I can either go two ways from my deck, one would be 50' to the screen the other 25'-30' - what would be the projector of choice for this? my budget is below 1k.

Thanks

It depends on how big your screen is. Most non-removable lens projectors need a throw distance that is about 2x the width of the screen. The other option is to get a projector that has a removable lens, but that would be way beyond your budget. If you need to be 25 feet away, that puts you at a screen size about 9'x12'. For that size screen you'd need to have about a 1600 lumen projector. So I'd start searching to see what projectors have that amount of lumens and will still be under your budget.

-Phil Borgnes
www.SidewalkCinema.com

It depends on your taste of preference. If I will you, just browse on the net to get an exact info.