Here are my settings for the Epson ex70 for home theater use. I project it onto a wall that has a special screen paint. I can't remember the brand of paint, but it has some added reflective material in it. To get the best possible settings, I had to tweak it a bit. 1. Connect the DVD to the HDMI port. This makes a BIG difference! The other ports work, but the HDMI port seems to give the best overall image. 2. The default settings on the projector are too bright for good home cinema. I like my theater room darkened, so .. My settings for my white painted wall and dark room are: - use the Cinema/theater setting and Auto iris on. - set the lamp setting to LOW. (this also lowers the fan noise) - tweak (adjust) the projector settings Brightness, contrast, etc. to find what works best for your room. The major settings are: - brightness to a little below 50% - contrast to about 75% (give the image some snap!). - set the color balance to cool. There are about 40 different settings, so you have to try them out and see what works. Calibration takes some time, but hey its fun to play!!!! I know that it is really a business/presentation projector.... but with 1280x800 resolution, auto iris, etc it makes a decent home theater projector. This really is a great projector and for the price, you can't beat it!

I'm looking for a projector with nice set of features to use for showing family presentations at parties, movies through my blu-ray player on my deck, avi and mpg files through my computer. I would say definitely something portable. I'm liking the nice 7 watt speakers on the Epson (tested it out, sounds great!) many different input options in the back (usb, sd card, stereo audio) and the fact it's a newer product but I'm also seing the Optoma is very popular, has now great price and better lumens. I'm not sure about quality and lifespan between the one vs the other. So I need advice on what to sacrifice from when buying myself a budget projector. Thank you!!!