HD Projector: how good are they?

[Fgsilva]

Hey,

Does anybody have an HD Projector or know of anybody who has them? How well do they work? are they comparable, in terms of picture quality to regular projection TVs? I"d presume you'd need to make the room really dark, but tha'ts alredy the case with my current HD rear projection TV.

Thanks!

 

[DTV TiVo Dealer]

Front projection HDTV's are my personal favorite TV. Having a very large screen HD image with DD audio is the ultimate movie or sports experence.

We sell a fairly high volume of the new Optoma H31. Forum members can buy one from us for $1,150. delivered to your door.

-Robert

 

[jclampit]

Hey,

Does anybody have an HD Projector or know of anybody who has them? How well do they work? are they comparable, in terms of picture quality to regular projection TVs? I"d presume you'd need to make the room really dark, but tha'ts alredy the case with my current HD rear projection TV.

Thanks!

They work great *if* you get the right one. Many PJs were designed for business purposes and put out pretty bad pictures for home theater purposes. So don't just rush on over to CostCo and get what they have on sale, even though the specs may look really good at first glance, and the literature boasts about how great football games, video games, and movies will look on an 8 foot wide screen with it. AVS forums have *tons* of projector threads telling you the pros and cons of PJs in general and of specific models. If you don't want to wade through them all and are just looking for a great budget projector on the cheap, though, that H31 Robert mentioned is supposed to be one of the really good ones. Another good one on a budget is Infocus' 4805.

Get a good one and you'll never go back. My cousin, who spent $20k on a top of the line plasma a couple years ago, almost cried when he saw my setup.

I think the the H31 and 4805 are both actually only 480p machines, but are capable of displaying HD resolution source material in near HD quality. From what I understand, resolution hounds are often shocked at how good a picture they put out, swearing on their mother's grave beforehand that it couldn't possibly put out that good a picture w/ only 480 lines - a physical impossibility - and then having to eat a little bit of crow after they actually see it (saying things like, "well, I've got to admit it's a great picture, much better than I'd expected" before saving face with something like "but any *true* videophile would still want at least 720 lines - great for Joe Blow, though"). Contrast and deep, rich colors apparently go a long way in making up for their shortcomings in the resolution dept.

Of course, if you've got a little bit more cash to spend you won't have to sacrifice anything on the resolution side. (Or if you want to go the LCD route, resolution comes cheaper, at the possible expense of contrast; it's an endless debate among DLP vs LCD folk.)

Oh, and the darker your room the better, but it doesn't have to be nearly as dark as many would lead you to believe.

 

[Stargazer]

The two things I do not like about projectors is having to have at least a somewhat dark room in order to see the picture and that the bulbs are very expensive. The bulbs do not last that long considering how much they cost.

 

[charper1]

I have the top rated Sanyo PLV-Z3 with a Da-Lite 106" HD high-contrast matte white screen and love them better that ANYTHING I have seen over the 40" size range; regardless of format.

#1 You need the room SPACE and an understanding wife to use this. These are NOT small kid friendly.

#2 If used as an everyday tv on 6+ hours a day to keep the kids happy, move to a RPTV; you will go through lamps at $275 - $390 each, every 2500 - 4000 hours.

#3 Even still, this is the best size/pq setup for the money. BY FAR! My rig was $2200 with projector, screen, commercial grade 35' s-video and 35' component cables.

#4 Remember the bigger you get, low res sources will look even worse.

#5 Room light DOES need to be controllable. If you can't handle dark rooms, just use soft cove lights (about 30 watts total) BEHIND & ABOVE the screen. This allows your pupils to open but does not cause image degradation on screen.

 

[toto]

And you need to look at fan noise, the projector's native resolution, how many inputs, how wide is the lens and what is the zoom ratio, and how out of square positioning is corrected (with lens shifting or electronic keystoning).. Remember that 1280X720 or better is HD. In a budget unit the Sony VPLHS51 is an excellent unit

 

[gunn55]

And you need to look at fan noise, the projector's native resolution, how many inputs, how wide is the lens and what is the zoom ratio, and how out of square positioning is corrected (with lens shifting or electronic keystoning).. Remember that 1280X720 or better is HD. In a budget unit the Sony VPLHS51 is an excellent unit

And don't forget about the much talked about Panasonic PT-AE700U for about 2k $1,500 less than the sony.
I am a sony person but I think the Panny has the edge, just my .02 cents.

http://www.projectorcentral.com/home-theater-projectors.htm

 

[FlyingJ]

FGSilva....I got my panasonic AE700U in January. Frankly, I wouldn't trade it for any...and I mean any plasma set on the market. Same screen as Charper. 106 inches of HD joy!! About 1750 after rebate. My opinion..the only way to go is with a HD projector!! You must check it out!!

 

[Fgsilva]

Thanks to all for your replies. I'm just checking it out right now for the future. Right now I'm happy with my Rear projection 65" mitsubishi. But I'll be moving in another year or so and, if I can find a room dedicated for my HD pleasure only I may go with the projector route.

Have a good one everybody!

 

[Stargazer]

I was thinking about getting the 65" mitsubishi rear projection tv that they have for $2,000. How many hours do those bulbs last compared to the projectors? If the dang projector bulbs were not so expensive I would be more likely to go the projector route but do not want to spend the big bucks just for a stupid bulb.

 

[toto]

I was thinking about getting the 65" mitsubishi rear projection tv that they have for $2,000. How many hours do those bulbs last compared to the projectors? If the dang projector bulbs were not so expensive I would be more likely to go the projector route but do not want to spend the big bucks just for a stupid bulb.

I think the set you're refering is a conventional rear projection set with cathode ray tubes, instead of bulbs. No bulbs to replace.

 

[rockhard]

720P LCD great HDTV

I think 720p LCD front throw projectors are the best bang for largest HDTV picture buck...

I own an Hitachi TX-100 displayed on a Da-Lite 110" HCCV screen in a dedicated basement with full light control...

http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/volume_11_3/hitachi-pj-tx100-projector-8-2004-part-1.html


My sources for HDTV are DTV Panasonic STB , Bell Expressvu model 6000 and Rogers cable HD8300 HDTV PVR with extra extrnal 250GB SATA drive effectively doubling my recorded storage...

 

[DarrellP]

My signature says it all! I wouldn't trade it for any RPTV on the market (but then I'm not married).

 

[angiodan]

I love my Benq 8700. A little pricey, but a fantastic picture. I can't wait till Gregg calibrates it next week!

 

[charper1]

I also have to agree 1000% with these guys. The best spent HD $$ goes to a top projector. My sig lists my gear as well. I push 106" of pure HD bliss!

 

[joemama]

92" screen from Sharp XVZ10000 DLP projector. Everyone that sees the picture can't believe that TV can look so good. I wouldn't give it up for anything.

 

[Jim5506]

If you have light control, consider buying a used/rebuilt CRT projector. I picked up a "bird on the ground" Sony D50Q for <$500.

Corporations and businesses are replacing these with LCD and DLP projectors and if you are careful you can find a superior projector for around $1000.

These are very big and heavy (mine is 14" high, 24" wide and 27" deep, weight is 119 lb.) so they are not for normal room use.

But in a home theatre you cannot beat the picture quality (no pixels and true HD resolution of 1080p on some).

You'll also get the joy? of being able to maintain your own equipment (if you're a perfectionist), plus the projector will probably last 10 years never having to replace a bulb.