I am interested in a projector for a moderately lit (we never have a "bright" room in our house) multi-purpose room. A 70 inch screen would be fine, but I can't get past the SSE on rear projectors. Love plasma, but at that size... $$$.

Anyway, it would be used for movies and our regular TV viewing (HD, of course!)

Is it even possible (at the price point of this thread) to get such a projector?

Oh, it would be 13 or 14 feet from screen, with seating at about 10 feet.

Thanks much!

That's certainly possible on a 70" screen, but front projectors lose a lot of their contrast in a "moderately lit" room (like around 50:1 at best). You can get a lot better results with a flat panel display - around 1000:1 contrast ratio, or better. If you are willing to drop the room light from "moderate" to "low" (still enough to see where you're walking and/or using a PC), then it's certainly possible to get a PJ (like the Mitsubishi HD1000 or Optoma HD70) + screen for under about $1500, which will fit your requirements. I would go with a larger screen though - maybe 80" or even 92" (the price difference between 70" and 92" is very small). Sitting at around 10' away, it would be great.

Remember, you really should have a (5.1 channel, minimum) surround sound system to go with it. PJs don't have speakers (and those that do, are usually 2" mono ones). The exceptions are the Movie-Time models (but they're only 2.1 channel systems). But don't get "taken in" by the HTIB (home theater in a box) type advertisements. They are not worth the price, and you can get a much better system by buying "separates" for around the same amount of money (especially when they're on sale).

We have a front PJ for night-time viewing (with 1 100W, equivalent, fluorescent lamp on behind the screen). We sit at 11.5' from a 106" high-gain screen. We do watch some TV on the PJ, as well as DVD movies. However, for daytime viewing, we use a 32" LCD set for watching TV. However, when we use the PJ, the room is not moderately lit (if it were, our screen would be worthless and the picture, virtually, unwatcheable).

NOTE: The price of our 32" LCD flat panel set is less than half the cost of our PJ + screen. Also, remember that a PJ is not a TV. You can't turn it on and off like one - if you do, it won't last very long. And you shouldn't turn it on and leave it on for more than 10 to 16 hours at a time. You should also not use it in a hot room (over 75 degrees F at the PJ location).

Before you commit to getting a PJ, you need to do a lot more reading than you've already done. You don't want to get a PJ and then be disappointed because it doesn't do what you want. A PJ can be a very expensive novelty, if you aren't willing to put up with the necessary compromizes for enjoyable viewing (it's not a TV set, in the usual sense).

Thanks, CT. That's pretty much what I thought. I was wondering (hoping) that there were some "newer" models that would be able to perform the duty I mentioned.

I currently have a 50" plasma and I LOVE it. No SSE, lovely glass screen (I have seen little reflection in my set-up) and it's great even in the middle of the day in our house. I have a good 5.1 set-up with Paradigm speakers all around.

I just want to go bigger and more "cinematic" with our new room, but so far am at a loss. The 65 inch Panny is way too much $$$, and the RPTVs all have SSE, which, try as I might, I simply can not make myself NOT see.

I guess I could look at some of the 58"- 60" model plasmas, but I just don't know if that's going to seem like a big enough step-up, which is why I was looking at PJs. And you are 100% right-- regardless of what I get, there is LOTS more reading ahead! Your advice (and concern) are appreciated.

Oh great! SSE. I looked it up and now I have a new flaw to look for when I'm watching Ice Station Zebra :) .

CT is right and it seems you have the sound system in place. I have a Panny AX100U that will fight through quite a bit of ambient light from 14' on a 90" painted screen. You could do this for less than $2k. And you could go alot bigger from that throw range with that PJ. I fight the urge to make my screen bigger (work) and still keep it between my speakers which I can't move because of imaging issues. You'll find that once you go big, you'll want to go bigger.

What matters most is if the light is "aimed" at the screen. Low to no light will improve the picture tremendously.

But, as CT implied, when you fire up the PJ expect to watch it for 2 hours minimum and not fire it up again until at least 2 hours later. It fries the lamp.

However SD Comcast cable on that particular PJ is quite watchable on most stations and the HD stuff is to die for.

Get a 106" Da-Lite High Power (check it out in the screens forum) and the Panasonic AX100U, but be ready to replace the bulb every 500 hours or so. It makes a great TV.

That's a cheap bright combo that deals with ambient light pretty well.

Get a 106" Da-Lite High Power (check it out in the screens forum) and the Panasonic AX100U, but be ready to replace the bulb every 500 hours or so. It makes a great TV.


I use my AX100U for my regular TV. It has over 1100 hours of use and I haven't replaced the bulb because it is still plenty bright.

My problem is 4:3 burn-in.

I use my AX100U for my regular TV. It has over 1100 hours of use and I haven't replaced the bulb because it is still plenty bright.

My problem is 4:3 burn-in.I don't understand your "burn-in" issue. LCD panels are not subject to burn-in. However, if the majority of video that you are viewing is 4:3 formatted, then the panels will exhibit some degree of "image retention". This can be eliminated by switching to 16:9 material for several hours (if the image retention is bad, it may take longer). The 16:9 video should have lots of bright scenes for best effect.

It's also possible that you've burned the 4:3 pattern into the polarizers (in the light amount of dirt that has built up on them). This would be most prevalent if you haven't cleaned the air filters every 40 hours or so. These polarizers can be cleaned (using dry canned air). I have a copy of the service manual for the AE100, if you need it (send me a PM with your email address).

