Living Room Cinema
01 — Projector

BenQ LK936ST

Short throw. True 4K. Real lens shift in both directions. The one that fits this room.

~$4,900
Street price
4K
True UHD
5,100
Lumens
0.81
Min throw ratio
Throw ratio0.81 – 0.89
Vertical lens shift±60%
Horizontal lens shift±23%
Optical zoom1.1×
Brightness5,100 lm
Contrast3,000,000:1
Light sourceLaser — 20k hrs
12V trigger outYes
RS-232 / LANYes
IR receiverYes
Why this one. 91″ of throw at 0.81 ratio = 112.3″ wide image = 129″ diagonal. The dual-axis lens shift means the projector mounts high, off-center if needed, and you correct optically — no digital keystone degrading pixels. 5,100 lumens handles the bright room. It has a 12V trigger output for the screen, RS-232/LAN for smart control, and an IR receiver for learning remotes. Everything you need to automate is built in.

Alternatives

BenQ TK710STi Half price · No lens shift
~$2,100

Same throw range, true 4K, Android TV. But zero lens shift. Only viable if the ceiling mount can sit dead center. If it can, saves $2,800.

Epson PowerLite L690SE Max shift · Not true 4K
~$5,700

Widest lens shift, 6,000 lumens, 1.4× zoom. Handles the hardest placement. But pixel-shifted 4K, not native. Commercial product with no smart features.

BenQ LK936ST · TK710STi · Epson L690SE
02 — Screen

Elite VMAX 3
135″

Motorized. Fits the recess. Screen surface is larger than the projected image. Trigger-ready.

~$800
Street price
129.5″
Housing width
8.5″
Clearance
135″
Diagonal
Image area66.2″ × 117.7″
Housing width129.5″
Fits 138″ openingYes — 8.5″
SurfaceMaxWhite FG · 1.1 gain
ControlIR + RF remote
12V trigger inputYes
RF frequency433 MHz
Drop variantsStandard / 12″ / 24″
Why 135″. Elite jumps from 120″ to 135″ — no 130″. The 135″ housing is 129.5″, which slides into the 138″ opening with 8.5″ to spare. The projected image (~129″) is slightly smaller than the screen surface, which is exactly right. The screen has both IR and 433 MHz RF control — we can capture either signal to automate it.

Alternatives

Elite VMAX Tab-Tension 3 — 135″ Upgrade
~$1,100

Tab-tensioned for a perfectly flat surface. Matters at short throw distances. Housing 131.4″ (still fits). +$300.

Elite Spectrum2 — 120″ Undersized
~$475

Fits easily but wastes the opening. 13″ of dead space on each side.

Elite VMAX Series · Spectrum2 Series
03 — One-Tap Control

Movie mode.
One push.

You tap “Movie” on the iPad. Lights dim. Screen drops. Projector fires. Input switches. Everything from one place.

How signals actually work

Projector screens don’t do native Bluetooth — nobody’s does. The industry uses IR (infrared), RF (radio frequency at 433 MHz), and 12V trigger wires. But that doesn’t matter, because we can capture all of these signals and pipe them into your iPad. Here’s how.

The signal chain

iPadApple Home / Shortcuts
→
Wi-Fi HubSwitchBot or Bond Bridge
→
IR blastto projector
→
12V triggerscreen auto-drops
iPadsame tap
→
Wi-Fi Hubsame device
→
RF blastscreen backup control
iPadsame tap
→
Smart bulbs / plugsHomeKit native
→
Lights dimor off

One tap triggers all three chains simultaneously. The hub translates your Wi-Fi command into the IR and RF signals the hardware actually speaks.

Two paths to get there

DIY — you control everything
SwitchBot Hub 2 + Apple Home
~$70 for the hub
IR blaster · Matter/HomeKit native · Siri Shortcuts · No subscription

How it works

Step 1 — Learn the projector’s IR codes. Point the LK936ST’s remote at the SwitchBot Hub 2. It captures the IR signal for power on, power off, input switch. Now the hub can replay those commands over IR whenever you ask.

