Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Advice from Axiom Owners The final piece is in place - thanks to all!

Actually you'd recommended that material the second time I'd decided to go FP :-) I requested some samples and really like the performance of the material, but I don't know that it will work in my room.

My couch sits right against the back wall so the projector would literally have to sit on a shelf right above my head and I think that might be a bit claustrophobic (sp?) - not to metion one startling noise from a soundtrack and I just might knock myself unconcious! I really don't want to do a coffee table style setup and I don't know that I have any other options. Any ideas?

That brings up a question! Sushi, do you or anyone else know what the minimum depth of a rear projection cabinet is? I seen a setup at a hifi store that had the projector mounted on a rack that projected the image onto a mirror and then to a rear projection screen material. seems to me though the depth was about 4'. I really liked this because you could also store you audio and video equipment behind the wall out of the way. This room could also be cooled and ventilated well. Just something to consider if you have the space to loose, or use, (however you want to look at it.)

Toby, sorry for the duplicate suggestions. You've seen the photo of the backwall of our living room then, right? A similar shelf-mount setup might work for you.

modock, the minimum required depth of a rear-projection room will depend on the throw distance of the projector. If you use one mirror, the minimum depth will obviously be about a half of the projector's minimum throw distance.

I was really wanting to know more about the rack system (the metal framing that hold the projector and the mirror.) Have not ran across a website that sells these. I have only seen them in person. Mainly was curious about how deep they are not so much as the width or height.

I guess realy all I was doing was trying to remind others that this could be an alternative option!

timmy

Sorry sushi, After replying to your post I re-read it and I realized you were answering my question.
so for an example: if I have a projector that is supposed to be placed 12' from a screen for front projection and I wanted to rear project it using a mirror the distance from the mirror to the screen would be roughly 6' ??

anyways thanks for listening to me bable, like it says next to my name, NEWBIE :-)

timmy

Right. The mirror will simply fold the projection light path in the middle. If you place the mirror right at 1/2 the projector's throw distance, it will give you the shortest overall depth.

I don't think you will really need a special rack or frame, unless you need to move the setup often. The projector should be either shelf or ceiling mounted in the back room facing backwards, and the mirror should be placed vertically at a half the throw distance. The only tricky thing is that you will need a mirror that has a reflecting metal coating on the front surface, not on the back side of the glass (the latter will give you a bad chromatic aberration, i.e., a prism-like effect).

It's that damn pesky physics again! Just when you think you've gotg everything figured out, physics comes in and makes everything complicated!

There is no escape.

Toby.. Here's a thought.. What's on the other side of the wall that your couch is against ? Would it be possible to mount the projector on the other side, with an opening into the viewing room ? You could put a cabinet around it, or mount it into one if one already exists, or just set it on a shelf ? The work involved would be nothing really.. Two layers of drywall, a little sill and casing work, and shes a done deal..
Shoot, even if the other side is the out doors, you could box it all in, making it weather tight, etc.. There are vents to match every need in building supplies these days..

If you have an attic above your HT room, you could mount the projector pointing vertically straight down through a hole in the ceiling. You would then mount a mirror on an adjustable tilt (starting at roughly 45-degrees) directly below the hole. Since the mirror would be pretty close to the projector in this setup, it wouldn't have to be as big as in the "half the throw distance" rear-projection setup.

wow, you guys will go to any length to mount a projector