Should I buy an LCD projector, or an LCD TV?
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I was thinking of buying an LCD projector (720p) with an HDMI input and then turn one of the walls in my room into a projection wall so I could make my room seem like a movie theater when I turn all the lights out. The problem is that the LCD projectors here in Manila cost about the same as buying a small 32-inch LCD TV with a 1080p resolution. So anyway, here's the question--in your opinion, which would give a better picture quality--the LCD TV, or the LCD projector? I already have my 5.1 speaker system set up in the room, but I can't decide which option is better. The thought of having a wall-sized display is geekgasmic, but then again, going for the 1080p might give me the same picture quality with a tighter screen. What do you think? :)
Do you know...LinFu?
No.
I wanna be a eunuchs developer! Pass me a bread knife!
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I was thinking of buying an LCD projector (720p) with an HDMI input and then turn one of the walls in my room into a projection wall so I could make my room seem like a movie theater when I turn all the lights out. The problem is that the LCD projectors here in Manila cost about the same as buying a small 32-inch LCD TV with a 1080p resolution. So anyway, here's the question--in your opinion, which would give a better picture quality--the LCD TV, or the LCD projector? I already have my 5.1 speaker system set up in the room, but I can't decide which option is better. The thought of having a wall-sized display is geekgasmic, but then again, going for the 1080p might give me the same picture quality with a tighter screen. What do you think? :)
Do you know...LinFu?
I've had a projector system for years, and here's something to consider. In addition to the fact that the bulbs are pretty expensive to replace (~$300), when they go it sounds like a small explosion and the last one that went showered the couch and floor with a fine mist of powdered glass. Never again.
Christopher Duncan www.PracticalUSA.com Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes Copywriting Services
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I was thinking of buying an LCD projector (720p) with an HDMI input and then turn one of the walls in my room into a projection wall so I could make my room seem like a movie theater when I turn all the lights out. The problem is that the LCD projectors here in Manila cost about the same as buying a small 32-inch LCD TV with a 1080p resolution. So anyway, here's the question--in your opinion, which would give a better picture quality--the LCD TV, or the LCD projector? I already have my 5.1 speaker system set up in the room, but I can't decide which option is better. The thought of having a wall-sized display is geekgasmic, but then again, going for the 1080p might give me the same picture quality with a tighter screen. What do you think? :)
Do you know...LinFu?
I'd suggest considering Plasma also. LCD's generally have poorer black levels, since they have to block light. It's why showrooms are always brightly lit to hide the problem. If your room is dim, you could be disappointed. Space should not look murky gray in Star Wars. Plasma generates light only where needed. So much better black levels. However, even modern screens can burn in if showing an unchanging image long enough. In any case, I'm much happier with mine. -- Ian
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I've had a projector system for years, and here's something to consider. In addition to the fact that the bulbs are pretty expensive to replace (~$300), when they go it sounds like a small explosion and the last one that went showered the couch and floor with a fine mist of powdered glass. Never again.
Christopher Duncan www.PracticalUSA.com Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes Copywriting Services
Christopher Duncan wrote:
I've had a projector system for years, and here's something to consider. In addition to the fact that the bulbs are pretty expensive to replace (~$300), when they go it sounds like a small explosion and the last one that went showered the couch and floor with a fine mist of powdered glass. Never again.
How long did your projector last before the bulb blew itself out?
Do you know...LinFu?
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I'd suggest considering Plasma also. LCD's generally have poorer black levels, since they have to block light. It's why showrooms are always brightly lit to hide the problem. If your room is dim, you could be disappointed. Space should not look murky gray in Star Wars. Plasma generates light only where needed. So much better black levels. However, even modern screens can burn in if showing an unchanging image long enough. In any case, I'm much happier with mine. -- Ian
ied wrote:
I'd suggest considering Plasma also.
I'd love to get a Plasma TV, but alas I'm still in a 3rd world country, and in practical terms, they don't broadcast anything here that would even require the picture quality of a Plasma TV, so for now, it's either I stick with an LCD TV, or just get myself the LCD projector.
Do you know...LinFu?
