# movie theater set-up in coffee shop



## stratego66 (Sep 19, 2011)

Hey,
thanks for turning me onto the other post for starting up
what I'm trying to do is set-up a really good quality movie theater in my coffee shop the shop itself is 18ft wide and about 28 ft long seating maybe 20 at a distance starting at 10-12ft
I can control the lighting (dimmers on potlights )
my budget is about $3000 with popcorn maker(a must) I started with Epson powerlite then saw this Vivitek D536-3D 3200 lumens does that mean I can show 3-D movies?
thanks
again this is a very helpful site
Gord


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## mechman (Feb 8, 2007)

Showing 3D movies in a coffee shop probably isn't all that good of an idea. That would require a lot of glasses! Plus there is a fee for showing movies and such in public places. I'd stick with tv. The projector you selected would work well though, according to the specs. :T


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

stratego66 said:


> what I'm trying to do is set-up a really good quality movie theater in my coffee shop


Yup, not at all legal and could wind you up in jail. Privet showing in your home is one thing but in a public place you need to have an individual license from every movie production company that you plan to show.


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## Doug Blackburn (Sep 29, 2011)

You need a TON of light from a projector to get satisfying 3D - not likely to happen at your budget. In addition, the room would have to be PITCH BLACK -- and I mean NO light from any sources and you'd want at least the first 10 feet around the screen on all sides (walls, floor, ceiling) to be non-reflective black. Which is pretty freaky looking at home, let alone in a public place like a coffee shop.

Rear projection is a better option for installations like you are talking about because there's no projection beam for customers to walk through to get to and from seats - and because rear projection systems are better for use in situations where there is light in the room which you need to keep people safe and comfortable when they get up for refills or whatever. You can install an enclosed rear projection setup in a space about 2 feet deep plus or minus a little depending on how large the screen is (larger screen needs a larger mirror or mirrors... in these rear projection setups, the projector is mounted low, as in many rear projection TVs, and the light bounces off 1 or 2 mirrors before hitting the screen.). With rear projection, you can maintain a comfortable light level for customers and all you have to be careful about is not aiming any light sources directly at the rear projection screen.


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

Doug Blackburn said:


> You need a TON of light from a projector to get satisfying 3D - not likely to happen at your budget. In addition, the room would have to be PITCH BLACK -- and I mean NO light from any sources and you'd want at least the first 10 feet around the screen on all sides (walls, floor, ceiling) to be non-reflective black. Which is pretty freaky looking at home, let alone in a public place like a coffee shop.


Thats just a little bit extreme, and not at all factual. Front projection has come a long way over the last two years and would work just fine in even areas where ambient light is still an issue.


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## mechman (Feb 8, 2007)

tonyvdb said:


> Thats just a little bit extreme, and not at all factual. Front projection has come a long way over the last two years and would work just fine in even areas where ambient light is still an issue.


I believe Doug is talking about *3D* front projection. And for that, he is correct. :T


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## Doug Blackburn (Sep 29, 2011)

Yes, absolutely... for 3D.

People seem to think 3-D is just "automatic" if they have a projector capable of 3-D, but that is absolutely NOT the case. If the projection system produces 15 foot-Lamberts (right in the middle of the recommended 14-16 fL recommended range), REAL WORLD light measurments through the 3-D glasses produces MAYBE 3 foot-Lamberts... that is very very very dark for 100% white. The only way to make that an enjoyable viewing experience is to be COMPLETELY blacked-out.

As for 2-D front projection... in a place of business, rather than in a dedicated theater, there is still the inescapable problem of people walking around and blocking the beam of the projector. Unless you plan to put the bottom of the screen 8 feet from the floor, you have to either accept having people walking though the projection beam or go rear projection. Rear projection is less sensitive to light in the room also. Also, front projection with light in the room... no matter WHAT you do, you will compromise black levels. Using a high-gain screen may sound like a solution, but high-gain screens never look as good as screens closer to unity gain (hot spots, prismatic effects, etc.). And the closer to unity gain, typically the less rejection of light from the room there is. So it's going to create a compromise either way. For this type of environment/reality (as described in the original inquiry), rear projection would be recommended by 98% of custom installers.


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