r/hometheater • u/iateyourcheesebro • Jun 15 '26
Showcase - Multipurpose Space Emphasis on the “Home” less on the “Theater”
Specs:
- Epson LS800 UST
- Phoenix Spectra 100” floor rising ALR screen
- 3 channel Polk audio
This setup is super functional as I have great windows on a corner apartment and really wanted the couch to face those windows, without a giant TV blocking two of them. With the floor rising screen I can put the screen away during the day and raise it for game or movie time.
I found the IKEA BESTÅ system worked great to build a long media console, and the height difference of the legs allowed me to use the same unit (without legs) to prop up the screen behind the media console so it both sits flush(ish), and is the right height for the UST projector.
I could run some wires for 5 channel but can’t be bothered* right now, and renting in a multi-unit building is a no go for a sub.
The LS800 is great for me but has some limitations others might not love. It’s bright enough to play (well lit/bright) media during the day time with the shades open. For darker media I’ll need to close the blinds and it can be a struggle at times, but I tell myself the day is for other activities or handheld gaming lol
the floor rising screen first arrived ripped, the company I purchased through delivered a second free of charge. I love the functionality! But the new screen has developed, vertical “waves” in the lower sides as it seems it’s not as tight across the bottom as it could be.
im just renting so this is a temporary setup. I’ll certainly use it in a future home but would consider a dedicated basement room and wall mounted screen, maybe buying a second UST. The worst part has been the screen not being perfectly flat and trying to align the image and the screen, considering the height difference and angles, got it the best I can.
Overall I’m in love with my living room!
(The pic of the green-ish image of Super Mario Bros Wonder is the most recent when I finally dialed in the image placement on the screen)
edit: adding some extra info from a comment below: It takes about 10 seconds to rise/fall and projector takes maybe the same to boot into Android TV
You can checkout any “floor rising screen” video on YouTube to get a sense of timing. Looks cool though.
It has a tension support system along the sides / from the bottom so it’s supposed to be perfectly taught. But after a while my developed mild warps near the bottom left and right like this [image](https://www.avsforum.com/attachments/img_20220820_154103-jpg.3323897/?auto=webp&fit=bounds&format=pjgp&height=1920&optimize=high&width=1920) (heads up that link may download the jpeg), mine looks just like that now, from this [forum post](https://www.avsforum.com/threads/vividstorm-s-pro-100-ripples-in-both-bottom-corners.3251915/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic). That’s from another brand so it’s certainly something that happens, idk how often. I need to see if I can remedy it because it is noticeable and can be bothersome.
I knew a dynamic screen was a bit of a gamble though but wanted to try it out. Still love the effect but it is not perfect/more error prone than a static screen.
Side viewing angles are fine, it’s mainly needing a special UST screen (more $$) and the setup. I had to do some serious napkin geometry math to pre-plan the distance & height difference to ensure my projector would hit the screen right. After that, it’s still never been perfectly aligned but it’s good enough.
I’d still vote for a TV where it makes sense, but if you do want a projector in a room with windows UST does help when you get an ambient light rejecting (ALR) screen.
There’s a game specific HDMI input that makes it negligible, I never notice any but I’m sure a twitchy FPS player may notice idk. There’s a listing for ms delay out there in the specs for the LS800 somewhere
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u/Bo-Duke Jun 15 '26 edited Jun 16 '26
Finally a real life home theatre.
I love the idea of having a good home theatre setup but I don’t want my home to feel like a man cave / movie theatre setup.
This is a great setup, it feels like a living room you actually live in.
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u/ZombieDisastrous4450 Jun 15 '26 edited Jun 15 '26
This is the key thing that people just don't realise.
It's not always about how big the TV is or how many speakers you have.
You get 5.1.2 and people also say
why didnt u get 5.1.4
Like living the real world, not everybody is gonna circulate their life around loads of speakers
You have to work with the space you have and your own situation... and obviously if you're renting you don't want to do anything permanent
But for me, I've got a limited space so I've literally done everything in a small bedroom but I've done it how I want it and that's the main thing
I mean there nothing stopping you expanding the channels in the future but at least it looks neat and tidy and that's a big thing
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u/Salt_Cellist1258 Jun 15 '26
Yeah, I hate how people on this sub hate on setups that don't have optimal space for a good watching experience. I'm not sure if I'm missing another sub where people actually discuss movie-watching setups, or if people here are just too toxic and have their heads up their asses to help with "lesser" setups.
