Ky-Fi

Please keep in mind that I am an older, technology-challenged individual, who probably doesn't understand a lot of basic concepts regarding this whole thing.

Anyways, is my understanding correct that if I purchase something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B016XR7WA4...79398c19af49_S


...that I can get buy a rollup screen, connect my Bluray player to this projector via HDMI, and watch 1080p movies on a 100" screen, and the picture quality will look very good? (This would just be in my dark living room at night, and the audio would just still be going through my normal sound system).

Is that really how it works, or am I missing something?

Thanks in advance for any responses.

RichC2

Yeah, that's how it works. Just not with that projector, which has a resolution of 800x480, low light output and poor contrast.

Ky-Fi

Thanks--so what specifications would I want to be looking for in a projector---to get a high quality HD picture from my bluray player to a screen in a dark room?

Raul3

I would post your question in the DVD & Home Theater Gear forum here. Or if you want to go crazy avsforum, or one of those places.

Like with all tech, how much do you want to spend. There aren't any budget 4K projectors, but there are a ton of 1080p projectors, under $1000, that would look really amazing in a big screen.

do you have 100% control of light in the room? can it be completely dark?

You can go to projector central and check the different projector comparisons, to find which would work best for you.

RichC2

^ What he said.

You can get an really good, bright 1080p DLP projector for around $600 these days, and those are excellent in both light controlled and non-light controlled rooms, but some people prefer LCD -- which works best if you have a light controlled room and generally cost a little more.

Ky-Fi

Thanks for moving my post here, mods. And thanks for the responses, guys. I've been reading up a bit more the last couple days, so I think I have a better idea.

I do have 100% control of light in the room. I don't plan on watching much on a projector--really just a "movie night" now and then. $600 is a little more than I wanted to spend. Is a 720p one THAT inferior to a 1080p?

I'm thinking of a scenario of watching an 80" screen maybe 10-15 feet back, in a perfectly dark room--the only source would be my Bluray player, I'm thinking.

dex14

I'm considering doing a projector on to motorized screen that would come down in front of my TV. Anyone do this?

Paul_SD

when people talk about the width of the screen and how far back they will be sitting, that's also referred to as the viewing angle.

a rule of thumb recommendation is to shoot for a viewing angle of 1.5:1 - or in other words, if you are projecting on an 8' wide screen, you would be sitting 12' back.

With a good 1080p projector, you can easily push that up. I frequently watch things at a 1:1 viewing angle. That close, it is possible to discern the pixel structure (screen door effect), unless your projector has a modulation system to mitigate it (as the JVC's and others now do, with their faux 4K effect).

If you are using a 720p, you are probably going to want to stay between 1.5-2 screen widths from the screen.

For contrast ratios, higher is always better. For projectors without a mechanical iris, I would probably look for something at minimum of 30,000:1 CR though it's really just a ballpark figure as so much else impacts the perceived CR such as light colored walls, floors, ceilings, etc all of which will reflect light back onto the screen and wash out even the highest contrast images.
Light control is important, but so is some room prep. Just like in the audio realm, you aren't just hearing your speakers, but the entire room.

The big problem with the inexpensive projectors is that they are more designed for presentation purposes and not dedicated movie/TV watching. The differences come down to the ability to calibrate the image (this ranges from picture controls to physical things like lens shift to project the image exactly where you want it without having to have the projector in one precise spot), as well as how it handles motion and any scaling that might be required.

With a 720p at some point, either at the source end or at the projector, you will need to scale down the 1080p signal to 720p...that's going to introduce artifacts and motion related issues.

Another thing to be conscious of is the noise level of the pj. This can have a HUGE impact on the quality of your movie watching experience.
Most budget pjs are not going to be very big and , since the bulbs get pretty hot, they need to keep the interior cool which means high speed fans and those mean noise.
In the olden days, people used to build hush boxes for their pjs. You can still do it with a budget projector, but that's a whole 'nother subject to tackle. That's another area where you get what you pay for when you step up to the over $3K threshold. The pjs become a lot bigger and a lot quieter.

I wouldn't dissuade anyone from getting into front projection- even starting with the budget stuff. My first two projectors were both technically 'presentation projectors' that I just used entirely for HT purposes. At the time I thought I made out like a bandit getting an NEC LT150 for $1800 when a Runco with nearly the same specs, sold only by stereo and TV dealers, was in the $10K range.

But the novelty of a big screen only lasts so long. At some point, the quality of the image, not just the size, is going to become very important to you.
But for someone just starting out, size in and of itself can be a pretty big kick.

Ky-Fi

Thanks, Paul--lots of good info to consider there. That's the kind of stuff I wanted to know.

DthRdrX

The one thing I would suggest if you are looking at a DLP projector is to read up and be aware of lens offset and throw distance. Optoma is the only company that has ever had an offset that would fit my low ceiling.

Ky-Fi

So, I took the plunge.

I hadn't really upgraded any of my AV stuff since about 2011 or so, so I had a few things to get. I wanted a region-free Blu Ray player, and while I was looking for that, I thought I might as well get one that was 3D capable. So I got that.

Then I got the Wowoto H8 projector. 720P, 3D, and great reviews. I got a 93" projection screen, and a pair of 3D glasses.

Got it all set up, and lo and behold, it all worked! Last night I watched Kong: Skull Island in 3D, and it was friggin' awesome.

I'm still figuring things out about where to place the projector and screen, getting the ideal size and stuff, but I'm pretty happy so far. I'm sure 1080P would look slightly sharper, but I'm quite satisfied with the picture quality I'm getting from BDs on the system.

Paul_SD

Congrats Ky-Fi! Sounds like you were able to put together a nice little system for yourself. Not familiar with the Wowoto, but as long as it works for you, that's all that matters.

Just looked it up on Amazon. Amazing the prices of these things now. That's similar to what my first PJ was like- that size and also a DLP. Didn't have 3D though and the resolution wasn't as good either- but I still loved it and was spellbound at what I had for quite a while.

Ky-Fi

Thanks, Paul. Yeah, from your post and the other research I did, I had a pretty realistic view of what I was getting for what I was willing to pay. I knew I wasn't getting top of the line, but I got a large picture of respectable HD quality that looks pretty darn good in a completely dark room. And 3D! (and, it's surprisingly quiet, as well.)

DthRdrX

Once you go to a projector you will not want to go back. Congrats.

Ky-Fi

Yep, really loving it so far. And I'm finding I enjoy 3D much more at home than I do in the theaters.