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Thom Yorke raps
Nov 2, 2004


I'm replacing my TV. I mentioned I was looking at this TV to my friend and she suggested I just get a projector instead. My main concern is that this is for my living room, which has two bright windows. Do newer projectors look good in brighter spaces? Any recommendations? I'm down to spend $4-$6000 for something nice, but if it's gonna look washed out I'll just get a regular TV.

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Elysium
Aug 21, 2003
It is by will alone I set my mind in motion.
Projector technology is pretty good now and can give a nice image under a lot of suboptimal conditions, but projecting in a sunlit room is fighting an uphill battle, that’s just physics. It will not compare even remotely to an OLED in that same space. The point of a projector is to get image sizes that are not obtainable by TV methods.

Discernibly Turgid
Mar 30, 2010

This was not the improvement I was asking for!

Thom Yorke raps posted:

I'm replacing my TV. I mentioned I was looking at this TV to my friend and she suggested I just get a projector instead. My main concern is that this is for my living room, which has two bright windows. Do newer projectors look good in brighter spaces? Any recommendations? I'm down to spend $4-$6000 for something nice, but if it's gonna look washed out I'll just get a regular TV.

So, this is a good case of timing: if you really are interested in a proper, nice projector, I can help you out. I’m a dealer (by way of my company) for JVC and Sony (for others too, but nothing I’d recommend) and can hook you up. Unlike the super affordable stuff, there’s a real markup on the better gear, so you can save real money. It’s not “fell off the truck” type stuff, it’s from an authorized dealer with full warranties etc.

I use a JVC NX7R myself, but if you’re looking in the $4-6k range, I could set you up with (for example) either an NX5R (same as the RS1000), a nice screen, and a good mount for WELL inside there, delivery included. I like the NX/RS JVCs more than the Sony units. Better pricing, better brightness, and their auto tone mapping feature is really incredible. I also tend to steer people clear of DLP (again, when budget isn’t the ultimate driver), but if you’re not sensitive to the side effects of DLP mechanisms, the JVC LX-NZ3B offers laser projection at phenomenal brightness levels for south of $3k. Dual lens shift and native 4K (no pixel wobble) are REALLY nice when setting up.

When people are going really high end I switch back to Sony because their laser projectors are nearly untouchable with proper setup, calibration, and supporting gear.

This is NOT an offer made to make money for me. I’m really happy to help people get cool poo poo without getting fleeced.

PM me if you want to check out what can be done with that kind of pricing.

Main thing (at your price range, especially if that’s just for the projector) is to stay clear of pixel-wobble/e-shift/non-native 4K and avoid anything that doesn’t have 2-axis lens shift (because keystone correction is something you don’t need if you’ve done the geometry beforehand, and you end up throwing away pixels.) The best projectors we use (beyond the Sony laser units) don’t have native HDR, but they have staggering brightness levels, so we employ a Lumagen and it applies the HDR curves while the projector only sees SDR-formatted data.

Anyhow, good luck with everything! It’s a fun, fun hobby

wolrah
May 8, 2006
what?

Harvey Baldman posted:

Is this just the inevitable result of having a relatively budget projector? What can I do? If I need to replace it, I'm willing, I just need to be pointed in the right direction.
Your projector just needs to be pointed in the right direction.

A lot of projectors, particularly cheaper ones, do not have any kind of lens shift capabilities. If you did your keystone adjustments from a menu rather than from physically moving something on the projector, for all intents and purposes you're just digitally distorting the image. Whichever end was too large in the normal state is now getting compressed down in to less pixels.

This works OK for movies and video games, but you inherently lose the pixel perfect accuracy needed for small text and pretty much any kind of PC usage.

---

You need to either remount your projector so you don't have to use keystone adjustment or upgrade to a new model that has optical lens shift. Using digital keystone adjustment should generally be avoided.

Harvey Baldman
Jan 11, 2011

ATTORNEY AT LAW
Justice is bald, like an eagle, or Lady Liberty's docket.

wolrah posted:

Your projector just needs to be pointed in the right direction.

A lot of projectors, particularly cheaper ones, do not have any kind of lens shift capabilities. If you did your keystone adjustments from a menu rather than from physically moving something on the projector, for all intents and purposes you're just digitally distorting the image. Whichever end was too large in the normal state is now getting compressed down in to less pixels.

This works OK for movies and video games, but you inherently lose the pixel perfect accuracy needed for small text and pretty much any kind of PC usage.

