HOW TO: Plan Your Home Theater Build BEFORE Choosing Your Gear // 2021 Home Theater Guide!

[@CharloBagis]

This was a good video Tony, but you forgot the most important point, which is Spouse approval! 😜😅

[@BuildMontage]

Too funny. Wife approval can be important.

[@aaronpops4108]

When I tabled the idea of a theatre in our living room, the spouse was actually excited about it. She's a keeper.

[@TyEichele]

Very great points made in this video - I'm sure it'll help a lot of people or at least get them thinking about things before it's too late into their build. Great work!

[@BuildMontage]

You get it!!! There is much more to it of course but for people very new, this will get them thinking before getting too excited picking gear.

[@mfkhometheater7742]

Another great video Tony! My current biggest worry is that I have made the seat risers too deep thus placing the front row too close to the screen. The screen wall to the back seat wall is 28' (8.54 meter). The seat riser in the back is 90" and the middle row is 82" (2.286 m and 2.08 m) leaving only 164" (4.16 m) from the front row to the wall. The screen will need to be at least 18" (.45 m) off the wall. So barely over 3.5 meters or 11' to what will likely be about a 15' wide screen. I really wish I had thought it through a little more and reduced the back riser to about 82" and the front to around 76". I should have consulted with you and others more first. The way the risers are built you could drive a truck across them, it would require a massive effort to change it now. The good news is the front row will rarely be used but it will be used. I might be able to get the screen a little farther back by building the center speaker as shallow as possible but I can only gain a few inches at best. Anyway I guess I will figure it all out once the house is finished so I can move in and start building out the room. I'm hoping I can move in around June or July.

[@BuildMontage]

Oh I see.. you have a front row... I think 3.5m is enough distance although it depends on your screen size.. how big is the screen? Im about 3.4m from the screen on my single row - at 120"..... It feels spot on to me but if you're further back a larger screen is highly adviseable.

[@mfkhometheater7742]

@@BuildMontage The screen will be about 15' wide or probably just a little less. I plan to build it myself and I'm thinking 2.35:1 at around 192" diagonal. So for the middle row which will be around 18' from the screen it will be great but I'm just afraid it's going to be too much for the front row. I'm looking into ways of getting the screen farther back closer to the wall like abandoning the idea of having the center speaker behind the screen or building a shallower center speaker so it still fits with the screen closer to the wall. At least I can gain a few inches by doing that.

[@TorinTPG]

Oh man. Mid week video. Love it!!

[@BuildMontage]

YUGE!

[@AudioBoutique1]

Great points Tony, excitement levels are elevated when decision is made to create HT but its important to step back and plan a little to avoid disappointment.

[@BuildMontage]

100% Mick. Exactly. And speakers are exciting. I was guilty of this myself.

[@kaziadnansaif928]

Very helpful & quality video, Thanks...!!

[@BuildMontage]

Thanks for watching!

[@BUZDRIFT]

Well massive deviation or just not talked about is lowering your sound stage, that is literally the most important factor of any HT, after room scale, plus any and all sound room prep!

[@NostromoVA]

Agreed - acoustic treatment. The best, most expensive speakers will sound terrible if the room is untreated.

[@BuildMontage]

Guys, the reason I made this video this way is because I get smashed with questions about gear before they stop to think about the room. Of course there is a limitless amount of considerations but this gives the very very basic first steps to think about. I’ve made plenty of other videos talking about acoustic treatment and other stages of home theater. I could have taken it further but it would have been a very long video and I want complete newbies to the hobby not to be smashed with too much.

[@NostromoVA]

@@BuildMontage I understand completely. When I started my project, I didn't realize how little I didn't know. Your point about room measurements was good because I was guilty of buying speakers before I knew my room dimensions. It worked out (I got lucky), but it could have been a costly mistake.

[@BuildMontage]

Exactly. I wasn’t kidding at the start. I get hammered daily with that question and I have to basically explain what I did in the video each time which isn’t practical. So I made this video. Should have done it a lot sooner haha! You did get lucky. I know plenty that didn’t.

[@BUZDRIFT]

@@BuildMontage Yep, you're right, It's just because it's not talked about simply because it's not as exciting as Speakers n other hardware, nail/head! But getting your rooms sound stage as low as Physics will take you the better! You should be able to hear the head of your penis queef! The Lower the better! Man, I remember building the room from Bessa Bricks 250mm thick then solid and still my whole room has padded walls (lol) As in Acoustic dampening walls, literally 100% coverage, 3" solid doors and 4 layer ceiling with 3 layers of insulation for a total R value of 60 plus just the ceiling! Then you can fantasies about Hardware!

