Projectors - Good, Bad and Ugly

LkunjuTheOne on 02/06/2023 - 12:21
Last edited 02/06/2023 - 15:10

Hi,
I am looking to get a projector for our living room without having to rob a bank.

Our living room is 8.7m x 5m. The projection area is 3mx1.3m.

Any recommendations?

ThanQ!

Update:

There are blockout blinds.
Mainly watching movies, sport (huge cricket fan)
No gaming. Don't even know how to hold a remote let alone wield it.

this is our living room and i don't want a huge TV covering the wall, so 95" is not an option. (but ThanQ for the suggestion!)

short throw. If by that you mean the distance between the projector and the wall, then it is 8.6m. The cabinet on which the projector will sit, is across the length of the room.

fan noise is not that much of a concern unless it is at the level of a wind farm. I play my audio on homepods through AppleTV.

Not a fan of ceiling mount because the living room ceiling is double storey house height.

Electrical & Electronics Projector

Comments

  • Jimothy Wongingtons on 02/06/2023 - 13:13
    +1

    budget?

    how much natural light in room?

    what do you want to watch?

    i have xgimi horizon and been happy with it. washed out with windows open during the day but still heaps useable.
    looks good at night.

    replaced my main 65 inch

  • apple2016 on 02/06/2023 - 13:29

    What are you going to watch on the projector and what would you be happy with?

  • phoir on 02/06/2023 - 13:30
    +1

    This is such a broad question so you really want to narrow down your requirements.

    Additionally to above posters comments, you want to consider:

    • Ultra short throw?
    • Ceiling mount?
    • Is fan noise a concern?
    • Gaming?

    I personally have the Epson TW9400 and can highly recommend it. Excellent black levels and colours. Awesome for gaming, and quiet fan noise.

  • payless69 on 02/06/2023 - 14:14

    Perhaps a 98" screen as an option?

  • AustriaBargain on 02/06/2023 - 14:26

    Blackout curtains will make a $1,000 projector feel like a $3,000 one. Remote control blackout blinds will make you lounge feel like a cinema. With smart home stuff you can probably set your Apple TV to close the blinds when you play a movie somehow, I dunno.

  • freefall101 on 02/06/2023 - 15:53

    If by that you mean the distance between the projector and the wall, then it is 8.6m. The cabinet on which the projector will sit, is across the length of the room.

    A "short throw" projector means it doesn't need to be particularly far back. Ultra short throw it can usually be 1/4 of the screens size (so 100" screen, 25" from the wall - about 60-65cm), short throw is about 1:1 ratio (100" screen, 2.5m from the wall).

    It's quite rare to get a home projector that's targeted at something 8.6m away, so pay careful attention to the specifications. Likely you won't find it, even top end Epson ones max out at about 6m for a 100" screen and you're paying $5k+ plus for those.

    edit: Playing with Epson's screen size tool, the smallest screen size you'll get at 8.6m is 135" or 1.7m tall. But that's with the EH-LS12000B, a $9k projector.

    • kunjuTheOne on 06/06/2023 - 10:12

      ThanQ so much for your reply. It helps. The only thing is I don't have $9K to spend on a projector. :( And i can't put a table in the middle of the room. Will a ceiling mount work? The ceilings are double storey tall so it will have to be something that doesn't need adjustments on the device too often.

      • freefall101 on 06/06/2023 - 12:28

        Ceiling mount it depends on how much it needs to adjust for the angle, which is unique to each projector (look at keystone adjustment).

        The model recommended above, the TW9400, it's worth playing around with the epson projector tool to see what it can do - https://www.epson.com.au/distance_simulator/index.html#/page… (pick the projector up the top first, then play with all the numbers to fit your room).

        It rules out cheap projectors though, most won't have the adjustments for those kind of angles. But at least it should be place once and never adjust.

        Alternative is ultra-short throw, basically have it sit underneath where you're projecting on. Or looking at one of samsung's Frame tvs, they at least look nice on the wall.

    • SillySorjai on 23/07/2023 - 02:00

      Dear Sir!
      I would be grateful if you (or anyone else in this forum) could also recommend a model for me? I'm also quite new to this area and struggling with what it is that I should be looking for. Currently I have a EPSON EB-S31 3300 LUMENS SVGA PROJECTOR, I bought it many years ago due to budgetary constraints at the time

      It doesn't look the most professional when I'm trying to run PowerPoint slides.

      These are my specifications:

      • usage: presentation / classroom / meeting / conference room
      • bright lit room (ceiling lights will be on - daylight outside)
      • ceiling mount (table is ok too but not preferred)
        Distance of ceiling mount to wall is 150~170cm
      • screen size 100 - 120"
      • projecting against a Whiteboard (removing Whiteboard not an option)
      • keystone adjustment is needed. I can measure the angle if that is needed
      • budget up to $5k

      The issue currently is the projector isn't very clear. I want to hold meetings where the room size is 5m x 8m, where even the meeting participants 8m back can also see clearly the things I'm showing on the screen.

      Would be grateful to hear your thoughts

  • bobbified on 02/06/2023 - 15:58
    +3

    ThanQ!

    (but ThanQ for the suggestion!)

    Judging by your writing, you may have already subconsciously decided on a BenQ projector!

    • kunjuTheOne on 06/06/2023 - 10:09

      Lol! Is it a good projector? Do you think it will suit my requirements?

  • Orangewarrior77 on 10/06/2023 - 23:45

    You might want to look into Ultra Short Throw projectors which basically sit against the wall that they shine up. Imagine if you had a TV unit, but instead of a tv there, this thing replaces it but projects a screen of about 150"..

    Heres a youtube clip of some ideas:
    https://youtu.be/Oj6YQl8e1w8
    Worth noting that most tech types recommend installing a framed screen - there's a special type of reflective material which has tiny texture lines angled down to pick up the optimal amount of light.
    Ive also heard they work very well in daylight, but can't speak from experience.

    Ideally with a traditional projector you would want the unit to be roughly 4 or 5 metres from the screen, otherwise things start getting a bit washed out.. you can of course hang one from the ceiling with a mount, but then running cables to it are a pain, as well as needing to be conscious of light fittings and ceiling fans.

    Ive had 2 BenQ projectors and was always very happy with them.. couple of years ago i upgraded to a 4K Epson projector which i use every day. It hit the sweet spot between price point and features (and Lumens!) so that would he the brand id recommend.

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