# School Theater Projector



## jwaterkotte (Jun 20, 2016)

My school is looking to beef up it's projections but currently they only use a standard classroom (2500 lumin) projector. When the Theater lights are on the image is super weak. We currently have only 5,000 Francs/dollars to spend but I am thinking that there is a stack-able projector that can eventually get us to where we want to be. Can you recommend something for me. Any and all options welcome. 

Thanks


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## ruinexplorer (Jun 20, 2016)

How big of an image are you trying to produce? The larger your image the weaker it will be. Also, are you projecting on a screen or some other theatrical fabric? That will make a difference. 

If you choose to go with stacking two projectors, you will add a lot of complexity that may not work for you. If you don't have a lens shift option, then you will have to contend with digital adjustment which can compromise your image.

Generally speaking, if you are on a budget like that and you want to choose brightness, then you will likely be sacrificing resolution or functionality. This may not be a problem depending on how you are using the projection. You still should still be able to achieve around 5,000 lumens for that price. Depending on your purchase agreements, you may want to consider used or B-stock projectors which will get you a potentially better projector.


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## jwaterkotte (Jun 21, 2016)

ruinexplorer said:


> How big of an image are you trying to produce? The larger your image the weaker it will be. Also, are you projecting on a screen or some other theatrical fabric? That will make a difference.
> 
> If you choose to go with stacking two projectors, you will add a lot of complexity that may not work for you. If you don't have a lens shift option, then you will have to contend with digital adjustment which can compromise your image.
> 
> Generally speaking, if you are on a budget like that and you want to choose brightness, then you will likely be sacrificing resolution or functionality. This may not be a problem depending on how you are using the projection. You still should still be able to achieve around 5,000 lumens for that price. Depending on your purchase agreements, you may want to consider used or B-stock projectors which will get you a potentially better projector.



The admin of our school is wanting either a large 10 meter square image or 7 meter tall by 15 meter long panoramic. The projector is projected onto the cyc. I definitely want something HD. 
Any other things to add to the list of musts:
Stack-able
Lens shifting
HD

Next question is:
Recommended Brands and Models??


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## Calc (Jun 21, 2016)

Check with your purchasing department to see if your school has any deals with manufacturers. Here, our deal with Epson means that they'll always win a price war, and as a result the entire campus is almost exclusively Epson. We've had to go other brands when we're looking for something specific, but for something this broadly defined you should be able to find something.


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## rphilip (Jun 21, 2016)

jwaterkotte said:


> The admin of our school is wanting either a large 10 meter square image or 7 meter tall by 15 meter long panoramic. The projector is projected onto the cyc.


At that kind of size you need to add a zero to your budget. With either of those sizes you'll also need an edge blending system as most projectors are either 4:3, 16:9 or 16:10 aspect ratio.

The top of end of Panasonic or Epson's projectors or projectors from Christie, Barco and Digital Projection is where you need to be looking for a screen area that large.

I strongly suggest working with your school admin to select a smaller screen size that has a 16:9 or 16:10 aspect ratio.

Philip


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## MNicolai (Jun 21, 2016)

You're not in the ballpark you would need to be in for this. To cover an image area of 101m^2, you're looking at roughly 30,000-40,000 lumens worth of projectors. For the amount of funds you have available, it probably does not make sense to buy something stackable or with the intent it'll eventually become part of larger array of projectors.

If filling that size image is something you're serious about and eventually come up with funds for, it'll completely replace whatever you are able to purchase in the near future with your limited funds.

In the meanwhile, I'd say you can probably afford a 5,000lm projector, maybe a 6,500lm if you get a good deal. I would typically recommend Christie or Panasonic projectors for this kind of application, but it's going to depend more on what you can source locally in Switzerland, and as others have said, the market for these small projectors is vast and usually schools have existing contracts in place for IT equipment that get them all kinds of deals. You should check with your IT department to find out if you have any such purchasing contracts in place you might be able to leverage.


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## ruinexplorer (Jun 22, 2016)

That is a large image to cover. Also, since it is not screen material, you will lose a lot of light. So you are probably going to have to be looking at an LCD projector that hopefully can get you as close to 10k lumens. You may have to stick with standard definition, not HD. You should search some of the used sites. I see some of the lower definition HD projectors with about 7k lumens in your price range.


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## WVTheatre (Jul 5, 2016)

I would start looking at Sony and Panasonic professional projectors. Ours melted its own lens cap if that speaks to its brightness. Not cheap though.


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