13 feet throw
A standard zoom projector 13 feet from the wall fills a 89 to 138 inch 16:9 screen. Short-throw and long-throw lenses widen that range; the table below shows every lens type and the throw ratio you need for common screens.
Standard zoom lens (1.3–2.0)
89–138"
16:9 diagonal from 13 ft. Image width 78–120 in.
Ultra short throw (0.25)
716"
16:9 diagonal
Short throw (0.5 – 0.65)
275–358"
16:9 diagonal
Standard fixed lens (1.2)
149"
16:9 diagonal
Long throw (1.5 – 3.0)
60–119"
16:9 diagonal
| Screen (16:9) | Screen width | Throw ratio needed | Lens type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100" | 87.2 in | 1.79 | Standard |
| 110" | 95.9 in | 1.63 | Standard |
| 120" | 104.6 in | 1.49 | Standard |
| 135" | 117.7 in | 1.33 | Standard |
| 150" | 130.7 in | 1.19 | Standard |
| Target | Brightness | Lumens (gain 1.0) | With 30% margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| SMPTE reference (dark room) | 16 fL | 900 lm | 1170 lm |
| Punchy SDR / light ambient | 30 fL | 1690 lm | 2190 lm |
| HDR or bright room | 50 fL | 2810 lm | 3660 lm |
How we got these numbers
Throw ratio is the lens-to-screen distance divided by the image width. Rearranged, image width = distance ÷ throw ratio. At 13 feet (156 inches), a 1.5 throw ratio produces a 104-inch-wide image, which is a 119-inch 16:9 diagonal.
Zoom lenses have a range of throw ratios, so a given distance gives a range of image sizes. The standard range on home theater projectors is roughly 1.3 to 2.0; short-throw lenses run 0.5 to 0.65; long-throw lenses up to 3.0. Ultra short throw projectors (about 0.25) are designed to sit on furniture directly below the screen and are not meant for a 13-foot throw.
To go the other way, the throw ratio you need for a particular screen is distance ÷ screen width. Compare that to the projector's published zoom range before you buy a screen or drill a mount.
Common questions
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First home theater, light-controlled living rooms
A bright, color-accurate 3LCD projector with real vertical lens shift and a 1.6x zoom, which makes it far easier to place than most DLP projectors at this price. Lamp-based, so budget for a replacement bulb eventually.
Dedicated theater rooms, color-critical viewing
The sweet spot for a dedicated theater: factory-calibrated 100 percent DCI-P3 color, a long-life LED light source, low input lag, and both vertical and horizontal lens shift, which is rare for DLP under three thousand dollars.
Living rooms, no ceiling mount, UST ALR screens
The most-recommended ultra-short-throw in its class: wide-gamut triple-laser color, Dolby Vision, 3,000:1 native contrast, and low input lag for gaming, all from a cabinet a few inches from the wall.
Dark rooms, standard-throw projectors
The long-running value benchmark for fixed-frame screens: a flat, color-neutral 1.1-gain vinyl surface on a velvet-wrapped aluminum frame, with a tension-rod system that makes assembly simple.