What projector should i buy?

Question

i want a home theater projector for watching tv and playing games. my room will have a decent amount of light in it. i want 1080p if possible. my buddy bought a sony for 800 bucks for his basement and it looks good but my room will have much more light then his and his looks bad when exsposed to a lighted area. my max pay is around 3 grand

Answer 1

First of all I have to disagree with the poster who claims a projector is "lame" if there is even a little light.  I have been slowly replacing ALL my TV's with projection and even with enough light to read by the picture is still outstanding.  Of course the darker the better, but you can still get a good pic with some ambient light.  It's glare that will kill you mostly.

Also, I'd stick with between 1000 - 1500 lumen at the most as any higher you run the risk of it being so bright it washes the pic out.  

Thirdly, keep in mind that the only thing broadcast in 1080p is HD DVD & Blu-Ray so unless you're planning on investing in one any time soon then the 1080p would be a waste of $$$ over the 720p models which right now are about $1500 less than the 1080p.

Buy some curtains and start projecting!!!

weeder

Answer 2

even in a room full of light a projector is ok since at night it will be dark. but since you may want to play games during the daytime get some heavy curtains and darken out the windows. you will need a projector with a lot of lumens, preferably above 1500 lumens. panasonic pt-ae2000u for 2700 is an excellent choice. 1500 lumens, 1080p, 16000:1 contrast ratio. make sure you pick a screen that has a higher amount of light output this will help brighten up your picture some. go to projectorpeople.com or try craigslist if you dont mind buying used.

Answer 3

go with the 1080p

Answer 4

You may want to reconsider a projector until you resolve the lighting situation.  We run a Mitshubishi HC-1500 in my garage.    Blown up 12-15ft it looks phenomenal with a Blu-Ray playing.  We have one window in the garage that is now covered due to the projector.  If you are going to be using it during the day,  you will find even a $5,000 projector looks pretty lame.  As soon as the lighting is dim to nothing, though, it will be amazing.  So, I wouldn't worry about deciding on one until you commit to providing an ample home theater area.  Have some vids we took of the projector in dark/light if you want to see them.  Also, for the price difference right now, 1080i should suffice.  I don't know how it's going to look any better...have comparison of it and 50" 1080p plasma.