Cheap HD Projectors on ebay. Are they worth it?

[niceties55]

Whats up with these real cheap projectors that claim to be 720p and have HDMI? Are these worth it? (i mean for the price) I know they are not as good as a 2 grand one, but are these good for the price? Are they pretty high quality?


http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-HD-1080i-Pr...ltDomain_0?hash=item2c52009188#ht_4806wt_1053

http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-HD-1080i-Pr...ultDomain_0?hash=item3ca8f6f5c4#ht_6557wt_941

http://cgi.ebay.com/HOME-THEATHER-P...ultDomain_0?hash=item3efb3685a2#ht_3770wt_941

 

[01001010]

They look like cheap Chinese knockoffs.

 

[FlightSimBoy]

Agreed. Don't skimp out on a projector if you really want one. Get one that is name brand and comes with a warranty, and if you can get bulb replacement warranty as well, get it too. The bulb is by far the most expensive part of the projector, and if you bought one of those projectors, you would probably pay more for a replacement bulb if that should happen to give out.

Go for a well known brand. Dell, Epson, Sony, NEC, ViewSonic, etc.. Look for one that has a long warranty, cheap(er) and longer lasting bulbs than other projecters, and has the features you want. A 1080 HD or 720 HD projector won't be cheap.

 

[niceties55]

Well I mean for the price are they good? Or just real cheap junk, cause i have gotten some good (for the price) chinese knock offs

 

[berry120]

Well I mean for the price are they good? Or just real cheap junk, cause i have gotten some good (for the price) chinese knock offs

Unless someone around here has actually bought one of the things then it's impossible to say (and I doubt anyone has.) Even then the nature of things means that someone might get a completely different projector when they order the same thing. Sure it shouldn't happen, but it does.

In short though, while you might end up with a bargain you're taking a big risk - if it was a £5 mouse I might take the gamble, but at that price you're losing a lot if it turns out to be utter crap. And if I had to take a guess then that's what I'd say it would be - there's a lot of fake and badly made stuff out there at the moment trying to con people (especially on ebay and similar) and of course it's always worth remembering that if it seems to good to be true then it probably is.

Some Chinese made stuff is good for the price yes, but I'd only get it through another reputable company (Thomann / studiospares for instance sell a lot of chinese made stuff - but it's been moderated and scrutinised by them and as such, made to standards.) Buy from a random ebay seller and you're just asking for trouble.

As others have said, go for a well known brand / model, read reviews, check the price of replacement lamps and if possible see it in action. It's just not worth the hassle or the potential waste of money otherwise.

 

[bullzi]

They are not good. Just because it says 1080i doesn't mean it truly displays 1080i. If you'll notice further down in the auction, it says "Resolution 800x600" 1080i is 1920x1080. So that's a HUGE difference in picture quality. If you're getting a projector, don't skimp. We run a 1024x768 DLP at home on a 109", sure it takes 1080i but it isn't true HD. Still looks DAMN good though..

 

[tom-knox]

Tempting to keep looking through cheap chinese knock offs then, just widen the budget a little

 

[bullzi]

Yea one of these cheap 800x600 projectors would be great just for TV watching, definitely don't expect super quality though..

 

[Tommy Boy]

Stay away.......