How much is an average video projector and is it worth it?

Question

I'd love to be able to project movies and television onto a bare wall I have in my bedroom, but I've got a couple questions:

1) What's the general cost associated with a video projector?

2) Is the picture worth it? i.e. will I notice a difference by using a projector instead of a TV?

3) Can the projector be used to project DVDs as well as cable programming?

4) Is this stuff easy to install? I have a huuuuge vaulted wall, which is why I have a sudden interest in this idea, but installation needs to be simple - i.e. mount the projector on the wall and let it roll ;)

Thanks guys!

Answer 1

I found a really good 720p projector for $850 on amazon.com (Sony VPL-AW10 or it's higher end brother VPL-AW15).  They can accept (and display) 1080p signals, even at 24 frames per second.

I wouldn't show it on the wall - get a screen.  A cheap one is $60, but you can pay a whole lot more.  Some screens are more reflective than others (result is it being brighter).

Look at bulb costs too. Bulbs can cost a few hundred dollars and will only last 3000-5000 hours as opposed to 60,000 hours lifetime of other TVs.

The picture will be better in the dark, and with everything set up it's like going to the movies but without leaving your house.  I don't have shades where my projector is setup and I found that in the daytime or at night with the overhead room lights, I can't calibrate it for contrast and brightness.  There's only one correct setting for those adjustments and I can't get it with the lights on or in the daytime.  I can still watch the TV with the color temperature up high and the brightness cranked up though.  It is not bad.  It's very good in the dark and the calibration is correct (which I'm happy about).

My projector has component input, hdmi input, composite input, and VGA input so you can hook up whatever you want to it including DVD and cable programming.

It's easy to install if you get the right tools and the right mouting fixtures.  Sony was  out of their minds when I looked at the price of the ceiling mount recommended in the user manual for the projector - it costs $650, but the projector cost $850.  I ended up finding a universal mount on Amazon.com for $60 with $40 rebate (which I haven't cashed in yet).  It took a couple hours to install it and I had to do it a few times with the universal mount to make sure that I had the mount right over the center of gravity of the unit.

Caution:  If you hang a simple cheaper projector from a high ceiling and the projector has no optical lens adjustment (which are sometimes availabe but not on my projector) the image will "keystone" on the screen where the image on the screen starts to look like a trapezoid.  There are electrical compensations for this to reverse the effect, but you loose 1:1 pixel correspondecse with the input signal.  In my case, it's not extreme since I don't have high ceilings.  You could mount the projector on the far wall, but the image would be large.  The specifications show how far away you can be (within a range) for a specific screen size.  The projectors have zoom and focus adjustments.

There are lots of other projector brands and models - even 1080p ones.

Good luck

Answer 2

Here is what you can expect to pay depending on the resolution and the difference it will make.

1080p - Plan around $2000 at least for a pj capable of 1080p.  This is the highest resolution you can get at the picture will blow you away.  Imagine the 1080p at BB but 10 Feet wide!  However, keep in mind that nothing is broadcast in 1080p so unless you have HD DVD or Blu-Ray you would probably want to save your money.

720p - You can find really good 720p pj's for around $800 and I just got a deal on an HD70 720p for around $750.  This resolution is what most HD broadcasts are in and is considered true HD.  You must have a minimum of 1280 X 720 for 720p so make sure you check the specs.

480p is considered EDTV (Enhanced) Definition TV and will look minimally better than a regular Standard Definition TV.  You can get one of these for about $500 or less these days.

You can use your projector for Cable/Gaming/Satellite/ or just about anything else you would run to your TV but remember most have no speakers or a small one at best so if you don't already have a receiver you will need one.

As far as installation goes it really depends on your home and how picky you are about the "looks" of the installation.  If you have an attic you can simply run your Component across the room through the ceiling at it's pretty easy.  You can either mount your pj to the ceiling using a mount or just put it on a shelf if possible.  The nice thing about putting it on a shelf is that it makes it easily portable in case you want to take it outside for a Summertime Movie Night.

I agree with the other poster regarding the screen.  You can build your own very cheaply for $60 or so.

Lastly, the darker the room the better so make sure you have blinds or some other way to block the glare.  It doesn't need to be pitch dark as we watch ours all the time with enough light to read by, but glare kill you.

hope this helps,

weeder