I did look at the 8100 - it's the direct competitor. However, the reviews for the projector state that its unreliable. Additionally, its noisy and the LCD lamp is susceptible to dust, rainbow effect, etc.
Every person I've asked told me to stay with the DLP if placement was not an issue, and honestly it's an open basement, doesnt really matter if it's 20 feet away or 5 feet away. The only restrictions will take effect when the basement is actually finished, in which case it will be a fixed offset.
I've settled on making a 150'' display. Yes it may be a little big but whatever, you only live once.
The only issue I've heard is with premature bulb failure and Epson replaced all the bulbs free of charge even after the lamp warranty. Epson is the best of the bunch in reliability and rainbow effect is vastly overstated issue IMO. The problem with DLPs is they aren't placement flexible.
I suggest sticking to standard for screen size, seating distance and speaker setup. In a theater oriented basement I still think you'd probably be happier with an AT screen-false wall setup, but if you want to have screen paint I suggest Black Widow paint if you have sufficient brightness.
- One quart of Valspar Ultra Premium Flat Enamel (we call this VUPE frequently) tinted PPG (Pittsburgh Paints) 427-2 Bermuda Beige
- 8oz. of Auto Air Aluminum fine
This has one of the best colorometer ratings of any screen material or pain on the DIY market. make sure a 3/16" roller is used and don't press down hard or you will get texture which is bad. I recommend painting a substrate if you can get one large enough for the desired screen size. Fiberboard is a very cheap option for this and with some poplar you can easily support it.
BOC works very well too and need only be stapled and glued to a frame. Many folks prefer to frame a screen with a black border rather than use the velvet tape, because it looks very nice.
Put your seating distance in this calculator to get a good idea of screen size
http://myhometheater.homestead.com/viewingdistancecalculator.html
You don't want to do this wrong eyestrain isn't fun and redoing a screen isn't either.
