|
Equate posted:So I am in the market for our first projector. I will use it for gaming and for family movie night. The two that I have been looking at are the Optoma HD141X and the one you recommended the BenQ W1070. I will be using a Monoprice Wireless HDMI Extender with the projector, I do not want to run cables through my walls since I will be doing the install myself. I have enough space and a nice big ol wall to put fabric on or buy a motorized screen. My problem now is the projector choice. My wife says no for the projector since we do have a 70" TV, but once she enjoys the home-theater experience she will change her mind quickly. How is the Optoma compared to the BenQ? You want the 1070 for that budget, wireless HDMI kind of sucks and adds time to sync up (and depending on your environment may not be all that reliable), and I wouldn't count on your wife enjoying the "HT" experience with a projector that much more than a 70'' TV. PJ's are nice - I have the Epson 5030ub and a 110' screen - but they don't make good TV replacements. It takes time for them to turn on and warm up (and in your case, sync wireless HDMI - when it works) and you have to be careful turning them off, and not everyone enjoys sitting in a darker room. I like mine, but I have it in a dedicated theater room and only use it for events/movie nights. If that's your plan then you should be ok just know what you are getting in to. I don't recommend PJ's for gaming, even the ones with low input lag - it's still not lower than a TV, and believe it or not using a really large screen for games will tire your eyes out. Some people like doing it anyway but again, it's not a straight-up TV replacement. Also motorized screens are expensive and generally not worth the hassle unless you absolutely need that wall space when it isn't in use (and even then, remember that it's gonna take up a lot of space and be really obvious) - if you can get away with a fixed screen, buy one of these: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HZRM9K0 Which comes in 100'' or 120'' inch sizes. Best value screen around - the 100 is $200 and the 120 $250 and the quality is really good - you won't find something better for under a grand.
|
#
¿
Oct 20, 2014 12:15
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ May 6, 2024 04:33 |
|
|
awesome-express posted:I want to buy a nice, affordablish projector for gaming and movies. I have a huge empty white wall in my living room. I am willing to drop up to £400-500 on a projector. Of course if there's something cheaper, then I'd be happy to pick it up. What I don't want is a dim, lovely projection. Those are expensive and also not really suited for movies/games though of course you could use one for that. Light cannons like the ones you saw at Facebook are designed for office/presentation use. All but the most expensive are lower resolution too (under 1080p) and often have 4:3 aspect ratios. That's not to say you can't get a nice bright HT oriented PJ, just that the ones you saw being used in a meeting room that even work well in indirect sunlight are not it. For your budget I'd get the 1070 - it's nice and bright, has a very decent 1080p image, and if I'm doing my Pounds>Dollars conversion correctly is right around your budget. Low input lag too for a PJ though see my post above - not all games are that great on a giant screen. First Person shooters in particular give me serious eyestrain on my 110'' screen after an hour or two. That said if FPS isn't your thing I bet there are some games (racing) that are fun.
|
|
#
¿
Oct 20, 2014 23:18
|
|
|
surc posted:I don't know if this is outside the purview of this thread, but I've got an old VW camper, and I've been toying with the idea of setting up a projector in it pointing out the side door (I'd set a screen up outside of it). Is the 1070 the projector for me, or does it not do so well outside? Also, any particular does or don'ts for a screen in a situation like that? Several manufactures used to make "outdoor" PJ's like the Optoma MovieMate that had speakers and DVD players built in to them along with rugged cases but that niche appears to have faded so just buy a decent all around budget PJ, of which the 1070 is one of the better ones. It has a pair of 10w speakers built in but I don't have one so I can't say if that's "good enough" or not - probably ok for what you are talking about. It should go without saying but as bright as it is the 1070 - or any budget PJ - isn't going to do that well in daylight. They are really meant for twilight or night time viewing, outdoors. Other obvious advice - keep it out of the weather 
|
|
#
¿
Oct 22, 2014 13:27
|
|
|
Vinlaen posted:Hmmm... maybe under $500? You might get a decent *manual* pull down screen for that. Motorized, no. I mean, you can find one, but it won't be that good. You can however get a fantastic fixed screen for less than half of that, see the posts above. If you absolutely positively have to have a motorized screen then I advise you to check out the for sale sections on reputable HT forums like AVSforum.com and see if you can snag a used one. Shipping won't be cheap though.
|
|
#
¿
Oct 24, 2014 06:28
|
|
|
As King Hotpants says, paint is very much still a thing, and you can go all the way down the rabbit hole with it if you want, mixing and matching paints from Home Depot. In theory you could come out with a nice screen surface for not much money but some effort is required. The biggest issue with homemade painted screens is getting the paint exactly uniform, which is why the ones who are serious about it rent professional sprayers. In which case you are probably going to go above the cost of a decent low-end screen. Goo Systems sells a pretty well-reviewed screen pain kit for $299 that is supposedly good and fairly easy to apply with a roller, if you want to go that route: http://www.goosystemsglobal.com/index2237k.html It comes with black border strips too. I imagine if you have the need for a huge (over 120 inch) screen and have the wall for it this would be a good cost-effective option, otherwise I'd just get the SilverScreen 100'' or 120" fixed screen for $199/$250 and save the trouble.
