What is a good home theater projector for a home bar?
The lights may be on sometimes. I am not sure if I should get a 2000 lumens or above.
Answer 1:
Well the lumens depends on the brighness of the room and how far back you are going to put the projector from the screen.
Also another note is to look for a screen that has a high gain. 1.3 and above will usually be ok for a lit room. For a bright room you will be over 1.8 the gain but beware a high gain screen will sometimes give off birghter spotts on the screen. I personally never go over 1.3.
A note for lighting in the room. Use High hats and small spots pointed away from the screen. For the High Hats try and use zoned lighting so that you can kill the lights around the screen while the lights around the bar area are on.
Now for the Projector
If you are going HD I recommend the Mitsubishi DLP and the Sharp DLP.. The Mitsu puts out about 1500 lumens, the sharp around 1200.
Good Luck!
I want to get a home theater projector. How many lumens is sufficient in high lighting areas?
I need as much general information about the low end projectors. It doesnt have to be a great picture, I think im more concerned with saving a buck.
Answer 1:
Projectors are not practical in a high lit area. But, if you are going to install one, then you need 2000 lumens minimum. For a normal home theater with low or controlled lighting, then you can go with a 1000-1500 lumen projector.
For a high lit area, I would really recommend a flat panel TV like a LCD or plasma TV.
Answer 2:
LCD projectors don't really have a low-end since the technology for even lower quality performance isn't much different then the high-end, with exceptions to component specifications and resolution features.
No Projector of any quality can perform in high light environments, since the very projection of the light source is the display. Consider reconfiguring the light sources of the environment of the projectors usage then trying to compensate with the projector to the environment, you will find that much more economical.
Answer 3:
I would think about 20 lumens per square foot ought to do it.
Answer 4:
As stated before, ideally you'd want to use a home theater projector in an area without a large amount of ambient light. However, if this is something that you don't have a lot of control over, I'd suggest using a projector with at least a lumen count of 2000 or more (but I'd highly recommend something with 2500 or even 3000). With projectors, you are really going to see a big price different with the higher lumen output, so if you are truly looking to save a little money, I'd suggest maybe going with a lower-end projector (something with a lumen count of 900-1800), and opting to try to control the lighting situation with dimmer switches or heavy drapes. The cost difference between a high end projector which can range from $3K to $10K, and purchasing a good projector for right around $1K and getting some curtains, is huge.
What is the best cheapest home theater projector?
I'm looking at the Infocus IN72, but I'm worried that 480p will not be enough in the future.
Answer 1:
These two models are the best for dollar and have great reviews and reputations on online home theater forums:
Optoma HD70 (1280x720p) $999 with a free 92" screen
http://www.projectorcentral.com/Optoma-H...
Mitsubishi HD1000U (1280x720p) $995
http://www.projectorcentral.com/Mitsubis...
Don't listen to the other two retards telling you to buy a 480p projector. Not to mention the first guy claiming his old a ss Infocus makes a 240 interlaced line (not progressive scan) VHS look like Hi-Def...what a tool.
It's like this:
480p is 720x480 lines = 345,600 pixels (standard DVD)
720p is 1280x720 lines = 921,600 pixels
1080p is 1920x1080 lines = 2,073,600 pixels (TrueHD)
As you can see, jumping from 480p to 720p results in almost 3 times the resolution!
Going from 720p to 1080p is a little more than 2 times the resolution.
720p to 1080p obviously isn't as huge a jump on the eyes as 480p to 720p.
Movies are great on a 100" screen...just make sure you have the surround sound system to match.
For the budget system, I would recommend these internet only speakers from AV123.com. By cutting out the middle man (Circuit City or Best Buy) these speaker are the best for the money and even use REAL WOOD veneers! This speaker system is highly regarded as one of, if not the best budget 5.1 set up out there.
http://www.av123.com/products_product.ph...
You'll also need a receiver. This website sells fully warrantied, refurbished units from Onkyo and Marantz at significant savings. I would recommend one of these two Marantz:
http://www.accessories4less.com/cgi-bin/...
http://www.accessories4less.com/cgi-bin/...
If you've never heard of Marantz give them a google. They're higher-end than Sony, Yamaha, etc.
For cables to hook everthing up, check out:
http://monoprice.com/products/department...
They have quality speaker cables, banana plugs, DVI, HDMI, digital coaxials, components and more at great prices!
With the above recommended setup, you would have a killer theater experience for less than $2,400 shipped to your door.
PS+ If that sound setup was too spendy, that website also sells cheap all in one packages (but the sound won't be nearly as good):
http://www.accessories4less.com/cgi-bin/...Answer 2:
The 4805 is a better model than the 72...And don't worry about the 480p...Our 4800 looks better than most of the 1080p rear-projection televisions out there.