---

You need to either remount your projector so you don't have to use keystone adjustment or upgrade to a new model that has optical lens shift. Using digital keystone adjustment should generally be avoided.

It does actually have a physical keystone adjustment, I think - I didn't make any of those changes through a menu, there's a dial on the machine behind the front focus that I used. Does that change any of your response, aside from remounting it? I'm just trying to avoid that outcome because I want the projector high enough that it's not going to get hit by someone playing VR games in the same space.

wolrah
May 8, 2006
what?

Harvey Baldman posted:

It does actually have a physical keystone adjustment, I think - I didn't make any of those changes through a menu, there's a dial on the machine behind the front focus that I used. Does that change any of your response, aside from remounting it? I'm just trying to avoid that outcome because I want the projector high enough that it's not going to get hit by someone playing VR games in the same space.

Given the price point if it does actually have optical adjustments I wouldn't be surprised to find that the optics just aren't great. You could easily test this by leveling it out and setting it back to the default position, if the blurriness near the edges goes away that's your problem.

Guitarchitect
Nov 8, 2003

Discernibly Turgid posted:

So, this is a good case of timing: if you really are interested in a proper, nice projector, I can help you out. I’m a dealer (by way of my company) for JVC and Sony (for others too, but nothing I’d recommend) and can hook you up. Unlike the super affordable stuff, there’s a real markup on the better gear, so you can save real money. It’s not “fell off the truck” type stuff, it’s from an authorized dealer with full warranties etc.

I use a JVC NX7R myself, but if you’re looking in the $4-6k range, I could set you up with (for example) either an NX5R (same as the RS1000), a nice screen, and a good mount for WELL inside there, delivery included. I like the NX/RS JVCs more than the Sony units. Better pricing, better brightness, and their auto tone mapping feature is really incredible. I also tend to steer people clear of DLP (again, when budget isn’t the ultimate driver), but if you’re not sensitive to the side effects of DLP mechanisms, the JVC LX-NZ3B offers laser projection at phenomenal brightness levels for south of $3k. Dual lens shift and native 4K (no pixel wobble) are REALLY nice when setting up.

When people are going really high end I switch back to Sony because their laser projectors are nearly untouchable with proper setup, calibration, and supporting gear.

This is NOT an offer made to make money for me. I’m really happy to help people get cool poo poo without getting fleeced.

PM me if you want to check out what can be done with that kind of pricing.

Main thing (at your price range, especially if that’s just for the projector) is to stay clear of pixel-wobble/e-shift/non-native 4K and avoid anything that doesn’t have 2-axis lens shift (because keystone correction is something you don’t need if you’ve done the geometry beforehand, and you end up throwing away pixels.) The best projectors we use (beyond the Sony laser units) don’t have native HDR, but they have staggering brightness levels, so we employ a Lumagen and it applies the HDR curves while the projector only sees SDR-formatted data.

Anyhow, good luck with everything! It’s a fun, fun hobby

Oh man, I wish I needed a new projector now! After I discovered Epson's online warehouse (which offers the exact same warranty as "new" units) I got us an Epson 3700... my wife was skeptical before I bought it for us and thought I was being silly but luckily she trusted my judgement. After the first few movies on it she agreed that it's probably the single best purchase of anything that we've ever made (well aside from IVF but that's more of an "investment" but I digress). I can't understate how great it is to have the theatre experience in the comfort of your own home! We have a nice little 12x12 room in the basement with a 6'6" ceiling which is the perfect little theatre.

In researching for that first projector I learned about (and enjoyed) what JVC has to offer in terms of black levels... holy moly. I saw a demo at a retailer and wow is it ever impressive. Knowing we didn't have the funds for an incredible screen as well I figured it wasn't quite worth the investment yet - I figured I'd whet the wife's appetite with the sub-$1,000CAD projector first :D

I'm at the point, though, where I would like to at least get the most out of the projector... we're currently still projecting onto a slightly off-white colored wall, and I have no latitude for painting the walls/ceiling in a theatre-friendly way... naturally that leads me to ALR screens. Do you have any thoughts/recommendations? The room only has one window, off to the side, which is maybe 2' x 2' and gets ambient light (it faces another house 7' away) - so it's not so much about getting an amazing image in daylight, it's more about preventing washout from the white walls/ceiling when we're watching a movie. I may go the DIY route but it'd be nice to hear some opinions!

Discernibly Turgid
Mar 30, 2010

This was not the improvement I was asking for!

