NBPK402 Posted May 9, 2014 Share Posted May 9, 2014 And two, are projectors/screens good for general TV watching? I would guess "no" for this one. We don't have cable and the only "TV" we watch is when my kids watch "The Voice" and we aren't looking for bluray type quality. If your cable box can send a 1080p image, yes, it would look great on a projection setup. Problem is you only get around 3000 hrs on a projector bulb and if you watch a lot of TV, a $300 replacement bulb can get expensive. I would think a good upgrade would be to 4K when prices drop and 4K content becomes available, and I would think that upgrading the screen to accommodate bigger/better/more speakers would also be a good reason to upgrade. Yes, I'm sure way down the road when 4k is a bit older technology and prices come down and there is adequate 4k content, sure, I'll likely upgrade. That is why I went with the BenQ W1070... 6000 hours on a bulb. I am hoping that the LED projectors will get brighter for my next projector purchase. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Youthman Posted May 9, 2014 Author Moderators Share Posted May 9, 2014 (edited) I went with the Panasonic AE3000u because of the excellent reviews , great blacks and the biggie for me, zoom memory which allows me to easily switch from 16:9 to 2.35:1 aspect Edited May 9, 2014 by Youthman 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NBPK402 Posted May 9, 2014 Share Posted May 9, 2014 (edited) I went with the Panasonic AE3000u because of the excellent reviews , great blacks and the biggie for me, zoom memory which allows me to easily switch from 16:9 to 2.35:1 aspect I would still go with a full width screen wall, and then see how big you want the picture, and mask down to it. The Seymour AT screen is $21.95 a linear foot for the XD DIY screen... So it won't be that much more to go the whole wall for you, and then you are done looking for a screen... Plus you have a 4K screen! Edited May 9, 2014 by ellisr63 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heritage_Head Posted May 9, 2014 Share Posted May 9, 2014 Thx Billybob, I do want to move to an AT screen so I can get the largest screen. Not sure how wide your room is. Mine is 13' wide and I also have 10' ceilings. Looks like yours might be around 15' wide? Someone call a Dr....I think I'm sick. Not sure how I went from the thought of upgrading my sound to 3 LaScalas to upgrading my screen to 130" and now I'm considering upgrading my sub to a single or maybe dual Danley DTS20's? Haha. No, my room is only 13' also. If you look close, the LSs only barely fit outside the 8' wide screen. Due to the doorway, I was very limited on the right side, but still have room to direct the speaker to my viewing position. The doctor may have to make a house call to clearly understand your symptoms. I do want to move to an AT screen so I can get the largest screen. Y E S Do it just how you want, I never understood why people redo everything just for small changes then do it again months later. In 6 months your going to wish you went big, do it how you want the first time and remove the "I wish I would have". Even if it takes a little longer it's worth it. When I did my screen I got it as big as my room can fit. The only way it can be bigger is if I move. So I totaly agree. But the hard part is knowing what we will be satisfied with after we get it. Just when I think im done and its perfect I find somthing else to do. And then that sparks 5 more things 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WakeJunkie Posted May 9, 2014 Share Posted May 9, 2014 I would go with a 150" AT screen and then see how big you like the image, and mask with black AT material to the desired screen size. The reason is by going with the biggest size possible you will never regret not going big enough, and you can always make new masking panels for a larger screen. If you go 130" now and a year from now you want to go larger due to brighter projectors or any other reason, you would have to rip down the old screen and start over... In my opinion it is more cost effective to just go big first (we are going 14' wide on our screen and masking down to whatever our BenQ W1070 can handle until a brighter projector is available with 2.40 aspect capability). I agree. I put as large a screen as I could (130") due to height at 16x9. I have never regretted it. On the beanbag I watch much closer than Youth and it is truly perfect, not to big. I just couldn't go 2.35:1 and shrink my football and Xbox games. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Youthman Posted May 9, 2014 Author Moderators Share Posted May 9, 2014 Wake I still think you have one of the nicest theaters I have seen to date 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WakeJunkie Posted May 9, 2014 Share Posted May 9, 2014 Wake I still think you have one of the nicest theaters I have seen to date Thanks Bro. Your HT inspired me to build one of my own. I need to do a new Panorama shot. That pic doesn't have the IB Subs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Youthman Posted May 9, 2014 Author Moderators Share Posted May 9, 2014 So bust out the Canon and get to shootin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich_Guy Posted May 9, 2014 Share Posted May 9, 2014 Yes if you go as large a screen as would work with your room you don't need to use the full screen now, you can use whatever size works well with your current projector but then be ready if you ever decide to upgrade your projector. Use as much of your wall as possible for the AT screen fill in the rest with some nice black background, removable black AT panels, maybe a little theater style decoration ideas like small rounded stage riser, small rounded overhead with possible overhead lighting, there are lots of options but make it look as a theater. