My only option for my HT is in my living room. I currently have a 42" Aquos that is a great TV but I have been chomping at the bit to go larger for some time now. I was originally planning on a 61" Samsung LED as the price keeps getting more and more appealing. But, if I could go to 80" or so for the same money, then why not?

I have attached 2 pics. The one showing my entertainment center was taken from behind my couch (which would be about 14 to 15 feet of throw for a potential projector). The other just shows my seating.

The projector itself would not be a permanent part of the room on a day to day basis. I was thinking of getting a sofa table or something to go behind the couch and when we decided to fire up the projector, I would just run a HDMI cable across the floor and fire it up.

An 80" screen would be about as wide as the entertainment center. There is some room to go a little bigger as well.

The windows in the room face North so I don't have to worry about direct sunlight beaming in at any time of the day. The blinds do a pretty good job and the wife has been wanting to put up some curtains as well which should further help light control. We wouldn't have to much daytime projector viewing except for some football, etc.

Any thoughts on projectors?
I could have about 14 to 15 feet for a throw distance from behind the couch or about 11 feet from a coffee table in front of the couch. My budget would probably top out at $1500 for screen and projector.

Would this type of setup get the job done?

Your idea of stepping up from watching television to Theater in the Home is a good one - as you have already figured out - a larger tv is still just a tv and NO tv on the market today can deliver HT.

You may have to get creative to implement your desire.

First, I don't think anyone can enjoy with a projector in front of viewers on a low table.

If you don't want a ceiling or more permanent mount then I would suggest a free standing AV cart with casters with a top shelp that puts the PJ at least 60 inches off the floor which gets the PJ heat and noise away from the heads of viewers.

Unless you must have that open view from your dining table have you thought about a free standing shelf unit for behind the sofa? A sofa sized shelf unit can have decorative things on the "see through" shelves with a projector on top - I've seen units like this and they can be attractive and decorous.

Anyhow, projector placement easiest part of your challenge. Screen placement more difficult cause a pull down screen must be stabilized or it will move around with room air currents and not be satisfactory.

Do you actually use the fireplace?

Here is what we did in our living room area which is also open to a dining area behind it similar to your home.

We have a 56in HD TV sitting on a shelved stand that hold components like your setup along the far wall with sofa facing the TV. We could not find a way to hang and secure a pull down screen for projection.

So, since we couldn't go the long way we chose to go the width of our room and we put the projector on our fireplace mantle projecting across to the other side which was a large window. My bride decided it was okay for me to mount a fixed Da-lite wall screen - 72inX96in and we slightly re-arranged living room furniture so that the tv could be comfortably seen and the PJ screen could be seen. (I could have used a motorized or pull down screen just as easily but the deal on the fixed screen - $50 at a closeout store - was too good to pass on and now that we are used to the big gray square on our wall we don't mind it a bit - after all, it just looks like a GIANT tv screen with not in use).

Our throw distance lens-to-screen is under 12 feet and we get a near 120 inch diagonal which, to us, gives us the larger than live Theater in the Home visual experience we wanted.

Only other alternative for you that I can think of is re-lo your tv components and go with a flat screen tv on the wall so you can pull down a Theater screen when needed.
goodluck - find a way to do Theater with a projector - neither you nor your bride will regret it!!!

I concur with the fireplace.

If air blowing in the area around the screen isnt an issue, you can get a pull-down/drop-down screen to drop infront of the tv and then ceiling mount the projector.

Id recommend a projector with Zoom and Lens shift (because it makes placing the projector OH SO MUCH easier). That does limit you to only LCD projectors (I know thats an issue for some people, as many prefer the picture of a DLP over the LCD).

Ive actually got the exact same budget for my theatre. Im going with a 100" (95" Viewable) Focupix HDVio and a Panasonic AX200u (or Epson HC720 if my step dad can find a way to get a deal....he works for Epson).

That puts me at $1,300....It would probably work well for you as well.

I concur with the fireplace.

If air blowing in the area around the screen isnt an issue, you can get a pull-down/drop-down screen to drop infront of the tv and then ceiling mount the projector.

Id recommend a projector with Zoom and Lens shift (because it makes placing the projector OH SO MUCH easier). That does limit you to only LCD projectors (I know thats an issue for some people, as many prefer the picture of a DLP over the LCD).

Ive actually got the exact same budget for my theatre. Im going with a 100" (95" Viewable) Focupix HDVio and a Panasonic AX200u (or Epson HC720 if my step dad can find a way to get a deal....he works for Epson).

That puts me at $1,300....It would probably work well for you as well.
I have the exact same setup your looking to get. I got the Ax200u from J7R music world for $999.99 and a 120" Focupix electric screen for $280. I pick my screen up in person as i don't live far from Htdepot's location. I can post pictures if you interested in seeing what the setup looks like.

Jabney, feel free to post your pics in this thread. I have actually been reading up some on the Ax200 and would like to see your setup.

Thanks to everyone so far for your responses.

