Hello all, I am another projector newbie looking for some advice from the fine folks in this community.

We are looking to replace our very old, very bad old school TV. We tend to move a lot (every year or 2) so we feel like upgrading to a projector would benefit us over looking into big screen tv's (not only do we move a lot, but it tends to be a long distance and we don't have much room to take stuff along).

We have a medium/small room with average ambient light (4 windows that we will be covering with drapes soon). Depending on which wall we choose to use we have a limited throw-distance (over the fireplace 16:9 ratio setup would be necessary but about 10+ available throw distance, the only other wall would be more in the 6 foot throw distance but could support about 6ft vertical at 4:3 ratio).

We don't have a lot of money, so I want to stay on a low budget which i realize means really hunting for the best product. We also don't spend a ton of time in front of the TV (mostly movies at night and a handful of shows on HULU) so the resolution doesn't have to be amazing (i'd prefer 720 but it's not a deal breaker if it is less) The lumes also don't have to be that amazing since 90% of it's use will be at night.

There are a few things that are important to me (some are probably universal but I thought I'd list them just incase). Because of our propensity to move, and also the fact that sometimes we watch TV in our bedroom, easy setup including projection from multiple angles (keystone or something I think it's called) is very important. Also a full remote, and good standard ports is important (I would be hooking up my laptop, video games, dvd players, possibly even iPod etc.) As for lamp longevity I suppose because of our use it isn't a priority, obviously something closer to the 3k-4k hours range would be great, but since we use it less than 8 hours a week it's not that big of a deal if it's less.

I feel like my main problem in researching this on my own is understanding the contrast ratio, I understand the resolution, lumes, and many other things but the one number that I just don't have a grasp on what I need to have in a projector is the contrast ratio.

I would greatly appreciate any input here, specific projectors, links to reviews, even advice on how to pick one out for myself would be great.

Thank you for your help!

Need:
Portability
Good Keystone Correction
Budget Price (under 750)
Plenty of ports

Want:
at least 720p resolution
under 32dp fan volume (NOT going to ceiling mount this projector)
over 1500 lumes (or whatever is best for moderate indoor light)

First spend some time reading and learning. I have the same type of issues with my room. I use a portable tripod screen that is 64" long and a 4:3 aspect ratio. This does not require a wall at all, but you do have to consider where your audio will come from. HDMI cables come very long are are inexpensive if purchased carefully. With the 4:3 screen I can open it to the first stop and have a 68" 16:9 or if the input is SD open it up more, move the projector back a bit (sitting on a cat carrier that gets put away after viewing) and I have a really big screen.. not sure didn't measure the 4:3 diag. Anyway regardless of the projector you buy, having a screen will be much better than a wall IMHO. Used portable screens can be picked up for $50 new ones under $200.
Far as projectors, I am on my 4th used unit, each purchase was an upgrade and each old unit was sold for the same price I paid. I personally have owned the Optima IN72 and know that the IN76 is virtually the same and currently have a Mitsubishi HC3000. The HC3000 was $175 used, I purchased a new Lamp and remote for a total cost of $500. Screen was $40 .. It is possible to have a very portable and very good picture within your budget. However, it can take time to find someone selling at the proper price. Everyone wants WAY to much for used equipment on Ebay and Craigs list. I would say stay away from Ebay, only buy what you can try... Also keep in mind the cost of a new lamp if the unit has more than 2000 hours on it..

You may be able to get new in your budget but I think you can probably get better equipment used if you shop carefully and patiently.

Good luck!

Check out the used fp's classifieds here on AVS.I just sold a panasonic ae200 for
$600 here.It made someone a great starter HT room.You will not get anything decent new for under $750

Yes, I would bump my projector budget up to at least $1000. There are some good options out there for a first projector now. What you want for flexibility is an LCD projector. The AX200 already mentioned would probably be a very good choice for you. Also I'd be willing to bet the Epson 6100 will be coming down in price within the next few months.

