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71 Posts
A friend of mine routinely throws movie parties, usually using a stretched blackout cloth and borrowed projector (just 640x480!) to display them. However, he'd like to upgrade to something capable of displaying full 1080p and suitable for both home theater and outdoor use, and has set a total budget for the project of about $1500. Further complicating matters is that he needs it by the 15th of this month.
So far, here are my observations:
-All manufacturer's specifications are baloney, and should be ignored in favor of independent testers' results. Ideally, more than one set should be used to ensure accuracy.
-Newer projectors are usually better than their older counterparts, even if the latter were sold at a higher price point.
-I haven't the foggiest clue how many lumens are required for a 120" screen used outdoors in an area with mild light pollution. (It's urban.)
-The main options are the Infocus X10 ($1200, on sale at TigerDirect), Optoma HD20 (should be on sale soon), and Vivitek H1080FD (also on sale soon). The X10 looks to be a good projector overall, though there have been some negative comments on color depth. There's also the option of used or refurbished projectors - any thoughts on likely options for these?
-DIY screens look like the way to go, but there's simply too much information to sift through. Is plain, uncoated Wilsonart the way to go, or would he be better off with stretched blackout cloth and a few coats of custom-tinted paint?
So far, here are my observations:
-All manufacturer's specifications are baloney, and should be ignored in favor of independent testers' results. Ideally, more than one set should be used to ensure accuracy.
-Newer projectors are usually better than their older counterparts, even if the latter were sold at a higher price point.
-I haven't the foggiest clue how many lumens are required for a 120" screen used outdoors in an area with mild light pollution. (It's urban.)
-The main options are the Infocus X10 ($1200, on sale at TigerDirect), Optoma HD20 (should be on sale soon), and Vivitek H1080FD (also on sale soon). The X10 looks to be a good projector overall, though there have been some negative comments on color depth. There's also the option of used or refurbished projectors - any thoughts on likely options for these?
-DIY screens look like the way to go, but there's simply too much information to sift through. Is plain, uncoated Wilsonart the way to go, or would he be better off with stretched blackout cloth and a few coats of custom-tinted paint?