With DVD or better source material
In the absence of objectionable projection artifacts 1.5 widths on a 16:9 screen is a nice compromise trading a good sense of immersion against loosing some sharpness on standard definition sources. Good transfers look _exceptional_. Low quality ones are OK. 4:3 DBS is not unwatchable. This gets you a seating distance of 39". You need to think in terms of small movie screens not big TVs. That subtended field of vision will match what you get when you go to a THX certified theater meeting the recomendations and sit in the _FARTHEST_ seat from the screen.
You will be unable to visually resolve 1080 line HD at a seating distance beyond 46".
3 heights works better. This gives you a seating distance of 42" for 1.85:1 sources and 33" for 2.35:1 scope movies. This is not close enough to require moving your eyes to see the image.
When you play with those numbers you'll find that seating distances beyond what you have in a modest living room require two-piece projection equipment. Front projection will require light control. Both space and financial costs are expensive for two-piece rear projection.
With a CRT projector (no visible projection structure) I find that 11' from a wall mounted 87"x49" screen (100" diagonal 16:9) is a good compromise although 9' works better for nice scope transfers. If I wasn't stuck with my space and speaker placement constraints I'd run a 103 x 44" screen for my seating distance.
This is in a 13x19' room. My speakers are 8' apart and 4' off the front wall thus forming an equilateral triangle with my listening position. You don't have to choose between acceptable speaker placement (60 degrees in my case) and a reasonable sized visual field (36 degrees). Getting the box out from between my speakers was also the best thing I've done for my 2-channel sound stage.
In the absence of objectionable projection artifacts 1.5 widths on a 16:9 screen is a nice compromise trading a good sense of immersion against loosing some sharpness on standard definition sources. Good transfers look _exceptional_. Low quality ones are OK. 4:3 DBS is not unwatchable. This gets you a seating distance of 39". You need to think in terms of small movie screens not big TVs. That subtended field of vision will match what you get when you go to a THX certified theater meeting the recomendations and sit in the _FARTHEST_ seat from the screen.
You will be unable to visually resolve 1080 line HD at a seating distance beyond 46".
3 heights works better. This gives you a seating distance of 42" for 1.85:1 sources and 33" for 2.35:1 scope movies. This is not close enough to require moving your eyes to see the image.
When you play with those numbers you'll find that seating distances beyond what you have in a modest living room require two-piece projection equipment. Front projection will require light control. Both space and financial costs are expensive for two-piece rear projection.
With a CRT projector (no visible projection structure) I find that 11' from a wall mounted 87"x49" screen (100" diagonal 16:9) is a good compromise although 9' works better for nice scope transfers. If I wasn't stuck with my space and speaker placement constraints I'd run a 103 x 44" screen for my seating distance.
This is in a 13x19' room. My speakers are 8' apart and 4' off the front wall thus forming an equilateral triangle with my listening position. You don't have to choose between acceptable speaker placement (60 degrees in my case) and a reasonable sized visual field (36 degrees). Getting the box out from between my speakers was also the best thing I've done for my 2-channel sound stage.