New Projector for Me

[Dean McManis]

I had been holding off on upgrading my HT projector for a while now. The prices on 1080p models have been steadily dropping, and at the same time features and quality have been improving. I had been waiting for a 3D/1080p model, with a wish for a LED/laser light source.

But in the middle of waiting the prices simply dropped too low for me to hold off any more and I just ordered a ACER H6500, prompted mostly by it's sub $700 sale/street price. :E

By all accounts, it is a bare bones unit, lacking many videophile features like lens shift, color calibration, upscale remote, or power focus (or 3D, or auto-iris), but it is still supposed to have a bright, clear picture with good color out of the box.

I'm hoping to get it in a couple days, so I'll report back then with more details on how it looks and how well it works. :T

[Hdale85]

Awesome, be great to hear your impressions! I'm loving my DLA-RS40, but when a 4k projector comes down to the right price point I think that's when I will upgrade. It's amazing the difference between 720p and 1080p on an 84" screen, so 4k should look real good.

[Chris D]

less than $700? Wow. I just replaced the lamp in my 5 year old, 1080p Panasonic PT-AE2000, and even that was $250. (which was a deal from the $300-500 price you can find out there) I too am trying to put off another full PJ purchase for several years.

[Dean McManis]

Yeah, I had been holding off on replacing my projector for years now as well. And it's not as if my current 720p projector looks bad. It's just that I can see the noticable light falloff (especially on a 180" perforated screen) and I know that it's time to replace the bulb.

I'm not anticipating that the 4K projectors (and media) will be affordable that soon, but if my 4K, 3D, laser/LED dream projector does drop down into my price range over the next couple years, then I will eventually upgrade and bump this unit to gaming and internet duty. :B

Anyway, I'm hoping to get the H6500 tomorrow or the day after, and I'm eager to see how it looks.

[Hdale85]

Yeah I just got the RS40 so I'd be ok with 3-4 years. I think by that time we should see true 4k projectors in the 3-5k range which is where I'd want to be.

[Dean McManis]

I've owned 3 JVC projectors so far and I've really enjoyed them. The RS40 has very high contrast and 3D for a good price (considering features and quality), so it should do well for the next several years. I haven't seen any 4K projectors outside of a movie theater, but like all new technologies they are bound to have their prices drop as they try to appeal to a consumer market.

Also on my wish list is no-glasses 3D, or at least a passive glasses 1080p 3D projector at a bargain price. If they hit that low price point and manage 4K resolution too, so much the better.

[Dean McManis]

I got the Acer H6500 today and my first impressions are that it's very bright and very clear. Even in Dark Cinema mode with lights on in the room on a 180", perforated, gray screen and it's still quite viewable. In Sports or Gaming modes it's brighter still. 8)
Blue-ray DVDs are extra crisp and have a very movie-like quality.
Unfortunately older DVDs look a bit grainy, but to be fair I'm viewing way too close (9' away) from a screen this size. 8O

This unit does not have an iris, but it varies the bulb brightness to compensate for light and dark scenes and get a 10K:1 contrast ratio. When looking for it I did notice a couple times when the brightness was being adjusted on the fly, but it was well worth it for the better picture quality in both bright, dark, and mid-brightness scenes.

It looked so good that I got sucked into the movie, which is a good sign. :T

[Dean McManis]

I got more time to use my new projector this weekend, and it really does knock my socks off for Blueray movies. :T
But the projector's added brightness and clarity are not as much of an advantage with some of my older DVDs and with streaming movies. The poorer-grainy transfers and video compression artifacts show up even more when blown up big, and viewed up close. :E
It doesn't look exactly bad, but after watching Blueray movies at native 1080p it's clear that "the best is the enemy of the good". But relying on upscaling lower res media gets me wondering about the relative near-term value of upcoming 4K and 8K projectors.