Just got my first projector - Is this decent?

Maddnotez

Limp Gawd
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310
BENQ 2050.

I have been on the fence for a while. Was looking at Epson 3100 as there was a good sale on Parker Gwen but I missed out. Then started looked at something that cost less and wanted a BENQ 2050A but I just won a 2050 on ebay (not here yet). I felt the savings was good although the input lag is not the best.

For an ultra budget first projector how do you guys think this one is? I paid $332.30, it seems to be in great used condition and well kept. It comes with ceiling mount, remote and all cables with about 1275 hours on the lamp.

TBH I won't use it much. I figured it would be cool to watch movies here and there. For my kid and netflix and chill kind of thing. My kid may use it for gaming but I definitely would not so the input lag didn't bother me too much. Does input lag affect watching movies or sports games on these?
 
You can't see/notice "input" lag when you are just watching. The "lag" is input based, ie: game pad, mouse, etc., where you make a movement and it's not instantly visible on the screen.
 
This really needs to be said about projectors...if you are happy with it then it is a good purchase. The moment you ask for an opinion on something you bought you are asking to seed doubt in your mind which will ruin the experience. Every time I buy a new projector (4 so far in my life) I immediately "lose my login" for places like AVS forum. This has served me exceedingly well since I do not know what I am missing and always pleasantly surprised when I get my next one.

So...gratz on getting a projector. Enjoy!
 
BENQ 2050.

I have been on the fence for a while. Was looking at Epson 3100 as there was a good sale on Parker Gwen but I missed out. Then started looked at something that cost less and wanted a BENQ 2050A but I just won a 2050 on ebay (not here yet). I felt the savings was good although the input lag is not the best.

For an ultra budget first projector how do you guys think this one is? I paid $332.30, it seems to be in great used condition and well kept. It comes with ceiling mount, remote and all cables with about 1275 hours on the lamp.

TBH I won't use it much. I figured it would be cool to watch movies here and there. For my kid and netflix and chill kind of thing. My kid may use it for gaming but I definitely would not so the input lag didn't bother me too much. Does input lag affect watching movies or sports games on these?

It is pretty good.

I like my BenQ HT3550 though sense it has like 4k. Not true 4k of course. Still true 4k is way to expensive right now in a projector.
 
Remember, projectors are like pizza and sex. Even the worst ones are pretty great. I use an old 1024x768 projector for DVD movies on a big garage door for summer get-togethers. When in wide screen, it's even lower resolution than that, and yet it's still amazing. Add that to a stereo for strong sound and you're a hero. It does wonders with Winamp/Milkdrop visualizations for dance parties too when the weather is right. 60", 70", 80" televisions are big. This screen is 210" diagonal. Just love it, because... it's a projector.
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looks like a nice unit! I've been in the market for a used one too and finding good deals on used tech is so hard. I'm not a low baller, but people be asking like %90 return on 5 year old tech gear is insane, that and shipping. $60 to ship a projector. WTF you smoking. I shipped a 50lb laser printer and it cost half that..
 
Any time you buy a used projector, you have to factor in the bulb life and cost of bulb replacement. It's hard to tell how much life is left on it, and those little things are expensive. I personally don't like to use any kind of projector, especially when it's for work, unless I have a spare bulb or spare projector at the ready, so figure that into the cost too if you can.
 
Any time you buy a used projector, you have to factor in the bulb life and cost of bulb replacement. It's hard to tell how much life is left on it, and those little things are expensive. I personally don't like to use any kind of projector, especially when it's for work, unless I have a spare bulb or spare projector at the ready, so figure that into the cost too if you can.

Yea, and those chinese bulbs from amazon for dirt cheap are a toss up. You might get one that's usable. You might get one that blows up in 2 days. You might get one that loses 80% of it's brightness in a month... very rarely you get one that works like OEM.

I think these cheap knockoff bulbs have ruined the used market prices. Stuff is way overinflated. I was gonna sell my sony sxrd a few years back, and people were telling me to try and get 4-500 bucks for it. It needed a new bulb, OEM from sony was $398. There's no way that projector was worth 900 freaking dollars, that's insane. I ended up donating to goodwill so i didn't screw somebody.
 
This really needs to be said about projectors...if you are happy with it then it is a good purchase. The moment you ask for an opinion on something you bought you are asking to seed doubt in your mind which will ruin the experience. Every time I buy a new projector (4 so far in my life) I immediately "lose my login" for places like AVS forum. This has served me exceedingly well since I do not know what I am missing and always pleasantly surprised when I get my next one.

So...gratz on getting a projector. Enjoy!

I just bought an Optoma UHD30. It has it's pros and cons. I bought it after checking out a review. So, I'm focused on the little things that I probably wouldn't have noticed before. I know there are other issues with it, and that's why I'm following your advice. It's great for my little room and I enjoy it. I'm going to keep it that way instead of regretting buying something different.
 