First spend some time reading and learning. I have the same type of issues with my room. I use a portable tripod screen that is 64" long and a 4:3 aspect ratio. This does not require a wall at all, but you do have to consider where your audio will come from. HDMI cables come very long are are inexpensive if purchased carefully. With the 4:3 screen I can open it to the first stop and have a 68" 16:9 or if the input is SD open it up more, move the projector back a bit (sitting on a cat carrier that gets put away after viewing) and I have a really big screen.. not sure didn't measure the 4:3 diag. Anyway regardless of the projector you buy, having a screen will be much better than a wall IMHO. Used portable screens can be picked up for $50 new ones under $200.
Far as projectors, I am on my 4th used unit, each purchase was an upgrade and each old unit was sold for the same price I paid. I personally have owned the Optima IN72 and know that the IN76 is virtually the same and currently have a Mitsubishi HC3000. The HC3000 was $175 used, I purchased a new Lamp and remote for a total cost of $500. Screen was $40 .. It is possible to have a very portable and very good picture within your budget. However, it can take time to find someone selling at the proper price. Everyone wants WAY to much for used equipment on Ebay and Craigs list. I would say stay away from Ebay, only buy what you can try... Also keep in mind the cost of a new lamp if the unit has more than 2000 hours on it..

You may be able to get new in your budget but I think you can probably get better equipment used if you shop carefully and patiently.

Good luck!

That Mitsubishi HC3000 sounds nice, how many hours was on it when you got it for $175.? That one sounds a little better then my DLP, it appears to be a little brighter and has a little better resolution.

My first was an Infocus SP4805 wich i still have and im glad i got it. I gave $450. for it used with a bulb that only had 78 hours on it. The unit was very clean so im sure it was a true 78 hours. I got a few LP250s for under $100. that i use quite a bit using the S-video jacks.

My screen i gave $178. its 120" pull down high gain with the little beads. I agree a good screen is the best place to start. You can always upgrade projectors but if you start with a cheap screen you will always wish you had better and bigger.

Hello all, I am another projector newbie looking for some advice from the fine folks in this community.

We are looking to replace our very old, very bad old school TV. We tend to move a lot (every year or 2) so we feel like upgrading to a projector would benefit us over looking into big screen tv's (not only do we move a lot, but it tends to be a long distance and we don't have much room to take stuff along).

We have a medium/small room with average ambient light (4 windows that we will be covering with drapes soon). Depending on which wall we choose to use we have a limited throw-distance (over the fireplace 16:9 ratio setup would be necessary but about 10+ available throw distance, the only other wall would be more in the 6 foot throw distance but could support about 6ft vertical at 4:3 ratio).

We don't have a lot of money, so I want to stay on a low budget which i realize means really hunting for the best product. We also don't spend a ton of time in front of the TV (mostly movies at night and a handful of shows on HULU) so the resolution doesn't have to be amazing (i'd prefer 720 but it's not a deal breaker if it is less) The lumes also don't have to be that amazing since 90% of it's use will be at night.

There are a few things that are important to me (some are probably universal but I thought I'd list them just incase). Because of our propensity to move, and also the fact that sometimes we watch TV in our bedroom, easy setup including projection from multiple angles (keystone or something I think it's called) is very important. Also a full remote, and good standard ports is important (I would be hooking up my laptop, video games, dvd players, possibly even iPod etc.) As for lamp longevity I suppose because of our use it isn't a priority, obviously something closer to the 3k-4k hours range would be great, but since we use it less than 8 hours a week it's not that big of a deal if it's less.

I feel like my main problem in researching this on my own is understanding the contrast ratio, I understand the resolution, lumes, and many other things but the one number that I just don't have a grasp on what I need to have in a projector is the contrast ratio.

I would greatly appreciate any input here, specific projectors, links to reviews, even advice on how to pick one out for myself would be great.

Thank you for your help!

Need:
Portability
Good Keystone Correction
Budget Price (under 750)
Plenty of ports

Want:
at least 720p resolution
under 32dp fan volume (NOT going to ceiling mount this projector)
over 1500 lumes (or whatever is best for moderate indoor light)
Papaslides, you have a PM

Hey guys just wanted to update my search and such:

I appreciate all the advice on used units but at least for the time being I'm really only shopping for new.

On that note I am not a huge AV geek, I'm really not in the market to spend 1000$ on any kind of tv or projector setup for my home. What my goal is (and I think this specific need has kind of evolved over the last month or so of searching, learning, reading, and looking at my finances) is to get the absolute best product I can within a specific budget to meet a need. To me the budget is now top priority, and the goal is to get the best I can out of that budget... that being said:

I think knowing what I'm upgrading from and the real reason I want a projector will help put things into perspective for me so here goes...

