Hi, I've been lurking on these forums for a few weeks now as I'm re-doing my basement into a HT (though I have young kids so the next few years it will also double as a playroom).

I couldn't seem to make any decisions on my own (too many choices perhaps) so yesterday I went into a Hi-Fi/theatre shop, spent nearly 3 hours there checking things out and getting questions answered.

The issue in my basement is that I have a basement window on the wall the screen would go, and my ceilings are 7'. I had pretty much decided I was going with a motorized screen but the cost is so much higher I'm considering just walling up the window and putting in a fixed screen (the basement is just starting to get finished). The sales guy also thought that while 92" was my max screen size I probably would not want to go larger then 80" or so if I didn't get a HD projector. Rough estimates for prices I got were $2K for a 92" fixed screen, near $4k for an ~80" motorized recessed screen. This is for a high-gain screen. I see these threads on these forums for screens < $1K, am I going to see large improvement for another $1K ? For projectors I looked at a 480p InFocus ($2k) an an HD 780p InFocus ($3k).

So at this point I'm questioning if I want an HD projector or not. We don't watch HDTV, I subscribe to basic basic cable and don't anticipate subscribing to HD cable in the near future at all. This would be mostly for watching movies. I don't have HDDVD or Blu-Ray and am not planning on getting a player until I see what happens with the format war. So, is it worth it for me to get a HD Projector? If it's not really worth it based on what I watch now then I'd rather just wait and upgrade to a new projector in the future when I go HDDVD or Blu-Ray. On the other hand I don't want to upgrade my screen in the future - I'd like something that will last and be usable with some future projector, in which case I'd prefer the largest screen for my room which is 92" as I think my ceiling height is the limiting factor....room is like 12'x24' with viewing distances 12'-18'.

I was planning on doing this myself but am now considering just getting a packaged deal from the HT store. They'd come in and install everything and I'd get 10% discount. Would shopping around on the internet really save big $ or would I just end up spending hours to save a small % ? It would be nice to not deal with the hassle and time-sink but if I'm paying a huge premium I'd reconsider. I bought the HT book from these forums and have educated myself but in the end it's a matter of time.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. My main concerns here are retaining flexibility for future upgrading. These forums are a great resource, thanks in advance !

-matt

Welcome.

Shopping online will save you quite a bit of money. Also, building your own screen would save you a ton as well. You can get great HD projectors for under a thousand, too.

Good luck!

Do yourself a great service ... purchase a HD70 or Mitsubishi 1000 for under $1000 ... with the saved money, upgrade to HD cable ... build/paint your own screen for under $100

Go with an 80 inch or so screen and enjoy ... it will be a huge step above what you have now and this terrible hobby will soon consume you :)

I see these threads on these forums for screens < $1K, am I going to see large improvement for another $1K ? For projectors I looked at a 480p InFocus ($2k) an an HD 780p InFocus ($3k).


A 480p Infocus runs about $500 or so and can easily do over 92" if you can sit around 2x the width of the screen. I've run mine at 10.5' x 5.9' with an HTPC using FFDShow for sharpening. A 780p Infocus doesn't exist and if it did $3,000 would be laughable since you can get a 720p DLP for $899 or less (HD1000U) at ProjectorPeople. The next step up from the HD1000U would be the HC3000U which is under $1,500. It's not as bright, but has higher contrast and better blacks in dark scenes. The next step up after that would be a $2,000 Optoma HD73 DarkChip 3 DLP.

Fixed screen for $2,000? :confused: :eek: Wow. Also laughable. You can buld one easily for about $50 or buy one for a small fraction of $2,000 and it could easily be bigger.

You can even get a much bigger motorized screen for $500 or less. It sounds like some sales people are trying to turn you into a sucker. Don't fall for it.

