Anyone have front projection TV's???

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

I'm considering jumping into the front projection market. I've noticed that there are actually HDTV front projector TV's now under $1000 with some as low as $600. I'd love to get one to use for movie viewing and gaming.

Anyone have any experience with these TV's or know what to look for? I know that 'throw ratio' and 'lumens' are both pretty important as well as trying to get the 'XGA' resolution to allow full display of the HD features.

[John Galt]

I do. I know Bee does as well. There are a couple other people as well.

There are two good sub-$1000 DLP 720P projectors right now - one from Optoma (I forget the model number) and one from Mitsubishi (the HD1000U, I think). There are also several good 720P LCD models just above $1000 as well.

To get started, I would advise checking out two places: projectorcentral.com and avsforum. The reviews and recommendatations at projectorcentral may be all you need, but there is a lot of other information in the avsforums as well.

I would definitely get a true home theater projector (not one with computer screen resolution). The computer designed projectors aren't the right ratio and have much worse black levels.

If you have any specific questions, let us know.

And Costco has some good deals on a couple of the low-end projectors if you are a member and want a good return policy.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

I do. I know Bee does as well. There are a couple other people as well.

There are two good sub-$1000 DLP 720P projectors right now - one from Optoma (I forget the model number) and one from Mitsubishi (the HD1000U, I think). There are also several good 720P LCD models just above $1000 as well.

To get started, I would advise checking out two places: projectorcentral.com and avsforum. The reviews and recommendatations at projectorcentral may be all you need, but there is a lot of other information in the avsforums as well.

I would definitely get a true home theater projector (not one with computer screen resolution). The computer designed projectors aren't the right ratio and have much worse black levels.

If you have any specific questions, let us know.

And Costco has some good deals on a couple of the low-end projectors if you are a member and want a good return policy.

I have seen the two models that you're talking about.

I'll check out those websites. How do I get to avsforum?

Also, when you say 'true' home theater system, do the two models you cited above fit that description? For example, if I were to watch a HD station, would I get the full display on either of those projectors?

Which models just over $1000 do you think are ones to consider? I've noticed that prices widely vary on some of these and you can get them for relatively cheap if you shop around enough.

[BrianD]

I'll give my standard warning of checking out a DLP display at an AV store before buying one. They work very well for many people, but there is a segment of the population (including me) that gets headaches fairly quickly from watching them. The technology seems to be getting better, but it is still worth a demo to make sure.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

I'll give my standard warning of checking out a DLP display at an AV store before buying one. They work very well for many people, but there is a segment of the population (including me) that gets headaches fairly quickly from watching them. The technology seems to be getting better, but it is still worth a demo to make sure.

Any specific reason why you have that problem while watching them?

[BrianD]

Any specific reason why you have that problem while watching them?

I'm not sure the exact reason, but I know when I watch a DLP TV/projector I can see fairly wide red/green/blue color bars at the edge of my vision as my eyes track to different parts of the screen. It gets worse if I am not directly in front of the screen, or the picture has a lot of white visible. The images at the end of my vision tend to eventually cause headaches...especially since once I start seeing them, I can't make myself stop.

I believe seeing the rainbows correlates with people who get headaches.

Edit: I believe the percentage of people that see the rainbows/get headaches is less than 10% of the population. It isn't a common problem, but one worth mentioning.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

I'm not sure the exact reason, but I know when I watch a DLP TV/projector I can see fairly wide red/green/blue color bars at the edge of my vision as my eyes track to different parts of the screen. It gets worse if I am not directly in front of the screen, or the picture has a lot of white visible. The images at the end of my vision tend to eventually cause headaches...especially since once I start seeing them, I can't make myself stop.

Ah, I have read about the 'rainbow' effect. Thanks for the heads up.

[John Galt]

The link to the avsforum you probably want is this one: hxxp://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=68.

By "true" home cinema, I mean any projector that has a 720P or 1080P resolution. Anything with a 4x3 ratio is typically a business projector. There are a couple notable exceptions to this rule (Sony, for example has an HD projector that has more pixels than the standard 720P resolution). If, for example, you use a 1024x768 projector, you will have bars at the top and bottom of the screen and not be getting true 720P.

