I am considering setting up a, hopefully, inexpensive home theater in my garage. Nothing fancy, just a pull-down screen, projector mounted from the rafters, and a simple "home theater in a box" sound system. The garage system would be used infrequently and informally. I'm just looking for the ability to entertain 20-25 friends at the same time, all of whom would be bringing along their own folding chairs to sit and watch the movie from.

The good news is the interior of my garage is rather attractive so it actually makes a very nice place to entertain. The bad news is, since this would only be used a couple of times per year, I can't justify spending large sums of money. Basically, I'm thinking of equipment that would get the job done in a decent manner without breaking the bank.

The most critical part of this garage home theater would be the projector. So, I am looking for suggestions and ideas on which under $3,000 projector would get the job done for the least cost. For my purposes, I doesn't even need to do 1080p. Frankly, 720p would be enough I think. I would be planning to project against a 120" screen (or thereabouts). The garage gets pretty much pitch dark, even in the middle of the day, so the projector's light output wouldn't need to be among the highest.

I've got zero experience with front projection. So, frankly, I don't know where to start. I'm looking for a few model suggestions so I can research from there. I'm hoping a few folks here can make those basic suggestions to get me started.

Thanks in advance!

Mark

Panasonic AX200u

Gives you a lot of lumens and great flexibility for setup

Thank you! That does look like a great projector, particularly with regard to the setup flexibility.

Anyone have any other suggestions?

Mark

I have the new Optoma HD20 which is a 1080p projector and retails for $999. It's a great projector.

I have the new Optoma HD20 which is a 1080p projector and retails for $999. It's a great projector.

Yeah but for $2,700 the Epson 6500UB is an incredible projector. Very, very bright, unbeatable black levels and with lens tilt and shift you can put it almost anywhere. Very quiet on low lamp mode too. If I had $3,000 for a pj, it's what I would have bought.

The just about to be released ( end of this month ) 1080p Epson 8100 would fit the bill for half your budget and offer as much flexibility as the AX200 as far as brightness and placement. The new 1080p Mits HC3800 could be a good choice too for about the same price as the Epson. Less flexible as far as positioning but still bright and good initial reviews.

Jonathan

A couple times per year? I guarantee that you will use it more than that. You should decide on LCD or DLP first. Do you plan to ceiling mount it, or use a low table?

Optoma HD65 and Draper High Contrast Grey screen.

I have a 70" LCoS set in the living room so, yes, even with a 120" screen in the garage, I'd only use it when entertaining a large group of friends. It would be too hot out there in the summer and there would be a month or two where it would be a bit too cold too. So, in the 6-7 months remaining, I doubt I would use it more than 3-4 times per year. The rest of the time, the cars are parked in there anyway. I take really good care of my cars so they are rarely in the driveway instead of the garage.

The more I think about it, this is probably the arrangement I would go with:

1) Permanently mount a pull-down screen. There would never be a need to use it anywhere else.
2) Probably put the projector atop a tall tripod or use some sort of removable platform that hangs over the ceiling rafters (half the garage ceiling is open) and suspends the projector high enough to clear everyone's head (when they are seated).
3) Get a "Home Theater in a Box" system with Blu-ray player.
4) Bring the Velodyne subwoofer out of the house and into the garage for some added kick (no big deal to move it out there 3-4 times per year).

Oh.... BTW... here is the canvas for this project:

http://www.thephotobooth.net/photos/237799033_3QA8f-L.jpg

Mark

That looks like a magazine photo! Wow!

I love the floor. Is that some sort of tile? If I were you, I would just use a table for projector. And with the temperature swings, I would not leave projector in garage when not in use.

The flooring is a product called RaceDeck. It's plastic tiles specifically designed for garages. My flooring is actually Motofloor from Costco but the product is made for Costco by RaceDeck. It's 99% similar to regular RaceDeck and a lot less expensive.

I wouldn't plan to leave the projector in the garage.

Mark