BTW, provided you can sit about 2x the width of the screen away it sounds like an Infocus IN72 or 4805 might be better for you right now. Neither of these two need a high gain screen for dark viewing. Infact, plenty of people use ND filters to cut out 50% of its light. IMO, it would look better witih a light grey negative gain screen then a high gain screen. I have seen it on both and the black level doesn't need to be raised any higher with a high gain screen. If you're table mounting a GreyWolf II screen would be a decent choice if you plan on doing any kind of ambient light viewing at all (which I recommend shaded light only).

80" is super small for front projection. You'll most likely want to push it to 92", at least, if you can.

If I were you though I'd get the Mitsubishi HD1000U 720p DLP for $899 from Projector People and go ahead and get an X-Box 360 with an HD-DVD drive. The HD-DVD drives are under $200. I can't see a reason to wait for the war to end. That could be years away; years you could be enjoying the incredibl HD picture now. If HD-DVD were still expensive I wouldn't suggest this, but it is and it'd be a shame to miss out on its stunning quality.

I'm personally beginning to believe what I thought from the start, that HD-DVD would ultimately win the war. PS3's are apparently just sitting on shelves now and at many stores you can just walk in an buy one, but most people are not buying PS3's; they are buying Wii's and 360's. It appears that forcing Blu-Ray on everyone is backfiring on Sony. Not to mention that about 80-90% of the buyers will not be using the system for watching Blu-Ray movies. Unless something changes in the Blu-Ray camp I can't see how they could possibly win.

Can you say Betamax II? Though they may combine both formats and both could survive.

The cheapest sub $1k 720p projector right now is the Mits HD1000U--and it's a superb value! As for screens, you might also check out a manual Grey Wolf II. They have a 1.8 gain and cost around $299 for a 106 inch model. I have the GW I and find it an excellent screen.

Brian

With 7' ceilings its possible the offset of the DLP projectors will be an issue, though.

Note that you'll want to table mount if you are going to use a retroreflective screen like the greywolf II.

[QUOTE=Master_Kato]The sales guy also thought that while 92" was my max screen size I probably would not want to go larger then 80" or so if I didn't get a HD projector. Rough estimates for prices I got were $2K for a 92" fixed screen, near $4k for an ~80" motorized recessed screen. This is for a high-gain screen. I see these threads on these forums for screens < $1K, am I going to see large improvement for another $1K ? For projectors I looked at a 480p InFocus ($2k) an an HD 780p InFocus ($3k).


This makes me sick. Go to a different HT store if you still wish to have a professional installation.

Lurk around the forums more before you make any decisions.

Note that you'll want to table mount if you are going to use a retroreflective screen like the greywolf II.

Thanks for the "catch!" I'd forgotten that. The GW does require a table mount; ceiling mounting will significantly degrade its performance.

MTyson and everyone, thanks for all the responses. And MTyson, good points about HD. If I can save enough money I think I will go HDDVD....I wonder can I get HDDVD's from Netflix yet? I was planning on getting an Xbox anyway, partly for it's media extender capability. Now the question does the media extender in Xbox 360 support HD if I upgrade the TV tuners in my Media Center PC to HD? Anyone know? Probably wireless streaming would be out of the question then unless I wanted to clog my network.

This will definitely be ceiling mounted and after reading more about the HD1000U I think I will go that route.

I think the differences of cost is that this HT specializes in higher end equipment. Their projectors start at $1K. As an example the sales guy recommended staying away from the Xbox 360 HDDVD drive. Yes he wanted to sell me an HDDVD Drive for $600 but I don't think it's just a sales issue. What it comes down to is many of the Hi-Fi sales folks do believe in what they are selling. We've all encountered this, it's the difference between an audiophile who will spend thousands on a line conditioner and everyone else who either can't tell the difference or don't think the difference is worth the extra order of magnitude in price.

I figure if I push the screen size I can get 46"x82" which is about a 94" diagonal. This will place the screen bottom about 34"-36" of the floor.

Is it the same with screens? If I did a side by side comparison how much better is a $1500 screen vs. a DIY screen? Is it a difference then only the most discriminating will notice, or is it a noticeable difference? I'd probably get a different answer if I go post on the $30,000K+ forum wouldn't I?

