I know we're not supposed to ask "best for $XXX", which is the one rule I disagree with. I agree with all the others, as I can't stand it when I see ads in the various forums & discussion groups I belong to. If I want to buy something I'll go to a well known e-tailer or...heavens, a B&M. But I thought that is what this site is for, everyone helping everyone else out.

Anyway, off my soapbox. I might (keyword, "might") be selling my Optoma EP732 to a buddy of mine who needs another low-end PJ for his DJ business. I know when I bought it the HD1000 was the one I wanted, but couldn't justify the $$. From the looks of it, it's replacement HC1500 is the popular choice, and is now less than what the HD1000 was a year or so ago when I bought my PJ. I only have ~200 hours on it, so I'm thinking for a four more bills or so, I can upgrade to WXGA PJ. I have vertical blinds in my apartment living room, so even in full daylight, I can get it pretty dark (not ded. HT dark, but dark enough IMO). And the MITS has roughly the same lumens as my EP, so I'm thinking I should be OK. But I can't spend any more $$ than what the HC1500 is going for, so if the consensus is I should go for something a bit better, then I'll have to hold out and stick to my 4:3 PJ for a bit longer (heck, my buddy might not end up taking mine anyway).

tia,
Bri

I just returned one. Blacks are nowhere as good as the reviews state, and were unacceptable in my book. The color wheel also had a high pitched whine that I couldn't live with. This thing has had great reviews but in real use I didn't think is was too good.

I just returned one. Blacks are nowhere as good as the reviews state, and were unacceptable in my book. The color wheel also had a high pitched whine that I couldn't live with. This thing has had great reviews but in real use I didn't think is was too good.

Perhaps yours was defected.. The high pitched whine from the color wheel doesn't sound normal at all..Did you exchange it for a new on or just returned it and got your money back? From all the reviews and raves I have read about this projector on this site it seems to be the best bang for the buck right now. I have the acer 530 and maybe looking into upgrading to hc 1500 because of its high lumen output...

...color wheel also had a high pitched whine that I couldn't live with...

Yeah, I was going to say the same thing...in fact I thought I read a post on here that said a few % of users had experienced the same thing, so they probably just had a bad production run I would guess. Normally I'd probably agree with you, but from what I've read on here it's the best if you can't afford a higher end PJ, so I think you just got bad luck.

As far as the blacks go, I don't think I'm that picky...I'm sure it's a vast improvement over my current PJ.

I use to have the Optoma EP719 and upgraded to an Acer PH530 and let me tell you that was A BIG UPGRADE in picture quality. I'm assuming your current projector is a business projector first as well just like my EP719 so yes you will definitely enjoy the upgrade to the HC1500 which is built for home theater projector first. I saw a lot of SDE with the optoma and it kinda bothered me but with the acer at the same distance I see none at all.. Plus its native widescreen! As far as when to buy it.. its really up to you.. If your satisfied with your current setup then hold off on buying it because we all know in a few years from now the HC1500 will be replaced by a better and cheaper projector. You'll be able to grab a 1080p projector for less than a grand.

I just returned one. Blacks are nowhere as good as the reviews state, and were unacceptable in my book. The color wheel also had a high pitched whine that I couldn't live with. This thing has had great reviews but in real use I didn't think is was too good.

I agree here. I did not like mine either. I liked the HD65 better.

I have the HC1500 and love it. Now it's my first projector and a HUGE jump from my old 28" CRT Trinitron hehe... so I can't really compare it to much.

The color wheel doesn't make noise when working properly... I've seen a few people on here talking about it and it's clear that the audible whine is from a bad bearing.

As for black levels I've always been happy. The darker the room the better they are :rolleyes:. Just keep the brightness down low and the contrast up and it looks amazing.

For the money I couldn't be happier.

My 2 cents.

No problems with my HC1500. Very quiet. Fantastic image.

For just a little more I would get an HC3000 before they go away. The black levels are much better, and it should be bright enough for your room. I got one recently and love it. It was a huge improvement over my old Dell DLP XGA projector. It also looks much nicer than my friend's HC1500.

Does anyone have any experience with a Planar PD7010?

I am trying to decide between it and the HC1500. They both cost the same but I haven't been able to find that much info on the Planar. From a couple very short reviews I found on the Planar it sounds like it probably has better picture quality, but I am worried it may not be bright enough for occasional viewing with ambient light.

I am very happy with my hc1500. the colorwheel does make some noise, however, i have mine in a table so i don't hear it. I use high quality monster cables with hd dvd and cable and it works beautifully.

