Home Theater (Projector) Help / advice in GTA
 

Hi Guys,

I am looking for help making a decision about Home Theater equipment and am looking for advice. I am wondering if any of you guys have experience, know of a good online resource, or a local shop/person in the GTA to talk to.

We are looking to install Projector in our main floor living room and want to figure out what projector and motorized screen would best suit our application. I know that picking it off a review website is not a great idea because there are many variables that affect which setup will work best.

Our situation for those that may be able to offer advice, our living room is 16' x 12' with 9ft ceilings. the projector will be mounted approximately 12' from the viewing screen. Oddly enough we dont want a big screen, something between 55" and 90" diagonal would be sufficient. There will be ambient light to deal with (either sunlight through the curtains or other interior lights due to open concept), Picture quality is important so we would like to have something that does 1080P or higher resolution

Thanks

With a space that small noise is going to be a major concern, so look at quiet units only.

Also you will want a short throw unit if you want a big screen. So review specs for distance and final image size.

Next buy the best screen you can afford.

As far as projectors the options are endless, so first you need to decide on your budget. DLP vs LCD, lots of pros and cons. Buy 2-3 units and try them out, keep the one you like and return the losers.

My suggestion for that room would be a flat panel. I love plasma, but they are almost non existent now. :(

Call one of the product specialists at Axiom Audio
https://www.axiomaudio.com
Although they do not sell projection systems, they are highly knowledgeable and helpful on any home theatre/audio matter.
For those who do not know Axiom, they are a world class designer and manufacturer of audio equipment located in the big town of Dwight Ontario.

Budget will determine how a project like this moves forward. You can spend $1k to $100k+ on a projector alone.

There are several A/V sales showrooms where you can demo gear, and determine what appeals to your wallet and eye. I suggest you start there. Sound is also a huge factor when considering a big screen, so don't skimp on the sound system.

I have purchased a couple of projectors in recent years, online and in store. My most recent, Sony VPL-HW45ES, is a very nice projector for the money. Great visuals, sealed beam, solid build.

I concur with Adamant1971 that a flat panel set would be better where ambient light is a concern. There are projector screens that work better in higher ambient light rooms, but the image will not be at the same level of contrast and crisp picture as a flat panel. Many options available for the sizes you are looking for.

My advice - only buy a projector if you are buying a big screen, and have full control of lighting.

^^^ Direct view flat screen

Thanks for the advice guys,

The reason we are looking at a projector is because we do not watch TV very often and do not like the look of a TV on the wall above the fire place in the living room. It is easy enough to hide the projector, and hide the screen in the ceiling when the TV is not in use.

It would be used for the wife's TV needs, ie. watching HGTV and the W Network

Have a look at this:

http://framemytv.com/

If light is a problem then a projector is not the way to go.

Thanks! This is exactly what we need! It is a little pricey for a "Frame" lol, but far cheaper than a good projector set up, this way we also get to keep the TV size down and continue using the one we have.

Have you used one of these before? Just looking for feedback in terms of quality

Go for the tv that comes with the frame.

http://www.samsung.com/ca/tvs/uhd-4k...SAAEgJii_D_BwE

If quality is paramount you will want a LG OLED panel

why not build some doors that open to expose the tv? could even be artwork that slides open to reveal. I have also seen tvs that are mirrors when not turned on.

No experience with them, just something I was reading about on the interwebs. :)

This is the room that we are working with, I thought about a panel that slides, but was not sure how I would do a track system and not have it obvious since the wall above the fireplace protrudes further than the rest of the wall. The TV won't be up at the ceiling, so a ceiling mounted track system would have to have something to hang the artwork from that I would also not know how to hide. (Not my furniture, this is one of the sales pictures for the house we bought)


https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...6ae74097fb.jpg

I had a good experience at http://www.stephensonselectronics.com/ (Heads up - the website is terrible and intentional, but give them a call or see them in person.)

The owner there is a Porsche owner himself and has been in the business for 20+ years. He's willing to wheel and deal when you're ready to pull the trigger. I got some good deals even on some low ticketed items.