HOME Theater ?'s

[coltboostin]

My basic question is TV vs projector

 

For general comparison

 

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Panasonic+-+65%22+Class+/+Plasma+/+1080p+/+600Hz+/+3D+/+HDTV/2121573.p?id=1218310412682&skuId=2121573

 

 

Vs Say

 

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Epson+-+PowerLite+Full+HD+3D+3LCD+Projector/3655614.p?id=1218424566953&skuId=3655614

 

It claims to be 1080p and in theory you could go "unlimited" on the screen size. Lets say 70-80 for the home theater.

 

Is the projector as crisp ad a TV at the same size reference? I have no experience with this in a home theater setting. Room would have ZERO outside light.

[Shmaa]

Projector

[ghost1647545489]

I have a projector and I think dollar for dolar you can't get a better deal for a crisp clean HD picture at 100" (which is what I have) I have been very happy, depends on the lighting of you theater area, is there lots of natural light? or is it going in a finished basement? I say Projector!

[coltboostin]

I have a projector and I think dollar for dolar you can't get a better deal for a crisp clean HD picture at 100" (which is what I have) I have been very happy, depends on the lighting of you theater area, is there lots of natural light? or is it going in a finished basement? I say Projector!

 

Finished basement.

 

Little to ZERO natural light.

 

How bad is it with the "lights on", say watching a football game and you dont want it to be to "ghey" in there?

[Richard Cranium]

Based on the fact you said there would be no outside light I think a projector would be a good choice. I set up a system years ago and I'll give you some of my thoughts.

 

I don't use it as much as I thought I would just because it's a little less convenient than sitting down and turning on the TV.

 

I would not buy a referb projector (not sure if you were thinking about that or not) because of the fact the bulb has a limited life span. With a referb you have no idea how much life is left in the bulb and they can be a couple hundred to replace. Also, price out a replacement bulb before you buy the projector. That cost may enter into your decision.

 

Think about your screen. You can project on any wall, but if you want crisp and clear you will need a screen. I painted mine on the wall with (Behr paint has a color called silver screen). You're welcome to come by and check it out if you like. If I had it to do over again I would switch the base paint to a less glossy base. There is one very bright spot in the center of the screen when the room is dark. You cannot see it at an angle, but if you are directly in front of the screen it is very noticeable.

 

There is a limit to the screen size as the light from the projector becomes more dispersed the further away from the screen you are. Off the top of my head I don't know it, but there is a formula for figuring luminosity vs. distance. In a normal sized house room with no ambient light though you probably don't need to worry about it.

 

Read as much as you can about the projectors you are looking at, there are a lot of features you will want to evaluate. For instance, my projector has a cooling fan that is a little on the loud side. You might be interested in the tradeoff of lumens vs. using an LED bulb that will allow for quieter operation of the projector.

 

I'm not an expert by far, these are just a few of the things I have reflected on after setting up my system.

[kirks5oh]

projector. we have a 120" projector in the movie room in our basement. my 3 kids are the only ones that use it, and they use it often. it came with the house, and is kind of a shitty projector---not even a high quality one. but it still works great with the bluray player and absolutely no light in the movie room. eventually, we'll get a better projector and even a better screen--but for now, its just as good of a picture as our tv (i can't tell the difference), and of course, its huge.

[06busa]

I just got the Epson 8350 and from what I can tell, the picture will be really nice. That is based on just hooking it up and projecting on unfinished drywall and not messing with any settings. I will have it setup for 133" screen. I installed recessed lighting on a dimmer switch and wall sconces on a dimmer switch. Either way can have some light on but drop it down enough to not affect the picture quality.

[thorne]

If you can go full dark or close to it Projector all the way. I had a projector back 2003 and i miss it when i wanna watch a movie.

[coltboostin]

Based on the fact you said there would be no outside light I think a projector would be a good choice. I set up a system years ago and I'll give you some of my thoughts.

 

I don't use it as much as I thought I would just because it's a little less convenient than sitting down and turning on the TV.

 

I would not buy a referb projector (not sure if you were thinking about that or not) because of the fact the bulb has a limited life span. With a referb you have no idea how much life is left in the bulb and they can be a couple hundred to replace. Also, price out a replacement bulb before you buy the projector. That cost may enter into your decision.

 

Think about your screen. You can project on any wall, but if you want crisp and clear you will need a screen. I painted mine on the wall with (Behr paint has a color called silver screen). You're welcome to come by and check it out if you like. If I had it to do over again I would switch the base paint to a less glossy base. There is one very bright spot in the center of the screen when the room is dark. You cannot see it at an angle, but if you are directly in front of the screen it is very noticeable.

 

There is a limit to the screen size as the light from the projector becomes more dispersed the further away from the screen you are. Off the top of my head I don't know it, but there is a formula for figuring luminosity vs. distance. In a normal sized house room with no ambient light though you probably don't need to worry about it.

 

Read as much as you can about the projectors you are looking at, there are a lot of features you will want to evaluate. For instance, my projector has a cooling fan that is a little on the loud side. You might be interested in the tradeoff of lumens vs. using an LED bulb that will allow for quieter operation of the projector.