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My 2c Before buying a projector, check out the bulb cost and expected lifetime. Also check your room will be able to be sufficiently dark to get a good picture when you want to watch. If you can afford it, look at 11080p projectors See here for one[^] Cost aside - projectors fro movies just can't be beat - assuming your room is set up OK - but a telly is better for most telly. Check out the distance between you and he screen - and take into account the size of the picture you'll be looking at, and the surface you're projecting on. at 1080p projecting a 3m wide picture, your individual pixels are only 1.5mm wide - on your 32" screen they're 0.4mm wide there's a calculator here[^] that shows you the viewing distance for various set ups. Also remember that with 1080p any lower resolution source (like DVDs0 will be upscaled to that resolution - so you're really gaining nothing and maybe losing quality. Likewise if your source is 1080p and your projector 780p it will be downscaled - so you lose resolution. Finally, I remember a survey late last year (can't find it right now) where a large percentage of those tested cold not tell the difference between standard and HD quality tv pictures - so you need to find out if you can before forking out the extra dough on higher resolution if you can't tell the difference. Oh - and also some projectors are quite loud (the fan noise) which is fine if you can pump up the volume but can be annnoying in those quiet bits! Oh - and playing computer games such as driving games or first-person shooters can be fantastic on a wall-sized display - but beware motion sickness!
___________________________________________ .\\axxx (That's an 'M')
+2 for the noise warning +2 for judging the price by replacement bulbs +1 for saying "a telly is better for most telly" My 5 :)
Personally, I love the idea that Raymond spends his nights posting bad regexs to mailing lists under the pseudonym of Jane Smith. He'd be like a super hero, only more nerdy and less useful. [Trevel]
| FoldWithUs! | sighist -
I was thinking of buying an LCD projector (720p) with an HDMI input and then turn one of the walls in my room into a projection wall so I could make my room seem like a movie theater when I turn all the lights out. The problem is that the LCD projectors here in Manila cost about the same as buying a small 32-inch LCD TV with a 1080p resolution. So anyway, here's the question--in your opinion, which would give a better picture quality--the LCD TV, or the LCD projector? I already have my 5.1 speaker system set up in the room, but I can't decide which option is better. The thought of having a wall-sized display is geekgasmic, but then again, going for the 1080p might give me the same picture quality with a tighter screen. What do you think? :)
Do you know...LinFu?
I had a projector (1/4 HD res) for > 5 years in the basement, and really enjoyed it. No problem with bulb burning out spectacularly, but the entire did require replacing once :( The issue is that you really must have the lights down, which is great when you want the movie theater experience at home, but a PITA for general TV viewing. We recently moved from US to UK and the new house has no basement, so we've gone for a 32" LCD, and to be honest, we don't miss the projector much. In fact (and I know some will disagree) I would say that the sound quality is a much more significant factor than HD vs standard. $0.02
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I was thinking of buying an LCD projector (720p) with an HDMI input and then turn one of the walls in my room into a projection wall so I could make my room seem like a movie theater when I turn all the lights out. The problem is that the LCD projectors here in Manila cost about the same as buying a small 32-inch LCD TV with a 1080p resolution. So anyway, here's the question--in your opinion, which would give a better picture quality--the LCD TV, or the LCD projector? I already have my 5.1 speaker system set up in the room, but I can't decide which option is better. The thought of having a wall-sized display is geekgasmic, but then again, going for the 1080p might give me the same picture quality with a tighter screen. What do you think? :)
Do you know...LinFu?
I bought my 32" Samsung 1080p television about six months ago and boy did I not regret my purchase. The picture quality in standard definition in which my local cable company provides is superb which is even more pleasurable when I watch movies in my blu ray player. I can say therefore that it was the best LCD TV I could buy for my budget. Hope this helps.
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It's the biggest one you can buy. It cost $10k. I don't watch a lot of TV, but when I do, I like to make the most of it. It does fill the wall it is on.
Christian Graus Driven to the arms of OSX by Vista. Read my blog to find out how I've worked around bugs in Microsoft tools and frameworks.
I thought it was the biggest ;) http://www.voodish.co.uk/articles/largest-lcd-tv-108-inch-sharp-aquos/[^]
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I bought my 32" Samsung 1080p television about six months ago and boy did I not regret my purchase. The picture quality in standard definition in which my local cable company provides is superb which is even more pleasurable when I watch movies in my blu ray player. I can say therefore that it was the best LCD TV I could buy for my budget. Hope this helps.
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I was thinking of buying an LCD projector (720p) with an HDMI input and then turn one of the walls in my room into a projection wall so I could make my room seem like a movie theater when I turn all the lights out. The problem is that the LCD projectors here in Manila cost about the same as buying a small 32-inch LCD TV with a 1080p resolution. So anyway, here's the question--in your opinion, which would give a better picture quality--the LCD TV, or the LCD projector? I already have my 5.1 speaker system set up in the room, but I can't decide which option is better. The thought of having a wall-sized display is geekgasmic, but then again, going for the 1080p might give me the same picture quality with a tighter screen. What do you think? :)
Do you know...LinFu?
