Projector for theatre room

Francis82 on 16/08/2020 - 13:23

Hi ,have a theatre room in our new home that was only ever used for storage,it's got already installed high level double socket for a projector and blacked out walls,curtains.

Just looking for best possible projector/tv screen for it under $1000 or $1500 at a stretch if the quality is huge difference. Will be using it for watching sports ,movies , Nvidia shield/ps4 and eventually ps5.

Know absolutely nothing about projectors, with any savings going to a sound bar or audio set up and really thinking out aloud them acoustic tiles you see on amazon if there really worth it. Cheers

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  Curry123 on 16/08/2020 - 13:58

  Best TV you'll get for around 1500 atm imo is the Hisense q8 65" on ebay. You can get it for $1633.

  Best Projector for around $1500 atm is the Benq tk800m, Tk800m is selling just over 2000 online, But Costco has been known to sell them on sale at $1600. Both great options.

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    [Deactivated] on 16/08/2020 - 14:09

    They are always $1599 at Costco and easily the best bang for buck projectors on the market. Image quality is amazing.

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      serpserpserp on 16/08/2020 - 14:31

      What do you project yours onto? painted wall or own screen?

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        [Deactivated] on 16/08/2020 - 14:35

        Just a light grey painted wall. It works perfectly. Maybe a little too much reflection, but I'm only using it for sports, games and movies, so it's fine.

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  Kontiki on 16/08/2020 - 15:11

  +1

  I'm really happy with my projector, an Epson 5600. Should be around $800. Very bright, good colours and clear, sharp picture. 100 inch screen here, which you can get for around 300 bucks.

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  toliman on 16/08/2020 - 16:24

  -1

  $1500 in home theater covers… Couch covers. Everything gets expensive. Set up a few budgets or build it in stages.

  There's tons of HT enthusiastic people who started in 2012, and are still "thinking about it" 8-9 years later. Work with what you can, and upgrade until you get to where you can afford or bargain.

  First up is tech requirements.

  Nvidia shield + hdhomerun for watching news, Home Reno/sociopaths dating/covid scaremongering, sic. can replicate the TV experience quite well.
  You can get cheaper options, like the vodaphone TV, etc. And the soundbar will get you up and running with a $300-$600 secondhand BenQ or Optoma DLP. Read reviews, but a 2016 or 2018 "award winner" is a good deal in 2020.

  The shield 2019 remote is Bluetooth, with an IR blaster in the "Toblerone" remote so it can sit near the AV receiver, soundbar or projector if you have a long HDMI cable run, or put the AV receiver in a cabinet/shelf behind the couch/lounge.

  If you need a 4k UHD player, or game(s) console, they don't have to be near the screen, just in range for IR remotes. Or, if it's stored away, a logitech harmony hub/ IR blaster can Repeat IR remotes.

  Second is the room.

  You have to match the room to the projector and screen, and where you are sitting. Sounds easy, but it's mostly math. Angles, and pricing.

  The biggest challenge is measuring up the distances and working out the ideal location and size for each projector type, and screen.

  Especially because each projector has tolerances for vertical, horizontal height and alignment. If you have room issues, UST or 3LCD will help, but it will cost more.

  You won't get 4k projectors under the budget.

  Not yet. There's likely a few DLP units that can be found under $500 to $1000 but the key difference is average brightness.

  If you want 4k and HDR… The budget is going to be prohibitive. And OLEDs are going to be cheaper. Better. More reliable. Etc.

  HDR is doable, but you need effective ambient light control, ie turning a room into a cave so that black levels are consistent for calibrated "dark" settings. You also need to have a particular projector that can "project" black scenes well, ie. that it has a wide range of peak and minimal brightness using a combination of methods.

  ALR screens can help with light control if you can't paint or add drop curtains, add an entrance barrier, etc.

  Peak brightness and optimal brightness, cheap projectors often have a yellow or green tinge that gets more obnoxious as the model gets cheaper. The higher end models have better calibrated / accurate brightness which gets you a bigger screen area.

  Try refurbished Epson or BenQ if you want something more modern, but 1080p projectors split into DLP and 3LCD (Epson).

  There are Short-throw and Ultra Short Throw models which give you more options for mounting the projector and increasing brightness.

  UST projectors will need a very good screen or dedicated material (Ambient Light Rejecting), which ups the price. You can use ALR for regular projectors but they need to match the optimal projector angle as they use a sawtooth type angle that's set horizontal, vertical or Fresnel/Oval.

