Can the projector be 20 ft away from the screen?

Hello, in the directions to my sharp projector it tells me approx. how large the image will be with different length throws and it lists up to 58.4ft. minimum throw and on that catagory it doesn't list a maximum which means to me that you can put the thing 70 feet away and just zoom way in and still get a great picture, I had(I use past tense because my projector fried in a recent electrical storm, and I am now dealing with the insurance company) a 15ft throw and it made the image 100" and a GREAT picture with progressive scan and a good component video cable and a complementing screen it is very enjoyable as long as your room isn't too bright- so there are a lot of factors with front projectors to ensure truly good results. FWIW the 58.4 ft minmum indicates a 500in image that it will produce :) I don't think 20ft is too far by any means just means you'll have potential for a HUGE image.

To Ksales, I don't have a prjector or screen. I'm trying to see if a projector is a feasible idea for my room.

Attainable???...Yes. Practical???...Here are the issues.
You didn't specify which projector you would use. Knowing the projector would indicate the lens ratio. A simple equation is to divide the throw distance by the lens ratio and you will get your screen width. Assuming a 20' throw (LENS to screen) and a lens ratio of 1.5 (just a general assumption), your screen width would be 13.3'. This gives you a screen height of 10', assuming a 3 x 4 aspect ratio. Since we don't know how bright the projector is and how much ambient light is in the room at any given time, there are more factors to explore. I realize I made quite a few assumptions, but if you fill in the missing info I can make some suggestions.

Rayd

Rayd, I'm hoping to get suggestions here for a used projector under $5000. There is only one window in the place, it is 12 ft by 12 ft at one end of the room. I have a window covering that will make the room pitch black. Other than the window, there is no other external light source. I've just began my HT quest and I have no experience with projectors at all. All I know is that I have the room for a big picture and I don't want a big screen tv console mucking up my 2 channel setup. I have to do some research to understand things like lens ratio, ambient light and other projector nomenclature.

Mitch, like any audio component you can audition at home, have you considered auditioning a projector in your room? You didn't mention if you were interested in LCD, DLP, CRT, ILA, etc., or if you were buying used from a dealer or from Audiogon, but if you can audition a projector in your room you will gain answers to many of your questions. Many LCD and DLP projectors are small enough to make an audition quite simple to do. I applaud you for wanting to do your homework.

Rayd