Used / Refurbished LCD's (1 Viewer)

[Dave Poehlman]

I am currently in the planning stages of building a dedicated HT room in my new home. As always, cost is a factor, and I am looking to keep it to a minimum. I would love to have a front projection system, but, I'm not sure I can justify the couple grand with the Mrs. Is there someplace that deals in used LCD projectors?
I have seen the words "rental" and "lease" used when referring to LCD projectors. In your opinion, is it cost-effective to lease these things? Whats the going rate for something like that?
I appreciate your input.
-=Dave Poehlman=-
-=Milwaukee, WI=-

 

[David Susilo]

I personally won't 'rent-to-own' or 'lease' any entertainment equipment. The interest rate of those places usually much more than your credit card.
Bottom line, if I can't afford one, I'll save up until I can afford one or I don't buy it at all. After all, it's entertainment, not a necessity. I would go into debt for that kind of things.
just IMHO

 

[Mike Brantley]

Dave,
You'll find some used projectors on this site...
http://www.projector-central.com/
Also check eBay, but don't pay more than you intend to in a spirited auction!
There are others to be found online if you are prepared to do some looking. I bought a little-used 3M MP8630 LCD projector last year for $800 that is driving my theater. I am happy with it, although I was disappointed that I could only use 640x480 for video instead of the full 800x600 of my LCD panels. The reason is the poor scaling when using the higher resolution, but my picture looks great at the native video resolution.
There are deals to be found, and I certainly know what it's like to have to make your home theater dreams come true on a small budget. See the link to my theater below.
One warning: The first used LCD projector I had was an InFocus model that had some bad pixels (including one that always glowed red!), and it always got dust on the LCD panel, which showed up as black specks on the projected image. Also, the very expensive lamp was rated at only 600 hours. When it came time to replace the lamp, I didn't bother. Instead, I got the 3M projector I'm using now. The image is brighter, and my current bulb is rated at 2000 hours before it will start to dim. Also, I've never had a problem with dust getting into this projector.
Good luck!
------------------
Mike Brantley
Our Theater:
Mike & Cheryl's Screening Room

My Super-8 Filmmaking Site:
http://www.super8filmmaking.com