PC Gaming on a projector

I was just wondering what the pros and cons of gaming on a projector screen are. What is it like gaming in a well-lit room on a projector? What about doing normal tasks, like surfing the web or using a word processor?

 

After owning 4 projectors,I can say ill never go back to watching TV/movies/pc gaming/ps3/surfing the net on my plasma or lcd TV again

Projector is the way to go.Everything can hook up to it.Just make sure you get one with the right inputs.VGA.HMDI.Comp.s-video etc.

If your looking for best bang for your buck.
Id buy a Benq W500(720p native,16:9). $800.00 canadian.(can push 1080p ,including 1080p/24hz, for blu ray playback if you have a ps3.(dark room needed though for best picture) and honestly, what will 800 buck you for a HDTV?maybe a 42 inch on sale??? (looks best at around 100 inch's or so)

I have upgraded to the Benq W10000 and worth every penny.

 

Agreed, projectors are the way to go, i got my self one for $1500, its Benq W500 and works wonders, with watching films and gaming with my desktop, xbox 360 ect. I love sitting their playing COD4 and going wow, that looks fantastic.

Edit: Just realised post above has same projecter as me its $1500 australian at the moment.

 

plus the Benq w500 has some features that other projectors cant touch

1. the only one I believe with lens shift.
2.REON scaler that does both HD and SD Processing.
3.ECO mode with high att ON=longer lamp life

I have had mine for 17 months now and just over 4200 hours on the original lamp.(should replace it soon) lamps are rated at 3000hrs.

You cant go wrong for a starter projector buying a W500,that's all I can say

Oh and the screen choice,Ive had 3 different screens,the best I found was amazingly,a cheap,white 1.0 gain
then painted light grey to mimic a grey wolf 2 screen.(cost 60 bucks + 12 bucks in paint)

and a small clip that doesnt do it justice really

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQY_vzsAhb4

 

I used an Epson EX-90 with ultrabright and it looks amazing even in a well lit room.

 

yea, i got my screen for like $70 bucks. but i have tio agree with deadsoul one of the best for value for money and qaulity.

 

nice, high lumens but
400:1 contrast ratio and no scaler and no 1080p

benq w500 is 5000:1 CR
bang for your buck , 720p class,w500 won hands down.


not to say other 720p arent good or anything but honestly, W500 wipes the floor with all of them,once you see it in person on the right screen, youll know

 

can someone post a picture of what a projector setup looks in gaming/movie action? When I think of projector I think of very bad color quality kind of like the ones used back in the older days of class before the smart/active boards. Does it look as good as a plasma/LCD? How about for Sports like ESPN HD?
Thanks.

 

Lots of great information, thanks for posting. I have an old junker TV, and instead of getting a new one, I've been considering just getting a projector instead.

 

I use a Panasonic PT-AE700 (1280x720 native and LCD technology vs DLP)...it's yesteryear's model...I believe there have been two iterations from Panasonic since the 900...and they also now have a native 1080p projector at a reasonable cost...

I echo the previous sentiments...if you have a room that can support it (the bigger the screen you want, the further back the projector sits...projectors do have a zoom range so there's some latitude in where the projector is placed based on the desired screen size...projectors can also have 'noisy' cooling systems...not quite as loud as a 360 or gaming laptop with fans on high, but noticeable...so I made sure my projector was at least four feet behind the couch so it wasn't annoying), by all means, you can't beat the price...just remember, if you use it heavily, you're looking at replacing the bulb every 3 to 5 years and bulbs run anywhere from $200 to $500...the initial cost is low compare to TVs, but over the long run, projectors may end up more expensive unless you tend to upgrade your TV every 6 to 8 years...

As far as ambient light...most projectors released in the last couple of years have improved brightness and contrast (which is more important where ambient light is concerned) from mine...I can have some light in the room when playing shadowy games (eg, Bioshock, Dead Space, Diablo 2), but not much (just the track lighting above the ping pong table at the opposite end of the room)...sporting games or brightly colored games (eg, Command & Conquer Generals) can have all the room lights on...

Be careful with brightness and contrast specs...manufacturers all publish their specs differently, and most of us, aren't familiar with the difference between 500 lumens and 1000 lumens or a 5000:1 and 8000:1 contrast ratio...we just know more is better...

And you absolutely want a projector with physical lens shift...it eliminates having to hire a professional to install your projector...shelf mount or ceiling mount is very easy...place your screen where you want...place your projector where you want...and then use the zoom and lens shift to get the image onto the screen...

