I have not seen much about installed entertainment systems and would like to make a couple observations. 
First, the cabin accommodations on older, smaller boats make seating, viewing, screen placement and cable runs pretty awkward. I had thought to mount the screen on the main bulkhead using the dinette to sit and view, with the option to use the table as a work surface and the screen as a monitor for the laptop computer. This was a bad idea since the viewing angle was poor and light from the companionway was behind me. Putting the screen lower on the bulkhead would make sitting at the dinette facing aft problematic.
Second, when adjusting the stereo speakers I found the sound quality terrible from the distortion caused by the shape of the space. Low volume was clearer, but low volume made it hard to understand speech. Cockpit listening was impossible, since the distortion made the sound unintelligible upon sufficiently increasing the volume.
My approach was to mount a 19" LCD screen from the PORT jib sheet car track bolts, place a Blu-ray player on the cabinet shelf there, and connect a computer sound system with a small subwoofer hidden behind the settee back.
This allows viewing from either dinette seat with good sound quality and volume. The cinema experience is adequate leaning against the starboard cabinet with snacks on the table and available seating for others. :dance:
I can still use headphones and the laptop in the berth or cockpit, conditions allowing.
What have others done as a work around for their boat?
First, the cabin accommodations on older, smaller boats make seating, viewing, screen placement and cable runs pretty awkward. I had thought to mount the screen on the main bulkhead using the dinette to sit and view, with the option to use the table as a work surface and the screen as a monitor for the laptop computer. This was a bad idea since the viewing angle was poor and light from the companionway was behind me. Putting the screen lower on the bulkhead would make sitting at the dinette facing aft problematic.
Second, when adjusting the stereo speakers I found the sound quality terrible from the distortion caused by the shape of the space. Low volume was clearer, but low volume made it hard to understand speech. Cockpit listening was impossible, since the distortion made the sound unintelligible upon sufficiently increasing the volume.
My approach was to mount a 19" LCD screen from the PORT jib sheet car track bolts, place a Blu-ray player on the cabinet shelf there, and connect a computer sound system with a small subwoofer hidden behind the settee back.
This allows viewing from either dinette seat with good sound quality and volume. The cinema experience is adequate leaning against the starboard cabinet with snacks on the table and available seating for others. :dance:
I can still use headphones and the laptop in the berth or cockpit, conditions allowing.
What have others done as a work around for their boat?