 

I'm not an expert by far, these are just a few of the things I have reflected on after setting up my system.

 

Great info-thanks!

 

 

 

And I am quite surprised everyone is all about the projector.

 

 

Another question- do some/all/ any projectors come with a HDTV tuner-for tat least basic cable or do they always require coax/RCA/HDMI input?

[Shmaa]

Great info-thanks!

 

 

 

And I am quite surprised everyone is all about the projector.

 

 

Another question- do some/all/ any projectors come with a HDTV tuner-for tat least basic cable or do they always require coax/RCA/HDMI input?

 

Most that I am aware of only have inputs, no tuners. You can get a decent 720p projector for less than a thousand and a decent screen for a couple hundred depending on size.

[Draco-REX]

Slightly different question, but still HT related,

 

I'm thinking of upgrading my TV. I currently have a DLP TV. It's clear, has no flicker, and is great for Movies.

 

However, fast action can get a bit rough and while black is truly black, the set is too dark for games. I'm getting sick of not being able to see detail in dark games or dark standard def programs.

 

So I'm thinking of going to a LED TV. But I have a couple questions that I'm hoping the Home Theater Crew here can answer for me.

 

First and foremost, I'm looking at a 120Hz LG. How are their TVs these days? Is their passive 3D any good?

 

Next, this TV has Local Dimming for better blacks. Will this make the set too dark again?

 

Thanks.

[coltboostin]

Most that I am aware of only have inputs, no tuners. You can get a decent 720p projector for less than a thousand and a decent screen for a couple hundred depending on size.

 

 

Dang- I really want to be able to watch TV. figure it would be good for sporting events- and we dont have boxes (PR cable- LOL)

 

may be a deal killer-I will haver to weight the options.

[smokin5s]

if you don't have cable boxes, you can still pick up tuners.... I have an over the air tuner that's an external box... if you have cable but no box, there's a lot of different types of tuners... hell you could use an old VCR for a basic tuner... you will lose some picture quality, but if you aren't going HD and just want it to broadcast the tv channel, it might be a viable option for you.

 

As far as even light in the room, I have an older 720P projector, and it's still bright as hell even with a few lamps on in the room.

[Trouble Maker]

The size of the screen also depends on what the projector can do, it's throw. They have zooms on the front of them, for lack of a better description. This will also effect if it works well being closer or further away from the screen. Which is not only dependent on your room size, but maybe the ceiling layout. You can plug in a projector you are thinking about getting, distance it will be from the screen and intended screen size here.

http://www.projectorcentral.com/projection-calculator-pro.cfm

 

There are also more calcs which take luminoicity into account, based on projector lumens, distance from the screen and screen gain. Sorry, I couldn't easily find one, but you should be able to find one somewhere.

 

You might want to consider a screen with a higher gain, if you are watching mostly sports, even if you have no external light.

 

This place seems to have good customer feed back, and they have a lot of projectors and screens at good prices. Some of their combos seem like killer deals.

http://www.projectorpeople.com/

I've never bought from them, but have heard lots of good things.

 

I would say I can't wait until we buy a place to make my HT room, but it's a toss up as to whether the basement will be finished or even finish-able. Damn old houses.

[coltboostin]

I will do some reading- and look into grabbing some sort of tuner!

 

8 foot high- distance to screen in the room is probably 14 feet.

[Tshensley]

I bought my 60 panasonic 3d plasma and love the tv, but it is in the family room. If I had a basement, I would not think twice about getting the projector. IMO there is no point in having 3d on a tv without being able to be quite a bit a larger screen than my 60

[mrblunt]

I'm in the middle of a build myself. I can post some pics if your interested.

 

I second the Epson 8350. Best entry level projector out - check this out for tons of reviews - http://www.projectorcentral.com/projector-reviews.cfm - is 3d important btw??

 

I'd also refer you to avsforum.com - enthusiast forum with more information than you could ever possibly want. There are a bazillion threads out there with room builds to give you lots of good ideas. But more importantly these guys are insane with room acoustics, projector placement for optimum optics....etc. You could read until your sick.

 

Or just call Mike C. That's what this fool does (he's dealing with uber high budgets but none the less he knows he stuff).

 

For screens you can review the DIY screen section on AVS. No need to spend 700-1000 bucks when you can build one yourself that will out perform a manufactured one. I'm going with a combo of 6mm Sintra + screen paint designed by the guru on AVS. I wanted to put the money elsewhere in my budget. Right now i'm shooting onto a piece of 1/16" melamine which is glued to 1/4 plywood and it looks great.

[ohioko4s4]

JP, I have a near new JVC Procision DLA-X90RBU projector. It's a top rated DLIA that has 100 hours on it. I've had a number of projectors over the years (Runco, Sony, JVC) and this is the nicest I've had. Check it out. It's being stored with my AV installer at the moment. Let me know if you're interested.

[Trouble Maker]

JP, I have a near new JVC Procision DLA-X90RBU projector.