Currently I have 2 TV's both about 28" and between 7 and 15 years old. We don't have cable and although we have a handful of gaming systems we don't use them that often. Right now 95% of of our tv/movie viewing (which I'd say adds up to maybe 8-10 hours a week) is done on my 15" macbook pro.

I'm no purist... I'm no enthusiast... I'm just a guy who is sick of watching tv on his computer and equally sick of packing and transporting TV's every time we move (we have 2 sedans, that's a lot of real estate in our cars to move which I would not mind getting back). I'd like to be able to easily bring my projector from the living room to the bedroom without a lot of fuss, I'd like to be able to watch videos on the wall in front of us as well as on the ceiling. I don't need a huge screen, nor do I need to be able to watch tv with the windows open and the sun shining directly into the room, I really just want to upgrade the screen we watch hulu and dvd's on and do it for around 500$. Heck I wouldn't be surprised if a really good pico projector would be enough, Hope this helps because I'm still coming up blank in my search (mainly due to inexperience).

Thanks again

I am no expert but why don't you get a new HD65 from Amazon? It's $100 less than your budget (when I last checked), is plenty bright and very light. The ten foot throw should give you 90 inches or so of pure 720p love. You can spend the remaining $100 on a focupix screen if you can put it up or you can DIY (the right kind of cloth from Lowes or Home Depot can do wonders).

The HD65 performs well and has a fine community of users here on AVS. Just look at the big HD65 Review/SS thread by guitarman.

Yeah the HD65 was one of the main units I had my eye on before and I think you're right it would be a good way to go.

I did just stumble across another new thing: The BenQ Joybee GP1. Obviously the image quality would be far less than that of something like the HD65, but I'm intrigued by a lot of the features. It's small, lightweight, has good keystone correction, and can adjust for projecting on non-white surfaces. The price is also very attractive (500$). For me if the image quality were enough for my needs (which I can guarantee is not that much considering I just want to upgrade from watching tv on my laptop and replace some really old crappy TV's) all the other features are exactly what I'm looking for, I mean exactly. I'm just concerned that the much lower picture quality will be too low even for me.

BenQ Joybee GP1:
Super Portable
Great features
Under Budget (500$)
Decent quality for size/price?

HD65:
Less Portable
More expensive (650$)
Much better quality

Would the Joybee's picture quality not be enough to justify spending 500$ on a portable projector rather than a small hd tv? Will the HD65's superior quality justify the extra price and lack of portability/versatility features? (I know what the enthusiasts will say, but I'm looking for utility not wow factor)

The Joybee is a palm sized LED projector. It would only be useful as an HT porjector in a completely dark room throwing a "smallish" 40" to 60" or so picture. For your needs, the HD65 is a much better projector.

Jim

Yeah I think your right... all the other features and price just seemed too sexy for me :) but when it comes down to it, what's the point of a projector if a similarly priced TV would be better?

Looking at the HD65... I'm reading a lot about throw distance and placement requirements and such... but I'm a bit confused. When they talk about having limited placement options, and that it's generally 10-11 feet or something like that... is that only referring to displaying a 100" image (i.e. in a smaller bedroom could it be placed closer to the wall albeit displaying a smaller image)? I ask because again the versatility to put it on my coffee table or stand in the living room, and then easily bring it upstairs to watch in bed is crucial for me.

Thanks

On the subject of looking for new, unless you get some steal of a deal on a used unit that can't wait, wait for Black Friday which is just around the corner. If you shop seriously both before to get an idea of current pricing, and then shop once or twice during the night, as well as during the day later, you may find an irresistible deal. It may be well within your budget, with a new lamp and warranty. Not to mention, might even get a new spare lamp with it. Looking long term, this is something I'd consider.

If the budget is an absolute, and a little lesser PQ isn't going to change your lifestyle, consider some of the multimedia projectors out there. You can easily get something portable with good lumens (almost too much) and all the lens shift options you want, for next to nothing. These will have slightly washed out color, but the upside usually is that they are stronger in ambient light. Lots of folks here have owned these and been satisfied with them. And, some newer ones might well offer a better picture now than a upper $ home theater unit did 5 years ago. So you'd be a little behind the curve, so what.

