help choosing a projector!?

lynx6201

I'm looking for a home theater projector (~1500$ range or less) for my pool house. The building is about the size of a large living room, and there are a lot windows.

The main thing I've found, is that I probably want something thats pretty bright, a lot of lumens (is 3000 necessary?). I picked out two I thought might work, but since there are so many, I really don't know where to start, but I've been looking at some reviews on cnet..

1. http://reviews.cnet.com/home-theater-projectors/dell-2400mp-dlp-projector/4505-7858_7-31878925.html?ttag=rev_spon_prod

2. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824248056

Answer
There are a lot of multimedia/presentation projectors that have high lumens but they are typically less than ideal for home theater use. They use 4:3 ratios and generally have pixel counts like 1024 x 768 or 800 x 600 which are lower than high definition's 720p or 1080p.

They may be your only affordable option though as most home theater projector don't go over 2000 lumens and most being under 1500. You could go with one of these and use a high gain screen.

A high gain grey screen would be best when you have more ambient light in your room. Of course then you're talking about a screen that could cost as much as your projector. You will probably need a grey screen to help your black levels anyway.

Ultimately though you are going to have a washed out picture with poor contrast unless you are viewing movies at night. Have you though about buying some blinds or heavy blackout curtains for your windows?

What is the cheapest 1080p projector available?

hockeyman5

A name brand one and where the cheapest place to buy it is.

Answer
The following are two of the least expensive 1080p home theater projectors of which I am currently aware:

Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 6100 Projector (3LCD) -- MSRP US$1,999
(Tentatively scheduled for November 2008 release)
http://www.projectorreviews.com/epson/powerlite-home-cinema-6100/specifications-id1788.php
http://www.projectorcentral.com/Epson-PowerLite_Home_Cinema_6100.htm

Sanyo PLV-Z700 (3LCD) -- MSRP US$1,999
http://us.sanyo.com/business/projectors/home_theater/index.cfm?productID=1619

If youâre willing to spend a little more money (typically US$2500 to US$3500) you will have a much greater selection of quality 1080p home theater projectors from which to choose. Read through the reviews (and articles) on the Projector Reviews and Projector Central Websites, they will be helpful when it comes to assembling your short-list of projectors (and projection screens) that meets your needs and budget. I also highly recommend using the popular discussion forums (listed below) to complement the information you obtain from the review Websites. This should help you to further narrow your selection of prospective video projectors.

Thereâs a never-ending supply of excellent values to be had and a lot to consider so I encourage you to spend a little extra time thoroughly researching your purchase followed by thorough in-store evaluations, youâll be glad you took the time. By the way, for what itâs worth I am not a fan of dynamic iris technology, which is used to artificially enhance contrast and black level performance. I recommend purchasing video projectors that perform sufficiently well without it or with the dynamic iris featured disabled when possible.

When it comes to finding a retailer, if you value your warranty (or at least want to avoid any warranty-related hassles,) you should choose an authorized retailer from the projector manufacturerâs official list of authorized retailers. If youâre interested in a particular retailer that is not currently on the manufacturerâs official list you should contact the manufacturer in writing (e-mail or âsnail mailâ) and ask them if the retailer is authorized or not.

For what itâs worth Consumer Reports published the results of their consumer survey rating several popular online and walk-in consumer electronics retailers in their November 2007 issue. Listed in the order of overall quality the top five online retailers are:

     1. http://www.crutchfield.com
     2. http://www.amazon.com
     3. http://www.costco.com
     4. http://www.jr.com
     5. http://www.buydig.com

A couple of other popular online consumer electronics retailers that come to mind are Newegg and Vanns.

To help you weed-out potentially substandard retailers try using a resource such ResellerRatings; itâs not fool-proof but you may find it helpful.

################## RESOURCES ##################

Projector Reviews
http://www.projectorreviews.com

Projector Central
http://www.projectorcentral.com

ResellerRatings
http://www.resellerratings.com/reseller_list.pl?browse=2&sort=1
http://www.resellerratings.com/openletter.pl

############ A/V MEDIA AND PRESS ############

UltimateAV
http://www.ultimateavmag.com
http://www.guidetohometheater.com
Sound and Vision Magazine
http://www.soundandvisionmag.com
CNET Reviews
http://reviews.cnet.com
Home Theater Magazine
http://www.hometheatermag.com
AVguide - The Perfect Vision (superseded by Playback)
http://www.avguide.com
Playback
http://www.playbackmag.net
Widescreen Review
http://www.widescreenreview.com
HDTVexpert
http://www.hdtvexpert.com
HDTV Magazine
http://www.hdtvmagazine.com
Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity
http://www.hometheaterhifi.com
SoundStage! A/V
http://www.soundstageav.com
Audio Ideas Guide
http://www.audio-ideas.com

############ DISCUSSION FORUMS ############

AV Science (AVS) Forum
http://www.avsforum.com
Home Theater Forum
http://www.hometheaterforum.com
AVForums (UK)
http://www.avforums.com
High Def Forum
http://www.highdefforum.com
Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity Forum
http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/forum/
DTV Forum Australia
http://www.dtvforum.info
Home Theater Shack Forums
http://www.hometheatershack.com/forums/
 

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