Kevin Kelly Asks Engadget: What's the best home projector?
posted August 26th 2004 5:12PM
For this week's installment of Ask Engadget, no less a personage than Kevin Kelly, co-founder of Wired magazine and current head honcho of one of our personal favorite websites, Cool Tools, asks:
We've hardly gone to the movie theater in the last 5 years since we installed a do-it-yourself home theater in our bedroom using a computer projector, DVD player and surround sound. I've tried a number of low-end projectors. My last selection was an Epson Powerlite S1 which had a street price of $838, but I stopped shopping a couple of years ago, and in the meantime the S1 has been discontinued and the quality of new units has gone up. What's the best home projector that costs less than $1,000? I keeping thinking they should break the $500 barrier soon. I'm not interested in the many projectors that are better but cost more; that's no fun.
Any suggestions for a good projector for home use?
Best place to ask is avsforums.com
I have had the BenQ 6100 for about 6 months now, and I am very pleased with it, it is brighter than the S1, better blacks, and cheaper to boot!! If you want an XVGA model, the 6200 is only a couple hundred more.
Jojo
I have had the BenQ 6100 for about 6 months now, and I am very pleased with it, it is brighter than the S1, better blacks, and cheaper to boot!! If you want an XVGA model, the 6200 is only a couple hundred more.
Jojo
It's all about DLP projectors. LCD projectors are so 90's.
InFocus has tons of great projectors based on DLP that are eye popping in brightness. Makes CLD projectors look like candle lit technology.
and isn't tied down.
I just got the Benq PB6100 too, and it's great. The Infocus X1 is the other one at the $1000 pricepoint that gets good reviews. I ended up getting the BenQ because it is slightly quieter and brighter.
It's $900 from Dell.com, of all places.
It all depends on your budget, and desired use. (Indoors, outdoors, club, home, etc.)
Two key things to focus on are brightness (in lumens) and the resolution it can project.
For lumens, anything over 1000 is ok for home use. If you want to have some lights on or an uncovered window, you better go up to 1500-2000 lumens.
Some projectors project at 800x600, others at 1024x768. If you are on a budget, cut back on resolution before you cut back on lumens. Losing a few pixels is not as noticeable as not having bright colors or a defined image.
InFocus makes some _really_ great projectors. I've had mine for quite some time, and I have been very happy with it.
I picked up a Sanyo PLV-Z1 a few months ago for about $1K. The replacement model PLV-Z2 is out and you can get the Z1 at fire sale prices. It's a good unit and the LCD panel is closer to 16:9 than the X1 or BenQ. The fan can be a little loud though.
I picked up a refurbished InFocus LP350 a few months ago for a little over $800 shipped. It's an XGA DLP model, 1300 lumens IIRC (I've not had any brightness problems), nice and light, and works well. I've got a ViewSonic box to convert component input into d-sub to get TV into the projector - the InFocus has a DVI input but my HD cable box's DVI output only speaks 1080i(!). Works well, nice and cheap (except the $300 apiece bulbs), and it's *great* for playing games on.
... is an oxymoron ;)
DLP
DLP
DLP
I'm very happy with my "Piano" from PlusVision.
http://www.plus-vision.com/piano/en/product/index.htm
It's priced around $3K ... it has the features of $10K models.
One advice ... Don't focus too much on lumens. I don't agree lumens should be more then 1000. The problem with a high lumens is that "blacks" tend to become "grey" ... In movies a real black is important in scene transitions etc. Contrast ratio is more important for watching movies.
Well, I only have one thing to add, and that is to agree with Hugo de Groot that contrast ratio is equally as important as Lumens.
3 months ago, biccamera Tokyo made a mistake on their internet web site; pricing the Sanyo Z1 jpy 79,400 (USD 725) instead of jpy 123,000 (USD 1125). I bought it of course!
