...or, a trip down memory lane.

I'm sure this 'blast-from-the-past' will bring back some memories to the veteran faithful. For all the 'newbies', look how good you got it.

5 years ago this month with many fewer gray hairs EVAN wrote this:

"Home Theater Projectors - ProjectorCentral Recommendations
Evan Powell, February 5, 2002

Thanks to those of you who have written encouraging us to continue with a "recommended" projectors feature. Here are our latest recommendations and updates.

Sanyo PLC-XP21N / Boxlight MP-38t / Eiki LC-X999 / Proxima DP9260+ : This outstanding projector manufactured by Sanyo and marketed under the four labels noted continues to sell extremely well. And with street prices now down to about $5,000 it maintains its commanding position as one of the very best overall values in a projector for home theater today. The widely spread rumor of this product's imminent demise are greatly exaggerated. Yes, it has been on the market for a year, and products don't often make it even that long. But this one will be around for quite a while. For many home theater buyers it is without a doubt the best place to invest $5,000. Please note--there is often no advantage whatsoever in buying a product from the original manufacturer instead of one of the remarketing companies. In fact the opposite is the case...remarketers often deliver better service, support, return policies, warranties, etc., to distinguish themselves from the original manufacturer. So if you are in the market for the XP21N, do not fail to check the offerings from those who market the exact same machine under their own labels.

InFocus Screenplay 110: We have just reviewed this unit (click for review). Bottom line...this is a superb performer for the current retail price of $4,999. It is particularly outstanding for the display of widescreen enhanced DVD, as well as occasional HDTV. It is the only product in the $5,000 price class that can compete for the cash you might otherwise spend on the Sanyo XP21N. More will be posted on the competitive advantages of these two machines shortly.

Sharp XV-Z9000U: Sharp hit it out of the ballpark when they introduced this native 16:9 high resolution DLP projector. At street prices of around $9,000, the Z9000U clearly dominates the high-end digital projector market. It is strongly recommended for buyers who are heavy into HDTV, have good HDTV sources at hand, and want the very best HDTV picture they can get. More will be posted shortly comparing the Sharp Z9000U to the InFocus Screenplay 110--is it worth the extra $4,000?. For some it is, for some it isn't. Stay tuned.

PLUS "Piano" HE-3100: For those who don't want to go deep into the retirement funds for a projector, the PLUS Piano is a unique little product for a particular kind of buyer. If you don't have good HDTV sources in your area, or you don't care about HDTV, the Piano may be for you. At a retail price of just $2,995, it can produce a truly exciting picture from enhanced widescreen DVDs. That is what it is designed to do, and that is just about all that it does, but it does it very well. It needs a dark room, and don't push it beyond a 6 foot wide screen. But if that is your set up, there is nothing that can touch the clarity of its image in the $3,000 price range.

Best regards,

Evan Powell"

And, just for more fun, the 2003 line up:

"Highly Recommended Home Theater Projectors


NOTICE: This page no longer being updated.
Click here for latest updates.

(Alphabetical order by price category. Please note that most projectors sell for street prices below MSRP, some far below MSRP. So it is worth checking the market for any projector you might be interested in.)
ProjectorCentral.com

MSRP Price range: $7,000 and up


Sanyo PLV-WF10. The WF10 is the Hummer of home theater projectors--a big muscular machine with a big picture--not suitable for small rooms and small screens. Fan noise must be managed with external sound damping. Extremely low street prices relative to the MSRP. Overall excellent value.

MSRP Price range: $4,000 to $7,000


BenQ PE8700. An excellent price-performer among projectors using the HD2+ DLP chip, available at exceptionally low street prices. The native 1280x720 resolution and DVI input make the DVDO iScan HD processont an excellent companion piece for optimum performance.


NEC HT1100. Never mind its native 4:3 format, it is great for home theater due to the anamorphic lens that comes with it transforms it into a 16:9 unit. 4:3 material can be displayed either in the center of a 16:9 screen or in very large screen native 4:3 format. Though it will throw images 150" or larger, for best results keep image size to 100" diagonal (16:9) or less.


