PJD5133 vs EX5200 projector (1 Viewer)

[weedyweidenthal]

Ok, so is the bigger problem the lay out of the room, or that I need to be more open minded with my budget as far as a projector goes?
I get nervous with the idea of getting too high in cost, but for a projector I would push it (Maybe as high as $1100) since I want a projector more than a TV. That is, unless the room is the problem. If the room is the problem, than I would go with a TV. If I go with a TV, I will probably go with one of the links that have been provided.

 

[weedyweidenthal]

FWIW, part of the reason I would spend more on the projector is for nostalgia. The look of the light beam leading up to the screen is like what it was like going to the movie theater as a kid. The idea of getting a bigger TV doesn't really excite me the way the thought of watching Star Wars on a projector does. Basically what we watch is old movies and baseball at our house. Then we also play Wii games on occasion.
To me, it is kind of like the difference between playing Galaga on a plug in joystick or playing in a pizza joint on a real Galaga arcade machine (if that makes any sense to you guys)

 

[schan1269]

Your room is going to require a $1500+ projector. You need one with lens shift. Period, end of story.
Here is the least expensive one with vertical lens shift. But, I have no idea if it will work with your screen size/throw distance. (not to mention the lighting challenges)
http://www.amazon.com/Epson-PowerLite-Home-Cinema-8350/dp/B0044UHJWY/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1355103644&sr=1-1&keywords=epson+8350
And here is the projector central search for 1080P, vertical lens shift and 16:9
http://www.projectorcentral.com/projectors.cfm?g=1&hide=0&st=1&mfg=&p=&w=&r=13&br=&ll=&t=&db=&dt=&c=&ar=16%3A9&dvi=&vls=1&pjl=&pjw=&pjh=&td=&i=d&is=&sort=%24&sz=15
And, if you add HD 3D...
http://www.projectorcentral.com/projectors.cfm?g=1&hide=0&st=1&mfg=&p=&w=&r=13&br=&ll=&t=&db=&dt=&c=&ar=16%3A9&dvi=&vls=1&sp=35&pjl=&pjw=&pjh=&td=&i=d&is=&sort=%24&sz=15

 

[weedyweidenthal]

Your room is going to require a $2000+ projector. You need one with lens shift. Period, end of story.
Here is the least expensive one with vertical lens shift. But, I have no idea if it will work with your screen size/throw distance.
http://www.amazon.com/Epson-PowerLite-Home-Cinema-8350/dp/B0044UHJWY/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1355103644&sr=1-1&keywords=epson+8350
And here is the projector central search for 1080P, vertical lens shift and 16:9
http://www.projectorcentral.com/projectors.cfm?g=1&hide=0&st=1&mfg=&p=&w=&r=13&br=&ll=&t=&db=&dt=&c=&ar=16%3A9&dvi=&vls=1&pjl=&pjw=&pjh=&td=&i=d&is=&sort=%24&sz=15
And, if you add HD 3D...
http://www.projectorcentral.com/projectors.cfm?g=1&hide=0&st=1&mfg=&p=&w=&r=13&br=&ll=&t=&db=&dt=&c=&ar=16%3A9&dvi=&vls=1&sp=35&pjl=&pjw=&pjh=&td=&i=d&is=&sort=%24&sz=15

Ok... so I need one with lens shift. Could you tell me why? I just want to understand the reasoning. I thought the coffee table mount would negate the need for lens shift.
Looking at the 8350, that may not be out of the question. I wanted a minimum 100" screen and that one would do that from less than 10 feet away, which would be ideal. I just want to understand why the non lens shifting w710st would not work.

 

[weedyweidenthal]

Weird... my last post didn't show up...
Can you explain to me why it won't work without lens shift? I trust that you are giving me solid advice, I just want to understand where you are coming from. I thought the coffee table mount would work without lens shift for the w710st.
That 8350 may not be out of the question, since I could still get a 100" screen with less than 10 feet distance.

 

[schan1269]

The reason you need lens shift is to eliminate possible problems. Your coffee table might be OK. We don't know how "low" to the ground your screen is. My understanding is that you'll put your screen tripod/easel on the existing TV stand. The Favi I linked earlier is too short for it to sit on on the floor. It might be "too high" on your stand for the projector to be on a coffee table(as most coffee tables are 2 feet high).
Regardless. When you move...I'm under the assumption you'd like the projector you buy here...to work at the new place you call home. Meaning, buy a projector with lens shift.

