Poll: How Many Here Are Projector Owners?

How Many Are Projector Owners?

  • Yes, LCD

    Votes: 26 28.6%
  • Yes, DLP

    Votes: 31 34.1%
  • Yes, SXRD

    Votes: 6 6.6%
  • Yes, CRT

    Votes: 8 8.8%
  • No, not interested

    Votes: 21 23.1%
  • Not yet, tell me more!

    Votes: 8 8.8%

  • Total voters
    91
IMHO the 9+ "not interested guys" are likely mis-or un-informed and surely have NO IDEA what they are missing.
I disagree, I think they dont have a large room they can dedicate to keeping dark whenever they want to watch TV. Not everyone desires to create movie theater in their basement or even has a basement.
 
I still have my first PJ a X1 with 3,300+ hours.. I keep it in a camper for camping... it has a few problems but is still view/watchable... keep an eye out for discounted older models, keep your 53" for daily use and the PJ for movies/special events until you are hooked :D btw... the sound system in the Bedroom is just a Wallyworld RCA 5.1 boxset, which works for now until I upgrade in here... then the sound system goes to a camper...
 
Vurbano, I turned on the PJ here in the bedroom and watched for a couple of hours this morning(right after sunrise) and left on for a couple of hours (in and out)light control is not the issue it once was...I can turn on a lamp and read and watch TV at night with no degredation of PQ... My Bathroom door is on the east side (has a large window on top with now blinds/ curtains) and when it is open doesn't kill the picture... (had it open this morning for awhile)
 
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A dedicated theater room provides the most cinema like experience but is by no means needed to enjoy a home theater projector. WAF, wife acceptance factor, has a lot to do with some people not having a PJ, and the perceived effort required up front deters others from considering it.

Some others who would rather not are basing their decision on having seen a data PJ under poor conditions and not setup correctly.

Then there are those who just don't need a big picture. They are fine with a small screen and find the fine details and size of a home theater PJ image to be distracting and confusing.

You do need to control the amount of light striking the screen but it does not need to be a cave. High contrast and high gain screens make all the difference in making your PJ work in the room you use it in.

You do need to replace a lamp eventually but there are lamp warranties for the faint of heart that will provide 2 or 3 replacement lamps for $100 or so. My PJ is two years old now and the original lamp is still going.

It does require more effort to setup initially than hanging a panel on a wall.

The cost is equivalent to a budget flat panel although you could spend less. I spent less than $1K for my setup with an 8 foot image. It is equivalent to hanging four 42" plasma screens on the wall.

If you are tired of the experience you get at the local theater, home theater could be your ticket to a more enjoyable experience, all under your control.
 
I disagree, I think they dont have a large room they can dedicate to keeping dark whenever they want to watch TV. Not everyone desires to create movie theater in their basement or even has a basement.



8bit said it best IMHO.

This is "OLD" thinking, for old units or incorrectly setup units. There are also mis-perceptions on each of your points. But end the end it really doesn't matter who has what.
 
I love my projector, but there's no way I'd use it as my only viewing source. We have a 32" set for normal viewing. We use the projector for movies and football games.
 
I came very close to getting a projector last year but I just cannot get over the fact that I would end up replacing the bulb once or twice a year and cannot justify spending that much on bulb replacements and just recently bought a 67 inch Samsung DLP with LED bulb that lasts around 60,000 hours. That will go in my livingroom. I have another room that would be more appropriate for a projection (no windows and it will have 10 foot ceiling) (20x20 room).

I am waiting for LED light transmission at an affordable cost instead of bulbs for these projectors or longer life bulbs before buying a projector. The only way I will change my mind about this is if I can get an affordable warranty for around 5 years that covers as many bulbs as I need or can get bulbs for $100 or less or get a discount buying them in bulk as I know I will need them if I do not have to spend a lot on a projector to get the same results as the television I just bought.

What projectors give a similar experience as the Samsung 67-73 inch DLP televisions (or Plasma/LED televisions) and what is the cost of those projectors? If I can get one for under $1,000 then I can buy 8-12 bulbs for a total cost of what a large television costs.

I would like to eventually start selling these and setting them up in my area and use that room with a projector as a demonstration area if I can offer these to the consumer for around the same price or less as the larger televisions. This is why I ask if these cheaper projectors that I see between $500-$1,000 have just as good of a performance as some of these televisions selling for $1,500 and up with a 60-73 inch viewing area.
 
I hate to say it and sound like a dick Star, but you have asked these same questions AND have been shown the numbers in at least 2 other threads.

AND it was shown that a user CAN buy a top quality unit (not those bargain cheaps you refer of)

AND with lamp changes also factored in at above normal change rates , we can STILL get a MUCH BIGGER, equal or better, portable and more useful overall HD display for the example lifespans AND at the same or lower cost than ANYTHING of the same size; PERIOD! You talk of a minuscule 60" - 73" for $1500 and up? You are EASILY talking about $2700 - $3200 for a top quality 73", NOT that $1500 unless its a no-name or a refurb! And isn't this at or very near the size limit of those displays? Come on now; we are talking about an easy FPTV 96" and larger! In normal/moderate rooms with normal light and very cheap and east to apply light control (if any) The truth is this is at least what I call home theater and not just a TV.

