Best cheap Projector-Need help, screen already up


Hi everyone,

I need some advice: I'm looking for a projector under $1700 to replace my Nec LT 140, which is still quite a honey. Will the picture in this price range better my 2 yr old $3000 + Nec unit? Also, I can't really change the setup, which is a 120" Dalite Screen (1.3 gain) and a ceiling mount with a throw distance of about 12 ft 8 inches. My sources are tv/some HDTV when available, and an extensive DVD collection.

Thanks in advance!
Ag insider logo xs@2xdurrell
Panasonic PT-AE900U-EC. Goes for $1550-1700 used. I've got one and it is excellent! And especially for the money!
Here's a link:
http://www2.panasonic.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/vModelDetail?storeId=15001&catalogId=13401&itemId=95452&catGroupId=24980&modelNo=PT-AE900U-EC&surfModel=PT-AE900U-EC&cacheProgram=11002&cachePartner=7000000000000005702
Go to the site Visualapex.com. Check out the panasonic AE900. It gets great reviews and is priced right. I use the Optoma H31. It is also a great PJ and is at a great price as well. I have never seen yours in action so can't compare. You might want to check out the site projectorcentral.com and projectorreviews.com for PJ reviews.
Yo Durrell,

Click over to http://www.projectorreviews.com/ and then click on "projector reviews" up at the top of the screen. One of the first on the list is the "projector shootouts".
Then scroll down to the "under $2000 projectors" link.
My advice is to grab a deal on the Optoma HD7100 DLP projector while the $300 rebate is still availible, but that will set you back closer to $2500. The under $2000 is pretty much all LCD and they still can't do black like DLP can. And of course you already know about pricegrabber.com ...right.
PLEASE SEE A PANNY BEFORE YOU BUY IT!!! Much like some people are prone to rainbows on DLP's, I hated the auto iris feature which is how the Panny gets it's black level. On a film with a lot of deep blacks like lord of the rings, the screen goes dark, then gandalf appears and all the sudden it is like you turned on the lights in the room to bring up the light output. I also noticed the right half of the screen had a green tinge with the one I saw, not sure if this was a defective unit or not. Your results may vary, but please do not buy it sight unseen. I think the Optoma is decent, also you could look at some older projectors that are going at discounts to get just as good of results. The new Infocus actually use some lower tech parts than the 7205, so again sometimes looking for the older models can be a good thing. I got a Benq 8700+ on closeout for $2000 and I have found it to be a great buy.