At a glance
- Client: Chinese Grace Bible Church, a congregation in Sacramento, California
- Location: 6656 Park Riviera Way, Sacramento, California — the main worship room
- Scope: Three projection positions replaced: two Epson EB-PU1006W laser projectors on new 137 inch Da-Lite Cinema Contour screens moved out onto the side walls, and an Epson PowerLite 800F short-throw projector on a new 123 inch screen on the back wall
- Platform: Epson 3LCD laser projection on Da-Lite Cinema Contour HDC1.1 fixed-frame screens, fed by the existing transmitters and receivers
The situation
Chinese Grace Bible Church holds its services in one large room on Park Riviera Way in Sacramento. Three projection positions carry everything the congregation reads. Two sit at the front of the room. The third is on the back wall.
All three ran on older Epson projectors and Da-Lite screens, including a BrightLink interactive projector on the back wall. The brief was not to redesign the room. It was to replace like with like: Epson laser projectors of comparable brightness and new fixed-frame screens.
The church also wanted to fix one thing about the old layout. The front screens were smaller than the room needed, and they sat where the old geometry had put them rather than where they would read best.
That is a common shape for a house of worship AV refresh. The equipment is at the end of its life and the congregation has grown into the room. A bigger screen in a better place is worth more than a specification upgrade.
What made it hard
Moving the front screens outward meant each one had to span a corner. The wall behind them could not carry a 137 inch fixed frame on its own, so the design called for ten feet of shallow strut per screen. On the first day, with the first screen up, the structure was not stable enough at that length. We added vertical cross bars the same day before anything else went on the wall.
The rear screen had its own version of the problem. Cable was already routed behind that wall, so the screen could not sit flat against it. That one was spaced out on strut as well.
Then there is the arithmetic that decides whether a projector refresh works at all. Our site walk put the throw distance to both front screens at 13 feet 9 inches. Stage to ceiling measured 17 feet 7 inches on one side and 18 feet 3 inches on the other. Those numbers set the lens, and a lens with a minimum throw longer than the room will not fill the screen. On this project that check is what sent us back for a second visit.
The rest was access. We brought in a 20-foot lift with an extension platform to reach the two front projector positions. The church cleared the stages and moved the metal bars on either side of the screens before we arrived.
How we designed it
The two front positions got Epson EB-PU1006W projectors. These are 6,000 lumen WUXGA 3LCD commercial laser projectors with 4K enhancement. We chose them to match the brightness of what came out rather than to chase a bigger number. A brighter projector on a small screen is not an upgrade. The same brightness on a larger, better-placed screen is.
The larger screens are Da-Lite Cinema Contour HDC1.1 fixed-frame projection screens at 137 inches diagonal. They sit out on the side walls with the bottom edge at 7 feet 4 inches and the top at 13 feet 10 inches, about nine and a half inches above the doors on either side. We chose fixed frames over motorized screens because a room that uses its screens every week does not need a motor to fail. A motorized screen makes sense in a multipurpose room where the screen has to disappear between events, and that is not how this sanctuary is used.
The back wall took a different approach. A short-throw Epson PowerLite 800F on an Epson ELPMB62 ultra-short-throw wall mount replaces the BrightLink that was there. It drives a 123 inch fixed-frame screen. Floor to projector is 14 feet 9 inches, and the screen runs from 106 inches to 178.5 inches above the floor.
Two decisions kept the scope tight. First, the existing signal path stayed. The transmitters and receivers feeding each projector were reused, and no additional cable was pulled. Second, the existing Chief projector mounts stayed. New Epson ELPMB68 ceiling mounts came with the projectors, but they would not fit the existing support poles. The old mounts worked, so the new projectors went up on them. Our AV design and integration team would rather reuse a sound mount than replace it for the sake of it.
The approach is the one we use in any auditorium or large-room AV job: size the image for the back row, then check the lens against a measured throw. We have done worship-room work for Concord United Methodist Church, Richmond Korean Baptist Church and Notre Dame School and Church.
