Total beginner, I want to find a decent projector on a budget. (1 Viewer)

[Lamping]

I just moved into a new place and would really like to set up a home theatre in our (admittedly really small) living room. The throw distance is about 8 to 10 feet and we have plenty of wall space. We're not really going to play blu-ray or anything fancy, but mostly will be streaming movies off of netflix and playing movies off my computer. We can't use a ceiling mount, but will be (hopefully) putting it on a small table that's a couple feet high, with the option of boosting it up another couple feet. We have all the audio equipment covered (two decent speakers, a receiver) but just need to find a projector and screen. I know this seems atypical for these forums, but the budget we're looking at is ~300 dollars, with a decent amount of flexibility. Is this possible at all? Thanks!!

 

[Jim Mcc]

$300 is not possible, unless you buy a used projector, and I recommend you DO NOT do that. If you can spend about $500, you have a couple good choices. The Optoma HD66 and Acer 5360 are quality 720p projectors.

 

[gartronics]

Here is a basic Micro portable projector for under 200. http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2266558&CatId=1756 It has 480P resolution and takes pc input.. Screen size up to 100 inches with throw distance between 24 inches and 144 inches. Also, it is LED lit so it will last long. Just have to watch it in completely dark room because it is only 50 Lumens, not real bright but for 480P in dark room it should do. Also a 100 inch 16:9 screen here: http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1597763&CatId=2444 like 80 bucks. I have bought from tiger direct before and I have always been happy with them. So yes, you can get both components for 300 bucks. Won't be top notch, but will be a good starter system, especially for a small apartment. Hope this helps you, Good luck.

 

[Lamping]

Thanks so much for the informative posts. I was curious about a couple things, though. If I can get an LED projector for under 200 with a good image size and resolution, what is the reason the optoma and acer cost 300 more? If I were to get a more expensive projector, could I expect the same screen size?
Thanks!

 

[Robert_J]

If I can get an LED projector for under 200 with a good image size and resolution, what is the reason the optoma and acer cost 300 more?

They have a brighter picture, higher resolution and more features. Same reason the Panasonic AE-7000U costs about $2,500.

 

[Jim Mcc]

The projector gartronics linked to is literally a "toy" projector. Read the review at Projectorcentral.com to verify that. In a dark room, the largest screen size would be 40" diagonal. It has no zoom, no way to adjust contrast or brightness, etc. The negatives go on and on. DO NOT waste your money on this toy.

 

[gartronics]

The video reviews I seen on youtube for the projector looked pretty good. One guy had it at 80 inches in a room with lights on and it still looked decent. It may be classified as a "toy" but I figured since Lamping was only using 480p and it was a small room it would be a decent starter projector. After looking at the videos on youtube I actually thought about getting one of these for my room. I do agree though, It is not a spectacular projector and it is no frills, but for under 200 for something with a vga input would still be worth it in a small apartment setup. There are also the Pico series projectors, they are not "toys" Of coarse if you want vga input you have to get the pk102 and it is over 200 bucks. Final word, if you need more quality than save up and get a better projector.

 

[Jim Mcc]

Garry, all I can say is good luck to you, and make sure about the return policy. I believe the guys at Projectorcentral.com over some goof on Youtube. And I'm very confused by your statement "since lamping was only using 480p and it was a small room it would be a decent starter projector". The resolution of the projector has nothing to do with the brightness of it.

 

[gartronics]

Yeah, I know that the resolution has nothing to do with brightness. The room size does though. ok, It is a cheap toy. I would still buy it for a small room setup if I only had 300 bucks for a projector and screen. Sure it won't be spectacular, but better than not at all.