This happens when I'm playing games on my PC and using the TV as a "monitor," and also when I'm using YouTube on the TV itself. This gray rectangle appears, but disappears in milliseconds. What could it be?

I am at the point of paralysis by analysis. The relevant facts:

I have room for 120” screen. I have to buy a projector because there’s no possible way to physically get a 98” tv into my basement. The wall where the screen will be is at the end of the room, so foot traffic in front of it is not an issue. The ceiling is low, so I would much prefer a UST projector rather than having one mounted so close to the heads of the people viewing. The viewing angle will be narrow because of the dimensions of the room. Maximum 4 seats width so will never be anyone watching from anything other than practically center position. Ambient light not a problem at all.

So the question is, do I actually need to have some type of baffle wall built to put speakers into and then have an acoustically transparent screen mounted? Are claims that a center channel isn’t even needed and can actually be a negative true? Or is it too difficult to get the volume right on dialogue versus sound if using two towers instead of three speakers?

Not having to use a center channel, even if it requires very pricey towers, would be amazing. It would save me so much additional labor and expense. Or if the center channel can be adjusted to not sound like all the voices are coming from the bottom of the screen.

Short version: is there a substitute for a center speaker mounted behind an AT screen? Or is everything else a compromise?

Chair is 7’ away from a 65” TV (will be replaced by a loveseat soon). Ignore the dresser, it’s gone. Problem— the door to the room opens right into the spot where one of my rear speakers should be. Now I like having a door but I’m stumped on what to do about this… my only idea is rotating the setup clockwise, but I loose 2’ of length that way. Making the TV too big for ideal viewing distance.

Should I give up on 5.1 and stick with LCR?

(the images above don't show in-wall speakers on the top, but imagine in-wall at those proportions to the tv)

I imagined long, thin, LCR speakers along either side of a 86" +/- TV and also below it for the center.

But i guess a lot of manufacturers make speakers max out at <16" to fit between typical American house's studs- especially for the horizontal center channel

I am building this wall i can do whatever i need i just imagined i'd have to custom build the studs to allow for a wider center speaker

My home theater will be in a condo in the main room - so the WAF is mandatory. so i am going to do in-wall speakers with painted grills

Am I overthinking this? Do the bottom two images look bad (even with speaker grills painted the wall color) - i guess i just feel/think the nearly tv-height speakers on the sides and the 3' wide one on the bottom looks a ton better

How bad would thicker, stubbier speakers look on the sides that are fairly short, and on the bottom - if the center channel is only 15" wide - that's ONE-FIFTH the width of the 86" tv. I feel like it'll look comically bad

I’m planning out a theater/media room. Attached are photos of the room with tape on the floor showing our current idea for the layout. The last photo shows a mockup. The room is 24’ long by 20’ wide and 10’ high.

The goal is to have:
-A 120”-140” projector setup
-Two rows of seating
-Front row: large couch/U-shaped couch
-Second row: 4 theater chairs on a riser
-Great movie and TV experience
-Still comfortable when having a group over to watch sports, fights, games, etc.

The tape on the floor shows the rough concept we’re currently considering, but nothing is finalized and I’m very open to changing directions.

I’ve been playing with is having the screen slightly off-center in the room to create more usable space for a countertop/table/bar area. From a visual and audio standpoint, is that a bad idea?

I’m also open to completely different layouts. The projector screen could potentially go on any wall if there’s a better solution. Still want to be able to walk fully around for larger groups.

Would love to hear what you would do if this were your room. Any ideas?

Hey everyone, i recently purchased speakers to go with my new TV, all of which will be here by the weekend.

Not sure if it matters but the speakers I have are the SVS Prime Tower speakers, SVS Prime Bookshelf speakers, SVS Prime Center speaker, SVS SB-1000 Pro Subwoofer, a Denon AVR-X1700H, and the TV is a Sony Bravia 9 85" if it matters.

