John G
There are so many to choose from! Any advice?
Answer
It's a good time to be considering a projector. Prices are way down and performance up relative to even a couple of years ago.
It took me over a year to decide, but you can do it quicker now that things have stabilized more re. prices and technology. I bought a Canon SX60, and it was a good choice, but if I were buying today for the same price I would look very carefully at the JVC DLA-RS1 ... it's getting rave reviews (See 1st link as an example) and yet "only" costs $6000. But, that's me, based on my priorities.
You can get a HT projector for $1000 and up that will give you good results. The site at the second link maintains a list of popular HT projectors at various price points.
But my advice to you:
- First, define a budget.
- Second, read, read, read. See some links below.
- Third, think carefully about your specific needs, recognizing that many factors interrelate (for example, what kind of material do you watch? What aspect ratio is best for your needs? How big is the room? Where do you plan to mount the projector? Is the room light controlled? What size and type of screen (although this is interdependent on the projector)). Note that there is a temtation to assume larger is better. Not true .. see the last link to help define a screen size based on room size/viewing position, and THEN consider the projector to fit screen width, viewing distance, room lighting conditions, mounting preference, etc.
- Read some more, focussing on projectors that meet your priorities defined in step 3.
- Decide.
I hope this helps. Have fun!
What is, for the money, the best home movie projector?
Chesterkat
I'm getting a new apartment and I want a projector with the same quality as a tv.
Answer
Bar none the following projectors â all âFull-HDâ, native 1080p designs â currently offer the best performance and value for the money.
JVC DLA-RS1 or DLA-HD1 D-ILA Home Theater Projectors (1920Ã1080)
http://www.jvc.com/product.jsp?productId=PRD4207000&pathId=140
http://pro.jvc.com/prof/attributes/features.jsp?model_id=MDL101681
Sony VPL-VW50 âPearlâ SXRD Home Theater Projector (1920Ã1080)
http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/eCS/Store/en/-/USD/SY_DisplayProductInformation-Start?ProductSKU=VPLVW50
CNET Review - Sony VPL-VW50
http://reviews.cnet.com/Sony_VPL_VW50/4505-3180_7-32069200.html
Panasonic PT-AE1000U Home Theater Projector (1920Ã1080)
http://catalog2.panasonic.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ModelDetail?displayTab=O&storeId=11201&catalogId=13051&itemId=102052
Mitsubishi HC5000(BL) LCD Projector
http://www.mitsubishi-presentations.com/products/projectors/HC5000BL.html
Product Review - Mitsubishi HC5000 LCD Projector
http://www.hdtvexpert.com/pages_b/hc5000.html
Mitsubishi HC5000 HC5000BL Projector Review
http://www.projectorreviews.com/Manufacturers/mitsubishi/HC5000BL/index.asp
Ultimate AV Review - Mitsubishi HC5000 LCD Projector
http://www.ultimateavmag.com/videoprojectors/107mits5000/
Of the current crop of ALL high definition projectors the Sony VPL-VW50 âPearlâ SXRD, the Panasonic PT-AE1000U, and the Mitsubishi HC5000 home theater projectors are arguably three of the best buys at the present time, selling for discounted prices of approximately $4300, $4000 and $4500 respectively. Even at the MSRP of $6300 the JVC DLA-RS1 or DLA-HD1 D-ILA Home Theater Projectors are a bargain for the level of performance they provide.
Projectors and apartments are a fairly unusual combination due to a variety of viewing room constraints associated with apartments. Nevertheless the best choice, especially for apartment use, will be a âFull-HDâ, native1080p projector with the goal of viewing as much source material as possible in the form of 1080p video; 720p being the next best choice. If you'll be viewing a lot of 480-line video source material (DVD-Video, SDTV, etc.,) you will need to make sure you're using equipment that can effectively upscale 480-line video source material to not less than the native resolution of your projector, preferably 720 pixels or greater.
When shopping for a projector I highly recommend that you carefully audition each projector using ALL of the video sources similar to what you will regularly be using, particularly if you will be watching predominantly non-HD video.
You will also need to take into consideration the cost of purchasing a quality projection screen from a company such as Stewart Filmscreen, Da-Lite, Draper, or DNP. For an apartment I would recommend a (16:9) screen no larger than 82-inches (diag.) with a gain no higher than 1.3; if you feel you need a screen with more gain then there may be too much ambient light and you would be better off choosing an alternative to a front projector. Of all the current display technologies front projectors are the most demanding of the viewing environment.
Last but not least you will also need to consider the proper viewing distance(s) for the type of source material you will be viewing. (For more info on proper viewing distances please read my replies from the Yahoo! Answers links below.) If you sit too close you will be constantly distracted by visible picture structure such as individual scan lines or pixels in the video image. Generally the higher the resolution the closer you will be able to sit to the screen before picture structure will become a serious problem.
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Update 2007-04-22
In June of this year Sony plans to release two new 1280Ã720, 3LCD-based, video projectors: the BRAVIA VPL-AW15 and VPL-AW10. The 3LCD equipped BRAVIA VPL-AW15, featuring "auto iris mode" and lens shift along with an estimated retail price of $1,300, may provide consumers an unprecedented price-to-performance ratio in the 1280Ã720 projector range.
http://www.twice.com/index.asp?layout=articlePrint&articleID=CA6431891
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