The more money I can save on the projector and screen the more I'd be willing to spend on the sound system.


I'm still having heartburn over blocking this window but I'm not keen on the motorized screen either....it's not just the added expense it's also that it's likely to wear out faster, break, etc.

Again, thanks for the info!

Hi, I've been lurking on these forums for a few weeks now as I'm re-doing my basement into a HT (though I have young kids so the next few years it will also double as a playroom).

I couldn't seem to make any decisions on my own (too many choices perhaps) so yesterday I went into a Hi-Fi/theatre shop, spent nearly 3 hours there checking things out and getting questions answered.

The issue in my basement is that I have a basement window on the wall the screen would go, and my ceilings are 7'. I had pretty much decided I was going with a motorized screen but the cost is so much higher I'm considering just walling up the window and putting in a fixed screen (the basement is just starting to get finished). The sales guy also thought that while 92" was my max screen size I probably would not want to go larger then 80" or so if I didn't get a HD projector. Rough estimates for prices I got were $2K for a 92" fixed screen, near $4k for an ~80" motorized recessed screen. This is for a high-gain screen. I see these threads on these forums for screens < $1K, am I going to see large improvement for another $1K ? For projectors I looked at a 480p InFocus ($2k) an an HD 780p InFocus ($3k).

So at this point I'm questioning if I want an HD projector or not. We don't watch HDTV, I subscribe to basic basic cable and don't anticipate subscribing to HD cable in the near future at all. This would be mostly for watching movies. I don't have HDDVD or Blu-Ray and am not planning on getting a player until I see what happens with the format war. So, is it worth it for me to get a HD Projector? If it's not really worth it based on what I watch now then I'd rather just wait and upgrade to a new projector in the future when I go HDDVD or Blu-Ray. On the other hand I don't want to upgrade my screen in the future - I'd like something that will last and be usable with some future projector, in which case I'd prefer the largest screen for my room which is 92" as I think my ceiling height is the limiting factor....room is like 12'x24' with viewing distances 12'-18'.

I was planning on doing this myself but am now considering just getting a packaged deal from the HT store. They'd come in and install everything and I'd get 10% discount. Would shopping around on the internet really save big $ or would I just end up spending hours to save a small % ? It would be nice to not deal with the hassle and time-sink but if I'm paying a huge premium I'd reconsider. I bought the HT book from these forums and have educated myself but in the end it's a matter of time.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. My main concerns here are retaining flexibility for future upgrading. These forums are a great resource, thanks in advance !

-matt


I'm in a similar boat as you in that I've just recently finished a basement that will be a HT/family/workout room (let's just call it multipurpose...). By the sounds of your story, I can't help but think that the HT shop that you were at recognized your confusion and is trying to take advantage. Here are a few point-by-point thoughts:

-- $2K for a 92" fixed frame screen -- I take it that he is trying to sell you a Stewart screen (at least I hope so because that's one of the only screens that retails for that much). What I plan on doing is ordering screen material (Da-Lite Cinema Vision with 1.3 gain) and building my own frame. This will cost around $500 after everything is included (screen material, matting and wood). If you are handy enough to finish your basement, you are handy enough to build a frame and save around $2K after taxes. Although the Da-Lite is no Stewart, by all accounts, most people will tell you that it is a VERY good screen that will meet your needs for a lifetime.

-- Screen option # 2 -- MANY companies sell less expensive screens including pull-downs. Take a look at some of the on-line vendors and see for yourself. There really is no need to get locked into a Stewart screen when you are first starting out. NOTE -- I think the first option of building your own if a far better option than this one.

-- $2K for a 480p or $3K for a 720p projector eh. Why not spend a little over $1K and get yourself the Sanyo Z4 or Z5 720p LCD projector? With your low ceiling it would be difficult to install a DLP projector like the Mits 1000 or Optoma HD70. The Sanyo (or other LCD like Panny or Epson...although they are a little more expensive) will give you great flexibility and a great picture at a MUCH lower price-point than the Infocus that your dealer is pushing. My advice here would be to purchase an LCD and take the money you saved and either blow it on your kids or get yourself an ISF calibration to get the most out of your viewing experience.

