Media room - ideas please

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jonb

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#268196 4-Mar-2020 16:19

I'm planning to get a TV to put in this room, and convert the empty space behind/under it into a recessed entertainment unit.

Room looks like this, 3700 wide where the TV will go, 3800 deep:

Wanting something a little bit like this, with TV supported on a mount either inside a cavity, or else, the tv mount recessed into the wall and the TV extending 'flat' against the wall for a larger TV >55":

Looking at the TV I was thinking of, Sony X95G 55", the width of that is 1228mm - the cavity in the back is exactly 1228w, and 2000h:

with absolute limit of 1338 if take out some of the wood framing (main wall is stone):

The width from the front is currently 1225 due to the blue vertical trim panels.

I'm not an audiophile, so will probably get a soundbar only. I don't have any other AV gear - would there be need for a recessed area for dvd players or other devices like console, if not for me then to future proof it. ONT and router will also be in this area. Space at the bottom can make into storage accessible from this room, the rest can be accessible from the hallway behind. TV

Been reading the new home discussion threads, happy I have this almost ready made space but unsure how to go about it.

jonb

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#2434307 7-Mar-2020 16:08

Bump. Does this seem like a good idea generally?

SirHumphreyAppleby

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#2434311 7-Mar-2020 16:21

jonb: Bump. Does this seem like a good idea generally?

Plan seems sound. If the TV is going to be recessed, make sure your viewing angles allow for the whole screen to be seen.

We recently placed a 42" TV in a cabinet which previously had a 32" screen. From some seats, the whole screen cannot be seen. Less likely to be an issue in a dedicated media room, but if you're wanting a practical living space, it's definitely something to consider. I would probably go with an articulated mount even if a flat $<30 one would do. It's just more flexible.

On a related note, I suggest not planning around any particular television. Buy a mount with as much room for adjustment as possible and keep in mind some TVs will have their VESA mount in odd places, not necessarily the centre of the screen. If adding storage under the TV, I'd make it adjustable or freestanding.

Handle9

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#2434315 7-Mar-2020 17:05

I wouldn't recess the TV. In the early days of flat screen TVs negative detailing to slightly recess the TV was quite the rage. Once larger TVs got cheaper a lot of people regretted having a space that was only big enough for a 42 inch TV. You may only want a 55 inch TV today but I wouldn't build myself out of the option of a bigger TV

Recessing a cabinet below is a good idea and then you could have a false wall for the TV to sit on above it. You'd then have a very nice space behind the wall to run all the cables etc.

Talkiet

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#2434328 7-Mar-2020 18:51

Handle9:

I wouldn't recess the TV. In the early days of flat screen TVs negative detailing to slightly recess the TV was quite the rage. Once larger TVs got cheaper a lot of people regretted having a space that was only big enough for a 42 inch TV. You may only want a 55 inch TV today but I wouldn't build myself out of the option of a bigger TV

Valid point but easily solved with a couple of 4x2 spacers and some lag bolts if you wanted a bigger TV in the future :-)

Cheers - N

Please note all comments are from my own brain and don't necessarily represent the position or opinions of my employer, previous employers, colleagues, friends or pets.

Dunnersfella

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#2434400 8-Mar-2020 09:20

The 55" TV will be fine today, but in 3-5 years you will look at it and hope for a larger set.

That's the major issue with recessing it.

Remember, when you recess the TV you need to accommodate space for the sound bar (hanging the bar off the bottom of the TV is easy enough to do with the right bracket).

On top of that, think about placement for the sound bars subwoofer.

mulac

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#2435673 10-Mar-2020 13:43

Additionally, consider the noise on the other side of the wall where the TV is mounted whenever planning for a media room. Especially if planning to recess.
EDIT: just noticed you said hallway so shouldn't really be an issue, but I'll leave this post here for others who may be looking to do the same :)

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Groucho

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#2435725 10-Mar-2020 14:58

Handle9:

I wouldn't recess the TV. In the early days of flat screen TVs negative detailing to slightly recess the TV was quite the rage. Once larger TVs got cheaper a lot of people regretted having a space that was only big enough for a 42 inch TV. You may only want a 55 inch TV today but I wouldn't build myself out of the option of a bigger TV

The other consideration is if recessed where does any generated heat from the TV (or devices below) escape to?

decibel

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#2435727 10-Mar-2020 15:01

Dunnersfella:

...Remember, when you recess the TV you need to accommodate space for the sound bar (hanging the bar off the bottom of the TV is easy enough to do with the right bracket)...

No way - if you are creating a new media room, you need to install speaker cables to have full surround sound.

