# [SOLVED] Slightly larger than home theater



## Elkillerduck (Feb 15, 2011)

Hey guys,

My uncle owns a dance hall type place and would like to begin showing large screen movies. He was looking at getting a projector that had good contrast and could be shown on a 30' by 40' screen, approximately. He didn't give me a price range, so lets vary the costs from cheap but decent to "Oh My GOD that's beautiful!!" But include some mid-range prices too. I'm not entirely sure on the cost of projectors of this size, so any help on jargon would be a help too.

Oh, max capacity is about 400 to 600 people including the tables so about 300 arranged in rows on the dance floor itself.Very rough estimation based on my experiences there.

Thanks,
The Duck


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## v-six (Sep 12, 2004)

*Re: Slightly larger than home theater*

What kind of lighting conditions will be at the venue during projection, and what kind of throw distance can you work with? (Do you have lots of room for projection / does it need to be a short-throw rear projection?) A 30' to 40' inch screen is a huge image, and you're probably going to be looking at a 5-figure projector for a really good image. I highly recommend hiring a professional to get it done right. The guys at Draper really know their stuff as far as projection surfaces, if you can get a hold of a Draper rep. or vendor, they can maybe give you a recommendation for for a projector vendor too. If it means anything, I have nothing but great things to say about Panasonic projectors. Remember that the maintenance on most high-end projectors isn't cheap (a 10,000 ANSI lumens lamp costs more than pocket change). So you need to add maintenance to the budget.


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## Elkillerduck (Feb 15, 2011)

*Re: Slightly larger than home theater*

thanks v-six, lighting will be florescent around the outside edge, but they can be turned off during the screening. As for throw distance, the projector can be set at the very back, about 25 yards or so, or anyplace in between. The screen size was changed to 20-25 feet. and i meant feet last post. sorry.


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## Basementgeek (Feb 7, 2005)

*Re: Slightly larger than home theater*

Your uncle also needs to look into copy write laws about showing things.

BG


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## jaythorpe522 (Sep 7, 2010)

*Re: Slightly larger than home theater*



Basementgeek said:


> Your uncle also needs to look into copy write laws about showing things.
> 
> BG


yup yup.

start here:

Federal Copyright Law for Movies | Copyright Compliance | Public Performance License


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## Amd_Man (Jan 27, 2009)

*Re: Slightly larger than home theater*

He can show what ever movies he wants as long as he`s not charging for them. I can have a hundred people at my place and show what ever movie I choose. If that was the case then sports bars would go out of bussiness real quick because every game is copy write protected. 

EDIT: If the DVD movie was purchased then the royalities have been paid.


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## yustr (Sep 27, 2004)

*Re: Slightly larger than home theater*

Definately a job that demands professional support - and a very large bank balance:



> Costs
> 
> On the downside, the initial costs for converting theaters to digital are high: $150,000 per screen on average. ...
> 
> While a theater can purchase a film projector for US$50,000 and expect an average life of 30–40 years, a digital cinema playback system including server/media block/and projector can cost 3–4 times as much, and is at higher risk for component failures and technological obsolescence. Experience with computer-based media systems show that average economic lifetimes are only on the order of 5 years with some units lasting until about 10 years before they are replaced.[citation needed]


  WIKI


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## jaythorpe522 (Sep 7, 2010)

*Re: Slightly larger than home theater*



Amd_Man said:


> He can show what ever movies he wants as long as he`s not charging for them. I can have a hundred people at my place and show what ever movie I choose. If that was the case then sports bars would go out of bussiness real quick because every game is copy write protected.
> 
> EDIT: If the DVD movie was purchased then the royalities have been paid.


No, I'm sorry but that's not correct. Sports bars pay licensing for the broadcasts. The purchase of the DVD allows for private viewing in the home. If it's a public establishment over a certain size, over a certain screen size, and open to the public, additional license must be obtained.

jw

try this too:

Public Performance Law


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## Amd_Man (Jan 27, 2009)

*Re: Slightly larger than home theater*

Thanks for the heads up jw. It doesn't surprise me I supose!


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## v-six (Sep 12, 2004)

*Re: Slightly larger than home theater*

Yep, public performance laws are pretty strict. I work at state college, and we can only show commercial video if it's for a class, and if the movie isn't publicly advertised. That's why your DVDs have a big red warning at the beginning that says FOR PRIVATE HOME USE ONLY.


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## Amd_Man (Jan 27, 2009)

*Re: Slightly larger than home theater*

and the movie industry wonders why everyone is iilegally obtaining movies. Their pure greed to pay OVER PAYED movie stars has sunk them. It's getting to the point that when you buy something you don't own it, you rent it.


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## v-six (Sep 12, 2004)

*Re: Slightly larger than home theater*

Duck,

Do you have a projection screen or surface already installed, or do you need one? If you've got your surface already, you can try out a few projectors. I highly recommend going through an AV vendor / installer for this. They should be able to demo a few models for you based on the specs you've provided, so you'll be able to see what you'll get at your venue. You're probably going to need a large-venue projector, so the 10k+lumens range is where you'll need to start (unless someone's got a stellar projector that can manage a 20' image without a big lamp).


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## Elkillerduck (Feb 15, 2011)

*Re: Slightly larger than home theater*

Thanks guys, I haven't been in my uncles dance hall in quite some time, he just recently called me on the phone to inquire about this. I did tell him about the copyright laws already, and will send him the link. (btw, thanks for that.) That said, I am not entirely sure what he has ready, I was speaking from past experience from his hall, and he called me because I "know about technology." If he doesn't have the screen, I will send him the draper link.

Thanks everyone!


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