 

4K projector :masturboy:

12K pricetag :no:

[Xyster101]

Slightly different question, but still HT related,

 

I'm thinking of upgrading my TV. I currently have a DLP TV. It's clear, has no flicker, and is great for Movies.

 

 

So I'm thinking of going to a LED TV. But I have a couple questions that I'm hoping the Home Theater Crew here can answer for me.

 

First and foremost, I'm looking at a 120Hz LG. How are their TVs these days? Is their passive 3D any good?

 

Next, this TV has Local Dimming for better blacks. Will this make the set too dark again?

 

Thanks.

 

I bought the LG 65W5600 smart 65" 3D LED LCD TV at 120hz. It has passive 3d. I hate active, those glasses, batteries, flickering shutters. Passive only has glasses, they cost $15 each or free from a 3D movie place. My only complaint is when the screen goes 100% black, there is some bleed through around the edges. It does dimming black and things look fine, even dark shows that have space scenes. My 42" plasma has better blacks, but it also uses a lot more energy, get really warm and I wanted a good TV, low energy, and little heat (not good AC in that room).

 

 

To original OP:

Projectors rule size wise, but they have to warm up, don't have tuners, require a screen ($200-$600+ depending on what you get), and the bulbs burn out (might take 5 years) and cost $300 or so.

 

Big Plasma:

Easy to turn on, has tuner, crisp colors, no fan noise, no bulbs, easier to install.

 

Also depends on how far you sit. I have a 65" and sitting 15' is fine. Sitting 8' away is sweet!

 

http://www.adamdaley.com/max/house/tvstand/DSC_4810.jpg

[coltboostin]

JP, I have a near new JVC Procision DLA-X90RBU projector. It's a top rated DLIA that has 100 hours on it. I've had a number of projectors over the years (Runco, Sony, JVC) and this is the nicest I've had. Check it out. It's being stored with my AV installer at the moment. Let me know if you're interested.

 

I will let you know! Hopefully I will get lucky and it s sitting next to that Escort I was supposed to pick up a while back.

[coltboostin]

To original OP:

Projectors rule size wise, but they have to warm up, don't have tuners, require a screen ($200-$600+ depending on what you get), and the bulbs burn out (might take 5 years) and cost $300 or so.

 

Big Plasma:

Easy to turn on, has tuner, crisp colors, no fan noise, no bulbs, easier to install.

 

 

I don't mind warm up time-for movie night its like foreplay. Also looking at a 80-90 inch screen area-and am looking into the "paint the wall" screen options as those just make the most sense to me.

[mrblunt]

As a supppppper cheap makeshift screen while I finish my room build I'm shooting on this - http://menards.com/main/building-materials/panel-products/melamine/1-4-x-49-x-97-melamine/p-1669288-c-5701.htm

 

It's rigid, scratch resistant and cheap - spray whatever color you want on it, or just leave it as is. Just an alternative some of the DIY guys are using. That way its tossable when you decide you want something different and you dont have to repaint your room.

[TTQ B4U]

Posted a bit of information earlier. I love projectors. Get a good one and you won't regret it. Lighting is key. Pitch black viewing is nice but not as easy on the eyes over a long night. I added the theater lights and put them on dimmers for those that tend to need them.......like my wife.

 

http://www.columbusracing.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1261281&postcount=28

 

http://www.columbusracing.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1261849&postcount=38

[Draco-REX]

I bought the LG 65W5600 smart 65" 3D LED LCD TV at 120hz. It has passive 3d. I hate active, those glasses, batteries, flickering shutters. Passive only has glasses, they cost $15 each or free from a 3D movie place. My only complaint is when the screen goes 100% black, there is some bleed through around the edges. It does dimming black and things look fine, even dark shows that have space scenes. My 42" plasma has better blacks, but it also uses a lot more energy, get really warm and I wanted a good TV, low energy, and little heat (not good AC in that room).

I just brought home a LG 65LW6500. I was looking at it, planning to take a big hit in the wallet and decided to see if Best Buy had one on display that I could check out. Turns out it's an End of Life model and they had one that was returned for being too big and only had 100 hours of DVD play on it. I was planning to think about it for a while longer, but at nearly half cost, I couldn't walk out.

 

The LED TV is nice so far. The picture looks clearer, which is surprising. It's brighter and works better during the day. Also dark games have detail now.

 

But, the dark areas aren't as dark as they were on my DLP. It's MUCH heavier; I had to check its weight to make sure my stand would support it. Also the 120Hz makes the motion almost TOO real in some instances.

 

But overall, a good upgrade and I'm sure I'll get used to the new motion.

 

I don't like how the screen becomes interlaced when in 3D mode, but it's pretty unavoidable for passive 3D. They should have doubled the number of rows on the screen, but I'm sure that would have probably doubled the cost. The thing is, 3D is still a rough technology and still mostly gimmick. So I really don't care that much for it. Though GT5 is unplayable due to the interlacing I'm not that upset because I wasn't looking forward to it. I'll probably pick up a 3D movie or two for fun, but most of my movie purchases will be regular 2D versions.