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Sony VPL-VW60 - Screen Size Recomendations

2K views 13 replies 3 participants last post by  playback007 
#1 ·
Hello all,


I picked up the VW60 2nd hand and have installed it upstairs. It's a thatch room meaning very high ceilings. One wall is basically missing and the other will have a curtain installed over it to help kill off the reflections of light it allows into the room.

There are no Windows on this side of the room at all. So almost ideal. The other end of the room has venetian blinds and a set of curtains so not completely but a lot of light is killed off.


I am brand new to this scene but I have tried to read up a whole bunch to try and make an informed decision...but that's proving difficult.


These are my rooms specs.

4.2m or 13.77ft Wide.

Depth is just of 7.5m or 24.6ft.


For our viewing distance what works well in this room from a convenience point of view is around 4.1m or 13.45ft.


Unfortunately due to ceiling beams in the thatch roof there was only one location to mount the projector so it is mounted at 4m or 3.95m ...Difficult to measure with it so high in the air but it's 10-15cm closer than the viewing distance that can be measured accurately.


I know this projector is no light canon and by modern standards pretty week. But it is what I have.


In testing I have been projecting onto a light almost sandy coloured wall. I have been testing on a screen size and last tested at 120in.

Unfortunately it is currently getting repaired from a lightning strike so can't do any more testing.


The previous owner keeps insisting that he ran it on a white screen at 92inch and that at 120inch the picture is not going to look at it's best. I must state he was in a much smaller room than I have.


This is going to sound odd but the wall that will have the screen mounted on is actually huge. Roughly 7m(22.96ft) by 8m(26.24ft).

I know at night time in the dark you would not see the rest of the wall but I have lots of area to work with.


I would be mainly watching Blu-Ray 1080p and 720p satellite for F1 & sports etc.


I would definitely go white for screen colour to not reduce the brightness of the screen.


My local screen supplier where I can get a great price does Grandview.


My choice is basically 120inch or 106inch. The previous owner says I really should be going 106inch max to retain more colour and brightness as well as sharpen up the picture. Which all makes sense.


I'm one of those guys that tends to always want bigger is better but should I rather be going for 106inch ?


But when I run the numbers on projector central brightness seems negligible between the two sizes.

What I also see is that if I do a test on THX viewing angle on 106inch though at my viewing distance it then recommends a 120inch screen

106inch = 31.9degree viewing angle.

120inch =.35.9degrees viewing angle.


Please can you guys try steer me in the correct direction. Any help will be much appreciated.


Below is the current rooms setup as it's transforming. It's dedicated function will be a home cinema... butI won't be painting the walls black...says the wife.



These picks were taken on a cell phone so unfortunately are blurry but gives an idea of what I have now at 120inch.




]




 
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#4 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Craig Peer  /t/1477841/sony-vpl-vw60-screen-size-recomendations#post_23445102


If you want to keep it bright, perhaps a Da - Lite High Power screen - a 119" would be a good size. What are those screen shots projected on - a wall ?

Thanks for the response.


The pics were projected onto the wall directly at a full 120inch.

As you can see from the wall colours I presume it's dulling down the image.
 
#6 ·
I've run a calibrated VW-60 on a 120" Carada BW 16:9 screen for a long time to great affect. I have a dark room and use a Darbee Darblet. Throw distance is approx. 16'. in an 18'x28' room with a pitched ceiling.


Very satisfied.
 
#7 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Craig Peer  /t/1477841/sony-vpl-vw60-screen-size-recomendations#post_23449279


Ya, a good screen will correct that. That is an interesting ceiling !!

Just wanted to show it with the main wall that's rather large.


There in lies my main sizing problem.

If I go 106inch the 720p images look very sharp but if I go 120inch the 1080p images are at their best.


106inch=30.5 degree viewing angle.

120inch= 36.5 degree viewing angle.


THX seems to say 40 is what you should be aiming for for a good viewing angle. Any comments on viewing angle ?
 
#8 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jive Turkey  /t/1477841/sony-vpl-vw60-screen-size-recomendations#post_23451195


I've run a calibrated VW-60 on a 120" Carada BW 16:9 screen for a long time to great affect. I have a dark room and use a Darbee Darblet. Throw distance is approx. 16'. in an 18'x28' room with a pitched ceiling.


