Any of you guys got one of these projectors??

I've been looking into purchasing a new projector for the home and was told the best ones on the market under 2Grand are as follows:

1. Barco
2. Sharp
3. Sony
4. Optoma EZ540
5. Hitachi
6. CTX Expro 585/610H/615
7. Seleco

Which one do you recommend? Also what price would you be willing to pay if you where buying? Need your help

It needs to have 700 Ansi Lumens with 1000hrs lamp livespan.

I would also like further information on any other models under 2 Grand?

Janice,

Are you after new or used, as there are some superb used Barco CRT machines to be had use. £1000 upwards will buy you a decent example (big and heavy though) from the private ads. I've seen some dealers doing them now as well. Barco is generally regarded as the cream, with RCF, Sony and Seleco doing some excellent kit. Seleco do the superb 310, 320 and 350 series, which can be had for about £2600 upwards for a new one. Keep an eye on the classified board here for the odd second hand one too (around £1700 for a 350). Barco machines simple to set up once installed, as everything is via the remote control and onscreen menus. My friends Seleco 350 is a minefield of onboard pots and 'twiddley bits'!

As for LCD, not my field, but you won't get anywhere near the picture quality of even the cheapest CRT machine for less than about 3.5K, but they are a hell of a lot easier to install and set up. Gordon from Stereo Stereo seems to be our new guru on these matters!!

Hope this helps
Simon
www.si-tec.co.uk

[This message has been edited by Barco Man (edited 06-11-2000).]

[Blade]

CRT projectors like the Barcos and Selecos don't have lamps, so they don't have a limited lamp lifespan. Instead the CRTs tend to wear out after about 10,000 hours.
Which equates to 'longer than you'll be using it'.
Get a S/H CRT if you want a more cinematic image.

[Gordon @ Convergent AV]

Janice,

The best advice anyone can give is to go and look at a few projectors. You may find that you only need to spend £1000 to get the performance you require. Of course, you may also find that nothing under £5000 produces a picture you find enjoyable.

Spend as little as possible but make sure you spend enough to make it worthwhile in the first place! For £2000 I'd be looking for a good s/hand unit either CRT (my preferred projection technology)or LCD/DLP. But that's my preferance, you must decide for yourself.


Barcoman: As a NEC owner I feel aggrieved you missed them out ;-) Thanks for your nice comments but I think I know more about CRT than LCD/DLP. It's just I have experience of the popular Sony LCD and everyone seems to want to know about it!

All the best,

Gordon

p.s. In case there are any owners out there, Electrohome are pretty good too......

------------------
StereoStereo
Intelligent Solutions for Intelligent Homes !

Gordon,

Humble apologies! I know there is lots of good kit out there, those makes I quoted were just the ones that sprang to mind at the time- and ones I've seen. Glad to hear your prefered source is CRT too, LCD just doesn't quite cut it with me either, shoe box size and simplistic setup or not! The guru comment was meant about projectors in general, perhaps I put it in the wrong place.

I am not worthy!
Simon www.si-tec.co.uk

Well I must say the above prices seem pretty extravagant to me. I paid 900 pounds for a barco graphics 800 on the kind advice of Blade a few months back. The machine was only 600 hours into its life and picture quality is great.
For 1600 pounds i now have a tosh sd100e dvd multi region , videologic digitheatre dts, projector and 6x5ft screen (temporary).

The only 2nd hand pieces are the projector and screen. When I get a bigger room I plan to add at least a 10-12 ft screen.

So there are bargains out there if you are prepared to shop around , and don't mind huge machine sizes. I bought my projector from a chap in Devon , and it is so big that I have named it "daisy" , after the cow.

Now all I need to do is find a good 2nd hand line doubler ......(or pray that dvdo's iscan soon becomes avaliable as pal as well as ntsc)!

Happy Bargain Hunting!

Thanks to all who wrote.......
You helped me with some of the problems that i had regarding video projectors........ now the problem is with who/where to buy....
anyone know a good dealer in scotland????

[Blade]

Lordy, the BB doesn't have a shortage of folks north of the border, does it ?!!!

[Gordon @ Convergent AV]

Andrew:

I know this guy in Glasgow who has/had a few projectors for sale. Due to the nature of this Bulletin Board I can't divulge my name though......

Email me and I'll see what I can do.

Gordon ( not in my day job... private individual posting now)ignore my posting name

[charles]

go for crt...and stay well clear of lcd projectors-unless you absolutely dont have the room for crt and dont mind the cartoon like picture of the sony lcd-which can be found for 4,500 pounds..(still too much in my opinion)..

Also be careful of accepting advice from dealers who can be biased to the stock they sell....(surprise...surprise...)

[MJ]

Originally posted by charles:
go for crt...and stay well clear of lcd projectors-unless you absolutely dont have the room for crt and dont mind the cartoon like picture of the sony lcd-which can be found for 4,500 pounds..(still too much in my opinion)..

Also be careful of accepting advice from dealers who can be biased to the stock they sell....(surprise...surprise...)

What about all the glowing reviews and the reports from those that have been for a demo? I can't make any judgement I haven't had a demo but surely is the Sony that bad?

[PaulB]

Originally posted by MJ:
What about all the glowing reviews and the reports from those that have been for a demo? I can't make any judgement I haven't had a demo but surely is the Sony that bad?

Of course its not that bad, from whats been said, looks like Charles had a bad demo (and/or a badly produced disc perhaps) and assumed that thats the best the Sony can do. I'm afraid that blurry pictures and pixelisation have long since been dipensed with although the overplayed gray/black problem is a potential issue for some.
Regards,
Paul

[JonW]

I have read a lot about the Sony VW10 LCD projector, but I can't really afford £4400 for a projector right now. Has anyone had any experience with other, cheaper, LCD projectors (CRT is too big for my lounge)? Specifically I am looking at the Sharp XV-ZW60, which seems to have good reviews, component inputs and is about half the price of the Sony.
Is this a good idea or is it just a false economy, should I save my money and buy something like the Sony next year when I can afford it?
Thanks
Jon

[charles]

its funny,everytime someone says something negative about the sony lcd-the stock in trade answer is that ..it couldnt have been set up correctly???
well i assure you it was,but i dont buy a product based on the hype or reviews-i make my own opinion,and personally i prefer crts...the sony aint bad-but it aint 2 grand better than the toshiba-who incidentally are bringing out the mt2?...to me an lcd is an lcd..and there all much of a muchness-nothing in it....compare lcd against crt..fine...but lcd against lcd...who cares?

Originally posted by Gordon, StereoStereo:
Andrew:

I know this guy in Glasgow who has/had a few projectors for sale. Due to the nature of this Bulletin Board I can't divulge my name though......

Email me and I'll see what I can do.

Gordon ( not in my day job... private individual posting now)ignore my posting name

Gordon CAN YOU GET INTOUCH WITH ME THROUGH EMAIL REGARDING ABOVE.