Hi Folks,
This month I want to cover the subject of Starlink. I think you will find it worth your while to read on:
Starlink
Having Wi-Fi issues? Want to improve your streaming capabilities? Starlink Satellite Internet might be the answer!
First, I want to make it very clear that we only install Starlink. We do not sell it and we get no commissions for you buying it. But, having said that, I am very excited! (for those of us that remember “Big Kev” The Super salesman “I’m excited” was his catch phrase.)
Well, “I’m excited!” Why? because of the possibilities that Starlink brings to Australia.
WHY do you need to know about Starlink?
Here is a quick rundown on why I think you should know more about it.
For anyone on the Sunshine Coast who cannot get reliable or fast NBN, especially in rural and semi-rural locations like Eudlo, Woombye or Diddillibah as examples, Starlink internet service is really good news!
So, the short answers are…
Yes – Starlink satellite internet is available virtually anywhere on the Sunshine Coast. Check on the Starlink website to see if you qualify.
Yes – we can install it for you. The kit comes with a ground tripod only. We can supply & install an adapted mount to suit the Starlink dish.
Yes – it does provide high speed internet. The Ookla speed tests we have done on installations show very fast (around 100 Mbps) download speeds
For the longer answers visit our Starlink webpage….
For anyone who is interested in more info here is Phil’s Soap Box for this month – My wife says I waffle on – I enjoy waffling – hope you do too!
Ultra Short Throw projector or a Flat screen TV
Over the years we have had many discussions about the pros and cons of projectors as compared to large flat screen TV’s.
Now with all the ultra-short throw projectors (abbreviated to UST projectors) there is even more discussion as to what suits for the media room or home theatre.
So, here’s my take on the subject with the pros and cons as I see it.
The Room Matters
One of the key factors in the decision is the design of the room where the TV or projector is going and how much ambient light there is in that room.
Let’s tackle normal projectors first:
So a normal projector mounted on the ceiling or on a shelf at the back of the room matched up with a good quality fixed screen or good quality motorised drop down screen is a tried and tested way of watching big screen movies and every cinema you go to has this set up.
So a rear mounted projector in my opinion produces the most immersive cinema like reproduction in your own home.
One other upside with a rear mounted projector Is that you can view it from any angle and it still looks good – in other words it has a very wide viewing angle so the enjoyment of the movie is not affected by sitting to the left or to the right of the main screen.
The downside with rear mounted projectors is brightness, or lack of it. If the projector is mounted too far back in the room and the noise that the projector itself generates (which on average is around 27 decibels which is not very noticeable during the action sequences) can be quite noticeable when those silent moments appear in the movie or very quiet moments. The good thing about that is that we have the ability to zone that sound out so most people actually after a few moments don’t hear the projector. It disappears and you just notice the sound and dialogue coming from the movie. The final point is that rear mounted home theatre projectors cannot cope with the ambient light of an open door or an open window without washing out the picture, which of course spoils the viewing experience.
Next we’ll tackle ultra short throw projectors:
As a direct comparison to rear projection, the short throw projector produces a very bright image. Almost as bright as a flat screen TV. It simplifies installation because it does not need to be mounted on the ceiling and no long cables need to be run from the projector to the AV equipment and because in most cases they are now using laser lamps, the life of the lamp is excellent and although the projectors are bigger than the rear mounted ones, they are still relatively compact.
The downsides as we see it:
One of the major downsides is that for the best viewing you need to sit right in front of the screen. For viewing from either side is not as good, noticeably so. You also have to have the correct screen, yes you can project it onto a wall but your brightness and clarity will be compromised, whereas the proper ultra short throw projector screen is designed to give a very bright and very clear picture, so you must include this in your cost and you need to remember that the screen must stay installed permanently. You don’t have the luxury of rolling the screen up it has to be fixed with no movement. Also the projector fan noise is around 32db and that sound is coming from right in front of you, so some may find it annoying.
The ultra short throw projector is still noticeably adversely affected by ambient light, nowhere near as badly as a rear projection projector, however it definitely will, in a brightly lit room, suffer considerable washout. So for general purpose viewing, to replace a television in a family room or a media room that is without the ability to cut out the ambient light, I think you will be disappointed with the brightness. Having said that, in a slightly darkened room the ambient light is of little concern, so it is by far more versatile and in the modern media rooms, which are themselves fairly compact, I think it’s a good option. In a 3.6m by 4.6m room, if you had 110 inch projection screen you would experience a decent immersive affect watching it for cinema movie purposes, and large sporting events would definitely look great.
And lastly we will tackle the Large flat screen TV:
So , the large screen TV obviously has no brightness issues and with the price of TV’s, at least up to the size of 85 inch, being very affordable for most media rooms, family rooms and lounge rooms, the large screen TV is by far the best option both for clarity, colour and brightness. With a wall mounted Smart TV complete with a sound bar you have, by far, the simplest system to operate, as in most cases one remote will control both the sound bar and the TV. The only downside is that the screen, in most media rooms, is not large enough to create the immersive experience of the cinema. Also the issue of reflection on the screen can be a problem in some rooms because of the way the light falls on the screen. And then there is the fact that many people don’t like a big black mirror on the wall when the TV is not in use.
Another factor to consider is that the 98” Smart TV’s are starting to come down in price, gradiually, and that size TV in a 3.6m x 4.6m media room is going to look pretty immersive. Not as much as 110” projector screen but it is getting slightly closer.
Just remember with the larger TV’s you need a really good bracket and my recommendation is the Sanus 4D bracket which gives you excellent installation, micro adjustments, as well as fingertip tilt and swivel, which in turn gives easy access to connections and they are simple to remove for adding or removing leads as well as servicing.
So here are some general costing guides to help you choose, because what suits your budget is often the major deciding factor. (NOTE: all prices are approx. and based on researched prices March 2023)
- Rear Mounted Projector for darkened medium to large rooms: $5,250 plus installation
- 4K projector Optoma UHD55 DLP 4K Ultra HD Smart Home Theatre Projector: $3,000
- Grandview 112” Motorised screen $1,700 (or fixed screen about $900)
- Sanus Projector mount: $150
- 4K HDMI lead: $200-$400
- Ultra Short Throw 4K projector for medium rooms: $5,450 plus installation
- Samsung”The Premiere” LSP7T 4K Ultra Short Throw Smart Laser Projector: $3,850
- Grandview Ambient Light Rejecting UST 100” Fixed Screen: $1,600
- Large TV for Media or Family Room – plus installation
- 98” Samsung QN90A Neo 4K QLED Smart TV: $16,995
- Sanus Extra large TV mounting bracket: $255
Or the much more affordable…
- 85” Samsung 85-inch Q60C QLED 4K Smart TV: $3,990
- Sanus Extra large TV mounting bracket: $255
Everybody has their own personal preferences. This is just to give you a guide to costs and an idea of the models and brands we would use.
It is clear that the 100” and above screen size is still much better value for money when opting for a traditional long throw or one of the new ultra short throw projectors.
I hope this was of interest and of help to you.
If you want to have a personal consultation on your project then please call us on 5479 1999 and make an appointment.