I would say to get the Sanyo PLV-Z3 which is a great projector for the money and can be had online for under $1,500...
But better yet, why not go with the Panasonic AE900? With the current rebate of $400 on that model, use the link on this site to get it as Visual Apex (great store!) and the final price is $1,495.
The SP5000 has exactly opposite the reviews that you are claiming. Everything I hear indicates that it is one of the poorer performing LCD projectors with not-so-great black levels and lousy scaling. Light leak is just an added bonus and sign of the poor design. Basically, it seems that InFocus is just trying to unload them, not actually sell them at this point.
Bottom line is that, for the money, the Panny is a much better choice, the Sanyo is a much better choice... Heck, I would likely go with the InFocus SP4805 over the 5000. Even with less resolution, it'll deliver the image that matters while the 5000 simply will not.
Likewise, that Samsung DVD player won't be doing a lot to improve your overall image when compared to some of the other upconverting DVD players on the market. The Samsung is very popular right now, despite never getting very good reviews.
Of course - VCR will look like crud on any 8 foot screen. VCR is about the lowest level quality you can get, so don't set expectations to high on any VCR video. That's it - just keep your expectations in line with the quality of the signal you are sending. The better the signal is that you deliver, the higher your expectations should be with any projector you purchase.
