acer ph530 720p front projector. I am having trouble finding reviews. Anyone own one of these?

bjmarchini

I found a good deal on a budget home theater front projector.

Acer ph530 DLP Home Theater Projector. It has a 720p resolution and looks like what I am looking for. Plus it is on sale for 599. Anyone else have this projector. I can't find any reviews.

Answer
I found one

http://www.projectorcentral.com/Acer-PH530.htm

This looks like a really good deal. The lumens and contrast are a little low, but should still be plenty enough to good a great picture. $599 for a new DLP 720p pj is a great buy regardless IMO.

weeder

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?

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What is the best HD Projector and screen to buy?

gregory m

I want HD, or LCD with a good price, that I can watch tv and play games on.

Answer
The consensus is that the best 1080p projector for the dollar is the Epson Home Cinema 1080 UB (See first link for a typical review) ... although there are other good choices .. particularly if you are willing to spend more (See 2nd link).

That said, HD projectors include 720p models (not just 1080p) and cost significantly less.

The "BEST" projector is a very personal decision though (which is why I haven't pointed to a specific brand/model ... other than the Epson) because each model has differences that may make it "better" for your needs / tastes than another.

See the reviews at the two linked sites and look for comparative reviews since they point out the relative strengths and weaknesses. I know it's easier to have someone say "buy this one", but you owe it to yourself (given the money involved) to do the work of defining your needs (based on space available, room conditions, budget, intended programming, personal taste, etc) to define your needs then assess available models against the resulting criteria.

Same for screens. The BEST is arguably a Stewart screen, but Carada, Da-Lite and others are better value for the money, and a DIY screen (many options here) may be the best of the lot (on a value for money basis). See the last link for more.

Is 3000 lumens too bright of a projector for a small room?

datdooppy

I have a 800 sq. ft. apartment. My living room, where I'll have the projector, is about 10 x 25. Im looking for a projector that I will be using on a regular basis for tv(hd satelite box), movies(standard dvd for now), and video games(xbox 360 with hdmi hookups). Im not sure how many lumens I need. I'm just a little afraid of the picture being not bright enough since I will be using the projector on a daily basis and anything but a perfect picture will get annoying.Outside light will not be a problem because I will be blacking out the windows with 100% window tint. Not sure what screen size I'll be going with but will probably be a 100 inch motorized screen.

Ive been looking at three projectors on ebay that seem good and are in my price range(both w/ 3000 lumens):

Sharp PG-MB66X(DLP)
NEC VT770 (LCD)
Optoma EP-758(DLP)

Email me if you need anymore information, thanks for everyones help.

Answer
3000 lumens is WAY too bright. If you have light control in the room you won't need more than 1000-1200 lumens (That is rated brightness, when adjusted for best colour 400-500 lumens is fine).

Read some of the reviews at the 1st link ... for HT use on a screen about 100" you don't need more.

You don't specify a price range, but based on the proposed projectors you appear to be considering the $1000 and up range. I'll assume
you are not thinking a 1080p projector ($2200 and up) ... so will focus on 720p models. That said, the projectorcentral.com site has a listing of recommended HT projectors on the home page ... a good place to start re a number of models that are highly rated.

I would recommend a Home theatre model rather than a conference room/business projector. They are not as bright because light control is assumed, but generally are quieter (cooling fans), have better colour accuracy, and superior video processing.

The calculator at the second link not only helps determine distance to fit a screen size, but also indicates acceptable brightness ranges based on use type/room. Have a look for an approriate projector for your room in concert with this projector. Also see the viewing distance calculator (3rd link) as a starting point given your room dimensions.

Two to consider in the $1300 range are the Panasonic PT-AX200U and Sanyo PLV-Z5 (A comparative review is provided at the 4th link). A somewhat less expensive alternative is the Benq W500 (under $1000) -- Review at the 5th link.

These sites are collectively a wealth of info.

Add the DIY Screen section at AVS Forum (6th link) and you have everything in terms of info to build a great screen for under $100 (in case you would rather put $$ saved on a screen into a better projector.

Cheers.

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I need a good Front Projector!?

James Rund

I would like to buy a front projector. first of all i do not have a lot of money.

it doesn't have to be the best, but atleast a 720p though. with a reasonable contrast ratio, and a reasonable lumen #

also, what is the best way to run my caple through the projector?