|
|
#
¿
Oct 26, 2014 20:24
|
|
|
teagone posted:He's now considering a Sony VPLHW40ES. If you had a choice between the Epson and that Sony, would you still pick the Epson? Coming in a few days late but I've owned a 5030UB for close to 3 years and love it. It is a solid PJ for the price. That said if I were buying new today I'd buy the Sony. I have a friend with one and it's oh so slightly better (we both have dedicated HT rooms and did full spectrometer calibration on our PJs/screens) plus it has much lower input lag, making it the better choice for big screen gaming. The biggest difference though, to me, is the Sony is much quieter. Also it's black and blends in more, though that depends on your room color. If you see them for the same price, get the Sony. If you find the Epson cheaper, get it. Honestly they are both really good and tops in their price range.
|
|
#
¿
May 6, 2016 02:36
|
|
|
Ixian posted:Coming in a few days late but I've owned a 5030UB for close to 3 years and love it. It is a solid PJ for the price. Speak of the devil: I am moving and just pulled the trigger on a JVC RS400 today after looking at them for a while. It is a league above the Sony and Epson and also a league above in price (more than double). Not to turn this in to a sales post but this means I will be selling my 5030UB, which is still excellent, at a nice discount. Perfect shape, about 350 hours on current bulb (out of 2000h). If you or your brother are interested let me know. I'll throw in a couple RF 3d glasses with it.
|
|
#
¿
May 6, 2016 23:05
|
|
|
Guitarchitect posted:dammit why can't you be in canada Snow? Cheap beer? Too much hockey? Rush on the radio? Tim Horton's on every corner? (Sorry, I love Canada, but obviously don't get up there enough).
|
|
#
¿
May 9, 2016 03:04
|
|
|
Not a terrible choice, no. It was a decent projector 10 years ago. Mediaphage is right, project it on a wall, preferably white. Or paint it. If you want to get a screen that isn't terrible and you can upgrade PJs to use later (if you like it, you will probably upgrade at some point) try an Elite or Silver Ticket on Amazon. They cost more than that PJ you got for sure ($200 USD is a starting point) but they are basically the entry level for screens that don't suck. Screens make a BIG difference with PJs. You don't have to spend thousands on a Stewart, etc. (unless you spent that or more on the PJ) but even a decent quality one will improve the image. With that PJ, or most budget ones, go for something with a higher gain, maybe 1.3-1.5.
|
|
#
¿
May 16, 2016 05:00
|
|
|
alternate.eago posted:Well that is very good to know. My house gets super dusty (its an older house, and I have dogs--it gets super dusty no matter how many times a week I vacuum) All projectors can have problems with dust, it's not something particular to the 1070. I don't know what is going on in Revmoo's house but this isn't something most PJ owners have much trouble with, generally speaking. That said if your house really is "super dusty" you need to consider that all PJs A) Have large lenses that can collect dust on the outside and B) heat the bulbs up quite a bit meaning they have fans that suck outside air in through filters to cool them. Like I said, I don't think the 1070 does any better or worse job at this. Like most lower-end models it's a little loud at full fan and doesn't include an automatic lens cover (it does have a cap you can use) but that's about it.
|
|
#
¿
May 28, 2016 05:34
|
|
|
revmoo posted:I got 13 months out of my w1070. Even in a dusty house I have a hard time believing that is par for the course. Well, it isn't The 1070 was (is) one of the most popular budget PJs of the last 5 years due to price, solid picture, decent placement options (for a budget PJ) thanks to its throw and limited lens shift, and very low lag in gaming mode. Tons of people have one and in fact many still prefer to find one used (or buy new) than go with its successor, the 1080.If yours lasted 13 months you either got a problem child or your environment is way dustier than you are thinking.
