I have the Epson 8500UB so I can't comment on the 8100 specifically, but let me say this: 82" is small. :P I think you will miss the size.
I just got my projector and I've been playing with screen size to determine what felt best. I'm 10ft away from a 16:9 "screen" and I'm projecting an image of about 106" diagonal. This is admittedly bigger than the recommended size, but honestly, I don't find it uncomfortable at all and the immersion is great. I'm not the type that enjoys the front seat at movie theaters either. I always hate being that close.
A couple movies were a bit uncomfortable to watch for certain scenes because they used "shaky cam" technique. The opening car chase in Quantum of Solace and a couple scenes in Star Trek were like this. I saw QoS in the theater seated in a middle position and remember feeling the same thing there, however. It's just uncomfortable to watch on any screen that's large, even when you're sitting within recommended distances. Anyway, it took me less than 10 seconds to reach up and drop the screen size a bit. By contrast, the aspect ratio changes for city shots in The Dark Knight were incredible. I saw TDK in the imax and it felt pretty damned close on my home screen. I've been thrilled with the purchase overall.
|