-- 92" is the largest screen size you can have but you should opt for 80" (HA!). Although your ceiling height is a limiting factor, it's not quite that bad. If you get a PJ with lens shifting capabilities (like the LCD's from Sanyo, Panny, Epson etc), you could go as big as 100" if you wanted to. By no means should you go with an 80" screen!!! Why would you get a PJ and artificially limit yourself to 80"? Trust me, the image quality will still be good when you're viewing a 100" image...especially in HD. I would not dream of going below 92".

FYI -- I plan on purchasing a 720p projector and building my own screen for my basement HT and I figure the total cost will be approximately $2K total ... oh yeah... that's in Canadian dollars! $4-$5K U.S. is going WAY overboard IMO...even with their 10% discount!

As for the room design and window issue, that's difficult to judge without seeing the room. If you can block the window or find an alternate place to put the PJ, that's your best bet.

As for not going with HD...well, all I can say is think about the future! Once you see HD on a large screen, I can't imagine you not getting hooked.

Good Luck!

MTyson and everyone, thanks for all the responses. And MTyson, good points about HD. If I can save enough money I think I will go HDDVD....I wonder can I get HDDVD's from Netflix yet?

Yes, they carry both HD DVD and Blu-Ray.

This will definitely be ceiling mounted and after reading more about the HD1000U I think I will go that route.



FYI -- If you go with the HD1000U and get a flush ceiling mount, the bottom of your screen will be approximately 15-16" off the floor which is lower than most want. Not sure if this is acceptable to you or not but you should be made aware.

FYI
I've got a graywolf ii.

Not very many hours on the projector (panny ax100u). Ceiling is sloped, 8 foot high max, but screen is about 7 feet high.

Projector is table mounted.

I don't see a discernible difference if I'm sitting or standing. I think I could've ceiling mounted and been OK.

I haven't done critical tests yet though.

But my main point - the graywolf II at $299 for a 106" screen is a great value.

KeithfromCanada - thanks for the advice. Just checked out the Projector calculator and see the issue you mention about the DLP. The smallest the HD1000U can go will place my screen quite low. Whhy the flush ceiling mount? Would that let me get the screen closer to the ceiling? How do I find out the min distance from image to ceiling for a projector?

Yes the screen was a Stewart. They also sell Da-Lite as well so I surmise he was just trying to sell the more expensive ones.

Actually it looks like the Optoma HD70 can go as small as an 89" diagonal so that might be a good option for the 94" I'd like to get. I'm afraid the HD1000U image is just too big for my short room. :-(

KeithfromCanada - thanks for the advice. Just checked out the Projector calculator and see the issue you mention about the DLP. The smallest the HD1000U can go will place my screen quite low. Whhy the flush ceiling mount? Would that let me get the screen closer to the ceiling? How do I find out the min distance from image to ceiling for a projector?

Yes the screen was a Stewart. They also sell Da-Lite as well so I surmise he was just trying to sell the more expensive ones.

If you go with DLP, you want to get the PJ as close to the ceiling (or floor) as possible. This will maximize the room that you have under the screen. Here is a useful calculation for determining how DLP's offset will impact your screen height. I'm using the Mits 1000 with a 33% offset and a 100" screen in this scenario:

84" ceiling height minus 5.5" mount drop (standard for a flush mount) = 78.5", minus offset of 15.68" (.33 * 49" screen height) = 62.33", minus 49" screen height = 13.33". Therefore, the bottom of the screen (not including the border) would be 13.33" off your floor if you went with the Mits 1000 and a 100" screen.

Play with these calculations until you determine what is best for your set-up. Always remember though that LCD offers lens shifting capabilities which would allow you to place the PJ virtually anywhere and project any size image you like. I personally wouldn't go with a DLP with no lens shift in a room with 7' ceilings (7.5' seems to be the cut-off)...but that's just my opinion.

