Should I go for a projector?

[wolvers]

Hi All,

A friend told me that this was the place to go for advice on projectors so here I am.

I apologise if any of my questions are stupid but I know very little about PJ's.

I'm in the process of rebuilding my living room ceiling, after a leak in the bathroom, and was thinking that it would be an ideal time to put in some cables and a projector, but...........I'm worried about one I saw in my friend's house (don't know the model, sorry).

The main thing was the noise from the fan, so my first question is can I get one that's quiet/quieter?

He had it projecting onto the wall and I wondered if that was OK or if it should really be projected onto a screen?

The other thing I was thinking about was the cost. Can I get a 1080p one for a about a grand or is that asking too much?

And lastly, do bulbs have to be changed before their life limit or do you just change it when it fails?

Thanks in advance for the help.

[x liddy x]

http://www.projectorpoint.co.uk/proj...ma_HD800X.html

The HD800X is a 1080p projector for £980. I think i've seen it somewhere for £800 though, i'll keep searching.

It depends on what your using it for, If it's games consoles/dvds/blu-rays/HD-dvds then i'm sure a 720p projector with better contrast ration and brightness would look better than rasolution alone.
I'm sure someone could explain better than me, i'm a newb.

Remember you also have to buy speakers and in most cases cabling and a ceiling mount.

You don't have to project onto a screen if you have a plain/smooth white wall.

There no way of knowing if a bulbs going to go faulty, until it goes faulty, sometime you might find it just dies or other green spots or less light will be emmitted. So you change it when it dies.

[kbfern]

Hi Wolvers

Wecome to the forum, this is certainly the place for all your info regarding all things audio/visual we are generally a friendly bunch and most of us like to help.

Projectors can be noisy but most are fairly quiet, you should look for a projector with a noise level less than around 25db in economy mode, most models will fall into this catagory.

What model projector does your friend have as this may give us a clue as to what sort of quality you have seen so far.

When you ceiling mount a projector some pj's have a setting so that the fan runs faster(noisier)because the temp at the top of the room is normally higher.

Projecting onto a wall is Ok depending on the colour of the wall (white or light grey usually gives best results) however a screen is going to give a much better image.

Bulb life is usually 2000/4000 hrs in economy mode depending on which technology you go for DLP/LCD, but bulbs can go at any time without warning.Througout its life the light output will slowly reduce and usually at the end it will go quite dim and you would then replace it.

Having said that if you were to watch 3-4 movies a week a bulb should last you at least 3-4 yrs.

Regarding 1080p and under a grand,there are a few on the market that can be had for around £1200 or so now but under a grand probably by early next year.

However do you need 1080p,what size image do you want and what seating distance from the screen are you.The answer to these questions will determine whether you need 1080 or save yourself some money and go for 720p.

regards

Keith

[Garreh]

Depends what you want it for.

If you're going to be watching movies then YES!

Football looks absolutely amazing aswell and it also annoys the neighbours to see a 100" + Screen

The Hi-Def projector is a good idea tho, as you will definately get a crystal clear picture.

If you do decide to go for it, get a projector with at least a 3000 ANSI Lumen Bulb, for bright and colourful pictures.

As for the bulbs, Replacements don't come cheap... For my projector (NEC VT37) its £140 and it lasts around 4000 hours, and doesn't have to be replaced untill it fails.

Hope this info is helpful!
if you need more, give me a shout!

[x liddy x]

I agree with kbfern, save your money and buy a good 720p, you wont notice the different, and on dvds'blu-rays, on a smaller screen it may even look better qaulity depending on the specs.

[x liddy x]

Originally Posted by Garreh

If you do decide to go for it, get a projector with at least a 3000 ANSI Lumen Bulb, for bright and colourful pictures.

3000 Lumen is a bit much to ask for is it not, if you get the full 3000 back you would need sunglasses and sunscreen.

[CallMeSteve]

I've just recently bought an Optoma HD65 (my first PJ ) and I've been very impressed so far, especially for the money it costs.

Had a quick blast with the PS3 and HD content on my PC and it looks amazing. Yet to tinker with the settings so I guess it can only look better!

Go for it I'd say!

[wolvers]

Thanks for all your post guys. I've learnt loads already.

I was just looking at that HD800X. Looks like the sort of thing I would go for. I wonder how noisy it is?