|
|
#
¿
May 28, 2016 22:45
|
|
|
K posted:I have a very specific application for a projector, and looking for recommendations. This is for my wedding, so really a one-use application. We assume that if we purchase anything for this space (which is pretty big), it won't work in our apartment (which is pretty small). So, we're more likely to rent something appropriate, or go through a DJ. See below: For this use case, unless they are charging a rental fee of $500+ (which would be outrageous) you are better off renting from a DJ. You'll be paying not only for the equipment rental but also (and more importantly) for not having to deal with the hassle of setting up and running the thing before, during, and after your wedding. Presumably you're going to have enough poo poo on your mind. Don't pass it off to a random cousin or buddy either, unless you want even more stress. If you absolutely want to go DYI, look in to PJs meant for churches - a bigger slice of the PJ market than most people think. ProjectorPeople.com has a whole section on "House of Worship" PJs. They are meant for exactly the kind of thing you are talking about - large static images (or at least not home theater-type video) in well lit rooms. Ixian fucked around with this message at 07:04 on Jun 26, 2016 |
|
#
¿
Jun 26, 2016 07:01
|
|
|
Falcon2001 posted:Any recommendations for manufacturers or models of retractable home projector screens? Looking for around a 100" screen and the only setup that makes sense in my new den is over the sliding glass door to the outside so need something retractable and I can't really finagle a permanant one in that space without doing some seriously screwy viewing angles. Silver Ticket is known for decent quality screens at low prices, and for that PJ (model?) you probably won't benefit from higher end screen material, so stick with ST. Higher price screens will get you generally better screen material (that you probably won't notice) and may have better hardware i.e. smoother to pull down/put up, better tension bars to hold the screen perfectly flat when retracted, etc. I'd just check the Amazon reviews on the Silver ticket you want and if it doesn't look too bad go for it. How are you blocking the light behind it from the sliding glass door? A simple curtain might not be enough and any light leakage at all there will be really distracting.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 4, 2016 19:27
|
|
|
Falcon2001 posted:I couldn't find a silver ticket retractable one, just fixed, or I'd stay with them as I really like my current one. Elite also makes decent low-cost screens and they have several retractable models. Monoprice does as well under their own house brand. I haven't seen either but reviews seem decent, check those two routes out. For the curtains, your best bet is a darker cloth up front (black velvet is the obvious choice but depends if that will fly in your house day to day) backed by blackout cloth. You can get light-colored blackout cloth at most fabric stores, that way you have more flexibility in material type for the front and you won't have a black rectangle showing out the back when they are closed. Other thing you need to think about is handling light leakage around the edges. That can be the most distracting thing of all and it's not easy to block with curtains that hang. Check AVSForum in the DYI section, they have lots of experience there. I used to deal with curtains when my theater room had windows and it was a pain in the rear end to get right
|
|
#
¿
Jul 5, 2016 15:36
|
|
|
sigma 6 posted:Hmm - still trying to find the best projector for mobile VJ work. That advice you got, he/she was talking about just the lenses - they are expensive. Hell, decent ones (not top end) that are new can cost more than a good PJ. You can find them cheap on EBay as mentioned from time to time but buyer beware. And PJs with swappable lens support are far more niche than HT/home PJs meaning be prepared to shell out even more, especially new. You may get lucky with all this and find a setup used - probably from another DJ. Also factor in bulb cost - super bright bulbs can cost $500 new, easily, and the half-life on them is generally 1000-1500 hours tops. If you are going serious Pro and want to cover every use case you are probably going to spend well north of 2k even used. Or you could follow the advice I gave a little while ago above and check out PJs designed for church use, which have many of the same use cases. Those are generally very bright and most have pretty flexible single lens zoom/throw options. You won't get the very best picture especially for video but consider your typical environment as a DJ - I imagine a lot of flashing lights, fog machine, and a crowd that (if you are DJ'ing correctly ) is more in to each other than raptly watching what you have on screen. As long as you aren't projecting a completely washed out image or something as pixellated as a 2005 YouTube video you'll probably be fine. A good PJ oriented towards churches that costs between 1-2k new can handle that use case.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 6, 2016 15:07
|
|
|
Check AVS Forum, which has a section dedicated to CRT projectors of all types. At the very least you'll quickly discover if there is a market for that brand/model of CRT. It's out there but very specialized.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 19, 2016 22:20
|
|
|
The March Hare posted:Hey there, just moved into a new place. It's a railroad apt. with a big middle room that we are using as a livingroom space and my gf just stepped on the TV so now we are considering maybe grabbing a projector. We've got a maximum ~11.5' throw to a brick wall that is ~9' long and ~12' tall. Since it's the middle room in a railroad the room isn't super bright during the day (there are openings but its still a good 15' on either end of the walls to this room before you hit a window) and at night it is basically totally dark, so it seems like a decent environment for one. Throw - is that 11.5 wall to wall or did you already account for the PJ size/venting? If you are looking to mount it off a rafter I assume you did but just checking. Is 11.5 the furthest rafter back then? Seating - what is your actual seating distance going to be? Eyeball to screen distance. If you are mounting off a rafter you need to factor in the cost of a mount. Even a cheap one will run 70-90 USD, and you'll need to factor in a drop pole. Chief makes quality mounts that aren't too expensive but all in you are probably looking at $125 USD or so. Also how are you going to get power/cabling up there? You can also table mount it, like in between your seats, or put it on a bookshelf behind you if that's easier. Deciding which option has an effect on which PJ you should get. These days you can get a surprisingly good looking PJ for well under $1k USD new. More money gets you better black levels (but todays budget PJs are still better than all but the best high end PJs of just a few years ago), quieter performance, better placement flexibility (horizontal/vertical lens shift, power zoom, wider throws, etc.) and usually some image processing doodads that a lot of people turn off anyway. If you can live without/work around those you'll be fine. That's why knowing placement and viewing distance up front is important, because different budget PJs do certain things better than others. Some have very short throws and are great if you want a fairly large image but need to put the PJ close to the screen, but aren't bright enough for longer distances. Some have wider zoom angles and better brightness but have very loud fans making them more appropriate to mount further away from you. Etc. For example the Optoma HD26 is a great little 1080p PJ that you can get new for $600 and throws a clean bright image but can sound like a hair dryer if you are sitting next to it or directly under it. Finally, don't cheap out on the screen/save it for later. If you are going to bother with a PJ at all get a screen too otherwise you are wasting your time OMHO. You can get an Elite screen off Amazon that is easy to put together and hang for around $200 and it will be just fine for a budget PJ. And a shitload better than a wall or sheet. Size recommendation, like the PJ, depends on the answers to the questions above.