Toshiba MT800, also marketed as the InFocus Screenplay 7205. A powerhouse home theater projector--excellent light output, contrast, and superb overall image quality with both standard and high definition sources. Can be used with some ambient light in the room, especially in high lamp mode, but best used in a dark viewing area.

MSRP Price range: $3,000 to $4,000


InFocus Screenplay 5700. Featuring the new Matterhorn 1024x576 DLP chip from TI, this native 16:9 projector is the most exciting video projector yet produced by InFocus. Excellent color dynamics, and optimally precalibrated at the factory, this projector performs at its peak right out of the box.


Sony VPL-HS51. Another outstanding product from Sony. This unit produces more contrast from LCD than any other product we've seen. It is an impressive overall performer.

Price range: $2,000 to $3,000


Mitsubishi XD450U With street prices at their current level, the XD450U represents excellent performance at this budget range. The sealed light engine eliminates the need to worry about changing or cleaning air filters. The unique 5000-hour lamp life cuts cost of ownership. Overall an outstanding value in this price range.


Panasonic PT-AE700U The 2.0x zoom range, lens shift, and front exhaust make this unit ideal for shelf mounting on a rear wall. This one is as easy to install as they come. Excellent contrast and high resolution HDTV performance for a very attractive price.


Sanyo PLV-Z3 A major overhaul of the popular PLV-Z2, the Z3 produces great contrast, black levels, and color saturation, particularly when used in low lumen Theater Black mode. For best results this unit should be used in Theater Black mode used in a dark viewing room on a screen of about 90" diagonal. Excellent image quality for the money.

Price range: $1,500 to $2,000

Sanyo PLV-Z2. One of the strongest price-performing home theater projectors to hit the market in a long time. Excellent image quality, excellent price, excellent value. See the review for tips on screens and installation procedures.

Panasonic PT-L500, also marketed as the PT-AE500U. A strong head-to-head competitor with the Sanyo PLV-Z2 and a step up from the lower resolution PT-L300U. See the shoot-out review for detailed comparison between the L500 and the Z2.

Price range: Under $1,500


BenQ PE5120. Native 16:9 format with 854x480 resolution. Excellent entry level unit, easy to use, easy to set up, delivers great picture for the money. See review.

Mitsubishi HC3 Colorview. A bright new 1/4 HD resolution machine for those who want great image quality at entry level prices, and who want to leave the lights on in the viewing room. Color performance is outstanding. See review for details on ideal set up and usage.

Optoma H31. Native 16:9 widescreen format in 854x480 resolution, with a 4x speed color wheel that is rare in this price class. Outstanding color balance and saturation, an elegant image overall. See review.

Optoma H30. Native SVGA resolution DLP projector with a 4x speed color wheel. The new H31 is a clear step up in widescreen performance, but as long as the H30 is available at discounted prices it remains a great value. See review.

BENQ PB6100. Native SVGA resolution DLP projector. Exceptional price/performance. See review for differences between this and the XGA resolution PB6200 listed above.

Epson Powerlite Home 10. Epson's first entry-level projector offers widescreen features and performance for a great price. Good flexibility for setting up the unit in a variety of room configurations. (see review)."

what no mentions of the LT150! :p

what no mentions of the LT150! :pI was going to say the same thing. :D

The past????? I am still running a Sanyo PLC-XP21N although I expect to upgrade to a 1080p projector really soon. It actually produces a good image if there are not too many dark scenes.

what no mentions of the LT150! :p

Not until Dell mispriced them and everyone jumped on board.

I remember reading about those modifications that Guy Kuo was doing to a brand new LT150.

If thats the blackout method, its alive and well and working on my HD70 :)

I remember in 2001 looking into $4000 front projectors and finding exactly Jack and S**t that had any image quality in that pricerange. Opted for a $2800 RPTV instead. Was very happy. Didn't go FP until 480p DLP's hit the $999 range and was immediately satisfied.

