Need help on projector/screen installation

H

HT4ME

Audioholic Intern
Hey everyone,

As a newbie, I have a question. I will be finishing my basement which will include my very first home theater (Yippeee!). I have decided on a Wolf SDC-8 and a Black Diamond 120" fixed screen.

I would like to set it up with the help of a friend; however, how do I go about doing this? Projector, then screen? Or the other way around?

Also, how do I know where to place the projector? Dead center? Slightly offline?

In addition, if you have other suggestions or considerations, I am all ears!

Thanks,

Matthew


Read more: I want to do it myself...really, I do! - Home Theater Forum and Systems - HomeTheaterShack.com
 
BMXTRIX

BMXTRIX

Audioholic Warlord
I feel it is always important to ask how you determined that the Wolf projector was exactly appropriate for your setup and is your room so poor that it needs a Black Diamond screen?

It seems an odd pairing to take a top-shelf projector and put it into a room so poor that it needs a light rejecting screen to work properly.

It also always has struck me odd when people buy something that is merely a rebadge of someone else's product. In this case, the Wolf projector is a JVC in a pretty (?) case.

If you are serious about your home theater, as your budget indicates, then I would focus on the space first. Paint it dark, get dark carpet, dark ceilings, walls, etc. Do good acoustical treatments and set the room up properly above all else. Get the lighting right (very few do this right) and then figure out the gear.

Your screen size should be based on viewing distance and theater preference. Center of the theater feel puts the screen width at .66x your viewing distance. So, if you sit 12' away, about a 96" wide screen (110" diagonal) is appropriate for 16:9 screens. If you like to sit closer than the middle of the theater, then go a bit larger.

Since it sounds like you have flexibility, you may want to consider an acoustically transparent screen and speakers placed behind the screen.

Since you have a good budget, you may want to take a long look at the JVC models:
JVC Projectors

Specifically, their upcoming UHD model which should be out soon:
JVC Projectors: JVC DLA-RS57 D-ILA projector

I had a high-end theater guy build a theater for one of my client's and he asked me why I was using a JVC instead of a 'high end' projector. When I fired it up he commented that it looked better than his $10,000 projector that he was using. That's the reality of the JVC models and why Wolf repackages them, but once you know that, then what else does Wolf give you?

On the screen side, in a properly treated room, the best screen you can use is one which offers the most even dispersion possible in the most neutral white color possible. A pure white will add pop to the image and the wide viewing angle will maintain image uniformity. People often buy and/or are recommend specialty screens for very wrong reasons. There is a good time and place for a Black Diamond screen, but a good home theater is not that space. A good 'family room' or 'rec room' is far more that space, but then would ask for a different projector as well.

DaLite has a number of JKP Affinity screens which are very neutral and designed for top-shelf front projection. They are not acoustically transparent, but perform very well.

For mounting, pick a screen location which is absolutely the best for your seating positions. Not to high or to low.

Then mount the projector. The lens should be centered left/right on the screen. If the lens is not on center to the projector then shift the mount to compensate. Most higher end projectors (all JVCs) have lens shift. This means that the top of the projector can be about even with the top of the image on screen, or anywhere below that point when ceiling mounted. It doesn't have the range to be above the screen more than an inch or so if I remember correctly. So, drop the projector to the proper height using your ceiling mount.

The ceiling mount you use should be a Chief RPMAU. Period.
 

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