|
|
#
¿
Aug 8, 2016 18:04
|
|
|
The March Hare posted:The furthest rafter back is roughly 11.5' on center from the wall the projector will be throwing to. The couch will be up against that wall, probably 12' from the wall–I'm not at home to measure it, but its just a touch back from the last rafter basically. I'm going to help you though "hundo" and "skrilla" earned you a eyeroll With a viewing distance about equal to the PJ - let's call it 11.5 - you could probably get a 120 inch diagonal 16x9 image with a PJ that has a short throw. Possibly larger - people do it - though I'm not personally a fan of images so large they go outside my field of view at the distance I view them. Finding a budget PJ that can throw a 120 inch image from 11.5 feet and be bright enough for you to enjoy it without blacking the room out like a cave is another story. So in the end you'd probably be just as happy with a 100, or even a 106, inch screen - both are pretty common sizes (and way bigger than any TV you can get) and have a much easier time getting everything to work. Any good budget PJ can handle 100 or 106 at that throw distance. Your second issue to consider - and another reason to think about going a little smaller - is you'll be right under the PJ, meaning you don't want one with a loud fan. As a very general rule of thumb, the brighter a PJ the louder the fan, relative to cost (meaning you can get very bright PJs that are also very quiet, but not for under a grand). The smaller the image, the less light the PJ has to pump out over the screen, and the less you have to worry about this. You may even get away with being able to use the PJ's lamp in "eco" mode, with which most brands will significantly extend the lamp life and lower the cooling fan noise. With all that said, my pick would be the BenQ TH670 for you: It's $600 USD new, with a two year warranty Fan noise is very low for a budget PJ Excellent picture quality for TV and movies Bright enough for your room/placement Bulb life is claimed at 10,000 hours in eco mode, which is extreme. I would take this with a slight grain of salt but it's still very long. It has pretty low lag in "gaming" mode - it's fairly popular with console gamers. Like all budget PJs it has its shortcomings. For most, the biggest is placement flexibility - there's no lens shift of any kind, only digital keystone correction (which you don't want to use) which means you'll need to place it, or the screen, or both, exactly where you need the image to go. Since you are talking about a ceiling mount on a rafter you probably have more placement flexibility then most, since you can adjust the mount side to side (before permanently attaching it, naturally), and if you get an adjustable drop pole, up and down. Protip: You'll want one of those. A few things to keep in mind as a new PJ owner: They aren't TVs - they can take up to a minute to fully warm up when you turn them on, and you need to make sure to turn them off (or let auto-off do it for you). Generally, and especially on the cheaper ones, you can't turn them back on immediately after turning them off or you'll blow the lamp. You need to let it cool for a couple minutes, at least. Most PJs have a mode that goes in to standby and runs the fan when you first turn them off. They can work ok in ambient light, but they don't look nearly as bright as a TV does if you have lights on or outside light shining in. The darker the room the better and, it should go without saying, the less light that isn't from the PJ shining on the screen the better. There are PJs and screens that mitigate this to a large degree but they are way outside your budget. Like a lot of budget PJs the BenQ comes with little speakers but those are meant for presentation/etc. use - you won't like them for watching TV. Meaning, you need an external sound system to work with this setup. Don't forget about cables and power to the rafter. Doing that right (i.e. so it's not some swag-wire POS setup) can take more time than anything else, and can get expensive if you bring an electrician in because there's no outlet in the ceiling. Finally, setting this up properly, particularly a budget PJ without lens shift and limited offset/throw, is harder than you think. Read up on it online and be prepared to spend some time mounting it correctly, squaring it off, etc. Otherwise your image is going to come out looking janked. If all this sounds like a complete pain in the rear end to you I should also point out that if you are willing to drop up to a grand you can get a pretty solid 55-65 inch TV these days that will look great and be a shitload easier to set up in all regards. I still wouldn't recommend waiting on the screen - you really aren't going to like it projected on a brick wall - but do what you have to do. "Skrilla" as it were. At least make sure you place it correctly and measure/try the zoom to see how big an image works for you before you buy one. Keeping in mind that it's going to be hard to judge the end brightness result without the screen in place.
