Home Theater Projectors

[blindside8zao]

I'm not sure where to post this, if it needs to be moved to the lists thread then that's fine.

I wanted to know if anyone here used home-projection for watching DVDs. What are the drawbacks to doing so? What model/company do you use and how satisfied are you? I'm interested in purchasing an affordable unit but am not sure where to start. Edit:( I guess I could start by spelling the title of my thread right).

Also, how often will the lamp burn out? Does this start to become costly? If I get one, I'll be using it a lot.

How does a projector process aspect ratio?

[skuhn8]

I'm not sure where to post this, if it needs to be moved to the lists thread then that's fine.

I wanted to know if anyone here used home-projection for watching DVDs. What are the drawbacks to doing so? What model/company do you use and how satisfied are you? I'm interested in purchasing an affordable unit but am not sure where to start. Edit:( I guess I could start by spelling the title of my thread right).

Also, how often will the lamp burn out? Does this start to become costly? If I get one, I'll be using it a lot.

How does a projector process aspect ratio?

I use a BenQ 6100, fairly low budget projector. But I was very pleased with it until it blew a bulb after only 300 hours. It was out of warrenty at that point. After nearly a year I scratched up the cash for a replacement bulb and now have nearly 800 hours. If you go on comparison sites you'll hear all kinds of horror stories: bulbs blowing after only 50 hours. Truth is that people rarely report when there's no problem. Just hope for the best and if you find bulbs on sale consider buying an extra. I didn't for fear that my bulb supply may outlast the life of the projector itself.

Drawback can of course be the presence of ambient light. I had a dedicated cinema room in my basement until a while ago. Also, some people, myself included, will occasionally see rainbow flashes when watching black and white films. For me, this went away after a hundred hours of viewing or so. You adjust to it and then rarely notice it. I believe that some of the higher end models utilize a technology that prevents the effect in their color wheel.

[Luke M]

I was doing a bit of research on this myself. Check out projector central.com

[ellipsis7]

I'm screening on a SIM Domino projector - bulb has 6000 hours (ie several years worth), replacement about €400 - is HD ready and am feeding HDMI signal from player for optimal picture quality... There are preset aspect ratios, (normal, anamorphic, letterbox) and User settings where you can set your own.... Latter is useful as there is virtually no picture cutoff, so the CC windowboxing is very apparent, and needs adjustment.... There's also controls to adjust against keystone, zoom and focus obviously, and settings to allow rear or front projection, and projection when held upside down in ceiling mount... Reflectivity of screen matters too...

[blindside8zao]

how noisy are they?

[ellipsis7]

Well there has to be a fan to cool the electronics and the bulb extending operating hours, but you're not really aware of it unless you really listen for it - it's about the level of the fan inside a computer... I have a pretty decent home cinema sound system so that really dominates the audioscape... Manufacturers generally are conscious of keeping things quiet... The actual picture chip inside the projector is important, and determines resolution and picture quality, black levels etc...

[Gigi M.]

I've been projecting for about 10 years now and I wouldn't change it for the world. I've an 81" HD 16:9 screen and a Optoma 1080p projector and it looks amazing. In my bedroom I also have the same projector, but this time with an electric screen and a Bravia 32" LCD. The latest I never turn it on and don't even know why I bought the damm thing.

On the down side, your room needs to be very dark to get the best viewing results. Make sure you pick the right screen for your projector and room environment. If you take good care of the unit, the bulb can last more than 2,000 hours. Both my units have less than 1000 hours and they look better than ever.

how noisy are they?

DLP, and specially Optoma's projectors, are usually very quiet.

[Petty Bourgeoisie]

I was looking for a new TV last March and I researched all the new flat screens (LCD, Plasma, etc.). I decided on a Optoma H31 projector because of one primary reason: It would be for DVD and Games only. I only watch movies after dark so ambient light didn't matter to me. I built my own screen for $75 using Home Depot materials and the projector cost me $599. I'm getting a 85" picture at 480P and it looks great to me. So I believe a projector is great if it's for movie watching. For a family room set-up where it's gonna be switched on and off frequently and ambient light is a concern I'd go LCD flat screen if it was me. But for strictly DVD watching there is nothing like seeing a great movie on a huge screen. Also the slight sound a DLP projector makes is appealing to me. It's like you are at the back of the theater and the projector is rolling away behind you.

