CurtPalme.com Home Theater Forum

[staggeringwade]

I posted this on another thread and didn't get any answers, but I may have hijacked the thread. I haven't really used forums before.
I'm a complete noob with questions.
To start I love deep blacks, & scope screens, but I'm not wealthy and want to do this for as little cash as possible.
I built a home theater 3 years ago. I'm currently using a plasma tv mounted to the wall, because of information overload on CIH plus 3-4 years ago I could not afford a projector.
I'm now ready to purchase a projector.
The room is a bat cave (no windows). The walls are painted dark brown, dark brown carpet, black ceiling.
Ceiling height is 7'7".
I combined two bedrooms into 1 man cave with a support header between the two rooms. There is a jog in the back wall where the seating is backed against. 1 row of 3 seats total. From reclined seats to screening wall is 12' 8"
The distance from the header to the screen wall is 14'9". There is more room (13') in back of the header in the back of the room if I needed to drop the projector below the header farther back to get the throw distance corrected (I don't want to do this unless I have no choice).
The width of the screen wall is 12' 2". I currently use Definitive Tech satellite speakers that will fit at each end of the WA screen.
My tv screen picture starts at 30" off of the floor-was hoping CIH screen would be about the same.
I was intending on building the wilsonart 5'x10' CIH screen. I was planning on making the screen curved, but I have read that unless i have an A-lens the curved screen is a bad idea?
The man cave is used only for scope movies, sometimes my kids watch netflix or play the PS3 so it would be nice to accommodate them as well with the 16:9 format.
I was really hoping to purchase the Panasonic AE 4000 and use the anamorphic stretch mode. Main reason for wanting the Panny is the stretch mode, but the other was because the projector will sit directly over the seating and I heard the epson UB's are noisier.
My other choices for projectors are epson 8700 UB or even the 8350. I like the idea of 3D, Avatar was awesome but it is shot in 16:9 WTH? Otherwise I don't really need 3D so I don't need to jump on that wagon to keep up with the Jones's and spend too much money on a 3D projector-however the epson 3010 is in my budget.
I realize there are issues with stretch mode as in loss of lumen output and lower resolution, but was hoping my super dark room would make the experience great.
Do any affordable Epson projectors do anamorphic stretch?
I cannot afford an anamorphic lens from Anamorphic Research now while trying to purchase a projector, however I could save cash down the road and keep my eyes on ebay for an anamorphic lens.
I have read several forums on this topic but I never have really found simple answers to fit my application.

I did go to Home Depot today and looked into the WA Laminate and it was $60 shipped for a 5'x10' piece.
I just didn't want to order it until somebody chimed in and helped me feel like my choices above are good or bad.
Any information would be helpful, I will give more details as requested.
Thanks for your help.
Wade