Although I don't like to do it, you could use the "stretch" mode (or equivalent for your AE100) to run the 4:3 video as a 16:9 picture. Playing 4:3 video stretched to 16:9 does make all the actors look fat :eek:.

The L300U (= AE300U) that I had, didn't show any image retention, but I didn't have that many hours on it when I gave it to my step-son.

JHouse -- eddiwill may not have the room for a 106" screen (and that would be a little big for 10' seating (especially if his future PJ is 720p or less and/or has significant SDE). For his setup, it sounds like a 92" or 96" would be the best (he wouldn't need as bright a PJ either, so he will have more flexibility in choices).

Yes, CT, that is the size I was looking at. Larger won't work in my space. If I gather correctly from all the posts, that could be a good thing, as I will be able to maximize brightness?

Based on the above posts, I read several reviews of the AX100U (which sounds GREAT, btw). I then read some reviews of the 1080p model and it wasn't as clear to me that the 1080p unit will work as well (brightness-wise) as the 720p model. Did I miss something? I want to stave off upgrade-itis as long as possible, so I feel I should at least take a good look at 1080p.

Also, why the heck are these lamps so crazy expensive? Does anyone see price drop/cheaper technology on the horizon?

Thanks again for all the input here-- extremely helpful!

Yes, CT, that is the size I was looking at. Larger won't work in my space. If I gather correctly from all the posts, that could be a good thing, as I will be able to maximize brightness?

Based on the above posts, I read several reviews of the AX100U (which sounds GREAT, btw). I then read some reviews of the 1080p model and it wasn't as clear to me that the 1080p unit will work as well (brightness-wise) as the 720p model. Did I miss something? I want to stave off upgrade-itis as long as possible, so I feel I should at least take a good look at 1080p.

Also, why the heck are these lamps so crazy expensive? Does anyone see price drop/cheaper technology on the horizon?

Thanks again for all the input here-- extremely helpful!

GO WITH THE 106" High Power......I promise you will have remorse in a month if you don't.......I sit from 8 to 10 feet from my 106 high power and it is perfect....even sde isn't an issue and I have the pjtx100 from hitachi (720p).......I can even have three 60 watt lamps on and daylight in the room and still very enjoyable if sitting in the sweet spot.......I have 300 watt light on the other sifde of the room and that can be on as well.

the 106 screen isn't as big as u think it would be........it won't swallow the room............but then again if you are a newbie a 70 inch might seem overwhelming at first.

JHouse -- eddiwill may not have the room for a 106" screen (and that would be a little big for 10' seating (especially if his future PJ is 720p or less and/or has significant SDE). For his setup, it sounds like a 92" or 96" would be the best (he wouldn't need as bright a PJ either, so he will have more flexibility in choices).

This particular projector has no screen door at that distance and closer on that screen. Also he wants a big impressive picture, so he will soon be bored with relatively small size he is considering, plus he wants daytime viewing which will require him to blast lumens onto the highest gain screen he can get.

There really isn't another way to go and satisfy all these priorities for the price he is talking about.

...if you are a newbie a 70 inch might seem overwhelming at first.

This is exactly right. And that feeling won't last very long. Especially if you see a typical screen. Screens that small aren't ever even discussed around these parts.

Yes, CT, that is the size I was looking at. Larger won't work in my space. If I gather correctly from all the posts, that could be a good thing, as I will be able to maximize brightness?

Based on the above posts, I read several reviews of the AX100U (which sounds GREAT, btw). I then read some reviews of the 1080p model and it wasn't as clear to me that the 1080p unit will work as well (brightness-wise) as the 720p model. Did I miss something? I want to stave off upgrade-itis as long as possible, so I feel I should at least take a good look at 1080p.

Also, why the heck are these lamps so crazy expensive? Does anyone see price drop/cheaper technology on the horizon?

Thanks again for all the input here-- extremely helpful!The Epson Home 1080 is "tons" brighter than the AE100. In the dimmest (best movie) mode of the Epson 1080, it is around twice as bright as the Z5 in it's dimmest (best movie) mode, and it is around as bright as the other 720p PJs.

BTW, brightness is not the primary performance factor you should be looking at. Color, sharpness, and contrast performance is actually more important (because your eyes are more sensitive to color, etc. and are extremely adaptive to brightness). I know I may get a lot of argument here (especially from JHouse - he likes his eyeballs burned out :rolleyes: ), but that is my opinion. For more information on the Epson 1080, see: http://www.projectorreviews.com/epson/HomeProCinema1080/index.asp. The Z5 review is here: http://www.projectorreviews.com/sanyo/PLVZ5/index.php.

As for lamp prices, see my response to his very same question (for at least the 4th time): http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=10649630&&#post10649630. The lamp assembly is probably the most expensive part in the PJ, as CMRA guessed (4 posts after mine).

I like the Toshibas...

Thanks again for the input. Very informative! I will look into those screen/pj combos. I did go look at the thread regarding lamp costs, also infomative. FWIW, I didn't think the prices were a conspiracy (or that "the man" was taking unfair advantage of me), I was just going on past CE experience where prices for a lot of technologies tend to trend down over time, particulary with more adoption. I know projectors are more of a niche item, but was just wondering. And now I know. :D