[boo who?]

Until now, I've only used toy grade projectors that have worked OK so far. I've never bought a "real" projector before. Not sure how best to use one really... or what features I'd need/want. Saw this one advertised for $270.
https://www.groupon.com/deals/gg-vi...paign=200003&tsToken=US_AFF_0_200003_200248_0

 

[Icepick]

I would say average. They could still be found cheaper though. Maybe not that exact one but ones with similar specs. The 3000 lumen is nice for blasting through any ambient light that you may have to deal with.

On a side note, I just picked up a couple of those cheap $40 ones off amazon (got one of them for $20 cause it was missing a cable) and I have to say I'm impressed. I did a test run last night and at 30 feet from my house, with tons of ambient light (so much that I can make shadows on my siding) it did well. Clear image and bright enough to see.

 

[boo who?]

Thanks. I'll keep my eye out for a better deal then. I have no clue about prices and I've never done a big projector gag .

 

[spookydave]

I would check ebay, I've bought 3 from different sellers over the last 2 yrs, all at or over 3000 lumens, and haven't paid more than 60 bucks for any of them, and all work great. Look for projectors used in schools or in an office environment, they may be beat up on the outside but usually work fine for what we sickos use them for lol.

 

[BrokenThurl]

Ebay is loaded with them too. I got a 2500 lumen for $24 and a 6000 lumen for $150.

 

[printersdevil]

Check with your school districts. A lot of them sell them at auction.

 

[Danski]

Craigslist always has them also. I have got several great projectors in the 100 dollar range with great specs.

 

[boo who?]

Wow! Thanks guys! I know nothing about projection - other than placing a few nebulous "ghost projectors" made from magnifier sheets and plain ol' TVs in my windows. As I get older and do fewer large build displays, switching to lights and projection might just be the ticket!

 

[victor-eyd]

XGA resolution for almost $300. Not a good deal. Keep searching. the throw is par for most projectors of this style. Nowadays, you can get better resolution at a similar price. Concentrate on resolution (WXGA or better) and shrot throw capabilities.

Here's what I'm talking about:

http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/jsp/Product.do?UseCookie=yes&sku=V11H448020-N

Yes- its a $100 more. One advantage of the Epson is a much much larger viewing image from the same distance as the Vivitek. This is critical if you can only project from a certain distance and you need to a fill a large window or even side of a house.

Victor

 

[SpookyMuFu]

the specs seem a little bloated on their page, here are the true specs

http://www.projectorcentral.com/Vivitek-D862.htm

I always consult www.projectorcentral.com while narrowing down my choices and if it isnt on projectorcentral then it's not worth looking at, but in full disclosure, my requirements are a bit higher then most "it's good enough for Halloween" type people...

 

[SpookyMuFu]

Craigslist always has them also. I have got several great projectors in the 100 dollar range with great specs.

be careful with these (craigs list, eBay, etc) deals, they are often referred to as "White Van Scams" because they take total junk projectors and highly over bloat the specs making you think you're getting an incredible deal when in reality your getting junk with nothing near the specs advertised. Of course this isnt the case 100% of the time and I'm sure some great deals can be had but really, be careful what you spend your hard earned money on...

 

[BrokenThurl]

I highly recommend the Nec Gt5000 if you can get one. It's tough to conceal... But 6000 lumens works great in most applications.

 

[boo who?]

Thanks for the projector central tip. I've bookmarked it and will refer to it if something interesting (and affordable) turns up.