DIY Death Star Home Theater Build

[WallyHawk]

Ever since I was a kid and saw a Star Destroyer Bridge home theater I knew I NEEDED something like this... eventually. It took an additional 25 years but now it's time to make that dream a reality. I don't know what I'm doing. I don't want to compromise... but I am on a budget.

Let's take this journey together and build the best Death Star Home Theater money can buy... well, the amount of money I have for this before my wife has a problem with it.

I started with a severely water damaged basement and am transforming it into something really special.

I'm doing this series on my YouTube channel but got a lot of inspiration and information from this forum so wanted to share it here as well. I add a new video every Wednesday.

Intro:

Plans:

Primary Lighting and Wiring:

Ceiling:

Hidden Media Shelves:

Equipment Rack:

Light Panel Walls (finally into some Star Wars building!):

Light Panels Part 2

3D Wall Panels - Design 1

3D Wall Panels - Design 2

Screen Wall Part 1

 

[PHArchivist]

You had me at "Death Star"...

 

[WallyHawk]

Weekly Update - Hidden Media Shelves

 

[Halliwax]

Wicked impressive! Wish I had a area in my home I could do this to

 

[WallyHawk]

Thanks for the kind words and interest so far!

Weekly update, starting the equipment rack. I promise, we get into some Star Wars stuff soon!

 

[JediMichael]

Nice, can't wait to see how this all turns out.
As Rob said....You had me at "Death Star"......lol.
As for building stuff like this, not my thing....like 2 months ago I spent hours and hours just trying to hang a shelf and that alone about killed me.

 

[Malibu139]

Thanks for the kind words and interest so far!

Weekly update, starting the equipment rack. I promise, we get into some Star Wars stuff soon!

Love the door!

I guess you will get into this in future vids but I am interested in : type of projector, throw distance , screen size and aspect ratio, and the good stuff : what will make this room thump?

 

[WallyHawk]

Love the door!

I guess you will get into this in future vids but I am interested in : type of projector, throw distance , screen size and aspect ratio, and the good stuff : what will make this room thump?

Thanks! The door videos are coming near the end (probably more than one since I kept messing it up, haha).

Haha, that fun stuff is coming in a future video but i have a Sony VPL-XW5000ES Projector. Marantz SR5011 Receiver. So far just 1 sub, but I plan to add another, a 12 inch Sony in the back of the room. Speakers are in wall Monoprice Amber series so they're mostly hidden to keep the look of the room. I have 2x 6.5 inch 3 ways for the front Left and Right. A dual 5.25 inch 3 way for the center and 4x 8 inch 2 ways for the sides and back. Ceiling I have 2x 8 inch angled. May had a couple more down the line but I'm loving the sound so far. The screen is 120 inch Elite Screens 16:9 acoustically transparent.

The projector is 15-16 feet from the screen if I remember right. I wanted a bigger screen but with the duct work in the ceiling I didn't want the screen that close to the floor.

I use a dedicated 4k Sony player for physical media and 4k firestick for streaming. There's a PS4 hooked up but rarely used.

 

[WallyHawk]

Nice, can't wait to see how this all turns out.
As Rob said....You had me at "Death Star"......lol.
As for building stuff like this, not my thing....like 2 months ago I spent hours and hours just trying to hang a shelf and that alone about killed me.

Haha, it wasn't my thing for a while either. I'm a web designer by day. Lot's of YouTube and expensive mistakes on more standard projects before I was able to take this on.

 

[WallyHawk]

Weekly update. Finally into some Star Wars building. Light panel walls!

 

[Lichtbringer]

Funny to see such a build today.

My starship bridge is now mostly used as a storage room.
Since my TV had nearly the same size as my screen when i masked it smaller to use it for 16/9, i barely go to the next room to power the cinema up.

Thinking about disassembling everything....but even we don't really use it anymore, my wife is still against that idea.

 

[WallyHawk]

Funny to see such a build today.

My starship bridge is now mostly used as a storage room.
Since my TV had nearly the same size as my screen when i masked it smaller to use it for 16/9, i barely go to the next room to power the cinema up.

Thinking about disassembling everything....but even we don't really use it anymore, my wife is still against that idea.

That bums me out to hear, haha. I have friends over once or twice a week and I try to make it a bit more of an event. Got a classic popcorn maker and we'll do a double feature or something. Lately we've been doing Masters of the Air which is great.

Unfortunately my wife is more comfortable in the living room, so if it's just us the room goes unused.

 

[Lichtbringer]

Thats how it started here, too. LESERKINO (7): Ein ganzes Star-Trek-Universum im Hauswirtschaftsraum
Some more Details can be seen by using the buttons on the second pic in the article.

Today i would go the route to use the walls for displaying props and models, and additional some more interactive stuff like darts and/or billiard. Preferences change over time.

Have fun.

 

[WallyHawk]

Weekly Update! (Doing Friday's now to cover Bad Batch on Wednesdays)

 

[WallyHawk]

Weekly Update! 3D Wall panels being made and a sneak peek at the finished product.

 

[WallyHawk]

Weekly Update! More 3D Wall panels!

 

[chubsANDdoggers]

Love a good home theater build! Nothing better than having the OG SW projected onto a 120in screen with Atmos at home. Your home theater is looking great man!! Thanks for sharing your process. What projector are u using out of curiosity?

 

[WallyHawk]

Love a good home theater build! Nothing better than having the OG SW projected onto a 120in screen with Atmos at home. Your home theater is looking great man!! Thanks for sharing your process. What projector are u using out of curiosity?

Thanks! Appreciate the kind words. The projector is a Sony VPL-VW295ES.

I also forgot to post my weekly update from Friday on here, so it's added now. Starting the screen wall.

 

[chubsANDdoggers]

Damn that’s a nice projector! It’s got lens shift as well which should allow you do put up a 2.35:1 screen down the road if desired. Lose the top and bottom black bars which creates an even more immersive experience for the OG’s.