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King Hotpants posted:I review home theater projectors. For projector central by any chance? My Sony 12HT was a review unit that I got a great deal on a couple years back. Do you think I'd see a noticeable difference if I upgrade to 1080p? (say 10-12ft back and 120" screen). I'm due for another bulb upgrade and if I can somewhat justify a new projector with the Sony bulbs costing 350$ each.
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Feb 9, 2008 18:31
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antishock posted:For projector central by any chance? My Sony 12HT was a review unit that I got a great deal on a couple years back. Do you think I'd see a noticeable difference if I upgrade to 1080p? (say 10-12ft back and 120" screen). I'm due for another bulb upgrade and if I can somewhat justify a new projector with the Sony bulbs costing 350$ each. I'd prefer not to say who I work for. And yes, you'd see a huge difference. Lamp prices are always going to be around $300-$400 though, so get used to it 
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Feb 10, 2008 20:18
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It seems the coupon code for the 100 off on the HC4900 on ProjectorPeople is no longer valid I hope it comes back by Feb 28 I want it for 1400 if at all possible. Is there anywhere else i might find it for that price? I was looking hard at the AX200U until i checked this thread again. Edit: BLOWOUT100 is the new one. gently caress yes. Gonna get it this week 
Mr_Rabies fucked around with this message at 02:23 on Feb 19, 2008 |
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Feb 18, 2008 09:14
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Just thought I'd point out that the Optoma HD70 is $649 after $200 rebate at projectorpeople.com. I would grab one in an instant but its throw distance won't work for my setup. That's a pretty drat nice projector for $650. I think I've all but decided to upgrade to the Mitsubishi HC1500. Anyone currently running the HC1500? What are you thoughts? From what I hear it is extremely bright so it works well in moderately lit rooms. That would be nice since I have to have it completely dark for my X1. I'd like to be able to have the light over my bar on while watching TV on the PJ.
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Feb 18, 2008 19:34
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King Hotpants posted:I'd prefer not to say who I work for. And yes, you'd see a huge difference. Lamp prices are always going to be around $300-$400 though, so get used to it I don't suppose LED based projectors would become possible soon?
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Feb 18, 2008 21:21
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Cockmaster posted:I don't suppose LED based projectors would become possible soon? They are already around, http://www.projectorreviews.com/mitsubishi/pk-20-pocketprojector/ It'll certainly take a while before they're any good for most setups though
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Feb 18, 2008 21:45
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Cockmaster posted:I don't suppose LED based projectors would become possible soon? On a large scale? For home theater projectors? Probably not. Scrapez, I have no complaints about the HC1500. For what it is, it's drat near perfect.
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Feb 19, 2008 16:28
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I just ordered the HC4900 at your behest King Hotpants. It's all your fault if it's not a movie theater in my house  Seriously though, thanks to the combinations of suggestions and links to saving like 40% on that thing, I think I'll finally be happy with my home theater  Edit: should be here tommorrow oh god i can't sleep 
Mr_Rabies fucked around with this message at 03:38 on Feb 22, 2008 |
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Feb 20, 2008 16:49
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Well gently caress, Mitsubishi HC1500 vs BenQ W500? They seem to be about the same price right now. Let me give you some more information. I move houses and apartments like a drat hobo. For some odd reason I don't stay in one place more than a year, and I hate filling in holes. For this reason, while I have a dedicated, light controlled room for my HT now, I might not in 6 months. I plan to roll my own fixed frame screen that I can hang on the wall with a few small screw holes (basically, I don't want a giant roll up screen) My concern has to do with projector placement. I'd rather not have to ceiling mount a projector every time I change apartments, which means ideally, setting the projector on a coffee table would be great. Err on the side of my room being smaller. I've heard the Mitsi has issues with being tough to place, and the W500 has like 47,000 cool ways to adjust the placement of the picture. I've also heard the Mitsi has better picture and is much brighter/better looking. If I need to be more clear on something, let me know.
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Feb 20, 2008 21:14
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Cockmaster posted:I don't suppose LED based projectors would become possible soon? LEDs have come a long way, you can now get up to ten watts on the one diode, but they need some more development before they're ready to give arc lamps a run for their money. I think manufacturers are reluctant to develop products with LED technology because of the razor-and-blades cashflow they get from replacement lamps.
