I am a total newbie to the PJ world. I currently own a 50" Mits DLP RP unit which I thoroughly enjoy. However, moved into a new house where the previous owner set up a nice theater room (but wisely took all his equipment). So, I need (not want ) a nice projector to resurrect the room!!!

I've only been able to view the Sony Pearl model (and thought it looked great) but I don't really want to pay $4-$5K. I've read through most of the forums and see that there are definite pros and cons to many of the units out there. I've also seen that there are decent projectors under $3K (thus why I'm posting in this forum). I'm even willing to accept rebates that drop the price below the $3k barrier.

As a newbie (and not an upgrader), I'm thinking that whichever projector I pick, I'm going to be pretty darn impressed with. Could any other newbies or experts confirm?

As a side note, I have a PS3, so I'm looking for a 1080p projector rather than the 720p versions.

I know that this is a totally subjective question, but I figured others were in the same boat or had similar experience.

As a newcomer to PJs, you have several options to consider. Here are two:

1. Buy one of the 2 or 3 1080p PJs that are now around $3K, with and without rebate.
You will be mightly impressed and most likely happy with your purchase.

OR

2. Since you are new AND you expressed the desire to save some money - Buy a 720p PJ for at or under $1K and spend the money you save on setting up a good home theater room. You will still be impressed and happy. Then you can upgrade to a 1080p when they have come down in price as well as improved in features and performance.

that is exactly what I did. I looked at the Panny 1080p projector (not looked at but looked into) then was interested in the AX100. Was going to jump on that until I saw a tiny bit of concern regarding quality issues? Then I read about the HD1000u and instantly found my starter Projector.

I also have the PS3 and I seriously believe 1080p vs. 720p is a factor, but not the only factor in PQ. With the price you can get the Mitsu I saw no need to get 1080p now. I will wait until the 1080p projectors come down to 1-1.5k levels and jump in then.

As a newbie to the PJ world, it is likely that just about any HT PJ in a properly light controlled room will "wow" you. I've had two 720p projectors and my current model (the AE900) continues to wow me every time I power it up. I'm sure that I'll eventually move on to 1080p, but I'm in absolutely no hurry. If funds are limited, I suggest cutting corners on the PJ instead of the screen. A good screen will provide satisfaction for years while PJ generations come and go. If you haven't gotten to the screen yet, I highly recommend looking at Carada's Criterion series. The 142" in brilliant white fabric is a sweet screen. :)

As a newbie to the PJ world, it is likely that just about any HT PJ in a properly light controlled room will "wow" you. I've had two 720p projectors and my current model (the AE900) continues to wow me every time I power it up. I'm sure that I'll eventually move on to 1080p, but I'm in absolutely no hurry. If funds are limited, I suggest cutting corners on the PJ instead of the screen. A good screen will provide satisfaction for years while PJ generations come and go. If you haven't gotten to the screen yet, I highly recommend looking at Carada's Criterion series. The 142" in brilliant white fabric is a sweet screen. :)
The Panny AE900 with a Carada Brilliant White screen is the same combo I have.

I feel the same way about upgrading as you do...it wows me every time I fire it up and, consequently, I barely think of upgrading at all.

Seeing Planet Earth on PBS-HD with this combo, I cannot imagine any newbie (or oldie) not being very impressed with the results. Talk about SWEET!

The difference between a good 720P pj and 1080P pj is virtually indistinguishable from 1.5 away from the screen and it's so close at 1X that other things like contrast, colors black level etc are more important to me.

Are you planning on upgrading the sound system as well? Do you have a budget for that?

Thanks to everyone for the advice. It's very much appreciated. I think I'll be getting a good 720p model for now and wait for the 1080p models to shake out.

As for the sound system, I'm pretty good on that right now. I have a Def Tech system with a Sony ES receiver that I'm going to pull off the DLP TV system I currently have.

The screen is going to be a whole other wold of headache. The current room is totally light-controlled, so I do have some options. My intitial impression was to go with the Goo Systems product, but now that I have a little more money in the budget, I might explore a little more.

Thanks to everyone for the advice. It's very much appreciated. I think I'll be getting a good 720p model for now and wait for the 1080p models to shake out.

As for the sound system, I'm pretty good on that right now. I have a Def Tech system with a Sony ES receiver that I'm going to pull off the DLP TV system I currently have.

The screen is going to be a whole other wold of headache. The current room is totally light-controlled, so I do have some options. My intitial impression was to go with the Goo Systems product, but now that I have a little more money in the budget, I might explore a little more.


Since you have a dedicated room I presume you have total light control plus the walls and ceilings are dark so I would recommend a DIY Wilsonart Designer White screen. This material is very close to Stewart Screen's ST130 material but is 100s of $s cheaper. Go to the DIY Screen forum for more info.