projector purchase help

[bser]

well here goes, my first post here. Looking for a budget projector for HT applications. I originally had pegged what I wanted, that was a benq 8700, but that appears to be out of the price range now. So what i'm wondering is if there are suitable replacements in the 1000-2000 range. I realize I'm not going to get the same kind of picture, but my question is can I still get something worthwhile for this kind of money and not be disappointed? Here what I'm looking for.

1: 2000$ max better if it were closer to 1500 and of course the cheaper the better.
2: Will be used almost entirely for watching DVD's. But I'd like the option of watching tv on it as well. We don't have hdtv but that might be something of importance in the future. Most important is that it plays dvds well though.
3: Will be in a room that is 14 feet wide and 20 feet long, the screen will be placed on the 14 feet side. Looking at about a 90 inch screen.... Does that sound about right for a room this size? I have no idea. Also this room will be able to block any light, as it has no windows and doors that close blocking any outside light, so the projector won't have to be incredibly bright.

Basically what I'm looking for is specs I should be looking at like what resolution should I want? What lumens will do in a light controled room? And maybe a few suggestions on what some of the better valued buys are in my price range. Thanks to all that take the time to respond

[Doop]

I just pulled the trigger

After a few months of agonizing, reading reviews, etc., I came down to choosing between an Infocus ScreenPlay 4805 and a BenQ PE7800.

I had the use of one of the 4805s for several weeks. Had absolutely no complaints. Great picture. Not terribly bright, but in a darkened room, no problem whatever.

I ended up ordering the BenQ even though I've never seen one. May have been a dumb move. Will know in a few days. I talked to a number of people who were familiar with both units, read the reviews, convinced myself that the higher native resolution (576 vs 480) and some other details were worth the extra bucks (about $600 or $700, all things considered, from the vendors I found). I was told the picture was a bit better; no brighter, but slightly better contrast.

Frankly, although it's probably a stupid criterion, I was influenced by the fact that when the BenQ was introduced it carried a MSRP of around $5,500, and it wasn't all that long ago.

I may be suffering a serious case of Buyer's Remorse this time next week. In any case, I am sure I wouldn't have gone wrong with the 4805. Also, my understanding is that Infocus is going to replace the 4805 with a 4810 soon, basically the same unit with a few more lumens, in which case I would expect the 4805 to be available for $1K or less pretty soon.

[Paul H]

edited out comment - need to read others posts more carefully ops:

It looks like a pretty good pj on paper - hopefully someone here owns one and can give you some feedback.

G'luck,

Paul

[bser]

can anyone tell me what the main difference between the 7800 and the 8700 and what the real world performance difference is? Cause if there is a huge difference in performance I may just wait until I have to money for a better one that I will be happier with. I've heard great things about he 8700 and when I was looking into them a few months ago that was the one I decieded on, but like I said the financial situation changed so now i"m on a slightly tighter budget.

[Leef DaLucky]

heya bser,
just out of curiosity you know there's a 7700 coming out in a month or 2 right?
AVS thread on the Benq 7700

Cheers, Mikey
P.S. Don't let the nomenclature fool you, the 7700 is HD2+ and it's 720 resolution. Just wasn't sure if you knew about it yet.

[bser]

see I'm not up on any of the releases nor do I know if I'm really needing 720 resolution or what not as the main object of the setup is for watching dvd's. Does the native resolution matter as much if dvds are the main source material or should I be more concerned with just getting a 16x9 widescreen projector?

[77engineer]

Not sure about the projectors but a 90 inch screen in that size room will do fine. I have a room that is 12X28 and I use a 92 inch screen and it fits very well. I use a Sony HS 20 projector which I absolutely love but is probably out of your budget unless you find one used.

Adam

[bser]

kinda looking for somone to jump in here and say this xxxxxxx projector is a great value projector for watching dvds in your price range. Can anyone help a brother out? oh and I do much appreciate the link to the 7700 that is a very attractive looking projector :T

[basementjack]

My buddy just got a screenplay 5000 and seems pretty happy with it, I think he paid $1600 or so.

He was also looking at a panasonic for around 2K that got good reviews.

- Jack

[George Bellefontaine]

Brandon, the differences between the two BenQ models you mentioned ar as follows:

PE7800 is a native 1024 x 576 ( matterhorn chip) dlp projector. It has 800 lumens and a spec'd contrast ratio of 2000:1. It is a medium throw projector. A 16:9 100" diagonal picture would put the projector 11.8 to 14.4 feet from the screen. I own an NEC HT1000 and in 16:9 mode its resolution is the same as the PE7800. This resolution is excellent for dvds and pretty darn good with hi-def source material also.

The PE8700+ is native 1280 x 720 which will fully resolve 720p hi-def source material. It is a bit brighter than the 7800 with an ansi lumen rating of 1000 and the stated contrast ratio is 2500:1. It has a short throw ratio and would put the projector at 9.8 to 12 feet from a 100" diagonal screen. I have seen this projecoir and it does give a pretty good picture, but the 7800 would probably keep you happy if the price is right.

My HT is 18 feet x 14 feet and my 16:9 screen is 105" diagonal. The front row of seating is about 14 feet from the screen and there is no screen door visibility from either my lcd projector or the dlp.

If you can see either of these demoed you should do so. Dlp is not for everybody. Some see rainbows and others complain of eye fatigue and headaches.

Hope this helps.

[Leef DaLucky]

hmmm:
best value?
DVD oriented?
under 2k?

Doop might have been on the right track with the 4805 suggestion.
it meets all your criteria and just happens to be the cheapest too.
not bad.

you can always sell it later and upgrade to a 720p projector when prices really start to fall.

[Doop]

Yeah, like I said, I bought the BenQ knowing that the Infocus was logically the better deal. I do stuff like that sometimes.

The BenQ was $1,975 including shipping and all the cables. The best price I found on a new 4805 was $1,295, which would have been about $1,450 by the time I got it to my house with the M1 adaptor for the DVI input.

I justify these things this way:

My first VCR had a wired remote that's only function was "pause." You could set the timer to start a recording, but not to stop, so it recorded to the end of the tape, which was either 2 hours or 4 hours. The only controls were "play" "stop" "record" "rewind" and "fast foward." I bought it on sale for $899 at a time when I was earning $195 a week. Blank VHS tapes were $29.95 apiece.

If I'd put the money into Savings Bonds, I'd be better off financially. I never regretted the decision. What the hell.

[bser]

wow guys thanks so much for all the help, I have a very good base to go off of now to further my knowledge of projectors to make an informed buying decision. George your info was especialy enlightening, thank you. And lol @ doop I feel ya man, my feeling is that money is no good unless it is used