Podcast #838: Short Throw Projector Feedback

Short Throw Projector Follow Up

On Episode 836 we talked about the idea of short throw projectors for home theater use and asked the question:  Why aren’t more people using them in their homes? Their price per square inch of screen real estate seems like, at least on paper, the most cost effective way to get a huge screen at home. So why aren’t they flying off the shelves? We had a ton of great listener feedback on it, so we decided to create a feature out of it.

From Ed:

My business is Classroom Technology, among other things. And you probably know that most classrooms today have either Projected images or LCD Panels at the front of the room. And I think the trend in Classroom Technology can inform the issue of UST projectors in homes.

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The trend in Classroom Technology is Toward LCD Panels. We are involved in several projects this summer when schools are taking out hundreds of Projectors that have 88-inch diagonal 16:10 screens and replacing them with smaller LCD Panels (75-inch 16:9 screen is a common size). So, they are replacing the 88-inch screen with a screen that is 31% smaller (in square inches). Why?

Image quality. None of these projector images can compete with the dynamic range and clarity of an LCD. Even used primarily for data.

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It gets worse for Projectors when you think about it. In normal-size classrooms (which are bigger than most home theaters), schools are replacing projectors with LCDs that cost more than what a replacement projector would cost and have a smaller image. And they put more thought into this than the average home theater consumer. And remember, classroom LCDs are Digital Signage quality (PID standard) and cost about twice what a home LCD would cost. So schools are paying A LOT to move away from Projectors.

So if schools are willing to pay for that image quality, why wouldn't you expect consumers to do the same?

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Put another way, let’s say that one of these projector companies wanted to sell a lot of these projectors. Could you put them into Costco or BestBuy side-by-side with LCD TVs? That would be a tough sell. At a minimum you would need a special room. My thought is that the only group of consumers interested in Ultra Short Throw projectors would be the ones interested in Projectors in the first place. Which is a minority of the overall market.

From Jim:

I just finished listening to your episode about ultra-short throw projectors and while we are not a residential integrator, we have installed several of these commercially and thought I’d offer a couple points.

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1.      Early attempts (8-10 years back) at UST projection was awful – a lot of issues with geometry, and it surely turned off a lot of people.

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2.      UST projectors require a perfectly flat screen surface. Walls or conventional screens are no good – has to be perfectly flat. That said, the screen does NOT have to be exotic – just flat. Stop in at any elementary school, you’ll see them everywhere projecting on whiteboards.

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3.      As with any projection, for a quality image you want the picture to be aligned to the screen without using any electronic geometry correction. With UST projectors positioning the projector to match the image area is VERY touchy – you have to get the placement just right.

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4.      All in all, if the environment was appropriate for projection and the placement situation was favorable, I would definitely consider a UST projector – particularly if it was laser-based.

From Scott:

About 3 years ago, I installed make shift home theater with short throw projector and couldn’t be happier with the results on a relatively inexpensive setup at least video wise. A lot of people, when they finish their basements, ask me for help when it comes to home theaters usually on a budget.  Since I do this for free, I wanted a way I could test things first to keep the “lifetime support” trips down to a minimum.

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Build:

Optima got 1080p 3k lumens 3D DLP around $550

Denon X3000

Klipisch RF-62 reference series 7.1 but only using 5.1 using speaker stands

STR-169100 Silver Ticket 100” screen white $200

Harmony Remote

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Sources:

Windows 10 gaming computer

Mac mini

FireHD TV

Apple TV

Panasonic Blu-Ray

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Review:

Setting up the screen would be ideal for 2 people due to the size. Putting the aluminum frame together and stretching it so it wrinkle free is critical but very easy with this brand. Hanging it is like hanging a big picture so a laser level and stud finder comes in handy.  Since I wanted this easily removable I just have the projector on top of the center speakeer on a stand. Not ideal but works. Sitting about 3 foot away from the screen and 2 foot off the floor, I’m able to project a 100” 1080p image.

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This room has no windows and is small for a home theater at about 12’x20’. This projector was a little pain to dial in to the screen because I didn’t have projector mounted and limited adjustments options. Startup time, heat, and fan noise are all the common negatives about projectors in general and are present here. Now for the positives, once dialed in, picture quality, brightness, and speed of the projector just is amazing for the price. I don’t hear the fan from the couch with nothing playing.  Playing a pinball simulator called pinball arcade, really shows the low latency and speed of the projector that some TVs fall short of. Because of the tight space, it perfect for my little man cave.

From John:

$0.02 from the perspective of someone that has used a projector as my main TV for over 10 years and who really wanted a short throw back in the day...

1) No marketing (as opposed to bad marketing). General market is uneducated about projectors in general, even less educated about variants like short throw. Industry has done nothing. Most of my neighbors look at the projected image on my screen and ask “where is the TV?"

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2) No place to see short throw projectors in action.  Even if you hear about it, where do you go to see and evaluate a few models?

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3) Projectors are mostly the domain of professional installers or DIY geeks. Feeds the common wisdom that any projector costs a lot to buy and is complex to install.

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4) Short throw projectors have little benefit as a replacement projector. If you already handled the necessary electronics, wiring and screen for a conventional projector, replacing it with a short throw will be MORE work than just getting a conventional replacement.

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5) Short throw is an attractive conventional TV replacement, but the market for AV “components” is not mature. TVs are fundamentally monitors, but come bundled with tuners, web connection, HDMI switching, speakers, WiFi, universal remote and so on. Like a boombox for music, TVs are all-in-one, plug and play  and frequently used as the AV system hub that all the other boxes plug into. As a TV replacement, short throws typically only handle the visual part (like a component audio speaker) and lack other functions handled by the old TV. Sure, there are other ways to wire up a system. But I would expect slow short throw projector sales if each install requires DIY reconfiguration and a hunt for new gear to replace what you got “for free” in your TV.