# planning stage



## Fabricator (Apr 19, 2009)

hello

if things continue to go ok for me = keep job. it looks like i will be going projector. i have a 5 month old Mitsu 65" dlp & BD35 now. i just love the picture, but its almost to small, and that is when i use ZOOM. with a regular letterbox, it is to small. 

i have a bathroom to totally remodel, so i can/want to wait for a sale. but what good is a sale, if you don't know what to buy. so, i am starting my research on what to get. so when that "sale" comes, i can pouch on it. and its going to take well over a month to do the bathroom, so this will be an ongoing thread.

screen size
my 65" is 32" tall. a 32" tall, but letterbox wide, screen would be fine. how wide would that be ? perhaps i should go bigger :scratchhead:
it would be mounted about 2' from the wall = :coocoo:. maybe, but that is where my dlp is, and with the other gear, i like the screen there. perhaps i will wall mount later, idk.
i am going to build the screen, once i deside what to get.

projector
i want the picture to be as good as my dlp. is that possible ?
the projector would be right above my head, or there about. and i would prefer to not hear it.
i would like, if they can do it, for the screen to be letterbox. but have the projector be able to switch to 16:9 and downsize to fit the screen = black bars on the side. and display anamorphic(sp?) with black bars would be ok. 
it would be nice to have a mode that could kick up the brightness(or whatever), if i should (RARELY) want to watch it during the day, compromised quality would be ok. 


room
12x19x8, i'l show ya. it is not "dedicated" . but we, wife & i, don't real do much other than watch movies in there. i have no WAF, i do what i want. but, i do consider my wifes concerns/wants. she thinks i am :coocoo: and the screen will be to big. but she hasn't ever seen one, so doesn't have a clue.
i bet she will like it. anyway.... the room can be mostly blacked out during the day. though we pretty much always watch at night. during the winter, it is DARK, 5pm dusk, 7pm movie. you get the idea.

seating
about 10' distance.

budget
how about $3000ish total ?

:whew:
i think thats most of it. will get me started anyway. so, whatcha think ? other things i have not considered ?

thanx a ton :yes:


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## Fabricator (Apr 19, 2009)

oh. i think i am going to paint the room darker. not black, but a darker blown.


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## Sonnie (Apr 11, 2006)

You are describing the Panasonic PT-AE3000U, same pj we currently own. We have it set up on a 125" 2.35:1 AR and swap between 16x9 zoomed for 2.35 to s16x9 for 1.78 or 1.85 AR with the press of a button. It has lens shift and lens memory. Works great!

The pj is right above our seating and we never notice the fan running... it runs in econo mode.

$2499 at www.projectorpeople.com They gave me an extra year on the warranty and a free bulb warranty.

Out of the box it is one fine projector.

BTW... the walls look good... paint the ceiling black.


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## Blaser (Aug 28, 2006)

I agree. That's a versatile projector. I have never owned a DLP TV. But Projector picture might be 4 times as big and to perceive the same quality of your smaller picture, resolution should be 4 times higher as well (all other parameters assumed the same). As you see it is not easy to compare, but I can garantee projector PQ on 1080p material is stunning!


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

By looking at your photos my guess is that you would be able to go with about a 96" diagonal screen (moving your front corner bass traps would give you more space). With the Panasonic PT-AE3000U your getting a great unit and given the screen size your going with it will be more than ample brightness and resolution.


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

You've treated the front of the room, but nothing on the side or back walls..
I would suggest to improve the sound further that you put panels on the side walls at first and second reflection points..and bass traps in the rear corners..
You have a highly reflective area with those sliding glass doors and they really need to be treated as well..


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## Fabricator (Apr 19, 2009)

thanx guys

i was looking at the AE3000. so thats the one i will get. just waiting on a sale, so if ya see one = lmk.
i'm not in a hurry. :whew: that part was easy

now. the sceen. i have judged 7' wide to be about the largest i could go. i need to leave room for my mains, i don't want em right next to the wall. were can i find out what the screen height would be for the different ratios ?

also. i could measure till the cows come home. but until i could SEE the actual image in my room, i could not make a final decision . so, what would be a CHEAP way to make a temporary screen ? so that i could actualy see, before building one. perhaps just using the wall would be ok, then downsizing for the 2' closer DIY screen.
does that make sense ? 

and, compared to my 65dlp. what would the image loose ?


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

The best thing you could do is wait till you get the projector and mount it where you want it. Then simply turn it on and try some different sizes and see what you like. Have a look here at this calculator it will help you with choosing the right size for the Panasonic.