Z1 has poor blacks, some have vertical banding (not mine or I can't see it) and old connections....but hey who cares!
cheers
I love the X1, the bulb life last alot longer plus it's cheap, low 700s. Plus it has the top of the line ccd.
see LumenLab @ http://www.lumenlab.com
I'm not sure, but are you in need of another contributor?
Seriously, for $850-900 now you can't do better. Read up on the DLP/LCD debate over at ProjectorCentral.com. People preaching the benefits of DLP or LCD over the other are speaking out of ignorance. The image quality on both types will have negatives depending on what technology you choose. LCD has what people call Screen Door effect (pixels on the cheaper LCDs are somewhat more apparent when you look at them from too close) while DLPs can have a rainbow effect if the color wheel spins too slowly (ie as slowly as most DLPs < $5k will spin).
I tried both LCD and DLP, and was nauseated by the image on all 3 of the DLPs I tested.
There are minor issues w/ the PLV-Z1, namely the vertical banding (which can be remedied. Check AVSForum.com), and screen door effect (which can also be minimized w/ an optimized image, slightest defocusing, and proper seating distances).
Seriously, you should consider the PLV-Z1. It is, hands down, the best value right now! Read the reviews on ProjectorCentral.
Note: The PLV-Z1 was on ProjectorCentral's highly recommended hometheater projector list until it was discontinued (but is still supported..) by Sanyo.
Seriously, it's a steal right now. You WILL be satisfied!!!
Please name a DLP with 1280 x 720 resolution under US$1800.
Try Sanyo PLV-Z2. It's a good LCD, unbeated for a long while in price/performance.
Just ask for a demo with some WMVHD material (http://wmvhd.com).
Please name a DLP with 1280 x 720 resolution under US$1800.
Try Sanyo PLV-Z2. It's a good LCD, unbeated for a long while in price/performance.
Just ask for a demo with some WMVHD material (http://wmvhd.com).
the sony dsc series rocked my world, great bulb life, gorgeous little projector, used it for home theater for a year and a half, loved it! got it for 1400 on buy.com. even the lower end models are superb.
I was only looking at DLP because I liked the technology and didn't like the screendoor artifacts of LCD.
Then, while shopping for screens, I saw the HS20. For one, the screendoor problem has improved over the years. For another, having more pixels further reduces the problem. Lastly, there's some sort of microlens on the HS20 that can be used to make the SD go away when you defocus slightly.
So, I went with 3-panel 1386x788 LCD pixels instead of single-chip 848x480 DLP pixels.
Yes, I spent more, but I have no rainbow problems and I can hook HD to it someday.
My second choice was an InFocus X1, which I was really impressed by. Certainly, for the money, it's a good deal.
///d@
brain fart, meant vpl series not dsc when referring to sony series projectors.
I'm getting the Sanyo PLV-Z2 in a month. If you look around on AVSforum, you'll find that it's the darling of the under $2k crowd. HDTV, 16:9, acceptable black levels even with moderate ambient light. It really can't be beat for the price.
If you chose to go the refurbished or used route, keep in mind you might not be saving as much money as you think.
The bulbs for these projectors have very specific life, and once expired they can cost you around $400 (depending on the model/brightness) to replace.
Also, some refurbished and use projectors have dead pixels on the LCD, or pixels that are permanently tuned to a single color.
Do it yourself video projectors are all the rage in other countries. It appears you can make yourself a projector for under $500 that rivals bright ones that sell for $5000. Anyway, check out the allinbox site to see what others have built.
Nice shots of projections, but the guy charges for the plans:
http://www.lumenlab.com/
Best site, $360 all-in-one kit, free plans:
http://www.diyprojectorcompany.com/
Other projectors people have built. Geeky but true:
http://www.allinbox.com/allinbox.htm
When I was researching projectors I came across a comment that nobody who sees a big picture notices all the techie criteria like color saturation and resolution etc. That's when I decided to go budget. I also reckoned DLP nausea was not for us and so ended up with the Sanyo Z1. Projected on a flat white wall. Completely pathetic to be sure but frankly I like regular tv a lot more now watching it big with slightly muted colors. A budget projector, some secondhand home theater equipment and some comfy chairs add up to enormous enjoyment.
