Projector 1080p for easy gaming and movies, < 1k $

E

elodman

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Greets.

- What about non-hardcore, i.e. non-too quick FPS playing on an 1080p projector?

Heard, while playing a standard FPS one's eyes and head would tire from much scanning through an entire 80"-100" area when looking for quick enemies, but slower paced games (RPG-FPS, Stalker, Dead Space) might be much more immersive?


- Found this selection for my below 1k $ criteria, which do u praise? (seems, no LED is affordable yet)
http://www.projectorcentral.com/projectors.cfm?g=1&hide=0&st=1&mfg=&p=700-1000&w_m=&r=13&br=&ll=&ltg=&t=&db=&dt=&c=&ar=&dvi=&wr=&pjl_m=&pjw_m=&pjh_m=&td_m=&i=d&is_m=&sort=pop&sz=15
Perpahps the http://www.projectorcentral.com/BenQ-W1070.htm?

- In a 3m wide room, how much viewing distance would u choose?
(Though I looked at http://myhometheater.homestead.com/viewingdistancemetric.html)

Thanx for any info.
 
Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 2030 is what I would recommend. DLP projectors are great and all but the rainbow effect is still there (for those that see it) and once its seen it can not be unseen unfortunately.

Also the lamp replacements are only $99 for the Epson which is incredibly cheap compared to many other projectors. The Benq at the top of that list has replacement lamps for $227 on Amazon , far from cheap at nearly a 1/4 of the projector itself.

The Epson also has a lamp life of 5000/6000 hours with 6000 being in eco mode. So that's another major plus.

Downside of the Epson is that in "Fast" mode it has 34ms of input latency. Normally 30ms is considered the max for twitch gaming but if you don't need that then I'm sure it'll be fine for what you need it for.

Viewing distance is entirely circumstance based on your room and what you can tolerate. You don't want to be really close to a 100 foot screen or you will have some eye/neck fatigue to deal with. Also take into consideration something very important .. placement. Do you intend to mount it to the ceiling or on top a high table? Also don't forget a nice quality screen to project it on , screens can really make a big difference.

I can tell you from experience that an 80 foot projection is simply incredible in terms of immersion. For movies and games it really does suck you into the experience in a way often only found in theaters for the most obvious reason. When you have friends over its especially impressive because the image conditions are not constrained by viewing angles , the projected image is bright on all sides and so large that everyone gets an easy view of it.

Be ready to play around with its placement unless you mount it to the ceiling. Without any kind of lens shift (virtually none of the sub $1000 projectors have it except for the BenQ W1070 which is an impressive feature making placement much easier) the Epson will be picky about its placement. However its not a massive issue just annoying. You'll figure it out though.

I think your only two choices on that list are the BenQ W1070 and the Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 2030 honestly. Both have advantages over each other but they are both excellent projectors for the price range. If it was up to me I would choose the Epson because I surely would use up that bulb in the BenQ pretty fast and at $227 for a replacement on Amazon that would make it pretty hard for me to swallow once in a while. But the BenQ is probably better suited to gaming with lower input latency and it features vertical lens shift which is a major plus.

Hope that helps.
 
I wont touch an Epson projector again after they scammed everyone who bought a TW3500/HC8100.
Bulb life was rated for 4000hrs yet my bulbs didnt last much longer than 750hrs when run only in ECO mode.
Anyone who didnt manage to return the projector is left with a very expensive to run lemon if your warranty has expired.
Epson refused to allow returns so you have to threaten the shop with court action!
Over 3 years later they still sell bulbs that are substandard, they literally melt and when they blow, they release mercury vapour into the room!
This thread highlights the issue.
http://www.avsforum.com/t/1250728/epson-hc-8100-lamp-hours-lamp-problems


I eventually replaced mine with a really good 3D 1080p projector, the Optoma HD131x.
This is the same projector as the Optoma HD25 which is white and may come with a pair of glasses, the 131x is black and comes with no glasses.
The HD25 was released first and had a few teething problems that have been resolved with the HD131x with newer firmware.
It has pretty good calibration out of the box and is dirt cheap for what you get.
I paid £650, you can get them for less now.
Downsides are that it needs 4 metres to get a 120" screen and it needs to be placed above or below the screen.
You can mount it centrally but you need to angle the projectors aim and use Keystone correction which works surprisingly well, but to get the very best from it, it should be mounted above or below the screen.

