Interested in getting a projector

E

ekuest

Supreme [H]ardness
Joined
Feb 23, 2009
Messages
6,094
not sure if this is the right forum, but i didnt see anything specifically for projectors anywhere else. i recently started saving up some money now that i got my student loan all paid off, so naturally i want to blow it all in one place. im thinking a projector. i want it mainly for watching movies on my htpc and console gaming, and was wondering what the current state of the market is. last i had checked, 1080p projectors were outrageously expensive and not dropping, but now i see there are some for around $1000 or less, and some for a few thousand. my questions is, is there a decent quality, bright enough for day (in a basement with small windows with blinds), 1080p, 60hz projector for a reasonable price? also, is the market about to drop or are they gonna stay where they are for a while? thanks for the help guys.

~evan
 
Last edited:
Craigslist is your friend. I got a Samsung 56" Dlp with a new bulb for $250. Not a projector but for that price, who cares?
 
You want the Epson 8350 http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1280137

You will not find a better 1080p projector for ~$1000. I even got the model thats a step up with better black levels, the 8700UB after having the 8350 for 6 months, and went back to the 8350 because the difference didnt nearly justify the price hike, the 8350 is an amazing innovation in 1080p price / performance.

It also have very low input lag, I was able to play FPS games on it with ease.
 
Ok, here is a very quick review on the Optoma GT750e.

Having never done a review before I ask that you be patient with me.

Let me start by explaining how I came to purchase the projector and why. I own my a business in the Seattle area and we are apart of a business referral network. Well, I have to give presentations about once a quarter and it's easier for me to create a simple power point presentation to explain information about products and services we offer. Our group does not have a reliable source for a projector for aforementioned presentations, so I decided to invest in one; however, the only way I could truly justify purchasing one is if it could be used at home as well. One Caveat, cannot cost too much as we have an 8 month old and one on the way, so really, $800 was my max.

I did a lot of researching on various low cost projectors. Epson was my first choice initially, however, the only one I found locally that did 1080P was $1499. Too much. So, I went back and did some more research and it came down to either the Optoma HD66 or Optoma GT750e. Really what persuaded me to purchase the GT750e was that it had built in speakers and my work presentations frequently include quicktime movies etc. so having the 10w speakers was the deciding factor.

So, to the real review. After reading a little more while waiting for the projector to get in I started having second thoughts on my decision. So when I got the package I wasn't sure what to do, Keep it or return it. I kept (happy about that) and i'll give you my quick review.

Quick Note: I'am not using a screen. I'm projecting on a textured wall painted beige from a distance of about 6 feet, and from my bed surface...all less than ideal.

Packaging
IMG_5328.jpg


Contents:
Comes with a back pack as a carrying case! I think this is cool. Some others may not
IMG_5332.jpg


Projector
IMG_5338.jpg


Throw
IMG_5350.jpg


32" LCD TV(For size comparison)
IMG_5355.jpg

IMG_5345.jpg


Room Darkened(but not totally dark)
IMG_5342.jpg

IMG_5354.jpg


Up close
IMG_5347.jpg



My wife's father has a rear projection tv, which blows, so I wasn't sure what to expect when I was setting this up. I'm very pleased with this projector and it can only get better with a screen and a proper mounting surface.

I give it a 4.5 out of 5

And I recommend this to anyone wanting a projector. I'm sure the epson is nice but I doubt it's worth $500 more, atleast for me that is.
 
Additional info:

Source: Frontier FiOS HD


I have a PS3 that I didn't hook up but will, and when I do I'll post pictures of Avatar Bluray.
 
hey thanks for the review roocrew! i was just thinking that if i invest all this money in a projector (especially one for an htpc with 1080p movies) then id regret it later if it wasnt 1080 natively. what do you think? id be projecting on a wall using probably a 10' diagonal or more and from as far away as i need. i think for $300 more id rather get a full 1080 projector if i get one at all.
 
VulcaN said:
You want the Epson 8350 http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1280137

You will not find a better 1080p projector for ~$1000. I even got the model thats a step up with better black levels, the 8700UB after having the 8350 for 6 months, and went back to the 8350 because the difference didnt nearly justify the price hike, the 8350 is an amazing innovation in 1080p price / performance.

It also have very low input lag, I was able to play FPS games on it with ease.
Click to expand...

That Epson is indeed great.

However, the Mitsubishi HC4000 is another one to look at as it's is very competitive with the Epson 8350. I saw both in person and went with the Mitsubishi myself. The colors and picture just popped more to my eye. Plus the HC4000 has a DarkChip 3 so it has very good black levels in its price range. Pretty much the best under $2000. I got it for only $1,150 with a spare bulb included which are rated at 5000 hours so that's another plus.

If you just want an entry level one to test the waters, the ACER H5360 is a great small projector. It can be found for only $480 or so and it's very bright (brighter than the Epson 8350 and Mitsubishi HC4000) and also supports 3D. It is only 720p though for but TV and movies it looks great.
 
You can easily get an Epson 8350 on Amazon for about $1100. The HC4000 weak point compared to the Epson 8350 is the restricted placement options, due to lower zoom (1.5:1 vs 2.1:1), and no lens shift. This is a potential deal breaker factor for many as not everyone will be able to custom mount their projectors. The ability of putting the Epson 8350 virtually at any location in the room is a much valued one. Not to mention the 8350 can do a much brighter image, useful for those not able to control the ambient light.
 