Step 2 — The screen follows the projector. Wire the LK936ST’s 12V trigger output to the VMAX’s 12V trigger input. Projector on → screen drops. Projector off → screen retracts. This is automatic, no smart system needed.

Step 3 — Connect to Apple Home. The SwitchBot Hub 2 supports Matter natively. Add it to Apple Home on your iPad. The IR-learned projector commands show up as controllable devices.

Step 4 — Build the scene. In Apple Home, create a scene called “Movie.” It triggers: projector power on (via SwitchBot IR), lights to 5% (via smart bulbs), set input to HDMI 1. One tap in the Home app, or “Hey Siri, Movie.”

Step 5 — The screen just follows. You don’t need to control the screen separately — the 12V trigger handles it. When the projector turns on, the screen drops. When you run “Lights Up” and kill the projector, the screen retracts on its own.

Why this path. You own the whole system. No installer needed for the automation piece. No subscription. No proprietary app that locks you in. Everything lives in Apple Home on your iPad. You can add lights, fans, music — anything HomeKit-compatible — to the scene later. The SwitchBot Hub 2 is $70 and does both IR blasting and Matter/HomeKit bridging. If you also want direct RF control of the screen (backup or independent of the projector), add a Bond Bridge for another $80.
Pro install — they set it up, you just use it
Control4 or Savant
$2,000–$5,000+ installed
Whole-home control · iPad app · Dealer-programmed scenes · Ongoing support

Your installer programs everything: projector, screen, lights, audio, shades — all in one app on the iPad. One tap for “Movie,” one tap for “Done.” Control4 and Savant both talk to projectors via RS-232 or IP (the LK936ST supports both), control screens via relay/trigger, and handle lighting natively.

This is the polished “everything just works” path. The downside is cost (hardware + programming + annual support contracts) and dependency on a dealer for changes.

When this makes sense. If you’re automating the whole house anyway — lighting, shades, music, security — and want a single unified system. Or if you just don’t want to tinker. The iPad experience is more refined than Apple Home, and the installer handles everything.

The gear for the DIY path

SwitchBot Hub 2
IR blaster + Matter/HomeKit bridge. Learns your projector remote. Shows up in Apple Home.
~$70
Bond Bridge Pro
Captures 433 MHz RF signals from the screen’s remote. Controls screen up/down independently. HomeKit via Homebridge or native (shades category). Also integrates with Control4 and Savant if you go pro later.
~$80
12V trigger cable
3.5mm mono cable from projector to screen. Makes screen follow projector power automatically.
~$10
Smart bulbs or switches
Any HomeKit-compatible lights (Philips Hue, Lutron Caseta, LIFX, Nanoleaf). These go into the same Apple Home scene.
Varies
Apple TV or HomePod
Acts as the HomeKit hub so automations run even when your iPad isn’t nearby. You probably have one already.
Existing
Our suggestion. Start with the DIY path. SwitchBot Hub 2 + 12V trigger cable + HomeKit lights = about $80 in new hardware, and you get one-tap movie mode from the iPad. If you later want more (whole-house, shades, audio routing), the Bond Bridge and the projector’s RS-232/LAN port give you a clean upgrade path into Control4 or Savant without replacing anything.
SwitchBot Hub 2 · Bond Bridge · SwitchBot + Siri Shortcuts guide · Apple Home scenes
04 — Installers

Call Integrity
Sound first.

They’re local, they do exactly this kind of install, and they have the reviews to back it up.

Our recommendation
Integrity Sound
Sarasota · Lakewood Ranch
4.9★ · 48+ reviews · Founded 2007 · integritysound.com · 941-922-2672
Projector InstallsMotorized ScreensElectricalAutomationControl4

This is the team for your job. They do projector ceiling mounts, motorized screens in recesses, 12V trigger wiring, and home automation — all in-house. Customers specifically call out their projector and screen work. They handle the electrical too, so you’re not coordinating two crews.

