DLP Projector (1080p?)

[BabelFish]

I am in the research stage of my HT. I think I am set for the stereo but I would like some help with the projector. I would really like to get a 1080p DLP but I am afraid that the prices have not dropped enough for me to be able to afford one. (Unless someone can shed some light on the subject ) My budget is:

(Feel free to reallocate funds)
Projector: $3000
Screen: $700
Mounting: $150

My initial thoughts were:
Projector: Optoma HD81 or BenQ W1000 (yeah I know.. a little out of my budget)
Screen: GrayWolf (1.8 Gain) ?? (would like 100 inch) (Pull Down style)
Mounting: TBA

My room is layout Room height 7.5ft.

What DLP Projector would you (anyone) recommend?

With the size of the wall that I have... Can I even fit the 100 inch? I am afraid that the ceiling is too low.. Thoughts?

Thanks!!!

 

[mtrycrafts]

I am in the research stage of my HT. I think I am set for the stereo but I would like some help with the projector. I would really like to get a 1080p DLP but I am afraid that the prices have not dropped enough for me to be able to afford one. (Unless someone can shed some light on the subject ) My budget is:

(Feel free to reallocate funds)
Projector: $3000
Screen: $700
Mounting: $150

My initial thoughts were:
Projector: Optoma HD81 or BenQ W1000 (yeah I know.. a little out of my budget)
Screen: GrayWolf (1.8 Gain) ?? (would like 100 inch) (Pull Down style)
Mounting: TBA

My room is layout Room height 7.5ft.

What DLP Projector would you (anyone) recommend?

With the size of the wall that I have... Can I even fit the 100 inch? I am afraid that the ceiling is too low.. Thoughts?

Thanks!!!

A few thoughts top consider while you are still in the planning stage.
Where do you propose to place the screen and audio gear?
Not a manual pull down. I doubt you will get a good one for that. Fixed or motorized perhaps but the latter is much more.
Room lighting when you intend to view and light on the screen after calibration, not advertised light output. theaters have a standard of 16ft-Lambert and few are that bright.
Projector throw distance, minimum distance for screen size as that is where the most light in most cases, not all.

 

[BabelFish]

A few thoughts top consider while you are still in the planning stage.
Where do you propose to place the screen and audio gear?
Not a manual pull down. I doubt you will get a good one for that. Fixed or motorized perhaps but the latter is much more.
Room lighting when you intend to view and light on the screen after calibration, not advertised light output. theaters have a standard of 16ft-Lambert and few are that bright.
Projector throw distance, minimum distance for screen size as that is where the most light in most cases, not all.

The room will have room darkening blinds (Hunter Douglas Honeycomb blinds).

Here is where everything will go: (sorry for the horrible picture..)
A: Sub
B: Surround R (1 of 2 possible places) (Mounted on wall)
C: Rear L (Mounted on wall)
D: Rear R (Mounted on wall)
E: Stereo Components (Facing Sofas)
F: Front L (Floorstanding)
G: Front R (Floorstanding)
H: Surround R (2 of 2 possible places) (Mounted on wall)
I: Surround L
J: Screen (Mounted from ceiling... pull down)

The projector will be mounted above the coffee table (about 10-13 ft back)... or at the back of the room (15'5")...

 

[Rob Babcock]

You're gonna have a hard time doing 1080P for $3k, I'm afraid. Closest I've seen is an open box Mits for $3500. Unless you go CRT- you can do 1080P with a CRT for that price, if you can accomodate the size & weight.

Your digital PJ options are: 1) spend a bit more and get 1080, 2) wait and save up a bit more or 3) get a good 720P model to hold you over til prices come down. If it were me I'd probably choose option 3 if I didn't have a PJ. With decent scaling 720P will do a great job with any HD source, and DLP models with the DarkChip3 are available for around $2k. Alternately you could opt for a $1000 720P unit like the Mits HD1000u- that way you don't have much $ tied up when you go to upgrade.

BTW, I'd avoid the pull down screen unless you absolutely have no other option. You have to spend a bit for a tensioned screen to prevent waves from forming, and even then you'll probably get wrinkles unless you spend a lot on one of the very high end ones. YMMV.

 

[Pluck]

No need for a screen. Just paint the wall white and you'll be fine.

 

[Rob Babcock]

No need for a screen. Just paint the wall white and you'll be fine.

While that can work as an interim solution a screen will offer much higher performance. You will definately not get all you paid for from the PJ without a good screen. The problem with a painted wall is that your typical white paint isn't really a neutral white; it will not give you truly accurate colors like a real screen will. Additionally you'll hurt the percieved black levels and contrast by not having a good, solid black border around the image.

Now, an exception might be a paint on screen, such as Goo. It's formulated to mimic the light reflection properties of a fabric screen and is said to offer very good performance. Goo Systems also sells a very good quality yet affordable black adhesive masking tape that will improve your image quality.

DIY is certainly possible for a screen but unless you're handy and enjoy the work you're probably better off buying a commercially made screen. Carada is a very good source for a frames screen. Just out of curiousity, is a roll up screen a necessity for you? There performance will almost always be poorer in the long run than a fixed frame.

 

[mtrycrafts]

The room will have room darkening blinds (Hunter Douglas Honeycomb blinds).
.

Just one caution on this. You will still have light leak around the ends whether inside or out and overlaps the frame.

 

[BabelFish]

Can't paint the wall because there is a window right there (that long thing behind item J represents a window)... from that you can also see how many other windows are in that room.

We want a pull down so we can still see out that window when the HT is not in use. Any suggestions on how to do that and not have a pull down? Is there any pull downs that run on tracks? (where it can keep the tension when fully extended to stop the waves? if that makes sense)

We are aware of the leak-in light. I am trying to find a projector that has enough lumens that it won't be a huge issue. We are aware that it won't be optimal but we are willing to live with that.

We have trees all around that room so there is never direct sunlight inside the room. I am thinking that it wont be that bad.. It won't be a movie theater during the day but at night it should be really nice.

What 720p DLP DarkChip3 projectors would you recommend for our price range?

 

[Rob Babcock]

The Sharp XV-Z3000 will give you about as good a picture with as good a black level as any DLP 720P PJ I can think of. It uses a DarkChip 3 chip, and the only knock on it is it's a bit loud. The Panasonic AX-100 and Sanyo PL-Z5 are both good projectors but I'd avoid them myself based on some warranty issues and QC problems owners are reporting. Epson makes the panels they use and offers one of the best warranties in the biz, so you might want to look into their PJs if you're interested in LCD.

Optoma makes some PJs with DarkChip 3 DLP engines in your price range; the Optomas are very nice PJs. The Mitsubishi HC-3000u is probably at the bottom end of the price range you'd be looking but is a fine PJ.

Be advised that higher lumen output will not give you any better blacks in an environment with high ambient lighting. You can't get any blacker than the background level of the screen. Brightness hides this by boosting things but won't make the darks any darker.

 

[Rob Babcock]

Note: the Mits '3000 is a DarkChip 2 model.

 

[apatel25314]

i just bought a panasonic PTAE1000U projector from projector point , and it was 4g, but then they sent me a mail in rebate so once that comes through it will be $3600,+the projector looks really good and has received excellent reviews

http://www.projectorcentral.com/Panasonic_Home-PT-AE1000E.htm