What kind of Projector for Home Cinema?

[Stas]

Hello all!

I've decided to upgrade my home cinema system with a screen and projector.
The question to those users, who allready have such thing is:

1. Which are enough and the best characteristics of the projector I need?
(ANSI Lumens, contrast, functions, resolution).

2. Which brand is most reliable?

3. How to decide about the size of the screen?

[BJ_M]

size of the screen is dictated by the room size -- other factors are determined first by your budget

stay away from real cheap deals ...

projectorcentral has a lot of good info as does the avs forum -- but if you have a budget in mind -- i can more nearly suggest a couple of great combinations

[sdlehman]

I have a room 13' wide and 17' long, my screen is 120" diagonal. My seating distance is about 13'. I am using a Panaonic AE700U projector which is a 720p high definition projector. My room is a dedicated theater and so I have total light control. My walls are dark green, carpet a dark burgandy, and ceiling is flat black. Light control will determine how many lumens your pj must have at a minimum.

As far as characteristics go, I agree with BJ_M, go to projectorcentral.com. They have reviewed hundreds of projectors and have tools that help you determine screen size, throw distance, etc.

Good Luck,

Stace

[Stas]

Thank you guy's!

For me is most important to have projector with a reasonable quality.
The price should be upto 1500$.
I don't want a very expensive projector, because, you know, maybe after 1 year it should be upgraded with any new and better model...

The room isn't a big enough, so the size of the screen maybe should be arround 83" diagonal.
So, what is the minimum recommended 'ANSI lumen' value?

For the contrast and brightness the bigger value gives a better picture, ok.

What is the price of this Panasonic AE700U? I thing this is a high class projector, which is a more than I need...

[BJ_M]

Panasonic AE700U is about $2200 , it is a good value

For the contrast and brightness the bigger value gives a better picture, ok.

contrast values are important but companies measure different ... in your case - brightness not so much a factor -- you wlll need about 700 - 1200 lm projector

for lcd - the epson cinema 550 or 800 are good values and good quality (panasonic above is better) -- for dlp in that range - a infocus model in that range would be pretty good ...

[Stas]

Thanks, a lot!

I should check the prices in Bulgaria next week and maybe should ask again for your opinion about available models and prices.

[redwudz]

I have a 4ftX7ft screen (1.3MX2.1M) at 14ft (4.3M) viewing distance. Some projectors can use a fairly short distance. I believe my projector is about 900 lumens. Not much use in the daytime, but I only watch video at night. I've had it for about 4 years, only on the second bulb, so no complaints there. It's a 800X600 (VGA) projector, because that's all I could afford at the time. I guess, bottom line, I don't regret the purchase for a minute, very nice with a good surround sound system. If it quits, then I will upgrade.

I can tell you, the first time you fire up your new projector and sit back to enjoy your video, you will be impressed. Home theater is worth the cost.

I would also highly recommend a good quality projector screen. I paid about $350US for mine, good viewing angle, never any problems with it. If I had it to do over, I would have got a electric screen or at least one that has a speed regulator when you retract it. I haven't ever let go of the cord, but I suspect it could do some damage to the screen if I did. I spent a lot of time at Projector Central before I bought both items. Good info there.

[greymalkin]

if you want total flexibility over your projector at a more than reasonable cost you should check this site out:

www.lumenlab.com

the downside..bigger projector and you have to put some work into it.
The upside: cheaper, upgradeable.

[nirbhayn]

Panasonic AE700E

[Cunhambebe]

If I'm not mistaken, Epson is a good brand. Anyway, they have cheap solution for this in Brazil! Make your own box, buy the special lens for about 15.00 U$, put your regular tv inside and that's all... LOL LOL, look...

[redwudz]

Cunhambebe, I remember that setup from years ago. You had to turn your TV upside down and do some other modifications to it and it only worked in a really dark room. The scan lines were overpowering. I almost ordered the Fresnel lens myself.

I would really like to see one of the newer DLP projectors in use, but then I might have to buy a new projector.

