Quality of Projectors? (1 Viewer)

[DeathStar1]

I was at my sisters 'Rlya' send off on Friday, and they showed a presentation on a Video Projector/screen. I was amazed by the super clear quality on this thing..

Keep in mind, my only experience with projectors in the past, has been 8MM movie projectors, so having never seen one of these new bad boys in action, my preconceptions have already been made. I was expecting terrible picture quality on an even more worn out screen... But boy was I surprised..

How much does a high end projector cost, and does the image loose quality the bigger it gets? Might have to look into these things for the basement redoo project..

 

[ChrisWiggles]

What is your budget.

High end projectors throw some of the best images around obviously. I don't know your viewing experience, and I have no idea what projector you saw so I can't really describe what you might have been looking at in relation to other things because I have no idea what you were looking at.

 

[Chris Gerhard]

Digital front projection is a great value. Depending on what you require, I would bet you could be very happy with an under $2,000 720p LCD projector like the Panasonic PT-AE900U or Sanyo PLV-Z4. A 720p DLP projector can cost about the same. You can spend a lot more, but I would think most woule be happy with the quality available at around $1,500 - $2,000. I have been using a Panasonic PT-L500U 720p LCD projector for about 1.5 years and I am still very happy with it.

Chris

 

[AndrewPaulJones]

True for under $2k the best on the market is the Optoma HD72. Give yourself a 100"+ screen very easily and the same quality you would get from 100inch flat screen. Only you wont have to sacrifice your two first born childeren to pay for it.

 

[AlanZ]

I took a chance on buying a Sanyo Z2 last year, which was on closeout because the Z4 had just come out. I knew it was two models outdated, but I had read some reviews from 2003 and felt like it would be a very good choice for a first projector. I bought some Screen Goo, a 25' component cable, and I've been happy as a clam since last November. I can't believe that I did everything - screen, projector, cable - for $1200. I use it all the time and I cannot imagine going back to a RPTV (or anything else). DVDs look great, and HD programming is spectacular.

I can say w/out any reservation that my first projector purchase has been an unbelievable experience.

 

[John Besse]

I have a Sanyo Z1 that I bought about a year and a half ago. It is a very nice projector for the price. My buddy bought the Sanyo Z2 a few months after I did mine and it looked even better than my Z1. He just recently moved the Z2 to his bedroom and bought a Panny AE900 for the living room. That projector looks even nicer. For the $1500-$2000 price range I would recommend the Panasonic AE900 and my second choice would be the Sanyo Z4. If and only if you can get a room dark enough, projectors are the way to go.

 

[Chris Gerhard]

I should have emphasized as John did, you need a room with good light control or watch only at night. Although these projectors do better with ambient light than mine does, I still couldn't be happy watching any of them in a room with much ambient light.

Chris

 

[KeithMoechnig]

yes, as long as you can keep ambient light out and have a perfectly flat screen, you basically have a 100+" screen. Right now I have a ae900 with light control and it's just as good better than what the movie theater has.
as for quality on bigger screens, it mainly depends if the proector is bright enough. an ae900 can do about 120" before going dull.

 

[ChrisWiggles]

Not all screens are flat. For most home digital projector applications I would go with a flat screen, however.

 

[Allan Jayne]

LCD projectors to date still have a quality uncertainty problem, misregistration (misconvergence) of the three little LCD panels inside. One projector might be excellent while another of the same model has a noticeable blur from the problem.

Purchasers ahve over the years had mixed results getting satisfaction from the dealer and/or manufacturer.

Video hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/video.htm