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Youthman Posted May 9, 2014 Author Moderators Share Posted May 9, 2014 And I bet Wake could knock all of that out in a few hours. I just emailed Seymour to get a price on a 150" screen. This was the quote I received for the 130" diagonal 130'' Diagonal -- 2.35:1 Ratio Image Size: 119.6'' x 50.9'''' Piece Size: 125.6'' x 56.9''- 138 $263.40 Precision Cut 20 degrees $45.00 Shipping $35.00 Total $343.40 So it will be under $400. I'm guessing I can sell my 103" screen for $250 - $300 on CL. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Youthman Posted May 9, 2014 Author Moderators Share Posted May 9, 2014 I do like the "Go big or go home" mentality but if I made the screen the max width I have at 13' wide that would be 156" wide minus masking would make it around 150" wide. That would be a 163" Screen! I would have to have a throw distance of almost 17' (my room is 19') and I would need to bump up my the screen gain to a 1.4 (don't think the Seymour AT is that high). If I went with a 150" diagonal, that would be 138" wide which would leave me 9" on each side of the screen for masking. I would need a 1.2 gain screen (which is what the Seymour is) and would need to move my projector back from 12' to 15'7". Honestly, I can't imagine going from a 103" to a 150" diagonal in 2.35:1! Now that's a screen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WakeJunkie Posted May 9, 2014 Share Posted May 9, 2014 I do like the "Go big or go home" mentality but if I made the screen the max width I have at 13' wide that would be 156" wide minus masking would make it around 150" wide. That would be a 163" Screen! I would have to have a throw distance of almost 17' (my room is 19') and I would need to bump up my the screen gain to a 1.4 (don't think the Seymour AT is that high). If I went with a 150" diagonal, that would be 138" wide which would leave me 9" on each side of the screen for masking. I would need a 1.2 gain screen (which is what the Seymour is) and would need to move my projector back from 12' to 15'7". Honestly, I can't imagine going from a 103" to a 150" diagonal in 2.35:1! Now that's a screen. Plan for your next projector, not just this one. In 3-5 years you will likely have a 4K projector that is much brighter than the one you have and can uncover any screen you can't use now. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TasDom Posted May 9, 2014 Share Posted May 9, 2014 I'm in the "go big or go home" camp also. I did the maximum size at 120" that my throw distance would allow. I also made some magnetic masking panels for my 16:9 screen. Like ref said, the only way I'll go bigger is if I move. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Youthman Posted May 9, 2014 Author Moderators Share Posted May 9, 2014 A while back I saw pretty cool YouTube video of the guy that made some masking panels like you're talking about with magnets they literally just folded up on the hinge and the magnets help them in place to reveal the 16 x 9. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WakeJunkie Posted May 9, 2014 Share Posted May 9, 2014 If we can manage a motorized masking system like the DIY one I built, you would only need to swap the side panels and adjust the stop location to change screen size. I could build a manual version with the same roller principal if we can't find the parts for the motorized one reasonably. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CECAA850 Posted May 9, 2014 Share Posted May 9, 2014 I could build a manual version Take him up on this Michael! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Youthman Posted May 9, 2014 Author Moderators Share Posted May 9, 2014 Take him up on this Michael! Told you Shaun can make anything. He took apart the motor from his previous 100" electric screen, and fabricated his own electric masking screen. I just looked on my server because I thought I had the video you made but I'm not seeing it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Youthman Posted May 9, 2014 Author Moderators Share Posted May 9, 2014 I found this video awhile back demonstrating a very simple manual masking setup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WakeJunkie Posted May 9, 2014 Share Posted May 9, 2014 I found this video awhile back demonstrating a very simple manual masking setup. We can do better than that. ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Youthman Posted May 9, 2014 Author Moderators Share Posted May 9, 2014 We can do better than that. ;-) I won't complain if we do. This guy used a 12v Windshield Wiper Motor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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