I'm pre-wiring for a front projector that will be purchased at a much later date and only who knows what type will be purchased. Searching through a number of projectors and throw distances I'm thinking if I can make the mounting location adjustable anywhere from 19ft to 17ft from the screen I should be good to go to cover most projectors?

Also the screen will be the 'pull down' type in front of the TV so not being on a fixed wall, I'll also have the capability to move it closer (if need be) to the viewing location.

Check out the screen/projector calculators over at ProjectorCentral. You can look at a lot of projector models, find the screen size you want, and it will tell you the throw distance. Keep in mind that the closer to the screen that the projector is, the brighter the image will be, and the more ambient light that you can have. May not be a factor, but just keep it in mind. Some projectors have to be closer than others and some have to be further away. You should have a lot of choices to choose from.

Here is a link:
ProjectorCentral

No idea what the ‘right’ answer to that question is Rick. I’ve seen those throw charts before and they didn’t help me much.

But, one thing I noticed while reading the Z4 and panny 900 specs sheets and write ups……..they both have a 2X zoom and both say this makes projector screen distance pretty much a non issue (within reason). I guess you can just use the zoom to get your picture size just right. Which in my case, would be terrific. My situation is similar to yours, I’m not really sure where the hell the thing is going to go, or what size screen I’m going with yet.

I just recently did that same thing in our new house. I wasnt EXACTLY sure which projector i wanted to use and since the ones i was looking at were so diifferent in distance it was kinda stressfull trying to pick the right spot and then making sure that i had everything wired up for whatever I might need down the road. So far i think the house is getting painted this week. Mainly what i did was just place all my plugs in the rear, off to the side somewhat and then put backing in about 4' of the ceiling so i have some options when it comes time to actually mount the projector. I think its kinda hard to really find the perfect spot until you actually get the projector and try it out. Luckly i can also move my screen back and fourth if need be before i mount it.

You should be more than find with that distance, there will always be short throw projectors, that you can get, also don’t forget they have medium throw projectors also..

dont forget dyi screens, they arent hard to make, and you can make them to exactly what you want.. granted a pull down isnt the ideal dyi screen, but you might be able to come up with something, a hinge or somthing?


Guess, the real question is “just how big do you want it”? I would guess youll get 100” easy out of 17-19ft.. just a hunch though.. my projector was about 12 feet, and I was getting 135”, but I have a shrot throw..

There are short throw projectors and long throw projectors. Nicks recommendation of looking at ProjectorCentral's reviews of various HT projectors, and then using their calculator will give you an idea of what projectors can accomodate that distance.

Big is not always better, especially if a quality image is important. Room conditions also play a factor, as does screen material.

My Z2 is a short throw design, meaning from a short throw distance you can achieve a large image, I"m at 13ft throw. Just make sure before you buy the projector, check the calculator and make sure you can achieve the size screen your wanting from that throw distance. Zoom helps to achieve this, but it is best to try to stay near the lower end of the zoom spectrum.

Randy

Bob,
Since you haven't decided on a specific projector model and are currently running wiring, you should consider a couple must have features. The wide angle lens (1.5 to 2.0 times zoom) will accound from the mounting distance issue and the lense shift feature will account for a vertical or horizontal offset of the lens to the screen. The above mentioned Panny AE900U and Sanyo Z4 have these features but many DLP projectors do not.

Good points JC, the lens shift is a great feature I use with my Z2. I've got my eye on the Z4 as well, just need to figure out how to convice my wife..

>>>> Since you haven't decided on a specific projector model and are currently running wiring, you should consider a couple must have features. The wide angle lens (1.5 to 2.0 times zoom) will accound from the mounting distance issue and the lense shift feature will account for a vertical or horizontal offset of the lens to the screen. The above mentioned Panny AE900U and Sanyo Z4 have these features but many DLP projectors do not. <<<<

So, if while keeping this in mind the 18ft distance from the screen *should* be a pretty safe location then? And as mentioned above, I'll also have the option of moving the screen closer to the projector if needed.

Actually I have been to the ProjectorCentral site and did check out the calculator and entered several different projectors and the throw distance of 18ft seemed to have showed up fairly often, this is primarliy how I came up with the particular location.

Is this a standing throw contest or do I get a running start?

Man, 18ft, that is a pretty far throw distance, make sure your looking at projectors that can accomodate that distance and are light cannons.

Maybe the ideal thing to do then is to bundle up the cables in the ceiling and whenever the time comes just go fetch them and mount the projector where it needs to be...can't go wrong with that I suppose Randy. I never realized projector locations was so varied.

One more question (please bear with me, sometimes I'm a little slow while sometimes I'm extremely slow)... in the following example and according to the projector calculator am I correct in assuming that the Panasonic AE900 projector's ideal throw is 18'9"? I haven't adjusted anything, the following calculation came up whenever I entered 'Panasonic AE900U' ... is this a recommended location?

Panasonic AE900U Calculator.

or you tie a piece of rope on it and do it like the hammer toss.

That is just the screen that comes up, not the default or recommended settings (throw, zoom). There are two bullets and a vertical slider, one is for zoom and one is for throw distance.

If you want to see what throw distances work for a given screen size, adjust the screen size measurments at the bottom to what you want your screen to be. It will show you the range of throw, min to max, you can place your projector to achieve that screen size. If you slide the vertical bar up and down, it will tell you if you need more brightness or if your in the desired range.

Or, you can change the bullet to ZOOM, adjust your throw distance to what your thinking at the bottom, and then you'll see the Zoom range at any given throw distance. You normally don't want to be at the max or min of your zoom for placement, it is nice to have some room for adjustment.

Hope this all makes sense.