Front projection or not?

Hi Homer;I believe toooo big is just right.---In your case I'd say screen size around the 80's.First of all, most all projectors aren't for daytime viewing. Any light washes out the pic. to some degree.I actually have a great projector Sim2--300xtra--96'screen, and a great stand-alone hdtv JVC hdila.61 The jvc can be watched with little effect from light. (I sit 11.6 away.) With the screen cost factored in there are some decent projectors that will come to just about the cost of the JVC. The jvc is just more versatile. While 61 is pretty large the 96 movie screen makes the 61 look small,after a movie or 2.

I don't think you can get a front projector, 60" plasma or LCD flat planel TV for $3K. So the only choice will be a RPTV.

1. Your recomended seating distance is based on width, not diagonal. 60" wide is 69" diagonal.

2. It's also very conservative and not even close enough to visually resolve 1080 line HD. In the absence of projection artifacts, once they adjust to a theatrical scale most people find the best trade off between immersion and noticing DVD flaws is about 1.5 widths on a 16:9 screen. This matches the subtended field of vision you get in the farthest seat from the screen in a good THX certified commercial theater. That's 80" wide or 92" diagonal. They don't sell one piece consumer televisions that big.

If you want to sit farther from the screen than you do in a small living room you need two-piece projection. If you want that to work with ambient light you need a matching rear projection screen, mirrors, space to put those in, etc.

I sit 11' from an 87x49 (100" diagonal) screen. It's a bit small for good scope transfers where 9' is a better seating distance and about right for everything else.

Drew, George,

I understand that you're saying that I can go 80" (92" diag) or more without watching a movie like a tennis game?