Any Ideas on a Projector for a Cheap Home Theatre Setup?

I am wanting to set-up a home theatre projector at my house. Its primary purpose will be for watching DVDs and playing video games (i.e. Nintendo, XBox, etc.). I am not concerned with HDTV. The projector will need to sit between 15-23 feet from the screen. Additionally, I need the projector to be bright enough so that a little ambient light won't make it unviewable.

I was hoping to get a brand name, or reputable projector of some form, however I was hoping to not spend over $800 on the projector itself. This projector WILL NOT be my primary TV, it will ONLY be used when I want to watch a DVD or play a video game.

I was looking at the ViewSonic PJ556D, it looks like its designed for office presentations but I didnt know if there is any reason why I couldn't use it for my purpose? (I read somewhere that office-projectors migh not have the right color-wheel?)

Please provide me with recommended projectors meeting the previous requirements and/or ideas/things to look for :)

Any Ideas on a Projector for a Cheap Home Theatre Setup?secure browser

The difference between HOME THEATER and MEDIA projectors is the VIDEO PROCESSING...A media projector is for hooking up a COMPUTER or even an HD source...And these look GREAT...But if you show ANYTHING with less picture quality, the image will suffer.

But a Home Theater projector has a built-in SCALER (video processor)...This takes ANY video source and "up-converts" it to a quality closer to a Hi-Def signal...The "Farujua DCDi" chip is one of the very BEST processors included in projectors.

But if you want to use a projector with "ambient" light, then you're going to spend some money...You can save HUNDREDS of dollars just by "blacking out" your living room...We hung a dark curtain over our window and went with this model...Looks great...Click right here: http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/InFocus-S...

And I know the folks will tell you that with those specs you won't get "TRUE" hi-def...But I'm telling you, that even with that resolution, we can tell the difference between DVD and HD (even the difference in "720p" and "1080i" signals).

I used to sell $20,000 Runco projectors and after checking the specs on the Infocus, I was sure it would suck...But you have to see it to believe it...It offers a truly amazing picture for the price...We love ours...But try it for yourself.

Any Ideas on a Projector for a Cheap Home Theatre Setup?home theater opera theater

Buy a home theater projector for home theater applications because of several reasons:

1) Better colors

2) Better image quality

3) All appropriate video connections

If you get an office projector for a home theater, you will get inaccurate colors, lower quality video processor and you may only get composite, s-video and VGA connections. You want a projector that is capable of supporting DVI, HDMI and component which are the highest quality capables for video.

Don't get an LCD projector for home theater. You get ghosting, pixelation and poor color production. DLP is the way to go.

Dell, Epson, Viewsonic are all great brands. Just don't get an InFocus because they are going bankrupt and closing their doors within the next few months.
DLP is definitely the answer. Epson makes a decent one that would do the trick, but the ambient light thing could be a big issue. For the budget you are talking about, be very aware of the lumens. At the throw distance you are talking about with light in the room it will be very hard to see a picture well enough to enjoy it if you go basic bargain. Epson is okay, but Sharp is good. I would try looking for a floor model that is on clearance. You are going to have to replace the bulb anyway at some point, so who cares if it's a year from now or three years from now. Another thing to consider is the screen. They have a big impact on how well the image is seen in lighter conditions as well. The best thing to do is go to an electronics store and talk to a smart salesperson. They might not now the specifics of each model, but the smart ones will know where to look right away and make you feel comfortable. Good luck.
Check out cnet shopper.There are a lot of DLPprojectors in your price range.Good luck

http://reviews.cnet.com/4566-3180_7-0.ht...