How Far Away Should A Home Projector Be From The Wall?

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Projectors are perfect for watching movies outside. However, setting up a projector isn't like installing a TV. Plenty of people make the same mistakes when shopping for projectors, the most common of which is buying one before figuring out where to place it. How far away should you install your projector from your wall or screen or whatever you want to use as a projection surface? Well, it depends on the projector.

The key to any successful projector installation is its throw ratio. This number is usually expressed as a ratio like 1.5:1 or 2:1 and basically means that, for every inch of image width you want projected on your wall, you need to place the projector 1.5 or two inches away, respectively. Let's say you have a projector with a 1.5:1 throw ratio and want an image that is 85 inches wide. Just multiply the numbers, and you have your answer: 1.5 times 85 is 127.5, so you need to place the projector 127.5 inches (about 10.63 feet) away from the wall.

You can usually find your projector model's throw ratio somewhere on the device or in its documentation. You might have to visit the manufacturer's website, but you should eventually be able to uncover the information you need. Be aware, though, that many modern projectors don't have simple throw ratios but instead throw ranges. These numbers are all still expressed in ratios (e.g., 1.2:1 to 1:6:1), but they give you more leeway when it comes to placement. Just plug these ratios into the same simple formula we provided above, and you will have a range of distances. Install your projector anywhere within these locations, and you should end up with a solid viewing experience.

If you have been paying attention to recent trends, you have probably noticed that TVs keep getting bigger. However, screen size isn't the whole story when it comes to your viewing pleasure, as you also need to consider resolution. Watch a movie or show that predates HD technology on a large enough screen, and the picture will come out fuzzy and unfocused. Set up projectors incorrectly, and they will look the same way.

While most modern projectors have zoom lenses and other features that help focus pictures and accommodate locations that don't have ideal distances (throw ranges are another example), not every projector is designed for every setup. For instance, some projectors are only intended for small rooms. These devices only provide images of up to 60 inches, but they also only need a maximum throw distance of about six feet. Meanwhile, projectors like the XGIMI Horizon 20 Max deliver well over 100 inches of screen width in 4K resolution — perfect for movie nights with the neighborhood — but need to be placed well over nine feet from the projection surface. Don't try to use this projector in your bedroom, in other words, unless you sleep in a cavern.

Resolution and width aren't the only factors that ultimately determine a projector's prime location. Brightness is also a key concern. The more lumens a projector generates, the farther away its light reaches without dimming. On the downside, images that are too close get blown out. As a general rule of thumb, projectors with less than 2,000 lumens should be placed no more than six feet away from a wall, while projectors with 2,000 to 3,000 lumens need six to nine feet. Projectors with over 3,000 lumens require over nine feet.

Let's say you're gearing up to purchase a projector and want to set it up in your den. For the sake of argument, let's assume the room is 12 feet (144 inches) by 14 feet (168 inches). This arrangement opens up a ton of options, but again, you need to play to each projector's strengths.

Let's look again at the XGIMI Horizon 20 Max. The device's throw ratio range is 1.2:1 to 1.5:1, so let's assume you place it as far back as possible to create the maximum possible image size. With a depth of 7.5 inches, the projector essentially is 160.5 inches away from the far wall (168 minus 7.5 inches). At the top end, that gives the image a width of neary 134 inches (160.5 divided by 1.2) at the top end. That's over 11 feet, covering most of the 12-foot wall, and it's overkill for most people. According to Rtings.com's screen distance calculator, the best sitting distance would be over 15 feet away — well beyond the dimensions of the den. 

For a more comfortable viewing experience, let's say that viewers are between 12.25 and 13 feet away. Assuming a sofa back depth between 11 inches and 21 inches, that puts the screen somewhere between 147 inches (168 minus 21 inches) and 157 inches (168 minus 11) from the viewers. The ideal screen size should then be between 90 inches (7.5 feet) and 96 inches (eight feet) — just about perfect for something like the LG CineBeam PF510Q.  Since that model's throw ratio is 1.2:1, using the same formula as above, this projector needs to be placed between 108 inches (1.2 times 90 inches) and 115.2 inches (1.2 times 96 inches), or between nine and 9.6 feet, away from the wall or screen.