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No.
I wanna be a eunuchs developer! Pass me a bread knife!
Couldn't say it better
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I was thinking of buying an LCD projector (720p) with an HDMI input and then turn one of the walls in my room into a projection wall so I could make my room seem like a movie theater when I turn all the lights out. The problem is that the LCD projectors here in Manila cost about the same as buying a small 32-inch LCD TV with a 1080p resolution. So anyway, here's the question--in your opinion, which would give a better picture quality--the LCD TV, or the LCD projector? I already have my 5.1 speaker system set up in the room, but I can't decide which option is better. The thought of having a wall-sized display is geekgasmic, but then again, going for the 1080p might give me the same picture quality with a tighter screen. What do you think? :)
Do you know...LinFu?
See if you can find an older generation (1-2 years) Panasonic 42" plasma. It should be 600-700$.
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I was thinking of buying an LCD projector (720p) with an HDMI input and then turn one of the walls in my room into a projection wall so I could make my room seem like a movie theater when I turn all the lights out. The problem is that the LCD projectors here in Manila cost about the same as buying a small 32-inch LCD TV with a 1080p resolution. So anyway, here's the question--in your opinion, which would give a better picture quality--the LCD TV, or the LCD projector? I already have my 5.1 speaker system set up in the room, but I can't decide which option is better. The thought of having a wall-sized display is geekgasmic, but then again, going for the 1080p might give me the same picture quality with a tighter screen. What do you think? :)
Do you know...LinFu?
If you go with a projector be careful to match the focal length to the room size. I had two projectors, one had a focal length that was too short for the room, requiring the projector to be in the middle of the room to fill the "screen" (wall). The other one allowed mounting the projector in the next room (a bedroom closet) and projecting through a hole in the wall. Bulb life was definitely a concern - $300 is about right and they lasted about a year or so of regular TV usage. Light control in the room is critical for a projector - I had a skylight in the room and couldn't watch the projector until the sun went down. I may not be very discerning, but I thought the white painted wall was as good as a screen (and looked better when not in use.) It's hard to beat the size of a projector image - mine was about 12 ft diagonal, but if I was going to buy something again, it would be an LCD TV. LCD TV's are starting to use LED back lighting which can be locally dimmed to improve black levels. Not sure if they have reached the market yet or if they are still in the labs. If you have a spare laptop, you could always get a view graph projector and make your own projector. Check google for DIY instructions. Or you could just watch the laptop with it actually on your lap - the perceived size is huge because you are so close!
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Christopher Duncan wrote:
I've had a projector system for years, and here's something to consider. In addition to the fact that the bulbs are pretty expensive to replace (~$300), when they go it sounds like a small explosion and the last one that went showered the couch and floor with a fine mist of powdered glass. Never again.
How long did your projector last before the bulb blew itself out?
Do you know...LinFu?
I've been happy with bulb life overall. Had it 5 years and replaced the bulb twice, the last time just a week ago. It's the powdered glass that I'm not wild about. That said, projectors are definitely the best bang for the buck in terms of screen size. I paid $1250 for the projector and $800 for the 76" screen and the quality is decent as it's only an 11 foot throw. The biggest flat panel back then was around 60" and cost $10k.
Christopher Duncan www.PracticalUSA.com Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes Copywriting Services
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I was thinking of buying an LCD projector (720p) with an HDMI input and then turn one of the walls in my room into a projection wall so I could make my room seem like a movie theater when I turn all the lights out. The problem is that the LCD projectors here in Manila cost about the same as buying a small 32-inch LCD TV with a 1080p resolution. So anyway, here's the question--in your opinion, which would give a better picture quality--the LCD TV, or the LCD projector? I already have my 5.1 speaker system set up in the room, but I can't decide which option is better. The thought of having a wall-sized display is geekgasmic, but then again, going for the 1080p might give me the same picture quality with a tighter screen. What do you think? :)
Do you know...LinFu?
