Noob to projecters

[jordan branum]

Hello bear with me this is my first post and I'm just now getting started building my starter audio system. I have Denon AVT S500BT receiver and some samsung home theater speakers that came with my 3-D blureay player. I been thinking of trying to get a projector set up for a college size apartment with light wall colors and light carpet not any dark options in any apartments in town. Planing on trying to blackout the room as much as possible. I'm looking for a great starter projector in a low price price but can be talk up in price if it make sense to have the better model for future use. I message on here because I'm a little lost on where to start my search.

Specs: Screen size 50-90 if possible, HD 1080I res, just a stand mount not looking for a wall hanger mount models, screen ideas as well, and the right hook up for my receiver, and easy of connectable to my other systems like xbox, bluray player, and tv hook ups.


Thanks for any helpful advice!

 

[agarwalro]

Anything less than a 70" screen, you're wasting time and money getting into the projector game. Further, your place with light walls is not well suited to front projection. The distance from your projector to the screen matters when dealing with non light controlled situations. Your desire to not mount the projector might be an additional hindrance. How far is the shelf from the wall where you intend to protect?

What's the budget?

 

[jordan branum]

My budget would be low end to median, but I'm open to spending $700-1000 total with the screen. I dont know want the distance the projector going to sit. By it a college apartment bedroom so it should be anything more than 10ft in long ways of the room and short about 5ft, but it could be bigger. Yes if had a 5 ft tall selfing unit that the projector could sit on if need be.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

Based on your spelling, you definitely could use college education, grammar in particular.

 

[agarwalro]

I'm open to spending $700-1000 total with the screen.

Yes, there are entry level setups in this price range. Just manage your expectations and it is achievable.

I dont know want the distance the projector going to sit. By it a college apartment bedroom so it should be anything more than 10ft in long ways of the room and short about 5ft, but it could be bigger. Yes if had a 5 ft tall selfing unit that the projector could sit on if need be.

I need you to be more definitive on the distance. The projector recommendation could be very different depending on 5ft. or 10ft. There are projectors that can make a 100" image from 5ft. and those that need at least 15ft. to create a 90" image.

If your room has a white wall with a smooth-ish texture, we can even forgo the screen. Remember, in this price range for projector setups, it is all about cost cutting (at the right places).

Last but not the least, given that this is a college setup, I would advise you against the projector. Think of the cost to own. The lamp will need to be replaced very 2000-3000 hours. It could be as much as $200/lamp every six months to a year. I'm basing this on how much my TV ran when I was in college.

Get the biggest $700-1000 LED TV off Craigslist, is my recommendation.

 

[BMXTRIX]

I would opt for the LG PF1500. It has a LED based light engine which will last you for years and years. It is a full 1080p model which competes nicely with other projectors. The brightness is enough for up to a 120" image in a dark room. The size is extremely portable - about 4x4x10 inches. It has built in streaming and wireless connectivity along with USB playback and an integrated tuner. The internal speaker is weak, but can be paired with Bluetooth speakers, or with any external speakers. The price at just under $1,000 fits the budget as well.

This will be a solid unit to move around from dorm to dorm, can be positioned somewhat easily, and really meets your needs.

The placement can be a bit of a trick if you have specific requirements. It has both a tripod mount and a full projector mount option, but it has extremely limited zoom range and no lens shift. The lens must be even with the top edge of the screen or the bottom edge. So, high on top of a bookshelf, upside down, or lower on a table right side up. It needs about a foot of throw distance for each 10" of diagonal. So a 80" image will be about 8' away (lens to screen). It also is decently bright in a DARK room, but won't be appear bright in a brighter room. So, during the day, 60" or so, somewhat washed out, will be what you should expect.

This is still way better than lugging a 50" TV around, or settling for a 32" display.

The LG PF1500 is an extremely unique product in the world of projectors right now.

 

[rnatalli]

The BenQ W1070 which often sells for $649 shipped gets my vote. It has excellent PQ and can throw a decent size picture under 10ft.

 

[tom white]

I am in a similar situation. I would recommend renting middle - high end projectors before you buy for instance I have rented the Sanyo PLC-XP100L had excellent sound quality.
Currently I am renting an InFocus2116 (aarentals.com) It boasts 3,000 lumens (2,400 on ECO mode) at 1280x800 resolution. I chose this projector out of many options because it was the perfect middle ground between really high and really low quality. There were others similar to this one, similar in price and picture quality, but were lacking in the nice firmware features that InFocus implemented. If you don't have the mind or time to figure out what is the BEST upper-middle class projector, then take my word for it, this is the one you want.

 

[BMXTRIX]

I am in a similar situation. I would recommend renting middle - high end projectors before you buy for instance I have rented the Sanyo PLC-XP100L had excellent sound quality.
Currently I am renting an InFocus2116. It boasts 3,000 lumens (2,400 on ECO mode) at 1280x800 resolution. I chose this projector out of many options because it was the perfect middle ground between really high and really low quality.

I'm not sure what experience you have, but there is nobody experienced with home theater projectors which would repeat this information and call it fact. It just is very inexperienced information.

Why are you recommending a projector, designed for business use, which was released over half a decade ago(2010)? What? What firmware does it have that you are even talking about which is so important? Why are you talking about 'great' onboard audio? You understand that 'high end' projectors are well over $3,000, not $800. $800 isn't anywhere near 'middle', it's low-end. It's not junk low-end, but it's very much in the entry level category. Why are you bothering to talk about '3,000 lumens' when measured testing shows that once calibrated for theater use, it puts out under 1,200 lumens?

http://www.projectorcentral.com/InFocus_IN2116_classroom_projector_review.htm

I don't have a problem with anyone liking the projector they have, but if they don't have the experience of other projectors to compare against and really don't know the basics of advertising lies which manufacturers pander off as reality, then their experience for recommendations should always be questioned.

Certainly suggesting pricey rentals when a permanent solution is asked for is poor form.