What is best Front Projector??

[Stormwolf]

Hello all, I have a question for you.

First off I am planning on buying a PS3 so will have a blueray player(1080p - possible)....eventially they will be in stock
Secondly I am just finishing up a dedicated theater room of about 12' wide by 20' long. I am planning on a 100-120" screen

So heres my question What would be the best front projector to get in a budget of $2000-$2500?? Should I wait a couple years for 1080p projectors to drop in price or is 720p almost as good on that size of screen? Also note that the bulk of any movies I watch will be on DVD not BRD.

One more question what is a better quality viewing 720p or 1080i?

Thanks

 

[billnchristy]

A couple of questions for you before you jump into this:

1) Have you been to home theater stores and viewed projectors with various screen sizes?

2) How far back do you sit? You would have to sit nearly 15' back to be optimum with 120" screen

3) Would/will you be interested in upgrading to 1080p in the future? If so I would recommend a cheaper 720p unit (Optoma HD70) for minimal investment.

I would seriously go look at projectors even if they arent the brand you want, you may be suprised how "small" you might actually prefer the screen. For example we are doing an 88" screen in a 15x24 room simply because it makes us dizzy feeling with much larger...even with 20k projectors.

 

[Stormwolf]

1) Ya I have been to stores with projectors but they usually only have one setup so I cant get a good feel for it.

2) The closest couch to the screen would be 15' away with to lazy boy recliners on a raided 17" platform behind the couch at about 18-21' away from screen.

3) I just read the review on the HD70 and it sounds pretty sweet, That was why I was wondering about 720p as opposed to 1080i, is there much diferance between these 2 formats?

4) I will try and hit up a few more stores this week to have a peek at screens and projectors, I wanted some ideas from people who know and are honest b4 I go talk to a salesman haha, they always try to get me to buy the most expensive whether its better or not.

Thanks

 

[gmichael]

There is just so much ground to cover that it's hard to know where to start. I'd say that you should do a little reading at this site. http://www.projectorcentral.com/

So many factors to consider.

How much can you control the lighting?
Do you see the so called DLP rainbow that I've heard about? (I don't)
Are you planning up upgrading your DVD player (that is 480p) to HD-DVD or BlueRay?

I feel that the 720P/1080i is fine for me now. I sit 19 feet away from a 106" screen. I think I could have gone a little bigger but it's really big enough.

1080i has a better still picture than 720p but 720p is better for fast movements (like sports)

Well, I guess I've rambled enough. Try that site. It's very informative.

 

[Stormwolf]

Sorry for the lack of information guys. I have 100% control of lighting
- no windows
- 6 pot lights on 2 dimmers
- 4 wall sconces on 2 dimmers

Of the projectors I have looked at I prefer the DLP over LCD I do not see the raimbow effect and niether does my wife. As I stated in my first post I am planning on getting a PS3 which has the blue ray and is 1080p, but i do not plan on buying a lot of BRD disks just the od rent.

Thanks for thje answer on the 720p, 1080i question. I was kinda thinking the progressive would be better than interlaced but was not sure, I will be watching mostly action movies so lots of movement.

I will also check out that site later tonight.

 

[Stormwolf]

I checked out that site you mentioned, but found that most of the information was for computer use. I didn't find anything useful am I looking in the wrong spot? I checked the buyers guide and a few other links. It didnt seem to mention the difference between progressive and interlaced even.

The more I look at the Optoma HD70 the more I seem to like it, has anyone used it to watch any movies? Other than the review tests?

 

[gmichael]

I checked out that site you mentioned, but found that most of the information was for computer use. I didn't find anything useful am I looking in the wrong spot? I checked the buyers guide and a few other links. It didnt seem to mention the difference between progressive and interlaced even.

The more I look at the Optoma HD70 the more I seem to like it, has anyone used it to watch any movies? Other than the review tests?

Interlaced: A process where a video image is delivered in two fields each containing half the video image rather than a single frame that contains the entire image. The first field contains all the odd lines and the second field contains all the even lines. For example, each 480i frame is made up of two fields of 263 and 262 lines of resolution and updated at 60Hz. 480 denotes the active picture area; however, the total frame size is actually 525 lines. 480i and 1080i are interlaced signals whereas 720p is a progressive signal where each video image is delivered in a single frame. Interlaced video was introduced with the first televisions because of bandwidth limitations.



Progressive Scan: A display mode in which all the horizontal lines of an image are displayed at one time in a single frame, unlike an interlaced scan in which a frame consists of two separate fields with the first field consisting of odd horizontal lines and the second field even horizontal lines. Progressive scan is used by projectors, computer monitors, HDTV systems, and some digital camcorders. Progressive Scan requires a faster horizontal scan frequency than interlaced images of the same resolution

From: http://www.projectorcentral.com/glossary.cfm#I

Another good place on that site is here: http://www.projectorcentral.com/1080p_720p.htm

Even better is here: http://www.projectorcentral.com/buyers_guide.cfm

 

[jcPanny]

Projector info.

