I just bought a home with a theatre room and I am in need of equipment. I don't know anything about projectors, I have read many threads, but I'd like to get some input from folks. What should I consider when shopping for a PJ? Whether feature-wise from the unit, or conditions from the room.

The room is about 27'x17' with an 8' Elite screen (could have been bigger IMO) and the PJ ceiling mount is about 13'4" from the screen. There are windows behind the PJ, but the black blinds can be pulled down if need be to control lighting. We will be using this room for movies, TV viewing, and a Wii console.

Also, I just moved to the Minneapolis area, anyone know of a retailer where I can see various PJs on display? The only one I found so far is Ultimate Electronics where they had a Sony, Epson, and Sanyo hooked up (can't remember the models though).

Thanks for any feedback.

You have a great room. Don't get stuck on the 8' screen. You would be better going cheaper on the pj and getting a screen size more appropriate for your room/expected seating distance.

Another thought - my room is similar size and we have a seating area 15' back and then exercise equipment behind the seating area so we can use thepj when exercising. that is the bulk of our use, as it turns out.

What kind of budget are you looking at? Most places don't have pjs set up for you to demo them all for the simple fact that bulbs can get expensive.

When you say you have an 8' screen, I assume that it is 8' wide. If that is the case and the screen is in 16/9 format then you have a 110" screen. Not a bad size, but with that size room I would go with 120". Nobody can really help you with out knowing your budget. Also let us know if the budget is for projector alone, projector, screen and cables or if you are starting from scratch and need everything.

Good points and sorry for the omission.

Long story short, the whole room was completed when the home was being built and the audio/video guy did not get paid, so he took some of the equipment back. All cables are still there, same with the screen, along with in-ceiling 7.1 surround. The cable by the PJ mount looks like a computer type connector (DVI?). I will take more accurate measurements of the screen, but looking at the Elite website it looks like either a 100” or 106” screen.

I don’t really know much about projectors, but I thought that if I set my budget at around $3K for the PJ, I should be able to get something very good. If there is a drastic difference by stretching my budget, I am not opposed to it, but would prefer to stay within since I also need seating and other components. BTW, seating distance can be anything at this point.

Personally I would not sweat the screen size........but your budget is large enough you could purchase a larger one if needed.

Again with that size screen just move you seating rows a little closer for that movie theater impact. With the closer seating, I would recommend a 1080P projector will ensure you will not see the screen door effect.

Now while you are at it you might as well buy a projector that has a high lumen output for down the road adjustments. Like larger screen, or if you need a gray screen to fight ambient light, the extra lumens ensure you can do these types of adjustments.

Personally I would take down the screen .......paint the wall white and for a few weeks watch movies and play around with the screen size on the wall......your picture will still be a knock out, and you will get an idea of what size best fits your room and your lifestyle. Play around and adjust your seating distance and screen size to you find the right combo for YOU. JMO

Projectors....... I like the Epson 6100 or the 6500 .......the 6100 leaves plenty of budget for a larger screen ect.... I am a DLP fan and the new Optoma HD806 has 2000 lumens for a large screen 130 and up but the 2x color wheel scares me a little.......I don't see rainbows but my dlp projector has a 4,5 or 6x adjustable color wheel. The faster the wheel the less rainbow problem.

Hope this helps a little, and good luck sounds like a great HT in the making.:)

So, I measured the screen and it turns out to be 106" and it is white.

Attached are a couple of pics to show the room. As mentioned before, the windows have black shades to eliminate outside light. Seating can be set anywhere at this point, and I was thinking of building a small platform for a second row (3 upfront, 2 rear).

Now, after reading some of the threads, it seems that the Panny AE3000 and the Epson 6500UB are both very good machines at virtually the same price. For a lower price point, but with members very satisfied with their purchase, the Epson 6100. I also read a few things about the Mitsu 5500, and it seems to be a good PJ. I am sure there are differences between all of these, but since I will not have them side by side in my room to know what I am missing PQ-wise, are there features to look for that would be a "must have"?

Those windows are shining directly on that screen. You are definately going to need some heavy window treatments so you can get an acceptable picture on the screen.

Those windows are shining directly on that screen. You are definately going to need some heavy window treatments so you can get an acceptable picture on the screen.

They are in place already, see attached picture. To be honest, I do not know why they put the HT in that room (windows facing south). I am thinking of relocating it to a different part of the house where there are no windows. if so, it will also be smaller, roughly 14'x14' which is fine with me. That way I can open the wall between the current HT room and the billiards room to have a mega rec room. It all depends on $$ though. :D

I would get the Epson 6500 UB and live with the existing screen for a while. The next thing I would get would be a good subwoofer. After that I would look at upgrading the speakers. After that was all done then I would get a larger screen if I wanted one. I just do not see spending money on a new screen when you have a decent sized screen already in place.

Vary nice room.............I did not see your blinds at first........the only change I would make is paint the bulk heads the wall color, to help cut down on reflection......it really helped in my room and I left the ceiling white also.

Your color is lighter than mine but it will still be better than white. The screen shot on my last picture shows the reflection off the bulk head, if this was white it would effect the contrast/picture quality a little, but it would be more distracting to the viewer if it was a bright white strip. The first photo is blinds up position at night, during the day only a couple of % light makes it threw the blinds, and that not even closing the drapes.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v108/checklst/5d49b296.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v108/checklst/PICT0032.jpg

Hope this helps.....Again nice room it's a keeper:)