OT: buying a projector

[gallagb]

so i'm interested in gettin a projector

just for home usage
don't need anything too fancy
just looking for something that will last

things i'm looking for:
ability to plug a DVD player in (so RCA in)
and the potential of plugging in the laptop- so either VGA or DVI
(i have the adaptors that would work for either)

as far as the room/wall that i'm using
the room is about 18 ft long
and the wall is large enough for a 10ft wide x 6 ft tall or so image

i've just started this research process
so i know contrast ratio of 2000:1 is HD
but i'm not sure i need this

as for $$ - under 1k
is about what i'm thinking

854x480 or so is just fine for what i'm using
however better would be ok
i don't know if i wanna go all the way back to 600x400
but- if there's a good machine...etc


as for lumins-
i think i wanna target over 1000 - but don't have a reason for that

lamp life- i'd like over 4000 hrs
but again- am flexible

looking for ideas/pointers

i've checked out
http://www.projectorcentral.com/home-theater-multimedia-projectors.htm
and found some good ideas
but again- i'm not "sold" on anything yet-

so pointers/advice would be great-

again- this is just for 'home theater' usage
nothing fancy

 

[gallagb]

bump?

 

[Keebler]

epson is what i hear

i hear of epson's being good choices.

i would honestly hit your nearest stereo/tv shop. from what i gather, they know what's going on and can show samples. best way to research this.

good luck,
keebler

 

[ksz]

You really need to head on over to AVS Forum, in particular their "Under $3500" section.

AVS is a great site for discussing everything related to home theater. I rarely make a purchase decision without consulting that site.

Two weeks ago I purchased a new Samsung H710AE front projector (1280x720 DLP) and a Toshiba HD-DVD player. The result is absolutely stunning picture quality over HDMI-to-DVI cable.

Do not feed standard composite video to your projector. Use any of these instead (in increasing order of image quality):

1. Component video
2. DVI
3. HDMI <-- best option if you have HDMI on both ends

 

[h0e0h]

things i'm looking for:
ability to plug a DVD player in (so RCA in)
and the potential of plugging in the laptop- so either VGA or DVI
(i have the adaptors that would work for either)

i've just started this research process
so i know contrast ratio of 2000:1 is HD
but i'm not sure i need this

as for $$ - under 1k
is about what i'm thinking

854x480 or so is just fine for what i'm using
however better would be ok
i don't know if i wanna go all the way back to 600x400
but- if there's a good machine...etc

lamp life- i'd like over 4000 hrs
but again- am flexible

You want a projector with component and HDMI to convert from DVI
Contrast ratio has nothing to do with HD, HD is a resolution, and so I'm assuming you're looking for an HD projector, you need one that is at least 1280x720 (720p), if not 1366x768 (1080i) or 1920x1080 (1080p). Under 1K, good luck, you get what you payfor. Also, lamp life of 4000 hours, that's pretty much the standard and based on the bulb, not the projector. You can check my credibility in the thread in my sig, or PM Shard or DrMike and see what they have to say.

 

[Eniregnat]

Also take a look at bulb prices, factor at least one spare into your purchase. Some bulbs can only be purchased from particular manufacturers, some have chips that turn the bulb off after a certain number of hours (though this is to protect the projector), and some can take generic bulbs.

 

[seenew]

Sorry, no real reply, just found it humorous that you posted in stanzas, like a poem or something.

 

[Dreadnought]

Also an important factor to consider is the loudness (of the fans) of the projector! Get one that is pretty silent (about 35db). My brother has bought a small HP projector, very good image even with daylight and its very quiet. You can watch a movie when its projecting right behind you! Also look at the power consumption, this can also increase your elevtic bill a lot!

 

[gallagb]

Sorry, no real reply, just found it humorous that you posted in stanzas, like a poem or something.

it's how i type
in short
brief
statements

go figure.
---
as for the rest of the comments:

thanks for the ideas!
i'll continue my search

MOD: you can close this sucker down