Answer
Take a look at the Optoma HD-70 and the Mitsubishi HD 1000-U. These are both 720p DLP projectors that sell for less than a thousand bucks. The reviews I've read suggest that the Mitsubishi is likely the better of the two. Either way, you're going to get nice performance for a relatively small amount of money.

can you suggest a good projector?

Eric James

I am looking to buy a projector soon for a theater room in my basement. It is a completely dark room so there is no worries of external light interfering. Can anybody suggest any good projectors that would work well with the PS3? This is pretty much my 'madden room'. I would also like to watch tv on it.

My other question is do I need to have an HDMI input or is it really not necessary as long as the ration is good?

Thanks for the help!

Answer
You didn't mention your price range so I will just link you to projector centrals home theater review page. I like the top 2 720p projectors (Panny and Optoma) if your budget can't handle the 1080p pricing. HDMI is your best connection choice. The 480p projectors will be disappointing.

http://www.projectorcentral.com/home-theater-multimedia-projectors.htm

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What is the difference between low-cost digital projectors and expensive ones?

best 720p projector reviews image

2kool4u

I mean in terms of picture quality, reliability etc. I want to get a projector to watch DVDs at home but I don't wanna get a useless one or else an expensive one that gives me stuff I don't really need. Thanks.

Answer
What's the difference between a budget and luxury car? Both will take you where you want to go.

Many things go into a digital projector. Like cars the differences can be subtle.

Better projectors will use better components -- better optics, better video processors, better LCD or DLP panels/chips, etc. There will be better thought out design resulting in superior cooling, quieter fans, higher contrast ratio, less light leakage, more user friendly menu structure, etc. A third difference is in extra features, like zoom lens range, horizontal and/or vertical offset adjustment, connectivity options.

But -- as with cars -- more expensive doesn't necessarily give better dependability or performance.

The cost of projectors -- particularly 1080p models -- has decreased greatly in the last couple of years (See the link for a comment on this). A 1080p projector can be purchased for under $2000, even less than some 720p projectors.

There are compromises on the lower priced models within a resolution class ... not quite as good sharpness, not quite the same contrast ratio, a bit less capable video processing, etc. ... but most still represent great value for the money.

If I were buying today I'd be looking at 1080p projectors simply because projectors are the only HDTV capable device where 1080p is ALWAYS a benefit (See Link 2 for why). And the price differential between a 720p and 1080p model has dropped to $1000 or less. If 1080p is still too rich for you, the 720p category has some great choices too (I have a 720p model and am not rushing to replace it any time soon).

That said, there are differences between the projectors in each resolution class (the only fair way to differentiat). The most obvious is in the technical basis for the projector -- LCD, DLP, LCoS -- and in the degree of mounting flexibility (zoom lens range, offset capability).

Past that I highly recommend reading detailed reviews .. particulalry comparative reviews where differences between models are specifically identified ... at the two sites at the links below (3rd and 4th link)

Hope this helps.

What is the best projector I can get for price?

Craig W

I need a projector for watching HDTV, DVDs and playing PS2 and Wii, what is the best projector I can get for doing this.
My price range is between £500 - £750 inc VAT

Also what types of spec should I be looking for when choosing a projector for the above use?

Answer
It's the Mitsubishi HD1000U. It's true 720p HD projector with HDMI and Component inputs, 2500:1 contrast ratio and 1500 lumens. It costs 900 USD, so I don't how many pounds that is.

Here where you get it.

http://www.projectorpeople.com/projectors/projdtls.asp?itemid=21278&itmname=Mitsubishi+HD1000U

And here's a review of it. It won the Editors choice award.

http://www.projectorcentral.com/mitsubishi_hd1000u.htm

I bought one about 4 months ago as my first projector and it's amazing. It's definetly the way to go for a first time buyer like myself.

The specs you should look for are

Contrast Ratio: It's the ratio of light to dark and the higher the better...anything above 2000:1 is good

lumens. This is tricky, because it's not just the higher the better. The HD1000U has 1500 lumens, but when watching you're average movie, it only puts out about 600. That's because movies are inherently dark and you have to watch them in almost total darkness to begin with. This brings up a big issue....the room you want the projector in has to be almost total darkness to really let the picture shine. If you have a lot a windows, forget about watching anything on it during the day.

Also, make sure you get a Home Theater projector, not a business projector. Do the research to get the projector you want. The website projectorcentral.com has a lot of articles and reviews about all kinds of projectors. Go over that website a lot and you'll be set.

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