Re: video projector for small-ish exhibition space?

From: Mitsu Hadeishi (email suppressed)
Date: Mon Jul 10 2006 - 16:11:40 PDT


I'll throw in some additional thoughts. I've done a lot of screenings in
spaces about the size of what you're discussing, around 1000-2000 square
feet, with a projection surface of up to 120 inches diagonal. A few
thoughts:

DLP vs LCD:

Like you I much prefer LCD, I hate the rainbow effect. Screen door effect and
poor contrast are pretty much a thing of the past with the latest
cinema-oriented LCD projectors. My personal preference is for Panasonic
brand projectors, they have a very nice look, very fluid, but they do
sometimes have some quality control problems with discoloration at the top
and bottom of their LCDs.

16x9 vs 4x3:

I often project 4x3 format material on a 16x9 projector and it looks fine.
Frankly, almost all high-contrast projectors are 16x9, so you'll likely get
the best results from the point of view of picture quality from a 16x9
projector. The 4x3 projectors tend to be more designed for office
presentations and tend to be bright but have poor contrast and color
fidelity.

Throw range:

My Panasonic is a "short throw" projector which may not be ideal for your
needs. You can see throw range and screen size for most projectors on this
site: http://www.projectorcentral.com/ which is also an excellent resource
for projector reviews.

Ambient light:

As long as you have no ambient light the fact that the room does not have
black walls shouldn't be a big problem.

Mitsu

On Monday 10 July 2006 18:22, pablo wrote:
> Hey,
>
> I posted on this about a year ago, when I was speculatively shopping for a
> video projector. Things have gone as planned and now I am definitely
> planning on buying a projector for exhibition in the next few months, so am
> reposting a few questions to get some more feedback and ideas.
>
> It will be used in a smallish exhibition setting (20 x 50 room) which has
> no ambient light, but does not have black walls, so there is some bouncing
> light from the screen itself. The screen is a da-lite da-mat. We will be
> using dvcam or beta sp as source material, with occasional need for laptop
> input. Primarily though, it will be from DVcam deck. Most material will be
> in 4:3. It will all be material originating/intended to be exhibited on
> video, not projections of films from dvds.
>
> When I last posted, I had a lot of really good advice from Mitsu (thanks!)
> but am looking for some updated advice and experiences with specific models
> in a similar setting. I am looking for something in the mid-range I guess?
> Not a cheap-o travel unit, and not a $15k beast. Maybe in the $3-5k range?
>
>
> 1. dlp vs. lcd.
> I hate the rainbow effect. I know some people can't see it but i can and it
> drives me crazy. I have never seen a high end lcd, so am mostly familiar
> with screen door effects and weak color/contrast. Does the faster/seven
> segment color wheel make a big difference? I know that 3 chip dlps do, but
> those are way out of price range. On another note, anyone know anything
> about LCOS projectors?
>
> 2. 4:3 or 16:9
> As I can expect most people 4:3 material, so it makes sense to stick with
> that, though I am finding that the best newer projectors with the best
> specs and reviews are all 16:9. Some people say go 16:9 as it is future
> proofing, some say stick 4:3 as it does better for both formats. What are
> the drawbacks to using a 16:9 projector for 4:3 material?
>
> 3. Throw range
> Ceiling mount is hard in this space, so ideally i would find something
> strong enough and with a lens that would project a 90-96" high image from
> about 35-40 feet back. Size of projector itself is not so important as we
> will not be moving this around much. tall order i know, but throwing that
> out there.
>
> Any specific ideas or models that might
>
> thanks
> Pablo
> Cinema Project
> Portland, Ore.
>
>
> __________________________________________________________________
> For info on FrameWorks, contact Pip Chodorov at <email suppressed>.

__________________________________________________________________
For info on FrameWorks, contact Pip Chodorov at <email suppressed>.