|
|
#
¿
Aug 8, 2016 22:31
|
|
|
alternate.eago posted:I actually have this projector. No one really had any feedback from this thread for it, and I love it. Drop pole. Probably need one anyway if you ceiling mount since that PJ doesn't have lens shift (and you don't want to use any digital shift, or digital keystoning, it will reduce the image resolution). Ceiling mounting might be a bit much for that PJ...kind of defeats the purpose of ultra short throw. If you can go back further and ceiling mount in the first place there are better options in that price range. Whole point of that PJ I thought was to sit it on a table close to a big screen and let it rip Not that you couldn't ceiling mount it anyway if it works better for your environment (even a cheap mount will do, that PJ is light). Consider that you'll A) Have to deal with cables/power (either run them in ceiling or have them running outside it which probably won't look that great) B) You'll need a much longer HDMI cable if you have external sources (though I suppose if you are using the wireless sound/streaming/etc. you could get away without that at least) and C) You'll be drilling holes in your ceiling - and with the weight of the mount you probably want to avoid drywall screws and may need to find a stud, which will affect placement. In other words you may just want to find a way to have a more secure table mount setup that is a little further back.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 28, 2016 02:17
|
|
|
eddiewalker posted:I'm new to this, but I'm just trying to scope out my eventual basement remodel. If you want a high quality AT screen that isn't at a completely stupid price look at Screen Innovations. I have a non-AT screen from them (the Slate) and it is the best screen I have ever owned. Depends on your price range. Expect to pay about 2k for a quality AT screen at the most common sizes. You can certainly find some cheaper, but with AT in particular you really don't want to go too cheap. Lots of people skimp on the screen; they'll drop 2, 3, or 4-5k on a PJ and then paint their wall or buy a $200 screen from Amazon and wonder why the PJ doesn't look as good. Good screens are important. You don't need to drop 4k+ on a Stewart Firehawk but if you have invested in your space and a decent PJ you don't want to go with Silver Ticket or something from Monoprice either. Again, this goes double for AT screens, since they are harder to do right without visible patterns, etc. revmoo posted:Extremely common, not an issue. Rear projection - which is pretty niche, even among home theater nuts - and speakers behind the screen don't mix for what are hopefully obvious reasons
|
|
#
¿
Nov 8, 2016 22:38
|
|
|
nnnotime posted:What's a good upgrade from a 1300 lumens projector these days with contrast ratio 30000:1 ? I use my current projector for gaming and movies, but noticing the color does not seem that rich, compared to current monitors, so was thinking I need a unit with better color and contrast. Currently I've got a 6-year old InFocus SP8602, which is DLP, and I never noticed any screendoor effect with it. If you don't care about 4k (it's actually e-shift, which is not true 4k BUT does do a good job - I have a JVC with e-shift) then look for good deals on the predecessor to the 5040ub, the 5030ub. That was one of the top 2k projectors. You can probably find a good used one with low bulb hours for around $1200 these days. It will be head and tails better than your current PJ in all aspects. The Sony VPL-HW45ES was (is) slightly better and has even lower input lag for gaming (the 5030 isn't bad) but that one is harder to find used. New it's $2k. Both are great choices for 1080p. The 5040ub is one of the better "4k" PJs however for a few hundred dollars more you can upgrade to the JVC RS420, which was just released. This is the top PJ overall you can buy for under $4k. The RS420 (also called the DLA-X570R, same PJ, just depends where you buy it) is a refresh of last years model that includes a new low-lag mode for gaming, even at 4k/HDR. It has the best picture quality and superior contrast ratios to the Epson.
|
|
#
¿
Jan 20, 2017 16:09
|
|
|
OldSenileGuy posted:Does any company make an attachment for normal projectors to allow them to project at a right angle, or even to turn a normal projector into one of those ones that actually projects behind it? I'm thinking of moving around my furniture, but i don't have a lot of options given where the projector has to go. Change angle: Not really, no. No market for it, you'd have image geometry issues, major loss of lumens, probable focus issues...the list goes on. Rear projection is a thing still, though good pre-made screens for it are expensive. If you aren't picky there may be some cheap DYI solutions that work for you. I'd check around on avsforum.com, I guarantee someone there has done it.