[Cunhambebe]

But look, redwudz, this one's great! You don't need to turn your TV upside down and besides the box is very decorative! LOL LOL There's even a place to put your remote control

Now, ...seriously, I guess the problem with these projectors is the LAMP. If you use it a lot you'll need to buy a new one in just a couple of years. That's why most of the people here are buying Plasma or LCD 16:9 HDTVS, even to watch in PAL-M or NTSC. BTW, most stores are very mad with the performance of the Brazilian Team in teh World Cup (it was kicked out early this time). They wanted to sell more and more Widescreens until the end of the Cup.
Cheers,
Mark

[redwudz]

That appears different than the ones I remember. They just used the CRT for light. Very dim when projected to any size at all.

I saw a neat article a while back on converting a used LCD screen from a laptop to use for a projector, along with a focusing lens, maybe similar. It used a quartz halogen for illumination, but probably melted down the LCD screen if not cooled sufficiently.

The only thing that worries me is that you seem to have a lot of pictures of that device. From your front room?

Just kidding. People are very inventive at times.

Sorry about Brazil's loss.

[SingSing]

Can Cunhambebe post infomation how to get parts and info for the TV projector ? I am impressed that the TV is set up at upright.

Can you show us in screen shot too ?

I like many, after buying a large TV, are stuck with a good CRT TV -- like 27in Sony, panasonic... This look like a good use for them.

[guns1inger]

http://www.diyprojectorcompany.com/
http://www.hommie.net/

A little light reading

[greymalkin]

people...i'm telling you..i've gone to all the silly make your own projector sites and this one is the best:

www.lumenlab.com

the guy who talked about reading an article about using an lcd panel was probably referring to the popular science article talking about lumenlab. You should really go check it out. They have detailed diagrams of the build and posted results as well.

The guy who was talking about the expensive light bulbs..thats a big turnoff for projectors...these projectors use 400-1000w metal halide bulbs that last approx 10,000-20,000 hours and cost from 30-50 dollars instead of 2,000 hours with a replacement cost of 300-500 dollars. This is not a stupid gimmicky peice of junk like the tv projector. anyways...check the site out. here it is a third time so hopefully you won't pass it up this time:

www.lumenlab.com

[MysticE]

A good place to buy with great prices and advice is at ProjectorPeople. Very knowledgeable folks who will not just let you order without discussion about uses, screen size, light etc.

http://www.projectorpeople.com/default.asp?sid=GAPR

We got a Panasonic PT-AE900U Projector from them last year and were very pleased with the service and price, plus they have a tech department you can contact for questions (almost any question).

Free shipping and with the rebate your cost will be about $1400.

http://www.projectorpeople.com/projectors/projdtls.asp?itemid=20229&itmname=Panasonic+PT%2DAE900U

[Cunhambebe]

redwudz

The only thing that worries me is that you seem to have a lot of pictures of that device. From your front room? laugh.

LOL LOL - I got these pictures from the web (it's not my HUT) Cool, ins't it?? LOL LOL Anyway, the Brazilian model shown above is the most beautiful one and very fancy - Z (easy) Player - I sounds good! LOL

Sorry about Brazil's loss.

-Nah... no problem. Vive les États-Unis! Vive la France!

SingSing

Can Cunhambebe post infomation how to get parts and info for the TV projector ? I am impressed that the TV is set up at upright. Can you show us in screen shot too ?

-Sorry for the late reply... Here's the site in Brazilian Portuguese where I got those pics. I guess they have uploaded "some pics" - not all of them - showing probably a real LCD projector in action instead of that E.T. (LOL)

http://produto.mercadolivre.com.br/MLB-44690763-lente-projetora-transforme-sua-tv-em-u...ete-gratis-_JM

Pls scroll down to see the pics.

[MJA]

If I'm not mistaken, Epson is a good brand. Anyway, they have cheap solution for this in Brazil! Make your own box, buy the special lens for about 15.00 U$, put your regular tv inside and that's all... LOL LOL, look...

how does the focus works on this sucker ? or you have to move the table back and forth?

looks like a poorman missile defence system

[Cunhambebe]

ooks like a poorman missile defence system

LOL - I guess you can slide back and forth the cover (with the lens).

