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

If you were going to buy today I would go with the Epson. The Optoma probably won't work because of your ceiling fan. The Epson will also be brighter than the Panasonic to enable a larger screen. I would wait a few weeks until after CEDIA when all the new projectors come out.

From what you have said in your post, I can rule out two of your four choices. The RS-1 is WAY outside of your budget, and the HD80 won't work in your room due to the ceiling fan. That leaves the AE1000U and the HC 1080, either of which should be OK. I also have acrobatic cats and use a simple, custom-made dust cover over my HC 1080 to protect it when not in use.

In your situation I would strongly recommend a Da-Lite High Power screen, which works best with a low PJ mounting position and helps reject ambient light. This screen's high gain also should allow you to operate your PJ at low lamp power to reduce fan noise and extend the lamp life.

One other suggestion: Install blackout drapes or shades over all windows in the room. No front projection system deals well with ambient light. If you can see the screen with the PJ turned off, that (plus any screen light reflected during the movie from the room walls, ceiling, and floor back onto the screen) will be your minimum black level no matter how good your PJ is.

Yeah, I'm definitely planning on installing blackout drapes of some kind over the windows. The blinds let enough light in to bother me now, and I'm just using an LCD monitor :(

I didn't rule out the RS-1 because I could afford it if I waited a couple more months, but the extra chunk of money would hurt, so it would have to make some pretty drastic differences in picture quality.

I already have been looking at the High Power screens, but I'm not really all that sure what I am doing. I will probably check over in the DIY section to see if there are any similarly high gain screens that can be constructed for less cash.

I have been thinking about the Epson more recently, but most reviews say that it really needs to be calibrated in order to work optimally (as opposed to the AE1000U). I'm not sure if I'm up to that task, but I just found a tweak thread for the projector I will have to read more thoroughly.

Review on the Mitsubishi HC5000 have caught my eye recently concerning its ultra-sharp reputation. I would imagine this would be better for PC use. It does however sound like it has some other issues, although I can't remember them off the top of my head.

I will definitely be waiting until probably the end of September to order to see if anything interesting comes out of CEDIA. Maybe an AE1000U without the smooth screen or a HC5000 without whatever issues I don't remember and a lower price tag.

We'll see.

Thanks for the help.
-Barney

I also have acrobatic cats and use a simple, custom-made dust cover over my HC 1080 to protect it when not in use.

FLBoy, is your screen very high off the ground? I'm wondering if my cats will try to scratch the screen. I have been using my computer before and one fellow in particular starts batting at the monitor if I let him. For a while, I'll probably have to watch movies armed with a squirt bottle at the ready...

Well, I went to a local store and checked out the Epson Pro 1080 (they didn't have the Home edition). It seemed to be nice, but the colors seemed to be oversaturated. Blues and greens were way too bright, at the very least. Kind of turned me off on the Epson.

I do know that they don't adjust the colors out of the box at all, so that was good. The screen-door effect bothered me when I was standing about 5-6 feet from the screen... It made whites appear kind of shimmery or grainy.

Unfortunately, I haven't been able to locate any dealers nearby who have the AE1000U for viewing.

Anyone know of a dealer in the Central Texas area that has a AE1000U in their showroom? Anything around San Antonio or Austin would be best. In a pinch, I could go home to Houston, if anyone knows a place there.