I want to buy a projector/ newbie

stlrman · « **on:** 2 Dec 2014, 06:25 pm »

I am looking to buy a projector. Room is 16x22 or so. This is our living room.
Thinking of mounting a screen , not automatic .
We sit about ten feet away , can back up to twelve.
Do I just change the position of projector back or forward to change the size of the picture?
Is this ok for 100 inch picture? Would 80 inch be better?
I'm looking at BenQ 1070. ThreeD not so important .
I want to keep the budget as low as possible .
Would I hook in to my cable box? I have a Playstation 3 for Netflix.
Thanks for any advice / feedback.!
Todd

Phil A · « **Reply #1 on:** 2 Dec 2014, 06:29 pm »

Todd, you would want to look here -

http://www.projectorcentral.com/home-theater-multimedia-projectors.htm

Phil A · « **Reply #2 on:** 2 Dec 2014, 06:32 pm »

You can click on a projector and get the throw distance - http://www.projectorcentral.com/BenQ-W1070.htm

They have calculators - http://www.projectorcentral.com/BenQ-W1070-projection-calculator-pro.htm

You can play with the throw distance and throw range (by moving the zoom)

stlrman · « **Reply #3 on:** 2 Dec 2014, 06:45 pm »

Thanks Phil!
How about viewing distance of 12 feet? Any concerns of being too close?

stlrman · « **Reply #4 on:** 2 Dec 2014, 07:00 pm »

How about something like this for a starter unit?

http://altoona.craigslist.org/ele/4763859942.html

LadyDog · « **Reply #5 on:** 2 Dec 2014, 07:20 pm »

As Phil mentions, P/C is a good site to research stuff. I'd also check out projectorreviews.com too. Obviously geared more towards reviews, but may help you isolate a few of interest.

A lot of variables. What's the intent - as a tv, just for movies, both, games, how's your light control, do you want dlp or lcd, is maintenance cost a concern, etc. Obviously budget plays a factor too.

For $700, the Benq 1070 is a nice little projector. And imo would be well worth it over the Dell.

12' is not too close.

stlrman · « **Reply #6 on:** 2 Dec 2014, 07:22 pm »

This looks really attractive for my first foray into home theater . Price wise .
He said he paid 200$ for just the pull down screen.
I could put the projector 18-20 feet back , which should give me a huge picture.

wushuliu · « **Reply #7 on:** 2 Dec 2014, 07:23 pm »

Quote from: stlrman on 2 Dec 2014, 07:00 pm

How about something like this for a starter unit?

http://altoona.craigslist.org/ele/4763859942.html

That projector is 10 years old.

12ft viewing distance I think narrows things down to the W1070 as far as new 1080p. It's the only one I believe that can provide a large screen size at that distance. That projector calculator link above is very handy. It is also widely considered the best <$1000

Another option to consider is a Short Throw projector. A short throw is a version made for small distances. The W1080ST for instance is the short throw version of the 1070. Using the calculator for example you will see that at just over 6' you can get 120" diagonal, at 7' up to 140"! Needless to say best placement will be on a table.

If you are okay with 720p the BenQ W770ST is a short throw. Other wise there is the Acer H5380BD at $450 or so on amazon.

Here's a good article from Wirecutter for Best $500 Projector and $1000

http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-500-projector/

http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/the-best-1000-projector/

If you are not in a big rush I highly suggest following prices on Amazon for a week or so because they can fluctuate wildly. The W1070 was just $630 something I believe yesterday.

Bob in St. Louis · « **Reply #8 on:** 2 Dec 2014, 08:28 pm »

Quote from: stlrman on 2 Dec 2014, 06:25 pm

I want to keep the budget as low as possible .

Did you have a number in mind?

Phil A · « **Reply #9 on:** 2 Dec 2014, 08:33 pm »

Sometimes you can watch woot.com and they can have a deal on a refurb. I have an old BenQW5000 laying around but it is not good for short viewing distance (it is in the garage at the moment - was going to get an outdoor screen and have fun but have not gotten to it). I had it in the master bedroom where I have a pull down motorized screen and probably just under 10 feet was too close to fill out the 92 inch screen (pic below) so I bought an Epson 8350. I have an Epson 5030 in the main system and probably sit about 10 feet away on a 100 inch screen (and it is not too close for me).

stlrman · « **Reply #10 on:** 2 Dec 2014, 08:46 pm »

Thanks everyone for the input.
My price point is very low. The seller came down to $250!!

I think the price is too good . The screen was bought for $200.
This is the perfect way for me to get my feet wet . I don't need the best picture really , I don't game , but will in the future as I have PS3. It's really pull it down for movie night for now , and watch sports in the future .
Play for a couple of years , upgrade to better pj in a few years.

jarcher · « **Reply #11 on:** 3 Dec 2014, 03:45 am »

If you really want to stick to a few hundred dollars, then the projector / screen choice is pretty immaterial. If you can stretch to $700 or so you can start to pick up older but serious dedicated home theater class projectors that still have lots of life in them and will blow away many of the business presentation class projectors with their noisy fans, clickty clackety dynamic irises and meager contrast ratios. These are just meant to be dumb, bright, and portable.

