Big image,small space

[ramalho]

Hello,I just bought a 100 inch(2.54m) screen and would like a new 1080p projector to go with it.The problem is I have a very small room,so can anyone tell me which projector can give me a 100 inch image only 9 feet away(2.75m)?Can the new Panasonic AE3000 or the Sony VPL-HW10 achieve this?I'm looking around this price range.
Any help would be deeply appreciated,thanks

[dwhite]

Using this projection calculator, I'm afraid for a 100" diaganol you need a minimum throw of 10'2" for the Sony and 11'6" for the Panny.

It is a very big screen for such a short throw, not sure what projectors might fit.

[KelvinS1965]

With an AE3000 at 9 feet from the screen (and that's lens to screen, so if your room is exactly 9 feet long, then you need to deduce another foot or so for the depth of the PJ), the most you would get is 91" diagonal. I used the projector central screen calculator, but I've found it pretty accurate in practice with my AE3000. The Sony comes up as 89" diagonal from the same 9' throw.

I'd recommend you take the screen back and buy one once you've chosen your projector, then you can try the PJ in place to confirm how big it will go. There isn't a PJ available that will be able to zoom big enough to fill it from 9 feet, so it would be a waste, unless you can mask the sides and top to make it appear smaller perhaps? BTW, it's not usually recommended to use a PJ at the extremes of the zoom range, but if you want the biggest picture, I don't see how you have any choice.

Link to the projector screen calculator with the AE3000 already chosen:

Projection Calculator - Throw Distance and Screen Size

Sorry for the bad news.

[bobblybits]

how come you bought a screen before a projector?

[ramalho]

Hi guys,Just an update,I made a mistake,it's actually a 90 inch screen,sorry.
And I do have a projector,but wanted to upgrade both screen(quality and size)and projector.Now,I knew I couldn't achieve the size I wanted with my current old and cheap projector but I thought a new generation would do the trick.
Since it's 90 and not 100 inches,it should be just a little bit easier.Still,sugestions?

[KelvinS1965]

You say your screen is 90", do you mean 90" wide or 90" diagonal? If it is 90" wide then the AE3000 will not quite be able to fill it from that distance, especially once you take off the depth of the PJ from your 9' throw. Using the calculator I posted above shows that 90" wide is 103" diagonal, so you're no better off than we thought in your first post I'm afraid.

I have read of some people using a mirror to project at to gain some extra throw distance. You could perhaps ceiling mount the PJ facing the 'wrong way' then have a mirror at the back of the room (it could be quite a decorative one, whatever fits in with your room, but the surface needs to be flat). You might have to tilt the mirror upwards, but once you know the correct angle, you could make up a suitable packing piece that you put in when watching a film. Just make sure the mirror is securely attached to the wall. You'll have to change the setting in the projector to allow for this, but most (including the AE3000) have an inverted setting and a reverse setting (usually used for rear projection) that would work using a mirror and ceiling mounting.

Off the wall (or rather 'off the mirror') but maybe worth a thought if you want a bigger screen with a smaller throw.

[imjay]

A 90 inch diagonal is still significantly larger than say a 63in diagonal tv and a wall filling screen in such a small room should deliver the "feel" of something even larger.

Shelf mount of ceiling mount would be best using one of the more quiet projectors so your seating can go along the wall under the projector.

Our Panasonic is on a shelf 60 in. off the floor and in econo lamp mode we can't hear it even sitting directly beneath it.

I wouldn't sit any closer than that and you should achieve an eyeball-to-screen of maybe 8 1/2 feet which is as close as I would want to be.

[KelvinS1965]

Originally Posted by imjay

A 90 inch diagonal is still significantly larger than say a 63in diagonal tv and a wall filling screen in such a small room should deliver the "feel" of something even larger.

I agree with your sentiments, but the OP's problem is that he doesn't have enough distance to produce an image that size. Given that he alreay has the screen, I was just trying to offer a suggestion as to how he might be able to workaround this.

I have my AE3000 at the back of the room and I feel it adds to the home cinema effect as it's just like the 'real thing' (it's about 7 feet behind me so in scale to sitting in the middle of your average 'Showcase' and I have about the same screen angle). I have the reverse problem to the OP in that my picture is almost too big due to the long throw. I can just fit a 16:9 image on my 2.35:1 heightwise if I zoom fully back, even then I'm slightly ovespilling the masking. Hopefully my new slightly bigger screen will resolve this.