I want to buy a multimedia projector. Any suggestions? Brand? What to look for in a projector?

Question

We were thinking of buying a big screen tv. I thought maybe a projector would be more economical and fun. We could have movie night in the driveway when summer arrives. We could watch the superbowl on a big screen. The kids would love to play their x-box, playstation on it. I thought it was a great idea. How about you?

Answer 1

I agree with everything agb90spruce said and want to add one more thing.

If you are going to have a high def theatre experience make sure your projector can support 1080p / 24 frames per second input and can display native 24 frames per second.

For movies that's important because movies are filmed at 24 frames per second, but most TV's and broadcast video is shown at 30 frames per second.  To get 24 fps to play at 30 frames per second they interject a made up frame for every 4 movie frames (because 24 * 5 / 4 = 30).  Most tv's know about this and try to correct for it, but still end up with some frames shown on the screen longer than others.

Blu-ray movies are stored on the disc at 1080p / 24 frames per second.  The players usually are set to "upconvert" or "pullup" the film frame rate to 1080p/30 frames per second.  PlayStation Blu-ray can output at 1080p / 24.  If your display can take that input and display it at a multiple of 24 (120Hz or 48Hz) then you will have a better movie experience.

There are projectors that can do that.  For example, we just got VPL-AW10 that is 720p which shows movies at 48 frames per second just like in the movie theatre, but when watching tv shows either 30 frames per second or 60 frames per second.  It's also a Sony and was under $1k.  There must be others out there maybe with even 1080.

Answer 2

projectors are the wave of the future. there are a multitude of projectors on the market for you to choose from. if your looking for a portable projector thats easy to move around you may want to try epson movie mate 50 or 72. both have built in dvd players so that eliminates one piece of equipment you will have to transport. the latter 72 has contrast ratio 10000:1 and 1000 lumens which will help give the image a quality picture and its high definition for tv viewing. also makes a great unit for playing video games.

Answer 3

Projectors can be a great way to get a BIG picture, but there are a few things to be aware of:

- projectors don't have tuners so you need an external satellite or cable box or stand alone tuner for TV. You also need an external sound system since speakers are virtually useless (if even present)

- lamps have to be replaced every 2-4000 hrs, and they cost $300-$450 each!

- projectors need a dim/dark room to give the best picture (but then so does any TV)

- "business" projectors are less expensive than "home theater" models, but generally have poorer video processing and contrast ratios. On the other hand they are (generally) more portable and brighter.

- projectors need more space than a HDTV, but they also allow for more viewers.

- there are three resolution classes: 480p, 720p and 1080p. Prices start at about $500, $1000 and $2000 respectively.

That all said, my wife and I wouldn't go back to a small TV -- i.e anything under 100" -- we use our 720p projector and 110" screen for both HD television and movies.

Things to look for: brightness of at least 1000 lumens; the highest contrast ratio you can find for the $; vertical and horizontal lens shift and a zoom lens facilitate installation; higher resolution is always better (but costs more); look for models with long lamp life, good connectivity.

- See the links for sites with lots of info and reviews.