What You Should Know About Buying Projector From Ebay Or Online Auction
by Clifford Tan
Many people wish to purchase a
home projection theater system but still have to work within the constraints of
a budget. Can a budget projector be a viable alternative? While a thousand
dollars is still a lot of money, it really is not so much to pay for a good home
theater projection system. A good home theater will provide years of
entertainment from movies, to video and computer games to vacation picture
slideshows. How though, can someone find a projector for less than one thousand
dollars? How can anybody find a quality projector that also fits the category of
a cheap projector? How can they make sure it is going to suit their needs?
One of the most obvious options is through auctions. This is a very difficult
way to purchase a projector. The main reason is that all you can do is asking
questions of someone who has already proven that they are a motivated seller,
proven by the very fact that they have posted the projector on an online
auction. Bidding online can be done with some level of confidence though. It is
very easy to conceive of getting a very good multimedia projector for less than
a thousand dollars in this manner.
Making sure you ask the questions you want answered is the first challenge in
finding a home theater projector online. While this may sound easy enough, it
really is not when you think about it. For example:
Buyer: Why are you selling your projector? Seller: Because I am thinking about
buying a new projection system. (Thinking, looking, considering ... all are
terms to make the buyer beware)
Why would this simple question and answer dissuade someone from actively bidding
on this projector? Take a moment to look at it more closely. The seller
obviously wants to sell the projection unit that they currently own. But "why do
they want to sell it" is the relevant question. The answer states that they are
looking, considering, thinking about, or otherwise contemplating the purchase of
a new system, this is not to say that they are actively in the process of
purchasing a new system. This in turn, should lead the prospective purchaser of
the online auction projector to ask themselves, and the seller, a series of
other questions. Why are they selling the projector without having found a new
one they are sure of?
While there are literally thousands of different combinations of this simple
question and answer "red flag," the key is the same in all of them. If the
seller will not give specifics then buyer beware. It is better to lose a bid on
a high quality projection theater system than it is to win even with a low bid
for a damaged projection unit. The cost of repairs, while relevant in the long
term of projector life is important; it should not have to be a factor when
purchasing a new projector, no matter where it is bought.
Things to look for that will indicate it may in fact be a quality cheap
projector usually are some type of upgrade on the part of the seller. While they
may still be very happy with the unit they are selling, somehow or another they
have managed to put together the money for a new home theater projector display
and setup. Another factor may very well be that they were uninformed when they
made the purchase.
One key to making a new projector purchase is making sure the store where it is
purchased has a good return policy. Ambient lighting, (while the most common
factor, is not the only one) will cause many projector displays that look great
in the store display to function less than ideally in the purchaser's home. It
may well be that the seller did not ask the right questions when they bought the
projector and they cannot return it. This happens more than most people want to
admit ... with any number of products, not just with projection units. Asking
the correct questions can make it easier to figure out if the projector will be
right for your needs or not.
Ask the seller about the picture quality of the projection unit they are
selling. If the seller is specific and gives you an answer saying that it is not
what they expected, there could be other mitigating factors that will make this
ideal for you to get a great deal on a great projection system for well under
one thousand dollars.
Find out what kind of projection screen they are using. If the projection screen
is not ideally suited to the home theater projector they purchased, that could
be a point in favor of the buyer. Sometimes a person will spend a great deal of
money on a projector and use the blank space on the wall to project the
multimedia displays. If the projector shuts off or flickers. This could be an
indication that the projector is fine (For the moment) but has been set up
somewhere that is either too dusty for the projection unit filters to keep up or
it has been set up somewhere that there is not sufficient airflow and the
projection unit is overheating. Find out specific details about where the
projector is. Do not be afraid to ask questions. The worst that can happen is
that they will refuse your bid and save you money. Not a bad deal really, and
certainly better than ending up with a home projector that will not work at all
or that needs substantive repairs.
If you know that the projector is functioning well but the picture quality is
not what it should be, there could well be another frequently encountered
problem. This is known as the keystone effect. Most projection units come with
keystone adjustment features. The concept is to allow the optic lenses to be
adjusted horizontally and vertically. While this can be a great benefit in some
projectors, some home theater systems will become quickly inundated with the
keystone effect. To make a long story short, the screen and the projector have
pixels. The pixels are little concave shaped areas where light is projected and
displayed. The keystone effect occurs when the pixels on the screen are not
correctly aligned with the pixels being projected from the projection unit. This
will greatly detract from the viewing pleasure and often causes unpleasant
sensations such as headaches to the viewer.
If a buyer is willing (And well informed enough) to ask specific questions they
should get specific answers. If the seller refuses to be specific or to discuss
details, than do not bid. Ever! The well-informed buyer will never end up with a
seriously damaged projector, and just may, if they ask the right questions, end
up with a high quality home theater projection system for well under a thousand
dollars.
Note: This article may be republish for use in websites as long as the author
bio and active hyperlinks are kept intact.
Clifford Tan, a Home Theater enthusiast and owner of the website Home Projector
Advisor provides reviews, articles and many useful tips and hints on home
projectors. To find out more great information about home projection system,
visit the site http://www.home-projector-advisor.com
About the Author: Clifford Tan
http://www.home-projector-advisor.com
.
Source of this article:
www.goarticles.com
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