Now that I am finally in a house (WOOT!). I am looking for a Projector.
Budget: ~$1500
Wants:
1080p
Quiet (less than 27dB)
Good Black levels
120-130" screen
16:9 native
Affordable replacement bulbs (maybe a pj that come with one extra)
What else should I be looking for? Keystone/Lens shift/Auto Iris(?)
Are there going to be a lot of pending updates from various manu's?
I am not stuck on any particular display technology.
Thx in advance.
What about used/closeout/refurb?
The best to meet that budget is gonna be the Optoma HD20
or the Sanyo PLV-1080HD(please note it has organic panels which will wear down from viewing sessions of extended length(8hours)
If you are going with a fixed placement the Optoma would be a great value.
If you are looking to shelf mount then the Sanyo would be the choice.
I'm also looking in this price-range with the same "wants" as the original poster. It seems the Optoma HD20 gets the best marks for value, so maybe that's the way to go.
I've been looking at the used market and haven't really found much (E*Bay and Craigslist). I assumed that the bad economy and the fact these projectors improve so quickly (prompting people to sell their old models) would mean lots of nice deals. However, maybe 1080i hasn't quite been "under $3000" long enough for people to sell them for a good value. Also, there's the issue of buying used, potentially sight unseen, and trusting it will get to you in one piece.
I wonder if waiting a little while (4-6 months) would be a good idea. Maybe Optoma will come out with a new sub-$1000 model with better contrast levels and a little more flexibility. I've waited almost 2 years to get a projector and the performance improvement is stunning (now HD is a reality for me, when 2 years ago it was out of my price range). Sub $1000 is key, and I bet there's plenty of PJ's in the works to hit that target.
The Optoma HD20 is nice but it is the first of I believe many 1080p offerings in the pipe. So that means I want to wait and see what the competition is going to offer.
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I've got the Mitsu HC5500 which can be had for just over $1500.
So far I love this projector. Very quiet, great detail and very good blacks. I have a light controlled room so I can run this in low lamp mode and it is supposed to last 5000 hours. I was lucky to get mine when they had a free bulb mail in rebate so I should be set for a while.
Here are the pros and cons from the projector central review:
Mitsubishi HC5500 Projector: Pros
•One of the most affordable 1080p projectors
•Brighter than most 1080p projectors when comparing "best" color modes
•Very good color after calibration
•Extremely sharp image
•Dynamic iris, for improved black level performance
•Very good shadow detail
•Excellent gamma controls
•Extremely quiet operation
•Longest life lamp - 5000 hours in eco-mode, for low cost of operation
•Compact form factor
•One of the least expensive 1080p projectors
•Low image noise
•Very good manual, with reasonable explanations for many functions
Mitsubishi HC5500 Projector: Cons
•Limited placement flexibility due to 1.2:1 zoom lens, no match for other 3LCD projectors, and no better than DLP projectors
•Lens shift is more limited than other 3LCD projectors, the same as the BenQ DLP, but of course better than the Optoma projectors, none of which have lens shift
•No horizontal lens shift (rarely an important issue)
Before you might spring for that, please just wait a couple/few weeks for the release of the Epson 8500. Many will be quite curious about the introductory price after Panasonic introduced the above for 1k less than its predecessor.
For arguably best PQ, while staying at budget, I might advise getting what I have, the JVC RS1 as used. You will see most are asking around $1750, but I'd aim for $1500.
However, I'd only do the JVC particularly, if you will have a bat cave, to take advantage of its native contrast and black levels. No iris used to hit the numbers. The cons are oversaturation of green and red, with nothing you can really do about it. It runs louder than Pana for sure, and I'm assuming Epson as well. This is for the movie buff looking for the most filmic look at the budget.
OTOH, the Panasonic above offers 9 pt gamma correction, which is freakin fantastic for the true videophile, and it's extremely cool that it's offered in a $1,999 unit.
Quote:
What about used/closeout/refurb?
Yes. Especially refurbs and open-box. Bookmark AVS projector subforum(s), check in daily, and watch for any particular sticky. That's how I got mine, and they sold em out in one single day. (It was $1,500 less than the best prices I found, while still including full mftr warranty).
Used, it is a risky proposition in some ways, but I think it's becoming a more viable alternative. There is a small fleet of nutty videophiles who are upgrading every single year. One guy's post I just read has gone from RS-1, to RS-2, to RS-20, to RS-25. Insane. You can save for sure. The depreciation on these things is very significant.
Right, so the PJ I picked up was for 3k, but let's ignore that for the moment; people were buying that for 4.5k just 1.5 year ago. And I'm already advising you to ask only 1.5k if you get that unit used, or in other words, asking $3,000 less than what the seller paid in 2008.
Still, the 4000u and Epson 8500 are very interesting. I'm now curious how the gamma adjustment compares on the Epson. It's something I wish I had.
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A bulb that lasts 4000 hours (in econo mode) is a nice option.
Street Price (USD) : $1,549
MSRP (USD) : $1,599
Brightness (Lumens) : 1800 ANSI
Contrast (Full On/Off) : 36000:1
Variable Iris: Yes
High Brightness:
ANSI Lumens: **
Contrast Ratio: **
High Contrast:
ANSI Lumens: **
Contrast Ratio: 36000:1
Audible Noise: 28.0 dB
Eco-Mode: 22.0 dB
Weight: 16.1 lbs
Size (inches) (HxWxD) : 5.4 x 17.7 x 14.2
Std. Lens: Focus:
Manual
Zoom: Manual, 2.10:1
Throw Dist (feet) : 9.3 - 24.2
Image Size (inches) : 45.0 - 245.0
Optional Lenses: No
Digital Zoom: **
Digital Keystone: No
Lens Shift: Horz & Vert
Warranty: 2 Years
Performance:
H-Sync Range: **
V-Sync Range: **
Compatibility:
HDTV: 720p, 1080i, 1080p/60
576i, 576p
EDTV/480p: Yes
SDTV/480i: Yes
Component Video: Yes
Video: Yes
Digital Input: HDMI
Computers: Yes
Display: Type:
3 LCD
Native: 1920x1080 Pixels
Maximum: 1920x1080 Pixels
Aspect Ratio: 16:9 (HD)
Lamp: Type:
200W E-TORL
Life: **
Eco-Mode Life: 4000 hours
Quantity: 1
Speakers: No
Max Power: **
Voltage: 100V - 240V
FCC Class: B
Special: RS232 Port
Status: Shipping
First Ship: Oct 2009
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(Sys 1) Strata Mini's, RX-V2500, CDR-HD1300, Infinity Primus 150's, C25, 15" TITANIC MKIII, Sony PS3 80GB with SACD, Toshiba HD-A2, JVC DR-MX1 DVR, SA 8300HD, Sanyo Z4, Saaria 16:9 106" Screen.
(Sys 2) HTR-5740, 5 disc DVD with SACD, JBL E20's & E10's, PS-12, SA 8300HD, Sanyo Z4 , Electric 92" Screen
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I have a Mits 6500 and love it. I came from a Optoma HD80 and I think the Mits is better than it in every way possible. I got it new from BB about a year or so ago for $1.8k.
Just checking out there, there are a slew of new PJs out there. Jostenmeat really knows what he is talking about too. JVC's are terrific, if you have a bat cave. They really are nice boxes, and if I ever got the upgrade itch, I'd look pretty hard at those.
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Starting to look...
Linear Mode
