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Question of the Day: What's the most interesting small town you've visited in South Africa?
HD Projector vs LCD, LED, Plasma
- Thread starter zoopy3
- Start date
greg_SA
Expert Member
Do a quick search in the forum, someone asked similar questions recently...
Basically, I'd only go for a projector for viewing movies at night... for normal TV, I'd go for a plasma. The ideal would be to have a plasma wall mounted for TV, and then a projector + screen (motorized in fromt of the plasma) for movies
Basically, I'd only go for a projector for viewing movies at night... for normal TV, I'd go for a plasma. The ideal would be to have a plasma wall mounted for TV, and then a projector + screen (motorized in fromt of the plasma) for movies
Wasp_21
Expert Member
Plasma all the way. It's a good balance between all the options.
FrancTheTank
Expert Member
If you have a nice dark-ish room, projector - remember the lifetime.
Else do a plasma, yummy.
Else do a plasma, yummy.
I got the projector about US$1300 incl transport and shipping and bulbs ar about R3000 with 4000hr lamp life..so yes do take those costs into account.. but for value for money i have been very happy.. looked at some sony proj for upto 40k and i will go through a lot of bulbs to pay that much..lol
I wouldnt use it as a data projector in a boardroom, it wakes a droning whirring sound, but then again bass and volume in a movie do a lot to keep that wrapped up. In quite movie times, it can be heard but mines mounted to the ceiling so not really that obvious..if it was next to you it might get irritating.
main drawback is having to align physically cos you dont get lens shift with it. but depends on your setup, space etc.
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OverKill69
Senior Member
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I got a projector setup at home.
My screen size is roughly 3,2m x 2.4m.
You CANNOT get a plasma or LCD with a screen that size! LOL... I use it for my ps3, my PC and for my HD PVR. The HD PVR was the cherry on top because you can watch ANY tv channel at better than SD quality.
Be careful with motorized screens... they inevitably crease and after a while all you see ARE THE CREASES! I know because I had one with my old setup. I went with a solid melamine wood screen (std size for a board is 3.6 x 2.8 or so) I put a nice dark-wood frame around it and it looks and works like a dream. Better picture quality than the roll up screen IMO. and it's a hell of a lot easier to clean!
A hell of a lot cheaper as well. if it gets damaged or manky... you get another one for less than R300.
15m HDMI cable cost me R180 from a custom cable making company a year ago... right thickness and everything.
The only drawback is the darkness of my room. I can not get the room dark enough on a sunny day... no matter what I do. I have the thickest, darkest curtains, but a room so vast and with so many windows that light seeps in from everywhere (My theater room is HUGE... North and west facing. so the afternoon sun shines directly onto 4 sets of sliding doors)
I've made custom covers for the windows out of very thick and dark roof lining.... i don't mind whipping them out when I have my friends over to watch the rugby when it's on HD, but it's a mission to put up and take down.
Moral of the story:
Projector is cheaper and better IMO... IF YOU CAN GET THE ROOM DARK ENOUGH!
Plasma is better if you can't or don't want to.
AS AN ASIDE:
I'd rather beef up the sound system BEFORE the TV/Screen.
I get 100x more joy from awesome sounding movies than slightly better looking movies. Especially with the HUGE leap forward in LPCM Uncompressed, Tru-Surround and DTS Master audio on blu-rays.
My rear speakers SING like never before! The higher bit rates per channel means CRYSTAL clear sound at any volume... something that lacked on DVD's.
Tester Blu-rays.
Best picture quality: The Dark Knight
The I-Max scenes are flawless! Perfect picture transfer and unsurpassed detail.
Best SOUND QUALITY: Crimson Tide with the LPCM Uncompressed audio or The Fifth Element with LPCM Uncompressed.
Make sure that your Dynamic Range is TURNED OFF!
These two movies have the cleanest sound I've ever heard... and they're impressive in their scope of sounds. Not too much bass... which is what some dolby movies have that irritates me a little bit, but just enough to add to the AWESOMENESS coming out of your fronts.
Best SURROUND or EFFECT: Fight Club with DTS Master audio, District 9 DTS Master and Kung Fu Panda Tru HD Audio.
Fight Club has the best immersive sound EVER! When a phone rings offscreen, It sounds as if there's a phone in another room ringing! The sound is so perfectly balanced that you cannot tell where the an effect is coming from. If your system is setup 100%, this disc will knock your socks off! It's not a special effects driven film, but you feel as if the sound is a notch above the rest of the pack when it comes to balance and enviroment.
District 9 was a suprise! I watched the Blu-ray and was bowled over by the use of the multichannel effects. Volumes on each channel is perfect and I've never heard such awesome 5 channel panning as in this movie...
Kung Fu Panda! WOW! just watch the "escape" scene and the sound is INCREDIBLE! picture quality is fantastic too. This is my benchmark when I setup my system because of this fantastic 5 minute sequence.
My screen size is roughly 3,2m x 2.4m.
