Advice on projector for streaming/casting to and wirelessly streaming sound to Sonos Ones

[flatnag]

I recently find myself in a situation where I am considering a projector, but have zero experience or knowledge in throwing light at the wall, and would appreciate any advice to get me started.

 

Requirements:

• Throw around 3 meters
• Everything should be wireless
• Support for streaming services (even if that's via a roku/apple tv/etc that is small and can be placed beside the projector)
• AirPlay from iPad to projector (or connected streaming device)
• Airplay or similar the sound to Sonos One speakers

There can be no large PC/Media boxes for input, and no wired speakers.  Power cables are the only cables.

 

In an ideal world, I could AirPlay from iPad direct to the projector, AND then stream the sound to the Sonos, I'm guessing from the projector.  However, the small amount of info I've been able to find seems to suggest direct streaming to projectors is not ideal, hence I'm willing to consider a small device like the Roku or Apple Tv next to the projector.  Thanks all.

[IPD]

I submit that projectors aren't really something to walk into blind.  If you have a couple hundred to spare, sure, you can experiment with cheap Chinese crap off Amazon and get the "Feel" for what you like.  But you will outgrow it.  It's like (first-time) buying a 250cc street motorcycle, and then quickly realizing that it is insufficient for what you want.

 

There's also a lot more than just realizing you need a dongle or 2 for the streaming you want; that's no different than having it on a TV.  Are you going with a temporary setup or a long-term one?  How many ANSI lumens are going to be required for your intended area of use?  How are you going to split off audio signal before beaming it to your projector (as getting it 2ndhand from the projector is probably suboptimal and near impossible...wirelessly)?  What will you be projecting the image on?  How important is color accuracy, HDR support, etc?  Why does "wireless" matter if you are already planning on having to run a power cord?  They do make battery powered projectors--but those almost all are capped on brightness, and have a very limited duration (maybe 2 hours).  Why is running an HDMI source cable--in addition to a power cable--not a viable option?  How big of an image are you planning to use?  Do you know how to manually focus and manually keystone the image (because this is usually your only option on lower-end projectors)?

 

To me, it seems like you have quite a bit of research to do still.  The fact that you list "throw" as your first factor--rather than simply understanding that there are 3 different classes of "throw" flavors that projectors currently come in--only underscores this.  I also would not even bother worrying about "wireless" stuff.  You should first pick the right kind of projector and screen for the application--and then from there figure out the alternatives that fit these criteria...and also meet your "wireless" requirements.