What Projector shall I buy?

[simon391088]

Hi,
I have a spare room which I want to set up as a 'Cinema' using a projector.

I know nothing about these, however HD would seem like a good idea, and I want to see a clear picture i.e. no pixels during explosions and good contrast.

I have up to £2k to spend on this.

Any suggestions much appreciated. I managed to buy my Plasma screen a week before the HD standard was released, so I don't want to do the same again which is why I am posting here.

Thanks for any advice!

Simon

[Liam @ Prog AV]

New ThemeScene HD73 is available soon. rrp of £1,499 inc VAT leaves room for electric screen and ceiling mount etc.

[Darkstar_surfer]

Is the £2K just for the PJ or is that your budget for the room. The HD73 is the newest HD PJ to be released and as far as I am aware no one in the UK has seen one yet.

There are a few things to consider, is the room going to be dedicated or multifunction, fixed screen or retractable. Source, DVD, SKY, Freeview, etc. Amp and speakers and don’t forget cables.

If all of the above are to come out of your £2K budget then the HD70 may be a better option at around £700.

[thescoobydoc]

Either of the above would be a good choice and will leave more than enough for any extras you may need.

Regards

Sean

[simon391088]

Hi,
Thanks for your replies!
2K is just for the projector.
Does that change the suggestions at all?
Many Thanks
Simon

[clarky100]

Try the Panasonic PT-AE1000 for about £2400, supports 1080p

[phillfyspoon]

At 2k your looking at a 720p DLP, abit above 2k is the 1080p lcd's.

The DLP has better ANSI contrast, that is a scene with a dark background with light parts will look better then the lcd. The lcd will dispay a good black but the iris will dim the image to achieve it, so something like a bright planet in space will not look as bright on the black background as it's dlp rival.




The lcd has more pixals but the fill rate is only 45% compared to dlp's 80%, so even though there are more pixals the gap between them is larger on the lcd. A recent test that compare 1080p to 720p found that at viewing distance no one could see a difference.

So get a demo and decide what is best for you.

[simon391088]

Hi,

That's really interesting about dlp and lcd. As you say I will get a test. There's a good av shop in town so I will see what they have got.
It's great to have some information beforehand though!

Many Thanks

Simon