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Feb 21, 2008 04:38
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Cockmaster posted:I don't suppose LED based projectors would become possible soon? The rumor I heard was that InFocus was hoping to have LED projectors in the multi thousand lumen range in the next couple of years. It sounds insane to me, but a rep apparently told my boss that. Of the top of my head I think we spent about $5,000,000 in the last year on commercial projectors from them, so they have good reason to keep us in the loop. edit: ...or string us along with lies, I suppose.
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Feb 21, 2008 06:19
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phunkdust posted:I think manufacturers are reluctant to develop products with LED technology because of the razor-and-blades cashflow they get from replacement lamps. If you watch one movie a day, every day, it'll take somewhere in the neighborhood of four years for your projector's 3000 hour lamp to die. During that time many people replace their projector anyhow. Your analogy kinda sucks.
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Feb 21, 2008 19:36
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King Hotpants posted:If you watch one movie a day, every day, it'll take somewhere in the neighborhood of four years for your projector's 3000 hour lamp to die. During that time many people replace their projector anyhow. Your analogy kinda sucks. Yeah. I always chuckle a bit when people complain that they'll need to replace their projector bulb after 3000 hours as a reason to go with a plasma or LCD. It's kind of like worrying about your computers video card wearing out after 10 years.
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Feb 21, 2008 19:45
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King Hotpants posted:If you watch one movie a day, every day, it'll take somewhere in the neighborhood of four years for your projector's 3000 hour lamp to die. During that time many people replace their projector anyhow. Your analogy kinda sucks. What's the proportion of home theatre users vs business users? (who might run their projector for 8 or more hours a day) - I know I've got around 10 projectors of various models and specs at work that run all day every day. I'd really love to get my hands on some LED projectors because then I could feel a little safer using them for a show and not fearing a lamp blowing or shutting down for overheating, or whatever effects copius amounts of fog/haze has on projector internals... I can't say for sure but I'd feel they would be a little more reliable and somewhat less fragile. Certainly for the casual home user who sets up his projector once and never moves it, and watches two movies a week, then there's not much reason to move away from arc lamps, but for the business sector, bring it on. phunkdust fucked around with this message at 23:23 on Feb 21, 2008 |
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Feb 21, 2008 23:20
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phunkdust posted:What's the proportion of home theatre users vs business users? (who might run their projector for 8 or more hours a day) - I know I've got around 10 projectors of various models and specs at work that run all day every day. You make a good point about business users, and I apologize for calling your analogy lovely. 
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Feb 22, 2008 00:17
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phunkdust posted:LEDs have come a long way, you can now get up to ten watts on the one diode, but they need some more development before they're ready to give arc lamps a run for their money. I think manufacturers are reluctant to develop products with LED technology because of the razor-and-blades cashflow they get from replacement lamps. While I know that there is a lot of money to be made selling replacement lamps for projectors, any company that can make a usable LED projector would probably pull so much market share away from flat panel monitors that I doubt they'd ever look back.
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Feb 22, 2008 02:03
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King Hotpants, or anyone else knowledgeable about projectors: What would you recommend projecting onto, a screen or a wall? If a wall, what kind of paint would you recommend? Some of that poo poo seems like Monster Cable to me. I've got a nice clear wall but I'd need to repaint it, or get a nice 100-150ish inch 16:9 screen to sit on it on the cheap. either option works with me but I'd rather not spend more than I have to.
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Feb 22, 2008 07:58
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Mr_Rabies posted:King Hotpants, or anyone else knowledgeable about projectors: What would you recommend projecting onto, a screen or a wall? If a wall, what kind of paint would you recommend? Some of that poo poo seems like Monster Cable to me. I've got a nice clear wall but I'd need to repaint it, or get a nice 100-150ish inch 16:9 screen to sit on it on the cheap. either option works with me but I'd rather not spend more than I have to. Dude, obviously I'm going to recommend a screen. Come on. If you're pressed for cash, you can build your own for $100 or so - this is a good guide that ends up working very well. I usually recommend people get the best screen they can afford, even if they have to skimp a bit on a the projector. Why? Because when you replace that projector with something better, you'll be using the same screen.
