Projectors
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I have recently been thinking of purchasing a new TV, but while clicking round ebay, I found a cheap (£250ish) HD ready projector.
Thing is I know sweet F.A. about this kind of technology
Will I be wasting my money?
Thanks in advance, BR
Thing is I know sweet F.A. about this kind of technology
Will I be wasting my money?
Thanks in advance, BR
0
Comments
SVGA (800x600) resolution projectors are often like this.
A projector can be problematic for all sorts of reasons, they put out hot air for one! Unpleasant on a hot day.
Also some can be a bit noisy, less than 28dbA is very quiet though.
You really shouldn't use them for the odd few minutes, best to switch on and watch for at least an hour. The brightness is not much of an issue since modern projectors are all very bright, you can have the room lights on unless the screen is a monster size.
Unless you really want the big screen experience of course I would get a new TV. The price of bigger TVs has come down so much that you can get a nice brand 42" for less than £500 nowadays.
One other solution is to stick with your existing TV for most viewing and get a projector for special programmes and films/sports.
In that case you could maybe get a secondhand one from Ebay (collect in person!) for around £130 for a good SVGA model.
p.s. what is the model you have seen for £250?
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=190386953093&_trkparms=tab%3DWatching
They are not HD at all, they will take an HD signal but then downsize it to 800x450
The brands to buy are:
Optoma
Benq
Acer
Nec
Maybe you could buy a 2nd hand one that has had little use, like this one:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Optoma-DLP-Projection-Display-EP719R_W0QQitemZ260588312153QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_AudiVideoElectronics_Video_Electronics?hash=item3cac461659
Review:
http://www.projectorcentral.com/optoma_ep719.htm
The Ebay seller seems fine to me although obviously it's not my money! I'm sure it's an honest seller.
This projector seems a good basic projector. Optoma is a good brand.
It's bright enough to use with the room lights on, it's quiet (28dB) and will even work with a scart connection. And it will work with an HD signal as well. The lamp has only had 184 hours so plenty of life left in it (around 2000hrs is the rated life, more in "eco" mode)
I would bid around £150 maximum(and the post is £20 extra), maybe leave it to the final few minutes if you bid .
The picture at the start of that listing shows Full HD 1080p then when you read the details it gives the real much lower resolution (800x600). That looks a clear case of mis-selling.
So a good 2nd hand projector might be the best bet. But carry on using the existing TV.
Here's another good basic model from Ebay:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Acer-XD1270D-DLP-Projector_W0QQitemZ330425905017QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_AudiVideoElectronics_Video_Electronics?hash=item4ceeeb2f79
Bid around £120 max + £12P&P
And many older projectors don't use HDMI for their HD, they use component HD
The lower end projectors often don't have HDMI.
spot on =]
Thanks to everyone for their input - I think I'll go for a second hand one as people have suggested, rather than buy a sub-standard new one.
Thanks again, B.R.
Beware of people who claim "new lamp" it's very easy to reset the lamp counter to zero. A more believable lamp hours would be around the 100-500hrs range. Any more hours than that is best avoided since lamps only last around 2000hrs, lamps are usually very expensive.
I don't think a projector can replace a TV, but they are a very good add-on if you have things set up in such a way that it's easy to use the projector when you want to without any messing around.
Many bright projectors (more then 2200 ansi lumens) will give a very bright image even with the room lights on/curtains open. If the screen is quite small (around 80" diagonal (widescreen 16:9)) then you can paint it light grey to improve contrast in a lit room.
Quietness is important too. Most projectors have an "eco" mode that runs the lamp a bit dimmer for longer life and lowers the fan noise too. 28db and below is hard to hear.
The only the only think I'd be wary of is bulb life. As someone says watch for the old 'brand new bulb' trick as it can be set to zero. You're talking around £150-300 for bulbs.
I'm not using it as a replacement for my TV, but it is a cool 'toy' for the time being. I mostly use it upstairs in the spare room or watching movies in bed. It's got a native resolution of 1024x768 but handles HD (even 1080p/24) surprisingly well.
Last night I took it round to my mates and spent a good couple of hours gaming on a 120+ inch screen. Tellingly, he has now asked me to find him one as well.
It's got about 800 hours left on the bulb, which I feel is fine for what i paid. When it eventually dies, and as long as the novelty hasn't worn, off I'll seriously be considering getting a proper Full HD (or even 3D) installation sorted.