[Stas]

I found a something that looks good. What can you say about this:
http://www.ivojo.co.uk/optoma-ep739h.htm

Optoma EP739H:
The price in Bulgaria including VAT (20%) is 1495 USD.
Warranty 36 months.

There are some different models as well:

Optoma EP716R (769$)
* Dual VGA Inputs
* Password Protection
* 2200 ANSI Lumens
* 4000 Hour lamp-life
* SVGA Native resolution
* DLP™ technology for consistent long-term performance

Optoma EP719R (1205$)
* Dual VGA Inputs
* Password Protection
* 2200 ANSI Lumens
* 4000 Hour lamp-life
* XGA Native resolution
* DLP™ technology for consistent long-term performance

Optoma EP729 (1652$)
* 1600 ANSI Lumens
* 2200:1 Contrast Ratio
* XGA Native Resolution
* Rapid Shutdown
* Eco mode for quiet operation and long lamp-life (4,000 hours)
* SCART RGB adapter

Optoma EP747 (1642$)
* Super Bright 3000 lumens
* XGA 1024 x 768 up to 1400 x 1050
* SXGA+ compressed
* Superior contrast ratio at 2200:1
* Inputs: DVI-HDCP, VGA, S-Video, Composite video
* Internal Speaker with 3 Watt Output
* Full Function Remote control, with Mouse and LASER
* Pin number security function

Optoma EP759 (1985$ - expensive for me)
* Ultra bright 3,500 ANSI lumens
* Native 1,024 x 768 XGA resolution
* Superior contrast ratio at 2000:1
* DVI-I w/HDCP input for pure digital connection
* Exceptional UXGA (1600 x 1200) resolution and HDTV input compatibility
* Tunnel Cooling System design for near-silent operation

Optoma EP910 (4089$ - too exp. for me)
* Super Bright 3,500 ANSI lumens
* SXGA + (1,400 x 1050) UXGA (1,600 x 1,200)
* Superior contrast ratio at 3000:1
* 2 Internal Speakers Each with 3 Watt Output
* PAL, NTSC, SECAM, HDTV (480i/p, 576i/p, 720p, 1080i/p)
* Full function remote mouse & Laser Pointer


And 2 models, named Home Cinema Projectors:
Optoma DV10 (1100$)
Optoma HD72i (1987$)

Sorry for this long post! I hope somebody has some experience with Optoma Projectors. Here is a little bit complicated situation: models in Europe and USA have different signature. Hmmm.

[BJ_M]

the Optoma EP729 might be a better deal as it has a longer life bulb - but otherwise is almost the same as far as i can tell as the more expensive 739 (except a much lighter weight - which may not be good) .. nether uses the latest DLP chips though .....

the HD72 does - it has the widescreen DarkChip2 DLP chip. 5000:1 contrast ratio in ImageAI mode, 3500:1 contrast full on/off. And it is the same price as a 739

[BJ_M]

the HD72 and the 739 have the same list price -- i am surprised you are quoted a big diff in a price -- except the 72 is much more in demand ...

[Stas]

739 has a promotional price just now.

These prices are at my local dealer.

729 has 4000 hours life bulb vs. 5000 hours of 739 (both in Eco mode).

HD72i is much more expensive here regarding 739.
So 739 is a good choice or?
(I need a projector with enough quality for my home cinema system at all.)

[BJ_M]

yea - 739 would be ok ... at that price ...

since it is native 4:3 and doesnt have the (latest) dark chip or latest type color wheels -- im not overly crazy about it ... BUT it is good overall projector, well made and a pretty decent picture non the less ..

at that price you were quoted (prob. because it is soon to be discontinued) , it is even a better deal ...

it is a very popular model btw ....

[Stas]

Thank you very much!
You was very kind and helpful for me!

I should try to get one 739 for testing soon.