As for "Lower picture quality", I think you've got that backward. It's your older TVs and computer monitor that are inferior.

Here's another vote for the HD65. I have the older brother HD70 and have been very happy with it for the last three years.

I dunno, I'm kinda liking this multimedia projector idea. Like I said I'm not going for a killer "wow factor" picture, I'm going for the very best projector I can get around 500$. (a different point of view on the same search). Anyone had good luck using a standard multimedia projector for home entertainment?

Hey, you may want to keep an eye on the LG HS201.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1156959

800x600 resolution, DLP, street price $500, HDMI VGA and composite inputs, LED lamp rated for 30,000 hours (!!!)

I'd like a 720p projector, but I'm sensitive to rainbows, leaving me little to no choice for an inexpensive projector. I think this projector may be a good stepping stone until 720p LED lit DLPs hit the market.

Not the greatest resolution, but it sure would beat playing Xbox 360 on a 20" computer monitor.


edit: Also this thread http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1193908&highlight=hs201

Ok so after doing a ton more reading I think I've come to a decision.

Right now I'm on the prowl for a used Optoma dv10, or dv11. Here is my reasoning. The reviews I've read for these units are pretty positive, the image performance is good-great, Optoma seems to be the company over half of my recommendations have gone to (so obviously they know their stuff). And here's the kicker... it's an all in one solution.

I realize all-in-one is probably synonymous with lower quality, but it should accomplish everything I need. It's portable, I can use it with no other equipment whatsoever (or can setup speakers and such to improve the experience) the image quality will be good enough for my needs, and from the looks of things, if I troll e-bay long enough I should be able to get a decent unit for under 500$.

Any thoughts? Are there better similarly priced all in one units I don't know about? Is there a better place to hunt for a used unit than e-bay?

Thanks

edit: In this all in one search, I seem to keep coming back to the Epson MovieMate's... specifically the 60. On paper this seems like an incredible machine. LCD Technology with 4000 hour life rating. Built in 10W speakers. 2000 Ansi Lumens with a contrast ratio of 3000:1. I realize the resolution is far less than say an optoma 65, and the maximum size isn't as large, but really I think the built in DVD/Speakers is WAY more useful for my needs than increased resolution. Has anyone had experience with the MovieMate 60? Is the video quality/color acceptable?

That Mitsubishi HC3000 sounds nice, how many hours was on it when you got it for $175.? That one sounds a little better then my DLP, it appears to be a little brighter and has a little better resolution.



Lamp time was just shy of 3000, remote was missing as well so I was able to haggle the price of $175.
From what I have been told by the pros including the guy that will be calibrating it, the HC3000 is top notch and looks stunning once calibrated. I am very happy with it out of the box with just a few tweaks I have done over time but it still is not perfect. I plan on dropping the $350 for the pro calibration in the next few months.

Ok so after doing a ton more reading I think I've come to a decision.

Right now I'm on the prowl for a used Optoma dv10, or dv11. Here is my reasoning. The reviews I've read for these units are pretty positive, the image performance is good-great, Optoma seems to be the company over half of my recommendations have gone to (so obviously they know their stuff). And here's the kicker... it's an all in one solution.

I realize all-in-one is probably synonymous with lower quality, but it should accomplish everything I need. It's portable, I can use it with no other equipment whatsoever (or can setup speakers and such to improve the experience) the image quality will be good enough for my needs, and from the looks of things, if I troll e-bay long enough I should be able to get a decent unit for under 500$.

Any thoughts? Are there better similarly priced all in one units I don't know about? Is there a better place to hunt for a used unit than e-bay?

Thanks

edit: In this all in one search, I seem to keep coming back to the Epson MovieMate's... specifically the 60. On paper this seems like an incredible machine. LCD Technology with 4000 hour life rating. Built in 10W speakers. 2000 Ansi Lumens with a contrast ratio of 3000:1. I realize the resolution is far less than say an optoma 65, and the maximum size isn't as large, but really I think the built in DVD/Speakers is WAY more useful for my needs than increased resolution. Has anyone had experience with the MovieMate 60? Is the video quality/color acceptable?
Papaslides, you have a PM.