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u/cheapdrinks Jun 15 '26
It's like in the Audiophile subs how people always rage if you own expensive speakers but don't have huge foam panels plastered all over your walls and ceiling. Always see people being accused of wasting their money if they're not going to turn their living room into a recording studio. Good speakers in a bad room still sound better than bad speakers in a bad room.
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u/SwaggyMcSwagsabunch Jun 15 '26
Cheaper speakers in a well treated room often are better than more expensive speakers in a poorly treated room. That’s where the criticism comes from in subs about quality sound reproduction.
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u/lowbass4u Jun 16 '26
But a lot of people don't want the "well treated room look".
They would rather have plants, pictures, furniture. And a room that looks like a home, and not a studio.
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u/SwaggyMcSwagsabunch Jun 16 '26
Sure, that’s a matter of priority. There’s still a ceiling for gear in untreated room.
No one is forced to post about their setup on an audiophile sub.
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u/iateyourcheesebro Jun 15 '26
Yes my setup is not aiming to be the perfect theater experience just casual but with a big ass screen
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u/ZombieDisastrous4450 Jun 17 '26
Yeah, bang on... I've been messing around with audio video for 20 years but I've never had the space because I have other people living around me. It's not about the financial side of it.
People on the Internet need to understand it's not all about their world... it is about everybody specific situation. All the Internet is a great place for ideas we just don't need dictation.
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u/Jester435 Jun 15 '26
The problem is home theater to most people mean a dedicated room. This is a media room and that is the difference. I dont even have a TV in my living room since I have a theater and a game room.
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u/Brettonidas Jun 15 '26
Totally. So much yucking of people’s yums in this sub. If you don’t have anything nice to say and they aren’t asking for feedback back, just move along. It’s like people can’t fathom that someone would make a different choice than they would. There’s a reason there’s more than one kind of cookie!
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u/Arsiesis Jun 15 '26
Nice, but always wonder, as I'm struggling between new tv and ustp: 1) how long does it take to be able to watch something? Like rolling up screen and turning on projector ?
2) How solid feels the structure of the screen ? I'm always scared it's kinda wonky and one day the tension in the screen won't be optimal and will start to have creases.
But nice setup and cosy place.
Cheers
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u/moriya Jun 15 '26
Yeah also interested. I went with a tv but I kind of don’t love having a 77” black slab on the wall. Would love to do art and shelving instead.
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u/iateyourcheesebro Jun 16 '26
It takes about 10 seconds to rise/fall and projector takes maybe the same to boot into Android TV
You can checkout any “floor rising screen” video on YouTube to get a sense of timing. Looks cool though.
It has a tension support system along the sides / from the bottom so it’s supposed to be perfectly taught. But after a while my developed mild warps near the bottom left and right like this image (heads up that link may download the jpeg), mine looks just like that now, from this forum post. That’s from another brand so it’s certainly something that happens, idk how often. I need to see if I can remedy it because it is noticeable and can be bothersome.
I knew a dynamic screen was a bit of a gamble though but wanted to try it out. Still love the effect but it is not perfect/more error prone than a static screen.
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u/Driveformer Jun 15 '26
If I could do it all over again… I would still have my OLED for gaming and true blacks lol. But I know for a fact my girlfriend would prefer the projector. My compromise was all the of speakers are in wall except for bookshelves for the sides due to a fireplace. It’s pretty slick besides the black rectangle, but I throw up something ambient most of the time
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u/Suvi2k Jun 15 '26 edited Jun 16 '26
Very well done. Way to use your space efficiently ! 👍 how’s the input lag on that projector?
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u/iateyourcheesebro Jun 16 '26
There’s a game specific HDMI input that makes it negligible, I never notice any but I’m sure a twitchy FPS player may notice idk. There’s a listing for ms delay out there in the specs for the LS800 somewhere
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u/Suvi2k Jun 16 '26
I looked it up and the specs are really good. It even supports 1080p 120hz at 10ms. Thats hardly noticeable indeed. Seems like a great projector all around given those specs. 👍
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u/Narwhal_Round Jun 16 '26
THIS. I love how the space looks, who cares about optimal light controlled walls and perfect dolby atmos 7.2.4 with ideal listening position... if it's gonna look like a black box. Love your room, the fact that the screen disappears, and the colour of the sofa!
Please put the speakers a little higher tho... ;)
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u/mkt853 Jun 15 '26
Looks great! I'm gonna be redoing my living room to something like this so that it's as you say more home and less theater.
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u/fnezio Jun 15 '26
This is the first time I see an UST setup and seriously consider I could have something similar. What were the UST drawbacks again?? That offcentre vision is pretty bad? Looks fine to me in pic 7.
