Need projector recommendations.

[amarmistry]

Swish, you are right about darker color paint. The beige was original color of the basement walls. I have future plans to change it though. I might make some kind of black frame around it as well. But so far I am very happy with the results.

About the screen, its not actual screen or special paint. Belive it or not, it is Behr Premium Flat white paint, about $17. Two coats and it worked like a charm. I really do not understand what'd a special projector paint will accomplish.

The painted screen size: 10'4" Horizontal, 5'7" Vertical, 11'84/8" Diagonal
Distance of projector to wall 13'7". Projector is on the table.

Image size is about 120" diagonal

[Swish]

Swish, you are right about darker color paint. The beige was original color of the basement walls. I have future plans to change it though. I might make some kind of black frame around it as well. But so far I am very happy with the results.

About the screen, its not actual screen or special paint. Belive it or not, it is Behr Premium Flat white paint, about $17. Two coats and it worked like a charm. I really do not understand what'd a special projector paint will accomplish.

The painted screen size: 10'4" Horizontal, 5'7" Vertical, 11'84/8" Diagonal
Distance of projector to wall 13'7". Projector is on the table.

Image size is about 120" diagonal

Of course you are! Ha! Flat paint has a way of showing every little imperfection on a wall, so I'm a bit surprised that you used it, but if you're happy with the results, I guess I can't argue with you. From what I've read, the special 'paint on screen' supposedly has many advantages; superior contrast, a flat 'spectral response', and so forth that they claim surpasses the performance of convention screens or other materials.

According to projectorcentral.com, the recommended throw for a 120" screen with your projector is 16' with that size screen. I'm sure they allow some play in those numbers, but you can check it here: http://www.projectorcentral.com/Epso...ulator-pro.htm

[amarmistry]

Swish, you are right about darker color paint. The beige was original color of the basement walls. I have future plans to change it though. I might make some kind of black frame around it as well. But so far I am very happy with the results.

About the screen, its not actual screen or special paint. Belive it or not, it is Behr Premium Flat white paint, about $17. Two coats and it worked like a charm. I really do not understand what'd a special projector paint will accomplish.

The painted screen size: 10'4" Horizontal, 5'7" Vertical, 11'84/8" Diagonal
Distance of projector to wall 13'7". Projector is on the table.

Image size is about 120" diagonal

[amarmistry]

Yes you are probably correct about the special projector paint.
I went Flat white route simply thinking it'd have minimal glare and thought that in worst case I can paint over it with better paint. At most, I lose is a can of paint. Not bad to try it out.
I had cleaned out the wall pretty well and sanded it smooth to remove any little imperfection I found by rubbing my hands over it. Looking from an angle after painting it I hardly see any uneven surface or blemishes. I really have to see if anyone used special projector paint or screen and see the difference. To be honest with you, picture does look very stunning. I did my best to capture the image with my camera that is very close to how it looks but still its not 100% reflection of real image.
I will try to see if I can put more images in different modex (THX, Theater Blank, Living Room etc) after calibrating it further.

[Swish]

Yes you are probably correct about the special projector paint.
I went Flat white route simply thinking it'd have minimal glare and thought that in worst case I can paint over it with better paint. At most, I lose is a can of paint. Not bad to try it out.
I had cleaned out the wall pretty well and sanded it smooth to remove any little imperfection I found by rubbing my hands over it. Looking from an angle after painting it I hardly see any uneven surface or blemishes. I really have to see if anyone used special projector paint or screen and see the difference. To be honest with you, picture does look very stunning. I did my best to capture the image with my camera that is very close to how it looks but still its not 100% reflection of real image.
I will try to see if I can put more images in different modex (THX, Theater Blank, Living Room etc) after calibrating it further.

...the thing that matters most is how you like your setup. It's not reasonable to expect much feedback from the pictures you provided, but they do look pretty good. One thing for sure is that I'm even more anxious to get my HT room ready.

[amarmistry]

That is correct Swish. I really like it and I am very happy with the setup. The speakers could be better, and may be it will, someday.

By no means I am trying to get a whole lot of feed back. My intention was largely to share the final setup after I have posted many questions on this site before I made my purchase and during installation and after it was setup (and flat paint-of course :-) ).

I am certain you are moving forward towards your HT. Would love to see what you get and how it looks.