Guitarchitect posted:

Oh man, I wish I needed a new projector now! After I discovered Epson's online warehouse (which offers the exact same warranty as "new" units) I got us an Epson 3700... my wife was skeptical before I bought it for us and thought I was being silly but luckily she trusted my judgement. After the first few movies on it she agreed that it's probably the single best purchase of anything that we've ever made (well aside from IVF but that's more of an "investment" but I digress). I can't understate how great it is to have the theatre experience in the comfort of your own home! We have a nice little 12x12 room in the basement with a 6'6" ceiling which is the perfect little theatre.

In researching for that first projector I learned about (and enjoyed) what JVC has to offer in terms of black levels... holy moly. I saw a demo at a retailer and wow is it ever impressive. Knowing we didn't have the funds for an incredible screen as well I figured it wasn't quite worth the investment yet - I figured I'd whet the wife's appetite with the sub-$1,000CAD projector first :D

I'm at the point, though, where I would like to at least get the most out of the projector... we're currently still projecting onto a slightly off-white colored wall, and I have no latitude for painting the walls/ceiling in a theatre-friendly way... naturally that leads me to ALR screens. Do you have any thoughts/recommendations? The room only has one window, off to the side, which is maybe 2' x 2' and gets ambient light (it faces another house 7' away) - so it's not so much about getting an amazing image in daylight, it's more about preventing washout from the white walls/ceiling when we're watching a movie. I may go the DIY route but it'd be nice to hear some opinions!

When it comes to very good screens on a budget, EPV are an excellent value (and they have a pretty decent markup on them, so they’re really a bargain if you have someone who’s flexible as a dealer. Not counting clearance stuff (from the distributor), don’t be surprised to find that actual cost on most of these screens is half (or less) than retail and delivery is cheap.

That said, I haven’t look at the market for sub-4K screens in a long time, so I imagine there are some screaming deals on those. I don’t sell Dragonfly, but they’re at least somewhat reputable, so you’ll get a screen that actually is what they say it is and has a consistent material with an even weave. I imagine you’re not looking for something acoustically transparent and probably on the order of 90-100”?

The room dimensions cracked me me, but that’s because I have a similarly hobbit-scale basement ceiling (but 23’ front to back at a mere 9-1/2’W, so a room that took calculated deployment of acoustic materials and what I feel is the best room correction system on the market to whip it into shape.) We’ve got 15’ from head to screen and are at the largest comfortably viewable size for that distance (120”.)

Guitarchitect
Nov 8, 2003

Discernibly Turgid posted:

When it comes to very good screens on a budget, EPV are an excellent value (and they have a pretty decent markup on them, so they’re really a bargain if you have someone who’s flexible as a dealer. Not counting clearance stuff (from the distributor), don’t be surprised to find that actual cost on most of these screens is half (or less) than retail and delivery is cheap.

That said, I haven’t look at the market for sub-4K screens in a long time, so I imagine there are some screaming deals on those. I don’t sell Dragonfly, but they’re at least somewhat reputable, so you’ll get a screen that actually is what they say it is and has a consistent material with an even weave. I imagine you’re not looking for something acoustically transparent and probably on the order of 90-100”?

The room dimensions cracked me me, but that’s because I have a similarly hobbit-scale basement ceiling (but 23’ front to back at a mere 9-1/2’W, so a room that took calculated deployment of acoustic materials and what I feel is the best room correction system on the market to whip it into shape.) We’ve got 15’ from head to screen and are at the largest comfortably viewable size for that distance (120”.)

haha yeah our house was built in 1917 so basements weren't really all the rage. We're lucky we have the height that we do compared to most houses from that era! I think we're around 9' from head to screen, probably on the order of 90" screen size. I won't mind losing a few inches to a border if it'll mean better colors/contrast. I'll have to take a look at Dragonfly and EPV, thanks very much! I tried some online vendors (Carl's and Elite) but their ALR solutions were sparkly/glittery if that makes sense... it was a little distracting. Any idea if the ones you mention fare better?

You're correct that I'm not currently looking for AT, and size is probably about right. I should probably take some dimensions... eventually in a few years we hope to put an extension on the house which would allow for a larger AT screen but I will probably have the same interior decorating limitations.

wolrah
May 8, 2006
what?
Has anyone tried out one of the 120Hz capable projectors? I'm looking to upgrade my home theater to 4K and being able to support >60 FPS gaming is important to me. 1080p120 would be fine, though 4K120 support would be nice future-proofing if that's actually available yet.

I'm hoping to be able to stay with projectors for this refresh cycle, but "theater" size TVs have come down to prices affordable by mortals so their advantages are getting hard to ignore.

