Front projector recommendations

[Freddy]

I need advice from all you experts out there in selecting the right front projector for my basement. The projector will be located in a very large room which has no windows, so the lighting and space will not be an issue. I will be watching a lot of hockey and football (yes, being from Canada, I'm a big NHL and CFL fan!) some on HD some not, as well as movies and the odd DVD. We would use the projector as a day-to-day TV, although we also have a regular 32" tube TV upstairs which we will still be using. We get our feed from Bell Expressvu satellite.

After reading the reviews, I have narrowed down my choices to 6 units. The first 4 are within the $3000 range:

1) Sony Cineza HS60 (the review for this unit is not out yet, but from reading the HS51A review, it appears to be a great projector).
2) Panasonic PT-AX100U
3) Sanyo PLV-Z4
4) Optoma HD7100 (doesn't appear to be as good as the other 3, but Costco here in Canada carries it and they are always cheaper than everybody else)

The other two are cheaper and I still have to determine whether it would really be worth it to spend double the money for a projector, when it appears from the reviews that these two are truly amazing units:

1) Optoma HD70
2) Optoma HD72

I am looking for any feedback and recommendations anyone may have. Is it really worth it going with the $3000 units? If so, which one would you recommend? Do you have any other units to suggest?

Fred from Canada (and no, I don't live in an igloo)

 

[mtrycrafts]

I need advice from all you experts out there in selecting the right front projector for my basement. The projector will be located in a very large room which has no windows, so the lighting and space will not be an issue. I will be watching a lot of hockey and football (yes, being from Canada, I'm a big NHL and CFL fan!) some on HD some not, as well as movies and the odd DVD. We would use the projector as a day-to-day TV, although we also have a regular 32" tube TV upstairs which we will still be using. We get our feed from Bell Expressvu satellite.

After reading the reviews, I have narrowed down my choices to 6 units. The first 4 are within the $3000 range:

1) Sony Cineza HS60 (the review for this unit is not out yet, but from reading the HS51A review, it appears to be a great projector).
2) Panasonic PT-AX100U
3) Sanyo PLV-Z4
4) Optoma HD7100 (doesn't appear to be as good as the other 3, but Costco here in Canada carries it and they are always cheaper than everybody else)

The other two are cheaper and I still have to determine whether it would really be worth it to spend double the money for a projector, when it appears from the reviews that these two are truly amazing units:

1) Optoma HD70
2) Optoma HD72

I am looking for any feedback and recommendations anyone may have. Is it really worth it going with the $3000 units? If so, which one would you recommend? Do you have any other units to suggest?

Fred from Canada (and no, I don't live in an igloo)

Just one input. With that much TV time you plan on putting on it, light bulb replacement will be frequent. Get one with easy replacement and affordability of the bulb. Some are rather expensive.

 

[The Dukester]

Some things to also consider are how long you plan on keeping it, whether or not you or your wife are sensitive to rainbow effect (seen on the DLP models) and how close you are going to sit as the LCD have more screen door effect. Also what screen size are you going to use, how high is your ceiling and how do you plan on mounting the pj?

The Optomas have a pretty big offset, so screen size, throw distance and ceiling ht come more into play on these. I think all the LCDs you mentioned have lens shift which give you a lot more options on where you mount it.

That said, the pic will look good on all those units. I would tend to wait a few more months to see what 1080p pjs come out this fall and at what price, if you want to spend upwards of 3k. If you want to wait a couple more years to get in on the 1080p units at a great price and there is more content available yet enjoy the big screen experience, then, if your conditions will allow, I would lean more towards the Optomas (if you don't see SDE) or one of the lower priced LCDs.

Many things to consider before making a decision!

 

[Freddy]

Dukester

Good advice Dukester and you are right, there are many things to consider!

The projector will be mounted on the ceiling, which are standard 8ft (a little less since we will install suspended ceilings). I was thinking of an 84" screen, since we won't always be watching HD signals and a hockey game on regular satellite probably won't look too good on a 100"-120" screen. As for the length of time we plan on keeping it, the reason I am going to Projection is so the unit can be upgrated every 3-5 years (of course, depending on the price we pay for our first one and how much they go down in price in the next while).

I am starting to lean towards a cheaper Optoma for now, and then do the upgrade in a couple years when the 1080p are more affordable. A good point by mtrycrafts on the bulbs, would I be correct in assuming that the lower end Optomas have cheaper bulbs?

Oh, and I forgot to ask one more question: I have heard from a friend that you are better to paint a screen on your wall using this "special" projector paint/coating than installing a fixed screen. I have never heard about this product in any of the reviews, does anyone know anything about this process? Would you recommend it?

 

[apatel25314]

it can and can not be better, depends on the gain you want and how the price is

 

[BMXTRIX]

Goo Systems Screen Goo is the product, and while it is good, I think most people would be happier with a screen like a Carada which is very well built and easily moved to a new location if necessary.

I think the Optoma is a good choice, but you will have to watch the screen offset. I think the screen must be mounted about 33% of the screen height below the center of the projector's lens. When putting the projector in, I think the goal would be to get the projector about as high as you physically can without blocking ventilation. With a dropped ceiling, you may shoot to get the projector partway into the ceiling grid even.

But, realistically, you can't go wrong with any of the projectors. The Sony concerns me a bit because Sony is notoriously poor with SDTV, unlike, say the Panasonic which is consistently a cut above the rest.

The Panasonic also includes an incredible amount of lens shift and zoom range to really allow the most flexibility you could want in your install with a brightness level that is tough to match in case the lights are on in the room.

Obviously, you must be aware that lamps will blow anywhere above about 1,000 hours with any front projector you get. This is a cost consideration you should keep in mind.

 

[KevInCinci]

The Optoma HD72 I have is great and the reviews for the HD70 are pretty good, too, especially if you want to save some money. I can't say enough about how much you need to pay attention to the installation restrictions, though. The lack of lens shift and the very small zoom capability is a really big factor with these, both of which mean the image goes to a very defined space (and size) on the wall, with little flexibility. If you have the luxury of mounting it anywhere on the ceiling and aren't too particular about screen location (being able to paint your own on a wall helps), then you can mitigate these limitations somewhat. But be sure to check out Optoma's web site for the measurements, geometry, etc., to make sure they will work for you. Also, Optoma was including a free replacement bulb for a while, but they probably have discontinued that by now.

Cheers,

Kevin

p.s. don't forget that they also have only digital keystone correction, which can negatively impact performance if you have to use it.

 

[dd24skater]

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