abintra

What would be the best value projectors to research further for the following groups?

~$1000 w/screen

~$2000 w/screen

Slayer2005

Hands down any decent CRT projector. CRT is the King of front projection. Mine cost only $700 after S&H, but you know what? It CAN do HD. $1,000 can get you a great CRT that will do 720p, 1080i (natively I might add, no downscaling), 480p, 540p or whatever resolution you want to send it.

That's not all though, CRTs also have no native aspect ratio. They can pretty much do any aspect ratio. They don't suffer from rainbow effect like DLPs. They don't suffer from screendoor effect like LCDs (and to a lesser extend DLPs). As if they aren't already unique enough, they are the only projection technology capable of true black.

Not even the cinema's blacks are close to CRT. When a CRT fade's to black it is darker than my InFocus 4805 when the same black scene on it is projected onto a black sheet. A digital will light up the room on a fade to black on regular screen. This is because CRT does not use lamps like DLP/LCD/Film/etc. It gives the most 3D like picture which rich colors. A $700-$2000 CRT will make you think you own a $20,000+ projector at times. I own one of the lower end models and it is amazing.

Tubes in good condition can last for 10,000+ hours whereas expensive lamps are known for going out well before there 3,000-4,000 limit. Not only that, but lamps lose half of their brightness long before they should.

Best CRT projector for $1,000=$2,000 with screen? Hard to say, but pretty much any one will walk all over a digital. Even a $25,000 3-chip DLP. An 8" EM Focus unit of almost any kind with good tubes would be fantastic for just about anyone.

Now, CRTs aren't quite plug & play like digitals and the user is responsible for the quality of image (which is part of the fun since it gives you a sense of accomplishment), but the PQ is worth it for the blacks levels alone.

While digitals are considered great for having 2,000:1-3,000 contrast ratios a CRT front projector can range from 15,000:1-30,000:1. You have you 5.5" CRTs, your 7" CRTs, your 8" CRTs and the kng of all, 9" CRTs. A 7" CRT is all most people would ever ever need, but I'd recommend an 8"er simlply to get one with EM focus (tighter focus).

CRTs aren't for everyone though. They can be learned fairly easy on AVSForum. They are also large. Obviously something this great must have a catch since they have so many positives (Picture qualiity, price, durability, etc) and that catch is that they are big and bit harder to set up (although some of them are pretty darn easy and once set up you don't have to touch them very often).

In the digital realm for $1,000 w/screen I'd recommend an InFocus 4805. I have one and it's very nice, but I'm thinking of selling it because I simply just love the blacks, colors & contrast of my CRT (blacks being the biggest reason) too much. Digitals need to find away to DRAMATICALLY improve their black level before I'll be ready to stay with one.

Another choice would be the Sharp XR-10. It's a 4:3 XGA DLP, so you'll get higher resolution if you need or want that for anything. You'll also get a much brighter picture than the 4805, which will only be need if you're doing really large screen sizes or will be viewing in ambient ligiht. The colors won't be quite as good. The contrast will be slightly less. It's a tradeoff. The 4805 can be had a bit cheaper than the XR-10 though.

For $2,000 I'd probably recommend the NEC HT1100 DLP which is a 4:3 XGA DLP with great colors and contrast, but you can get the Panasonic AE900 in the same price range that does 720p, but it will have inferior contrast to the HT1100 (regardless of what the specs lead you to believe.). The newer LCDs aren't achieving real 5500:1 contrast ratings. They are using tricks to be able to use those ridiculous ratings.

Sdallnct

Seems like a good deal. Note it is refurbished.

http://store.infocus.com/escalate/st...00-RE&tab=desc

Oh and for a screen....DIY

Slayer2005

No offense intended, but the InFocus 5000 is a piece of junk unless all you watch is sports and animation (and/or LOTs of ambient light viewing). The contrast is very weak and the black level is terrible (SDE is bad as well). You get what you pay for (unless we're talking about CRTs. In that case you get WAY more than what you pay for. ). There is a reason why it's a 720p LCD for only $899.

It might please the average Joe (at least for a little while anyway), but sooner or later the very weak blacks/contrast will become annoying if you care at all about picture quality. Resolution is not king. It's merely one of many things that help make up a great image.

It may please a newbie quite a bit (due to the size of the image and sharpness) though (at first anyway), but the reason why is because the person is a newbie who has not seen better.

The 4:3 XGA DLPs are a better choice tha the 5000. They are high rez than 480p (not quite 720p though) and you at least get the decent contrast of DLPs and halfway acceptable black levels. As soon as the wow factor of a super large image goes away the glaring flaws of hte 5000 will become increasingly more and more noticeable.

