I attached a picture I made in paint today at work to help show what my 3 options are for now.

I will just let the drawing speak for itself, but know that I would angle the PJ towards the screen if it's in the blue position.


I know this is a pretty aweful room to put a PJ but it is only temporary until I get the basement ready (a couple months)...then I will have a very good room to work with (up to a 20' throw with much better mounting and no ambient light).


Questions:
Will keystone adjustments be enough to use the screen in the "blue position" or will I need Lens Shift?

Also, does using the keystone adjustments reduce picture quality?

Should I just give up on the "blue position" and settle for the red one?

You need lens shift to get to the blue screen.

Do you already have a projector, if not get one with lens shift, I have my projector setup like you want for the blue screen.....

^ What lewke said. You want to look for an LCD projector as most DLP's in this price range do not have lens shift.

yeah, I was looking at either the Optima HD65 or Sanyo PLV-Z60 depending on whether or not I need the 2.0:1 Zoom and Lens Shift.

Anybody know how long the LCD screen with last in a PLV-Z60 before it starts to degrade and turn yellow? That's really my only concern with getting an LCD.

With a 20 foot throw later on, I'd look at the Epson HC 720

With a 20 foot throw later on, I'd look at the Epson HC 720

oops...I didn't mean the throw would be 20', but rather any length up to 20'. I just fixed it in my OP.

Your image shows CONSIDERABLE horizontal lens shift. A few PJs might be able to give that much shift but at the extreme edges of lens shift, images start to show artifact.

I doubt keystone will fix that much shift.

Why can't you mount the PJ above your head above the left sofa in order to shoot directly at the blue screen?

Your image shows CONSIDERABLE horizontal lens shift. A few PJs might be able to give that much shift but at the extreme edges of lens shift, images start to show artifact.

I doubt keystone will fix that much shift.

Why can't you mount the PJ above your head above the left sofa in order to shoot directly at the blue screen?

I'm renting and my landlord didn't want holes in the ceiling...though the basement is another story.

After talking to my roommate we are probably going to put the screen in the "Red Position" and leave the PJ on the coffee table between the two couches (or a very similar placement with a bookshelf).

So...New Question:

Do you think I should I still go with the Sanyo PLV-Z60 or get the Optima HD65 (or something else) for that set-up? (Will the HD65 work sitting on a coffee table...I've read that it should be placed higher than the top of the screen.)

Also, how does the BenQ W500 compare to the Sanyo PLV-Z60? I can't seem to find any reviews comparing the two.

The HD65 will work either above or below the screen ( you mount it upside down for ceiling mounting ). Keep in mind that at your maximum 8.6' throw distance the largest image you'll be able to get it 76". If your measurement is from screen to back wall, subtract at least 1.5' of space for the projector body. So, your maximum image size will be about 60".

The Sanyo, and the other popular long zoom LCDs like the AX200, and HC720, will give you about an 85" image at 8.6', and about 70" at 7.2'. So will the much more limited zoom (1.2x) BenQ W500. Keep in mind that the Sanyo is not that bright, so isn't a good candidate for rooms with ambient light.

Personally, I'd go with either the Epson HC720 or Panasonic AX200 for your application. Plenty of brightness for your initial setup, and plenty of flexibility for your next room. The Epson uses a lower wattage lamp and is a bit louder, which I feel helps contribute to polarizer longevity.

Good Luck,

Jonathan

yeah, I was thinking the same thing with the placement stuff you had said, but I just needed to hear it from somebody else.

As for the other PJs, I would love to get the HC720 (or possibly the AX200), but they are both out of my budget (at max $800).

I will do some re-measuring (with the projector dimensions included...before I was just estimating how long the PJ is) and then decide which to get. I'm still leaning towards the HD65 for it's lumens and because it's DLP (Screen Door posibilities of sitting 6-7' from a 80" screen). I already knew that the screen would only be 60-80" with the HD65 and it really doesn't bother me since it's just a temporary placement.

I think you should ignore your upstairs room for now. Concentrate on your permanent basement setting. It may be that the optimum projector for your basement at your price point is different from that which is optimum for your narrow upstairs room.