Projector brands and models supported
The calculator carries verified specifications for 389 projector models across 51 brands. Every record cites the manufacturer datasheet URL with a retrieval date.
- AAXA: M8 UST 4K
- ASUS: ZenBeam L2
- AWOL Vision: LTV-3500 Pro, LTV-3000 Pro, LTV-2500, LTV-3500
- Acer: H6815ATV, Vero HL6810ATV, X1328WH, H6815BD, Vero PL2530i, PL6510, H6542BDK, X1528Ki, P5535, Predator GD711, X1228i, ApexVision L811
- Anker Nebula: Cosmos Laser 4K, Mars 3 Air, Capsule 3 Laser, Capsule, Mars, Solar, Mars 3, Capsule 3, P1, P1i, Cosmos 4K SE, X1, X1 Pro
- Barco: F90-4K13, G62-W14, DP4K-30L, F70-4K8, F80-4K9, G62-W11, Loki, Njord
- BenQ: HT3550, V5000i, LK936ST, W5850, W4000i, W2720i, W2710i, W1800, TK705i, TK860i, X3100i, X3000i, TK700STi, GV50, GV31, GS50, GP520, TK710, TK710STi, X500i, TH575, HT4550i, HT3560, HT2060, HT5550, HT2050A, TK850i, GP100A, MW560, MS560, V7050i, GV30, MW550, LU9915, LH730, TH585
- Boxlight: ALX462, ALX401, P12 WX33N
- Canon: LX-MH502Z, WUX7000Z, WUX6600Z, LV-X420, WUX450ST, LX-MU500Z, WUX5800, 4K6020Z, 4K600STZ
- Casio: XJ-F211WN, XJ-UT352W, XJ-L8300HN, XJ-V1, XJ-V2, XJ-V10X, XJ-V100W, XJ-F10X, XJ-F100W, XJ-F11X, XJ-F21XN, XJ-UT310WN, XJ-UT351WN
- Casiris: A6 UST
- Christie: Crimson HD30, 4K10-HS, CP2309-RGB, Captiva DWU500S, D4K40-RGB, DWU1100-GS, DWU760-iS, DWU850-GS, DWU960-iS, Griffyn 4K32-RGB, Griffyn 4K50-RGB, M 4K25 RGB
- Dangbei: Mars Pro, Atom, DBOX02, DBOX01 (Mars), DBOX02 (Mars Pro 2), DBOX02 Pro, MP1 Max, Neo Mini, N2 mini, N2, Freedo, N3 Max
- Dell: S718QL
- Digital Projection: E-Vision Laser 4K-UHD, E-Vision 9100 WUXGA, M-Vision 23000 WU, M-Vision Laser 18K, E-Vision Laser 15000 WU, INSIGHT Laser 37000 8K, Satellite TITAN MLS WUXGA, E-Vision 5000 UST, E-Vision 10000i 4K+ RGB, E-Vision 15000i 4K+, E-Vision 6110-WU, E-Vision Laser 6500 II, M-Vision 27000 WU, M-Vision Laser 21000 WU
- EIKI: EK-308U, EK-355U, EK-810U
- Epson: EH-LS12000B, EH-LS800B, Home Cinema 2350, Home Cinema 3800, Home Cinema LS11000, EH-TW7100, QB1000, EF-12, Home Cinema 5050UB, Home Cinema 4010, EpiqVision Ultra LS500, CO-FH02, PowerLite L775U, PowerLite L730U, Pro Cinema LS12000, EpiqVision Ultra LS800, PowerLite L630U, Pro L1755UNL, EB-PU2220B, QL3000
- Formovie: Theater, Theater Premium, Cinema Edge, Xming Page One, Xming Episode One, C3, P1, S5
- Hisense: PX2-PRO, PX3-PRO, L9H, PX1-PRO, PL1, 100L5G, 100L9G, C1, C2 Ultra, L5H, L9Q, PL2
- Hitachi: CP-WU5506M
