Hello all,

For the past couple weeks, I have been looking through projector reviews and the like here on AVS and elsewhere. I have always dreamed about playing games and watching movies on a projector, and I think I am ready to make the plunge. This said; I am sorely uneducated about the particulars of high-end projecting, and would appreciate any and all help that you can provide.

I am currently looking at about a budget of about $3,500. This should include all things projector related. I have sound and the like handled.

I currently am living in an apartment, and was hoping that I could just mount the projector high enough on my back wall (on a shelf of some kind) that my acrobatic cats cannot get up to it and clog any fans with hair. If anyone has any better thoughts about this setup, I am very open to suggestions. The back wall is 16 feet from the wall it would be projecting on.

My seating is currently 10’ from the wall on which I plan to project. I could move this back as necessary to a maximum of 16’

While writing this, I noticed something about my room that might be pretty limiting. I have a fan hanging 7’ 2” from the ground in the center of the room.

My room will have low to moderate ambient light. I will try to get a cheap light meter at Home Depot or Lowes to measure the typical light level.

Primarily, I will be using the projector to play computer games and watch movies on my PC, running at 1080p (1920x1200 would be nice, but I’m pretty sure no projectors will pull that off). I would also use the projector to play upscaled DVDs from my Onkyo DV-SP1000, and likely HD-DVDs or BDs later on down the line.

I’ve been eyeing both the Panasonic PT-AE1000U and the Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 1080. I recently read a review of the AE1000U that said it had sharpness issues when used in conjunction with a PC. Does anyone know if the Epson handles PC display better?

The Optoma HD80 looked like another viable option, brightness-wise, but I couldn’t find much on its ability as a PC display.

Ideally, I was hoping to display on a 100”+ screen. 130”+ would be nice, but I’m not sure that would be an option at my price range.

I could wait another month or two and get an RS1, but it looked like the brightness was a little lacking for my application. I am also not certain the price difference is worth the difference in performance.

Well, I guess that about sums up my situation. If anyone has suggestions, I am all ears. I mention the JVC RS-1, AE1000U, HD80, and the HC 1080, but I am definitely open to other options.

Thanks for the help in advance.

-Barney

For your budget, I think you are looking at a sub-$3k PJ.

I say this because you will need to compliment your PJ with a decent screen.

I thought similarly, and thought about placing this thread in the sub-3k section of the forums, but it said MSRP. I know the AE1000U was more than 3k, not sure about all the others. I will place this thread over there. :)

Thanks,
Barney