garyrc Posted October 12, 2009 Share Posted October 12, 2009 Can anyone recommend a projector costing under about $1,500 that seems subjectively as sharp and motion blur free as an excellent and very large flatscreen TV? We would be using it in nearly total darkness. What happens if you zoom out your projector so that a 2.40:1 image fills the screen from top to bottom, and there are subtitles (I'm primarily thinking of foreign films)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Youthman Posted October 12, 2009 Moderators Share Posted October 12, 2009 I cannot recommend a projector since I have only had experience with the Panasonic AE3000. Unfortunately, when you zoom to fill a 2.40:1 screen, the grey bars as you state will be above and below your screen. Depending on the producer of the movie will determine where the subtitles end up. If the producer placed the subtitles in the grey bars, the subtitles will be off screen. If they placed the subtitles over the viewable movie portion, then you will be fine. The same thing happens with bluray dvd menus as well. Some of my movies, the menu is partially off screen. With my projector, it's easy to switch to 16:9 with the memory zoom feature or just by changing the aspect ratio on the remote temporarily. Good luck in your search. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cpt_John Posted October 12, 2009 Share Posted October 12, 2009 recommend a projector costing under about $1,500 that seems subjectively as sharp and motion blur free as an excellent and very large flatscreen TV? I believe October is typically transition month between old and new model projectors. The prices of last years top projectors have been dropping fast and may reach around $1500 fairly soon. From the current (last year) models I would look for an Epson 6500UB or Panasonic AE-3000. The replacements for these models has already been announced (8500UB and AE-4000). I would also check into an Epson 8100 which may possibly come out at $1499 MSRP later this month that is reportedly excellent. I believe today's projectors are very sharp with very limited motion blur; however, they will not be to the same extent of the latest LCDs and Plasmas. I know it is personnal preference, but for $1500 you will not be able to get a huge flatscreen but you could get a great projector with 3+ times the image area. I have LCD's, a Plasma, and a 1080P projector in my house. When it comes to choosing which to watch for a movie or a special HD sporting event my favorite is almost always to watch it on the projector. The novelty has still not worn off on being able to watch a 100+ inch screen at home (especially with the rest of my Klipsch theater!) The larger images of a projector will make defects more noticeable, but to me the advantages of the big screen far outweigh the minor disadvantages. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Youthman Posted October 12, 2009 Moderators Share Posted October 12, 2009 Well said captain! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.