What to tell them: Short-throw 4K projector, ceiling mount, motorized 135″ screen recessing into a 138″ opening, 12V trigger wire from projector to screen. Ask for a site visit.

What you handle yourself: The SwitchBot Hub 2 and Apple Home automation. Place the hub, learn the remote, build the scene. Takes 20 minutes after they leave.

Why them over the others. They’re the closest to Sarasota, they specialize in exactly the hardware install you need, and they’re not going to try to upsell you into a $5,000 Control4 system when all you need is a mount, a screen, and a trigger wire. If you later decide you want whole-home automation, they do that too — but you don’t have to commit to it now.

Get a second quote from

Innovative Sight & Sound
Tampa · Clearwater · Sarasota
Control4TheaterApple HomeLutron

Nearly 20 years in business. Control4 certified. They explicitly mention Apple Home compatibility in their smart home work, so they’ll understand what you’re trying to do with the iPad automation. Good second quote, especially if you want someone who can wire the automation too.

beinnovative.com

Others we looked at

AV Specialists
Clearwater · Tampa Bay
Custom TheaterControl4Luxury

5.0★ reviews. Since 1995. More geared toward high-end dedicated theater rooms. Great work but may be overkill for a living room install.

avspecialists.com
HavenSmart
Sarasota · Tampa
Control4SavantLutron

Home automation generalist. Works with both Control4 and Savant. Worth a look if you decide to go whole-home later.

havensmart.com
BBD Lifestyle
St. Petersburg
ShadesWindow TreatmentsSavant

Primarily a window treatments and shades company. Savant dealer. Not the right fit for a projector install specifically.

bbdlifestyle.com
05 — The Plan

How we
move forward

The buy. The install. The automation. In order.

What we’re buying

The full kit

BenQ LK936ST — projector
Elite VMAX 3 135″ — screen
Ceiling mount + 12V trigger cable
SwitchBot Hub 2 — IR/HomeKit bridge
Bond Bridge Pro — RF capture (optional)
~$5,900 before install labor

True 4K, 5,100 lumens, dual-axis lens shift, motorized 135″ screen, one-tap iPad automation via Apple Home. Everything controllable, nothing Bluetooth-dependent, fully future-proof into Control4 or Savant if you expand later.

Steps

Measure. Opening at narrowest point (confirm 138″). True lens-to-screen (confirm 91″). Ceiling mount position — how far off-center?
Confirm mount position. If it can sit near-center, the TK710STi at $2,100 becomes viable ($3,000 total). If off-center, the LK936ST’s lens shift is required.
Call an installer. Integrity Sound (Sarasota local) for the hardware mount. Tell them: short-throw projector, motorized screen in a recess, ceiling mount, 12V trigger wire. They do a site visit.
Order the hardware. Projector + screen + mount + 12V cable + SwitchBot Hub 2. Screen takes longest to ship — order first.
Install day. Installer mounts the projector, drops the screen into the recess, runs the 12V trigger wire, calibrates the image. You handle placement of the SwitchBot Hub 2 (point it at the projector, line of sight).
Learn the remote. Point the projector remote at SwitchBot Hub 2. Capture: power on, power off, HDMI select. Takes 5 minutes in the app.
Build the scene. In Apple Home on the iPad: create “Movie” scene — projector on, lights to 5%. Create “Lights Up” scene — projector off, lights to 100%. Screen follows projector automatically via 12V trigger.
Done. One tap on the iPad. Movie mode.

The short version

The room needs a short-throw projector with lens shift. The BenQ LK936ST is the only one at this price that has it. The 135″ Elite VMAX screen fits the recess. A $70 SwitchBot Hub captures the projector’s IR signal and bridges it into Apple Home on your iPad. A 12V trigger wire makes the screen follow the projector. Smart bulbs go into the same scene. One tap — lights dim, screen drops, projector fires.

You control everything from the iPad. No proprietary app. No subscription. No installer needed for the automation.

April 2026 · Prices approximate · Confirm housing width against your exact opening before ordering