[luckydoggoldminer]

I have had good luck with my couple year old sony vlp 50. The reds are superb. My room is 23 feet wide by 18. the ceiling is 11 feet tall. It did get replaced by several better and less expensive sony projectors. The sxrd processor helps eliminate l.c.d streak problems. Good luck in your search! MY SYSTEM IS AS FOLLOWS.........SONY VLP 50 PROJECTOR, CUSTOM SCREEN, TWO MONSTER MPA 3250 AMPS, ONE MONSTER MPA 2250 AMP, ONE NAD 973 SEVEN CHANNEL AMP FOR EFFECTS FOR A THUNDER AND LIGHTNING SYSTEM, ONE YAMAHA C2X PRE AMP, ONE ONKYO PRE PRO 885 PREAMP, ONE DENON 2500BDI BLU RAY,ONE SONY BDI 500 BLU RAY, ONE ES CX 777 400 DISC CHANGER, ONE ONKYO SP 1000 UNIVERSAL PLAYER, ONE MONSTER POWER 7000 CONDITIONER, CUSTOM AND UNIQUE VERTEC ROCK SPEAKERS WITH FOCAL AND GERMAN MADE DRIVERS, CUSTOM EIGHT FOOT WIDE VERTEC CENTER CHANNEL, TWO CUSTOM VERTEC/JBL 12 INCH SUBS,TWO CUSTOM VERTEC/JBL 18 INCH ALNICO DRIVERS, FOUR CUSTOM VERTEC THUNDER AND LIGHTNING SPEAKERS WITH 36 TOTAL DRIVERS, THE SCREEN IS A CUSTOM ONE MADE BY THE COMPANY THAT MAKES SCREENS FOR DISNEY AND NASA. THE SCREEN HAS TOO MUCH GLASS SO IT NEVER GETS RID OF THE FOLDED WRINKLES.

[GMichael]

Did you pull that trigger yet? You may want to look at this before you do.
The Art of Home Theater Projectors » Blog Archive » New Epson Home Theater Projectors – A First Look!

[Swish]

Did you pull that trigger yet? You may want to look at this before you do.
The Art of Home Theater Projectors » Blog Archive » New Epson Home Theater Projectors – A First Look!

Wireless HD video to the projector? Get the front door! I'm going to have to see the pricing before I make a decision, but that 5100 may be the one if it's around $2000 or so.

Danke!

[GMichael]

Wireless HD video to the projector? Get the front door! I'm going to have to see the pricing before I make a decision, but that 5100 may be the one if it's around $2000 or so.

Danke!

I'm eying that 5100 myself. Not the 5100e though. I'm 3D ready except for the projector. Looks like it's going to be a good year for projectors.

[Swish]

I'm eying that 5100 myself. Not the 5100e though. I'm 3D ready except for the projector. Looks like it's going to be a good year for projectors.

...what exactly do you mean? I have a PS3 that I'm sure will be upgraded to 3D, and the Oppo BD93 I plan to buy and use in my HT room will play 3D discs, but I'm a bit confused on the HDMI requirements.

Keep in mind that I've done little research on 3D because I thought it would be nothing more than a fad, but I guess I should follow the crowd.

I got the HDMI 1.1 upgrade on my Rotel processor (that's the only one available to date), meaning I have to use optical out for the audio signal, but I'm betting 1.1 won't be able to handle the video signal for 3D, correct? That being said, I could bypass the Rotel and run the HDMI from the Oppo to the projector, but that's not the solution I would prefer.

[GMichael]

...what exactly do you mean? I have a PS3 that I'm sure will be upgraded to 3D, and the Oppo BD93 I plan to buy and use in my HT room will play 3D discs, but I'm a bit confused on the HDMI requirements.

Keep in mind that I've done little research on 3D because I thought it would be nothing more than a fad, but I guess I should follow the crowd.

I got the HDMI 1.1 upgrade on my Rotel processor (that's the only one available to date), meaning I have to use optical out for the audio signal, but I'm betting 1.1 won't be able to handle the video signal for 3D, correct? That being said, I could bypass the Rotel and run the HDMI from the Oppo to the projector, but that's not the solution I would prefer.

By 3D ready, I mean that I have upgraded the cables and receiver to HDMI 1.4. The PS3 you know is 3D ready.

If you want 3D you'd have to bypass your processor from the PS3. But that would mean having to use an optical cable (or RCA) to the processor for audio. Or maybe an HDMI splitter is available?

I thought that you were hot on the wireless HD though. Those new Epson models were either 3D or wireless. Not both.

[GMichael]

Wireless HD video to the projector? Get the front door! I'm going to have to see the pricing before I make a decision, but that 5100 may be the one if it's around $2000 or so.

Danke!

Rumor is that the 5100 will be under $3k. My guess is that 2995.00 is about what they mean by under $3k. It is supposed to be in direct competition with the new Panasonic 3D model which is going for $3500 right now.

[Swish]

By 3D ready, I mean that I have upgraded the cables and receiver to HDMI 1.4. The PS3 you know is 3D ready.

If you want 3D you'd have to bypass your processor from the PS3. But that would mean having to use an optical cable (or RCA) to the processor for audio. Or maybe an HDMI splitter is available?

I thought that you were hot on the wireless HD though. Those new Epson models were either 3D or wireless. Not both.

