Work through the problem
To get a 120-inch picture from a lens 9.5 ft away, you need a throw ratio of about 1.09. The Hisense M2 Pro and JMGO N3 Ultimate cover that, and the XGIMI HORIZON 20 and Epson Flex Plus do not. When someone in the room needs simultaneous-color imaging, neither of those first two offers the right way out.
Common situations
Change any one of these limits and the right buy can change with it.
Your room and the people watching
2 of these 5 models pass both limits
120-inch picture, 9.5 ft from the lens, needs a throw ratio of 1.090
| Model | Required lens distance | Room fit | Viewer limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hisense M2 Pro | 8.72 to 11.33 ft | In lens range | No filter on |
| JMGO N3 Ultimate | 7.67 to 14.82 ft | In lens range | No filter on |
| XGIMI HORIZON 20 | 10.46 to 13.07 ft | Out of lens range | No filter on |
| Epson Flex Plus | 10.46 to 10.46 ft | Out of lens range | No filter on |
| Epson Home Cinema 3800 | 11.50 to 18.74 ft | Out of lens range | No filter on |
Picture width = diagonal × 16 ÷ √337. Throw ratio needed = lens distance in inches ÷ picture width. The model’s documented lens range has to include that ratio. Results near a rounded limit need the exact install table. A fit here says nothing about brightness, focus at every lens-shift position, safe mounting, ventilation or cable clearance.
Your usable lens distance is shorter than the room when the projector body and its rear clearance take up part of it, so measure where the lens will sit. An ultra-short-throw projector needs its own cabinet and screen-height diagram and is outside this rear-shelf check.
Before you pick a model
When the shelf has to stay where it is, a shorter-throw model helps. Going UST at the front of the room means different furniture and a screen position that works with it. Before you count UST as the easy way out, make sure you are allowed to make those changes and that the dimensions work.
A wall-to-wall measurement of 9.5 ft leaves you less than 9.5 ft from the lens. The worked example here starts from a lens position you have already measured.
Whoever notices rainbow flashes should watch the DLP model you have in mind while it can still be returned. On some models, firmware or an anti-RBE setting may help, but we cannot promise how any one model will respond. If simultaneous color is a hard requirement, the DLP picks here drop out before brightness or price even come up.
Lock in both 120 inches and 9.5 ft, and neither of the two 3LCD models we checked fits. Settling for a smaller picture can beat paying more for a projector with the same mismatch.
A side shelf may not mean manual setup every evening, so look at the HORIZON 20 firmware first. According to XGIMI’s June 2026 V1.4.163 release notes, autofocus and automatic keystone work again after lens shift, which overrides the restriction on the older product page.
Marking the spot still makes nightly placement easier. That spot has to suit the optical reach, the lens shift on offer and any game-mode limits. The update does not show that every automatic feature stays available in every mode.
Start with geometry. When someone else leaves a lamp on, it still matters where that light falls. A projector that fits the room is not automatically one for daylight viewing. Check the screen material, the light reaching the screen and the picture mode you pick separately.
Weigh brightness against room lightEach one solves a specific problem
As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. The math and setup advice above work whether or not you buy anything.
The shelf cannot move, and everyone is fine watching DLP
The 1.09 ratio in the worked example falls inside its 1.0 to 1.3 optical range. A 120-inch plan stays possible without a new mount.
What it does not solveA sequential-color DLP engine is still a poor bet for anyone already bothered by rainbow flashes. Optical fit alone tells you nothing about daylight picture quality.
See price & reviews on Amazon
The projector might need to travel between different rooms
Compared with M2 Pro, its 0.88 to 1.7 range gives you more lens-position choices. That flexibility serves a purpose when the available shelf differs from home to home or room to room.
What it does not solveIt uses sequential-color DLP as well, and a broader lens range cannot fix that viewer constraint.
See price & reviews on Amazon
Rainbow flashes are the problem, and you can live with a smaller picture
3LCD imaging takes the sequential-color mechanism out of the picture. With its fixed 1.2 throw, 9.5 ft gives roughly a 109-inch optical image, and a 120-inch plan needs about 10.46 ft.
What it does not solveDigital shrinking makes the picture smaller, but it cannot enlarge that optical image to 120 inches from the same shelf.
See price & reviews on Amazon
You can put the lens farther back and want 3LCD with optical zoom
For 120 inches, its 1.32 to 2.15 range begins at around 11.50 ft. It is a candidate only once the room offers that distance.
What it does not solveCheck the body, cables, ventilation and permitted lens-shift combination against the installation manual. A lens position of 9.5 ft fails the 120-inch calculation.
See price & reviews on AmazonNext step
When you are choosing between a larger image from the shelf and simultaneous-color imaging.
When DLP is acceptable and the lens position you have available decides the purchase.
For a permanent 3LCD installation, once you have checked the longer throw distance.
The inputs come from maker specs. BillionFables works out the fit, checks requirements together and counts the steps in each routine described. These conclusions come from desk research. We have not tested these products in your home.
DMD imaging, a 1.0 to 1.3 throw and a 65 to 200-inch range.
DLP imaging and a 0.88 to 1.7 throw.
Single-chip DLP and a 1.2 to 1.5 throw. Read the later firmware notes before relying on the original restriction on automatic adjustment.
For the HORIZON 20 series, this restores autofocus and automatic keystone after lens shift. It does not establish that every automatic function works in every mode.
3LCD imaging, a 1.2 throw and the US EF72.
3LCD imaging and a 1.32 to 2.15 optical range.
The reason simultaneous color avoids sequential-color rainbow artifacts.