Scuzzle
|
| posted on 29/12/13 at 01:30 PM |
|
|
Home Theatre Projectors
Does anyone know anything about these, I'm thinking of getting a massive motorised screen and a projector but I'm not sure about a couple
of things, mainly
Do they have to face the screen square on or can they go off to the side any and what kind of price range do decent ones typically start at and what
features are a must, looking to be able to hook up a home cinema system and a Playstation.
Cheers
[Edited on 29/12/13 by Scuzzle]
|
|
|
|
|
daniel mason
|
| posted on 29/12/13 at 01:59 PM |
|
|
you need a decent screen it should sit square on. and they need to be a good distance away too. although you can focus it with the lens. some of the
decent projectors cost a lot of money but they are only as good as the source feeding it.no point buying a top spec projector when its fed by a shoddy
av unit.
as for the projector you need it ceiling mounted really, with long hdmi from av reciever. everythig else links through the av reciever.
not sure on budget but ive had no issues with onkyo amps other than the fact they run very warm, as for projectors id look in what hi-fi etc to see
whats available. ore join the av forum and look on there
|
|
|
MikeRJ
|
| posted on 29/12/13 at 02:41 PM |
|
|
You ideally need to have them square on to the screen, otherwise you get something called "keystone distortion". Some projectors can
correct for this, but it's nearly always digital correction which reduces the effective resolution of the image (i.e. the large edge of the
picture is reduced to the same size as the small edge by using only part of the imager).
You absolutely must work out screen size and positioning, projector mounting location, throw (distance from projector to screen) and brightness levels
before committing to anything. You can use the throw calculator at
http://www.projectorcentral.com to help with this.
Projectors are not really suitable for TV replacements either. They don't like being switched on an off frequently and any ambient light will
ruin the contrast of the picture, so for any serious use during the day you need to ensure the room is as light proof as possible (e.g. blackout
blinds on the windows).
FWIW the Optoma HD131EX is great full HD home cinema projector and is a bit of a bargain. It's currently is available on Scan's
"Today only" deal for £588, though the standard price is only ~£600. Obviously all the above applies regarding doing your sums before
diving in.
[Edited on 29/12/13 by MikeRJ]
|
|
|
prawnabie
|
| posted on 29/12/13 at 02:44 PM |
|
|
Hi
I've got an optoma with a 3D XL box and a 120" motorised screen. Most DLP projectors will come with vertical keystone so you can point the
projector up or down at the screen and alter the settings on the unit to make the picture sit square. I have mine approx 12 foot from the wall and it
fills a 120" screen.
thanks
Shaun
|
|
|
Slimy38
|
| posted on 29/12/13 at 03:00 PM |
|
|
My projector has a 'position' setting that works better than keystone. Think of it like ideal propshaft placement, as long as the
projector and the screen (engine/diff) are parallel then the position can cope with the projector not being in the centre. I have mine mounted on the
ceiling projecting on to a mechanical screen (it's nearly always down so electric wasn't needed), and I don't have to use the
digital keystone correction.
My next projector will have the following;
At least 1280 x 1024 resolution. (I don't do 'cinema' projectors, a PC projector works just as well).
3D capable. (Nvidia I think?)
1000 lumens minimum.
And above all a quiet fan!! I find my current projector perfectly usable when running off PC, Xbox or Playstation, but the fan can get intrusive. Even
in strong light the picture is decent, albeit not TV levels of contrast. But part of that is me not going for maximum size or throw distance, I have a
6-7 foot image and the projector is actually relatively close to the screen.
My projector doesn't have HDMI, but I have VGA running from the PC and Xbox. I suspect my next projector will have HDMI.
[Edited on 29/12/13 by Slimy38]
|
|
|
Scuzzle
|
| posted on 29/12/13 at 03:05 PM |
|
|
Thanks guys, sounds like I have a lot of homework to do on this.
|
|
|
MikeRJ
|
| posted on 29/12/13 at 04:24 PM |
|
|
quote:
Originally posted by Slimy38
At least 1280 x 1024 resolution. (I don't do 'cinema' projectors, a PC projector works just as well).
Not necessarily true. Projectors for PC use are optimised primarily for brightness since they are designed to be used in conference rooms with some
level of ambient light. Colour purity is well down the list of important criteria, and DLP data projectors tend to have slower colour wheels since
they are designed primarily for static images.
|
|
|
gottabedone
|
| posted on 29/12/13 at 09:14 PM |
|
|
AV Forums is the best place for you to spend some time to get an idea of what you get for your money. Set your budget and see what you can get and
what you will compromise on.
I've got a 100" motorised screen (hidden in a plinth at ceiling height) with an LED ropelight plinth down the sides. I've got an HD
BenQ projector (it's small white and discrete)
My compromise was on my AV Processor (Pioneer HD with 4xHDMI in but only 1 out) but I also wanted good audio........and all had to be wife friendly
....................and don't waste money on "gold" cables - they're snake oil
good luck
steve
|
|
|
Scuzzle
|
| posted on 29/12/13 at 09:27 PM |
|
|
Thanks Steve, I figured out the HDMI cable con already, they either work or they don't and the ones out of poundland do the same job a gold
plated £50 one.
[Edited on 29/12/13 by Scuzzle]
|
|
|
Slimy38
|
| posted on 29/12/13 at 10:17 PM |
|
|
quote:
Originally posted by Scuzzle
Thanks Steve, I figured out the HDMI cable con already, they either work or they don't and the ones out of poundland do the same job a gold
plated £50 one.
[Edited on 29/12/13 by Scuzzle]
While you're right when it comes to short ones, I'd still advise going 'up a grade' if your run is a few metres as digital
signals can still degrade. For example, my PC/Xbox is about 5 metres from the projector (2 metres into the loft, 3 metres across the ceiling). Even if
Poundland did 5 metre HDMI cables, I'd spend a little more on a better cable. Not entirely sure which one though, I've not really looked
into it yet! 
quote:
Originally posted by MikeRJ
quote:
Originally posted by Slimy38
At least 1280 x 1024 resolution. (I don't do 'cinema' projectors, a PC projector works just as well).
Not necessarily true. Projectors for PC use are optimised primarily for brightness since they are designed to be used in conference rooms with some
level of ambient light. Colour purity is well down the list of important criteria, and DLP data projectors tend to have slower colour wheels since
they are designed primarily for static images.
Absolutely valid points, but equally the same points can apply to cinema projectors. Things like colour purity and DLP colour wheels are largely based
on the projector itself, so it's back to places like avforums and such to get a better overall view.
|
|
|
