You asked for the best projector for your money... Idk what your budget is, but the Epson EX71 is a great projector for the price. I own one. Bought it from Best Buy for around $600. Tiger direct has the same projector for $500. www.tigerdirect.com
Check it out

Outdoor parties need at least 5000 lumens, depending on your screen size, distance, and if you are in the sunlight or under a tent, or just playing at nighttime. Lots of variables there.

Do you have any more information?

Right on Justin. I did an outdoor gig with that EX71 (2500 lumen), and it wasn't nearly bright enough..even under the tent..thank god it eventually got dark

going for the night time outdoor parties

benq short thow

Ivmez also brings up a good point...short throw projectors. Gotta have them :)

Do you happen to have a budget number on what you want to spend?

Using my Epson, it needs to be about 12 feet away from the screen to get 7-8 feet wide. I do rear projection whenever possible, throw distance isn't a problem in larger venues.. But if you don't have that kind of room, short throw would help

tracking...

about 300 - 400

I got this one...this projector only needs 6 inches to project a 120" image.

us.sanyo.com

Here's a pic when I set at up in the house to watch the Super Bowl. Kinda dark but that gray box in front of the screen is the projector and the screen is 120". Rear projection is never an issue with this projector.

i78.photobucket.com

How much does the projector run?

$1325, just got off the phone with a dude that retails it... YIKES MATT, LOL...

Project a large 80” diagonal image from the world’s shortest projection distance of about 13 inches is achieved by a newly developed ultra short-focus mirror optical system. This projector is perfect for giving effective lectures or presentations in educational settings. A maximum projected image size of 110” diagonal.

*fixed

@ K. Smith. It's worth it to me....:)

@ Disgrace. Yeah it says that, but did you even look at the picture I posted?? That's six inches from the screen on a 120" screen.

Some more pics so you can have some type of idea...

i78.photobucket.com
i78.photobucket.com
i78.photobucket.com

www.projectorcentral.com

I found one of these used, with -50 hours on the lamp for 500.

amazing picture.
best part is that its a little bigger than my wd 1 tb HD.
worst part, it get SUPER hot...it has high altitude mode.
which basically cranks the fan.
heres a quick clip...its shooting about 15 feet away.
s129.photobucket.com

Im def going Ultra short with the next one.

I'm not even questioning that dude. I know how that goes. I love my gear and when it's something I want I don't mind the price... But that mug is a grip, LOL...

OK that's pretty crazy!

O.O thats crazy, i need one of those!!! were you projecting that to a wall or a white screen?

I know K. Smizzle...but you know that I know that you got the cheese to spend on it. lol

The craziest thing I noticed is that damn hard as hell to find Kwame video. Dammit, mines got VH1 logo all over it

Hahahahahaha... I'm trying to get on your level homeboy... My cheese is still processed when it comes to a nice projector like this one... A+ man...

$22.00 at jo-anne fabrics.
spandex lycra

That Sanyo is tempting. Worth the "Business Expense" ;)

There are a few short throw projectors on amazon under 600 bucks. Anyone had any experience with any of these?? Its more in my price range :).

Also has anyone tried the mirror trick with a projector to shorten the throw? I saw it on you tube and i was going to get a vanity mirror with stand and try it out lol.

bump

I'm in the market for a benq short throw for about $600. anyone currently own one that they recommend? I know most at that price range are 2500 lm.

Thanks.

I really like hitachi's stackable projectors. Massive output on them plus you can scale up by adding more and there 3 chip LCD's so no rainbow effect for people when they are dancing

www.projectorpoint.co.uk

Thanks, I'm thinking about getting this one: www.benq.us

or this: www.bhphotovideo.com

this is what i've narrowed it down to. any suggestions or advice would be appreciated.

thanks.


www.projectorcentral.com

man i'm trying to pick up a projector too, seems like the benq 772 is what lots of people use. i was eyeballing one on ebay last week but someone scooped it up for $450

i like the benq's as well. i was looking into that viewsonic because it is 3000 lumenus. they are all in the same price range.

viewsonic has 3 year warranty and benq only has 1 year.

Check reviews for real light output. Some projectors claim high lumens but really only put out a fraction of that amount.

I just bought an Epson ex5200 from Staples for $449.95 and three yr. warranty for extra 59.95
2600 lumens,3 LCD, 1024x768 native resolution, padded case,
It is decent enough for the price...

good advice rebel, thanks.


good price OB1. is it short throw? does it have hdmi?

hdmi = yes
throw ratio = 1.48 ~ 1.77 : 1

excuse my ignorance O.B.1 can you explain what the numbers mean, is it 1.48 meters away from the screen to project a 1.77 meter display? sorry, i've never bought one...

*ratios are approximate, but it's like 1.5 meters away will project a 1 meter diagonal display...
(so it's not really a super short throw compared to some other models)
- here is a link I found very helpful in explaining this:
www.projectorcentral.com

ohh cool, so i wasnt to far hehe,thanks!!

Just picked up one of these from craigslist: www.provantage.com

Getting the new projector delivered tomorrow. let you guys know how it looks.

nice. we use one of those on tour. I think ours is just a little bigger but they are great. Sucks having to fly with it though.
Can't wait for feedback on that projector. Looks dope.

thanks, do you use it for rear projection as well? quick question, the projector I got is 4:3 and the screen is ideal for 16:9. How will it look?

Thanks.

no, we always do front projection. I don't think our projector is good for short throw.... and we usually don't have room for short throw anyway.
Well, it says the Aspect ratio of the screen is 4:3
Regardless, There are settings in VSL and I'm sure in ME as well for how to display your video.
Stretch, Constrain etc.. you can always letter box or pillar box a vid if it's too big.

very true, thanks.

Any suggestions for a medium sized/mid range projector? I want to do much larger stuff than the home projectors can handle, but not invest in a pro level, which seem to cost 10s of thousands. I think what I'm looking for mostly comes under the category "business projectors". HD essential, prob around 5000 lumens? Looking to get a large projection area, enough to cover at least a wall of a an average sized room (bit vague I know) and still be in the room.

Anyone know where I can find out maximum ranges of projectors too? I think one with interchangeable lenses might be a good idea in the long run.

I already have a benq short throw, which is excellent and use for close work, but I need something to project out.

I use a Epson EX6220 and it fills a 80 in screen at 10 to 11ft. it can fill a wall around 300 in. I picked one up for 559. It does hd very well at 3000 lumens.

Thanks for the tips guys. I am in the process of upgrading my projector as well. I'd like to get a matching set of projectors and a short-throw for weddings. I'll keep searching too...

CASIO!!
www.casio-usa.com

Love these things! Plus 2x1 Zoom!

Erisan is a big name in projector world, if you are looking to buy a high quality projector, then please check Erisan Wi-Fi wireless projector that comes with full features, excellent options and various inputs to connect with your preferred devices.

projectoreviews.com

Those Erisan aren't nearly bright enough.