It gets even trickier because of the fact that it's not easy to test-drive the various projectors. I think that part of the popularity of the X1 and some of the other sub-$1K PJs is the fact that you can pick them up at BB or C.City. Getting to see the other players can be a bit trickier. If you're lucky, you run across a shootout in your area listed in the AVS forums.
Before I go, I'm going to stir things up for you a bit...
You can very easily wait forever for that perfect projector within your budget. Just like computers, this will never pay off, because the technology is continually outdating itself. Don't get me wrong, as I'm not suggesting that you buy before you're ready. However, if you are indeed ready to make your purchase, I am suggesting that you not get caught up in waiting too long for that perfect PJ, because that could end up costing you a lot of actual viewing enjoyment. In my case, if I had waited until my basement was done and the technology had changed, it would have cost me a year of stellar viewing w/ my X1.
Good Luck