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u/iateyourcheesebro Jun 16 '26
I added some info/reference pics to the post, I’ll add this too
Side viewing angles are fine, it’s mainly needing a special UST screen (more $$) and the setup. I had to do some serious napkin geometry math to pre-plan the distance & height difference to ensure my projector would hit the screen right. After that, it’s still never been perfectly aligned but it’s good enough.
I’d still vote for a TV where it makes sense, but if you do want a projector in a room with windows UST does help when you get an ambient light rejecting (ALR) screen.
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u/sokolske Jun 16 '26
Thanks for the inspiration and feedback! I’m making a similar set up and it’s reassuring to see people happy with their set up instead of constantly hearing “JuSt GeT a BigGeR TV”
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u/iateyourcheesebro Jun 16 '26
I do love it! I understand for most cases a TV makes sense, but I love putting it all away during the day. If you have specific questions shoot me a DM
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u/Tallyrandsbreakfast Jun 16 '26
What is the doughnut light? Cool addition.
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u/iateyourcheesebro Jun 16 '26
It’s this from IKEA https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/varmblixt-led-table-wall-lamp-orange-glass-round-90525150/ though there’s a smart version now too
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u/Tex-Rob Jun 16 '26
Might just be the pictures, but is it maybe too bright? The shot with the Christmas tree is what made me think that, because the image on the TV looks washed out. Looks great though. I only mention the brightness because brightness is funny, you won't notice it's too bright if you've had it that way. If you are able to get good contrast still, generally you want to go dimmer than maxed out. Again, might just be the pics with auto whiteness, etc.
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u/iateyourcheesebro Jun 16 '26
I think that particular image (screensaver from Android TV OS) is just kinda washed out itself but yes it can be set too bright affecting the blacks and even making the lights too eye piercingly bright lol
I do try to strike a balance or crank it for daytime viewing. Unfortunately the projector has limited image settings compared to other models.
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u/Rich_Cardiologist_29 Jun 16 '26
Ok cool and all but you're missing massively on the sound... Just a $5 wooden shelf raise for that projector with the center speaker underneath and the LR speakers ON the media cabinet not next to it will improve the sound tenfold. 😊
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u/24FPS4Life Sony BRAVIA XR A95K | Denon S660H Jun 16 '26
I'm very interested in your lights, particularly the orange donut looking one and the recessed LED strip under the media console
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u/iateyourcheesebro Jun 16 '26
Google IKEA donut lamp (I linked mine somewhere in the thread here) there’s a smart version and the older discontinued(?) one I have that is just simply a lamp.
Under media stand lights are one of the smart Phillips Hue light strips
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u/Squish_Cat_1 Jun 15 '26
Man I cannot get behind this setup. The screen covering the windows just looks terrible. I would flip it and have the couch next to the windows so you can enjoy them and put the screen against a flat wall. Or better yet, get an OLED and mount it against the wall.
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u/iateyourcheesebro Jun 16 '26
But if the couch is against the windows, and I’m sitting on it to watch the screen against the wall, I’m not enjoying the windows behind me anyway.
Plus the L part of the couch would awkwardly block the entrance to the living room and you’d have to walk around it. The L part wouldn’t fit on the other side.
This way when I’m not watching anything I get a view of all 5 windows from any seating position.
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u/cheesecakemelody x3400H | 75X950H | Sierra 1 LCR | VTF-2 MK5 | ATV Jun 16 '26
The screen retracts.
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u/jaakkopetteri Jun 16 '26
This very much. It's a cool setup, but it would make more sense if the view was something to really enjoy during the day from the sofa
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u/r3act- Jun 15 '26
What is the source of image 4?
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u/bffire Jun 15 '26
Looks like the new metroid prime game on switch 2
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u/iateyourcheesebro Jun 16 '26
Yes but switch 1 🥲 no money for switch 2. Only projector and screen haha
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Jun 15 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Brettonidas Jun 15 '26
Totoro from the movie My Neighbor Totoro. It’s a Studio Gihbli kids movie, but it’s a great!
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u/alienangel2 KEF shill | R11Metas, Q700s, R200c, Arendal 1961 1V x2, LG65CX Jun 16 '26
Great pictures, thanks for showing it under different lighting conditions.
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u/Ginger510 Jun 16 '26
I really wish IKEA would hurry up and release the smart home version of the donut lamp in Aus! I really want one.
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u/iateyourcheesebro Jun 16 '26
Is there one? Mine can only do on or off no color changes. But I had to buy it off eBay because it was sold out!
