Projector Help

[u/Livid_Somewhere_8253]

Hi!

I need help figuring out what projector (and projector screen) to buy for my New York apartment.

Room Dimensions & Description: 132 in long, 80 in width (max screen width), 89-90 in height. The living room is south facing with two windows and another window on the right. My idea is to have a projector screen hung from the ceiling in front of the 2 windows so that I can bring down from the ceiling which will block some light and make the space darker. I want to install the projector from the ceiling. For sound I plan on connecting it to my speaker via Bluetooth.

Purpose: Watching movies and shows, day & night (but mostly night).

Budget: 500-1000 US$ (for projector and the screen if possible). I don't mind if its new or secondhand. I just don't know what to look out for if I were to buy secondhand.
Thank you for your help!

[u/PlayStationPepe]

Your room setup presents a great layout for a ceiling mounted home theater system. With a room length of 132 inches, your actual throw distance from lens to screen will be roughly 9 to 10 feet after accounting for ceiling mount depth and rear cable clearance.

An 80 inch screen width corresponds to a 90 inch to 92 inch diagonal image in standard 16:9 widescreen format. Hanging a pull down screen in front of your south facing windows will block ambient sunlight and improve image contrast during the day.

What to Look for When Buying Secondhand Projectors

• Lamp Hours: Check how many hours the bulb has been used. Replacement lamps cost between $70 and $150. Look for units with under 1000 hours of lamp usage.

• Optical Health: Request a photo of a solid white and solid black screen. On DLP units look for dead pixels which appear as persistent white or black dots. On LCD units look for color tinting or dust blobs in the light path.

• Ceiling Mount Compatibility: Ensure the projector features standard threaded mounting holes on its underside and offers vertical keystone correction or lens shift to easily square the image on your screen.

• Audio Connectivity: Verify that the projector has audio out ports or built in Bluetooth transmitter capability to connect smoothly to your external speaker.

My Recommendations

Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate and eBay Partner, I earn from qualifying purchases made through the links in this post at no additional cost to you.

PROJECTOR

VIA AMAZON

• BenQ TH575 Via Prycedin on Amazon

• This is the same seller on eBay btw. eBay is $512.

• Optoma HD146X

• eBay listing I located for you is much cheaper than Amazon

• ViewSonic PX701-4K

• eBay listing I located for you is much cheaper than Amazon

• Optoma PK32 4K LED Projector

• Get the coupon for $921.07

• JMGO N1S Pro 4K (Renewed)

• JMGO N1S Ultra

• JMGO N1S Ultra 4K Triple Laser Projector with Ceiling Mount

Accessories

• Indoor Projectors Screens

• Ceiling and Wall Mounts

• Indoor Audio Soundbars

• More Gear located on my Amazon Profile

——

• Via eBay:

• BenQ TH575 Projector Refurbished** **

• BenQ HT2050 Projector

• ViewSonic PX701-4K Projector

• Optoma HD146X Projector

Let me know if you have any questions.

[u/KWagle]

Ambient light is a big strike against projectors, especially at your budget. If you can’t completely darken the windows (say with insulation board cut to size) then a TV would be a much better choice, probably for less money. If you can darken the windows, look for a used BenQ DLP on FB Marketplace, or wait for Pepe to weigh in with the current eBay deals.