Projection and screens
Short Throw vs Long Throw Projectors
Quick answer
Room depth and who walks through the beam decide this. A 150 inch 16:9 screen is 10.9 feet wide, so an ultra short throw projector mounts about 2.7 feet from it while a standard 1.5 throw ratio projector needs about 16.3 feet of clear depth in front.
Epson PowerLite 805F Ultra Short Throw 3LCD Projector - 16:9 - Wall Mountable, Tabletop
$2,494.31 Specs and sizingAn ultra short throw laser that sits a couple of feet from the wall, so nobody walks through the beam and no long ceiling mount is needed.
Best for: Low-ceilinged rooms, and platforms where people keep walking through the projection
Check price on Amazon
Epson PowerLite L530U Long Throw 3LCD Projector
$2,749.00A WUXGA laser install projector bright enough to hold an image with the house lights up, mounted back in the room on a conventional ceiling bracket.
Best for: A sanctuary with real windows or lighting that never comes down
Check price on AmazonThrow ratio is the projector distance divided by the image width, and it is the number that decides where the projector can physically live. An ultra short throw model at around 0.25 sits a couple of feet from the screen. A standard projector at 1.5 needs a mount more than sixteen feet back for the same image, with a clear path the whole way.
That clear path is the real argument. In a sanctuary, the space between a ceiling-mounted projector and the screen is exactly where the worship team, the preacher and the communion table are, which is why churches with long throw projectors spend years watching shadows cross the lyrics. Work out your screen size first on the screen size calculator, then find the throw distance below.
Side by side
| Model | Price | Maximum resolution | Light source | Light source life | Throw ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Epson PowerLite 805F Ultra Short Throw 3LCD Projector - 16:9 - Wall Mountable, Tabletop | $2,494.31 | 1920 x 1080 | Laser | 20,000 hours | Ultra short throw |
| Epson PowerLite L530U Long Throw 3LCD Projector | $2,749.00 | 1920 x 1200 | Laser | 20,000 hours | - |
Mount distance for a 16:9 screen by throw ratio
Find your screen diagonal, read across to the throw ratio class you are considering, and measure that distance in the actual room before ordering anything.
A 150 inch 16:9 screen is 10.9 feet wide, so an ultra short throw projector mounts about 2.7 feet from it while a standard 1.5 throw ratio projector needs about 16.3 feet of room depth.
| Screen diagonal | Image width | Ultra short throw at 0.25 | Short throw at 0.5 | Standard at 1.5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 in | 7.3 ft | 1.8 ft | 3.6 ft | 10.9 ft |
| 120 in | 8.7 ft | 2.2 ft | 4.4 ft | 13.1 ft |
| 150 in | 10.9 ft | 2.7 ft | 5.4 ft | 16.3 ft |
| 180 in | 13.1 ft | 3.3 ft | 6.5 ft | 19.6 ft |
| 200 in | 14.5 ft | 3.6 ft | 7.3 ft | 21.8 ft |
Image width for a 16:9 screen is the diagonal multiplied by about 0.872. Throw distance is the image width multiplied by the throw ratio. Check the throw ratio range of the specific model you are buying, because zoom lenses give a span rather than a single figure and that span is what gives you mounting flexibility.
Choose ultra short throw when people walk in front of the screen
This is the single biggest practical complaint a short throw projector solves. With the projector two or three feet from the wall, nobody casts a shadow on the lyrics and nobody is blinded walking across the platform. The PowerLite 805F at $2,494.31 is the laser ultra short throw answer, and it also removes the long ceiling mount entirely.
It is the right choice in low-ceilinged rooms, in fellowship halls, in a chapel where there is no depth to mount anything, and in a historic building where a long ceiling run is not permitted. It also shortens the cable run dramatically, since the projector is beside the screen rather than across the room.
There is one firm condition and churches get caught by it. An ultra short throw projector demands a dead flat screen, because it projects across the surface at a steep angle and any wave or curl distorts the image visibly. That means a fixed frame or a properly tensioned screen and never a pull-down. If your plan involves a manual roll-up screen, ultra short throw is the wrong technology. See fixed frame against motorized.
Choose long throw when the room has depth and the mount is out of the way
A conventional projector mounted well back in the room, ideally above or behind the congregation, is still the standard sanctuary arrangement and it works. The beam passes over people's heads rather than across the platform, the projector is far from the screen so the image is geometrically simple, and zoom lenses give real flexibility in where the mount lands.
It is also where the brightness lives. The PowerLite L530U at $2,749.00 is a WUXGA laser bright enough to hold an image with the house lights up, which is the condition most churches actually project in. Long throw models generally offer more lens options, more brightness for the money and more lens shift to square the image without keystone correction.
Two things to plan. Measure the actual distance before ordering, because a throw ratio range on a specification sheet is not the same as your ceiling having a joist in the right place. And keep keystone correction as a last resort: it throws away resolution and softens text, where physically squaring the projector with a good mount does not. A universal mount at $37.99 gives adjustment in all three axes, and the placement guide covers the geometry.
Sources
- Epson published PowerLite 805F and L530U specifications
- Standard 16:9 screen geometry and throw ratio calculation
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate throw distance for my screen?
Multiply the image width by the throw ratio. For a 16:9 screen, image width is the diagonal multiplied by about 0.872, so a 150 inch screen is 10.9 feet wide and a 1.5 throw ratio projector sits 16.3 feet away. Check the model throw ratio range rather than using a generic figure, because zoom lenses give a span.
Can an ultra short throw projector use our existing pull-down screen?
Not reliably, and this is the constraint that catches churches out. Projecting at a steep angle across the surface makes any wave, curl or ripple in the material show as visible distortion. Ultra short throw needs a fixed frame or a properly tensioned surface. Budget for the screen as part of the projector decision.
Does a short throw projector produce a worse image?
Not inherently, though the steep projection angle is less forgiving of an imperfect screen and of any misalignment in the mount. Set up on a flat surface with the projector properly squared, a modern ultra short throw laser produces an image indistinguishable from a conventional projector at normal viewing distances.
Should we use keystone correction to fix a crooked image?
Only as a last resort. Keystone correction resamples the image in software, which discards resolution and softens fine text, and lyric slides are mostly fine text. Square the projector physically with a mount that adjusts in all three axes, and use optical lens shift where the model offers it, before touching keystone.
What screen size does our sanctuary need?
Work from the furthest seat rather than the size of the wall. The common rules put image height at somewhere between a quarter and a sixth of the distance to the back row, depending on whether people are reading detailed text or lyrics. Our screen size calculator applies those rules to your actual measurements.
Researched, not professional advice. This page is compiled from published manufacturer specifications, operator manuals, FCC rules, published standards and owner-review consensus, not hands-on testing. Sound system design, rigging loudspeakers overhead, and any electrical work are jobs for a qualified professional: have flown loudspeakers and their attachment points signed off by a structural engineer or a certified rigger, and have all wiring done by a licensed electrician to your local code. Wireless microphone rules change, so confirm the current FCC position before buying. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.