Starting a 5-6 month Golf Sim / Home Theater Build

[Keith]

I've been enjoying lurking and learning on this forum. Now I'm getting ready to actually design and build a cinema/golf-sim room over my garage. Here's the current draft based on info from this forum and other home cinema forums:

• 25x15 room with 10 ft ceiling.
• 16x9 movie screen on back wall
• Retractable impact screen 6-12 inches in front of the movie screen (is that enough? I do NOT want to damage the movie screen)
• Touch screen for golf computer control
• Ceiling-mounted heavy curtains to protect the side and rear walls (see attachment):
  • For movies, they will stay on the side walls to minimize acoustic bounce interference.
  • For golf, they will cover the side walls completely and curve either behind the screen or in front of the screen: Curving in front of the screen is simpler, but curving behind the screen would provide additional protection to the movie screen. Comments/suggestions would be very much appreciated.
• The golf mat centerline will be ~ 8ft from the the impact screen and ~6 ft in front of the closest theater seats.
• I haven't figured out how to best protect the ceiling (suggestions?)

[Keith]

Luckily they were able to install the shingles this week We're expecting freezing rain in the Dallas area tomorrow morning.

[Keith]

The Epson 6050 has stopped production so my current choice for the movie projector is now the 4K laser-based "Epson 6060". It's currently only available in Europe as the Epson-LS12000B but they are supposed to start shipping to the US in late March.

I'm probably changing my golfsim projector to the BenQ 936. I plan to try it 2 ways on a 12' wide screen: 16x9 and 16:10. 16:9 will allow me to use all ~8.3M pixels. But using 16:10 will provide an additional 9" vertical height with the same 12' wide screen. I'll be throwing away ~900,000 pixels but I think the more immersive picture will be worth it.

[austinandersen]

Im planning exact same build out. I saw on here someone used METechs as they have retractable system. Looks to be more diy then par2pro. Gungho also has a retractable system. They claim they dont have middle sag like the par2pro. Gungho is double the price of par2pro. I also switched to benq936 for dual purpose but my only fear is the manual focus. I dont want to have to mess with focus between both screens. 12" offset from impact to movie will surely cause focus issue. Alternative is get projector slider online and have it move the exact distance impact screen is from movie screen.

[Keith]

Im planning exact same build out. I saw on here someone used METechs as they have retractable system. Looks to be more diy then par2pro. Gungho also has a retractable system. They claim they dont have middle sag like the par2pro. Gungho is double the price of par2pro. I also switched to benq936 for dual purpose but my only fear is the manual focus. I dont want to have to mess with focus between both screens. 12" offset from impact to movie will surely cause focus issue. Alternative is get projector slider online and have it move the exact distance impact screen is from movie screen.

I agree. If the BenQ 936 had powered focus and zoom, I would probable use it for both movies and golfsim.

Thanks for the reference to GungHo's retractable screen. I've been looking at Par2Pro's Stealth Elite, which looks like it might be the same or similar screen. In Par2Pro's video, you have to use a stepladder to velcro the front and side screens together (I confirmed this with Par2Pro). That's probably a deal breaker for me and my 10' ceiling. I'm hoping to just have heavy velvet (possibly powered) side curtains that can wrap around the back of the retractable screen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyVpj8RMHxI

[Par2ProShane]

Please note, You do not need to install the corner connectors if you do not want too. They are there for shank safety and if you hit really well you shouldn't need to install them until the new golfers and kids come play.

[Keith]

Interior walls and electrical are installed. Riser is nearly complete. It's hard to believe that it will take until May to finish, but supply chain issues will probably stretch things out.

[Keith]

I finally decided on a color scheme. Dark blue with white theater seating. Since the whole room will be dark colored (the ceiling will be black), I don't think the white seats will provide much of a distraction. .

[Keith]

The weather has been very nice so the build is proceeding quickly. I went ahead and placed the projector orders:

• BenQ936ST projector for the golf simulator. Estimated delivery is sometime in May.
• Epson LS12000 projector for the theater. Estimated delivery is somewhere between late May and early November (heavy sigh)

[Keith]

And now there are actual walls...

[Keith]

Trim & Cabinetry installed. Media Racks positioned next to theater/golf simulator

[Keith]

Painting is complete. Hopeful that the flooring will be installed in the next couple weeks.

[Keith]

Let there be light!


Speakers will be installed next week and flooring the following week. It's time for me to get my acoustic posters printed and assembled.

[Brettster]

Wow - moving right along Keith - Congratulations on each step... enjoy them as you will soon be at completion! Nice look with the lighting... you have to be careful with some Sims though and lighting.

[Keith]

Wow - moving right along Keith - Congratulations on each step... enjoy them as you will soon be at completion! Nice look with the lighting... you have to be careful with some Sims though and lighting.

Thanks! Everything can be dimmed so I'll use different levels depending on the application (movies, golf, gaming, VR)

[jobruba37]

Looks great! Question for your sound system though as I am in the middle of building my own (yet much smaller) setup, where do you plan to put the center speaker? Currently I'm looking to place it above my screen with netting to protect it.

[Brettster]

jobruba37 I have full details on how I placed my 5.1 surround sound speakers - Vizio 5.1 Surround bar, which you can find here:

https://tinyurl.com/Vizio51SurroundBar

You basically place it center at the top of your screen - I have cloth baffles hanging there to protect any balls going that high. All of those details are explained on my post, you can even see where I got the cloth and how I hang it to get baffles in my Sim Shed forum post.

Here is the post:

https://golfsimulatorforum.com/forum/golf-simulator-forum/simulator-builds/348365-golf-sim-shed-build-finally?p=367497#post367497

If you have any questions, ask them on my post.
-Brett

[Keith]

Looks great! Question for your sound system though as I am in the middle of building my own (yet much smaller) setup, where do you plan to put the center speaker? Currently I'm looking to place it above my screen with netting to protect it.

I'm using an acoustic-transparent screen and in-wall speakers, so it's at the same level as the right and left speakers.

[Brettster]

Keith - that would be right around the impact area? Would like to see a pic of that, as I'm not able to do that with only 8" to the wall from my screen.