looking to buy a good digi projector $$1500-$$2000..

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I'm in a similar boat in terms of price range, and am begining to become interested in PJs.


My only two requirements right now are AT LEAST 720p (I know you can't get much higher in that price range) and native 16:9


For now it will be used almost exclusively for DVDs, and in the future HD-DVD/Blu-Ray. So the other must-have feature would be an HDCP compliant input, either HDMI or DVI.


As far as LCD vs. DLP, I do not know enough about the advanages/disadvantages of either tech to make an imformed decision...


Also, have we reached a point yet where projectors don't have fans in them? Or at least one's that don't sound like vacuum cleaners?

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Forgive me for being ignorant, but this would be to prevent dust from entering and building up on something in the light path, right?


This summer I worked with a projector (I can't remember the model number.... it was a big-ass Canon. Please forgive me; this was before I even considered buying a projector for home use.) I believe it was an LCD PJ; It had the lamp output split into three seperate paths, where they each passed through a transparent imaging device of some sort (One for R, G, and B obviously), through a prism and into the lens. Now does this sound like an LCD or a DLP design?


Sorry I got off topic here... The point i was trying to make, was that for each imaging device, there were at least 3-6 surfaces for dust to build up on, and since the surfaces were fairly close to the imaging devices, the dust was much closer to being in focus than it would on the front or back of the lens (And rather large on screen, due to it's position so far behind the lens). These surfaces proved INCREDIBLY difficult to clean. No amount of canned air, however skillfully I could spray it, seemed to be enough. And there was no way in hell I was about to go in there with any sort of fluid lens cleaner.)


Now, what I'm wondering, is this a common problem with projectors that don't have a sealed light path? Is either LCD or DLP better or worse in this regard? Or is it primarily the way the projector is designed?

Well, for me it came down to the AE-700 and HS51.

I chose the AE-700 because of throw distance requirements.

The HS51 however is not in your budget since you have stated that you would be toping out at around $2000.


I like my panny and don't regret the purchase one bit.


Craig

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I'm pretty positive it wasn't a CRT. It had a DVI input, visible onscreen pixels, and wasn't in a fixed position. And from what I know about CRT projectors, they don't use prisms (correct me if I'm wrong) and a CRT doesn't look like a trasparent piece of glass.


Whether it is sealed or not is just one of the factors to throw in there. I was mainly wondering if many others have had problems like that, or if it was a problem inherent with that particular model. Bad air filtering or whatever.

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Right... forgot to mention that part. I didn't track the pamphlet down untill someone said that it sounded like a CRT.