It doesn't seem like anyone has Variable Refresh Rate support in a projector yet, obviously the color wheel would make that impractical/impossible in a single-chip DLP but in theory it should work the same for LCD/LCoS as it would on a normal TV. Triple-chip DLP could probably also do it, but those are $car so not really relevant to most of us.

Krakkles
May 5, 2003

I saw this:

Cornjob posted:

ViewSonic 3600 Lumens SVGA High Brightness Projector for Home and Office with HDMI Vertical Keystone and 1080p Support (PA503S) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071G5H5Q1/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_jJJPEbEQNF9VM
... but don't really want to spend $300. Are there any sub-$200 projectors that are ok? The use case for this is basically going to be watching a scary (for a child) movie projected against the garage at night.

Bolt
Dec 14, 2004
k

Krakkles posted:

I saw this:

... but don't really want to spend $300. Are there any sub-$200 projectors that are ok? The use case for this is basically going to be watching a scary (for a child) movie projected against the garage at night.


This one is true 1080p and very highly rated.

https://www.amazon.com/Projector-GooDee-BL98-Theater-Compatible/dp/B081SZ72VB

Kingtheninja
Jul 29, 2004

"You're the best looking guy here."
What's the consensus on short throw or ultra short throw projectors? Hadn't heard of them before and they look like a nice way to avoid mounting a standard one.

SnatchRabbit
Feb 23, 2006

by sebmojo
I’m looking for a true 4K projector for my home theater. I just saw that prime day will have the vava 4K short throw laser projector on sale for $2100 and wondering if anyone has thoughts on that. I was also looking at Epson 4K projectors in the 3000 or 5000 series which seek to be in the 1500-2000 usd range. Any thoughts on going one over the other?

Cornjob
Jun 12, 2007

NOT AN ACTOR

Kingtheninja posted:

What's the consensus on short throw or ultra short throw projectors? Hadn't heard of them before and they look like a nice way to avoid mounting a standard one.

Theyre relatively expensive ( for UST)and require a uniform surface to project onto. Little to no control in image size.

A 86” tv is $1700 at costco. I suppose if thats not big enough, UST projectors have their place

ShotgunWillie
Aug 30, 2005

a sexy automaton -
powered by dark
oriental magic :roboluv:
My Epson 5030 started shutting down randomly after 4-5 years and 3k hours of bulb use. Lamp light on, flashing power. Either a bulb problem or the mainboard dying.

Epson had a rebate for a free bulb when I bought it originally, so I pulled it out of the closet and popped it in.

Sweet success. What a relief. We live in an apartment and utilize the walls for storage and art, so the projector with a motorized screen has been great. With the surround sound installed, I have only been to the movie theatre twice in the last 5 years.

Guitarchitect
Nov 8, 2003

ShotgunWillie posted:

My Epson 5030 started shutting down randomly after 4-5 years and 3k hours of bulb use. Lamp light on, flashing power. Either a bulb problem or the mainboard dying.

Epson had a rebate for a free bulb when I bought it originally, so I pulled it out of the closet and popped it in.

Sweet success. What a relief. We live in an apartment and utilize the walls for storage and art, so the projector with a motorized screen has been great. With the surround sound installed, I have only been to the movie theatre twice in the last 5 years.

good to know!! I have a 3100... I bought it certified refurbished from the epson warehouse and when I bought my wife was rolling her eyes... our 42" TV was fine after all. After the first movie she can't imagine living without it and wants a PJ for the bedroom now too :D

i haven't been keeping a spare bulb on hand but this is a good reminder to do so. I just checked my bulb usage and it's at 1323h out of an average lifespan of 3,500. So, not edging upon EOL quite yet but at 2,000 hours I'll need a backup!

I'm still just projecting onto our off-white painted basement wall. What motorized screen are you using? I'm always debating doing a DIY painted ALR screen or going for a motorized one. Our basement theater is "multi use" so a really nice fixed screen is off the cards for now - as is theatre-specific wall treatments or colors.

Colostomy Bag
Jan 11, 2016

:lesnick: C-Bangin' it :lesnick:

Upgraded my old Acer 1080P DLP projector yesterday to a BenQ HT3550. Holy crap. Should have done this earlier.

Just got done assembling a new 110" screen to replace my DIY white melamine one. Biggest I can put in given the space. Time to hang it.

