I’m thinking about a projector set up for the main lounge where the hifi is. I’ve got enough space for something like a 120" wide pull down screen and I’d like a table mounted projector I can put away which would be about 2m away from the screen.
How much do I need to spend to get a decent quality set up? Any bargains to be had out there in terms of performance?
Can I get what I want for about £1k-2k?
Not had a 4k projector but did have a decent Epson HD one. Do look for one with a physical lens shift. Both left to right as well as up and down otherwise you may have issues with positioning.
Short throw one?
The gadget show did a comparison of three recently. I’d never take their fluff as a basis to buy, but I’d have a watch on catch up to get the sense of what your cash can get you.
You won’t get native 4k anywhere near that I’m afraid. Ersatz 4k (ie, 4k buggered onto a 1080p res) might be possible toward the upper end.
So what’s the budget for a native 4k look like?
AFAIK, only Sony and JVC have true 4K hardware. Prices start around £7k. Used ones are rarer than charitable thoughts from Jacob Rees-Mogg because production has been crippled for the best part of two years.
Thing is though- an older high end 1080p projector is likely to be more cinematic than a cheaper, notionally 4k capable one. @edd9000 got an absolute bargasm of a JVC not that long ago.
Okay so flip the question around - given a budget of about £2k for a unit, and a bit more for a decent pull down screen, what’s the spec and what’s worth looking out for as particulalry good units?
Screens I know fuck all about but, if you can find any relatively recent production JVC unit that uses the DILA system, it’s likely to look decent. You can still easily get the bulbs for them too.
The most expensive in the test I posted is just over a grand and is native 4K.
Or is this just wordwank!?
Big difference between plays 4k, has enhancement like eshift and native 4k.
4k also brings other challenges like HDR which just isn’t very well implemented at all for projectors.
For the £1-2k budget find a Sony or JVC with SXRD or D-ILA. There are tons of models and revisions, it’s worth watching the Avforums classifieds. You might get a used Sony 4k unit for £2500-3000.
Mine is a DLA-X500R. It won’t do 4k without faff as it’s ab old hdcp spec even though it will take a 4k signal and has e-shift.
You are more than welcome to come and have a demo, it was £800.
Mine won’t do 120” at 2m, not even close.
120” wide will be pushing it for all but the brightest machines. Unless you mean 120” diagonal.
120" wide was just referring to the space I have, I have no feel yet for the implications of trying to run a certain size screen from a certain distance at whatever resolution!
Have a look on projector central, they have a calculator.
Wow what a find! S/H?
£2k gets you a nice large OLED TV, just sayin
Yes second hand. That’s about the going rate for that generation (pre 4k hdcp with no hdr handling)
A friend had a 4k Sony and I have seen the Sony 4k laser in action, for 1080p mine is pretty damn close, 4k doesn’t do enough to make me run out and spend more.
No space in my lounge for an LED to be a permanent fixture
