I got an itch (again) to buy a video projector, but the more I google about them, the more confused I become.

Intended use (in this order):

- TV replacement (movies etc. that I'd normally watch on TV)
- for playing PC games
- PC desktop use (ie. a big ass computer monitor, even for work)
(if all these are hard to excel in one projector, I'd might even end up buying two, one as a TV, and a small one for PC use)

Things that would be a definite plus:

- silent (maybe even fan-less, not generating much of heat?)
- semi-portable, so not the heaviest and biggest models. I prefer it being placed on the coffee table and easily be moved away from it or used elsewhere too, I am not going to mount it on the ceiling or anything (most probably).
- I'd prefer maintenance free, ie. no need to replace the bulbs often, if ever.

I've tried to figure out the different technologies, and to me it seems there are like four: DLP, LCD, LED and laser. What are the main differences between these four? Most comparisons seem to be between DLP and LCD, and it seems to be a tie between the two technologies. LCD has better contrast and crisper picture, DLP has better motion picture quality and black is blacker, etc. etc.

How about LED and laser? LED seems to be mostly on very small projectors that you move around and they have batteries too. I don't need battery but small size would be nice of course. Are such small LED projectors quite ok for normal home use overall, and are there bigger and brighter LED projectors as well?

How about laser projectors, what are the benefits and disadvantages?

Last but not least... since it is supposed to be a replacement for a TV, how do you get a TV signal to the projector? Do projectors have their own receivers (so you just plug in the antenna cord into it like for TVs), or do you have to buy a separate TV receiver box and connect with HDMI?

Thanks in advance.

They don't normally have receivers, at least not to my experience - think of the projector as a monitor. I have an inexpensive Optoma projector (lower range, just below 300 $) and it's fairly quiet. In the 500 $ price range you will get silent projectors of less than 30 db - check the specifications on the website. If you intend to use it in a small room, a wide angle lens projector might be a good idea. Make sure the lamp has a long life (6000 hrs would fit that bill). Projector lamps are expensive and with lower price range projectors you would rather buy a new projector than change the lamp. And maybe invest in wireless signal dongles.

Finally, get a huge screen of 100 inches or more - and you will never go back to that old TV set again.

I would have a used pulldown screen of high quality I could sell but no working projector.

So the type of lamp can still be different, regardless whether it is e.g. a DLP or LCD projector?

One projector I considered was Acer H6517ABD /699€) which claims to be a DLP projector. Not sure what kind of lamp it has but apparently not LED as it seems quite bright (3200 lumen), contrast 20 000:1 and lamp life "only" 5000 hours. Maybe I will then look into laser projectors, at least I saw some models which cost under 1000€. Then again some laser projectors cost several thousand euros, not sure why. The smallest LED projectors are probably out of question because I want it to support 1920x1080 resolution.

Thanks to all, I hope I can see some different projectors live at a shop before making a decision. Possibly I go to a verkkokauppa.com store during weekend as they seem to have lots of stuff on display so you can try them out.

As for the screen, I'll look at it later but I am thinking of getting a portable "tripod" so that I can move it to different rooms/places if I want, unless I am happy with a white wall.

And I guess I would have to buy a HDTV receiver box too at some point, to actually see TV feed on it...

I've been using projectors for around 16 years, first a 720p one then an Epson 1080p that I still use. Some of my experiences:

Lamp life. The quoted figures are only guide lines and vary hugely in how you use the projector. For example, when I got the Epson 8 years ago I burnt out the first lamp in just 12 months because I was using it every day, all day for gaming with my Xbox 360. Of course during the day you use the highest, brightest settings, so more heat, less lamp life- by far. After that I decided to dial back the game use and mainly used it for movies and some live sport- mainly at night (lower power setting) and that lamp is still going after 6 years. The lamps you replace cost so much because they are not just lamps, they usually involve replacing the entire lamp circuitry because they get so hot they fail, even with the cooling. LED's would last much longer.

No matter how quiet they start out, their fans always wear out and get louder over time. The best ones have large slow turning fans like my Epson. My original Panasonic had a small high speed fan that eventually sounded like a gas turbine running.

I don't know of any with TV receivers, you just buy a set top receiver that connects using HDMI.

You can try a white wall first, if it works then you save some money. I tried and it was shit, the wall resulted in visible hot spots (brighter and very distracting) in the middle where you can see the wall texture. You may be lucky with your type of wall though. Screens are an investment and much improve the picture quality. I'm still using the same one after 16 years. Permanent screens are better than portable, by needing them to fold they can incorporate better material that don't need as much flexibility.

Needing portability is a huge compromise. The smaller projectors are usually more intended for business presentations and not long term movie or game use. Also for best results they need a dedicated room where it is as dark as possible. Powerful projectors work okay in lit rooms sure, but remember the contrast is always determined by the rooms darkness- darker is always better no matter how bright your projector, since a dark room gets blacker black. Also the larger proctors tend to have more versatility in mounting options- much adjustability with their throw length and whether you want to mount them low or high. Never move a projector (unless it's an LED lamp) unless it's completely cooled. Hot lamps are very delicate.

One good thing for gaming is that of speed. DLP projectors in particular have ultra fast response normally, though LCD's are still good because their panels are so small, smaller panels can be made to respond faster- talking pixel response time here, not input latency.

Despite how much I used my projector over the years, I finally did get an actuall TV recently. The new 120Hz freesync TV's (with HDR) have finally made them decent gaming options. So no more gaming on my projector from here on. But movies... well nothing gives the authentic experience like a 2.5 metre projector screen.

Yes. The lamp is just the light source, similar to how some (usually older) LCD monitors used fluorescent tubes while newer ones use LEDs. I've even seen some projectors use incandescent filament lamps. Acer's site specifies that the lamp is "OSRAM", which is a brand rather than a lamp type. It does state that it's a single lamp at 195W, meaning it's probably not LED. OSRAM manufactures a projector lamp called "​P-VIP" that Wikipedia describes as a high pressure mercury arc lamp, so that might be what it uses. Yeah, the downside to a good laser projector is currently price. I was looking at a few in the 1000-1500€ range but I am going to hold off for a while and see if the price comes down as they become more commonplace. If you have totally untextured, white or slightly grey walls, the image might be acceptable. An alternative to a screen stand is to use a pull down screen that hangs from hooks, although that limits the portability to places you can install hooks.

I've tried to figure out the different technologies, and to me it seems there are like four: DLP, LCD, LED and laser. What are the main differences between these four? Most comparisons seem to be between DLP and LCD, and it seems to be a tie between the two technologies. LCD has better contrast and crisper picture, DLP has better motion picture quality and black is blacker, etc. etc.

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