Novice Questions about projectors (1 Viewer)

[waylonrobert]

My wife and I are in the process of purchasing a house and we should have the keys in the next few weeks. She agreed to make one of the rooms a media room. Now the house isn't huge, and we don't have exact dimensions of the room we would be utilizing as a media room, but it's probably in the neighborhood of a 12'x14' or 12'x16'.

That being said, is this a suitable size for a projector, or would I need more space? Our budget is around $1-2k. Not sure if we should do DLP or LCD (where can I go to view examples? Best Buy?). One thing to note is my wife is prone to motion sickness, which I've heard DLP can cause problems with? We would be playing a combination of Xbox 360, PS3, and watching movies (blu-ray movies on the PS3), and DirecTV HD, so input lag is somewhat of a concern (though I am realistic and not looking for perfection as I realize nearly every input device has a certain degree of input lag).

Anyway, I am completely new to the world of projectors and looking for some general guidance. Any help is greatly appreciated!

 

[Gregg Loewen]

you dont need a lot of room to set up a HT.

I did 1 system with 6 ish feet of space and got a 65" screen size.

with the dimensions you are quoting, you could easily get 96".

Your weakness will be with your anemic price point....try to scrap up a few more dollars for a quality system. $3K will get you a nice PJ....then 500-1000 for a good screen, cabling, receiver, 5.1 sound, etc etc.

 

[Leo Kerr]

although there are cheaper screen alternatives (a flat wall, for example, or a stretched canvas or other fabric. But the room is plenty big for a projector (mine is effectively smaller, with a 96".)

If you can see the DLP rainbows, then LCD is the way to go. By the time you can get good DLP units, then you might as well be getting good D-ILA units from JVC...

Leo

 

[essstjames]

I was new for projectors until schools bought and installed smartscreens and used projectors. I bought a year ago, LCD XGA (1024x768) for $749, made 4x8' screen from thin projection laminate from Home Depot, installed projector @11-12 ft away, and use projector screen input selection and/or zoom to adjust for image size to fill the screen appropriately for 16x9/2.35 or 2:40:1 down to fullscreen 1.33:1--to me images by DVD/BD (720, not 1080p) are clear, obtained by Component Video (mine did not have HDMI), but has computer hookup. Only watch DVD's or selected specials on it, otherwise use LCD TV for other watching. Lamp hours were limited (2000 vs current 4000+ offered now for less). Lamp replacement may benearly 300 or more (sort of like buying $49 inkject printers, when replacement inks are $60). My amplifers/receivers/speakers/video output equipment were alas on same wall I installed my screen....needed to string wires for sound from DVD/BD to receiver). Now I see were WXGA (widescreen) projectors both DLP and LCD, with HDMI (but only composite video) being offered by BestBuy, etc for same price and longer lamp life. I see l080p projectors cost over$3000--24,000+, but I'm not buying more expensive equipment until 3D stuff is established, with minimal or not Firmware upgrades required each month. Optima has close focus projectors. Viewsonic never honored my multirequest for guarantee services, on line or by phone, and had not authorized service centers nearby. Whatever, make sure take-in, service centres are nearby and may offer replacement use projectors while yours is being serviced or be without for one or more months.

 

[Jim Mcc]

You should try to find somewhere to view a DLP and LCD projector in your area, to see if a DLP bothers your wife. I own and highly recommend the new Mits. HC3800. I paid $1295, plus there's a free bulb rebate until the end of March. DLP would also be better for gaming and watching sports. If you have to go LCD, I'd look into the Epson 8100. You could do better, but you'll be right up at $2,000. Your screen size depends on your seating distance. I would guess about 92" - 100". You can make and/or paint a screen and save a lot of money.