Advice needed regarding HD

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furnic

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I really want to play my xbox games in high definition, especially after I read somewhere that playing your xbox games on an analouge tv is like kissing your sister, it's just not the same.
So with High Definition tvs being way out of my price range, my question is, why would any one bother with a HD TV when HD projectors are soooo much cheaper?
Is there any drawback using a HD projector? Most importantly, is the image of the same quality?
As far as I can see there can be nothing cooler than driving a real size car in Forza 2, or imagine how awesome GOW would be with a 2 metre high Raam.
So besides the fact that the bulb has a lifespan of about 3000 hours, which shouild be fine for at least 18monthes - 2 years, why then would anyone even consider a HDTV for 40K when you can get a HD projector for just under 10K and 4 times the screen size, or am I missing something here?
I really want to get myself an HD Projector as an early Xmas present, but am I doing some terrible mistake? I have never owned a projector so please some advice .
TIA
 
Id also like some opinions on 720p projectors (TivoZA ;)). But to try to answer the question of why more people dont get projectors, I would think that space (or lack of it) is the major deterrent. Like you say, the bulb having a short life span also isn't very inviting. Ive read that the cost to replace the bulb is very high so you gotta have deep pockets when it comes time to replace. On the bright side, Ive seen the X360 on an HD projector and thats DEFINITELY my aim for my future setup.
 
I asked the same question before and got the following reponses...

1. Bulb life is shortish and the cost of replacing is very high
2. Space required is quite large
3. Room needs to be reasonably dark
4. Special screen paint or a screen is required

I also want one but trying to convince the wife is proving quite difficult :)
 
GavinMannion said:
I asked the same question before and got the following reponses...

1. Bulb life is shortish and the cost of replacing is very high
2. Space required is quite large
3. Room needs to be reasonably dark
4. Special screen paint or a screen is required

I also want one but trying to convince the wife is proving quite difficult :)
Click to expand...

1. 3000 hours is ok, replacement bulb about R2100, expensive but can live with that every 18 months..still less than a small screen HDTV
2. not an issue have large wall just waiting for a screen
3. not an issue will paint windows black if it means huge screen
4. screens are cheapish, about R1200 - R1500


I am considering the Mitsubishi HD1000U - which is described as being tru HD. It is under 10K
It has HDMI Input which I think is what I need to connect the xbox with, is this correct, in order to play in HD?
Link is here:
http://www.mitsubishi-presentations.com/products/projectors/HD1000U.html

ok, all i really need to know is with the above projector, will I get true full High Definition quality picture in order to play mind blowing xbox games??
 
furnic said:
1. 3000 hours is ok, replacement bulb about R2100, expensive but can live with that every 18 months..still less than a small screen HDTV
2. not an issue have large wall just waiting for a screen
3. not an issue will paint windows black if it means huge screen
4. screens are cheapish, about R1200 - R1500


I am considering the Mitsubishi HD1000U - which is described as being tru HD. It is under 10K
It has HDMI Input which I think is what I need to connect the xbox with, is this correct, in order to play in HD?
Link is here:
http://www.mitsubishi-presentations.com/products/projectors/HD1000U.html

ok, all i really need to know is with the above projector, will I get true full High Definition quality picture in order to play mind blowing xbox games??
Click to expand...

You need 1080p for full HD which that projector doesn't appear to have but your xbox can't handle full HD so for you a 1080p set will be a waste. You don't need an HDMI cable for HD but it's recommended.

I'm buying a PS3 and wondering if anyone has experience using it on a projector. Also, I see that Sinotec has a 1080p LCD for 11K or so. Would this be a good buy for a PS3?
 
Last edited:
720p is full HD as much as 1080p is..... The xbox can do both, as can the PS3.

HDMI is not necessary for HD, and the only xbox that has HDMI outputs is the Elite(which we don't get here yet)...

1080p LCD for 11k?... where have you seen this?
 
ToxicBunny said:
720p is full HD as much as 1080p is..... The xbox can do both, as can the PS3.

HDMI is not necessary for HD, and the only xbox that has HDMI outputs is the Elite(which we don't get here yet)...

1080p LCD for 11k?... where have you seen this?
Click to expand...
On bigger screens, the detail in 1080p over 720p is much more noticable otherwise most of the time 720p is plenty to keep you happy.

Elite is only a couple of weeks away. :cool:
 
Oh agreed... 1080p kind of comes into its own on a 50"+ screen....

Just irritating when ppl swallow the marketing rubbish about 720p not being FULL hd and blah blah blah...

Elite could be months away.. I still can't afford one.... my Premium will have to do for now.
 
feo said:
The confirmed launch date is 24 August. It's available on pre-order at kalahari for R4.5K and BT Games for R4.3K.
Click to expand...

Bah you missed a chance to spam :)

http://www.lazygamer.co.za/xbox-360/elite-now-available-to-pre-order/

As mentioned the Elite is nearly here.

