After looking up the price to replace the bulb in my Mit's HD 1000U was wondering if upgrading would be the way to go.
Was hoping to wait till the LED projectors became affordable and available.
What would be a good replacement for the 1000U in a 1080P DLP projector?
Thanks
Elliot

The soon to be available Optoma HD 20 would be a tempting alternative to a new bulb, if its street price is as close to $1000 as expected.

When are they going to come down on the bulbs so we can stop throwing this stuff away.

depends on your price range

Would like to stay under $2K. Question is what is out there to make it worth the extra money. Have been very happy with the 1000u but have not gone to blue ray due to not having a 1080p pj. Want to stay with dlp. Any suggestions on the projector?

Hi Elliots,

Have you looked into BenQ projectors? They are famous for their DLP collection. They only have a couple of LCD projectors, the rest are all DLP.

The W5000 Full HD home cinema projector is what I'd recommend for your price range of 2K. The MSRP for the W5000 is at a high of $5K, but street prices now suggest that you could get it off the shelf for $2K or lower.

General Specs:
1200 lumens
10000:1 contrast ratio
Native resolution: 1920x1080 (16:9) Full HD

It was also highly rated by Projector Central in 2008!!
http://www.projectorcentral.com/benq_w5000.htm

When are they going to come down on the bulbs so we can stop throwing this stuff away.

Probably never gonna happen. If you are concerned about cost, get the lamp warranty from Mack for $100 and quit worrying about it.

I have looked at the BenQ and it looks good. I called the vendor I purchased my current projector from to inquire about it but he is now saying the new lcd projectors are out performing the DLP's and that is why the DLP's are getting harder to find.

Is this true or is he just trying to push his LCD's.

elliot

Don't let the 720x1280 of your current PJ keep you from BD.
BD looks great on my HC1500, with a noticeable difference from DVD.
When you do go to a 1080x1920 PJ you'll already have some software to enjoy ;)

LCD's are generally brighter than DLP's so I'm not sure if that is a good thing for home theater projectors. DLP's on the other hand tend to have a lot higher contrast ratios.

DLP's also have the advantage of lower total ownership cost over the period of owning the projector, they tend to also have less problems with over heating.

DLP and LCD's have their very own pros and cons to everything. I guess it's personal preference? And also what you're using it for. For home theater especially I'd recommend DLP's.

Editt:
Yes, go for 1080p (1920x1080). Just go straight for full HD.

Thanks for the reply. Will probably stay with the DLP. Hope to get a few more months on the bulb before it goes. Will see what new PJ's come out in Sept. Hope that relates to price drops on what is out now.

TigerDirect is all but giving away the X10 and that's a 1080p DLP. Bulbs aren't free, but when the pj is, who cares.

I love mine.

elliot,

once the bulb blows, your pj has very low little value. Unless you are not expecting to sell, it may be a better idea to replace just the bulb inside the lamp. You can find just the bulbs under 150 on ebay. This way, you can extend the life of your pj and get more resale value.

I'm at the same point with my NEC LT150 (better than the Dell deal) This projector has served mw well except for being noisy. I have already replaced the bulb once so it has about 2500 on the projector itself. I am past the 1000 hour limit right now. I am looking at used 720p projectors in the $300-$400 range. I've let a few slip away, see a Sanyo PLV-Z4 go for that range. I guess I'm just waiting for a killer deal that I can't pass up. 1080p would be nice, but 720p would be a step up from the 576p that I have now. Would prefer DLP, I like the image and rainbows don't bother me anymore. The people on this board want too much for old stuff. There is a guy with a PLV-Z3 who wants over $700! He's smoking crack! That X10 on tiger direct is a bargain! I wish I could do it but I have had a SEVERE income reduction at my job due to the economy and am just lucky to be employed. I have to work 2 part time jobs so honestly, I can't even afford the bulb! :( Any suggestions? Maybe I can sell crack on the street corner.....:rolleyes: , I know the guy with that Z3 is buying!:p