I've had this one for several months now after much reading and researching at the AVS Forums. I am still blown away by it. I do DVDs from a HTPC running Zoomplayer through ffdshow and then out an ATI AIW 9800 Pro DVI. Wow! For TV I have a HD TiVo feeding the PJ a component signal (but may soon switch over to DVI for that). Awesome projector!!!
I have a panasonic AE 500 (1280x720) connected by DVI to a yamakawa 365 which upsamples DVD content to its native resolution...its looks
really great and is rather easy on the budget...
To add to the great reviews above, I would highly recommend the X1(infocus) from personal experience, or at least any projector using the Faroudja video processor.
X1 Pros:
-Excellent, uniform optics (brightness) (per HT reviews)
-DCDi!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
-4000hr bulb life, relatively low replacement cost
X1 Cons:
-Colorwheel whine is my biggest complaint. I would like to encase the unit to muffle it a bit. Not loud, but very noticable to me
-Fan stays on (super low speed) during soft-power down (to cool the power supply), continuously pulling dust through the unit. Can be externally switched.
Some points:
-Despite what some HT reviews state to the contrary, you CAN use the "presentation" mode of the projector (color wheel adds white to RGB) as long as you adjust the settings appropriately (use a THX/essentials calibrator). This *ELIMINATES* the rainbow effect, and makes for the most eye popping contrast & color you could imagine. (more detail: normally the rainbow effect stands out on bright details w/ dark background. The normal "white" is produced by the sequential mix of RGB, and when your eye shifts slightly, it can catch the 3 primary colors. Mixing in the correct amount of "true" white for the brightest elements negates the whole problem, and makes for a better white/contrast. Similar to CMYK vs. CMY printing.
-DLP is amazing. Solid intense color
-The Faroudja is just short of a miracle. So much more than a de-interlacer, what it does to low-res, compressed NTSC (DirectTV in my case) is fantastic. Check the web for more info. It works so well that you are BETTER OFF using the non-progressive output of your DVD player, unless of course it has a DCDi too! :)
Other points:
-My first unit had a dead pixel (mirror). I would suggest purchasing w/ easy returns in mind
-If the projector is to be used at coffee-table level (not ceiling mount), the heat exhaust tends to drift in front of the lens, causing image distortion. You may need to deflect w/ a piece of carboard.
-The X1 is rebranded w/ another name that carries a longer warranty (5 years) for a slightly higher price (forget the brand)
Even after a year, projected onto my 80"x80" ** OfficeDepotSpecial $29 pull-down windowshade, my jaw wants to drop every time I use it. What a way to watch the Olympics!!! Now if only I had HDTV.
Hope this helps! (warning: you will starting comparing your HT to *actual theatres*!!!)
Ty
rogue949thai@yahoo.com
I appreciate everyone's suggestions. Just what I was looking for. Given all said, I'm favoring the InFocus X1. Street prices after rebates seem to get down to $850, which is very good.
I'm not sure about the tweaks mentioned in the post above by rogue949. Where do you go for explicit how-to directions should I proceed this way?
hopefully you got it
Ty
rogue949thai@yahoo.com
Just wanted to know...is the Infocus X1a the updated version of the Infocus X1? Thanks!
Its all about the Lumenlab!
With the new zoom lenses, its possible to build your own 1280x1024 LCD projector for <$1000!
Sure, I'm loosely affiliated with lumenlab.com (I'm a volunteer mod there) but volunteer is the operative word, as I get no money for my work as a mod, nor for my praise of their product. I just loved my $447 Lumenlab projector so much, I have keep sharing it with others!
Check the site out at:
http://www.lumenlab.com
Check my gallery there to see my buildup, as well as an item-by-item expense list.
http://www.lumenlab.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=371
Runco is without a doubt the best home projector. You can check them out at www.runco.com
YOu have not seen real color until you have seen Runco