700-lumen Micro LED projector for $519 shipped

[Kaido]

Optoma ML750:

Amazon (link defaults to 500-lumen model; click on 700-lumen to get pricing)

B&H Photo (add to cart for pricing)

Here's what's cool about it:

http://i.imgur.com/mxfHgKm.jpg

:biggrin:


Notes:

1. Product page
2. That's not the cheapest it's ever been, but it's usually around $580, so $520 is pretty decent. It's a steal even at $580 though! If you need something a bit cheaper, check out the Aaxa P300 thread.
3. Has HDMI input; is 720p (ish...1280x800). Works great for laptops, Roku's, consoles, etc.
4. 700-lumens of brightness (this is a big deal because the previous ones maxed out around 500 lumens & required a really dark room).
5. Also a VERY high 10,000:1 contrast ratio. This is great since it's a DLP projector. Awesome color!
6. Moderately noisy. Not a big deal with speakers on (or wearing headphones).
7. Advertised up to 100" diagonal (tested & looks great!). Note that this is a fixed lens - you have to move the projector further away to get a bigger picture. It does have a focus arm on top, however.
8. LED bulb, advertised for 20,000 hours of life (~13 years @ 4 hours a day of usage).
9. There's a standard 1/4-20 threaded hole on the bottom. I just got a super-cheap security camera mount for my ceiling (it has a ball head that lets you tilt the projector).
10. You don't need a screen, just a light-colored wall. You can also paint a wall (see AVS Forum) or buy a screen (Monoprice, or else Elite Screens on Amazon have some good deals).

 

[daniellydiad]

Seems like a great deal. What about the warranty?

 

[Kaido]

Seems like a great deal. What about the warranty?

1 year parts & labor:

http://www.optomausa.com/webresources/files/support/2328_ML750_Optoma_Datasheet.pdf

 

[NutBucket]

Just curious but if you ceiling mounted yours why does the size matter?

 

[yuchai]

Note that this is a fixed lens - you have to move the projector further away to get a bigger picture.

Question - how do you figure out the relationship between the size of the picture versus the distance required?

 

[Kaido]

Just curious but if you ceiling mounted yours why does the size matter?

The benefit of having it be a small size is that it makes mounting very easy - you can use a very cheap $7 security camera mount with zero weight issues, or even heavy-duty velcro. My buddy has his Aaxa mini-projector velcro'd to his ceiling & keeps a spare power cord in case he wants to take it somewhere. Sounds crazy, but heavy-duty velcro is pretty strong stuff!

imo the ML750 is the LED projector to get right now: it has the great 720p TI DLP chip, it has 700 lumens of brightness (with a super-high 10K:1 contrast ratio), and it's extremely small. Not to mention, the price is amazing - $519 is a steal for something that you can get a crystal-clear 100" HD picture on. As mentioned, it is somewhat noisy, but that's a non-issue with speakers on during a movie. About the only other con I can think of is that it's not 1080p native, although it downscales just fine - Bluray movies still look great!

 

[Kaido]

Question - how do you figure out the relationship between the size of the picture versus the distance required?

Click on the "Distance Calculator" tab on this page:

http://www.optomausa.com/products/detail/ML750

It will do all the math for you. Make sure to select "Video/Games" if you're planning on using it for entertainment purposes. Also, a note on size: 100" is the recommended max size. However, I have an older Viewsonic at home (the Optoma is for work - my Viewsonic has the same chip, just less lumens) & I've gotten around 200" with a pretty decent picture. You mostly just lose a bit more brightness (and the aliasing/pixels become more apparent if you're sitting close to it), so you need a darker room. Sometimes I throw the picture up on the living room wall when my kiddo wants to watch a cartoon, works great!

 

[EvilYoda]

Have you read anything about how these hold up through a lot of travel? I've watched your PJ threads and still haven't pulled the trigger...with as much as I travel, this would be great to have a big screen in every hotel room. With my headphones on or the Jambox playing, that'd be a pretty decent viewing experience.

