Good Projectors for Resturants?

Question

I am looking for a good projector for a resturant that has a high amount of lumines and the size of the screen is around 250-275 inches. Thanks in advance

Answer 1

There are several considerations regarding the proposed use:

- First, this is not a DIY project ... I recommend getting a A/V installer involved early. The points below are to allow you to consider some of the issues.

- The size of screen typically requires a throw distance of 30' or so and unless mounted high this will mean anyone passing in front of the projector (at least within about 15' of the screen) will block the light. Not a great idea. A short throw projector or short throw auxiliary lens is recommended.

- Viewing distance so as to not see the pixels that make up the screen is typically 1.5 - 2.5 x screen size (further for lower resolution). That means that at a minimum you wouldn't want anyone sitting closer than about 25' from the screen ... is this practical? If not consider a smaller screen and or two or more projectors.

- A 20'+ screen in any but a very dark room will require a 4500 lumens (or more) projector ... unless you use a high gain screen (and that introduces issues re. hot spotting, narrowed viewing angles and colour shifts).

- A 250" screen in 16:9 format is over 10' high and needs to be mounted at least 3' above floor height to allow reasonable sight lines ... do you have a minimum 14' ceiling?

- If there is smoke present you will need to consider a projector with sealed optics or a good filtration design to prevent contamination.

So, what you want to do is possible but you will need a high power projector, a large screen and large amounts of space.

Regarding suggestions, see the listing of conference room projectors at the link. For each one there is a info page and a link to an interactive calculator that will show the relationship between throw distance, screen size and brightness for various uses. I'd suggest looking at the over 3500 lumen models.

EDIT

I've added a reference to a new projector I just came across designed for restaurants, sports bars, etc. See last link.

Answer 2

You don't just want lumens, but also longevity; a restaurant setting may be one where a consumer video projector may not stand up to the wear-and-tear.

http://bssc.sel.sony.com/BroadcastandBus...

This one might be okay for the application.

Please note that this is a professional/commercial product.

According to the product specifications found on the brochure online, it can support vertical sizes from 40 inches to 300 inches and has 3500 lumens.

There are, no doubt, competitive products from others, such as Sharp and Panasonic.