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I am a total newbie to this subject and have only bought two magazines so far but I was wandering if anybody would be kind enough to give me a bit of advice on a home cinema projector for under £1500 inc vat. I had a look at the X1 but there are just so many to choose from. Ideally I would like to link it to my PC aswell but that doesn't appear to be a problem. The room can be made very dark while watching dvd's so brightness shouldnt be a problem but a crisp picture is obviously important - it is about 6m from the screen to the place I would like to put the projector - I would like a screen size of about 2meters diag. (Ideally 16:9 but I guess its not that hard to cut off top and bottom. Thanks very much in advance, Chris

[Gary Lightfoot]

I like DLP myself, and having seen the X1 would say it's a good choice. LCD is an option, so the Sanyo Z1 is another choice. Idealy you should see them before you buy, because both types have pros and cons which may effect your buying decision.

Decided on a screen at all? A fixed DIY screen with white blackout cloth will get you started so that you know what you want from a screen, then you can upgrade the material or whole thing later if you like. (I have pics on my web site) Pull down screens can be quite cheap though.

The X1 has a long throw, so 6m could be OK with that projector. Some have short throw lenses, so have to go closer to the screen for the same size image.

I have a 4:3 projector like the X1, but I use a 16:9 screen. I watch mostly DVD movies, but if you have a pull down screen you can get ones that only come down as far as you want, so will suit the 16:9 material you watch. Pulling them down fully will then allow for 4:3 stuff like games on the pc.

Gary.

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I dont think the throw distance will be a problem as I should be able to move the pj every time I watch a film which wont be that bad if it is seated on a table. I think I may either make my own screen or will buy a Draper Luma screen from the nexnix.com site as the other professional ones seem very expensive. I am not too keen on the screendoor effect and thus i wasnt sure about LCD pj's but I am definitely open to advice. Any further suggestions would be much appreciated. Thanks again, Chris

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Anybody got anything to add at all? Thanks Chris

[Gary Lightfoot]

Depending on the reolution of the pj, screendoor isn't normal visible from around 2 x screen width. A little less for DLP.

I used to sit around 1.75 x s/w when I had an 800 x 600 DLP, and screen door was only visible if i bent forward and looked for it, and even then, it was only really visible in credits, and not in the movie.

Do you know the pros/cons of DLP and LCD? It's probably good to be aware of then so that when you demo, you know what to look for. There's nothing worse than finding something you don't like about your pj a few weeks/months down the line when you can't really do anything about it.

Gary.

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Ive been looking into it and how they work, the pros and cons etc. Still not 100% sure what the disadvantage of the X1 is as its such a low price with what appears performance matching £2000 or more projectors. If its reliable and has a good picture for all types of movie in a fairly dark room then it would always be nice to have peoples opinions recommendations. Thanks, Chris

[Gary Lightfoot]

At that price, I can't see any disadvantages.

I had a Davis DLS8 and htpc for 3 years, and that was the equivalent of what the X1 is today, except the DLS8 cost £2500, and htpc at that time around £600.

It's damn good for the price, and has a good picture as far as I can remember. The X1 can also switch off the white segment, which will help a lot - so I'm sure you'll be very happy with it.

You had a demo yet? If not, do try to get one so you can be 100% sure you like what you're going to buy.

Gary.

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Ok thanks very much for your help gary. I am looking for places that demo the z1 and x1 atm. Thanks again, Chris

ExplicitLyrics,

DLP have been known to cause headaches in some people (so maybe you want to take this in consideration if you want to buy a DLP).

I suggest you go and demo a DLP first to see if the rainbows bother you and if you are susceptible to headaches (any family members that watch the films with you might be affected as well).
Just a thought...

All the Best,

Julia

[explicitlyrics]

Thanks Julia, I'll take that into consideration

[tonytigerrr]

ExplicitLyrics,

The panasonic AE300 may be worth considering if screendoor is a concern to you with LCD PJs. It has a proprietry "smoothvision" technology aimed specifically at reducing this effect, works pretty well too as I cant see any even when I'm quite close to the screen.

A few companies seem to be selling it around your £1500 budget. Theres also the cheaper lower spec AE200, but I dont know how well this compares to the similarly priced Sanyo Z1 which seems to have a pretty good rep on this forum.

[ozdvduser]

Panny AE300 has had great reviews, check out www.projectorcentral.com - they have reviews on the Sanyo PLV-Z1, Panny AE300 & NEC HT1000

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Hi, thanks for all you input, it has been much appreciated. Now I've just got to find a vendor with them on display, hope to do this shortly. Thanks again, Chris