Image Brightness

Will it be too bright? It depends.

Is the room light controlled? Will you use the projector mostly for games and tv viewing or movies and do you like dark movies?

I'm using a pro8200 in a light controlled room and 53 fl was too bright for my tastes. I'm using a filter to reduce the light to approx. 16-19 fl and prefer it, though there are times, especially when watching tv with the light on, the extra brightness is usable-- something in the neighborhood of 30-35 fl.

Properly calibrating a projector will reduce the light output in itself.

Here's a discussion on the use of a nd filter.

http://www.avsforum.com/t/1394292/nd-filter-vs-dropping-brightness-level

there are tons of ways to reduce brightness:
eco mode makes the bulb last longer and is quieter
mounting the projector farther back can reduce light by optics
grey screen will improve blacks
ND filter
bulb aging

but there are only 2 (expensive) ways to brighten the calibrated image:
new bulb
high gain screen

basically, brighter=better
the problem is LCD can't block all of it, and DLP scatters some of it.. so the brighter the projector..the worse the made up CR numbers on the box look. Most people want a bat cave because good-contrast, calibrated projectors tend to be dim. But your eyes adjust (1,000,000 CR and all) so even if you watch dressed like a ninja in a room with black walls and ceiling, the screen would still look grey, because it is the whitest surface in the room. If you want darker "perceived" blacks, a brighter projector lets you have some ambient light (just don't let it spill onto the screen). That will improve perceived contrast and reduce fatigue.
just to add:
the projector pro calc doesn't have the std/bright adjust for hd23. but another 2500/2000 on 84" took the fl down to high 40s.. still bright. A .8 gain screen gets to high 30s. If that doesn;t work, why not look for ~1800 projectors. The HD23 has a very small offset (half the viewsonic 8200) so if you coudl get to a 92 or 102 screen the extra brightness would be a bonus.

good luck.
Edited by DragonSixGolf - 10/7/12 at 7:25pm

As I remember it, when I calibrated the projector in eco mode, I dropped the fl to about 30.

I'm using a 2/3 f-stop filter and that brought the light down to around 16 fl.

There's some light leakage from the projector I have, so the filter helps with that also. The lower light output is great for movies, but I can pop the filter off and watch sports with some light on.

I think it's a better problem to have than having a projector with too little light.

Please note that light controlled means NO white/light colored Walls/ceiling/floor. All that light from the screen lights up the wall and ceiling which lights up the screen.

+1 to all the rest of the post.. eco mode, full calibration, bias lighting, ND filter or low gain screen.. all ways to reduce light output / eye strain..
Tis like cutting wood.. you can always cut more but it is real hard to put back on a 1/32..