to all projector people

quickr1

is this a good projector?
http://shopathometv.com/shopathome/network/product/productDetail.jsp?BV_SessionID=@@@@1459499334.1100334555@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccccadddddlifdmcefeceeedffjdfjf.0&search=true&OID=64753
what are things that i should know about a projector vs. a regular tv? thanks for any help, andy

wallstreet

I'd start with learning the basics on tv and HD display formats. Polk's site doesn't have a video forum, so here's a good link for starters.
http://www.soundandvisionmag.com/idealbb/view.asp?topicID=20777

And to answer your question, no, this is not something I would recommend to anyone to purchase.

quickr1

thanks for the answer. curious though if this one is any better. http://shopathometv.com/shopathome/network/product/productDetail.jsp?BV_SessionID=@@@@0184602401.1100372928@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccccadddddlifdmcefeceeedffjdfjf.0&OID=64358

Frank Z

Lets go at this from another angle. What are you trying to accomplish? The biggest picture possible, or an HD capable projection system.

Your first choice can get you a big scren image, but it's gonna be grainy.

quickr1

right now i have a 32" tv thats probably 7-8 years old. im not really that particular about picture quality. i guess its easiest to say im not dissatisfied with my current tv i was just lookin at something larger without the huge size of a rear projection tv and the huge cost of plasma or lcd(????). if this makes any sense. thanks andy

goingganzo

if you are trying to stay under 2k go with a sanyoz2 or a panny ae500 the next step up is the sony hs 51 and the next step is the benq 8700 the 7800 from benq is about the same area as the sony. now for screens i would say eather diy or get a entry level scereen

quickr1

ok wheres a good place to find the 2 mentioned? and as far as a diy screen i have a link to one that i found on this polk forum a while back. thanks again andy

Dennis Gardner

In the price range of the Hitachi you are looking at I would consider projectors from:

Infocus/Screenplay
Panasonic
Benq
Sanyo

Other considerations:

*Good light control (pjs love dark rooms)
*Adequate seating space from screen (1-1.5 times the width of screen)
*Tuner needed for TV ( Cable box or VCR)
*Popcorn costs go sky high when friends drop by:D

A good forum source for this type of projector is AVS Under $3500 Pjs

Good place to shop: Projector People

Frank Z

Check out price grabber.com, or froogle.com

okiepolkie

Try www.tigerdirect.com for projectors.

bknauss

Question: with projectors, is there a big difference in the quality of standard cable, digital cable, DVDs, and even what type of media is being shown (sports) like there is with LCD, plasma, and CRTs? Or will everything look pretty excellent with a projector?

Final question for this post: if I have dark drapes over my windows to block light, will I be able to see what's on the projection screen? Basically, how susceptible (I think I just screwed up that spelling) are modern projectors to becoming washed out with light?

Dennis Gardner

The projector doesn't really change the source. Cable is the worse, satellite and digital cable are generally better, DVDs are even better and HD sources are the best.

Blowing up the picture blows up the flaws.

Projectors are washed out by direct light. Daytime soaps with the drapes open are a waste.


Another consideration for using a projector for all viewing is the life expectancy of the bulbs. Many don't go much longer than 2000 hours and cost $300-$400 to replace.

okiepolkie

You can get the Infocus X1 from Tiger Direct for $699(refurbished).

I think Dennis has this one in his system.

The good feature about it is that it has the Faroudja DCDi™ processing built in. This should help the image, but I haven't experienced personally.

Dennis Gardner

I have had my Infocus X1 for over 18 months and love watching all sources on it. I do have it however set up in a light controlled basement theater. I even have altered wall a ceiling colors to help with reflected light.

Projectors have become more popular due to their pricing first and then their capabilities second. You can get a really nice 100 inch wide setup for around a couple grand that exceeds what was possible 10 years ago for 10-15K. They are still not without limitations. The best setup that a projector could be used in ambient light would be to set the pj in a room behind the screen and project from behind on to a black translucent screen. This is basically what an RPTV does. Doing this takes up another whole room, but would give the best overall useable solution.

Getting a great picture has its compromises, but I won't ever be without my pj setup. I honest to God have not been to a movie theater since March of '03 even though I have seen over 200 movies.

See the advantage??!!:D

bknauss

Originally posted by Dennis Gardner
The projector doesn't really change the source. Cable is the worse, satellite and digital cable are generally better, DVDs are even better and HD sources are the best.

Blowing up the picture blows up the flaws.

Projectors are washed out by direct light. Daytime soaps with the drapes open are a waste.


Another consideration for using a projector for all viewing is the life expectancy of the bulbs. Many don't go much longer than 2000 hours and cost $300-$400 to replace.

Thanks for the reply.

I don't know if you (or others) have had experience with this, but LCD and plasma TVs look great with HD signals, but standard signals look much worse on LCD/plasma than CRTs (at least with cable... stupid Comcast!)

I also found a FAQ section on avsforum.com in the <$3500 projector section. I had hit up the >$3500 section before and saw no FAQ, so assumed there were none in exsistence on the site

Dennis Gardner

Standard signal sources can look worse than your CRT if the
line doubler in your pj isn't as good as that of your TV.

My Infocus X1 was one of the first budget pjs that used the Faroudja DCDi deinterlacer and does a great job on standard cable. HD sources by nature have the resolution that will give sharpness to the enlarged picture.

Frank Z

Standard Definition is going to look terrible on any display after seeing the same image reproduced in an HD format (720p or 1080i).

Dennis Gardner

Frank is right, you can only do so much with 240 lines.