Projector - 2006 and now
Discussion
Hi Everyone,
I've got a Optoma projector (720p) which I purchased back in 2006 - compared to my 50 inch tv the picture is nowhere near as crisp - as a result was thinking of buying a 65 inch TV instead to replace it.
However, before doing so, do projectors available now (<£2k) offer FAR BETTER picture quality than a 2006 model and likewise are they close to LCD TV quality ?
Thanks.
I've got a Optoma projector (720p) which I purchased back in 2006 - compared to my 50 inch tv the picture is nowhere near as crisp - as a result was thinking of buying a 65 inch TV instead to replace it.
However, before doing so, do projectors available now (<£2k) offer FAR BETTER picture quality than a 2006 model and likewise are they close to LCD TV quality ?
Thanks.
Yes you should notice a marked improvement in a new model. Key things are better resolution ( 1080P at your price point) better motion, much better colour in particular black levels and key to the latest models, much brighter. I would have a look at the latest models from Epson as a starting point.
Nick
Nick
WZC1 said:
Yes you should notice a marked improvement in a new model. Key things are better resolution ( 1080P at your price point) better motion, much better colour in particular black levels and key to the latest models, much brighter. I would have a look at the latest models from Epson as a starting point.
Nick
Thanks Nick - do you know of anywhere where they demo the latest projectors in a dark room?Nick
steve singh said:
Thanks Nick - do you know of anywhere where they demo the latest projectors in a dark room?
Most AV places that sell projectors will have a demo room where they can control the light - I brought my projector from Audio-T last year, and they demo'd both the projector and a few different speakers for me. Have a look at your local AV specialists and they will usually be more than willing to demo kit.steve singh said:
WZC1 said:
Yes you should notice a marked improvement in a new model. Key things are better resolution ( 1080P at your price point) better motion, much better colour in particular black levels and key to the latest models, much brighter. I would have a look at the latest models from Epson as a starting point.
Nick
Thanks Nick - do you know of anywhere where they demo the latest projectors in a dark room?Nick
Nick
Although you're already a projector owner, many aren't aware how much the room effects the picture as well: It's one thing to get the room dark, but if the walls are a light colour and a typically white ceiling then this will reflect back to the screen and wash out the image making it look flat and have poor blacks.
So, while taking the above into account the newer projectors with 1080p resolution ought to give a sharper image, but set up is also important: At the budget end the lenses don't tend to be so good (some being plastic rather than glass for example). If you haven't much distance between the projector and the screen and you use maximum zoom then this will tend to highlight the poorer lens (since zooming uses more of the lens area). This is true to some degree with any make, but some are better than other (reading the reviews or forums can help pick out the better examples).
Single chip DLP projectors tend to be sharper, but can also be prone to 'rainbow effect' which some people can't live with (or get bad headaches watching them as I do). The LCD/DILA projectors use 3 chips to produce the image (as do some much more expensive DLP models) which then means you are reliant on the 3 panels being very well lined up to get a crisp pixel on the screen. I've owned a couple of DILA projectors and the latest one is very well lined up, so the image is nice and sharp (I also don't use any zoom due to the long distance from my screen so this also helps).
Contrast ratios have increased considerably since 2006 at the middle and above end of the market, however some of the cheaper DLP models may not be that much better since some of them still use older DLP image chips to keep the price down.
The bottom line is that you'll need to go and demo some, but I'd recommend that you take your existing one along since if the dealer has a particularly good demo room then even your current projector might look better than you're used to. Equally, if you do have a particularly good room for a projector and dealer's is plain white (I've been to a few that are
) then you might unfairly think that the new models aren't so good.
So, while taking the above into account the newer projectors with 1080p resolution ought to give a sharper image, but set up is also important: At the budget end the lenses don't tend to be so good (some being plastic rather than glass for example). If you haven't much distance between the projector and the screen and you use maximum zoom then this will tend to highlight the poorer lens (since zooming uses more of the lens area). This is true to some degree with any make, but some are better than other (reading the reviews or forums can help pick out the better examples).
Single chip DLP projectors tend to be sharper, but can also be prone to 'rainbow effect' which some people can't live with (or get bad headaches watching them as I do). The LCD/DILA projectors use 3 chips to produce the image (as do some much more expensive DLP models) which then means you are reliant on the 3 panels being very well lined up to get a crisp pixel on the screen. I've owned a couple of DILA projectors and the latest one is very well lined up, so the image is nice and sharp (I also don't use any zoom due to the long distance from my screen so this also helps).
Contrast ratios have increased considerably since 2006 at the middle and above end of the market, however some of the cheaper DLP models may not be that much better since some of them still use older DLP image chips to keep the price down.
The bottom line is that you'll need to go and demo some, but I'd recommend that you take your existing one along since if the dealer has a particularly good demo room then even your current projector might look better than you're used to. Equally, if you do have a particularly good room for a projector and dealer's is plain white (I've been to a few that are
) then you might unfairly think that the new models aren't so good.Thanks for the additional detailed responses gents, greatly appreciated and give some excellent food for thought.
I'm going to go and see a local AV specialist who said they can demo a few projectors.
Currently I'm projecting onto a magnolia wall - I have blackout blinds and white ceilings - would a projector screen really sharpen up the picture to an untrained eye ?