SirMaster said:
That Epson is indeed great.

However, the Mitsubishi HC4000 is another one to look at as it's is very competitive with the Epson 8350. I saw both in person and went with the Mitsubishi myself. The colors and picture just popped more to my eye. Plus the HC4000 has a DarkChip 3 so it has very good black levels in its price range. Pretty much the best under $2000. I got it for only $1,150 with a spare bulb included which are rated at 5000 hours so that's another plus.

If you just want an entry level one to test the waters, the ACER H5360 is a great small projector. It can be found for only $480 or so and it's very bright (brighter than the Epson 8350 and Mitsubishi HC4000) and also supports 3D. It is only 720p though for but TV and movies it looks great.
Click to expand...

hm that acer sound interesting. if i can get 720p for less than half the price, and in a smaller mobile projector, that might be something to look into. anyone else know anything about this projector? quality, placement limitations, etc?

hiong said:
You can easily get an Epson 8350 on Amazon for about $1100. The HC4000 weak point compared to the Epson 8350 is the restricted placement options, due to lower zoom (1.5:1 vs 2.1:1), and no lens shift. This is a potential deal breaker factor for many as not everyone will be able to custom mount their projectors. The ability of putting the Epson 8350 virtually at any location in the room is a much valued one. Not to mention the 8350 can do a much brighter image, useful for those not able to control the ambient light.
Click to expand...

yeah definitely not sure where i would be placing it, and im in a rental so definitely not making any fancy ceiling mount. i think if i went with 1080 then i would definitely get the epson. can anyone comment on how useful 1080 is over 720? i wont be pc gaming at all, thats what my 30" 2560x1600 panel is for. mostly it would be movies (mostly 720, but a few titles in 1080) and xbox/ps3 which are 720p right? maybe a 720p projector makes more sense.
 
optoma hd3330 and hd33
$1499 and 1999, almost teh same with warranty and config menu differences
 
ekuest said:
hm that acer sound interesting. if i can get 720p for less than half the price, and in a smaller mobile projector, that might be something to look into. anyone else know anything about this projector? quality, placement limitations, etc?



yeah definitely not sure where i would be placing it, and im in a rental so definitely not making any fancy ceiling mount. i think if i went with 1080 then i would definitely get the epson. can anyone comment on how useful 1080 is over 720? i wont be pc gaming at all, thats what my 30" 2560x1600 panel is for. mostly it would be movies (mostly 720, but a few titles in 1080) and xbox/ps3 which are 720p right? maybe a 720p projector makes more sense.
Click to expand...

Owning a 1080p projector and having set up that 720p Acer for a friend I would say that 720p is all you need if most your movies and all your console games are 720p.

Cheap projectors generally have very limited placement options though. The Acer looks very good for its price, but it only has a 1.1:1 zoom ratio and no lens shift.

I rent too and I made a custom mount for my projector:
Projector.jpg


It's not attached to the wall or ceiling at all so it wont leave any marks.
 
note235 said:
optoma hd3330 and hd33
$1499 and 1999, almost teh same with warranty and config menu differences
Click to expand...

those are a bit too much for me right now i think.

SirMaster said:
Owning a 1080p projector and having set up that 720p Acer for a friend I would say that 720p is all you need if most your movies and all your console games are 720p.

Cheap projectors generally have very limited placement options though. The Acer looks very good for its price, but it only has a 1.1:1 zoom ratio and no lens shift.

I rent too and I made a custom mount for my projector:
Projector.jpg


It's not attached to the wall or ceiling at all so it wont leave any marks.
Click to expand...

ok sounds like 720 is probably the way to go for me then. how big of a problem is the placement issue? i would like to keep this pretty cheap. the room it would be in is about 15 feet wide and probably 40 feet long, and there isnt a real good place to put it anyway. it would probably end up either being on a little table in front of the couch or on a tall pedestal behind the couch. so it can definitely be perfectly aligned with the screen, and either up close and low, or a little farther and higher. would either of those positions work ok for a projector with a small zoom? i will also probably be taking it to my room often if its a smaller one.
 
I think with the way we are headed, investing in 1080p is a better bargin. I had a 720p projector before I got the epson 8350, and it was clearly noticible with the increased resolution how much sharper movies looked in 1080p.

You dont notice this as much on TV's (42", etc) but when you blow up the image to projector size (~100") it is night and day. The next gen consoles will be 1080p standard as well.

Do you plan on having a small projected image? Then you might get by with 720p but wanting to upgrade in the future, thats my best guess.

Also do not write off ceiling mounting. I rent and ceiling mount. The two tiny holes that the mount leaves in the ceiling (screwed into a stud) are EASILY filled in with caulk or putty on as short notice as of the day you are moving out. If you have a popcorn ceiling like the photo above its undetectable, and you'd be hard-pressed and hunting for it on a normal ceiling as well.

A lot of projectors will be slightly even further limited with screen placement when mounted on a table, because they are designed to be angled down onto the screen rather than to shoot straight on / upwards to it. If you refuse to take a few hours to find a stud and properly ceiling mount it, then I suggest a book case or something a little taller than the typical table.
 
Last edited:
Ugh such tough decision. I will have to think about it and pick 1080 or 720 before I move on.
 
once again, you will appreciate the flexibility lens shift and good zoom gives you when it comes to projector placement. picture quality is somewhat overrated, it's not like you are always going to have 2 projectors side by side at home for you to appreciate the subtle differences in between them.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top