Remember, projectors are like pizza and sex. Even the worst ones are pretty great. I use an old 1024x768 projector for DVD movies on a big garage door for summer get-togethers. When in wide screen, it's even lower resolution than that, and yet it's still amazing. Add that to a stereo for strong sound and you're a hero. It does wonders with Winamp/Milkdrop visualizations for dance parties too when the weather is right. 60", 70", 80" televisions are big. This screen is 210" diagonal. Just love it, because... it's a projector.
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^ this right here sums it up well! I joke around when my buddies flex when one has a 65" over the friend with a 55". I tell them that's cute that they measure their screens in inches, I measure mine in feet! I am using a 720P Epson EX71 projector from circa 2011. It gets the job done admirably for what I use it for in a relatively light controlled room. I essentially got it & the screen for free (minus the cost of repairs, a 75 foot active HDMI cable and ceiling mount) It blew my friends away the first time they came over. I would love to upgrade to something like the Optoma UHD50X as I do game on it with my xbox. In terms of input lag I make due in warzone... going from ~80ms of lag down to ~20ms of lag for me Is still not going to keep my brains in my head on the opposite end of an HDR or Rytec, but it should make things prettier to look at along with the increase in resolution / HDR, etc.
 
My 4th projector is on the way and will arrive Tuesday. It's an Epson HC3800. I personally would not buy a used projector because they tend to have a rather short lifetime so buying used you never know how long it will last. My first projector, an Acer, was retired because the bulb cost as much as the projector (yea, it was a long time ago). My second, an Optima 1080p, developed vertical lines. I still have it and may explore a possible fix in the future. My 3rd was also an Optima, a 720p model. It developed white spots all over the screen which means the DLP is failing. Replaceable but given it's age, I opted for a newer model. I expect to get from 3 to 5 years out of a projector. By then it'll either break or newer models will have left it in the dust. I also tend to buy cheap so this may be why they don't last. :whistle:
 
Are any of the cheap Chinese projectors on Amazon decent or should I stick with the name brands for my first projector? I just want to play some Dead Cells on Steam and do some schoolwork on it. Also I saw some laser projectors while looking at the regular projectors. I don't want to spend that much, but I figured I'd ask for an opinion on the technology.

Thanks!
 
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Are any of the cheap Chinese projectors on Amazon decent or should I stick with the name brands for my first projector? I just want to play some Dead Cells on Steam and do some schoolwork on it. Also I saw some laser projectors while looking at the regular projectors. I don't want to spend that much, but I figured I'd ask for an opinion on the technology.

Thanks!

My experience has been that you get what you pay for when it comes to projectors. Technical specs are one thing and reliability and longevity is another. Cheap projectors will give you a cheap image and only for a short period of time.
 
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Just revisited this thread from a while ago, I managed to pick up a used Epson 5040HC for a great deal over at an AV forum, and i have to say it's no contest, better in every possible way over my old EX71. I was quite happy with the EX71 overall, however the 5040UB has me ecstatic. Another poster said it best, you get what you pay for!
 
Just revisited this thread from a while ago, I managed to pick up a used Epson 5040HC for a great deal over at an AV forum, and i have to say it's no contest, better in every possible way over my old EX71. I was quite happy with the EX71 overall, however the 5040UB has me ecstatic. Another poster said it best, you get what you pay for!
I had a 5040ub...you gotta be careful with that one. It has a known PSU issue. I think mine was starting to go again, so now I have a 5050ub, which is slightly better, but not really discernable. The black levels of the epson units are fantastic.

I gave my 5040 to my brother when his old benq or something had the bulb explode inside. I don't feel right trying to sell it if I am suspicious about the PSU. At one point, I did figure out what part it was to replace it on my own, so time will tell if it dies at his house or not.
 
I had a 5040ub...you gotta be careful with that one. It has a known PSU issue. I think mine was starting to go again, so now I have a 5050ub, which is slightly better, but not really discernable. The black levels of the epson units are fantastic.

I gave my 5040 to my brother when his old benq or something had the bulb explode inside. I don't feel right trying to sell it if I am suspicious about the PSU. At one point, I did figure out what part it was to replace it on my own, so time will tell if it dies at his house or not.

I purchased mine off an AV forum member as a refurb he received for that exact issue.... For the price I managed to get it for it was a calculated risk! It's been a year and around 1200 hours of use and its been fantastic so far. I agree the black levels were unreal compared to my EX71. I would love to upgrade to the new laser based units, but they are just not in the budget for the foreseeable future. The 5050 / 6050 are great overall in my opinion!
 
Yea, and those chinese bulbs from amazon for dirt cheap are a toss up. You might get one that's usable. You might get one that blows up in 2 days. You might get one that loses 80% of it's brightness in a month... very rarely you get one that works like OEM.

I think these cheap knockoff bulbs have ruined the used market prices. Stuff is way overinflated. I was gonna sell my sony sxrd a few years back, and people were telling me to try and get 4-500 bucks for it. It needed a new bulb, OEM from sony was $398. There's no way that projector was worth 900 freaking dollars, that's insane. I ended up donating to goodwill so i didn't screw somebody.
I rolled the dice on two bulbs so hopefully one works out!

