[Goi]

Hi guys...I'm currently (still) deciding on which projector to get. I had a huge list initially, but narrowed it down to the following:

1) NEC VT540

2) NEC LT150

3) Sanyo PLC-XP18N

4) Sanyo PLC-XP21N


I'll be using a ~100" 16:9 screen, and both 16:9 and 4:3 material will be viewed. A HTPC will be used as the progressive video input. Lighting will not be very well controlled, due to a few windows and difficulty in installing curtains(awkward positioning), so brightness is an issue.


Pricewise, the VT540 is around US$2600, the LT150 is around there too via mail order, the Sanyo XP18N and XP21N are around US$4800 and US$5350 respectively where I come from(Singapore).


I can't mail order anything other than the LT150 due to weight(if its mail order its gonna be international, and shipping will be a lot)


I'm concerned with brightness, resolution, and 16:9 capability. All my choices are 4:3 native, but have a widescreen 16:9 mode. From what I understand, this means that resolution is less, as well as brightness, as less pixels are used. Will image quality take a significant hit? What can Panamorph do to aid this, and how much do these things cost anyway?

 

[jeffelliott]

I recently purchased the VT-540 for use under similar circumstances. I auditioned units such as the 10-HT, PLV-60, LT-150, etc. For feature/function weighted against price, I am quite pleased. I would recommend the VT-540 strongly if you are on a budget.


I paid $2900 for my VT-540. Where did you find the $2600 price?

 

[dbldare]

Goi,


You probably have already "heard" the latest, but if not you may want to check out the Dell "deal" on the NEC LT-150. I own a VT-540 and it impresses me everyday, but at the $1700.00 price that Dell is asking for the LT-150 I don't think you can go wrong with it. Heck, if you don't like it I'm sure you could sell it for a profit within a day or so. Here's how to get to the page with the price on Dell's site. I hope I'm not stepping on anyone's toes here on the forum, if so I will delete this link....


Follow the clicks to get there:


1. http://www.dell.com

2. click Medium and Large Businesses

3. click accessories

4. click projectors

5. click micro portable projectors

6. click the right arrow until you get to page 3.


courtesy of --Les



I hope this helps,

Mike



------------------

Let's go out to the lobby.

Let's go out to the lobby.

To have ourselves a snack!

[email protected]

 

[Goi]

Well, I won't be able to take advantage of any hot deals that only last for a while, since I'm not in the United States, I'm in Singapore, as I've said. Anyway, by the time I read this the price has been adjusted back to 2600USD, which is still a very reasonable price.


Anyway, between the LT150 and the VT540, which one is better? The VT540 seems to be more geared towards HT, has zoom, and has a brighter output, which is important, but image quality wise, the LT150 boasts VORTEX processing, and apparently produces a better image quality when used with a HTPC, which is what I'll be using...


What about the Sanyo's that I mentioned?


The $2600 price I have is a special offer by a local dealer that ends July, which is like 2 days from now, so I won't be able to take advantage of it since I won't be deciding this soon.

 

[Goi]

Still haven't decided on which one, any more opinions?

 

[pham]

Based purely on what I've read (I own an LT150 and haven't seen the others), if I had the money, I would get one of the Sanyo's with a Cygnus IMX lens. This combination should give you great brightness to deal with your ambient light, good contrast, no rainbows, and a reduced screen door effect, due to the IMX. The VT540 is not as bright as the Sanyo projectors. The LT150 is also not as bright, has better contrast, but is susceptible to rainbow artifacts.


I missed the part about your interest in the panamorph . That should also help you with the screen door effect. Price is listed in my link.


[This message has been edited by pham (edited 08-08-2001).]

 

[kem]

Goi,


I've seen the NEC VT540, LT150 and the Proxima DP9260+ (which is a clone of the Sanyo PLC-XP21N). As I understand it, the PLC-XP18N is the same as the XP21N, except that it does not have the MLA, so it does not quite have the lumen output of the 21N.


The XP21N is very bright and can be used in situations where the light cannot be controlled. To really get the best out of the NEC units, you really need to control the ambient light in the room. All three have good color saturation, but I tend to like NECs' a bit more. Contrast ratio is by far the best on the LT150. The XP21N is very good, but for very dark movies like "Dark City" the blacks appear to me to be washed out where as the LT150 handles them very nicely. The VT540 has neither the brightness of the XP21N nor the contrast ratio of the LT150, but for the price, it is still an excellent performer.


The resolution on all of these projectors are the same. They all handled 1080i(HDTV), 480p and HTPC fine. Aspect ratio control is possible on the LT150 in both 1080i and 480p modes, but on the XP21N it was possible only in 480p mode. I don't recall if you could change aspect ratio in 1080i or 480p modes on the VT540. I don't have a Panamorph, but I believe the LT150 will work with it since the LT150 can change to full screen mode when in 1080i or 480p modes. A Panamorph and the XP21N should work fine with a 480p source. I'm not sure about the VT540.


XP21N:

+ very bright (enough so that you don't need to completely control room lighting)

+ good colors

+ good contrast

- blacks appear gray (but this might be corrected with a gray screen)

- screen door effect is visible and distracting to me


LT150:

+ great contrast

+ great colors

+ amazing picture

+ pixel structure is invisible from my viewing distance

- color breakup (rainbows) -- somewhat distracting to me

- fan noise

- must control room light

- fixed short throw lens


VT540:

+ great colors

+ decent contrast ratio

+ in eco mode, very quiet

- must control room light

- screen door effect is noticeable, but not quite as much as the XP21N


Overall, I like the LT150 as the best bang for the buck, but if you cannot control the room light, then the XP21N (or XP18N) is probably a better choice. I would be happy to own any of these projectors.


In case you haven't seen these reviews, the Eiki LC-X999 is another XP21N clone, which was reviewed here , and the NEC VT540 was reviewed here .


Again, these are just my impressions. I hope they help. I have the Proxima and the LT150 for a few more days, so if you have any specific questions about them, I'll try to answer them.


Kevin



[This message has been edited by kem (edited 08-08-2001).]

 

[Goi]

Thanks for the replies...I originally thought the Sanyo XP21N would probably be the hands down winner if price wasn't an issue, but now it seems like the LT150 is comparing really well also, according to you guys. I'll have to go check them both out I guess.


Anyway, I've checked out the prices for the Boxlight and Eiki clones, and surprisingly they're more expensive than the original Sanyo over here...weird, but what the heck...


As for pixel structure/screendoor effect...my viewing distance is around 3-4m, at a screen size of about 100" or slightly more, would the effect be very pronounced at this configuration?