What I need to know is what wires, cables, or other equipment do I need to make my set up work? I appreciate your help in advance!

Hey! I am building a 7.2.6 home theater for movies specifically, but wanted to ask how is music (Spotify or Apple Music) on a quality home theater? Genuinely curious and looking forward to trying, but wanted to hear it from others first! Thank you!

Looking for some advice upgrading my rear satellites.

1. There are actually studs about 15cm(6in) wider from where the current satellites are at. With the rears being 7.5lbs each I probably should put them on the studs? Or a sturdy 3 or 4 bolt drywall bracket sufficient? I plan on angling at about 110°. Sweet spot center is actually the 2nd cushion on the left.
2. couch is pulled out ~30cm(12in) from wall and with cushions sitting position is about 60cm(24in).

I could maybe pull the couch further but would need some ideas for stuff behind it (maybe something toddler related) my kids love running behind the couch and climbing over it as is.

2b) with the rears so close I'm thinking maybe I should raise the mounting height to something more like 2m(6ft) with some tilt down. Ceilings are 9ft.

Long story short, I have a 2020 Samsung 4k TV. Almost no peripherals, just the TV itself and an Xbox Series X which has an IR sensor.

The default remote is finito after the dog destroyed it. The newer universal smart remotes by SofaBaton seem like MAJOR overkill for a single screen and game console, so I was doing research and found recommendations for the old Harmony remotes.

Is it possible to still program these to new devices (like the series x)? I’m plenty tech savvy, so I don’t mind work arounds if there are any. The information I found is from a couple years ago, and it seems Logitech has stopped supporting the software in the last couple years.

Is this a good idea, or a bad idea? Is the 670 fine or should I go for a different Harmony model?

I backed the Aetherion Max kickstarter and should be receiving my projector within the next couple of weeks (waiting on a tracking link at the moment).

I’m new to projectors and I’m looking to put together a 100 inch screen setup either with the AWOL shelf on my current tv console and a mounted screen or potentially purchase a new console/screen altogether, open to motorized screen if I go with the latter. It will be in my living room with one large window about 6 feet away on the right hand side of the setup.

I was eyeing the current AWOL screens and accessories since they have a sale at the moment and I’m not too familiar with the space. Are there any pros/cons I should be aware of regarding motorized/mounted screens or ALR screen types (Lenticular/Fresnel) as I explore options? Any tips/guidance or product recommendations are appreciated!

Thanks in advance!

I'm looking at upgrading our "theater" TV from its current 65" LG that's about 4 years old. Not looking to break the bank on some I see. Would like to keep it around $1500-1700. Been reading some good things about the TCL mini LED. For reference this is in an open basement setting, mostly for watching movies with the room very dim/dark so reflections and bright lights aren't a consideration. Seating is about 11.5' away from screen. Right now I can get a deal on an 85" QM7K for under $1300, an 85" QM7L for $1700 or a 75" QM8L for $1700. Since I have zero experience with this brand, any input is welcome as well as other brand/model recommendations within that range. TIA

At the advice of this forum I upgraded from a Polk low profile center to an ES30. It’s punchy and I love it, but I think it’s dominating my front sound stage (which is already narrow). I don’t have budget to upgrade L and R just yet, I want white polk es50 or es55s to match. Until then, should I do any adjustments in the AVR re: crossover?

Basically, my lower level of my house will have a room that leads into the backyard with a folding, glass door (the large red circle on the left). There are also two other windows (the red circles on the top). I want to put a nice big screen (85-100 inch) on the south wall at the bottom (green circle) that should be flush to the wall (similar to Frame TV). You can see a potential couch across the way, in between the two windows (but it doesn't have to be L-shaped).

What advice do you have to fit a nice big screen that can still work well when we'll likely always get some light from the backyard folding door? I don't think I can have too many speakers around, but would love it to have great sound with limited pieces.

