Room: 16 x 18.5 how big of tv?

It isn't perfect or followed by any particular guidelines but here it goes:
I have two displays in my listening room.
* 50" 720p Pioneer plasma
* and 1080p Optoma DLP projector and 84" motorized/tensioned screen

Viewing distance is 12' to plasma display and 11' to motorized projection screen.

Pioneer is great on SD as well as HDTV and looks better then my newer 47" LCD 1080p display but nothing in comparison to "big screen experience".

Depends on your seating distance. I wouldn't go below 100" diagonal for an 11' viewing distance or 110" for 12'.

Seating at 1.5 x screen width for a 16:9 screen is an OK compromise which doesn't make lower quality sources too big or good scope DVDs too small

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.

Jim I did mine for $800 (720P Panasonic LCD) and a 90 inch $100 manaul pull down......for what it is and its use its pretty awesome. I still am surprised how few take advantage of Projectors.

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