And most definitely buy a screen or use that screen goo paint on your wall...I tried a white bedsheet first (horrible) and then I tried a dry erase board (better, but annoying bright spots)...I finally broke down and bought a Da-Lite pull-down screen (my 32" TV sits behind my screen when I don't feel like using the projector which isn't often) for $90 from eBay...worth every penny and more...

www.projectorcentral.com has lots of good information and reviews...that's where I got started a long time ago...

 

thansk and repped Iwantmymtv

 

I'm on my shift rotation right now, but if no one has posted a picture by Thursday (when I roll off my 12-hour shifts), I'll snap a picture of a Blu-Ray movie, a regular DVD, a PC game, a PS2 game, and an XBox 360 game...I'm no photographer though so the pictures probably won't do the setup justice...the first time you see a movie, TV, video game on a projector with a decent sound system (don't forget the sound...big picture, little sound is awkward), it will blow you away...when I picked up my Panny in 2005, everyone was always over at my house...at the time, we were either watching football or basketball or playing Madden on the Gamecube...even Madden on the Gamecube was impressive on the projector (excellent scaling by the Panny)

Now, all those friends have their own projectors...

My friend has a 42" plasma, and I might give his plasma a slight nod for image quality, color saturation and contrast...but then 92" vs 42" is no contest...he preferred coming to my house for big sporting events...small trade-off in my opinion on quality (very small trade-off) for a huge trade-off in screen size...

My wife has a 37" Westinghouse LCD...and I think my projector's image quality is just as good as her LCD TV...but we've never fed her TV a hi-def source (that will change this Friday) nor have we ever hooked up a PC or gaming console to it...but as far as TV and DVDs, my projector ties if not outright wins the image quality contest, and it's 92" vs 37"...

 

ive had a 42 inch westinghouse LCD tv ,1080p and i still like my projector and gets used daily and racking up the hours.

sound wise Id go for a logitech Z-5500, sure it doesnt beat high end stereo's that cost well over $1000. but I got mine for $249.99 on sale and love it, and has digital/cox in.perfect for consoles and computer's IMO.(and the bass is killer)

and just for the record,lamps are Only $250.00 for the benq w500,(another reason why its #1 in its 720p class).

 

The following website has reviews for virtually every projector that comes out:

http://www.projectorreviews.com/hometheaterprojectors.php

It provides a detailed review with plenty of photographs. The nice thing is that it uses the same photos for all of the projectors, which gives you a better idea of how each projector displays the same image.

It also has articles to answer the questions you posted. Just click the green link on top of the web page titled (quite helpfully i might add) "Projector Information"

If you decide to buy one, best of luck to you.

 

your best bang for the buck would be the Panasonic PT-AX200U. Here are the projector highlights from projectorreviews.com:

Panasonic PT-AX200U Projector Highlights:

* Brightest projector in its class
* Excellent color, film-like quality, after minor adjustments
* Enhanced modes for gamers, for superior performance with game machines like Sony PS3, PS2, X-box 360, X-box, and Nintendo Wii
* Wide range zoom lens and lens shift for easy placement on tabletop, shelf, or ceiling
* Invisible pixels thanks to Panasonic's Smooth Screen technology
* Overall, image is slightly softer than many 720p projectors
* Value proposition (price/performance) is excellent
* $1299 MAP, should represent the high, online pricing.

For the complete review go here: http://www.projectorreviews.com/panasonic/pt-ax200u/index.php

 

www.projectorpeople.com is another good site if your seriously looking for a projector ,if you call and ask them questions, they will help out alot ,budget,setup,etc etc.

and if you cant afford a native 1080p ,prices will drop by summer time.

But again,The Benq W500 is the ONLY 720p class with
HQV Reon Processor 1080p24hz HDMI in it, keep it in mind as you make your choice,
You wont regret it for under $1000.

 

Panasonic PT-AX200U Lamp life= 2000hrs (replacement=$ 380.00)
Benq W500 Lamp life= 3000hrs (replacement=$ 249.99)

BIG DIFFERENCE.

bang for the buck is benq. has been for the past year.
and i just hit 4278 hrs on mine,and its still bright.

cost is the factor here.and no wants to shell out almost 400 bucks for a new lamp ,unless money isnt a issue but I imagine it is for 95% of the population.

 

how far back does the projector need to be?

