I'm new to the whole PJ thing, but I really like what I've see from the Optoma HD65. However, I live 4500ft above sea level and I've read some reviews that stated the fan was going to sound like a jet engine at these elevations. Can anyone confirm this? Are there any comparable projectors for roughly the same price that are quieter but have the same PQ (or better)?

The projector will be sitting about 12ft back from the wall, and I would like an image anywhere from 80-100" diagonal. Any help is appreciated.

The Sony Bravia VPL-AW15 is in the same price range these days and has a 22db fan rating. That's a lot quieter than the HD65 in going to be for you.

I ruled out LCD projectors because everything I've read said they had problems with long viewing sessions (polarizer burn and the like). On the weekends, there will be times when it is in use for 12-14hrs at a time. Has something changed, or have I been misinformed?

I ruled out LCD projectors because everything I've read said they had problems with long viewing sessions (polarizer burn and the like). On the weekends, there will be times when it is in use for 12-14hrs at a time. Has something changed, or have I been misinformed?

Optoma defines "excessive use" as using the projector for more than 8 hours in one sitting. I don't know if that's the norm but I'd be leary of that if I were you. Mine is much quieter than I expected from reading here but I always watch movies and play games with my sound way up so it doesn't matter to me. I'm at a much lower elevation as well.