[EDS_]

Hola,
My bias is DLP. But I will consider other mechanisms.
Desires.....
1. $1,500-$2,000 budget HDTV, 16:9, etc.
2. Room can be made reasonably dim during the day but not totally dark.
3. Room is 12.5X18.


To be frank I know so little about projectors I'm not sure what questions I should ask.
Thx,
Ed


PS-I'm really big into sports. Are other means (plasma, DLP & LCD TVs etc.) better for sports?

[Christof]

Check out the reviews at AVSforum.  The decision b/t Infocus X1, Screenplay 4805 & SP 5000 loomed in my head for a long time.  I finally bought the X1 based on the fact that it is an excellent starter PJ, or so I've been told.   I use mine on a 16:9 screen in 16:9 mode with no problem.  Picture is great even in dim light.  Great buy at just under $800 if you can still find one.

Have you ever viewed a front projection system?  Do you notice rainbows, if so you might want to look at the SP5000 which I'm nearly positive is an LCD.

c.

[Rob Babcock]

I'll also proffer my now-standard recommendation of the Piano DLP projector from Plus Corp.  I've used one for a couple years to great satisfaction.  It's only capable of 480p, so it's not HD.  But you can buy them now for under a grand.  However, I do suggest to try to audition some DLP projectors before you buy.  I don't see the Rainbow Effect (ie "color separation artifacts"), but those who do often find it unbearable.

[zybar]

Spend towards the top of your budget and get the Panny 700.  

You can read all about it over at www.projectorcentral.com or www.avsforum.com.

George

[pekar]

Benq pb6200, see avs thread.
If you watch in the daytime, though, a projector may not be your best option.
You'll get some washout trying to compete with the sun.

[Ears]

I have had the x1, currently have the 4805 and I am almost ready to get the Panasonic ae 700.

I am waiting on a few issues like the flashing issue to have a fix before buying though.

The 4805 has worked flawlessly whith 700 hours so its hard to just get rid of it for a 720p pj that seems to have an issue or two.

Greg

[FAR]

I think AE 700 out performs 4805, you can watch closer, and have less screen door effect. I sat 10 feet away from the screen and saw no SD effect, but for 4805, even 15 feet away, I could still notice SD effect.

[Red Dragon Audio]

I would go with the Panny 700 as it offers a long throw range (20ft) and is easy to mount with some horizontal/vertical adjustment as well as some other nice features.

plus it has a great picture, screen door effect is zero unless you sit way too close and well just go check one out locally.

We've got a place here that just hooks two projectors up vis-a-vis a switcher and then they put a piece of wood in front of one project to block it out...then they do it to the other one so you get a real good idea on the spot of the differences between projectors.

good luck and have fun!

[nathanm]

Isn't the "screen door effect" easily fixed by simply defocusing the lens a little?  Cause that's basically what your eyes are doing anyway the further you move back.

[Andrikos]

EDS, if you're going to watch sports in the day with a little ambient light, that's ok. Sports are bright and they will look pretty good in the day.
For a perfect movie experience, think "Movie Theater": dark.
Dark walls, dark ceilings, dark wall coverings, dark carpets, no direct to the screen lighting etc. etc.
Any DLP will look good in your setup. I don't think anybody has recommended the Optoma H30 here so I will. Look for "guitarman" in AVS. He started a MONSTER H30 thread in the <$3,500 PJ AVS forum.
Good luck with your choices.

PS What are you planning to use as a screen?
I'd recommend the Dalite Model B Hi Power with CSR in the 85"-90" range. Cheap, bright and great for some ambient light rejection. Also, retractable to get it ot of the way.

[Andrikos]

Isn't the "screen door effect" easily fixed by simply defocusing the lens a little?  Cause that's basically what your eyes are doing anyway the further you move back.

I wouldn't call it "fixed" but rather "masked".
The screen door is always there as high frequency noise.
LCD's have much higher "noise" than DLP or LCoS because their fill ratio (~50%)  is so much smaller than either of the other techs (88%-90% DLP, 90%-93% LCoS).
Also, LCDs have [VB] vertical banding (most objectionable for me) which also shows up as screendoor. This form of fixed pattern noise [FPN] is inherent to LCD technology...

[Russtafarian]

I've been out of the loop on projectors since I picked the legendary NEC LT150 three years ago.  1024 x 768, 800 lumens and 1000:1 contrast ratio for $2500.  I'm throwing it 15 feet to a 120" 4:3 high gain Dalite screen.  Watched HD MNF on it last night and it still looks great, though I would like deeper blacks for movies.

Where are we at in the budget projector world these days?  Do we simply have LT150 performance for a few hundred less or do we have a significant jump in performance for the same money?

I'm thinking that my next front projector will be native 1080p, 2000 lumens, and 3000:1 contrast ratio for under $2k.  Are we getting close to that or am I just deluded?

Russ

[Tyson]

I think we'll see something like that in the next 2 years, although the 1080p will be in higher priced projectors for a while before trickling down to low priced ones.  The rest doesn't seem to far off at all.

[Andrikos]

I'm thinking that my next front projector will be native 1080p, 2000 lumens, and 3000:1 contrast ratio for under $2k. Are we getting close to that or am I just deluded?

Yes, you are deluded...  
Ok, get this:
Fujitsu just came out with a 1080p LCD with inferior lumen and contrast specs than what you're "dreaming" of for the tidy sum of $25,000!!!  
I don't think anybody has one yet, but it shouldn't be long...

It'll take 3 years, at least, for 1080p FP to be in the under $5k range, never mind $2k. 10 years perhaps?