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Feb 22, 2008 16:45
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I built one using Black out cloth (BOC). You can buy blackout cloth at a fabric store in rolls large enough to make a 96" screen or you can buy larger rolls from a lot of people online. I went with a 125" screen built on 1x3's for the frame. It turned out very well and for the money it's hard to beat the picture quality. I used a plan very similar to this one: http://members.shaw.ca/danhanson/Theater/screen/screenproject.htm I've also used a painted wall in the past. I used Behr Silverscreen paint rolled on and it was decent but not great. The problem with the painting solutions is that your wall has to have no blemishes and you have to be VERY good at painting if you want to roll it on. If you have a sprayer it makes it easier. There are much better solutions than straight Behr Silverscreen. You can read for days on AVSforums about different mixes. At the end of the day, though, for price to performance and ease of installation, the BOC method beats painting in my opinion. On a different note, I pulled the trigger on the Mitsubishi HC1500 today. I'll post a report once I get it hooked up and have a chance to use it.
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Feb 22, 2008 18:13
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BeastOfExmoor posted:While I know that there is a lot of money to be made selling replacement lamps for projectors, any company that can make a usable LED projector would probably pull so much market share away from flat panel monitors that I doubt they'd ever look back. No they wouldn't. Projectors are not popular due to their requirement of a dark room. Most people don't even realize that you need to replace the bulb in a projection setup, rear or front. Even when LED lamps start being usable they most likely won't be able to put out the crazy amount of lumens needed in a lot of business settings.
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Feb 22, 2008 23:31
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Juriko posted:No they wouldn't. Projectors are not popular due to their requirement of a dark room. Most people don't even realize that you need to replace the bulb in a projection setup, rear or front. Even when LED lamps start being usable they most likely won't be able to put out the crazy amount of lumens needed in a lot of business settings. Well, one Luxeon K2 can put out up to 200 lumen, so you'd need about ten of them (and ten amps) to get 2000 lumen. At about about $6/piece in small quantities they're not that expensive.
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Feb 25, 2008 21:32
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phunkdust posted:
I've got a dual lamp projector at work which has failover and a sealed optical block, its pretty cool to look into the thing when it's running, you can see most of the internals. It has some sort of coolant and a little radiator, it definitely takes the projection booth heat a lot better than our old projector
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Feb 27, 2008 01:45
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I just got done hooking my Mits HC900 up again. Then I stumbled on this thread with all the jaw dropping and such. I'm running in a basement so it's blackout. Primary use is for movies. But, I also like to entertain for sports events so I like a little bit of light from time to time. 100" DIY Parkland Plastics screen. Say I upgrade to the HC4900. From about a 12ft viewing distance can I justify the price? What can I expect to gain aside from HC+4000? Just curious, I don't like to visit AVS so much anymore. edit: Also have a blu-ray player homeless fucked around with this message at 04:03 on Feb 27, 2008 |
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Feb 27, 2008 03:59
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homeless posted:I just got done hooking my Mits HC900 up again. Then I stumbled on this thread with all the jaw dropping and such. With a screen that large, you'll definitely be able to tell the difference between 720p and 1080p. And that HC900 isn't even 720p, you'd be going from 1024x576 to 1900x1080. If your primary HD source is blu-ray, then it's totally worth it.
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Feb 27, 2008 06:03
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900ftjesus posted:With a screen that large, you'll definitely be able to tell the difference between 720p and 1080p. And that HC900 isn't even 720p, you'd be going from 1024x576 to 1900x1080. If your primary HD source is blu-ray, then it's totally worth it. Fair enough, I forgot that it's not actually 720p regardless of what the specs say. Do you think the HC4900 is a good fit based on my description above? I plan on waiting a few months at least to do a little deal hunting, is there something around the corner that would be worth waiting even longer for? homeless fucked around with this message at 02:56 on Feb 29, 2008 |
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Feb 28, 2008 04:44
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homeless posted:I plan on waiting a few months at least to do a little deal hunting, is there something around the corner that would be worth waiting even longer for? Don't do this to yourself. Buy an HC4900 and be happy. Sounds like a fine fit for what you want.
