Budget 1080p projectors

de-dan

This thread is dedicated to those who are interested in investing in a full 1080p home cinema projector but does not have 5000 euro to spend and want the "budget" option instead...
I will do my best to keep the thread updated as best i can and will provide links to a review of the projector on projector reviews as i find this too be the best and the screen shots are taken uniformly so they give some basis for comparison but i would not make my decision soely based on these i would try and get a demonstration first... (also i am not responsible for any information that may be inaccurate ill get themfrom as reliable a source as i can.)


Sanyo PLV-Z2000

http://www.projectorreviews.com/sanyo/plv-z2000/index.php


ANSI lumens: 1200
Contrast (full on/off): 15,000:1
Light Engine: 1920x1080, native 16:9, three-panel inorganic LCD with 165W UHP lamp.
Video Compatibility: 1080p/60/50/24, 1080i, 720p, 576p, 576i, 480p, 480i. NTSC/PAL/SECAM.
Connection Panel: Two HDMI 1.3 ports, one 15-pin VGA, two 3-RCA component input, one s-video, one composite, one 9-pin DSub serial port.
Lens and Throw Distance: 2.0x manual zoom/focus lens with vertical and horizontal lens shift. Throws a 100" diagonal 16:9 image from 10 to 20 feet.



Sanyo PLV-Z700

http://www.projectorreviews.com/sanyo/plv-z700/index.php


ANSI lumens: 1200
Contrast (full on/off): 10,000:1
Light Engine: 1920x1080, native 16:9, three-panel organic LCD with 165W UHP lamp.
Video Compatibility: 1080p/60/50/24, 1080i, 720p, 576p, 576i, 480p, 480i.
Connection Panel: Two HDMI 1.3b ports, one 15-pin VGA, two 3-RCA component input, one s-video, one composite, one 9-pin DSub serial port. Lens and Throw Distance: 2.0x manual zoom/focus lens with vertical and horizontal lens shift. Throws a 100" diagonal 16:9 image from 10 to 20 feet.

[IMG]file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/user1/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot-1.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/user1/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot.jpg[/IMG]



Infocus X10

http://www.projectorreviews.com/infocus/X10/index.php

Native Aspect Ratio:16x9Supported Aspect Ratio:16:9, 4:3
Brightness: (max ANSI lumens)High Bright: 1200 Lumens Eco Mode: 960 Lumens
Contrast Ratio:2500 : 1 Full On/Full OffDisplay
Technology:DarkChip1™ 1080p DLP™ by Texas InstrumentsData Compatibility:VGA (640x480), SVGA (800x600), XGA (1024x768), SXGA (1280x1024), 720p (1280x720), 1080p (1920x1080), 480p (854x480), 576p (1024x576)
Video Compatibility:Full NTSC, PAL, SECAM, 480i, 480p, 576i, 576p, 720p, 1035i, 1080i, 1080p/24, 1080p/30, 1080p/50, 1080p/60Color Wheel (DLP Only):7-segment, D65K (6500K) color calibratedNative
Resolution:1080p




Optoma HD800X

http://www.projectorreviews.com/optoma/hd803/index.php

Image Brightness 1200 ANSI lumens
Image Contrast Ratio 5000:1
Max Image Size 7.62 m
Max Resolution 1920 x 1080
Max Screen Distance 12.5 m
Min Image Size 0.76 m
Min Screen Distance 1.5 m
Native Aspect Ratio 16:9


[IMG]file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/user1/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot-7.jpg[/IMG]

Mitsubishi HC5500*

http://www.projectorreviews.com/mitsubishi/hc5500/index.php

ANSI lumens: 1200

Contrast (full on/off): 14,000:1

Light Engine: 1920x1080, native 16:9, 0.74" three-panel inorganic LCD, Micro Lens, with 160W UHP lamp.

Video Compatibility: 1080p/60/50/24, 1080i, 720p, 576p, 576i, 480p, 480i.

Data Compatibility: Computer resolutions up to UXGA 1600x1200

Connection Panel: Two HDMI v. 1.3, one 15-pin VGA, one 3-RCA component input, one s-video, one composite, one 12V trigger, one 9-pin DSub serial port.

