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My display is dying
#407628 10/12/14 04:02 AM
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fredk Offline OP
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I was hoping I would get another 3 years out of the current display while OLED matured, but that's not happening. The blue block on my xsrd is going and I've got all these green blotches showing up on my display.

Movies are still viewable, but I expect that won't last.

Some other things have changed, like child #2 heading off to university so I no longer need a second internet/gaming display. That's got me rethinking what I need.

Things I don't care about:
1. 4K I can barely tell the difference between upscaled DVDs and blurays on my 50" display at my seating distance (9').

2. Anything cable TV.

3. 3D If something worth watching in 3D comes along, I'll go to a theater.

What I care about:
1. Budget. Putting two kids through university is 'spensive!

2. Screen size. 50" is nice, but I wants bigger (not very compatible with #1 frown )

My usage will most likely change to more occasional as I do most of my browsing from my bedroom computer.

That's got me thinking about projectors. I can't afford the high end, but I know that in the last few years there have been some real advances in 'budget' projection.

Does anyone here have any experience with budget projectors like the BenQ 1070 or other projectors less that $2,000?


Fred

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Blujays1: Spending Fred's money one bottle at a time, no two... Oh crap!
Re: My display is dying
fredk #407630 10/12/14 01:26 PM
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Hey Fred

At 9' seating we had at one point a projection of 80ish inches that was pretty immersive and fun.

You are right, the last few years have been huge for projector leaps. We currently own an Epson 8345(twin of 8350- but named 8345 for futureshop I guess) which has been solid for the last couple of years. My brothers each purchased one after seeing mine. Great value and performance balance. The lens shift is a huge plus.

When it dies I'd go epson again. There are better for sure, but $$ dictates. smile

There are a lot of great bargains right now. Check out projectorcentral.com for lots of great info on throw distances, reviews, recommendations, tech to come etc.

Re: My display is dying
AAAA #407632 10/13/14 03:58 AM
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fredk Offline OP
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Originally Posted By: Serenity_Now
...
When it dies I'd go epson again. There are better for sure, but $$ dictates. smile...

Yup, $$ dictate. I've been reading on projector central and AVS. It seems that the BenQ 1070 can't be beat until you go over $2,000.

My understanding is that the BenQ is equal to something like the 8345 less the lens shift. A slight plus goes to the BenQ if you care about gaming (Might end up with my son next summer again).

It seems like the choices are as follows:

1. BenQ 1070
2. Epson 8343 if I need placement flexibility
3. Step up to something like an Epson 5030ub, Sony HW40es ... for $1500 more if I really care about black levels/contrast AND can set up a proper light controlled environment.

I'm guessing I'll get black levels similar to my A5050 XSRD with the BenQ. OK, but not great. I can live with that.

I just want to do a sanity check before jumping in.


Fred

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Blujays1: Spending Fred's money one bottle at a time, no two... Oh crap!
Re: My display is dying
fredk #407633 10/13/14 09:19 AM
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After owning one, fan noise is a priority in my future projector buying decision.

In eco mode the epson is barely audible. If you can mount it further behind you, all the better.

Re: My display is dying
AAAA #407808 10/27/14 04:51 PM
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fredk Offline OP
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I've looked a little further into projectors and found a few things. There is not much available at the brick and mortar level. I had hoped to be able to see one of the low end projectors to see what I would be getting in the way of image quality. No such luck. The best place I've found so far is an hour away and has two demo rooms, but only equipped with mid to high end projectors.

Screens appear to be a whole other can-o-worms, ranging from DIY to "you want WHAT??". Again, there does not seem to be any place where I can even compare low end to high end manufactured screens.

I did get a chance to see an Panny ae7000 in action and it is significantly better than what I have not in terms of black levels and contrast. The salesman offered it to me for $2,400 because its "a year out of date now". Um, gee, thanks. eek

So, my options are:

1. 50-60" plasma @ $1,100 to 1,500 all in (Samsung)
2. LED in the same size range at close to the same price
3. BenQ 1070 with some sort of screen for anything from $1,300 to 1,900 all in depending on the screen I choose.

