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Home Theater Programming Sources
Off-Air TV
Copyright 2004-10 1 touch movie.com
Home theater and Automation Guide
All rights reserved.
Home theater and Automation Guide
All rights reserved.
Cheap Video Projectors for Home Theater Applications
1 Touch Movie.com
Cheap Home Theater Projectors - What You Get...and Don't
If you're in the market for a home theater projector, you're in luck. Projectors are
cheaper than ever. In the recent past, you would be lucky to get a basic business
oriented unit for less than $1,000. Now you can get a projector that puts out a pretty
respectable picture for that figure, sometimes less, far less if you're really on top of
things.
What You Give Up When You Buy a Cheap Projector
Although they've gotten far cheaper, and you do get a pretty decent picture that even
the most jaded videophile would have found at least acceptable 4 or 5 years ago, you
still have to make some sacrifices when you're shopping at this price point.
One caveat before you begin; Avoid the business projectors typically found in the $500
- $1,000 price point. They sacrifice too much picture quality, in terms of black level
accurate grey scale, and color rendition, to gain brightness. You should be able to get
a real home theater unit at this price point, never mind that it wouldn't be at the top of
the heap, it should still give you an acceptable image, especially on a screen 45in x
80in or smaller.
When you're looking at a real home theater unit in the lower end of the price strata, be
prepared to forgo certain things. Here are what you'll typically find missing or
compromised on these units.
1080p resolution - By and large, you'll have to kiss 1080p goodbye and settle for a
projector with 720 or 768 pixel resolution from top to bottom. You'll probably be able to
find a nice piece that uses a Texas Instruments Dark Chip 2 DLP in 720 resolution.
Don't sweat it, that can deliver a pretty darn nice image you'll enjoy watching, especially
if you stick to a screen 45" x 80" (92" dia) or smaller.
The best image processing - There'll be no Silicon Optix Reon / Realta or top of the
line Gennum video processing at this price point. In fact, that is going to be one of the
main things that will compromise your picture quality. It won't deal with moving objects,
especially diagonal lines, as well. If you've got a good eye, expect to pick up some
video artifacts.
High Speed / 7-segment color wheels on DLP projectors - For those of you sensitive to
rainbow artifacts this could steer you to an LCD model, or scare you away from a
cheap projector all together.
The latest DLP chips - If you're looking at a DLP unit, and for many video enthusiast's
money that's where you'll find the superior picture at this price level, don't expect to find
TI Dark Chip 4 chips here. As mentioned previously, you'll likely make due with a Dark
CHip 2 of the 720 variety. That's not too bad though, as there have been many pretty
nice projectors based on those chips.
Auto Irises - One of the primary methods used by LCD projectors to get acceptable
black levels is through the use of an iris device similar to what's found in an SLR
camera. In dark scenes the iris throttles the light to improve the dynamic contrast. You'll
not usually find those on the less expensive projectors.
The best optics - One thing about fine lenses, they're extremely expensive. One only
has to look at the prices of the larger, cylindrical anamorphic lens units to see that
good glass costs a ton of cash. The problems is that optics is a mature technology
compared to electronics, so you don't see the improvements in production techniques
that bring the costs down quickly. For example, the top of the line Marantz DLP
projector, the highly rated VP-11, uses a custom Konica-Minolta lens, which is part of
the reason it retails for around $15,000.
Installation Flexibility - You won't have the luxury of lens shift that give you flexibility in
where to place the projector. Better projectors have vertical image shift that can
compensate for having to place the projector above or below the top edge of the
screen's image area. Step up the ladder even further and you'll also get horizontal
image shift, which can let you place the projector as far as a few feet off the screen
center if necessary to facilitate the installation. Cheap projectors will make your forgo
such niceties.
Those are some of the compromises you'll make when you shop for a home theater
projector at the $1,000 store. Don't think that you'll not be able to find a nice projector
to light your home theater for between $900 - $1,500. That's right, for about the same
price as a good 42" - 50" plasma TV you can experience real, large screen home
theater.
Several respected video manufacturers have highly touted models in this price range,
including Mitsubishi, Sony, Ben-Q, Sanyo, Panasonic, Optoma, and Epson.
Below are some of the best deals you'll find on cheap home theater projectors.
cheaper than ever. In the recent past, you would be lucky to get a basic business
oriented unit for less than $1,000. Now you can get a projector that puts out a pretty
respectable picture for that figure, sometimes less, far less if you're really on top of
things.
What You Give Up When You Buy a Cheap Projector
Although they've gotten far cheaper, and you do get a pretty decent picture that even
the most jaded videophile would have found at least acceptable 4 or 5 years ago, you
still have to make some sacrifices when you're shopping at this price point.