Lens and Throw Distance: 1.2:1 power zoom/focus lens with vertical powered lens shift. Throws a 120" diagonal 16:9 image from 12.5 to 15.25 feet

Lamp Life: 2,000 hours, 5,000 hours in eco-mode

LoveDucati2

Hi de-dan

I am looking to replace my 5 year old Infocus x1 with 6,000 hours on the poor lamp and a fcuked Colour wheel.

Currently the Infocus x10 looks like the winner €1200 in from UK

I like the Optoma HD700x at 500 euro its a bargain 720p, not full HD but close.

The last option is to get a new Acer 1160x for 250 euro and wait for a year or 2 until HD 1080p is half the price it is now.

I have sony blu-ray 350, and phillips 5.1 HTS system.

I am thinking of changing to a new 7.1 system as the sound on the phillips system is good enough for dvd but not enough for blu ray, any ideas???

jArgHA

@de-dan
fair play to you for compiling this list / guide. I have been mulling over what new projector to get for the past 3 months and will be making final decision in next couple of weeks (currently trying to decide between a 720p Panasonic AX200 or the Infocus X10), this list is very useful thanks.

LoveDucati2

Hi jArgHA

Its a hard choice with all the fantastic projectors out there.

The X10 sounds like an excellent buy. Full HD, good reviews

Have you looked at the Optoma HD700x (720p HD) only 500 euro

What sounds are you gonna be using

jArgHA

LoveDucati2 wrote: »

Hi jArgHA

Its a hard choice with all the fantastic projectors out there.

The X10 sounds like an excellent buy. Full HD, good reviews

Have you looked at the Optoma HD700x (720p HD) only 500 euro

What sounds are you gonna be using

I hadn't actually looked at the Optoma HD700x, did read some positive reviews of the Optoma HD65 (and a few users in this forum have recommended the HD65). I will definitely read up on the HD700x also.

Regards sounds, TBH I haven't put a lot of thought into audio yet. I have been using a crappy Dell 1100 projector for the past two years with PC speakers. A new set of speakers / sub woofer is part of the upgrade plan but I don't know a whole lot about in this area so was going to consult an audiophile mate for advice.

I will be using PS3 as my player for starters (finances permitting I may upgrade to another player next year). I'm not sure how good the audio hardware is on the PS3 and whether it warrants spending big bucks on a quality sound system.

de-dan

hi guys sorry havent had time to reply or update this... but at the moment i would recommend the sanyo plv-z2000 as a good choice from what i have read and from peoples own view it seems very good for the price and can be placed easily as has fantastic lens shift....

the infocus x9 is a good 720p option and seems to beat the optoma modles from what i have read...

regarding the x1160 i actually have the x1260. it does do a fair job of playing dvd and the like... doesnt downscale hd very well though.... interlaced stuff especially picture flickers a little... only very little and i am being citical here... colours can be hard to get right too but can be fixed to some degree wit a calibration disc. i asked someone before about comparison of the 700x pic quality against the 1160 and they said if the 700x was a 10/10 the x1160 would be a 7. so thats not bad at all.... made me feel better about my x1260 that has a higer resolution, also made me think stepping up to 720p not worth it as the price of 1080p drops each week. i think ill hold out a while anyway.....

DaForceCork

Where can I buy the Sanyo pv z2000 as hard to find online?

Stocks nearly gone and been replaced with the new PV Z700 which has smaller constrast ratio

Vic Vinegar

de-dan wrote: »

the infocus x9 is a good 720p option and seems to beat the optoma modles from what i have read...

Yep, i've been doing some extensive reading up on 720p projectors. The Infocus X9 is definitely better than the Optoma alternative. It costs a little more but it'd be worth it. It has far better colour gradiation for one.

de-dan

DaForceCork wrote: »

Where can I buy the Sanyo pv z2000 as hard to find online?

Stocks nearly gone and been replaced with the new PV Z700 which has smaller constrast ratio

ivojo and hdmi.co.uk are the cheapest i know of. delivery is £30 i think from both places but inquire

DaForceCork

Hi De Dan

I checked with ivojo and they are no longer available there (PLV Z200)!

Is there much difference between the Sanyo PLV Z2000 and the HTC 5500?

jmal

Hey all,

The 720p market, my choice would be a Optoma HD65, Infocus X9 or if lens shift is required for an awkward install then the BenQ W500. The HD65 comes out a slightly better in this range with its 5000:1 contrast and is also 1080/24 compatiable, but suffers from picture jutter when showing 1080/24 which I think I might be very sensitive to.