- InFocus: INL4129, INL148HD, IN119HDx, INL148, INL2158, INL4128, INL178, IN1026, INL148HDUST, X2, INL2166, INL144, INL2169, IN26+, IN5106
- JMGO: N1 Ultra, N1S Ultra, O2 Ultra, N1S Ultimate, N1S 4K, N1S Pro 4K, N3 4K, N3 Ultimate, PicoFlix, PicoPlay
- JVC: DLA-NZ9, DLA-NZ8, DLA-NP5, DLA-NZ900, DLA-NZ800, DLA-NZ700, DLA-NZ500, LX-NZ30, LX-NZ3
- Kodak: Luma 450
- LG: HU915QE, HU810PW, HU710PW, HU70LA, PF610P, HU715QW, HU85LA, HU915QB, HU710PB, BF40QS, BU53PST, BU53RG, BU60RG, BU70QGA, PF50KA
- Leica: Cine 1
- Lenovo: ThinkVision Projector T1
- Maxell: MP-WU5603, MP-JU4001, MP-AW4001, MP-WU5503, MP-JW4001, MC-AW3506, MC-EW3551, MC-EW3051, MC-EX303E, MC-WU5505
- Mitsubishi Electric: WL7200U
- NEC: NP-P627UL, NP-P547UL, NP-PA1705UL, PA1004UL, PA803UL, PA653UL, P627UL, ME403U, P506QL, P554U, V332X, UM361X
- Optoma: UHD55, CinemaX P2, UHZ50, UHZ35ST, HD28e, UHZ66, UHZ55, ZH450, GT2400HDR, ML1080UST, ProScene ZU920TNL, HCPro-5400, ZK521ST-B, X400LVe
- Panasonic: PT-RZ970, PT-RZ34K, PT-FRZ60, PT-LMZ460, PT-VMZ71, PT-RQ50K, PT-TMZ400, PT-VMZ50, PT-EZ590, PT-LRZ35, PT-REQ15, PT-RQ25K, PT-RQ6L, PT-RQ7L, PT-RZ17K, PT-RZ6L, PT-RZ7L
- Philips: Screeneo U5, Screeneo U4, NeoPix 750
- Projectiondesign: F35 WQXGA
- Ricoh: PJ WUL5860, PJ X6180N, PJ WUL5670, PJ WXC1110, PJ WXL4540, PJ HDC5420, PJ WX5461
- Runco: LS-10d
- SIM2: NERO 4S Gold
- Samsung: LSP9T, LPU9D, LSP7T, The Premiere 5, LPU7D, The Freestyle 2nd Gen
- Sanyo: PLC-XP200L
- Sharp: XP-P721Q, XP-P601Q, PE506UL, NP-PA703UL, NP-PA1705UL, NP-P525UL, NP-P554U, XP-V731U, XP-P621U, XP-E501U
- Sony: VPL-XW7000ES, VPL-XW5000ES, VPL-XW6000ES, VPL-XW6100ES, VPL-VW295ES, VPL-GTZ380, VPL-FHZ75, VPL-PHZ61, VPL-PHZ51, VPL-CH370, VPL-EW575
- ULTIMEA: Thor T60
- Valerion: VisionMaster Max, VisionMaster Plus2, VisionMaster Pro2
- Vankyo: Performance V700W
- ViewSonic: PX747-4K, LS920WU, PX748-4K, X2-4K, LS711HD, PX701-4K, LS740HD, X2000B-4K, PX706HD, X100-4K, M2e, PA700X, LS500WHE, LS750WU, LS850WU, LS921WU
- Vivitek: DU7095Z, DH856, HK2288, DU775Z-UST, DU4771Z, DU3661Z, DH3660Z, DW2350Z-ST, DH2360Z-ST, DU9059Z, DK5153Z-WH, DW771USTie, DK8500Z, DH772UST, Qumi Q6
- WEMAX: Nova 4K UST, Nova Pro, Nova, Dice, Go Advanced, Vogue Pro
- Wolf Cinema: TXF-3500
- XGIMI: Horizon Ultra, Aura, MoGo 3 Pro, Aura 2, Horizon Pro, Horizon 20 Max, Horizon 20 Pro, Horizon 20, MoGo 4, MoGo 4 Laser, Halo+, Elfin, Elfin Flip
- Xiaomi: Mi Smart Projector 2 Pro
- Yaber: K3
Supported screen aspect ratios
- 16:9 (HDTV / UHD) — The HDTV and UHD standard. Default for streaming, broadcast and most modern home-cinema content.
