I'd love to get a projector for the house (which maybe possibly I could use for business). Don't wanna spend a lot, anyone have any suggestions where to get them discounted, reconditioned, etc?

First some tech advise:

I'd advise against DLP projectors for movie use, they are expensive and only really work well on Data images. For indoor use without needing to create complete darkness go for anything with more than 1000 Ansi Lumen. Last but not least take the noise of the projector into account, some (older) models make a huge noise when operating, Philips has some nice and very quiet projectors but they are still pretty pricy ( Philips Monroe projector ) Currently selling for around 1900GBP.

I use a Compaq MP2810 and take it from my office if I want to watch something large at home, it's tiny, quiet and has an impressive data image though movies are a little blurry because of the DLP again and Compaq/HP is still charging $3800 for it.

If you want a good UK dealer try http://www.projected.co.uk/ and once you find what you want pop over to Tottenham Court Road in London and you will probably manage to knock another 15% off the price.

For a good US online retailer try http://www.avmarketplace.com/ Be sure to look at their clearance, they have some pretty nice deals.

Don't fall for any "cheapie projectors" with lo-res or specs like 400 Ansi Lumen, these projectors are useless, Sharp has several very cheap projectors that are so bad you'll end up never using them.

(Edited to make philips link shorter)


[This message has been edited by ScottC (edited 06-11-2002).]

Thanks Scott, I found the AVMarketplace info to be quite useful. One or 2 questions as I cannot seem to find the answers. Their prices are among th best I've seen on the web.

If watching movies is the primary purpose, what sort of max resolution is,.... the max that makes a difference?? By that I mean some of the XVGA, SVGA, etc seem like they would be great for data, but may be overkill for films. Thanks.

For movies and TV the resolution isn't that important but the lower the resolution, the cheaper the projector, the lower the quality etc...

It's important to find a balance between all the important features. Also, if you want to safeguard your investment and be able to use the projector for office work 800*600 is the absolute minimum.

It's better to get an affordable 800*600 1200Ansi Lumen projector than a 1024*768 800Ansi Lumen one, certainly for movies you don't want to have to close all the curtains all the time...

A couple of sites that might be worth a look:

http://www.projectorcentral.com/
http://www.projectorpeople.com/

Also, if you just need to rent one (for a business trip or special event), check out:

http://www.networkav.com

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Michael Steinberg
Editor
BizTrip
http://www.biztrip.com

I have been looking around for projectors and needed some help - figured flyertalk would be the best place for a good opinion. Found this thread but information is probably a little outdated.

I am looking for a projector for a home theater I am setting up in my walk out (i.e.. decent amount of light) basement. I understand that a few things I should be looking for
1. Sufficient brightness to allow for visibility of image even during daylight. - I am guessing anything above 1200 lumens should be good enough? (is tha a correct assumption?)

2. HD Compatibility - Should be a pretty standard feature in most projectors now.

3. Resolution - XGA is preferable (so I can connect my laptop and work when needed). But SVGA should suffice.

4. Connections - They are all pretty much standard now arent they?

From the research that I did the following seems to be my shortlist (in no particular order)
1. Infocus X2
2. Benq PB6200
3. Dell 2300MP

Now cost is of course a major factor. Of the three above only Infocus is the sub-1000$ projector. Both the others are available for around 1250-1300$

Do you guys have any opinions on the above 3 models? Do you see any model glaringly missing?

Also any recommendations on where to get a good price here in the US would be highly appreciated.

Thanks all!

Shortly after that post I bought the Dell 2200 (predecessor of the one you mention) for $809 NET incl shipping etc. It was the greatest deal around and its a good solid projector, I assume the 2300 would just be better.

If it's something you have to maintain, make sure to check the replacement bulb cost and expected bulb life. A projector is like a printer, your initial cost may pale in comparison to the supplies you need to get to keep it running.

Yeah the 2300 definitely looks like a sweet deal. WIll just have to wait around to see when I can catch the price at its lowest! Thats one reason I dont like to buy from Dell - you have to be very alert for all the coupon codes, etc flying around - could make a difference of over 10-15% in this case well over 100$$$$$

Thanks hfly.

Cordelli - Do you think the replacement costs of the lamps and bulbs and other things would vary wildly projector to projector? Cos the one bad thing about this projector (2300MP) is that it has a bulb life a couple of hundred hours shorter than the Benq..

On any projector, keep the filter clean. It will make a difference.

I just read this thread since it's been bumped, and since you stated this 2 years ago, I'd like to say that I think it's certainly changed since then... compared to the LCD projectors, DLP now offers a stunning picture for home theater. Certainly you don't get a CRT quality picture, but in some applications, the increased brightness more than makes up for it.

I just finished helping a friend plan out and have a full home theater built out, and he went with a Marantz DLP projector with (if I recall correctly) a 93" screen, and the picture is absolutely beautiful.

The only downside (and I would expect this on any really big screen) is that SD pictures (especially those which are heavily compressed like satellite) suffer from greatly enhanced artifacts. DVD's look pretty good, and HD looks absolutely amazing (the FL-Tenn game last weekend was breathtaking in HD!).

On the other hand, the projector alone was quite an investment, but you get what you pay for!

Chris

Does anybody have any experience with the NEC LT-240K?

Thanks.