Hi everyone,

I've finally decided to get myself a projector which I'll be using mostly to watch HD DVD and Blu-ray (and maybe a little bit of gaming) along with a few sporting events in HD and I think I've decided on the Panasonic PT-AX200U but I have a couple of questions:

1 - My place is a loft so I have a lot of windows and 13 foot ceilings. It does get fairly dark in here at night but it's not pitch black so would I benefit from getting a specific type of screen? Would something like a Da-Lite screen be the way to go with the 200? Any other screens I should consider?

2 - My room is very big the whole place is basically one big room, is there any reason to limit myself in screen size? I want at least 106" but I see the Da-Lite Model C screens go as big as 159". I know that the bigger the screen the less bright the image which may be a detriment in a non-light controlled room but I'm not sure where the cut-off is. I should mention that I need a pull down screen because I'll hanging it from the ceiling to come down in front of my Hitachi HDTV which I'll use for every day viewing.

3 - Due to the high ceilings I'll probably have to hang the screen down about 5 feet, any recommendations as to how far the projector should be from the screen and above it? I can basically have it as far from the screen as I need to so I'm not sure what would be the right balance between brightness and detail. I would rather have it as close to the ceiling as I can.

4 - I saw some other people mention Projector People as a place to shop. They have the 200 for $1,299 plus a good selection of screens. I'll also need to pick up a 50 foot HDMI cable from Monoprice. Any advice on getting a ceiling mount that will go about 4-5 feet for the projector?

Any other advice you guys have would be much appreciated!

Quick Tips:

Keep direct light off the screen.

A high contrast gray screen will help in ambient light situations.

The AX200 gives you a wide area of options for mounting but the less lens shift you use the better. What this means is that you should mount the PJ low enough to minimize lens shift but high enough to be out of the way. Some lens shift will not hurt.

If you mount from the ceiling, you will need to get a mount and then fabricate an extension pole from pvc to reach down past 2 feet. If you are DIY handy, make a few different lengths and see what you can get away with.

You might do well to consider a unique shelf unit that will hold the PJ rather than a ceiling mount. But that plan would also need consideration of where your cabling and power routing would need to be.

Buy the heaviest gauge HDMI cable Monoprice sells, 22 AWG. They are very affordable so don't sweat paying a little more. If they are out of your size, try Blue Jeans Cable.

If you have the room, 120", 134", and 156" screens are not out of the question but each size larger will reduce the apparent brightness of your image and will deal with ambient light less effectively. 120" is a good size to start with although if you get a good piece of BOC, you can experiment to see for yourself.

One other note:

As far as how far from the screen to mount, that depends on how big an image you want and how much ambient light it needs to battle. The calculator at Projector Central can give you a basic idea of the range you can mount your PJ in based on its zoom setting. It will also give you a footLamberts measurement based on that distance. Keep in mind that you want to keep your fL above 12. Since your bulb will dim over time and you have to fight with ambient light, you want to actually get your fL number higher, 16 or 18 for a minimum. Day time sports can benefit from 25 to 30 fL if you can get it.

Closer to the screen can give you a brighter image. Farther away may tend to improve the contrast. These improvements may or may not be apparent as your screen type and all other conditions can affect your actual results.

The ax200 seems a good choice for your setup. Project the image on a wall first and then decide how big you want it and buy a screen afterwards. The ax200 is a very fleible projector in that it has a 2x zoom lens and horizonal and verticle lens shift. You should have no problems placing almost anywhere in the room.

Thanks guys for all the advice :)

I ended up going with the AX200 and the Da-Lite Model C Matte White 106" screen. Although my place is big I'm only sitting about 11' from where the screen will be so 106 seemed like the biggest I should go.

I already ordered and everything should be arriving next week! I'm very excited :D

Thanks guys for all the advice :)

I ended up going with the AX200 and the Da-Lite Model C Matte White 106" screen. Although my place is big I'm only sitting about 11' from where the screen will be so 106 seemed like the biggest I should go.

I already ordered and everything should be arriving next week! I'm very excited :D

Great! Looking forward to hearing at least a report when you get it all setup!