I am buying a new projector but I cant decide which one to get.?

Question

I am buying a new projector but I cant decide which one to get. I have looked at tons of them. I see a good one and then the next one I see its either better or worse. I want one with a GREAT picture, it has to be quiet, it has to be able to connect to my computer, it cant be more than 600 dollars, It has to be able to project a picture close up, and it has to be a nice projector. What would you recomend I get?

Answer 1

maybe this would help since you have a budget in mind, BTW you forgot to mention for what are you going to use it .

http://www.projectorcentral.com/projecto...

Answer 2

I hate to dissapoint you, but at $600 you have limited choice if your intent is games, HDTV or DVDs ... but you didn't specify.

Projectors fall into three resolution classes: 480p ($500+); 720p ($900+); and, 1080p ($1900+) ... all US prices. Unfortunately the bulk of under $7-800 projectors (and many more expensive) are aimed at business users.

They will work for home use, BUT generally have poor contrast ratio, relatively low resolution, poor video processing, and (often) noisy fans and poor colour accuracy.

Inexpensive projectors are usually DLP based models (rather than LCD), which means they have a spinning colour wheel which -- unless fairly fast (>4X) -- will cause "rainbow effect" (headaches/visual field issues) in susceptible viewers (a small but not insignificant portion of the population). DLP does give a better contrast ratio than LCD though.

You can read more at the projectorcentral.com site you were directed to by another respondent, but the bottom line is at that price range -- unless you want a projector for business presentation type use -- you would be advised to look for an end-of-line, refurbished or used Home Theatre projector.

For example, I came across an ad for a BenQ 8700+ projector for $800 the other day. New, that projector cost over $5000 ... and it even came with a spare lamp. That raises the main issue with used projectors ... the lamps are $300+ so unless you know the lamp is in good shape you could be in for an expensive surprise not long after you buy.

Or, try the InFocus store ... they often have refurbished projectors at very reasonable prices.

I'm not going to suggest a specific projector, but (assuming you are after one for game and movie watching) look for the following characteristics:

- 1000-1500 ANSI Lumens

- fan noise: <28 dB

- VGA, composite, S-video, component (sometimes it's via an adapter to the VGA input) ... and if possible DVI or HDMI (HDCP compliant).

- 800x600 resolution (4:3) or 854x480 (16:9) or better

Read reviews and specs at projectorcentral.com or projectorreviews.com (See link). Projectorcentral.com has a handy calculator to help you determine how big the image will be at a specific distance (2nd link).

Finally, see the last link for a list of used projectors that may be of interest.

Hope this helps.

Answer 3

I agree with everything agp posted and you won't find much in 720p HD for $600.

However, if you can wait on a rebate this Optoma HD70 720p projector is pretty sweet.  

http://www.prestigecamera.com/ViewProduc...

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