Hope all this helps!

Looks like I wasn't using the calculator very well, and by adjusting the throw distance the HD1000U could fit. I don't have any restrictions as to projector placement though so I'm still a bit confused why the LCD would be better. Is the 33% offset adjustable, or is that the problem with it?

I could recess the projector mount between floor joists a bit, but not sure if that's a good idea depending on where the fan is located.

And it is a big help! Thanks

MTyson and everyone, thanks for all the responses.

No problem.

I wonder can I get HDDVD's from Netflix yet?

You sure can.



I think the differences of cost is that this HT specializes in higher end equipment. Their projectors start at $1K.

Nope. They're trying to make more money off of you. Plain and simple. No 480p projector costs or is worth near $2,000 in this day and age. The best 480p projectors on the planet are CRT projectors (which also can do higher resolutions though) and they can be had for $500-$800 easily. Not even a $100,000 digital cinema can render dark scenes close to as good either, nor can a film cinema.


As an example the sales guy recommended staying away from the Xbox 360 HDDVD drive. Yes he wanted to sell me an HDDVD Drive for $600 but I don't think it's just a sales issue.

Of course he did. Higher commission. Again, they are trying to make a bigger commission. Money talks. Plus, not many pay near $600 for HD-DVD. That's more like what people pay for stand alone Blu-Ray players. If you go to Best Buy looking for HD-DVD you'd most likel get "Blu-Rayed", meaning they will most likely push Blu-Ray down your throat while feeding you completely and utter lies about HD-DVD. It's well documented in the HD-DVD forum. There is also cases of them using hidden HD-DVD players to demonstrate Blu-Ray players. lol. Best Buy guys don't even get commission so you could image what kind of BS commission based salesmen would feed you. :D


What it comes down to is many of the Hi-Fi sales folks do believe in what they are selling.

They're just good actors looking to make a bigger commission. The people on this forum know more than most of them do. Trust them only as far as you can throw them. What they do puts food on the table and more.


Is it the same with screens? If I did a side by side comparison how much better is a $1500 screen vs. a DIY screen?

You never want to compares screens side by side at the same time. That is the worst way, because of the way human eyes and brain adapt to light. It will ALWAY adapt to the brightest white and that will alter how you percieve a lower gain screen. For instance, if I put up a 1.3 gain white material on my silver torus screen white will look dark grey on the 1.3 gain shiny white material, but by itself it will look pure white.

All screens have their positives and negatives. A high gain screen will raise the black level even if it's $10,000,000 and a $20 DIY negative gain light grey screen will lower it. It depends on what you want from a screen. If you want better blacks high gain is not the way to go.

Digital projectors have flawed black levels so some used light grey screens to improve their dark scenes. They are still very far off from CRT projectors. I own both DLP and CRT projectors.


Is it a difference then only the most discriminating will notice, or is it a noticeable difference?

The difference depends on the screen and the person. Some screens increase ambient light performance. High gain screens raise the black level and overall image brightness. Negative gain light grey screens slightly lower brightness and improve black levels. Each have their positive and negatives and it really depends on screensize, viewing environment, projector used, etc.

Actually it looks like the Optoma HD70 can go as small as an 89" diagonal so that might be a good option for the 94" I'd like to get. I'm afraid the HD1000U image is just too big for my short room. :-(

Beware that the HD70 has known color issues that may or may not bother you.

Looks like I wasn't using the calculator very well, and by adjusting the throw distance the HD1000U could fit. I don't have any restrictions as to projector placement though so I'm still a bit confused why the LCD would be better. Is the 33% offset adjustable, or is that the problem with it?

I could recess the projector mount between floor joists a bit, but not sure if that's a good idea depending on where the fan is located.