I did mention bypassing my Rotel by the way. I'm really curious how the wireless works. I'm guessing you connect something to your Blu-Ray player.

I already saw prices on the Epson 3D players, but they're all 'pre-order' prices and your estimates aren't far off. You can check them out here.

I was hoping to keep my projector purchase under $2,000 but it appears I won't be able to unless I give up on 3D, and I might do that. I could see perhaps $2,500, but not much more than that.

[GMichael]

I did mention bypassing my Rotel by the way. I'm really curious how the wireless works. I'm guessing you connect something to your Blu-Ray player.

I already saw prices on the Epson 3D players, but they're all 'pre-order' prices and your estimates aren't far off. You can check them out here.

I was hoping to keep my projector purchase under $2,000 but it appears I won't be able to unless I give up on 3D, and I might do that. I could see perhaps $2,500, but not much more than that.

The 3100 is 3D. Although, not as nice as the 5100, it's trumps last year's $2k models.

[Swish]

The 3100 is 3D. Although, not as nice as the 5100, it's trumps last year's $2k models.

...how often would I watch something in 3D to make this worth the effort? Will there really be that many movies that I'd want to see in 3D while wearing silly glasses? What happens in a few years or so when they come out with a new 3D that doesn't require glasses?

I may just go with the old Epson 8700 UB.

[GMichael]

...how often would I watch something in 3D to make this worth the effort? Will there really be that many movies that I'd want to see in 3D while wearing silly glasses? What happens in a few years or so when they come out with a new 3D that doesn't require glasses?

I may just go with the old Epson 8700 UB.

All good questions. I don't have the answers though.

How does the 8700 stack up to the 3100e? Does that wireless option mean a lot to you?

Edit:
8700 $2149ish
200,000:1 contrast
1600 ANSI
extra bulb

3100e $1500ish
30,000:1 contrast
2200 ANSI
wireless

5100e $2950ish
200,000:1
2400 ANSI
wireless

[Swish]

All good questions. I don't have the answers though.

How does the 8700 stack up to the 3100e? Does that wireless option mean a lot to you?

Edit:
8700 $2149ish
200,000:1 contrast
1600 ANSI
extra bulb

3100e $1500ish
30,000:1 contrast
2200 ANSI
wireless

5100e $2950ish
200,000:1
2400 ANSI
wireless

...but I thought it was cool. I haven't seen thorough reviews on the new models yet, but I'll be looking and learning before I make my move. I really wanted my HT ready for the NFL, but I suppose I can hold off a little longer...for the NHL!

[kexodusc]

Ha ha ha...by the time Swish is ready to pull the trigger on a projector, they'll be selling holo-deck technology! Whatcha waiting for? You already missed the season opener of Glee!

[Swish]

Ha ha ha...by the time Swish is ready to pull the trigger on a projector, they'll be selling holo-deck technology! Whatcha waiting for? You already missed the season opener of Glee!

If you recall though, someone mentioned how the priced usually dropped in late summer, so I was sort of holding off for that. I also had an extremely busy summer and haven't finished painting the area. Well, at least not around the fireplace, and the screen isn't done yet, but will be in a week or so.

Now the danged 3D issue has reared its ugly head.

[GMichael]

If you recall though, someone mentioned how the priced usually dropped in late summer, so I was sort of holding off for that. I also had an extremely busy summer and haven't finished painting the area. Well, at least not around the fireplace, and the screen isn't done yet, but will be in a week or so.

Now the danged 3D issue has reared its ugly head.

Are you painting your ceiling black?

















It's the only way to get the most out of Glee.

[GMichael]

All good questions. I don't have the answers though.

How does the 8700 stack up to the 3100e? Does that wireless option mean a lot to you?

Edit:
8700 $2149ish
200,000:1 contrast
1600 ANSI
extra bulb

3100e $1500ish
30,000:1 contrast
2200 ANSI
wireless

5100e $2950ish
200,000:1
2400 ANSI
wireless

For reference:

My Sanyo Z4 - $2995 MSRP (I paid $2k)
720p
7000:1
1000 ANSI
free bulb, screen, HDMI & Component cables & mount

[Swish]

Believe it or not. I went with the Epson Powerlite 8700UB and it should be here by Friday. I also ordered the Oppo BD93 the other day, along with a Logitech Harmony One remote. Now my only need is a screen. I started a new thread asking for a little advice but will still consider building a fixed screen. I just want it soon. Really soon. I'm missing NFL and NHL action!

[amarmistry]

Hey Swich
Glad to know you have finally made a decision on the projector. Welcome to the club of proud owners of Epson Home Cinema 8700. Lol.
You may have gotten it by now. How does it perform? Do you like it? Can you share some pictures please?

[GMichael]

The Epson 5010's have just gone down $300. They should be shipping any day now.