Has anyone had any experience with the Epson MovieMate 60? I'm thinking of buying this unit from amazon (699 normally on sale for 625 and I have a 100$ gift card for amazon). I'm not expecting anything amazing, i know it's only 540p. But I need an all in one unit (someday when I'm not moving so much I may upgrade to a standalone unit and setup a real system in a dedicated room but right now I need the portability and flexibility). I like the idea of an LCD projector with 2000 lumens and a lifetime of 4000-5000 hours... seems awfully pretty on paper which makes me a bit skeptical. I'm just wondering if anyone has had any experience with this unit.

Thanks

When you buy, (if), try to use Tiger Direct who is a sponsored vendor for Discover Card, and DC Will give you 5% cash back on anything from TD, as long as you use the "Shop Discover" site to enter Tiger Direct. I think Best Buy and some others are also sponsored. Check that out. Might even pay to get a Discover Card. I got $65 back on my projector doing that. And 5% on gasoline as well.

I can't believe no one has suggested it yet! Check out the Sanyo PLV-Z60. Right now in your price range on Amazon. I don't have it, but seriously considering it.

Thanks for the recommendation. That sanyo seems pretty good but just not what I need. The optoma hd65 seems like a better standalone unit... and at this point, despite all the naysayers I still think an all in one unit is what I probably need... otherwise I'll be using my laptop as both dvd player and sound system at least 50% of the time (I have no intentions of setting up a permanent configuration for at least 2 more years)

Yeah, the HD65 is getting pretty good reviews it will probably work for ya. I suggested the Sanyo because you said you needed something with good installation flexibility. The HD65 has a fixed lens and a pretty steep offset (image appears a good bit higher than the projector's lens).

The Sanyo has a 2X zoom lens and both horizontal and vertical lens shift, making it much easier to set up from different angles.

Hmm good point. I may be a total n00b but I feel like there's one thing I don't fully understand. Horizontal shift changes the angle that the image is pointed correct? So what is the point of having horizontal shift if the unit only has vertical keystoning... (I'm sure I just don't get it because for my situation I'm not permanently setting my projector up anywhere so I could just as easily rotate the projector myself as use horizontal lens shift and if I'm doing that because the projector is off center from the screen, without keystoning it won't display correctly right?)

Well the idea of lens shift is to avoid the use of keystone correction, which may degrade the picture quality. With lens shift you should be able to avoid the distortion in the image that would appear if you simply turn the projector itself.

That of course works much better and allows for larger variations in the vertical direction. But that is more important as not that many projectors even have horizontal keystone correction (not sure if the Optoma HD65 does).

And not that I am recommending it or anything, but here is another all-in-one solution I just found!

http://www.amazon.com/Sima-XL-PRO-Projector-60-Inch-Inflatable/dp/B002RL8UXY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1258610519&sr=8-1

If you are using your projector from a table top and it is not mounted on the ceiling you probably don't care about lens shift. You can raise and lower the projector so as not to need keystone and move it left to right as well. All in-one anything don't work as well as standalone machines but it does sound like what you are looking for and would fit your needs. Sometimes the needs of the viewer outweigh the need for perfection! :eek: The only other advice I can give is if it is not NEW and you can not try it before you buy it.. don't buy it!

It seems like all-in-one solutions are kind of taboo around these parts. Unfortunately for the next few years it's really all that will fit my needs... even spending that money on a flat screen tv wouldn't really do much good because I wouldn't be able to move it from room to room and it would still take up a lot of space in the cars when it's time to move again.

That being said, as of right now I'm leaning towards the Epson MovieMate 60, unfortunately no one anywhere has any kind of review of the thing. Not even online I can't get a single post-release thought on the thing... it's the strangest thing, and rather unsettling. Has anyone in this forum ever seen it in action? Any thoughts?

What other all-in-one projectors have people owned/had good experiences with ?

Thanks

It seems like all-in-one solutions are kind of taboo around these parts. Unfortunately for the next few years it's really all that will fit my needs... even spending that money on a flat screen tv wouldn't really do much good because I wouldn't be able to move it from room to room and it would still take up a lot of space in the cars when it's time to move again.

That being said, as of right now I'm leaning towards the Epson MovieMate 60, unfortunately no one anywhere has any kind of review of the thing. Not even online I can't get a single post-release thought on the thing... it's the strangest thing, and rather unsettling. Has anyone in this forum ever seen it in action? Any thoughts?

