Your basement, turned into the best seat in town.
We plan, wire and calibrate projector rooms and small home theaters across Clark County. One crew from first sketch to the first movie, with a fixed price before we start.
Felida basement: 120-inch screen, 5.1 sound, recliners for six. Built in eleven days.
- Rooms finished
- 310
- Google rating
- 4.8 from 96 reviews
- Packages from
- $1,850
Three ways to start
Prices include equipment, wiring, labor and calibration. Most families land in the middle column.
| Living Room 5.1from $1,8502 days | Projector Roomfrom $4,2004 to 6 days | Basement Theaterfrom $8,9002 to 3 weeks | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Screen | Your TV, wall mounted | 100" to 120" fixed screen, 4K projector | 120" to 135" acoustically transparent screen |
| Speakers | 5.1 bookshelf and sub | 5.1 in-wall and sub | 7.1.4 with ceiling height speakers |
| Wiring | Run inside walls | In-wall, plus a conduit for later upgrades | Dedicated circuit, conduit, equipment closet |
| Light control | None | Blackout shades, dimmable cans | Blackout, step lights, scene keypad |
| Acoustic panels | Not included | 4 panels at reflection points | Full treatment plan, bass traps |
| Calibration | Speaker levels, picture mode | Room EQ and picture calibration | Room EQ, picture calibration, seat by seat check |
Already have gear you like? We work with it and take it off the price. Seating, carpet and drywall are quoted by our partner trades if you need them.
Where every speaker goes, before we cut a hole
Every room starts as a drawing like this one, measured on site. You see the screen size, the seat distance and each speaker position, and we adjust it together before any drywall is opened.
- Front left, center, right: behind or beside the screen at ear height
- Surrounds: just behind the seats, 2 to 3 feet above ear level
- Subwoofer: placed by a crawl test, not by guesswork
- Seats: front row about 1.1 times the screen width away, back row on an 8 inch riser
How big should your screen be?
Slide to the distance from your main seat to the wall. We use the same rule as movie theaters: the screen should fill about 40 degrees of your view.
- Screen size
- 110"
- Screen width
- 8 ft
- Projector distance
- 10 to 12 ft
- Our take
- Projector room territory. A 4K projector on a fixed screen.
A projector room, week by week
- Day 1
Site visit and drawing
Tess measures the room, checks light and power, and draws the plan. Free within Clark County.
- Day 3
Fixed price
You get one written price with every part listed. Nothing is ordered until you sign.
- Week 2
Wiring day
Speaker wire, HDMI and power run inside the walls. Holes patched and ready for paint.
- Week 3
Screen and gear
Screen framed and hung, projector aligned to the pixel, speakers set in.
- Last day
Calibration and handoff
Room EQ, picture calibration and a 20 minute lesson on the remote for the whole family.
Rooms we finished this year
From families who watch here now
4.8 out of 5 from 96 Google reviews
"Tess drew the whole room on graph paper at our kitchen table and the finished basement matches it to the inch. The sub placement trick she did made a real difference."
"We wanted a projector without drilling the ceiling. They put it on a floor stand that tucks into the corner after movie night. Our kids have not watched the tablet since."
"Fixed price, done a day early, and they came back two weeks later to fine-tune the sound for free. Easy to recommend."
Small crew, one person in charge
I'm Tess Moreland. I spent nine years as a sound tech for touring shows before opening Salmon Creek Cinema Rooms in 2016. I wanted to build rooms people actually use on a Tuesday night, not showrooms.
It's me, my installer Jorge Ibarra and an apprentice. I draw every room myself and I'm there on calibration day for every job.
- Started2016, Salmon Creek
- CertifiedCEDIA trained, THX Level I
- Warranty3 years on labor
- RegisteredWA contractor SALMOCC871RB
Clark County and a little beyond
Site visits are free inside Clark County. Further out we charge a small trip fee, taken off the job if you go ahead.
| Town | Site visit | Typical start |
|---|---|---|
| Vancouver, Salmon Creek, Felida, Hazel Dell | Free | 2 weeks |
| Camas and Washougal | Free | 2 weeks |
| Battle Ground, Ridgefield, Brush Prairie | Free | 2 to 3 weeks |
| La Center and Yacolt | $40 | 3 weeks |
| Portland, east and north | $60 | 3 to 4 weeks |
Good questions to ask any theater installer
- Projector or a big TV?
- Up to about 85 inches, a TV is brighter and simpler. Past that, or in a room you can darken, a projector gives you a much bigger picture for the money.
- Does my basement need to be finished first?
- No, and it's actually easier if it isn't. We can run wire while the walls are open and work with your drywall contractor's schedule.
- Can you use the gear I already own?
- Usually, yes. We test it first. A good receiver from the last five years and decent speakers can save you $800 to $1,500.
- Do I need a dedicated circuit?
- For the Basement Theater package, yes, and we coordinate it with a licensed electrician. Smaller rooms run fine on existing outlets.
- How loud will it be upstairs?
- We place the sub and add bass traps to keep it in the room, and can add insulation and a solid door if bedrooms are right above.
- Do you finance?
- We take 30 percent at signing, 40 percent on wiring day and the rest at handoff. Card payments have no extra fee.
Tell us about the room
A rough idea is plenty. Tess will call within one business day to set up a free site visit.
- Call or text(360) 555-0173
- Emailtess@salmoncreekcinema.com