Can I buy a 16:9 projector and turn the rayio into 4:3?

[MrDo666]

[MrDo666]

I have a decent gaming laptop with a good GPU and CPU but was wondering can I just go buy a 1920 x 1080 Full HD projector(16:9) then tell my PC just to send the 4:3 ratio to fit my 4m wide by 3m tall screen???

[Uk101jkt]

Which projector? Most of them have options for different setups

[aja]

Should be no problem. You generally select which output format you will be using.

The thing to bear in mind however, is that the distance to screen will be greater that what the "distance calculator" will show for the 16:9 image. That's because the projected 4:3 image uses the middle part of the 16:9. The sides are blacked out, therefore you have to move back to have the 4:3 fill the impact screen.

[MrDo666]

wanted something I can mount off centre as my ceiling wont be that high.
so projector can be 180cm -450 cm from screen.
screen size 4mx3m hence the 4:3 ratio

[PROTEE UK]

We use a projector which is full HD 6000 lumens , native 4:3 ratio that can be changed to other aspect ratios and has corner correction use full for off set set ups and lens shift

[MrDo666]

We use a projector which is full HD 6000 lumens , native 4:3 ratio that can be changed to other aspect ratios and has corner correction use full for off set set ups and lens shift

Can I ask which one please?

[MrDo666]

Which projector? Most of them have options for different setups

still trying to work it out. so much choice out there. Can I ask what Lumens you guys use? there is one which is 2200 and that worries me being on the low side.

[Jason Penner]

4000 lumen and looking to upgrade. Get as bright as budget allows

[PROTEE UK]

NEC p063x and Panasonic ptvz580

[Celeras]

I went budget with my projector. 1080darbee ($500 new), which is 16:9 and I run it 4:3 (1600x1200) because that's the size of my screen. 3000 lumens. First thing I did was put a dimmer switch on my high hats because the picture gets really washed at full brightness. It's fine now, but I agree the more lumens the better.

[VenturaHacker]

Not a projector wiz, but I think projecting 4 by 3 format image on a 16 by 9 screen will either leave a lot of white space on the sides, or stretch the picture a shitload to fit the full width. That's because 4 by 3 linearly scales to 12 by 9, not 16 by 9. Sorry if I am stating the obvious to you, but when I first started I didn't realize that.

[Jay28]

Depends on the projector.
Many will accept both 4:3 and 16:9 resolutions coming from the PC.
Projector Central is a good resource to plan out what you need.
https://www.projectorcentral.com/

[3on3putt]

Bumping up this thread because this was the conversation that I found in the search that is closest to my question. And it may very well be a dumb question.

I currently have a Promethean projector that is 1024x768 native that I use on a 10x10 screen. In 4:3, it fills the screen from left to right and leaves a little space on top and bottom. I don't have the space for a wider screen, so I'm fine sticking to 4:3 on a square screen.

Now onto my questions...

1.) I'm looking to upgrade my projector. If I get one that is 1920x1080 native but has a 4:3 option, what will the resolution be when I switch it to 4:3?

1280x960?

1400x1050?

1440x1080?

I'm guessing it can't go to 1600x1200 if there are only 1080 vertical pixels. (But that also just might reflect my ignorance of this subject).

In other words, how do you know what resolution the projector will give you once you switch it to a 4:3 display? Is there a tool on projector central that shows this?

2.) If 4:3 is not the native resolution of the projector, does switching it to 4:3 distort the image in any way? Do objects appear skinnier or fatter than they should? Will I lose any parts of the image?

3.) It seems like most of the projectors that are 4:3 native are only 1024x768 (same as I have now). I've seen some that are 1600x1200 native but they are quite pricey. What is the best route to go when working with a 4:3 display? Basically, I'd like to maximize my resolution in 4:3 (without spending thousands) and wondering what my options are.

4.) As always with this site, thanks for any help and advice.