question about projectors

[misschocolate1]

We are in the process of designing our theater room. I was told the Sony VPLVW100 is worth the money despite the bulb price. The theater company we contacted, bid the Sharp RXVZ2000 projector. Several different companies said that was bad advice. Is the Sony worth the price tag or is there something compatible that's not as pricey. Also, is it safe to buy componets over the internet, and then hire an individual to install them all. I know we could save money and buy better quality, I just worry that I couldn't pick up the phone and call someone when somethings not working right. Thanks for any info.

 

[df4801]

you would get better advice if you could tell us your room size (including ceiling height), amount of ambient light, screen size, viewing habits, budget, and desired viewing distance.
With some research, you could easily buy all your components off the web and then pay for install.
I did, and saved thousands!

If you have money to burn and arent interesting in investing a little time for reading/ research, then paying a company to do it all makes sense.

 

[misschocolate1]

The room is a basement measuring 22L X 17W with an 8ft ceiling. We can spend up to $8,000. on the projector. I just finished reading some other posts from people having the same delimma I have. We want an awesome picture and pay as little as possible. We just finished building our own house, so I know we can save alot doing the purchasing ourselves. There are just too many choices. Also, I have to make my purchases by Wednesday of this week. No pressure! My daughter is having a senior party at our house on the 21st of April. I can do this!!!(yikes) I do like quality but I don't want to overpay for something since this is such a changing market.

 

[df4801]

about the same size room as mine.

Is $8K just for the projector?
Do you plan to watch just in the dark, or with other lights on.
That will dictate a lot as to which projector to get.

My advice (for what its worth), and assuming this is your first projector.
Plan on $3K or so for speakers, receiver and dvd.
Another $1500 for a great screen.
Another $1500-2000 for cables, install and setup.
Then I would get a good 720p pj for anywhere from $2K-4K.

With those prices, you could easily get a "WOW" system.
The sony is a great pj for $7500, but its not good for every setup.
I dont think that getting a 1080 pj is needed now, and you can always upgrade in a few years with the money saved. The market is in flux, and anything you buy now will be worth less than 1/2 in a year.

By the way, the sharp 2000 is a good pj for under $3K, but I think there is better now. If I were going with the sharp, I would get the equivilent sharp DT400 for $2999 at costco. With costco, you could use the pj for months, or even much longer and take it back for a full refund if you dont like it for ANY REASON!.

 

[Johnd]

Is $8K just for the projector?

df4801: misschocolate1 answered that above. You may want to offer some suggestions in the 8k price range.

The Sony Ruby is about 8k, and is an outstanding projector. You can find plenty of threads that discuss it in this forum. Happy hunting.

 

[df4801]

John,
Good point.
If she is dead set on spending $8K, the the sony can be easily had for $7500 from an authorized dealer. As there are very few pj's at that price point, then if thats what you want to spend, get the sony. Just realize that for many setups, ie ambient light, large screens, long throw distances, etc, that the sony is far from ideal. Want to step up to $10.5K? Then the infocus 333 (3-chip DLP with 3000 lumens) will be MUCH better for some setups. She really didnt give us enough info to determine.

But she did say, "I do like quality but I don't want to overpay for something since this is such a changing market."
For that reason, I suggested a lower budget pj would possibly be a better value for her.

 

[Johnd]

As there are very few pj's at that price point

Agreed. If 8k is what she want's to spend, there are only a couple of options. Which begs the question, is it worth it to step up from the 3-4k price range? It certainly is advantageous to step up to 10-15k price range, but now were really starting to get pricey, and, I believe, a tad more than misschocolate1 wants to spend. Isn't that always a concern (money)? Additionally, she did not post all of the information you requested above. She may well want to stay in the 3-4k price range, and with half of the money saved, get a motorized screen. Options. Cheers.

 

[misschocolate1]

The lighting in this room shouldn't be a problem, it is a full basement. The paint in the room is not super dark, but I don't think that is a problem either.The distance from projector to screen is 17ft. (room size 22L X 17W)
We have wall sconces as well as ceiling lighting all on dimmers. I want an excellent picture ( since I'm going to all the trouble of having a dedicated theater room, in a basement, in Texas mind you!) I guess I equate quality with a higher price.The person that did our original quote says that the components he quoted were fine for us. The two other Theater stores we contacted said most of the items he quoted were low to mid end products. Again, this is out of my realm of knowledge. I would really like a Lexus for a Chevy price and wouldn't we all! All kidding aside, I just want an excellent quality picture and sound and if I have to pay more to get it I will. But, if great things can be had in a lower range, thats great! Thanks for all the info!