The fireplace does get a little bit of use a couple times a year. The wife likes it. I could care less but then again what does that matter. :)

But the mantle itself isn't deep enough to hold a projector. I would have to add some kind of shelf to make it work and I don't think that would be the most eye appealing.

I have been considering just mounting a screen on the wall behind my tv and leaving it there. On the one or two days/week that I get to game or we watch a movie, we could just take the tv off the stand (its just a 42" LCD...so not that heavy). Or, maybe just move the tv to another room permanently. Decisions, decisions.

Opposite the fireplace is a bank of 3 windows that pretty much takes up the entire 16 foot wall. I'm not sure if the wife would want to cover up those windows with a screen.

My only option for my HT is in my living room. I currently have a 42" Aquos that is a great TV but I have been chomping at the bit to go larger for some time now. I was originally planning on a 61" Samsung LED as the price keeps getting more and more appealing. But, if I could go to 80" or so for the same money, then why not?

I have attached 2 pics. The one showing my entertainment center was taken from behind my couch (which would be about 14 to 15 feet of throw for a potential projector). The other just shows my seating.

The projector itself would not be a permanent part of the room on a day to day basis. I was thinking of getting a sofa table or something to go behind the couch and when we decided to fire up the projector, I would just run a HDMI cable across the floor and fire it up.

An 80" screen would be about as wide as the entertainment center. There is some room to go a little bigger as well.

The windows in the room face North so I don't have to worry about direct sunlight beaming in at any time of the day. The blinds do a pretty good job and the wife has been wanting to put up some curtains as well which should further help light control. We wouldn't have to much daytime projector viewing except for some football, etc.

Any thoughts on projectors?
I could have about 14 to 15 feet for a throw distance from behind the couch or about 11 feet from a coffee table in front of the couch. My budget would probably top out at $1500 for screen and projector.

Would this type of setup get the job done?

Living room setups will require a bright projector. The AX200 you mentioned
is fairly bright. If you're thinking about using the projector in a portable situation, the Optoma HD65 has tons of lumens for daytime football, a nice sharp picture, and only weighs 4.4 lbs! You could probably wrap up this projector and a good electric screen for ~1200.00 from one of the forum sponsors or AVS if they carry it.. I would also consider a high gain screen to increase the brightness and pop since you're considering using this in a shelf-mount type scenario.

The down side of a HD65 is the lack of lens shift and zoom....It has severely limited placement.

If thats not an issue, go for it. Ive been watching an HD70 (the older model) for years. Its pretty nice.

I think the wife might be on board for mounting the screen on the wall behind the tv and just moving the tv when we want to use the projector.

I have done most of my research so far on the Ax200. Any others projectors I should seriously look at in its price range? Lens shift and zoom would probably be features I should have.

How about a screen? I have always wanted a Carada screen but I'm just not sure 500 or 600 bucks is in the budget right now. Any other aesthetically pleasing screens a little bit cheaper?

If you are looking at the ax200 id also look at the epson home cinema 720...its a little more expensive, but very similar features and a little sharper image.

also for screens, focupix and elite seem to be good low cost brands.

So for under $700 after rebate and a free replacement lamp, could I really go wrong with the HC1600? It doesn't have lens shift but not sure I really need it if I can place it perfectly centered on the screen?

The only problem I see, provided I'm reading it right, is screen size. My throw would be about 15' so the smallest screen size I could go is 104"...am I reading that right?

I don't like the HC1600 due to the slow color wheel speed which could lead to rainbows. I got headaches watching the hd1000u which had a faster color wheel than the hc1600 so I can only imagine what the HC1600 would do. If you're not sensitive to rainbows or get headaches from DLP, then the hc1600 may be a good choice. Although I'm not sure why you suddenly switched from needing lens shift to not needing it. :rolleyes:

I don't really need lens shift. It just might give me some additional options as far as setup is concerned.

Jabney, feel free to post your pics in this thread. I have actually been reading up some on the Ax200 and would like to see your setup.

Thanks to everyone so far for your responses.

The fireplace does get a little bit of use a couple times a year. The wife likes it. I could care less but then again what does that matter. :)

But the mantle itself isn't deep enough to hold a projector. I would have to add some kind of shelf to make it work and I don't think that would be the most eye appealing.

I have been considering just mounting a screen on the wall behind my tv and leaving it there. On the one or two days/week that I get to game or we watch a movie, we could just take the tv off the stand (its just a 42" LCD...so not that heavy). Or, maybe just move the tv to another room permanently. Decisions, decisions.

Opposite the fireplace is a bank of 3 windows that pretty much takes up the entire 16 foot wall. I'm not sure if the wife would want to cover up those windows with a screen.