I'm going to go and see a local AV specialist who said they can demo a few projectors.
Currently I'm projecting onto a magnolia wall - I have blackout blinds and white ceilings - would a projector screen really sharpen up the picture to an untrained eye ?
Well...one man's meat and all that, but I went from a cheap textured screen to a nice flat tab tensioned screen and I felt that it added something to the experience. The lack of texture means that the image seems to 'float' in space rather than appear on a surface. I also felt that the image looked sharper since the surface was more uniform and it was easy to focus the projector compared to the old 'rough' screen.
However, I do know one guy who has a matt white emulsion painted 'screen' and he has a proper dedicated room. The image looks good on his screen (partly because all his walls and ceiling are dark). He has also put black borders round the screen which seems to help make the framed image look better as well. I don't like not having a border myself; my screen is 2.35:1 so for 16:9 content there are side bars on my screen which I now cover using some black velvet to act as masks and I much prefer it this way.
I suppose it's all down to your priorities and what bothers you. However, since your room is very light in colour I think a screen that is designed to deal with ambient light might improve your viewing experience (possibly more than a cheap projector would). Something like a Draper ReAct II screen would be worth having a demo of (I've not yet seen one myself, but I'm considering it as an alternative to further blackening out of my room walls/ceiling). Be warned though, they aren't cheap...
However, I do know one guy who has a matt white emulsion painted 'screen' and he has a proper dedicated room. The image looks good on his screen (partly because all his walls and ceiling are dark). He has also put black borders round the screen which seems to help make the framed image look better as well. I don't like not having a border myself; my screen is 2.35:1 so for 16:9 content there are side bars on my screen which I now cover using some black velvet to act as masks and I much prefer it this way.
I suppose it's all down to your priorities and what bothers you. However, since your room is very light in colour I think a screen that is designed to deal with ambient light might improve your viewing experience (possibly more than a cheap projector would). Something like a Draper ReAct II screen would be worth having a demo of (I've not yet seen one myself, but I'm considering it as an alternative to further blackening out of my room walls/ceiling). Be warned though, they aren't cheap...
OldSkoolRS said:
Well...one man's meat and all that, but I went from a cheap textured screen to a nice flat tab tensioned screen and I felt that it added something to the experience. The lack of texture means that the image seems to 'float' in space rather than appear on a surface. I also felt that the image looked sharper since the surface was more uniform and it was easy to focus the projector compared to the old 'rough' screen.
However, I do know one guy who has a matt white emulsion painted 'screen' and he has a proper dedicated room. The image looks good on his screen (partly because all his walls and ceiling are dark). He has also put black borders round the screen which seems to help make the framed image look better as well. I don't like not having a border myself; my screen is 2.35:1 so for 16:9 content there are side bars on my screen which I now cover using some black velvet to act as masks and I much prefer it this way.
I suppose it's all down to your priorities and what bothers you. However, since your room is very light in colour I think a screen that is designed to deal with ambient light might improve your viewing experience (possibly more than a cheap projector would). Something like a Draper ReAct II screen would be worth having a demo of (I've not yet seen one myself, but I'm considering it as an alternative to further blackening out of my room walls/ceiling). Be warned though, they aren't cheap...
Thank you - I've got some nice looking around to do !!!However, I do know one guy who has a matt white emulsion painted 'screen' and he has a proper dedicated room. The image looks good on his screen (partly because all his walls and ceiling are dark). He has also put black borders round the screen which seems to help make the framed image look better as well. I don't like not having a border myself; my screen is 2.35:1 so for 16:9 content there are side bars on my screen which I now cover using some black velvet to act as masks and I much prefer it this way.
I suppose it's all down to your priorities and what bothers you. However, since your room is very light in colour I think a screen that is designed to deal with ambient light might improve your viewing experience (possibly more than a cheap projector would). Something like a Draper ReAct II screen would be worth having a demo of (I've not yet seen one myself, but I'm considering it as an alternative to further blackening out of my room walls/ceiling). Be warned though, they aren't cheap...
I have a dedicated room, so have complete control of the light and the walls and ceiling are all the same dark colour, with the exception of the projection wall which is painted with ScreenGoo (which in my opinion is a fantastic product, as good if not better than the screens I saw). Yes, it isn't cheap, but it means no need for a screen and projected size is not an issue.
The only thing I don't have is any bordering - I've found that not to be an issue, but as OldSkool points out it may be distracting to you, particularly when viewing 2.35:1 where there may be a little light over-spill on the top and bottom borders of the image.
If it is possible for you to darken the ceiling I would recommend it, but as with audio equipment a lot of money can be spent chasing a small amount of perceived benefit. I'm sure once you have had a few demos you will have a good idea of what you can achieve in your budget.
The only thing I don't have is any bordering - I've found that not to be an issue, but as OldSkool points out it may be distracting to you, particularly when viewing 2.35:1 where there may be a little light over-spill on the top and bottom borders of the image.
If it is possible for you to darken the ceiling I would recommend it, but as with audio equipment a lot of money can be spent chasing a small amount of perceived benefit. I'm sure once you have had a few demos you will have a good idea of what you can achieve in your budget.
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