Ultra Short Throw Projectors
Discussion
So, fancied a bit of a change in our sitting room and considered swapping out our mid-range 65" OLED tv for an Ultra Short Throw Projector.
I did a reasonable amount of research, reading reviews, watching youtube tutorials etc. I didn't want to spend a huge amount, so went with a LG Cinebeam S 4K UST projector. Although it's reasonably entry level, I did think none of our family are audiophiles/videophiles (or whatever the correct word is), for every day use, watching the news, watching soaps, watching the odd movie, I thought it would probably do. I dont have a projector screen, but I do have a huge plain white wall, so lets just give it a go.
Absolutely terrible results. Even with all of our blackout blinds closed, the image is barely visible. Dark scenes you literally cannnot see a thing. News programs you can just about make out any foreground activity, anything peripheral is just washed out and not visible. I tried all of the settings to make the image brighter/darker, min/max contrast, min/max colour. Nothing works, just dreadful. The projector is getting boxed back up and returned at the first opportunity.
My take is, you need to pay several £k for a high lumens machine, along with an appropriate scree, along with having ambient light at a minimum, then the technology just isn't there yet.
Anyone else had similar, or any gotcha's for experience?
I did a reasonable amount of research, reading reviews, watching youtube tutorials etc. I didn't want to spend a huge amount, so went with a LG Cinebeam S 4K UST projector. Although it's reasonably entry level, I did think none of our family are audiophiles/videophiles (or whatever the correct word is), for every day use, watching the news, watching soaps, watching the odd movie, I thought it would probably do. I dont have a projector screen, but I do have a huge plain white wall, so lets just give it a go.
Absolutely terrible results. Even with all of our blackout blinds closed, the image is barely visible. Dark scenes you literally cannnot see a thing. News programs you can just about make out any foreground activity, anything peripheral is just washed out and not visible. I tried all of the settings to make the image brighter/darker, min/max contrast, min/max colour. Nothing works, just dreadful. The projector is getting boxed back up and returned at the first opportunity.
My take is, you need to pay several £k for a high lumens machine, along with an appropriate scree, along with having ambient light at a minimum, then the technology just isn't there yet.
Anyone else had similar, or any gotcha's for experience?
Agree with the above, a special screen really is needed for Ultra Short Throw (UST) projectors.
You need a specialized Ambient Light Rejecting (ALR) screen, standard screens or bare walls will lead to a washed out image.
UST projectors shoot light at an extreme upward angle, so ALR screens use a microscopic "sawtooth" or lenticular texture to reflect the projectors light straight to your eyes while absorbing / rejecting light from elsewhere.
You need a specialized Ambient Light Rejecting (ALR) screen, standard screens or bare walls will lead to a washed out image.
UST projectors shoot light at an extreme upward angle, so ALR screens use a microscopic "sawtooth" or lenticular texture to reflect the projectors light straight to your eyes while absorbing / rejecting light from elsewhere.
Techno9000 said:
Agree with the above, a special screen really is needed for Ultra Short Throw (UST) projectors.
You need a specialized Ambient Light Rejecting (ALR) screen, standard screens or bare walls will lead to a washed out image.
UST projectors shoot light at an extreme upward angle, so ALR screens use a microscopic "sawtooth" or lenticular texture to reflect the projectors light straight to your eyes while absorbing / rejecting light from elsewhere.
Yes, reading that reminds me of what the demo guy was saying to us about the screen particle’s orientation to make the image sharp. We had experience with a standard projector set up and had hoped our fairly expensive, but standard, electric drop-down screen might be useable but nope, and that added to the potential cost. You need a specialized Ambient Light Rejecting (ALR) screen, standard screens or bare walls will lead to a washed out image.
UST projectors shoot light at an extreme upward angle, so ALR screens use a microscopic "sawtooth" or lenticular texture to reflect the projectors light straight to your eyes while absorbing / rejecting light from elsewhere.
SeanyD said:
I dont have a projector screen, but I do have a huge plain white wall, so lets just give it a go.
As above, ALR screen is required. UST's can provide a decent image if used correctly. Large format TV's are so cost effective these days, I'm not sure why you'd go projection for TV and or daily use. JEA1K said:
As above, ALR screen is required. UST's can provide a decent image if used correctly. Large format TV's are so cost effective these days, I'm not sure why you'd go projection for TV and or daily use.
No particular reason other than fancying a change. Projector has been returned and we'll stick with our OLED tv for now. I'll still be on the lookout for a decent higher lumens project and screen, but needing a screen kind ot takes the spontaneity out of it, lessons learned.SeanyD said:
No particular reason other than fancying a change. Projector has been returned and we'll stick with our OLED tv for now. I'll still be on the lookout for a decent higher lumens project and screen, but needing a screen kind ot takes the spontaneity out of it, lessons learned.
I am a big fan of projection, the larger the image - all within the correct viewing distances of course - the better. Some of the 100" TV's are pretty cost effective but a 120"-140" still suits a projector and you really get the cinematic experience ... environmental factors are important ... position and ambient light. If you can retain the TV and have the projector and screen then you have the best of both worlds ... the projector certainly makes an event out of watching a film. In terms of brightness, you do get what you pay for (also, in terms of brightness, some projector manufacturers are like car manufacturers with range/MPG
) but Epson have always produced projectors which work well in areas where you may struggle with ambient light. If I may piggyback on this thread a tad...
Looking for a solution for a motorhome. Don't want a TV, as that takes up awkward space!
So, looking at travel projectors, which I could put a few magnetic mounts for - similar for the screen. All windows have full blackout blinds, but realistic pragmatism is in force!
Would a UST projector, potentially mounted inside a console cabinet and projecting a relatively small screen (say 42-50" max), but with a viewing distance of under 2m, potentially be a good solution?
Looking for a solution for a motorhome. Don't want a TV, as that takes up awkward space!
So, looking at travel projectors, which I could put a few magnetic mounts for - similar for the screen. All windows have full blackout blinds, but realistic pragmatism is in force!
Would a UST projector, potentially mounted inside a console cabinet and projecting a relatively small screen (say 42-50" max), but with a viewing distance of under 2m, potentially be a good solution?
Sway said:
If I may piggyback on this thread a tad...
Looking for a solution for a motorhome. Don't want a TV, as that takes up awkward space!
So, looking at travel projectors, which I could put a few magnetic mounts for - similar for the screen. All windows have full blackout blinds, but realistic pragmatism is in force!
Would a UST projector, potentially mounted inside a console cabinet and projecting a relatively small screen (say 42-50" max), but with a viewing distance of under 2m, potentially be a good solution?
I don't think a standard UST would be the way to go ... they're pretty big and you'd still need a compatible screen. You might be better off with a smaller portable type projector and a roll up screen? Not something I can personally recommend but LG and Epson (have a look at the Epson lifestudio EF-720) do portable units with built in speakers. Looking for a solution for a motorhome. Don't want a TV, as that takes up awkward space!
So, looking at travel projectors, which I could put a few magnetic mounts for - similar for the screen. All windows have full blackout blinds, but realistic pragmatism is in force!
Would a UST projector, potentially mounted inside a console cabinet and projecting a relatively small screen (say 42-50" max), but with a viewing distance of under 2m, potentially be a good solution?
Maybe buy online, see if it works, send back if not :-D
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