Room: 16 x 18.5 how big of tv?

I'm with Cnad here. Bigger is better.

The caveat I was told about large displays/screens is to prevent 'having to scan with your eyes' from side to side the images on the screen. Although this is unavoidable in theaters at times, but a consideration for one's home setting.

I sit about 8-10 ft from a 59 x 99 or so inch, screen so i CAN SEE IT AS WELL AS POSSIBLE. I got roughly $900 or so in the DLP PJ and DIY screen and I'm pretty happy with it as it suits my own more 'special' needs best. I think that's the ticket always too. Suiting your own prefs and needsn in the areas of video and audio rather than the projected or presumed needs of others by compromising those of your own.

Eye strain, and eye fatigue are worthwhile considerations. So the bit about not having to scan repeatedly, the screens images to gather it in fully however does seem a noteworthy item, given you have good enough vision to begin with I'd keep that in mind.... yet still, big and bigger to a point is sure better. I get a bunch of Wows! from others when they view mine, including my own "yep, that'll work!".

...and yes I can control the lighting entirely, though my own situation allows for some light without degrading the color or image significantly by all accounts.

Good luck.

Chadnli
I know.

Mine wasn't much more. Should have been less but I paid some yahoo to install the PJ as I didn't trust myself in that capacity... yet I should have as the job was lousy and needed to be redone to align right. the guy charged me $200+.

$550 for the BenQ PE 7700... $200 for the screen materials including the black velvet trim tape, for a 116 diag. picture... $65 for a 26ft. HDMI cable... $135 for the Wirehider conduit for it and the speaker wires.

Mine is wall mounted and resides behind curtains that I’m getting put up this weekend I believe.

Spending $3000 +, a few years ago for a 61 inch Sony RPJ cured me from spending lots on small displays. It’s also cleaner looking, interferes less with the 2 ch audio system, and virtually disappears when not in use.

In fact the idea was to have something which did not affect the 2 ch audio nearly as much as a large glass lens, or big ol’ box sitting there behind the speakers allowing the sound to gather into pockets above and beside it.

… and let’s face it, when it comes to detail and video resolution such as plasma’s provide, even if I wanted to see the hairs and pores on peoples skin, or each blade of grass… I can’t. If I could I would have a plasma in my BR or office… and still have the PJ + big screen outfit in the main HT room.

That the single most significant item which provides the greatest impact in an HT system is a theater-sized display… IMO

A Big Screen experience really requires a big screen. it's really the icing on the cake. the word Theater kind of says it all, doesn't it?

I've not been to a theater that used minimum sized screens. I had a 61 inch in my 14x20 room before this larger combo of 720p DLP PJ & DIY screen. there is no comparison. I've asked people who have pretty good eyes to be as critical as possible and tell me where and/or how it is less than great or if there are any distracting artifacts being displayed... no one has seen any screen door effet, pixels, rainbows, etc. The only knnock, if you will, is this display does not have the sheer intensity of a regular CRT TV. Several have said this image is better overall than their large 36 - 46 LCD screens as there isn't any ghosting of rapidly moving images as is more common on LCD TVs.

All of these notes have been given without me telling them I've got the PJ set to it's low output setting to extend bulb life either.

Bulbs cost a lot. $400 each. Very true. I don't know how long or how much life I'm going to get out of mine in fact on it's lower output setting, but it is projected to be around 4-5000 hours by the BenQ team. But say it is only 3000.

3000 hours equates to more than 8 hours a day for one full year... at a cost of 13 cents per hour.

If it’s not used as a primary TV source a bulb purchase comes even further down the road for you. I use mine on avg thus far about 8-10 hrs per week. On paper I should buy a bulb in just under four years.

So for at or under $1,000.00 entry fee, I’m quite pleased of course… so were those who’ve watched it.

Mitch4t
Good point... stop by a dept store and get a king sized sheet and duct tape too. You can take the sheet back as well when you build or order your screen.