 

If you can afford those really nice projectors, and not just ordinary projectors. I mean those with at least 5000 lumens, full 1080p output, super high contrast ratio (I saw ones with 1,000,000:1 now... ), etc. They're pricey to maintain too. From what I heard, the average lamp life is around 2000 hours. Quite short IMO. But if you've got plenty of cash to burn, why not?

I've never seen really high end projectors in action before, but we do have XGA projectors in our classrooms and my prof got to let us use it for a short 20 minutes of gaming (Unbelievable, I know. But Race Driver GRID mesmerized her =P). Well, none of us ever played on a projector before. One of us had to try it! It was awesome, but only when it's REALLY dark. D@mn those who kept on entering and leaving the room.

 

the higher the lumens ,the more risk it has to lower lamp life, and you dont need 5000 lumens for a great picture, thats a myth.

Im pushing barely 1000 lumens on a wore out bulb ,and on ECO mode,not even new, with over 3000 hrs on it on my other projector and it lights up the entire basement still.

Lamp failures happen when you always turn it off and on,the key to making it last is to run it 8-12 hours a day, Ive done with all my projector's and not one has failed below 3000 hrs yet.

The more times you turn it on *lamp strikes* the more life you take away from it.

 

12 feet from the screen about for 100 inches.if you mean the benq w500.

and really, 70-110 inches is the best ranger,even though it could go up to 300 ,but that wouldnt be bright at all,I tried it on my garage door at night, lol

stick to around the 100 inch mark.

 

Thanks iwantmymtv.... very helpful info. And thank you deadsoul for those pictures man. I'm so jealous. I'm without a doubt now buying a projector when I'm financially ready for it. Screw hdtv's. Not worth the money when you can get such a more immersive experience with a decent projector! And for around the same price, too.

Are there any other cons to using a projector? What about startup time, ease of use ... is it a pain to have all the cables running up to the ceiling?

 

Another question... Say I wanted to game a little with the projector in a extremely well-lit room. I'm talking middle of the day, windows open with sunlight pouring in, and lights on the room. Would I be able to easily decrease the size of the projected image from say 100" to 40" and get an acceptable increase in image quality/brightness??

Thanks again dudes... you have been very helpful.

 

Cons:
1) Replacing the bulb periodically
2) Cleaning the air filter periodically (absolutely make sure you get a projector that has an easily removable filter...I vacuum mine about every 2 months)
3) Ensuring the room can support a large image (projectorcentral.com has a throw distance calculator for each model...the other websites may have something similar...you put in the image size you want, and it tells you the range of distance available to the projector from the screen)
4) Ceiling mounting (much easier to shelf mount if you have shelf mount available)
5) Need for a separate sound system

When I turn on my projector, it takes about 15-20 seconds for the image to become visible...within 90 seconds, it's at full brightness. My projector is LCD based which leads to the 'screen door' effect...on a screen that size, your eye can make out the individual pixel structure if you're close enough...Panasonic uses some smoothing algorithm to reduce the 'screen door' effect...for some reason, it takes about 5-10 minutes before the screen door effect disappears completely (for me) after turning on the projector...

A 'smart' projector couldn't be any easier...just put it on 'Auto' if you're having to use a mix of HDMI, VGA, component, S-video and composite inputs, and fire up the signal source...projector selects the appropriate input and de-interlaces (if necessary) and adjusts it to the native resolution and displays it...very simple...

You can spend a lot of time with most projectors doing a professional calibration with a DVD but they come well calibrated out of the box...and you can usually find recommended settings online, start there and adjust to your liking...(note: You should do this with any display device, but most of us have never adjusted our TVs because they're very limited...brightness, contrast and rudimentary color controls...you can treat your projector just like your TV or you can play with the settings...your call)

The only real setup adjustments are zoom, focus, and lens shift (if your projector has it which greatly simplifies setup)...

And just like most DVD players, you can choose 4:3, 16:9, Full, Zoom and Pan & Scan settings...even in the era of 16:9 (1.78:1) Hi-Def, most movies are still 2.35:1 so you can choose whether you want black borders at top and bottom or lose some of the image info...you can let the DVD player or laptop do the image or you can let the projector scale and/or zoom it...

Depends on your room...my projector is in the room above the garage, or more importantly, the room below the full length attic...I poked my cables from the receiver up through the wall into the attic, ran them across the attic, and then poked them down through the ceiling into the projector...very easy and completely hidden...my 'cheap' friend just ran his cable on the floor in the middle of the room...unless you have an attic or false floor or you're very good at fishing cable, you may want to hire someone if it's important that the cable be out of sight...