 

[weedyweidenthal]

Ok, thank you for sticking with me through all this. I am sure that is frustrating for you to explain something that seems so simple to you.

 

[Jim Mcc]

I checked the "Search by Feature" at Projectorcentral.com and the only possiblities are 720p projectors. If you go there, enter your 10' throw distance and 100" diagonal screen. It then shows you which projectors will work. The best of those is the Epson 710HD. It does not have lens shift, so the lens would need to be at the bottom edge of image (while sitting upright on table, etc).

 

[Jim Mcc]

I checked the "Search by Feature" at Projectorcentral.com and the only possiblities are 720p projectors. If you go there, enter your 10' throw distance and 100" diagonal screen. It then shows you which projectors will work. The best of those is the Epson 710HD. It does not have lens shift, so the lens would need to be at the bottom edge of image (while sitting upright on table, etc).
Sorry.

 

[weedyweidenthal]

I checked the "Search by Feature" at Projectorcentral.com and the only possiblities are 720p projectors. If you go there, enter your 10' throw distance and 100" diagonal screen. It then shows you which projectors will work. The best of those is the Epson 710HD. It does not have lens shift, so the lens would need to be at the bottom edge of image (while sitting upright on table, etc).
Sorry.

Thanks. I have taken a lot of measurements and I found that I could place the projector anywhere from 7 feet to 10 feet away. I think that still leaves me with 720p, but it does mean that the benq w710st is a possibility and it has a high contrast ratio of 10,000:1. It also seems to have pretty good reviews. It also does not have lens shift, but on this larger wall, I can place the screen just about anywhere. That Epson 8350 also would work, but I am having trouble justifying the cost.
This is a picture of the wall that I would use from 15 ft away. That light on the right is with blinds open and no curtains yet hung up (we just moved in this week).

 

[schan1269]

So, here is your "justification for the 8350" or not...
Can you place the 710 where it will be at the bottom of the screen?
I have a hard time expecting you to have your screen 2 feet off the floor. But then again, maybe your coffee table is 40", or higher, off the ground. Which I would not call a 40" "off the ground" table...a coffee table.

 

[weedyweidenthal]

If the coffee table is 2 feet tall, then the bottom of the screen would be 3 feet from the ground according to projector central. The offset from 7.5 feet is 12".

 

[weedyweidenthal]

That would be a 130" screen actually, and according to projector central, would be recommended for a room with ambient light, which would be good since I watch more sports in dim lighting than I do movies in dark lighting anyways.

 

[Jim Mcc]

You are making a mistake buying a 720p projector in this day and age, but here goes. With the Benq 710ST placed 7' (lens to screen) the image size can range from 122" to 134" diagonal. That will have an image offset of 11", so the lens would need to be 11" below the bottom of image(sitting upright).
Do you have enough wall space for that screen size? 120" diagonal is 59" X 105"
How tall is the ceiling?
How far will you sit from screen? This determines your screen size. Sit too close and it will look like crap.

 

[weedyweidenthal]

The ceiling is angled, but at it's lowest point where the edge of the screen would be is 9'4", so I should have a little over 1' of clearance above that I don't want the width of the screen to exceed 10 ft since the room is 15' wide. That leaves me 2.5 feet of space on each side.
Seating distance will be 14 feet.

 

[schan1269]

I didn't realize you could buy a home theater projector under $1000 that could sit "outside" the screen size...which the 710ST does.
Still, 720P is a far cry from 1080P...

 

[Jim Mcc]

I didn't realize you could buy a home theater projector under $1000 that could sit "outside" the screen size...which the 710ST does.
Still, 720P is a far cry from 1080P...

Sam, what do you mean by "a projector...that could sit outside the screen size"? Like I said above, I wouldn't buy a 720p TV or projector, but it's not my money.
Weedy, a 14' seating distance is pretty good for a 120" diagonal screen.

 

[schan1269]

A projector with an offset outside the screen. IE, this projector sits 12"(around that) below the screen.
I didn't think there were any HD projectors(720P notwithstanding) that could do that.
I looked at several other projectors around the same price and that BenQ 710 is the only I found that can do that. Most need to be "inside" the screen size. (IE, if the screen is 3 feet off the floor, the projector has to be 4 feet off the ground)
But again, it isn't like I follow the "cheap end" of the projector market.

 

[Jim Mcc]

Every single projector out there with an image offset does that. Virtually all DLP's.

 

[schan1269]

I get that...but...
Just 2 short years ago, and again, it isn't like I follow the cheap end...
There weren't any