Poll: How Many Here Are Projector Owners?

[charper1]

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!

None of my 3 are in dedicated rooms or basements either. I also have zero issues with light control and do not need to create a "dark room" either.

I like your setup.

 

[dfergie]

Suffering from withdrawals ... haven't watched either of mine since Friday Morning... probably be Tuesday...

 

[8bitbytes]

Mine has been busy this weekend!

We put up Iron Man on Friday, college football yesterday, and some NFL today.

 

[vurbano]

None of my 3 are in dedicated rooms or basements either. I also have zero issues with light control and do not need to create a "dark room" either.

I like your setup.

Are you saying that PQ is the same with day light in the room?

 

[50+]

Infocus IN-72

 

[charper1]

Are you saying that PQ is the same with day light in the room?

Yes I am; with my setups!

 

[dfergie]

A couple of reasons I like mine... these from my mini 73" screen...

 

[8bitbytes]

Here's a couple of shots that show what I love about my PJ and my 8 foot screen:

 

[8bitbytes]

Here's a couple of pics that show the difference between a 50" panel and an 8 foot screen on your wall:

This:

Or this:

 

[charper1]

LOL painful! Now post the real dagger; the cost difference; the paying as much or even more for that TINY screen.

 

[HD MM]

LOL painful! Now post the real dagger; the cost difference; the paying as much or even more for that TINY screen.

I was actually debating between a flat screen and a projector setup last year when I was re-doing a room in the basement. Here's my personal cost difference comparison. The results may surprise you....

720p Projector and 92" Screen:
Epson PowerLite Cinema 400, 720p Projector- $895.00
Screen: Carada Criterion, 92" 16:9 ratio- $650.00

Total Cost: $1,545


720p 50" Plasma:

While I don't have pricing on a 50" 720p plasma from a year ago, which is what my pricing is based on for my projector setup above, currently you can purchase a Panasonic 720p 50" Plasma for around $1,200. A year ago, I found the pricing to be around $1,500, which is almost equal to that of the projector setup I decided to go with!

 

[8bitbytes]

I was actually debating between a flat screen and a projector setup last year when I was re-doing a room in the basement. Here's my personal cost difference comparison. The results may surprise you....

It's not surprising that you can spend the same or less than a good Home Theater PJ setup with the flood of cheap panels on the market. There are plenty of small screen viewers who justify their purchase that way when asked why they didn't go the big screen route.

By spending the amount you did on your screen however, you have a better image than any cheap flat panel. You need to move up to the mid-range $2500 flat panels to make things semi-equal. And of course you know this already since you went the PJ route, even when you get a better panel it is still nowhere near what a PJ gives you.

Cheapest Route is understandable for those who are hard-pressed for any money at all. However, anyone considering spending $2000 or more on a flat panel should do a quick check to see if front projection could give them what they want and more.

But, let's say you wanted to keep your PJ setup cheap. Right now you could get the following:
- Sharp DT-510 at TigerDirect for <$800
- Paint a Black Widow 100" screen and frame it with velvet for <$50
- Buy your cables from Monoprice.com <$50

Less than any 50" panel, 400% larger, and 1,000% more fun.

In fact, I would say don't try to spend less than what you budgeted for a flat panel - keep it equal. You are still going to get a 92" / 100" / 120" / 135" cinema quality experience from the Home Theater projector that a flat panel will never provide. Looking at a great picture on a flat panel is like seeing the outside through a window. Looking at a great picture from a properly setup front projection system is like BEING OUTSIDE.

And for all those naysayers who bring up the lamp issue, Mack, Warrentech, and a few other warranties will cover that. For $100 or so you get 2 or 3 lamp replacements. How much is the extended warranty on your flat panel? You don't need one? Yeah, that's what my buddy in OK thought too and he just had to pay $650 to repair his 37" LCD 14 months after he bought it - 2 months after the warranty expired.

Go big or go home!

