DLP Projection?

Question

Does anyone know about DLP Projection? My neighbor has a Toshiba DLP Projector and he projects movies onto his wall. I'd like to buy one. When I start looking for one, what should I look for as far as specifications. I'm sure the more expensive, the better the unit. Can you get a good one in $500 price range? Thanks for any feedback.

Answer 1

And then there are rear projection LCD's and DLP's which use mirror panels and color wheels to filter and project a very large screen image [ranging from 65" to 72" diagonally measured]. The major concern is replacement cost of lamps which usually cost between $200 - $300 and last any number of hours depending on how the TV is shut off. Failing to properly shut down either LCD or DLP units which involves leaving on the main fan running for some 20 minutes -- will result in early failure of projection lamps. And there's the added concern regarding the use of "organic" material which make up the LCD panels/mirrors and usually causes the blue panel to fade over a period of time. So you may have to look forward to purchasing a new LCD projection TV. But getting back to DLP projection TV, there is the issue of viewers seeing the dreaded "rainbow effect" which are color flashes appear in highly contrasty dark scenes. Their sighting can cause headaches and is quite annoying to the viewers. And a possible cure is to choose a color wheel which operates faster than 3X; say 4X which seems to be the threshold speed that virtually eliminates the rainbow effect.

And finally, we should also consider the "ultimate, best" TV technology: "Front Projection."

You may well want to check out another technology: DLP front projection which produces a movie-like experience of HD television, DVDs, videos and games. And according to Consumer Reports, "front projection has a superior image -- better than CRT's, LCDs or plasma."

Check out the reviews for a "92" DLP generated [front projection] TV image at amazon.com by submitting the search query: "Infocus SP4805." There are any number of customer submitted pictures of projected HDTV image(s) along with other high-quality regular DVD-movie images projected on bare white wall surfaces. And the price for a refurbished ScreenPlay 4805 is about $550 with lamps costing around $330 which will last around 4,000 hours. Also check out various reviews at Consumer Reports [November 2005 & December 2006] in which front projection is rated "superior" to plasma, lcd.

Good luck!

Answer 2

Projection is the way to go .. the only way to get a truly immersive viewing experience ... and it doesn't have to be expensive.

That said, you should be aware that front projectors use a lamp that has a typical lifetime of 2-4000 hrs, and costs about $400 to replace. This sounds like a lot, but at 2-3 hrs per day that is about 3 years between lamps.

Note that all statements that follow are generally true, but exceptions exist.

You need to know that modern projectors come in two main flavours (DLP and LCD) and a third LCOS (which is a form of LCD).

Basically DLP generally gives a better picture (better blacks in particular), tends to be a little less expensive, but offers less mounting flexibility (no lens shift and narrow zoom lens) and can give sensitive viewers visual problems due to what is called "rainbow effect". LCD projectors generally have a slightly poorer picture, exhibit more obvious pixel structure ("screen door effect"), cost a bit more, offer greater mounting flexibility (lens shift and wider zoom lens), don't suffer from rainbow effect but can have convergence issues due to the three LCD panels they use. LCOS has the least visible pixel structure and arguably the best picture, but are more expensive than (most) DLP or LCD projectors.

As for screens you can use a wall (as you already know) or for about $50 can paint your own screen on a wall for a picture rivaling a $1000+ screen. See the AVS forum's DIY Screen Section for info.

Finally, you can find projectors in the $500 - $800 range, particulalry if you are willing to buy a previous model discounted to clear it off the floor, or even a good used one (although you may need to buy a new lamp fairly soon).

Projectors fall into two basic classes: business and home theatre models. The former are portable, tend to be brighter have lower contrast ratios and may be noisier. HT models are often heavier, quiter, have higher contrast and may not be as bright. Buisiness projectors are generally less expensive.

From here I suggest doing some reading and look at reviews to find some possible models.

Goo luck ... and I hope this helps.

Answer 3

I just picked up my first DLP projector to see how it looked against my LCD. I must say that the picture difference is quite nopticable on my 10' widescreen.

Any "screen door effect" is now gone and the picture is clear and bright watching regular TV or playing the PS3. I got a good deal on an Infocus IN72 for about $450 after a $200 rebate from tigerdirect.com.

Here is the spec sheet for it and I would highly recommend it for a $500 pj. Also, unlike some other DLP projectors, this one has 3 "color wheels" which elimates the rainbow effect that some people notice with the single color wheel projectors.

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

hope this helps

weeder

Answer 4

Hi,david.The three main areas of a projector to consider are Brightness (at least 1000 ANSI Lumens).Contrast.( 2,000 or more.The difference between the bright area and the dark area of the image) and Resolution( at least 1024x768.the number of pixels that make up the image). Have a look at these projectors for around the $500 to $600 range .You should find one that will fit your needs.A lot have been discounted.

http://www.nextag.com/dlp-projector/search-html

Answer 5

What he said, the guy above me. check out projector people they have a pretty good site. I belong to the AVS Forum and it is a great site with a lot of knowledgable people that can point you in the right direction.

Answer 6

Good luck with that price range. But try looking here. This place is the best place on the web for research.

http://www.avsforum.com/