Full HD Projector for living room

[fragpic]

I have shifted to a new house and as the living room is large our old 32" Bravia has become too small.
Now I was thinking about upgrading to a Samsung 7 Series 55" LED,but one of my friend suggested me to get a projector.
Now I have a budget of 1 lakh(can stretch a bit) to set up the projector(including ceiling mount and screen)
I will be connecting it to a HD STB and also a WD TV.

So please suggest me good projectors which are suitable for normal tv(standard living room lighting) and also for HD movies.

 

[arnprasad]

Congrats on your selection. I too just got my projector and although its awesome, I dont think I will use it for watching timepass TV - only movies and other HD material.

Regarding whats available in India - let the guru's guide you. May be you can start with a 720p for 2 years and then graduate to a full HD? It all depends on what you are going to watch. 1080p for cable/dth is of not much use. Only if you watch Blu rays all the time then full HD makes sense

 

[Kittu]

I would not recommend projector for DTH usage. Take in account the lamp replacement cost. Use projector only for quality HD content/Bluray.

 

[Amarendra]

Hi,

Keep your 32 inch for watching news, etc. For movies go for a PJ instead of a TV since your budget allows you to go upto 100k, have a look at Epson 6100. I use my Bravia for news and music channels etc but movies are strictly on the PJ.

 

[manoj.p]

Don't forget sports too. Those look amazing on projectors. Gives you the feeling of being there.

 

[fragpic]

I would not recommend projector for DTH usage. Take in account the lamp replacement cost. Use projector only for quality HD content/Bluray.

TV watching at our home is a maximum of one hour a day ,so I don't think lamplife will be an issue for me.

Hi,

Keep your 32 inch for watching news, etc. For movies go for a PJ instead of a TV since your budget allows you to go upto 100k, have a look at Epson 6100. I use my Bravia for news and music channels etc but movies are strictly on the PJ.

The Epson 6100 is 3LCD but one of my friend insisted that I get a DLP(he suggested Mitsubishi HC4000),as it would have greater reliability.Is it the case?

Also the main concern for me is the lighting.Will the projector be able to be bright enough when watching in standard living room lighting conditions?Will it be a viable replacement for a tv?

 

[sribuddy]

I have a Epson 6100, though, I have some issues with my projector (could be one of the case.) the projector is really bright and will suit any room with some ambient light. Mits 4000 will not stand up well in such a room. If you can control light though to almost dark... Mits is a very good option.

 

[Amarendra]

I end up watching my movies in the afternoon at around 2 pm on weekends. The curtains are normal which pass through some light. Even then, projecting from a distance of 10 feet, i am able to run the PJ in Cinema mode with lamp set to Normal.
Just for info- the "cinema" mode is the least bright in terms of lumens. I never had to switch to "Living Room" or "Dynamic". In fact at night I just use the Cinema mode with "ECO" setting which means the lumens drop further.
The HC 4000 is good but it doesnt have 3D. I was skeptical about 3D myself till I saw the Epson 6100. And the price of the Mitsubishi is about 82-85 k which is about 10k lower than Epson.
As far as LCD vs DLP go I was comfortable going with 3LCD since the technology was introduced by Epson and which is also adopted by Panasonic in all their PJs.

It seems there is a possibility of "rainbow effect" with DLP PJs though I havent seen any (you can read a few reviews for various DLP projectors on Amazon, etc)

 

[fragpic]

I end up watching my movies in the afternoon at around 2 pm on weekends. The curtains are normal which pass through some light. Even then, projecting from a distance of 10 feet, i am able to run the PJ in Cinema mode with lamp set to Normal.
Just for info- the "cinema" mode is the least bright in terms of lumens. I never had to switch to "Living Room" or "Dynamic". In fact at night I just use the Cinema mode with "ECO" setting which means the lumens drop further.
The HC 4000 is good but it doesnt have 3D. I was skeptical about 3D myself till I saw the Epson 6100. And the price of the Mitsubishi is about 82-85 k which is about 10k lower than Epson.
As far as LCD vs DLP go I was comfortable going with 3LCD since the technology was introduced by Epson and which is also adopted by Panasonic in all their PJs.

It seems there is a possibility of "rainbow effect" with DLP PJs though I havent seen any (you can read a few reviews for various DLP projectors on Amazon, etc)

So now I have decided to get a projector for sure.
Just have to decide on what to get....
What about this brand "Infocus"
Are they any good??
Also, will purchasing the PJ from US make any sense?

 

[rbalagopalan]

I have penny AR100 living room projector. I could use it in day time with curtains on. I don't face any washout problems. You can count on this too.

