1/18/2006 8:19:03 PM

'aight ....  I know most of you know their stuff when it comes to projectors etc.  so I would like to get some info/suggestions

     I did all the instalation for my church (from computer to projector/screen etc) couple years ago .... at that time, projectors were making their way on the market as home theatre entertainment. so having a limitted (quite small) budget, we got a "cheap"(if you can call it cheap) projector, and now we're looking to upgrade it. I am happy to see that the prices went down, but still I wanna get it right this time, so I am looking for some suggestions.
     So for like around $2000-$3000(and bellow), what would be the best projector for a church?

I am looking to get something that has over 2500 lumens, at least .... (the more, the better, right?) .... the building is not that big (probably 200-300 chairs)  .... there are couple lights ahead of the projector that project the light down, so they interfere with the projected image/video, thats why i need your opinions on what to get.

    Feel free to discuss anything about projectors, since other people will stop by this place and pull out info.

1/18/2006 8:29:55 PM

A couple of sites to check out.

This will help you determine what projectors might be right for your installation
http://www.projectorcentral.com/projectors.cfm

This is an article on DLP vs. LCD, a very important decision
http://www.projectorcentral.com/lcd_dlp_update7.htm

And here's a set of equations to determine the best screen size and lumens and such
http://www.churchmedia.net/CMN/showpost.php?p=63502&postcount=5

If you can, rent before you buy to see if it's the right projector for the space.

Good luck!

1/19/2006 10:19:09 AM

Well, beyond the issue being "the more, the better", the issue could also be stated "too little, too bad".

If the brightness is inadequate you will have a perpetual dissatisfaction gnawing at your soul that can never be corrected; therefore, if at all possible, follow Joel's advice and try-before-you-buy. If that is not possible, perhaps you might calculate what you think you need, then add another 20-25% or even more.

1/19/2006 6:09:52 PM

thanks for the input guys.
Currently, we have a projector that has 1000 and something lumes (that was the only projector available in out budget at that time) ... ppl already started to complain, 'cause the image gets washed out (they incresead the lighting in the building, and also we've been using the projector for like 2-3 years now, so I think the lamp started to go out ... since we've been running high constrast from day 1 ) .... so I'll give them my recommendations, but in the end, they'll decide what will be the budget ....

So I think "almost" anything will be better than what we currently have ... but also I'll remind them that "u get what u paid for" .... so ... the more is better, and too little, too bad

1/24/2006 11:30:07 PM

another quick question regarding the projectors ... what brands do u guys recommend and what should be avoided .......... afterall the projector it is for a church, not home entertainment
Sony, Mitsubishi, Panasonic, Epson, Canon, Philips, Sharp ... they're all good, right?

1/25/2006 12:23:39 AM

I like the NEC's... (MT 1075 is my favourite at the moment)
the sony's are also very good just a little $$ in comparison...

Have always had a good run with NEC's for reliability, good value for money, and resonable replacement lamp cost..

Make sure you find out the Expected lamp life and the REPLACEMENT cost for the lamps before making your decision....

Hope this helps
Rod

1/25/2006 7:31:40 AM

Another approach to uncertainty is to consult with Fowler, Inc. Note from their site (www.fowlerinc.com) that they may recommend different brands and different models based on the size of the auditorium, mounting, ambient light, lens, screen, and who knows what other factors. This ability comes from their intimate working experience with many different churches, a capability you can never get by buying and installing one system on your own. They will keep you from inevitable mistakes. Of course they may cost more, because after all, they are professionals and the Bible says the laborer is worthy of his hire, and their spouses don't want them working for free.

One issue you may have to fight is that there are many people in churches who are technologically untrained and will think all you have to do is buy (the cheapest)  projector, mount it, and viola! "look at all the money we saved the church"! Of course some churches are lucky to have skilled-enough people and you may be one of them, I don't know.

My final advice is don't buy the cheapest - whatever the church thinks they can afford, spend twice that amount if necessary; the important thing is to buy the correct technological fit at whatever price it costs.

2/3/2006 1:34:51 AM

I agree, but there are churches outhere that don't have a big (or medium) budget .... so what should be done in that case? ........ I personal kindda "begged" for months (couple years ago) to have them spend a certain amount of $ on the projection system (there was none before) .... and even then, there were some ppl who thought it was too much etc .......... anyway, I hope this time we will get better result (since the price vs quality barrier went down, and it is more affordable now....)

Thanks for the sites & tips ..... hope others will find the info usedul too.
God bless!!!

2/3/2006 8:40:27 AM

Not to run this topic into the ground, but I've heard similar statements before, often used to bolster a claim that how much they think can be afforded is the right amount that the church can actually afford.

But a simple response could be "How about $nn, less than what you think we can afford for such-and-such this year?" "A year, for the next xx years? We bought (or rent) our building that way, we pay our salaries that way, we pay our utilities that way, so we pay for our media needs that way."

Of course, the requester has to be certain that the equipment being proposed is truly the correct technological fit.

Just a thought ...