If I am on a budget, is a 480p home theater projector acceptable for now? and upgrade in a few years

I am looking to get a home theater projector, but I don't want to spend more than 600. Preferably 5.

I considered a business projector but they often do not have component or hdmi inputs.

I will used it mostly for regular DVDs for now and my Wii which only goes as high as 480p with components.

I think it may be better for me to get a dlp 480p 16:9 for now and upgrade in about 2-3 years when I burn out a bulb.

I figure than by then, I can afford a higher resolution projector as the prices come down. Plus, there should be alot more HD content out by then.

It seems that to get anything descent from a name brand like InFocus, Optoma or BenQ that I need to spend close to a grand to get 720p.

If I am just using regular DVDs, I would think that 480p is just perfect anyway since there resolution is usually in the realm of 720x480

If I am on a budget, is a 480p home theater projector acceptable for now? and upgrade in a few years?pacific theater

I think you are saving $200-$300 in the short term and spending $600-$800 more in the long term (by essentially buying two systems in a relatively short period of time.)

If you have credit, most major retailers offer 1-3 years interest free financing. While I do not normally recommend people finance a purchase like this in your situation it seems like a better solution than to buy two systems and spend more money in the long run.

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That being said - in terms of quality on the 480 (the heart of your question)... by using regular DVD's you won't gain much (if anything) by having a higher resolution system. Only very high end DVD players will really translate the standard DVD up to your HD in a noticeable way, and even then there is very little they can do anyway.

If you do not plan to get an Xbox360 or PS3 there is not a huge advantage quality wise on going to the higher resolution. If, however, you are going to be watching HDTV and sports, then you really should get at least a 720 now and not waste time or money on the 480.

If I am on a budget, is a 480p home theater projector acceptable for now? and upgrade in a few years?phantom of the opera opera theater

,As long as you are happy with the picture, that is all that matters. Just don't do what everybody else does and try to project a 110" image with it. A smaller screen will give you a brighter image and the larger pixels will appear less noticeable. 1080p's are dropping in price and by the time you burn the bulb out on your 480p, you will be able to skip the 720p step and jump straight into the 1080p realm.

Have fun with your new projector!
You don't want an office projector - the resolutions are different than those used by TV/HDTV.

480p isn't HD anyways - its what's called enhanced definition TV (EDTV), and is the resolution regular DVD players call "progressive scan".

Seriously, I'd save up a bit longer, and hit the stores when the next sale comes up.
I found a deal in circuitcity.com. orig. $1000 now 499. Braand: inFocus

http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/InFocus-H...
check out Epson Moviemate. It has everything you asked and more. I think Epson is running a special. I bought one over a year ago and paid a lot more. I like my unit. Have fun
http://www.projectorcentral.com/Optoma-H...

Your best bet. The jump between 480p to 720p is a bigger jump than 720p to 1080p.

It's like this:

720x480 = 345,600

1280x720 = 921,600

1920x1080 = 2,0736,000

So, as you can see, 720p is almost 3x the resolution of 480p. While 1080p is just over 2x the res of 720p.

HD antennaes are only $20 at radio shack and wal mart and will pick up all local HD channels.
I for one started out with the 480p and while the picture still looked very good on a large screen I regretted not spending the extra couple hundred on the 720p.

One option you can check out is refurbished pj's. A lot of times they come with a year warranty and are as good as when they were new. A tad risky I guess, but I have never had an issue with any that I have bought.

www.tigerdirect.com has some good deals on 720p in the price range you are looking for refurbished.

weeder