Hey Guys, I am finally getting around to converting one of our rooms into a theater room and I am not sure where to start. The first thing on the list is a decent projector, they seem to range from $200 to $8,000 and I have no idea what's good and what isn't. Best Buy had a very weak selection, I might check our Fry's sometime this week. I think I will stay in the $500 range if that's possible unless convinced otherwise. Do you guys have any recommendations? Here is the t-do list I had in mind: 1. Projector 2. Pull Down Screen 3. Paint The Room [Dark Color] 4. Receiver 5. Speakers 6. Seats 7. Cabinet + Mini Fridge [Wishful Thinking] Thanks!
Awesome site, I liked the reviews for the Optoma HD20. 1080P for below $999 <iframe width="560" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/uBLuGRslX38" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Do you have a good wall where you could mount a screen or even just paint special paint for the screen? If so you could save a TON of money. If you get a retractile screen, you really need to get one that is tensioned or you will eventually get wrinkles which will just suck. Tensioned screens are expensive (and I'm not sure you can even get a manual pull-down screen that is tensioned).
Yeah, I noticed something like this: It's a screen that's mounted to the wall which I think would look nice. I ran a search in Amazon but everything seems to be retractable, maybe Fry's will have some to choose from. The retractable ones start around around $120.
Yobod - I've been doing some pretty extensive research the past 2 weeks on projectors as I'm currently in the process of purchasing one. Couple things I've come across. 1. Buy on-line. Almost all sites are $100-$200 cheaper than retail stores. I got a Epson 8350 for $170 cheaper than Best Buy. Projectorpeople.com and Visualapex.com seems to be the most popular sites but I got mine from Electrozone.com. 2. While Best Buy does not have the greatest selection (only 3 models IIRC), they have higher end models compared to Frys. I was also able to speak to someone at BB who had a ton of knowledge on projectors which I thought helped quite a bit. 3. Not sure how much you want to spend but the BB in Galleria is selling a Mitsubishi 6800 for $1299, regular price is $2500. I think it's last year's model so they're selling them for cheap but from what I've read, it's still a great deal. 4. You can also purchase projector packages which will come with the projector, screen, mount, hdmi cord, etc...I bought everything separately since I didn't need a mount or cord. Plus, most projector and screen sites have free shipping. Here's the frame I bought: Elite Screens - SableFrame Series 59x105 (120 Diag.) Fixed Frame Projector Screen, HDTV Format, CineWhite Fabric
My dad gave me gave me his old Pioneer Elite receiver, it doesn't have HDMI input since its from back in early 2000's. Will this be an issue or should I just spring for a new one with HDMI input. I also have a PC that I use to stream media with VGA but I could find a converter I suppose. Any advice would be great.
The Optoma HD 20 and HD180 were on sale at woot.com this past Sunday for $649, refurbished but I didn't go for it. I will probably be on the market later this summer after I get everything else, blu-ray player, receiver, and etc. I got the speakers this past weekend, and will probably paint the room next.
My friend just tried different cheap paints and found one that worked well. He saved a ton on the screen. One thing to remember is a good low frequency subwoofer. Makes all the difference.