[Gigi M.]

I'm curious to hear people's stories. And I think a couple of other posters like Scharphe and Kinsayder also have projectors.

David, I own two Optoma's projectors (HD80 1080p / HD70 720P that accepts 1080P/24hz) and they're both amazing. I've good luck so far with Projectors after owning 6 units, but the Optoma's (for the price and quality) are by far the best projectors I've seen. I never had bulb problems before, so I can't comment on that side. HD looks amazing, although I haven't invested in either format yet. I have a friend of mine who owns a Playstation 3 and a A1 HDDVD and both units looks amazing.

There's not a big difference image wise when projecting on a native 1080p projector at 81", which are the sizes of both my screens. However, there's a big difference when projecting on different screens. I have my HD80 projecting on a fix screen with 1.3 gain, and the HD70 on a electric screen with only 1.1 gain. So, I recommend to whoever is getting a projector to select a fix screen with the gain depending on their room environment. For a very dark room with a bright projector go for screen with low gain (1.1 - 1.3) and for rooms with ambient light present a higher gain screen (1.8 or more).

[Der Müde Tod]

I've been enjoying the Panasonic PT-AE900U for over a year now, using it about every day for 2 hours. I wouldn't go back to TVs.

Being nervous about the light bulb, I have hooked it up to a UPS (uninterruptible power supply) system that allows me to shut the projector down properly in case of a power failure. The UPS also compensates voltage fluctuations which would probably shorten the bulb life.

The fan noise is noticeable if you sit next to the projector but even then
has never distracted me.

At the time I did my research projectors with full HD resolution were too expensive for my budget. I just bought the projector that seemed to be the best deal in my price range.

The rainbow effect is something that depends on the projector type,
I find it highly irritating and made sure that my projector doesn't have it.

[Gigi M.]

I've been enjoying the Panasonic PT-AE900U for over a year now, using it about every day for 2 hours. I wouldn't go back to TVs. ...

Everything you've said is true. I have both my pj hooked through 700 k UPS systems. I've never seen any rainbows on any pj I've own, but I have a friend who sees them all the time. So, anyone should make sure DLP is right unit for them, if not go for a LCD.

[peerpee]

I've started seeing rainbow flashes on b+w films with subtitles, almost always when the subtitles appear --- on a 40" Sony Bravia LCD. I've drained the picture of colour, but it still happens. Didn't notice it on my previous 32" Sony Bravia LCD.

[Petty Bourgeoisie]

How does a projector process aspect ratio?

All good home theater projectors (which are separate from business models) will be 16:9. So it'll handle any AR you throw at it. If you show a 2:35 AR there will be black bars on top and bottom of the screen. If you watching a 4:3 the bars will be on the sides. If you watch 1:78 it'll fill up the whole screen.

As far as the rainbow effect, my Optoma H31 has a 4 speed color wheel and I couldn't tell you what a rainbow effect looks like. Never seen one.

One more piece of advice I'd like to offer is to avoid the influence of Home Theater fanatics who think you have to spend gonzo money. If DVD is your addiction than a 480p projector is all you need because that's the resolution of standard definition DVD's. Now if you are into Hi-Def than that's another deal. You can get some absolutlety killer deals on 480p DLP projectors right now and I know some folks who are happy to throw their 100" projection right onto a blank white wall. Don't fall into the trap of thinking you have to have a dedicated room with red carpets, screen curtains, fancy seating and dimmable wall sconces. #-o

[Scharphedin2]

My projector is an Italian tri-panel model called Vidikron TLS600. I project unto a wall with an image area of around 120", and am quite happy with the result.

I have owned the projector for about five years, use it on the average a couple of hours a day, and have so far not had any problems with the bulbs. The thing is, of course, that once a bulb blows, I probably will have to exchange all three, and they are not cheap. On the other hand, I was told that they should last 10,000 hours.

The projector was not cheap, but the reason I invested the money was that (at the time of purchase at least) the tri-panel projectors were supposed to give a more filmic image, and more faithful color reproduction. On the downside, the callibration is not easy, and there are those who will probably claim that you need a professional to do it properly. After having worked with it a couple of times, however, I feel that I can do the job myself. At present, I am very happy with the image, even though it is a little soft, and I realise that it can get even better. The problem is that I will need glasses first -- I am simply not able to fine tune it, since my eyes have grown weak.

