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I'm looking for commentary/recommendations for a combination gaming/work projector and miscellany for a setup we're planning at home. What are you going to watch/play/do? - The basic idea is a ceiling-mounted projector projecting straight down onto a tabletop, combined with a wiimote whiteboard setup to allow the use of an IR pen as a mouse substitute. How big of a picture do you want? - The projected space I'm looking for is approximately 5'x3'. For a 16:9 projector, this would actually be 60" by 33.75", or a near approximation. Are you going to use a screen? (if you already own a screen, how big/what kind/what gain, if known?) - Looking for suggestions on a screen/surface that will function as both a dry-erase board as well as take projection acceptably. As I understand it, whiteboards typically have issues with projection "hotspots" in the center because of their glossy finish, but whatever it is, it has to be able to take a dry-erase marker and erase cleanly. What are the restrictions, if any, on placement? - The ceiling height is 79" tall. Taking into account the height of the table (which can be lowered to 25" high), the projector should be able to display a reasonably good quality HD image within the 5'x3' space mounted on the ceiling, meaning the projection distance is limited to the space between the ceiling and the table (54 inches) minus the size of the projector itself. For a projector that's 10" deep, mounted on the ceiling and pointing down, that means I've probably got a throw distance of about 44" to work with. Other - Exact sizes are ideals, not requirements, and subject to being overruled by practical considerations. The size of the working table will be 48"x72", so a smaller or larger projected image is okay, so long as it fits on the table. The projector will also be paired with a wiimote whiteboard setup using the same space to allow the projection to be manipulated with an IR pen. Light levels in the basement are generally low. In my initial investigations, I've been looking at the BenQ W1080ST, but the projection calculator at projectorcentral.com doesn't go down to a throw distance less than 4 feet (and based on the dimensions of the W1080ST, the best I could manage would be around 42-44"). Also when shopping around, the BenQ HT1085ST was available slightly cheaper and appears to be equivalent to the W1080ST, but I have no idea what the difference is besides the 1085ST apparently being a newer and slightly brighter model. I don't have a preference towards any particular brand; these are just two that seemed like they were close to meeting my needs and were around the $800-1000 price point. I'd appreciate any recommendations, advice, or even just suggestions on what to look for. My backup alternative is to build an HDTV into the table surface, which may not play quite as nicely with the wiimote whiteboard setup and would make the whole table surface a great deal heavier - less than ideal in terms of being able to move it out of the way when it's not in use, but does neatly sidestep potential projector-specific headaches.
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Apr 24, 2016 22:56
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| # ¿ May 22, 2024 06:07 |
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DarkHorse posted:I had a question very similar to yours earlier in the thread, so I'd be interested in hearing recommendations too. One option you can consider is a mirror in front of a ceiling-mounted unit to help with the throw distance issue, i.e. projecting horizontally and reflect it 90 degrees down to the table. I think they also make matte dry erase boards that are meant to function as screens as well, but that make be a corporate business sort of thing. My concern isn't necessarily that the throw distance is too short, per se - the W1080ST has a minimum throw distance of 2 feet, and eyeballing the values on the calculator tells me that if I mounted it vertically the distance ought to be just about the right size for the table. A few inches here or there isn't going to kill me when all is said and done. However, reviewing discussions of other people who have done similar things in the past shows a surprising number of people who ditched the projector setup and straight up moved to a TV lying on its back mounted in a tabletop. The latter would be more challenging, as I lack the tools to do much in the way of building my own custom table, but it might be the better option, though not the easier one.
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Apr 25, 2016 07:57
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Cabbages and Kings posted:I've been using a BenQ 1080p projector since 2017. It's fine and probably doesn't even need a new bulb yet, but I'm acquiring increasing stacks of 4k content. I don't know if decent is an appropriate descriptor, but I picked up an Optoma UHD50X a couple years ago for ~$1600 USD. It's been slowly collecting stuck white pixels over time but it's still only handful and most are in the corners.
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Oct 1, 2023 22:30
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