- 16:10 (Business / Data) — Standard for office projectors and laptop output. Vertically taller than 16:9, useful for slide content.
- 4:3 (Legacy / Education) — Legacy aspect for older SD content and many education classrooms with whiteboard mounts.
- 1.85:1 (Academy Widescreen) — Academy flat / DCI widescreen. The most common theatrical exhibition ratio for non-anamorphic films.
- 2.35:1 (CinemaScope) — Classic anamorphic CinemaScope. Used for films released before the DCI shift to 2.39 / 2.40.
- 2.39:1 (Anamorphic / DCI Scope) — Modern DCI anamorphic / scope ratio. Default for premium home cinemas with motorised masking.
- 2.40:1 (Modern Anamorphic) — Used interchangeably with 2.39:1 in current cinema delivery. Slightly wider on rounding.
- 21:9 (UltraWide) — PC UltraWide / sim-racing format. Approximate 2.33:1 — close to but not identical to CinemaScope.
Projector Throw Calculator — Simple Multi-brand, Multi-aspect
Projector Throw Calculator
Pick a projector, set distance or screen size, and see the result instantly. Built for quick decisions before final site review.
A planning link — not a quote.
Lens
Standard Lens
Throw Ratio: 1.35 – 2.16 : 1
Units
Throw Distance
Image Size
Zoom Range
Wide angle to telephoto
Throw distance now 4.93 m
Estimated Image Brightness
308 nits
Comfortable for brighter rooms or smaller screens.
Official product page · reviewed 2026-05-27
Vertical Shift
±85%
Max 1.00 m from centre
Horizontal Shift
±36%
Max 1.01 m from centre
Viewing Distance
5.25 m
THX 4.33 m
Pixel Density
128 PPD
35 PPI on screen
Native 16:9 panel will letterbox the 2.39:1 image — vertical pixels unused unless paired with anamorphic lens or zoom-shift memory.
Quick answer
Projector throw distance is how far the lens must sit from the screen to fill a chosen image size — it equals the image width multiplied by the lens throw ratio. This calculator resolves the throw-distance range across a model's zoom, its lens-shift envelope, the SMPTE/THX viewing distance and pixel density for datasheet-cited projectors. It is a planning reference for shortlisting, not a final design.
When to use
Shortlisting a projector at brief stage and checking it physically fits a room's mount position, screen size and seating.
When not to use
For a direct-view LED video wall (which has no lens or throw distance), size the panel with the LED Wall Size Calculator instead. Final placement always needs drawings and a site review.
· Starting configurations
Typology presets — pick a scenario, see the calculator.
Each preset opens a curated configuration page with the engineering reasoning behind the numbers. Then the calculator loads with the same inputs — change them and the URL stays shareable.
Projector Throw · Home Cinema
Home theatre — 120-inch 16:9 screen, 4 m room
A dedicated home theatre with 4 m of throw distance needs a projector that hits a 120-inch 16:9 screen without zoom at the optical limit.
Open presetProjector Throw · Corporate AV
Boardroom — 100-inch 16:10 screen, ceiling mount
A corporate boardroom with a 100-inch 16:10 screen and a ceiling-mount throw of 3 m needs a projector specified for daytime ambient lighting.
Open presetProjector Throw · Laser TV
UST living room - 120-inch ALR screen
A living room wants a 120-inch screen without a ceiling mount, using an ultra-short-throw laser TV cabinet and an ALR screen.
Open presetProjector Throw · Auditorium
Large venue - 180-inch WUXGA screen
A training hall or auditorium needs a 180-inch 16:10 screen with enough brightness and lens flexibility for a long-throw ceiling position.