For just over a $1000, I think the Epson Home Cinema 400 and last year's models from Panasonic (900u I think) and Sanyo (Z4 I think) are good LCD buys. I think the Sharp Dt-500 gets good reviews from the DLP crowd. Beyond that, I'm sure there are other good options, but I don't know them off hand.

BTW, I am one of the very few people that is annoyed by the rainbow effect. However, I am in the extreme minority and for most people it doesn't matter with the faster color wheels used these days. But it is something to consider. The easiest way to test, IMO, is just to watch a black & white movie on a DLP front projector - if you see colors all over the screen, that is obviously a problem. For me, it only really happens on the big screens with DLP - rear projection doesn't annoy me at all.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

I've been looking at stuff for the HD1000U model. It appears to be a solid projector with good reviews and I can get it for about $920, which is a pretty good price point.

[Bee]

There's also the Hitachi TX100 which can be had for $600 and been getting some buzz over at avsforums recently.

If you have a good place to set it up, I really don't think anything can compare to a front projector.

Here's the link for the TX100 for $600 if you're interested:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=2116&A=details&Q=&sku=416508&is=REG&addedTroughType=categoryNavigation

[BrianD]

BTW, I am one of the very few people that is annoyed by the rainbow effect. However, I am in the extreme minority and for most people it doesn't matter with the faster color wheels used these days. But it is something to consider. The easiest way to test, IMO, is just to watch a black & white movie on a DLP front projector - if you see colors all over the screen, that is obviously a problem. For me, it only really happens on the big screens with DLP - rear projection doesn't annoy me at all.

I had never thought of that, but a Black and White movie would probably be an excellent way to test that condition. I'd be curious to try that sometime, but I am afraid of what it would do to me. Just walking past a Best Buy DLP display wall gives me an instant migraine, seeing a B&W movie would probably do the same.

[John Galt]

There's also the Hitachi TX100 which can be had for $600 and been getting some buzz over at avsforums recently.

If you have a good place to set it up, I really don't think anything can compare to a front projector.

Here's the link for the TX100 for $600 if you're interested:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=2116&A=details&Q=&sku=416508&is=REG&addedTroughType=categoryNavigation

The TX100 is a decent model, but it should be pointed out that it is several years old. It came out soon after the Panasonic 500u (which I have). Since then, Panasonic has released the 700u, the 900u, and most recently the AX100 (I think that's the name). So, the TX100 comes with a little older technology - it isn't as bright and doesn't have the same black levels. But it is an incredible price for a 720P LCD projector. Given the cost of replacement bulbs ($300-$400), the TX100 is almost a disposable projector in terms of price.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

The TX100 is a decent model, but it should be pointed out that it is several years old. It came out soon after the Panasonic 500u (which I have). Since then, Panasonic has released the 700u, the 900u, and most recently the AX100 (I think that's the name). So, the TX100 comes with a little older technology - it isn't as bright and doesn't have the same black levels. But it is an incredible price for a 720P LCD projector. Given the cost of replacement bulbs ($300-$400), the TX100 is almost a disposable projector in terms of price.

Yes, I noticed the HD1000U is a bit brighter. It has pretty good reviews from what I've seen.

Looks like you can get the TX100 for about $680 shipped.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

I finally made a purchase. I got lucky and Woot had a Optoma HD32 projector (720P) today for $789. Great deal.

I did some research and found out that the HD32 model is exactly the same as the HD70 model. The HD32 model is the Costco version of the HD70 projector.

[stevew]

Yeah, I was wondering if you were going to woot that. Was going to post it here, but got busy.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Yeah, I was wondering if you were going to woot that. Was going to post it here, but got busy.

Heck, not only was it priced $150 less than anything comparable, it was only $5 shipping. Easily a $175 savings at a minimum.

[John Galt]

Congrats! I hope you enjoy it.

[Bee]

That's a great deal on a very solid projector. I'm looking forward to your impressions once you get it and have it set up.