Optoma - HD20

Used projectors are the way to go. While there are tons of cheap single LCD models out there, they tend to be limited in brightness which means they really are only effective up to about a 110" diagonal in a completely dark room. Used name brand models from Epson, BenQ, and Optoma tend to be 3 to 5 times as bright as the no-name projectors which are out there. In my area, there is currently an Optoma HD20 on Craigslist for $220 as an example. That's a reasonably good model for the money and would be excellent for a first time buyer. So, do some digging for what's available near you and within budget.

Xgimi effing flip $220 https://www.ebay.com/itm/316305547151?_skw=xgimi+elfin+projector&epid=25073664584&itmmeta=01K2T3YCG4SVYFN99PHNM5BKZR&hash=item49a5479f8f:g:2QMAAOSwhABm3poq&itmprp=enc%3AAQAKAAAA0FkggFvd1GGDu0w3yXCmi1doOaw5pWFFs4O7kWtPmMjnCpPqs%2F0TfumkoqokfVXD%2By%2BauQPdJAldBV2vtofnkydII4gfh33Qe5TNnvgADe4hoB5ttimPghmlug9Ivlw53TclO7sIfPywrFxH4coDAqJoRiSDkNRYJrjFuRzHnBciN6yH8pbEC7OjslzQO%2FCE%2F9s%2FXopnFtshBs1sZghADN0Ip26F5ekqPkqAR1gmW19XUhNFR6A6Ns8CpgmHhKrnK%2FPRM%2BAr7HjwTpVnju3qlYE%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR5jI-cOWZg Mogo Pro 2 $216 https://www.ebay.com/itm/314792480218?itmmeta=01K2T41A9AAFP0T1ZXZJ33Z82Y&hash=item494b180dda:g:6SwAAOSwhLJk6A1C Both are certified refurbished from the manufacturer and on sale with a 2yr warranty.  Also you can ask over on budget projectors for more help. I ended up getting a Infocus in116x yesterday. WXGA native, running at 720p (not stretched) and after calibrating focus, brightness, Contrast, sharpness, the displayed image looks exceptional.  Its being displayed on an elite screen manual b screen and the image reminds me of being on the showroom floor looking at high end tvs and the projector was $60 used. Will it stand up to scrutiny to an enthusiast who demands perfection, nope. But it looks good and is an example of what you can do on the used market if you choose to do so. Funny thing is I would argue its looks better than my 1080p Optoma HD20.

I have a Optoma HD20 I paid $25 for. Infocus in116x $60, and Optoma ml500 $50. I use a $60 100in elite screens manual b, bought it on discount because the metal case was dented, no one can see the dent facing the ceiling. They are all more than usable. All bought used. The infocus is more of a regular price for it and the other two I got good deals on. The infocus after adjusting the contrast, brightness, and focus and set to 720p (Not upscale to wxga) creates a beautiful picture. It reminded me of being on a showroom floor looking at high end tvs. I know objectively it doesn't compete, subjectively I dont care and it looks good enough to be put in the same category to me. It makes me hapoy. And caused my grandma to say "wow, look at the picture" for over 10 minutes while I played a video.  So to recap if your not an enthusiast, yes we can get a good projector for under $500 on the used market. There is a vast difference between specs which are objective and what someone may find enjoyment in which is very much subjective. 

Hey that's good to know I'm still using my old Optoma HD20 looking to upgrade so good to know what to look out for.

You cant know something you never had basically. But that projector, once it starts to get burn in, thats it... Ewaste. A proper projector (can find on ebay even as low as 300e) will have a bulb which is replaceable and last about 10k hours (depends on system) and the bulbs at least for me cost only 80euro. Colorwheels cost 5euro a pop. All very easy diy change out. My projector is now iirc 15years old. 1080p60hz, optoma, long throw, its on very often just like tv, i changed maybe 3 bulbs so far... Has gaming settings reduce latency etc. great colors and contrast. Never used a screen even for it. Any plain color wall worked better than any of the budget screens. Have repainted wall matt white now and it works very well instead of those budget screens. 

With Blackfriday looming im trying to make a similar decision. Again like you i have a dedicated theatre room with full control over light. I currently have an old 1080p Optama projector with a fixed 100" screen. I need to look at replace the projector but with mini-led 100" tvs dropping drastically im not sure which route to take. main use is movies as I have a sepwrat3 family room with an LG c3 65".

I have bought several used Projectors over the last few years, they work great for a while but always end up having bulb issues or fans issues and they overheat. Optomas are good to get used, easy to work on, but if you plan on using them in a theater setup, make sure they play nice with your receiver. I spent a lot of money on my set up, dropped 2500.00 on a Denon high end receiver ( used on inheritance money from grand parent that passed, only way i would ever be able to get something that high end.) Came across a good deal on a Optoma 1080 projector on FB Market place, think I paid like 80 bucks, it works great plugged into a streaming box like Apple TV, but when I plug it into my receiver, to get surround sound with the projector, the video will not come through and the receiver does not see the projector at all. So I use it as an outdoor projector for movie nights. I have a Benq HT1075 that a friend had that was overheating, paid like $200 for it, it works pretty good but has to be taken apart and cleaned every 6 months. I say all this to say you can find a good unit used, but be careful its like buying a used car, you don’t know if it was taken care of, and how much it was abused. It could turn into a money pit. I am waiting for UST laser projectors to become a little more affordable, then I will be will to drop 800 or so on one, and not have to worry about replacing a bulb at an inconvenient time for 150-200 bucks.