In theory, with only a 480 x 854 resolution, we shouldn't be able to see a difference between our 480i DVD player and our Hi-Def box...But it's amazing how good it looks with HDTV.
But not only can we see a difference between DVD and HD broadcasts, but we can see a difference between 480p, 720p and 1080i...We can even see a quality difference between NBC's 1080i and CBS's 1080i.
Circuit City sells the 4805 for less than $700...They have a 30-day money-back guarantee...Go try it and see for yourself...The up-scaling chip inside the 4800 and 4805 is the best in the world ("Faruja" brand).
It even makes our VHS look almost Hi-Def...Here's the 4805 at Circuit City's website:
http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/InFocus-S...Answer 3:
To go a little deeper w/ what Izzy said above ...
There is a significant improvement between 480p and 720p projectors. It's more than just "more pixels=greater detail".
More pixels available also means more pixels available to show variations in colors being applied to the screen. Which means deeper color saturation.
More pixels available also mean more pixels to display variations of black/grey levels on your screen. Which means deeper black levels and shadow detail.
Considering the hot Mitsubishi HD1000U can be had to $845 w/ free shipping .... it ends up falling into the "bang for your buck" category.
In reality - Infocus made a great projector back when they made the SP4800. But facts are facts, it's old technology that has run it's course.
I watch about 200 home theater projectors go out the shipping door every week (work for a pro a/v company). Because of the minor difference in price, I haven't seen a 480p unit ship for months. Which explains why they are in Circuit City, Best Buy, Costco, etc ... the manufacturers are purging old inventory by banking on end-consumers making an un-educated purchase based on the "wow factor" of a big screen.
This isn't to say you need to spend thousands, and certainly don't stretch your budget beyond what you are comfortable with!!! ... but if you are looking at a $700 480p projector - there is a noticably improved pictute if you can get yourself to $850.
Answer 4:
Hi. The Infocus Play Big IN 72 at $799.00 is a better one with up to 720 p resolution. Check out the specs. below and see what you think;
http://www.projectorcentral.com/InFocus_...Best Home theater projector for Movies and Games?
Hi freinds, I am planning to buy the Home theater projector to watch movies and play games in budget $600. I checked in tigerdirect.com & newegg.com & jr.com but i am so confused to choose the best one. Would you please help me to select the good one?
Answer 1:
All projectors have pros and cons, so there is no 'best' model for everyone. That said, in the $500-$600 range you have very limited choice (basically, used or reconditioned models) for good home theatre projectors (See link for recommended HT projectors -- all above your price range -- and elsewhere on the site for a buyers guide (2nd link) and projector reviews) since most at that price range are 'business projectors' with limited contrast ratio and video processing quality. You want a projector with at least 2000:1 contrast ratio. Brightness isn't too critical (1000 lumens is enough) unless you plan to use it in a room with lights on/no window shades.
I'm reluctant to suggest specific projectors (since they may or may not be the best choice for you given your (unknown) specific needs), one worth considering, but at about $800 still slightly above your budget level, is the Benq W500 (See review and comparisons and sources at the 3rd link). A very desirable feature for a gamer is the $250 lamp replacement cost ... an important factor given the (probable) high usage.
Hope this helps.
Looking for a budget home theater projector. Will 480p do for now?
I am looking to pick up a home theater projector for Christmas for the family. We have a flat screen 3 yr old 27" 4:3 CRT 480i TV right now with a really nice progressive scan dvd player. It is not upscaling but does support 480p output via 3 RCA component and plays divx videos as well.
I see alot of $500 480p projectors and all in one units at many stores like tigerdirect and newegg.
It seems like a quality 720p starts at at about 800 and goes alot higher. I really want to stay with an LCD as opposed to a dlp because of the throw distance.
As I am only going to project to a 60-70" inch screen and sit about 8 feet away, am I just fine with a 480p for now? I figure I can always upgrade to HD in about 3 years and put this one in the kids room. Or sell it on ebay for a few hundred bucks
I hate having to spend more for 720p only having to replace that later with a 1080p. I can't afford a 1080p right now.
Answer 1:
I still have a 480p pj that I use in the basement and I'm more than pleased with it. 480p is still E(nhanced) DTV which is a step above S(tandard) DTV so you're still getting a picture upgrade.
I say go for it, especially if you have an HD box from your cable or sat company. That box will still upscale the 480p to 720p or 1080i which should make the picture even better. I'd be VERY surprised if you weren't happy with the image from the 480p.
Answer 2:
I have an Epson Moviemate and really love it. I also have the Epson wireless audio set "Accolade" and it works great for me since I don't need to deal with wires. I have the same feeling too. 1080p HD LCD or Plasma will drop in price. I'm waiting to see in about two years.
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