Advice on projector

take everything · 19-03-2014 8:49pm #1

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LED-Projector-Digital-TV-DVB-HD-USB-HDMI-for-PlayStation-XBOX-Home-Cinema-/121261576196?pt=UK_Computing_Sound_Vision_Projectors&hash=item1c3bc0d004

Looking to buy a projector for movies/TV at home.
Nothing fancy really, just something half-decent.
I understand i'd have to spend a bit to get something half-decent but could this fit the bill. Or any other suggestions welcome.
Budget less than 200 euro. For something portable/handy.
Dunno if i could justify anything more tbh.
Thanks.

Mizu_Ger · 20-03-2014 12:36pm

The only advantage of getting a projector is to have a BIG picture. That projector is standard definition (800x480) so may not produce a good picture at large screen sizes.

MayoForSam · 21-03-2014 12:26am

I'm in a similar position to the OP, I've managed to source a second-hand Optoma HD70 for €250, 720p DLP, 16:9, 3000:1 contrast, HDMI input. 6-years old but was £800 originally and still has plenty of time left on the bulb. DLP has more lumens than LED, however some people suffer from the so-called 'rainbow' effect with DLP. Have a look on avforums.com, loads of projector advice on there.

take everything · 08-04-2014 11:36pm

Just an update.
Got the Epson ebso2h from Argos for under 400 euro and it is pretty damn cool.
Got great reviews on Argos and Amazon and I can see why.
I wonder if I'll ever go back to a basic TV.

Is it OK to use this maybe a few hours a day (as you would TV) or is just for a couple of hours as for home cinema.
I'm just wondering about the lamp here.

shazzerman · 09-04-2014 5:31pm

Lamplife usually lasts from 4000-6000 hours (the latter in "Eco" mode). So, if you calibrate your pj in Eco, and if you use it say, 40 hours per week (a bit much maybe; I have a pj that I use for movies only and intend to limit myself to 20 hours per week - I just got it, by the way, and it is fantastic) you will be looking at 2080 hours per year, so a little under 3 years' use before you need to change the bulb. But the best thing to do at this stage: have a look at this site http://www.avforums.com/forums/

take everything · 09-04-2014 8:40pm

Thanks.
Actually just about connecting it to a TV.
I've had no problems connecting my laptop or smartphone to it but it seems my TV won't connect so easily. I thought the hdmi slot on my TV would just connect to the hdmi on the projector. Nor does the VGA connect. Or the USB.
I presume these are all input rather than output slots on the TV.
what's left is coax out from the TV so i'll need to get a cable for that.

shazzerman · 09-04-2014 9:08pm

Can't help you on the TV connection problem. I didn't connect my TV to the projector. But you should ask advice on the AV Forums. Very clued-in posters there.

eddiem74 · 10-04-2014 8:11am

take everything wrote: »

Thanks.
Actually just about connecting it to a TV.
I've had no problems connecting my laptop or smartphone to it but it seems my TV won't connect so easily. I thought the hdmi slot on my TV would just connect to the hdmi on the projector. Nor does the VGA connect. Or the USB.
I presume these are all input rather than output slots on the TV.
what's left is coax out from the TV so i'll need to get a cable for that.

You need to connect your "source" to the projector, same as you do with the TV. Your projector and TV are both "displays". I do not believe that projector has speakers, which you would not want anyway.

Normal set-up with a projector would be:

Source -> AV Receiver -> Projector/TV

Source = Sky box, UPC, DVD Player, Bluray player, PS3/4, etc...

The AV Receiver manages all sources and sound and directs to TV or Projector for displaying the picture.

take everything · 10-04-2014 3:09pm

eddiem74 wrote: »

You need to connect your "source" to the projector, same as you do with the TV. Your projector and TV are both "displays". I do not believe that projector has speakers, which you would not want anyway.

Normal set-up with a projector would be:

Source -> AV Receiver -> Projector/TV

Source = Sky box, UPC, DVD Player, Bluray player, PS3/4, etc...

The AV Receiver manages all sources and sound and directs to TV or Projector for displaying the picture.

Great stuff.
So if I connect my freeview satellite box up to it will there be no sound.
How would I sort this.
Connecting my computer up I have sound on my computer.
It'll obviously be different connecting the set-top box up.

Is it connect whatever av is on satellite box to av on projector.
Thanks for the hrlp.

MHI · 10-04-2014 3:23pm

As eddiem said the usual setup is like so

Source---hdmi cable---AV receiver---hdmi cable---Projector

Depending on the AV receiver you have you may have 3-4-5 hdmi input among others (composite, component) the AV receiver handles all your sound and you can switch between sources on the AV receiver.

Its not good to use projectors for sound, the audio out of projectors is usually pretty poor anyway, having a AV receiver makes things much more user friendly and better audio.

hope this helps.

shazzerman · 10-04-2014 6:06pm

If you don't have one already, get a long high-speed HDMI cable and run it from AV Amp to projector. I have a pioneer amp with 5 HDMI cables going into it (things like 2 blu-ray players, a PS3 and a Media Player). Then I have the long 10 meter HDMI cable going from amp to projector. I have a 46" TV next to my projector "screen" (the wall at the moment). I use this for TV programmes - but not a big TV watcher, as I said. I think if I DID need to hook up my TV to the projector, I would need a HDMI splitter box (or the other thing...like a splitter box but I forget what it is called).
There are always initial probs of this kind, but you'll get there.

take everything · 10-04-2014 8:36pm

Ok thanks for the advice.
Before I checked those posts I went off and bought a composite cable for a tenner to start somewhere. Audio plays fine thru the projector but for the life of me it won't pick up video (the yellow one).
Any ideas.

take everything · 10-04-2014 9:24pm

Ok thanks for the advice.
Before I checked those posts I went off and bought a composite cable for a tenner to start somewhere. Audio plays fine thru the projector but for the life of me it won't pick up video (the yellow one).
Any ideas.

MHI · 11-04-2014 11:13am

if you are running a composite (yellow video) connection from your source to the projector you are going to get a pretty poor quality picture, HDMI is the way to go, as the previous poster said best to invest in a long HDMI cable.

take everything · 11-04-2014 7:28pm

Just to say I connected it via scart to composite adaptor and it workd fine. I gather this is scart quality (as scart is the output).
So it's a start for now.
No hdmi output from the sat box so probably no point in getting a long hdmi cable as long as i have this box.
Pity the sat box isn't a combined one that allows saorview.

So if I wanted that also I'd be looking at buying a separate saorview box or just get a combined box.

Also I'm wondering if I can output the projector audio to my speaker.
So gonna see what options I have there.

Edit: no audio output on projector.
Just wondering can you connect the audio part of the composite to speakers. And leave the video part in the projector.

Edit 2: also should mention that one of the guys in Maplins in Limerick was incredibly helpful and patient. Very knowledgeable guy.

Advice on projector

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