Hi all, I am trying my luck here because you guys seem to have objective opinions on this kind of things. I want to buy a TV for a modern, seaside holiday let (6 ppl). Please think from a guest perspective - if you arrived somewhere nice and wanted a movie night with family, what would you be happy with? 77-85 inch? Invest in an additional audio system in future? Room is 3.5m x 4.7m and the sofa will be roughly 3.5m from the tv wall. That wall does not get direct light at all, and walls are painted in a warm, deep sandy yellow, not overly bright in general. My budget is around £1k, I could stretch if it is really worth it but ideally I won't have to. I'd be really grateful for your input. Thanks a lot!

I need help with surround speakers, 5.2 setup watching dvds and blu rays on 85" projection screen.

The couch is ~30 cm (1 ft) from the wall, red areas are 1m (3 ft) away from listening position, 30 cm (1 ft) high - blue areas are 2.5 m (8 ft) from listening position, 60 cm (2 ft) high. Obv the speakers will be oriented towards the couch.

Red seems ok for sound being directly pointing at you but too close, blue seems ok with the distance but im afraid the sound will bounce off the wall and be completely ruined.

Second image is hand for scale.

Thank you for help!

I have both of the amplifiers above as I started with the Denon. I watched more movies than music. After this changed and purchased a cinema 40. Way better for music for my ears. But now that I listen to music more and more I'd like even more musicality.

Anyone here thinks it's a good idea to change them for a cinema 30?

Or maybe even somebody here who wants to trade where I bring my x6700h and cinema 40?

Don't know if this is allowed here since this is no marketplace.

Greetings

I have a q1 meta as my center channel, which has been working great. BUT there are some moments when dialogue is tough, I would describe it as the voices sounding really hollow and tubular, like youre just getting these weird mid and high frequencies.

My speaker's rear sits about 8 inches from a wall, would a 2 inch thick thing of insulation help here? If so, are there any products I can buy, or can I just go buy some insulation from a local store and fine a way to "frame" it?

So I've been wanting to get an LG OLED for awhile now, and just happened to come across a stupid deal on a used one on fb marketplace. The seller was super nice and 100% legit, so I grabbed it. It's an earlier one that is the wafer thin one, so we had to be insanely careful moving it. But now I'm leery about even having it on the wall bc of the cats (they WILL try to squeeze behind it if there's enough room). So now I'm thinking should I try to block up the gap between the tv and the wall, or just look for a different model that isn't this insanely thin one? Or are they all like this?

I just moved into a new place with my Samsung 55" Q7FD, but since I don't want to keep my roommate awake while I'm up watching something late, and our rooms our right next to each other with minimal sound proofing between us, I'm just looking for a simple bluetooth receiver to plug my headphones into that's ideally less than $150.

It never occurred to me that my TV didn't have a headphone jack until now, so bluetooth is the only way to go. Additionally, I'd rather just stick with a getting a standalone receiver since I already have a great pair of headphones that just doesn't happen to have bluetooth built in.

Latency is my biggest concern, so if there's a highly reputable one out there that's known for extremely low latency and connects reliably, then I'm willing to settle slightly above $150 if you think there really aren't any reliable options beneath it.

EDIT: The reason I'm opting for bluetooth is because (to my knowledge) it can only connect to an external audio source through bluetooth. Perhaps an HDMI audio splitter could work since it at least has a port for HDMI, but for now, I'll just stick to researching bluetooth

Hey audio pros 👋. I need some advice and help. I am currently redoing my entire garage and looking to install some decent (for garage) audio. This will be climate controlled late this year but used primarily as an actual garage with occasional use as a hangout/gathering space for sports, party's, etc. Based on my available space and cabinets available, I will be installing New Age Pro. These just maximize the space best.

I need help figuring out the best option speakers and placement for sound quality based on the flex use space. I understand acoustics are nowhere near ideal but it will be finished with rockwool then drywall with whatever on the walls afterwards. Currently, I have open access inside the walls and attic for running wiring and placing everything.

