Epson PowerLite S1 Multimedia Video Projector Review

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(More customer reviews)Looking at the S1 in respect to using it for home theatre -
* it provides a brighter picture than most Home Theatre Projectors at 1200 Lumens
* the picture is very clear
* the colours are accurate and vibrant
* the contrast is average. DLP PJ's like the Infocus X1 have better contrast but u risk seeing rainbow effects with cheap DLP PJ's
* It has a short throw lens so 10 feet gets approx 100 inch diagonal screen so it can suit small rooms down to say 9 x 9 feet
* It doesnt have a genuine zoom feature so placement in a room is limited
* It is SVGA resolution but with the .5 size pixels (instead of .7 on most SVGA PJ's) screen door/pixelation is much reduced. I have it in my 12' by 11' bedroom at a diagonal screen size of approx 95' and it looks supurb.
* Fan sound is about average. It exhausts the air out the front so can be mounted close to a wall
* It doesnt have manual individual colour adjustments. The 5 preset viewing modes will be fine for most, coupled with the ability to adjust contrast/brightness.
* Try to position the PJ at right angles to the screen in order to avoid using keystone correction. The picture looks slightly better if u dont use keystone correction with this PJ.
* The PJ itself is very inexpensive and the replacement lamps are the cheapest i have ever seen. Would be good if the lamp could go more than 2000 hours but since they are so cheap its not so much of an issue.
* Many S1's are sold/have been sold so it should be easy to get replacement items such as lamps in the future.
* Doesnt have a individual component video connection. U have to use the RGB port so if u have a pc u have to share this port. Would have been good to have a seperate component video port.
There are several entry level PJ's which are providing performance at a level previously only found on PJ's much more expensive. At similar to the EPSON S1 price point you could look at Infocus X1, Hitachi CPS210, Sanyo Z1 amongst others.
In Summary Epson S1 - Bright, very clear picture, excellent colours, short throw, cheap globes
Im very happy with the S1. The most important issue above all is the picture and this PJ's picture is crystal clear, bright and vibrant.
Regards Talisman

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Early Adopters Pick: July 2003. The S1 from Epson is a price-busting portable projector that delivers brilliant, full-featured SVGA performance, under $1,000.
With a footprint of just 14.6 by 10.4 inches, the S1 sets up on nearly any convenient surface and weighs just 7 pounds, making transportation painless. An SVGA native resolution of 800 x 600 ensures that projected images retain their clarity even at great distances, while 24-bit color support of over 16.7 million colors results in accurate, true-to-life images. A monitor out capability lets you display images on both the projected screen and on a monitor simultaneously, while compatibility with both PC and Mac operating systems ensures that your presentations a snap to set up, no matter where you are. The 400:1 contrast ratio provides sharp detail, and 1,200 ANSI lumens of brightness results in projections that are easy to see from anywhere in the room. The 132 W UHE lamp provides over 2,000 hours of lamp life, while the internal power supply consumes 180 watts during normal operation and just 5 watts in stand-by mode.
The S1 has a variable aspect ratio of either 4:3 or 16:9 and an adjustable projection screen size of 30 to 300 inches. The digital zoom/manual focus lens has an F-number of 1.4 and an f-number range of 16.6mm, which combine with digital keystone correction of plus or minus 15 degrees to help achieve accurate, in-focus projections across the entirety of the image. The S1 supports NTSC, NTSC4.43, PAL, M-PAL, N-PAL, PAL60, SECAM, and HDTV formats, the latter including 480i, 480p, 720p, and 1080i. Mini DIN, RCA, and mini D-sub signal inputs and an RS232C control input are provided. The internal fan emits less than 33 dB of noise during normal operation, while the internal 1-watt mono speaker provides a clear, intelligible internal audio output. The remote operates at a distance of up to 19.7 feet and provides control over a wide range of projector functions. The S1 also comes backed with a two-year limited warranty.
What's in the BoxProjector, power cable, computer cable, projector remote control with lithium battery, presentation remote control, soft carrying case, air filter, CD-ROM, Quick Setup Sheet

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LCD VIDEO THEATER PROJECTOR, native 640x480 resolution, 1080i w/ HDMI (Wii, PS3, Xbox, DVD, & More) Review

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(More customer reviews)This was a gift for my mother for Christmas I haven't watched anything on it but she loves it. She can't stop talking about and it was delivered promptly, no delays

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LCD VIDEO THEATER PROJECTOR, native 640x480 resolution, 1080i w/ HDMI (Wii, PS3, Xbox, DVD, & More)

