Biggest Screen Size anyone here has done with Panny AE3000

[Propellarhead9]

I was just kind of curious whats the largest screen size anyone on here has done with the Panasonic AE3000 and still been able to get a good picture and what not. Thats what I'm planning to buy one after i get my house and I'm trying to plan out the finishing of the basement accordingly. I would really like to do a 150" screen im just not sure how clear the image would be.

[Beta Man]

I'm sure it'll tell you the "Capable" screen size in the specs..... as far as how it looks..... it's pretty subjective.

I know a lot of people throw 150" images though..... How it looks would also depend on you viewing distance......

[Disky76]

Will you be doing a CIH setup? If so, then you should be able to go with a larger screen since it'll be wider. I would recommend using the Projection Calculator at ProjectorPeople.com

[Propellarhead9]

I had used the projection calculator that is on ProjectorCentral.com, the one on there didn't really recommend anything bigger that around 130" or so but like the spec sheet for it says it should be able to throw a 300" or something close to that.

[Disky76]

Well, after plugging in your throw distance in the projection calc you may be limited to 130" due to space limitations. The PTAE3000U may very well be able to throw a 300" image...but the throw would be much longer.

[Propellarhead9]

I already know how far back i'll need to have it for the screen size, i'm mainly just trying to figure out if anyone has done it and if the quality is still good without being washed out. For the most part I'm working with a space I can make anywhere from about 16w x 40l. I'm looking at 4 houses that have that on just one side of the basement plus even more room that I am going to be turning into a bar/arcade.

[Beta Man]

I don't know to be honest, because I don't have first hand experience with a screen that large, or that projector.....

Based on your other posts, it seems like you've got the financial aspects of the house pretty locked up, and although you shouldn't over-extend yourself, or set/break unreasonable budgets for you entertainment that you've set (or wife) It may be in your best interest to look into a higher end projector with greater light output..... You'd probably be looking at units that around $10k but the output of it would certainly be something you'd be happy with for a long time to come........

Could you just go with the projector you're looking at, and if need be, limit the screen size down to 100-120" if a 150" image doesn't look good to you??? You could then utilize more of the basement space for other things too, and reduce the viewing distance...... I'm guessing any trade off in PQ from a 100 to 150" display will be worth it for the increased size though..... but it's really up to you.....

[Propellarhead9]

Pretty much the way I'm planning it out originally is for a 120", I'm just figuring hey if I got the space why not try to go bigger. Budget wise my current budget for equipment alone is going to be around 20K or so possibly more (depending how much I end up spending on the bar side of the basement). I was looking at some of the higher end projectors but I couldn't really see much of a difference that would warrant the price hike. Chances are I am going to hold out for the new model panny to come out too just so I don't get the urge to upgrade right after getting the current model.

[ambientcafe]

A couple more important considerations that haven't been brought up yet: Lumen rating of your pj, and choice of screen gain. I'm using a Panny AX100 pj with 2,000 lumens on a Draper 140" scope grayscreen with 0.8 gain (throw distance: 20 ft) -- and the picture is quite watchable, albeit only at 720p. The Panny AE3000 has a lower lumen rating: 1,600 -- thus using a higher gain screen would be most prudent, especially in the size range that you're indicating. Also, the AE3000's contrast ratio is 10X higher than my AX100, making the use of a low gain screen unneccessary. In any case, enjoy this planning stage of your h/t....it's truly exciting isn't it?!

[Disky76]

If your heart is set on the PTAE3000U you could buy it before you consider the screen, and first project onto the wall. Decide what size works best for you and your space, measure it, and buy a screen based on your findings.

Brain Sturgeon once made the suggestion to always get a screen as big as your room will allow. He stated that people rarely regret going too big, but many wish they had gone bigger.

[Swede]

Like someone else said, just try out different sizes when you buy the projector you've decided on, and use whatever looks best to you. A large screen is always nice, but getting better contrast and brightness can also outweigh the increase in size.

