How to Install a Built-In Projector

Projectors are popular devices for watching movies and television in home theaters.

Installing a projector into your home theater that was built in at its previous owner's residence is potentially complicated. Its age may affect compatibility with your playback equipment such as a DVD, Blu-ray, digital cable or satellite unit. Older projectors also weigh considerably more than newer, smaller models, which take up more of your home theater's available space and may render plans to suspend a projector from the ceiling impossible. The size of the picture your projector produces may also be an issue.

Things You'll Need

• Projector manual
• Stud finder
• Ceiling mount and manual
• Screws
• Screwdriver
• Coffee table
• Cable adapters

Instructions

1. Read the projector's manual to ensure it has a sufficient throw range to project a clear picture that is not too big or too small for the size of your home theater. The longer the throw range, the larger the picture. You may have to rearrange the furniture to accommodate a smaller or bigger picture.

2. Examine the back of the projector to ensure it accepts standard home theater inputs such as composite or HDMI. If so, check to verify the composite or HDMI cables will be long enough to reach the projector from your equipment stack. Tacking them up the walls and across the ceiling may be necessary if you're planning to suspend the projector from the ceiling. If not, low-cost adapters may be available to make your cables compatible with the existing inputs.

3. Scan for available joists in your ceiling with a stud finder; you must screw the projector's ceiling mount into a joist for support. Ceiling mounts vary between manufacturers; the types of screws and the method to attach it to the projector might be tricky, and some parts may perhaps even be obsolete. Check with the previous owner and the mount's installation guide to ensure you have all the parts originally included in the ceiling mount package.

4. Set the projector on a sturdy coffee table in the middle of the home theater room if mounting from the ceiling is not a possibility. Tape the cords and cable adapters to the floor, or place a rug over them to minimize the risk of someone tripping over them. Avoid blocking the projector's vents to prevent it from overheating.

Tips & Warnings

• Built-in projectors may have undergone some sort of modification to enable them to fit in their previous environment. These modifications may have voided any existing warranty possibly remaining on the projector.

References

• "Practical Home Theater: A Guide to Video and Audio Systems (2011 Edition)"; Mark Fleischmann; 2010
• "Home Theater For Dummies"; Danny Briere; 2008
• "Home Theater Hacks: 100 Industrial-Strength Tips & Tools"; Brett Mclaughlin; 2004