We're remodeling a room that will be used for daily family stuff.  Watching TV, games, toys, etc.  Half of this room will be left open (no furniture) and dedicated to the kids toys.  This leaves me with a 10' high by 22' wide wall that I think would be great to project movies on.  I know nothing about projectors.  I do plan on hanging it from the ceiling up to 16' from the wall, but don't know what distance is best. I don't have a target screen size. I just want it big, positioned on the wall in a manner that makes sense, and not so large as to ruin picture quality.

I'm at the point now that I need to decide where to put blocking in the ceiling to hang it from. I plan on doing power and some type of A/V connections next to the blocking. I was going to do old school RCA connections, but would do HDMI or whatever is best.  The AV wires will have to be about 25-30' to reach where our TV/DVD/game console will be. Maybe that rules out HDMI?

School me. Where do I start?

I wouldn't mind recommendations on projectors. Current models would be great. Budget in the few hundred dollar range. Budget is flexible if it HAS to be.

I have a JVC 4k on a 12 foot wide cinemascope ratio screen. Very happy with it.  It is 5 years old so I am sure there are newer models that do 8K or 8K extrapolation, but they are too rich for my blood.

Use the projector calculators to see what you need for throwing distance, screen size. It really helps to plan it out.

That's my issue. Seems everybody but me has a screen size they are trying to hit.  I don't care.  I just want to be able to set up my blocking/power/AV so that I can pick out a projector later and mount it up.  The project has already kind of gotten out of hand. Projector itself may have to wait, but I want the prep work done.

I don't want to do the prep work to hang a projector 14' from the wall only to find out I have to spend $5k to get a projector that can throw a nice picture that far.

This is not a home theater. Just a room with the available space and I've always wanted a projector.  I imagine it will be mostly the kids watching movies on it for the novelty instead of serious usage. We'll have a nice TV at the other end of the room for normal watching.  Current TV is 55". When it dies, we'll get something bigger.

How far is the seating distance from the screen / tv?  Is the room light controlled or are there windows?  If are not light controlled, I would just get a big LED 4k or 8k and call it a day.

No seating. Just open floor space in the area the projector would be used. So laying on the floor or dragging over some chairs. It's half of a 22x32 room. 22x16 for the play area. 11x16 for couch and TV. 11x16 for my computer desk and printers.

There are windows, but not on the wall that we'll be projecting on. Windows are shaded most of the day. We will have blinds on them and maybe blackout curtains if the projector becomes popular.  We are all kind of night owls.  So most use would be after dark.

Not sure how to advise you.  You have to get some idea of screen size, and an idea what projector you might go with to know projector location options ,and if the lumens will be enough for your room  If you think 85" is large enough, just get an LED.  If you want larger, you will have to consider a projector. Keep in mind you will have to buy a decent screen to get the most out of it, or consider using a paint formulated for projection.

lots of extended length HDMI options these days, some of the easier to use ones are fiber it the middle so they're not even thick.

I've had an EPSON 5040ub for a few years I got as a referb for $1200 and for the money I haven't found anything even close I wanted to replace it with.

My screen is 120". Definitely get a real screen, I tried the paint thing, never worked that great.

But seriously if 85" or less is viable, don't bother, just get a wall mount and hang an lcd.

Agree 100%.  That's why I'm not putting a ton of effort or money into this. We'll eventually have a big tv at the other end of the room. I just want a projector for the cool factor and want to do the prep work (wiring and reinforcement for mounting) while everything is open and easy to do so.  Actually putting a TV on the wall I want to project on would be a poor decision. The area is dedicated for the 2 and 5 year old to play. I can't imagine a TV surviving long there.

So a few charts show that i could fit up to about a 200" 16:9 screen with some buffer space to the floor and ceiling. Realistically, i think 150-180" would look like it fit better. If I say throw distance of 12-16' and seating 12ish ft from the screen, does that help?

12' sitting distance 150+ is massive, there's really a point where it does get a little too big based on how far you sit. Put some tape on the wall and sit where you're going to sit and get an idea. I'd think at 12', 120-140 is probably a better size target, but you'll have to see and decide. It can also matter if the seating is going to be elevated or not, too close to a big screen especially down low can mean sore/uncomfortable neck position.

The 12' distance would be the closest your head would be if I put a couch facing that way. Reclined, add about 2'. No couch and you could stretch the viewing distance out to 20-25' depending on if you wanted to obstruct the natural path through the room or sit off to the side.

A lot of projectors can zoom right?  So I could make it work for a massive screen and then just reduce the size in the settings/lens if its a problem?

This is the projector that currently tops my list. That could change, but reviews, functions, price all kind of line up with what I want.

https://www.amazon.com/AuKing-Projector-Bluetooth-Upgrade-Supported/dp/B0BHRYNNS7

Looked closely at the ambient light after dark the other night.  Was pretty dark. I couldn't even see where my 2 smaller windows were as trees shaded them pretty good. The 2 large windows catch some light from a street light a few houses down, but I think blinds will mostly block that. Not light enough to avoid tripping over stuff as is.

Don't have time to get into details now but I recently installed a Benq 500 about 12' from a 134" DIY screen.  The picture is incredible when watching 4k material.

If that's your budget I wouldnt bother.

Nowadays, maybe consider a UST projector. Best buy has the Hisense bundle with ALR screen, in 100" or 120". These are actually very usable in a lit room due to the laser projection tech, and the ALR screen.

Unfortunately, realistically this.

The projectors that go for "a few hundred dollars" aren't really worth the squeeze.

Screen size should be dependent on seating distance, BUT when going big(ger), the projector needs to put out enough lumens for the screen size (and this will also depend on the zoom. The same projector will have different total lumen output on the opposite ends of the zoom range).

As for the mounting point, that is determined by the projector and screen. Different projectors, different zoom ranges to fill a screen of XXX".

At this point, I'd recommend doing a whole lot more research before diving down the rabbithole based on merely, "always thought a projector would be cool".

Sorry to hijack. Does anyone have an opinion on short throw type projectors vs ceiling mount?

Currently have my man cave being built and need to decide whether to run an outlet to the ceiling. Not real worried about cost right now.

short throw laser + alr screen is probably the superior option IMO. The performance is significantly less dependent on room lighting control

In addition to throw distance, sceen size etc, projector cooling fan noise and heat also need to be a consideration. Rear projection is an option as well.

Avsforum is what you seek. Buying a projector isn't as easy as buying a TV.  You have to know your screen size, what model can cover that screen and the distance from the screen are the main things. I bought a 100 inch screen a few years ago when I came back from Europe.  At first I purchased a short throw and put it on a little stand about 4-5 feet away from the screen. Worked nice for a while, then decided to make one of my spare rooms into a movie room. With the way the room is set up and size, my short throw wouldn't work. So did some more research and after a few weeks I found one that works.

Both of my projectors are 1080  BenQ, not sure on the model #s right now. I have been throwing around the idea of upgrading to at least a 4k projector but with current TV prices and their size I may just get a 85ish inch TV and call it a day.