Laser projectors/screens for business venue.

Y

Yamaheart

Full Audioholic
Good morning,

Hoping you guys having a great weekend so far! It has been years without any post but I know this forum will help me out greatly! I am in the progress of opening a small business and require multiple PJs and screens. I have never own a PJ before, so please bear with me. It will be ceiling mounted, the viewing distant will be approximately 13 -15 feet away. I will need motorized screens ranging from 90-120 inch. The PJs will be on for about 8-10 hours daily, so will need something reliable. The projected space will be well lit but not office bright. I have looked at Epson Works PJs, but are too many of them. I do not need 4K, 1080P is perfect for my needs with ample of lumens for well lit area, perhaps Laser will last longer? Also with screens, which motorized screen is ideal?
Please help me!
 
BMXTRIX

BMXTRIX

Audioholic Warlord
You should be looking at tab-tensioned motorized screens. On-wall and in-ceiling models from a major manufacturer are the best way to go. DaLite is a strong recommendation. The Tensioned Advantage Electrol screen is a very common screen used in commercial settings. It is fire rated and carries proper UL listings for commercial installations and use in plenum environments...

For a projector, I would likely get a LCD projector from Sony, Panasonic, or Epson. You want no less than 80 advertised lumens per square foot of screen space and resolution should be either 1920x1080 or 1920x1200 which is very common, and I would likely pair it with a 16:9 screen and set the projector to use 1920x1080 resolution. Most are switchable, but I would double check with the manufacturer first. Standardizing on 16:9 aspect ratio is typically a good choice, as it matches flat panel displays and most computer screens.

A model like this is REALLY popular:

Keep in mind that you want a minimum of about 3,500 advertised lumens for a 120" diagonal, but having more lumens allows you to run a laser projector in lower power modes which will extend the life of the projector significantly. So, you could go from a 10,000 hour lifespan to a 25,000 hour lifespan by lowering the laser light power output.
At 50 hours a week, that's 2,500+ hours a year, or 10 years of life out of a projector like this.

Not sure how many you need, where you are located, or what budget you are trying to hit, and all of that comes into play at some level. You will also need to consider a proper and appropriate ceiling mount (typically Chief) along with wiring/cabling and room audio.
 
Y

Yamaheart

Full Audioholic
You should be looking at tab-tensioned motorized screens. On-wall and in-ceiling models from a major manufacturer are the best way to go. DaLite is a strong recommendation. The Tensioned Advantage Electrol screen is a very common screen used in commercial settings. It is fire rated and carries proper UL listings for commercial installations and use in plenum environments...

For a projector, I would likely get a LCD projector from Sony, Panasonic, or Epson. You want no less than 80 advertised lumens per square foot of screen space and resolution should be either 1920x1080 or 1920x1200 which is very common, and I would likely pair it with a 16:9 screen and set the projector to use 1920x1080 resolution. Most are switchable, but I would double check with the manufacturer first. Standardizing on 16:9 aspect ratio is typically a good choice, as it matches flat panel displays and most computer screens.

A model like this is REALLY popular:

Keep in mind that you want a minimum of about 3,500 advertised lumens for a 120" diagonal, but having more lumens allows you to run a laser projector in lower power modes which will extend the life of the projector significantly. So, you could go from a 10,000 hour lifespan to a 25,000 hour lifespan by lowering the laser light power output.
At 50 hours a week, that's 2,500+ hours a year, or 10 years of life out of a projector like this.

Not sure how many you need, where you are located, or what budget you are trying to hit, and all of that comes into play at some level. You will also need to consider a proper and appropriate ceiling mount (typically Chief) along with wiring/cabling and room audio.
Thank you so much BMXTRIX, I am located in San Diego. I will be needing 3 PJs and screens. I will need ceiling motorized screens, I was looking at Elite ALR screen which will fit my application. I have heard of DaLite screens before and will look into it. As far as PJs, I was looking at those EPSON EpiqVision Laser projectors for about $1500-2000, do you recommend these? Picture quality does not have to be perfect, but I rather have my clients in awe with my setup. What are the best bang for bucks PJ and screen can you please recommend? Thank you very much!
 