I am actually curious to hear what the general consensus is on the LCD vs. Tri-Panel type of projectors these days. I am happy with the quality of the image on my projector (imperfections aside), and I especially love being able to project to the size of image that I am capable of. The effect really is a proximation of a small theater, and possibly for that reason I am not distracted by many of the artifacts that are sometimes discussed around here and on DVDBeaver.

[ellipsis7]

1080P is great, I'm projecting onto a 2.25 metre wide 1.66:1 ratioed silver grey retractable screen, which needs a throw of about 5 metres - you really get the sharpness, grain and detail - lozenge like images from plasma and lcd screens simply don't compare...

[Cinetwist]

One more piece of advice I'd like to offer is to avoid the influence of Home Theater fanatics who think you have to spend gonzo money. If DVD is your addiction than a 480p projector is all you need because that's the resolution of standard definition DVD's. Now if you are into Hi-Def than that's another deal. You can get some absolutlety killer deals on 480p DLP projectors right now and I know some folks who are happy to throw their 100" projection right onto a blank white wall. Don't fall into the trap of thinking you have to have a dedicated room with red carpets, screen curtains, fancy seating and dimmable wall sconces.

I have to second this piece of advice. If you are currently using a TV and are tentative about getting a projector because you think you have to spend stupid money to get results, don't be!

I have a Benq PE5120 (currently being repaired) that I've had for a year and a half. It's the best purchase I have ever made. I painted my wall white and got some good blinds fitted, and that's all you need! Forget total blackout and screens and get a 480p and upscale. You will seriously regret having watched all those films so small.

I was extremely susceptible to rainbows at first, but these went away after 2 weeks of watching a film every night or two. And besides, all the new DLP projectors have faster colour wheels, so this isn't a problem if you buy a newer model, like the Benq W100.

And I've got 1000 hours on the lamp, so even if Benq can't repair it, I'm not too bothered. Although I'll have to make the choice of upgrading to HD or not, which would be quite hard.

[My Man Godfrey]

Blindside: Thanks for starting this thread. I'm planning to buy a projector in January. I'm not a videophile, and I'm worried about making some stupid mistake. The prices really seem to have come down on solid home theater projectors lately! Exciting.

One question I have: everybody says "You'll need a completely dark room," etc. If, in practice, I never watch movies during the day -- and there aren't any bright lights just outside the window -- then is this really a problem?

I'm not super-finicky about image quality, but I'd obviously like to be able to see the movies. (There's a theater in the cinema dept. on campus that was half-assedly installed with an office projector. Some movies look fine, but others are almost impossible to watch -- and this in a windowless room. In The Conversation, for instance, Teri Garr's performance was "edited" completely out of the film"; all of her scenes take place in dim rooms.)

I have a related question, not for this thread. Can someone tell me where to post it? (. . . or, if you're feeling naughty, you could just answer it here.) Here it is:

I have a region-free, PAL-converting Philips DVD player. It does indeed "play it all," but there's a lot of wobbliness and flicker when I play PAL DVDs. Is this a problem with the DVD player, the TV, or both? Is there a way to reduce the flicker? (When there's a straight line crossing the screen, for instance, it bobs up and down very slightly.)

By the way, I know there's that "All-Region Players Advice" thread . . . but the question from my last post almost seems too general for that thread.

[ellipsis7]

Yes, you need to produce blackout, but essentially it's reducing light on the screen so it's not entirely absolute - I have blackout lined curtains and blinds, but there's still a little seep through that doesn't bother...

Re; Regions settings are just the same as pumping a multiregion player into a standard TV... No fuss there...

Just to correct a misconception - pumping a high end HD mastered SD DVD like all the CC discs, down an HDMI connection to 1080P projection really displays the info up there, and clearly shows a differential, significantly above 480P standard setup or TV... While HD/BluRay DVD discs potentially could perfom above this level, it's yet to be a practical reality for anything I want to watch!...

[Hashi]

For what's it worth... I've been using a Panasonic PT-AE500 (LCD, 720p) projector for the last 4 years now. 92" 16:9 screen in my living room. Bulb is still the first one - timer shows about 3200 hours of use.

Back then I had a CRT tube for a couple of months for TV use but after that I dumped the TV and I started to use the projector for everything from TV, VHS to DVD.

