How to Properly Install Multiple Projectors in a Small Room Without Flare?

In this article, we summarize our experience in installing and configuring projectors in small rooms. We want to draw your attention to potential nuances and explain the principles of projection in such environments in accessible language.

Projection-based immersive walls that provide a 360-degree visual effect represent cutting-edge technology that immerses users in a virtual environment. This technology is used in various fields, from entertainment and education to professional training and meditation.

For 360-degree projection, multiple projectors are used, synchronously projecting images onto every wall of the room. This creates a continuous visual immersion effect for the viewer. By preferring projection over screens, we achieve deeper immersion because reflected light is more comfortably perceived by the human eye.

We would like to discuss immersive walls in small spaces, such as 3x4 meters or 5x5 meters with a standard ceiling height of 2.7—3 meters.

In such conditions, short-throw or ultra-short-throw projectors are used. However, due to the peculiarities of optics and the high offset of ultra-short-throw projectors, we do not consider them for our task. The offset determines the vertical displacement of the image – upwards when mounted on a table and downwards when ceiling mounted.

For our setup, we chose four identical short-throw projectors – one for each wall. These projectors are standard, accessible to most users, and offer a good price/quality ratio. Such projectors are included in our ready-to-use kits.

Short-throw projectors provide high-quality images when projecting at short distances. These devices are the ideal choice for educational institutions, offices, and even home theaters where space is limited. This is achieved through a special design solution that includes a wide-angle lens and an advanced optical system.

In the photographs, you can see that the projectors are positioned with their lenses facing each other and shining on opposite walls.

Here we encounter those very peculiarities. Crossed beams create shadows from the projectors on the ceiling. In a larger room, the projectors would be positioned back-to-back, and there would be no obstacle to create shadows.

Attentive readers, looking at the photos, can notice that all projectors are installed at an angle. This is done to compensate for the projector's offset and position the image under the ceiling.

In this case, the image gets a trapezoidal distortion and is adjusted using buttons on the projector, the remote, or through the projector menu. One more thing to consider: after all these adjustments, the image will become slightly smaller horizontally and may require increasing the distance from the wall to the projector.

Ideally, if the projector is positioned parallel to the ceiling, but in this case, the image recedes from the ceiling by a distance equal to the sum of the projector's offset and the length of the bracket rod. In our case, the offset is -16 cm, and the short bracket provides an extension of 10-15 cm, which totals a retreat from the ceiling of 26-31 cm.

Thus, a choice must be made between the visibility of shadows from the projectors and the distance of the projection from the ceiling. Both options may be acceptable, but for perfectionists, this is important to consider.

There are ways to partially avoid unpleasant surprises.

1. Different lengths of the bracket rods. Pay attention to the photo below, where there are no shadows on the central wall, although there should be two from two projectors. In the second photo, it is visible that the projector is mounted on a bracket with a longer rod. This allows the beam of light to bypass the projectors, but the trapezoidal deformation will be greater.

2. Make a smooth transition of the image into transparency. The POGUMAX Designer software allows you to adjust the gradient into transparency. This method visually compensates for the shadows.

It is important to remember that projection is sensitive to external light sources, such as lamps or daylight from a window, which makes the image dimmer. With four projectors each with a brightness of 3500 lumens in a small room, additional lighting is not required. Contrast animations and footage with a black background look especially impressive in such conditions.

360-degree projection implies the presence of a seam or seamless content. Seamless content is rare or an expensive custom-made luxury. A seam in the middle of the wall looks unsightly and may dim expectations from a 360-degree projection.

In our software, there is an entire section with wide-format footage ranging from 4K to 7680x2160.

You can choose between abstractions, nature, or cosmic footage.

Also, there is an option to shift the seam to any location. For example, if you move the seam to a doorway or some interior element, it becomes almost invisible.

At POGUMAX, we offer a wide range of projection equipment, helping to navigate the variety of options on the market and select a solution that best meets your goals and budget.

Save yourself from endless comparisons of analogs on the internet and searching for the lowest prices. We have already gathered the best for you! Our ready-made projection kits combine everything needed for projection design in one set.

Interested? Leave your contacts, and we will consult on any question and select the optimal solution for you.