What other all-in-one projectors have people owned/had good experiences with ?

Thanks

They have their place but not really for the typical application sought by most who come here. Several members here have one and have commented on it in years past. The main problem with an all in one is just that - if any part quits, it can affect the entire device and shut down most options while waiting for a repair.

The Moviemates are quite handy for trips and for use in RVs.

I just bought one last Saturday. This is my first PJ, until now I was using my 12 year old 20" trinitron (which in terms of color and contrast is much better than the proj, but the image is tiny for widescreen movies). A few points:

With a good quality DVD, you can get a ~100" (from about 10-12 ft) image that looks really good. Once upon a time in the west is really great. This is a different league than a tv. MAIN COMPLAINT IS THE CONTRAST, a bit low. Dynamic iris does not do much. I am projecting on a white wall, with white walls and ceiling around, which doesn't help. I am not sure if using a good quality pj with much better contrast would help me much in that situation. Also, would a grey screen help? Any comments on this would be appreciated. Black and White movies look great too, although I noticed a very slight warm tone on one side and cool tone on the other side.

Resolution: you can definitely see the pixels if you look closely, but usually this is not a big deal when watching a movie, they are not easily apparent and you tend to forget. I notice jagged edges when there is movement, not sure if this is a moire problem, otherwise it looks sharp enough. Rule of thumb: stay behind the pj and the pixels are not annoying. However, now I understand that 720p and 1080p would really make a difference, especially if you have a blu-ray player (I don't). If you're just watching DVDs, I am not sure you need higher resolution, but again I'm open to comments. Maybe a higher resolution would allow you to seat closer to the screen.

No lens zoom: you "zoom" by moving the PJ closer or further from the wall. Need to get a small stand with wheels... You have to be far from the screen to get a big picture. The bottom of the image corresponds to the top of the projector. No lens shift of course, but vertical keystoning works if you want to project the image a bit higher. You can also ceiling mount.

Sound is surprisingly good. This is no HT sound system, but I was pleasantly surprised. I usually sit 1-2 ft behind the pj which helps. The pj is not too noisy, you don't notice the fan noise it while watching a movie (at least in eco mode -- I never need the full brightness of standard mode, even with the lights on -- the pj is bright).

Divx works well (from CD/DVD, and should also work from usb). Of course, if the divx file has crappy resolution or low bitrate you will notice it on a 100" screen. This thing apparently has not much in terms of video processing to help. If your source is bad, move the pj closer to the wall, or just use the tv instead... A small bug, each time I play a divx I have to switch the aspect ratio back to full.

Settings: there is not much you can do, except for brightness, contrast, saturation, tint and it seems they don't do that much... I quickly tried turning down brightness, increasing contrast and saturation, but you cannot do as much as you'd like before the image starts looking unnatural. You cannot do anything about resolution, just get info (and it says 480i with every DVD I've tried, 480i or 576i for the divx I tried). There is no "resolution" button, but there is a programmable "user" button that you can assign to a function of you choice, including resolution. But when I press it a message appears saying that this feature is currently unavailable. Maybe in a next firmware or pj?? Still I wonder if the dvd player outputs 480i to the pj and if I could set it to 480p or even better if it could upconvert to 540p. There is no mention of this in the manual, other that it is a progressive scan player.

Summary: an entry level pj that lacks a bit in contrast (and resolution), but is a very convenient all in one solution for quickly getting a BIG image of reasonably good quality anywhere.



It seems like all-in-one solutions are kind of taboo around these parts. Unfortunately for the next few years it's really all that will fit my needs... even spending that money on a flat screen tv wouldn't really do much good because I wouldn't be able to move it from room to room and it would still take up a lot of space in the cars when it's time to move again.

That being said, as of right now I'm leaning towards the Epson MovieMate 60, unfortunately no one anywhere has any kind of review of the thing. Not even online I can't get a single post-release thought on the thing... it's the strangest thing, and rather unsettling. Has anyone in this forum ever seen it in action? Any thoughts?

What other all-in-one projectors have people owned/had good experiences with ?

Thanks

Hey thanks for the info! I don't suppose you could post some screen shots of your unit in use (specifically some when it's dark or light controlled and others with ambient light)? That would be really helpful.

