Need advice on setting up semi-home theater

I suppose I should have been a little more clear. I'm looking to spend $2000 on the TV and really haven't set a budget on the surround sound, since I'm not sure if I will recylce it once I upgrade my theater, I'm thinking in the $500 range maybe?

The way the room is setup is so that their are windows on both sides of the couch, which then shine right onto the media center, and then there are windows on the wall to the left of the couch and also once large window in the kitchen. The window treatments don't work nearly as well as what I have currently in my other homes and are more of a way to block direct sun rays than to actually keep the light out. So basically anytime from around 6:00am to 8:00pm the sun in shining somewhere in the room, with the blinds closed it allows for some of the light to be blocked, but you can still see the light enough that it would be a problem with a Plasma

I looked at Best Buy at their front and rear projection options and I just wasn't as satisfied with the picture quality compared to the LCDs and Plasmas. I like the idea of being able to get a large screen size, but the pictures just seem to be more dull. The read projection wasn't nearly as bad as the front projection, but the one front projection they had going you could hardly even tell there was a picture on the screen.

I'm thinking a good front L&R speaker would be the way to go. If I could put the sub-woofer in the cupboard of the media center then I would do that as well. Would I need a receiver for just the front speakers as well?

Sorry again for all the questions, I'm just kind of lost doing this on my own.

Thanks again!

how many hours do you think they have on the bulb? hah

is it calibrated? I'll bet $100 it's not

and forget light control.

The FP world has become simply amazing. We have now at $2-3k Pj's that blow away units that cost $20,000 just a decade ago.

my own setup is based on the bottom of the line superceded JVC. It is the best pic I or anyone I know has ever seen. Including one person who worked for a movie audio production company, and also a director of 10 yrs who was inducted into the DGA last year. My 75 sq ft screen + this PJ combined for less than $4k shipped. Yeah, BB sells LCD flat panels for the same price. Comparison? There is none. At all.

$2000? you will have to choose quality or size. You can't have both. The biggest bang for buck for size, outside of FP, is DLP RPTV. The biggest bang for buck in PQ is plasma. The biggest bang for buck combining the above is FP.

Mits is coming out with some very large DLPs very soon. Like 83".

If it was me in your shoes, I'd buy the largest plasma I could. But a 65" is double your budget. Then I'd add curtains to the rear wall.

Subwoofer in the cabinet? Please note that cabinets are resonating devices. You will suffer for it. If the speakers go in there as well, I'd try to isolate them from such resonances. OTOH, your diffraction/reflection issues will be more difficult to overcome.

For your surrounds, the most hidden are in-ceiling or in-walls. Just hire a handyman to run some wires for you. Check out Monoprice for speaker wire that is extremely affordable.

Less that, you can do wall mounted or ceiling mounted for better bang for buck performance, but they are not as hidden obviously.

If you can double the budget, a different prospect than the 65" plasma can be instead a 42" plasma for $600-700, a projector for $2.5k, screen for $300-1000.

This is the screen I use.
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=773065

less than 1k shipped for 159" (75 sq ft) and that was after custom ordering roller mech in black, with CSR as well.

you can perhaps hide the screen somehow, maybe with one of these options:

http://www.dalite.com/products/product_flash/ceilingTrimKit/

http://www.dalite.com/products/product_flash/floatingMountingBracket/

in any case, do not discount FP so easily.

I guess I was just assuming that if the Plasma and LCD tvs looked good that the other options would also be performing nicely as well. If Best Buy is trying to sell the TVs and can't keep them looking their best, I'm a little concerned I wouldn't be able to either.

If Best Buy isn't a good place to look for a FP TV, where is a good place to go and see how well they can perform? I'm just not sure I would want to buy something like this before seeing something that looks better than what Best Buy had setup. The screen just looked completely washed out and completely lacked any pop at all.

I definitely think I'd prefer Plasma over LCD as the colors seem so much better, but I just hate the reflection I have to deal with during the day and with the way my house is setup and being decorated I just don't think I want to put curtains on the rear wall as it just wouldn't look right. It's not that I can't afford to add to my budget, I was just trying to keep everything in reason since this will just be a temporary setup until I can come back in the summer and have more time to work on the setup and finding people to get done what I actually want to do. I also would like something that I can move to my room or a spare bedroom when I'm done with it in the main room and I'm thinking a projector isn't going to be right.

Again, I appreciate your reply. I definitely will look into front projection some more. If the picture quality is as good as yours then it may be something I do for my permanent setup.

Thanks again!

I've been told that the new Panny's have really improved, yet again, the reflective issue. One installer I spoke with think it's a push between LCD and the latest Panny's. Something to see for yourself, or ask about...

I finally decided to get a panasonic. It is a lot smaller than I originally wanted but with my limited time I just wanted to get the process moving.

Thanks again for all the help!