Screen size...what's too big?

[jbrown15]

I currently have a 120" diagonal 16:9 AT screen and sit 11' away from it, but I'm about to switch over to a 2.35:1 scope screen and will be getting a 115" wide screen. I personally wouldn't want to go any larger then either of those sizes for 11' or closer. I also use a JVC RS45 projector.

[busterbrown]

Don't be scared, bigger is better. My first projector was 720p panny which
limited me to 120" screen at 13' distance. Next up is a 1080p 3d and a
150" screen, i wish I would have gotten 160" which is the limit. The bottom of the screen is 6" from floor. If I had the room I would get 200". Center speaker is behind the pull down on a shelf with no issues. The only issue is my feet blocking view of the bottom of the picture when reclined. I understand the interest in cinemascope screens but 1:85 movies are a real treat on a 16x9, and 2:35 are fine with the bars. As stated earlier make sure there is enough room on the sides for your towers. There is no eye strain because light is projected away from you as opposed to rear projection emitting light at you! just
eliminate glare from ceiling and floor which bounce back to the screen washing
out the picture.

[Flatnate]

Well I am currently at 124 inches horizontally wide, 135 inch wide diagonal. This would translate in to a 142 inch wide diagonally measured 16:9 screen as I'm using the zoom method. I'm using a JVC RS20u and I think I'm kinda pushing it for that projector. Brightness seems to be pretty good yet, at 500 hours on the bulb, but it seems that I have lost some contrast versus smaller sizes that I have used in the past. Perhaps a better calibration disc and some more tweaking can bring that perceived contrast and shadow detail back at such a large size. Moral here is to not push your projector way past its abilities in terms of size.

[onyxbfly]

Originally Posted by busterbrown

Don't be scared, bigger is better. My first projector was 720p panny which
limited me to 120" screen at 13' distance. Next up is a 1080p 3d and a
150" screen, i wish I would have gotten 160" which is the limit. The bottom of the screen is 6" from floor. If I had the room I would get 200". Center speaker is behind the pull down on a shelf with no issues. The only issue is my feet blocking view of the bottom of the picture when reclined. I understand the interest in cinemascope screens but 1:85 movies are a real treat on a 16x9, and 2:35 are fine with the bars. As stated earlier make sure there is enough room on the sides for your towers. There is no eye strain because light is projected away from you as opposed to rear projection emitting light at you! just
eliminate glare from ceiling and floor which bounce back to the screen washing
out the picture.

To me it boils down to what your primary viewing material is. If you watch TV and play video games etc. More and more movies are made in 2:35:1 format. Its easy to mask the bars when watching 16:9 material on a 2:35:1 screen.

I agree with you in regards to going bigger if you can. People often upgrade their projectors before upgrading their screen. Then again I agree with FlateNate.......

150" at 13' away.......

Talk about total immersion. Sounds lovely!!!!!

Originally Posted by Flatnate

Well I am currently at 124 inches horizontally wide, 135 inch wide diagonal. This would translate in to a 142 inch wide diagonally measured 16:9 screen as I'm using the zoom method. I'm using a JVC RS20u and I think I'm kinda pushing it for that projector. Brightness seems to be pretty good yet, at 500 hours on the bulb, but it seems that I have lost some contrast versus smaller sizes that I have used in the past. Perhaps a better calibration disc and some more tweaking can bring that perceived contrast and shadow detail back at such a large size. Moral here is to not push your projector way past its abilities in terms of size.

I agree with you. Your bulb will last longer when you stay within the sweet spot and not max your projector out. Have you considered recalibrating your projector? 500 hrs is a nice amount of time for the bulb to burn in. You are due for a recalibration.

HTH

[Flatnate]

Originally Posted by onyxbfly

Have you considered recalibrating your projector? 500 hrs is a nice amount of time for the bulb to burn in. You are due for a recalibration.

HTH

Yeah I need to take another look at it. I used just some basic patterns to readjust brightness and contrast after the move but I'm not happy with the results after some viewing. I've managed to maintain some shadow detail which is nice but on certain scenes things start to get a little washed out look and they begin to lack some pop. I have the Joe Kane Digital Video Essentials calibration disc but I would like to at least attempt doing more with some others.

[busterbrown]

Flatnate I have a white drop ceiling same as you I spray painted the section
from projector to screen black to minimize the "washout effect", I
also have a rug over the laminate floor, as well as black curtains on 2 walls adjacent to the screen. The projected light onto the screen bounces off the screen to surrounding surfaces which bounces back to the screen washing out the image.

[Flatnate]

Originally Posted by busterbrown

Flatnate I have a white drop ceiling same as you I spray painted the section
from projector to screen black to minimize the "washout effect", I
also have a rug over the laminate floor, as well as black curtains on 2 walls adjacent to the screen. The projected light onto the screen bounces off the screen to surrounding surfaces which bounces back to the screen washing out the image.