Fenris13
Jun 6, 2003
I am looking at getting my first projector in the next week or so and have narrowed my choices down to 3, all of which have been talked about on the past page which makes me think I would be well off with any of the 3 selected, but I would appreciate any opinions or corrections of any misunderstandings I might have.

The room I am setting up in is about 20x12, very dark, with a dark paint scheme, no white walls/ceiling. I am looking to go 120 inches. The three models I am looking at are the Epson Pro Cinema 4050, the VAVA 4k UST, and the BenQ HT3550.

The differences between the 3 models, other than price, seem to be that the Epson is fake 4k, while the other two are actual 4k, the VAVA being UST would be very convenient, but it has the lower quality color gamut, and the BenQ seems to have the lowest level brightness, but that should not be a concern for the room I am using.

Anyone with experience that can comment on true 4k vs 4k enhanced, and rec.709 vs DCI-p3?

Cornjob
Jun 12, 2007

NOT AN ACTOR

Fenris13 posted:

I am looking at getting my first projector in the next week or so and have narrowed my choices down to 3, all of which have been talked about on the past page which makes me think I would be well off with any of the 3 selected, but I would appreciate any opinions or corrections of any misunderstandings I might have.

The room I am setting up in is about 20x12, very dark, with a dark paint scheme, no white walls/ceiling. I am looking to go 120 inches. The three models I am looking at are the Epson Pro Cinema 4050, the VAVA 4k UST, and the BenQ HT3550.

The differences between the 3 models, other than price, seem to be that the Epson is fake 4k, while the other two are actual 4k, the VAVA being UST would be very convenient, but it has the lower quality color gamut, and the BenQ seems to have the lowest level brightness, but that should not be a concern for the room I am using.

Anyone with experience that can comment on true 4k vs 4k enhanced, and rec.709 vs DCI-p3?

Pixel shifting 4K is still putting 4K worth of pixels on the screen. Faux-K looks good.Wider color space has a more perceivable difference than 4K, assuming your room is pitch black.

In my experience every person is different. For some, sheer lumens output wins. For me, color and contrast wins.

Of your list, id choose the epson. Lens memory, DCIP3.

Cornjob fucked around with this message at 21:29 on Nov 26, 2020

space marine todd
Nov 7, 2014



Suggestions for a 100-120" screen for a room with ambient light to use with a BenQ TH671ST? It'll be for movie and TV watching.

Discernibly Turgid
Mar 30, 2010

This was not the improvement I was asking for!

space marine todd posted:

Suggestions for a 100-120" screen for a room with ambient light to use with a BenQ TH671ST? It'll be for movie and TV watching.

EPV Polar Star (the only difference between SE and eFinity is that the latter is nearly edge-less and more expensive as a result.) The 120” in those is $2k vs $3k MSRP, but dealer cost is below half of that. Outstanding screens. They’re a division of Elite Screens. I’m assuming you aren’t looking for anything acoustically transparent or motorized.

space marine todd
Nov 7, 2014



Discernibly Turgid posted:

EPV Polar Star (the only difference between SE and eFinity is that the latter is nearly edge-less and more expensive as a result.) The 120” in those is $2k vs $3k MSRP, but dealer cost is below half of that. Outstanding screens. They’re a division of Elite Screens. I’m assuming you aren’t looking for anything acoustically transparent or motorized.

Ah wow, I should have specified a budget. I was thinking of getting something from Silver Ticket (~$200-$300), but there are so many options in terms of material type/gain/color and I have no idea which one to get.

Elysium
Aug 21, 2003
It is by will alone I set my mind in motion.

space marine todd posted:

Ah wow, I should have specified a budget. I was thinking of getting something from Silver Ticket (~$200-$300), but there are so many options in terms of material type/gain/color and I have no idea which one to get.

I have a 120” Silver Ticket, standard white material. I think it looks pretty nice, but I have never seen one of the more expensive ones so I have nothing to compare it to. It was nicely packaged and goes together well, the screen is nice and taut and flat. I’m not sure what else I could comment on without doing a side by side.

Discernibly Turgid
Mar 30, 2010

This was not the improvement I was asking for!
My bad for not checking criteria first :/

trilobite terror
Oct 20, 2007
BUT MY LIVELIHOOD DEPENDS ON THE FORUMS!

Discernibly Turgid posted:

My bad for not checking criteria first :/

Given that you deal in this sort of thing, what’s your take on the different tiers for projector setups?

Seems to me there’s a very clear delineation in terms of budget and performance:

-junk tier: repurposed corporate projectors, portables, weird Amazon poo poo. Not worth spending hundreds on, maybe worth spending time setting up if obtained for free, maybe worth spending a bit on if portability is #1 priority.

