So, I'm finally settled in Vancouver, WA, new apartment. Hooray. For those of you that can remember my old setups, they have always revolved around a desktop computer on a desk, with one or two monitors. I've schemed my home theater setup into four dorm rooms, my childhood room, and my old apartment Florida. Six home theaters is a lot of setting up. Man, those were the days. But this is now!

So I decided that instead of having a huge clunky desk as the center of my media, it's time to grow up and spring for a PROJECTOR!

Everyone thought I was crazy when I sprung for my Axiom setup in...freshman year of college. But they have been my best investment. When my axioms are set up, I'm finally home and can relax. I'd like the projector stand the test of time too.

So, my ideal budget would be $2000 - $2500 for the projector, screen, and projector mount.

I've been looking at the Epson Home Cinema 8350 ($1200) and jealously looking at the model up, the Epson 6500UB (~$2000), mostly because poor black performance really would bother me.

For the screen, I dont want a permanent screen. Something that easily rolls up and isn't too massive would be ideal. I was looking at this guy since it would be easily portable because the roller isn't the entire width of the screen. Amazon also has an excellent deal on a 84" floor rollup screen here. The wall in the apartment is tan, isn't a flat surface, and a closet door is in the way of where the projector image would be, so I need a screen.

The distance from the back wall of the living room to the front wall is about 13', so I'm guessing I'd be working with a 12' throw distance, which means I could have up to a 120" screen, but that's pretty massive for a short distance.

I can get the room very dark, so ambient light shouldn't be a problem.

Basically, I'm not looking for something super knock-your-socks-off perfect, I just want a great projector that will last a long time, and won't have any annoying qualities like a noisy fan or horrible performance with one color or something.

I also have almost no knowledge about projectors, so a few tips from those of you with experience would be great .

You guys are awesome! Thanks for helping me spend my money...err, yup that's pretty much what we're doing here.

Keep in mind that the large the screen the more reflected light from the room will also be a problem.


I think one of the Epsons will be your best bet. If you can stretch your budget Projector People are selling the 8700 with a rebate and they have a demo on sale for even less.

http://www.projectorpeople.com/projector...+Cinema+8700+UB

Party at Dan's house.

I think you've got the right idea with a relatively inexpensive screen since you are renting.

Yeah, that's right, I really don't have any useful advice. I just wanted to say that I support your addiction and look forward to the results.

Have you been to Hazel Dell, McMenamin's, The Rock, Gustav's or Salmon Creek? Or are you spending all your beer time and dollars across the river in PDX? You lucky bastard.

HA!

Tom's actually calling somebody else a lucky bastard while he's the one driving around in a ragtop Mercedes!



Dan, Tom has some great advice and just about covered everything so I have nothing of value to add. Sorry man.


Party at Dan's house!

Wow, Brother Rick's been at happy hour, clearly

It's not a "ragtop", Rick; it's a "roadster". Power retractable hard top, not canvas

I'll put up a short story on that in a different thread.

I think Dean was the one with the "advice", I was just envious of Dan's beer choices. And running up my post count.

But, yeah, still, Party at Dan's House!

There's a party at my house? Am I invited? I'm so excited.

Yes, I went to a McMenamin's last night. Enjoyed watching Four Lions with beer and a pizza for $12. I need to do that more often.

And grunt, thanks for the advice, really. The demo unit would save me $300 on that projector...awesome!!

Does anyone else have advice or should we just talk about beer? And/or pinball. I love pinball. When I was back home for the holidays my dad and I turned $20 into 5 hours of pinball madness. We must have won 20 replays, and set a few high scores.

The deed has been done.

Thanks grunt for the link...Projector people had an additional rebate and a free lamp offer...snagged the deal.

Now I wait.

Congrats on the new projector.

For screens, I am still exceedingly happy with my 4x8 sheet of lightly textured Formica. For $30 you could just leave one on the wall of each place you might want to visit and not have to do any of that nasty carrying-around stuff.

Thanks bridgman, I actually elected to get an 80" diagonal 16:9 portable screen that extends from the floor. I looked at on-wall stuff, but dropped those ideas mostly because there is a closet door in the way, and that would just get annoying.

And since I don't plan on leaving this place for a while (What can I say, I like the NW) it should do just fine. Also, I can drop the projector out of the way to the ground, and have pictures hung on the wall behind it so the living room doesn't have a huge projector screen dominating it. Maybe I can even get some plants.

Plus, I think I can always fit more crap in my car. I haven't started strapping things to the top yet

He likes the NW. In January. Dude, you're a lifer, now.

We are getting more snow ATM. It's been cold here this year but still got a round of golf in on the weekend.

No kidding...it's still nice!

I went out on the trails today to grab the only clear day I've seen in a while. Cold enough so only a few portlanders were out there, so I had the trail mostly to myself. Summited the small peak just in time to see sundown. If it takes me three hours to drive, then climb 1500 feet, then make it back home, that makes me pretty happy.

What is a mountain?

That's where the earth's crust has a zit.

And a volcano is popping the zit?

I don't want to know your interpretation of a mudslide ...

...or an avalanche.

I'd have expected that question from Brother Rick.

Post deleted by me due to duplication.

I am about 100 miles away from the nearest hill! I am sure that Rick has even farther to go to reach a mountain.

The highest point in Florida is about 350 feet, I think. Rick is a plane ride from a hill

For valentines day, I did a little photo shoot of my current Axiom setup (with projector). With red wine! As fitting as ever.

Looking for speaker stands at the moment, going to get a lot of plants in the room and have them up front to give the room a nice green feel.

The projector screen is the only slouch, the white has some inconsistencies (because it's a roll up screen) and with the projector at its brightest, the whitest parts of the image are "sparkly" because of the screen grit. When the weather gets warm and I can leave the windows open for some time, going to try to paint the screen with the "Black Widow" primer/aluminum paint mix the AVS guys tout.

All in all, the projector is really, really nice. The image is incredible!

Okay okay, pictures!










Neat cables? I tried.

Awesome, Dan. I have projector envy.

Me, too. I want one!

Looks great Dan, much better than the dorm room pics, but I see there is still a little college dorm left in you with those M22 stands

I would have called the bottles on the mantle as "Dorm Days"

But I do see the symmetry with the picture