You CANNOT get a plasma or LCD with a screen that size! LOL... I use it for my ps3, my PC and for my HD PVR. The HD PVR was the cherry on top because you can watch ANY tv channel at better than SD quality.
Be careful with motorized screens... they inevitably crease and after a while all you see ARE THE CREASES! I know because I had one with my old setup. I went with a solid melamine wood screen (std size for a board is 3.6 x 2.8 or so) I put a nice dark-wood frame around it and it looks and works like a dream. Better picture quality than the roll up screen IMO. and it's a hell of a lot easier to clean!
A hell of a lot cheaper as well. if it gets damaged or manky... you get another one for less than R300.
15m HDMI cable cost me R180 from a custom cable making company a year ago... right thickness and everything.
The only drawback is the darkness of my room. I can not get the room dark enough on a sunny day... no matter what I do. I have the thickest, darkest curtains, but a room so vast and with so many windows that light seeps in from everywhere (My theater room is HUGE... North and west facing. so the afternoon sun shines directly onto 4 sets of sliding doors)
I've made custom covers for the windows out of very thick and dark roof lining.... i don't mind whipping them out when I have my friends over to watch the rugby when it's on HD, but it's a mission to put up and take down.
Moral of the story:
Projector is cheaper and better IMO... IF YOU CAN GET THE ROOM DARK ENOUGH!
Plasma is better if you can't or don't want to.
AS AN ASIDE:
I'd rather beef up the sound system BEFORE the TV/Screen.
I get 100x more joy from awesome sounding movies than slightly better looking movies. Especially with the HUGE leap forward in LPCM Uncompressed, Tru-Surround and DTS Master audio on blu-rays.
My rear speakers SING like never before! The higher bit rates per channel means CRYSTAL clear sound at any volume... something that lacked on DVD's.
Tester Blu-rays.
Best picture quality: The Dark Knight
The I-Max scenes are flawless! Perfect picture transfer and unsurpassed detail.
Best SOUND QUALITY: Crimson Tide with the LPCM Uncompressed audio or The Fifth Element with LPCM Uncompressed.
Make sure that your Dynamic Range is TURNED OFF!
These two movies have the cleanest sound I've ever heard... and they're impressive in their scope of sounds. Not too much bass... which is what some dolby movies have that irritates me a little bit, but just enough to add to the AWESOMENESS coming out of your fronts.
Best SURROUND or EFFECT: Fight Club with DTS Master audio, District 9 DTS Master and Kung Fu Panda Tru HD Audio.
Fight Club has the best immersive sound EVER! When a phone rings offscreen, It sounds as if there's a phone in another room ringing! The sound is so perfectly balanced that you cannot tell where the an effect is coming from. If your system is setup 100%, this disc will knock your socks off! It's not a special effects driven film, but you feel as if the sound is a notch above the rest of the pack when it comes to balance and enviroment.
District 9 was a suprise! I watched the Blu-ray and was bowled over by the use of the multichannel effects. Volumes on each channel is perfect and I've never heard such awesome 5 channel panning as in this movie...
Kung Fu Panda! WOW! just watch the "escape" scene and the sound is INCREDIBLE! picture quality is fantastic too. This is my benchmark when I setup my system because of this fantastic 5 minute sequence.
OverKill69
Senior Member
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Ooo.... I have Fifth Element and Dark Night on Bluray - haven't watched either.
I really want surrounds now
WHAT?
YOU DON'T HAVE SURROUND SOUNDS?
It's like going out with Salma Hayek and never feeling her... you know what I mean.
Seriously... high quality sound >>> better picture IMO
I only have the two floor standers and center at the moment, I don't really have space in the current lounge for them - but am going to get them next month anyway and use my old speaker stands until I can move to the room that has yet to be built.
This was before I got the center, tided up all the cables now. (now tell me that doesn't look like quality sound
)
OverKill69
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PolkAudio fronts?
Onkyo amp?
Denon DVD player?
If my eyes are correct. Very naaaaice.
Lemme take a shot of my setup.
EDIT:
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u309/OverKill6969/21052010189.jpg
First, forgive the mess... I'm working from home today and I have notes and papers EVERYWHERE!
The center and rear speakers are custom built BY ME! Dynaudio components, custom designed cabinet and a whole lot of pride and joy from my side... i still have to paint them!
The fronts are B&W 604's
The sub is hiding behind the couch: 500W B&W Long throw. 600 series match.
Also running an Onkyo amp.
The projector is behind me... dah
You can see the size of my screen... VAST! I couldn't get it smaller because of the distance of my projector to the wall.
That's why I've had to put a FULL BOARD up as a screen!
Notice how bright it is as well
I use my computer monitor for daytime viewing.
Onkyo amp?
Denon DVD player?
If my eyes are correct. Very naaaaice.
Lemme take a shot of my setup.
EDIT:
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u309/OverKill6969/21052010189.jpg
First, forgive the mess... I'm working from home today and I have notes and papers EVERYWHERE!
