thinking about getting a projector

[Nvidiaguy07]

I want to have my screen as big as possible, at least 10 feet.

ive considering these two:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16889106017
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16824248045

they both look pretty decent and are cheap enough but theyre only 1280x720

is it worth it to wait for 1080p projectors to come down in price because my screen will be so big that the extra pixels might make a big difference?

I dont know that much about projectors but any tips or advice will be greatly appreciated.

Also my wall is flat and light grey, do i need a screen or can i just project it on my wall? (painting the wall is also an option as well, flat shiny white darker it doesnt matter)

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

How far away will you be seated? 120" + might be too big depending on how far away you'll be.

http://www.projectorcentral.com/home.cfm
Has a lot of resources for you including reviews, places to buy, and projection size calculators for throw distance and zoom settings.

What's your budget for this? There are some fairly affordable 1080p projectors. I have a 720p since 1080p was very expensive just a couple years ago but they've really come down in price lately.

Do you have the ability to light control your room? The darker you can get things, the better it's going to look.

You can use your wall. A screen is something you can add later if you want to. You'll also have the ability to figure out what screen size is the best compromise between image quality, image size, seating distance, etc. before locking into a screen that's X inches.

You can make your own screen if you want to. Info here
http://forums.anandtech.com/me...=y&keyword1=diy+screen

 

[Chapbass]

god damnit i was just starting to forget about the fact that i want to buy a projector...and now this happens.


see what you did?

 

[Wuzup101]

If you are interested in making your own screen, you should also check out the DIY screen section at AVSforum.com (as well as the projector section). Off the top of my head I can't remember the "ideal" screen size to distance conversions that are suitable for 720p and 1080p projectors. I want to say that it's like 1.2x screen size for a 1080p projector (where 1.2x screen size is about the closest you should use for a seating distance) and 1.4-1.5 for a 720p screen. A 120" screen is pretty damn big... how big is your room? What sort of seating distance are you looking at?

 

[sdifox]

I have a Mitsu HC4900 shooting 8x10 I am probably about 10 ft away from the screen. Currently shooting on a piece of fabric. Trying to secure Wilsonart Designer White at a good price.

 

[Chapbass]

Hey I just had a random thought related to projectors and i figure ill put it here.

I know if i think about it hard enough I'll probably come up with an answer...but its saturday....so: do projectors need to be ISF calibrated like standard tv's? I would think they would, but who knows.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: Chapbass
Hey I just had a random thought related to projectors and i figure ill put it here.

I know if i think about it hard enough I'll probably come up with an answer...but its saturday....so: do projectors need to be ISF calibrated like standard tv's? I would think they would, but who knows.

They don't NEED to be, but you certainly CAN do it

All the calibration factors for "normal" displays apply for projectors as well.

Calibrating with just DVE was a huge difference for my projector.

 

[darth maul]

DLPs have a higher fill factor then LCDs, but for some reason LCDs look sharper to most. So DLP if sitting close 9-10ft, 720p LCD if sitting 10 feet or more, from a 100" diagonal 16x9 screen. Moving up the chain to 1080p will get you even more fill factor with DLP, and even more sharpness from LCD, and you will be able to sit closer, or get a bigger screen. I have a Sony AW15 LCD projector (720p), and need to sit at 9.5' to 10' or further back from my 103" screen or I see the pixel structure (also known as the screen door effect) which is very very very very very annoying to see if ya didn't know. Standing at 8 feet from my screen the pixel structure on white clouds or white backgrounds or white anything will drive you crazy. Its amazing what one or two feet can do to perceived viewing of fill rates and pixels. I had an Optoma DLP before this Sony.

 

[pcslookout]

Originally posted by: darth maul
DLPs have a higher fill factor then LCDs, but for some reason LCDs look sharper to most. So DLP if sitting close 9-10ft, 720p LCD if sitting 10 feet or more, from a 100" diagonal 16x9 screen. Moving up the chain to 1080p will get you even more fill factor with DLP, and even more sharpness from LCD, and you will be able to sit closer, or get a bigger screen. I have a Sony AW15 LCD projector (720p), and need to sit at 9.5' to 10' or further back from my 103" screen or I see the pixel structure (also known as the screen door effect) which is very very very very very annoying to see if ya didn't know. Standing at 8 feet from my screen the pixel structure on white clouds or white backgrounds or white anything will drive you crazy. Its amazing what one or two feet can do to perceived viewing of fill rates and pixels. I had an Optoma DLP before this Sony.

I can back up this statement and if you would like to know about projectors I am the projector question asking king. Just ask YOyoYOhowsDAjello

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: pcslookout

Originally posted by: darth maul
DLPs have a higher fill factor then LCDs, but for some reason LCDs look sharper to most. So DLP if sitting close 9-10ft, 720p LCD if sitting 10 feet or more, from a 100" diagonal 16x9 screen. Moving up the chain to 1080p will get you even more fill factor with DLP, and even more sharpness from LCD, and you will be able to sit closer, or get a bigger screen. I have a Sony AW15 LCD projector (720p), and need to sit at 9.5' to 10' or further back from my 103" screen or I see the pixel structure (also known as the screen door effect) which is very very very very very annoying to see if ya didn't know. Standing at 8 feet from my screen the pixel structure on white clouds or white backgrounds or white anything will drive you crazy. Its amazing what one or two feet can do to perceived viewing of fill rates and pixels. I had an Optoma DLP before this Sony.

I can back up this statement and if you would like to know about projectors I am the projector question asking king. Just ask YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Shouldn't you get back to cleaning the bathrooms at google?

Some LCD projectors (like Panasonics) have come a long way at getting rid of screen door effect with "smoothscreen" technology.

 

[SpeedEng66]

as for projectors im a newb

but here's my .02 on the screen vs bare wall

I was using the wall for a few weeks with my dv10 (480)
it was fine


but when I didn recieve and install my greywolf2 (92'') screen it made a big difference with the color and brightness of everything

 

[Wuzup101]

A real screen is going to certainly make a difference... especially if you are just using a whiteish wall. However, remember that you can also prepare and paint a wall surface to give yourself a great screen. Many "white" walls are not exactly the right color you want to project to. Furthermore, they often have small imperfections and such from commercial painting processes. Prepping and painting a wall (the correct color) takes a bit more work; however, the results are similar to what you would get from a commercial screen (again... the AVS DIY forum is great for color and painting data/tips).