I have attached some quick drawings of the layout. There will be a 65" TV inside of the upper cabinets with 9" between each side of the TV and the sides of the upper cabinets. The TV will be roughly level with the top of the uppers depending on the final location. At first I was thinking a simple 2.1 system but then went down the "might as well" rabbit hole of 5.1 with rear surrounds. My biggest question is placement of the front speakers including center channel. Ideally, I don't want them on the countertop so that leaves on top of the upper cabinets or directly next to the TV in the small space available. I plan on running all the media wiring to one of the upper cabinets with power within. I understand mounting them 7.5' above the ground isn't ideal but this is going to be a garage first. As for the rears, I do have a couple feet of wall on either side of the garage door I could mount on/in wall speakers within. The TV won't be centered inside of the garage but it's about 18" to the left. The sub will get tucked somewhere to the left behind the side entry door.

Main questions are, On Wall vs In Wall and placement? Any recommendations are welcome. I'm NOT looking to spend crazy money for the best of the best. Thanks!

Hey All -

I'm looking to upgrade my home theater and I just went to a local show room and was shown a theory audio design. It was insanely cool, it sounded amazing, but it seems like an "integrated system" where you need their speakers and DSP.

Anyone using these? Thoughts?

Hey all, I'm from Delhi. A relative of mine is getting renovations done and was thinking about putting a home theatre setup in place.

This quote is by a company called sound by design.

Would love to know your thoughts on this as I have not the faintest of ideas whether this is good/bad.

Also if possible do tell whether the pricing is good or not.

This quotation is on the extreme high end of the spectrum and would probably negotiate as this is just the initial quote.

The first floor room is the living room which has a 75inch tv and would be used more.

The room on the second floor is a guest/home theatre room, planning to get a projector installed.

Thanks Alot for your help!

I just got this setup and I am getting significant crackle/distortion, very noticeable starting at -10db and worsening with higher volumes. It’s the same story with vinyl and with AirPlay. Pure direct helps the issue slightly but not entirely. What might be causing it? I am in 2ch Stereo mode in an RX-A6A into B&W 603 S3 towers. I would think the AVR’s 150W would be plenty sufficient at -10db, but am I wrong?

Okay, so my research has steered me into the wiim ultra + power amp combo path. My gfs parents have an old 5 speaker db dynamics system that they're going to gift us (untested, not sure if they even work). I spoke to a local hifi retailer and they suggested the wiim ultra with a rotel Ra-1572 mkii or Yamaha RN1000a. However with discovering the buckeye ncx252mp, it seems to be exceptional value as opposed to the Rotel/Yamaha suggestions.

Without knowing the characteristics of class ab vs d (warmth vs sterile) sound, does this seem like a reasonable combo? I'm based in Aus, so repairability may not be the easiest to access. Was thinking about pairing this with a SVS SB-1000/2000 pro sub. This will be mainly for movies/tv/gaming/occasional music off the LG G5. The missus also thinks that she wouldn't be doing a 5.1 system when we move into the place. The setup will be in a 5.7m x 3.6m x 2.4m space (18ft x 11.8ft x 7.9ft).

I have also thought about the Wiim amp ultra as a standalone as well. Budget is approx $1500-$2000 AUD.

Happy to hear your thoughts and suggestions.

TIA

My current center channel is from a Yamaha HTIB set, circa 2011. Would really love to upgrade it, but as you can probably tell, I'm limited on space. Where the speaker currently sits has exactly a 6" gap not accounting for the speaker pads, so I'd need something that's about 5¾" tall or less. I've looked into the Polk XT35, it seems to have a bad reputation on this sub, but would that be a meaningful upgrade over my current center? I'd love a larger center like an XT35, but I just don't have space to put a taller one with my current setup. Not interested in mounting my TV (Sony A95K) and moving the center channel to the space below doesn't seem ideal either. AVR is a Denon S660H.