LCD Projectors

[MooZilla]

I am currently researching buying a LCD projector. I've come across a few things that i need your input on.

First, we have Winnow's reccomendation: <a href="http://www.visualapex.com/lcdprojectors ... =Sanyo">Le Sanyo PLV-Z2</a>

I researched it a bit more, and would like to have you look at <a href="http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/prod ... ed=">these three</a>

One thing i still dont understand. Is a higher contrast ratio (The H30's 2000:1) better than a lower contrast ratio (The Epson Power Lite's 700:1) I'll most likely be using it for gaming and watching TV, as well as even a computer monitor (Less so, seeing that the bulbs would burn out quickly that way). My mother's sister works for Boeing, and they have some sort of deal with Dell where i can get 10% off of all their products, which brings me to yet another topic: price. The three that dell offers vary from the 900-1300 range. (When you take out the discount and 10% off.) The Z2, will still cost me $1850 no matter what. Is it really that much better?

I'm young, and I hardly have any money. So, yes, this would most likely be something that I would have to save about $600-700 for, and make my aunt chip in the rest. Who knows? By then, the price could drasticly decrease. All of this brings me to these questions: Is it worth shelling out about $900, or even more, for a LCD projector that i will be using just for Gaming and TV (Something I rarely do, but with Halo 2, Fable, and many other good Xbox titles coming out soon, i will find myself playing much more often.) And if i do spend that money, which should I get?

[Deward]

I personally plan to wait before making a purchase of this sort. The price is dropping so fast lately that by the time I am ready to buy something it will be worth the money. The other thing is that replacement bulbs will become more affordable as well and I hear that is where they screw you nowadays.

[Fallanthas]

Bulbs are fairly high dollar, but not as bad as they were a year ago.


Do yourself a favor and forget the ultra-portables unless you plan to pack the thing around every day. They build up massive amounts of heat and burn bulbs out constantly.

I will have to look around a bit to find one in your price range. Last one I bought for work was 3k+.

[Aslanna]

Bulbs for ~$300 and they last for what, 1800 hours? That's not bad I guess if you only use it for watching a couple movies a week but for:

Is it worth shelling out about $900, or even more, for a LCD projector that i will be using just for Gaming and TV (Something I rarely do, but with Halo 2, Fable, and many other good Xbox titles coming out soon, i will find myself playing much more often.)

I'd say no. Save your money.