I’ve been looking through this message board and people keep asking the same thing… “Where can I get a decent projector for a good price?” I have that question myself, but I’m getting tired of all the “This one is expensive, but it’s REALLY Shinny” or “LAWLZ I tripped over one and picked it up and got home with it!” replies.  So I’m going to attempt to make a super thread on the topic.  Manny things will affect price like shipping, so I will try to keep the post up to date by:

1) country - If it’s a good deal where you live, post it
2) item - The company + model number, price, and a link to technical specs.

so to recap, this thread is intended for DIY people on a budget.  a 1500$ projector is not going to be helpful here.

Happy hunting :D

**** Results ****
Fainjoe (Canada)
Optoma EP749 250 Lumens XGA 1024 x 768 4.4 lbs DLP Projector $599.99 CAD
Link : http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2513655&CatId=1759

Whitty:
NEC Display Solutions NP100 800 x 600 DLP Projector 2000 lumens 1200:1 $499.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824002426

:
Hitachi CP RX70 - LCD projector Resolution - 1024 x 768 LCD £366.98
http://www.pcwb.com/catalogue/item/HITPR447

Thanks for the contributions so far, we’re making progress.

To start off, I found this from Tigerdirect.ca

Optoma EP749 250 Lumens XGA 1024 x 768 4.4 lbs DLP Projector $599.99 CAD

Link : http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2513655&CatId=1759

The Contrast is nice and it’s a decent resolution (can’t stand 600x800)

and it’s in Canada

This would probably be a very basic projector… Nothing stunning. Just a good price.

NEC Display Solutions NP100 800 x 600 DLP Projector 2000 lumens 1200:1 $499.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824002426

Hi there. I’m new to building a multitouch table but after reading up on it in this forum, i’ve starting building my own
Ive decided to go for the rear DI method and was wondering about some cheap projector. Anyone of you nice guys with experience that could give me pointers about this one?

http://www.pcwb.com/catalogue/item/HITPR447

Here is a review I’ve found but I read that the contrast is kinda low, will this projector hold up with my low-cost rear DI setup?

http://www.itreviews.co.uk/hardware/h1475.htm

Thanks in advance for any help

, the projector will still project.  Contrast ratios, as I understand, as more about color quality. than performance.  500:1 is pretty low, but if you looking to get something up and running as opposed to the best movie watching experience, it’s not a bad choice.  It will be plenty bright at 2000 lumens and the resolution is decent.  long story short, if you don’t need pristine colors, it’s a good choice IMO.

It would be interesting if you include the projector latency (if tested)
For me the latency,contrast and size are the most important features.

I totally agree with zuppaman.  How come latency is rarely cited in the specs?  Even on the consumer report websites I’ve seen there’s no mention of it…

What about one of those torpedo projectors? You can get them off e-bay for about $100. I’ve heard that they have low resolution and dim light, but if they’re projecting onto a relatively small surface like a touch screen, would that really matter? They also have cheap bulb replacement.

I purchased a Optoma PRO200X DLP Projector the other day for my DI setup..

Around £430 in the UK, and can be purchased through PC World..

So far I am really impressed with it in terms of being a projector… very bright, very quiet, lots of settings, nice and crisp images..

I did a test tonight to try and determine a throw distance for my design…

To project at 16:9 a 76x43cm image, the projector needed to be around 1.5m from the target surface… so I guess that means I have some folding to do!!

Cheers

I took a look at the stats there brennon, and it doesn’t seem to bad.  I don’t know what the priceing is like for the UK, but link me a good deal and I’ll add it to the list.

Shop eBay and use projectorcentral.com to get specs,

Most of them need bulbs! Beware! BUT, if you shop hard, you’ll score one.
I just got a Proxima Ultralight SV1+ for $155 shipped. It’s perfect for the smallish MT I’m building.

I’ve just bought a second hand Epson EMP X5 LED Projector for £98 delivered :D RRP £340 approx
http://www.dabs.com/productview.aspx?Quicklinx=4LXD&CategorySelectedId=11110&NavigationKey=11110,50260

It’s actually not bad for that price, nice and bright (2200 lumens) and the colours are ok (400:1 Contrast). The throw distance is the best bit though, it’s less than 3ft so I can place it horizontally in my setup and just use a mirror to bounce the image up to the surface :D So if you’re after something cheap and don’t mind having only 800 x 600 pixels for resolution then I’d highly recommend it.

Although watch out if you’re buying second hand, as you can reset the lamp life counters!

Hi Nade,

I’m planning to buy almost the same projector.
What’s your latency ?

Hi Zuppaman,

I can’t really give you a definitive answer at this stage because I’m still in the process of building my ftir table. I can’t say I’ve had any problems with latency, playing around with the smoke demo the other night it seemed ok. I’ll try and test it using that latency tool next week when I get back from London.. I should also point out that this is the first projector I’ve ever used/owned so unfortunately I’ve got no frame of reference for comparison.