 

[fragpic]

What about this brand "Infocus"
Are they any good??
I asked one dealer in Hyd for Epson 6100 and he quoted 1.25 lac and 1.75 for 8100.
But in the USA the 8350(next version of 8100) is available for 60K...
So, will purchasing the PJ from US a good decision?

 

[manoj.p]

"Infocus" made good home theater projectors. But now they make only business projectors.

About Epson models, you got the nos wrong. Epson 8350 is the US model no and has nothing to do with 6100 or 8100. Epson 8350 is the 2 year old model. Correct US model nos for Epson TW6100/TW8100 are Epson 3020/5020.

I think some members got quite low price quoted for Epson 8100 around 1.5 lacs in Mumbai. Contact Rajadeep. He can point you better.

 

[fragpic]

"Infocus" made good home theater projectors. But now they make only business projectors.

About Epson models, you got the nos wrong. Epson 8350 is the US model no and has nothing to do with 6100 or 8100. Epson 8350 is the 2 year old model. Correct US model nos for Epson TW6100/TW8100 are Epson 3020/5020.

I think some members got quite low price quoted for Epson 8100 around 1.5 lacs in Mumbai. Contact Rajadeep. He can point you better.

My budget is 1 lac only.
Also which technology is better for my usage DLP or 3LCD or LCoS?
I am unable to decide,I want good reliability in the long run

 

[just4kix]

LCOS is the best but most assuredly out of your budget. Between DLP and LCD it is a flip of a coin. There are very good/sound models on both sides. Panasmoic and Epson make LCD projectors whereas Optoma, Mitsubishi, etc. are in the DLP camp.

 

[vinay]

The leading home theater brands for projectors have not only good but very good reliability in the long run with exception to freak cases.

The problem often is with bad reliability of the user for not handling the projector with care, some of them being:

• Not addressing the dust issue.
• Not having a inverter or not in order per requirement.
• Bad Ventilation.
• Running the bulb for too many hours, especially in summer cites.
• Powering down projector without the waiting period.
• Shifting the projector every now and then.
• Rough handling
• Etc

V.

My budget is 1 lac only.
Also which technology is better for my usage DLP or 3LCD or LCoS?
I am unable to decide,I want good reliability in the long run

 

[sribuddy]

Thanks Vinay. well said.
Proper maintenance of the projector will always increase the life of the projector. consider the above points during the usage. But first things first.. DLP vs LCD.

Its upto you to decide. read forums, reviews, demo... & choose...

 

[rajadeep]

My budget is 1 lac only.
Also which technology is better for my usage DLP or 3LCD or LCoS?
I am unable to decide,I want good reliability in the long run

1st off congrats on making a wise choice of choosing a Projector over a TV for a large screen exp... Its a decision that u will not regret...

Now on the topic of which projector to buy I want to give u a few of the options u have... 1st off if u have someone(friend,relative) who will be flying back from the US & can carry a projector with them, then its a whole new ball game... But if u have to buy from India then ur options are as follows
LCD
1)Epson TW6100(US Model 3020) bright, has 3D & a very decent price of about 1 lac
2)Epson TW3600(US Model 8350) bright 2D projector that has lens shift & a price tag close ot 90k
3)Epson TW8100(US Model 5020) Amazing 3D projector with all the frills but out of ur price range....
4)Panasonic AR100u Probably the brightest 2D HT projector out there... Is available for around 90k in the grey market... Has lens shift & good PQ... But has a shorter bulb life(2500 hours)...

DLP
1)BenQ W1200 with a price tag of 90k is a bright DLP 2D projector...
2)Viewsonic 8200 A bright 2D projector which is regularly under appreciated by projector Lovers... Dont count this guy out... This is a very serious VFM contender with a price tag of 75-77k & a higher than usual lamp life(6000 hours)...

These above projectors are all 1080p & well suited for the living room... There are other good projectors like the Optoma HD20, Mits HC4000 etc but they are not well suited for the living room & mainly require a dedicated room...

There is also the option of importing using diff options like Amarax, Borderlinx,ishopworld etc etc... If u are ready to take that route there are a few more options like the Acer H6500,BenQ EP5920 etc which are available in the under 55k range delivered...

PS if u have a strict budget of 1 Lac, then ur actual budget for the projector is only about 70-75k as the other items required such as screen, mount, long HDMI cable etc should take up 20-30k of ur budget... Its not a deal breaker, just would like to know if the budget for ur whole setup is 1 lac total or not...

