projector help

[Sandbar]

First off, this website is a wealth of information and I have learned a lot from you all. But, I have spent the past 2 weeks reading and rereading on projectors and I think I am more confused now than ever. My issue is trying to figure out what projector central is telling me. I am trying to stay at or below the $1k price point. My screen will be 10' wide by 9' tall. the projector will be ceiling mounted somewhere between 9' and 11' from the screen(prefer 9-10 but can go out to 11 if needed) and mounted overhead. The common recommendations seem to be the optima 1080 and BenQ 2050 and BENQ3050 for the brightness factor. My garage will be on the brighter side since it is detached and i have to keep the doors open so I don't die of the heat in the summer. When looking at projector central for the benq3050, if i put the distance from the screen at 11 feet it says the width is 10' and height is only 5'5". However there is another user here that has that projector and it looks like it is projecting perfectly on a 10 by 9 screen at 11 feet. What am i missing? if i move the projector to 10' is the height projected really only 8'8" by 5'11"? Doesn't seem right and I think I am missing an important piece of the puzzle.
Thank you in advance for the help and guidance!

[leoapd]

I just went through the projector process, and I also was confused on what was what. I am currently projecting with a Benq 1085ST (HT2150St is new model) from 10 feet, into a viewable area 10x9 (4:3 aspect ratio). The Benq 3050, which I also looked at, is not short throw. With your screen dimensions you need to be at 4:3 aspect ratio, and the 3050 seems to be giving you dimensions at 16:9 from 11 feet. You can also go to Benq's site and use their calculator and play with room and screen dimensions.....http://projectorcalculator.benq.com/

[StanMI]

Optima GT1080, BenQ HT2150ST or BenQ MW632ST............. These three seem to be the ones a lot of folks use. The first two are 1080 the third one is 720 ( I forget if that's I or P).

The numbers I looked at for the BenQ HT3050 at PC don't look like they will work for you.

When you look at the specs from PC you can change the aspect ratio the projector will put out from 4:3, 16:9 or 16:10 (what I use with the MW632ST)

Full screen with a 10' X 9' is a 4:3 ratio. Depending on what you will be doing with the Sim might be a way to decide which projector you get and how you will use it. For me 4:3 works with the SkyTrak range but not with TGC, I like 16:10 for looking at the added illusion of reality. (dang that sounds deep !!)

If I were to do it again I'd spend the extra $$$ and get on of the 1080 projectors, but I started on the cheap !!

YRMV

[wbond]

IF you have a window in your garage, you can go with a window AC unit for the summer. That is what i do and it works very well. Now back to the topic at hand.

[Sandbar]

You guys rock! Thank you much for the help and guidance. I should have just asked 2 weeks ago and been up and running by now. I am going to go with the BENQ2150ST and see how that works out.
wbond- I wish I had a window. I am going to probably go with one of those mistubishi built ins that pumps both ac and heat...but that is down the road a bit. need to let the wallet recuperate from the expenses from building the thing.

Thanks again for the help

[wbond]

Those are nice. Make sure you look at the operating temperature though. Some don't work very well at the ends of their range. i almost went with one until I read reviews and I would have been screwed with the one I was looking at. I opted for a 220 heater in winter and window ac unit.