Projector Recommendation for Bedroom $400~$500

Ldavdav on 23/08/2021 - 10:10
Last edited 23/08/2021 - 10:19 by 1 other user

Hi everyone,

Please recommend some options for projector for my bedroom and prefer a smaller size device. Located in Sydney

Price range from $400 to $500 (or cheaper)

The bedroom is about 3m in length and will be projecting to a white wall.

Mainly using it at night for movies on website, YouTube etc.

Never used any projector hence don't know where to start with.

Do I need to put the projector 90 degree towards the wall or I can put it on the bedside table? I believe most of them come with speakers.

Electrical & Electronics Projector

Comments

  • ESEMCE on 23/08/2021 - 10:59
    +4

    Why not a TV?

    The projector (in that pricerange) will need to be centred, otherwise you'll get a trapezoidal projection and have to rely on digital keystone to re-square the image.

    A budget TV will have better picture quality than a cheapo projector.

  • freefall101 on 23/08/2021 - 11:54
    +1

    Having looked around for a projector in this price range for some friends (just moved into a new place, have a big blank wall, only watch movies so don't want a TV permanently there) the answer is - don't.

    At this price range they use plastic lenses that don't focus evenly, the brightness levels aren't great meaning you can't use it during the day, they're very noisy and there are limited zoom/keystone options so you tend to be stuck with the size and image you get.

    Maybe hunt around for a used 720p one on gumtree/facebook that someone is upgrading from and pay close attention to usage and lamp life. Unlike most tech, making great lenses hasn't gotten significantly cheaper over the years so buying a cheap projector isn't like buying an expensive one from 5-10 years ago. You get higher resolution and somewhat brighter but the image quality still isn't there.

    If you're still tempted to go down the path of a new one, best I found was a Gzunelic one if you want 1080p, watchable brightness, keystone/zoom adjustment that actually works. But remember to factor in buying at least a chromecast stick or some other input and some bluetooth speakers to go with it too. Granted, if you buy a cheap as dirt TV you probably want to buy both of those too.

    • davdav on 23/08/2021 - 12:15

      So what's the price for a decent entry level projector?

      • freefall101 on 23/08/2021 - 13:03
        +2

        Around $1200 is what I found, maybe $900-1000 if you buy one that cuts a few corners (particularly zoom and keystoning), $700 if you're willing to go 720p. Comes down to what you need in terms of setup and what your expectations are in terms of quality. But if you want a half decent 1080p image like you'd find on the cheapest TVs, some ability to adjust vertical keystone (which means you need your projector pointed directly at the wall you want it on), very limited zoom (although at 3m it'll probably just be as big as it can deliver).

        If you're happy with a slightly fuzzy picture, not great colour and would only watch at night, then the cheaper one might be fine. Again, expectations, there's happiness to be found with a gigantic 90" screen in itself. I used to love gaming in gigantic mode even though the picture quality wasn't very good.

        Also need to take into account you need to replace the bulb every few years in those $1,200 ones, they haven't moved to longer life LEDs yet. Can be expensive, I had an Epson one once and fortunately they replaced it out of warranty (it got nowhere near it's rated lifespan though) as it would have cost hundreds by itself.

  • Willco88 on 23/08/2021 - 11:57
    +2

    I've picked up a nice budget 65 inch TV for $600- and it works great for 4K and 1080P content and my room I'm about 3m away from the TV which is perfect. the TV plays all formats via USB or screen cast from my phone to the tv and looks decent for the price no need for any projector

  • davdav on 23/08/2021 - 12:13

    Thanks all for the feedback so far.

    The reason I'm not getting a TV is mainly due to space. Don't have the space for a tv cabinet and don't want to mount it on the wall.

    Another reason is the power socket is near the corner of the room so even mounting a TV will have the cables hanging along etc.

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