If it was NOT you, then I apologize, but I am sure it was. If you just choose not to get an FPTV, then that's cool; but all that above is just your perceptions and choice. Prices for everything are coming down while items and lifespans are ever changing and improving and FPTV are a mis-understood and under-appreciated item rife with mis-info and negative perceptions.
 
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I know I asked those questions before, but the reason I ask again is due to the fact that it was a year ago when I asked those questions and I know that technology and prices and the units available can change a lot in a year's time, and I figured you would mention that you had already talked about this before, I expected that.

I remember a unit you recommended to me a year ago for around $1,600 and it came with an extra bulb for free. I figure by now a unit of that quality is priced less and newer technology has emerged. I do look at AVSForums once in a while but the content is overwhelming there to go through.
 
IWhat projectors give a similar experience as the Samsung 67-73 inch DLP televisions (or Plasma/LED televisions) and what is the cost of those projectors? If I can get one for under $1,000 then I can buy 8-12 bulbs for a total cost of what a large television costs.

I would like to eventually start selling these and setting them up in my area and use that room with a projector as a demonstration area if I can offer these to the consumer for around the same price or less as the larger televisions. This is why I ask if these cheaper projectors that I see between $500-$1,000 have just as good of a performance as some of these televisions selling for $1,500 and up with a 60-73 inch viewing area.

2 lamps a year? Are you running this 12 hours a day??? Most folks that are running their pjs 6 to 8 hours a day are only changing lamps once a year. With a three lamp warranty that's three years of massive usage. When you remember that you are looking at a 100" to 120" screen, a panel just can't match up.

PJs at or under $1200:
Benq W500
Epson Home Cinema 720
Optoma HD65
Panasonic AX200u
Sanyo Z5
Sony AW15

These are all 720p PJs but at 10 to 12 feet viewing distance and 100" screens, you will not for all practical purposes be able to tell the difference between it and a 1080p model costing twice as much.

In a light controlled space all of these PJs will provide excellent images up to 120" in size with no problem.

In a multi-purpose space where you may have more than just movie/tv watching going on, the Epson and the Panasonic provide extra lumen power to provide an excellent image even under controlled ambient light conditions. Add high contrast and high gain screens and you can use these PJs in many situations you couldn't just a few years ago.

Here's a photo I like to point to that shows a multi-purpose room use of a projector. Even with the wall sconces on in the theater part of the room, the image still looks watchable.

HTWide2960.jpg
 
I know I asked those questions before, but the reason I ask again is due to the fact that it was a year ago when I asked those questions and I know that technology and prices and the units available can change a lot in a year's time, and I figured you would mention that you had already talked about this before, I expected that.

I remember a unit you recommended to me a year ago for around $1,600 and it came with an extra bulb for free. I figure by now a unit of that quality is priced less and newer technology has emerged. I do look at AVSForums once in a while but the content is overwhelming there to go through.



It also came with a 100" or so screen.
 
I replaced the lamp in my Mitsubisi HD1000U in July, it had 2,300 + hours, I bought it late in Nov. of '06 and pretty much ran 12 hours a day when off... still had 700 hours or so left but was getting a replace lamp light. It is now in my bedroom and probably has more hours than the HC1500 that replaced it... btw, bought the replacement lamp and projector for less than I would have paid for same projector here in town...got the lamp straight from Japan for $100 off what projector people wanted...my plans were to make a HT out of the bedroom and move to a smaller room but now I think the living room is the next target for a projector as the 43" CRT I bought in '03 has no Hdmi ...
 
Using Sanyo PLV-Z5 front projection LCD with Carada 96" 16:9, 1.4 gain screen. Installed in January, 2007, and now have over 2100 hrs on 2nd lamp. Am starting to see some LCD "burn-in" (image retention) in the pillars from watching 4:3 material. Talked to Sanyo, and they will express me a loaner unit while mine is being checked out and (hopefully) fixed, but I still have over a year left on the warranty and am not yet too disturbed by the faint color differences in the pillars. Also would like to try some DIY fixes first.
 
This is not in a large, dedicated room or in a basement but is sure is nice when I want to watch something I enjoy!

ambientLight2.jpg
 
I have a dedicated room and have had my current projector, a JVC G-15, for over 7 years so I think I have gotten my $ worth from it. I have been waiting for something to come out that I could afford and would work with my 135 inch screen. I don’t like single chip DLP, due to RBE fringing and wouldn’t pay what they want for 3 chip DLP projectors.

JVC has just released their new RS10 and RS20 projectors, which finally have enough output to work in my setup, so I have pre-ordered one. I would recommend any one looking for a projector to check them out. I am looking forward to having true 1080 HD in my main room as well as my TV room.

Earl