[@martinbailey3408]

Great information for those that get overwhelmed when starting the HT journey/process!

[@BuildMontage]

Thanks Marty!

[@JarradLee1990]

Another big thing about preplanning, is always prewire and plan bigger, most structural things you do are hard to change in the future. Things like speakers can be replaced anytime.

[@BuildMontage]

Agree. I’ve made plenty of vids with that in there. I guess this is almost a pre-plan for the pre-plan. This info will help u work that out as well :)

[@mattmuncher2315]

Tony, that diffuser behind you looks so good. Could agree more, the pre planning stage is so important

[@BuildMontage]

Thanks Matt! It’s two panels actually. Video on acoustic in my room is coming soon!

[@eli_il3333]

So many good points there Tony, and they don’t cost a thing to plan!

[@BuildMontage]

Thanks Eli appreciate the feedback :)

[@melcuemba03]

Toni, you are always teaching! Really appreciate the work you put in to help the community. Great advice..

[@BuildMontage]

Thanks Mel. I think it will help the complete newbies to reset the switch a little. I get a lot of questions about this sort of thing before they look at this first.

[@can5projects563]

great points on this video great info TY.

[@Soyanation]

Nice Vid Tony🙂❤️

[@SpecOfTech]

Great tips and information Tony. Very well laid out and put together video...cheers buddy!

[@BuildMontage]

Appreciate it mate !! Thanks for watching and your support!

[@SpecOfTech]

@@BuildMontage Of course man, love your videos.

[@BuildMontage]

@@SpecOfTech appreciate it as always :D Looking forward to your next video!

[@Qlimazzz147]

Awesome video. Keep it up!🤙🏻

[@BuildMontage]

Thanks! Will do!

[@JingoLoBa57]

Career HT Theatre Guy looking good making sense!

[@BuildMontage]

TYTY!

[@BradleyAshley]

I wish I knew this when I started planning my theatre!

[@BuildMontage]

But.... you do... your HT will be amazing.

[@BradleyAshley]

@@BuildMontage I think it will be too, but I did start the other way around - I made the room fit the speakers, amplifiers and projector I had :P

[@BuildMontage]

@@BradleyAshley yes well in your case it’s kinda different coz u have very nice gear :)

[@oskarasgeirsson3169]

Great guide for pre-planning.

[@BuildMontage]

Thanks Oskar. Hoping it helps those very new to the hobby and get turned around in circles.

[@victorpulos823]

Good video

[@LucidButler]

I'm in the process of finishing a basement with a movie area. I am trying to figure out a layout for an audio system, but am curious if an audio rack is needed as I have the option to make room for one in another room. At what point should one consider a rack. Running def techs cinema 800 with and will have a 5.1.4 set up (possibly 7.1.4 in future). Have not bought a new receiver to handle atmos yet. Would just a receiver suffice?

[@BuildMontage]

I think a rack is good if you have a place to hide it away as they aren't nice furniture pieces. Also if you have a lot of gear, a rack is very useful as you can stack it all.

[@Quetzalcoatl0]

Can't agree more.

[@codystanfield9380]

I have 15k, tell me the best gear to buy?!?!?

[@BuildMontage]

For that budget? definitely a 16.2 channel sound bar.

[@keepingupwiththejones2933]

If you fail to plan, plan to fail.

[@BuildMontage]

This is even more than that - it's "pre-planning" haha! Hope it helps some people that get really confused where to start. I think this is a good place to "start" the process - as when u have this info you can then lead to other things more naturally.

[@BuildMontage]

💬 Join Me For A Chat on Discord - discord.gg/invite/wvtvkaP

[@homeofVash]

As someone who is just buying my first home and will have to convert a single garage into my first cinema room, this video is very welcome. Thank you for taking the time as always to make these vids. They have given me lots to think about and made me aware of potential pit falls. Trying to work out which order to tackle things has been my biggest frustration. From room design, to wiring and what speakers will work in the space I have available. In wall sound proofing and plastering. There are just so many things to juggle. Thanks again for helping to make things more manageable.

[@BuildMontage]

@@homeofVash thank you and good luck on your HT journey! You are exactly the type of person I made this video for.

[@lfodffi]

hey Check out Audio Advice's room planner! I'm using it and it has helped me get a basic idea of what it's going to look like before I even start laying paint!!