 

First, I can do games in a brightly lit room as long as there aren't a lot of 'shadow details' (Bioshock, Dead Space, you get the idea)...when I have friends over to watch sports, we leave the lights on because it feels a bit wierd to be watching sports with lots of friends in the dark...sports are typically 'bright' programs with lots of color and no shadow...for movies, I always turn the lights off, and it does improve image (contrast) quality...

My father-in-law's LCD TV washes out in sunlight (with the blinds open) more than my projector does...

And remember, my projector is a couple of generations old, and the newer LCD projectors (and LCD isn't known for contrast...that's the DLP selling point) would show even better in a lighted environment...

But to answer your question: Yes, you can easily decrease/increase the image size with the zoom lens...most screens have a black border around them so your smaller size image will no longer 'fit' the entire screen which I personally find distasteful (every time I clean my filter, I bump the projector which is shelf mounted and have to spend about 15 min with zoom and lens shift getting the image to fill my screen again)...but it's very easy to do...some projectors have a motorized zoom so you can even do it with the remote...I'm not sure you can go from 100" to 40"...that, again, depends on the projector and the zoom range...most projectors should get you close to that type of size reduction...you will find typical 16:9 projector screens are either 92" diagonal or 106" diagonal...and I would imagine you can almost cut that size in half depending on your projector placement within the zoom range and the zoom range...

And yes, you have a certain amount of lumen output which you have to spread across a certain area...the smaller the area, the brighter the image...but a brighter image doesn't necessarily improve contrast...contrast measures the ratio of the white output to the black (no) output...unlike a CRT which has phosphors that are completely dark (right side of contrast ratio near zero so to get it back to '1' for advertising purposes, you get to multiply the left side by an obscene number...but it's not an advertising gimmick, CRTs will always have better contrast), a projector throws light at the screen which means you never get perfect blacks...if you throw more light at it the left side of the ratio increases, but the right side might too...

 

We need to compare apples to apples:

At projectorpeople.com both projectors are under a $1000

Concerning Lamp life

PT-AX200U = 2000 hrs at 2000 Lumens
W500 = 2000 hrs at 1100 Lumens

The 3000 hrs you are quoting is for the econo mode of the W500. Running the Panny at the Benq's max lumens (1100) would significantly increase the Panny's bulb life.

So it makes sense that the Panny's bulb is more expensive since it puts out twice the light for the same amount of rated hours. If the Panny was set to econo mode it would blow the Benq out of the water (in terms of bulb life).

The Panny also offers a gaming mode which eliminates some (if not all) of the issues people have experienced while playing on a projector. When playing dark games, a lot of detail is lost in the shadows. You can see the difference at the following link: http://www.projectorreviews.com/panasonic/pt-ax200u/performance.php, scroll down a bit and you will find 2 images of a diver. The difference is quite clear.

The 2000 lumens (actually measured at 2300) allows you to watch sports and play video games in very well lit rooms. The following is a link showing the amount of light entering a room and how well the projector handles it:
http://www.projectorreviews.com/panasonic/pt-ax200u/imagequality.php, scroll to the bottom of the page.

Another interesting thing about this Panny is it's ability to sample the ambient light in the room and automatically adjust the brightness of the image so it is viewable. For example, if for some reason you had the sliding door in your family room open while watching all 12 (or so) glorious hours of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, the Panny would auto adjust the brightness to compensate for the changing lighting conditions in the room, from sunrise to sunset.

Please don't misunderstand me. I am not putting down the W500. It is a good projector and has received good reviews. But, when compared to the Panny it can't compete and the issues i have listed are only a few. If you dont believe me, here is what Art Feierman at projectorreviews.com had to say:

" BenQ's W500, a lower cost LCD projector, is certainly no match, with crushed blacks and far lower lumen output, although it has a very slight edge in perceived sharpness."

If i am not mistaken the preceived sharpness comes from the fact the Panasonic purposely reduced the sharpness to give movies a film like feel.

Anyways, there is a lot more to say but if you are interested you can read about it here.

EDIT: one more thing zoom lens ratio for Benq 1.2:1 for Panny 2:1, this gives more versatility for placement of the projector.

