choosing a used projector

[pablo1gr]

Hi every one, I´m looking to replace a crack 60" inch tv : ( and i want to get a projector being the cheapest alternative, I went to the used market to see if I could get more bang per buck, so I found a Sony vpl-fw41 with no lamp for $250 usd and a new lamp for it for $52 usd, I know its old (2009-2011) but it was mid end back on its day putting out 4500 lumens an a 720p native resolution. I also found an Epson power lite home cinema 730hd little newer (2013-2016) with almost a new lamp at 100 hrs. same resolution and 3000 lumens for $350 usd. My room dimensions are 18x15 ft with a 8 ft ceiling, some to little ambient light, I´m shooting for a 100" to 120" screen, what is your opinion? Should I get the older one but higher end or the little more expensive newer one? Is the sony an over kill for my room?

 

[rojo]

Hi every one, I´m looking to replace a crack 60" inch tv : ( and i want to get a projector being the cheapest alternative, I went to the used market to see if I could get more bang per buck, so I found a Sony vpl-fw41 with no lamp for $250 usd and a new lamp for it for $52 usd, I know its old (2009-2011) but it was mid end back on its day putting out 4500 lumens an a 720p native resolution. I also found an Epson power lite home cinema 730hd little newer (2013-2016) with almost a new lamp at 100 hrs. same resolution and 3000 lumens for $350 usd. My room dimensions are 18x15 ft with a 8 ft ceiling, some to little ambient light, I´m shooting for a 100" to 120" screen, what is your opinion? Should I get the older one but higher end or the little more expensive newer one? Is the sony an over kill for my room?

First, you should check Projector Central's throw calculator to see whether either will meet your throw requirements given your intended mount distance and desired screen size. Next, does either offer frame interpolation? If so, give preference to that one. Sorry, on my phone at the moment and research is cumbersome.

For the screen, since you've got some ambient light I recommend gray or silver screen material to improve blacks.

 

[pablo1gr]

I checked and non has the interpolation, and both are able to get me the size I want at the farthest distance of my room, the sony can be display with a plenty of ambient light according to the calculator, you always need to turn the lights on in that room even if its the middle of the day so that is not such a big benefit. I want to go with the Sony but im afraid that is older and bigger. One thing the Epson got going is the key stone correction, the Sony only has vertical where the Epson has horz + vert.

 

[BMXTRIX]

Ignoring what you end up with, I think you are all set to shoot yourself in the foot and wonder how the bullet got there. Answer: You fired it.

The used market has absolutely no guarantees and projectors have a far shorter shelf life than many other electronics due to the extremely hot light bulb sitting in the center of it. That means it's very hot, and has fans running around it all the time. So, it's cooled, then hot, then cooled, then hot. The fans run as long as the projector is on, and there is absolutely no way, at all, to know the condition of a used projector.

Brighter models are hotter and have even more potential for issues.

A projector with no lamp? So, you don't even know if it works when you buy it?

Do you have $300 you don't care about?

In my experience, if you have a very low budget, and care about your money, then you should be looking at refurbished projectors, from the manufacturer. Epson, is very good with their models providing, I believe, a one-year warranty, and a brand new lamp in their projectors.

So, that HC730 is available for $375 and is guaranteed.

https://epson.com/Clearance-Center/Home-Entertainment/c/cc301

The Sony is a commercial projector, not really designed for home video. It has horrendous contrast ratio, meaning that you will never get good blacks from it, and after dark use will be painfully bright, and not very good looking. It has a much better lens than the Epson, with horizontal and vertical lens shift, instead of keystone correction, so it has much better placement flexibility. A cheap $50 lamp may or may not work well in the projector. Cheap lamps are often just that: Cheap. I hear a couple of times a year from someone who got a cheap lamp and it actually melts the projector because of how hot it runs. So, that's a really big consideration when buying a high end projector and putting cheap parts in it. Don't buy a cheap Porsche and put cheap oil in it, you may end up with no Porsche at all. Same with better electronics that need regular service, you have to pay for those better parts.

On a budget, the Sony makes no sense at all to me. You need reliability over performance and the Sony doesn't offer the right performance for your space.

Oh, and manufacturer lumen ratings are typically a joke.

 

[pablo1gr]

wow what a eye opener, thanks for that advice I will be following it, I am looking at a Epson 2030 refurbish for $470, Now can you tell me how loud are this projectors? being my first encounter with them I can´t tell, with the sony I would be able to place it 18 ft away and get a 120 inch screen wich was great bacuse I could place it right at the end of the room, now that I wont be getting the sony and Im looking at the Epson I need to put it right above my recomended seated area for that 120´screen that I want, so would the fan noise be an issue?

 

[BMXTRIX]

Fan noise is typically low on home theater models. There are a number of decent reviews out there for the 2030, which you should read.

http://www.projectorcentral.com/epson_home_cinema_2030_projector_review.htm

It's worth reading about any user reviews as well for the 2030.

Projectors aren't silent, but generally they exhaust from the sides, which helps to lower noise directly below the projector a bit. You can pretty much count on that Sony being a bit noisier than most other projectors out there designed for home theater, but the Epson certainly isn't silent.

A really quiet home theater projector usually has a more serious price tag associated with it. The Sony HW45ES, for example, which is more like $2,000, rather than your nicely raised budget.

There is a ton of projector information out there, but it is important to understand that home theater models tend to range upwards from good with major manufacturers. So, Epson, Sony, Optoma, BenQ, InFocus, etc. all deliver pretty solid quality across the board for the money.

 

[afterlife2]

Also take a look at the Acer 5380 Good budget PJ.