Lostman24
I want to watch my HDTV and play DVDs, Xbox 360, Wii, and normal TV on the projector, as well as hook up surround sound. I have no idea what all this 480i,1080p blah blah mess is so can someone tell me if that all really matters and which projector is right for me? I was looking at this Dell:
http://reviews.cnet.com/home-theater-projectors/dell-2400mp-projector/4505-7858_7-31878925.html?tag=prod.txt.5
But I was not sure if it was for Home theater or for presentations...I also looked at the Infocus IN models like the IN1, IN74, ETC...
http://www.infocus.com/Segments/Entertainment/Home%20Entertainment.aspx
I want to spend under $1,000...please help!
Answer
Forget the Dell.
Buying a projector is at least as complicated as buying and HDTV, so before you buy do some reading. I've provided links to two good review sites. They tend to complement each other in terms of observations/focus so it's worth looking at both. The first link also includes a link to a "projector caclulator" that allows you to determine the range of mounting distances to get certain screen sizes (and acceptable brightness) from a particular projector... very useful.
You want to use a projector for all your A/V needs, so consider a couple few issues.
- projectors use expensive lamps ($300-$500/each) that need to be replaced every 2-4000 hr (depending on projector and how used)
- you need a dim/dark room to get the best picture (projectors, unless they are very bright, get washed out by bright lights/windows).
- you need a screen. While this can be as simple as a white wall, for best results you need a dedicated screen. This can be a DIY painted screen (~$100) or as complex as a multi-thousand dollar motorized sreen/masking system.
- Projectors fall into basically two classes (based on use) and three categories (based on resolution):
By Use:
1) Business -- tend to be portable, bright, low contrast, may be 4:3 aspect ratio, poorer video processing, may have fan noise, and
2) home theatre projectors -- tend to be less portable, lower brightness, high contrast, Usually 16:9 aspect, good video processing, quieter
By resolution:
1) 480p (~$500) - SDTV/DVD resolution, best used on screens up to 80-90" maximum,
2) 720p (~$900 and up) - HDTV level resolution, can look good on 100"+ screens
3) 1080p (~$2000 and up) - Analogous to 1080p HDTV. Best picture.
On the basis of your intended use and budget, I'd suggest focussing on 720p HT projectors.
See the listing for "highly rated" HT projectors at the third link ... they are organized by resolution, so you should come down to the 720p (1280x768 or 1280x720) models.
I hope this helps.
Forget the Dell.
Buying a projector is at least as complicated as buying and HDTV, so before you buy do some reading. I've provided links to two good review sites. They tend to complement each other in terms of observations/focus so it's worth looking at both. The first link also includes a link to a "projector caclulator" that allows you to determine the range of mounting distances to get certain screen sizes (and acceptable brightness) from a particular projector... very useful.
You want to use a projector for all your A/V needs, so consider a couple few issues.
- projectors use expensive lamps ($300-$500/each) that need to be replaced every 2-4000 hr (depending on projector and how used)
- you need a dim/dark room to get the best picture (projectors, unless they are very bright, get washed out by bright lights/windows).
- you need a screen. While this can be as simple as a white wall, for best results you need a dedicated screen. This can be a DIY painted screen (~$100) or as complex as a multi-thousand dollar motorized sreen/masking system.
- Projectors fall into basically two classes (based on use) and three categories (based on resolution):
By Use:
1) Business -- tend to be portable, bright, low contrast, may be 4:3 aspect ratio, poorer video processing, may have fan noise, and
2) home theatre projectors -- tend to be less portable, lower brightness, high contrast, Usually 16:9 aspect, good video processing, quieter
By resolution:
1) 480p (~$500) - SDTV/DVD resolution, best used on screens up to 80-90" maximum,
2) 720p (~$900 and up) - HDTV level resolution, can look good on 100"+ screens
3) 1080p (~$2000 and up) - Analogous to 1080p HDTV. Best picture.
On the basis of your intended use and budget, I'd suggest focussing on 720p HT projectors.
See the listing for "highly rated" HT projectors at the third link ... they are organized by resolution, so you should come down to the 720p (1280x768 or 1280x720) models.
I hope this helps.
about lumens projectors?
Mike J
i heard there really cheap, you can buy a 1000 or 1500 on ebay brand new for under 500, it also says bulbs on it last 6000 hours, and they only cost 50 bucks per bulb, this seems to good to be true, i heard all projector bulbs can only last 1000 hours
Answer
There may be some confusion here.
Lumens is a measure of projector brightness. A typical Home theatre projector is rated at 1000-1500 lumens, but this is reduced to 300-500 when adjusted for optimum colour accuracy.
Lamps are typically rated to last 2000-4000 hrs (I don't know of any that claim more) but actual can last much shorter (or, presumably) somewhat longer, depending on how they are treated.
Cost vary from about $200 - $500 .... I've never heard of a normal projector lamp that costs $50.
So, any projector claiming 1000+ lumens brightness and with a 6000 hr lamp life @ $50 to replace is either a significant breakthrough (unlikely), will have horrible colour accuracy, or is a scam.
There may be some confusion here.
Lumens is a measure of projector brightness. A typical Home theatre projector is rated at 1000-1500 lumens, but this is reduced to 300-500 when adjusted for optimum colour accuracy.
Lamps are typically rated to last 2000-4000 hrs (I don't know of any that claim more) but actual can last much shorter (or, presumably) somewhat longer, depending on how they are treated.
Cost vary from about $200 - $500 .... I've never heard of a normal projector lamp that costs $50.
So, any projector claiming 1000+ lumens brightness and with a 6000 hr lamp life @ $50 to replace is either a significant breakthrough (unlikely), will have horrible colour accuracy, or is a scam.
Powered by Yahoo! Answers
Title Post: Help me find a Home Theater Projector for me!!???
Rating: 100% based on 99998 ratings. 5 user reviews.
Author: Unknown
Thank FOr Coming TO My Blog
Rating: 100% based on 99998 ratings. 5 user reviews.
Author: Unknown
Thank FOr Coming TO My Blog
No comments:
Post a Comment