It should come down to something like the 4805 (or Optoma H31) vs a decent 4:3 XGA DLP with DarkChip2 like the Sharp XR-10 or InFocux X3. The only reason to choose the XR-10 or InFocus X3 over the 4805 is if you want the extra resolution (at the expense of color accuracy and saturation) or the extra brightness (for larger screens or ambient light viewing). For dark viewing on a 110" or less screen the 4805 would be the better choice for regular DVDs. High rez gaming would be better on the XGA DLPs though. So would internet surfing or HDTV.

Still, the best deal in home theater (for the people who just care about the best image quality) is CRT, but it's not for everyone (which is a good thing for us who want great image quality without sacrifciing deep inky blacks)

I agree about the DIY screen. Best way to go if you want to save a ton of money.

If you want to go digital and want to spend $2,000 I'd get either the NEC HT1100 or the Panasonic AE900. If you want the best image quality around get a CRT and read on AVSForum. It's that simple.

abintra

Re: CRT

What models should I research and price?

What exactly is required to get them setup as they should be in order to best something entry level such as the 4805?

Re: the differences between the non-CRTs.

Infocus 4805.. cheapest but limited to 480P?

Sharp XR-10, NEC HT1100 DLP, Panasonic AE900.. all 720P/1080i with the Sharp being the cheapest. What would typical price differences between these four model be?

What does a DIY screen involve both in terms of material, setup and quality compared to a purchased one?

Are there any stores that allow one to return a purchase such as this if not satisified without being hit with a restocking fee? Only ones I think this might be the case are Shopathometv and Costco but I'm not sure they would be the way to go.

Edit: Just read http://www.curtpalme.com/CRTPrimer.htm. I'm thinking the CRT's might be more of a lifestyle/hobby choice than I'm prepared to invest. The projector would likely need to be viewable in some amount of typical ambient light since it would get used in the day in a living room environment versus a dedicated home theater room and significantly blacking out the whole room isn't desireable.

Sdallnct

Takes about three hours of work and maybe $150 in material to build a screen.

There will be a few places that let you try a PJ, with limited hours on the bulb, but not many. You will just have to make some calls.

Check out projectorcentral.com and AVSforum.com for all the different PJ's and discussion.

You can pick up the 4805 at Costco every now and then and is a safe choice due to Costco's almost unlimited return policy.

BTW, I'm a huge Infocus fan. I'm using their X1 and really like it.

Freud

The Sharp X10 produces outstanding PQ with HD sources. A terrific buy for $899 at SAMS club.

abintra

Think I'll decide between the Sharp X10 (does it matter what the number after the 10 is.. x/s?), the InFocus 4805/X3, or the Optoma DV10. Not sure if I should look for a package deal including the screen or try the DIY method.

Sdallnct

Great list of "recommended" PJ's

The Sanyo Z4 gets a lot of play, but not sure in your budget.

http://www.projectorcentral.com/home...projectors.htm

abintra

Only because I would then have to explore making my own screen and that added cost.

Not sure how simple that is but my head is already spinning trying to figure out the best way to go. Whether I should get whatever the best inexpensive non-HD projector turns out to be or spend the extra money for for one of the HD ones. The more I read the more everything seems to get decent reviews and start to blur into one.

Sdallnct

If you mean how easy is it to build the screen, the one I built was extremely easy. I purchased the screen material/instructions on e-bay and built in about 3 hours. Basically I built a frame and stretched the screen material over it like an artist canvas. Then built an outter frame and warped in black material. Easy to do, no miter corners needed as you are covering all the wood with material. Here is a pic with of mine (tho not a great pic):

DthRdrX

The good thing about digital projectors is that they can be moved around easily. I'm sure CRTs are great but not many people have that kind of room/dedication.

As for HD vs non-HD, most enthusiasts believe it is best to follow the screen width ideal.

2x screen width from 480p
1.5 screen width from 720p
1.3 screen width from 1080p

In this case even while viewing SD the HD projector will allow you to sit closer or go with a larger screen. You just have to make sure the scaler is good. Both the Sanyo Z3 and Panasonic AE700 have pretty good scalers.

DthRdrX

As for screens, either go the DIY route or if you want to buy one look at Carada.com. I compared the brilliant white screen in great detail against the more expensive Stewart Studiotek 130 and they looked really similar, though the Carada is much cheaper. They also have terrific customer service.

ShagMan

I use a Z3 and go 1:1 on distance... little too close, but I have a 12"x12" room and didn't want a tiny screen hehe.