Projector for gaming

[spinpug666]

I'm currently looking for a projector with the main use being gaming.
I have all my systems hooked up using RGB conections which i would like to try and keep, as i don't want to downgrade to composite

If anyone out there has a projector could you please post ur thoughts.

[mid]

If you don't want to UPGRADE (not downgrade) those RGB Scart connectors to component, your best bet for a sensible price is a Panasonic like the AE700; most HT projectors aren't very good with Scart.

[roobarb]

my trusty old Sony VPL-CS1 (now about 6yrs old) only has S-video, composite and VGA and I have to say S-video has done me proud over the last few years without noticing much drop in quality at all compared to the RGB on my CRT TV

EDIT: if forced to use composite though, well that's a different story - bleughh!

[Chief H]

aye, I've had an epson tw10h projector for all of this year and it has treated me extremely well. Great picture and wide throw (doesn't need a huge distance between wall + pj) for the price (i got mine for just under ?550 in January). As mentioned, you'll most likely need to be upgrading to component rather than downgrading to composite. The tw10h has all the inputs for component and vga, and has an rgb scart->component converter, though the converter annoyingly doesn't have audio cables so you'll need an rgb cable with its own audio breakout solution.

The epson supports hi-def inputs in that it can understand them and there is a small bonus in sharpness as a result, but its resolution is really quite low at 854x480 (to be expected for what is really the bottom end of the pj budget range tbh) so it won't be the full hi-def experience that everyone's trying to sell at the moment. Still a very nice picture, but not really in the same league as higher resolution pjs such as the panny ae700 (when i was looking up pjs i got the impression that one was the shizzness, though i opted to go for the budget option since it was my first foray into buying a projector).

for those on a budget, the epson works wonders. It does a job (and a good one at that) for a resonable amount and is great as a first-buy pj, though with all the new consoles looking to push hi-def, you'll probably be wanting to look for something with a little more to it in the way of resolution, the the one mid mentioned

[nonny]

Yeh I have the Panny AE700 and love it... highly reccomended.

Here in Australia I picked it up for $2450au which is a bargain considering its RRP was $3499. If you want a RGB SCART then this has it, plus its also 720P native resolution which will surely be great for when Xbox360 arrives given it should allow a perfect image with no scaling required.

There is a Panny AE900 coming out end of the year as well which is a higher contrast thanks to some dynamic iris jigger pokery... havent had a chance to try one out but initial reports have been good. If anything, if you are on a tight budget it will at least mean the AE700 will become the cheaper runout model so maybe hang onto your cash for some months and waiting for prices to fall.

If however your budget isnt even going to stretch that far I would also reccomend the Infocus 4805 which is a damn nice DLP projector in the bargain range but then you'll lose SCART RGB. The Epson mentioned above is also a great unit but if your looking in the bargain range I would advise definitely seeing it in action before purchasing... it helps alot.

[fragmast3r]

sanyo z2 (cheap now) and sanyo z3 (u can get as cheap as ?700), although they only do composite/component or svideo they do accept rgb through the component input so you would need to spend another ?70 - ?100 on a little box to change your rgb scarts into component to plug into the pj (and the quality would still be rgb

[Ciaran]

The Z2 and Z3 accepts RGB directly through the VGA port with a special cable. I got mine off Keane electronics: http://www.keene.co.uk/cgi-bin/bigcodesearch.pl?SBB92S

[spinpug666]

Thanks for the advice lads, i went for the Panny AE700 which should arrive on my door step sometime this week

[spinpug666]

Can anyone steer me in the right direction to find a hi def av lead for the xbox. I've tried all the usual places, but no luck so far

I have vga adapters for my DC, Xbox and PS2, has anyone seen what these look like thru a projector?

[mid]

(has sudden vision of balancing a projector on its side to play DC Ikaruga).

For the XBox and PS2 I'd strongly recommend just getting component leads, but the DC's VGA output is outstanding.

[nonny]

Can anyone steer me in the right direction to find a hi def av lead for the xbox. I've tried all the usual places, but no luck so far

I have vga adapters for my DC, Xbox and PS2, has anyone seen what these look like thru a projector?

Get the official Hi-Def Component cables for the AE700, for some reason I had trouble using my Neoya X2VGA+ adaptor with it as it wouldnt synch the 720P resolution over VGA, but worked fine over Component. The picture quality is the same regardless anyway.

Good purchase btw, its a wicked projector, run silent as anything and is very versatile with its wee joystick for angling the screen etc... Overall a really good unit. You shouldnt even have to run it in high power mode either (HP = 2-3000hrs, LP = 4-5000hrs)... as I find its bright enough even in low power.

Oh and I got my Hi-Def pack from www.lik-sang.com but then I am in Sydney so its closer and they dont sell it officially here.