Budget projectors

[Cat]

As anyone had any luck with a budget toptro projector from Amazon 200$. As your first unit to experiment before dropping big doe on something that might not be adequate. Cheers

[darbysan]

They may fall a little above your range, but I bought a used Optima EH415ST on Ebay a few months ago. At the time, I paid $220. I've been very happy with the results. I have a semi-bright room, and the higher Lumens gives me a pretty good image. When I bought my simulator, it came with a cheap projector. I could barely see it on the screen, so the extra lumens are important.

[Cat]

Right on thanks.

[Corrcadd99]

I love my Toptro projector. Incredible pic and value
Should be easily double the price. Liked it so much I bought one for my media room as well. My brother also loved the image/price so much he bought one as well.
Can't say enough about this hidden jem.

See link
TOPTRO 5G Bluetooth WiFi Projector with Carrying Case,Upgraded 15000 Lumen Native 1080P Portable Projector,Support 4D Keystone/Zoom/4K,Home Theater Projector Compatible with Phone/TV Stick/USB/PS5/DVD https://a.co/d/gwMMwZt

[arniesarmy2022]

floor or ceiling mount? how far from screen are you?

[Cat]

Good to hear thanks. Are you projecting 4:3 or 16:9. Offf to side or straight on. How far are you from projector to screen. Iam trying to get a sense of your set up.

[DaveyRockit]

Vivitek dw884st 3600 lumens used go for about $200 as well

[mojo13]

Just got all the parts for my simulator purchased and haven't assembled anything yet but I got a Viewsonic PS600X used from Ebay with under 100 hours on it for $200. It is a native 4:3 if that is what you are looking for. I was looking for something bright as it will be in my garage with ambient light and in a quick test looks nice for the money.

[PG50]

I have a Groview 818c from amazon. Got it with a coupon for around $75. It's actually currently on sale for $139 (with an additional $50 off coupon available). I watched a bunch of reviews. Found a guy who did extensive testing with different optical meters and whatnot. And he ranked the 818c really high. Even above many that were more expensive. It's a pretty solid projector.

The only "gripe" is the brightness might not be as good as others. But, if you can control the lighting in your space, it's a non-issue. I'd highly recommend it as a "dip your toe in the water" option that will likely satisfy your needs quite well.

[Peanut Tree Golf]

PG50 do you have any pictures of your set-up with the groview 818c on? Also, what is the throw distance for you? The groview isn't on projector central. I need 9 feet wide but want it above my head at like 7-8 feet from the screen.

[PG50]

Peanut Tree Golf not the best pics, but what I have available currently. Screen is 10 feet wide. Projector is 15 feet from the screen. It's definitely not a short throw projector.

[Peanut Tree Golf]

Thanks for sharing. Yeah you're right the picture actually is pretty good. Yeah the distance would likely be an issue for me. Thanks again!