projector/screen for restaurant? advice appreciated!

Subscribe Search This Thread

Start a New Thread

post #1 of 6

1/4/12 at 6:03am

Thread Starter

2 Posts. Joined 1/2012
Select All Posts By This User

hey everyone... i'm looking at putting a projector (and screen) into a pretty well lit restaurant. there are floor-to-ceiling bay windows on the West side of the store that allow natural light and cannot be covered; additionally, there are several light fixtures throughout (however, these can be dimmed). i could have up to about 30' of throw distance with no obstructions on the wall, so screen size is of minimal importance. the input would be HDMI satellite feed or HDMI from a PC in some cases.

i intend on painting the screen onto the wall...it is my understanding that a grey screen will provide the best picture considering my lighting concerns. is that accurate? and onto projector choices: i've been looking at the Viewsonic Pro8400, Optoma TH1060P, and the Mitsubishi FD630u. price is a concern...so i'm leaning much more towards the Viewsonic or Optoma end than the Mitsubishi...

are there other models i should consider for this application? what's the expert recommendation? thanks for the help!!

post #2 of 6

1/4/12 at 12:52pm

104 Posts. Joined 9/2006
Location: TX
Select All Posts By This User

No expert here, but a 30' throw in a room with ambient light is going to be rough. I would look for a way to mount the projector closer.
You will also want a high gain screen (>1)

post #3 of 6

1/4/12 at 1:33pm

Thread Starter

2 Posts. Joined 1/2012
Select All Posts By This User

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlackSS

No expert here, but a 30' throw in a room with ambient light is going to be rough. I would look for a way to mount the projector closer.
You will also want a high gain screen (>1)

sorry! i should have been more clear. i can go as far back as 30' or so... i'm not looking to do that at all, just have the space available if for any reason it's necessary to back up that much.

post #4 of 6

1/4/12 at 2:14pm

1,407 Posts. Joined 1/2003
Location: PA USA
Select All Posts By This User

I know it sounds great and all to have a big projection screen. But to be honest, they all look horrid in every restaurant/sports bar I've been in. Colors are way washed out, and the picture is relatively dim compared to the surroundings. This was even in somewhat light controlled rooms.

We have a 2000 Lumen DLP here at work and it's still horribly washed out on an 80"

My advice: Don't do it. You'll be disapointed especially with lighting and bay windows near by. Even a movie theater projector would have a hard time.

That being said, consider alternatives like 80+" rear DLP boxes, or 80+" LCD screens with LED backlighting.

post #5 of 6

1/4/12 at 2:42pm

1,918 Posts. Joined 8/2002
Location: Texas
Select All Posts By This User

The sports bars here are running 4000 lumen projectors and even with that much lumen power, the images look like crap if the window shades are not down. Contrast goes WAY down and the shadow details are lost.

post #6 of 6

1/6/12 at 2:02pm