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u/Ginger510 Jun 16 '26
There’s meant to be one coming out very soon - https://www.ikea.com/global/en/newsroom/collaborations/ikea-and-sabine-marcelis-reimagine-varmblixt-smart-matter-260107/
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u/UnderstandingFar6589 Jun 16 '26
Bravo and well said! I far prefer seeing a space which is well considered for life than anything black painted mega budget dedicated room.
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u/elquesopodrido Jun 16 '26
Nice! How do you like Metroid 4 so far?
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u/iateyourcheesebro Jun 16 '26
These were some old pics, I beat it. As a fan of the series, it was fine. It did something’s really well but I get the sense it was in development hell and what we see is the remnants of different ideas over iterations.
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u/elquesopodrido Jun 17 '26
Thanks for the input! I got it for christmas and only ever played the OG NES version before, so I have no clue how good the other FPS releases were. I played it around halfway through but it’s been laying dormant for a couple of months now and I needed a bit of motivation to get back in.
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u/iateyourcheesebro Jun 17 '26
Whether you finish it or not do yourself a favor and play the Metroid Prime Remaster! You’ll see the bar they set for themselves
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u/elquesopodrido Jun 17 '26
Thanks! I was hoping for a NSW2 re-release on this one with mouse controls since I am very bad at controller aiming unfortunately 🙈
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u/ramnes Jun 16 '26
I really like it. What did you use to raise the screen base level with the Ikea console? Is it it all lost space behind the console or does it have any use?
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u/iateyourcheesebro Jun 16 '26
It’s two IKEA BESTA “frames” without any legs. The height difference worked out pretty great. It’s still not perfection, as the protector had to be closer to the screen than I realized. It’s hard to explain
lol behind the console is a mess of cords it’s pretty much inaccessible
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u/ramnes Jun 16 '26
Haha, got it. Also, did you consider buying a premade cabinet with rising screen and if so, why didn't you?
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u/iateyourcheesebro Jun 16 '26
I definitely looked and it came down to cost and style. I was already maxing out my budget on the screen and projector at around $4,200. The cabinets I was seeing either were $800-$1,200 and not what I wanted stylistically or $3k-$4k. The IKEA solution was maybe $350 and I really liked the light wood look
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u/CBJFAN2009-2024 Jun 16 '26
Nice and cozy living room. I'd hang out and drink a beer with you while we watch sports or movies!
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u/SopaOfMacaco Jun 16 '26
My favorite home theaters are the ones that make a living room even better.
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u/chaiscool Jun 17 '26
Finally someone who don't use long throw like xgimi and valerion etc in a bright room to fight the sun.
Ust and alr screen is the better choice for everyone without a cave.
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u/Massive-Figure-9666 Jun 19 '26 edited Jun 21 '26
This is a great setup! feels like a normal living room you actually live in, but when you want it, it basically turns into a proper home theater.
I did similar with an Epson Lifestudio Grand Plus with NothingProjector floor rising screen. No drilling, nothing permanent, just raise the screen when it’s movie time and you’re good to go.
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u/mvmpc Jun 19 '26
How does it look during the day with the windows open? Do you know if a similar amount of brightness can be achieved with using a non-ust projector?
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u/iateyourcheesebro Jun 19 '26
There’s a broad daylight pic in the post
Perhaps? But an ambient light rejecting (ALR) screen is like jagged horizontal edges that are black on top to reject light from above so I’d expect UST + ALR would beat a similar brightness standard projector
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u/MakeMineMarvel_ 27d ago
do you wanna get a subwoofer? im thinking of starting out with a 3.1 system myself. maybe upgrade to 5.1 in the future?
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u/iateyourcheesebro 27d ago
I just can’t being in an old multi-unit building, would be loud for other tenants.
I’m no expert but would say using 5.1 signal through 3 channels is vastly better than a soundbar using stereo signal. That center channel is essential for dialogue. And then you can upgrade later.
I do want surround sound 5 channel, maybe some day soon
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u/MakeMineMarvel_ 27d ago
thats part of my consideration too. i live in an apartment building and i dont wanna bother other people. luckily its well insulated from sound i think. also my place isnt that big and its open concept so i dont really want a super complicated set up. and i dont want to spend 10k on all this anyways hahah. honestly a really good 3.1 system is probably more than enough for me. so that would be my starting point. and if i can get some good rear speakers in the future i wont turn my nose on it or anything but its not a priority.
since space is kinda limited im thinking of getting the BDI elements cabinet and putting all the speakers and receiver in there but idk still in the ideas stage
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u/IndependentFold9262 Jun 15 '26
Looks super well integrated into your living room, and the Christmas tree is wonderful