When selecting a projector LCD was the only choice. I see too much rainbows even on DLPs with a 4x wheel. They give me a terrible headache and wet my eyes until I can't even read the subtitles. I've yet to see ones with 6x wheel...

[barrym71]

I've been enjoying the Panasonic PT-AE900U for over a year now, using it about every day for 2 hours. I wouldn't go back to TVs.

I have the same projector, using a 65" 16x9 pull-down screen. I have had no problem whatsoever with the projector after a year and a half, and I would recommend anyone considering a projector to look at reviews of the Panasonic models. The price point and performance made much more sense to me than purchasing a 50" + LCD/Plasma/DLP.

[montgomery]

I have the Panasonic PT-AX100u, and while the image is amazing, especially for the price, it has some design flaws. With 400-800 hrs of use, most of them have to be sent to Panasonic for repair. Panasonic's customer service is lousy, and the whole debacle has ensured that I'll never buy another projector from them again.

[Hashi]

I have the Panasonic PT-AX100u, and while the image is amazing, especially for the price, it has some design flaws. With 400-800 hrs of use, most of them have to be sent to Panasonic for repair. Panasonic's customer service is lousy, and the whole debacle has ensured that I'll never buy another projector from them again.

This is exactly what I've seen to happen. A friend of mine has the Pana AX100 with 800 hours of use and it has been sent for repair 4 times now. First they had to clean up the LCD panels because the upper area was blue and the lower red - they were dirty from the beginning, then it was the power source making a distracting high frequency noise, then it had some kind of flickering which should've been fixed by firmware update, a focus problem in which the picture wasn't in focus until the pj had been on for about 15 minutes and now for the last time they finally replaced all the electronics. The new Panasonic design definetely seems to have serious flaws and I would definetely recommend to take a look of the competing pj which is practically the same projector - the Sanyo PLV Z5. Only that I haven't heard this much problems with Sanyo. The lens shift is a lot better, you can even clean dust from the LCD panels by yourself etc. etc.

[montgomery]

This is exactly what I've seen to happen. A friend of mine has the Pana AX100 with 800 hours of use and it has been sent for repair 4 times now. First they had to clean up the LCD panels because the upper area was blue and the lower red - they were dirty from the beginning, then it was the power source making a distracting high frequency noise, then it had some kind of flickering which should've been fixed by firmware update, a focus problem in which the picture wasn't in focus until the pj had been on for about 15 minutes and now for the last time they finally replaced all the electronics. The new Panasonic design definetely seems to have serious flaws and I would definetely recommend to take a look of the competing pj which is practically the same projector - the Sanyo PLV Z5. Only that I haven't heard this much problems with Sanyo. The lens shift is a lot better, you can even clean dust from the LCD panels by yourself etc. etc.[/quote]

Besides the iris issue (which causes the projector to turn off), I'm also having the issue with the LCD panels. The lower screen is blue, while the upper corner is red. This happens on most of them, and how does Panasonic fix it? By changing the test screen, which was originally white, to blue, so that you can't detect the problem during the test screen! I get pissed off just thinking about it.

[Kinsayder]

One question I have: everybody says "You'll need a completely dark room," etc.

That's my only real complaint. I have an Optoma DV10 projector (480p DLP), which is very intolerant of any ambient light. Since I can't use blackout blinds (it's a listed building), it's a night-only toy. I love it, though. Films look amazing on the 80-inch pull down screen, and the projector packs away into a cupboard when not in use, so no-one even knows my living room doubles as a cinema. The only problem I've had with the DV10 is the built-in DVD player. It's always been very intolerant of DVD-Rs and has recently started shutting down unexpectedly, so now I use the DV10 with an external player.

The projector is a little noisy if you're sitting close, but you tend to forget about it. There also a breeze from the fan, and a slight "roasting plastic" smell. I think I'm coming up to about 1000 hours with it, and no problems with the bulb yet.

[montgomery]

For all the bitching I've done about the Pt-AX100u, one of the really nice things about it is that it works well with ambient light. This is one of the things it's designed for. You can actually watch it in full light, although it won't look as bright as a TV. For films, you will obviously want to turn the lights off in your room, but I sometimes keep the windows open (and I'm on street level in NY), and it's never a problem.