I got the hd1000 and am pretty happy with it overall, no problems w/anything so far; about 490 hrs on the bulb. This PJ while it may not have superb black levels without proper tweaking is really bright and would do fine in a non-dedicated theater. Taking the time to calibrate your PJ, good source material, a screen that fits your viewing environment will make the most out of any projector. I went to a high-end electronics store about 1 month before I got my hd1000 and saw a sharp 1080p PJ, (can't remember the exact model) and they were projecting Serenity on HD-DVD, I was blown away. A few months later I went back and walked into the same room (they had the same exact setup as before) and wasn't really impressed like I was before. In fact I felt kinda proud at that moment that my setup looked just as good if not better for 1/10th the cost! As much as I would like to have a 1080p PJ, I can't justify the $$ to do so.. even if I got my $$ back in full from the hd1000. I'm not saying the hd1000 is better than any PJ out there, but it holds it's own under the right conditions. That I'm certain of. Don't let a few bad opinions about the hd1000/hc1500 deter you, it's a good PJ for the price and there are legions of people here at AVS who are more than happy with it. But you know what they say about opinions....:)

I am still trying to understand everything about these, I can get an Epson 720 and screen for $1300, or an HC1500 with no screen for $999. I havent shopped around, and have no idea which PJ is better, I would use it for gaming mostly, then movies, then NFL. Any suggestions?

I am still trying to understand everything about these, I can get an Epson 720 and screen for $1300, or an HC1500 with no screen for $999. I havent shopped around, and have no idea which PJ is better, I would use it for gaming mostly, then movies, then NFL. Any suggestions?

Is stating a price against the rules?

you won't find a better image for the $$$ if that's what you're asking

I am still trying to understand everything about these, I can get an Epson 720 and screen for $1300, or an HC1500 with no screen for $999. I havent shopped around, and have no idea which PJ is better, I would use it for gaming mostly, then movies, then NFL. Any suggestions?

Umm, yea. A little shopping around does wonders, lol.

I just returned one. Blacks are nowhere as good as the reviews state, and were unacceptable in my book. The color wheel also had a high pitched whine that I couldn't live with. This thing has had great reviews but in real use I didn't think is was too good.

Thats funny I found that the blacks are great. The system was quiet and I did not find any faults with it you must of got a bad one.

I agree here. I did not like mine either. I liked the HD65 better.

I will let you know on sunday which one I like better so have it setup perfect before I come over!

I also upgraded from an EP719 to the Mits HD1000u and the blacks are a lot better. Typical DC2 DLP. I can deal with mediocre blacks but I was most pleased with shadow detail performance compared with the 2 business projectors I had previously (because I need the brightness). The Mits is just as bright or brighter AND has great shadow detail and decent blacks. And colors are spectacular (perhaps not hyper-accurate, but I'm happy, and that's probably due to my in inability to calibrate properly - only messed with contrast/brightness).

It's available for WAY less than $999. Way less than $799, in fact, so yeah the value proposition is terrific. Try google products.

For an indication of the response of the 'average joe' check out the 5-star amazon ratings for both the HD1000u and the HC1500. There are certainly better projectors out there, but unless you're hyper-sensitive to rainbows or can't manage the ceiling mount (7'6" or lower ceilings), I don't think are any better under $750.

I will let you know on sunday which one I like better so have it setup perfect before I come over!

We do not have the HC1500 anymore tho!!!

We do not have the HC1500 anymore tho!!!

Going to compare it to ricks HC1500

I will let you know on sunday which one I like better so have it setup perfect before I come over!

Now that I have seen both the HD65 and the HC1500 sorry to say stix but I like the HC1500 better unless you are still working on setting it up. I will have to be over when you are home since you were out picking up son when I came over

Seems you were more interested in the septic. But no it is not setup just added the Dtv and did not adjust setting at all its stock. Due to adding a 606.

Seems you were more interested in the septic. But no it is not setup just added the Dtv and did not adjust setting at all its stock. Due to adding a 606.

Just asked a question if you were home you would of known but maybe if you set it up better it would change my mind

It does not matter really I preferred this one. It was not setup but I was hoping to be there when you arrived. I was tryiing to recalibrate before ya came but had to go get pierce. I reset it because I had to change from component to hdmi.

Everyone has different taste in color and blackness. Thats why they make different projectors.

My HC1500 has a slight high pitched whine also. Is that normal?

My HC1500 has a slight high pitched whine also. Is that normal?

Depends how 'slight' you mean. If it's the fan, then yeah, it's normal and the Mits is known as a very quiet projector. Some have had color wheel issues (never heard it myself) but if it's that, then it's trouble.

The only thing that stops me from buying the HD1500 over HD65 is the 24fps support.

But I think that's just me being silly because never once did I notice any difference while watching my Tube/LCD..

And yes, HC1500 can be had for under $800 which is too tempting.

Depends how 'slight' you mean. If it's the fan, then yeah, it's normal and the Mits is known as a very quiet projector. Some have had color wheel issues (never heard it myself) but if it's that, then it's trouble.

My infocus 4805 had louder fan noise, but this is higher pitched. I can live with it, but was expecting a little less noise.

My infocus 4805 had louder fan noise, but this is higher pitched. I can live with it, but was expecting a little less noise.
I recently replaced my 4805 with a HC1500. The main difference to me is the brightness. This is a very bright pj, even in low mode. Blacks are better than the 4805, but not startlingly so. It is quieter than the 4805 as well. The 4805's fan would run constantly if you did a "soft" power down. To turn the fan off you had to physically flip the power switch on the side of the unit. No such ambiguity with the HC1500 -- off is off, and the fan goes off after a minute or two. The optics are sealed too, so no more dust blobs.

In all, a nice upgrade and a great value. I haven't seen the HD65. I didn't really consider it when I bought mine; the consensus here seemed to be that the HC1500 had the edge.