crazydrum95 Posted September 8, 2017 Share Posted September 8, 2017 Hi All, first post here so if I break any etiquette or anything like that I apologise. I work full time in a 400 seat school theatre. We have a projector in there running off a PC, mostly used for powerpoints, but also lots of conference type things and the occasional film. We currently have an NEC Dimensions of the screen are 4 metres wide by 3 metres high. The projector is mounted 9 metres from the screen at a slight elevation above it. The PC does have a miniHDMI output, however, the current cable that runs through the wall and ceiling is only VGA and changing that may be more effort than it is worth. I think brightness and resolution is probably more important than 1080p. The house lighting is unfortunately not dimmable, and most of the time is turned on for the presentations so it is quite high ambient light. For films etc, we always turn off the lights. There can also be occasions when we use stage lighting to light presents in front of the screen but we do always use barn doors to keep it directly off the screen. Has anyone got any advice for what projector to go for, what sort of lumens to look for? I really don't know much at all about them. Thanks Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timsabre Posted September 8, 2017 Share Posted September 8, 2017 Hi Andy, what model of NEC projector do you have currently? (And how old is the lamp in it?) If you know the model, you can look up the specified lumen output of your current projector, then it'll be easier to say "it needs to be brighter than 5000" or whatever. If the lamp is old (you should be able to show lamp hours using the projector's menu), a new lamp might be the answer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazydrum95 Posted September 8, 2017 Author Share Posted September 8, 2017 Hi Andy, what model of NEC projector do you have currently? (And how old is the lamp in it?) If you know the model, you can look up the specified lumen output of your current projector, then it'll be easier to say "it needs to be brighter than 5000" or whatever. If the lamp is old (you should be able to show lamp hours using the projector's menu), a new lamp might be the answer. Thanks for the advice, I was planning on posting the NEC model and lumens so we had a base to go off, but realised I can only tell you that by going up and physically looking at the projector, which is pretty difficult to access. I will do this as soon as I possibly can. With regards to the lamp, the reason we are looking to replace the projector is due to the fact lamps keep blowing every few months are due to the age of the projector, the prices are increasing too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timsabre Posted September 8, 2017 Share Posted September 8, 2017 Post a photo of it? With regards to the lamp, the reason we are looking to replace the projector is due to the fact lamps keep blowing every few months are due to the age of the projector, the prices are increasing too. This should not be happening regardless of the age of the projector (assuming all fans working, filters clean etc) - you aren't buying cheap "OEM" lamps are you.... ? As these are notorious for being unreliable and also often very dim. Anyway...my church has a similar size screen to you and a 9m throw distance. We have an NEC PA522U with NP13ZL lens which is acceptable if not brilliant in ambient light, that's 5200 lumens.It's a 16:9 projector (as most are now) so you would need to change your screen to be 16:9. To go brighter than this the cost starts to rocket upwards.http://www.necdisplay.com/images/Products340x340/projector/hero/NP-PA550W_SLANT.png Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazydrum95 Posted September 8, 2017 Author Share Posted September 8, 2017 Post a photo of it? With regards to the lamp, the reason we are looking to replace the projector is due to the fact lamps keep blowing every few months are due to the age of the projector, the prices are increasing too. This should not be happening regardless of the age of the projector (assuming all fans working, filters clean etc) - you aren't buying cheap "OEM" lamps are you.... ? As these are notorious for being unreliable and also often very dim. Anyway...my church has a similar size screen to you and a 9m throw distance. We have an NEC PA522U with NP13ZL lens which is acceptable if not brilliant in ambient light, that's 5200 lumens.It's a 16:9 projector (as most are now) so you would need to change your screen to be 16:9. To go brighter than this the cost starts to rocket upwards. Okay so our current projector is a np2250 which is 4200lumens apparently. I had been looking at the NEC PA703W if we can stretch to that budget. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timsabre Posted September 8, 2017 Share Posted September 8, 2017 Okay so our current projector is a np2250 which is 4200lumens apparently. I had been looking at the NEC PA703W if we can stretch to that budget. Don't forget the lens is not included with the projector and costs another £1K Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazydrum95 Posted September 8, 2017 Author Share Posted September 8, 2017 Okay so our current projector is a np2250 which is 4200lumens apparently. I had been looking at the NEC PA703W if we can stretch to that budget. Don't forget the lens is not included with the projector and costs another £1K Can you explain lenses to me please. Will the projector work out of the box without a lens? I have never used a projector with interchangeable lenses, what do the numbers do, for example what does your NP13ZL do for the projector Thanks for all your advice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timsabre Posted September 8, 2017 Share Posted September 8, 2017 Can you explain lenses to me please. Will the projector work out of the box without a lens? I have never used a projector with interchangeable lenses, what do the numbers do, for example what does your NP13ZL do for the projector No the projector does not work without a lens. You need to choose the right lens to suit the screen size and throw distance. Otherwise the image will be too large or small to fit the screen. The lenses have zoom which allows some size adjustment but to cater for different throw distances they provide optional lenses. HAve a look at this lens calculator, if you put in the measurements for your install you can go through the different lens options and find the one that works best.http://www.projectorcentral.com/projection-calculator-pro.cfm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazydrum95 Posted September 8, 2017 Author Share Posted September 8, 2017 Can you explain lenses to me please. Will the projector work out of the box without a lens? I have never used a projector with interchangeable lenses, what do the numbers do, for example what does your NP13ZL do for the projector No the projector does not work without a lens. You need to choose the right lens to suit the screen size and throw distance. Otherwise the image will be too large or small to fit the screen. The lenses have zoom which allows some size adjustment but to cater for different throw distances they provide optional lenses. HAve a look at this lens calculator, if you put in the measurements for your install you can go through the different lens options and find the one that works best.http://www.projector...culator-pro.cfm Thanks, I'm not making much sense, out of that calculator, with our 4x3m screen and 9m throw length do you think that lens and projector combo would work? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timsabre Posted September 8, 2017 Share Posted September 8, 2017 Thanks, I'm not making much sense, out of that calculator, with our 4x3m screen and 9m throw length do you think that lens and projector combo would work? Not sure, PA703 isn't listed. I would find a potential supplier and get them to work it out for you, and if possible demo it in the space. I just wanted to make sure you were aware of the extra cost for the lens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Lewis Posted September 8, 2017 Share Posted September 8, 2017 Andy, It's good that you are seeking advice, but could I suggest you also contact a company which specialises in projectors and installation, who could look at the wider picture of projector, lenses, control, screen technology, lighting etc. They will have a good idea of what really needs doing, will know from experience what works well, and will be able to demonstrate what is possible to achieve. It may cost more, but if you commit the school to x £000 and the results aren't good, it's you who shoulders the blame and grumbling? Given where you are, it might be worth calling SFL Group in Reading. Simon Lewis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulears Posted September 8, 2017 Share Posted September 8, 2017 Don't forget that projectors and all things expensive up in the air need servicing. Fans clog up, filters stop filtering and temperatures go up. If your projector over temps, then the lamp life goes down really quickly. Some lamps are also the type that you mustn't touch, and often people do which again, shortens the lifespan - sometimes drastically shortens it! Are you also going to swap the screen for something more geared towards 16:9 as a minimum? I have a 4:3 fast fold and modern images really don't fit it that well any more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.