Need a new multi use projector

[wvutenex]

I am working on budget proposals for the upcoming year and in the market for a new projector.

I am currently running an old Sharp XG-P10XU projector that is dying a slow painful death. Typical throw is 24'

The main screen for the auditorium is 10x13 (approx) (also in need of replacement). For every day use it is set up in rear projection with an input station on the front of the stage. But we have been faced with using the projector for productions and attempting to project of various surfaces or from different angles.

I am looking for a versatile and powerful enough projector to work in various applications. I have used projectors in the past with interchangeable lenses (Sony and Christie) and feel that may be a worthwhile option to look into as well.

What are other people using or what would you recommend for the space i have described.

 

[techieman33]

Do you have budget in mind? This is a wide open field and some numbers to get people in the ball park will be a big help.

 

[wvutenex]

No more than $10k. Preferably around $5k.

 

[applstew]

What are the typical inputs? Does the projector need to be HD? and if so are the cable solutions in place to be able to handle HD. My hope is that HD is a solution because it doesn't make much sense to not go HD, but always have to ask.

 

[wvutenex]

At this point the primary input is VGA, I would love to move into HD if possible. There is an old roundabout input panel that is really just an extension chord with a fancy faceplate. At this point, the projector is the main concern, getting the inputs will have to follow suit.

 

[Drew Schmidt]

We just got some Optoma W505 projectors. A single unit + the lenses and replacement lamp should get you in your budget range.
Not super high lumens (5000) but pretty good.
Always remember to check out projectorcentral.com and use their projector calculator for almost any model of projector.

 

[museav]

Just a few observations and comments...

10'x13' is close to 4:3 format, do you want to stay with that format or move to a widescreen 16:9 or 16:10 format? I'm finding most people moving to widescreen formats for multipurpose projectors but that could have implications in aspects such as the resulting image brightness for the existing 4:3 screen (since you'd only be using part of the overall image area created).

Speaking of brightness, what are the ambient light condtions and the ight on the screen? Do you always have very low ambient light levels or are there times you may have higher ambient light levels on the screen?

Interchangeable lenses can definitely widen the potential range of uses, however the individual lenses can also be a fairly significant investment. Would the idea be to get a projector to serve the every day use and then potentially purchase other lenses if needed in the future or would you want to initially purchase more than one lens within the original budget?

I would think about inputs now. One factor in that may be what inputs you want the projector to directly support for some portable or other uses. Another factor may be what inputs you want to support, and how you plan to support them, for the every day use.

Are there any other goals or criteria? Would capabilities such as multi-lamp operation be of benefit, e.g. being able to continue to function if a single lamp dies, being able to run at different levels of brightness if required or being able to rotate lamp operation for longer life? Do you want horizontal and posssibly vertical lens shift functionality and if so, is any certain amount of shift required?

I agree that the "Find Projectors by Feature" page on Projector Central (http://www.projectorcentral.com/projectors.cfm) may be a great help as you can look at various combinations of features and capabilities and see what options are then available.