[Tom222]

I,m a newbe here and I need info on projectors. I plan on getting one but don't know where to start. I do have a question though. What is screen door effect and what causes it?TIA Tom

[zybar]

Tom,

The best place to get more info than you can dream of is:

www.avsforum.com

George

[JohnR]

Hey, what's up with people just redirecting people to other forums yet providing no information whatsoever? I'm also interested to know what people *here* think about projectors (I'm going to be in the market for one too).

 

[zybar]

John,

Why re-invent the wheel?  

This isn't "VideoCircle"  

Ok, all kidding aside...

Tom, need more info to help you out:

What are you going to use the pj for?

Will it be in a light controlled room?

How much do you want to spend?

What screen size are you thinking of?

Many more questions, but this is a good starting point.

George

[JohnR]

This isn't "VideoCircle"  

Hah, touche

I've been thinking about maybe the Benq 6100 (A$1600). All the talk about DLP vs LCD and so on makes my head spin Hey, I have a 20-inch TV, anything's an improvement

I almost bought a widescreen RPTV on sale a few weeks ago and then realized that a projector would cost less.

[zybar]

This isn't "VideoCircle"  

Hah, touche

I've been thinking about maybe the Benq 6100 (A$1600). All the talk about DLP vs LCD and so on makes my head spin Hey, I have a 20-inch TV, anything's an improvement

I almost bought a widescreen RPTV on sale a few weeks ago and then realized that a projector would cost less.

In regards to DLP vs. LCD, go see a DLP pj to see if you see any rainbows.  I personally like DLP over LCD (I have a DLP pj - Marantz VP-12S1).

At this price point the best I have seen is the Panny (can't remember the model but you can read about it on avsforum or projectorcentral).

George

[Tom222]

Answer to questions.
 
  I plan to use the system for DVDs in a dedicated room.
  There will be some light in the room. If I can get wife approval to  

  change the drapes it will be darker during the day.
  My budget is up to $1500.00 for the projector.
  The screen size will be up to 9' wide. The wall will be prept for the
  screen.
  What is screen door effect?
  The Infocus x1a looks like a good choice. Any comments.
  I have the sound system.

  I hope this helps. Thanks Tom

[zybar]

Tom,

Screen door is when you can see the gaps between the pixels in an LCD pj.  It looks a little like looking at something through a screen door.

How big is the room?

A 9' wide screen is pretty darn big (I have an 8' wide and that translates into a 110" diagnal).  This will cause two issues:

1.  You will need a bigger room in order to sit far enough back so you don't see the pixels and/or experience screen door effect.

2.  You need a fairly powerful pj (in terms of lumen output) in order to light up the screen properly.

At your price point, it is going to be tough to get a pj that exceeeds at these tasks.  

In general, I am not the biggets fan of the Infocus pj's.  For the same money, I would check out the Panny, Sanyo, and Ben-Q models.

George

[Mike Dzurko]

Once you get a PJ you'll never go back. I've been quite pleased with my Sanyo Z1 on a 102" diag Carada. We sit about 12-14 ft. back. HDTV is pretty watchable with some ambient light but for DVDs it has to be night or all the shades have to be down and then it still isn't as good as night. My next PJ will be more of a light cannon but I'm planning on waiting at least another year. This is plenty fun in the meantime.

[Tom222]

The room is 13'wx17'dx9'h. See I am new at this. There is 9' of wall space to use for the screen. I guess a 9' wide screen is a bit much. Sitting distance is about 15'.
 I noticed that projector fans produce on the average of 35db of noise. Can a sound box be built around it to quiet it down? Tom

[Mike Dzurko]

The room is 13'wx17'dx9'h. See I am new at this. There is 9' of wall space to use for the screen. I guess a 9' wide screen is a bit much. Sitting distance is about 15'.
 I noticed that projector fans produce on the average of 35db of noise. Can a sound box be built around it to quiet it down? Tom

I have my Z1 ceiling mounted only about 4 ft above my head and in the theater mode noise is not a concern. If I turn it up to bright mode I can hear the fan if the sound is turned down fairly low, but not really a problem.

[thugh]

 I noticed that projector fans produce on the average of 35db of noise. Can a sound box be built around it to quiet it down? Tom

Fan noise was a problem for me and my IF 7200, I had a hushbox ordered from Dave Beaty at:

http://whisperflow.com/

[Rob Babcock]

At 15', I doubt you'll want to go bigger than 100" diagnal for the screen.  Especially if you'll watch mostly (or only) 480p or lower res material.  For $1500, you can get a decent DLP or LCD projector, and if you're lucky, a screen, too.  The Piano from PlusCorp is a very good deal- it's selling right now for under $1000.

I'm a big fan of DLP, but I do recommend trying to spend some time with one to see if you see the dreaded "Rainbow Effect" (ie color separation artifacts).  I don't see them, but those that do sometimes experience headaches & vertigo after extended viewings.

The "screen door" effect is much less than it was a few years ago, thanks to new technologies for LCD manufacture.  There pixels are packed in with 75% less space between them than the panels of years ago.

Light control is a serious issue with any FPTV.  You'll never get a blacker black than your room will allow, and it doesn't take much ambient light to really was out your picture.  Plus, many of the cheaper FPTVs have relatively low light output.  Dark drapes are best, as you not only want to block outside light from entering your HT room but prevent light from reflecting back to the screen.  I will say, however, that for casual viewing a bit of light won't ruin things.

I'll second Mike Dzurko's opinion- once you go FPTV you'll never wanna go back.  Best of luck with your setup.

[Bwanagreg]

I've got a Panasonic AE-300 and love it. It cost about $2000 at the time - two generations have gone by in as many years and i think the current model is an AE-700 for about the same price. I think at that price they are still the ones to beat.

Don't worry about screen door. The Panasonics and most newer projectors have invented clever ways to minimize the appearence of it, and since this is your first FP system you'll be so blown away by the big screen experience at home it won't occur to you to look for it.

I would be concerned about your light situation though. If you can't get blackout curtains, you'll be missing a lot of the experience. I have a 100% light-controlled basement room and went as far as painting the room dark earth tone colors with indirect lighting, and the effect is really amazing. If you can't control the light, go for a DLP with as many lumens output as you can afford.

One more thing that really enhances the experience is getting an acoustically transparent screen and placing the front speakers right behind it. It really makes a difference in terms of the whole immersion thing. Search at AVS for "Celtic cloth" and you should get a bunch of threads on making your own for about $100.

Enjoy.

[Christof]

I nearly drove myself crazy at AVSforum researching projectors.  I finally said the hell with it and picked up an X1 from CC for under $800.  Placed about 12' back from my DIY screen (framed B.O. cloth w/Behr Silver Screen paint), I can stretch my image to about 7' wide and maintain excellent resolution.  I'm not a big HT person and cannot say that I have compaired the X1 to other projectors but in my eyes and to all of my friends who have watched on my system, this little budget X1 is great.    I did notice Rainbows right away but I really believe this is because I was hunting for them.  I asked friends if they see any strange artifacts and nobody else seems to see them.  After about 20 hrs I stopped noticing them.  

If you are new to the PJ world this might be a great unit to try, not much to loose if you decide to dump it.  The original X1 is no longer made but supplies still last.  Due to the quality of this unit and the (T1 ??) chip it contains, I think there will be a great market for them after they sell-out.

As for fan noise.....never a problem...volume must be too loud