I have noticed these have come down in price. I am considering getting one instead of an HD TV. I saw one for $700. Can anyone offer any pros and cons? Anyone have one?
you have a screen or are you projecting on a blank wall? you got to figure out the brand, that's pretty important. a good cheap brand to get is Infocus. Optoma is also good.
I picked up an HP 6320 1080p HD projector at Fry's back over 2 years ago, and it has been completely awesome from day 1. It is technically a computer projector, not specifically designed as a 'Home Theater' projector, so even at that time it cost a fraction of what the 'Home Theater' projectors cost. Things to look for: #1 It MUST be compatible with HD, MUST have a DVI (or HDMI, but not likely) input, and MUST project up to 1080p. #2 DLP . Forget LCD projectors, that's ancient technology. You will not BELIEVE how good a good bright sharp DLP projector can be. #3 Brighter, brighter, brighter. Lumens, Lumens, Lumens. Look for the highest lumens you can get, don't be afraid to demand to see them in action in the store. #4 Stay away from any of those 'combo' units which include a DVD player in the unit. That's stupid, and makes it infinitely more likely to fail. Some things to know before you invest in one: The bulb is everything on these things. I have had mine for over two years, as I said, and have so far had to replace the bulb once. Yeah, it costs a bit, but I look at it like this: I have about a 12 foot 1080p HD tv to watch movies on, play XBox 360 on, and watch NFL and Rockets games in breathtaking crystal clarity in my living room on a larger picture that is every bit as good as anything anyone else could possibly have. Even two years ago, the projector itself only cost about $1,400, and a new bulb runs about $230 or so. So far for the bulb then, that comes down to ten bucks a month operating expense. I'll happily live with that. Second, the surface you project onto is important, but don't go overboard. I went all over town trying to find a pull-down projector screen the right size, spent hours and a lot of money mounting and setting the thing, and I don't even use it. I get a bigger picture just projecting straight on my slightly-off-white wall. Technically the screen is a better surface, but it's just fine the way it is, right on the wall. I am thinking about buying some special 'Home Theater Paint' to put on that wall, supposedly it makes for brighter colors and such, but that paint can run into the hundreds for a gallon, so I am not in any hurry. All that said, if you don't at least have a white (or close-to-white) wall to project onto, then add at least $100 tgo your costs for the screen. Third, the biggest pain with a setup like this is that your video device is now mounted on the ceiling. Or it likely will be. Unless you have some kind of a weird arrangement at home, you're going to want this puppy on the ceiling. This means that you now are facing the challenge of getting every source you want to use from where it sits up to that spot on your ceiling. Therefore, make sure you are going to be able to do that before you jump into this project. Hi-Def? Sure, good luck finding a 30' DVI cable - those will run you over two hundred bucks if you are not very very lucky (I was very very lucky - I found a 30' high-quality shielded DVI cable on AMAZON of all places for $79, and that was a STEAL). S-Video? Splice, splice, splice. VGA cable, for your computer? Again, good luck on finding that 30' VGA cable. Not trying to discourage you on that, just letting you know that there is going to be some work involved, and a few challenges to overcome. Another important factor: This is a hot, hot device, and it requires a genuine electrical outlet - two things which may not necessarily be fully compatible with your ceiling as it now sits. You'll have to figure out the best way to accomodate all that too. Lastly, the sad fact is, and there no two ways about this, that using a projector is going to require you to have a darkened room in order to fully enjoy it, no matter what. No matter how high your lumens are, no matter how good a screen you have, or anything else - if there is a bright light on nearby, it is going to mess up the experience. Movie theaters are dark rooms for a reason. So you need to decide whether or not you are going to be able to provide this thing a dark viewing room whenever you want to watch it, even during the middle of the day. Have a room specifically for this purpose, use blackout curtains, things like that. You may discover that as much as you want one, it may just not work in your house. You'll need to figure that out first, or you are going to be very sad and disappointed with it. Good luck, and don't hesitate to ask if you have any questions about it. I can say that I love mine, but it was a bear to set up. But once I had it all figured out, I would not trade it for anything.
Only get one if you have a dedicated room without little ambient lighting. www.projectorcentral.com is a good resource on them.