One caveat before you begin; Avoid the business projectors typically found in the $500
- $1,000 price point. They sacrifice too much picture quality, in terms of black level
accurate grey scale, and color rendition, to gain brightness. You should be able to get
a real home theater unit at this price point, never mind that it wouldn't be at the top of
the heap, it should still give you an acceptable image, especially on a screen 45in x
80in or smaller.
When you're looking at a real home theater unit in the lower end of the price strata, be
prepared to forgo certain things. Here are what you'll typically find missing or
compromised on these units.
1080p resolution - By and large, you'll have to kiss 1080p goodbye and settle for a
projector with 720 or 768 pixel resolution from top to bottom. You'll probably be able to
find a nice piece that uses a Texas Instruments Dark Chip 2 DLP in 720 resolution.
Don't sweat it, that can deliver a pretty darn nice image you'll enjoy watching, especially
if you stick to a screen 45" x 80" (92" dia) or smaller.
The best image processing - There'll be no Silicon Optix Reon / Realta or top of the
line Gennum video processing at this price point. In fact, that is going to be one of the
main things that will compromise your picture quality. It won't deal with moving objects,
especially diagonal lines, as well. If you've got a good eye, expect to pick up some
video artifacts.
High Speed / 7-segment color wheels on DLP projectors - For those of you sensitive to
rainbow artifacts this could steer you to an LCD model, or scare you away from a
cheap projector all together.
The latest DLP chips - If you're looking at a DLP unit, and for many video enthusiast's
money that's where you'll find the superior picture at this price level, don't expect to find
TI Dark Chip 4 chips here. As mentioned previously, you'll likely make due with a Dark
CHip 2 of the 720 variety. That's not too bad though, as there have been many pretty
nice projectors based on those chips.
Auto Irises - One of the primary methods used by LCD projectors to get acceptable
black levels is through the use of an iris device similar to what's found in an SLR
camera. In dark scenes the iris throttles the light to improve the dynamic contrast. You'll
not usually find those on the less expensive projectors.
The best optics - One thing about fine lenses, they're extremely expensive. One only
has to look at the prices of the larger, cylindrical anamorphic lens units to see that
good glass costs a ton of cash. The problems is that optics is a mature technology
compared to electronics, so you don't see the improvements in production techniques
that bring the costs down quickly. For example, the top of the line Marantz DLP
projector, the highly rated VP-11, uses a custom Konica-Minolta lens, which is part of
the reason it retails for around $15,000.
Installation Flexibility - You won't have the luxury of lens shift that give you flexibility in
where to place the projector. Better projectors have vertical image shift that can
compensate for having to place the projector above or below the top edge of the
screen's image area. Step up the ladder even further and you'll also get horizontal
image shift, which can let you place the projector as far as a few feet off the screen
center if necessary to facilitate the installation. Cheap projectors will make your forgo
such niceties.
Those are some of the compromises you'll make when you shop for a home theater
projector at the $1,000 store. Don't think that you'll not be able to find a nice projector
to light your home theater for between $900 - $1,500. That's right, for about the same
price as a good 42" - 50" plasma TV you can experience real, large screen home
theater.
Several respected video manufacturers have highly touted models in this price range,
including Mitsubishi, Sony, Ben-Q, Sanyo, Panasonic, Optoma, and Epson.
Below are some of the best deals you'll find on cheap home theater projectors.
Optoma HD-65 Home theater projector. Click
on the image to see to the low to advertise
price for this fine, 720 DLP home theater
projector. You won't believe how low of a price
for a projector that can give you a true big
screen home theater ! (Hint - Less than $700!)
on the image to see to the low to advertise
price for this fine, 720 DLP home theater
projector. You won't believe how low of a price
for a projector that can give you a true big
screen home theater ! (Hint - Less than $700!)
Currently, in the 1TouchMovie cheap theater, there is a Marantz VP-8600.
It is only 720p and has been discontinued, but has a stellar image,
especially on the smallish screen that is being used now. Sources include
a Motorola HD cable box (1080i component), a Panasonic DVD player
(480i component), and a Vudu movie download terminal (HDMI). It is a
fantastic bang for the buck combination. This is a great budget projector (it
was about $5,000 new, now you can get one for about $1,000), with
minimal color wheel effects, great scaling, good black levels, gray scale,
and color rendition.
It is only 720p and has been discontinued, but has a stellar image,
especially on the smallish screen that is being used now. Sources include
a Motorola HD cable box (1080i component), a Panasonic DVD player
(480i component), and a Vudu movie download terminal (HDMI). It is a
fantastic bang for the buck combination. This is a great budget projector (it
was about $5,000 new, now you can get one for about $1,000), with
minimal color wheel effects, great scaling, good black levels, gray scale,
and color rendition.