Open presetProjector Throw · Premium home cinema
Epson EH-LS12000B throw distance & placement
The EH-LS12000B is a premium home-cinema projector with a 1.35-2.84:1 zoom lens, so the real placement question is not whether it fits a room but how much slack that zoom range gives you to work around furniture, doorways, and seating. At a 120-inch 16:9 image (2.66 m wide), the difference between a fixed-throw and a zoom lens can decide whether the projector sits on a rear shelf or needs a ceiling mount closer to the screen.
Open presetProjector Throw · Premium home cinema
Epson QB1000 throw distance & placement
A premium home cinema build wants a 120-inch 16:9 image, and the real question is how much room-length flexibility the Epson QB1000's zoom lens actually buys before the projector position is locked in. Placement decisions made before the throw distance is understood often end up either too close for a clean image or box the projector into a spot that conflicts with seating or joinery.
Open presetProjector Throw · Home cinema
Epson Home Cinema 5050UB throw distance & placement
A home cinema room built around the Epson Home Cinema 5050UB needs to know how much placement freedom its lens actually gives before a shelf, credenza or ceiling point is fixed. For a 120-inch 16:9 image, the real question is not just one throw distance but the full range the zoom lens covers.
Open presetProjector Throw · Home cinema
Epson Home Cinema 2350 throw distance & placement
Placing the Epson Home Cinema 2350 for a 120-inch image raises a genuine question: how much room-layout freedom does its zoom lens actually give, and is a lamp-based 2800-lumen projector bright enough for the space in mind. The answer depends on the model's specific 1.32-2.15:1 throw ratio, not a generic home-cinema rule of thumb.
Open presetProjector Throw · Ultra-short-throw laser TV
Epson EH-LS800B throw distance & placement
An ultra-short-throw laser TV lives or dies on one decision: how close the cabinet can sit beneath the screen without the image clipping or distorting. For the Epson EH-LS800B at a 100-inch 16:9 image, that decision comes down to a throw distance of 0.35-0.35 m, which most living rooms and media walls can accommodate but which still needs to be checked against the specific console or shelf being used.
Open presetProjector Throw · Premium home cinema
Sony VPL-XW7000ES throw distance & placement
A 120-inch 16:9 screen is the usual target size for a serious home cinema build, and the placement question is whether the room's real depth can accommodate this laser projector without forcing a false-ceiling relocation or a compromise on screen size. Because the VPL-XW7000ES carries a 1.35-2.16:1 zoom lens rather than a fixed-throw optic, the honest answer is a range, not a single number.
Open presetProjector Throw · Premium home cinema
JVC DLA-NZ800 throw distance & placement, 120-inch screen
A dedicated cinema room built around the JVC DLA-NZ800 needs to know how much back-wall depth the projector actually demands before the screen size and seating layout are locked in. At a 120-inch 16:9 image, the placement question is whether the room's real-world depth falls inside the lens's working range or forces a compromise on screen size.
Open presetProjector Throw · Premium home cinema
JVC DLA-NZ9 throw distance & placement
A premium home cinema build around the JVC DLA-NZ9 needs to know how much room depth a 120-inch 16:9 screen actually demands before the projection bay or rear shelf is framed in. Because the NZ9 carries a 2.0x zoom lens rather than a fixed-ratio lens, the real question is not one throw distance but a placement range.
Open presetProjector Throw · Home cinema
BenQ TK700STi throw distance & placement
A short-zoom home cinema projector still needs a placement window that matches the room, not just the screen size. For a 120-inch 16:9 image, the question is how much shelf, ceiling-mount, or table depth the BenQ TK700STi actually needs to fill that screen cleanly.
Open presetProjector Throw · Home cinema
BenQ X3100i throw distance & placement — 120-inch
A BenQ X3100i owner planning a 120-inch 16:9 image needs to know how much room the projector's zoom lens actually needs, and how much slack that lens gives for a mount or shelf that isn't in the perfect spot.
Open presetProjector Throw · Premium home cinema
BenQ W5850 throw distance & placement
A dedicated home cinema room rarely has a projector position dictated purely by the screen wall; joists, a rear-seating credenza, or a rack cabinet often decide where the unit actually sits. The real question for the BenQ W5850 at a 120-inch image is whether its zoom range can absorb that real-world placement without forcing a compromise on screen size or image position.
