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Screen Size

post #1 of 19
12/15/12 at 6:53pm
Thread Starter 
I'm going to be getting a Acer H5360 projector it will be mounted on the wall about 12.5ft away and I wanna know if a 78" screen is adequate or do I need bigger ?
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post #2 of 19
12/18/12 at 7:08pm
Mine is mounted at 12' and have a 120". Seating is about 13-15. Looks great
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post #3 of 19
12/19/12 at 9:28am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by y2k02c5 View Post

Mine is mounted at 12' and have a 120". Seating is about 13-15. Looks great
No i want to know if i need a bigger screen
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post #4 of 19
12/19/12 at 9:42am
78" is tiny in the world of projectors. Do you have limiting factors that you didn't state? I wouldn't go projection unless I was going much larger.
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post #5 of 19
12/19/12 at 10:56am
Quote:
Originally Posted by tony123 View Post

78" is tiny in the world of projectors. Do you have limiting factors that you didn't state? I wouldn't go projection unless I was going much larger.

+1
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post #6 of 19
12/19/12 at 12:36pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by tony123 View Post

78" is tiny in the world of projectors. Do you have limiting factors that you didn't state? I wouldn't go projection unless I was going much larger.
No limiting factors just thought any bigger would be huge
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post #7 of 19
12/19/12 at 3:49pm
With a modern 1080p projector in a light controlled room, you could use 110" horizontal as a starting point. I've actually gone to 168" with a 12' seating distance. That's not normal, but I like it.

The best recommendation is to hang a sheet on the wall and watch a few movies before committing to a screen. Also, remember, screens seem huge at first. Within a few months, most people wish they had gone larger.
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post #8 of 19
12/19/12 at 5:11pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by tony123 View Post

With a modern 1080p projector in a light controlled room, you could use 110" horizontal as a starting point. I've actually gone to 168" with a 12' seating distance. That's not normal, but I like it.
The best recommendation is to hang a sheet on the wall and watch a few movies before committing to a screen. Also, remember, screens seem huge at first. Within a few months, most people wish they had gone larger.

Right. FYI, a king-size sheet is about the width of a 16x9 format 120" diagonal screen.
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post #9 of 19
12/19/12 at 10:08pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by tony123 View Post

... Within a few months, most people wish they had gone larger.

So true.    I started out with a 60" diag rptv, and have now wound up with a 12 ft wide screen and projector.   It's addictive, but (fortunately) I'm now maxed out in available wall space!

 

The advice of putting up a sheet, or just showing the pic on the wall for several weeks before deciding on your screen size, is very wise.

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post #10 of 19
12/20/12 at 4:37am
I'm maxed out too at 14'.

I've noticed a trend over the last decade. Used to be that 99% of folks were at 120" or smaller. However, I now read hundreds of threads of folks that are larger than that. Partyly due to technology filling the gap and I think partly due to people realizing that the "rules" are meant to be experimented with.
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post #11 of 19
12/20/12 at 7:47am
Quote:
Originally Posted by tony123 View Post

I'm maxed out too at 14'.
I've noticed a trend over the last decade. Used to be that 99% of folks were at 120" or smaller. However, I now read hundreds of threads of folks that are larger than that. Partyly due to technology filling the gap and I think partly due to people realizing that the "rules" are meant to be experimented with.
So, true...I have a 150" screen and I set about 14-16 back and I really like it!
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post #12 of 19
12/20/12 at 9:03am
At first I had gotten my projector and a 16x9 dalite screen 106" which was good(better than the tv.
Then heard about 235.1:eek:.
what i did was took down the 16X9 and zoomed back and forth with a movie playin(I did this for a few weeks)to what was to small and what was overkill.
I had used green painters tape to mask off the screen area on the wall.I had two sizes that I had taped and would visualize+play a movie in those areas.
Of course I went with the bigger size as it was way more immersive(128X50).
I'd go with the projector first and then experiment with screen size as you just might go bigger.
took me awhile to go between the two sizes and I'm happy I did,otherwise I'd end up no happy and an extra screen.
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post #13 of 19
12/20/12 at 11:50am
I wouldn't use the get the PJ first and then figure out the screen size. A new PJ will lose more than half its brightness over the life of the lamp. I would want to make sure the picture will remain bright enough for a reference image as the bulb dims. This method might make you use less accurate picture modes to get more brightness as the lamp ages or replace the lamp earlier. If you have enough brightness to spare like you are using the PJ in low pwer mode or don't mind the tradeoff then you could certainly use this method. But, in general there are enough reviews of PJs in their various modes and throw positions that you should be able to calculate the largest size you can get while accounting for aging of the lamp.
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post #14 of 19
12/21/12 at 11:44am
Thread Starter 
Ok will do. So project it onto the wall and then determine size
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post #15 of 19
12/21/12 at 12:14pm
Bobs post is spot on. However, I have been through a dozen or so bulbs in the past, and 10 of 12 times, the difference in bulb brightness was hardly perceivable. I wonder, when we say "half brightness", it isn't quite what you'd expect? Sort of like decibels. Three decibels is technically twice the volume, but I don't hear it that way.
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post #16 of 19
12/21/12 at 7:51pm
I have been doing this for decades and have worked on hundreds of projectors and bulbs and taken countless measurements. There is a difference and our eyes are not linear and less sensitive to brightness changes once we reach a certain level. There will be a significant difference between 10 and 20 ft/; coming off a screen. If you are fortunate enough to maintain above ~15ft/l after your bulb has aged the difference isn't as great to 30 ft/l. Once you have that 'pop' the differences in brightness is not that great as you state. I'm trying to keep the OP from using a screen size that is going to give him less than ~10 ft/l as the bulb ages so he enjoys his picture and keeps that 'pop'. There is nothing wrong with going big if you can properly light up the screen.

