Projectors. What's the crack?
Discussion
Been looking at getting a projector for my dads next birthday.
Not really something I know anything about other than the fact they hang from the ceiling at the gym and used to be stupidly expensive.
Have found a BenQ w600 that looks do-able, about £500 I think. Seems fine.
What do I need to know about projectors please? What do the numbers mean - ie.
Display Type DLP
Resolution 720p
Brightness 2600 lumens
Contrast Ratio 3000 :1
Weight 2.7 kg
Keystone Correction Yes
Fan Noise 34db in normal 31db in eco
Are these good numbers? Show me car stats and I'll know what I'm doing but this means nowt to me!
MrMoonyMan said:
Been looking at getting a projector for my dads next birthday.
Not really something I know anything about other than the fact they hang from the ceiling at the gym and used to be stupidly expensive.
Have found a BenQ w600 that looks do-able, about £500 I think. Seems fine.
What do I need to know about projectors please? What do the numbers mean - ie.
Display Type DLP
Resolution 720p
Brightness 2600 lumens
Contrast Ratio 3000 :1
Weight 2.7 kg
Keystone Correction Yes
Fan Noise 34db in normal 31db in eco
Are these good numbers? Show me car stats and I'll know what I'm doing but this means nowt to me!
DLP is the projection type.Not really something I know anything about other than the fact they hang from the ceiling at the gym and used to be stupidly expensive.
Have found a BenQ w600 that looks do-able, about £500 I think. Seems fine.
What do I need to know about projectors please? What do the numbers mean - ie.
Display Type DLP
Resolution 720p
Brightness 2600 lumens
Contrast Ratio 3000 :1
Weight 2.7 kg
Keystone Correction Yes
Fan Noise 34db in normal 31db in eco
Are these good numbers? Show me car stats and I'll know what I'm doing but this means nowt to me!
Resolution is what its capable of, so that's a HD Ready projector, in essence.
Brightness, higher the better, dependant on projection surface and distance between projector and screen
Contrast Higher the better, 3000:1 isnt bad, dependant on how its measured, this is a bit of a discussion point.
Keystone correction is to make the projected image square if the projector itself is angled down
Fan Noise is the noise of the projector in use.
It's a pretty big topic to just jump in and buy the first thing you come across that seems the right price. That model is a DLP type, which might mean it is harder to setup in your Dad's room as they are less flexible than some LCD types. Also the way that DLP projectors create the colous on screen (using a spining wheel with sections of different colours) means that some viewers can see a 'rainbow' effect of coloured stripes particularly on high contrast and/or fast moving scenes. If it turns out that your Dad is effected by this effect it may mean that he can't watch it due to this effect (some suffer from headaches).
On the other hand if he gets on with DLP, then they tend to have a good contrast and deeper blacks than similar priced LCD models.
I'd recommend reading this projector FAQ thread over on AVforums just to get a grounding of what's involved:
http://www.avforums.com/forums/projectors/85326-pr...
On the other hand if he gets on with DLP, then they tend to have a good contrast and deeper blacks than similar priced LCD models.
I'd recommend reading this projector FAQ thread over on AVforums just to get a grounding of what's involved:
http://www.avforums.com/forums/projectors/85326-pr...
Projectors aren't for everyone, I've had three and they've all bought up some interesting issues.
The most recent is an emptw1000 (couple of year old 1080p epson) which is great, it eats bulbs (which can be about £240 if ebay doesn't come up trumps!) and required me to spray paint some black paint over part of a light fitting to stop it washing out the image.
Screen is another problem. They canwork well projecting onto an emulshioned wall, however repainting could make it more reflective which will give little "star-like" sparkly bits of super reflection! So I would recommend some proper projector screen material (which is different depending on which projector it is for, some require gain, some don't)
I echo the sentiment above, look into it a bit more on avforums before you make your decision.
The most recent is an emptw1000 (couple of year old 1080p epson) which is great, it eats bulbs (which can be about £240 if ebay doesn't come up trumps!) and required me to spray paint some black paint over part of a light fitting to stop it washing out the image.
Screen is another problem. They canwork well projecting onto an emulshioned wall, however repainting could make it more reflective which will give little "star-like" sparkly bits of super reflection! So I would recommend some proper projector screen material (which is different depending on which projector it is for, some require gain, some don't)
I echo the sentiment above, look into it a bit more on avforums before you make your decision.
strudel said:
What are you feeding into the projector?
