Cinema Sizer.
Room dimensions in, recommended cinema-grade screen size, seating layout, Dolby Atmos format and projector throw out. Reference / Premium / Media-room tiers.
- Tiers
- 3
- Atmos formats
- 7.2.4 → 11.2.8
- Standard
- SMPTE · THX
- Calibration
- HAA L1
— Cinema · SMPTE EG-18 · THX immersive · Dolby Atmos
The room, measured for cinema.
Geometry per SMPTE EG-18 (30° rear-seat horizontal angle) and THX recommendations (36° immersive). Acoustic tolerance per Dolby Atmos certification (RT60 ± 0.05 s). Conservative — final design re-modelled in CAD against the actual architecture.
Premium consultation · premium tier · 2.39:1
146″ diagonal
A 3.42 × 1.43 m screen, with 20 seats across 5 rows and 7.1.4 immersive sound.
Screen
146″
3.42 × 1.43 m · 2.39:1
Seating
20
5 rows × 4 per row
Immersive format
7.1.4
12 channels
Projector throw
6.2 m
1.8× screen width lens
Assumptions driving this recommendation↓ expand
- Rear-seat horizontal angle
- 30°
- Front row → screen
- 1.78 m
- Back row → screen
- 6.38 m
- Row pitch
- 1.15 m
- Atmos format ceiling rule
- 7.1.4 fits 3 m ceiling
- Side absorption budget
- 0.4 m
Operationally sensible ecosystem
Brands grouped by engineering role — not random logos.
Cinema processing
Atmos / DTS:X / Auro-3D processors
- Marantz AV10Reference Marantz processor
- Anthem AVMCalibration-first processor
Loudspeakers
LCR / surround / overhead arrays
- KEF ReferenceAudiophile-grade home cinema
- JBL SynthesisPro-cinema lineage for residential
- Sonance ReferenceArchitectural reference series
Projection
4K laser projectors + screens
- Sony VPL-XWNative 4K SXRD laser
- JVC DLANative 4K DLP laser, HDR-strong
- Stewart FilmscreenCustom-fit reference screen
Indicative — viewing-angle model is conservative-correct, but final design re-models the room in CAD with measured-on-site acoustics, projector throw verified against actual lens curves, and Atmos layout in EASE / Dolby Atmos Designer.
Translate into a briefPricing · written estimate after review
Need a price for this scope?
Share your drawings, BOQ or project brief on WhatsApp/call +91 88110 34444 or email info@technoguru.in for a written estimate after review. Pricing depends on drawings, site conditions, system scope, brand selection, cabling stage, integration depth, commissioning, logistics, GST, approvals and support expectations — so we prepare it per project after a technical review rather than publishing standard rates.
Model the room acoustics· Engineering advisory · Cinema Sizer
What the sizer tells you about the room.
Screen diagonal and Atmos format are the headline numbers, but the four notes below frame what the answer predicts about acoustic envelope, build coordination and lifecycle once the room is in regular use.
Deployment observations
- Reference tier rooms demand sealed room-in-room construction, full bass-trap and broadband acoustic treatment, and HAA Level 1 calibration on handover — the build cost premium over Premium tier is structural, not equipment-driven, and is set on day one of the architectural drawings.
- Premium tier rooms read as the same family on calibration but lighten the build envelope — single-skin partitions with acoustic damping rather than full room-in-room, and a tighter equipment stack. Specify against the surrounding programme: if the room is below a bedroom, the build envelope rises one tier regardless of audio budget.
- Media rooms accept daylight and surrounding programme noise, so the calibration target is recommended audience-position SPL rather than mastering-room neutrality. The Atmos format scales down to 7.2.4 or below; the speakers are chosen for sensitivity to compensate for the imperfect envelope.
Environmental considerations
- Subwoofer placement is dictated by room mode response, not aesthetic symmetry. Two corner-loaded subwoofers across the long wall typically beat four wall-distributed subs in a rectangular room; this is measurement-driven, not catalogue-driven. The sizer assumes a measurement step at calibration.
- Cross-aisle null cancellation kills bass response at specific seats — the sizer's recommended seat-to-screen ratio avoids the obvious offenders, but the actual measurement at commissioning is the source of truth, not the layout drawing.
Operational notes
- Calibration drifts over six to eight years as compression drivers fatigue and ceiling absorbers settle. The annual operations note is a five-minute pink-noise sweep against the original calibration file — anything beyond ±1.5 dB triggers a half-day recalibration before it becomes audible to the audience.
- Projector lamp / laser-light source hours are the day-two metric the operator must track; a 20,000-hour laser source is two cinema lifetimes at typical home use, and an HMI lamp is a 2,500-hour consumable. Specify the projector class against the operating schedule the household actually keeps.
Lifecycle implications
- Reference and Premium tier acoustic treatment is infrastructure-grade — twenty-plus year lifespan if humidity is controlled. The compression drivers, subwoofer amplifiers and projector are the consumables; budget the refresh at six to eight years for drivers and four to six for the projector light engine.
- Atmos format upgrades (7.2.4 → 9.2.6 → 11.2.8) ride the original ceiling and side-wall cable plant if Cat6A is pulled to every speaker position at first install. Cabling once is cheap; pulling ceiling tiles a second time to rewire is the avoidable scope creep.
· Example use
A 22 by 16 by 11 foot basement room comfortably seats nine across two rows for a Premium tier — a 130-inch projection screen, 7.2.4 Dolby Atmos, calibrated subwoofers, blackout treatment and a discreet equipment rack next door. The Reference tier in the same volume drops the seat count to seven, doubles the budget and earns a HAA Level 1 calibration on handover.
· Frequently asked
Cinema rooms —
what people ask first.
What separates Reference, Premium and Media-room?
Reference rooms run two-piece projection, isolated room-in-room construction, full acoustic treatment and HAA-calibrated audio — they sound the same as a mastering room. Premium uses the same stack at a tighter budget. Media-rooms are mixed-use spaces with cinema-grade audio but daylight tolerance.
Do I need a dedicated room?
For Reference and Premium, yes — a sealed, lightproof room with proper HVAC and acoustic isolation. For Media-room, no — we work with living rooms, lounges and family rooms, and the budget reflects it.
What about screen size — bigger is better?
Up to a point. THX viewing distance and SMPTE recommendations cap the maximum useful angle. The sizer holds the screen-to-seat ratio inside the standard so the front row does not crane and the back row is not staring at a postage stamp.
Atmos 7.2.4, 9.2.6, 11.2.8 — which one?
Room volume decides. 7.2.4 is the floor for Atmos certification; 9.2.6 is the comfortable ceiling for most premium rooms; 11.2.8 is reserved for large halls where the height channels need extra coverage. The sizer recommends per room, not per budget.
Do you do the build, or only the design?
Both. We design, supply, install, calibrate and hand over with a calibration report. We work with the architect's contractor for civil works and own everything from acoustic treatment inwards.
· Begin
Building a cinema
that has to sound right?
Send the room dimensions, the intended use and any drawings. We will write back with a tier recommendation within two working days; pricing follows a written estimate after review.