Well, scratch that, I owned a Z1 for about a week a year before the DLP when IT hit $999, and was so horrifed at the Z1's image that I opted for the $150+ restocking and shipping fee rather than live with that abysmal hunk of....kindness :)

This is why there are so many of them' pesky CRT'ers. ;)

Jonathan

hahah ... this is classic ... the memories of worrying while importing my first AE100 through japanparts (if I remember correctly). The good old times :) I couldn't believe the improvement I got when I got my X1 .. then 4805 .. etc etc

Timely thread. I bought an NEC LT-150 during the great Dell deal, and it's still my HT projector - until tomorrow. The third bulb was getting up there (850 hours), so I finally pulled the trigger and ordered an Optoma HD6800. It should be here tomorrow, and the old LT-150 comes down and goes to that big projection room in the sky.

That little NEC produced a very decent picture and worked without a flaw for a long time. In fact, it's still working as good as new. The other two bulbs were removed at 1000 hours still working fine, so now I have three bulbs that have run out of time but work okay. I'll bet between the three of them this projector still has another 1000 hours or more of life in it. It's by far the best electronics purchase I ever made.

In fact, you could say the LT-150 made me several hundred thousand dollars. See, I was living in a much smaller home when I bought it, and the home theater bug hit and I just had to build an HT. We couldn't build one in our old house, so I started shopping for a new one. So we extended ourselves to the limit to afford the house I wanted, which was significantly bigger and more expensive than the old one. And a year later a huge real-estate boom hit the city and more than doubled all the home prices between then and now. Had I stayed in the old house, our net worth would be hundreds of thousands of dollars lower.

How long has it been since the Dell deal? Six years?

Yeah, I remember getting my second LCD PJ, the Panasonic PT-L300U, sight unseen, on the basis of Evan Powell's review (I hadn't found out about these forums then). That was a good PJ for less than $2000 from an AVS Alliance Member. It is still going strong on it's original lamp in my other-half son's house. It replaced my 12+ year old $7000 Sharp, 640 x 480, LCD that had fallen into disuse - not very bright on a 80" glass beaded screen, with lots of SDE.

Now I can get a very good 720p LCD PJ for even less money (Epson 400 or Sanyo Z5), or a number of very good DLPs (with mounting restrictions that I can't live with) for a lot less. As they say in New Orleans, "let the good times roll" :D.

I also bought an LT 150 in the great Dell deal of some years back, and I'm still using it despite its age. Though it isn't nearly up to the quality of today's newer projectors, it never fails to impress people who come by when it is fired up and showing a movie.

I'm thinking I might get another year or so out of it before I upgrade.

By that time, I'm hoping that 1080p PJs will be more affordable. I'm just not sure that I can wait that long - my current 962 x 540 PJ has SDE and the lack of detail on Discovery HD Theater programs is getting to me (although the PQ is still very good).

Wiebe, I thought you were running a high-end DLP, like a Tosh or something...???

I'm still running a XGA Panasonic PT-LC75U lcd projector I bought in August 2002 for $2100.00. I have 1100 total hours on it and it has been very reliable. It was the s&#t back in the day ( I bought it over Panasonic's first official HT projector the AE100), but the 400:1 contrast ratio is really starting to show it's age now. I just wish I could go DLP now- but eyes still have issues with 4x colorwheels :(

I had that Sanyo 21N. It was an upgrade from a DLP projector because, believe it or not, it had better blacks and higher contrast and was much brighter. It retailed for $12,000 though the street price was nearer 5k. It was XGA and you had to have an external signal processer to make it work right.

Replaced with the venerable PLV-70, which is just now starting to have the blacks look gray in darker scenes compared to the AX100U and the 42" LCD flat screens elsewhere.

I also bought an LT 150 in the great Dell deal of some years back, and I'm still using it despite its age. Though it isn't nearly up to the quality of today's newer projectors, it never fails to impress people who come by when it is fired up and showing a movie.

I'm thinking I might get another year or so out of it before I upgrade.

I was tempted to keep the LT-150, because I've always been happy with it and it's been completely reliable. However, its drawbacks finally overcame its advantages:

- at $400 for a new 1000 hour bulb, it would cost $1200 to get the same 3000 hours of projector usage that you can get by buying a brand-new 720P DLP with five times the contrast ratio for less than the cost of the 3 bulbs. That alone meant that it was crazy to spend another $400 on yet another bulb.

