I want one for my room as a TV. I've heard of a thing called Zoombox and it's only 250 dollars but I read that its really cruddy. Any suggestions?
2006-11-22 05:13:27 · 5 answers · asked by Anonymous in Consumer Electronics ➔ Home Theater
That is a tough question to answer. As usual, you pretty much get what you pay for, and there are no "good" cheap projectors ... at least not in the $250 range.
But ... it really depends on your definition of "good" ... i.e. what picture quality would you accept.
Projectors are a great way to watch movies, but until fairly recently (last 12 months) obtaining a decent picture meant paying $2000+. Today a fairly good picture can be obtained for under $1000.
That said, projectors are rarely capable of giving a good picture unless operated in a dim or (better yet) dark room.
You can use a blank wall as a screen (although a proper screen or st least a specially painted wall is preferable).
You say you want to use the projector as a TV, but recognize that you will still need a tuner of some type to feed the TV picture to the projector (and an amplifier and speakers to give you sound). The tuner can be a cable or satellite box, or even a TV tuner card in a computer.
You don't specify whether you are talking standard or High-Def TV. If the former the demands on the projector are lower and you can probably get a projector (480 x 854 resolution) for well under a $1000. A HD projector (720 x 1280 resolution) would be somewhat more. But note that normal (Standard definition) TV doesn't look good larger than about 30-36", so I would not recommend a 480 projector for SD TV. It would work OK for DVDs though.
A key spec to consider is "contrast ratio" ... for movies or Tv you want as high as possible, but at least 1000:1.
Have a look at the link for recommended projectors at various resolution (and price) levels.
Finally, you might consider a used projector, since it might save quite a bit of money over buying new. That said, lamps slowly wear out and need to be replaced (typical lifetime is 2000-3000 hours -- not the 2-300 claimed in the previous response) and since they can cost $400-$600 they are not an insignificant item. Interestingly, bulbs cost about the same for $500 and $10,000 projectors ... so take that into account.
Projectors are not for everyone. But if you value a BIG picture and an immersive viewing experience they can be great. I'd suggest going to look at one or two at a local audio-video store before making any decisions.
Hope this helps. Good Luck!
2006-11-22 07:38:58 · answer #1 · answered by agb90spruce 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
the most inexpensive one you'll get is Philips %. photos PPX1020 Projector Brightness 20 lumens image projection as a lot as 80inches severe decision of 800 x 600 pixels USB 2.0 Connection
2016-11-29 09:13:10 · answer #2 · answered by Erika 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would go by the cost of the projector bulb. Projector bulbs only last a couple hundred hours of watching time. Check the price of the replacement bulb and thats that cheapest best projector.
2006-11-22 07:29:24 · answer #3 · answered by Aaron 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I know this is late. i bought a digital galaxy 3 years ago for 150. still working very well. renovated my basement around the movie screen.
2013-11-08 03:59:09 · answer #4 · answered by Awesome Man 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would say an advent
2006-11-22 05:15:44 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