Projectors

[pcslookout]

Is it worth getting your projector's screen to 200 inches or does this hurt the image to much ?

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

I think we went over this before, but it's all about how far away you're sitting.

http://www.myhometheater.homestead.com/viewingdistancecalculator.html

I've tried a lot of combinations of screen size and seating distance over the last couple years and 40 degrees is just about what I like for a cinematic experience.

At my current seating distance of about 10 feet, that meant my 102" screen is right on target. If I stayed seated at the same distance, a 200" screen would give me a 72 degree viewing angle. I wouldn't enjoy that.

Some people might like that though. The kind of people who like sitting in the first row of seats in a real theater. I'd find that irritating having to move my neck around to see different parts of the screen. Of course this is all dependant on how far away you're sitting. If my livingroom was large and was forced to sit double the distance away (20 feet from the screen), then I'd have to quadruple my screen area to get the same viewing angle (204" screen).


Besides these viewing angle calculations for screen size, projectors also have a limit to how good they're going to look at various screen sizes. The larger the screen you're projecting, the dimmer and more washed-out the image is going to become. If you're sitting at a fixed distance and increasing screen size, you'll also start to see the pixel structure of the screen easier and in addition, see more imperfections in your source material as well.
Projector Central's calculators show a range (green) of optimal screen sizes for different projector models. Very few (if any) reasonably priced consumer level projectors are designed to give you a screen in the 200" range.

It's all about compromises and the capabilities of your own projector and personal preference. If you have a 100" screen now and want to know what a 200" screen would look like, sit half the distance away from the screen as you're sitting now and you'll get an idea of the viewing experience (except that if you really quadrupled the screen area, it would be significantly dimmer).