[video1]

I'm building a new home theatre and I'd like to get the resident experts' opinions here on how big I can reasonably go with a screen for the NEC. I'm leaning towards a Stewart StudioTek 1.3 but I'm unsure as to the size. I currently have a 92" Studiotek. Unless I can go significantly larger, I might just use my original screen.


The room is about 12 ft wide and 28 ft deep. Light control is no problem. Sources will be DVD, OTA SD and HD material, and either Voom or DirectTV.


I'll probably pair the pj with a Lumagen processor if that makes a diff.

 

[pwentz3l]

92" is diagonal, or horizontal? I would stick with your current size. You need room on the side for speakers, etc. I have a 96" diagonal and the image is exceptional.

 

[video1]

My current screen is 92" diagonal. Keeping the current screen would save me a bunch of $$$ since it's a tab tensioned screen.

 

[kschmit2]

92'' diagonal is just under 7 ft wide.

I wouldn't go much larger with an XG, since you get the best picture at screenwidths under 7 ft.

Since you already have a very good screen, why don't you just test it and see if you like the picture.


Kai

 

[ssj2]

I use a 92" wide (106" diagonal) Da-Lite Video Spectra with a 1.5 gain. No issues at all with brightness or "punch". I would venture that most with an XG have a screen wider than 7'

 

[pcgeek]

It's really going to depend on what camp you're in. There are basically 2 camps here. The responses you've received so far are mostly from the camp that goes for "punchier" images and pure better picture. There's also a bunch of us who prefer to be enveloped with the image and go for nothing less than 10' across (which I'm doing in a 12' room with a G70 - fairly similar).


How far away is your seating going to be (back row)?

 

[video1]

Quote:

Originally posted by pcgeek How far away is your seating going to be (back row)?

The back row is going to be about 14-15 ft away. I do love a big picture, but it's gotta be razor sharp with good color and contrast. Of course my personal seat will be front and center, at whatever distance back gives me the best picture I figure that will be about 10-12 ft back.

 

[pcgeek]

The razor-sharp is probably the one part that would kill you for DVD's if you're too close. Even with ffdshow and all sorts of filtering and resizing you just can't get a DVD blown up that big and sit too close. HD on the other hand should be able to handle all of your needs (shame HD DVD's not here yet). color and contrast really isn't a problem at either size, it's pretty much all about resolution.


I've got 3 rows with the last row a good 20' back or so (front row about 10') so the larger screen gives me a good deal of flexability and still makes the last row feel like it's at the movies. If you're content with the size of the screen from the back row and happy with it from the primary position then there's no question you'll get a more pleasant actual picture with a smaller size. If on the other hand you're thinking it doesn't quite feel big enough then by all means go larger.


Not sure if you can do it or find a place to test it but I recommend setting the projector on the floor and aiming at the screen with a really basic setup, then see how close to the screen you have to get for it to "feel" right. If it's much closer than your 10-12 ft then you probably want to go larger. If 10-12 ft feel good then you're set.

 

[smddoc]

I've been struggling with this as well, I set up my xg for 110 and the picture is good, but I had is set up at about 90" temporarily and I have to say there is a diference in apparent sharpness. I am now currently considering moving the pj closer and masking down the 110 to 90" or so for the increased clarity. Another thing I noticed is small errors in convergence are much less distracting and less noticeable with the smaller screen size.

 

[video1]

Good advice from all! That idea about setting the pj on the ground first and testing it from various distances is right on the money.


OK, this maybe heresey to some, but are the digital DLP pj's sharper if I had the same or larger screen? I realize the contrast/blacks are there but I'm just wondering about the sharpness issue.

 

[kschmit2]

The XG should be very sharp. I actually like computer displays using well set-up crt PJ's much more than the artificially sharp images produced by LCD/dlp displays.


Kai

 

[smddoc]

I think the larger you go with a digital the larger the pixel structure will be, thus the further back from the screen you'll have to sit.