Looking for a good first projector

[fuentes925]

Hello,

I have down loaded a few vj software demos and I would love to get in to it more. I curently have a Sony Vaio lap top with 1.6 ghz
256mb 30gb and a pentium4 running windows xp. I am only looking for a simple set up may be running motion dive since it seems very simple for a newbiee to use. What exactly would I need to get the visuals from my computer to a screen. I know I would need a projector, maybe you could sugjest a few models ideal for newbies,. But is there any thing else I would need besides a projector. How much can I expect to spend for a simple set up. So if you got any sugjested newbiee gear ideas I would love to hear what they are it would be nice to know makes and models of projectors to look for so I could compare prices on ebay if there are any for action.

Thanks in advance for any help
Miguel

[murph]

My favorite at the moment is the Boxlight CD-600m, it's 2,000 lumens (more than you probably need right now, but a solid investment, as you can rent it to other VJs as well) for $2500, it's 5.7lbs, and the faroujda video processor in it is optimized for video rather than data! Perfect for us! get it direct at boxlight.com, this is a far better deal than anything I've seen used, even a 1,000 lumen will probably run you $1700-2000. I just bought a 2500 lumen projector for $2100, and estimate it'll pay for itselft in about 8 months!

[LEVLHED]

my rule of thumb for projectors for VJs is to not bother with anything below 1,000 lumens...keep in mind that a projector (also called a "beamer" in these parts) IS a sizable investment...make sure you are serious about being a VJ....even then, I'd recommend looking into borrowing/renting a beamer for your first couple of gigs...
With that said, I bought an InFocus LP340 a while ago...at the time it was the best bang for the buck in its price range..I assume they are much cheaper now (I'm afraid to look)...

a video mixer is another "biggie" for gear that you'll "need"..not crucial, but extremely useful...

[2Bit]

Yup - at least 1000 lumens. Don't bother if its less than that.....

We bought a pair of NEC VT440's (1100 lumens) & they've been superb. Great price (even cheaper now & yup: afraid to look) & portability.

They've already payed for themselves in hires - other VJ's, art schools, local gallerys etc. Now though - everyone seems to have a projector in this neck of the woods. We currently use several NEC MT1050's (bigger brother of vt440 - 2000 lumens (i think)) & again would heartily reccomend NEC

If I had to buy a projector again, I'd go for something a lot brighter as Murph suggested. Be also sure to watch out for bulb life, keystone correction, contrast ratio, inputs, remote, lens, zoom, focus etc. Its not just about birghtness.

Check www.projectorcentral.com for superb projector reviews & comparisons

[murph]

/me bows down to projectorcentral.com

[LightFantastik]

I've been using the Panasonic PT-LC55U.

It's 1200 lumens, very small & very light weight.
It has a 2000 hour lamp, and sells for under $2000. It comes with a sweet little shoulder bag carrying case too. With an Apple TiBook & this beamer, your whole rig could weigh just over 10 lbs & be carried in one bag. Although the beamer Matt (Murph) mentioned sounds like a great deal !

If you're planning on using Motion Dive, you really don't need much else. Although, if you're using a PC, you might want a mixer or switcher and a VCR or DVD player to jump over to when you have that inevitable system crash.

[murph]

Originally posted by LightFantastik
Although, if you're using a PC, you might want a mixer or switcher and a VCR or DVD player to jump over to when you have that inevitable system crash.

Joe Joe Joe... Please don't continue this stereotype that PCs crash all the time and macs are so rock solid. As a network admin at the U I've seen just as many screwed up macs as PCs. No matter what you're using, use a mixer!

(I'm gonna laugh my ass off when your cube crashes in the middle of Drop Bass NYE) =]

[Alexis]

What is the minimum you guys go for there?

[LEVLHED]

actually, I think I saw one of Joe's laser PC's literally crash, off a level of scaffolding, during the aftermath/teardown at T.O.2... :o


my rule of thumb is 1,000 lumens minimum...and REZ doesn't matter much if you're using the composite/s-video input anyway

[wellREDman]

also bear in mind that if your using just a puter youll need a scan converter to if you dont have a video out,
and its also a good idea if u cant afford a mixer to have a video deck with a mix tape between the puter and the beamer so if it does crash you can hit play and not have embarassing OS on screen.

also bear in mind that if your gonna buy a projector and are thinking about renting it out to pay for itself you wont be able to get dry hire insurance for it, so your hire price will have to include someone to go with it, or youll have to take the risk yourself(which is what the av hire cpmpanies do)

[Alexis]

What about lcd vs dlp? I know the diff between the two, but any reason to choose one over the other?

[LEVLHED]

I think DLP is better suited to video, you don't see the little pixel squares as much...and I think DLP still has a better contrast ratio.

[wellREDman]

on the contrast front i would agree with you, the difference between a DLP and a normal LCD is that behind the lcd panel is a second panel with pixels that alternate between a reflective and opaque thus giving a better percieved brightness to lumens ratio (a 1K dlp seems about 1.3k) and a better contrast but being able to see the pixels is more about model/type than lcd/dlp, we have 2 phillips 1k beamers, one of which is dlp, the dlp one shows its pixels a lot more than the non dlp.
if youre buying a beamer something else to look out for if your putting a video signal in (ignore this if yr VGA etc) is a feature called line doubling which makes a big difference on picture quality on screens above about 6ft.
another thing to bear in mind is the ruggedness of various units as well as the stats, when we bought ours we took advice from the guy who supplies beamers to all the schools, colleges in the south of england and he advised us to go with Phillips on the grounds that although they cost a little more they were the most robust units available. and i am very gratefull for this advice having just dropped our dlp 15ft onto a hard floor and only had to find ?100 repair costs rather than a whole new beamer which id have had if i'd gone for something a little cheaper.
something else this guy advised us was when we were umming and aahing about 1k vs 1.2k was that they were the same unit just with the bulb overclocked which then gives a shorter bulb life.

[goldkind]

Could someone please give me some info on renting a "beamer" (first time I ever used that term!) in Los Angeles? Anyone have a ballpark figure on what rental $ is (per day/week/whatever)? Also, any recommendations on where to rent?

Thanks!

[Telekinetic]

It all depends on what you're renting... Last I checked it was about 150 (day rate) for a low end model. I have a few I'd be willing to rent out, email me off topic if interested. Dax_ (in la)

[lumenshroom]

[QUOTE another thing to bear in mind is the ruggedness of various units as well as the stats, when we bought ours we took advice from the guy who supplies beamers to all the schools, colleges in the south of england and he advised us to go with Phillips on the grounds that although they cost a little more they were the most robust units available. and i am very gratefull for this advice having just dropped our dlp 15ft onto a hard floor and only had to find ?100 repair costs rather than a whole new beamer which id have had if i'd gone for something a little cheaper.[/QUOTE]


We can second that !! we dropped our SV2 14' onto the floor from a tripod, the casing plastic has warped and doesnt quite fit, but the projector itself works fine :p