-solid tier 1080p, $700-$2k all in. This is where your solid 1080p projectors live, maybe this means getting something for a basement or living room or garage HT, maybe you keep this projector in a carrying case for backyard movies or under the coffee table for Saturdays. Or you get one of these in lieu of a $1000 4K TV and pair it with a $200-300 Silver Ticket screen and a basic two or five channel setup as a COVID cinema replacement.

-pixel shift 4K. Don’t buy one of these, better off saving your money and buying a 1080p dealie until your pennies are saved up for a nice $3-4 grand projector or until real 4K comes down in price some more.

-high end 1080p projectors (best for dedicated home theaters)

-real 4K projectors. Be ready to spend $3-8k on the projector, $2-3k on screen, and however much on your environment and sound system ($5k min).

-enthusiast grade. It was either this home theater or a camper/cabin/Porsche Boxster ($20-100k)

-real high end poo poo, if you have to ask you probably can’t afford it. ($100k+)

It seems like the two most recommendable/recommended tiers are the “solid 1080” (where most projector shoppers are gonna be) and the “real 4K” (homeowners or very long-term renters with some money to spend) tiers.

If there’s a silver lining to expect out of COVID maybe we see a real golden age in home cinema.

Elysium
Aug 21, 2003
It is by will alone I set my mind in motion.
As a pixel shift 4K owner I’ll try not to be too biased, but I don’t think there is inherently an issue with the technology unless you are buying it “because” it’s “4K” and not because “it has the features you want at your price point.” For example, I needed a large lens shift capability, which this had, plus it had a new chip for better HDR and other stuff. Cheaper 1080p ones didn’t have those features, and the ones that did were in an entirely higher price tier.

etatoby
Feb 12, 2003

China makes me cry

blugu64 posted:

Any LED/Laser projectors worth it yet?

I second this question.

I'm still using a BenQ W1070 that I bought in 2014 following the advice in this thread, and it still looks incredibly good to me. Sometimes I wish it had a higher resolution, as I do a lot of PC / web browsing on it, but overall it's a perfect fit for my needs. In fact, I keep it at Economic lamp power, because the other settings would be too bright and because I hope to prolong lamp life that way.

But I recognize this projector technology has its limits. The incandescent lamp heats up and needs fans, which are noisy. The color wheel is also noisy and it gets noisier over time (I've already had it replaced once because of that.) And the unit is overall bulky and heavy.

I know there exists solid state DLP projectors, where the 3 primary lights come from LED and/or laser diodes, getting rid of both the lamp, the color wheel, and most of the fans. I've also heard of laser projectors that don't need focus adjustments and can project at an angle.

I'm wondering how good these technologies are, both for movies and PC / web browsing use. A family member is asking me for recommendations on a projector, and if I could point to something with specs roughly comparable to my W1070 (including physical zoom and lens shift) but smaller and more lightweight, that would be great.

Does anybody have knowledge on the current state of solid-state projectors?

Discernibly Turgid
Mar 30, 2010

This was not the improvement I was asking for!
The Sony laser projectors are nothing short of stupendous. I’ve had tremendous luck with them, and everything you improve around them shows up in the picture. We tend to package them with Anamorphic lenses and a Lumagen processor and it’s quite a thing to see.

I haven’t yet had a chance to lay hands/eyes on the newest models, but the inclusion of that video processor and dynamic tone mapping make for a potentially remarkable unit. I could see being comfortable with forgoing the Lumagen and still being really, really happy.

Liquid Crystal on Silicon is badass and I’ll take it over DLP 10 out of 10 times.

SCheeseman
Apr 23, 2003

Can someone poke me with a stick once a low latency true 4K HDR capable VRR projector that doesn't require mortgaging my house exists?

I'm still using my W1080ST and while it's been pretty great it's showing it's age (also the lamp is starting to fail).

trilobite terror
Oct 20, 2007
BUT MY LIVELIHOOD DEPENDS ON THE FORUMS!

SCheeseman posted:

Can someone poke me with a stick once a low latency true 4K HDR capable VRR projector that doesn't require mortgaging my house exists?

I'm still using my W1080ST and while it's been pretty great it's showing it's age (also the lamp is starting to fail).

they’re 1-2 years away, where they were 1-2 years ago.

wolrah
May 8, 2006
what?
I don't think VRR and DLP will ever be compatible, at least not the single-chip plus color wheel DLPs available to mere mortals, because the wheel would need to change speed so often to track the input framerate. Triple-chip DLP should have no problems, but those are expensive, so I expect any potential "gaming" projectors aimed at the "mainstream" market will be LCD or LCoS.