There is plenty of info on HT projectors over at that site including reviews from owners. There are some setup limitations to the HD70 due to its offset and limited zoom range so make sure that it will work for your room before you buy. Since you wont be taking advantage of BluRay, you should be fine with a 720P projector for a few years.
http://www.projectorcentral.com/home-theater-projectors.htm
http://www.projectorcentral.com/Optoma-HD70-user-reviews.htm

 

[BMXTRIX]

I am getting more and more hard pressed to say 720p is the way to go. There are some excellent 720p projectors out there right now - and some are very inexpensive. The HD70 is great - and a great value, but has some setup limitations that should be addressed due to image offset and limited zoom range. Both of which can be explained if you need them to be.

The AX100 from Panasonic and the Sanyo Z5 jump out as industry leading projection designs with the Panny being my recommendation at that screen size. The Sanyo I would go with under 100".

But - 1080p is here. $4,000 is about the starting point. A bit less actually. If you can swing it, then that amount of money can deliver you 100% more resolution. That's a real number. It's a jump from about a million pixels on screen to about 2 million pixels on screen. In the world of front projection and ten foot screens, that is pretty darn significant. But, that is still a budgetary concern for some people. I've held off on upgrading my projector until 1080p came along - but I've had a projector to enjoy, so I would not say that you should wait. You definitely want something in there ASAP. If you can swing 1080p, then I think you will be thrilled with it.

Typically with projectors you want to match the output of the device to the resolution of the projector. So, with a 720p projector, sending it 720p is often the way to go. Unfortunately, it isn't always the case and it is device by device dependent. Some gear sends a great 1080i signal but a so-so 720p signal. Some projectors handle 1080i great, others handle 720p great. There simply is no 'best' choice for all setups and all gear. Which is why researching every single piece of gear you buy is important.

Projector Central... not sure why you would think they feature business projectors. Almost every single article on their site relates to home theater projectors and how projectors perform in the theater.

One final point - it is important to realize that the actual resolution of the projector you get is the resolution you will see. If you get a 1280x720 projector, and feed it 1080i - you will still only see 1280x720 (720p). If you get a 1080p projector (1920x1080) and feed it a 1080i signal, it will convert that signal up to 1080p to display it. There is no such thing as a digital 1080i projector. DLP/LCD/LCoS technologies are all progressive format.

 

[HiJon89]

Well I'm going to be using a 100" screen for my home theater, with seating about 12' away. I'm struggling with the decision between the Panasonic PT-AE900U 720p for $1200, or the PT-AX100U 1080p for $1800. My sources will be an HD cable box, outputting 1080i on most HD channels, and an HD-DVD or Blu-Ray player. I'll be ordering the system in the spring, so I'll wait for the format wars to end and for a good HD-DVD or Blu-Ray player to be released, and hopefully the AX100U will go down in price by then as well.

 

[billnchristy]

I dont understand peoples problem with the HD70 offset. Mine has to be mounted at 7' because optimum distance is smack dab in the middle of a beam and the projected height is perfect.

I havent watched any movies with mine because the room is under construction, but out of the box I am pretty impressed with the PQ and know it will only get better.

BTW ask most people and they cant tell the diff. between 1080i and 720p...I have a 720p 32" LCD and I have seen 1080i displays that dont look as good...I also dont bother changing the rez on my HDDVD.

 

[BMXTRIX]

Well I'm going to be using a 100" screen for my home theater, with seating about 12' away. I'm struggling with the decision between the Panasonic PT-AE900U 720p for $1200, or the PT-AX100U 1080p for $1800. My sources will be an HD cable box, outputting 1080i on most HD channels, and an HD-DVD or Blu-Ray player. I'll be ordering the system in the spring, so I'll wait for the format wars to end and for a good HD-DVD or Blu-Ray player to be released, and hopefully the AX100U will go down in price by then as well.

At 12' with 100" I might consider 1080p. But, you aren't going to find it for less than about $4,000. You see, the Panny AX100 is a 720p projector, not a 1080p projector. The Panasonic AE1000U is their 1080p projector and is a good deal more than $2,000.

In 1080p, the Mitsubishi, I believe is one of the top, cost effective, models to be considered.

I would expect that no clear winner for the format wars will be predictable until at least the end of 2007. So, your best value may come from a console gaming system such as X360 with an HD-DVD add-on, or with the PS3 and the built in Blu-ray player. Both of which have reported results that are on par with current HD-DVD/Blu-ray stand alone players.

 

[BMXTRIX]

I dont understand peoples problem with the HD70 offset. Mine has to be mounted at 7' because optimum distance is smack dab in the middle of a beam and the projected height is perfect.

7' above the ground, with a 100" diagonal screen would put the top edge of the image about 5.5' off the ground, and a 100" diagonal screen is a touch over 4 feet tall.

That means, the bottom edge of your projected image is about a foot and a half off the ground. This is something that many people, myself included, would find unacceptable.

It can be fixed by tilting the projector upwards then using digital keystone correction. But, this degrades image quality and once again, is unacceptable to many people.

