[Richard Fairbanks]

Gee, you could fill up a book with a reply. IMHO there is no way to design a room which satisfies both needs really well, unless you are a very clever builder and even more clever designer. Important differences are all over the place. Film theaters, being much much larger than TV living rooms, have completely different acoustics. There is built-in decay due to the larger space, bass frequencies develop quite differently, the speakers are much further away (less perceivable soundfield spread, speakers are always behind a perforated screen (which radically alters their dispersion and perceived response), there are typically many more surround speakers, the list goes on. That is not to say that you cannot mix a film in a TV room or vice versa, but you need some experience "cross dressing" to know how to compensate. And I'm not even touching the issue of watching a mix on a huge screen versus a video monitor. Your perceptions will be different, trust me. I recommend that you avoid a common trap of trying to do everything really great. It is next to impossible to launch a facility that way. Instead, study your marketplace and decide where YOUR skill set's best chances are and tailor your design compromises (of which there will be many) to serve you best.

Sorry for a generic reply, but there are several books on acoustics which you can learn much more from. Search the net, or your public library. Research, research, and research some more. Design, check, research, re-design, etc. Spend as much time researching every aspect as you possible can. I spent years planning, finally built a place I'm mostly happy with, yet I feel like I've only scratched the surface of the knowledge I needed. DO NOT BUILD until you really KNOW what you are doing.