Simple projector question regarding 1080p (1 Viewer)

[coonyp]

Some low cost projectors on Ebay indicate a "native resolution" of VGA but also indicate that they are 1080p. Am I correct to assume that this means that I will get 1080p output if I use an HDMI cable thus getting the benefit of my BluRay player? Am I further correct to conclude that if I use component video cables instead, I will only get VGA resolution?

 

[Stephen Tu]

Native resolution of the (non-CRT) projector is an important spec. Anything you feed in gets converted to the native resolution (deinterlaced if necessary, then upscaled/downscaled). If the projector has resolution of say 1366x768, but "accepts 1080p", then your end result is still 1366x768 video not 1920x1080. Note that this is still quite an improvement over DVD which is 720x480. But if the projector's native resolution is only say 800x600, then most of your improvement in this area is out the window.

Also I wouldn't trust Ebay specs, which are often written incorrectly (e.g. "native resolution" of an LCD with multiple resolutions listed!); corroborate with the manufacturer's web site.

Component video can theoretically carry 1080p also, but in practice is limited to 1080i on Blu-ray players. This will be deinterlaced by the projector, in theory for film based material it is possible to perfectly reconstruct the original 1080p from the disc, but this depends on the quality of the video processor in the projector. Some people use outboard processors like from Anchor Bay to do this better, or ones built in to AV receivers.

 

[Jim Mcc]

I would NEVER buy a projector from Ebay. What kind of projector are you looking for and what is your budget?

 

[coonyp]

I have a 60" HDTV which does 1080i and BluRay discs look pretty good on it. But we actually prefer the quality of ordinary DVDs on our current projector, an Epson which has XGA resolution because we get much more of the theatre experience. However, if anything, the BluRay discs are not quite as good on the projector, they certainly don't seem to be better. Still, I don't really want to spent a lot of money just to see BluRay resolution on a projector. But if there is a low cost projector that will do it, I would buy it. Basically, I think you are telling me that there isn't.

 

[Jim Mcc]

I'll ask you again what is your budget for projector? Do you want a 720p or 1080p projector? Remember, there are a lot of extra costs with a projector such as HT receiver, speakers, cables, screen(DIY is good), ceiling mount. Are you able to have your room reasonably dark when using projector? That's a must.

 

[coonyp]

I believe I already have a 720p projector. As I said, progressive scanned DVDs look fine on it but I don't see any difference with BluRay. I'd spend about $500 for a projector that would give me the higher resolution offered by BluRay.

 

[Jim Mcc]

$500 is not enough, sorry. What projector do you have?

 

[coonyp]

Epson Power Lite EMO-S3

 

[Stephen Tu]

Your projector is only SVGA, 800x600.

 

[coonyp]

You are right, I just looked at the fine print. It's not what was advertised.

 

[coonyp]

Obviously 1080p is way out of my price range. But looking at the Sharp Sharp XR-30X, a low cost monitor which apparently has a DVI input, it indicates this in the specs:

Display resolutionXGA (1024 x 768)
Resolution capabilitySXGA+ (1400 x 1050) with ImageACE Resizing

I have no idea what ImageACE resizing means. Won't this give me pretty good HDTV quality from BluRay?

 

[Jim Mcc]

That Sharp projector is native 4:3, I would pass on it. Is your budget still $500? Do you plan to sell your Epson? I recommend you buy a 720p projector. I just saw Tigerdirect.com has the Optoma HD70(720p DLP) for $519. It's refurbished with a 6 month parts and labor warranty. If I were you, I'd jump on that.

 

[coonyp]

Thanks for the recommendation, I think I'll keep the Epson and use it at our vacation home in Mexico.

 

[Amit Patel]

Any suggesion for good projector, my budget is around $2000 for projector only.

 

[Jim Mcc]

First you need to decide between DLP and LCD. You can read reviews and learn about projectors at Projectorcentral.com and Projectorreviews.com.

 

[noki123]

Hey Jim Mcc what would you recomend me DLP or LCD? I have check the prices on the web DLp are cheaper i have low budget 1000usd only

 

[Jim Mcc]

I recommend DLP. But some people have to use LCD because of their room situation. What are your requirements? Ceiling height, desired screen size, throw distance, etc?

 

[Paul_Scott]

There are 3 basic pj technologies you can choose from now
DLP
LCD
LCoS

Each technology has pluses and minuses. DLP used to be king in the area of contrast, and in a certain aspect of contrast (referred to as ANSI contrast) it still is I believe.
The contrast capabilities of a projector (or any display tech for that matter) are important because it has a major effect on, among other things, how vibrant and dimensional the image can be. A projector with a poor/low contrast will be muddy and flat looking. During dark scenes, it will be harder to differentiate objects, starfields will look medium grey instead of black, etc
There is also on/off contrast. This generally impacts 'fade to black's. Coming from a projector that had decent ANSI contrast, but poor on/off contrast- I was startled by how impressive a good fade to black can be. This is an effect you don't usually find in the theater even since there are always dimmed houselights somewhere for safety purposes.

LCD and LCoS used to be far behind in both kinds of contrast compared to DLP, but that has turned around in the last few years. Now some of the best projectors in on/off are LCoS. LCD has gotten better, but DLP still leads both in ANSI, though I don't think it is by a great margin anymore.

The one big issue with DLP is the way it works. It uses a spinning color wheel to 'paint' each color on the screen- one at a time, but so fast that the eye combines them. For some people, this creates problems from mild (seeing rainbow trails on areas of the screen) to major (headaches from the color separation artifacts).

I would highly suggest seeing examples of DLPs in person because of this factor.
But then, that's just sound advice in general for any and all projectors. These are a good chunk of change and you should be satisfied and know what you are getting into beforehand.
I would recommend reading up on sites like www.projectorreviews.com. Art should have some good general tutorials there addressing the various technologies and considerations of each.

 

[willie60]

I am looking at a Epson power Lite HD-400 projector. Will this give me a good picture in a semi dark room and does the fact that it is only 16.1 a factor since most of my viewing will be from a dish box?

 

[maryschmidt01]

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