Digital projectors

[Rob Potterton]

Hello. I am searching for information / recommendations / your experiences using digital projectors, with a view to purchase one in the next couple of months. Rumour has it that they are now affordable and christmas is just around the corner, so instead of socks i may get something useful this year.

[Susan Band]

Dear Rob,

This time last year we bought a projector for the Perth group and so far it has been no problem to use nor has it developed any problems. It is a Canon LV-7265 and I bought it online from a camera shop in Sussex. It was £750,  it has been superceded by other models and it actually ended up cheaper by the time I had it delivered, I think it was about £850 when I started looking. What I do suggest is that you look at ones aimed at photo rather than movie projection as the lenses and colours are better. The ones in Dixons etc. are aimed at the movie market. If you are planning to use it at home make sure the throw distance is small enough for your living room . One thing you must spend time on when you get it is adjusting the colours, most are set too yellow ( I think so text is easier on the eye) It is easy enough to do but takes a bit of time. Put up several good photos, some with trees, some with sky etc. and get someone elses view as well.
Hope this helps

Susan

[Heather Smith]

A year ago I bought a digital projector. After much searching I had to make a decision. I chose the NEC VT695 - LCD projector.

Important criteria:
Cost (for me £500 - £900).
Screen Type (LCD for me).
Resolution - at least 1024 x 768 (normal for these types of cheaper end projectors).
Lumens - higher the better (mine is 2,500) This means it produces a bright picture at economy setting.
Bulb replacement cost and bulb life in some projectors. (£250-£275  and  2,000-3,000 hours) replacement cost can be as much as £500.
Bulb cooling after use (mine can be put away after 10 minutes).
Adjustments in general.
Guarantee (mine has 3 years).

I bought mine from Amazon and also wrote a quick review (see link below).  I have been using it for a year and am well satisfied. Nevertheless, you can now get more projector for less money. Isn't it annoying?  I changed the case, of course

http://www.amazon.co.uk/NEC-VT695-projector-2500-lumens/dp/B000LR6EES/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1226245344&sr=8-1

Good luck!

[David Shaw]

Our projector came from an office supply companies catalogue. It is an Infocus IN24 model and cost something like £250 (special offer)eighteen months ago. We use it to look at our own pics and to watch DVDs on a 72" screen! We have also used it for our own presentations to the Group. It works perfectly well for our purposes but is less than professional standard for a circuit speaker. I doubt that it would suit Rob but I would recommend something like this for the ordinary user like ourselves.

[tonyg]

I bought 18 months ago from Dell.  I was buying a laptop from them at the same time and chose a Dell projector to be sure of compatibility.  (I have a friend locally who is having compatibility trouble.)  The cost was under £500 - Dell had an offer on projetcors at the time, worth looking out for/waiting for a 'deal'.  I also sought advice from friends who were already using them for before buying.  The basic advice on specifications from Heather pretty much replicates what I was told.  Both my advisors (well known speakers much in demand) had bought Epson models with the view that the company would still be around when they needed spare bulbs.  However if I continue using mine for roughly 40 hours a year I will be 97 years old before the current bulb has done 200 hours!!  I get plenty of positive feedback from audiences about the images so I reckon it was a good buy. 

[Rob Potterton]

I am discovering that these projectors have a whole new vocabularly of fancy jargons and codes to learn & understand to get the best model to suit your own needs.  Thank you Susan, Heather, David and Tony for the comments - your time and thoughts appreciated.

[Maggi Young]

Rob, we have an Acer PD523   .... very pleased with it. 

[Rob Potterton]

Maggi, does Ian use the Acer for his lectures??

[Ian Y]

Hi Rob
Yes I have had that projector for about three years now and I have been very happy with it also the Epsom that I purchased on behalf of the SRGC has been used by the Club for the best part of five years and it is still going strong.
Obviously the newer ranges offer more projector for your money but as mentioned already in this thread you need XGA resolution and 2500 lumins for brightness.
I bought these and some of the Club laptops from www.misco.co.uk it is worth checking them out.

[tonyg]

Both my advisors (well known speakers much in demand) had bought Epson models with the view that the company would still be around when they needed spare bulbs.  However if I continue using mine for roughly 40 hours a year I will be 97 years old before the current bulb has done 200 hours!!  I get plenty of positive feedback from audiences about the images so I reckon it was a good buy. 

OOPs that should be 2000 not 200 

[Heather Smith]

OK, I mentioned the replacement bulb cost because accidents can happen. This is also why I like the quick-cooling feature - makes bulb damage less likely.  I don't carry a replacement, just cross my fingers the lamp will light when I switch on.  If the bulb does not prematurely expire the one I have should, indeed, do the rest of my life!

[Martinr]

We recently had a speaker who used a digital projector but didn't need a laptop, all he had to do was stick a memory card in the side of the rpojector and off we went...but I didn't note the make. Struck me as an excellent idea.

[mark smyth]

Spare bulbs and projectors can be bought from Ebay. That's were I got my Sanyo Pro-X for under £300

[Rob Potterton]

Maggi, i see that Ian is giving a talk to Aberdeenshire group on 6th January '09 on Digital Photography. Does he have any bookings to give this lecture south of the border in the near future?? I hope you're keeping warm up there 

[Maggi Young]

Rob, it's perishing here.....

I don't believe that Ian is going anywhere in England with the Digital Photography Talk, nothing booked now, as far as I can see     But since he sometimes misses out stuff from our complocated scheme of multi- calendars, that may not be the whole story.....