Positives are awesome 3D, as good as cinema imo and that of my friends.
Great picture quality, 6000hr bulb life, very good glasses can be bought from Amazon cheaply.
Average power use is around 200W, maxing at 240W if dynamic black is turned off.
Highly recommended. Fantastic for gaming as well, lag is non existent as far as I can tell, I perceive none.

HD131x reviews are hard to come by, the earlier HD25 has quite a few. As the HD25 cost more, the ratings will be even higher for the HD131x.
http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/projectors/1299328/optoma-hd25
http://www.projectorcentral.com/opt...jector_review.htm?page=The-Viewing-Experience
 
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I am a fan of the BenQ W1070 and the Optoma projectors on that list, and I can't really recommend one over the other until I know your throw distance (the distance between the physical projector and your screen) and your mounting position (above screen, below screen, to the side - likely not going to happen in this budget, or somewhere else).

Start here: http://www.projectorcentral.com/projection-calculator-pro.cfm

Edit: I just saw you state that your room is 3 meters in the dimensions. This will likely rule out the Optoma projectors as these have a very hard time with short throw distances. For a short throw distance, I would go with the BenQ.
 
Great thanx Godmachine, Nenu and TESLA!

Many thanx for thy fine, detailed responses.

They come in handy, and were taken into consideration, but seems, only BenQ 1070 (~24ms input lag) remains because of mostly country specific limitations, otherwise possibly an Optoma with about 17 ms input lag would be my favourite.

(- As in our (wild-capitalist, pseudo democratic CE-European) country no price differencies exist between the few models available, from my previously presented list.
Also, a little variety of replacement lamp modules to be found apparently.
- also, seemingly conclusive reviews praise that model eg. here: http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/the-best-1000-projector/
- Would remark, that its brother, the 1080 (st?) has an ultra short throwing range, for about +150$. That would be my best choice, but in our fabulous Hungary that means about +300$!!! Arrgh. :mad:)

-----
- Do you think this BenQ 1070 can project 4:3 or 5:4 screens, like 1024x768 for older apps?

- Its vertical lens shift function is needed only when it is fixed somewhere, obviously, yes? (I plan to place it on a book shelf about 1.8m high, 3m-s away from the wall.)

- Found a strange "Zoom in"/enlarge method, do you think it can work?

I wanted to note that while most surfaces in the home are limited for projection size, the throw length can be simply doubled by putting the projector on the same side of the room as the screening surface, and shooting into a mirror on the opposite wall with the image reversed, which this projector will do. It allows a very large image in a smaller room!
from:http://reviews.cnet.com/home-theater-projectors/benq-w1070/4505-7858_7-35614137.html
Click to expand...

Thanx for any info.
 
The BenQ looks like a fine projector.
Bear in mind the linked reviews compared it to the previous generation Optomas, look for more recent comparisons.

The mirror quote didnt come from that review, I cant locate it.
Mirrors can cause a few issues.
If the projector is too far forward the light from the front facing you can be a distraction.
Mirrors lose light, more so than a single pane of glass because it passes through the glass twice.
You may have to try numerous mirrors to fine one with least distortion.
Mirrors will add a colour tint.

Any projector can project any image of lesser resolution than its native.
To get a 4:3 image to fill the screen you may need to move the projector further away (if the zoom is maxed) and will need a 4:3 screen that you have room to pull down further.
 
Thanx.

- So most projectors can be set to most common todays resolutions, especially downward from native res., if I understand well.

