height of screen from the floor

[Txgrizzly]

Ok guys,
i have started my HT project and the front room is now a concrete floor and i am getting ready to build the platform for the 2nd row seating so here is my question:

how high should i mount the screen on the wall so 2nd row of seating will see unimpeded and the 1st row of seating is not looking up to much.

my room is 20 feet deep and 12 feet wide with 10 foot ceiling.
the screen will be on the 12 foot wall
i am looking at a 98" wide screen 16:9 format
1st row of seating will be 10 feet from the screen
the platform for the 2nd row of seating will be 12" and 2nd row will be at around 15 feet
the projector will be hung from the ceiling in a soffet i am going to build 16 feet from the screen

if you need more info to give me some suggestions please let me know and i will provide...

[mechman]

Take a look at these:

http://www.thx.com/home/setup/display.html

http://carltonbale.com/home-theater/...er-calculator/

The second link should help you figure out the numbers.

[Txgrizzly]

thanks Mechman, i will check these out

[spartanstew]

What are you doing with the other 5' behind the rear row?

Those are almost the exact same dimensions as my room (12.5' X 20'), but I opted for a bigger screen (126" diagonal) and further seating distances (13' & 19').

I'm not home, so I'm not sure what distance my screen is off the floor, but I think the bottom of the frame is 26" from the floor (bottom of the screen would be about 29"). Of course, since you're sitting closer, you may need it a little higher.


PS. I think you meant to say your screen is on the 20' wall.

[mjg100]

Here is a riser height calculator. www.theater-calc.com/

[Txgrizzly]

spartanstew wrote:

What are you doing with the other 5' behind the rear row?

Those are almost the exact same dimensions as my room (12.5' X 20'), but I opted for a bigger screen (126" diagonal) and further seating distances (13' & 19').

I'm not home, so I'm not sure what distance my screen is off the floor, but I think the bottom of the frame is 26" from the floor (bottom of the screen would be about 29"). Of course, since you're sitting closer, you may need it a little higher.


PS. I think you meant to say your screen is on the 20' wall.

Spartan,
i am going to build a small bar directly behind the 2nd row of seating with some bar stools to give an actual 3rd row. thanks for the #'s i will see what that looks like....

[Txgrizzly]

mjg100 wrote:

Here is a riser height calculator. www.theater-calc.com/

Perfect MJG... exactly what i was looking for... now i have to see how much keystone correction the PJ i am looking at can correct

[Harpmaker]

Txgrizzly wrote:

Perfect MJG... exactly what i was looking for... now i have to see how much keystone correction the PJ i am looking at can correct

Keep in mind that most feel that using keystone correction significantly degrades the projected image. It might be better to tilt the screen depending on the amount of correction necessary.

What PJ are you using?

[spartanstew]

Txgrizzly wrote:

Perfect MJG... exactly what i was looking for... now i have to see how much keystone correction the PJ i am looking at can correct

Sounds like the PJ will be directly above the bar, correct? The top of your screen will probably be around 7.5 feet high (or so). With a 12" riser, if you place the PJ lens even with the top of the screen, it'll be around 6.5' from the riser to the lens, meaning the bottom of the soffit will be closer to 6' from the ground (riser). Since you have 10' ceilings, I'd shoot for having the top of the screen closer to 9' high. That way the bottom of your soffit would be 7' high (or more) from the top of your riser. Should provide plenty of head room for people standing at the bar area and you wouldn't need any keystone. The screen might be a tad higher than the chart will calculate, but overall it will work out better and assuming you have recliners in the first row, it's better to have the screen a little higher (vs. a little lower) since the natural head position when reclining will be looking up.

Mock up a simulated screen with tape on the wall with the top of the screen somewhere between 8' - 9' high and see how it looks when reclined.

[Txgrizzly]

Harpmaker wrote:

Keep in mind that most feel that using keystone correction significantly degrades the projected image. It might be better to tilt the screen depending on the amount of correction necessary.

What PJ are you using?

Harp,
i am looking at the PAnny AE4000, i havent bought one yet but that is the range i am looking in...

[Txgrizzly]

spartanstew wrote:

Sounds like the PJ will be directly above the bar, correct? The top of your screen will probably be around 7.5 feet high (or so). With a 12" riser, if you place the PJ lens even with the top of the screen, it'll be around 6.5' from the riser to the lens, meaning the bottom of the soffit will be closer to 6' from the ground (riser). Since you have 10' ceilings, I'd shoot for having the top of the screen closer to 9' high. That way the bottom of your soffit would be 7' high (or more) from the top of your riser. Should provide plenty of head room for people standing at the bar area and you wouldn't need any keystone. The screen might be a tad higher than the chart will calculate, but overall it will work out better and assuming you have recliners in the first row, it's better to have the screen a little higher (vs. a little lower) since the natural head position when reclining will be looking up.

Mock up a simulated screen with tape on the wall with the top of the screen somewhere between 8' - 9' high and see how it looks when reclined.

Thanks Spartan, that is what i was looking at doing for the soffit build. putting the bottom of it about 7' from the platform...

[spartanstew]

Txgrizzly wrote:

Thanks Spartan, that is what i was looking at doing for the soffit build. putting the bottom of it about 7' from the platform...

Then I would probably just line the top of your screen up with the PJ lens, but mock it up with tape first. I don't know what the above calculator will show you, but my guess is that it'll be within 6"

[1canuck2]

Keep in mind the recommendation of your front row's eye height being roughly one third of the way up the screen.

My seating dimensions are similar to yours. My front row sits 10.5' back, second row roughly 14.5' back. My screen is a 126" diagonal and it is 21.5" from the floor. The screen is 60" high in total. Front row's eyes are 40" from the ground. Second row riser is 10" high and everyone can see fine (except my 4 year old in the back row with me in front of her in the front row, then the bottom of the screen gets cut off for her, but my 10 and 12 year old kids are fine...).

When you say 98" wide, do you mean actual width or diagonal width? If its diagonal, I hate to say it, but I think your screen is kinda small. I started off going for a 96" diagonal screen and ended up a 126"!!

[Txgrizzly]

1canuck2 wrote:

Keep in mind the recommendation of your front row's eye height being roughly one third of the way up the screen.

My seating dimensions are similar to yours. My front row sits 10.5' back, second row roughly 14.5' back. My screen is a 126" diagonal and it is 21.5" from the floor. The screen is 60" high in total. Front row's eyes are 40" from the ground. Second row riser is 10" high and everyone can see fine (except my 4 year old in the back row with me in front of her in the front row, then the bottom of the screen gets cut off for her, but my 10 and 12 year old kids are fine...).

When you say 98" wide, do you mean actual width or diagonal width? If its diagonal, I hate to say it, but I think your screen is kinda small. I started off going for a 96" diagonal screen and ended up a 126"!!

Canuck, the measurement is the width, i think the screen is like 110" or so...

[spartanstew]

Txgrizzly wrote:

Canuck, the measurement is the width, i think the screen is like 110" or so...

113"