 

[Bigguy]

I have had a infocus sp5000 720p for about 4yrs.Made our own screen 10 ft wide(my wife wants a bigger screen no room on the wall). I use hr20-700.We use ours for 95% of our t.v. view in our living room.Replaced the bulb once in that time. We are working on 5500 hours on the bulb we have in it now. I know they tell you to replace the bulb after 2000 hours, but until it goes out I won't replace it.I have seen no degradation in picture quality. I use hr20-700.

 

[HD MM]

14 months later, I am still in awe every time I view a movie or sporting even on my projector. The new car smell has still not wore out.

To me, having the ability to semi-replicate the huge movie immersion experience that was previously exclusive to public cinemas makes this purchase well worth it.

Movies on a 42" set just don't have the same impact as seeing them at 92" from a 10' seating distance.

 

[LonghornXP]

Yup this sums it up quite well. Watching live sporting events in HD like football on a big screen is just so much better of an "experience" compared to watching it on a smaller screen. Also a big 100+ inch screen makes a football party just all the more fun.

Also I've told my brother about my setup and finally got him to drop by and see it in action a few months ago and he was in awe of it. It ended up that my nephew hasn't had a working TV set for the last few weeks and one of his birthday presents late last month was a new TV set. My brother got the HD DVR from BHN several days before and when my nephew opened up his Optoma HD65 box he asked what the heck it was. My brother told him this is your new 100 inch HiDef TV your uncle Mark will setup before he leaves your party today. This 10 year kid ran over and hugged me instead of his parents who got him the gift lol.

I talked with my brother and he told me he loves Disney channel and because its in HD he felt it would be a great gift for him even if all the content isn't yet in HD. My bro told me he was pricing flat panel sets in the 26-30 inch range and couldn't justify 500 bucks when he found an open box unit at Best Buy for a couple hundred more including a warranty.

I believe this will be the future of front projection tech because when 10 year old kids (who aren't exactly rich but not bad off though....just average) are getting these things for their birthdays it cannot be far off when families get these sets for their primary TV viewing room.

 

[bigblock468]

I have a PT-AE900 and a HC 1500. The light output of the 1500 is much brighter but in a very dark enviroment the picture quality is similar. My PS3 looks much better on the Mits then the Panny.

BB468

BTW: The Giants looked great beating the Panthers tonite.:up

 

[FlyingJ]

Love mine, love it, love it, love it! What can I say that hasn't been said...oh, with wife and three kids, havee not gone to the theater in over two years, savings, well, unbelievable!!!
Sports, incredible! Watching the Phils win the WS on my Panny 200U, priceless!!!
Anyone in the neighborhood that has come over has been blown away. Still now, most don't even know they exist or think that they are like the old ones from school. What was it, last year, about $1200, 3 year bulb replacement, with a $400 Blockbuster card, Blu-Ray rentals every week, all for the cost of what, a decent 42 incher?
Bottom line, if you have the room to do it, do it!

 

[Bill1767]

I have had a infocus sp5000 720p for about 4yrs.Made our own screen 10 ft wide(my wife wants a bigger screen no room on the wall). I use hr20-700.We use ours for 95% of our t.v. view in our living room.Replaced the bulb once in that time. We are working on 5500 hours on the bulb we have in it now. I know they tell you to replace the bulb after 2000 hours, but until it goes out I won't replace it.I have seen no degradation in picture quality. I use hr20-700.

I have sp4805 since 2005 still the same blub with 6000 hours,my trick is to reset the lamp hours at about 1900 hours and right down,and also i think infocus makes the best projectors hands down,I have no problems with this unit and it ranks with the best,and it can decode 1080I also, for 800.00 can't beat that.

 

[dfergie]

I still have my Infocus X1 with about 3,300 hours (dim) but I need to take the light engine out and repair as I have 2 white lines on the left side of the screen when I use it... (used for camping mainly now)found out yesterday that my Mitsubitsi HC1500 will fit in the X1 case perfectly... (took it over to a friends house along with my BD player for movies last night...)

 

[dfergie]

CC has the Mitsubitsi HC4900 for under $1,600 very good deal for a 1080p projector...