Projector setup - i shouldve done more homework.

[jomari]

so, finally got my screen installed (what a female canine that was), and had it installed about 6 inches away from the tv.

ceiling heigh is 8 feet
viewing distance about 10 feet

an elite screens 84 motorized screen, ceiling mounted, cant do it on a wall due to fireplace...

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000MX ... UTF8&psc=1

projector is the epson 2030, and in the old place, thought i can make it work by ceiling mounting it.

two things,

1. the sofa is low or the screens too high. i remembered the rule of thumb mentioned earlier, and went uh oh. eye level is looking at the BOTTOM of the screen. when i sit down on the sofa, the seat is 'reclined' enough where i can feel looking upward, but relaxing my neck on the reclining sofa. its not bad, but its not ideal.

*edited: after looking at the hillside cinema, now i realize WHY people have 'risers' built for pj setups, its to bring up the eye level to the appropriate screen height. i never had that problem with my previous one, simply because it was a simple fixed screen that 'sat' lower, thus accomodated the screen level. this is my first venture to a pull down screen, electric and/or manual.*

2. the projector needs to drop 1.5 feet from the ceiling. the black drop from ceiling to the screen material is 12 feet .5 inches. based on the calculator

http://www.epson.com/alf_upload/landing ... alculator/

i have to drop it 1 foot 3 inches, which means 15 inches off the ceiling. PLUS its between my vent and my flippin recessed light we recently installed.

if i use it normally, it falls smack in front of me, about a 7 feet but at EYE flipping level. so that discounts the center seat if ever.

problems
1. i cant install normal projector (with it on a desk)

2. possible too high viewing angle

3. ceiling drop of projector is too damn low. especially considering wifey opinion. i didnt bring it up yet.

solution

1. im screwed on number 1.

2. i cant drop it further, since the model doesnt have any 'leeway' to do that. i cant return it either, so im stuck with it.

3. the ONLY thing i think i can fix, but will screw the height of the screen. there are solutions to fix the drop on the screen but it will void the warranty and well, im afraid i can break it using an allen wrench.

http://www.elitescreens.com/images/pdf/ ... tments.pdf

OR i can just stop it on the remote to drop 6 inches off the ceiling, and allows me to have projector mounted 9 inches off the ceiling. tolerable i think considering it agains 15 inches.

yup, dumb rookie move. with the move and everything, i didnt have the time to think this one thru. but even so, if i got a 30 inch drop screen model, id still be stuck with a low low ceiling mount for the pj, or lose a seat with the flippin normal tabletop setup.

i love this projector simply because it was economical at around 800 clams, and the replacement lamp of 100 clams even made it sweeter. but the cost of the headaches that come with it - priceless.


2. ceiling drop of projector is too damn low.

 

[Towen7]

I'm not sure I understand your problem but I think you're saying the elite screen is mounted too high and even if you could lower it, you'd need to lower the projector to an unsatisfactory height. Right?

Lowering the screen is relatively easy. But it sounds like you need a projector with a lens shift option.

 

[jomari]

I'm not sure I understand your problem but I think you're saying the elite screen is mounted too high and even if you could lower it, you'd need to lower the projector to an unsatisfactory height. Right?

since its a ceiling mount, i couldnt really do anything about mounting it lower, so yes. its too high. or my seating area is too low, thus my observation with the 'risers' i see with peoples setup.

Lowering the screen is relatively easy. But it sounds like you need a projector with a lens shift option.

pretty much, but if i do the damn projector needs to be lowered almost too low too. for a 12.5 inch gap the screen has between the ceiling and the screen itself, i have to drop the flippin pj down to around 15 inches. in the middle of the room too.

so, its either i get rid of the screen height problem or the projector mount drop problem. the sad part is, i cant return both either.

im pretty much screwed at this point i think.

 

[Towen7]

Is a riser for the sofa out of the question?

 

[Barney]

....just a question, isn't the riser's installed so the folks sitting on it can see over the heads of folks sitting on the floor in front ?

 

[Towen7]

Usually. But usually you can get the bottom of your image where you want it w/o your PJ being too low. Jomari's setup doesn't have a lens shift so he's need to lower the PJ mount to a point where it's a problem in the room.

