I have little prior experience with projectors other than some work experiences and extensive reading leading up to my purchase. Some things to know about projectors in general, versus this one in particular:
1. Even "bright" projectors are not bright by LCD or plasma TV standards. A review boasting how a projector works well even in a "lit" room is talking about a lamp on in the furthest corner, not a living room with the blinds up in daylight.
This projector manages about 2500 lumens in practical conditions, which is considered bright compared to most consumer projectors, but you'll still need a very dim room to get the most from it.
2. There are two kinds of projectors you'll tend to encounter: LCD projectors and DLP projectors. LCD projectors can lose points with people because each pixel (squares that make up the image) can be a little too crisp and delineated. This sounds good but can make you feel like you're watching a giant Gameboy screen. DLP projectors don't have the problems of LCDs, and can look more natural; but DLPs can bother certain people who can detect a "rainbow effect" at the corner of their eye or when looking away quickly. There's a type of DLP projector/ TV called "3 DLP" which uses three chips and should cure this problem, but they're much more expensive at the moment.
This projector is the DLP variety. I was able to see the "rainbow effect," but not when I was watching directly, and I found it didn't bother me.
3. Projectors currently use a light bulb to project their image, and these typically last 2000-4000 hours. Compared to 20-40,000 hours for a Plasma or LCD, that can sound like a small number, but remember that 2000 hours= 2 hours per day for almost three years! Not too shabby. However, replacement bulbs cost about $200-not cheap.
This projector claims 3000-5000 hours of lamp life, depending on whether you use it in "eco" mode or "bright" mode. In my experience, "bright" mode makes the projector noticeably louder and hotter, and is only a little bit brighter than "eco." For the extra hours of lamp life, as well as the longevity of the projector, I recommend "eco" mode.
4. Not all projectors come with built-in speakers-in fact, many don't. This may not sound like an issue when you're planning a home theater, but it can prove a practical disadvantage if you take your projector places or only set it up occasionally. Additionally, some projectors have no way to output sound once it reaches the projector, another problem if you aren't sending your video through a sound system first.
This projector has 10-watt speakers-enough for undiscerning viewers in a small room. It also will pass sound through a headphone-style jack, so you can connect bigger speakers.
5. There are plenty of low-priced projectors out there without an HDMI port. At this point in time, HDMI isn't just the future, but the present! Modern PCs, game consoles, even smart phones can use this port. And for legal reasons, you soon won't be able to play movies in high definition without one.
This projector has 2 HDMI ports, as well as all legacy ports like VGA (for PCs), component (Wii), composite and s-video (VCR). This makes it easy to connect from most any device as well as being pretty good for a permanent installation.
6. Typically, a projector is designed to be at the very back of a room, projecting to the opposite wall. There are, however, "short throw" projectors that can produce an equally large image from fairly close. The disadvantage of short throw projectors is that the most discerning will notice that the image is slightly distorted in order to make such a big image in such a small space. The advantage is that people can be standing and moving about without getting in the way of the projected image.
This projector is of the "short throw" variety and can project an image about 100" diagonally from 5 feet. The image is always above the top of the projector from any distance, so the projector is never in the way, and the distortion is mild and not distracting.
7. Most projectors have some form of "keystone" correction. What this means is that they can allow you to project a perfectly square/ rectangular picture even when your projector is angled left or right/ higher or lower than optimal.
This projector allows you correct an image if your projector is angled higher or lower (vertical keystone), but not left or right (horizontal keystone). For me this means having to fidget with the projector to get a square image, which can be a challenge.
8. Currently there are two levels of HD projectors, just as there are for TVs: 720p and 1080p. Just as you would expect, 1080p is the sharper image. However, at comparable prices (under a thousand), they are not nearly as bright as their 720p counterparts.
This projector is 720p, and looks sharp enough to my eyes, but with 720p you choose "big and bright" over "sharp." I would suggest that, if you are planning to have a truly dark room, you should get a 1080p projector instead. If you plan to have any light in your room, however, and you don't plan to spend significantly more money, this projector (or one similarly bright) is preferred.
Some other thoughts on this projector and projectors in general:
If you're planning to watch a lot of content during the day, and you don't plan to block out almost all light habitually, I'd recommend a large LCD or plasma over a projector.
Gaming on a giant projector screen is UNBEATABLE for immersion! Also it has been rated (by a blogger) at 0ms response time, meaning you'll see action 4-12ms sooner than you would with a plasma or LCD. This makes a big difference for both modern shooters and old-school platforming games.
Best I can tell, all projectors perform best in an "almost" pitch-black room.
Nearly all projectors lie about how bright they will be in practice. For instance, I could probably achieve the advertised 3000 lumens with the GT750, but only after ruining the picture in the settings menu.
I have found two instances where users said this projector died from overheating. I can see this as a real possibility for someone using it for 8-hour stretches on its brightest mode, but not in eco mode.
The GT750 has 3D available, but I don't own the $80 glasses needed to try it out.
This projector has no handle, but comes with a backpack with plenty of room for accessories.
I tested this projector with a PS3 for 1080p games and movies, iPad for 720p HD movies, and a Turbografx-16 for old-school standard-definition games.
All bulb projectors (this one included) need a brief period of time to cool down after use. This one runs the fan loudly for 10 seconds while giving you a countdown on the screen.
Most of the reading I did to familiarize myself with projectors came from (projector reviews com) and (projector central com), in addition to reviews posted by other amazon members.
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