My impression is that, unless I go up to something like the Panny ae8000 I'm going to give up black level and shadow detail even to an LED TV.

All that said, the biggest question I have now is what difference an inexpensive vs mid-line screen makes.

Any advice would be appreciated.


Fred

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Blujays1: Spending Fred's money one bottle at a time, no two... Oh crap!
Re: My display is dying
fredk #407818 10/27/14 09:25 PM
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Trust reviews when it comes to displays/projectors. Brick and mortars dont have the space to demo several PJs side by side.

Screens choicesare most important for gain vs hot spotting balance given throw distances. With an image around 100" or so, even the cheaper projectors will light it up well. Larger screens need more lumen output or higher gain screens. The farther away your PJ is fromthe screen wall, the better color and contrast at the expense of brightness usually. But barely so.

Fwiw, the top ten lists at projector central are probably foolproof bets at your price range. I have purchased every display I have ever owned based on pro reviews from the likes of cnet or HT magazine and have always been more than satisfied. We all see the same, so measurements rule in display reviews.

When it comes to PJ screen reviews, forums like AVS or hometheatershack have a good base of info and active community. If you are in a dedicated space, a fixed frame is the way to go for sure. I wouldnt get too hung up on the screen. Even entry level screens can produce a great picture once the PJ is calibrated after lamp break in.

Re: My display is dying
fredk #407828 10/28/14 04:34 AM
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At 9' I'd find a nice 65" tv.
The 8000 is nice and if you could you probably wouldn't regret it.



Re: My display is dying
AAAA #407855 10/28/14 07:04 PM
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Originally Posted By: Serenity_Now
...
Screens choicesare most important for gain vs hot spotting balance given throw distances...

Is hotspotting something that only happens with higher gain screens?
Quote:

When it comes to PJ screen reviews, forums like AVS or hometheatershack have a good base of info and active community.

That's pretty much what I am relying on right now (cuz, you know, Mark isn't showing up in this thread to impart his vast projector knowledge on me...). From what I understand, there are three possible issues with lower end screens: sparkle, hot spotting and texture.

The thing is, I have no idea what sort of range there is to any of these effects or how much they are going to bother me.
Quote:

If you are in a dedicated space, a fixed frame is the way to go for sure. I wouldn't get too hung up on the screen. Even entry level screens can produce a great picture once the PJ is calibrated after lamp break in.

In my current layout, the screen is actually 6 feet into my living room, so I would need to find a way to flip up a fixed screen. I was originally thinking of building my own screen using an extruded aluminum framing system, but if I can buy a decent screen at a reasonable price, I'd rather do that.


Fred

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Blujays1: Spending Fred's money one bottle at a time, no two... Oh crap!
Re: My display is dying
fredk #407867 10/28/14 09:57 PM
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I've tried DIY blackout- great results
DIY white vinyl -whites were blown out and poor off axis viewing

I have seen several low end screens sub $300 and the all look fine once you are watching. I wouldn't mess with gain above 1.0 or go silver screen. Matte white is safe.

Fwiw, spandex AT screens and wall paint are becoming popular among DIYers.

Seymour AV sells all flavours of screens and gives free advice and samples. Not to mention they are fairly reasonably priced. There product will end up in my theater eventually.

Last edited by Serenity_Now; 10/28/14 09:58 PM. Reason: Spelling
Re: My display is dying
AAAA #407876 10/29/14 08:58 AM
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fredk Offline OP
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I checked out Seymour. Trouble is, them being in the US and only shipping UPS and Fedex it will cost an arm and a leg in fees for anything they ship.

There is a small Canadian company called Elunevision that is not that far from me, so they are probably my best bet for a manufactured screen.

I suppose I could just go with blackout material see how that works.


Fred

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Blujays1: Spending Fred's money one bottle at a time, no two... Oh crap!
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