My setup is as follows
Zenith Z50PX2D 50" Plasma (http://reviews.cnet.com/flat-panel-tvs/zenith-z50px2d/4505-6482_7-31556168.html)
Onkyo TX-SR603S Home Theater Receiver (http://reviews.cnet.com/av-receivers/onkyo-tx-sr603-av/4505-6466_7-31683438.html)
Sony PlayStation 3 (80GB) (http://reviews.cnet.com/consoles/sony-playstation-3-80gb/4505-10109_7-32733576.html?tag=mncol;lst)
Nintendo Wii (http://reviews.cnet.com/consoles/nintendo-wii/4505-10109_7-31355104.html?tag=mncol;lst)
Samsung DVD-HD755 Upconverting DVD Player (http://reviews.cnet.com/video-players-and-recorders/samsung-dvd-hd755-dvd/4505-6463_7-31520786.html?tag=mncol;lst)
Western Digital WD TV HD Media Player (http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10080965-1.html?tag=rtcol;relnews)
Logitech Harmony 890 with IR Extender (http://reviews.cnet.com/remote-controls/logitech-harmony-890/4505-7900_7-31630408.html?tag=mncol;lst)
Directv H20 HDTV Satellite Receiver (http://reviews.cnet.com/tv-hdtv-tuners-receivers/directv-h20-hdtv-satellite/4505-6487_7-31891626.html?tag=mncol;lst)

Infinity PS-10 powered subwoofer (http://reviews.cnet.com/subwoofers/infinity-ps-10-powered/4505-11312_7-30578245.html?tag=mncol;lst)
Polk Audio CS1 Black Center Channel Speaker (http://reviews.cnet.com/separate-speakers/polk-audio-cs1-black/4505-7869_7-31127796.html?tag=mncol;lst)
Focupix Flexio 16:9 Electric Projector Screen w/ Dual Remote - 125" - Enamel Black (http://www.htdepot.com/Focupix_Flexio_16_9_Electric_Motorized_Screen_125_p/fxo169a-120-bk.htm)
Panasonic PT AX200U - LCD projector (http://reviews.cnet.com/home-theater-projectors/panasonic-pt-ax200u-lcd/4505-7858_7-32720107.html?tag=mncol;lst)
My front and Rear speakers are left overs from a Sony HTIB that i use in my family room with in wall speakers.

I'm considering getting some recliners (http://www.rtheaters.com/powerbuy/images/Berkline%2013175.jpg) to put on this wall but only two will fit which is fine for me and the Wife.http://www.rtheaters.com/powerbuy/images/Berkline%2013175.jpg http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3208/3102739556_45d4dd8e1d.jpg?v=0

Pics of the screen (the location is good for now but only held up with 2 ceiling anchor)
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3051/3101906057_ffd1cefc34.jpg?v=0

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3012/3101906597_caf618358e.jpg?v=0

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3214/3102742550_fcb3a15b36.jpg?v=0

Screen Shot (looks one hundred times better in person)
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3264/3102743596_7766705ded.jpg?v=0
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3151/3101909241_1860e0e197.jpg?v=0

Thanks for posting your setup Jabney. How are you liking the Ax200?

Well, now that work has slowed down and I have had a little time to give this some serious thought, I think I have narrowed this down to 3 projectors to make my decision from: Panasonic AX200U, Epson Home Cinema 720, and Sanyo PLV-1080HD. Would the 1080 be worth the extra money? Or should I save some money and get an extra bulb with the Epson? Or should I just spend the least amount of money and leave more money for upgrading something else?

Any thoughts would certainly be appreciated.

I have the exact same setup your looking to get. I got the Ax200u from J7R music world for $999.99 and a 120" Focupix electric screen for $280. I pick my screen up in person as i don't live far from Htdepot's location. I can post pictures if you interested in seeing what the setup looks like.

Great pics! Thansk for the posting them

thanks! http://z09a0222gshv273.imageshacknow.info/img/3064************************

Well, now that work has slowed down and I have had a little time to give this some serious thought, I think I have narrowed this down to 3 projectors to make my decision from: Panasonic AX200U, Epson Home Cinema 720, and Sanyo PLV-1080HD. Would the 1080 be worth the extra money? Or should I save some money and get an extra bulb with the Epson? Or should I just spend the least amount of money and leave more money for upgrading something else?
PLV-1080HD is 1080p, better for watching Blu-Ray movies, but weaker in brightness than the Panasonic and the Epson. Panasonic has the smoothscreen technology which softens the image, not good if you prefer razor sharp image. Epson is very good but the most noisy of the three I think.

If you can't or dont want to mount the screen on the wall, there's an other solution, the pull-up screen. (http://www.antonline.com/p_F100NWH-NX_219913.htm)

Thanks for the feedback Gerald. The only reason I have even thrown the 1080 into the selection is because it is on sale and I could pick it up locally. Its still a little more than I want to spend but if its worth it I could find the extra cash.

I can't remove all light from the living room but I can do a pretty good job controlling it during the day. I have 2" blinds and could even close the drapes if needed and the sun doesn't shine directly into any windows. Or I could just use it at night.

Decisions, decisions.

Thanks for the link to the pull-up screen. I might keep that in mind. The projector will only be out when we want to use it so I might try to come up with some solution to do the same with the screen.