Very satisfied.

Thanks for that. So that seems to have a gain of 1.4 so helping on the larger size screen.


You don't find yourself worring about quality of picture or res being not sharp enough at that size ? I'm sure the Darbee helps though with that.

No probs with colourshift or hotspotting ?


I'm also looking at the Grandview Dynamic Series HD Fabric. Seems to be a silver screen with a gain of 2.


Using projector central it seems to be quite favorable and outs the image in the green zone.


My concern is the viewing angle is 40 degrees. I wouldn't often have many people at the house watching from the sides. But not sure if this would affect the pictures colour.


Also worried about getting a hotspot.


The good thing I can think of is the contrast would supposedly be better as well as day light viewing would be better.

Like wise I could turn the projector down to say cinema mode with less lumens.


Heres a link. What are your thoughts ?

http://www.grandviewscreen.com/en/Product.asp?SortPath=0,108,527,&ID=527
 
#9 ·
Some say the Carada BW is actually less than 1.4 gain. I have no issues here, including hotspotting and perceived resolution of detail. Yes, the Darblet kicked that up a notch, and I'm happy it did. I run it at HD55 mode.


I would be concerned that the black level would be affected too much with a higher gain screen.
 
#10 ·
So I have narrowed it down



I'm definitely going with the Grandview HD white fabric with a gain of 1.0


I'm too worried about colour shift and hotspotting with their 3D Silver material.


Size wise the Jury's still out though.


I'm leaning towards the 106inch screen just to try keep the screen a little brighter and sharper.

But my heart keeps saying just go 120inch.


I should be getting the projector back this week. Fingers crossed. All the parts did arrive.


I'll install and test at the smaller screen size of 106inch on the wall and see how much I like it.


I'm also going to get a pro installer to come around and see what he recommends.
 
#11 ·
In my personal experience, screens tend to appear smaller as time goes by. I always recommend getting as big a screen as the wall and projector will allow. If you go 120", and depending on throw distance, you will need to be able to darken your room.
 
#12 ·

Quote:
In my personal experience, screens tend to appear smaller as time goes by.

That is an interesting observation that I believe is true. My wife felt sea sick watching 24 in HD on a 121" diagonal 16:9 screen from a seating distance of 13 feet, when I first built our theater. She's used to the size now. And I secretly moved the sectional sofa 8 inches closer too!
 
#13 ·
Thanks guys,


Well the project has started .... but slowly.


I paid for a screen today. Settled on the 106inch. I'm feeling a little heart broken as I was yearning for the 120inch but I tried to get a slightly sharper image that is slightly more lit up as well as having a better contrast. So hopefully that makes it feel a little more immersive.


It's only getting installed next Friday by the installer .


The bad news is my Projector is still on the blink.

The repair center has leant me a light weight projector in the mean time.


I'm just worried about using it though.


Mine is a Sony VPL-VW60 , 1000 lumens and 1080p, 35000:1 contrast ratio


They are lending me a VPL-EW7, 2000 lumens and 720p. 1000:1 contrast ratio


My concern now though is that when I eventually get my projector back that I really miss all those extra lumens. Although I will be mainly watching my projector in a dark room anyway.


I think I will run it in ECO mode so only getting 1500lumens out of it.
 
#14 ·
Finally...Friday came round.


New 106inch white Grandview screen has been installed



I was actually surprised how big it looks on the wall.


Having never experienced a screen before I can only assume that the black border of the screen really helps set your mind about the size.


Unfortunately my projector is still been repaired.

So my repair place has lent me an entry level Sony. It's the light weight Sony EW7.

Only 720p , running it in standard 1500 lumens mode.

The contrast is also only 1000:1


In practice I noticed three things.

1. Colours seem quite average.

2. Sharpness of the picture is definitely not great... And that's from 14ft.

3. Contrast on this projector really does live up to the 1000:1 . In dark scenes like the start of cars2 you can't even see the blue/grey of the ocean at night just the objects in the ocean floating in the dark pitch black ocean.


I also now remember why I need to get the room toned down as much as possible in terms of colour.

when viewing most material it's so bright inside I could be reading a book quite comfortably.


So that's my next project. Make me a cave
Even the wife agrees now.
 
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