BMXTRIX

BMXTRIX

Audioholic Warlord
Thank you so much BMXTRIX, I am located in San Diego. I will be needing 3 PJs and screens. I will need ceiling motorized screens, I was looking at Elite ALR screen which will fit my application. I have heard of DaLite screens before and will look into it. As far as PJs, I was looking at those EPSON EpiqVision Laser projectors for about $1500-2000, do you recommend these? Picture quality does not have to be perfect, but I rather have my clients in awe with my setup. What are the best bang for bucks PJ and screen can you please recommend? Thank you very much!
Saying you are looking at an Epson is like saying you are looking at a Chevy... Even if you say Chevy Sedan... it just isn't specific enough. Epson makes a lot of projectors, and you should be specific about the exact make/model you are looking at - always. This will help ensure that we are talking about the same model and that you are comparing apples to apples.

For example - EpiqVision...

EpiqVision...

EpiqVision...

Absolutely NONE of these are appropriate for business use and should be avoided absolutely, completely, totally. They are VERY wrong and won't deliver the brightness necessary for conference room use. They are designed for home use, and even then, their price is questionable for the quality delivered. No installation company that knows proper home and commercial projection would ever recommend an EpiqVision to you, or if they did, they don't know what they are doing.

From Epson, this list has a lot of solid models:

From all manufacturers, I would pick something from this list:

You will note that these are all 1920x1200 models, which is because that is the commercial standard.

If we switch things to 1920x1080 we get exactly ONE result...

This is why on commercial applications, using solid state light engines, and demanding higher brightness, we stick with 1920x1200 native resolution. It's the right way to go. I do know the Panasonic I linked to previously, has a menu option to force the projector to always use 1920x1080 resolution. Not sure about others on the list, but I would expect similar.

Elite makes okay screens. Their reliability is NOT in the same league as DaLite. Using a ALR screen requires a lot more brightness than a standard screen to get the same final image brightness and punch in a lit room. If your rooms don't have sunlight in them, then using a ALR screen is the wrong choice. It adds a lot of expense (more than $1,000) which is better spent on just getting a brighter projector. ALR screens are not 'magic'. They actually harm the image, introduce sparkle and image uniformity issues. They are great in a room with sunlight coming in or severe ambient light issues, but in a normally lit conference room with standard florescent lighting, there is no reason to use one. Better to get a standard tab-tensioned screen like the one I linked to in my previous post. Elite makes those types of screens as well. Probably cheaper... but as I mentioned, I know DaLite has better reliability overall.
 
Y

Yamaheart

Full Audioholic
Saying you are looking at an Epson is like saying you are looking at a Chevy... Even if you say Chevy Sedan... it just isn't specific enough. Epson makes a lot of projectors, and you should be specific about the exact make/model you are looking at - always. This will help ensure that we are talking about the same model and that you are comparing apples to apples.

For example - EpiqVision...

EpiqVision...

EpiqVision...

Absolutely NONE of these are appropriate for business use and should be avoided absolutely, completely, totally. They are VERY wrong and won't deliver the brightness necessary for conference room use. They are designed for home use, and even then, their price is questionable for the quality delivered. No installation company that knows proper home and commercial projection would ever recommend an EpiqVision to you, or if they did, they don't know what they are doing.

From Epson, this list has a lot of solid models:

From all manufacturers, I would pick something from this list:

You will note that these are all 1920x1200 models, which is because that is the commercial standard.

If we switch things to 1920x1080 we get exactly ONE result...

This is why on commercial applications, using solid state light engines, and demanding higher brightness, we stick with 1920x1200 native resolution. It's the right way to go. I do know the Panasonic I linked to previously, has a menu option to force the projector to always use 1920x1080 resolution. Not sure about others on the list, but I would expect similar.