A variety of things. Mixture of Laptops with video output and PS3. Possibly a bluray player.It will be projected onto a proper projector screen and probably not used for everyday TV - more special occasions to watch a film etc..
Sounds like more research is needed!
MrMoonyMan said:
strudel said:
What are you feeding into the projector?
A variety of things. Mixture of Laptops with video output and PS3. Possibly a bluray player.It will be projected onto a proper projector screen and probably not used for everyday TV - more special occasions to watch a film etc..
Sounds like more research is needed!
The clarity on such a large picture was truly humbling, I have it on DVD and have watched on this projector before but it was a different experience altogether!
I use mine for TV too so I use about two bulbs a year! If you are only using it for "best" then I wouldn't worry about bulb costs as it will be very infrequent. Lighting can be pretty much switched off if it's once in a while too.
Note that to achieve decent contrast levels from a projector you must have no ambient lighting (which usualy means blackout curtains/blinds), and ideally the room should be painted in darker, mat colours to prevent reflections. If you want a replacement for a big screen TV you will likely be disappointed.
Mr2Mike said:
Note that to achieve decent contrast levels from a projector you must have no ambient lighting (which usualy means blackout curtains/blinds), and ideally the room should be painted in darker, mat colours to prevent reflections. If you want a replacement for a big screen TV you will likely be disappointed.
That rather depends on the brightness of the projector.It is however true that projectors are best in dedicated rooms.
MrMoonyMan said:
Been looking at getting a projector for my dads next birthday.
MrMoonyMan said:
strudel said:
What are you feeding into the projector?
A variety of things. Mixture of Laptops with video output and PS3. Possibly a bluray player.FlossyThePig said:
MrMoonyMan said:
Been looking at getting a projector for my dads next birthday.
MrMoonyMan said:
strudel said:
What are you feeding into the projector?
A variety of things. Mixture of Laptops with video output and PS3. Possibly a bluray player.Brother lives at home and has the Playstation if that was what you meant..
I hope you take this advise the way it is meant.
£500 is not enough to get a decent projector. To sit down and enjoy a film, you need 1080p and a CR of in the region of 15,000-30,000:1. To get that, you need to be spending over a grand. Contrast Ratio is the difference between the blackest blacks and the whitest whites, so the projector you are looking at the black is only 3000 times darker than the white. My projector at home is only modest in AV circles, and it is 16,000:1 and dark films are a little bit grey (i am being a bit picky though)
Also, you need to be careful to get a native resolution of 1080p, not 'capable of 1080p' they are 2 different things, it also needs to be 'native' 16:9 so that you don't have too many black stripes at the top and bottom of the screen.
You would be disappointed with a £500 projector - that is what i started out looking at, but i soon realised that they were just glorified classroom projectors.
Greg
£500 is not enough to get a decent projector. To sit down and enjoy a film, you need 1080p and a CR of in the region of 15,000-30,000:1. To get that, you need to be spending over a grand. Contrast Ratio is the difference between the blackest blacks and the whitest whites, so the projector you are looking at the black is only 3000 times darker than the white. My projector at home is only modest in AV circles, and it is 16,000:1 and dark films are a little bit grey (i am being a bit picky though)
Also, you need to be careful to get a native resolution of 1080p, not 'capable of 1080p' they are 2 different things, it also needs to be 'native' 16:9 so that you don't have too many black stripes at the top and bottom of the screen.
You would be disappointed with a £500 projector - that is what i started out looking at, but i soon realised that they were just glorified classroom projectors.
Greg
I think that's a gross oversimplification. While I've gone down the upgrade path myself (and I started with a 1080p model three years ago) plenty of people enjoy a £500 HD ready projector.I've read of some owners that have a Kuro as a main TV and still prefer to watch films on a 'modest' projector due to the scale of the image.
You could also add that using a projector in a light coloured room is a waste of time due to washout caused by room reflection, but there are options even then, we've all got to start somewhere. Maybe using a modest projector might reveal that it isn't for them (having to watch in the dark for one thing) and given just how quickly projectors devalue (faster than a 1970's Fiat
) then maybe that's a better option. Spending £2k and finding that it's not suitable isn't the cleverest use of money either.
