Offset and throw help (1 Viewer)

My sanyo z4 finally died after a good 6 yrs of service so I need a new projector.

Looking for the cheaper route this time and I'm focusing on the BenQ W1070 with the BenQ 1060 and Viewsonic Pro8200 as backups. Trying to figure out if this projector will work with my setup given the limited offset capabilities.


Setup

I have vaulted ceilings so measurements are from the floor up.

Screen is 106" diagonal.

Distance from projector to screen is 13'

Projector will be sitting on a shelf 7' from floor and cannot be moved up or down.

Screen can be set at a maximum 8' from floor down to 6'8" from floor. I currently have the screen stop set at 7' from the floor.



I'm thinking I'm out of luck but my brain can't do the math so i can't figure out if I can get a picture to work with my setup.

Only other idea I had was to flip the projector over and simulate a ceiling mount but just have the projector sit on the shelf upside down. This might solve the offset but not sure about the 1070 and the throw.


Any help is appreciated.

In order to use the shelf as a ceiling mount(projector underneath) the shelf would need to be higher than 7'. You need a projector with lens shift. The Benq 1060 and Viewsonic 8200 will not work for you. I'm not sure if the Benq 1070 will work because the lens shift is very limited. Your 2 best bets are the Epson 8350 and Panasonic AR100U, both LCD's with lens shift.

Thanks Jim, that's what I was afraid of. I will start to do the research on the two you mentioned and other lcd's. Too bad, I was really liking the size and weight of those dlp's as well.

Jim Mcc said:

In order to use the shelf as a ceiling mount(projector underneath) the shelf would need to be higher than 7'. You need a projector with lens shift. The Benq 1060 and Viewsonic 8200 will not work for you. I'm not sure if the Benq 1070 will work because the lens shift is very limited. Your 2 best bets are the Epson 8350 and Panasonic AR100U, both LCD's with lens shift.

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I can confirm the BenQ 1070 will not work. It's got very limited lens shift, so your shelf would need to be higher than the screen - and likely significantly closer than it is today.

I think I am going to go with the 8350. Seems to be that the trade off between dlp and lcd is dlp is smaller & lighter but without any real lens shift. lcd has all kinds of lens shift but is big and heavy. Actually I was pretty surprised how big the 8350 is. Every other piece of technology has shrunk in size and weight but it seems projectors have gotten bigger and heavier in the six years since I bought my last one.

Giving the BenQ W7000 and Panasonic AE8000 some consideration but have to decide if the budget allows it.

Go see if you can find a demo of the W7000. There is no way you'd choose an 8350 over it...once you saw it.

Thanks Sam, I'm having a hard time dealing with the size and weight of the 8350.

Looking at the W7000 I am good with throw I need to make sure the lens shift is enough to work in my setup. If it does work I am thinking there is real value in the extra $700.

I'm going to give it another night to tinker and think.

It all depends on your budget. Based on the projectors you listed in your first post, I assumed your budget was about $1,000. The Benq W7000 is a very nice projector.

Jim, you are correct my initial budget was $1000. If it wasn't for your help I would have bought the 1070 and been miserable.

While not pleased about doubling the cost I think the W7000 is the best fit for me and I am going to order tonight.

I'll just use the excuse "You can take it with you so you might as well spend it"

Another projector to check out, if you want to save a little money, is the Acer 9500. It's a DLP with lens shift, and has gotten very good reviews.