|
|
#
¿
Feb 15, 2017 15:20
|
|
|
pork minstral posted:The bulb popped on my BenQ HT1075, which has only been in service since September 2015, always ceiling-mounted. We're well under the 3500 hours they advertise, but past the 500 (and certainly the six months) that keeps it under warranty. Bulb replacement is generally easy. If it popped too soon - shatter, you mean? Or just go out? heat is the most likely culprit, followed by manufacturing defect in the bulb itself. Those are really the only two likely options. If it's heat, you may have an issue with clogged filters, or a problem with the fan, or you turned it off and on again too soon, which most PJs try to prevent but is possible to do particularly if you unplug it and plug back in.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 7, 2017 19:27
|
|
|
pork minstral posted:It shattered, yeah. There doesn't seem to be much dust in it, I believe it's a filterless model, and it was a cold day when it popped, so The 1075 is a filter-less model, which I didn't know before (many DLP PJs are but not all). Might be a defective bulb; it happens. Use a decent mini-vac to get all the dust and tiny shards out - and be careful, bulb shards can be sharp as hell - and replace it. It's easy to do yourself, really and you can get bulbs for that model for like $100 or so. For the first few hundred hours you'll get a brighter picture too though DLP in general is sensitive to bulb life, more than LCD or SXRD anyway. That is a decent model PJ as I recall so probably worth the investment just to update the bulb.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 10, 2017 20:29
|
|
|
revmoo posted:Are there PJs without color wheels? Is that a thing? Many, considering only DLP uses them. LCD is big in the budget market. SXRD in the mid-to high PJ space. Once you go beyond 50k you are in the realm of single-chip DLP which doesn't require a color wheel but I imagine that isn't worth discussing for most. Sony and JVC make the class-leading SXRD PJ's in the under 10k market. Or more accurately, LCoS, which Sony calls SXRD and JVC D-ILA but are the same kind of technology - Liquid Crystal on Silicon. You can probably pick up a lower end JVC like the RS400/550 for 2k these days that, from a picture quality standpoint, will beat anything even close to it in price.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 10, 2017 22:57
|
|
|
Aeka 2.0 posted:I will praise JVC for their deep rear end blacks on their chips. They make an awesome unit. Industry leading black levels/contrast. Native, not trickiery with a dynamic iris. Excellent, quality lenses that provide a sharp picture. Best in class e-shift that offers "faux-4k" that is nearly as good as actual 4k panels. Overall solid build quality and warranty. Quiet. On the downside, JVCs are notorious for long HDMI sync times - 10-15 seconds on average, and considering that also applies when, for example, your source refresh rate changes in addition to when you turn it on and off is quite annoying. Models before the mid-year refresh (in January) were terrible for gaming because of extremely high input lag (120ms+). That at least they improved with the latest gen, there's a game mode finally that brings it down to 32ms. You can also use e-shift/4k in game mode something other e-shift PJs can't. If you can find a used one or closeout from the last gen and don't care about gaming they are worth it in the end.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 11, 2017 15:32
|
|
|
Yes, the prior years were not good for gaming at all, though some people didn't mind it. Single player and the like, it hardly matters but online games forget about it. The new ones are much better, and as far as "4k" gaming goes with a PJ are still your best option....but the lowest model still retails for around 3.5k USD. There's a new "faux-4k" DLP PJ out that is a lot cheaper and has good input lag, I think BenQ makes it, but as far as PQ goes it's not getting high marks from what I have read.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 11, 2017 18:04
|
|
|
Krime posted:I picked up an Epson 5040 when they dropped the price by $500. Finishing up our basement then it goes up. I'm excited to see it in action. The 5040 is a good PJ. I had one for a few bulb hours before I exchanged it for an RS400. Not because I thought the 5040 was poo poo, I just ended up liking the JVC more overall for movie watching. I have a dedicated light controlled theater where the extra contrast of the JVC works best. For general use, mixed movies and gaming, etc. the 5040 is a really nice PJ and you can get it at a great price these days. It's also a little easier to live with as far as HDMI sync times, etc. go. Only thing I think it is missing for games is 4k e-shift - I don't believe the low-lag gaming mode works with it.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 12, 2017 02:46
|
|
|
emocrat posted:Looking for some recommendations or general suggestions here. There are some PJs meant more for outside use but I don't think any of them are rated to be kept outside all the time. You'd probably need to build a box or something if you wanted to go that route, similar to what folks to for DYI outdoor TVs (you can find a ton of info online on that topic). However don't overestimate how complicated it will be to move the PJ in and out and dial it in each time. In those cases manual focus/zoom may actually be easier to deal with. BenQ and Acer make good models that also have easy connections for outdoor speakers, etc. Are you using a blow up outdoor screen with this?