(Soundbars are a poor substitute for when you can't run in cable to rear speakers.)

jonathan18

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#2435784 10-Mar-2020 16:19

decibel:

Dunnersfella:

...Remember, when you recess the TV you need to accommodate space for the sound bar (hanging the bar off the bottom of the TV is easy enough to do with the right bracket)...

No way - if you are creating a new media room, you need to install speaker cables to have full surround sound.

(Soundbars are a poor substitute for when you can't run in cable to rear speakers.)

Horses for courses, really.

I note you may be relatively new here (going by your number of posts), so may not have picked up that Dunnersfella (like me) is not the biggest supporter of sound bars for HT application, but he's responding to the clear direction of the OP, who said "I'm not an audiophile, so will probably get a soundbar only. I don't have any other AV gear."

While I personally don't get it, I know many people really don't care so much about the sound quality and surround sound, but that's their choice. Going down the route of wired surround speakers also indicates the need for an HT receiver or amp, and with that the problem of finding a space for the equipment, let alone the knowledge and time needed to set it up properly. A decent-quality sound bar, potentially with wireless rear speakers, could provide the OP with a relatively decent audio experience but with little of the hassle a full HT setup would require. (Noting, as I think someone else pointed out, he'll have to think about sub location - I'd draw the line at going with a sound bar sans sub!)

jonb

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#2435839 10-Mar-2020 17:27

Thanks, yes I'd like to plan for space to have those things (Amp etc) in the future and think have enough space available to do it neatly, would it need to be in forward facing spot for remotes? I've been spending the last ten years watching on a laptop only, so a TV is already a big step up. A sound bar and sub would be enough to start with but do want to future proof to some extent.. If the sub is hidden in the units is that ok? The rest of the room has solid stone walls and not wanting to run extra cables for 5.1 type setup would be wireless only. Thanks for all advice .

Handle9

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#2435843 10-Mar-2020 17:32

A sub needs needs to be in the room but a good quality soundbar will likely have a wireless.sub so you just needs to power it.

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LookingUp

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#2435910 10-Mar-2020 19:15

Dunnersfella:

The 55" TV will be fine today, but in 3-5 years you will look at it and hope for a larger set.

That's the major issue with recessing it.

Remember, when you recess the TV you need to accommodate space for the sound bar (hanging the bar off the bottom of the TV is easy enough to do with the right bracket).

On top of that, think about placement for the sound bars subwoofer.

+1 The TV will never be big enough. Ever. Plus, don't underestimate the value (or the cost) of really good sound. It makes a huge difference to enjoyment, and if done right, you won't realise how good it is until you hear a soundbar.

Dunnersfella

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#2435918 10-Mar-2020 19:34

Amps can be positioned wherever you run the cables to... in the garage in a rack, in a server room, in a kids room under their bed... whatever works in your home really.

Basically, there's 3 x ways to control an amplifier:

1: IR (infra-red) - if you plan the run an amp you'll need to run a Cat5 cable to behind the TV to connect (in the future) to an IR system.

This needs to be run back to the potential location of your AVR.

Nothing needs to be done to the cable now - but may do in the future.

There are wireless versions, but always wire when you can.

2: RS232 / serial via a phoenix connector... this is probably not going to be needed unless you're bringing in a pro to install a control system.

3: IP control. While this can (and is) utilised with control systems like Control 4 / Elan / RTI / Savant / URC etc, this will be more likely used so you can drive the amp via a smart phone or tablet. Not only can you change inputs / EQ / volume etc, but also use it to link into a multi-room system.

Basically, run cables while you can! If the GIB is off / you're running wires, now is your chance!

Run an HDMI cable from your TV to your potential amplifier location.

Run 3 x Cat6 to your TV for IP (back to your router), one for IR (as mentioned above) and one as a backup in case someone stuffs up and damages a cable.

Run a Cat6 from your TV to potential amplifier location - so it can be converted to 4K HDMI using HDBaseT (in case your HDMI cable won't work over the distance).

Run a Cat6 cable back from the sound bar to your router / switch to give it network access (music streaming services etc) + control.

Run an optical cable from your TV to your sound bar for audio connectivity.

Run an HDMI cable from your TV to your sound bar for the on-screen GUI and potential audio connectivity (ARC sucks for some people).

Oh yeah, run speaker wires and a subwoofer cable from your potential amplifier location to the places where the speakers could potentially be in the room (for a 5.1 setup).

So... yeah, there's some cable to run :-)

Sometimes running a sound bar with a wireless subwoofer and 2 x wireless rear speakers (the best ones require power to connect to) does seem easier, but as stated by many here - it just perform as well as a full 5.1 setup).