HELP- Which projector is best for me and will it fit in my small room? (1 Viewer)

Hello, this is my first post and this will be my first projector so forgive me if I don't understand. Okay so here is my problem, my room is pretty small (14'2"x10'8") and I want to put a 100" diagonal screen in there (60 [L] x 80 [W]). But I'm not sure the projector will be able to go back far enough to project across the whole screen. I'm also not sure on what projector to buy. Here is the thing, the first projector (the dell 1210S) I don't think is as high quality as the the second projector and it also has 2500 ANSI Lumens which might be overkill for such a small room from what I've read. I could be wrong though since I've never owned a projector before. My next question to you guys is which one is better for me (I'm going to be using it for watching movies, connecting it to my computer, watching TV, and possibly playing video games) keep in mind great graphics isn't crucial to me, but it would be nice, decent graphics will do. Also feel free to send me links to better projectors in the same price range, but for searching the internet for a while this is the best I could come up with. Thanks

 

[Jim Mcc]

The first link doesn't work, and the second one is a 4:3 projector. Do you want a 4:3 projector and screen? If so, WHY?

1) Are you going to ceiling mount projector?

2) Do you want DLP?

3) What is your throw distance(distance from lens to screen)?

 

Okay I did some research and this is what I got. This projector http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?sku=A3129200&cs=04&c=us&l=en&dgc=SS&cid=52102&lid=1342490 . it's perfect because it has great graphics and I used this program http://www.projectorcentral.com/Hitachi-CP-RX80-projection-calculator-pro.htm and it said at 100" the projector had to be 10' 4" back which is perfect. Does this work? I want some advice from someone who has knows a lot about this kinda thing.

 

Hello, Yes I do want a 4:3 screen and projector, whats wrong with that? And I'm not sure about DLP, the one above that I linked to is LCD

 

[Jim Mcc]

That Hitachi is a 4:3 business projector. The contrast ratio is a terribly low 500:1. That is a bad choice, and I doubt you would be happy with it(especially for movies). You can buy the Optoma HD65, 720p DLP on Amazon for $630 shipped. You may find it even cheaper. You can mount it anywhere from 11'-3" to 12'-4" for a 100" diagonal image. What is the max. you want to spend?

 

I'd say no more than 650$ and I only have 10' 8" to work with

 

Also, do you suggest 16:9?

 

[Jim Mcc]

I assumed you were using the long dimension. This will limit your projector choices. Since throw distance is measured from lens to screen, your throw will be about 9.5 feet. Yes, I suggest 16:9, unless most of what you watch is 4:3. And you never answered about how you're mounting the projector? In my opinion, a 100" diagonal screen in your room is too big. Your max. seating distance is probably going to be about 9.5-10 feet. About 90" diagonal is your absolute max. and that also gives you many more projector choices. If you go to Projectorcentral.com and click on "Search by Feature", then enter your criteria, it'll give you the projector choices. Using 90" diagonal, it gives you 27 choices. Using 100" it gives you only 5.

Originally Posted by Archer Greenhalgh

I'd say no more than 650$ and I only have 10' 8" to work with

 

Thanks for your advice, but I think i'm going to go with the Optoma HD65 because it has a lot of good reviews and has the best technology for it's price. I'm going to get a 100" screen and if it's too big then it just won't project across the whole screen and worst case is that I have to return the screen. I'm planning to put it on a shelf above my couch or something, would mounting it on my ceiling be better? my ceiling is very low (72"). Thanks again.

 

[Jim Mcc]

The HD65 is the one I recommended. With the lens at 9.5' from screen, your max. screen size will be 85" diagonal. Is there no way you can use the long dimension of room? Your ceiling is only 6' tall? Mounting a DLP on a shelf is a NO NO, because they have no lens shift. You would need to use a lot more keystone than you would if ceiling mounted. You really need to mount the HD65 on the ceiling, tilt projector up to raise image(due to offset) then use keystone correction.

 

Alright, I guess I'll try mounting in on the ceiling then. Will it be a problem that my ceiling is only 6' tall?

 

[MissMan]

Can I offer a reality check here?

Yes... both the selection of the Pj and how it should/can be mounted makes a HUGE difference in this particular case because the Optoma does not have Lens Shift, and it DOES have what is a significant Lens Off-Set. A full 30% in fact. That means the Center of the Lens, wherever that is, will be a full 30% of the Screen's height "ABOVE" the top edge of the screen.

