What screen size for what viewing distance...and do I NEED 4K???

AntHart

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Hey :) 1st post...please be gentle!

I'm looking to turn a spare bedroom in to a movie room.
The room is 10ft1in x 8ft10in (3.1 x 2.7m)

What I’m trying to workout is the best size of screen for my viewing distance.

Measuring off the far wall (screen location) and sat on the sofa(with a tape measure up to my face!ha!) I’ll have a viewing distance of around 8ft (2.4m)

I was thinking of going for something around the 80 inch mark...OR ...can I or should I go bigger??

Usage...will be...
75% 1080p Blu-ray disc’s (not got a UHD collection just yet)..although I do have a Sony x700 player that upscales 1080 to 4K and will play 4K bds
25% Netflix and Prime 1080/4K (streaming) via a chromecast ultra


THE BIG QUESTION...

Taking into account my viewing distance and what I mainly will use this for should I go a 1080p or 4K projector???

The 1080p optoma hd143x looks great on paper ..and youtube!..Definitely open to advice :)
Not really done much research on 4K projectors ...

my budget is about £600 for 1080 or £1000 for 4K

thanks for getting this far through the essay! And I really appreciate any help :)

what I’m basically asking is what’s the best screen size for my room for what I’ll be watching and my viewing distance...and with that viewing distance and screen size would I benefit from going for a 4K projector over a 1080 one?

cheers
Ant
 
Your budget is in line with a DLP 4K, something like an Optoma UHD40 should be achieve-able with a quick search on the net. Of course you will need to budget on top of this for a screen or if your wall is perfectly smooth you could use one of the many screen paints available on line and simply paint the screen on to the wall, this will save you a packet and offer better blacks than a regular white screen would. With that projector placed approx 2.6-2.9m away you could project a 100” screen if you like and as it’s true 4K sitting 8ft away you would really see the benefit of the added resolution of 4K.
 
Thanks for your reply and advice mate :)
Appreciate that, I’ll take a look at that model and have a google about different ways to do the screen.
A permanent/fixed screen was definitely the way I was looking at doing it by either making a frame and covering it with material or the painted option...any brands in particular that would a good bet?

I won’t be using it during the day, mainly at night in a dark room.

thanks in advance for any further advice
Ant
 
Thanks for your reply and advice mate :)
Appreciate that, I’ll take a look at that model and have a google about different ways to do the screen.
A permanent/fixed screen was definitely the way I was looking at doing it by either making a frame and covering it with material or the painted option...any brands in particular that would a good bet?

I won’t be using it during the day, mainly at night in a dark room.

thanks in advance for any further advice
Ant

So if only at night then maybe going the paint route might well be the preferred option as it's you could paint the entire wall you wish to project on to and then no real need for a frame.

This is a great wee video showing how simple it can be to source the right paint mix on a budget.



Of course if you wish to go for a fixed frame Amazon is a great place to start and it's where I bought mine from. You'll pay roughly around £200 for a 100" fixed frame screen, you could if you have the skills make a frame from wood and cover it with a double layer of spandex, black bottom layer with white over the top..... materials wouldn't be any more than £50-£100 top wack plus your time.

Again here's short video of a diy build.



Though personally I would trim the border in black self-adhesive velvet. This guy chose to use pvc material which is similar to that of manufacturer's screens, you can buy an oversized flexiable screen material from Amazon for as little as £20-£30 on top of your expense for the wood etc.

I'm not saying this type of screen is as good as the best out there (far from it) but it would be a good starting point into home cinema that you could build on and even at a later date spray projector paint on this screen turning it into something quite special when the funds allowed.

A great chap to contact on projector paint is a fellow called MississippiMan on AVSforums, what he doesn't know about the projector paint isn't worth knowing. LOL

Another option worth considering if you are to permanently hang it on the wall is to make a screen from a sheet of 8MM MDF and paint it, MDF is super smooth with no imperfections and you could trim the border.
 
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The vid above seems spot on but via the forums i contacted this guy re screen paint..worth a look ;) Screen paint choice...Crumbs!!! - AVS Forum | Home Theater Discussions And Reviews

I'm currently dealing with MississippiMan, just have to convince the wife that one I won't make a mess and cover everything up so I don't spray something I shouldn't and two it won't stink the house out. Once I have done that I intend to get the Black Flame sent over and build a 21:9 screen to spray, overall it won't be the cheapest solution compared to a basic white 21:9 of similar size because I need to add an electric spray gun into the price but then I will always have it for the wife find some other use for it.

By all accounts the results are amazing.
 
Mississippi Man is very nice to deal with 10/10.
Funny you should mention the wife though
as - the wife:devil: - has changed her mind again because we are getting - wait for it - a WHITE suite...so back to the drawing board until of course she decides to get paint instead of a screen upgrade:rotfl:
 
You've got to love women.
 

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