What is the best cheapest home theater projector?

Question

I'm looking at the Infocus IN72, but I'm worried that 480p will not be enough in the future.

Answer 1

These two models are the best for dollar and have great reviews and reputations on online home theater forums:

Optoma HD70 (1280x720p) $999 with a free 92" screen
http://www.projectorcentral.com/Optoma-HD70-prices.htm

Mitsubishi HD1000U (1280x720p) $995
http://www.projectorcentral.com/Mitsubishi-HD1000U-prices.htm

Don't listen to the other two retards telling you to buy a 480p projector. Not to mention the first guy claiming his old a ss Infocus makes a 240 interlaced line (not progressive scan) VHS look like Hi-Def...what a tool.

It's like this:
480p is 720x480 lines = 345,600 pixels (standard DVD)
720p is 1280x720 lines = 921,600 pixels
1080p is 1920x1080 lines = 2,073,600 pixels (TrueHD)

As you can see, jumping from 480p to 720p results in almost 3 times the resolution!
Going from 720p to 1080p is a little more than 2 times the resolution.

720p to 1080p obviously isn't as huge a jump on the eyes as 480p to 720p.

Movies are great on a 100" screen...just make sure you have the surround sound system to match.

For the budget system, I would recommend these internet only speakers from AV123.com. By cutting out the middle man (Circuit City or Best Buy) these speaker are the best for the money and even use REAL WOOD veneers! This speaker system is highly regarded as one of, if not the best budget 5.1 set up out there.
http://www.av123.com/products_product.php?section=speakers&product=93.1

You'll also need a receiver. This website sells fully warrantied, refurbished units from Onkyo and Marantz at significant savings. I would recommend one of these two Marantz:
http://www.accessories4less.com/cgi-bin/item/MARSR4600
http://www.accessories4less.com/cgi-bin/item/MARSR5600
If you've never heard of Marantz give them a google. They're higher-end than Sony, Yamaha, etc.

For cables to hook everthing up, check out:
http://monoprice.com/products/department.asp?c_id=102&style=

They have quality speaker cables, banana plugs, DVI, HDMI, digital coaxials, components and more at great prices!

With the above recommended setup, you would have a killer theater experience for less than $2,400 shipped to your door.

PS+ If that sound setup was too spendy, that website also sells cheap all in one packages (but the sound won't be nearly as good):
http://www.accessories4less.com/cgi-bin/category/HTIB

Answer 2

To go a little deeper w/ what Izzy said above ...
There is a significant improvement between 480p and 720p projectors. It's more than just "more pixels=greater detail".

More pixels available also means more pixels available to show variations in colors being applied to the screen. Which means deeper color saturation.

More pixels available also mean more pixels to display variations of black/grey levels on your screen. Which means deeper black levels and shadow detail.

Considering the hot Mitsubishi HD1000U can be had to $845 w/ free shipping .... it ends up falling into the "bang for your buck" category.
In reality - Infocus made a great projector back when they made the SP4800. But facts are facts, it's old technology that has run it's course.
I watch about 200 home theater projectors go out the shipping door every week (work for a pro a/v company). Because of the minor difference in price, I haven't seen a 480p unit ship for months. Which explains why they are in Circuit City, Best Buy, Costco, etc ... the manufacturers are purging old inventory by banking on end-consumers making an un-educated purchase based on the "wow factor" of a big screen.
This isn't to say you need to spend thousands, and certainly don't stretch your budget beyond what you are comfortable with!!! ... but if you are looking at a $700 480p projector - there is a noticably improved pictute if you can get yourself to $850.

Answer 3

The 4805 is a better model than the 72...And don't worry about the 480p...Our 4800 looks better than most of the 1080p rear-projection televisions out there.

In theory, with only a 480 x 854 resolution, we shouldn't be able to see a difference between our 480i DVD player and our Hi-Def box...But it's amazing how good it looks with HDTV.

But not only can we see a difference between DVD and HD broadcasts, but we can see a difference between 480p, 720p and 1080i...We can even see a quality difference between NBC's 1080i and CBS's 1080i.

Circuit City sells the 4805 for less than $700...They have a 30-day money-back guarantee...Go try it and see for yourself...The up-scaling chip inside the 4800 and 4805 is the best in the world ("Faruja" brand).

It even makes our VHS look almost Hi-Def...Here's the 4805 at Circuit City's website: http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/InFocus-ScreenPlay-Entertainment-Projector-SP-4805/sem/rpsm/oid/113968/catOid/-17062/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do

Answer 4

Hi. The Infocus Play Big IN 72 at $799.00 is a better one with up to 720 p resolution. Check out the specs. below and see what you think;

http://www.projectorcentral.com/InFocus_Home-Play_Big_IN72.htm