Open presetProjector Throw · Installation / large room
BenQ LK936ST — throw distance & placement, 150-inch
An installation or large-room brief needs a laser projector that can sit close to the screen without giving up a 150-inch image, and the placement window has to survive a room where the exact mount position is rarely known until site survey.
Open presetProjector Throw · Home cinema
Optoma UHD55 throw distance & placement
The Optoma UHD55 is a native 3840x2160 home-cinema projector with a 1.21-1.59:1 zoom lens, so the real placement question is not ”will it fit” but ”how much room-layout freedom does the zoom actually buy back”. At a 120-inch 16:9 screen, the answer decides whether the projector sits on a rear shelf, a mid-room stand, or a ceiling mount closer to the screen.
Open presetProjector Throw · Ultra-short-throw laser TV
Optoma CinemaX P2 - throw distance & placement
A living room wants a genuinely large image without a ceiling mount or a beam crossing the seating area, and the placement question for the CinemaX P2 is really a cabinet-position question, not a throw-distance question. At a 100-inch 16:9 screen the unit needs almost no room depth at all, so the real planning task shifts to the console and wall behind it.
Open presetProjector Throw · Ultra-short-throw laser TV
Samsung LSP9T throw distance & placement at 100 inch
The Samsung LSP9T is built to sit on a low console immediately below the screen, so the real placement question is cabinet clearance and wall offset rather than a long throw run down the room. At a 100-inch 16:9 image, the difference between the unit sitting flush to the wall and a few centimetres proud of it is enough to shift focus and image squareness.
Open presetProjector Throw · Ultra-short-throw laser TV
Hisense PX3-PRO throw distance & placement
A 100-inch image from an ultra-short-throw laser TV lives or dies on centimetres, not metres: the Hisense PX3-PRO has to sit almost flush against the wall below the screen, so the placement question is cabinet clearance and screen alignment rather than a ceiling mount position. This preset opens the calculator on the PX3-PRO's fixed 0.22:1 throw ratio so that geometry is visible before any furniture or wall-unit decision is made.
Open presetProjector Throw · Ultra-short-throw laser TV
Formovie Theater — throw distance & placement
Formovie Theater is an ultra-short-throw laser TV, so the real placement question is cabinet-to-wall clearance and floor or console fit at 100 inches, not ceiling mount or optical zoom.
Open presetProjector Throw · Ultra-short-throw laser TV
LG HU915QE - throw distance & placement (100-inch)
A living room wants a 100-inch image without a ceiling mount or a bulky console, and needs to know exactly how close the LG HU915QE can sit to the wall before committing to furniture and cabinetry.
Open presetProjector Throw · Home cinema
XGIMI Horizon Ultra throw distance & placement
The XGIMI Horizon Ultra is a fixed-lens home cinema projector, so there is no zoom ring to absorb a mismeasured room - the placement distance has to be right before the unit is mounted or shelved. At a 120-inch 16:9 image this preset answers the one question that actually matters: how far back does the projector need to sit.
Open presetProjector Throw · Ultra-short-throw laser TV
XGIMI Aura 2 throw distance & placement
An ultra-short-throw laser TV lives close to the wall it projects onto, so the real question is not how far back to sit the projector but how much sideboard or console depth the room can spare beneath the screen. For the XGIMI Aura 2, that placement decision needs to be checked against the actual throw ratio rather than assumed from habit with a conventional projector.
Open presetProjector Throw · Home Cinema
ViewSonic PX748-4K throw distance & placement
A home cinema owner has settled on a 120-inch 16:9 screen and needs to know exactly how far back the ViewSonic PX748-4K can sit, and how much placement give the room actually allows.
Open presetProjector Throw · Cinema-grade / large venue
Christie 4K10-HS throw distance & placement
A cinema-grade or large-venue screening room needs to know how far back an interchangeable-lens projector like the Christie 4K10-HS can sit while still filling a 220-inch 16:9 screen. The lens fitted to the body changes that answer, so the room layout has to account for a range rather than a single fixed distance.
