Home Theater
Best current read: build a dedicated 135-145 inch acoustic-screen theater, keep AV and buildout separated, and do not award anything until equipment, shell, seats, acoustics, permits, warranty, and finish credits are written.
Current Read
Nick/Ben look strongest for a premium theater. Brad/TriZone is credible. Brian is useful as a permit-buildout GC read.
Strongest signal: Triad speakers, Sony/JVC projector thinking, Willowsford and Line K experience, theater finishes, sauna familiarity, and a real design/build process.
Gate: Nick's good/better/best AV tiers and Ben's written buildout price.
Brad's consult points to a 133 or 145 inch screen, 9.2.4 speaker plan, Triad audio, Sony Bravia 5000-series starting point, media closet reuse, and Rockwool-style isolation.
Keep Brad's $50K-$75K AV-only thought separate from TriZone's $90.5K broader D-Tools proposal.
Victory's movie-room line is $29,738 before discount. Brian's verbal path is about $100K for broader buildout. Neither replaces an AV quote.
Gate: permits, media closet, HVAC, soundproofing, riser, flooring credits, warranty, and payment terms.
Layout Direction
Plan around two seating rows, a 12-foot-wide platform, a rear bar with four to five seats, 4-5 theater seats per row, a wall opposite the entrance door for the acoustic screen, and a media closet created from the mechanical-room door area. Run 20A/30A electrical and network to the media closet now. Treat starlight ceiling, Fortress chairs, and projector jumps as later alternates.