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Feb 28, 2008 05:55
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King Hotpants posted:Don't do this to yourself. Buy an HC4900 and be happy. Sounds like a fine fit for what you want. I would agree. HDTVs and HD projectors are getting like computers, next year something better will come along just buy what you can afford when you can afford it. Before you order, read this about how to pay for it: http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?postid=340302347#post340223289
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Feb 28, 2008 07:21
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I have a HC4900 on it's way! Thanks for answering my questions, hope I didn't come off whiney. I couldn't pass up that price with all the great things I've heard. $1399 shipped. Pretty loving pumped. Hoping to get $700 out of my HC900 that has a new bulb. Am I crazy?
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Feb 29, 2008 02:51
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I received my Mitsubishi HC1500 today. First impressions are HOLY poo poo WHAT HAVE I BEEN WAITING FOR?  The picture is just lightyears ahead of the Infocus X1. I mean I knew it would be quite a lot better but it is AMAZING. I am amazed at how bright it is as well. I can have my main fluorescent overhead lighting on in the room and the picture is still very good...definitely watchable. I need to finish painting the room so I can get my screen put together this weekend. I can't imagine how great the picture will be on a decent screen as opposed to a painted wall. For $800, this thing is amazing. My Berkline 090's get delivered Monday night. I'm pretty pumped. I'll get some pictures up when everything is in order or close to... Thanks to all in this thread for giving me the nudge I needed to go to a true HD projector. Anyone using an X1, honestly....consider upgrading to one of the lower priced 720p's. The difference is night and day.
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Feb 29, 2008 03:02
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Any more detailed thoughts on screen material? I'm looking at an AX200U in a relatively small room (10'x13'). The room will have pretty good light control except from some glass block on the ceiling allowing in a little light from above (long story). The wall I'm projecting against is the 10' wall, but as I can't really get to far back from it I want to keep the screen 8' or less. I've looked at pre-built screens and decided I'm too much of a cheap-rear end to spend $500+ on a screen. The wall that the screen will be mounted on it brick so painting will require drywalling which eats away from the cost benefit. I've seen information on Parkland's PolyWall and Wilsonart laminates in Designer White or Fashion Gray as well as using blackout cloth. Does anybody here have any experience with DIY screens that can share their experiences? homeless posted:I couldn't pass up that price with all the great things I've heard. $1399 shipped. Wait... WHAT? Visual GNUdio fucked around with this message at 03:58 on Feb 29, 2008 |
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Feb 29, 2008 03:56
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luma posted:Any more detailed thoughts on screen material? I'm looking at an AX200U in a relatively small room (10'x13'). The room will have pretty good light control except from some glass block on the ceiling allowing in a little light from above (long story). The wall I'm projecting against is the 10' wall, but as I can't really get to far back from it I want to keep the screen 8' or less. I've looked at pre-built screens and decided I'm too much of a cheap-rear end to spend $500+ on a screen. The wall that the screen will be mounted on it brick so painting will require drywalling which eats away from the cost benefit. I've used the Parkland stuff from Home Depot at my old house. I painted using Behr Silverscreen and it worked pretty well. You just have to make sure you get it painted very evenly. I'm currently using a painted wall and it's about the same as the parkland/paint. I'm building a BOC screen this weekend so I can let you know how that looks. As for the HC4900...$1400 after $500 mail in rebate. I think the rebate expires at the end of February so if you're going to pull the trigger, do it quickly. Edit: Looking at AVS today, it sounds like Mitsubishi extended the $500 rebate on the HC4900 through the end of March. Scrapez fucked around with this message at 21:22 on Feb 29, 2008 |
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Feb 29, 2008 05:52
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I thought I would post this here since I didn't see anything about it in the FAQ or in a cursory search of the threads here. Plus this thread mentions several LCD projectors. What is the deal with image degradation in LCD projectors? According to a few sites I ran across when trying to familiarize myself with the different projector technologies, basically the LCD screens are going to go if you use your projector for extended periods of time on a regular basis. quote:LCD based projectors may only operate effectively for 8-10 hours per day. When operating longer than 8-10 hours, the image will begin to depreciate and not return to its previous state. quote:Texas Instruments recently released the results of a lab test conducted last year which highlighted a failure mode in LCD technology that does not exist with DLP. Given enough time, it appears that LCD panels, primarily those in the blue channel, will degrade, causing shifts in color balance and a reduction of overall contrast. Here the results of the test are discussed, and the general consensus seemed that there were some factors that were causing the panels to degrade at a faster than normal rate, and another study with a larger scope was suggested. http://www.projectorcentral.com/lcd_dlp_test.htm So anyway, I can't seem to find any info more current than around 2003. Is this no longer a problem, or does this just not occur in normal use? I'm starting to think about purchasing a projector, but the 8 hour figure kind of worried me because I tend to only have time for videogames and movies on the weekend, and could see myself running one for around 8 or 9 hours at a time.