Elite makes okay screens. Their reliability is NOT in the same league as DaLite. Using a ALR screen requires a lot more brightness than a standard screen to get the same final image brightness and punch in a lit room. If your rooms don't have sunlight in them, then using a ALR screen is the wrong choice. It adds a lot of expense (more than $1,000) which is better spent on just getting a brighter projector. ALR screens are not 'magic'. They actually harm the image, introduce sparkle and image uniformity issues. They are great in a room with sunlight coming in or severe ambient light issues, but in a normally lit conference room with standard florescent lighting, there is no reason to use one. Better to get a standard tab-tensioned screen like the one I linked to in my previous post. Elite makes those types of screens as well. Probably cheaper... but as I mentioned, I know DaLite has better reliability overall.
Thank you so much brother! I will look thru those links you posted! Also, when I was looking at those Da-lite screens, which are great for well lit room, or maybe a little of sun glare coming thru the windows? Sorry for so many questions, I am completely new to PJs and screen. I appreciate your patient and wanting to help me out!


Thank you!
 
BMXTRIX

BMXTRIX

Audioholic Warlord
Thank you so much brother! I will look thru those links you posted! Also, when I was looking at those Da-lite screens, which are great for well lit room, or maybe a little of sun glare coming thru the windows? Sorry for so many questions, I am completely new to PJs and screen. I appreciate your patient and wanting to help me out!
I would speak to a local commercial AV installation company that actually knows something about front projection.

DaLite has a number of screen surface materials, but I was going from your original post in which you said:
" The projected space will be well lit but not office bright."

Sunlight is MANY times brighter than florescent lighting. So, it may be necessary to actually measure the room brightness and have an experience AV engineer look at the room at the brightest time of the day, and perhaps measure the brightness to ensure you are getting the brightness you need out of the projector.

If a room is measuring 15 foot lumens, you will need a projector which can deliver 150 foot lumens to get a 10:1 contrast ratio. If light is coming from the wrong direction, a ALR screen may be useless. There are many factors to consider when setting up a 120" screen setup.

You will also need power, source connectivity, audio if you are using it, and how everything will be controlled. Plus, it will all need to be mounted and installed to code. I would budget about $10,000 per room for full installation and setup by a professional... not including electrical. But, I would speak to a professional first.
 
Y

Yamaheart

Full Audioholic
Thank you Sir, you have been very kind and helpful!
 
Y

Yamaheart

Full Audioholic
I would speak to a local commercial AV installation company that actually knows something about front projection.

DaLite has a number of screen surface materials, but I was going from your original post in which you said:
" The projected space will be well lit but not office bright."

Sunlight is MANY times brighter than florescent lighting. So, it may be necessary to actually measure the room brightness and have an experience AV engineer look at the room at the brightest time of the day, and perhaps measure the brightness to ensure you are getting the brightness you need out of the projector.

If a room is measuring 15 foot lumens, you will need a projector which can deliver 150 foot lumens to get a 10:1 contrast ratio. If light is coming from the wrong direction, a ALR screen may be useless. There are many factors to consider when setting up a 120" screen setup.

You will also need power, source connectivity, audio if you are using it, and how everything will be controlled. Plus, it will all need to be mounted and installed to code. I would budget about $10,000 per room for full installation and setup by a professional... not including electrical. But, I would speak to a professional first.
Hello BMXTRIX,

Thank you so much and sorry for the confusing! The business is currently being built, we just had all the framing done. The front of the business are all glass/window, and they will be cover with some sort of blinds/curtains to block out all sun light. All recess lights inside will be warm light, no white light will be use. Then, which screen will be better for my case compare to ALR? I have checked out Da-lite and not sure which "grain" to begins with. I will go with the ceiling/wall mounted tab tension motorized screens. What would you recommend for PJ about $2-3K each? Laser is a must for longevity at 1920 X 1080, I will need all the vertical/horizontal lens shifts function due the ceiling is at almost 12 foot height and PJs will be ceiling mounted. If I go with with 100" screen, the bottom of the screen is somewhere at 7-8 foot from the floor. Sound is not important, because music will be on instead of what are playing on the PJs. Thank you once again brother!
 