Other limiting factors of large screens is audio. I see many large screens with speakers in poor acoustical places like on the floor or in the corners to get the biggest screen they could. I wouldn't give up good quality audio to just get the largest screen I could although somme do. Another limiting factor with this projector and a larger screen might be screen door effect if you sit too close. This would be good to test on the wall. BTW, 78" is not large for projectors as the other poster stated. I haven't measured your model projector but unless you are going to have a good amount of ambient light you could go to at least 110" and still be good as the bulb ages. This is going by the reviews of this projector in its best picture quality mode and in economy mode for the bulb. You can use brighter modes and high power lamp mode if dealing with some ambient light, it looks like you got some lumens to spare with this model. Also this projector doesn't have lens shift so make sure you calculate the offset if you go with a larger screen so you don't have to use keystone:eek:

Tony, BTW, 3db is not twice the volume, it is twice the amplifier power but not volume. 3db is a relatively small volume change, 10-12db would subjectively be twice the volume. Also, remember a db change on the volume might not equate to the same db change at the listening position so don't go by your volume control to test this. I'd use an SPL meter if you want try this. Again, humans aren't linear and that perception might change depending what level you start the test.
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post #17 of 19
12/22/12 at 4:20am
Bob, you are obviously very experienced. I appreciate your input, as does the OP I'm sure.

The main point behind everyone's post, as it relates to the original question is that 78" is significantly smaller than you should be considering.

PS, dohhh, I typed the decibel comment too fast.
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post #18 of 19
12/30/12 at 11:49am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by BobL View Post

I have been doing this for decades and have worked on hundreds of projectors and bulbs and taken countless measurements. There is a difference and our eyes are not linear and less sensitive to brightness changes once we reach a certain level. There will be a significant difference between 10 and 20 ft/; coming off a screen. If you are fortunate enough to maintain above ~15ft/l after your bulb has aged the difference isn't as great to 30 ft/l. Once you have that 'pop' the differences in brightness is not that great as you state. I'm trying to keep the OP from using a screen size that is going to give him less than ~10 ft/l as the bulb ages so he enjoys his picture and keeps that 'pop'. There is nothing wrong with going big if you can properly light up the screen.
Other limiting factors of large screens is audio. I see many large screens with speakers in poor acoustical places like on the floor or in the corners to get the biggest screen they could. I wouldn't give up good quality audio to just get the largest screen I could although somme do. Another limiting factor with this projector and a larger screen might be screen door effect if you sit too close. This would be good to test on the wall. BTW, 78" is not large for projectors as the other poster stated. I haven't measured your model projector but unless you are going to have a good amount of ambient light you could go to at least 110" and still be good as the bulb ages. This is going by the reviews of this projector in its best picture quality mode and in economy mode for the bulb. You can use brighter modes and high power lamp mode if dealing with some ambient light, it looks like you got some lumens to spare with this model. Also this projector doesn't have lens shift so make sure you calculate the offset if you go with a larger screen so you don't have to use keystone:eek:
Tony, BTW, 3db is not twice the volume, it is twice the amplifier power but not volume. 3db is a relatively small volume change, 10-12db would subjectively be twice the volume. Also, remember a db change on the volume might not equate to the same db change at the listening position so don't go by your volume control to test this. I'd use an SPL meter if you want try this. Again, humans aren't linear and that perception might change depending what level you start the test.
nahh that won't be a problem
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post #19 of 19
1/2/13 at 9:31am
Thread Starter 
will this mount work with the Acer H5360

http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=109&cp_id=10911&cs_id=1091102&p_id=5466&seq=1&format=4#feedback
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