Which model LCD Projector would work in a classroom? need one with a low cost bulb?

Question

Hi there, our school technology dept. is looking for a used or new low cost LCD projector . No more than 1000 lumens and if we could find one used with no bulb, which model has a low cost replacement bulb. Which model(s) do you know of that would fit the bill for us. We will use it probably no more than 10 feet away from the screen. Thank you for your answers, I will appreciate all even though only one answer gets voted on as "best"

Answer 1

By "projector" I'm assuming you mean a front projector.

Projector Central maintain a list of currently recommended projectors -- both LCD and DLP -- grouped by intended use. The link below is to the list for "education". You may find a suitable model on the list. There is a link for "lamps" at the left on the Projector Central site that will allow you to research lamp prices for any model you are interested in.

Note that it is difficult to be specific since your question doesn't provide sufficient information about intended use nor what constitutes "low cost". I will therefore make some observations which might help you focus on a suitable model, and provide a couple of suggestions at the end..

1) It might be false economy to focus on lamp cost. Replacement lamps generally cost between $300 and $600, with most falling in the middle of that range.

2) Lamps inevitably dim with use and may fail prematurely, therefore life varies greatly depending on operating conditions (design of the projector; high or low power setting on the projector; how well cooling is implemented; adequacy of maintenance of dust filters; shock from transport and treatment of the projector; etc), but can be expected to be in the 1000-4000 hr range.

3) Since lamp dimming is inevitable it is advisable to buy a projector with a brighter than necessary lamp that can be used in low power mode (extends life 25-50%). It might also be possible to use neutral density filter initially and then remove it as aging occurs, and finally to switch to high power mode to squeeze a bit more life out. This calls into question the desirability of choosing a 1000 lumen projector .... maybe 1500 -2000 would be a better choice.

4) You don't mention use, but I'll assume the projector is for presentations of Powerpoint slides and maybe internet pages for instruction purposes and maybe instructional movies on DVD or from TV. All of these uses can be met with a SVGA projector (800x600). If HDTV is anticipated a higher resolution (and more expensive) projector is advisable.

5) Contrast ratio (CR) should be as high as possible in whatever price range you look. Something better than 1000:1 is preferable for the uses , but less is OK as long as the ability to distinguish detail in shadows or highlights is not essential. This is one area where a low cost projector will likely suffer ... particulalrly an LCD model (DLP models generally offer superior image quality but unless the colour wheel is relatively fast (4X or more) it is likely that some viewers will be sensitive enough to experience visual problems called rainbow effects -- on the other hand LCD modela are prone to vertical banding -- see link #2 for details)

5) Aspect ratio should be considered. The two main choices are 4:3 and 16:9 -- the ratio of the width to height of the native image. There is a trend toward "widescreen" projectors (16:9), but this isn't necessarily the best choice for school use. First, all projectors can display widescreen material (HDTV, most modern movies), but widescreen projectors display 4:3 aspect material (standard TV, most PC graphics programs, older movies, etc) as a small subset of the 16:9 screen. See link #3 for more info.

There are many other things to consider .... mounting flexibility (how far must the projector be from the screen for a certain image size), lense shift capability (the capacity to move the image up or down or left or right without distorting the image), noise level (how loud is the cooling fan), etc but I'll leave this for you to consider in the context of the any model you choose.

So ... bottom line ... recommendations:

I'd suggest you consider a used projector since there are many good ones out there that will be less expensive than a new model. That said, this foregoes a warranty and new projectors just keep getting better and less expensive ... so saving may not be great by buying used equipment that may not be as technically good as newer models. That said, the Panasonic PT-AE900 have a good reputation, as does the Sanyo PLV-Z4. Used models may be available under $1000, or look for the previous model PT-AE700 or PLV-Z3 for even less. These are projectors with the brightness you originally specified (1000 lumens) and are often used as home theatre projectors .. so they will "do movies" (but really only in a dark room) as well as the less demanding photo display and Powerpoint tasks.

If you wanted a new projector, see the Epson S4. It sells for under $700 and the lamp is only $200 (Link #4). Image quality will be somewhat lower than a higher resolution projector, and the contrast ratio is not great (500:1), or consider the Epson Cinema 400 (Link #5) which has received very positive reviews, but may be more than you need (1280x720 resolution, 1500 lumens, 5000:1 CR), but it lists for "only" $1600 new (cheap for the performance).

Finally, look around the sites for which I've provided links ... they are a mine of good information.

Hope this provides some ideas. Good luck

Answer 2

Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be alternatives as other bulbs don't fit other models and trying so might void the warranty if any on the projector too

Answer 3

I would say a 52" would be sufficient enough.. You could probably call a few of your dept stores that carry these size tv and ask them about the model and etc.. Good Luck! :)