HDR is also inherently tricky for the same reason projectors require good light control. Peak brightness is a serious limiting factor.

I'm in mostly the same boat, my W1070 is at the point where I'm getting bulb life warnings about my second bulb, at the moment the HT3550 is looking like the most appealing option available now or in the near future but nothing ticks all the same boxes I could get with a large direct-view TV. On the other hand though, even 85" TVs feel small to me now.

wolrah fucked around with this message at 18:42 on Feb 1, 2021

etatoby
Feb 12, 2003

China makes me cry

Discernibly Turgid posted:

The Sony laser projectors are nothing short of stupendous.
I looked at Sony's consumer projector page, filtered by Laser light source, and ordered by price. The cheapest starts at $15k.
I'm sure it's stupendous, but it doesn't really fit in the same category as the W1070, does it?

Edit: I have decided the Benq TH685i is a worthy successor to the W1070, meaning specs ≥ those of the W1070 and a low price. Of course one could go 4k, or laser, or a number of other improvements. But for now, it seems this is the best that can be had for less than $1000.

Now I need to find a store that has it, because it seems to have disappeared from the shelves 😢

etatoby fucked around with this message at 17:09 on Feb 10, 2021

Discernibly Turgid
Mar 30, 2010

This was not the improvement I was asking for!

etatoby posted:

I looked at Sony's consumer projector page, filtered by Laser light source, and ordered by price. The cheapest starts at $15k.
I'm sure it's stupendous, but it doesn't really fit in the same category as the W1070, does it?

Edit: I have decided the Benq TH685i is a worthy successor to the W1070, meaning specs ≥ those of the W1070 and a low price. Of course one could go 4k, or laser, or a number of other improvements. But for now, it seems this is the best that can be had for less than $1000.

Now I need to find a store that has it, because it seems to have disappeared from the shelves 😢

More than fair. If you can do the setup (geometry etc) correctly, the LG HU80KS has pretty killer combination of features in a very awkward package at a very attractive price point (cost is almost exactly $2k.) Whatever they’ve done, it didn’t kill me with rainbow effects even when doing lots of motion at high contrast.
The downside? The ridiculous packaging, done under the assumption (influence?) that making it “portable” was awesome, despite that same portability calling for great care in positioning without some of the guard rails we love (like loads of lens shift) in the standalone units. I haven’t pored over the projector offerings from them, but having worked with LG for do long there is likely a VERY similarly-featured, conventional unit that contains the same guts and some lens shift at about the exact same price.

I’ve experienced the funky HU80 a few times and I’ve installed one of them, but they’ve been really quite a thing each time. Client who has one continues to be thrilled with it.

Xenix
Feb 21, 2003
My partner and I are looking to get a projector for outside movie nights and baseball games in the summer. We're looking to not spend a ton on a projector because we just bought a large tv, but we want something we'll actually be able to see in the evenings as the sun is setting. The sun will be on the other side of the house from where we plan to project. What is the minimum brightness on a projector we'd want for this sort of thing?

wizzardstaff
Apr 6, 2018

Zorch! Splat! Pow!

Xenix posted:

My partner and I are looking to get a projector for outside movie nights and baseball games in the summer. We're looking to not spend a ton on a projector because we just bought a large tv, but we want something we'll actually be able to see in the evenings as the sun is setting. The sun will be on the other side of the house from where we plan to project. What is the minimum brightness on a projector we'd want for this sort of thing?

I'm in a similar situation and also curious about this.

From earlier in the thread it sounds like this is a good recommendation but I haven't pulled the trigger yet:

fischtick posted:

Cornjob posted:

Stretch your budget to this

ViewSonic 3600 Lumens SVGA High Brightness Projector for Home and Office with HDMI Vertical Keystone and 1080p Support (PA503S) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071G5H5Q1/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_jJJPEbEQNF9VM
Just chiming in to thank you for this post. After a couple weeks of fruitless online comparison shopping, I wound up just biting the bullet on this one. Thirty bucks for a cloth screen and another thirty for some PVC and we've built the best outdoor corona theater in 3 counties.

Had a couple and their kid come over, chill in the backyard for an hour or so all socially distanced, then fired it up. The image was spectacular. Not washed out, not blurry, even during action scenes. Like, I never knew a projector could look this good. I'm sure there are far better ones out there, but this is like upgrading from a 13" RCA to a 5' plasma for us.

