I need help to find a new projector. It will be used outside for a public free theater. We have a full size 18' X 24' screen with a throw distance of approx 35'. We have used an Epson projector 3000 lumen, in the past about 5 years old, but want a better, BRIGHTER unit that can replace the unit with better picture quality. We show family movies, and starting at 9:30 at night. This is hard on the young children. So we need a powerful not overly expensive unit.

We have been doing outdoor movie presentations for four years now ising a Sanyo PLV-WF10 and a 15x20 ft screen. The WF10 (1366x768) puts out 4400 lumuns and with the least expensive lens a throw distance of ~50 feet is required for 16:9 material and ~62 feetn for 4:3 material to fill the screen. There is a widerangle zoom lens available for the pt=rojector which would shorten the throw distance to about 30 feet, but at the time of purchase cost $1700 more thn the $800 for the standard zoom lens. The projector has worked beautifully and brightness is not a factor.

I have not done any serious research on replacement projectors in a few years, but I do know that you can get the WF10 and lens for under $7k, if you shop around.

Hope this is helpful,
Andy