I need to measure up the living room when I get home I think (working in Germany at the mo). I'd better check with Mrs Wolvers too!

The reason I was looking at 1080p is because i will use it for my HTPC so I want the extra desktop space and the higher gaming res.

As I'm a PJ virgin I might just go for something like that HD65 to get me started and change it later if I feel the need.

What colour would you guys recommend for a wall to be projected onto and should the surounding walls be a different colour? Is there some kind of special paint?

Sorry for all the noob questions!

[Avi]

Originally Posted by x liddy x

3000 Lumen is a bit much to ask for is it not, if you get the full 3000 back you would need sunglasses and sunscreen.

It does sound a little high for a typical living room size screen. That's the sort of number usually associated with a business data PJ or large venue PJ.

To put that number into context with some current home theater products -

JVC HD100 ~ 600 Lumens - c. £4.5k
Sim2 C3X 1080 ~ 1200 Lumens - c. £20k
Sim2 3000E ~ 900 Lumens - c. £10k

People often confuse raw light output with image quality.

AVI

[wolvers]

Originally Posted by CallMeSteve

I've just recently bought an Optoma HD65 (my first PJ ) and I've been very impressed so far, especially for the money it costs.

Had a quick blast with the PS3 and HD content on my PC and it looks amazing. Yet to tinker with the settings so I guess it can only look better!

Go for it I'd say!

How noisy is the fan it that Steve? How does the text from PC look?

[x liddy x]

Well the Optoma HD65 is mighty wee machine, weighing in a £435 it's the buisness. It's the one i'm hopefully buying with in the next month.
Hd65 projector Thread: Optoma Hd65 Hc Projector
Hd65 Owners Thread: HD65 Owners thread - Settings, Calibration, screenshots and technical issues.

Both have really good pictures in them to give you an idea of picture qaulity.

If you're looking to use a PC often then 1080p may be the option, but for bang per buck, the HD65 is on top.

[Avi]

Originally Posted by wolvers

How noisy is the fan it that Steve? How does the text from PC look?

Unfortunately Optoma's tend to be at the noisy end of the spectum. I haven't seen/heard the H65 but the HD80 and HD81 are pretty loud relative to other products. That said I know some would claim they are quiet so best advice is listen youself.

If noise level is a critical factor then LCD may be a better option as part of the noise of Optoma is due to a spinning colour wheel. Mitsubishi are very typically very quiet and may be worth considering as they also have long lamp life - http://www.pixmania.co.uk/uk/uk/5991...ideo-proj.html

AVI

[CallMeSteve]

Originally Posted by wolvers

As I'm a PJ virgin I might just go for something like that HD65 to get me started and change it later if I feel the need.

Those were my thoughts exactly hence getting the HD65 to start with. I was prepared to pay upto £1500 but thought I'd start off at the bottom and work my way up as my needs/requirements change. So far I've been happy and don't see a reason to upgrade/change yet.

With the quick table top setup, I was 2m away from the PJ and couldn't hear it over my home cinema, even in low volume scenes. Also when using the PC to browse the net etc, the noise was barely audible.

Text from the PC looked perfectly fine and legible. I had it running at 1200x800(?) on a 70-80in projected image. I'm yet to mount my PJ properly but I'm hoping to get ~100in.

Hope that helps

[CallMeSteve]

Originally Posted by Avi

Unfortunately Optoma's tend to be at the noisy end of the spectum. I haven't seen/heard the H65 but the HD80 and HD81 are pretty loud relative to other products. That said I know some would claim they are quiet so best advice is listen youself.

I agree, my definition of "noise" may well be different to yours so always best to try and listen for yourself.

[wolvers]

Originally Posted by CallMeSteve

I agree, my definition of "noise" may well be different to yours so always best to try and listen for yourself.

The thing that most concerned me about the noise was that I didn't want to add to the noise from my HTPC which I spent quite a lot of time and money on to make as quiet as possible. *cough* watercooling *cough*!

I think that I really need to see one of these bad boys in action for myself. I need to check the following things;
1. Rainbow effect.
2. Noise.
3. PC image quality.
4. General image quality.

Can anyone recommend somewhere that I can demo one? I'm near Milton Keynes but would be happy to travel London.

Could I put it into a kind of 3 sided box that's suspended from the ceiling? I thought that might reduce the noise but that it might get too hot or something?