(Part 3) Top products from r/projectors

Yeah, it's an amazing projector except the 4K60Hz HDR gaming :(

It's big, but quality projectors are big for a reason heh.

I use Carls FlexiWhite myelf in a completely light controlled room and it's great.

FlexiGrey should be nice with a lower contrast projector like that (compared to an expensive Sony or JVC I mean) and if there is some light.

Your seating is too wide for an ALR screen with gain IMO.

If you want something simpler though you could just go for this:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00I4WTFM0/ref=twister_B01J29Z4G4

My friend has that screen and it's nice. 1.0 gain, grey, but not too dark. Feels the same as my Carls material.

All these cheap vinyl screens are pretty much the same material and performance IMO.

Since there is a lot of natural light, I recommend you go for a projector with higher lumens ( brighter).. From the list you have there, those are quite decent, but within your budget you can get a much more powerful projector in terms of brightness . This Optoma EH500 with a 4700 Lumens output is much brighter than the ones you are considering and will allow you to see just about anything projected even in bright light ( therefore, it wont limit you to having to close the windows or pull blinds each time you want to use it)... Apart from that , you plan on gaming which will require a projector with minimal lag and this one is very decent in that arena.
Please not as well that this projector because of it's extra brightness, it pushes off a little extra heat, so it would not be perfect for an extremely small room in a warm environment.

Great thanks a lot for your help. Hopefully it's not too hard to setup as I have never done anything with a projector before. Is this a good screen? Also I have a false basement ceiling with tiles so would it be ok to place the projector on a stand on the floor and do it that way rather than hang from ceiling? If need be I guess I could figure out a way to hang from ceiling.

Well, I would suggest the LG PH300W or the Optoma ML750ST but they're much more suited to completely dark to very dim rooms. They're also LED based and have under 1000 lumens. Less lumens = less bright, more lumens = brighter.

Maybe the used Epson 730HD? The refurbished one is usually $300 but it looks like they're out of stock on amazon ($700 is insane).

Never used that particular model. I use these at work:

Ceiling tile plate (CMJ455): https://www.amazon.com/Peerless-Lightweight-Suspended-Ceiling-Kit/dp/B0002XHBYS

Projector mount (PRSS-UNV):http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=0V5-001P-000J2

Love them, the mount and plate work great. The mount itself is easy to adjust and lock down.

http://www.amazon.com/STR-169100-Silver-Ticket-100-Diagonal/dp/B00HZRM9K0

Silver ticket, excuse me. Yea, took maybe 30 minutes to put together as well. Very good looking screen. It's $170-200 right now but you can find open box versions if you want.

Honestly, even full price it is much better than my pull down screen.

What's your budget?

If you can afford it, I picked up this Epson and it is phenomenal:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00F144HYA/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I previously had a Panasonic PT-AX200U that was great but wore out. I also tried the Optoma GT 1080 and Optoma HD25-LV, and the Epson is way better.

This is a little over your budget, but is a great bright projector with a long bulb life. ViewSonic PJD5155 3300 Lumens SVGA HDMI Projector https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00SZ4G4YE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_SouDzbK7WHHDA

I have this one it works great.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000B7BRIQ?psc=1

Then when I want to go movie theater style I bought something like this. Mine is the 200x50 I hang it from my eaves on my house with an eyelet kit I bought. I can find the link for the one I have when I get home if you are interested.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01CX3AILC?psc=1

I recently got this one and it's honestly pretty great. No issues with ripples. There is a VERY slight one in that classic v shape, but you have to look super hard and know it's there and ONLY could see it during long panning shots. Very slight though.

Buddy go with BenQ TH670 because it offers the best contrast ratio and the best color quality https://www.amazon.com/BenQ-TH670-1080p-Theater-Projector/dp/B016LEB7G4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1468506431&sr=8-1&keywords=BenQ+TH670+1080p+3D

The 5030UB is the updated version of the 5020UB and is actually a bit cheaper. Projector Central also just yesterday updated their comparison between the HW40ES and the 5030UB.

> The bottom line is this: the Epson 5030UB is an excellent projector, and the HW40ES cannot match its placement flexibility or deep black levels in the darkest scenes. However, in situations where the additional zoom or lens shift of the 5030UB are not needed, the HW40ES has a brighter picture with excellent detail and less digital noise that is also higher in contrast in most scenes. A quieter fan also makes the HW40ES the go-to choice for smaller rooms.