 

[TABCON]

I've been going through this same dilemma. Mostly, I've learned to weed through the advice, all of it great advice, but sometimes it just gets so confusing.

I was bouncing back and forth between the Sony and the Sim2 X3. The Sim2 is more than twice as much as the Sony, but the pic is much brighter and much blacker. The brightness is an issue for me. No, it's not a 1080p unit, but nothing really is right now. The question for me, came down to get the best picture now and worry about the future much later. I've decided to go with the 3chip DLP Sim. If you constantly worry about what will be better tomorrow or the next day, you'll always be disappointed because this cycle never ends. Get the best you can for your budget, and right now, based on your situation, I think the Sony is your best bet.

Tabcon

 

[df4801]

I'd like to help you, partly as a way to "repay" those who helped me.
I was in your situation once, and others here and elsewhere quided me thru the process. In the end, I ended up with a better system than what the installers quoted me, and it was thousands less to boot!

Unfortunately, with projectors, a higher price doesnt always mean better.
A $2K pj may be better than a $5K pj for some setups. You dont always have to pay more for better.

We need to know what size screen you want. That means you also need to know how far back from the screen you want to sit. Will there be 2 rows of seats? If so, what are the distances you want?

If you want the pj 17ft back from the screen, that will limit your options, unless going with a bigger screen.
A little more info, and you will get better responses.

 

[misschocolate1]

The screen size is 106". I can't decide on whether to do 2 rows of theater seats, or one very large sectional. I kind of like the idea of a sectional which would put the viewing at around 12 to 14 ft from the screen. Or maybe a sectional with 2 sets of 2 theater seats. We just finished building this house and I'm so worn out from making decisions! Do you all have any input on theater seats vs sectional seating? Sorry, I'm getting off track, I need to focus on pjs! I'm going to try to stop at a few theater stores tomorrow and look at some projectors. I prefer to buy something with some staying power, at least the next 7-8 years. I'll check back tomorrow.

 

[mtrycrafts]

I prefer to buy something with some staying power, at least the next 7-8 years. I'll check back tomorrow.

This says it all. The Sony Ruby is able to do the highest resolution of 1080progressive and the DVD players to do this are just around the corner, and it has a 3 chip design, no color wheel that may cause problems for some people who are affected by the rainbow effect.

The Ruby can be had for $7400, or less, but there is such a demand that supply is difficult to meet the demand. So, you may be out of time.
As they say, haste makes waste

The, you need it properly calibrated by an ISF trained calibrator.
http://www.imagingscience.com/isf-trained.cfm

You need to have it mounted at the minimum distance from the screen, about 130 inches for most light output. That size screen is fine. The projector needs to be pretty close to the height of the top of the white screen.

ps. The cooling fan is supposedly super quiet, unless your home is at altitude, about 5000ft or more in which case a higher fan speed is required, programmable.

 

[df4801]

If you dont want to upgrade in a couple years when better pj's are out, then I agree that the sony may be your best option.
Just be aware that the throw distance may not ideally be where you want, and you should consider a high power, or other high gain screen.

I would personally go with a lower end pj to hold me over (it would still "WOW" you) for the next year or two, then get a killer machine for probably $4K.
But the sony is great also.

 

[Bryce_H]

I'll jump on the bandwagon as well and say, get a lower priced projector now and upgrade in 3-4 years. The technology changes so fast that you will inevidably want to upgrade in a couple of years anyway. Welcome to the addicition I just got an Epson 550 because I waited WAY too long to upgrade my projector. Love the picture.

 

[misschocolate1]

Thanks everyone for all the great information.I'll let you know which pj we end up going with.

 

[AAD]

I have a very similar set-up. New basement theater 19 x 15 with (2) rows of seats and a 100" screen(Front of projector about 18' from screen).My wife and I looked at projectors from Sony, Runco, Toshiba, and Mitsubishi. I setlled on a Panny AE900U(based on reviews). Since money was tight for me, I fabricated my own screen and ceiling mount. My total out of pocket was $1,550.00 for projector, screen and mount. My picture surpasses all of the projectors that we looked at, some almost 3x the price.

My light controlled room with dark walls and a black ceiling works great with the projector that we have chosen. I agree with many of the other posts in that you should consider what works best with your room and not so much the price tag. You can achieve a stellar picture for a lot less than 8k.