 

[killster1]

so is this the one to get if i have 600-700$ budget for tv? i want 60" or a projector thanks for the help

 

[Pr0d1gy]

so is this the one to get if i have 600-700$ budget for tv? i want 60" or a projector thanks for the help

Try to save a little bit more and get a Benq w1070. It is outstanding.

 

[Kaido]

Have you read anything about how these hold up through a lot of travel? I've watched your PJ threads and still haven't pulled the trigger...with as much as I travel, this would be great to have a big screen in every hotel room. With my headphones on or the Jambox playing, that'd be a pretty decent viewing experience.

I have a couple that travel a bit with no issue so far. Since the bulb is integrated into the unit (not a separate removable bulb like regular projectors), that's just one less thing to break, and the bag it comes in is slightly padded, so as long as you take care not to crush it in your travel bag, it should be fine. I say that last part because I've had coworkers not adequately protect their laptops during travel & end up with broken screens, so I'd probably do it as a carry-on inside a backpack or something to minimize risk of damage by crushing.

For travel, I'd recommend picking up something like a flexible Gorillapod mini-tripod and maybe a slim travel surge protector or thin extension cord. The projector comes with a laptop-style power cord & brick, but you may need some extra length depending on how the hotel room is laid out, and it's never a bad idea to put sensitive electronics on a surge strip (I have one of those on-wall units like this). You can set the tripod up on a desk, a chair, or even on an upright suitcase wrapped around the extendable pull-handle in order to position the projector's image where you need it.

The ML750 would be my current recommendation for an LED projector. I am looking forward to native 1080p models in the future, but I don't feel that the picture suffers from only being 720p, at least not for movies. I have my older Viewsonic setup in my basement with a Roku 3 & 5.1 system and it's super awesome! As far as increased resolution goes, the LG PF80G is slated to be the first 1080p compact LED projector out on the market (supposedly out in May), but currently looks like it will be at least a grand (plus it's about double the physical size of the tiny ML750). Specs are good tho (1000 lumens, 100k:1 contrast, 120" max advertised screen size). Makes me wonder how long it will be until we get a 4K LED mini-projector!

 

[Kaido]

so is this the one to get if i have 600-700$ budget for tv? i want 60" or a projector thanks for the help

Try to save a little bit more and get a Benq w1070. It is outstanding.

It depends. You need light control (ex. window shades) to use a projector, since it is essentially a flashlight - it's no good if it's bright in the room. So if you want to watch movies during the day, you'll need to block out the sunlight somehow. Most people prefer TV's for this since they can leave the lights on & the windows open. On the flip side, you get a ginormous screen with a projector, which is awesome.

I am fortunate to have both: I have a television in my living room for general use, and a projector in my basement for movies. That works out well because I can throw a cartoon on the TV for the kiddo during the day, but still fire up a movie with surround-sound on the big screen at night. So it really depends on what your situation is: can you control light in the viewing room? And do you want to have to turn off the lights & cover up the windows during the day to watch something on the projector?

If you do decide on a projector, Pr0d1gy has made an excellent suggestion with the $850 BenQ projector (which is an excellent price btw, and definitely worth saving up for if it meets your needs). As with everything, there are trade-offs: the LED projectors are awesome, but they recommend a 100" max screen size and are limited to 720p of resolution. The BenQ recommends a 235" max screen and has full 1080p resolution. In addition, it's over twice as bright at 2,000 lumens (and the contrast ratio is the same 10k:1, which is good). Also, the BenQ can do full 3D in 1080p, if you want to go the 3D route (the LED models currently only do XGA or 720p).

