[redquicksilver]

Dear all,

Please can you offer me some advice, I know this subject will have come up hundreds of times in the past, but I have spent some time scanning articles and have not found a relevant one on the forum.

I have been researching projectors for several months now, and just when I think I am about to make a decision something goes and spoils it!

I thought I had my mind made up on the ScreenPlay 5700, as all the reviews I have read say that it is the best projector for the money you can buy.

However, many people talk about the Panny AE700 as being the best, and when I recently purchased the 'Home Cinema Choice - Best of 2005' this week, they have put the AE700 as the best budget projector you can buy, and the 5700 doesn't get a mention in any of the classes!!!

Another concern of mine is the shortfalls of the 2; LCD screendoor vs DLP rainbows. Both projectors state that they have just about sorted the problem and both defects are not visible.

Both are 1280 x 720 res, and offer the same contrast.

So please, please, please, has anyone had experience with both projectors and how do they compare? Is the additional £800 on the ScreenPlay worth the money?

[moosie]

... but had been looking at these two myself before I bought.

Screenplay 5700 for less than main dealers here though it may be b-stock:

http://www.luzerntech.com/catalog/in...ctors&cPath=35

They also sell them through EBay now and again for approx €1300 stg buy it now but I've seen some of their stock go for £1100 ( the reserve ). Have no connection with same company. Brings the price very close to the Panny. What put me off the Panny was the concern that it can struggle a bit with live football.

[redquicksilver]

That is a fantastic price for the 5700!

Nice one, thanks for the link - only concern is, are the a legitimate company and does your projector come with a warranty?

The resolution of the 5700 is less than the Panasonic.

Native 16:9 resolution — 1024x576 (wide PAL) resolution from the Matterhorn DLP™ chip by Texas Instruments Incorporated for seamless video without compression and the best resolution match 16:9 sources.

The Panasonics native resolution is 1280x720 meaning its HD ready and as for football well any projector is only as good as the source and if its Sky Digital then sometimes the source can be lacking quality and that could account for the picture quality.

The Panasonic is also extremely cheap now and this is where i bought it http://www.discounttv.co.uk/product/...xel_Check.html cost me £1299 but its now selling for under a thousand and its the latest firmware version.

I have the Panasonic and i rate it highly, as long as you give it about 30minutes to warm up and then do the flicker adjust the picture ( using normal mode and having sharpness set to 0 ) is great.

Screendoor is not an issue with the AE700, unless you sit around 2 feet from the screen. The smoothscreen technology really is that good. Last night I watched Spiderman 2 on a 2.7m wide screen, sitting only 2.5m away and saw no screendoor at all. That's why I went for the AE700 over all the other 1280x720 LCD projectors.

[redquicksilver]

Wow, that is a great price!

So the AE700 has a better resolution than the 5700...

what do you mean about giving it 30 minutes to warm up? If you want to watch a film at say 8 o'clock, do you have to go in and switch your projector on at 7:30 for the best picture?

[PJTX100]

Price-wise the more natural choice is the Infocus 4805 vs the 700, and by all accounts there isn't much between those machines.

If you can get a 5700 for within a few hundred quid of the 700 I'd say definitely go for the 5700...PJ

[redquicksilver]

PJTX100, I take your point, but what I was thinking when I short-listed these 2, is the best LCD, against the best DLP.

[PJTX100]

Originally Posted by redquicksilver

PJTX100, I take your point, but what I was thinking when I short-listed these 2, is the best LCD, against the best DLP.

Sony HS50 seems to be the most highly regarded LCD and is probably a more natural peer vs the 5700.

For 1K the Sanyo Z3 and the Hitachi PJTX100 will both give the 700 a run for its money, they are very much similarly spec'd LCD machines.

..PJ

[squibbly]

Surely the Benq PE7700 is the best bang for the buck DLP now. 1280x720 and c. £1400. HD ready, HDMI HDCP compliant input, 2500:1 contrast (the similarly specced Infocus SP7205 is £3500!). Seems to be getting good reviews and is just starting to be made available here.

It's certainly the one I'll be plumping for in the next two months after reading these forums for the last 1.5 years!

[redquicksilver]

Nice one squibbly,

When I originally came up with a short-list the BenQ did feature on the list, but I can't remember why I removed it!

Upon further investigation it does seem an extremely attractive machine. Not only does it have the spec that you quote, but it also features the 5 speed, 6 segment colour wheel which should eliminate the 'rainbow' effect, and HD2 chip, and a nifty Picture-in-picture mode, and picture-alongside-picture.

As you say, a lot of 'bang for your buck' and projectorcentral rate it as the number 1 mid-range projector beating the Sony HS51, and the ScreenPlay 7205!

So now my shortlist is

Panasonic AE700 LCD for £999
BenQ PE7700 DLP for £1,397

Things are getting clearer....

[sbowler]

only way you will decide is to have a demo of both.
if the specs are similar you could go for the cheaper and spend a bit more on a higher spec DVD player.
I am quite happy with the panny it is exl pic quality for the money and fed a good digi signal ie freeview or sky it does it job well

[cyberheater]

Originally Posted by redquicksilver

Panasonic AE700 LCD for £999
BenQ PE7700 DLP for £1,397

Things are getting clearer....

There is also the Mitsubishi HC900 Video Projector.
It's got deep blacks and a much higher contrast ratio then both those machines.

Native Wide Aspect Ratio
Video (1024*576)
1500 ANSI lumens
2000 hour lamp life (typical)
4000:1 Contrast Ratio
DVI Input
PAL Progressive Compatible
Seven Segment Colour Wheel

[jmbrailsford]

I am currently processing a warranty for 2 years onsite from TADL via Av-Sales ( wasn't sure if refurbished projectors were covered but Av-Sales said they were so will wait and see ).

Cost of warranty including loan projector is £217.00.

[jmbrailsford]

oops

[cyberheater]

Why would you go for a 5700 when the Mitsubishi HC900 Video Projector has 3 times the contrast ratio and is cheaper.

All in all, a much better machine.

[jmbrailsford]

Originally Posted by cyberheater

Why would you go for a 5700 when the Mitsubishi HC900 Video Projector has 3 times the contrast ratio and is cheaper.

All in all, a much better machine.

I assume that you have compared both side by side?

I must admit to checking out the HC900, as well as the 5700, the Optoma H77 and a Sharp model and to my eyes the 5700 was the one I liked the best, thought it had the most natural skin tones and colours, and extremely bright picture.

You buy what you prefer obviously, for me it was the 5700 and I haven't regretted my purchase and certainly won't be upgrading until the higher def models become more affordable.