[brookhart995]

This will be my first time buying a front projector and I have done some research and narrowed down my choices, but I am hoping all the experience and expertise of the forum members can help avoid a potential rookie mistake.

Well the wife has given the green light to a media/theater room where I can get what I want (within reason) and I have always wanted a projector. The space is small approximately 12' square with 11' ceilings. The main sitting position will be approximately 9' from the wall where I plan to mount the screen and I plan on ceiling mounting the projector. I have used Projectors Central's calculator to simulate several different setups and I always get the red caution that the setup will be good for a room with ambient lighting and that the sims have anywhere from 36 to 28 ft lm of illumination based on distance and screen size. Can you just simply turn the brightness down to get the proper illumination?

The screen I have been leaning towards is a Carada Criterion either 80" or 84" 16:9 model with the 0.8 gain screen. There is only one window in this room and I plan on installing shutters and curtains so most of the light would be able to be attenuated.

The projectors I have been considering are the BenQ W1070 and HT1075, the Epson 3500 or maybe the older model 8350, and the Sony HW40ES. I know the Sony has received great reviews and would be a very good projector. I just wonder if it is worth the cost for the incremental improvments given my situation with room and screen size.

This setup will be used for movies, TV and gaming (my two boys) and is NOT the primary TV watching location in the house (living room). I have included a few photos of the location which might assist in giving some reccommendations. I plan on repainting dark flat colors, chainging the carpeting and doing something with the window and no ceiling fan. I am hoping to get some advice on equipment selection now that I am getting ready to start working on this room. The first photo is the wall I plan to mount the screen, the second photo is the rear ceiling where I want to mount the projector, the third photo is not really related and are some speaker cabinets I made and veneered. Thanks


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[James of Az]

This is my Epson 3600e same as the 3500 but wireless version.
For an idea. 100 bucks on paint
http://youtu.be/MZZMt_NlDIA

 

[AV_Integrated]

The above video I think really shows how important light control is.

Also, please look at http://www.avintegrated.com/lighting.html for an example of how important room lighting is.

Your screen size is, IMO, very small. I wouldn't go under a 92" diagonal, and you may want to pick up the projector first, and then try out different sizes to see what really works for you. I mean, you can pick up an 80" TV pretty easily these days, so you may want something a fair bit more immersive. I have one of my clients sitting 9' away from a 134" screen. They were thinking they would be very unhappy, but the truth is that they really enjoy that screen size with the Sony HW40ES.

Now, the W1070 is nice, but if you are going through the effort to put together the room as a good home theater with dark walls, ceiling, and carpet, then the HW40ES will really be a solid improvement over the BenQ. It's also really nice that it's nearly dead silent so you will get the most out of the experience.

I'm not a fan of your rear speakers being so close together. With a room like yours I probably would have gone with on-walls for the surrounds so that you preserve a better sound experience, but that's your call.

Really looks like a fun setup!

 

[Mike Garrett]

This will be my first time buying a front projector and I have done some research and narrowed down my choices, but I am hoping all the experience and expertise of the forum members can help avoid a potential rookie mistake.

Well the wife has given the green light to a media/theater room where I can get what I want (within reason) and I have always wanted a projector. The space is small approximately 12' square with 11' ceilings. The main sitting position will be approximately 9' from the wall where I plan to mount the screen and I plan on ceiling mounting the projector. I have used Projectors Central's calculator to simulate several different setups and I always get the red caution that the setup will be good for a room with ambient lighting and that the sims have anywhere from 36 to 28 ft lm of illumination based on distance and screen size. Can you just simply turn the brightness down to get the proper illumination?

The screen I have been leaning towards is a Carada Criterion either 80" or 84" 16:9 model with the 0.8 gain screen. There is only one window in this room and I plan on installing shutters and curtains so most of the light would be able to be attenuated.

The projectors I have been considering are the BenQ W1070 and HT1075, the Epson 3500 or maybe the older model 8350, and the Sony HW40ES. I know the Sony has received great reviews and would be a very good projector. I just wonder if it is worth the cost for the incremental improvments given my situation with room and screen size.

This setup will be used for movies, TV and gaming (my two boys) and is NOT the primary TV watching location in the house (living room). I have included a few photos of the location which might assist in giving some reccommendations. I plan on repainting dark flat colors, chainging the carpeting and doing something with the window and no ceiling fan. I am hoping to get some advice on equipment selection now that I am getting ready to start working on this room. The first photo is the wall I plan to mount the screen, the second photo is the rear ceiling where I want to mount the projector, the third photo is not really related and are some speaker cabinets I made and veneered. Thanks


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Sent you a PM.

 

[brookhart995]

I hear you on the screen size comment. I had looked at the SMPTE and THX screen and viewing distance calculators and the THX one said that the 84" was in the ballpark. Obviously the price difference between an 80, 84, and 92" is negliable. I just don't want the screen to be so large that I am constantly scanning back and forth from one side of the screen to the other to see the image. The ceiling holes you see in the photos will be patched. They were left overs from a previous system I had in that room. The speakers I am going to use are all DIY and our in process now. And yes you are correct the ceiling speaker location was not ideal. I am trying to get my game plan going as I will start patching holes, painting, possibly changing the floor, etc. in the next few weeks. I am housing my equipment in a closet that is attached to the room. Based on the wall size that the screen will be mounted, I think that 92" would probably be my max. Would a curved screen help or be benefitial? I know the Elite Lunette series has an inexpensive curved 16:9 ratio screen. Thanks for the detailed reply.

 

[rekbones]

You do not want a curved screen unless you are going to use an A lens. 92" is ok for 16:9 content but to small for 2:35 content. I have a 12' x 12' room and sit 9' from a 110" screen. It is just right for 2:35 and with 16:9 its like an IMAX experience. By all means get the projector first and watch on the wall for a few days with different screen sizes to get an idea of what you like. You can always zoom to a smaller screen for gaming where too large of a screen will make the gaming difficult.