I am in the early stages of planning for a major upgrade for a media room and associated capabilities in my home in Redlands City (SE of Brisbane, QLD).

A dedicated HT room is out, due house configuration. Similarly, I think a projector is out due to the very brightly lit area where the install is going to happen.

The upgrade must suit a brightly (natural) lit room on the bottom floor of a 2-storey house to encompass:
1. building out the facing wall in the media room to host the following (to be purchased) equipment:
– minimum 83" 4K TV
– in-wall LCR speakers
– in-wall subwoofer(s)

 

2. installing additional (to be purchased) speakers to achieve a minimum 5.1.4 speaker configuration, using:
– in-ceiling Atmos speakers
– in-wall surround speakers

 

3. remotely located AVR/Amplifier(s) (to be purchased) and source components of:
– UHD-BD Player (to be purchased)
– FTA STB (already have)
– Nvidia Shield (already have)

 

4. locally located turntable (already have)

 

5. Macro-enabled remote control (to be purchased)

 

6. data cabling into:
– Media Room x 1
– Remote Equipment Room x 1(?)
– Upstairs Bedrooms x 4
– Upstairs Family Room x 1

 

7. mesh WiFi access points (to be purchased) on bottom and first floor to improve WiFi coverage throughout

 

8. additional power points in selected locations throughout the house

The media room has a hard tiled floor with a very wide glass concertina door along one side that opens fully onto the outdoor entertaining area. The media room will be used across almost all parts of the day and night for:
– Movies
– TV / Streaming
– Sport
– Music

 

Ideally, the construction will commence in mid to late May and conclude before the end of June. Budget to agreed with wife (who is on board), but likely no more than ~$50K.

 

I am not looking for equipment recommendations (yet) or to debate the merits of one component over another. What I am seeking is what I need to consider when seeking quotes and design ideas (?) from Home Theatre Design and Install companies. Similarly, advice on what to watch out for to make sure I'm not taken advantage of. Recommendations on who to go (or not go to) would be welcome.

Thanks

equipment and accessories aside, does the upgrade scope extend to room construction and treatment considerations? it plays an important part regardless of the $$ thrown at your playback chain which you can readily change when and as needed but opportunities to address physical aspects of the room isn't so easy,

eg

- do you need isolation from the rest of the house or neighbours? 

- the glass and tiles are going to mess with mid to high frequencies so that should be a consideration

- do you have flexibility with the shape and size? some L:W:H ratio's  can be problematic with nodes and standing waves 

-  it might help to prioritise the type of listening or usage settings, it sounds like an awesome party room but if its primarily just the 1-2 of you using it your focus may change (do you want in your face appeal or non-fatiguing intimacy?)

- some sort of treatment for bass management is always a good idea particularly if you going to spend that much

A floor plan, dimensions and expected furniture and equipment layout would help understand the acoustic implications and design issues and mistakes you may face.

 

Have you read the many similar past post discussions for ideas?