Either one is a solid choice, and they are both rated for 5000 hours eco mode life.

> The Epson 5030UB is capable of deeper blacks in dark scenes thanks to its automatic iris, but scenes with a higher average illumination are higher in contrast on the HW40ES. There is a slight delay in iris adjustment when the 5030UB suddenly switches between bright and dark scenes, and this can occasionally cause a distracting "flicker" artifact that is never seen on the HW40ES due to that projector's lack of an auto-iris.

I know for me with my PT-AE4000 I rarely think "man I wish this bright scene was a bit punchier" but often think "man, that black level could really be so much better." It's hard to compare picture quality without having a reference, but if you have a black border around the screen you'll always notice the projected image is brighter than that. Ergo, I would probably lean towards the 5030UB.

You may also want to consider some of the JVC units, though they really start at $3500+

BenQ HT1070 $499

Type:DLP

Lumen:2000

Video Demonstration:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLNTAUdLUKA&t=24s
__
BenQ MH530 $519

Type: DLP

Lumen:3200

Video Demonstration:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-CcJ42zrzw


Two good options for you :-)

720P would work for you. You say cheap but that isn't a value so this Viewsonic is what I recommend. Otherwise an XGA like this can be had for less.

Absolutely not. Those cheap chinese projectors are little more than toys.

Save up a bit more. Any of the cheapest brand name projectors would be miles ahead of that one.

Like this, this, or this, or this

Your bedroom is probably not super well light-controlled, so you might do well with a BenQ TK800. It's a 3,000 light canon that does "true"* 4k and HDR (some 4k projectors won't do 4k/60hz, so make sure whatever one you end up getting has fully HDMI 2.0 compliant ports).

I'd go with a refurbished one, the one I ordered from BenQ directly had 3 hours on the lamp and comes with the full warranty. It looks brand-new. Here's a purchase link

https://www.benqdirect.com/tk800-refurb.html

It's not a short-throw model though, which I'm not sure if you need or not. We'd need to know how much space between the projector and screen.

And yeah, stop projecting onto a sheet. If your budget is $2k, you'll be fine, most of the entry-level 4k DLP projectors go for around $1,200 - $1,500 (the Epson 3LCD projectors are the ones you want to stay away from because they have crippled HDMI ports) Buy a cheap pull-down screen and thank us later when you see the difference between that and a sheet

https://www.amazon.com/VonHaus-100-Inch-Projector-Screen/dp/B00NWLCQWO/ref=sr_1_9?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1549043914&sr=1-9&keywords=elite+screens+pull+down

• XPR 4K is just as good as 4K, in my opinion. Some people will tell you it's not as good, but you're never going to see a difference. I used to hear the same thing about my old 65" DLP TV, it used "Wobulation" to create a 1080p image, and it was indistinguishable from the real thing

Maximum size you are going to get with these projectors is 88".
Get the short throw projector like this https://www.amazon.com/BenQ-HT1085ST-1080p-Theater-Projector/dp/B00LTMPOUE/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1469973359&sr=8-2&keywords=benq+st

And you can easily achieve 120" with 7.5 feet throw distance.

Are you in Canada?

I have the EliteScreens fixed frame and love it. https://www.amazon.com/Elite-Screens-Sable-120-inch-Diagonal/dp/B00Y7XA2OA/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1481748389&sr=1-3&keywords=elite+screens+120+inch

Quite a bit, yeah. 11ft isn't very far though, so I think you'll need a projector that advertises a short throw. Once you find a short throw projector in your price range, you can use this: http://www.projectorcentral.com/projection-calculator-pro.cfm to make sure the image will be big enough at that range.

For example, as far as I can tell the Viewsonic PJD5533W is $450 on Amazon and will do a 99" diagonal image at 11'. Note that it's 720p, though. You'll need to kick in an extra $150 or so to get into the decently rated new 1080p projectors.

Note: Still not an expert.

This stuff:
amazon link ?

