Gaming Projectors?

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2HF

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May 24, 2011
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Does anyone here play on a projector? I had one for a short time and it was glorious. It wasn't even that nice a projector but then I was playing PS2 games on it iirc so the image quality wasn't a big deal.

Now I play on a PS3, and I'd probably connect my laptop for movies from time to time.

Does anyone have any recommendations for projectors that won't break the bank?

Relevant info... I will be using it in a pretty standard sized bedroom. On the wall, no screen.
 

Starnerf

The X makes it sound cool
Jun 26, 2008
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What kind of budget are you looking at?

How far away can you put the projector? Against the opposite wall, on a table halfway between, hanging from the ceiling, etc.

How loud can the fan be?

How bright is the rest of the room and what color are the walls?
 

Frezzato

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Oct 17, 2012
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My friend uses his PS3/PS4/Xbox One with a projector, a high-end Epson @ 1080p. The only reason he's not too crazy about it is that the Epson is limited to 60Hz, so he was considering a 4k television. Not until the prices come down a little though. He set the projector up on a second floor, which is facing an open area above his living room, using a 10-foot screen which is set onto a fold-out metal frame. Since there was no decent way to split the sound, he bought an expensive receiver and set up speakers all around, which don't really get in the way (much).

Now, there are two reasons I wouldn't recommend a projector, namely the limited lifespan of the lamp (lamp, not "bulb") and the heat generated from the unit. Scratch that, make that three reasons, considering the sound output solution you would have to create. There are fairly affordable units made by ViewSonic, BenQ and Optoma, and one ViewSonic I found on Amazon had audio out, via a headphone jack. It's not the best for sound, i.e. two channel stereo, but at least it's there.

The lamp life on home projectors has also increased significantly, as I remember a time when the lamp life for a $700 projector was around 300-400 hours, so the lifespan has increased dramatically. Granted, the lifespan of a projector lamp is nothing compared to an LED television.

Another option to consider would be a short throw projector. Unfortunately the only short throw projectors I worked with were at my last job, and they were all Epsons (BrightLink), meant to be installed on an arm directly above the screen. I imagine that home projectors would have good keystone adjustment should you have it on the floor instead.
 

Smooth Operator

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Oct 5, 2010
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Well I guess it will do as a novelty item but we are still talking screen resolution stretched out over an entire wall with very poor colors and even worse contrast. Also while the bulbs will last forever in a weekly presentation environment you will be burning up one or two per year on a regular gaming timeline, and those bulbs go for $500 or more.

Something else to be aware of is that these things are not made for high performance, while it may advertise 1080p you must read very closely because those are usually not the actual technical specs but "simulated" stuff instead, the projectors that actually do 1080p start at two grand.
 

Ed130 The Vanguard

(Insert witty quote here)
Sep 10, 2008
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Yes, once I dragged my laptop over to work to play Dragon Age 2 in a lecture theatre, turns out I shouldn't have bothered.

I also have a smaller one in my flat, it does the job but it really isn't worht the hassle.