|
|
#
¿
Apr 12, 2017 19:13
|
|
|
emocrat posted:Cool, Ill look into that. Check AVSForums sub-$3,000 PJ forum, they will be up to date on whatever the latest cheap but good PJs are. Make sure that screen is rated for outdoors (if it is cheap it may not be). Otherwise you are going to end up with warping and other not-fun problems.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 13, 2017 15:42
|
|
|
Buy a TV. That use case isn't going to be great going a PJ route, particularly if you aren't planning on using a screen. With your budget you won't be happy with what you end up with. A 55 inch decent LCD can be had for under 1k and would serve that environment a lot better.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 17, 2017 19:56
|
|
|
fastbilly1 posted:Has anyone used a pixelshift 4k projector? I do not currently have a 4k setup, but I am curious to the results the faux-K. I have a JVC RS400. I exchanged an Epson 6400UB for it during a 5 hour (bulb hour) trial period so I have some experience with that model, which also uses pixel-shift. The JVC is the better of the two. Pixel-shifting is more or less the same but the JVC overall has better native contrast - by a lot, not some tiny sperg-y amount. Pixel shifting results in a sharper picture, particularly with good 4k sources like UHD BD. It does a decent job upscaling regular BD too. It's not mind blowing but the bigger the screen you have the better you'll notice the extra sharpness. It's not true 4k but you are still looking at about $15k, new, to get a true 4k PJ that also holds up in other areas. Be a couple-three years before that changes I think. Keep in mind no projector does a great job with HDR today, which is often (but not exclusively) paired with 4k content. You need a lot of lumens for that and current bulbs, with some exotic (and expensive) exceptions, aren't there. If you are looking for one today and don't have the coin to drop on one of the JVC models I hear good things about the Optoma UD65, which is a DLP pixel-shift PJ that uses higher resolution panels (but not "true" 4k) and costs around 2k. The JVC still beats it overall - seriously, they have the best contrast in the business - but for everyday use, or if you don't have good light control (where the contrast benefits of the JVC wins out) the Optoma could be a good choice.
|
|
#
¿
Aug 8, 2017 21:24
|
|
|
fastbilly1 posted:I appreciate the info, I was already eyeballing the RS400. It's a great projector. There is a slightly updated model now, the RS420. It is basically the same with a couple exceptions, probably the biggest being much improved gaming lag (new mode for it). Also has a better out of box HDR setting, though you can get the same on the RS400 with a few tweaks and neither one is top notch for HDR anyway (no consumer PJ is, really). The RS400 has pretty bad lag for games, over 100ms. New one is closer to 30ms, which is pretty good. If you want to play a lot of games on the PJ and input lag bugs you (it doesn't everyone, and for single player games is mostly irrelevant) get that one. However you can often find the RS400 on clearance now for prices going down to the low 2,000. That is a screaming deal for the quality you get. If movie/tv/streaming viewing is your thing you won't find anything close to it for the price in terms of image quality, features, or flexible placement options. The 6040ub retails for cheaper and can be found on sale these days for even less - good PJ, no question, but having owned both side by side it is no JVC. The Optoma UD65 goes for $2500 retail and is one of the sharpest faux-k PJ's on the market at any price but it too doesn't match JVCs overall image quality. I haven't seen that one though so I'm just going off reviews/AVSForum feedback.
|
|
#
¿
Aug 8, 2017 23:51
|
|
|
Cornjob posted:I have been contemplating an larger screen for a while. Right now I have a 120” 16x9 Stewart FireHawk. It looks pretty great. I want to get a 140-150” 2.35:1 screen. Impossible to answer until you also tell us the PJ you are using and the throw (lens to screen) distance.
|
|
#
¿
Jan 3, 2018 23:18
|
|
|
Cornjob posted:Im mainly asking about the screen materials performance, uniformity, texture and quality on ANY projector. I may be getting a new projector in 2018, and want to make sure this screen will look good on a modern Home theater PJ. Assume an Epson 5030 or something along those lines. It's not that simple when it comes to lumens and that has a huge impact on perceived quality. PJ models vary widely in terms of true lumen output, there's also throw distance, etc. Which is why knowing what the PJ will be matters. Elite screens are fine, texture wise, at normal viewing distances. How accurate the gain is (advertised vs. actual) screen uniformity, overall build quality, etc. - that is what you get with better screens. Back to what I am saying in the first place: You really need to figure out the right size screen for your area before you pick a particular brand of screen. Start with your room size, viewing distance, projector model, and throw distance. There are all kinds of screen calculators online that can help you with this. Once you have the size and you know your projector's anticipated lumen output in your environment you can pick the right screen and the right gain. If all you care about is "I just want a big screen and the Elite is cheap" then you don't need to bother going through any of this because you are already rolling the dice so...go for it? No one is going to be able to tell you, for sure, that "yes that Cinegrey will be fine" for your setup without more information.
