Help me spend $5000! Photos + details inside.

[Patrick G.]

Okay, now that I have pretty much decided to convert to projector, I need suggestions on how to spend $5000 to get the best possible projector and screen.

Below are a couple of photos of the room, along with key characteristics/dimensions:

Distance from Viewing Wall to Sofa Seat Back: 14.5 ft
Width of Viewing Wall: 16 ft
Ceiling Height: 8 ft 6 in
Width from Outside of Front Left Speaker to Outside of Front Right Speaker: 8 ft
Height from Top of Center Speaker to Ceiling: 5 ft 4 in
Surface Colors: Ceiling is white, walls are Sherwin-Williams SW6143 Basket Beige
Current TV (going back to Samsung): UN65D8000
Usage: Primarily movies at night, with some TV viewing and Wii play (I'm not a gamer). I do watch football all day Sundays during the NFL season.
Budget: $5000
Bottom Line: I would like for you more experienced forum members to recommend an exact make/model projector and screen for this application.

Concerns:

1. Right now I have my Blu-ray, DirecTV STB, and Wii all wired to the AVR via HDMI, and then a single HDMI cable running from the AVR to the TV. Will I still be able to do this with a projector?
2. I currently have an Ethernet cable wired to the TV. Will I be able to do the same with a projector? (can I still stream Netflix, etc., or can/must I do that via the Blu-ray?)
3. Given my entertainment center there below the TV, will this allow me to use a 100" or larger screen, or is it simply too large/high?
4. Although my drapes aren't technically "black-out" drapes, they do a pretty good job of keeping the light out when closed. There is an identical window with identical drapes directly to the right of where I am standing to take the first photo. Is this enough light control?
5. Will fan noise be a concern since I'm assuming the projector will be directly above the primary viewing position?
6. How big of a deal are the various source material aspect ratios where screen size/shape is concerned?

Questions:

1. What would be the very next step up from the Epson Home Cinema 5010 or JVC DLA-RS45?
2. Would you recommend a fixed screen mounted on the wall, or one of those automatic retractable ones?
3. When you suggest a screen size for me, can you also indicate how far back on the ceiling the projector will need to be mounted?
4. Is there any "warm up" time for a projector, or will I still be able to grab a plate of food, walk downstairs, turn everything on, and immediately start watching TV or a movie?
5. If a select a projector like the Epson Home Cinema 5010, JVC DLA-RS45, or the next step up, will there be a lot of calibration necessary, or is it pretty much ready to go right out of the box. Or, will there be calibration settings posted here I would be able to use? I'm in Southwest Missouri, so having an ISF tech come out is not an option. I do have the Disney WOW Blu-ray.

 

[adk highlander]

Our resident Pro installer is BMXTRIX so I will defer to his recommendations but here is what I am comfortable saying:

[*]Right now I have my Blu-ray, DirecTV STB, and Wii all wired to the AVR via HDMI, and then a single HDMI cable running from the AVR to the TV. Will I still be able to do this with a projector?

Yes. All the projector needs is the single HDMI connection unless you are using the 12v trigger output to drop your screen or an RS232 cable for control.

[*]I currently have an Ethernet cable wired to the TV. Will I be able to do the same with a projector? (can I still stream Netflix, etc., or can/must I do that via the Blu-ray?)

I don't know of a projector yet that does any streaming and to be honest I would not want one that would. Get a BR player that does it or use your Wii.

[*]Given my entertainment center there below the TV, will this allow me to use a 100" or larger screen, or is it simply too large/high?

Just go to any of the major screen manufacturers web sites and check the size of the 100" 16x9 ratio screens. For what I can see you should have no problem but check to verify.

[*]Although my drapes aren't technically "black-out" drapes, they do a pretty good job of keeping the light out when closed. There is an identical window with identical drapes directly to the right of where I am standing to take the first photo. Is this enough light control?

This really depends on the output of the projector but unless the drapes cover well past the window to not let any light bleed in you may want to invest in some kind of blackout shade as well as the drapes.

[*]Will fan noise be a concern since I'm assuming the projector will be directly above the primary viewing position?

