Acer H7531D, or another projector $700 - $900 range?

[Stridulent]

I'd like to upgrade my Sharp XR-10X projector. Its been great, but not having HDMI input and 1080p is getting annoying.

http://www.projectorcentral.com/Sharp-XR-10X.htm



Currently looking into this projector:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824009286

Will I see a nice increase in video quality with a projector of this level? I would like to stay under $900 if possible as I am on a budget. Can I get a quality 1080p projector for that price? Only need 1 hdmi input (will use receiver as a switch) and picture quality is my biggest concern. Thanks guys.

[Trogdor2010]

That projector is a good deal despite some of it's criticisms I read, it contains an auto iris, which more expensive projectors use. Keep in mind auto irises tend to change light output on the fly, which is are meant to give perception of deeper blacks in dark scenes, but the iris opens when a brighter scene comes up, if you don't notice it or aren't bothered, you'll be fine. Without it, it's not much better in contrast than most projectors at it's price, and if you are bother by this "pulsing" there are better choices. It's ideal to demo the projector if you can.

There are other projectors around it's price, some are pretty good. I would also consider into projectors such as the Panasonic AR100U or Viewsonic Pro8200 if you intend on a bigger screen.

http://www.projectorpeople.com/proje...R100U+HD+1080p

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...792&CatId=4253

Many of the projectors you'll find will offer a much better picture quality than the older sharp, especially since these projectors are home theater projectors rather than an older data projector like the sharp. Look around for what fits your needs and demo if you can.

[kpkelley]

I'd second the recommendation for the AR100U from Panasonic. It's $999 right now from just about anywhere and below I've attached the $300 Mail-In-Rebate which is valid until the end of March. You'd better hurry.




http://images.pricegrabber.com/rebates/3712576.pdf


Best of luck.

[Stridulent]

Thanks for the recommendations, guys. That panasonic does look promising, but I'm not sure I'll be able to spend $1k this week... which makes this quite heart-breaking.

My screen will be 9 ft wide (not sure on aspect ratio, either 16:9 or 2.35:1)

The room will be completely blacked out.

That viewsonic is looking like a good option. I actually stumbled over it earlier.

[Stridulent]

What is the cheapest projector that would do automatic zoom? I think I've decided that I would like to build a 2.35:1 screen. I'd be willing to go over $1k given the extra feature. I really don't want an anamorphic lens, so I'd like to stay with the auto zoom based on aspect ratio.