Looking to Buy a HD Projector (any good advice?)

gordon.jackson

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I have been borrowing an old 800 x 600 Projector hooked up to the S video out on my DVD player. Unfortunately work need it back!!! but I'm hooked.
I am up for splashing out up to grand, but am looking for a Hi Def ready projector and ideally a source.
Does anyone have any advice on what I can get for that sort of money and where from.
I have a 1800mm screen and my room is about 5 metres long. (more details avilable)
I currently have a Videologic DTS 5.1 system which is great for now
Look forward to hearing, I listen to the podcasts but have not used this forum before.

Thanks
Gordon
 
cheap
get a 720p HD Ready projector for £700 max and a cheap old upscaling DVD player with HDMI output. Find a freeview PVR with SVideo output.

Job done. No HD source material though.

*Not so cheap.
get a 720p HD Ready projector for £700 max and a xbox360 plus XBOX HDDVD drive.

**Getting uncheap
Upgrade to Windows Vista and add a USB freeview adapter to enter the world of media PC's and internet TV guides. Connect your PC via a DVI cable to your projector for HTPC fun

***Now quite expensive
get a 720p HD Ready projector for £700 max and a PS3.
You can play BluRay movies and upscale DVD's too.
 
I feel, as others do that 720p is more a stepping stone and 1080p will become the norm.

There are also 1080p Hi Def projectors like the JVC mentioned on page 1 in the forum.

Sky HD for a few HD channels but these output at 720p/1080i

Some cheap HD projectors have crap scalers in them so SD material can look blocky and poor.

If you want to scale SD material (DVD's, Freeview etc) up to any HD projector then to greatly improve the picture look at getting a scaler or use a HTPC for doing the scaling but you need more technical experience to manage the PC route.


Anim
 
***Now quite expensive
get a 720p HD Ready projector for £700 max and a PS3.
You can play BluRay movies and upscale DVD's too.

Or you could buy a Toshiba HD-E1 for about £250 - far cheaper than the PS3 route.

Steve W
 
Or you could buy a Toshiba HD-E1 for about £250 - far cheaper than the PS3 route.

Steve W

That's HD DVD not Blue Ray. However unlike the xBox the HD-E1 will upscale standard DVDs to 1080i
 
That's HD DVD not Blue Ray. However unlike the xBox the HD-E1 will upscale standard DVDs to 1080i

The xbox 360 does upscale standard Dvd's to 1080p but only through VGA as it stands, doesn't do a bad job of it but it obviously isn't as good as a decent dedicated upscaler like a Denon DVD-1930 which would set you back £200 quid.

Back to the point in hand though, before you get yourself a projector you should go and get yourself(and take your partner with you if thats the case) a demo or two of what your planning on buying. If you end up buying a DLP projector that gives you/your partner the dreaded Rainbow effect then chances are you won't be happy with your purchase for long when you start getting headaches. On the other side of the coin if you look at a few LCD sets just be careful you get something that isn't going to bother either of you with "screen door effect" or Vertical banding" if you end up positioning the screen too close to your viewing area.

I think for the current prices brand new you'll be looking at the Hitachi PJTX300 LCD Projector, the ThemeScene HD70 or the Sanyo PLV-Z5.
Either way, I can't stress it enough.. go through the likes of cvsmedia (AV Nik on this forum), avprojectorlamps(thescoobydoc on the forum) or audiovision (ntslik on the forum) or Roy Jowett av(benji_m on the forum) or Ivojo(Ivojo on the forum)

I've given you some links to each where you can PM them if you feel like it and check out they're sites. They're all top notch and will help you out with advice on what would be suitable for you. Even IF you find prices slightly cheaper elsewhere the extra aftersales care these guys give (as well as you knowing your getting genuine UK stock) make it all worth the extra and will help get any problems sorted for you. Hope some of this helps a bit.:thumbsup:
 
Some cheap HD projectors have crap scalers in them so SD material can look blocky and poor.

can you give examples?
thanks
 
Not had chance to actually see any projectors yet and will be doing so in the next few weeks. Just wanted to know now, is there that big a step up from going from an Optoma HD70 to something like a Panasonic AE1000. I know the AE1000 is 1080p, and has a lot higher contrast ratio, but is it such a big difference? Worth the extra grand or so to import one?

Also does anyone know where to demo some in Nottingham?

Cheers

Craig
 
I have a secondhand Infocus Screenplay 7205 in mint condition with newly installed bulb for sale ( See here: http://www.avforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=511758 ) It was a £5k projector a few years ago and even then reviews said it compared to models costing £8k.
Even today, it still cuts the HD mustard.

Just in case you're interested! :D
 

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