BMXTRIX

BMXTRIX

Audioholic Warlord
Hello BMXTRIX,

Thank you so much and sorry for the confusing! The business is currently being built, we just had all the framing done. The front of the business are all glass/window, and they will be cover with some sort of blinds/curtains to block out all sun light. All recess lights inside will be warm light, no white light will be use. Then, which screen will be better for my case compare to ALR? I have checked out Da-lite and not sure which "grain" to begins with. I will go with the ceiling/wall mounted tab tension motorized screens. What would you recommend for PJ about $2-3K each? Laser is a must for longevity at 1920 X 1080, I will need all the vertical/horizontal lens shifts function due the ceiling is at almost 12 foot height and PJs will be ceiling mounted. If I go with with 100" screen, the bottom of the screen is somewhere at 7-8 foot from the floor. Sound is not important, because music will be on instead of what are playing on the PJs. Thank you once again brother!
What is the purpose of the projectors? What is their specific use? Doesn't sound like this is for conference room presentation.

It does sound like there will actually be a fair bit of light in the space. While it may not be using standard florescent lighting, odds are good that lighting will be just as bright as any typical conference room, none of which changes my recommendation on projectors from the links previously provided.

Anything on this list: https://www.projectorcentral.com/projectors.cfm?g=1&hide=0&st=1&exp1=1&r=16&br=&c=&w=&db=&ar=&zr=&wt=&ltg=101&ll=&wr=&dt=1.0.0&mfg=&p=&t=&pjl=0&pjw=0&pjh=0&td=&is=&i=d&tr=&tr2=&exp5=1&oop=1&sort=$&sz=15#list

I would likely even go brighter than 5,000 lumens and might go more towards a $3,200 model like on of these:

Of those on the links provided, the Eiki has the most lens shift with 60% up/down. So, that would allow it to be placed at a maximum of 10% above the top of the screen, requiring it to be lowered from the ceiling the least.

With a 120" diagonal, 7' or so from the floor, the top of the screen would be pretty close to the ceiling, so the projector could be very tight to the ceiling and work just fine.
I wouldn't put the top of the screen more than 6 inches from the ceiling if you can manage it.

I guess I am wondering, if these are going to be on all day during business hours, why you would spend four times the price to get a motorized screen. It seems like these will be permanently on displays in the space. That's a big additional expense for an always-down screen.

It also sounds like people will be looking 'UP' at the screens. This introduces an issue with ALR screens which have very narrow viewing angles, especially up/down. That is, the screens reflect light straight back towards the projector within a narrow angle. This is the whole point of a ALR screen, they are typically retroreflective (the shine back light from where it came from). As well, it sounds like a fair bit of light may be coming from the same direction where the projector is already located, which makes ALR screens a bit useless.

So, while a screen like this sounds REALLY good on first look (.8 gain model):

The reality is that there is one figure that matters a great deal and that is the vertical half angle. If you look specifically at the material page, you will see that the vertical half angle is listed at only 17 degrees.

That means, that anyone under the image at an angle of 17 degrees, will lose HALF the projector's brightness. It means that from a distance, it will look great, but as you get closer and closer, the image will quickly dim and those right under it will have almost no light directed towards them. So, it should be used with caution. As well, the projector must be at least 1.5x the width of the screen away, which isn't an issue for the Eiki model, but needs to be kept in consideration.

A screen like this would be much better overall for an always-on use scenario like the on you are describing. You get a MUCH better screen for far less money:

I might pair it with a material like the HD Progressive 1.1 Contrast...

Or, more likely, something like this, which will deliver a very uniform image across a wide viewing angle with solid contrast and brightness when used with a bright projector like the Eiki...
 
Y

Yamaheart

Full Audioholic
Hello BMXTRIX,

Please check your inbox message/conversation! Thank you!
 
AcuDefTechGuy

AcuDefTechGuy

Audioholic Jedi
Whatever the purpose, Laser is the future of PJ.

Get a bright laser PJ.
 

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