Need a projector

[wseyller]

Anyone know a good projector in the $1000 range. 1024x768 res. Or tell me what to look for when buying a projector

 

[Excelsior]

Is this for home theater/movie/video games or for business use?

 

[gsaldivar]

The one with the cheapest replacement bulb price. $$$ :thumbsup:

 

[wseyller]

It is for business use. Most powerpoint presentations I won't be used too often. Maybe 4 or 5 days out of the year.

 

[shortylickens]

I do know that in the thousand dollar range you can do better than 1024x768.

Mostly you should be concerned with the lumens and the contrast ratio.
But just like LCD's, the manufacturers tend to lie a lot.

If you only plan to use it for 5 days in a year, get the cheapest thing you can find at OfficeMax or Staples. One year later the technology will have improved.
Eventually your boss or Master Bean Counter will get tired of the low-end and tell you to buy something really good. Then you can get a unit that will last for several years.

 

[wseyller]

The one I think I will get is this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16824018048

it is 1024x768 which is what I need. It's DLP which I found to be better than LCD ones. With DLP the contrast seems to be 2000:1 on all models. 2000 lumens which should work fine in the classroom at the exposition.

 

[inveterate]

U know dame well u won't be able to resist playing games / watchin pr0n on it once u get the thing.. i know i couldn't

 

[wseyller]

Originally posted by: inveterate
U know dame well u won't be able to resist playing games / watchin pr0n on it once u get the thing.. i know i couldn't

lol, funny thing is that we also have a 42" lcd screen we use at these conventions but only 2 weeks a year. The other 50 weeks I use it for my computer monitor.

 

[Kaido]

I have an Optoma EzPro745, commonly sold as the EzPro739. Tiger Direct has it for $1200: (TD rebrands it as a business projector and sells it for a few hundred less than the EzPro739, which is marketed more towards home theater buffs)

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications...s/item-details.asp?EdpNo=25173&CatId=0

The basic features include XGA resolution (1024x768), 2300 lumens (super-bright), and a 2000:1 contrast ratio. It has a remote control and DVI/VGA/S-video/composite input. It's very compact and lightweight. It has a manual focus ring and keystone correction. Replacement bulbs run about $300, which is MUCH cheaper than many other manufacturers. Here's a link:

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications...chTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1083545

I've had mine for a year. I initially bought it for PowerPoint presentations, but I also use it for home theater and occasional gaming. I always keep a couple of bulbs on hand just in case one breaks. It works great with my laptop with VGA output. If you decide to use it for home theater use, I'd recommend picking up an Oppo OPDV971H DVD player, which has DVI output and really excellent quality.

Edit: Bulb life is rated at 5,000 hours. If you take a conservative look at it and expect the bulb to last 3,000 hours, then $300 a bulb divided by 3,000 hours is ten cents an hour. My solution for paying for bulbs is to toss a quarter in a jar every time I watch a movie on it...by the time the bulb burns out I'll have more than enough to pick up a new bulb

 

[wseyller]

Just to update: I just decided to just rent one for a couple hours.