I'm also reading over at AVS that after 500 hours my particular JVC would "off gas" some plastic chemicals that could haze up the optical prism and lamp lens, and guys had good luck cleaning the lamp and prism. They are also saying that the dirty prism and lamp just aging can cause a shift in gamma. I'm wanting to possibly try cleaning, as well as a recalibration afterwards. I'll hopefully be painting the walls darker in the next month as well. Still, as of now things seem slightly better at smaller sizes.

[SillySauce]

Nothing is too big. Watching a 200 inch plus 2.35 movie with a good sound system is amazing. Sitting over 30 feet away from that big of an image just puts it on another level. It's a real cinema feel.

[Taipan]

Originally Posted by SillySauce

Nothing is too big. Watching a 200 inch plus 2.35 movie with a good sound system is amazing. Sitting over 30 feet away from that big of an image just puts it on another level. It's a real cinema feel.

Too bad he doesn't have the room for your scenario.

Size is relevant to how close one can sit to a large screen and not feel uncomfortable while viewing. I can't sit too close to a screen when I have to move my eyes to often to see everything on the screen. I therefore don't sit in the first 3rd of a theater or I can't enjoy the movie.

My set-up is around 106" @ 13'5" seating for the back row in my theater room.

Works for me.

[schan1269]

I sit 9' from 108" 2.35/120" 16:9.

[rs3771]

I sit 14.5' from a 182" projected image in 2.35:1 - using the ISCO 1.25x a-lens with the Sony 1100ES PJ - I'd go larger if I had a bigger room.

[Flatnate]

Originally Posted by rs3771

I sit 14.5' from a 182" projected image in 2.35:1 - using the ISCO 1.25x a-lens with the Sony 1100ES PJ - I'd go larger if I had a bigger room.

[onyxbfly]

Originally Posted by Flatnate

I'm also reading over at AVS that after 500 hours my particular JVC would "off gas" some plastic chemicals that could haze up the optical prism and lamp lens, and guys had good luck cleaning the lamp and prism. They are also saying that the dirty prism and lamp just aging can cause a shift in gamma. I'm wanting to possibly try cleaning, as well as a recalibration afterwards. I'll hopefully be painting the walls darker in the next month as well. Still, as of now things seem slightly better at smaller sizes.

On a scale of 1-10 how much of a decrease would you say you have in picture quality. I know you mentioned it before but I don't recall at the moment. Did you use a screen paint or you shooting onto the wall itself? I feel that the picture quality will increase once you paint the sides and sort out your ceiling.

Cleaning the lamp and prism is a great idea.

I know you watch Asian cinema and Anime, have you watched anything recently with subtitles? If so are they cropped off with the black bars. I'm actually contemplating a do over on my screen wall and seriously considering a 16:9 screen. Of course this is all in my head. I have yet to sketch it out and try to make it wk on paper. Let alone pick up the drywall saw.

[busterbrown]

rs 3771 show us some pics

[kurtis21]

I sit about 9'-1/2 feet from my 2.35.1---115" screen and it looks great. Total immersion!! So I agree with everyone else here...BIGGER the better!

[k3nnis]

Hi All,

I plan to have a 110" screen 16:9. Will the size be ok for my seating distance of 11.5' eyes to screen?

Room size is small, 11.1' X 13.4'.

Screen will be on the 11.1' wall.

Throw will be approx 11.5'

Thanks,
K.

[jautor]

Originally Posted by k3nnis

Hi All,

I plan to have a 110" screen 16:9. Will the size be ok for my seating distance of 11.5' eyes to screen?

Room size is small, 11.1' X 13.4'.

Screen will be on the 11.1' wall.

Throw will be approx 11.5'

Thanks,
K.

Yeah, I think you'll be fine. My front row is ~9' from 108" and I wouldn't recommend any larger than that. You're two feet further from essentially the same size, sounds about right.

Make sure your projector is able to fill the screen from your throw distance - and if you really want to be sure - put up some photographer's backdrop paper or a white sheet and test the screen size before actually buying the screen... I did this because I was nervous about the screen being too big for my front row - it was right on the edge, so I'm glad I tested it...

Jeff

[TheBlayman]

373 feet ��

[Flatnate]

LOL this thread came back from the dead and I realized I forgot to reply to Onyxbfly way back there.

Anyway, in short your screen is too big when you don't have enough lumens to produce about 16 foot lamberts of brightness on your screen. I'm on the border of being there. Its a 140 inch diagonal 2.35:1 scope screen with a 900 lumen (at best new, no where close to that now) projector mounted just over 13 feet back. So yeah actually, I should go smaller or upgrade to a brighter projector sometime.

K3nnis, you won't have that problem at 110 inches. So as long as you did your homework with a projection calculator found on the web somewhere and it works as far as your throw distance for your particular projector and room then your fine.