Laser Projector - traditional or short throw?
Discussion
Currently have a theatre room with a roof mounted Epson projector (bulb based, approx 12 yrs old) onto a 100 inch screen.
It's feeling dated and not as bright as I'd like ala laser projector and thinking of changing it.
Seen the short throw projectors and like the idea of an easy set up rather than having to bolt to the ceiling, re-set up a new rear room-roofountrd laser projector but not sure if their pictures are very good and if the normal roof mounted laser projectors are a better bet.
Thoughts?
It's feeling dated and not as bright as I'd like ala laser projector and thinking of changing it.
Seen the short throw projectors and like the idea of an easy set up rather than having to bolt to the ceiling, re-set up a new rear room-roofountrd laser projector but not sure if their pictures are very good and if the normal roof mounted laser projectors are a better bet.
Thoughts?
If your existing lamp has a lot of hours use, it will have lost some of its original brightness, all filament lamps do. Renewing the lamp might help you.
The world has moved on in twelve years though, so you could go for a faux 4K Projector such as Epson TW9400 (lamp based) or Epson LS12000 (laser based), in conjunction with upscaling via my Denon AV receiver the 9400 is stunning with 1080 Blu-rays and even Freeview HD channels on a 100" diagonal.
Since you have an existing ceiling mount I can't see the need to change to a short throw Projector?
PS. In looking at the manufacturers specs for the LS12000 vs the TW9400, there really isn't a difference in brightness, so I'd be minded to save the (considerable) difference and buy one genuine replacement lamp for the eventual replacement some years down the line.
The world has moved on in twelve years though, so you could go for a faux 4K Projector such as Epson TW9400 (lamp based) or Epson LS12000 (laser based), in conjunction with upscaling via my Denon AV receiver the 9400 is stunning with 1080 Blu-rays and even Freeview HD channels on a 100" diagonal.
Since you have an existing ceiling mount I can't see the need to change to a short throw Projector?
PS. In looking at the manufacturers specs for the LS12000 vs the TW9400, there really isn't a difference in brightness, so I'd be minded to save the (considerable) difference and buy one genuine replacement lamp for the eventual replacement some years down the line.
Edited by Techno9000 on Sunday 26th February 11:13
Edited by Techno9000 on Sunday 26th February 11:15
Are we talking short or sit-it-inches-away-from-the-screen ultra-short ?
Standard short-throw gets you a throw ratio of 0.5:1. That means for a 10ft linear width image you need 5ft of throw distance, so unless there's a handy table in the right place and you're happy trailing cables across the floor then the projector will still need to be ceiling mounted. It's just ceiling mounted much closer than your last one.
The ultra-short-throw units sit directly in front of the screen. Whether it's laser or not makes no difference to the lens capabilities. Laser is all about the type of "lamp", how long it lasts etc.
Something to bear in mind is cabling. Your new projector is likely to be 4K UHD compared to 1080p for the old one. With a longer throw projector in a typical installation, it generally means a long HDMI to the back of the room. In turn, that means a 4K UHD-capable cable. An ultra-short machine could mean a shorter cable run and a lot lower cost.
One other thing to bear in mind is the screen size. A UST machine doesn't have zoom, and the focus range is limited. This means the screen size isn't defined by throw distance. It's fixed. By that I mean a UST machine with make an X' diagonal image and that's it. No flexibility to change. Now, if your screen happens to be exactly that size then happy days. But if not, then your image may be too big or too small. That or you'll be buying a new screen.
On the subject of screens then, the next questions are: do you need an ALR or CLR screen and can you use matte white?
The light rejecting screens work where someone wants a projector in place of a TV. This means a room with some ambient light. If the room is a bat cave then a matte white will work fine, but it has to be absolutely flat. Any ripples or unevenness will show up immediately.
Give some thought to to the centre speaker. Is it sitting below the screen, and will tye UST need to sit infront or even on top of it? Are you going to have to plan to move the centre speaker too?
Standard short-throw gets you a throw ratio of 0.5:1. That means for a 10ft linear width image you need 5ft of throw distance, so unless there's a handy table in the right place and you're happy trailing cables across the floor then the projector will still need to be ceiling mounted. It's just ceiling mounted much closer than your last one.
The ultra-short-throw units sit directly in front of the screen. Whether it's laser or not makes no difference to the lens capabilities. Laser is all about the type of "lamp", how long it lasts etc.
Something to bear in mind is cabling. Your new projector is likely to be 4K UHD compared to 1080p for the old one. With a longer throw projector in a typical installation, it generally means a long HDMI to the back of the room. In turn, that means a 4K UHD-capable cable. An ultra-short machine could mean a shorter cable run and a lot lower cost.
One other thing to bear in mind is the screen size. A UST machine doesn't have zoom, and the focus range is limited. This means the screen size isn't defined by throw distance. It's fixed. By that I mean a UST machine with make an X' diagonal image and that's it. No flexibility to change. Now, if your screen happens to be exactly that size then happy days. But if not, then your image may be too big or too small. That or you'll be buying a new screen.
On the subject of screens then, the next questions are: do you need an ALR or CLR screen and can you use matte white?
The light rejecting screens work where someone wants a projector in place of a TV. This means a room with some ambient light. If the room is a bat cave then a matte white will work fine, but it has to be absolutely flat. Any ripples or unevenness will show up immediately.
Give some thought to to the centre speaker. Is it sitting below the screen, and will tye UST need to sit infront or even on top of it? Are you going to have to plan to move the centre speaker too?
Thanks both for your great responses. Really helpful.
Regards the change my current projector is old enough it's losing its usability. Reason for an UST was simply the ease of changing the current one as I figured the roof mounts will be specific screw hole settings and don't want to have to redrill in the ceiling but I suppose it doesn't matter once the new one is up.
The room itself has black out blinds but glass doors do low light in to the room. Definitely keen for a bright picture hence the desire of a laser proj.
The current screen is 120" I think and we sit about 2m away from the screen so plenty of room. It's also not a replacement for a tv, it's definitely a theatre/gaming room set up.
If I got a UST id be getting a new screen that's built formit for sure. If not I'll just keep the existing screen but definitely update the Denon receiver and speaker set up so will get what's needed.
Regards the change my current projector is old enough it's losing its usability. Reason for an UST was simply the ease of changing the current one as I figured the roof mounts will be specific screw hole settings and don't want to have to redrill in the ceiling but I suppose it doesn't matter once the new one is up.
The room itself has black out blinds but glass doors do low light in to the room. Definitely keen for a bright picture hence the desire of a laser proj.
The current screen is 120" I think and we sit about 2m away from the screen so plenty of room. It's also not a replacement for a tv, it's definitely a theatre/gaming room set up.
If I got a UST id be getting a new screen that's built formit for sure. If not I'll just keep the existing screen but definitely update the Denon receiver and speaker set up so will get what's needed.
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