the right screen size...

[DaveN]

I'm new to this forum and am looking for some advice from the experts; Here's the situation, new dedicated theater room with total light control, 24 X 18, Optoma H79, front seats 10 1/2 feet from the screen wall, second row about 16 feet. What size screen is right, I'm thinking 110". Sound right? too big? thanks, dave

 

[wilkenboy]

Dave,

Welcome to the forum. I think you'll find this is a pretty informative place with plenty of helpful folks.

The best place you can go is to projectorcentral.com. They operate a projector calculator which will allow you to appropriately size and place the projector relative to the screen and ambient light conditions.

http://www.projectorcentral.com/projection-calculator-pro.cfm

Hope this helps!

~Josh

 

[DaveN]

thanks

thanks Josh, I'm trying to use that calculator, it looks like a good tool. It must be popular today, it's hung up and running slow.

 

[Reorx]

Personally, I'd rather have larger then smaller.
I feel it's easier to change out a projector, then to try to change out a small screen with a larger screen. Especially if it's motorize, in the ceiling, or drywalled in.
Plus, in the future, when you upgrade your projector or get a larger house, you only need to upgrade 1 thing....not 2.

The calculator is nice, and I've used it a few times.

Reorx

ps: I have 3x 4:3 - 8' across screens, 1 primary, 2 backups; and use NEC, Hitachi, and Mitsubishi projectors on it (from work).

 

[BMXTRIX]

The general rule for screen size is to follow (more or less) THX standards which state that for HD viewing with a HD projector you want the screen to be about .66x the primary seating distance in width.

This really isn't typical though as most people aren't running HD to their projectors all of the time and that you also have a fall off of light unless you go with a higher gain screen from a specific distance.

Let's use your second row as primary seating, which would mean that at about 15 feet (for math) your screen width should be about .66x that which is 10 feet wide.

120" wide - that's a big screen, but would be great if those were your ONLY seats.

But, they aren't. So, your other seats are at 10.5 feet which (using the same math) gives a width of about 7 feet.

84" wide - that's not that large of a screen.

So, the question becomes what screen width to pick that is between those two numbers that you will be happy with.

Since the H79 is not an overly bright projector I would pair it with at least a 1.3 gain screen, then might try to up the screen size to maybe 120" diagonal as my happy medium. 110" actually seems a bit small to me, but you definitely will be running into some brightness issues, not size issues, with that projector in a room that size.

In comparison, a projector like the InFocus 7210 would have no problem with a large screen size like that with no real need for positive gain boost, but you may lose a bit on shadow detail.

Always a balancing game with front projection, but the end result is almost always spectacular.

 

[DaveN]

screendoor?

Great insight, I appreciate it. My concern was parking 10 feet from a 110" screen. That's a wide view angle which is cool but is that going to create that front row at the movie theater effect where you just feel too close or a screendoor image? Do you think the close seats will still look good? thanks.

 

[df4801]

It depends where you like to sit in the movie theater.
Near the front, or near the back???

I sit 14' from a 100" screen. I probably would like 110" better, but not much bigger than that. Some like to sit 10' from a 100" screen.
Just depends on your preferences.

Go to your local theater store and sit down for a while.
See what distance from the screen seems good to you.

Maybe this viewing distance calculator will help.
http://www.myhometheater.homestead.com/viewingdistancecalculator.html#anchor_13194