Personally I'm glad I upgraded to a JVC HD350, took the trouble to treat my room for reflections, bought a decent tab tensioned screen and learnt how to calibrate my projector. However, that doesn't mean someone watching a budget model in a white room, uncalibrated projecting on a wall won't enjoy themselves...in fact there's agood chance they'll just get on and enjoy it while us 'enthusiasts' will sit there analysing the image rather than just watching it.
You could also add that using a projector in a light coloured room is a waste of time due to washout caused by room reflection, but there are options even then, we've all got to start somewhere. Maybe using a modest projector might reveal that it isn't for them (having to watch in the dark for one thing) and given just how quickly projectors devalue (faster than a 1970's Fiat
) then maybe that's a better option. Spending £2k and finding that it's not suitable isn't the cleverest use of money either.Personally I'm glad I upgraded to a JVC HD350, took the trouble to treat my room for reflections, bought a decent tab tensioned screen and learnt how to calibrate my projector. However, that doesn't mean someone watching a budget model in a white room, uncalibrated projecting on a wall won't enjoy themselves...in fact there's agood chance they'll just get on and enjoy it while us 'enthusiasts' will sit there analysing the image rather than just watching it.
Greg_D said:
I hope you take this advise the way it is meant.
£500 is not enough to get a decent projector. To sit down and enjoy a film, you need 1080p and a CR of in the region of 15,000-30,000:1. To get that, you need to be spending over a grand. Contrast Ratio is the difference between the blackest blacks and the whitest whites, so the projector you are looking at the black is only 3000 times darker than the white. My projector at home is only modest in AV circles, and it is 16,000:1 and dark films are a little bit grey (i am being a bit picky though)
Also, you need to be careful to get a native resolution of 1080p, not 'capable of 1080p' they are 2 different things, it also needs to be 'native' 16:9 so that you don't have too many black stripes at the top and bottom of the screen.
You would be disappointed with a £500 projector - that is what i started out looking at, but i soon realised that they were just glorified classroom projectors.
Greg
Load of crap, I've seen a few high end ones eg av show demos and more than happy with my optoma hd65£500 is not enough to get a decent projector. To sit down and enjoy a film, you need 1080p and a CR of in the region of 15,000-30,000:1. To get that, you need to be spending over a grand. Contrast Ratio is the difference between the blackest blacks and the whitest whites, so the projector you are looking at the black is only 3000 times darker than the white. My projector at home is only modest in AV circles, and it is 16,000:1 and dark films are a little bit grey (i am being a bit picky though)
Also, you need to be careful to get a native resolution of 1080p, not 'capable of 1080p' they are 2 different things, it also needs to be 'native' 16:9 so that you don't have too many black stripes at the top and bottom of the screen.
You would be disappointed with a £500 projector - that is what i started out looking at, but i soon realised that they were just glorified classroom projectors.
Greg
As is everyone else on the long threads over on avforums...
Edited by amir_j on Tuesday 9th February 22:21
You don't need to spend millions, but can if you want 
I like Epson projectors and have had an overhead one in the living room for my main telly/films etc for nearly 5 years. I also have a proper pull down projector screen over the fireplace.
I'm now on a Epson TW700, it needs a fairly dark room for best results.
http://www.projectorpoint.co.uk/projectors/Epson_E...
The first bulb lasted about 2400 hours on a mix of high and low settings.
Bloody good! and can produce great pictures with decent 720p HD input and a darkened room. I would never have a normal telly, lcd or plasma again.
I drive it with a mixture of an Acer Revo R3600 using HDMI, and component video from my old standard DVD player and antique freeview box. 720p (1280 x 720) source material such as decent films etc and documentaries look great.
The Acer Revo R3600 from e-buyer at £140!! with nvidia-ion graphics can also decode HD material and drive the projector very easily, it makes a great combination for home theatre. Once adobe release the newest version of the flash player then HD BBC IPlayer stuff should also be possible.
Will be watching a film tonight with a bag of crisps/chocs and glass of wine at one side and the wife sitting knitting on the other! I just need some 3D glasses now and a copy of Avatar!!
I quite fancy one of these for the next upgrade!
http://www.projectorpoint.co.uk/projectors/Epson_E...
Free bulb as well if it goes within three years which is a good saving.
I like Epson projectors and have had an overhead one in the living room for my main telly/films etc for nearly 5 years. I also have a proper pull down projector screen over the fireplace.
I'm now on a Epson TW700, it needs a fairly dark room for best results.
http://www.projectorpoint.co.uk/projectors/Epson_E...