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Optoma PRO150S 2800 Lumen SVGA DLP Multimedia Projector Review

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(More customer reviews)I owned a projector about 7-8 years ago. It was very expensive back then (Infocus brand) and I always thought it had a great picture in our dark basement setting... but the output was not bright enough to work in a semi-lit room during the day. When the bulb finally burnt out and I realized how expensive they were to replace, I got rid of it and bought a 42" Sony rear-projection TV. I have been happy with the Sony for the last 7 years or so but just moved from a large house into a smaller apartment and was looking for a way to free up all the space that this rather large TV took up (not to mention it is almost impossible to move because it is so big and heavy). I was looking into the newest technology of LCD, Plasma, and even LED TVs and the prices are pretty crazy for the size you get. I remembered how cool it was to have a projector and I thought to myself that would be great to save space and get a HUGE screen. I looked into them and I knew from my prior ownership that anything over 2000 lumens was typically considered to be bright enough to use in a semi-dark room. Most of the projectors advertised and sold as "Home Theater Projectors" are just as expensive as the TVs and I understand that they have native resolutions of 1280x800 or higher and some I have seen as high as 5500 lumens.... but I think a lot of it is hype. How black can the blacks in the video get? Why do you need a 60,000 to 1 contrast ratio? If you are not going to project the image 100 feet or more, why do you need that many lumens? I took a chance on this projector because I found it brand new on ebay for less than four hundred dollars and thought what the heck. At 2800 lumens it is plenty bright (even in daylight) to be seen clearly. The picture looks razor sharp and all my friends that spent thousands on big screen TVs are all jealous and say it looks better than their TVs. For 1/8 or less the cost, I have a 75" screen that is 1080i and 720p compatible. It is awesome for movies or ball games. Everyone always wants to have the superbowl party at my place.
Compared to my old Infocus projector, I can see technology has come a long way. This Optoma projector is very compact, lightweight, and quiet. It does put out a fair amount of heat (exhaust fan) but other than that I have absolutely no complaints, nor do I see a reason to spend thousands more on a big screen TV or "Home Theater" projector. In fact, this projector is actually TOO bright for the 10' that I am projecting the picture so I turned it down to "eco-mode" which dims it a bit and saves another 1,000 hours on the bulb. For the money, I think you would be very pressed to find a better quality projector with higher lumens and resolution for anywhere close to the same cost. The replacement cost of the bulbs are under $200 each so I can rest assured that this projector will last me the rest of my happy life, and even if it wasn't affordable to replace the bulb. At 350 dollars, I think 240,000 minutes of watching this screen is well worth the money I paid for it. That is 8 cents per hour.
Bottom line: Incredible Hi-Def picture, compact space-saving design, bright enough for daytime viewing, and very cost affordable. If you are considering this projector compared to some similar models, you have my recommendation to go with this one. I checked out Dell, NEC, Hitachi, Epson, and Infocus and nothing in this price range compared. 2800 lumens and 3000:1 contrast ratio is pretty impressive. Deep, rich dark colors... True blacks... and bright whites. I think you will be as happy as I am.I will post some pictures as soon as I get my screen installed. Right now I am just projecting on a (brown) wall. I can't even imagine how good the picture is going to be on a real screen!

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Small, sleek and stylish, the Optoma PRO150S is perfect for business and classroom applications. Featuring 2800 ANSI lumens and a high contrast ratio of 3000:1, the PRO150S will capture your audience\'s imagination. With lamp life of up to 4000 hours, filter-free design and low standby power consumption, the PRO150S will provide lower cost of ownership while delivering a perfect, colorful, crisp image.

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Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 705 HD 720p 3LCD Home Theater Projector Review