Many projectors are very quiet. My mitsu HC5500 is directly over my head and unless I am trying to hear it I never know it is running during a movie.

[*]How big of a deal are the various source material aspect ratios where screen size/shape is concerned?

As long as you do not mind the black bars at the bottom and top when playing a 2.35:1 movie then it is not a concern. Obviously it will be smaller on a 16x9 screen but unless you are going to increase your price to include an anamorphic lens or a masking system then you are going to have t live with it.

[*]Would you recommend a fixed screen mounted on the wall, or one of those automatic retractable ones?

A fixed screen may give a better image but a retractable will give you the possible option to keep the TV as well and have the screen drop down in front of it. Also there is a new screen that has both a 16x9 and 2.35:1 screens in one housing. (I think HT mag did a review last month.)

[*]When you suggest a screen size for me, can you also indicate how far back on the ceiling the projector will need to be mounted?

Projector Central (link) has a calculator for that.

[*]Is there any "warm up" time for a projector, or will I still be able to grab a plate of food, walk downstairs, turn everything on, and immediately start watching TV or a movie?

There is always some kind of warm up but the projectors I have used take less than a minute. My popcornhour takes longer to boot up than the projector so it has never been an issue for me.

[*]If a select a projector like the Epson Home Cinema 5010, JVC DLA-RS45, or the next step up, will there be a lot of calibration necessary, or is it pretty much ready to go right out of the box. Or, will there be calibration settings posted here I would be able to use? I'm in Southwest Missouri, so having an ISF tech come out is not an option.

You will want to calibrate it. I used the Spears and Munsil disk that came with my Oppo and even though it took me a while I did get results that I was happy with in the end. Probably took me 4 hours or so over a few nights. First to understand all of the possible adjustments and then widdle it down to the ones that mattered.

 

[BMXTRIX]

The above post was very accurate.

The main talking points have been covered.

You have a fair budget for a projector/screen setup, but you will need to decide how serious you want to do this.

By this I mean, there are some concerns I would have with a front projection setup that I would strongly encourage you to consider:

1. 20 bucks of paint will be the most significant performance enhancement you can make! Forget what you think you have for light control. As long as you have a huge white REFLECTIVE white ceiling, you don't have light control. Instead, look through some magazines at rooms painted darker. You can keep some color, just bring the room down a good bit, especially the ceiling! All the cool kids have painted ceilings these days.

2. Your credenza doesn't have to be at the front of the room. All those blinking lights right in front of your face while you are trying to watch a movie? I would think they are already distracting at night, but in a front projection setup it will be far more of a distraction.

3. A fixed screen gives the best results for the least amount of money, but a tab-tensioned electric screen is a good way to go and allows you to keep the other screen in place. Seymour AV has acoustically transparent tensioned screens for around $2,000 which I would recommend you consider. This may help considering your speakers being so close together and the higher credenza with a speaker sitting on it.

4. The JVC RS45 will give you the best 2D image under $3,500. The Epson 5010 will give the best 3D under $3,500.

5. Overhead is typically the best location for a projector. All the vents are on the sides, so noise comes out the front/sides/back the most, while no noise is directed downwards. So, put a projector overhead and reduce your noise from that projector!

6. All projectors are like PC monitors. They don't have TV tuners or internet functionality. So, you use a Roku player, or Blu-ray or something else to get content to it through an A/V receiver. You are all set for all of that so don't sweat it.

7. Get light blocking celular blinds for your windows and leave the curtains. It will give you solid results during the daytime.

8. You have a solid budget, but not enough to do a proper anamorphic setup, so you should stick with a 16:9 (1.78:1) screen setup. At 14' viewing, a 120" diagonal is very realistic for being the 'proper' size.

 

[Patrick G.]

Oh man, I may have to rethink this if I'm going to need to paint the ceiling to get equal enjoyment (equal to plasma or LED) out of this. That's a textured mud ceiling there, and there's a lot of it, so I'd hire a pro to do it, which won't be cheap. I suppose if the room does indeed need to be dark (vs low light), a projector may not be the best solution for me.