Watched Wreck It Ralph cast from my phone to a chromecast dongle in the back of the projector. Next week is the Goonies. I really want to do Close Encounters soon, I think it'll be a good outdoors movie.

alnilam
Nov 10, 2009

I came here with the same question as the above 2 people - I am not a big TV person, I want a projector mainly so we can watch things sometimes without having a big TV taking up the room, I don't care that much about picture quality (we currently watch everything on an 18" screen that I think is sold as a monitor, not a TV).

It sounds like the recommendation quoted above might be what I'm looking for but I'm curious if anyone else has thoughts in the "idk I just want a discreet / occasionally outdoor TV" tier of projectors.

space marine todd
Nov 7, 2014



Stalizard posted:

Are any of the low end projectors worth half a poo poo? We're idly curious about something we can use to watch movies outside after the sun goes down. Main use would be projecting from our parking space onto the brick wall next door, maybe with a 50 or 60 inch screen, and we'd be using an external Bluetooth speaker for sound if at all possible.

I have a kind of similar set of requirements: my apartment building has a very large rooftop with couches and a city skyline view. I want to get a portable short throw projector and a very easy-to-setup-and-breakdown portable projector screen so I can watch movies up there with my small covid bubble. I already have a Logitech Hyperboom I'd use as a Bluetooth speaker for it.

There is a power outlet, so I'm open to a projector that requires being plugged in as long as it's easy to carry up to the roof (there's an elevator).

Total budget is under $1500, but I'd love to avoid diminishing returns considering this is something I'm only doing once or twice a week (and only when the weather is good).

trilobite terror
Oct 20, 2007
BUT MY LIVELIHOOD DEPENDS ON THE FORUMS!

space marine todd posted:

I have a kind of similar set of requirements: my apartment building has a very large rooftop with couches and a city skyline view. I want to get a portable short throw projector and a very easy-to-setup-and-breakdown portable projector screen so I can watch movies up there with my small covid bubble. I already have a Logitech Hyperboom I'd use as a Bluetooth speaker for it.

There is a power outlet, so I'm open to a projector that requires being plugged in as long as it's easy to carry up to the roof (there's an elevator).

Total budget is under $1500, but I'd love to avoid diminishing returns considering this is something I'm only doing once or twice a week (and only when the weather is good).

You can get a case cheap on Amazon that will fit pretty much any standard model of projector. Hell, just type in the model number once you have one and you should get a plethora of <$40 padded carrying cases that’ll make trucking a projector + extension cord about a breeze.

Given your budget I’d probably recommend whatever the best $600-$800 1080p BenQ projector currently being recommended is. I don’t know what the current model number is, they get turned over every year or two. Usually there’s a brighter one and a more color-accurate one (probably go with brighter, since you’re gonna be competing with ambient light pollution, but it honestly shouldn’t really matter for your needs).

For a screen you got tons of options, especially if you feel like using up the rest of your budget and getting some fancy collapsible dealie. I wouldn’t recommend an inflatable screen (last thing you need is the wind blowing it off your roof while you try to secure it). Hell, even a cable strung across with a white sheet (or better- white blackout curtain) draped over can do a fine job outdoors.

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space marine todd
Nov 7, 2014



Ok Comboomer posted:

You can get a case cheap on Amazon that will fit pretty much any standard model of projector. Hell, just type in the model number once you have one and you should get a plethora of <$40 padded carrying cases that’ll make trucking a projector + extension cord about a breeze.

Given your budget I’d probably recommend whatever the best $600-$800 1080p BenQ projector currently being recommended is. I don’t know what the current model number is, they get turned over every year or two. Usually there’s a brighter one and a more color-accurate one (probably go with brighter, since you’re gonna be competing with ambient light pollution, but it honestly shouldn’t really matter for your needs).

For a screen you got tons of options, especially if you feel like using up the rest of your budget and getting some fancy collapsible dealie. I wouldn’t recommend an inflatable screen (last thing you need is the wind blowing it off your roof while you try to secure it). Hell, even a cable strung across with a white sheet (or better- white blackout curtain) draped over can do a fine job outdoors.

Ah yeah! One of my friends is borrowing my BenQ TH71ST so I can ask them to bring it over. Do you think that'll work well?

Any suggestions for a fancy collapsible dealie? The number of options are crazy. Wind is going to be an issue since it's a couple stories up.

space marine todd fucked around with this message at 01:05 on Apr 18, 2021

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