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(More customer reviews)I've never written an Amazon review before, but I've learned a lot about projectors over the past couple weeks, and thought I should share.
As prices have been coming down, I finally decide to get a projector. 720p was plenty good for me. After reading plenty of reviews here and the various projector websites out there I narrowed my search down to the Optoma HD66 and the Epson 705HD, both going for +/- $650 at the time of this writing, and both highly rated.
A bit about me - I'm not a projector or electronics nut, but I do appreciate knowing that I have the best (or better) of what's out there when I do buy things of significant $$$. Male, early 30's. Don't watch any TV, just the occasional movie at home.
After much fuss, I decided to order the Epson. It seemed to have more features, had longer bulb life, and in the end I figured since I'm no projector connoisseur I would be more than impressed with its performance. However, I was not blown away enough, so I ordered the Optoma. I am keeping the Optoma, and returning the Epson. I tested both using a connection to my old Mac Powerbook G4 laptop, projecting onto a white wall painted matte white.
Here is what I learned:
Epson 705HD:
-LCD technology really does display "little pixels" that are visible if you are up close. Not really a big deal with a movie where things are moving all the time.
-Significantly brighter than the Optoma.
-Better designed box, integrated lense "cap" that slides, easier to use adjustable legs, more friendly packaging/manuel, carrying case. Basically you get the feeling that Epson put some thought into its product. Feels more name brand and consumer friendly.
-Supposedly has ~1000 bulb hours more than the Optoma when in Eco mode (a touch less bright than normal mode).
-Has a speaker (I didn't use it).
-Definitely better for office or daytime use.
-Blacks appear grey when compared to adjacent wall.
-Compared to the Epson, has a larger "screen size" to "distance from wall" ratio (I think this is called "throw"). Plenty big. In fact I had to "zoom out" as the screen actually felt too large for the distance I was from the screen. The projector was propped up on a table immediately behind my couch. Once adjusted it was fine. The large size could be great for the gamers out there though.
Optoma HD66:
-Feels more "made in China" with less fancy stickers and design.
-Not quite as bright as the Epson.
-I have yet to try this one during full daylight, but guessing the Epson would be better here. But this is fine with me b/c I figure if it's bright outside, I should probably be there instead of inside.
-Much better colors.
-Throw ratio not as good as Epson, but more than adequate for my needs.
-DLP really does have much better blacks. The "black frame" around the movies is a far cry from grey, and I have a feeling if I fool around with it, I can probably get it to almost disappear.
-Better picture quality - this was apparent to me and all 4 of my non-professional projector testing friends, and more apparent the darker the room is. The Epson is great, but the Optoma is like "Whoa - I wouldn't think I would be able to tell, but I can."
-Harder (though still possible) to discern the "pixels" - feels more like film.
-I was worried about the "rainbow effect". My friends and I were all able to see RGB shadows if we shook our heads back and forth wildly, and maybe a flash of it once or twice during the movie when our eyes would flick across the screen. Not really a big deal, though I guess some people are more "susceptible" to seeing it than others. Both:
-Easily found my computer and displayed the correct resolution automatically.
-Amazing resolution.
-Plenty of adjustments to mess with color and whatnot. I only fooled around with these for 5 minutes or so. You can easily make the colors warmer or cooler.
-Have a small remote with plenty of functions. Batteries included.
-Do NOT come with HDMI, DVI, VGA cables. However, each does come with cable that allows you plug the traditional DVD player (the yellow, red, white "RCA?") cables into the VGA port.Like I said in the end I am sticking with the Optoma HD66.
Since the reason to get a projector, for me, is to have a really great screen to watch movies on, I figured I should lean toward picture quality over features. If I watched TV for a lot of the day, the brightness and bulb life of the Epson may have swayed me in that direction. I hope this is helpful and saves you all some time.

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EPSON PowerLite Home Cinema 705HD Home theater projector

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Sony BDV-E570 Blu-ray Player Home Entertainment System Review

