Tips and info for my first home theater PROJECTOR

[kylo]

Ok I was going to buy a 52" LCD then I heard about projectors at 100" so..... My budget is around $1300. It's going to be in a room that's 12x12. Also I want to mount it on a wall bracket thing around 8' high or whatever the correct height is. I like using Newegg.com. From the research I have done I estimate a $700-projector, $100-100"screen, and the rest of the $$$ for a DVD player, surround sound, and etc....
This is the projector I have my eye on - Optom HD65 1280x720 DLP. Ok so for a first time buyer what should I know about all this projector stuff? Also I want to buy the projector first and set it up to see how big of a screen I can actually get. Then get a good screen for that size. Which I am also clueless about??? White/gray????

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

You probably saw this thread already, but I'll point it out anyway.
http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2042090

Big things to keep in mind
- You need a light controlled room for things to look best (or just watch things at night)
- Projectors can take some tweaking to get set up right and depending on the model will require some maintenance / replacement or parts (particularly bulbs)

Getting the projector first and deciding what screen size suits you is a good idea.

You can certainly make a decent 100" DIY screen for under $100, or you can buy one.

Read some of the starter articles on Projector Central for more info.
I'm about to go to bed, so I'll check back in the morning

 

[mshan]

I would buy projector first (no screen initially), then set it up in your room projecting on a bare wall, live with it a while, then use zoom to find what size screen looks right to your eyes from your seating position.

It will also give you a better idea of what screen height you are comfortable with when you permanently mount a screen.

Carada makes a nice fixed screen at prices much better than Stewart; also read that Elite screens are surprisingly good if you are on a real tight budget. Monoprice also has some pull down screens if you absolutely can't live with projecting onto a bare wall for a while.

 

[RedCOMET]

Hey OP,

I really love my projector, and I am still working on my Home Theater little by little.

I only own a projector. Which for the most part suites my needs, but there are times I wished I owned a TV. Like just for checking the news / weather real quick, where I know I won’t be watching the video for very long, and there fore don’t want to get the Projector started, etc. So if you have a TV, keep it.. .or downsizes just to have something you can watch stuff on for a short time.

Another thing, A screen can be built in expensively. YoYo wrote a thread about it and posted some links and pictures of what directions he followed to construct his. I built a screen using the same techniques he used, minus the border / masking system. Here is a link to YoYo’s screen thread:

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=3440

“There's a link in there to an AVSforum thread with a lot of DIY screen material options.”

Screen size… My Projector has a zoom and lens shift function on it. The zoom allows me to adjust picture size at a given distance. I have found this useful because my PJ is mounted on a shelf above my seating area and not to my ceiling. I found the zoom useful in determining the size of the screen I want based on my couch’s location. Also, I have found that a bigger screen isn’t always the best. Main reason being if you sit too close to a big screen you will have to pan your eyes/ head side to side order to see everything on the screen. I found this to be very annoying, especially when I play video games… movies not so much b/c of aspect ratios.

Cables… If the projector is mounted above you, behind you, etc, you will need long enough cables from your equipment to the projector. I have ordered my cables from www.Monoprice.com. Make sure you plan where you want your gear in relationship to the projector. Another thing to consider is the route the cable(s) will take from your equipment to the projector. In my current apartment, I keep my receiver and other sources in a different room from my theater This freed up more space for me to install another couch or recliner in the room. In my old apartment everything was in one room, but I kept the equipment rack away from the seating area to cut down on noise generated by the equipment. My XBOX 360 can get pretty noisy when playing games.. that was the offending piece of equipment.

Sound… Well, you will need speakers of some kind and probably a receiver to drive them. Other can recommend that.

Light Control Room….ie keep it dark. Black out curtains are very effective at doing just this. My GF made me curtains for my old apartment to cover my patio door. It was Black out cloth adheared to a sheet a fabric that she hemmed. It was mounted on a curtain rod. Block out all the light. The black out curtain was purchased at our local Jo Anns Fabric. It is also called Drapery Liner if you look for it on their website.. It was a simple and cost effective solution.

Shameless plug.. But I have thread here with a link in my sig to my theater build. I’m uploading pictures when I can. Just got a camera the other day and figuring out the software and such to make pictures of reasonable sizes.

Also, look at www.AVSForum.com. I have done a lot research using that site. If you can think of it, odds are there are multiple threads on it at AVS.