# How wide do I go with the projection screen



## gmff (May 9, 2013)

We are in the midst of a renovation of an old hall. How wide should the screen be. The stage opening is 22' wide x 11' high. My projector at 24' from the screen will go from 12' to 16' with the zoom. The balcony is the are I would like to project from but from there it is just to wide (wider that the opening). I am trying to bring some insight into this if someone has some and would like to share it that would be great.
Thanks!!


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## derekleffew (May 9, 2013)

gmff said:


> ... How wide should the screen be? ...


How long is a piece of string?

How far is the farthest audience seat from the screen?
How far is the closest seat to the screen?
What is the mean average distance from the majority of audience members to the screen?
What will be projected onto the screen: First-run major motion picture? 3D? Dollar movie nite? Powerpoint presentation? Imag? Eye candy backgrounds? 
What aspect ratio-- 4:3, 16:9, 1:1.33, 1.85:1, 2.39:1, other ?
Sadly, more questions than answers.
.


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## MNicolai (May 9, 2013)

Additional questions:

Which model projector?
How many lumens is the projector you're firing at the screen?
Is it necessary to repurpose the existing projector?
Does the existing projector allow for different lenses to be installed in it?
What is the intended throw distance from the projector to the screen?


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## ruinexplorer (May 10, 2013)

What they are trying to tell you, there is no stock answer. If you went to an outdoors store and said that you were going camping and need a tent, you would get a bunch of questions from the salesman about how many people does it need to sleep, type of weather it will be in, if you will be backpacking it in, etc. 

Try this helpful guide to get you started on what you might be looking for in your space.


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## gmff (May 10, 2013)

This is the insight I was talking about, I knew that "there is no stock answer". I was looking for the right questions to ask in making a sound decision. You all gave me more that I was expecting, which is a good thing. Some of these I had, some of these are ones I did not think of. Thanks to all that responded.


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## museav (May 10, 2013)

Just keep in mind that in terms of viewing it is traditionally the image height rather than the width that is the controlling factor with the appropriate height based on type of content and usage and the distances to the viewers. So you first determine the desired height for the application then apply the image format (4:3, 5:4, 16:10, 16:9, etc.) to calculate the associated image width. This is important as if you take you maximum 16' width then for a 4:3 image that equates to a 12' image height, which is apparently larger than you can support, while with a 16:9 image format is relates to a 9' image height, which apparently would work but with a maximum viewing distance only 75% that of the 12' high image.

If you have to work backwards from a predefined image width or height then you end up limited to assessing the likely appropriate viewing distances and areas for various applications, which may not cover all of the audience area.


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