We just bought an LCD/LED TV for our Anniversary: Amazon Link We love it! The picture quality is amazing and has plenty of input/output options. I believe we have the cable box, PS3, and Computer hooked up to it and it has optical out which is nice too. The picture is sharp and the colors are fantastic. Best of luck! ~k
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My 2c Before buying a projector, check out the bulb cost and expected lifetime. Also check your room will be able to be sufficiently dark to get a good picture when you want to watch. If you can afford it, look at 11080p projectors See here for one[^] Cost aside - projectors fro movies just can't be beat - assuming your room is set up OK - but a telly is better for most telly. Check out the distance between you and he screen - and take into account the size of the picture you'll be looking at, and the surface you're projecting on. at 1080p projecting a 3m wide picture, your individual pixels are only 1.5mm wide - on your 32" screen they're 0.4mm wide there's a calculator here[^] that shows you the viewing distance for various set ups. Also remember that with 1080p any lower resolution source (like DVDs0 will be upscaled to that resolution - so you're really gaining nothing and maybe losing quality. Likewise if your source is 1080p and your projector 780p it will be downscaled - so you lose resolution. Finally, I remember a survey late last year (can't find it right now) where a large percentage of those tested cold not tell the difference between standard and HD quality tv pictures - so you need to find out if you can before forking out the extra dough on higher resolution if you can't tell the difference. Oh - and also some projectors are quite loud (the fan noise) which is fine if you can pump up the volume but can be annnoying in those quiet bits! Oh - and playing computer games such as driving games or first-person shooters can be fantastic on a wall-sized display - but beware motion sickness!
___________________________________________ .\\axxx (That's an 'M')
_Maxxx_ wrote:
Oh - and also some projectors are quite loud (the fan noise) which is fine if you can pump up the volume but can be annnoying in those quiet bits!
A friend of mine has the projector and big screen setup. His is an older model with a loud fan, and his advice (I agree) is spend the extra money on a quiet one or don't bother with a projector at all.
The latest nation. Procrastination.
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I've had a projector system for years, and here's something to consider. In addition to the fact that the bulbs are pretty expensive to replace (~$300), when they go it sounds like a small explosion and the last one that went showered the couch and floor with a fine mist of powdered glass. Never again.
Christopher Duncan www.PracticalUSA.com Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes Copywriting Services
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I had a projector (1/4 HD res) for > 5 years in the basement, and really enjoyed it. No problem with bulb burning out spectacularly, but the entire did require replacing once :( The issue is that you really must have the lights down, which is great when you want the movie theater experience at home, but a PITA for general TV viewing. We recently moved from US to UK and the new house has no basement, so we've gone for a 32" LCD, and to be honest, we don't miss the projector much. In fact (and I know some will disagree) I would say that the sound quality is a much more significant factor than HD vs standard. $0.02
IF you're willing to pay enough you can get daylight suitable projectors. Dunno what they cost but we've got a number of in focus[^] projectors at work. They do better with the lights dimmed than a full intensity but are still usable when the room is fully lit up and you certainly don't need blackout curtains.
The latest nation. Procrastination.
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I was thinking of buying an LCD projector (720p) with an HDMI input and then turn one of the walls in my room into a projection wall so I could make my room seem like a movie theater when I turn all the lights out. The problem is that the LCD projectors here in Manila cost about the same as buying a small 32-inch LCD TV with a 1080p resolution. So anyway, here's the question--in your opinion, which would give a better picture quality--the LCD TV, or the LCD projector? I already have my 5.1 speaker system set up in the room, but I can't decide which option is better. The thought of having a wall-sized display is geekgasmic, but then again, going for the 1080p might give me the same picture quality with a tighter screen. What do you think? :)
Do you know...LinFu?
I have been using a projector for about 4 years now. The distance between the projector and screen is far, so movies are typically 85" range. Games are great too - my kids use the XBox with it and enjoy the immersive experience it provides. The thing with projectors is that you can block the image when you walk in front of them when crossing the room. I have mine mounted on the ceiling using a special mount that keeps the projector from moving and keeps it out of the way. The mount has space for cables, etc so it looks pretty neat (as in not cluttered - but it is cool too). I'm not at all concerned with bulb life since I plan to get another projector when this one stops working (the bulb is around $300 - a new projector is around $500, and features improve over time so might as well upgrade). The down side to a projector is, unlike a TV, the projector does not have speakers. I have a separate set of speakers setup so we get a movie-like experience (not surround sound - just basic speakers in various ranges in strategic locations). The upside is that games sound great when we turn up the bass - nice booms! Hope that helps! -Erik
Erik Westermann - ArtOfBabel.com - Systems Integration Magazine
Contact Erik for consulting, development, or content creation via erik [at] wWorkflow.net