Im looking at going to a projector/screen combo for my home theater. I want to go 1080p, if at all possible. Is it that much better over 720p for projection of ~100" screen?

-What is a good projector out there that doesnt break the bank? Also, for the screen, is there a huge difference in what type of screen to get? Id rather spend more to get a better projector

-Also, right now, my couch is ~13 ft from the wall, and my ceiling is only 7ft. Is this too low to go projector? How big do you think i can go (i can move the projector back up to 20ft, but i will sit about 13-14 ft back. How far off the ground should the screen be? How far from the ceiling? Im worried i wont be able to go big enough to justify spending all the $$ if i can only go 80" or so.

-what are the biggest things to look at when deciding if it will work in my low ceiling basement

-How much do ceiling mounts hang (there is no drywall ceiling, it is all floor joists and beams)

Thanks for any help

Wow,

Thats alot of questions, I attempt to answer all of them:

1. What is a good projector out there that doesnt break the bank?

I own the Sanyo Z5 which is an LCD 720p native projector. Super cheap and I sit about 10 feet from the screen and can't notice any screen door effect. mdrew will hopefully be in here to give the benefits of 1080p over 720p.

2. Also, for the screen, is there a huge difference in what type of screen to get?

I made my own screen for about $50 using blackout cloth (can be bought at any fabric store) and stretching it over a home made frame I made with wood painted black from Home Depot and using corner braces on the back. Google a DIY screen and you will get some good ways of going about doing this.

3. right now, my couch is ~13 ft from the wall, and my ceiling is only 7ft. Is this too low to go projector? How big do you think i can go (i can move the projector back up to 20ft, but i will sit about 13-14 ft back.

For low ceiling projection, you are going to want to get an LCD projector that has good lens shift. The Sanyo Z5 is a good option, Also the Panasonic AE200 (I think) has good lens shift, as does panasonic's 1080p varient (I think its the AE2000?).

As a general rule of thumb you want to be able to get the biggest screen size situating your projector the closest it can go to the screen. This will ensure you have good screen brightness for the size of screen you choose.

Use this calculator to determine how far back your projector should be ceiling mounted for your desired screen size. (will need to pic a projector tho )

4. How far off the ground should the screen be? How far from the ceiling? Im worried i wont be able to go big enough to justify spending all the $$ if i can only go 80" or so.

Your eyes (usually around 36-38" or so from the ground on an average couch) should be level with at least the bottom of the screen, I have mine in the bottom 1/3 of the screen and it is very comfortable on my neck. You have lots of room to work with with a 7' wall, so don't sweat it. I have my 92" screen about 30" off the ground I think.

With 84" to work with (a 7' ceiling), and if you put your screen 30" off the ground, you can have up to a 100" screen (49" in height) and still have 5 or so inches at the top of your ceiling. If you want to have dual centre channels mounted above and below, you can lower your screen height to 25" or so to allow for a centre channel to go above the 100" screen.

5. How much do ceiling mounts hang (there is no drywall ceiling, it is all floor joists and beams)

My monoprice.com ceiling mount hangs down about 6", and then the projector itself adds another 4" inches or so. So I would say the bottom of a mounted projector hangs down to about 10" to 12" or so at the most (depending on the type of mount you buy).

Thank you, that was VERY helpful. Now i just need to know the 720p/1080p difference to see if it is worth the money or wait that it will take to lower the price of 1080p.

The increase in resolution between 720 and 1080 will not blow you away, but it is noticeable. What will blow you away is better blacks, higher dynamic contrast and better color separation with the 1080P units. Where 720 trumps 1080 units is lumens, but if have some level of light control in the room, that’s a mute point. There are several excellent 1080P units for under 3K now. If you tend to upgrade frequently, you might as well just bite the bullet and go 1080 now. Screens do make a difference. If you will have ambient light, you’ll want a grey or silver screen. If not, a positive gain white screen is what you want. Positive gain grey/silver screens are good for both situations, but they come at a premium price and some are directional (meaning the projector must be either above or below the screen). One thing to consider is projectors are constantly getting better. My opinion is to buy all the screen you can afford as it will outlast many projectors. But in the end, your checking account balance will determine what you buy, and with the choices on the market today, you can be assured that whatever you buy, you will enjoy it immensely.

A lot of people paint their wall with special recipes to gain the same effects as above in order to match their lighting conditions.

I'm seriously considering this route until I can purchase a top quality screen. The trauma is that when you go to the bigger web sites like projector central or AVS, there are soooo many recipes and discussions over what works and what doesn't that it can get very confusing.

I went that route too. I bought a screen and have not regretted it one bit. Painting screens is not as easy as the one's pushing it make it out to be. I use a Stewart Firehawk G3. It's pretty amazing how well it reflects light, considering how grey it is.

To re-iterate what mdrew is saying, after making my own screen and it being less than acceptable (I just know that my wife would kill me if I tried to buy a $600 screen), I would opt to buy a nice fixed screen if I had the choice.

OK, how come all projector fans I know have Master Chief as their avatar?

I built my own screen with some screen material sold by Dazian fabrics, I'm very pleased with it. I would consider buying a screen if I go bigger than 100" one day, but it works great for now!