Help me move to a Projector!

[Azzin]

Greetings!

We're in the process of moving house (see my sig), and I've got the opportunity to use the 'Utility/Family' room for a cinema room.

I'm thinking projector, but I know less than nothing about them.

I really do love my films and I'm sure this is the way to go, but I just need some informed opinions to help me get there.

I want to pretty much have the ability to watch everything in there-HD films, Sky Sports HD, XBOX 360 etc, but I'd like to keep the 42" Hitachi plasma for 'everyday' viewing of these in the living room.

So-lots of connections, lots of wiring, and zero knowledge of projectors or AV rooms!

I'm fairly sure having had a good read in here that a projector is the way to go, I just need some help with costs/feasability etc.

Cheers all.

[Lizard]

Hi Azzin,
Like everything in life it all comes down to budget!
For example you can buy a very good HD projector for about £700 (the opitima HD70) but then you also need to budget for a screen (a manual one will be around £100 to £200) and then your cables on top. Oh and poss a ceiling mount as well for the PJ. Their are many bundles out their that you can get when you buy the PJ (free screen, leads, etc), but it all comes down to what you want and how much you are prepared to spend. For example an Electric screen (drops down when you turn the PJ on, & goes up when you turn the PJ off) which could be ideal if you are also using the TV is around £500 plus depending on screen size and quality.

[Azzin]

Thanks Lizard.

I am guessing that I will be able to budge £2-£3000 to this project, but I obviously need to be mindful of all the cabling requirements that I guess often go unaccounted for!

So far , so good then.

Thanks for your input.

[jamieuk23]

more inportant is how big is your room mate. this will no dout force you for using LCD projector or DLP.

If I was you I would buy the HD73 projector you wont get anything better in its price range. But then again you have to have the right size room to put this PJ in.

Best of luck !!

Just to add you will be so happy with your PJ it really does beet watching and playing games on a plasma etc

[Azzin]

Originally Posted by jamieuk23

more inportant is how big is your room mate. this will no dout force you for using LCD projector or DLP.

If I was you I would buy the HD73 projector you wont get anything better in its price range. But then again you have to have the right size room to put this PJ in.

Best of luck !!

Just to add you will be so happy with your PJ it really does beet watching and playing games on a plasma etc

Thanks for that, much appreciated.

Here's a pic of the floorplan, but it's basically 15 feet long by just under 8 feet wide.

Thanks again.

[Lizard]

Your best bet now as you know what your budget is of 1 to 2k for the PJ (leaving the rest for cables etc) is to pop over to someone like Audio-T etc for a demo of a PJ's to see if rainbows will be a factor for you with a DLP projector, as if it is then you need to find that out before you buy one.

[jamieuk23]

Well 15ft is Just about right to be honest anything less would no dout froce you to a smaller screen and would be a bit harsh on the eyes.

with 15ft you will defo be able to get a 92" screen which is what I have and is perfect for the cinema effect.

LCD projectors are easy to install as they have something called lens shift which allows you to move the projected image up and down , left and right so its fits perfect on your screen - this makes it easy to install.

DLP doest really have much lens shift and in most cases you will only be able to move the picture a few inches either side. You will all so need quite a high ceiling . I would say no shorter than 7ft +.

I would 100% defo go for a DLP projector thou mate as they offer better black levels than LCD, so If you were to watch the intro of the star wars movies were it shows space with stars etc well the LCD projector would show the black as a very dark grey were as DLP would be as black as the Ace of spades !!.

Go and demo some were, but for me the projector to have is the HD73 which you will be amazed with !.

Best of luck mate

[Anim]

Roughed out example

Projector: Optomo HD73 @ £1,500 (with a screen offer)
Screen: 92" R-Black Beamax manual @ £35.00 using offer above
Cables: long runs of HDMI + Component + DVI (For future connections) @ £200 ish
Amp: Cambridge Audio 640R @ £600
5.1 Speakers: £500 ish for kit or less for all-in-one based system
Ceiling Mount for projector: £60 average
Cinema Posters (Framed) - £10 each

£2900 ish

Assumptions:
=========

Projector because its a latest model Darkchip 3 thats getting good praise.

DVD via XBOX, otherwise consider Oppo, Denon or a HD player but add that to budget.
SKY HD via HDMI to amp, amp HDMI to projector

Amp: Cambridge Audio 640R HDMI switching amp. Never used this, its just an example. Sony and Pioneer also do HDMI switching amps starting at £400 saving £200 but the CA amp supports multi-room audio/video and previous models have had excelent reviews for audio quality.

5.1 Speaker package is based on a kit of some kind, Unless you really know your audio I would stay away from trying to match your your own speaker pack (like I did) and buy a pre-made kit instead. Do you have neighbours? A big wattage speaker package may not be advisable, look for a system that gives great sound in a smaller field without too much base.

You need to demo DLP to make sure you and your other half / kids etc dont see rainbows. If you can see Rainbows to the point its distracting then look at LCD units like the Panasonic AX100, Hitachi TX300, Sony HS60, Sanyo Z5 models (all around £850)

Other options:
===========

Electric screen but unless you have money to burn this is just lazy :D

Wall mount cheap LCD / Plasma and have screen drop down in front of it for best of both worlds but consider how this will switch between projector and tv.

As this room is narrow your going to get some light bouncing off the walls, consider felting it, or painting it with a low reflective base paint around the screen area to reduce reflected light.

