What's the current value for money projector(s)?

jimster99

Established Member
Joined
Sep 11, 2011
Messages
339
Reaction score
124
Points
115
Hi all,

I used to have an Optoma HD131xe projector purchased for about £500. I loved it, the contrast wasn't amazing but the resolution (despite being only 1080p) looked incredible and the colours were great. It also did 3d better than the cinema and I never got the rainbow effect. I also considered the BenQ W1070 before buying, Anyway, I sold it 18 months ago as was moving house and now want to get another similar budget value-for-money device for our new place.

I'm totally out of the loop on current projector technology, so could I ask the experts here if there is an eqivalent cheapo 1080p projector that is the current value for money king? I'd also consider 4k if the technology allows for that at a similar price (but when I last looked, it was all faux-k pretend that didn't seem to offer any real improvements).

And is DLP still the value for money technology?

In summary...teach me oh forum geniuses :)
 
Hi all,

I used to have an Optoma HD131xe projector purchased for about £500. I loved it, the contrast wasn't amazing but the resolution (despite being only 1080p) looked incredible and the colours were great. It also did 3d better than the cinema and I never got the rainbow effect. I also considered the BenQ W1070 before buying, Anyway, I sold it 18 months ago as was moving house and now want to get another similar budget value-for-money device for our new place.

I'm totally out of the loop on current projector technology, so could I ask the experts here if there is an eqivalent cheapo 1080p projector that is the current value for money king? I'd also consider 4k if the technology allows for that at a similar price (but when I last looked, it was all faux-k pretend that didn't seem to offer any real improvements).

And is DLP still the value for money technology?

In summary...teach me oh forum geniuses :)


Second hand is probably your best bet. The PJ world has moved forwards a lot since COVID and not in a good way for value.

What is your budget now?
 
Thanks, I was worried that'd be the case because I've seen what has happened to AV Receiver prices!

I guess my ideal budget would be £200-£500. But really I'm a bit flexible and really wanting to know what is the current entry point for a basic 1080p DLP projector that looks quite nice.

In terms of expectations, the previous projector I had did 1080p & 3d with DLP, it was a light cannon (you could use it in sunny daylight with the curtains open), poor contrast (but that never bothered me as I think the eye adjusts for relative contrast quite well), was quite noisy and the build quality felt like it was constructed with plastic from recycled milk bottles (i.e. terrible). You could focus and zoom the image but nothing like moving it up and down mechanically (perhaps called keystone?)

Anything like that would be awesome.
 
Thanks, I was worried that'd be the case because I've seen what has happened to AV Receiver prices!

I guess my ideal budget would be £200-£500. But really I'm a bit flexible and really wanting to know what is the current entry point for a basic 1080p DLP projector that looks quite nice.

In terms of expectations, the previous projector I had did 1080p & 3d with DLP, it was a light cannon (you could use it in sunny daylight with the curtains open), poor contrast (but that never bothered me as I think the eye adjusts for relative contrast quite well), was quite noisy and the build quality felt like it was constructed with plastic from recycled milk bottles (i.e. terrible). You could focus and zoom the image but nothing like moving it up and down mechanically (perhaps called keystone?)

Anything like that would be awesome.
If you want a light cannon, you'll probably find a pretty similar projector to what you had will still be available and tick all those boxes.

If you wanted to go for something dimmer but better from a cinematic perspective, JVC X30, Sony HW40ES or for a compromise where you still have a light cannon, something like an Epson 9200 if you can find one for cheap.

I think an Epson 9100/9200 or 7200/7300 will probably more than tick all your boxes as it has terrific lens shift options & lots of light with good 3D.
 
Thanks so much, some helpful tips there and I'll have a look through that list!

I've also gone on gumtree / facebook / ebay and sent out some offers on ones like my old projector, let's see what happens :)
 

The latest video from AVForums

Is 4K Blu-ray Worth It?
Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Back
Top Bottom