Sorry, last edit: The panny can upscale to 1080p and 24fps for blu -ray

 

A typical projector consumes about 200 watts. A 65" LCD TV consumes about 1000 watts and according to bestbuy.com, costs $4000 to $7000.

Lets forget the fact you lost 35 inches of viewing and are paying more than 4 to 7 Times the cost of a good projector. The difference in the cost of electricity will easily pay for a new bulb every 2 to 4 years, which is the typical life of a projector bulb.

Considering current projector technology, it makes absolutely no sense to buy an LCD (plasma even less) for your primary movie watching/gaming/internet surfing etc. screen.

 

But one thing the panasonic doesnt have is HQV Reon processor and this makes a big difference in scaling both SD AND HD signals.

Im not saying the pt-ax200u isnt good neither but ill pick Benq w500 just cause its playing in darkness, ambient light ruins IQ on most projectors.

And cost wise its cheaper to run both on lamps and electric bill.

 

I don't know much about the HQV reon processor, for now i will trust you on that one....

but i dont have a basement and actually need the additional lumens (no way of going completely dark, unless it is the middle of the night), plus image quality wise (at least according to the reviews) the panny wins out.

Looks like we both have picked out the best projector for each of us and I am glad you are enjoying yours and i have definitely enjoyed this discussion.

 

A nice HD projector with a good setup can be great for PC games.

Cons are the heat it produces, and replacing the expensive bulbs about once a year or so.

Those are the main reasons I still use a 37" HD LCD instead. Better full time use, but if your only using it for a game or movie now and then and have the money for a TV in addition to the projector its a great combo.

 

I have enjoyed my benq w500 and i have a w10000-1080p.both of which are over 3000 hrs and working fine.

reviews can say one thing, and reality from forum boards says another.

Panasonic PT-AX200u seems to have flickering issues(and lamp failures in and around the 500 hrs mark) with over 400 users on avsforums, that is why id never buy one.

I know 7 people in my city (friends) with the W500 and never had trouble.
But again,works best in darkness, I dunno,watching movies and playing games with lights on is stupid to me ~shrugs~

 

I leave mine on sometimes all day or night, (normally 12 hrs at a time with zero trouble) Once you have a projector and get used to seeing a big picture
,37 inchs is tiny after a year of projector use.
true they generate heat, and true you have to replace the lamps but its part of the cost of having a big image. and worth it to me.

 

Well my 37" is a computer monitor I am sitting 3 feet in front of it, It takes up all of my vision making it just as big as the projector screen, and its full 1080P its hard to find a cheap 1080p projector

Its about perception more than actual size. When you try to find if a screen meets THX standards or something, you dont measure the size of the screen, you take the angle of vision based on how big the screen is in a ratio to how far away the person will be.

A movie theater screen is HUGE but when your sitting in the back row it doesnt look all so big as if you stood next to it.

My 37" is at the limit where any bigger or any closer would start to make it too big and cause the screen door effect. Plus somebody was smart enough to think about power cost. TV uses... ~150w and a projector about 200w so now you have to add the cost of power + bulb. I have no benefit to achieve with my setup with a projector. However for multiplayer games or movies the bigger screen in a public area could pay off. In my tiny room a 37" screen is huge and offers the benifit of lighting not mattering one bit.

You guys may want to check out this user review, if I got a projector this is the one I was going to get: http://www.widescreengamingforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=13766

Lots of pics and stuff.

Also I Just googled "Optoma HD 65 vs BenQ W500" and got this http://www.projectorshowroom.com/BenQ/W500_Projector_Shootout.asp?vs=HD65

Looks like a good projector review site, the Optoma is much better in that review.

The only one that I find anybody say is bette than the HD65 is the Sharp DT-510 is supposed to be better image quality if you have a dark room, but it has less light power.

 

hmm well i was planing on buying a flat screen tv but after reading everyones posts about projectors i think im gonna buy one instead of an expensive tv, oh and thanks ViciousXUSMC for mentioning the OPTOMA HD 65 and posting i link to a review of it, i think im gonna buy that one.

Edit: or maybe the Sharp DT-510, dang it i dont know which one to get now.

 

30'' monitor is the way to go.

 

Dont forget to research the difference between a DLP and LCD projector, they have some pros/cons and also work better with different kinds of screens.

I would probably do something like this for my screen when I get a projector one day: http://www.bigpicturebigsound.com/printer_projector-screen-1.shtml

Cheap, get to have fun making it, and I think it just looks awesome being all seamless with the wall like that. A pull down screen does not give the same kind of aesthetics.

