Projector for MacBook, iPad & PS3

[ThE.MeSsEnGeR]

I need advice on finding a good projector that I will use for 3 main things:
- watch movies/tv shows from my MacBook (which is connected to a 2TB drive).
- mirror iPad to play some games.
- play PS3 games, and watch BluRay movies on it.

What I need from the projector:
- average price range, nothing above $1500.
- full 1080p picture. (maybe 3D)
- Audio out to connect speakers. (not necessarily surround)
- quiet fans.

As you see, movies and games are my priority. So, clear crisp image is a big plus. And I'm new to projectors, so I'm not sure if I'll find those specs.

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[ThE.MeSsEnGeR]

After some prolonged research... I finally found a projector that might be perfect for me.

Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 3010

Any opinions about it?

 

[LethalWolfe]

I don't know much about specific projectors, but I do know that environment plays a larger role in buying a projector as opposed to buying an LCD or Plasma TV. The type of screen you are projecting on, the ambient light in the room, and the distance from the projector to the screen all should factor into what you are looking for. For gaming you also have to consider lag and just from reading a few reviews it seems like lag is problem for twitch/reaction games (fighters, FPS, etc.,).


Lethal

 

[ThE.MeSsEnGeR]

Thank you for your reply. I see your point. All those factors are pretty understandable and I can deal with them. Except one, the lag. I haven't heard that there's lag. That would be a huge deal breaker for me. Since the games I mainly play are Mortal Kombat, Need For Speed and Call of Duty... So I guess I have to research a bit more.

 

[nateo200]

You may not need audio out if you have a newer AVR or want to use optical...if you run HDMI from the MacBook Pro and PS3 the AVR decodes the audio as the video passes through to the projector...just a thought. Also you can set the PS3 to use optical out instead of HDMI. From what Ive seen allot of projectors are designed for presentation stuff at 4:3 aspect ratio so make sure you choose ones with 16:9 that are more dedicated towards cinema stuff. 3D seams like sort of a big request given your price range but I could be wrong as I haven't seen the latest latest projectors...As for lag...my friend plays Call of Duty MW3 on her 108" projector screen..she says it seams like its laggy sometimes but she said it might also be the pure size of the screen....can't speak personally about it but if I get a chance to head over and play COD with her Ill let you know how the lag is!

 

[arjen92]

After some prolonged research... I finally found a projector that might be perfect for me.

Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 3010

Any opinions about it?

Seems like a good projector to me. You won't have the rainbow effect (which can be annoying with fast material e.g. action movies or games).

2200 Ansi Lumen is quite nice. Personally I think a dark room would be the best. Because when sun shines in, you're screen might look faded/the projector might seem to be not strong enough etc (so basically what LethalWolfe said). That's why we have a television (LCD). But if you have a dark room, great!

Also, the screens in cinema's actually have silver on them (at least, a local one I went said that, and it seamed reasonable since you can say "it saw it on the silverscreen"). Anyway, what I'm trying to say is, a good screen will make the image look better. A white wall might not reflect the light well enough. So color, contrast and brightness will look better with a screen to project on.

p.s.

Need for Seed

Never heard of that game before .

 

[Navdakilla]

I am actually on the market for a projector as well, and one site that has helped ALOT is avsforums.com. Regarding the Epson 3010 there is a huge thread dedicated to it that will help.

Also (if you haven't already) check out the site projectorcentral.com. They have almost every model of projector on there, and one cool feature is that you can measure the throw ratio of the projector (which is probably one of the most important things you should look into).

I personally am opting for the optoma GT750. The main reason for this (besides price) is that it has 0 input lag on gaming (one thing you should check on the 3010, I only looked at it briefly but I think I remember reading something about it having lag). Another reason I am choosing the GT750 is the throw, it's a really short throw, so I will be able to have a 120" screen from about 7 feet (or something like that). Check the distance you will need for the 3010 to make sure it works with your home and setup situation.

Also have a look at the Optoma hd33. I believe it is the main projector competing with the Epson 3010.