The quality you get at a certain screen size will depend on a lot of things, such as Lumens output on the projector model obviously, but at least as important (if not more so) are the external factors such as light control in your room, the gain and material of your screen and of course the mode used on your pj, distance between the pj and the screen and how much zoom you're using on your lens, so it's really impossible to say.

I do know that my dad has an AE3000 setup using about a 130" screen and loves the picture it produces, whatever that tells you

Also, like you said there are a lot of new pj models coming out in the next few months, so I would hold off until reviews start popping up on those. BTW if you're not planning on using a CIH 2.35 screen, the Epson 6500ub/8500ub is probably a bit brighter than the AE3000/AE4000 for the really big screens...

[Propellarhead9]

thanks for all the good input. I think what I'm probably going to end up doing is just making a rig that I can put the projector on and just keep pulling it back until either the picture quality has gone to crap or it won't fit on the wall anymore and then kind of design around that as a rough starting point. I think that is probably going to be the easiest thing to do.

[Beta Man]

Just set it on a cart with no zoom..... prop it so it's pretty well centered on the wall, and just start rolling the cart backwards...... When it's all said and done though, You'll want to ceiling mount it.

Good luck..... when do you think you'll close on a house.... couple weeks, a couple months.... a year?

[snowball_iv]

I have the ae3000, and i project it at 130" in 2.4 AR. I think it looks really good at that size. I sit about 15 feet away from the screen, and i have a room with no outside light at all. You can take a look at my screenshots and see what you think.

Are you going to just use it for movies or what?

[Deciazulado]

And paint your walls black. That will improve the contrast of the image more than anything else in the world.

[Beta Man]

Originally Posted by Deciazulado

And paint your walls black. That will improve the contrast of the image more than anything else in the world.

]

That's what I did (well... a combination of black and brown, albeit unaided by Keith Richards) I'm planning (have been for some time) to replace the carpet too.... once you start up that giant light-cannon, you'll be amazed at the things that cause noticeable reflections.......

I actually took my front's speaker wires, hung them, and spray painted them black because I could see a reflection off of the shiny speaker-wire jacket

I painted around the can lights on the outside and inside..... I basically painted everything in sight with the exception of the smoke detector, because I just never got around to it.... perhaps I'll do that today.

The front wall is black, and when the lights are off, if the projector isn't on, you can't see the speakers or screen etc.... it's pitch black.....



When the projector is on, I can see light on the carpet, with a "shadow line" where the screen is, so it's complete darkness behind the screen.... I want to get rid of the shiny looking floor, so I'm replacing the carpet..... will it greatly improve my contrast???? PROBABLY NOT.... might help a little... hard to tell, but I'm doing it more for the fact that when watching a movie, I want everything to be in complete darkness except the screen.

My wife complains because she is constantly knocking over drinks, or she likes to eat ice-cream while watching a movie, but she can't see anything so she makes me turn the dimmer on..... (Normally I wouldn't entertain the idea, but you can't mess with a pregnant woman!)

ANYWAYS..... Making the room a "Cave" is very important.... but you'll still need a pretty powerful projector to blow up a screen that size with a nice bright image.....


ALSO, despite all of my attempts to blacken the room out, I keep my projector on "Low" light setting.... Prior to painting the room, I ran it on low and high, and noticed a pretty large difference in contrast...... now that it's painted (and has total light control) there is a VERY MINOR difference in contrast from Low to High...... so these improvements are also helping me save the life of my bulb...... well worth it.....


Sorry to make this so brief

[J.Seb]

By the way, what aspect ratio would you go for?
2.35:1, 2.37:1 or 2.40:1?
I am planning to get the new Panasonic, there's an interesting increase of contrast from 60.000:1 to 80.000:1. Can't wait for the first reviews to make the final decision.

[Deciazulado]

2.89?

[VoodooSamurai]

I had an AE3000U a few months back, I tested against the wall at 150" and it easily covered it,no problems with image either, just great immersion

[J.Seb]

Originally Posted by Deciazulado

2.89?

lol

I wonder if anyone actually went for that ratio just to watch HTWWW although, even then, you are not getting the right experience - wouldn't you need 3 projectors and 3 screens?