Screen is VERY important though for the quality of your projector.

As for the DT-510 vs the HD 65 I would get the HD 65, its much brighter, and tried and true by so many people. The sharp is more word of mouth. A few people say its better but I cant find proof.

I probably wont make the jump to projector until 1080p is the price range of these 720p ones. Atleast not to replace my PC monitor. To replace the TV it would be ok, but I am not willing to leave it on all day like the TV and wont like the idea the bright sunlight in the room in the day would mess with it.

 

i have another question which is probably a dumb one but i dont know the answer, can i watch cable tv on the projector or is it only for gaming and movies?

 

Anything that has a video output. So if you have a cable STB (Set Top Box) your fine.

If you were using your TV as the tuner just for the free local channels, then no. You would need to buy a tuner ($30 for a digital tuner that everybody has to have soon for free stations if they do not have one built into there TV or do not subscribe to cable with a STB)

So you can use:

Game Consoles
Computers
Camcorders
DVD Player
VCR
ect ect

 

Oh and since I liked the user review of the Optoma HD 65, I should give you a contrast point.

Here is my user review of my Westinghouse LVM37-W3

http://www.widescreengamingforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=10105

I saw them for $600 around Christmas for the new SE version.

and a mates review from the same forum:

http://www.widescreengamingforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7036

There are many situations a nice big monitor makes more sense than a projector, like in my case.

This to this day is still the best purchase I made for my computer by far.

 

I'm getting interested. Are projectors okay for viewing SD content and regular TV (we don't have an HD broadcast in our country)? Say I use the projector at least 6-10 hours a day. Does that mean I'll be replacing the bulb every year?

What's the cheapest but decent WXGA projector available? My room can support a size of probably around 60" since my 32" LCD TV already looks big in my room. 100" is probably one wall of my room already. My room is square-shaped and I can easily adjust the lighting in my room for all situations.

 

You would have to consult each individual projectors papers to see what resolutions it supports. For sure a HD projector will support lower resolutions but you have to see what resolutions it will support.

If your using it for a computer, no big deal it can scale stuff for you (example playing a SD DVD on your computer, it would scale it up for you in software) if you used a SD DVD player directly to the projector you would be at the mercy of how good the hardware scaler is inside the projector, also SD quality will really look worse when its made so big.

A projector may handle SD stuff better than a HD TV though since I do not think it has a defined range of pixels, so it would not have to scale SD into HD, it could just display the SD and make it bigger if that makes sense. Of course this depends on the projector technology. I would assume a LCD projector would have to scale it to a set # of pixels just like a monitor.

HD is catching on fast though, almost anything you buy now has its own unconverting hardware. My TV service STB will upscale SD content to HD for you, and an upconverting DVD player is about the same price as a regular one.

So I would consult your TV company and ask if they have upconverting boxes and then you wont have to worry about the projector at all.

 

I'm planning on having the projector replace my LCD TV altogether. I'll be attaching the following on the projector: TV-box for TV (I know where to get one that upscales up to 1080p), Xbox 1 running XBMC (will upscale anything to 720p nicely), Xbox 360, and my desktop via DVI or VGA.

I'm still more concerned about the quality of HD content on a projector. SD content on my LCD TV = big no-no. Only realized it when I actually got it and hooked it up to my cable. I didn't think it would be that bad. My friend has a 32" Samsung SlimFit HD CRT TV and SD content doesn't degrade as bad as it does on an LCD TV. In fact, it's almost as good as it is on a regular CRT TV. I wanted an HD CRT TV afterwards but they don't sell it here anymore and they're really heavy.

 

SD looks fine on my HDTV, its just a matter of good scaling.

 

Ive had a Optima HD 65 hooked up to my screen before, Ill still pick the Benq w500 for 720p, not just for better picture, but the scaler is the best (for anything SD,be it PS2,gamecube,wii (480p),that is why I picked it.(the Reon processor can not be beat) for SD TV it shines as well.So really the best of both worlds, right from 480i-1080p/60/24hz.

my screen is a custom painted one,mix of dove grey shade and aluminum coated, and the optima HD65 lamp is over 300 bucks.(too much)

Original screen was plain white, gain 1.0, but after I painted it,the contrast is much better and so is the black levels/shadows.

the screen is the most important,not the lumens.

All these people running projectors with any sort of light to just wash out the image is really dumb IMO.