I havent watched any movies with mine because the room is under construction, but out of the box I am pretty impressed with the PQ and know it will only get better.

I think the HD70 is completely awesome if your room is setup correctly for it or you can live with the limitations that it forces upon you.

BTW ask most people and they cant tell the diff. between 1080i and 720p...I have a 720p 32" LCD and I have seen 1080i displays that dont look as good...I also dont bother changing the rez on my HDDVD.

Your TV is 720p so you likely won't see much difference between the two formats. If your TV was 1080p you likely would see an improvement when switching from 720p to 1080i or 1080p. But, it is almost always as much display dependent as it is source dependent. A lousy 1080i or 720p source will look worse than a good DVD (480i source!). This was shown with early Blu-ray Disc releases such as House Of Flying Daggers and The Fifth Element.

Keep in mind that with a 32" display you must be about 3 or 4 feet from it to emulate the home theater environment.

 

[Stormwolf]

I have read that there is no lense shift with the HD70, is this a big problem for setup? I rather not use the keystone correction, from what i have read and seen it is not wise to use it. (I would mount the HD70 from the ceiling if I get it) The most likely screen size I will get is 106".

My theater room is almost complete so already working on wife with projector purchase haha

Any other projectors you guys think I should check out at a decent price?

 

[HiJon89]

At 12' with 100" I might consider 1080p. But, you aren't going to find it for less than about $4,000. You see, the Panny AX100 is a 720p projector, not a 1080p projector. The Panasonic AE1000U is their 1080p projector and is a good deal more than $2,000.

Then why do reviews I see say that the AX100U accepts 1080p/24 and 1080p/60? Does it accept these resolutions and downconvert them to 720p? If so that is very misleading and it isn't made clear to the buyer that that is what the projector does

 

[gmichael]

Then why do reviews I see say that the AX100U accepts 1080p/24 and 1080p/60? Does it accept these resolutions and downconvert them to 720p? If so that is very misleading and it isn't made clear to the buyer that that is what the projector does

Yes it is. What you want to look for is the native resolution. This is what you will be getting no matter what is inputted. But the source will make a huge difference in what you see. 480i changed to 720p will not look anywhere as nice as 720p passing threw as 720p. I don't think that a 1080p source will look any better than 720p when outputted on a 720p display. Maybe not even as good by a few split hairs.
But anyway, look for the native resolution. That's what will be outputted.

 

[BMXTRIX]

Then why do reviews I see say that the AX100U accepts 1080p/24 and 1080p/60? Does it accept these resolutions and downconvert them to 720p? If so that is very misleading and it isn't made clear to the buyer that that is what the projector does

This is standard industry terminology. If you can think of a better way to say it, then please suggest it, but ALL manufacturers, of ALL displays tend to list the accepted resolution formats for their displays.

Because video comes in 6 fairly standard formats in the USA including 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p/24, and 1080p60 it is important to know that your display is capable of at least displaying those signals if they are fed to your projector, plasma, LCD, or other display device. Even moreso, computer resolutions have dozens of different versions, and if you want to connect a PC then it is very helpful to know those resolutions that are accepted.

But - as is the case with all digital displays including LCD, DLP, plasma, LCoS, etc. in flat panels, rear projection, and front projection - there is only ONE resolution that matters: The display's native resolution.

FYI: I believe Optoma (or InFocus) has a 854x480 projector that handles resolutions all the way up to 1080p.

It's kind of like only speaking English but understanding five other languages. In the end, you still have to convert them to English if you want to speak.

 

[gmichael]

It's kind of like only speaking English but understanding five other languages. In the end, you still have to convert them to English if you want to speak.

Now that's funny.

 

[HiJon89]

Because video comes in 6 fairly standard formats in the USA including 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p/24, and 1080p60 it is important to know that your display is capable of at least displaying those signals if they are fed to your projector, plasma, LCD, or other display device. Even moreso, computer resolutions have dozens of different versions, and if you want to connect a PC then it is very helpful to know those resolutions that are accepted.

I just found it confusing that in their review Audioholics says next to Resolution: "1920 x 1080 maximum" I took this to mean that the projector is capable of outputting at a maximum of 1080p.

 

[The Dukester]

I have read that there is no lense shift with the HD70, is this a big problem for setup? I rather not use the keystone correction, from what i have read and seen it is not wise to use it. (I would mount the HD70 from the ceiling if I get it) The most likely screen size I will get is 106".

My theater room is almost complete so already working on wife with projector purchase haha

Any other projectors you guys think I should check out at a decent price?

There is no lens shift with the HD70. With a 106" screen, you would need a 9' ceiling ht to keep the screen more than a few inches off the floor. Otherwise you are looking at a smaller screen, table mounting the pj, keystoning or another pj. If you want to stay around that price, I would look at a couple of earlier models. The Pannasonic AE900U would be a good choice if you don't mind LCD. It would be around 3-4 hudred more than the HD70, has lens shift and a much larger zoom.