Projector help, please

P

ProjectorHelp

Audiophyte
We've moved into a new house which has an unbranded projector ceiling mount already installed in the living room. With no projector in it, obviously! All it says on it is '15cm max load capacity 25 kg' and then a serial number.

We'd like to install a projector in there, but can't figure out whether we will be constrained by the mount in terms of what we can put in it. I've read some great reviews of projectors but can't figure out whether we can just buy any of them that we like the look of. We're not after anything really high-end, just a basic projector that we can watch movies on with the lights off. Ideally it would be nice to be portable so we can take it into the bedroom on occasion as well, but that's a nice-to-have.

Any advice?
 
mtrycrafts

mtrycrafts

Seriously, I have no life.
We've moved into a new house which has an unbranded projector ceiling mount already installed in the living room. With no projector in it, obviously! All it says on it is '15cm max load capacity 25 kg' and then a serial number.

We'd like to install a projector in there, but can't figure out whether we will be constrained by the mount in terms of what we can put in it. I've read some great reviews of projectors but can't figure out whether we can just buy any of them that we like the look of. We're not after anything really high-end, just a basic projector that we can watch movies on with the lights off. Ideally it would be nice to be portable so we can take it into the bedroom on occasion as well, but that's a nice-to-have.

Any advice?
Hi, and welcome to AH :)

Hard to say without seeing the mount. Is it just a pipe hanging from the ceiling or does it also have a mounting plate to attach a projector from?
If the patter, may want to measure the mounting hole layout, do a rough drawing of the hole locations with the distances between the holes, then you can refer to it when shopping for a projector. Perhaps new holes could be drilled in the mounting plate?
Or, does it have movable arms to adjust to a projector?
Are there power outlets and cables by the mount?
How is it mounted to the ceiling? Perhaps it could be replaced? The mount should not limit you to a specific projector.
I doubt it would be too much of a modification to change it after you have your projector picked, if needed.
Perhaps if you have enough posts, you could post a picture or a link to a picture on a web like photobucket?
 
BMXTRIX

BMXTRIX

Audioholic Warlord
You really want to not just buy something cheap, as that's like buying the cheapest car on the lot. It may seem like a good deal, but the first time a bug hits the hood and the car falls apart, you may feel like you should have done some more research.

There are hundreds of mounts out there that range from $20 to $200+ and it may be one of the cheaper ones you have. It hardly matters if it works for any projector you are considering as if it doesn't, you can just get a new one for not a lot of cash.

Things to let us know:
Is there a screen on the wall?
Are there speakers in place?
Is there HDMI and other cabling in place to the projector?
What size is the room?
What are your expectations?
What color is the room it is going into?

Projectors really aren't designed to be easily installed and removed from ceiling mounts. It takes some time to square up the image on screen and to get the best possible image, but a good mount makes this a lot easier. It is worth saying that a room that is painted dark, with dark walls, ceiling, and carpet will offer the best image in a room with no ambient light. Being able to close curtains is NOT light control. But, even with poor light control, the modern projectors at about $800-$1,000 can do a very good job in most rooms on a screen up to about 120" diagonal.

Sound: Some, but not all, projectors handle sound. The sound quality of the projectors with an internal speaker is lousy. Like, worse than the typical cel-phone lousy. Worse than most laptop speakers lousy. So, you typically add a 5.1 surround system to the mix. There are cheaper and more expensive ways to do things, but if this is your home, and not just a rental, than perhaps consider spending a bit more to really create a home cinema space. It can make 'movie night' into an entirely new experience.
 
afterlife2

afterlife2

Audioholic Warlord
Quick question: On my Acer it gives me the option for 3D 24P 144 HZ. Should I leave it on or off? Does this help the 3D picture? Thanks.
 

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