Is this a good projector for home movies?

[Shaynelle]

http://www.costco.ca/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=10301586&whse=BCCA&topnav=&browse=&lang=en-CA

BenQ w500 3 lcd home cinema projector. It's going on sale for $749.99 in November and I'm considering getting my husband one for Christmas.

[CameraBill]

you are an awesome wife.

[fastlayne]

you are an awesome wife.

Next she is going to tell us she mows the lawn and takes out the garbage!

Here are some links to reviews on the W500...

Users (http://www.projectorcentral.com/BenQ-W500-user-reviews.htm)
Projector Central (http://www.projectorcentral.com/benq_w500_home_theater_projector.htm)

In that price range, I would pick the W500, because it using 3 LCD panels to create the image. Most others (in this sub-$1000 range) use DLP technology, which in my opinion is inferior.

P.S.

Do you plan on connecting the projector to a cable box (or some sort of TV tuner source), because a projector does not have a "tuner" like a TV. (Take no offense, just checking.)

And start saving money for bulb replacements, which cost ~$250, and may need replacing in 18-24 months time, depending on usage.

[Outsider]

you are an awesome wife.
+1
So is my wife. She got me an Optima H31 for my wedding present a couple years back.

As for the BenQ projector, the user reviews at projectorcentral.com gave it a good rating.
http://www.projectorcentral.com/BenQ-W500.htm

[Shaynelle]

Thanks for the tips. The online reviews seem pretty good, and it's good to know about the 3 panel LCD image display. Thank you.

I was hoping we could watch movies and cable (just regular cable, not digital) on it. What is a cheap and easy tuner source? Hopefully a vcr or dvd player?

[fastlayne]

A VCR will work as the tuner.

An alternate to the VCR, is a DVD Recorder (with or without hard drive). The cable company coax connects directly to the DVR (just like the VCR) and includes a TV tuner. Cost $250-350 for a name brand model.

It wasn't mentioned that the W500 does not include a speaker (not that you'd want to use the projector's speaker), so an audio system is also required.

Or for real cheap, feed the projector from the old TV (assuming that it has the outputs) and hide the TV screen. The TV gives both the video and audio. Done.

[Jon Lai]

A TV box also does the trick, can be had for sub $100.

[Shaynelle]

Thanks everyone! This projector sounds like it will work well for what my husband wants. It's for our rec room mainly to watch movies on. And thank you for the tips on tuners and speakers, we have a surround sound system that I'm fairly certain we will be able to hook up to the projector. At least I hope so! But since it's Costco if it doesn't work for him, he can always take it back and buy something else.

[brunes]

Just FYI watching regular cable over a projector is not going to look very good *at all*. This is because every tiny amount of snow or other signal loss in the Cable that you never notice on your smaller TV will show up *BIG TIME* on a 60+ " projector screen.

If you get this you will seriously want to consider getting digital cable with some HD channels. It will be like night and day for you. Spending $800+ after taxes on a projector and screen just to run regular cable through it is a waste of your money, basic digital cable with the Canadian HD feeds would probably add 5 bucks / month to your bill if that.

[Shaynelle]

I've heard that before about the basic (analogue?) signals, but right now we have cable included so if we want digital we would have to start paying at least $50/month for digital :( And over one year that's $600 (at least)! Since we're mostly using it for movies the projector may be a good idea for us, but if the basic cable truly is horrible then I'll let him decide if he wants to pay the $$ for digital service. It's a good thing to know ahead of time though so we're not totally surprised when we plug it in to the cable tuner!

[toalan]

You know your husband is just going to use to projector to watch porn, if you are cool with that then you are truly and awesome wife.

[Shaynelle]

That's rather sexist of you. Who is to say buying it for the husband is not a front for me wanting it to watch porn on?

[toalan]

I has been owned

[Bskll]

+1

[CameraBill]

Actually a VCR source can turn out to be OK. What determines the quality is the scaler or resizing functions in the projector. All viewing equipment ie upscaling dvd players/HDTV/projectors can do it with varying degrees of quality. Hockey playoffs on a 100" projector is way better than a 27" TV bar none.

My suggestion.

gift = projector + porn + lube + naughty lingerie

becareful though...if my wife gave me that combo all at the same time I would hyperventilate and passout from over excitement. Emotionally I'm not equipped to handle that kind of stimulation.

[YLSF]

You might want to consider eventually getting an "Over the air" receiver so you can get HD signals via antennae (depends on your location... you might get 10 channels or nothing). I have a USB device hooked up to my media centre PC and I get a bunch of HD channels (Onair GT).