# first time projector purchase VS screen size... when is big too big?



## Talley (Dec 8, 2010)

I have a room upstairs that I'm turning into a 80% home theater use room. The room will also serve purpose for tv watching and hosts our christmas tree/present opening. I'll be able to achieve 95% black out during daytime which I added some french doors to some openings to the room. I only have two windows but have 3 layers of protection... vinyl pull down shade, curtain inside the frame and dark red curtain that overlaps the wall by 8" on each side. It can be pretty dark during day time. I'd say no more than 3-4% light seepage.

So..

I've ordered the BenQ w1070 based on recommendations. Now my plan is to just paint the wall with some kils2 just to see if I can dial in the screen size that I want. I'm leaning toward a carada screen in 16:9 format. Currently there is simpily no way I can afford a 2.35 screen and A lens.... although that will be my ultimate goal

My room size is 14.3' x 18' with a cathedral ceiling running the length of the room. wall height is 8 feet and peak cathedral is 12 feet. I plan on doing acoustical treatment over a majority of the room. I take advice with my uncle who has 300k worth of hifi gear.... and he has a dedicated studio for listening.

Unfortunately two 4' entrances on the back of the room which I added french doors to and two windows on the other end of the long end rest on each side of a fireplace making it impossible to "asthetically" place a permanent mount on the wall to set the room up in the conventional length wise sitting configuration. 

I have a wrap around L shape sectional couch on the back of a 18' wall and the screen would be on the opposite 18' wall thus giving a projector throw distance of 13'. viewing distance will be 12-13' for the main seating areas.

I was thinking originally of a 98ish screen but the projector calculator shows too bright and not even able to project an image that small. So then I was thinking 120" which could work but the calculator still shows 19FL at that size of a screen with a 1.0 gain.

So... 134" with a 12-13' viewing distance... would this be too large? Calc shows to be roughly 16FL.

remember at night this room is 100% dark... 0 ambient. Walls will be painted a dark grey and I will have some curtains on both sides of the screen for appearance.

Just need to know if thats too large really. My friend has a projector setup and its' right at 118" with 12' distance and it seemed to be pretty good but just worried that my projector/setup would make it TOO bright.

opinions?


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## NBPk402 (Feb 21, 2012)

Bmxer241 said:


> I have a room upstairs that I'm turning into a 80% home theater use room. The room will also serve purpose for tv watching and hosts our christmas tree/present opening. I'll be able to achieve 95% black out during daytime which I added some french doors to some openings to the room. I only have two windows but have 3 layers of protection... vinyl pull down shade, curtain inside the frame and dark red curtain that overlaps the wall by 8" on each side. It can be pretty dark during day time. I'd say no more than 3-4% light seepage.
> 
> So..
> 
> ...


I used to have the BenQ w1070 with a Jamestown 134" 16x9 screen and it more than bright enough. Don't forget that if you calibrate the projector it will be dimmer, plus as the bulb ages it will have less Lumens. It is always nice to have extra light output for down the road. Some people even get lens filters for calibrating the projector and loose even more light output. That said, 134" in ECO mode should be fine. Have you thought about a AT screen? If you get a AT screen you can go the whole wall width and then mask the screen to whatever size you are happy with. SeymourAV makes a nice AT screen for not much cash at all. :T


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## Talley (Dec 8, 2010)

I'd rather have proper speaker placement. For me to go AT screen I'd have to have the screen very close to the wall enough for my speakers which are currently just some NHT Superzero's. They need to be off the wall about a foot to sound decent.

Audio I'm making my own stands from 6" PVC pipe to length for 34" to tweeter off floor and the base will be 16x16 of 1.5" MDF and the top will be 8x6x1.5" MDF. Very heavy, solid... transparent. I plan on dual anything for the subs right now, i have $1400 budgeted for the subs. The room is 2700CF so it's a good size.... not too big.

I just don't think I can push the screen any closer... I'm already 12' away from the wall from my head. 

This is why I want to just project to the wall and dial in a screen size that suites me with the speakers just sitting on the floor or whatever just to get the size dialed in.

I was just thinking if 134 was too big but I think it'll be good. Hopefully your right that it'll be bright enough in a dark room in ECO mode. This would be ideal.


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