- The fan noise is really getting to me. I built a hush-box enclosure area for the projector, but never bothered finishing the box itself because I knew I was replacing the LT-150 and didn't want to build a box only to find the new projector wouldn't fit in it. But the new generation of projectors are so quiet I'm not sure I'll even bother.

- The lack of contrast is starting to bother me. It was excellent in its day, but can't come close to newer projectors. Now that I know other projectors are so much better, I really notice the lack of deep blacks.

Other than that, I love the thing. It seems a shame to just shelve it since it still works so well, but I don't think an LT-150 with a near run-out bulb is worth anything. I'll probably just keep it as a backup projector in case the new one has to go in for repairs or something.

Wiebe, I thought you were running a high-end DLP, like a Tosh or something...???Yeah, I have a Toshiba TDP-MT700 (720P) which has been sitting on the floor, under the desk, since June 2006 with a dead lamp. Today, I finally got quthorization from RepairMaster (my lamp warranty company) to buy a PE7700 lamp and they would refund the money (they have been unable to get a replacement lamp out of Toshiba since last November - they kept getting told new ETA's about every 2 weeks). Two weeks ago, I fianlly got in contact with some responsive CSRs at RepairMaster (prior to then, every CSR that I contacted was just an order taker, and refused to acknowledge that they couldn't get me a replacement lamp). It turns out that I found a PE7700 lamp for a price that is under their price cap for the replacement MT700 lamp. I have to FAX in the receipt and they will send me the money :D (finally).

If that lamp fails early, I will either get another replacement lamp (I have another year on the lamp warranty) or just write off the MT700 totally and get a replacement PJ at that time. I will just have to see what happens. At the rate I use my PJ (around 80 - 100 hours per month), it will only last around 3-4 months - the last one failed at 375 hours.

In the meantime I had bought a cheap Mitsu HC3 (960 x 540 LCD - less $, July 4th sale, than I had paid for my 27" Sony CRT 4:3 TV) so I would be able to watch projected images on my 106" screen. Fortunately SDE doesn't bother me, unless the program material doesn't grab my attention (then I look at the picture and see the SDE, big time). I've been using the HC3 on the average of 24 hours/week since last July, without a hiccup (after calibration, of course).

In the meantime I had bought a cheap Mitsu HC3 (960 x 540 LCD - less $, July 4th sale, than I had paid for my 27" Sony CRT 4:3 TV) so I would be able to watch projected images on my 106" screen. Fortunately SDE doesn't bother me, unless the program material doesn't grab my attention (then I look at the picture and see the SDE, big time). I've been using the HC3 on the average of 24 hours/week since last July, without a hiccup (after calibration, of course).

So Claus, ready to join the revolution? With 720p so cheap now and the HD/BD fraternity on the march, how much longer can you hold out?

I was tempted to keep the LT-150, because I've always been happy with it and it's been completely reliable. However, its drawbacks finally overcame its advantages:


Cool to see so many that have used the LT150 for so long. I was thinking I was the only one left behind. I wasn't part of the Dell Deal but I bought mine at the same time for a really good price. The pic has been excellent, but I was finally able to get my hands on the Sharp DT-500. I'm happy with my experience with the LT, but it's time to move on.... Hopefully I'll get the same kind of service out of my latest upgrade. For those that have had the LT150, I've got comparison screen shots if you interested in this thread (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=840495)

The Sharp XV-Z9000U was one of the first digital pj's I saw that made me feel
like I could have my own fp based HT. However, the $14000K CDN or so price tag
was not for the light hearted. I found AVS Forum in 2002 (lurked for about 18 months
prior to my first post). This opened up a whole new set of possibilities. Before that
I watched dvd's on a 53" Sony XBR RPTV circa 1996 thinking it could never get any better.
I see the Epson 1080 is now $2700 with rebate. How times have changed.

I still can't believe I once paid $1,000 for an X1. I loved it though, but to know the quality I got from my $500 4805 a couple years later it amazes me how things have progressed so quickly with digital projectors.

I too paid 1000 for the x1. LOL I remember how impressed my friends were. I also had the $500 4805. I have sold all my projectors and gotten a decent return.

Now the under 1k models are a treat!

Can't wait till 1080p is under 1k.