I don't know if this is the right forum and am truly sorry if this has been asked a million times before.

I am looking to turn one of our bedrooms into a home theatre. This room has one window and that's where I want the projector screen to go -- basically closing off the window area. I want to mount the projector on the wall opposite this window, and since we haven't moved in yet, I can say I think it's about 13-15 feet of a distance.

I don't really know much about projectors; I don't know the exact cost of the entire set-up. I am basically looking for the BEST PICTURE and am willing to spend around $4,000-$5,000. As I said, I don't know the exact cost of the entire set-up, but I am willing to work within that range.

Basically, I want HDTV, best possible resolution for that price range. We'll be watching movies in this room, obviously, but don't have a Blu-Ray player. I don't know if that's in the future, but would like the projector to be HDTV, just in case.

What can you guys tell me about what to look for? Any suggestions on brand/models? Will the room work fine if we shut off that window? Is it dark enough? Anything is appreciated.

Again, sorry if this is the wrong forum or if it's been killed to death. Thank you!

5k for the entire setup is pretty good. For a PJ check out the new Panny 3000U or Epson 1080UB, screen I suggest Carada or Elite. Speakers pick something in range of your budget, Polk Audio, Klipsch, Ascend, Axiom are a few that come to mind. For sub, SVS or Epik and for Blu-ray Sony PS3, Panny BD30 or Sony S350 are a few good ones for a good price. And for receiver Onkyo 806, 805(if u can find one), Pioneer Elite 94, Denon 2308/3808 are some nice ones with great prices. I'm sure others will chime in but at least you can research the items I mentioned and start doing your homework.

Thank you for the reply.

I'd also like to know what to look for so I don't constantly ask questions. What should I be looking for in my projector? What's the ideal resolution for my situation? 12,000:1 contrast? Less?

Anything else I should look for? Lumens? I don't even know what that is. If you can help me figure out what to look for, I'd appreciate it.

Hi One-Way,

There are no short cuts for all the questions your going to have. I suggest that you read this forum all you can. When your are attracted to particular threads in this section ask one or two questions there. A lot to learn:) so don't jump to quickly with a projector or screen choice/purchase. Lot's of knowlegable people here that can give you good advice.

If you are able to dedicate a room to home theater, then a projector should work very well indeed. I recommend painting the room a dark color (there are some nice home theater picture threads in other forums here), making sure that ambient light can be totally controlled (double blinds with blackout backing material should do the trick), and saving a portion of your money for a professional screen (as opposed to projecting onto a wall.)

Consider where you'd like to place the projector, figure out how you want to run the cables, pick a screen size based on your seating distance (for a 1080p that is mainly for HD, screen width = seating distance / 1.2 is a good starting point.) When you choose a projector, make sure you can place the projector appropriately for it's specifications, which will help you decide if you ceiling mount, rear shelf mount it, etc. These were my major issues when I got my first projector years ago.

With those things in mind, you should easily be able to achieve everything you need on your budget - there are some excellent projectors in this price range with money left over for all the things I've mentioned.

Consider where you'd like to place the projector, figure out how you want to run the cables, pick a screen size based on your seating distance (for a 1080p that is mainly for HD, screen width = seating distance / 1.2 is a good starting point.)



Although 1.2 x the screen width would be fine with a 1080p projector, sitting that close to the screen may be uncomfortable to some people.

Buy a cheap (sub $1000) 720p PJ and shoot it on the wall a few movies to see how large a screen to buy. I would guess you end up with 106" diagonal. For such a small room this will seem huge. You don't need to spend the bucks just yet on a PJ. Save that for your assured upgrade to a dedicated home theater room that I will predict you will be planning in 1 years time.

I don't know if this is the right forum and am truly sorry if this has been asked a million times before.

I am looking to turn one of our bedrooms into a home theatre. This room has one window and that's where I want the projector screen to go -- basically closing off the window area. I want to mount the projector on the wall opposite this window, and since we haven't moved in yet, I can say I think it's about 13-15 feet of a distance.

I don't really know much about projectors; I don't know the exact cost of the entire set-up. I am basically looking for the BEST PICTURE and am willing to spend around $4,000-$5,000. As I said, I don't know the exact cost of the entire set-up, but I am willing to work within that range.

Basically, I want HDTV, best possible resolution for that price range. We'll be watching movies in this room, obviously, but don't have a Blu-Ray player. I don't know if that's in the future, but would like the projector to be HDTV, just in case.

What can you guys tell me about what to look for? Any suggestions on brand/models? Will the room work fine if we shut off that window? Is it dark enough? Anything is appreciated.

Again, sorry if this is the wrong forum or if it's been killed to death. Thank you!
One thing to consider is whether hot temperatures will affect your screen. If your window has a radiator under it and has a southern exposure, you have two situations that can be issues. Running hot will bother some screens more than others. You would have to check with the screen manufacturer for the screens you are considering and ask. For instance, Da-Lite recommended I place a thermometer on the back of a High Power screen if I place the screen near a radiator and to make sure the temperature did not go over 80F. Vutec was cautious about their Silverstar as well.