Also have you noticed any issues with the slightly smaller viewing angle?
I'll message when I have all my dimensions! Thanks moldyeggos

I got the following because i had to clear a ceiling fan since I can't have a dedicated space just for a home theater. It was a huge pain in the ass to assemble. When I moved my wife wanted me to leave but I didn't want to have go thru reassembling a new one so I took it with us. So glad I did.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000TUDOQ8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

+1 on the Sidebar for distance and throw calculations.

You can build your own screen, which is usually recommended because every room is different. It's also significantly cheaper. I strongly recommend Epson projectors mostly because of features, bulb life, and overall quality.

I bought the following components to build my screen (you can get smaller sizes, mine just happens to be ridiculously huge): http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007KA7BAA/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1[2] https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0052YQE7C/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1[3] https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JF7IXXU/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1[4]

The build:http://imgur.com/a/HXtvB#Jimg8Mg

The price seems to fluctuate on newegg, for sure. Still well under the amazon price.

The Optima HD131Xe is a great choice for this.
I got the projector for $717 on Amazon, and another $75 for the screen (84 inch 16:9). I use it for PC gaming and sometimes general PC use, and the response time is one of the lowest I've seen. It's on par with my monitor.

I was going to go with something like this, http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000TUDOQ8/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?qid=1420390211&sr=8-4&pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70

I could always buy a white 2x2 piece of wood and use this mount no?

I also found this one. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0002XHBYS/ref=mp_s_a_1_28?qid=1420390315&sr=8-28&pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70

i think benq 1085ST is a decent option, but not cheap. in that picture, projector is pointed at the table, but what if you aim the projector up, and have it bounce off a mirror on top, then image comes back down. that way you could use a regular projector, but double the throw distance. i was looking at this idea for myself. you're supposed to use a kaledescope mirror

https://www.amazon.com/Front-First-Surface-Mirror-Kaleidoscopes/dp/B01HGF5CZO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1468383049&sr=8-1&keywords=surface+first+mirror

I'm fairly certain the Elite Screens Fixed frames come in pieces. You could probably get it up the stairs and assemble it in the room. This 120" lists the package dimensions as 67.8 x 12.6 x 4.7 inches

Check out Da-Lite, or the replacement Elite Screens version. I have a 90” I’ve had for years and it has really held up. I know you’re in the UK, but here’s an amazon link.


https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000PHLC7I/ref=psdcmw_1286610011_t2_B000293RCW

I’m not sure about brands or what models are good for anything to do with projectors.

I found this that retails for $329 Canadian, which would leave me with $1300-1500 for a projector.


https://www.staples.ca/products/2125542-en-elunevision-120-169-juno-motorized-projector-screen-ev-j-120-12?variant=19668555333701&CID=PS%3AGS%3ACA%3A%3Apla-382974246615%3A%3A67992702126%3Apla%3A1780428600&CampaignID=1780428600&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIhPeo45fa5QIV8SCtBh28qQMSEAQYBSABEgI_fPD_BwE

Edit:


Elite Screens Spectrum, 100-inch 16:9, 4K Home Theater Electric Motorized Drop Down Projection Projector Screen, ELECTRIC100H https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B000YTRFEG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_cCsXDb2PNMYJ3

QualGear Pro-AV QG-KIT-CA-3IN-W Projector Mount Kit Accessory Single Joist Ceiling Adapter, 3" 1.5", White https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01B1JFMPG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_5zJ1DbQ68ZKPH

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B016LEB7G4/ref=aw_wl_ov_dp_1_1?colid=1FV4MFE9CP7ZC&coliid=I2MLPEVAA5S39Z -th670

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01H4ZLI4U/ref=aw_wl_ov_dp_1_2?colid=1FV4MFE9CP7ZC&coliid=I1OUPCQ5BUY3IK&vs=1 - ex9200

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00TNYDI4O/ref=aw_wl_ov_dp_1_3?colid=1FV4MFE9CP7ZC&coliid=I2Y3HOEBA9P62J&vs=1 -epson 2030

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01HQCF6R6/ref=aw_wl_ov_dp_1_4?colid=1FV4MFE9CP7ZC&coliid=I8N46Z71BWK5N - optoma hd142x

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01JR7G672/ref=aw_wl_ov_dp_1_10?colid=1FV4MFE9CP7ZC&coliid=I3DG58RXGSYV0I&vs=1 - optoma hd27

STR-169135-G Silver Ticket 4K... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00I4WTFM0?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

This is the ones I’ve got.