The catch is that the bulb does require replacing (advertised at 6,000 hours of run-time), which costs around $250 (although no one really knows if the LED models will actually last 20,000 hours or not). It is also much larger physically than the ML750 (which doesn't really matter if you're going to mount it on the ceiling or wall). And some negligible stuff (takes a bit long to turn on or "warm up" than an LED projector, and can also make the roomer slightly warmer). Here is what I like about LED projectors:

1. Cheap ($519 is relatively inexpensive for a quality projector)
2. No bulb to replace, ever (estimated 13 hour bulb life @ 4 hours of usage per day)
3. Instant-on (no warm-up time)
4. Virtually no heat (my old bulb-based projector warmed up my smallish room quite a bit)
5. Small (very portable to take places, also easy to mount)

LED projectors are basically like throw-away appliances, like a toaster. They do one job, they're simple to operate, they're less expensive, and there's virtually no maintenance. Just overall very convenient to use. The one thing I miss about my previous bulb-based projectors is the high lumens. I have an outdoor inflatable screen (12' diagonal from Walmart) that we use for outdoor movie parties & the bulb-based projectors are MUCH better for outdoor usage because they are brighter & have a better throw distance (ex. the BenQ goes up to 235"), which is especially useful at twilight (before it gets super-dark) & for pushing out a large, bright image. My last Mitsubishi bulb-based projector was terrific that way; we had gotten it up to 20-feet diagonally with a fairly usable picture (great to shoot on the side of a house or something).

So you have some options to put into the decision-making process:

1. Projector or TV? (projector requires light control in the viewing room)
2. LED or bulb-based projector? (bulb-based = brighter, bigger screen, and better 3D)

 

[Kaido]

Some additional resources:

Backyard Theater forum

12-foot inflatable outdoor screen $170

Monoprice 5.1 speaker set $120

Monoprice enhanced 5.1 speaker set $260

Onkyo receiver $200 (works with either Monoprice speaker set)

Silver Fire v2.5 DIY painted screen

 

[TwiceOver]

Damnit Kaido, every time you post one of these threads it gets me thinking...

 

[Kaido]

Kaido, every time you post one of these threads it gets me thinking...

Meh, just keep procrastinating for a few more years...it will come free in your cell phone pretty soon :biggrin:

 

[Pheran]

So what's the deal with 1080p LED projectors? Do they exist?

 

[Rakehellion]

No 1080p. That thing is tiny though.

 

[Rakehellion]

Silver Fire v2.5 DIY painted screen

That seems like waaaaay too much work. Why not just buy projector paint?

 

[Kaido]

So what's the deal with 1080p LED projectors? Do they exist?

The majority (if not all) of the 1280x800 LED mini-projectors are based on a common TI DLP chip. The LG PF80G has whatever the latest DMD 0.65 DLP chip is (I'd assume TI), which has an advertised native resolution of 1920x1080. However, it keeps being pushed back, not sure if there's production issues or what. It's apparently available overseas, but won't be in the States until next month (May). The bulb has also improved (30k lamp hours). I'm curious to see how long it will take for a 4K LED mini-projector to come out as well :awe:

 

[Kaido]

No 1080p. That thing is tiny though.

Yeah, it's a tradeoff. Even if they came out with 1080p, people would be complaining that it's not 4K. There's always a catch. In this case, I feel like 700 lumens of brightness is the "sweet spot". I have the older 500-lumen model in my home theater & I wish I had the 700-lumen model due to the extra brightness. The 720p is great because you can watch newer & older stuff without issue - you're not stretching DVD movies up too high, or Youtube videos, or older TV content on Netflix that isn't available in HD, so it's a nice fit for my particular usage.

I am also very picky about image quality. I like these little LED projectors because they give great quality, especially with the high contrast ratio. When I first got my Viewsonic, I did a shootout against my buddy's Panasonic PT-AE7000. Zero difference in the dark at 100" or less, except that mine was $2,000 less :biggrin: You have to decide what features you want, though - if 1080p is important to you, then look into bulb-based projectors or just keep waiting for the upcoming 1080p LED models. They're only going to get better & cheaper as time goes on!

 

[Kaido]

That seems like waaaaay too much work. Why not just buy projector paint?