Open presetProjector Throw · Premium home cinema
Epson Home Cinema LS11000 — throw distance & placement
A premium home cinema wants a 120-inch 16:9 screen and needs to know how much room-layout freedom the Epson Home Cinema LS11000's zoom lens actually gives, since the projector position is rarely fixed at the design stage.
Open presetProjector Throw · Premium home cinema
BenQ W4000i throw distance & placement (120-inch)
A premium home cinema built around the BenQ W4000i needs a placement zone that reaches a 120-inch 16:9 screen without pinning the projector to one exact spot on the rear wall or shelf. The zoom lens gives that latitude, but the usable range still has to be checked against the room's actual depth.
Open presetVerified catalogue growth
Projector Throw Calculator currently lists 369 verified projector models across 51 brands.
The editorial target is 30 verified models per brand. We only publish selectable calculator rows when the load-bearing specs are source-cited, so missing models are collected as a verification backlog instead of being guessed.
Verified models
369
Complete brands
1/51
Target progress
2%
Missing model?
Send the projector model name with throw-ratio range, lens shift, native resolution, brightness and official datasheet link. We add it in a verified batch once the source checks pass.
Submit a model for verificationHighest-priority brand gaps
- AAXA needs 29 more
- ASUS needs 29 more
- Casiris needs 29 more
- Dell needs 29 more
- Hitachi needs 29 more
- Kodak needs 29 more
- Leica needs 29 more
- Lenovo needs 29 more
Plan with confidence
From throw geometry to a room that performs
The calculator resolves where the projector sits. These notes turn that into a build-ready plan — what stays fixed, what to confirm on site, and what to send us for a room-specific review.
Planning notes
- Throw ratio is a range, not a single number — a zoom lens gives you placement flexibility. Specify the lens envelope before the room is finalised.
- Lens shift decides whether a ceiling mount can be discreet or has to sit on the screen's perpendicular axis.
- Pixel density per degree (PPD) is more honest than 'native resolution' alone — the calculator surfaces both PPI and PPD.
- Lamp vs laser is a lifecycle decision first: plan the room around the mount, which outlives two or three projectors.
Before final installation, confirm
- Exact room dimensions and the intended mount position.
- Screen gain, material and aspect — matte-white, ALR, or acoustically transparent.
- Ambient light through the day; the brightness flag assumes a controlled room.
- The final projector and lens against a physical lens/throw test.
- Ceiling height, conduit/cable route and a dedicated, surge-protected mains feed.
What to share with us for review
- A floor plan with ceiling height and the seating layout.
- Ambient-light conditions and any windows or skylights.
- Your shortlisted models — or just paste the calculator's share link.
- Screen preference, if any (size, gain, acoustically transparent).
We write back with a projector and screen pairing after drawings, a BOQ or a site review.
Where this connects — services
· Engineering advisory · Projector Throw
What the throw maths actually predicts about the room.
The calculator answers 'where does the projector sit'. The engineering layers underneath — light output, lens choice, mount discipline, screen pairing and lifecycle — turn that answer into a room that performs at year ten the way it performs at handover.
Deployment observations
- Throw ratio is not a single number — it is a range across the lens zoom. The Sony VPL-XW7000ES at 1.35-2.16 gives a 4.6m room real placement flexibility for a 130″ screen; a fixed-throw UST gives one (precise) answer. Specify the lens envelope before the room is finalised, not after; retrofitting a longer-throw projector into a closet that was sized for a UST is expensive.
- Lens shift is the most under-appreciated optical specification. A premium SXRD/D-ILA with ±100% vertical shift can ceiling-mount well above the screen centre without geometric distortion; an entry-level 4K projector with 0% shift forces the mount onto the screen's perpendicular axis or accepts digital keystone correction (which throws away pixels). The lens-shift envelope determines whether a ceiling-mounted projector can be discreet or visually intrusive.