 

[fragpic]

1st off congrats on making a wise choice of choosing a Projector over a TV for a large screen exp... Its a decision that u will not regret...

Now on the topic of which projector to buy I want to give u a few of the options u have... 1st off if u have someone(friend,relative) who will be flying back from the US & can carry a projector with them, then its a whole new ball game... But if u have to buy from India then ur options are as follows
LCD
1)Epson TW6100(US Model 3020) bright, has 3D & a very decent price of about 1 lac
2)Epson TW3600(US Model 8350) bright 2D projector that has lens shift & a price tag close ot 90k
3)Epson TW8100(US Model 5020) Amazing 3D projector with all the frills but out of ur price range....
4)Panasonic AR100u Probably the brightest 2D HT projector out there... Is available for around 90k in the grey market... Has lens shift & good PQ... But has a shorter bulb life(2500 hours)...

DLP
1)BenQ W1200 with a price tag of 90k is a bright DLP 2D projector...
2)Viewsonic 8200 A bright 2D projector which is regularly under appreciated by projector Lovers... Dont count this guy out... This is a very serious VFM contender with a price tag of 75-77k & a higher than usual lamp life(6000 hours)...

These above projectors are all 1080p & well suited for the living room... There are other good projectors like the Optoma HD20, Mits HC4000 etc but they are not well suited for the living room & mainly require a dedicated room...

There is also the option of importing using diff options like Amarax, Borderlinx,ishopworld etc etc... If u are ready to take that route there are a few more options like the Acer H6500,BenQ EP5920 etc which are available in the under 55k range delivered...

PS if u have a strict budget of 1 Lac, then ur actual budget for the projector is only about 70-75k as the other items required such as screen, mount, long HDMI cable etc should take up 20-30k of ur budget... Its not a deal breaker, just would like to know if the budget for ur whole setup is 1 lac total or not...

Thanks for the awesome advice.
I am looking at both options of getting the projector.
One of my cousins is coming down from the states so I might get it through him,but a cause of concern is the warranty part.Are the price savings worth losing out the warranty?
Any good models which are only available in US??

I am willing to stretch my budget by 20k so accessories wont be a problem.
Also I've still not decided which technology to go for,I mean which one will work out better in the long run(reliability)

 

[fragpic]

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[fragpic]

1st off congrats on making a wise choice of choosing a Projector over a TV for a large screen exp... Its a decision that u will not regret...

Now on the topic of which projector to buy I want to give u a few of the options u have... 1st off if u have someone(friend,relative) who will be flying back from the US & can carry a projector with them, then its a whole new ball game... But if u have to buy from India then ur options are as follows
LCD
1)Epson TW6100(US Model 3020) bright, has 3D & a very decent price of about 1 lac
2)Epson TW3600(US Model 8350) bright 2D projector that has lens shift & a price tag close ot 90k
3)Epson TW8100(US Model 5020) Amazing 3D projector with all the frills but out of ur price range....
4)Panasonic AR100u Probably the brightest 2D HT projector out there... Is available for around 90k in the grey market... Has lens shift & good PQ... But has a shorter bulb life(2500 hours)...

DLP
1)BenQ W1200 with a price tag of 90k is a bright DLP 2D projector...
2)Viewsonic 8200 A bright 2D projector which is regularly under appreciated by projector Lovers... Dont count this guy out... This is a very serious VFM contender with a price tag of 75-77k & a higher than usual lamp life(6000 hours)...

These above projectors are all 1080p & well suited for the living room... There are other good projectors like the Optoma HD20, Mits HC4000 etc but they are not well suited for the living room & mainly require a dedicated room...

There is also the option of importing using diff options like Amarax, Borderlinx,ishopworld etc etc... If u are ready to take that route there are a few more options like the Acer H6500,BenQ EP5920 etc which are available in the under 55k range delivered...

PS if u have a strict budget of 1 Lac, then ur actual budget for the projector is only about 70-75k as the other items required such as screen, mount, long HDMI cable etc should take up 20-30k of ur budget... Its not a deal breaker, just would like to know if the budget for ur whole setup is 1 lac total or not...

Thanks for the painstakingly written reply.
One of my cousins is returning from the states so I am considering getting one through him.But my issue with it is about the warranty.Are the savings worth losing the warranty?
Could you suggest some excellent PJs which are only available in the states?

I can stretch my budget by 20K so accessories wont be an issue
But I am still not able to decide between LCD and DLP(LCos out of my budget)
From the information I've gathered I have learnt that LCD has a tendency to degrade over time, so I am worried.Are the LCDs used in present day PJs inorganic??