Hi Everyone,

I need a replacement for my Infocus 5700 which died a sudden death on me last week. I have been an active contributor to the forum for years but have been out of touch lately and need some advice on what is a good option without spending hundreds of hours looking through threads (been there and done that).

I have a 110" screen 1.0 gain located approximately 10 and 14 feet from the viewer. So I need a somewhat long throw comparable to the IF 5700. I loved the colours and brightness of the IF but wasn't a big fan of the noise. My room is not quite batcave but close with light control but white ceiling and light coloured carpet. I'm thinking maybe a nice 720P or a lower end 1080P as my budget is in the 2000-4000 range. I like the look of DLP but willing to try something else if the performance/price is good. Sources are primarily DVD with some HD TV and Xbox 360. Mostly used for movies but some sports and TV and Games.

I could really use some suggestions to narrow down my search.

Thx.

get a used RS1. It has a long throw.

The DLP market boasts several good projectors form InFocus, the IN83 and BenQ, the W5000. Also you might try a Sony VW60 as well.

What is the actual throw distance to the screen form your current projector location and could that change?

Seating distance aside, we need to know more about throw to say whether or not you need a long lens or not.

Richard

Richard, glad you asked as I was forced to get out the measuring tape and my memory is clearly not what it used to be. Actual diagonal is 100" at 17' from PJ mounting. I could move it a bit but not drastically.

get a used RS1. It has a long throw.

Hi Tryg,

I remember seeing lots of your posts with samples of screens in your basement a few years back- interesting reading! Anyway, I don't think a used projector is what I'm looking for. I prefer new or maybe open box but definitely not used. Thanks for the suggestion though.

Any other suggestions. As you can see from my revised numbers the throw is fairly long "100 at 17' distance, but I can probably move the PJ up a foot or so closer if I had to.

At 16' you can consider a BenQ W5000 OR W20000 if you want to stick with DLP.

The Sony VPL-VW40 and VW60 can both be bought under 4K if you look.

The JVC RS1 family is out of consideration because of cost new. LCD possibilities are Espon 1080 UB (home and pro versions under 4K) but don't discount the Panasonic AE-2000U, Sanyo PLV-Z2000 and Mitsubishi HC6000 or HC4900.

Since you were last here the 2-4K bracket has been populated with a lot of very competitive machines. Each has their advocates and detractors. Lost of opinion and subjectivity about all of them. And some great reviews to read (seee Jason Turk's reviews here). I have only seen the Epson and the Sony VPL-VW40 and honestly, could be happy with either one.

One more thought. If you watch only 480 and 720p source material, there is no reason not to buy a 720p machine for cheap unless you plan to add 1080p in the near future. There are some awesome 720p DLPs available for under 2K.

At 16' you can consider a BenQ W5000 OR W20000 if you want to stick with DLP.

The Sony VPL-VW40 and VW60 can both be bought under 4K if you look.

The JVC RS1 family is out of consideration because of cost new. LCD possibilities are Espon 1080 UB (home and pro versions under 4K) but don't discount the Panasonic AE-2000U, Sanyo PLV-Z2000 and Mitsubishi HC6000 or HC4900.

Since you were last here the 2-4K bracket has been populated with a lot of very competitive machines. Each has their advocates and detractors. Lost of opinion and subjectivity about all of them. And some great reviews to read (seee Jason Turk's reviews here). I have only seen the Epson and the Sony VPL-VW40 and honestly, could be happy with either one.

Thanks for the great summary Audiobear! I'll check out Jason's reviews. I don't currently have a 1080p source (local HDTV is 1080i though) and Xbox 360 is sometimes 1080i. I typically sit 1.5 screen widths from the screen so I might get away with a 720p machine. And frankly I loved the picture from my IF 5700 at 576p because the optics, colour and punch were so good. Any suggestions on the 720p front ?

Go to the projectors under 3K and look at two threads

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1025375

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1024081

I would look at the Planar PD7130 or 7150 (over budget and don't know if it is discounted)

I would go with a 1080p machine with your viewing distances. Less pixel grid to see. There are a lot of good projectors out there right now. It is a good time to be buying!

Good luck!

Another vote for a used RS-1. The bulbs seem to be having good longevity too from what reports I've seen.