Thanks again, it's nice to finally see a real hands on impression

I may be able to take a couple of pics this weekend. The room can be quite dark, but when the pj is ON it illuminates the whole room... By the way, contrast is 300 with auto-iris off according to the manual, 2000 with auto-iris on (yeah, right...).

It wasn't that long ago that a CR of 300 wasn't considered all that bad. What it really means to you is that you need to do a little more work on the room to get the best out of the projector, that's all. You've got a projector with some weak specs, and then you're using it in a room that breaks all the rules with white walls and ceiling, and probably has windows all over the place too. Got a skylight? :D

If you want that projector to work at its best, you've got to treat the walls right. I bet if you set up that pj in any of a zillion rooms that people on the forum here have, you'd see a picture that was entirely acceptable. Not saying it would compete with the HT pj's in those rooms, but it'd certainly be watchable.

It wasn't that long ago that a 300cr wasn't all that bad.

Remember, it's a ratio, not a quantity.

LOL!
I know I know... But I can tell you, the black bars on the edges of the images are *much* brighter than the non illuminated portions of the walls. I do a little bit of photo editing on my computer, and when I use the pj there is something in me that immediately wants to fix the black level...!!

The image is quite decent, I really enjoy watching movies. It's just that contrast is the weakest point of this pj.

That being said, what would you recommend to improve the image. I cannot paint the walls (I'm renting). Would a moderate gain screen help avoid light reflections on the walls/ceiling? A gray screen? Keep in mind that the pj cost $600, so the screen should be cheap. Another thing I'm wondering about, if nothing else changes (no screen, white walls and ceiling, watching at night), would a projector with a better contrast ratio significantly improve the picture?


papaslides: no pics yet, will try later this week.



It wasn't that long ago that a CR of 300 wasn't considered all that bad. What it really means to you is that you need to do a little more work on the room to get the best out of the projector, that's all. You've got a projector with some weak specs, and then you're using it in a room that breaks all the rules with white walls and ceiling, and probably has windows all over the place too. Got a skylight? :D

If you want that projector to work at its best, you've got to treat the walls right. I bet if you set up that pj in any of a zillion rooms that people on the forum here have, you'd see a picture that was entirely acceptable. Not saying it would compete with the HT pj's in those rooms, but it'd certainly be watchable.

It wasn't that long ago that a 300cr wasn't all that bad.

Remember, it's a ratio, not a quantity.

LOL!
would a projector with a better contrast ratio significantly improve the picture?



Yes it would... I am in a similar situation - renting a house with very light blue (almost white) walls, white ceiling and a cheap white draper screen. The difference in contrast between the Epson 705HD I had briefly and my current LG HS201 is night and day (or the other way around, since really the 705 was almost blindingly bright).

Jotasz, don't worry about it if you can't get to the pics right away... I'm just immensely grateful you're willing to get them when you can :)

bobbyslav, projectorcentral actually gave the 705hd a fairly decent review... have you had a chance to read it? If so what do you agree/disagree with?

Thanks

So my list is ever evolving, and now I've got a basically all new list of prospective projectors:

1. Epson 705HD, I've gotten mixed reviews bobbyslav you really didn't like this projector... at all. Projectorcentral gave it a pretty good review, but beyond those 2 opinions I haven't heard/seen much.

2. Optoma HD65/66: I'm very intrigued by the 66, it's brighter, seems to have more longevity, and is almost the same size and price. I'm concerned that the picture quality will be less because of all these improvements without increasing the price, still the 65 is one of the more often talked about/highly recommended budget projectors so it's high on my list until I hear more about the 66.

3. Mitsubishi HC1500: I've heard really good and really... ok things about this projector. At this point this is on the list if I can find it on ebay for under 500 (unless the lamp is new/almost new in which case my budget is 600).

Any other thoughts/suggestions?

Jotasz, don't worry about it if you can't get to the pics right away... I'm just immensely grateful you're willing to get them when you can :)

bobbyslav, projectorcentral actually gave the 705hd a fairly decent review... have you had a chance to read it? If so what do you agree/disagree with?

