (perfect for a projector screen) the wide way. The room is roughly 12' x 20'. The current tv sits in front of a bay window area (draped of course) so putting a screen there would be quite hard, especially considering I have a 14' tall ceiling.

So, my bottom line question is, do you think I can salvage the sound, or make it sounds as good, if I laid my room out the wide way? I have the whole back wall I could hang my surrounds from, but side surrounds would be way to the side. Unless I hang all 4 on the back wall? Any thoughts? Please and thank you

With only 12' of distance, is that far enough for a projector to throw a 100" image?

If you do opt for with "wide" layout, I say simply go back to 5.1. You won't miss anything. Move your M2i's into your bedroom, or use them with your computer.

Hey Misfit Toy,

Personally, I'd do whatever it takes (retractable screen, sell the wife, remodel, whatever) to leave the room in its current configuration.

If you put the BIG screen on the wide wall, you're going to be awfully close to it. Worse, it sounds like you won't have ANY space behind the listening/viewing position to put either the surrounds or the back speakers.

When I moved from a room where the couch was against the back wall to a longer room like yours, the surround sound improved tremendously. And I'm only running 5.1. I just don't think that you could really run 7.1 in your proposed configuration, and that the new 5.1 will be much worse than your current 7.1.

Good luck. Keep us posted.

I'd like to not sacrifice 7.1 if I don't have to, specifically for DD-EX movies and 6.1 DTS-ES movies. But I can see 5.1 being used more regularly regardless. As 7.1 could be overkill in a short length of a room.

P.S. - I like my wife to much to sell. And no...she's not telling me to type that

Any additional thoughts. These are all, of course, quite welcomed.

Also, it being a projector, I can make the screen smaller if needed. Say 90" instead, or something like that.

Misfit_Toy,

Here's another possible idea...

If in the current configuration, you have the TV in front of the bay window, draped, of course, don't they make projector screens that unroll from the floor up? I may be mistaken but I thought I saw Saturn using a similar setup in his loft...With this method, you could leave the room as is with 7.1 enabled as is, and replace the TV's location with the screen that unrolls from the floor...you may have to work on the window to really control the possible light spilling in around any drapes or treatments you have in place but this would get you your 100" image (only need an appromimately 8 foot screen or so to get that) and then you can put the projector where you want depending on its throw pattern.

Feel free to throw this idea out...just a stream of free thought...

WhatFurrer

I am stuck with a similar problem. I have a long area in my basement, but from every day looks, using it as a wide area is more practical, however, I am limited too by the size of the screen. The area is exactly 12 ft by about 30+ feet (width of the basement) with no way to close off into something smaller without chopping up basement space. Anyway, I am loking seriously at the "wide" side for viewing, but thinking 90" may be about as big as I can get. Of course, I will be sitting closer to the 90" screen than if I had a 100" screen on the other wall, so it will still seem very large.

I am still learning about limitations with this too and the fact that if I don't make an actual room, Alan says that I will need to jump up from M22ti fronts to M60ti fronts to account for the large basement air volume.

Does anyone here know if you can throw a good sized projector image (and good quality) in a space limited by a 12 foot front to back area for the screen and projector?

That may help you (and me) with that question. As for audio, you will definately lose out on anything above 5.1... I was shooting for 7.1 too until I ended up flipping things in the basement around while negotiating with my wife (it's her house too, and if I put my foot down on everything, she will tell me to go take a flyin' leap....).