Equipment by position
| Position | Projector | Screen | Mounting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Front, house left | Epson EB-PU1006W, 6,000 lumens | Da-Lite Cinema Contour, 137 in diagonal, 16:10 | Existing Chief ceiling mount, reused |
| Front, house right | Epson EB-PU1006W, 6,000 lumens | Da-Lite Cinema Contour, 137 in diagonal, 16:10 | Existing Chief ceiling mount, reused |
| Back wall | Epson PowerLite 800F, short throw | Da-Lite Cinema Contour, 123 in diagonal, 16:10 | Epson ELPMB62 ultra-short-throw wall mount |
| Function | Model | Qty | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Front projectors | Epson EB-PU1006W | 2 | 6,000 lumen WUXGA laser 3LCD with 4K enhancement |
| Front projector lenses | Epson wide zoom lens | 2 | Swapped in on the return visit in place of the Epson ELPLM08 middle zoom on the original bill of materials |
| Back wall projector | Epson PowerLite 800F | 1 | Short-throw laser, manufacturer refurbished |
| Back wall projector mount | Epson ELPMB62 | 1 | Ultra-short-throw wall mount |
| Front screens | Da-Lite 70324V Cinema Contour HDC1.1 | 2 | 137 in diagonal, 72.5 x 116 in viewing area |
| Back wall screen | Da-Lite 20917V Cinema Contour HDC1.1 | 1 | 123 in diagonal, 65 x 104 in viewing area |
| Extended service plans | Epson EPPEXPC2 and Epson EPPEXPF2 | 2 and 1 | Two additional years on each projector |
| Front projector mounts | Existing Chief mounts, reused | — | Epson ELPMB68 mounts were supplied but did not fit the existing poles |
| Transmitters and receivers | Owner-furnished, existing | — | Existing signal path to each projector reused |
The rollout
Our AV installation crew spent three consecutive days on site, each starting at six in the morning, and came back for one return visit.
- Day one. Old projectors and screens down. The backing structure built, and the front right screen and the rear screen mounted. The rear screen was spaced out on strut to clear the cable behind it. Cross bars were added the same day to stiffen the front structure.
- Day two. Rear projector mounted. Front left screen mounted. Both front projectors mounted on the existing poles. Site cleaned.
- Day three. Left front projector alignment finalized. Rear projector dropped about four inches below Epson's suggested vertical offset to fit the image to the screen. Additional support installed for the front screen structures. Lift removed and the room handed back.
- Return visit. Lenses swapped in both front projectors and the image re-shot. Rear projector image worked through with Epson on the phone.
The lens is the part worth dwelling on. The bill of materials carried the Epson ELPLM08 middle zoom, which has a minimum throw of fourteen feet. The room measures thirteen feet nine inches. On the first install day the front images did not fill the screens. Our throw calculation showed the projectors needed a wide zoom lens, the Epson ELPLW08, so the fix was a lens swap on the return visit rather than a redesign.
The back wall was the one compromise. The PowerLite 800F would not fill the 123 inch 16:10 screen. An Epson senior sales engineer helped us switch the projector from 16:9 to 16:10 output. Because the screen is larger than 120 inches, the image still did not fill it, and it fit better at 16:9. The church chose to keep the projector and screen as installed.
Support from here
All three projectors carry two additional years of Epson extended service on top of the manufacturer's standard cover. The plans were bought with the hardware rather than added later. Laser light engines do not fail the way lamps did, but alignment and image quality still drift.
The Creation Networks workmanship guarantee covers the installation itself. Manufacturer warranty claims are brokered through us rather than handed to the church as a phone number. Service requests open as a ticket through our support help desk before anyone is dispatched, and each visit closes with an electronic report.
Our advice to any church running this kind of system is plain. Keep the filters and the optics clean. Keep one person who knows how to power the room up and down. Have someone check alignment once a year. A fixed-frame screen does not move, but a building does, and a congregation stops noticing an image that is slightly off square long before a visitor does. Our maintenance and support plans cover that annual check.
Frequently Asked Questions — Church Projector and Screen Replacement
Answers to the questions pastors, facilities teams and tech volunteers ask most often about replacing sanctuary projectors and screens.
Should a church replace its old projectors with laser projectors of the same brightness?
Yes, matching brightness is usually the right target, and at Chinese Grace Bible Church in Sacramento we replaced the older Epson projectors with Epson EB-PU1006W 6,000-lumen WUXGA laser projectors of comparable brightness because the screens were also being enlarged and moved to better positions on the side walls.
A brighter projector on a small screen is not an upgrade. The same brightness on a larger, better-placed screen is. Laser also takes lamp changes out of the routine for a room that runs every week.
