jclivingston
Standard Member
Hi All,
I decided over a year ago that a projector would be a great addition to my home entertainment set up. This coincided with a substantial home renovation project that is now nearly at an end.
In the meantime I have been lurking on the forum and avidly reading the threads in order to educate myself. Now that the time has come to plonk down the cash for a projector I realise that the more I have read the less I feel like I know. As such some guidance would be much appreciated.
I will try to provide as much information as possible.
- The projector will be installed in my lounge which is 8m x 4m.
- The screen is 92" diagonal and already fitted (I perhaps rashly bought a cheap electric screen from Amazon almost a year ago. And no, there was not scope for a larger screen due to a door and a large inglenook fireplace)
- The throw distance will be 3.3m (constrained by the location of the largest gap between the ceiling joists and the fact that the cabling is now installed)
- The viewing position will be about 4.5 m from the screen
- The projector will be ceiling mounted (eventually in some sort of DIY lift to conceal in when not in use)
The room is absolutely not a bat cave and realistically the chosen projector will need to perform in an environment with reflective surfaces (white ceiling and panelling). I am considering the use of some sort of arrangement of drapes to get half way to a bat cave however this will be for special occasions only - There is no way the missus will tolerate me putting up drapes all over the lounge on a regular basis.
I am not interested in 3d - tried it in showrooms and at the cinema - didn't like it.
Given everything that I have read about the rainbow effect of DLP projectors I will be ruling out this technology irrespective of whether myself or the immediate family are susceptible. I expect to have family and friends to visit and I don't see the point in installing something that has a good chance of being irritating for a proportion of the audience.
So by my reckoning I need a projector that can be bright and has enough zoom & lens shift to support the physical constraints outlined above.
My budget is circa £1000 but would stretch this for the right unit as I would rather get the right projector and keep it for some years.
Current front runners are:
Epson 3200 - looks like a bargain but could I get something better for a few more quid?
Panasonic ae4000 - will I see the benefit from the increased cost?
I have seen all of the rave comments about the JVC range and find this very tempting however I am concerned that my room will not be dark enough to warrant the expense (and they are too big - I would need to start cutting and fixing joists in order to install as at the moment I only have 450mm depth when retracted into the ceiling - I am prepared to do so but not for marginal benefit on PQ in my environment)
What else should I be looking at given the constraints above?
I am particularly interested in the options for older projectors from the second hand market)
All comments and suggestions welcome
Thanks, John
EDIT: Added Picture of room into which the projector will be installed
I decided over a year ago that a projector would be a great addition to my home entertainment set up. This coincided with a substantial home renovation project that is now nearly at an end.
In the meantime I have been lurking on the forum and avidly reading the threads in order to educate myself. Now that the time has come to plonk down the cash for a projector I realise that the more I have read the less I feel like I know. As such some guidance would be much appreciated.
I will try to provide as much information as possible.
- The projector will be installed in my lounge which is 8m x 4m.
- The screen is 92" diagonal and already fitted (I perhaps rashly bought a cheap electric screen from Amazon almost a year ago. And no, there was not scope for a larger screen due to a door and a large inglenook fireplace)
- The throw distance will be 3.3m (constrained by the location of the largest gap between the ceiling joists and the fact that the cabling is now installed)
- The viewing position will be about 4.5 m from the screen
- The projector will be ceiling mounted (eventually in some sort of DIY lift to conceal in when not in use)
The room is absolutely not a bat cave and realistically the chosen projector will need to perform in an environment with reflective surfaces (white ceiling and panelling). I am considering the use of some sort of arrangement of drapes to get half way to a bat cave however this will be for special occasions only - There is no way the missus will tolerate me putting up drapes all over the lounge on a regular basis.
I am not interested in 3d - tried it in showrooms and at the cinema - didn't like it.
Given everything that I have read about the rainbow effect of DLP projectors I will be ruling out this technology irrespective of whether myself or the immediate family are susceptible. I expect to have family and friends to visit and I don't see the point in installing something that has a good chance of being irritating for a proportion of the audience.
So by my reckoning I need a projector that can be bright and has enough zoom & lens shift to support the physical constraints outlined above.
My budget is circa £1000 but would stretch this for the right unit as I would rather get the right projector and keep it for some years.
Current front runners are:
Epson 3200 - looks like a bargain but could I get something better for a few more quid?
Panasonic ae4000 - will I see the benefit from the increased cost?
I have seen all of the rave comments about the JVC range and find this very tempting however I am concerned that my room will not be dark enough to warrant the expense (and they are too big - I would need to start cutting and fixing joists in order to install as at the moment I only have 450mm depth when retracted into the ceiling - I am prepared to do so but not for marginal benefit on PQ in my environment)
What else should I be looking at given the constraints above?
I am particularly interested in the options for older projectors from the second hand market)
All comments and suggestions welcome
Thanks, John
EDIT: Added Picture of room into which the projector will be installed
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