Projectors

[D_G]

Guys,

I've acquired a 125 inch projector screen but know nothing about this stuff, any pointers about which type of projector is best, looking to use it for Wii and films.

[Byff]

D_G said:

Guys,

I've acquired a 125 inch projector screen but know nothing about this stuff, any pointers about which type of projector is best, looking to use it for Wii and films.

That's a bit like saying - I've been given a wheel, recommend a car that'll fit it.

I used to use my projector for playing games, at first it's fantastic but you quickly realise that you need the resolution of a LCD/Plasma to get the best out of a game - even on a humble Wii.

I've got a Panasonic PT-AX200E that's very good for films but I dare say any HD projector will be able to compete these days. Just watch out for how loud the cooling fans are and the cost of replacement lamps - Mine's just gone pop and a replacement is £68 (non-genuine) but over £200 from panasonic!

[robinessex]

Here you go:-

https://www.meridian-audio.com/media/uploads/asset...

That'll be about £140,000 then !!!!!!!!!!

Edited by robinessex on Saturday 1st November 09:59

Edited by robinessex on Saturday 1st November 10:00

[talkssense]

D_G said:

Guys,

I've acquired a 125 inch projector screen but know nothing about this stuff, any pointers about which type of projector is best, looking to use it for Wii and films.

You might need to provide a bit more detail. The "best" projector could cost you quarter of a million pounds.

[C0ffin D0dger]

Epson stuff always seems to rate quite highly in the What Hi-Fi annual awards. Probably what I'd go for if I ever get round to doing my front room system.

[anonymous-user]

D_G said:

Guys,

I've acquired a 125 inch projector screen but know nothing about this stuff, any pointers about which type of projector is best, looking to use it for Wii and films.

As mentioned by others, this is dictated by the following factors:

• Budget.
• Room environment (batcave - living room?).
• Sources to be used.

If you're looking at say, under £1k, the sensible option would be an Optoma (something like a GT1080), Vivitec or BenQ. They tend to be more data grade / gaming projectors, and as a consequence perform poorly with films. Black levels are often poor and they lack even basic setup controls to get some kind of home brew calibration.

If you aren't concerned about things such as black levels, contrast, greyscale accuracy etc, and just want a gurt big screen, it's a no brainer. The answer to the question of best though, is a bit more complicated. Optoma's are DLP rather than LCD, so use a colour wheel, which can cause issues for some with rainbows being visible to the naked eye.

In my experience, a projector can either be bought for gaming, or film viewing, there's not one that is a master of all trades. You can have a projector with low input lag for gaming, with poor image performance for films, or one that's cracking with films, but has a huge amount of input lag.

Just my 2p worth, but avoid What HiFi reviews; a quick browse of their HDMI cable reviews helps demonstrate the validity of their reviews in general. Certainly some kit will review well everywhere, but for the actual numbers and stats, better websites are available.

[skibum]

I jumped into the projector world a few months ago and while all the advice on this thread is of course factually correct, you can still get a very good experience at the budget end!

my small cinema room

I paid under £500 for a full HD BenQ projector and use a plain magnolia wall to project on. The projector is approx 3.5m away and mounted on the wall above a window and gives a 120" picture. I have normal thick curtains up to block out the light and have it hooked up to an old 5.1 surround system. Games, movies and TV shows have all been excellent.

I could of course spend more money to get the room even darker and block out all light. Perhaps even paint the wall with special screen paint, or get a full time screen. Then I could upgrade the projector itself, etc... but for what I want it is better than I hoped for and I doubt that I would see the value in spending 4 or 5 times as much for a slightly crisper picture. But each to their own.

[crossy67]

I use a Barco 1209s for games and films. It's an old CRT so big and bulky but the picture is fantastic, really warm and natural and it's full 1080p over a 7' wide screen.

What ever you go for buy the proper projector screen paint, I used mine on a white wall for years and eventually when I forked out for the proper paint the difference was night and day. You can alter the gain too so you won't need the room as dark (obviously the darker the better but that's not always possible).

[D_G]

Thanks guys,

The distance between the screen and projector can be 4 metres no problem, there is a hidden power socket in the floor so will want it free standing. The room has black out blinds so light levels can be very low if required.
If at all possible I'd like one that can handle mariokart and films, I don't know if DLR or LED is better? Am I better getting a low hours used unit or the £250 new ones on Amazon. I don't have a big budget it'll be good to get a unit that works ok, I'm not expecting miracles as some of these things cost a fortune.

[probedb]

skibum said:

use a plain magnolia wall to project on

Unless you can adjust the colour quite well on the projector then you're not getting a good experience. The wall is reflecting all light with a magnolia tint on it.

[rossub]

Be aware that you can have too big a screen for the distance!

Mine is 108" at 5 metres viewing distance. It's borderline in terms of your eyes being able to take in the whole picture. I could not go any bigger from where I'm sitting. I had a 100" screen before at the same distance and it was actually more comfortable to watch.

[OldSkoolRS]

It's also very personal; I'm at 3.5 metres viewing distance with a 2.8 metre wide 2.35:1 screen (equivalent to a 128" diagonal on 16:9). After 6 years I sometimes wish for bigger, but there's only a foot each side of the screen tension bars, so not much room left. Fill factor also effect this too, but I use an anamorphic lens so I get higher pixel density than the above figures would suggest.

Best thing before committing to a screen (I know it's too late for the OP ) is to try projecting on a wall first to try to judge what size/distance suits you...then go larger anyway.

[Bullett]

I sit 3-4m away from a 120" (16:9) screen and it's too small. I purchased based on the std recommendations for size ratio and I regret not going bigger, I will next time and I'll go anamorphic as well.

[rossub]

Bullett said:

I sit 3-4m away from a 120" (16:9) screen and it's too small. I purchased based on the std recommendations for size ratio and I regret not going bigger, I will next time and I'll go anamorphic as well.

Even with films that fill the whole area, rather than the letter box?

I suppose it depends what you're watching, but for example, I watched Dark Knight Rises at the weekend. With the fly overs of the city in full screen, I found my eyes dashing across the screen to try and take it all in.

[THX]

Could someone recommend me a screen?

[OldSkoolRS]

If it's a light walled typical living room, then I'd recommend having a look at the Draper ReAct II screen specifically designed to combat room reflections.

They aren't cheap however, but a better option for many than painting the room black:

At the bottom of this page:

http://www.epichomecinema.co.uk/EpicHomeCinema/Pro...

Or here if you're up North:

http://www.ideal-av.co.uk/ItemPages/draper.htm

[THX]

Ta,

I've just ordered one of Amazon. Fifty quid, was getting good reviews so thought why not!

I have, however, just realised it's 1cm too long to fit in the cove where it's going to live... Nowt's ever easy! Ha.

Edit to say, I've just bought a BenQ 1070 thingy. £500, 1080p and 3D - I'm getting a 6ft screen at about 8ft away, looks amazing. Call of Duty just made me a little sea sick, though!