[ruler]

Hi guys.. I'm just another newbie, one who's been reading these forums for some time now and is in need of some advice.


I'm buying my first projector. I'm moving, and I can really use a bigger image. Here's how my new space looks like:

http://www.indierock.com.br/!post/room1.jpg

http://www.indierock.com.br/!post/room2.jpg


I'm gonna be projecting the image from the ceiling to a screen right in front of that furniture facing the windows. The distance between the window and the screen is gonna be of 16.14 ft (4.92 meters). I'll buy a U-shaped sofa for that room.


I'm leaning towards an Infocus X1. I dunno, but it seems to me to be the best choice under $1500 (I hope to pay around $850 for it). What kind of worries me is the fact that that room doesn't have an air-conditioner, and I live in Brazil - it can get pretty hot in here in the summer. Do you guys think this could play an important part in damaging the projector and/or shortening the bulb's life range?


I also need some advice on screens. Is there any motorized screen that doesn't cost too much? Can anyone please recommend me a nice, not-too-expensive screen? I'd like to be able to watch some sports games on the projector with the window opened. Would that be possible (perhaps, with some special screen)?


Finally, I need to connect my Cable TV to the projector, but I see it has no RF input. My cable's signal gets in here through this:

http://www.indierock.com.br/!post/cable.jpg


Any suggestions on some practical way for me to get my cable signal sent to the projector? I'd also like to connect a DVD, a VCR and a PC (through S-Video), so perhaps I'd need a switch for this purpose? Dunno where to buy something like that.


That's it guys.. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for the attention!

 

[Ericbres]

As a general rule of thumb ... hot room temperatures + projector lamps = bad


However, just two cents ... whatever you do decide to end up buying, I would make sure that part of your buying criteria include a projector with a low decibel rating. And don't be fooled by sneaky marketing that lists the dB rating in LOW power mode.


You really aren't going to want to run the projector in low power mode if the room gets hot. So, with that in mind, you may also want to make sure you look at a model that moves plenty of air through the unit (high circulation / high power fans).


Another idea is to bounce this question by the general tech support email on the manufacturers web site of the model you are going to buy.

Let a tech from that company give you something in print stating you should be alright in that environment.

That way, if something DOES go wrong, you have backup.


best of luck!

 

[ruler]

Thank you, that was all very insightful...


How's the X1 when it comes to noise? Do you think it'd work fine, say, at 30C, or would it get really noisy under this condition?

 

[zipbags]

Ruler,


It might be worth it for you to get a small air-conditioner to cool the room(if you can). I don't have a projector yet. But, I do have a big screen and other equipment and I know that heat & humidity don't work well with them. Good luck.

 

[Mike Davison]

Hi,

I live in RIo and use a pj most days, I do not have any AC.

I have seen pj's in the open air showing football games - no AC.

The cable that you showed looks like a NET connection, that goes into a converter, this in turn has a comp. video out that goes to your pj. The pj must show PAL-M. You may also use, a vcr to select the channel you want to watch, then get the output to your pj.

Miike

 

[ruler]

hi mike..


you got it right, it's a NET connection indeed.


problem is the converter NET leased me doesn't have a comp. output. and i can't really use a VCR, cause I'll be watching some pay-per-view content (soccer, mostly)...


do you have a similar setup there in rio?

 

[Mike Davison]

My NET convertor does have av connections, only mono though. Give them a blasting and tell them that you want one with av out. The problem is that the techie is after a tip to give the av convertor. Get on the phone and raise hell.

Mike