  Secondhand projectors, do some research and check the cost of the bulb and assembly replacement if it's a sealed light enclosure. Sometimes, the older models start to wear down and need new fans and capacitors, sic.

  There are some Chinese 1080p and 4k UST projectors that sit under the screen but you will have to spend more money for a UST screen, or find a local ALR dealer / DIY a ALR screen using the designed reflective material for UST screens. You can also make your own ALR screen or find existing screens.

  YMMV, as the screen should match your ambient room lighting and projector brightness / angle.

  If you aren't sure, put the projector distance and angle into a projector throw calculator and work out how strong the projector will be for the intended size of screen and viewing location.

  This will determine what material and size of screen will get into the 150 to 300 lumen peak brightness.

  https://www.projectorcentral.com/Epson-PowerLite_Home_Cinema… etc.

  The advantage of doing it yourself, is that you save a few hundred dollars with the frame, but it requires careful tensioning. It is after all, a canvas like frame.

  Get all that sorted, then you can add audio to the room.

  Since most budget projectors are 2012 to 2016 technology, pre-4k, and pre-HDR you can save a lot by getting secondhand or used gear. But it also means dealing with the pre HDMI-ARC days and device compatibility. Atmos is useful to have, as is HDMI 2.1, but you can get 7.2.1 Atmos kits for under $1000 if you are willing to fit together odd parts and have some freedom with roof / wall speakers that don't match.

  As for acoustic panels, get the projector/screen first or have a "backup" TV to settle with room control and device control, then deal with the Audio/ projector upgrade later on.

  Panels can have a "flat" or "absorbing" affect, so it's key to work with the room dynamics to try and get "Atmos" side/top reflections accounted for, then add panels around the speakers and the back of the lounge so that you get isolation and "rear" reflection. If in doubt, get audio people to help, or an AV receiver with auto correction microphone function, like Yamaha's YPAO, or other room correction features.

  YMMV.

  • 

    [Deactivated] on 16/08/2020 - 17:44

    +1

    Nope. You're just getting suckered into the diminishing values vortex that's present with every genre of goods you can buy. A TK800M already mentioned for $1599 can for 4K and HDR. All of the stuff you talk about improves the experience, but the fact is, you can get 95% of the way there on a limited budget if you spend it smartly. Sure Benq has a slightly better entry 4K projector which has a wider colour gammit for double the price. Is it worth it? Maybe if you don't have a budget and only watch 4K HDR content. Sure you can buy a 4K native Sony projector for 10 times the price, and it's better. Will most people notice the difference at all? Nope.

    Can I improve my setup with a screen? Absolutely. Will my girlfriend let me install one through my 110 year old bog plaster ceilings? No chance.

    You can easily spend $100k on a cinema if you want to, but you can get pretty damn close for under $5k all in if you are smart about it. So if you've got $30m+ in assets and money is no object, then sure, spend away, but if you're looking for a huge screen with a high quality image and would rather spend the rest on your mortgage or a new car, then compromise.

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    Kontiki on 16/08/2020 - 17:58

    GeneralCluster from Whirlpool, is that you?

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  Francis82 on 16/08/2020 - 19:20

  Some fantastic replies ! Very much appreciated !🙌🙌🙌👍👍👍

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  sween64 on 17/08/2020 - 11:33

  If PS5 is its main use ( I doubt it) you should consider HDMI 2.1 which should net you 4K @ 120 Hz and VRR. There won’t be too many games that run at 120 fps, most likely driving games/sims.

  There aren’t many HT with HDMI 2.1 just yet. My TV does but I couldn’t get a budget AVR with it.

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  snoopydoop on 17/08/2020 - 13:02

  I bought a TK800 refurbished for 1100, and some second hand 5.1 surround speakers and amp from FB marketplace for $200. Will probably upgrade my centre speaker at some stage, but just projecting onto my cream plaster wall and it's an amazing experience. Adjusted the colours a bit to make up for the wall and it's fine.

  There is a model similar to the TK800 which is supposedly better for dark rooms, with greater colour accuracy (but less brightness). I can't remember the exact one, but it's very similar apparently and worth checking out.

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    dtoovey on 19/08/2020 - 21:22

    Looking for benq refurbs but pages seem to have disappeared. Did you get it from ebay?

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      snoopydoop on 20/08/2020 - 09:21

      Nope, I got it through the official Benq website. But same for me, page seems to be down or disappeared.

      They usually put products up there in waves so there were times where there were 0 products. But I'm getting site cannot be reached error.

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    Francis82 on 20/08/2020 - 09:03

    Cheers buddy