Less expensive, better results. Some of those DIY paint mixes on the home theater forums have been in development for like 10 years now. It's not hard to do - you just pick up some paint at Home Depot & Michael's, mix it together, and spray it with a cheap HVLP gun. I got the Graco they recommended for like $40 on eBay. Gives you a lot more customization options for your specific setup (wall or board size, ambient light, projector brightness & contrast, etc.).

But I've gotten great results even on a bare white wall with my projector - it's not an "essential" thing to do, just kind of cool. I have an electric screen right now leftover from my last bulb-based projector, but I'm replacing it with a DIY Light Fusion screen (uses a mirror & screen paint) this summer. It's a fun, geeky thing to do. Kind of like overclocking...neat if you're into it, not a big deal if you're not. I'm a HT buff so I like getting into the nerdy side of things :thumbsup:

 

[MongGrel]

Hmmm, have been looking at projectors for quite awhile now, the mini 1080P LED's sound interesting when they come out will have to look into one maybe.

I have a perfect long wall in the room with my main rig current 47 entertainment system off to the side that I've been itching to put a large screen on, would have to dodge some wife agro maybe.

:biggrin:

I'd always thought of just buying canvas and making a large picture frame setup and painting it, as I used to paint and have stretched them many times in the past.

Just getting projector paint on a large frame once you stretch it and maybe some LED's on the back side of the frame might be pretty cool.

3D I have no interest in myself, so that would be a factor in favor of an LED I guess and you seem to have a lot of experience in the area.

My Grandfather was a mural artist and used Kiltz on a lot of projects for a base, I was considering even trying a non gloss just as screen paint, but if I get to that point I'll research things more I guess.

 

[Kaido]

I'd always thought of just buying canvas and making a large picture frame setup and painting it, as I used to paint and have stretched them many times in the past.

Just getting projector paint on a large frame once you stretch it and maybe some LED's on the back side of the frame might be pretty cool.

There's a popular trend called "ambilight" (ambient lighting) [edit: incorrect, it's just LED backlighting. Ambilight is apparently a color-changing backlight on some products] with televisions & projector screens that does exactly that - you mount the screen a bit off the wall & then stick LED's on the back for a nice glow effect. Looks like this:

http://www.avforums.com/attachments/p1000907-jpg.229098/

Nice writeup here:

http://www.avforums.com/threads/diy-ambilight-for-projector-screen.1423207/

Some more pics:

http://www.hometheaterequipment.com...jection-screens-work-bright-rooms-screen2.jpg

http://i1.ytimg.com/vi/rj--F9FyL3Q/maxresdefault.jpg

Anyway, there's a mention of using canvas in the DIY Screen FAQ over on AVS Forum:

http://www.avsforum.com/t/646534/diy-screen-faq-reference

Just make sure to get a small weave!

 

[MongGrel]

There's a popular trend called "ambilight" (ambient lighting) with televisions & projector screens that does exactly that - you mount the screen a bit off the wall & then stick LED's on the back for a nice glow effect. Looks like this:

http://www.avforums.com/attachments/p1000907-jpg.229098/

Nice writeup here:

http://www.avforums.com/threads/diy-ambilight-for-projector-screen.1423207/

Some more pics:

http://www.hometheaterequipment.com...jection-screens-work-bright-rooms-screen2.jpg

http://i1.ytimg.com/vi/rj--F9FyL3Q/maxresdefault.jpg

Anyway, there's a mention of using canvas in the DIY Screen FAQ over on AVS Forum:

http://www.avsforum.com/t/646534/diy-screen-faq-reference

Just make sure to get a small weave!

+1 thanks for the future.

Yeppers, if I was going to do it would be small weave.

Yeah I'm sure I saw it there somewhere in the past on the ambient, am an AVS member quite awhile now, but don't lurk there a lot.

I get jealous , he he.

 

[TwiceOver]

Is that really ambilight though? Does it change with the video being played?