Sharpvision

[truenature]

Ready to purchase my first PJ and was thinking about the Sharpvision 2000 series. Any thoughts, suggestions, advice?

[Dean McManis]

I'm guessing that you mean the SharpVision XV-Z2000, which is a 1280 X 720p DLP projector with good brightness and great contrast.
It sounds like a very good choice. :T

[George Bellefontaine]

This PJ is still fairly new so I expect there are few, if any, members here who own one. I have read quite a bit about it, though, at other home theater sites. Most say it is quite good. I gave it some consideration awhile ago when I replaced an older lcd projector, but the Sharp is a short throw and doesn't have lens shift which was a deal breaker for me.

[truenature]

If you had a choice between the Sharp XV-Z2000 and the Infocus 7205 which direction would you lean? Better yet, a little more info, I can get the sharp for roughly $3200. The Infocus, roughly $3600. Should this make my decision easier, or is there another PJ in that range (or cheaper) that might be better? I will be using it in a finished basement in a room roughly 20' X 20', a few windows that have dark shades and are covered by a deck above, but there will be a little light. Forgive me if I seem "new" at this, and I have done research, but sometimes it confuses more than educates.

[George Bellefontaine]

That's a darn good price on the Infocus. I can't make any kind of a realistic comment on which is better, but there are some differences between the two. The Infocus is a much brighter dlp PJ which could be important if you don't have total light control, or like watching tv sports events with a little bit of light in the room. It is also a medium/long throw projector which may be important to you if you'd rather have the PJ situated behind the seating area rather than in front.

[basementjack]

I own an older Sharp Projector and I love it. Mine's a C30 1024x768 LCD - low contrast ratio etc.. but it looks fantastic, and I'm really really pleased with the features it has given it's age (It must be 3 or 4 years old now)

Brighter Source material - especially CG like shrek, incredibles etc... Look simply amazing.

They even have software so I can load a custom startup image, and adjust the gamma curve differently than the 3 defaults.

So anyhow, my experience with Sharp has been great.

- Jack

[Andrew M Ward]

In Focus

Now that In Focus has decided to sell their products to absolutely anybody with a pulse and a P.O. book, including Costco Target K-Mart and Sears...

I can imagine the price will drop like a stone, no self respecting dealer with a trained video staff will touch the stuff here in a few months.

Give it 8 months... and In Focus will be 15% cheaper than it is today, but only available from mass merchandisers.

And in 24 months the profits will be completely driven out of the product (because of the mass-re-seller price battling) They will bait In Focus with larger and larger Purchase orders at lower and lower profit margins and In Focus gear will begin to suffer in quality to meet demand and dropping dealer profits...

We've seen it happen before. Kef...

Just to name one example from the 90's, but the same formula still applies, mark this spring on the calendar and check again in the spring of 2007, by then In Focus will have a suffering image problem and no high-end support, so they'll have no avenue to sell their hi-end products, only $1500 projectors, so in return they will have no avenue to support research and development and the rest will be history...

Boy do I sound Pompous... Too many years in this industry watching the same thing happen over and over and over...

Resist the huge Purchase Order from the Major Chain, stay medium sized and profitable. That is the only way you can retain control of your company, your products, and your ability to invest in your employees and technology for research and development.

Just my 2 cents
Andrew Ward

[Clive]

Interesting post Andrew, I share your thoughts on that...............
If that's the case then maybe Reggie could wait if he's interested in the Infocus.

[Andrew M Ward]

I can be overbearing

Shop Costco and watch the In Focus prices drop...

they are presntly excellent products, I wouldn't wait to long, the next round of deliveries might...not be as excellent. It does depend on how many of the current run are sitting in warehouses around the world, or on freighters headed somewhere... I would buy sooner rather than later, even believing the price will drop.

More 2 cents

[ausmatt]

truenature, you have probably already bought by now but if you went with the sharp here's a set up tip, use the least amount of zoom and keystone possible i have found it can get a little flickery if you zoom it lots.
for anyone else out there get the sharp instead of the infocus, the infocus are really unreliable at the moment