UST Projector Creates HUGE Image, Inches from Screen
UST stands for Ultra Short Throw, but you likely already knew that since you’ve reached this website. For quite awhile now, interactive UST projector solutions with native 4:3, 16:10, and 16:9 aspect ratios have been available for permanent installation in away-from-home corporate boardroom and classroom settings, typically with the video projector being mounted “upside down” hanging from either the ceiling or wall just above a combo dry-erase whiteboard/projection screen. (Check out NEW and REFURBISHED Smart Board Systems from Retechtronics!)
Within the last several years, 4K/UHD (Ultra High Definition) 16:9 aspect ratio ultra short throw projectors intended for simple in-home setup atop a (short) stand, table, or cabinet have become a desirable and popular “big screen television” alternative.
If you’ve got an average to large sized room where you can be seated a proper distance away from a really big screen (see the large chart below) to watch movies, sports, shows, and/or play video games, and you also don’t want, or simply cannot afford, to shell out $39,999.99 for the Samsung QN98QN100B 98″ 4K Neo QLED television, or $24,999.99 for the LG OLED97G2PUA 97″ 4K (world’s largest) OLED or LG OLED88Z2PUA 88″ 8K OLED, or $14,999.99 for the Samsung QN98QN90AA 98″ 4K QLED, or even $8,499.99 for the TCL 98R754 98″ 4K QLED, you could instead purchase a 4K ultra short throw laser projector from one of the brands linked at the top of this page, plus an ALR (Ambient Light Rejecting) projection screen designed specifically for use with UST projectors.
As stated by a recent visitor to this website: “It’s not just the value, but it’s also the experience. I spoke to one of the top video calibrators in the country, himself being an owner of LG OLED like myself. These big TVs with their eye popping images are still just big TVs. There is something about a projector reflecting off a large screen that is more impactful. I think that despite the spectacular images of OLED TVs, they still do not recreate the theatrical experience the way a projector can.” ….. “One other advantage of projectors is if you are a frequent upgrader like me, it’s a lot easier to resell a projector than a TV.”
The projection screen viewing distance chart pictured below lists the range of diagonal image/screen sizes measured in inches recommended by manufacturers of ultra short throw projectors and screens in the first column (the “sweet spot” range is from 80″ to 120″), followed in the second column by THX’s ideal viewing distance measured in feet from the screen surface to the eyes while seated to experience full immersion for each corresponding diagonal screen size, followed in the third column by THX’s maximum recommended viewing distance also measured in feet, followed in the fourth column by SMPTE’s maximum recommended viewing distance also measured in feet, and followed in the fifth column by the actual projected 16:9 image’s Width and Height rectangular dimensions measured in inches. This should help you think through, estimate, measure, and/or calculate your available room space and wall space before making a purchase.
An “Ultra Short Throw Projector” is so-named because the distance it projects diagonally upward from the lens onto the screen surface is extremely short. A UST projector is conveniently designed to be located underneath the bottom edge of a projection screen placed just inches from the wall, sitting atop a stand, cabinet, or table that extends just a few feet out from the wall into your room, similar to a typical television stand. A UST projector can produce a bright, colorful, high-contrast picture even during daytime because it is located so near the screen, even in a living room, den, or basement environment with some ambient lighting. Of course you will further improve the image contrast and detail if you can darken the room.
Compared to UST projectors, a conventional “Long Throw Projector” is designed for installation in a dedicated, darkened home theater room space with control over ambient light because the projector has to be permanently mounted across the room from the projection screen up above the seating area either hanging down from the ceiling or wall-mounted up high on the back wall of the room. Ceiling fans and/or people simply walking around in the room can block the beamed image, and both humans and pets alike can potentially accidentally damage their vision looking back towards the projector. With long throw projectors, there are also the issues of needing to run a (very) long HDMI cable from the back of an A/V receiver through the walls and ceiling to the projector’s location, and also to have an AC outlet located near the mounted projector to supply power.
While ultra short throw projectors usually do have built-in speakers similar to a small soundbar mounted inside the front of them that actually don’t sound terrible, you’ll definitely want to consider connecting your UST projector to a separate surround sound audio system using HDMI eARC/ARC to create a complete home theater system that rivals your local cinema.
If you are seeking a custom “stealth” ultra short throw projector furniture solution, Salamander Designs offers a perfectly-matched cabinet in multiple modern finishes for many of the most popular ultra short throw projector models. You should see them featured at the bottom of each relevant UST projector brand page if they are available.
Two alternative domain names UltraShortThrowProjector.com (Ultra Short Throw Projector dot com) and USTProjectors.com (UST Projectors dot com) both URL forward to the homepage of this USTProjector.com (UST Projector dot com) website when entered into the address bar of your web browser.
Note: There are a couple of brands that will NOT be featured on this site because they were among those terminated as sellers on Amazon in September of 2021 for incentivizing positive product reviews. The more popular of these two brands continues to be dishonest and/or misleading regarding the actual brightness of their UST projectors. 🙁
