Is the InFocus 4805 suitable for long throws (over 20')? (1 Viewer)

[Eric_Nathan]

I was wondering if any of you have tried the 4805 from longer distances. Will it still have a clear picture quality from 21 feet? Is there a better alternative in that price category for long throws?

 

[Kin]

You are going to want to control your lighting and maybe use a screen with a bit higher gain, but I don't see why it wouldn't still look great. Of course, going with a bit higher end projector is going to have positive results as well.

Keep in mind this projector is not HD. It is 854x480 native resolution. It was really designed for images between 76" and 92". I have had customers have good results with 106" screens also. At that distance you are looking at 136"-163".

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[Eric_Nathan]

I am so confused with this. If the 4805 is not HD compatible, why does it say it is in the description?

http://www.projectorcentral.com/InFo...nPlay_4805.htm

And what HD projectors could you instead recommend that won't break my bank account?

 

[Pat Frank]

It's compatible in the sense that it adjusts HD images to 480p, but that's its native resolution so that's as high as it will actually go. Some projectors will do 720p but if I'm not mistaken they run $3k and over. And even there it's not really HD compatible, because there's a horizontal component that those PJs aren't quite reaching, and of course they're not reaching 1080i either.

Several 4805 owners have posted that HDTV looks great on the 4805. I haven't seen it myself yet. Really I think the main reason for getting HDTV on a projector is to deal with the problem of what happens when you blow an NTSC signal up that large -- it really degrades pretty horribly. So in a sense it's really just an effort to get "normal" TV back.

Bear in mind that the situation is pretty similar in low-end HDTV rear-projection sets. If they're based on LCD or DLP then they have the same resolution issues.

Search the threads here with the keywords HDTV and 4805 and you should find more input.

 

[Eric_Nathan]

Thanks Pat, again.

I have to rethink this. I don't want to be spending $50 a month + equipment on a HDTV subscription if it's not going to look like true HDTV, such as that on a Plasma or DLP television.

So basically, sub-$2000 projectors are typically for DVD watching and that's it?

 

[Evan M.]

At that distance I would not get a 4805. The PQ starts to diminish when the screen is over 100". Plus since it is a 480p projector you will want to sit 2x the screen width away and at that size you will need a large room to make that possible. Sub 2000$ projectors (4805) are great for HDTV just not the situation you have. Personaly I would look into the Panasonic AE700. It has a great zoom lens so you can put it further away (long throw) and it is 720P so you can sit closer to the screen. It will be great for HDTV since it has "HD" resolution. It is an LCD so you have to make sure you like that technology. I am not going to get into the difference. Check out Projectorcentral for the DLP/LCD thing.
Also I think starting March 1st Panasonic is offering a 200$ rebate if bought from an authorized dealer. That should bring it to just under $2000. If you want to see if the ae700 will work in your situation check out the throw calculator for it on Projector central. I think it is probably the only sub $2000 720p projector that will work in your situation with that type of throw distance. Good luck.

 

[Pat Frank]

I think you should take a serious look at your situation and see if you really HAVE to position the PJ so far away. There are plenty of ways to integrate the unit into furniture.

Some complain about fan noise and stray light from the unit, but these are really nit-picky complaints. Once that movie gets going you really won't notice that stuff.

 

[Benson R]

I watch hdtv cable on my x1 (the predecessor to the 4805) and most of my friends who have seen my setup are hard pressed to tell the difference between that and other actual hdtvs they have seen.

In fact many times when I see other hdtv sets I find that I myself am hard pressed to tell the difference. I will admit that the high end dlp lcd and plasma hdtvs definetly show a clear improvement (and I would assume also the high end hdtv projectors).

The hdtv picture on the x1 blows away dvd and I watch a lot more cable then I used to since I got the hdtv box.

I would however agree that at 20' the size of the image you would get might be to big unless you are sitting way back from it. Are you sure you can't mount it some other way?