If ceiling mounting the projector which for this room would be reccomended then put a plug socket up there while your at it. If possible run a large tube through the walls to your AV equipment with a string pully in it, this way you can attach a new cable to the string and pull it so that the cable is dragged along inside the tube until it pops out the other end saving you pulling the wall, floor, ceiling apart every time :D Or just use trunking if you dont mind the look.

As for speakers, if the screen fits wall to wall you need to consider where you can put speakers. Tall floor standers might come up in front of the screen if there isnt wall space either side of it.

Anyway, theres some bits to think about.

Anim

[Azzin]

That's superb, many thanks folks.

I already have:

DVD player (Snazio-which also plays HD *.TS files)

Amp (Denon 1906)

XBOX 360 HD-DVD add on for HD films on disk.

Jamo A102 5.1 surround speakers/sub.

So what I need is a projector, a screen, projector ceiling mount, cabling, paint, soundproofing etc.

[Edit] - The only other thing that I'm thinking of adding is an HTPC of some description.

[Anim]

HTPC can cost quite a bit but there are different options depending on what you want.

If you download a lot of video (Torrents etc) then get something like Media Center on Vista or XP. I've tried the cheap alternatives but Media Center is the most polished and easyist to setup / use.

The reccomended minimum graphics card is a 6600GT

The Black/Gold TV Cards get some praise but I use a DigiTV card with my media center and it works a treat for freeview.

Cases can be expensive if you want to go the Hi-Fi look. Look at http://www.quietpc.com/gb-en-gbp/products/htpccases for examples.

The worst thing about a HTPC is the damn noise, its often louder than all other AV equipment. Ive tried all sorts to quieten my mini systems down like the popular Ninja heat sinks, quiet PSU's, quiet case fans and fanless graphic cards etc. But regardless of highly rated reviews there still loud. Soooooo these dedicated cases might be a good idea in the long run.

There is a dedicated HCPC forum here on AVS if you wish to delve deeper.

Anim

[Azzin]

Originally Posted by Anim

HTPC can cost quite a bit but there are different options depending on what you want.

If you download a lot of video (Torrents etc) then get something like Media Center on Vista or XP. I've tried the cheap alternatives but Media Center is the most polished and easyist to setup / use.

I would definately go MCE-Either 2005 or via Vista Ultimate.

Originally Posted by Anim

The reccomended minimum graphics card is a 6600GT

I'm a bit out of touch with graphics cards, my current one is an ATI X800 Pro (flashed with an XT BIOS to open up the full 16 pipes)

Originally Posted by Anim

The Black/Gold TV Cards get some praise but I use a DigiTV card with my media center and it works a treat for freeview.

I'd ideally like to pump Sky HD to the projector-either from the Sky HD box in the living room or put the Sky HD box in the A/V room and then send it to my plasma in the living room (either way, I'd like the SKY HD feed to go to the plasma and the projector.

Originally Posted by Anim

Cases can be expensive if you want to go the Hi-Fi look. Look at http://www.quietpc.com/gb-en-gbp/products/htpccases for examples.

Great link, I'll have a browse when I get home, thanks.

Originally Posted by Anim

The worst thing about a HTPC is the damn noise, its often louder than all other AV equipment. Ive tried all sorts to quieten my mini systems down like the popular Ninja heat sinks, quiet PSU's, quiet case fans and fanless graphic cards etc. But regardless of highly rated reviews there still loud. Soooooo these dedicated cases might be a good idea in the long run.

It can't be any noisier than the XBOX 360 surely?

Originally Posted by Anim

There is a dedicated HCPC forum here on AVS if you wish to delve deeper.

Anim

I think I'll do just that, thanks.

The thing is, I won't want/need the HTPC to watch/record any TV for that as I can use the Sky HD box for that, I would just want it for HD films, music etc as although my Snazio can do all of that I just have a hankering to do it all through an HTPC!

[Anim]

You can use a HCPC as a home built scaler too. FFDShow + TheatreTek seems a popular choice for the tinkerers who like to squeeze every last post-processed ounce from their video material.

There is also a Projector Screens forum here that you should post into.

Mention: Projector model, calibrated lumen output (if known),your control of light in the room, seating position, height of ceiling etc. Also ask about viewing cone issues in relation to projector and your seating position.

Anim

[Azzin]

Originally Posted by Anim

You can use a HCPC as a home built scaler too. FFDShow + TheatreTek seems a popular choice for the tinkerers who like to squeeze every last post-processed ounce from their video material.

There is also a Projector Screens forum here that you should post into.

Mention: Projector model, calibrated lumen output (if known),your control of light in the room, seating position, height of ceiling etc. Also ask about viewing cone issues in relation to projector and your seating position.

Anim

Uh-oh...it sounds like more expense!

[Edit] - I like the idea of using the HTPC as a scaler.....

[Lizard]

Originally Posted by Azzin

Uh-oh...it sounds like more expense!

[Edit] - I like the idea of using the HTPC as a scaler.....

Yea but its a saving too!
If you do go down the HTPC route then you would only need to have one lead feeding the video signal to the PJ not 2 or 3. So what your really doing when you think about it is saving money!

[Anim]

Originally Posted by Lizard

Yea but its a saving too!
If you do go down the HTPC route then you would only need to have one lead feeding the video signal to the PJ not 2 or 3. So what your really doing when you think about it is saving money!

You would still need the cables with a PC scaler as it can only pass along what it does itself. A proper hardware scaler (Lumegen, iScan etc) would be the ultimate solution wouldnt it?

Anim