I recently sold a JVC RS1 for about $700 - that or the sister HD1 would be a good choice. As would an EPSON 8350 that PhilA has & I've seen upfront and it's superb. $750 refurbed direct from Epson :

http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/jsp/Product.do?sku=V11H373120-N&ref=sem_us-brand-pla-all-products_all-products&wm_ctID=475&wm_kwID=61926134&wm_mtID=1&wm_kw=all+products&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=all+products&utm_campaign=us+-+brand+-+pla+-+all+products&zmam=71433176&zmas=1&zmac=1&zmap=V11H373120-N&gclid=CMau4vP5qMICFcxQ7AodiEAAyw&gclsrc=aw.ds

Super long URL - but you can also go to Epson.com & find it if the url above doesn't work.

Stirman - I know $250 w/ screen seems a deal to good to pass up - but don't fall in the bargain trap. A NEW 100 screen is only about $100-150. Spend a bit more and have something your really going to enjoy and want to keep a long time w/ a new fresh bulb and warranty. My 2 cents......

stlrman · « **Reply #12 on:** 3 Dec 2014, 12:01 pm »

Thanks Jarchar and everyone . $750 is a big stretch for me right now.
I really want to go cheep now to see if I even like this kind of set up in the room. This is our living room.
A few more questions ... I would like to keep my 42 inch plasma for everyday watching. If I pull the screen down in front of TV , we won't be able to reflections of TV when it's behind screen?
I can only place the projector 15 feet from screen , giving ms about 80 inch picture I think.
So the image will not take up the entire screen. Will this look stupid? Will this bother us while watching? Will screen appear to be black when watching at night in the dark?
Thanks all!

jarcher · « **Reply #13 on:** 4 Dec 2014, 02:59 am »

Not exactly sure about your first question. A pull down screen will have a black backing so there will be no light coming through from behind.

15 feet back should give you all the size you want with most projectors particularly if they have zooms. My projector is about 15 feet back and I'm doing a 96 inch screen (110 diagonal). Even if it doesn't fill the whole screen it won't look bad. And because some material is 16:9 (HDTV / some movies / games) and other 2.35:1 (many movies), you'll never fully fill the screen for all content (either black bars above / below or sides). That's why there are screens with different multiple masking - some even motorized - but these are pricey.

Regardless of budget it's nice to have a front projection system. Once you watch movies or sports on a true large screen you won't want to go back. I think you'll like it enough to want to do that upgrade sooner than you think.....

stlrman · « **Reply #14 on:** 8 Dec 2014, 04:53 pm »

Got my screen set up nice. I can pull down screen to cover my plasma, so the living room will stay the same.
I should be getting a 100 inch wide picture , according to my tests. I am waiting for a couple of wires to arrive so I can connect to the PS3. I am very excited to watch our first movie with a large picture.

Bob in St. Louis · « **Reply #15 on:** 9 Dec 2014, 01:33 am »

Nice, that'll work.

If you can paint the screen to a 16:9 ratio instead of a 4:3, your eye and brain will "see" a better picture since it won't have to process the white above and below the projected image. It will also make the blacks, "blacker", thereby making the contrast appear better.

Bob

stlrman · « **Reply #16 on:** 19 Dec 2014, 06:41 pm »

I am very happy with my new set up. The nice thing is that I can watch tv on my plasma, and the living room
Keeps its regular appearance. No huge movie screen as an eye sore.
When we want to watch a movie , pull down the screen and wallah , we have a hometheater.
Now , I know I bought an older 720p epson PJ , so I was not expecting a ton of image quality. The PJ did retail about $1300 back about 12 years ago.
The picture is not tack sharp, like my plasma TV. Also the colors are no where as rich and vibrant as my tv.
My wife says I'm being anal , and think the picture looks great!
Could I expect a $750 1080p projector from today to give a tack sharp picture with wayyy better color than what I am seeing?

wushuliu · « **Reply #17 on:** 19 Dec 2014, 07:47 pm »

Quote from: stlrman on 19 Dec 2014, 06:41 pm

I am very happy with my new set up. The nice thing is that I can watch tv on my plasma, and the living room
Keeps its regular appearance. No huge movie screen as an eye sore.
When we want to watch a movie , pull down the screen and wallah , we have a hometheater.
Now , I know I bought an older 720p epson PJ , so I was not expecting a ton of image quality. The PJ did retail about $1300 back about 12 years ago.
The picture is not tack sharp, like my plasma TV. Also the colors are no where as rich and vibrant as my tv.
My wife says I'm being anal , and think the picture looks great!
Could I expect a $750 1080p projector from today to give a tack sharp picture with wayyy better color than what I am seeing?

Yes the 1080p is visibly sharper. I am confident a w1070 would be a significant upgrade. That said if you can't afford it enjoy what you have.

BTW we told you so ; ) that upgrade itch didn't take long did it?

Also animation looks great on everything now. That's why they are often playing in stores. A live movie would be the better reference.

Bob in St. Louis · « **Reply #18 on:** 19 Dec 2014, 07:49 pm »

Well done, glad you're happy.
Time for some popcorn!

LadyDog · « **Reply #19 on:** 19 Dec 2014, 10:46 pm »

Todd,
Looks good. Yes a newer projector would be an upgrade(ie - better picture; sharper, less visible pixalization, better motion control, etc). Though it would be an upgrade in the cost department too.

As Bob says, get some popcorn, sit back, and enjoy for the time being.