Hi, JimMcc! I gotta say to the OP that for him to attempt to use Tilt and key stoning to mitigate a 15" + offset ain't exactly good advice to dish out. Too much sacrificing quality/ brightness, and image uniformity beyond a 5-8% variable and this would be well over 20%

Do the math.
If your Screen is 48' x 85" (16:9), 1/3 of the Screen height would be 15.8"
The Screen wall is 72"
Under the best of Ceiling Mount situations, the Lens center will be about 8" below the ceiling.
72" - 15.8" = 56"
The Screen is 48"
56.8 - 48" leaves you only 8.8" from the bottom of the Screen to the floor.

That means a Floor mounted location is the ONLY possibility, and That must be on a extremely Low, stable 12"-14" tall box.

Or...you need to rethink this entire situation.. Yeah...I know. That's like suckin' on a Fuzzy sucker.

 

[Jim Mcc]

MissMan is obviously someone who refuses to use keystone in this situation, and that's fine. There are many video purists out there who will NEVER use keystone, no matter how little. They would rather buy an LCD with lens shift. I'm not one of them. I currently own my 3rd DLP projector, and have used this approx. amount of keystone(raising image 12"-16") with them all. I have never seen any image degredation from any of the projectors, due to using keystone. This is not just my opinion either. If the OP wants the "ideal" setup, then he needs to spend more money for an LCD with lens shift. Like I said above, the largest image size the HD65 will provide at a 9.5' throw is 85" diagonal, 42" X 74". The offset would be 12.5". With the proper mount, the lens would be about 3-4" below ceiling, and the image would need to be raised about 16". That is definitely doable with no image problem. Most of us don't have the perfect room for a projector, and compromises need to be made.

Archer, I suggest you post in the HD65 thread at Avsforum about using keystone with the HD65. Don't just take my word for it. The video purists will say NEVER USE KEYSTONE, and most will agree with me.

 

EDIT

 

Thanks Jim for all your help. It helped a lot, I just have 1 more quick question which you may or may not be able to answer. Is there anyway I can get sound out of this PJ without having to buy a a/v receiver?

 

[Jim Mcc]

I'm pretty sure the HD65 does not have a built-in speaker, so you would need a receiver. I checked at Projectorcentral.com and the offset is only 23%, so it's less than MissMan thought(which is a good thing, less tilting and keystone needed). Maybe you can find a cheap receiver on Craigslist or somewhere. And you can certainly get nice sound from just the 2 front speakers. It sounds more and more like you're not ready to buy a projector. Maybe you should wait and save more money.

 

Well I don't know much about projectors that's for sure, but once I know what I need to buy I'm all set. Although saving a bit of money that doesn't hurt. So this is what I need correct me if I'm wrong. PJ- http://www.amazon.com/Optoma-HD65-720p-Theater-Projector/dp/B000XOKZ8U Screen- http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/products/Audio_Video_Accessories/productdetail.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=bsd&cs=04&sku=A0935220 Mount- http://cgi.ebay.com/PROJECTOR-CEILING-MOUNT-fits-OPTOMA-HD-65-HD65_W0QQitemZ220231745302QQcmdZViewItem?_trksid=p3286.m20.l1116#comparison and an A/v receiver.

 

[Jim Mcc]

For the screen, you can use your wall if it's in good condition. If not, there are numerous DIY screens you can make/paint pretty cheap. I know nothing about that mount, but it looks like it'll work. You'll need at least a stereo receiver, at least 2 speakers for front, DVD or Blu-ray player, audio and video cables, and a power strip with surge protection to plug everything into.

 

This is what I came up with for a receiver http://www.amazon.com/Sony-STR-DH700-7-1-Channel-Receiver-Black/dp/B001TCML9Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1272581371&sr=1-1 and this for speakers http://www.amazon.com/Coby-CSP96-300-Watt-5-1-Channel-Theater/dp/B001U5U3HY/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1272581042&sr=8-5 and I already have the rest.

 

[Jim Mcc]

You can get the Sony STR-DH800 for only $223 on Amazon, which is the better model. As far as those speakers go, don't expect much. I think you'll be wasting $50.