Jonathan
I want to spend around $600 on a nice projector. What should I know about them? What specs should I be looking for b/c obviously I want the best quality I can get? What's a good brand? ...
Answer
You really need to do some reading. Two good sites for info and reviews are found at the links.
Note that at your budget point you can may find a reasonable 720p projector (but not 1080p). That said, most projectors under $600 are designed for "business" use. They can be used for home theatre but often suffer from poorer video processing, higher fan noise levels, poorer colour accuracy, often 4:3 aspect ratio (vs 16:9), and lower contrast ratio ... but often they are brighter than true home theatre models.
So .. do the reading, but here are some minimum specs to look for:
- 1500 ANSI lumens
- 2000:1 contrast ratio
- 28 dB fan
- 800x600 or better resolution (preferably 1280x720)
- 16:9 aspect ratio (preferable)
- digital input capability (but at least VGA/component)
Desirable specs ... but not often found on budget projectors:
- 1.5 or greater zoom lens ratio (facilitates installation)
- lens shift
- HDMI input (or at least DVI)
At the budget level you state you probably will need to focus on DLP based models ... so look for at least a 4X colour wheel (reduces chance of rainbow effect).
Epson, Benq, InFocus, Optoma are all good brands.
To get better quality for less $$ consider used projectors ... but make sure the lamp is either new or nearly so since new lamps cost $350 or so ... and need to be replaced every 3000hr or so. Read reviews and look at street prices at projector central to get an idea of what comparable projectors are worth.
You really need to do some reading. Two good sites for info and reviews are found at the links.
Note that at your budget point you can may find a reasonable 720p projector (but not 1080p). That said, most projectors under $600 are designed for "business" use. They can be used for home theatre but often suffer from poorer video processing, higher fan noise levels, poorer colour accuracy, often 4:3 aspect ratio (vs 16:9), and lower contrast ratio ... but often they are brighter than true home theatre models.
So .. do the reading, but here are some minimum specs to look for:
- 1500 ANSI lumens
- 2000:1 contrast ratio
- 28 dB fan
- 800x600 or better resolution (preferably 1280x720)
- 16:9 aspect ratio (preferable)
- digital input capability (but at least VGA/component)
Desirable specs ... but not often found on budget projectors:
- 1.5 or greater zoom lens ratio (facilitates installation)
- lens shift
- HDMI input (or at least DVI)
At the budget level you state you probably will need to focus on DLP based models ... so look for at least a 4X colour wheel (reduces chance of rainbow effect).
Epson, Benq, InFocus, Optoma are all good brands.
To get better quality for less $$ consider used projectors ... but make sure the lamp is either new or nearly so since new lamps cost $350 or so ... and need to be replaced every 3000hr or so. Read reviews and look at street prices at projector central to get an idea of what comparable projectors are worth.
Cheap, high quality projectors?
halobeast
I want to get a good projector without spending alot of $. What are some good kinds?
Answer
Cheap and high quality are incompatible. You won't get a reasonable projector for much under $500-$600 and an HD model with good contrast ratio suitable for home theatre use is going to be $1000 or more. 1080p models cost $2000 and up.
As long as you are aware that projectors require occasional lamp replacement ($300-$500) ... about every 2-3 years ... and work best in a dim/dark room, they are a great choice for seeing movies or HDTV or playing games on a big screen.
Some reputable brands include: Epson, Optoma, Panasonic, Sanyo, Benq, Sony, InFocus, Mitsubishi.
See the links for reviews and recommendations.
Cheap and high quality are incompatible. You won't get a reasonable projector for much under $500-$600 and an HD model with good contrast ratio suitable for home theatre use is going to be $1000 or more. 1080p models cost $2000 and up.
As long as you are aware that projectors require occasional lamp replacement ($300-$500) ... about every 2-3 years ... and work best in a dim/dark room, they are a great choice for seeing movies or HDTV or playing games on a big screen.
Some reputable brands include: Epson, Optoma, Panasonic, Sanyo, Benq, Sony, InFocus, Mitsubishi.
See the links for reviews and recommendations.
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Title Post: I need help picking out a Home Theater Projector!?
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Rating: 100% based on 99998 ratings. 5 user reviews.
Author: Unknown
Thank FOr Coming TO My Blog
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