 

[Flint]

I was looking at the manual for the Epson 2030 and it has a very competent Keystone Correction focusing tool. It projects upwards from a desktop position, so if you mount it upside down it will project downwards. Then you can adjust the keystone focus so as to compensate for the angle of projection. I don't see why you'd have to put the projector directly in your line of view given these standard features.

 

[CMonster]

I was looking at the manual for the Epson 2030 and it has a very competent Keystone Correction focusing tool. It projects upwards from a desktop position, so if you mount it upside down it will project downwards. Then you can adjust the keystone focus so as to compensate for the angle of projection. I don't see why you'd have to put the projector directly in your line of view given these standard features.

Theoretically, keystone correction has an adverse effect on video quality whereas lens shift does not. However, before my projector was professionally calibrated, I did use the lowest level of keystone correction with my Epson 6010 and didn't notice a difference in picture quality...

 

[Towen7]

That's really the simplest and maybe the only option he has.

 

[CMonster]

^Or everyone on the forum could chip in to get me a 4K projector with laser light engine and then Jomari could have my 6010 with lens shift.

 

[Botch]

I see what you did there.

 

[jomari]

I was looking at the manual for the Epson 2030 and it has a very competent Keystone Correction focusing tool.

it does, but im afraid that keystone is something that others might degrade the picture. im sorry, ive been out of the game for so long so my memory doesnt serve me well.

It projects upwards from a desktop position, so if you mount it upside down it will project downwards.

so, if ever id be using it at its normal position (not inverted like the ceiling kind right?), and then use it at a lower level and use keystone correct?

Then you can adjust the keystone focus so as to compensate for the angle of projection. I don't see why you'd have to put the projector directly in your line of view given these standard features.

yeah, i think i tried it, but noticed that the original picture was not using the 'full screen' anymore due to the keystone thingy. is that normal?

 

[jomari]

Theoretically, keystone correction has an adverse effect on video quality whereas lens shift does not. However, before my projector was professionally calibrated, I did use the lowest level of keystone correction with my Epson 6010 and didn't notice a difference in picture quality...

i really have to read up more about keystone again...

That's really the simplest and maybe the only option he has.

i think that might be it. either i use keystone and just put it on a desktop position or go on the ceiling and pretty much do almost the same thing.

for now i might go with the desktop.

thank you all for your help, i'll have to do some more homework and read up on keystone stuff.

 

[walls]

One feature I pretty much insisted on when I bought my projector, lens shift. Makes life a whole lot easier.
Using the keystone feature ever so slightly wouldn't degrade pic quality too much but if you just slightly go too far, boom, big difference and not a good one.

 

[asal]

Thanks jomari, this thread is really useful for me as i'm picking out a ceiling mount motorized projection screen right now for my build. I wasn't thinking that I would need to buy the screens with an extension, but maybe I do!

I was already going to get a pj with lens shift, as I was debating trying to hide it off center from my screen, but have since rethought that. I am though, going to mount the pj with a low profile ceiling mount, and my couch will not be on a riser in my 8' wall basement.

 

[jomari]

Thanks jomari, this thread is really useful for me as i'm picking out a ceiling mount motorized projection screen right now for my build. I wasn't thinking that I would need to buy the screens with an extension, but maybe I do!

I was already going to get a pj with lens shift, as I was debating trying to hide it off center from my screen, but have since rethought that. I am though, going to mount the pj with a low profile ceiling mount, and my couch will not be on a riser in my 8' wall basement.

glad this helped out buddy, to be honest the main buying point for me was the 100 dollar lamp that epson had to offer on this one, and of course being an LED lamp gives no RBE.

BUY a pj with a lens shift. of course, after i bought this one the latest one had it.

we all learn from our mistakes, we all learn MORE from other peoples mistakes. glad to get this headache for your before it became one.

my result? pj still in the closet, but my plan still stays the same, build the pj mount (and just stick with what i have.) i also have to mount my rear speakers, so this might turn into a contractor job anyways. im half assing it right now since we have a lot going on with my dad in law. more important things (and people!) make the bigger picture.