Help me pick a projector.


Hello,

I just bought a new house with a nice big basement. I am going to build a theater room. Need to get a projector.

My room is going to be about 16x26 and perfect rectangle. 7' ceilings, maybe a little more.

I want to get a screen as big as I can. 120-150" or even more.

My audio gear: b&k ref 50s2, b&k av-5000s2, DCM time window 7 main. Dcm tfv-10.0 rear and side rear. Dcm Surroundscape center. PS3 as source and a Sony BDP s500. Thiel smart sub.

I am going to first try doing a screen on the drywall. If that doesn't work, I will buy a legit screen.

There will be zero windows. So it can be super dark. I am not a videophile, but I appreciate a good picture. I have a 60" Panasonic plasma in the living room.

Thinking of a emotiva umc-200 possibly. One question, is it worth it? For hdmi and modern formats vs analog out from my sony BDP.

My real question is the projector. I need to grab one. I have 1500 in amazon gift cards to shop with. I don't mind a refurb and want good quality. I also want easy setup since I am doing it myself.

Any suggestions out there for my projector or thoughts on the processor?

Thanks!
dcmlover
I'm still using an older Sony, and I like it a lot. When I added onto my house, I did a dedicated theater room. No widows, pitch dark at noon. I shot the pj on the wall for fun, even though I knew I was buying a screen. To my surprise, it looked fairly good. Then I went and demoed different screens. The shop I was at had different screen types they put up on the fly during movies. They all look different. Everyone has different likes, and dislikes too. Make no mistake about it, the screen means as much, or more, than the pj. (assuming they are of about the same quality) you probably could be content using a wall, but if you see the difference for yourself, you probably won't be happy.
Thanks for the advise guys. I hope to start construction soon and will let you know what I come up with.

Knowing that 4k will be common in a couple of years, should I buy a very inexpensive or used projector?

Same thing with the bluray player?
2nd vote for JVC & screen goo.

The DLA projectors from JVC really are superb performers, especially considering their price range. Unfortunately their lumens tend to be low, however in a basement, this is not so much of an issue. Reaching to the 150" ballpark, you would want to put some consideration into a reflective screen or surface to compensate for the semi low lumen count. Other wise crank up the photon cannon and go 2k lumens+..

On ebay watch for used or refurbs for the DLA-X3, DLA-RS40, or others similar to those units. You may find one with high time (be sure to ask as they all have counters on them). However with new replacement bulbs in the $100-$200 range, this almost puts you into the new catagory for pennies on the dollar. We have bought a few of the X3's for around the $1.5k mark within the last 6 months. Few and far in between but they are out there. Save your $$$, till 4K becomes justifyable and call it a day. IMO.
I have used screen goo several times in putting screens in precarious places. As well on standard setups. This system has is respective places, though is a rock solid performer. Comparing to standard wall paint will make anyone very glad they spent the extra change. Pay close attention to the application method and follow follow follow the instructions when painting. You can muk up a beautiful screen easily. Once you do, there is almost no fixing itÂ…
I can't recommend enough getting a real screen. The difference between projecting on my wall, and the Elite Screen I bought off Amazon is truly stunning. The good thing is the screen doesn't need to be upgraded when you upgrade your projector.

I bought an inexpensive projector, and will upgrade when the new 4k standard is readily accessible. I got the Optoma DW339 WXGA for $600 and it is good for now. Anyways, hope this helps.

Mot