|
|
#
¿
Jan 5, 2018 20:40
|
|
|
Screen Innovations (a US company based in Austin) makes awesome zero-edge screens, which is what you are looking for, and price-wise they aren't completely ridiculous...but be warned they are still expensive. It's not uncommon for a good screen to cost more than the PJ, and that's not a bad thing. I've been doing home theater with rear projection setups for about 16 years and if there's one piece of advice I can offer when it comes to the visuals it's don't skimp on the screen. I've seen tons of folks buy the best PJ for their budget and go with a less optimal, cheap screen, or none at all, and frankly that is backwards (the "it looks just as good" is usually provably wrong). A good screen will last you for many years, probably through several projector upgrades. Mine has. It's kind of the same advice people give for HT audio, which is buy the best subwoofer you can afford and upgrade around it as time goes on, though for different reasons.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 13, 2018 06:35
|
|
|
Uncle at Nintendo posted:I appreciate the reply! To be honest, 2.5K is kind of a ridiculous price (in my humble opinion). A major reason I went projector was not having to spend crazy money on an 80" TV, and a screen that expensive would put me right up there. Elite's are ok. Better than a bare wall. Borderless screens can be a real pain to dial in because there's no "forgiveness" for slight overscan, etc. You are going to need to get your PJ lens lined up perfect. Which isn't a bad idea anyway but takes time. Make sure your viewing distance is good for 150'' as well. I wouldn't sit closer than about 10 feet to one that size. If the picture extends above/below your line of sight it may seem immersive but causes eye strain, and you'll notice more artifacts, grain, etc. Did you calculate light output, lumens, etc. for your throw too?
|
|
#
¿
Apr 14, 2018 21:56
|
|
|
Uncle at Nintendo posted:I did not. I kind of have everything set up already though. I mean I could mount the projector somewhere else I guess but is this related to the type of screen I should buy or something? Yes. Type and more importantly size. First you need to determine what your optimal seating distance is. If you have two rows (or more) go by the first row unless that is "for kids" or whatever in which case pick the row you plan to sit in the most. This determines how big your screen can be (assuming there aren't other limitations, but it looks like you have a fairly large wall space to work with). A general, but good, rule of thumb is a seating distance of 1.5 x screen width (not diagonal). If you are looking at a 150'' screen, that is 127'' wide (assuming you are going for a 16:9 screen and not something more exotic like a scope 2:35 size), so 1.5 is 190.5'', or about 15.5 feet for the main seating distance, give or take. Doesn't have to be exact down to the inch but it is a good rule of thumb. This allows for a decent 30+ degree viewing angle which falls under SMPTE guidelines and won't tire your eyes, and is close enough to allow you to fully resolve 1080p detail. For 4k sources you might want to sit closer and slightly go down a screen size, though I doubt you have a true 4k projector. Speaking of projectors you also want to factor in the throw (distance of the PJ lens to screen surface) which can be different than the seating distance if you are mounting overhead. Generally you want to get about 14ftl (foot lamberts) brightness for SDR content. For HDR you'll need over 30, though even if you have an HDR capable projector it's unlikely it is bright enough to do that - certainly not enough to light up a 150'' screen, unless your PJ cost over 15k USD. Getting 14ftl however is achievable by most modern PJs assuming your throw/screen ratio is correct. To get that on a 150'' screen it really depends on the true calibrated lumen output (not what they advertise, those numbers are rarely correct - I have a "2200 lumen" PJ that calibrated puts out about 1000, for example) of your PJ, the throw ratio of the lens, etc. You can find calculators online at sites like https://www.projectorcentral.com which well help you figure this out based on model. So, basically: Determine the realistic "main" seating position that fits your room, furniture, etc. Determine what capabilities your PJ has in terms of light output, throw ratio (zoom, etc.) And finally pick the best sized screen based on the above, since you probably have more room to mount on your wall than you have a realistic screen size to occupy it. This is all basic high level stuff - for more detail check out the site above. Another great resource, though a bit of a rabbit hole, is https://www.avsforum.com. If you want to do this right I highly recommend joining there, looking for the forum your projector is listed in (if it is remotely popular there's an owners thread on it) and start reading up. Ixian fucked around with this message at 22:04 on Apr 15, 2018 |
|
#
¿
Apr 15, 2018 22:01
|
|
|
Gozinbulx posted:I guess no one here's tried the xiaomi ultra short throw laser projector? This thing looks pretty incredible from everything I've read but came to the trusted spot to see if anyone had anything to say about it. This is just my personal view, obviously, but I've never seen a short throw PJ and/or pull down screen combo in a mixed-use room that wasn't better served by a good TV. There are times when bigger really isn't better when it comes to screen size and a good 65'' TV is usually a better overall bet. You want to go rear-projection, giant home-theater like experience, then go for it, sure - I have one - but be prepared to go down a rabbit hole. Otherwise just get a good TV.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 20, 2018 02:14
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ May 6, 2024 04:33 |
|
|
Gozinbulx posted:The setup I'm proposing just ticks off too many boxes for our needs that I can't write it off. Even just the possibility of having one PJ and moving it into the bedroom for when we want to watch in the bedroom (instead of having a tv in there) is too good to pass up. Check https://projectorpeople.com for what they recommend. I've gotten gear from them before.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 20, 2018 13:09
|
|