Projector image size?

[dl222]

Ok, I can't seem to get a straight answer from anyone on this so hopefully some of ya'll experts here can help.

I'm shopping for my first projector, learning bit by bit.

Since projectors deliver their images in a range of sizes, how do you determine which is the absolute optimum image size to set it to?

Eg, if projector can display an image in the range of 30-300 inches, I'm assuming only one size within that range can produce the best picture possible from that projector.

How do you figure out that number? Is their a method for this, or is it more of a trial and error thing?

Thanks in advance.

[edtyct]

The relevant considerations are how large is the room, how far from the screen will you be mounting the projector, and how far from the screen will you be sitting. For an HD projector, the optimal seating distance is around 1.5 times the screen diagonal. You might want to make sure that your seating isn't directly against the back wall, if you're planning on surround sound. Projectors can work well within a large range of possible screen sizes--from, say, 70" to 200"--and room sizes. Obviously, the larger the room, the larger the screen can be. Some projectors do better than others with light output at longer distances. I'd say that brightness may be much more of a limiting factor than PQ when distance is the operative variable--under ordinary conditions. But the fact that pixels become more visible as the projected image increases in size is a complicating factor. That's why it's important not to sit too close, as well as not too far. Video processors have distance to thank in a lot of installations.

A projector's suitability is also determined by its throw ratio--its distance from the screen divided by the width of its image. Because a projector capable of a short-throw can create a larger image at a shorter distance from the screen than one with a large-throw lens, it might be more appropriate in a smaller room. So, instead of an absolute optimum image size, it might be better to think in terms of room size, screen size, sitting area, projection distance, etc. and come up with a projector that includes your specs within its operating range. Chances are, your bigger dilemmas will be how much to pay, which format to choose (LCD, DLP, CRT, LCOS), and which company's offering to select.

Ed