The Xbox 360 can also do Full HD 1080p or Full HD 720p (keeping both sides happy)....

I know nothing about HDMI ports though, I read somewhere that unless you have full spectrum RGB then it doesn't matter. But that is all Greek to me...
 
Nah.. its Full HD 720P..... i likes that.. has a nice ring to it :P....
 
'Full HD' is suppose to mean 1080p. However, Sony even put it on 1080i TVs, so I have no idea what it actually means.
 
heh heh, that's what I say ;)

Furnic - projectors can be a good option, but don't over stretch the poor thing otherwise it'll be as bad or worse than an SD telly. If it's not set up 100% it can be dull distorted and fuzzy. You need a very dark room, so it's a bit anti social.

720p is certified HD, Sony markets 1080p as "True HD" as a marketing gimmick. In a TV environment you can only notice the difference on a screen of 50" or larger.
 
Projectors

You might want to look at the Sanyo Z4 or Z5 as well as the Benq PE7700. They are 1280x720 and the Benq comes highly recommended.

Have a look at projectorcentral.com for reviews and all the info that you want.
 
The projector is more of a cool toy than for every day to day use.
Plus the replacement lamps, they are expensive!
If you have a large spare dark room, then its fine - but it is actually too big to watch normal day to day TV - its great for some games and sports.
I would say rather get a 42" LCD HDTV - they are in a similiar price range - I know you can get a Philips for about 12K and there may be other brands even less, go check out your local HI-FI Corp or Makro and see what they have, as someone said, they saw a Sinotec for about 11K for sale somewhere.
 
Big screens are very cool, and very practical....if you set them up properly.

Screen size is a function of viewing distance. For normal TV and movies, rule-of-thumb states a viewing distance of between 2.5 and 3.5 of screen size.

For gaming you can go much closer though, less than 1:1. Gives you that 'immersed' feeling and actions become very real. I have a 3m 16x9 screen and when I play games I'm less than 2 meters from the screen. Playing tennis on the Wii is like being on a real court, you actually run from one side to the other!. Driving a car gives a real impression that you're in the car. And two players can still get the same feeling if you split the 16x9 screen down the middle.

Once you've tried a decent big screen, you'll not use a monitor again.

Selecting the right projector is very important. Look at:

- Contrast ratio - extremely important for movies, maybe not so much for games.
- Brightness - you'll need to darken the room in any case, but the brighter the projector (without compromising contrast ratio, which is more important), the better.
- Resolution - make sure the native resolution is HD (WXGA+), otherwise the projector will downscale the HD signal and will probably stuff it up more than anything else.
- Technology - Humans see multiple colours at the same time. Low cost DLP projector project one colour at a time and try and fool you by using a colour wheel. With fast moving games your eyes WILL get tired, even if you don't visibly see the rainbow effect. Rather go for a 3-colour device. The latest gen of LCD projectors are stunning.

- Screen - don't skimp on the screen. Any light not reflected back to you is wasted. If you have the right shape room, a screen with gain can help some projectors.

Watch out for cheap projectors that promise big feature, but for close to 20K, you'll get a stunning projector.
 
vodacom3g said:
Big screens are very cool, and very practical....if you set them up properly.

Screen size is a function of viewing distance. For normal TV and movies, rule-of-thumb states a viewing distance of between 2.5 and 3.5 of screen size.

For gaming you can go much closer though, less than 1:1. Gives you that 'immersed' feeling and actions become very real. I have a 3m 16x9 screen and when I play games I'm less than 2 meters from the screen. Playing tennis on the Wii is like being on a real court, you actually run from one side to the other!. Driving a car gives a real impression that you're in the car. And two players can still get the same feeling if you split the 16x9 screen down the middle.

Once you've tried a decent big screen, you'll not use a monitor again.

Selecting the right projector is very important. Look at:

- Contrast ratio - extremely important for movies, maybe not so much for games.
- Brightness - you'll need to darken the room in any case, but the brighter the projector (without compromising contrast ratio, which is more important), the better.
- Resolution - make sure the native resolution is HD (WXGA+), otherwise the projector will downscale the HD signal and will probably stuff it up more than anything else.
- Technology - Humans see multiple colours at the same time. Low cost DLP projector project one colour at a time and try and fool you by using a colour wheel. With fast moving games your eyes WILL get tired, even if you don't visibly see the rainbow effect. Rather go for a 3-colour device. The latest gen of LCD projectors are stunning.

- Screen - don't skimp on the screen. Any light not reflected back to you is wasted. If you have the right shape room, a screen with gain can help some projectors.

Watch out for cheap projectors that promise big feature, but for close to 20K, you'll get a stunning projector.
Click to expand...
This R20K projector, I hope it has a decent bulb life :D..
 
Which brings us full circle - the discussion was because projectors seem cheaper - for gaming I reckon you'd be better off Spending R20k on a decent 42" 720p LCD.
 
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