[tmitchel]

Hi,


I am looking at the Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 730HD to be used as an outdoor projector.


The reviews seem to be pretty positive, PC Mag rated it an Editors Choice but I do not understand part of the CONS they posted:


"Native resolution is consistent with 720p video, but 1080p input requires scaling."


I understand the 720p works fine, but what does the "1080p input requires scaling" mean?


Most of the movies I want to display will be Blu-Ray...will this be a problem?


Thank you.

 

[AV_Integrated]

Hi,


I am looking at the Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 730HD to be used as an outdoor projector.


The reviews seem to be pretty positive, PC Mag rated it an Editors Choice but I do not understand part of the CONS they posted:


"Native resolution is consistent with 720p video, but 1080p input requires scaling."


I understand the 720p works fine, but what does the "1080p input requires scaling" mean?


Most of the movies I want to display will be Blu-Ray...will this be a problem?


Thank you.

The projector is not a 1920x1080 projector. So, if you feed it a 1920x1080 source, it will accept that resolution, then throw out half the pixels, and display it within the 1280x800 resolution which that projector offers.

http://www.projectorcentral.com/Epson-PowerLite_Home_Cinema_730HD.htm

The native resolution of a projector is the resolution that matters most. If a projector is 800x600 it only has about half a million pixels it can use. If the projector accepts a 1920x1200 resolution input from a computer, (over 2 million pixels) it can ONLY show as much as 800x600 pixels. So, it has to throw out over 1.5 million pixels. This is called 'scaling' or 'down converting' the image.

It certainly does hurt the image quality since you are getting rid of pixels. As well, you are looking at a pretty bottom of the line business class projector instead of a home theater model, so you should expect results to be hurt a bit if BD is your original source. Personally, I would be looking to spend just a bit more and get a native 1920x1080 projector if your primary goal is to show videos from a BD player. I'm no expert on outdoor use, but my BenQ W1070 does 161" inside my home in less than ideal conditions.

http://www.avsforum.com/forum/68-di...usd-msrp/1720730-w1070-lights-161-screen.html

So, I would think you could get something similar, perhaps the Epson 2000/2030 which will deliver a nice large image for outdoor use without breaking the bank.

 

[tmitchel]

I appreciate the information, I think you are correct...I'll up the budget and get a 1080P projector.


I will start looking for a decent priced LCD 1080p Projector. I would like to stay away from DLP because of all the "Rainbow" problems some people have as I will be inviting lots of people over and would like to make it enjoyable for all.

 

[steve1106]

The Epson HC2000 is on sale for $549 on Amazon under other sellers. According to dealnews.com this price will be good until 3/29/2015, but I wouldn't count on it.

Note that the other seller is Amazon and it will take 2 to 5 weeks for it to arrive. I have one with 2633 plus hours on it and bought another at that price. If you look at camelcamel.com you will see that the $549 is the lowest price ever for the HC2000 and it is the same price as the 720p Epson.

If you have any questions about the projector, just let me know. I use it for a 169 inch 16:9 image in my basement on a wall I painted white. http://www.avsforum.com/forum/15-ge...a-game-rooms/1527055-steve-s-cheap-build.html

Pros: cheap, cheap replacement lamp, 2 year warranty, great customer service
Cons: these could be better....motion, sharpness, contrast/black levels....but it still looks great for $549.