Been looking around for a decent projector that's under 300 bucks but unsure if I'm being unreasonable(not very experienced here)
Looking for a min 720p native reso that I can play the switch on without having to squint from 2.5 meters(8ft) away, expecting about a 60"ish size max on my wall.
Got any advice for buying projectors or recommendations fellow ozbargainers?
🤦♀️recommendations
With TV prices going the way they have i'd say at 2.5m away a 40-55'' TV would be more than adequate for ~$400-$600. I'd reconsider looking at a 60'' screen from 2.5m away.
A projector for $300 won't compare on brightness or picture quality. The argument for using projectors in this day and age, with TV's cheap as chips is unfortunately no longer there.
For brand new:
Under 300 bucks you're looking at no-name ebay specials with fake specs (the brightness/colour ratings etc are simply flat-out lies). They will usually be disappointing enough in picture quality that you won't bother using it much.
Recently there have been some decent 720p ones - nothing like the real name-brand projectors, but not bad considering they are half the price. But you'll have to do a lot of homework, I don't know any model names off the top of my head, sorry.
If second hand is OK:
If you can find a second hand BenQ W1070 around that price, go for it. Mine is about 2.8 meters from the wall, image is about 90 inches. Fantastic picture.
Would also highly recommend going secondhand. As @ItsMeAgro said above, the brightness will be disappointing (been there). I ended up with a BenQ W1000 (1080p, 1800 lumens) for ~$200 and with low lamp-hours. Should be able to find something 1080P around $300 with a bit of luck, but you need to compare lamp hours with the manufacturer's recommended lamp life.
Yep. And keep in mind that there's usually a good quality 3rd-party lamp bulbs on ebay for under $50, even when the official name-brand ones are hundreds.
Unlike the actual projector, the off-brand bulbs are often just as good as the real thing. And a projector with a new bulb performs identically to a brand-new projector.
Not gonna lie, I recently got a Kogan F800 Projector for $300, and love it.
If you go into the purchase knowing that there might be some blur towards the edges of the display, knowing that the contrast and colours aren't going to be top of line or comparable to a tv in the same price range, knowing that the fans inside it are gonna be loud, knowing the Keystone is gonna be shitty…but you simply want a very enjoyable BIG screen. Then it's a fantastic buy!
Awesome for movies in my room, it's about 100" and I watch from 3-3.5m away and it's truly a cinema like experience. Its native 1080p so image looks crisp, can't see the individual pixels unless you sit closer than 3m. Playing local co-op games like Mario kart, each quarter is as big as a 50" tv so fun!
how did you get it for 300? it's currently 500 on kogan
Yeah just checked, it's $400 if you get it with a foxtel now box… Which doesn't make sense haha.
I got it in pre-order and it was just $300. It's the same as a Elephass Q9 or AlfaWise Q9, they're all knock offs of each other.
I wouldn't say it's worth $500 tho, can get better at that price point.
thanks for the heads up :D
If AlfaWise Q9 is the same, its currently around ~$230 at https://www.gearbest.com/projectors/pp_009566925699.html?wid….
Some questions:
- How loud is the fan?
- Is it only good when its in pitch dark room, is it usable during the day?
- Does it have mount to a tripod?
Thanks in advance
@yummypinacolada: Ooft that's quite cheap.
It is usable during the day especially if you dim down the room by closing the curtains, but you have to remember that the darkest parts will only be as dark as your wall so if it's light it tends to take away from the contrast of the image. But yeah it's much better at night.
I don't have anything to measure the actual sound, but it is loud. You'll only really notice it when you first start using it and only when sound is off. During a movie or whatever it tends to fade away. I'd compare it to a hair dryer in the next room over, it is a forcefully pushing air sound but not obnoxiously loud, but still very noticeable.
No tripod mount I believe, but under the 4 rubber pads are screw holes for a projector mount.
Also take note, due to the lenses used there is minor blur towards the edges of the screen which is not noticeable in movies but it is if you have text up. Also the Keystone will again create blur on the top and bottom if you're using it because it's not really proper keystone. My setup is perfectly square to the wall, to get the most out of it.
If you keep in mind it's only ~$230-$300 for an absolutely huge screen setup, recognising it will have its flaws at that price point, it's really very good for a new projector. With that being said I haven't tested secondhand ones around the same price point with bulbs and stuff, so they might be a better catch at the end of the day.
Hope this kind of helps 🙂
Edit: Also keep in mind it IS native 1080p which you just don't tend to get at that price point.
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