What's this projector worth? (1 Viewer)

[Jim A. Banville]

"InFocus LightPro 550, w/155 ansi lumens, onboard audio, and accepts computer, s-video, and component inputs, and 640 X 480 resolution".
Is this a "good" starter projector? Isn't the resolution good enough to display full 480p DVD video? I want to have a screen about 6 ft. wide. Thanks

PS- Can anyone recommend some minimum parameters for a projector I should be looking at, such as lumens, resolution, etc.? I only need a prjector to display DVD's full 480p resolution, not HDTV.

 

[Neil Joseph]

As far as this being a good starter pj, this is a relative thing. How much do you have to spend or do you already have it?

 

[Allan Jayne]

Note that a 640x480 (non-super-vga) projector must use the DVD player's 4:3 letterbox mode when playing anamorphic DVD's, or you must buy an anamorphic lens. Also if it is a fixed pixel device like an LCD projector, the horizontal resolution is downconverted (a natural digitizing at or before the display element, not an overt scaling process) from 720 to 640.

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

 

[Max Leung]

There are many very good starter projectors that are far better than the one you mentioned (assuming $1000+).

I don't know what your budget is, but there are some good projectors that can be had in the $1500 US range:

Infocus X1: 800x600, DLP, 2x color wheel (hope DLP rainbows/eyestrain don't bother you or guests). Roughly $1200 US. $100 rebate offer available by Infocus. Available at Costco and Best Buy. Costco's return policy might be better though.

Sanyo PLV-Z1: 960x540 (16x9), LCD. Roughly $1500.

Panasonic L300U: 960x540 (16x9), LCD, Roughly $1700 to $1800.

I'm sure there are others, but the ones above are very popular at their respective price points, and should be far far superior to the old LP550 you mentioned (better scalers, higher resolution, better contrast). I'm thinking night and day difference here.

Also, be sure to consider bulb cost. For 1500-2000 hours of use, you're looking at around $200-400 US bulb replacement costs.

 

[Jim A. Banville]

Thanks guys. My budget is approx. $1000 (new) or $500 (used) under. I found a couple of new projectors in the $1049 to $1099 range (I posted them in another thread). They are a Proxima and an InFocus. My requirements are to be able to display native 480p (anamorphic) image from my DVD player, and a screen approx. 6 ft. wide. I will only be sitting about 12 ft. from the screen. I want to stay with LCD. The Infocus I asked about earlier was on eBay for under $200. I'm looking for a "starter" projector. It needn't produce the best picture, but I do want something bright, clear and sharp

 

[Max Leung]

I've heard good things about the Panasonic 75u on www.avsforum.com although very few people have that pj, so the sample size is small. I think it's around $1000, although probably $1200.

These starter projectors don't produce the "best" picture, compared to the $5K+ DLP projectors, but for only a couple of hundred bucks more, they are better than most RPTVs!

Also, the cheap/old projectors have considerable fan noise. Louder than a PC (and one here at the office sounds like a jet engine -- a year-old Infocus SVGA LCD pj)! These new "starter" pjs listed in this thread are very quiet in comparison, and produce stunning images, compared to projectors from more than a year ago at the same pricepoint!

Yes, I am trying to convince you not to buy used (or new)2001-era projectors...the new ones really are that much better!

Other things to consider: The projectors listed above were built for consumer use. Hence, they will tend to have better scalers than the cheaper business projectors you find everywhere. They will also be quieter, and have a larger user base (www.avsforum.com has many threads on tweaking the Z1, 300U, X1, etc.). They will also tend to have more user-configurable options (like gamma, color temperature, color control, etc.). With a business projector, you'd be lucky if you got more than brightness and contrast controls!

All the projectors listed above fit your requirements (except for the DLPs hehe). They are all great pjs, and they're cheap too! Have fun.

 

[Nick Hnatiw]

Let me know what you end up with. I'm in the same situation as you. Good Luck!