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(More customer reviews)Where to start...
Nerd's notes:
First of all, for those that get the Sony BDV-E570 that was manufactured earlier in the year, it may have been before they fixed the issues with the software upgrade. I believe I received such a model. Being the overly concerned nerd that I am, I read the manual. It is not very specific, but does tell you to plug in the network cable to perform the upgrade. Read into this and you must assume to NOT PERFORM THE UPGRADE OVER WIFI. Well, you can take that a step further, (which of course I did), and you can download the update directly from Sony, place the files on a blank CD-R, then place the disk in the player and perform the update that way (it auto detects that the disk contains update files very nicely). This worked perfectly. No issues like the horror stories I have been hearing about this model (earlier this year), and the next model up the BDV-E770W. Due to the age of the model I received, there were two updates to perform, which I did, using two separate disks for each update. They take a while, so don't start one if you have somewhere to be. You do have to perform both, and the latter update is the more important one that enables the features that make this platform what most people are looking for, a 3D capable Blu-Ray HTIB with DLNA Features (both of these are why I got this model).
Now on to the good stuff.
Wiring: The room I placed it in is wired for 7.1, so connecting the rear speakers was not an issue. The speakers themselves have standard pinch connectors, so insert the wire and you are all set. At the reciever end, there is a custom connector, so you will have to splice it to your jack wires if you don't use the wire they provide (which looks a bit short for a larger room).
Network: Ok, I did manage to get this onto my dual band Wireless N network, although all of the settings had to be set manually, it did not seem to like the WPS (Wifi Protected Setup), which configures the wireless settings automatically. After the updates, all the network features work fine, Netflicks, YouTube, Pandora, Slacker, and so on.
Sound: Have a vaulted cieling in the room it is set up in, and it fills the room with plenty of sound. I am not cranking it and it is more than enough sound to provide a enjoyable home movie experience.
Video: Not much to say here other than....WOW. The upscaling is very good. BD is awsome.
Connections: If you are looking for a simple HTIB with a lot of features, this is the system for you. If you are looking for the HTIB to double as a receiver, look elsewhere, or make sure your TV has plenty of inputs/outputs. It does take audio inputs from digital coax from your settop box/satellite reciever, and optical audio from your TV (which is good if you have game systems, etc. plugged into your TV. NO HDMI IN. Bravia Sync works great. The TV and Player can be off, insert a disk, and it fires up the TV, kills the TV speakers, selects the correct input for the player, and you are off and running without having to monkey with the TV remote to select the correct input. The wife appreciates this feature more than anything else. USB works great, plays music on a usb thumb drive with no issues at all.
System Menu: Since we do have a Sony LCD, I became addicted to the XMB menu interface (Cross Media Bar), the same interface on the PS3. It looks great and is easy to navigate. This system has the same menu interface, and makes finding the extra internet content very easy.
Cons: There are not many, but aside from the lack of video inputs (does not affect me, but could be a serious issues for others), there are only a few things I would mention. First being a network feature that I selected this model/line for: DLNA. For some reason, it cannot see the DLNA server that I have setup on the network. I am looking into the reasons, and will repost if I find a solution. Speakers, while 1/2 the weight of my previous HTIB, they seem flimsy. The Sub is a passive sub, while that may disappoint others, it does not seem to punch any less than my last system that had a powered sub. The exterior of the system is a very plain shiny black (kid fingerprint magnet) on the front, although with a lack of knobs, and visible buttons, there is little in the way to attract their attention to twist/press etc.
Overall, this is an ideal system for those that are looking for an 'all-in-one' solution that also has all the internet content. It is powerful enough for a midsized room, and is simple to operate. It has a low profile receiver, and those that are space constrained will certainly appreciate that. The cost is very good (under 400), and for a system I don't see replacing for at least 3 years, it has all the features and functions I see myself wanting for some time.
Amazon: WOW. I ordered this system at 3:30AM on Wednesday with free supersaver shipping. The system was delivered THE NEXT DAY (Thursday).
UPDATE 7/25/10: Got DLNA working, my server just showed up one day, it was probably due to a reboot I did on the DLNA server. Streams music flawlessly across the network, Pictures as well. Still trying to figure out what digital HD file format it will play for movies, it will probably do DIVX files, but have to move those files to the server to see how they work. Very nice feature! Makes it very convenient when you want to play your digital library and dont want to plug in your iPod/iPhone or change CD's constantly.
Still very pleased with this system! I find myself watching more online movies and content from it than from my own collection or rentals.
I did some research, and this system looks identical to the BDV-770W, with the exception of the wireless S-Air rear speakers, which adds almost $200 to the price I paid.

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Bring your movies to life with this 3D Blu-ray Disc home theater system, which features pristine 5.1-channel surround sound and wireless streaming capabilities.Experience full HD 1080p and powerful 5.1-channel HD surround sound, and enjoy expanded entertainment options as you wirelessly stream Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, Slacker, YouTube and more.

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Dell 1209S Projector Review

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(More customer reviews)No regrets. Brand new product received in great packaging to avoid damage. Top class projection with no negative thus fas. Great for home entertainment and gaming. Not to mention presentations.

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Product Features 2500 ANSI Lumens Brightness - Leave the lights on with maximum projector brightness of 2500 ANSI Lumens. 800 x 600 SVGA Resolution - Deliver consistent SVGA quality with up to 480,000 pixels and auto sync up to 1600 x 1200 UXGA. DLP? and BrilliantColorTM Technology - With 16.7 million vibrant colors, the 1209S produces precise, life-like images and superior outstanding color accuracy. Up to 302.8 inches Projection Size - At 12 meters distance, the 1209S projects all your big ideas up to 302.8 inches(diagonal) maximum size. Technical Details Dual VGA connectors High contrast ratio of 1800:1 Sharp and vivid images Brightness of 2500 ANSI Lumens, perfect for lights-on presentations UXGA resolution of 1600x1200 High-quality front and rear projection Multiple mounting options Product Description Up to 4000 Hours Lamp Life1 - Help reduce cost and maintenance with lamp life1 up to 4000 hours in quiet-running eco mode.

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