- But I found a terrible rainbow effect video (from 6.20-to 8.30 mins) for BenQ W1070 here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5fIfygYIuo
The uploader states, its because of his camera, I wonder if this statement is right.

(The tricky mirror thingy's quote can be found on that site's comments section far below.)
 
Yes you can use quite a lot of resolutions, but I think you may be getting confused about this.
If you use a PC to output a video that is lower resolution, unless you set the PC to use a lower display resolution, it will still be running at 1080p. The PC will upscale the video to 1080p or the 4:3 equivalent etc.
If you tell the PC to use a lower resolution, the projector will upscale it to 1080p ...., unless you tell it not to, in which case it will appear as a smaller video in the centre of the projection screen.

I can see the rainbow effect on my Optoma when the scene is dark and bright things move quickly.
Not all the time, occasionally when I flick my eyes across the screen.
I dont see it at any other time, it has to be very dark with fast moving bright objects.
Its not a distraction for me, just one of those things when you havent spent £2000 and still have a very good projector. Single chip DLPs can do this.
 
Interesting thread, subbed for future reference;) what is a good screen? and are there any drawbacks in using a perforated screen? I'm also considering those motorized screens from Monoprice. Do you have any experience with them or have anything in regards to quality?
 
I have a Optoma HD25e and love it.. Great picture.. I have a pc hooked up to with xbmc. Gamming on it is great and picture is really good for the price.. If your going to use it for PC use and gaming I would get a DLP because of the lesser input lag and no ghosting.. Also dlp does a lot better at 3d.. I can't coment on the monoprice motorized screens but the mulitformat screen they have rocks.. There screens are great for the price..
 
When looking at inexpensive projectors be very skeptical of DLP projectors that use a white slide in their color wheel to increase brightness. This is a cheater method for brightness that also hurts contrast.

Frankly, if you don't need 3D I would strongly consider a used projector in the higher end. Replacement bulbs aren't that expense (whenever you end up needing one) and the projector is, theoretically, like new again once there's a new bulb in it (provided the LCDs or chips haven't been burned by overheating).
 
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Can you list any projectors that have the issues you describe?

Why would you be opposed to a 3D projector,? You gave no valid reason.
Your point about a new bulb is valid for all projectors, the point about burning needs some examples of proof to see which projectors to watch out for.
 
Nenu said:
Can you list any projectors that have the issues you describe?
Click to expand...

The issue I describe, burning of the LCDs? Here is a brief blog about it:
http://hdtvprofessor.com/HDTVAlmanac/?p=788

The issue is with deterioration of the components you may see in older projectors.
Overheating may also cause deterioration of the arrays in either an LCD or DLP projector.

Why would you be opposed to a 3D projector,? You gave no valid reason.
Click to expand...

I'm not opposed to 3D. I'm just saying you can get a higher-quality used projector if you're willing to forgo 3D.
*EDIT:* I released my original post had a typo... where I meant "used" I actually typed "user".... Hope that clears the confusion!

Your point about a new bulb is valid for all projectors, the point about burning needs some examples of proof to see which projectors to watch out for.
Click to expand...

Of course new bulbs are good for all projectors? The point is that used projectors that may need replacement bulbs are often marked down way more than the cost of a bulb.
 
I too am curious to start pricing these out, with about the same specs. I need to measure my room to validate everything.

I am opposed to 3D that requires glasses right now (I wear glasses, and dont want to wear a 2nd pair, and the lady gets headaches from the glasses)
 
I just ordered the Optoma HD131Xw and a 100" Manual EliteScreens from Smile.Amazon.com

$865 for the Optoma after tax and before the $50 credit and $64 for the screen.

Other contenders were the Benq 1070 and the Epson 2030. In the end I went with the better 3D potential of the Optoma, the better black levels and even though out-of-the-box color isn't as good, I hope it's decent enough after adjustments. Also it's quieter according to projector central. Projectorreviews is the source that showed the black levels compared to the Epson and said the Benq wasn't up to par either.
 
You'll love it if you have the projection distance.
Let us know what you think.
 
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