And it is a big help! Thanks

I think you're a little confused (which I completely understand...this stuff is tough to grab at first). Throw distance dictates how large an image you can get, not where the image will be on the wall. DLP projectors have a "fixed offset" meaning that the top of the image when it is projected onto a wall will not line-up with the center of the lens. In the case of the Mitsubishi, the top of the image when it gets to your screen will be 33% lower than the center of the lens...this is not adjustable. In other words, if you ceiling mount the PJ and use a 100" screen, the bottom of the image will be 13.33" off the floor...period. There is nothing you can do (offset is not adjustable on lower-cost DLP's) short of employing digital keystone correction (not recommended by most) to get the image any higher.

LCD projectors employ lens shift. This means that the ceiling mounted PJ can throw a 100" image virtually anywhere on the wall. You can literally take the image and move it up and down and side to side without altering/degrading the image. So, with the DLP listed in the above scenario, you would be stuck with having the screen 13.3" off the floor. With an LCD, you could move that image up, down, side to side as much as you like.

As for the floor joist option I leave that to you. As I indicated before, unless you can get the center of the lens to at least 7.5', I personally would not recommend going the DLP route.

First off don’t believe a thing the home theater guy told you. This thread is a great example of what going on out there in the home theater world every day. These guys are taking over where the used car salesmen left off years ago.

Secondly HD and all the new technology is great but you don’t have to employ all of that in order to enjoy a really nice home theater experience. The above advice is all great input.

In my case I have well under $1000 invested in projector and DIY screen combined and I shoe horned a 72x96 inch screen into a basement room that has a 76 inch high ceiling, and IMO the viewing experience is incredible. So don’t be afraid to go outside the lines if you want.

SD can look good big and so can the old standby 480p DVD’s

Below are a couple thumbnails that you can click on to see more and larger pictures of my budget basement setup.

SD image

http://thumb2.webshots.net/t/53/153/7/42/96/2174742960068493142xHgSYv_th.jpg (http://entertainment.webshots.com/photo/2174742960068493142xHgSYv)

4:3 DVD burned from SD

http://thumb2.webshots.net/t/52/52/8/62/68/2791862680068493142hBjJfs_th.jpg (http://entertainment.webshots.com/photo/2791862680068493142hBjJfs)

16:9 DVD

http://thumb2.webshots.net/t/36/36/3/8/31/2125308310068493142TUAWqG_th.jpg (http://entertainment.webshots.com/photo/2125308310068493142TUAWqG)

Screen with lights on

http://thumb2.webshots.net/t/36/36/4/4/38/2834404380068493142hXjHIr_th.jpg (http://entertainment.webshots.com/photo/2834404380068493142hXjHIr)

I'm finishing my basement, and will have a tray ceiling 8' high 'inside' the tray (where the PJ will mount), 7'-8" around the perimeter (including near the screen). Also, I've framed in an angled box at the top/center of the screen wall to house an inwall center channel speaker.

From what I've calculated, in order to leave a couple inches clearance between the bottom of the center speaker enclosure and the top of a framed 110" 16:9 screen, the bottom of my image would end up about 20" off the floor. Does that seem too low?

My eye height is roughly 42" off the floor when seated in a couch. A 110" 16:9 screen is 54" high -- so the center of the image (in the above scenario) is 47". In other words, the eye is between 1/3 and 1/2 way up the image, which seems sensible with no second row of seating. Just want to get your guys opinions on this. Thanks!

Your eye hight should be about 1/3rd of the way up the screen. Sounds like your screen will be in the ballpark, maybe a touch low. Not too big of a deal, though.

I'm finishing my basement, and will have a tray ceiling 8' high 'inside' the tray (where the PJ will mount), 7'-8" around the perimeter (including near the screen). Also, I've framed in an angled box at the top/center of the screen wall to house an inwall center channel speaker.

From what I've calculated, in order to leave a couple inches clearance between the bottom of the center speaker enclosure and the top of a framed 110" 16:9 screen, the bottom of my image would end up about 20" off the floor. Does that seem too low?

My eye height is roughly 42" off the floor when seated in a couch. A 110" 16:9 screen is 54" high -- so the center of the image (in the above scenario) is 47". In other words, the eye is between 1/3 and 1/2 way up the image, which seems sensible with no second row of seating. Just want to get your guys opinions on this. Thanks!