Thanks

So my list is ever evolving, and now I've got a basically all new list of prospective projectors:

1. Epson 705HD, I've gotten mixed reviews bobbyslav you really didn't like this projector... at all. Projectorcentral gave it a pretty good review, but beyond those 2 opinions I haven't heard/seen much.

2. Optoma HD65/66: I'm very intrigued by the 66, it's brighter, seems to have more longevity, and is almost the same size and price. I'm concerned that the picture quality will be less because of all these improvements without increasing the price, still the 65 is one of the more often talked about/highly recommended budget projectors so it's high on my list until I hear more about the 66.

3. Mitsubishi HC1500: I've heard really good and really... ok things about this projector. At this point this is on the list if I can find it on ebay for under 500 (unless the lamp is new/almost new in which case my budget is 600).

Any other thoughts/suggestions?



I don't think I've ever read a non-positive review on projectorcentral. The only thing I agree with their review is that the 705HD is bright and that the auto iris is loud.

I think you are over-estimating the importance of brightness for your situation. My room is with very lightly colored walls, white ceilings and two windows. My LCD TV just decided to quit working couple of days ago (two months after its warranty expired), so I've been using my projector as my only TV. I don't really bother closing curtains or anything and I still get a very watchable picture.

If the 705HD is your first projector, you've never seen a DLP projector before, and you only watch HD on it you will likely be happy with it. But if you mostly watch standard definition material, the 705 does a very poor job with upscaling those signals.

I had the HC1500 for about 2 years. It had a fantastic picture, but its color wheel became unbearably noisy, if you read through its thread you'll see that it's a common problem with that projector. My other problem with it was Mitsubishi's poor support chain. It's almost impossible to find original replacement lamps for it from a reputable source, and if you intend to use it as your only display you probably should consider this.

I've never seen the Optoma in action. The HD65 and HC1500 were the hottest projectors back in the day... I chose the Mitsubishi because I thought it looked cooler.

I don't remember if I already suggested it, but I think you might want to check out the Benq W600 - 2600 lumens, 3000:1 contrast ratio (DLP, which will actually have good contrast unlike the Epson LCDs that claim the same ratio), 4000 hour lamp life and a replacement lamp with an MSRP of 199. Projector People had it right around your price point for Thanksgiving. Maybe if you call them they might work with you or there might be another sale around Christmas.

Bobbyslav, I appreciate you're candor... seriously I do appreciate it, I'm sure my inane search is getting frustrating but I appreciate you and others like you constantly being willing to help.

My main problem with the BenQ W600 is the offset (8"-9" based on my necessary throw distances), though I guess since I'm shelf mounting it and moving it all over the place as long as it has vertical keystone correction that doesn't matter (my placement options are only 1 per room. And in the bedroom it's shelf mounting above the bed's headboard to project on the wall above the dressers on the opposite side.

What price was the W600 at projector people when it was on sale? It's on Amazon.com for 100$ off, which is good because I have a 100$ gift card to amazon.com so that's where I am buying my projector from.

Does anyone have first hand experience with the w600 and would be able to post some screen shots of it in use?

Thanks

What price was the W600 at projector people when it was on sale? It's on Amazon.com for 100$ off, which is good because I have a 100$ gift card to amazon.com so that's where I am buying my projector from.



Thanks

I can't remember exactly, I think it was 649. If the offset is your problem, I am not sure I understand your situation then - the HC1500 and the HD65 both have a similar, pretty severe offset, while the the Epson 705HD has practically none. I am not sure how these two extremes could work in your set up, but the W600 couldn't...

That said, I was able to install both the HC1500 and the 705HD in the same place without using any keystone correction.

Does anyone have first hand experience with the w600 and would be able to post some screen shots of it in use?

Thanks


Here's a link to another forum with people's impressions of the w600 and some screen shots.

http://www.avforums.com/forums/projectors/1124892-benq-w600-worth-consdering-against-hd65-x9-2.html

Bobbyslav, I should just stop worrying about the offset. As I've said I'll be moving this thing around pretty regularly, and as long as there is keystone correction I should be fine (I can just raise the back of the projector to aim it the right direction, I'm willing to deal with the "softening" of the image that is the result).

I'm also still waiting to hear more about this HD66 that optoma just sent out a press release about. I'm curious to see if it handles normal content as well as the HD65, just brighter and with 3d capabilities added.