The 1080p market has completely changed in the past year with alot of the top manufactures now droping there 720p models and opting for two 1080p models... an entry level and high end 1080 projector.

Sanyo have reciently launched the Z700 as its entry level 1080p model. This is a fantastic projector with tons of features not found in many other entry level 1080p PJ.

Sanyo has also in the last couply of week launched the relpacment for the excellent Z2000... the new Z3000 which is going to be a major competitor to the New Panasonic AE3000. This has replaced the Z2000.

As the Z2000 is an end of line PJ it has seen a major price drop in the last couple of months, which I think is just about all out of stock. There is some minor differenced between the older Z2000 and the new Z700, but these projector were never ment for the same level of home theatre projector.

Infocus is usually associated with expensive HT PJ's with the IN81-83 range but Infocus has now gone after the entry level 1080p market with the X10 which is practically a re-boxed IN80 from the UK market.

The X10 is a resonable entry level unit if the budget is tight, but is no comparison to the big guns... the Optoma HD80, Panni AX3000, Sanyo Z3000, BenQ W5000 & Mitsubishi HC6000 etc.

Here is a good ranking of the best in the 720p & 1080p market.

Here are some good offers for end of year Home Theatre projector packages.

One suggest is to make sure when choosing a projector is not only worry about the spec but insure the projector you are interested in is compatable with your installation. We get alot of customers who purchase projectors and do not allow for the correct throw distance, or projector placment which maket the projector impossible to ceiling mount.

A projector like the Optoma HD65 gives virtually no room for error when planning an installation because of it lack of lens shift and poor zoom lens.

These are some of the things usually not taken into account when reading most specs and reviews on projectors.

HTH

oxygen_old

deDan, great thread, currently mulling this over myself. A projector is the only place 1080p would be usefull. Alot more than with tv's less than 50 inch. Anyone know if the Epson Projector EMP-TW980 is meant to be any good. Im having trouble sourcing reviews online, but it must be the most affordable 1080p projector.

Also, do Sony do any affordable 1080p projectors. Usually they do good entertainment stuff, but also expensive out.

LoveDucati2

I took delivery of my new Acer Projector X1160

Picture quality is fantastic compared to my 6 year old X1.

Philips HS DVD surround system and Sony 350 blu ray connected to it, phono and S video, no hdmi on projector or dvd player.

It cost €230 only from Komplett and it will be my main projector until I get the new 1080p dark crystal chip 4 at the end of the year.

Has anyone got a 7.1 sound system?

de-dan

hi oxygen thanks but havent really got to keep it up to date... yeh i saw the 980 on pixmania a while back for a very cheap price but its gone now i think and cant find it only at komplett for 1700....

and the cheapest sony 1080p is the VPL-HW10 but its around 1700 pounds at the moment i thinkso a fair bit more than some of the ones above

de-dan

LoveDucati2 wrote: »

I took delivery of my new Acer Projector X1160

Picture quality is fantastic compared to my 6 year old X1.

Philips HS DVD surround system and Sony 350 blu ray connected to it, phono and S video, no hdmi on projector or dvd player.

It cost €230 only from Komplett and it will be my main projector until I get the new 1080p dark crystal chip 4 at the end of the year.

Has anyone got a 7.1 sound system?

good to hear that ur happy for now.... you could get the component to vga cable off ebay for 5 yoyos.... i think that it improves pic quality a slight amount... def did for me wen watching dark scenes it added more shadow detail..

wats this "1080p dark crystal chip 4" that you mentioned??? is this the chip set that the IN83 uses???

LoveDucati2

de-dan wrote: »

good to hear that ur happy for now.... you could get the component to vga cable off ebay for 5 yoyos.... i think that it improves pic quality a slight amount... def did for me wen watching dark scenes it added more shadow detail..

wats this "1080p dark crystal chip 4" that you mentioned??? is this the chip set that the IN83 uses???

http://www.dlp.com/tech/press_releases_details.aspx?id=1333

Blu ray is connected via S video
DVD player connected yellow phono

Blu ray has HDMI which my next projector will use.

I am just waiting for the prices to fall