If you only have one row of seating I don’t think the 1/3 rule makes much difference. Think back to the console TV’s of years gone by no one thought anything of the tube being 6 inches off the floor.
Or better yet sit in one of the newer theaters with stadium seating in the top row. Almost the whole screen is below you.
If you look at the pictures I posted above my crazy screen is 2 inches off the floor. But when I view it in 16:9 mode I have 18 inches of vertical shift adjustment I can use. Most times I end up lowering the picture until my eyes are centered on the screen or even slightly above center when sitting upright. If I want to recline and watch I raise the picture the full 18 inches to the top. Type of seating plays more of a roll than the rule of thumb IMO.

You may want to look at the Optoma HD70 which is currently selling at costco for $999 with a 92"Grey Wolf screen that can be ceiling mounted. I installed a Studio Experience 17SF projector in my theater room 4 years ago. The room has 8' ceilings, is 14.5' wide by 17.5' long. The screen is a ceiling mounted manual da-Lite 80"x60". The screen "mount" was accomplished with two eye bolts in ceiling joists. The projector was mounted using a pipe flange, copper pipe, compression fittings and a plastic cutting board trimmed to match the projector mount pattern. The screen was $151.00 and the projector mount cost about $3.00. The nice thing about the ceiling mount, which is very close to flush, is that it can be adjusted by simply bending the pipe a bit allowing the image to be placed anywhere in the vertical plane. I believe you could install any of the DLP or LCD projectors suggested in your room and have them work fine as long as you are happy with the projector ceiling mount location with repsect to seating arrangements. Be sure to use a calculator for the chosen screen size to guarantee placement. The bulb in my projector burned out yesterday, so I am now looking for a new projector that would provide updated quality and am seriously considering the Optoma HD70 or HD72. The attraction of a better screen and projector for $999 is quite enticing!!

I'm kinda new here but wanted to give you my input. I have the HD70 projector, yeah the colors out of the box weren't that good, they were tinted a little green. That took about 5 minutes to fix in the on screen menu. My ceilings are only 7'9" and the top of the projector is mounted about 3" below that. By the calculators my image would be pretty low too, but I went with it anyway. When I mounted it I tilted it up and I couldn't notice any keystone effect so I didn't even use the keystone correction. Now I have a 106" screen a little over 2' from the floor. I have the same motorized screen Monoprice is selling for $120 and love it! Real easy to install, just 2 screws in the wall to hold it. I just marked the edges of the image on the wall then mounted the screen to fit there. I also bought a Samsung upconverting dvd player for $100 and it works great. What you have to remember is that the dvd needs a HDMI cable to upconvert so I ran that straight to the projector and a component cable that feeds everything else out of my A/V receiver, no big deal. Monoprice has the best deals on the cables also. I don't consider myself a handyman or techie but I have a little common sense and was able to hook this all up in a few hours with the help of my father in law (you need someone to hold the screen and fill up your beer!) Now I'm sure that a lot of the audio/videophiles on this board probably wouldn't care for my setup but I'm like you, this is my first home theater, I never even had a HD tv or anything before and I couldn't be happier with what I have and my whole family loves it, we've watched movies every Friday and Saturday night since we installed it. It's easy to use and has a great picture. Some of the standard definition channels aren't the best but it's not like they're unwatchable or anything. Everything I bought was from advice on this board, there are some very knowledgable people here and I thank them all for the advice. I guess all I'm trying to say is you don't need to have the best of everything to have a really nice home theater. try the Optoma or Mits. projector, a $120 screen from monoprice and a couple hundred dollar sound system and I'll bet you'll be as happy as I am and still have a bunch of extra cash to buy a bunch of dvds! A lot of the guys here a true junkies when it comes to this stuff and that's cool, I'm like that with my fishing equipment, I just don't know that the average Joe has to go that far to really enjoy the home theater experience. Whatever you do, you've come to the right site for advice.