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Mar 2, 2008 07:17
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Those projectorcentral articles are waaaay outdated, in part because no one really gives a drat anymore. Some people MAY experience image degradation on LCDs, and some people get stuck mirrors/rainbow problems on DLP, so it's just as much of a toss-up as it's always been. That, and current 1080p DLP offerings are kinda lousy, for the most part. Optoma's HD80 is pretty nice, but there's not that much else out there.
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Mar 2, 2008 20:30
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King Hotpants posted:Those projectorcentral articles are waaaay outdated, in part because no one really gives a drat anymore. Thanks a lot. I trust people here for "normal person" type information a lot more than from other sites on the internet, and I respect your opinion. Granted, I won't be able to afford one until I graduate from college in a few months, but at least my mind has been put at ease in regards to LCD technology in projectors.
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Mar 2, 2008 21:01
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Mr_Rabies posted:I just ordered the HC4900 at your behest King Hotpants. It's all your fault if it's not a movie theater in my house Another goon checking onto the HC4900  It just got here last tuesday and oh my god when they say high definition they do mean high definition. I'm currently projecting it onto the living room wall while connected to my computer through DVI and playing 1080p Call of Duty 4 on a 125" image is just orgasmic. My parents have a Sanyo PLV-Z2 and this is light years away in contrast and brightness. You can actually watch it when the lights are on - the image is washed out but not practically invisible like the Z2 in full light.Not that I do this - my living room has been plunged into darkness ever since this black beauty arrived 
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Mar 3, 2008 05:18
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Can any of you goons tell me what's a better deal? I'm looking to pick up a projector in the next few days. My options so far are the Benq W500 or this Sony Bravia VPLAW10 720P 1280X720 6000:1 1100 ANSI LCD Projector HDMI & VPS80DS 80IN Pulldown Screen. Can anyone give me some recommendations? Thanks.
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Mar 7, 2008 05:12
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My HC4900 came today, and I have mixed feelings. As stated above I currently own a HC900. I watched "The Departed" on BluRay for the first 20 minutes on the 900, and the next 20 on the 4900. I can tell a difference, but it seems pretty minor honestly. The 4900 was brighter and a bit sharper but it just didnt blow me away. I checked to make sure the BluRay player was set to 1080p and messed around with the projector setting, similar results. Maybe my BluRay player is just that awesome? Keep telling myself that I'm overlooking something... It's hard to justify the cost of the upgrade even if it is sub-$2k. Guess it may have to go back
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Mar 8, 2008 00:28
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GoonsInDepth posted:Can any of you goons tell me what's a better deal? Well, bit late for advice but the Sony Bravia is amazing. The 80in pull down they gave me was new but wrinkled, so I took it back and they gave me a 99. Watching bluray movies on 100 inches of screen is loving ridiculously awesome.
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Mar 9, 2008 08:15
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GoonsInDepth posted:Can any of you goons tell me what's a better deal? I just got the Mitsubishi HC1500 and I am very impressed with it. I've not compared it to either of the other projectors you list, though. It is available for $800 from projectorpeople. It's a 720p, DLP, 1600 lumens. Like I said, I couldn't be happier with it so far. I'm projecting on a homemade 135" blackout cloth screen and it looks very very good.
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Mar 9, 2008 08:28
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i've been a projector user for ~5 years now and Hotpants is absolutely right. Enjoy the one you have, when you look to upgrade (I usually wind up doing that when the last one fails or a bulb breaks or I get a big bonus, or the other is stolen...) then you will be absolutely floored when the new one comes in. Can't wait for my HC4900 to arrive, upgrading from an hd70 which some thief is currently hopefully not enjoying since it had just developed a nasty case of the not always booting ups. Fucker stole half of my custom built mount though. Does anyone have a diagram for how the HC4900 bolts to a mount? I have a friend who can fabricate me a new one, he just needs some measurements.
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