How big should the projection screens in a church sanctuary be?
The screens should be large enough for the back row to read the smallest text on them, and in this Sacramento sanctuary that meant two 137 inch diagonal Da-Lite Cinema Contour screens on the side walls, with the bottom edge at 7 feet 4 inches so seated heads stay out of the sightline.
Measure from the furthest seat, not from the platform. Text height on the screen decides it more than the screen size does.
Why choose fixed-frame screens instead of motorized screens for a sanctuary?
Fixed-frame screens suit a sanctuary that uses its screens every week, which is why all three screens at Chinese Grace Bible Church are Da-Lite Cinema Contour HDC1.1 fixed-frame units with no motor to fail and no roller mechanism to wear out between services.
Motorized screens earn their place where the screen has to disappear, such as a fellowship hall that also hosts events with no projection. A room that projects at every service is better served by a frame that never moves.
Can a church reuse its existing projector mounts and cabling?
Often it can, and on this project both were reused: the existing transmitters, receivers and signal runs stayed in place with no additional cable pulled, and the new Epson projectors went up on the existing Chief ceiling mounts after the new Epson ELPMB68 mounts would not fit the existing poles.
Check the pole interface and the weight rating before assuming either way. A sound mount is worth keeping.
Why does throw distance decide which projector lens you need?
Every projector lens has a minimum throw distance, and at Chinese Grace Bible Church the measured throw to both front screens was 13 feet 9 inches, while the Epson ELPLM08 middle zoom lens on the original bill of materials needed at least 14 feet, so the image could not fill the screens.
We swapped both front lenses on a return visit and re-shot the image. Our throw calculation pointed to the Epson ELPLW08 wide zoom. Measure the real distance on the site walk rather than trusting a drawing.
Why did the short-throw projector not fill the 123 inch back screen?
The Epson PowerLite 800F would not fill the 123 inch 16:10 Da-Lite screen on the back wall, and even after an Epson senior sales engineer helped us switch it from 16:9 to 16:10 output, the image fit better at 16:9 because the screen is larger than 120 inches.
We also dropped the projector about four inches below the suggested vertical offset to fit the image. The church chose to keep the projector and screen as installed.
What does a church need to prepare before the installation crew arrives?
The church needs to give the crew clear access, and before we arrived Chinese Grace Bible Church cleared its stages and moved the metal bars on either side of the screens so a 20-foot lift with an extension platform could reach the two front projector positions.
Confirm ceiling height, lift access and a clear path into the room during the site walk.
How long does it take to replace three church projectors and screens?
This replacement took three consecutive days on site plus a return visit, with each day starting at six in the morning: day one covered removal and the first two screens, day two the remaining screen and all three projectors, and day three alignment, extra screen support and handover.
The screen structure set the pace more than the projectors did. Spanning a corner on strut needed extra bracing on the first day.
Can a projector and screen replacement be scheduled around a church's weekly services?
Yes, and this project was planned that way, with our crew working consecutive weekdays that started at six in the morning so none of the work fell on a service day and the Sacramento sanctuary was cleaned and handed back at the end of the install.
Leave room in the plan for a return visit. The lens and image fixes on this job happened on a second trip, not on a service day.
What warranty comes with new church projectors?
Each of the three Epson projectors at Chinese Grace Bible Church carries two additional years of Epson extended service on top of the standard manufacturer warranty, bought with the hardware as Epson EPPEXPC2 and EPPEXPF2 plans, and Creation Networks brokers manufacturer claims rather than handing the church a phone number.
Our workmanship guarantee covers the installation itself. Service requests open as a ticket before anyone is dispatched.
How often should a church projection system be checked?
We recommend a check once a year for most worship rooms, covering image alignment, optics and filters, firmware, and the screen surface and the structure behind it, and Creation Networks maintenance and support plans cover scheduled visits for exactly that kind of annual look.
Buildings move and images drift slowly. A congregation stops noticing an image that is off square long before a visitor does.
Technology partners on this project
Creation Networks, Inc. — nationwide commercial AV integrator, CTS-D certified, based in Concord, CA and Incline Village, NV. Design, engineering, programming, installation, and support from a single point of contact. Call 888-230-3661 or email sales@creationnetworks.net.
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