So I'm trying to educate myself here... I'm looking at the Sony VPL-VW60. My room is fully dark, about 15'(l)x12'(w), main seating is at 11'.

Screen: 110", assuming 1.3 gain is best?
Projector distance: 11'3"
Projector height: At the top of the screen, right over the main seating

So according to Projection Central, that's the minimum throw for a 110" screen with this projector (1.71 zoom, 1.42-2.44 throw ratio). Presumably this would maximize my fL? And with a 1.3 gain screen, it says I will get about 12fL (bottom end of "Recommended Brightness").

I guess my main questions are:

- Is there any negative to maximizing the zoom? Since this maximizes fL, it seems like a good idea? But part of me thinks this will result in more distortion? Or is it better to put the projector as far back as possible, and compensate with a higher gain screen?

- Is it better to minimize the gain of the screen to get more natural colors and contrast, or is more screen gain always better to get a brighter picture?

- Is there some target/desired/best practice fL for a HT? If I wanted it to look good in total darkness? with a couple of 10W sconces? With overhead lighting?

- Screens for the VPL-VW60 - Stewart StudioTek 130 G3, FireHawk G3, or FireHawk SST?

And is there anything else significant I should be worried about here?
Thanks!
-Mark

Okay, so if I put it in the middle of the throw range (mathematically, at 1.35 zoom), that's 14', which is doable in the room (I just need to lower it a little and put it under the soffet).

The fL drops to 10 with a 1.3 screen, and the PC calculator says "recommend more brightness".

Should I go with a higher gain screen, or is 10fL more than enough for a standard dark HT? What about with some minor lighting? Overhead lighting? Or will it really only work in total darkness?

I know I need to get out and do some more visual comparisons, but it's hard to get good HT setups in area stores, and see what the brightness really looks like in a dark room.

Makes sense.

Okay, in terms of screen, what do I trade off going with a higher gain screen? I liked the 1.3, but I gather I could go up to 2.2. I saw the Stewart StudioTek 130 (1.3), but someone else recommended the DaLite HiPower (2.2).

It's really hard to tell in the showrooms around here. I'll get the setup ISF calibrated, but does the higher gain make it impossible to get contrast and color saturation right?

It seems like I'd want the highest gain screen possible, then just calibrate it properly? Unless that screws something else up. I'm not too worried about viewing angles, as long as I can get ~40 degrees of good viewing (about 11' from the screen, about 11' width of seating).

Ah, if you're going Stewart, you're pretty much set and will be happy with about almost any of their products. You just have to worry about how the texture, sparkles(sheen) and uniformity looks to you. For me, any gain higher than 1.5 imparts weird voodoo to your image, that you may have to get used to. I personally don't like to "get used to" anything. Forget what others say, do what you think is best. The Ultramatte 150 is some pretty good stuff, I personally like it a whole lot, better than the ST130. You're viewing cone will be a bit less but to ME, the UM150 will sparkle less, won't seem to change color as much as you move your head, and this is just my opinion, but the UM150 has the best surface texture, which believe me, looks different at even 14 feet. Any other type of screen type adds too much to the picture IMHO. The UM150 is used in several commercial theaters you go to. If you're happy with your local theater, you'll be more than ecstatic with it in your home. But really, you can't go that much wrong with either the ST130 or even the UM150, pick the one you like best.
Great, thanks! Now off to see if I can view the ST130 and UM150 anywhere... I not, hopefully I can get some samples.