- Pixel density per degree is more honest than 'native resolution' alone. At the SMPTE 30° viewing distance, a 4K projector resolves roughly twice the PPD of a pixel-shifted 1080p projector on the same screen. For a 130″+ screen at <5m viewing distance, native 4K is audible (visible) on bright scenes; below 100″ at 4m+, the delta narrows. The calculator surfaces both PPI and PPD so the choice is informed.
Operational notes
- Screen pairing is half the picture. A 3000-lumen projector on a unity-gain matte-white screen in a treated dark room looks reference-grade. The same projector on a 1.2-gain ALR screen in a living room with controlled lighting is also reference-grade. The same projector in an untreated bright kitchen looks washed out at any size. The calculator's brightness warning surfaces the failure mode before the install.
- Lamp vs laser is a lifecycle decision before it is anything else. A 4,000-hour lamp at one viewing hour per day exhausts in 11 years; a 20,000-hour laser engine at the same usage lasts to 55 years. For frequently-used home cinemas the laser engine outlives several lamp cycles, which is what makes it the durable choice.
Lifecycle implications
- Refresh cadence by light source: lamp projectors refresh on lamp replacement (lamp replacement plus filter service, typical 4-5 year cycle). Laser-phosphor projectors run 20,000 hours to 50% brightness — at 3 hours/day that's an 18-year curve. Tri-laser RGB engines hold colour gamut longer than laser-phosphor. The calculator flags the light-source type so the lifecycle expectation is set at brief stage.
- Mount infrastructure outlives every projector. A solid ceiling mount, conduit-run HDMI/fibre cable, and a dedicated mains feed with surge protection are 20+ year decisions. The projector itself refreshes 2-3 times across that infrastructure lifetime; plan the room around the mount, not the unit.
· Why it matters
A throw calculator that quotes a single distance for a zoom lens is wrong. A calculator that ignores lens-shift envelope sends mounts to the wrong axis. A calculator that ignores ambient light leaves owners disappointed at handover. This one carries the throw range, the shift envelope, the SMPTE viewing recommendation, the pixel density honesty and a feasibility flag — all per a verified-sourced projector spec. 51 brands · 389 verified models · sources cited per model · last verified 2026.
· Frequently asked
Projector throw —
what people ask first.
Why does throw distance show a range instead of a single number?
Because most projector lenses zoom. A Sony VPL-XW7000ES at 1.35-2.16 throw ratio can place a 130″ image anywhere between roughly 3.9m and 6.3m of throw distance. A single-number calculator hides that flexibility and forces an early mount-position decision that may not match the room. Fixed-lens and UST projectors do return a single distance — that's correct for those lenses.
How accurate is the projector database?
Every model carries a citation to the official manufacturer datasheet or product page plus the date that spec was last verified, and a confidence grade. If we can't cite a primary source, the model doesn't enter the database. The calculator currently carries verified data for 389 models across 51 brands. We re-verify on editorial passes and bump the retrieved date.
What if my projector isn't in the list?
Open the projector picker and choose “not listed” — you can enter the throw-ratio range straight from your datasheet and still get the throw geometry. Send us the model name and datasheet URL via the contact form and we add it as a verified, source-cited record in the next editorial batch.
Does the calculator handle anamorphic lenses?
Not in v1. The 2.39 and 2.40 aspect ratios in the dropdown apply to projecting wider images on a 16:9 panel using letterboxing (vertical pixel area unused) or zoom-shift memory. True anamorphic-lens math (where a horizontal lens stretches the image and reclaims the letterbox area) is a v2 feature.
How is the SMPTE/THX viewing distance calculated?
SMPTE recommends a horizontal viewing angle of 30° for cinematic content; THX recommends 36°. Viewing distance = image width ÷ (2 × tan(angle/2)). For a 2.7m wide screen the SMPTE distance lands around 5.0m and THX around 4.2m. Both are surfaced because rooms typically constrain you to one or the other.
· Begin
Building a cinema
or boardroom?
The calculator answers the placement question. The room, screen, mount, audio chain and integration are the conversation. Send the floor plate and we will write back within two working days with a projector and screen pairing matched to the room.