 

Most projectors will scale most formats to the projector's native resolution...projectors tend to be a lot more versatile than TVs...on my 1280x720 projector, a 720x480 DVD has to be scaled up to 1280x720, 640x480 SD has to be scaled up, 1280x720 HD stuff is displayed natively (that's why the format was chosen for projectors...projectors with native 1080 were too costly at the time...another popular format, originally, was 960x540, 1/4 HD projectors to help 1080 downscaling) and roughly half the broadcast networks in my area use 720p vs 1080, and 1920x1080 HD (Blu-Ray and TV broadcasts) have to be scaled DOWN for my projector...

On my 720p projector, DVDs look awesome. In fact, I have a hard time telling the difference between a DVD and Blu-Ray (both have to be scaled by my projector...one up and one down). HDTV (both 720p and 1080i) look awesome though I would give a narrow nod to 720p. My Gamecube (640x480) looks terrible on a 92" screen. SDTV (640x480) on my 92" screen looks terrible...I can't even watch it. My PS2 (640x480) looks decent, and the XBox 360 looks great. I can't remember where I set the resolution on the 360...I'll have to check the settings tonight. When I connect my laptop to the receiver that feeds the signal to the projector, I use a component breakout with the m1710 (and SPDIF digital optical audio) and set the graphics card (and the game I'm playing) to 1280x720...looks fantastic. If 1280x720 isn't available in the game, I usually use 1280x960.

I love being called dumb...almost as much as when my wife calls me 'honey'...

 

i used the word dumb ,amazingly being serious about it , after i Calibrated my projector (I have 4 different sets) any extra ambient light ruins IQ,it does on any projector.
sunlight is even worse IMO.
nothing ruins contrast/colors more then sunlight.

 

And your HDTV happens to be a?

 

one of the tricks ive used for any sort of SD going into my projector was a easy fix ,be it my old PS2.gamecube.dreamcast.and digital TV VGA box with picture in picture, that way it doesnt [fully] scale on full screen,I can make the window any size and placement on my screen , its good for watching TV and surfing the net mostly.

The TV Box unit is 12v Powered, (a 240vAC power adapter is supplied), so you can use this to provide TV to a LCD monitor on board a caravan or boat or other leisure craft where space is at a premium. With the Video inputs available, it will convert your video equipment to a VGA (computer monitor cable) output, whuich you can connect a flat screen monitor too.

AverMedia AverTV Box W9 External TV Tuner Convert Video to VGA/WXGA

Features

Now Supports High Definition Resolutions up to 1440×900 WXGA) 60Hz
Picture Pause
Multiple Channel Preview (Up to 13 Channels)
Great to use with Game Console, DVD Player, VCR or Anything with Composite/S-Video/Component YPbPr (480i) Output
Picture-in-Picture (PIP) Function (PIP See-Through Translucent Mode) For TV on PC - Supports up to 1280 x 1024
Progressive Scan Output
Supports Component YPbPr (480i) Input
3D Motion Adaptive De-Interlace
Supports all LCD/CRT/Plasma/Projection Displays with VGA Inputs
Supports Multiple Input Sources (TV Tuner, S-Video, Composite Video, Component YPbPr (480i), VGA)
All Frequency/All Channel Scan with Channel Memorising Function
Plug-n-Play, No Software or Drivers Required, Applicable to all O/S
User Friendly OSD (On Screen Display) to Control Functions
Fully Functional Infrared Remote Control
Sleep Timer
Teletext
Favorite Channel Programming
Fine Tuning Function
Brightness/Contrast/Tint/Color/Sharpness Adjustment
Supports PAL-I for use in the UK & PAL-DK

if i remember right it was 100 bucks or something but totally worth it.

 

cant the Optima HD 65 scale up to 1080p? or did i read it wrong, so all i have to do is get one of those cable boxes from my cable company and i could watch tv on the projector? sorry i really dont know much about a lot of stuff.haha.
i looked up the 1080p projectors and they are too expensive for me

 

The Optoma HD 65 downscales 1080p, I think thats what you meant.

meaning it can support it as an input without an error or damage, but the output is still going to be 720 and it will be scaled down.

For something like a movie you wont notice, but if say you had your computer desktop set to 1920x1080 and had it scale down to 720 you would notice as the icons and text and stuff would be smaller. Larger text would be legible but small text would be hard to read maybe.

I would try both 1080 & 720 settings to see the one you prefer more and looks better to you.