LCD Projector? 10 POINTS FOR BEST ANSWER.?

Question

Hi there. I was planning to get an LCD projector to make a home cinema, but have realised that though some may be cheap, you have to pay hundreds to get a new bulb, which happens every few hundred hours. I was just wondering if there was a cheapish alternative. I want to be able to do PC, PS2 etc etc. Any ideas?

Answer 1

There is no comparison to a 100"-120" big screen presentation of a movie via a front projector. But there is not cheap way to do it.

That said, the average lamp lifetime is about 3000 hrs ... not a few hundred (2-3 yrs at 2-4 hrs/day). Prices vary by model, but are in the $300-$400 range ... so yes, they are expensive, but think of it this way:  a bulb that costs $400 and lasts 2500 hrs (worst case scenario) costs $0.16 / hour to run. Compare that to the cost of renting a movie (~$2.50 / hr) or a cup of coffee (~$1) and the $300 doesn't seam so bad.

Furthermore you can usually find a bulb a bit cheaper if you look. The bulb for my projector costs $500+ most places, but I found one on-line for $260.

And, note that the bulb price is about the same no matter what price the projector ... so spend a bit more for the projector (get better performance) and know it's costing you the same to run it.

Answer 2

Even with a 0.16 cent per hour usage, the key question which has not been asked is how to obtain or maximize one's projector bulb up to 3,000 hours?  

The answer is quite simple:  Prior to turning off the whole projector, leave the cooling fan on for at least 20 minutes.  Again, properly cooling down of the bulb is essential in expanding its lifespan.

If you are looking for a "used" projector which will more than satisfy your game and DVD needs, check out the following ad:

http://www.recycler.com/detail.classifie...

Good luck!