is a 800x600 projector good enough for a large screen ?

hi,

im still on the lookout for a budget projector,
i was thinking of the INFOCUS X1 ,

however i will be useing it on a 7-8 foot screen, so im not sure if this projector is ideal for such a large screen as i heard people say about screendoor effect being a 800x600 projector, what exactly is screendoor anyways? sorry im fairly new to this done a search and i still dont understand, will it be a issue with this projector?

or do u need a certain spec for such a big screen? want to get things right before i decide, as this being my first projector and proberbly wont upgrade for a few years,

thankyou

[Jim McC]

jjcool, SDE is associated with LCD projectors. The X1 is a DLP projector, and you may see a problem called the rainbow effect(Do a search). The X1 is fine for a 7'-8' screen as long as you don't sit too close. You should sit approx. 2X screen width back from screen(14' back for 7' screen). The X1 is probably the most popular projector here in USA.

any way of telling if u will suffer from rainbow effect unless you view?

also whats the diffrence between 1024x768 and 800x600? i gather ones 4.3 and 1024x768 is widescreen,
so what would happen if u have a 800x600 and want to view widescreen,

sorry about the dumb questions im new to this.

[LV426]

1: You can't tell your sensitivity to DLP rainbows without demo-ing. Ideally for an hour or so. And it may affect others in your family (etc) even if it doesn't affect you - so take them along.

2: 1024x768 is 4x3, just like 800x600 (work it out). On any 4x3 projector, widescreen material is displayed across the middle of the screen, just like it would be on a 4x3 TV (i.e. letterboxed). And you don't get to use all your pixels. For 16x9 material, your resolution drops to 800x450, with the remaining 150 (height) being black - 75 above and 75 below. The difference between 1024x768 and 800x600 is just in the amount of detail it can resolve. Common pixel structures for 16x9 projectors are 1280x720, 1366x768 (there are others). To work it out, if you divide 16 by 9 you get 1.7777777.... And, if you divide (say) 1280 by 720 you get 1.777777777..... (see?) Similarly 4 / 3 = 1.33333.....; 800 / 600 = 1.333333.......

If your main type of viewing is digital TV and/or widescreen DVDs, I recommend you go for a native 16x9 projector and matching screen shape.

ok just to update,

just got back from town, i went into a shop, the guy had a panasonic PT-AE 200, 350hours used out of 5000 he said,
he saidi can have it for £400.00, however is this worth the cash over a x1
the panasonic has:
700 ANSI lumens brightness,
700:1 contrast ratio,

however the x1 is:
1000 lm (ANSI),
Contrast 2000:1 full on/full off

for a extra £200 i can get the x1 brand new

heard the panasonics are good however im not 100% sure if £400.00 is a good deal for the panasonic or to just buy a new x1 for £600.00

what do u guys think?

anyone advize?

[theritz]

If you're looking for direct advice, I'd say go for the AE200........ at £400 it's a complete no-brainer.


Sean G.

[LV426]

AE200 is a 16x9 device, hence more suited to HC use.

thanks for the advice guys,

will the AE200 be ok on a 8ft screen, and will there be any screendoor?

[LV426]

Yes, and yes, probably, depending on how good your eyesight is and how close you are to it. The 200 is quite coarse, although Panasonic have a method of "blurring" the edges of the pixels to reduce their visibility. If screendoor concerns you, pay more for a PT-AE500, which has a high enough resolution to make screendoor a non-issue. See http://www.discounttv.co.uk/ for a fairly respectable offer.

well i will be proberly be sitting about 14 foot away so would i notice it?

also can i ask what causes screendoor? and what does screen door looklike, done a search and find it alot? ive never had a projector so not sure its affects?

[windfall]

jjcool

I have a Panasonic PTAE100. Its a bit old now but I purchased it 18 months ago and project onto a 16x9 screen from about 115".

I sit about 130" away from the screen and can notice the panel makeup. Its sometimes been said that slightly blurring the focus can reduce the effect , but I have mine focused properly and to be honest dont focus on the panel as much as I do on whats being shown if you see what I mean.

I would wholly recommend you get a 16x9 panel PJ, my picture is 7ft 5" diagonal and sitting 14ft away its great in a darkened room, everyone thats seen it is suitably impressed I also use a 1.2 Gain screen so the percieved brightness of the opicture is higher as the screen reflects the light a bit more.

Dunno if this helps but hope so.

Tone

[thfccambs]

I would also say go for the ae200,i have a 7ft screen at sit about 11 ft away with out any problems.For £400 its a bargain.

[theritz]

In an LCD projector the image is created by light shining through three LCD panels (Red Green and Blue). The term "screendoor" refers to the visibility of the "gaps" between the pixels in the projected image. With the AE200 I'd advise a screen 7 ft wide at the most and sitting 14 ft away you shouldn't really have any complaints. If you do notice the structure of the picture, then slightly (and I mean slightly!) de-focussing the picture should eliminate it leaving you with a very detailed but smooth image.

If this was on sale with 350 hrs up on it for £400 in a local shop, I'd buy it.

Sean G.

thanks for the help guys i really appretiate it very much
being new to this and what ever i buy it will be my first projector and proberly last well for a few years anyway,

its all decisions decisions when it comes to projectors, screendoor,rainbow effects? which makes choosing even more hard its the old dlp vs lcd battle i guess,
i just want to get his right and be sure before i buy,
just came off phone from shop and said im still interested,
they said thay still have it for sale for £400 or £500 with a 5'5" x 4'2" screen, however i dont know how big that is in feet? totally useless at maths lol,
if not i will buy the infocus x1 dlp brand new at £600, and buy a screen afterwards,
its a hard decision, hearing stories about screendoor and rainbow effects has really put me off,

but what do i know ive never seen screendoor or rainbow effects, so i dont know how bad they look,
i dont want to shell out money and then be watching me favorite dvd and seeing screendoor "gaps" in the picture,
so its hard to judge,

however im new to all this and never seen a projector in action before im just going from thought.