Question on digital projector problem?

Question

I have a new projector (PJ513DB Viewsonic) that I just got for use in an outdoor amphitheater. The projected screen is much smaller than expected. Because of setup constraints I cannot move the projector from its current location. Is there any additional equipment to expand the size of the projected screen?

Answer 1

Unfortunatly, probably not...  

I do not believe I've seen anything marketed to do this for consumer/office projectors, and an internet search provided no good results.

You may be able to use a wide angle adapter for consumer camcorders, but the quality will be reduced by doing so.

The lens looks large so it may be a challenge to find a wide angle adapter suitable.

Another option is to get two mirrors (one can be relativly small (1'6" square or so) and the other should be larger (4' square or so).  Mount one mirror to reflect the image up into the air.  Mount the other mirror to reflect that image back towards the screen.  The added distance will help make the image larger.  You can play around with the distance from the projector to the mirror and the distance between the mirrors to get different size images.  You may have to switch the projector into ceiling mode if the image is flipped when this is done.

Good luck, hope you can figure it out!

Answer 2

As a rule, most projectors will NEVER fill the screen....

And that's because most screens are designed to fill more than one specific need....Some are 16:9 wide screens and they are used in 100 and 200 inch projections...some are 4:3 and 16:9 with various sizes being displayed.

So, rather than build 200 different screens for 200 different situations, which drive up the cost of manufacturing, they develop 3 or 4 different screens that cover ALL 200 possible variances....

So it's up to you to make it work in your situation correctly...

And you're correct that you can't move the projector....

All projectors have to be located WITHIN the manufacturer's specifications of distance FROM the screen...too far or too close and you cannot FOCUS the picture.

So....what do you do with those limitations?

Well....Movie theater use moving curtains to FRAME the screen. Some will BLACK OUT or cover up the screen with a Wooden frame....

Since your projector's display will not vary, you can go towards a semi-permanent frame design if you want....curtains are generally used when displaying different aspect ratios because they can be adjusted accordingly...

And I do not suggest OVERSIZING the picture...it will look terrible.