Choosing from the Best Home Theater Projectors under $2000

Whether your tastes run to movies, watching Jon Stewart of the Daily Show poke fun at Bush, or are hooked on basketball's March Madness; watching in the comfort of your home, on a screen that's 100 inches diagonal or more, is something to behold and inspire.

For advice, explanations, and information on creating your own home theater, please visit www.projectorreviews.com.

In this comparison review we look four of the most popular HD resolution home theater projectors that are currently available for around $2000 or less. Each of them has previously received one of our Hot Product Award. A fifth projector, the new InFocus IN76, is due to start shipping at the end of March 06. We will update this comparison review once we have had a chance to review the InFocus IN76.

The the world of more expensive home theater projectors, - over $4000, is dominated by DLP projectors, which at that price range and above are generally considered to produce a better image than LCD, and have a more "film-like" quality. However, in the $2000 range, LCD and DLP are generally considered comparable, each with its own distinct advantages.

Below, the Sanyo PLV-Z4 is pictured.

The InFocus has been included on this list, as InFocus is a top selling brand of home theater projectors, and their new model is almost certainly to be a significant competitor. This article will be updated after we complete the InFocus review. In this article, two other, more expensive projectors are also mentioned. They are more in the $2500 plus range, but may fit your needs if you have a larger budget.

All projectors are widescreen (16:9) aspect ratio, HDTV compatible, with a native resolution of 1280x720 - which means true hi-def. Yes there is a second, higher resolution HD: 1920x1080. To date, only a few if these 1080p projector are on the market, and right now, they start around $10,000 and up.

The image to the right is the Panasonic PT-AE900U.

Price catagories reflect typical discounted online selling prices. Expect higher prices in "local" dealers that offer installation.

Under $2000 Home Theater Projectors: (listed in order of review date - oldest to newest) The links below will take you to the full length reviews.

• BenQ PE-7700 DLP Projector (this review has a 1/06 update)


• Panasonic PT-AE900u LCD Projector


• Sanyo PLV-Z4 LCD Projector


• Optoma HD72 DLP Projector


• InFocus IN76 - being released late March 06.
  
  Review of the In Focus IN76 anticipated in April. This comparison will be updated upon completion.

Of this list of 5 home theater projectors, the Sanyo PLV-Z4 and the Panasonic PT-AE900u are the two LCD projectors, and also happen to be the two least expensive. The other three are all DLP projectors.

To the right is an image of the BenQ PE7700.

I should mention that there are two others that are both LCD projectors - Epson's Cinema 550 and Sony's HS-51A. Both are also reviewed, but too expensive for this comparison.

If your budget runs to $2500 or perhaps more, you may also want to visit the www.projectorreviews.com website and read about them. I point out below where they might have an advantage to you if you have the budget.

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