Projector Recommendations Please

[bruce3404]

I'm just finishing up a dedicated theater room. Dimensions 9.5'x23', 7.1 Yamaha RX-V2400, Dish network subscriber. I currently use an older Toshiba 61" Cinema series for my TV viewing and would like to replace it with a good quality projector that would allow me to watch both DVDs and TV. I'm concerned about what quality TV images I could expect to receive and I've yet to find a showroom in my area (Eugene/Portland, OR) where any of the projectors available are hooked up to a TV signal. Is it unrealistic to expect decent quality from a non-HD signal on a 90-100" screen? I'm willing to spend a few more bucks on the screen and projector (say, $6,000 total), but am wondering if I should buy now, or wait a bit longer as the technology improves and prices decrease. Of course, one could wait forever with that mindset and I really would like to find something I would be satisfied with today and for at least several years to come. Any ideas?

[robert393]

Sounds like you are going to be having LOTS of fun with the HT Room...Congratulations! I have enjoyed mine immensly!
With the budget you have set ($6k) you should have no problem finding a projector & screen that will exceed your expectations! Go to www.projectorcentral.com and let the fun begin! You should find more information than you would ever need.
Robert

[N. Abstentia]

Yeah with that kind of budget you should be able to get something really nice, however I can't offer you any help with what to get because I never even considered spending that much!

I went with the Optoma H31 which was $1100 and made my own 125" screen...with paint! If you want to buy a screen though you should probably budget around $1000 for that. Honestly, I don't know what a more expensive projector will get you because all the expensive projectors I looked at were decimated by my setup...seriously. I'm not saying I'm a super genius or anything, probably more like the stores around here don't have them setup properly..but I would be embarrased if I were them. I'm sure if you're in a larger city you'll find some better setups.

BUT, for my $1150 ($1100 for projector, $50 for paint and frame) I don't know how you could get any better. Pics in the link below:

[Kam]

I switched from an infocus lp340b to a sanyo plv-z3 (i'll try and post some pics soon) both of which were waaay under your price range. the infocus was a non-hd setup (on a 92" hdtv screen) and still had a great picture. the sanyo is an hd setup and the improvement is extremely significant. i'd definitely also reccomend the projectorcentral starting point, but don't just go by their prices listed as those are generally mfr prices whereas street prices can easily be well below (couple 100 usually, if not more).

i think you can get a screen package deal from most projector dealers and shouldnt have to spend that much on it, unless you're going for an electronic or masking screen. you can get a sweet screen for a couple hundred, although Absentia's screen is pretty kickass. if its a dedicated theater, you prolly dont need an eletronic screen since (i would guess?) the screen is going to be down the entire time.

myself, just imo and my own practices, i generally dont stay on the forefront of technology in HT, but am usually about a step behind. that way i pay a lot less for the last generation of items (e.g. sanyo just came out with plv-z4).

One thing i would reccomend researching is your input signals and the input capabilities of your projector choice. i dont know sattelite systems, but check what your source material is going to be coming from. what outputs does your dvd player have? any upgrades planned for your dvd player? are you using the yammy as your video switcher? i dont know its inputs either, but am guessing component in-outs?

you might want to check the projectors with dvi-d or hdmi inputs if you have that capability to switch directly in the projector rather than through your reciever. Projectorcentral has a great option on there as "Buyers Guide" where you can put down what you want and then search for projectors. however, one caveat i would reccomend is not to limit your price and also to allow for out-of-production models. there are a few gems there and the prices can be off so you want to check on some of them (although the $60k runco's or sim2's am sure arent going to be found for that much cheaper, haha).

what's the rest of your system if you dont mind me asking, speakers, dvd player, etc. sounds like you're going to be having a lot of fun!!

peace
k2

[bruce3404]

The rest of my set up is as follows:
1. LiteOn DVD recorder/player LVW-5005.
2. All 6 speakers are matched Paradigm: 2 ea Monitor 9s on the front, CC-370 Center
ADP370 Surrounds and 2 Mini Monitors in the rear.
3. Subwoofer an old Klipsch workhorse, KSC-200
4. Ancient JVC VCR, old Teac Cassette Deck, old Technics turntable and a funky old amp to run the bass-shakers.

Not sure that I've gotten an answer regarding non-HDTV channels and how they look. Realize they won't be as good, but will they be as watchable as, say, my 10 year old rear projection Toshiba? I like to watch sports, so would also be interested in how fast action would transfer onto the big screen. Thanks for the kind welcome, and I expect I'll have a lot of questions over the next month or so. Just finished the electrical wiring and will start pulling speaker cable over the weekend.

[cgII]

Well my dad purchased the Screenplay 7205 and it's fantastic. Him and I shopped around alot, and this was clearly the best projector for the money. I think you'll find it within your budget. It does HD ( 720p ) and images look great (Hi-Def football never looked better). We are projecting an image 8'x4.5' (that's as big as it gets, w/o loss of quality) As for regular brodcasts, bear in mind that the projector's naitive resolution is 1280x720 and projects an image with an aspect ratio of 16x9. Stretching regular TV honestly looks pretty average (though stretching on any widescreen display is pretty average). If you decided to watch with grey bands on the side (thus preserving the 4x3 aspect ratio) quality improves significantly.

From our personal experience, we only tend to watch HD and DVD's on the projector because firing the thing up takes at least 2 minutes (for the bulb to get ready). We have an older 53" 4:3 TV and use that one when we are casually watching TV. bottom line: it's kind of inconvenient to use for day to day use.



THINGS YOU HAVE TO KNOW:
-no matter how bright a projector claims to be, viewing is far superior in the DARK. If your room is every so slightly bright, I'd change for a DLP TV, (the new samsung TV's with 1080p resolutions are great)

-The projector has only ONE DVI/HDMI input. We bought a DVI Switcher (Griffin?) and it works fine.

-Should you decide that a projector isn't for you after all, don't go Plasma or LCD. yeah they look cool but a more expensive DLP will reward you with a bigger screen and better image.

As for your screen, we used GOO SYSTEMS screen paint. Is it the best? Maybe, maybe not. But electric screens cost up to/over 1000 dollars, and money is best spent on a better projector.

I think that the 7210 is out of your range but if you can spend the extra cash it might be worth it.

If you have any questions about anything feel free to ask, I worked out most of the kinks in my dad's home cinema, and am pretty knowledgable.

[bruce3404]

Actually, the 7210 falls within my price range. Without looking too hard, I found one for $4500. Looks like a pretty good projector. Now if I could just preview one somewhere. I went to the In Focus offices up in Wilsonville (near Portland) but they wouldn't let me past the lobby since I wasn't a dealer.

[Kam]

Actually, the 7210 falls within my price range. Without looking too hard, I found one for $4500. Looks like a pretty good projector. Now if I could just preview one somewhere. I went to the In Focus offices up in Wilsonville (near Portland) but they wouldn't let me past the lobby since I wasn't a dealer.

drop a kilo on the receptionsists desk.

[GMichael]

drop a kilo on the receptionsists desk.

Wrong kind of dealer.

[Kam]

Wrong kind of dealer.

doh!!

(still might work though. :D)