Benq 2050 is a good projector as long you're happy with the price
 
In terms of bulbs i was surprised, with my old EX71, it was cheaper for me to go with an OEM bulb from Epson WITH 2 day shipping vs. an amazon knockoff. My friend on the other had swears by the amazon knockoffs for his. obviously YMMV. my 5040 bulbs are an arm and a leg, thankfully i managed to score a BNIB one off an avsforum member who had recently sold his projector for super cheap. gotta love the forums!
 
Reporting back that one of the bulbs I bought from Alibaba has been great so far! I hope it lasts more than 100 hours...OEM lasted me 4700 with eco mode its entire life
 
They are amazing projection systems I attended a drone military tradeshow and they had an ICBM shootdown simulation powered by a PS3 cluster on four 75 inch back projected screens which were visible inside a fully illuminated event hall.
 
They are amazing projection systems I attended a drone military tradeshow and they had an ICBM shootdown simulation powered by a PS3 cluster on four 75 inch back projected screens which were visible inside a fully illuminated event hall.
Nice... Yeah, I doubt I'll ever be able to or want to afford one, but they're truly unparalleled.
 
Christie Eclipse runs $300k+ ;).. $100k only gets you a lower model.
Geez, and I thought those Barco UDM-4K22 projectors my employer ordered were expensive enough as is! It was a tough call between those and a rival Panasonic model, especially since the main perceptible difference was just a different tinge of color that could've easily been a lack of color calibration between them.

They looked the part, too; spread out on gigantic screens, it was like looking at an HDR HDTV with all the brightness you'd expect from that kind of comparison. I don't know if they actually supported HDR video sources - didn't get a chance to check the source laptops at the time of the demonstration - but I know they've got the brightness for it.

Meanwhile, all I have is this decommissioned Christie LHD700 with malfunctioning lens shift (it just drops down under its own weight), but functional otherwise. Only 1080p, only 7,000 lumens, and still runs on lamp bulbs that you have to replace every so often, unlike modern laser projectors - but free is free!
 
This really needs to be said about projectors...if you are happy with it then it is a good purchase. The moment you ask for an opinion on something you bought you are asking to seed doubt in your mind which will ruin the experience. Every time I buy a new projector (4 so far in my life) I immediately "lose my login" for places like AVS forum. This has served me exceedingly well since I do not know what I am missing and always pleasantly surprised when I get my next one.

So...gratz on getting a projector. Enjoy!
So true. I'm personally trying to decide between a projector (most likely a UST) and a big TV (85") for my "man cave" area. Since it will be for gaming, I need decent input lag performance, although I don't play COD or LOL or any fast-twitch games other than baseball.
My big problem is I am very prone to feature creep and price creep. I'll start by saying "this $500 widget is fine for my needs", and then through the process of research and whatnot, it becomes. Well, for $100 more, and can get this increased thing for my widget. For another $50, this other feature on the upscale model is better.

By the time I'm done, I'm looking at a 77" OLED, and waaaay out of my price budget.
 
So true. I'm personally trying to decide between a projector (most likely a UST) and a big TV (85") for my "man cave" area. Since it will be for gaming, I need decent input lag performance, although I don't play COD or LOL or any fast-twitch games other than baseball.
My big problem is I am very prone to feature creep and price creep. I'll start by saying "this $500 widget is fine for my needs", and then through the process of research and whatnot, it becomes. Well, for $100 more, and can get this increased thing for my widget. For another $50, this other feature on the upscale model is better.

By the time I'm done, I'm looking at a 77" OLED, and waaaay out of my price budget.

The heart wants what the heart wants.
 
So true. I'm personally trying to decide between a projector (most likely a UST) and a big TV (85") for my "man cave" area. Since it will be for gaming, I need decent input lag performance, although I don't play COD or LOL or any fast-twitch games other than baseball.
My big problem is I am very prone to feature creep and price creep. I'll start by saying "this $500 widget is fine for my needs", and then through the process of research and whatnot, it becomes. Well, for $100 more, and can get this increased thing for my widget. For another $50, this other feature on the upscale model is better.

By the time I'm done, I'm looking at a 77" OLED, and waaaay out of my price budget.
77inch oleds have come so far down in price, they are the same as a 55 from a few years ago.
 
77inch oleds have come so far down in price, they are the same as a 55 from a few years ago.
Yes, but still $3500, which is way above what I want to pay. I'm at about $1500 max, but the lower the better.
 
A2. 60 Hz panel. Won't support next-gen consoles
Sure it will. What do you need 120hz for? I don’t think any can do 120hz at 4k, and won’t for a long time.


I think your scope creep, is coming up again. 60fps is fine on a console, and sure, 120hz would be better. But, is it 2,000 dollars better, no way. A cheap 85 inch will look much worse, even if it has 120hz, a UST projector. Oh wow, don't get me started. We're talking 20 year old DLP chips that they vibrate to heck and back, which makes contrast even worse.

If you could somehow setup a 120hz console game, and people playing it on controller. You have a 120hz UST projector in a pitch black room, and a 77 inch 60hz OLED right next to it, i guarantee almost everyone will pick the oled.
 
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