Got WAF!!

[crashkelly]

Pretty cool weekend. Went over to my brother-in-law's for dinner and he had his new projector and screen setup and had the kids watching Madagascar. First thing my wife said was "we have to get one of these".

That being said, I am now looking for some assistance with some good choices as I have no real knowledge of projectors and/or screens.

Let's start with the facts.

Budget is about $1500 for screen and projector, although I can squeeze a little more if I have to.

Biggest screen I can have is 92" diag due to room size and layout. Problem is that we only have one main TV/movie/game area in the house so the TV is going to have to stay and the screen will be placed such that it will pull down in front of the TV when it is movie/game time. That being said, I am looking for a pulldown screen. I know there are issues with them going wavy after some time but I really don't have a choice and I cannot afford a tab-tensioned model.

The room size is 15' X 11' X 7'9" (LxWxH) There is a half wall at the back of the HT space but the drop ceiling is the full length of the basement so the ceiling mount for the projector can pretty much go anywhere it needs to. The viewing distance is about 11'6" from couch to screen. Unfortunately when the 92" screen is pulled down it will partially block the subwoofer and one speaker (not by much but it will). How will this affect the sound?

I do not have any high definitions devices so I have no need for 1080p at this time, although I can see it happening in 2 to 3 years. Although I will probably buy an upconverting DVD player at the same time as the projector to get a better picture on the screen

I guess to me this will be an intermediary setup until the prices up 1080p come way down up here in Canada so there is no need to spend a fortune.

Here is a pic of the under construction HT space. I am standing somewhat forward and to the right of the eventual couch position.

and here is one of the same wall with drywall.

Not visible in the photos is the fact I prewired for the projector. Was thinking ahead, but I did not think I would get WAF so soon. Also not visible is the two other windows in the basement. All windows will be light controlled in some way (black curtains with blinds in behind if I can get the WAF for it)

I have already started researching a little bit and have found this from Costco.ca
Optoma 720p projector and screen and ceiling mount for $1500 (including shipping)

Would like to know anyone thoughts on the above projector and also any opinions/suggestions anyone might have for my purchase.

Thanks
Michael

 

[erick.s]

Congrats on the room - lots of fun is ahead for you. About the pj/screen you posted from costco - I personally have a love/hate relationship with Optoma. I usually really love the picture they throw, but their installation inflexibility is such that I can't run one. Their lower end DLPs don't have any sort of lens shift and the fixed offset is usually so ridiculous (in the 30% range) that it's impossible to ceiling mount them with anything less than a 9' ceiling. You should look up the offset on that particular pj and take VERY accurate and careful measurements to see if it will work in your space. Also, if you don't have much experience with DLP technology you should definitely take your family out together and find a store that has a DLP pj on display to see if you're bothered by the rainbow effect. I can see them on anything with a 5x speed color wheel or less. My wife actually gets "motion sickness" from DLP pjs that have a 5x or slower color wheel and after ten minutes gets a headache and has to leave the room. 95% of the people out there never see them, but if you're sensitive to them you'll want to know before you buy one.

 

[crashkelly]

Hey erick.s,

Yeah, the room is going to be great!! It is taking forever though. I am doing all the work myself and it is tough to squeeze in the time to get it done. Hung the last sheets of drywall yesterday so now it is on to getting the mudding done.

Thanks for the input on the projector. I watch the one at my brother-in-law's for a bit and I seemed to be fine with it, the rainbow effect that is, and so were the kids. The wife only looked at in for a couple of minutes so I am not sure about her. Sounds like another trip to the brother-in-law's is in order. Cool, they can cook dinner.

Not to knowlegeable on the lens shift and offset factors so I will have to do some research and learning.

Thanks again
Michael

 

[erick.s]

I know what you mean about timing - I've been working on my room for two years now and I'm just now making equipment selections. As far as offset and lens shift goes, in your price range (and room size) it might be wise to stick with an LCD based pj as nearly all of them have adjustable lens shift and are much more forgiving with placement.

 

[crashkelly]

Yeah, timing. I started the project in July and had bought most of my equip by the end of that month. Now I get to stare at the boxes and not use any of it. Oh well, a bit of motivation to get it done.

I am just doing a bit of reading on the different things, offset, lens shift, ... all still pretty new to me, but I will get it. Do you know a formula for calculating offset?

I will check out a few LCDs while I am at it

Do you know any good online retailers for projectors?

Thanks again
Michael

 

[erick.s]

Two good online retailers I've used are visualapex.com and projectorpeople.com. I browse their forums but have never bought from them, but I hear avscience has decent prices and customer service. Most manufacturers have offset calculators on their websites - I know for a fact Optoma does. The basic idea is that if a projector has a fixed offset of, say, 20% that means that the projector needs to be positioned either 20% above or 20% below the screen edge (viewable edge, not border edge). If you get a pj with a lens shift feature it allows you to physically move the lens up or down (and in many cases left and right) to get the image exactly where you want it. It allows you to get the screen exactly where you want it without having the pj dictate placing. It's especially helpful with lower than optimal ceiling heights as many of us have in our basements. My ceiling height is the same as yours at 7'10" so many DLPs are out for me as they tend to have fixed offset in the lower price ranges. Right now I'm leaning towards a Sony VPL-VW60 but I'm waiting to see more reviews on it as well as some of the newer pjs coming out within the next month or two.

 

[crashkelly]

I am starting to get the scoop on some of this stuff, offset...., and am thinking that package might be out for me. I did use the calculator on the Optoma site and it says I will need an offset of 14.4". I could maybe make that if I mounted the projector right to the ceiling, but any mounting bracket would start putting the screen very close to the floor (bad!)

I am going to keep looking but I am thinking that and LCD like the Panasonic PT-AX200U might be more what I need. My HT will be split 50/50 between movies and games. I could get a motorized screen for $449CDN and the projector for $1299USD, not sure about shipping and/or duty though so I will have to check on that.

Thanks for the tips about visualapex and projector people. I have visited both the sites this morning and think I am going to send an e-mail to VisualApex about shipping to Canada.

Cheers
Michael

 

[AVTechnologyGuy]

Some Screen Sugestions

Be careful of the subwoofer behind the screen as it will make the screen flutter. If you use speakers behind it, use a perforated screen, although they do Moire. Otherwise, check out Screen Research. They have a screen technology that is woven, not perforated. They are costly, but work well.

 

[crashkelly]

AVTechnologyGuy,

Thanks for the tip(s). I will check into Screen Research. In terms of the speaker I think I might be okay. If I can get a projector that does not have a high offset, not the Optoma, the speaker will be below the bottom of the screen. In terms of the subwoofer, well that is another story, although it is a downfiring SVS so maybe that will help. Definately don't want flutter in the screen.

Thanks again
Michael