The center and rear speakers are custom built BY ME! Dynaudio components, custom designed cabinet and a whole lot of pride and joy from my side... i still have to paint them!
The fronts are B&W 604's
The sub is hiding behind the couch: 500W B&W Long throw. 600 series match.
Also running an Onkyo amp.
The projector is behind me... dah
You can see the size of my screen... VAST! I couldn't get it smaller because of the distance of my projector to the wall.
That's why I've had to put a FULL BOARD up as a screen!
Notice how bright it is as well
I use my computer monitor for daytime viewing.
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DAMN - now I want a projector.
Yeh - RTI A9's, CSi A6 center, Onkyo TX-NR807 amp, Samsung 46" LCD, PS3 and a media center - no DVD Player.
Getting the FXi A6 (x2 sets for 7.1 surround) - still haven't decided on sub yet - I might have one locally made as importing the high-end ones cost around R6000-7000 in shipping alone
Yeh - RTI A9's, CSi A6 center, Onkyo TX-NR807 amp, Samsung 46" LCD, PS3 and a media center - no DVD Player.
Getting the FXi A6 (x2 sets for 7.1 surround) - still haven't decided on sub yet - I might have one locally made as importing the high-end ones cost around R6000-7000 in shipping alone
OverKill69
Senior Member
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- May 12, 2008
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A mate has those Polkaudio dipole speakers.... AWESOME! They sound fantastic! And they look sweet too!
I've yet to come across media in 7.1 hey... besides the one DTS ES DVD that I own (7even)
So I'm not rushing to setup the 2 extra speakers yet. I've built them... but they play IDENTICAL sound as the REARS if the media isn't 8 channels, which messes with the surround sound effect.
I got a 40" Sony Bravia LCD (older one) that I've now moved to the bedroom... and lemme tell you... I LOVE MY PROJECTOR!
I hate going to movies because the SOUND IS BETTER AT HOME! There's always a broken rattling speaker in the movie house or the surround volume is too high/low.
When people say "but you have to see this movie on the big screen" I always chuckle.
Let me not even get started on what it has done to my GAMING!
I used to have nervous breakdowns playing FEAR 2... I've NEVER sweated that much playing a game! I'd need a cigarette after every enemy encounter to calm myself down!
I wish I could give a demonstration.
EDIT
The same friend that has those Dipole Speakers has a PolkAudio 500w sub, the one that matched the previous range of front speakers to the ones you have. Dude... the BASS is STUPID! He has to turn it WAY down to match the fronts. He does have a "bass-y room" though. I think that sub isn't too expensive, certainly cheaper than R7k
I see you have tiles...
Which can mess with bass a little... It reflects bass quite a bit and can cause phasing and dead spots.
Placement becomes highly important, so be prepared to fiddle with your sub placement to get everything sounding just right.
I've yet to come across media in 7.1 hey... besides the one DTS ES DVD that I own (7even)
So I'm not rushing to setup the 2 extra speakers yet. I've built them... but they play IDENTICAL sound as the REARS if the media isn't 8 channels, which messes with the surround sound effect.
I got a 40" Sony Bravia LCD (older one) that I've now moved to the bedroom... and lemme tell you... I LOVE MY PROJECTOR!
I hate going to movies because the SOUND IS BETTER AT HOME! There's always a broken rattling speaker in the movie house or the surround volume is too high/low.
When people say "but you have to see this movie on the big screen" I always chuckle.
Let me not even get started on what it has done to my GAMING!
I used to have nervous breakdowns playing FEAR 2... I've NEVER sweated that much playing a game! I'd need a cigarette after every enemy encounter to calm myself down!
I wish I could give a demonstration.
EDIT
The same friend that has those Dipole Speakers has a PolkAudio 500w sub, the one that matched the previous range of front speakers to the ones you have. Dude... the BASS is STUPID! He has to turn it WAY down to match the fronts. He does have a "bass-y room" though. I think that sub isn't too expensive, certainly cheaper than R7k
I see you have tiles...
Which can mess with bass a little... It reflects bass quite a bit and can cause phasing and dead spots.
Placement becomes highly important, so be prepared to fiddle with your sub placement to get everything sounding just right.
Last edited:
DarkStreet
Expert Member
So do you guys all prefer Plasma screens? I was always told plasma was fine for organic type visuals but LCD was best for sharp quality? Input would be greatly appreciated as I want my next TV buy to be a better informed choice...
killadoob
Honorary Master
Projector!!!!!!!!
I have a 720 p projector and it is just WOW.
Honestly makes a 42" or 56" lcd/plasma look tiny. 2m x 1m screen FTW.
Ps3 games on it just incredible, streaming mkv movies looks amazing. You would be silly not to go with the projector. Sport on a projector is incredible!!!!!
I have a 720 p projector and it is just WOW.
Honestly makes a 42" or 56" lcd/plasma look tiny. 2m x 1m screen FTW.
Ps3 games on it just incredible, streaming mkv movies looks amazing. You would be silly not to go with the projector. Sport on a projector is incredible!!!!!
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