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I am building my first home theater and I want just the cheapest, but good-quality front projector. Wondering if $3000 can buy anything for entry-level... I just can't afford high-end Runco and Seleco stuff for now (or maybe ever).
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Arnel.....though some would vehemently disagree (see 8/15 post LCD/DLP vs rear projection), IMHO, there are several very good projectors around for your price range. I can only speak to a couple of InFocus machines that I have run in my home theatre, but I hear very good things about the NEC LT150, and at $1700, it is a steal. I personally use an InFocus LP350 DLP in my HT setup and in my (not so) humble opinion, it is simply fantastic. I do not want for better. My father and two friends, upon seeing just 1 flick on this setup, each bought one from E-Bay recently for ~$2500. Those were NIB, not refurbs, with full 2 year warranty from InFocus. These were originally in excess of $7999 just a few short months ago.Whichever route you take, my suggestion would be that you consider XGA native resolution (1024x768) as a minimum. This will playout HD video feed without compression. 800+ Lumens I also recommend as well as 300+ to 1 contrast ratio. LCD vs DLP? To me they both look very good, although the edge for me goes to DLP. Additionally, you won't lose pixels on a DLP like you could on a LCD. For a while, I was using an InFocus LP755. It was a LCD unit. There was a pixel that was always red and one that was always blue. Not distracting when you consider just how many pixels comprise the screen, but some would no doubt be irritated by it.
Hope this helps.
Excellent info- spot on.
I would add that with the NEC LT 150 you would need to ad a HTPC, which raises the price, but still makes it comparable price wise tothe Infocus.
The LT150 would be visually superior to the Infocus, but more of a hassle.
The Infocus is amazingly plug and play perfect and easy.However--- THE INFOCUS CANNOT SYNCH WELL TO ANY EXTERNAL PROGRESSIVE FEED
IT has an internal motion processor that is very good, but feeding a video game system or or anyhting with progressvie video makes it choke a bunch. Mostly you use S video input.
I would tell anyone who does not want a hassle to go for it, if you are more inclined to tinker the LT 150 would probably give you better results.
Dan, I was thinking of upgrading to a DLP - until your comments about the video games not working well. I'm into video games (PS2/Xbox/Dreamcast/etc..) and this is a major blow against DLP. Are *all* DLP's videogame-unfriendly ?
Absolutely not.
Sorry for any confusion.
Teh incompatibility does not lie with the display technology (DLP, LCD, etc.) it lies with the image processing.
Basically the LP350 is designed to only take interlaced feeds, so the progressive signal from the Dreamcast make is choke.
A normal Dreamcast signal (not high res.) worked fine, as did a normal PS2 feed.
The potential problem is the rainbow effect, which is sometimes more noticable to some during fast motion video games.
dg
G'day ed rex,thanks to some of your posts here I have decided to get a LP350. I had a demo with a few projectors and this one stood out, even when I watched a DLP Seleco with had more motion artifacts, so much so too distraction and annoyance. What I liked was the internal line doubler/scaling circuits which I found just about faultless. Anyway, I liked it so now I'm ordering one. The comments by ed rex sealed it for me, thanks.
Regards Robert
I think you'll be pleased. The Rex family certainly has enjoyed many a DVD with ours. Good luck!
G'day,I got my Infocus LP350 a few days ago, set up with a DaLite 100" screen, few adjustment here and there, and boy am I pleased. I did a couple of quick last minute demos on other projectors, and as I left the last shop, I went straight away and picked up the 350. Like a little kid, I quickly set up and the ooh's and ahh's from the family was worth the time taken investigating the purchace. Infact, even the wife was suitably impressed, not just with the size but the picture definition. She commented that the others we saw were a bit more 'jiggerly' (technical terminology, she has hundreds of them when describing the Stereo/HT to her friends), which is a good observation for her. The blacks maybe not as good as our old 51" Panasonic RPTV and the flesh tones not as accurate as maybe some CRT projectors, but all else is excellent. Without actually setting up a projector in my home I didn't actually know if we had too much ambient light for if we could even watch anything during the day, well we can and we have most of our windows open (due to the fact we live in the tropics and we need the cool breezes). Set up the DVD for 16:9 and the projector for enhanced widescreen, and you have an awsome picture. Thanks again ed rex.
Regards Robert.
Robert, good for you! I'm glad you're pleased. I think the thing that folks must keep in perspective is that you've paid $3000. Sure, the picture is not as good as a $15,000+ CRT unit. Does anyone out there really think it would be? But it is damn close. And it doesn't require a trained engineer to setup and maintain and it isn't the size of a Volkwagon Beetle hanging from you're ceiling.As far as the ambient light comments, yes during the daylight hours I too leave the curtains open when just watching TV and such. Brightness is usually about 25%. When we watch a DVD, for that 'moviehouse experience', I prefer to darken the room completely and turn the brightness to zero. This for my setup produces the best blacks. I do not however have the DaLite screen such as you but rather just shoot it onto a home made screen that I constructed out of 2x2's and canvas painted 'pure white'.
... that with the RPTV gone from the center of the sound stage, the bass is better. I have a Velodyne ULD 18II which can make some serious noise (ancestor to the HGS 18), and with the TV gone, a smoother response is heard from my listening (and watching) position. For 2 years now, when I was in the mood for that big block buster movie and sound to suit, up the volume goes, I heard an anomilie which I couldn't put my finger on. Now with the TV gone, I know what it is, the bass trap sitting in the middle of the soundstage soaking up that certain something.I've only had the projector for a short while so the setting up and mucking around will go on for a while yet. Since I'm in the honeymoon days, the bigger brighter more is better will ware off and the videophile will kick in and I'll investigate properly. We keep watching movies we've watched many times over and they have a new dimension now, so fiddling will have to wait. I'm going to try your suggestion and turn down the brightness for the better blacks, so thanks for the info.
Still very pleased, regards Robert.
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