hrm? what to buy, what to buy

[Rocky]

Ok, ive posted a few times here, so some of you may be getting to know me. if not... well, you know me now. ANYWAYS, i just finished the audio side of my HT.
Kenwood VR-9050-s
2x Sinclair Brighton SB2600T Fronts
1x Polk Audio CSi25 Center
2x Polk Audio R-15 Rears
1x Cadence X-Sub
1x Home Made HDTV HTPC, w/ Nvidia 6600

ANYWAYS, its time for a little video upgrade, from my JVC 27" from about 10 years ago to a projector. There are a few main questions I have, first being LCD or DLP. The second being, Panasonic AE700U or InFocus SP 4805?

If you have any other models in that pricepoint, I am more then open to your suggestions. One of my buddies has a friend who works at Panasonic, and apparently he can get me a AE700U for under 600, so that may play a strong role in my decision as well. anyways, dont let the discount sway your responce in any way. I appreciate you input in advance.

-Mike

 

[Hi Ho]

The Sanyo PLV-Z3 is a direct competitor with the AE700 and it has received rave reviews. However, if you can get an AE700 for $600 I would go for it without hesitation.

 

[mtrycrafts]

Ok, ive posted a few times here, so some of you may be getting to know me. if not... well, you know me now. ANYWAYS, i just finished the audio side of my HT.
Kenwood VR-9050-s
2x Sinclair Brighton SB2600T Fronts
1x Polk Audio CSi25 Center
2x Polk Audio R-15 Rears
1x Cadence X-Sub
1x Home Made HDTV HTPC, w/ Nvidia 6600

ANYWAYS, its time for a little video upgrade, from my JVC 27" from about 10 years ago to a projector. There are a few main questions I have, first being LCD or DLP. The second being, Panasonic AE700U or InFocus SP 4805?

If you have any other models in that pricepoint, I am more then open to your suggestions. One of my buddies has a friend who works at Panasonic, and apparently he can get me a AE700U for under 600, so that may play a strong role in my decision as well. anyways, dont let the discount sway your responce in any way. I appreciate you input in advance.

-Mike

A few things to consider before buying a projector. Can your room be light controlled to full darkness, if need be? Screen size, how far back the projector needs to be to fill that screen; you may not have enough distance.

Theater standard is 16 foot-Lambert but on average theaters down-rate the projector to 11 f-L to save on lamp life. So, that brightness is your yardstick for comparison if you know what your local theater is projecting. THX I believe, requires 16 f-L. Screen size determines on screen numbers.

 

[Rocky]

I am going to be about 9 ft from the projector. The screen size needs to be about 68-72" ish, and the projector can be mounted 10 ft from the wall. I am thinking about putting blackout curtains in the room, but as of right now it is not 100% light controlled... more like 50-60 as i have semi transparent blinds.

 

[mtrycrafts]

I am going to be about 9 ft from the projector. The screen size needs to be about 68-72" ish, and the projector can be mounted 10 ft from the wall. I am thinking about putting blackout curtains in the room, but as of right now it is not 100% light controlled... more like 50-60 as i have semi transparent blinds.

I would suggest you read this:
http://www.runco.com/Widescreen Review CSMS story.pdf

The methodology applies to other makes as well, of course.
Not sure what else I can help with.

 

[BMXTRIX]

I am going to be about 9 ft from the projector. The screen size needs to be about 68-72" ish, and the projector can be mounted 10 ft from the wall. I am thinking about putting blackout curtains in the room, but as of right now it is not 100% light controlled... more like 50-60 as i have semi transparent blinds.

I would go with the AE700 at this viewing distance and would expect that you may be upgrading to HDTV within the next 12 months or so - if you haven't already. The AE700 offers twice the resolution of the 4805 and looks absolutely phenomenal.

The increase in resolution, combined with a fairly bright projector looks great on a 100" screen and will look even better on a smaller screen. I would jump at that price and opportunity right away.

But, you've gotta get some serious curtains for the room if you want to do some daytime viewing. Most 'true' home theaters have dark carpets, dark paint (not necessarily black), and include the ceiling when painting!

The windows are basically mandatory for the BEST image though you may be perfectly happy with what you see when there is light filtering through the existing curtains.

 

[Rocky]

Thanks a lot for your input guys. I am still waiting on word about the ae700u, so I dont know if I am going to be able to get it for that price yet. Looking everything over, the AE700U looks like the right projector for me, but the only thing holding me back is the price. If I dont get the deal from my friend, then I wont have enough for it. May have to do a few more months of saving, and not having a job doesnt help much. Im considering selling my HTPC, which is only about 1 month old, and just going with a stand alone DVD player. Ill have to see. What do you guys think about the screenplay 5000? I was also looking at the InFocus X1A, which i can get in canada for about 600 bucks + 30$ shipping, which is quite cheap. Would you recomend it?