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## Fabricator (Apr 19, 2009)

will do, that sounds good.


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## Fabricator (Apr 19, 2009)

how is that machine mounted ? i don't see any mounting points on top (i think).


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

Fabricator said:


> how is that machine mounted ? i don't see any mounting points on top (i think).


It hangs upside down if you mount it on the ceiling and in the menu you flip the image and it will show the proper way around, very common with most projectors.


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## Sonnie (Apr 11, 2006)

Whoever you buy it from will recommend a mount that they sell.

www.projectorpeople.com is offering a free mount right now. 


> * Receive a 2-year limited warranty or 2,000 hours limited warranty (whichever comes first, excluding lamp) Click here for rebate claim form. Offer good 4/1/2009 through 6/30/2009.
> * FREE with purchase - 25 foot HDMI 1.3 cable, and universal projector ceiling mount! Shipping charges apply to promotional items. Offer good now through 6/30/2009, or while supplies last.


 I think I paid about $150-160 for my Chief mount.

You usually won't find these discounted very much. The PT-AE2000U, last years model, is still selling for $2000.


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## Fabricator (Apr 19, 2009)

thanx, guys.

the mount, i will make that = Fabricator .

i found a thread that said they were on sale for $2300 iirc, about 6 months ago.

as it is now, i have time to wait, and ask more questions. as the wife REALLY wants her bathroom/shower rebuilt. a complete gut. i think i am going to get started on that this weekend. so when its done, i will be open to get what "I" want :yay2:

2 more Q's :

i am assuming its 120v power ?
and it "comes" with a remote ?


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## Sonnie (Apr 11, 2006)

Yep and yep... :T


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## Fabricator (Apr 19, 2009)

:whew:

ok, this remote. when pointing it at the screen. will it work the projector ? remember, the projector will be mounted pretty much right above my head.


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## Sonnie (Apr 11, 2006)

Mine is behind me. It will work most of the time ... bouncing off the screen, but for macros, it is not so good. A remote IR transmitter is needed for macros... or emitters.


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

Fabricator said:


> :whew:
> 
> ok, this remote. when pointing it at the screen. will it work the projector ? remember, the projector will be mounted pretty much right above my head.


Sonnie is right, my remote turns it on and off just fine as well as the signal simply bounces off the screen.


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## Blaser (Aug 28, 2006)

That helps believe it is a huge flat screen :bigsmile:


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## Fabricator (Apr 19, 2009)

good. but now that i think about it. once it is on and adjusted for the movie, what else is it good for :scratchhead:

i was looking at that screen size site. seems a 7' wide anamorphic would be about 4" taller than what i have. so that is where i will start testing, when the time comes.


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## Fabricator (Apr 19, 2009)

guys. i was reading on another forum. a guy* was saying that a 110ish" at 10-12' a 720 is the same PQ as a 1080p. "if" this is true, why would guys be spending $$$$ more for a 1080p ?

* = this "guy". i don't know how knowledgable he is. but he seemed to be.


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## mechman (Feb 8, 2007)

I believe the 'guy' is mistaken. I cannot recall the exact sweet spot but if I remember correctly it is in the 60" screen range. It all has to do with pixel size and your eyes. At such and such distance the human eye is incapable of perceiving the difference between the 720p pixel size and the 1080p pixel size.

Check out Carlton Bale's screen calculator and this link on 1080p and the acuity of human vision.

For a 110" screen, the max seating distance is around 14 feet for a 1080p display. :T For a 720p display it's ~22 feet.


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## Fabricator (Apr 19, 2009)

maybe that guys name is stevie wonder, lol. yeah, i figured it was something like that. that guys statements didn't make sense. and they were talking $500 projectors.

on a side note.
i tore out the shower stall today, and will start rebuilding. i am now that much closer to getting my projector.


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## Fabricator (Apr 19, 2009)

hi, guys. another question.

i am trying to figure a way to get power to the projector. since i will/can have full coverage wall & ceiling panels, the wiring will hid behind it. 

1.i could just run an extension cord up and over. 
2.run new wiring in the wall(behind my gear), up to a new outlet close to the ceiling. then run an extension cord over the panels.
3. run BX through the wall and over the panels, to a new outlet.
4. run conduit in walls and then over the panels.
5. just hang an extension cord up to it when in use = kinda :dumbcrazy:

i can't deside. #5 = last resort.


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