720P projector advice

N

neokeelo

[H]ard|Gawd
Joined
Sep 9, 2002
Messages
1,649
ok, so I am in Japan now and I am coming back to the states in August. I am moving into a house with some friends and I finally can afford a used 720P projector.

But I'm wondering, I will be playing some games from on my desktop using the projector so is DLP not as good as LCD? I personally like it better for movies since it has darker black levels. I also am going to build a 108" 16x9 screen for an estimated cost of about $70 using materials from eBay and the home depot.

My main questions are. Where should I look for a cheap, used, 720P? AVS fourm? eBay? also I have been kind of out of it for awhile. Does anyone know some models I should check on?

Any advice would help me out.

Thanks!


My System
--------------------------
Onkyo TX-SR800 AV
Polk RT600i -front
Polk CS400i -center
Polk RT28i -surround
JBL PB 12 -Sub
 
When I was looking to buy my first projector, it came down between the Sharp Z4 and the Panasonic AE900, both LCD. I ended up with the Panasonic and have used it for a little over two years now with HD cable, HD DVD, and my computer. Overall, I have been extremely happy with it. The only drawback I've seen is that the black levels suffer on dark movies and games (i.e. Batman Begins, Oblivion). I also have pretty dang good light control with curtains that are heavy black velvet and I find myself wishing there was more black detail even using a 96" Carada screen (Brilliant White). For these reasons I would certainly look at a good DLP projector as well as the newer LCD models. AVS forum would be the place to research the potential projectors for you. You can also check out projectorcentral.com for reviews and feedback. If you consider new projects I have no trouble recommending projectorpeople.com and apexvisual.com. I've used both with great success and wouldn't hesitate to buy from them again.
 
depending on how far away you will be, gaming on a 108 inch screen isn't as awesome as it sounds. Some games are great, but things requiring periphrial vision suffer a bit..


this is all depending on viewing angle.. i would recommend sitting quite a ways back for that screensize... we are probably about 15 ft back when we play on our's in the garage and it is very nice. (similar screen size)
 
i have an acer ph530... amazing dlp projector for only 700 bucks... better than my sanyo z2
 
Mitsubishi makes some really good DLP products. For the dollar it's hard to find anything better. Mits uses a 6 color color-wheel and it gives them some of the best color accuracy (especially in darker scenes) of any projector.

My question is what's your budget? That would make giving a recomendation a lot easier. Also, since you're looking at going with a used one make sure you factor in the cost of a bulb/filter when figuring out how much you're saving. If you get a 999 dollar projector for 699 used, but have to buy a new 350 dollar bulb/filter it's not quite the value proposition it orignially looked like.
 
I want to get something for $700 or under that still has a lot of life left on the bulb.
 
i would never buy a used projector IMO... who knows how it was treated not to mention crappy shipping practices on ebay... you might be buying a 300 dollar bulb after a few weeks...


always buy new, if you cannot afford new, then wait.
 
idk though, iv heard some people have found these for $499 NIB in some stores. I wont come back from Japan until August so I think if I wait I can only get a better deal. + if the bulb goes out on this one i am screwed i think, since it is only 90 days and it was bought last month at best buy. the 2 year Optima warranty does not cover the bulb.


i think ill wait another 3 months and see what i can get for the same price then.
 
The mitsubishi 1500 has a good low price right now. I'm torn between this one and the optoma hd65.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top