Any have any experience with home projectors?

[Greyroofoo]

So right now I have a little cash to blow and I'm thinking about getting a home projector to watch movies and play video games on (imagining a 120 inch screen in my room makes my mouth water). Right now I have a 26 inch LCD widescreen which I would use as a computer monitor if that happened.

So I guess what I'm asking is is it worth the money to get one? Can anyone recomend any certain projectors?

[Draft Dodger]

I LOVE our projector. we have an Infocus X1, which we got for about a grand a year or two ago. it's on the lower end of projector scales, but I'm happy with it. we're not even using a screen - just project our hockey games and movies onto our bare red wall.

there's a good resource forum site for projectors which I can't remember off the top of my head.

EDIT: it's this one http://www.avsforum.com/

[Greyroofoo]

probably the best I found is www.projectorpeople.com but I just want some personal experiences

[jamesUMD]

I have an Optoma H31 that I have a 112 inch screen for. I love it. No need to ever go to the movies again. I paid $850 for the projector, $100 for the screen, and $100 for the cables. Same definition as a plasma.

www.tigerdirect.com (http://www.tigerdirect.com) has some great buys.

[Bee]

I have two (one in the media room and one in our home theater). There's really nothing that compares if you can control the light. I've yet to have anyone come in and not be totally blown away. Watching football in HD on a 100"+ screen is kleenex worthy.

[John Galt]

I have a Panasonic L500U. It's definitely worth the money and effort. Projectorpeople is a little pricey, but provides some good info. Projectorcentral.com is a great review site that also has a lot of technical and information guides that are good for people looking to buy a projector. Even though I'm sure the X1 that DD has is great for him, be sure to watch a DLP projector in person for a while before you bought it. I bought one and had to return it (which can be hard to do) because I'm one of the people that gets the dreaded rainbow effect problem (while I don't have the problem with DLP rear projection TV's).

edit: BTW, I still use the wall to project on. My attitude if you have a shade of white wall is to wait on buying a screen. It looks great and if I got (or built) a screen, it may actually shrink my viewing area.

[flere-imsaho]

There's really nothing that compares if you can control the light.

This is very, very important.

[John Galt]

This is very, very important.

It is important, but for a lot of the projectors, the key is controlling direct light and outdoor light. Indirect indoor light is usually fine unless it gets very bright. At least that's been my experience and I have an LCD projector which are usually less bright than the DLP variety.

[Bee]

It is important, but for a lot of the projectors, the key is controlling direct light and outdoor light. Indirect indoor light is usually fine unless it gets very bright. At least that's been my experience and I have an LCD projector which are usually less bright than the DLP variety.

In my HT room, we have complete light control, but in the media room we have a big window which we've blocked out with heavy curtains and then we have a couple reading lamps (the kind that point down over your shoulder for reading). While the viewing experience is a little nicer in the HT room, I've not really had any problems watching tv or movies in the media room while my wife reads a book or something with one of the lamps on. The big things are like John mentioned...eliminate sunlight and control indoor light.

[moriarty]

I have two (one in the media room and one in our home theater). There's really nothing that compares if you can control the light. I've yet to have anyone come in and not be totally blown away. Watching football in HD on a 100"+ screen is kleenex worthy.

Wait a minute, you have a media room and a Home Theater room plus a 100" screen?

:eek:

[Bee]

Wait a minute, you have a media room and a Home Theater room plus a 100" screen?

:eek:

Yep, I always wanted a HT room so we built that a few years ago. It's very nice and really great for watching movies, but the problem is it doesn't work well for more casual parties (like Superbowl parties). It's not on the same floor as the kitchen, it's really dark so it's hard to see other people, etc. That's when we decided to convert a room on the first floor into a media room for more casual viewing with guests. I was going to put in a plasma tv, but when I started looking I saw how cheap projectors had gotten I decided just to buy another for that room. It's worked out very well, although last year at the Superbowl party a couple of the "serious" football fans spent most of the evening watching in the HT room because the media room crowd was pretty loud.

[moriarty]

My hero.

[Bee]

Well...when we finished the media room, I believe my wife's words were "We're done with buying stuff for you for the next few years" :D

[George]

Here's another forum to check out.

http://www.highdefforum.com/

[Daimyo]

I have an X1 from two and a half years back that i absolutely love. I was going to buy a screen, but since my walls are white I just project onto that. At one point I was projecting 120" horizonatal, but now its right about 72" across because this configuration fits my room a lot better and makes the screen brighter. Light control is an issue, but even if you have windows you can deal with it. I bought some heavy black out cloth (~$5/yard) at a fabric store and hang it behind my curtains and it does a decent enough job that I can watch football during the day on weekends (dark movies would be a problem still).

IMO if you have total light control like in a basement it would be silly to get anything other than a projector. With good light control it will look just as good as a plasma and give you 4+ times the screen area for a fraction of the cost.

[vex]

Bee has a Hattrick room, I'm so envious:)

[thetrilogy]

10 foot wide screen!!!http://www.higleylaw.com/images/IMG_1549.JPG

http://www.higleylaw.com/ht05/index.html

http://gallery.avsforum.com/showgallery.php?cat=500&ppuser=7453403

[Anthony]

that's someone's personal home theater? wow.

[thetrilogy]

that's someone's personal home theater? wow.

Yes, I forgot to state this is MY home theater. It's made for running movies mostly. But does live TV and games as well.

[moriarty]

Yes, I forgot to state this is MY home theater. It's made for running movies mostly. But does live TV and games as well.

Damn, I just clicked on the links ... wow.

Man, I'm going home tonight and telling my wife we're trading in my 50" Samsung DLP and getting a projector/screen and remodeled basement. Should go over well ...