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New member Username: NysfinestARLINGTON, TENNESSEE U.S.A Post Number: 1 Registered: Jan-05 | My wife wants a projector home theatre setup. I know absolutely nothing about them and Im kinda afraid to walk into a store and question for fear that i'll leave out with $20,000.00 worth of stuff i cant even turn on more less hook up correctly! So, that's where u guys come in.(Hopefully) I 'm lookin to spend about $7,000.00 and that is for EVERYTHING from projector, screen, surround sound,DVD,etc. Is this unrealistic thinking for what she wants as far as price is concerned? And what brands should i check out,who should i stay away from,I NEED ALL KINDS OF HELP! |
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Anonymous | Today, thanks to improvements in technology, you don't need to spend more than $2200 for a top quality true (720p)FRONT HI DEF projecter Now if you want to spend more, you can, but you are wasting your money. Three yrs ago, the equivalent picture, typically from a CRT based projecter would run 10 to 20k min Best in its class is the just introduced Panansonic PT-AE700U LCD FRONT PROJECTOR which produces astonishingly clear HI DEF 720p pictures. It sells for around $2200 Runnerups in the LCD class at this price range or slightly below w/b the newly introduced models: Infocus 5000 and Sanyo Z3. However, only the Panansonic has the 2.0 lens, way better than any other unit, allowing huge flexibility on projector placement. Sony has new model a bit higher in price, however its lens is not as good Most people get at least a 92 inch screen. These HD front projectors require screens with 16:9 (HDTV) dimensions. For less than 200 dollars for example (as an easy solution to get started), you can buy for example an Elite Screen (made in Taiwan) with a built-in tripod, or regular screens wall hanging etc. Lot of hype and noise about screens however the basic professional screens do 98% of the job at 10% of the price. Now there are new DLP projecters, and they also produce excellent pictures, some equivalent to the above models. However,these one chip DLP's use color wheels and you run a risk of headaches or dizziness, unless you buy a 3 chip DLP which run upwards of 10k to 30k on front projectors For audio, $500 to $1500 buys you pretty much a complete unit, speakers/receiver etc, check out the KLIPSCH demo setups at BestBuy for audio. My only gripe against Best Buy is their incessant pushing of warranties and their obsession with only Monster cables, otherwise they are ok DVD players are rock bottom 50 to 300 dollars whether regular progressive or so called "upscaling" units. Note HD-DVD (true HI DEF) players will be here in about 10 months, so buying an "upscale" model really a waste, since they do almost nothing anyways BOTTOM LINE is today you can pretty much recreate the in-theater experience for 3 to 4k in ones's home - and that is starting from scratch check out http://www.audioenz.co.nz/2004/panasonic_ae700.shtml |
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Anonymous | also see the following detailed article http://www.projectorcentral.com/panasonic_ae700.htm |
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Dave T Unregistered guest | $7,000 should get you all you want and more. First thing, stay out of Best Buy or Circuit City. Don't be afraid to go see a specialist. The right one will match you with the right equipment. There are plenty of affordable brands in the high-end realm. For example, Marantz receivers/dvd players, B&W or Paradigm speakers, Infocus or Benq projectors. I just had a home theater installed for about $7,500. This included installation labor, equipment (including some of the aforementioned products) as well as cabling and other accessories (power conditioner/surge arrester/RF remote). Also, do your homework. Don't buy until you have a good understanding of what is available. You don't have to be an expert. You need enough info to be able to ask informed questions. |
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TPE Unregistered guest | I agree with Dave. You dont wan to go out and buy a set up like this from Best Buy or CC, call a AV co, tell them what you expect and budget. Their is way too much (and alot of calculations that go into matching a projector, screen and room). As far as the guy who mentioned that any projector over $2200 is a waste of money...well he must be a bargin shopper, dont be scared off by single chip DLPs..they give a better pic than LCD and the sickness thing...1 in 200K get that! Like anything else in AV you get what you pay for. $7500 is very reasonable...get below $5K and you many have a disappointing system. Dont look to buy a HD DVD for another year or so...they are already out on the market, but have a battle going, much like Beta and VHS....give it time to work out otherwise you may end up with a overpriced obsolite component. Dave also mentioned Marantz..very good products, I would highly recommend them...as far as speakers, he mentioned B&W (also a good speaker), but I might look into Revel instead...they have alittle more clearity than B&W. |
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New member Username: SaakethamPost Number: 5 Registered: Jul-05 | Here are some links to help you out. In case you didn't know, B&H is the most reputable store in the photography/videography world, this side of of the Atlantic. I've purchased 1000s of $ worth of stuff from them. Panasonic PTAE700U Sony VPL-HS51 Sharp DT-400 |