The first bulb lasted about 2400 hours on a mix of high and low settings.
Bloody good! and can produce great pictures with decent 720p HD input and a darkened room. I would never have a normal telly, lcd or plasma again.
I drive it with a mixture of an Acer Revo R3600 using HDMI, and component video from my old standard DVD player and antique freeview box. 720p (1280 x 720) source material such as decent films etc and documentaries look great.
The Acer Revo R3600 from e-buyer at £140!! with nvidia-ion graphics can also decode HD material and drive the projector very easily, it makes a great combination for home theatre. Once adobe release the newest version of the flash player then HD BBC IPlayer stuff should also be possible.
Will be watching a film tonight with a bag of crisps/chocs and glass of wine at one side and the wife sitting knitting on the other! I just need some 3D glasses now and a copy of Avatar!!
I quite fancy one of these for the next upgrade!
http://www.projectorpoint.co.uk/projectors/Epson_E...
Free bulb as well if it goes within three years which is a good saving.
Edited by peterperkins on Wednesday 10th February 00:06
it would appear that some people are prepared to accept anything so long as the picture is big, if that is you OP then knock yourself out and buy a £140 projector 
I was assuming that you wanted a TV quality image, if so, my comments still stand, do a side by side comparison like i did and, budget permitting, you WILL NOT buy cheap.
Greg
I was assuming that you wanted a TV quality image, if so, my comments still stand, do a side by side comparison like i did and, budget permitting, you WILL NOT buy cheap.
Greg
Greg_D said:
it would appear that some people are prepared to accept anything so long as the picture is big, if that is you OP then knock yourself out and buy a £140 projector
I was assuming that you wanted a TV quality image, if so, my comments still stand, do a side by side comparison like i did and, budget permitting, you WILL NOT buy cheap.
Greg
Are you intentionally being condescending?I was assuming that you wanted a TV quality image, if so, my comments still stand, do a side by side comparison like i did and, budget permitting, you WILL NOT buy cheap.
Greg
Also when did you last buy a projector? I ask because a couple of years ago I would have agreed with you but now it is possible to get a very decent picture for way less than you used to have to pay. Also who mentioned a £140 projector? Guy was talking about a PC which should have been obvious when graphics cards were mentioned.
When I first got a projector you'd be paying £10,000 for a HD resolution projector and would need other gadgets to upscale to HD quality. Now HD sources are cheap and plentiful and for a few hundred quid more than I paid for 25,000 C/R you can get 200,000 now! I'm not saying that you'll get cinephile quality for bargain prices but it's not as bad as it used to be.
OP best thing you can do is find a shop that let you try at home to audition it. pick say three projectors with different budgets and see what you think the best thing to do is.
freecar said:
Greg_D said:
it would appear that some people are prepared to accept anything so long as the picture is big, if that is you OP then knock yourself out and buy a £140 projector
I was assuming that you wanted a TV quality image, if so, my comments still stand, do a side by side comparison like i did and, budget permitting, you WILL NOT buy cheap.
Greg
Are you intentionally being condescending?I was assuming that you wanted a TV quality image, if so, my comments still stand, do a side by side comparison like i did and, budget permitting, you WILL NOT buy cheap.
Greg
Also when did you last buy a projector? I ask because a couple of years ago I would have agreed with you but now it is possible to get a very decent picture for way less than you used to have to pay. Also who mentioned a £140 projector? Guy was talking about a PC which should have been obvious when graphics cards were mentioned.
When I first got a projector you'd be paying £10,000 for a HD resolution projector and would need other gadgets to upscale to HD quality. Now HD sources are cheap and plentiful and for a few hundred quid more than I paid for 25,000 C/R you can get 200,000 now! I'm not saying that you'll get cinephile quality for bargain prices but it's not as bad as it used to be.
OP best thing you can do is find a shop that let you try at home to audition it. pick say three projectors with different budgets and see what you think the best thing to do is.
In car terms, a £500 projector is like a renault clio, not the pits, but pretty close to the bottom, it will get you up the M5 just fine but nowhere near as nice as a mid spec bmw or audi, that is what we are talking about here, if you want a quantifiably better picture, spend a bit more money, you will be glad you did in the long term, that is all i am saying.
We agree on the OP doing a side by side, if he does so, he will see where the extra £500-600 is going, without a doubt.
But for me, the lower end of the sweet spot at the moment between cost/performance is about £1000
Stop getting so defensive
Greg
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