Projectors for movies

Hi

I was in the market for a plasma or lcd screen when I heard about DLP projectors, apparently the viewing area is much larger and the quality is the same as lcd and plasma, they are also alot cheaper. Does anyone own one, I can't seem to view any at a store so I am not sure about the picture quality???

This may help

http://www.dlp.com/Default.asp?bhcp=1

As is usual in life you gets on the one hand -and life takes from you on the other! We already know that plasma's single worst weakness (they've largely fixed the most obvious ones by now) is screen burn-in of static images ..just the kind of thing you'd have happen to you when you regularly settle back with your sports channel of choice. LCD slams plasma to the ropes on resolution (you can hook one up to your PC and have decent resolution, something you can't hope to do with plasma) and doesn't have the burn-in problem ..but when you scale up to the tasty large sized ones you can like to hoes lotsa dinero - and let's not forget that (some would say) they're not as good as plasma on contrast and you don't get a real black, more like a pretty dark grey.

And then we get our third readily available contender: projectors. These (for now, that I know of) come in 2 flavours: LCD & DLP. Of the two DLP will give you the snazzier image, but cost more. That said, for TV/movie viewing purposes, you'd want the better (contrast) grade of images that a DLP can do. So that's the good, but you're really not going to like the bad: globe/bulb module replacement costs ..yes, you're locked in by vendor AND model on something that's (comparatively) low production run and high precision - welcome to wallet-draining hell. Projectors require vat nie k4k nie HID lighting and these have very definitely limited life spans, usually quoted as normal and eco(nomical) modes. Oh, and projectors (may still) have other gotchas that may affect your viewing pleasure, but for now cost is the one we're looking at.

In this the projector business is like the (low-end) inkjet business: lure you in and hook you with (what can be) an attractively priced sexy little beast and then once you've settled in with your truly-fully-hey-shoowow new toy, magically "neglect" to tell you about how expensive those globe modules are.

Is it worth it? Only you can decide, but there isn't currently a screen-based solution that can come anywhere near the size of the image that a projector can throw, not even with adding an extra zero on the pricetag. Just be aware of what you're looking to get into. So shop around for projector-love, just be DAMN sure to also factor in the cost of that little light they squirrel away inside.

See this link for all you need to know

http://www.projectorcentral.com/

i've had my Epson - EMP-TW10H home theatre projecter for a year and a half now, and have enjoyed every minute. It was reasonably priced when I bought it (5k or so), supports widescreen very nicely and has a great theatre setting for watching movies etc. its perfect for a home theatre setup (i just project onto a decent sized wall and the image colours/contrast are awesome). I'm sure the DLP and higher end models offer much better image quality, but i'm really satisfied with what i'm getting. Like I say, i've had it for quite a bit over a year now, and use it pretty regularly, yet have only clocked about 800 hours of the estimated 3500/4000hours lamp life.

Calico182 said:

i've had my Epson - EMP-TW10H home theatre projecter for a year and a half now, and have enjoyed every minute.

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Ah, input from someone who HAS one, just what we're looking for!

... Like I say, i've had it for quite a bit over a year now, and use it pretty regularly, yet have only clocked about 800 hours of the estimated 3500/4000hours lamp life.

Click to expand...

But the burning question is: how much do you use it: is it only for special events like movies (and, of course, major sporting events), or do you use it for your regular TV watching? And then, once you do finally get up to the point where you need to replace the lamp assembly, do you know how much a new one costs ..and where you'd actually get it from?

Calico182 said:

(i just project onto a decent sized wall and the image colours/contrast are awesome).

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Yeah, awesome that the quality can be so bad. Unless you had Michangelo plaster and paint your walls, there is no way it can compare to a screen.

You don't have to spend loads on it either, Mirrordex will do a fixed screen in native 16x9 for next to nothing (<R2000 for 2.9m width), or you can go el-cheapo for a 1.5m roll-up for about R700.

When looking at the projectors make sure you get native 16x9 LCD/DLP. The Sanyo Z4 is a good machine that is proper HD (I think) and www.audiogeneral.com, will ship to ZA for less than what you will pay here, and that includes vat and customs.

yo,

I don't use it for tv/sport at all, only for movies/dvds/tv series. At the current rate, it works out to about 10 hours usage a week average (obviously that would vary if i watch movies 1/2hours or episodes (45 mins). Obviously sometimes it goes a week or two not being used, but then a marathon tv season over a weekend or something makes up for it

The lamp i had seen was around the R1700 mark. Which I would say is fine as i would only require a new one in 7.5 years (800 hours takes 1.5 years, so 4000 hours takes 7.5 years - i think my maths is right ). I'm pretty sure my new hologram 3d immersive television system would've replaced my projector by then.

BobJones said:

Yeah, awesome that the quality can be so bad. Unless you had Michangelo plaster and paint your walls, there is no way it can compare to a screen.

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i'm aware of that, and like i said i'm sure quality on a proper setup is awesome - but i'm really happy with the image quality i have and don't see the need (or the additional expense) of setting up a permanent viewing area.

I have an Infocus SP5000 LCD pj, I use it for DVD's, gaming and watching the Springboks get slaughtered and other sporting misadventures. It is awsome, way better than the crappy Sony plasma that I use for TV. Being a native 720p pj it is ideal for movies and not so ideal for std TV though.
A pj can never really replace a TV for everyday watching due to bulb costs and other considerations such as the need for a darkened room, a blank expanse of wall for a screen and the fact that std TV res is terrible when blown up to say a 2.5m wide screen.

To each his own

Horses for courses man... If you are happy with your picture then keep on rocking.

I use my projector pretty much the same way you do... most viewing is done on a rear projector, but when I want the "cinema" experience, I wheel the RP out of the way, pull back the curtains from the screen and viola... Its better than that other big screen.

I've got a UPS supplying the projector, since your lamps will last way longer if you treat them well i.e. let them warm up and cool down properly, don't turn them off and then on again immediately etc.

Spend a bit of time on projector central figuring out what the best size picture for your room is. Try and mount the projector so that you don't have to use keystone correction if at all possible.

A a good tip is to check where you are going to sit and use your hands as "blinkers" to look at where the screen will be, don't make the screen bigger than the area you can see between your "blinkers". Also try and get your projector as close to the screen as possible... it will loose less light that way.

BobJones said:

... Also try and get your projector as close to the screen as possible... it will loose less light that way.

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So you're saying putting the projector closer to the screen will make the output darker? Funny, I always thought that you wanted a projector to release ,or "loose", more light!

Unless you mean "lose less light", in which case what you're trying to say has a chance of making sense.

nitpicking smart alec ;-)

bdt said:

So you're saying putting the projector closer to the screen will make the output darker? Funny, I always thought that you wanted a projector to release ,or "loose", more light!

Unless you mean "lose less light", in which case what you're trying to say has a chance of making sense.

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I'm gonna have to spell-check before I post.

Funny how a lot of people think that brightness is the only consideration for projectors. When doing movies, resolution and contrast ratio are important too, maybe more important than brightness.

Looking at the picture quality for a projector at the near end of its throw range compared to the far end of its throw range shows quite a lot of difference, at least in my experience.

Big pictures are great, but a lot of projectors struggle to maintain picture quality at the extreme end of their specifications.

Maybe you've got something more to add about the differences/merits of LCD v DLP?

The new LCD technoligies are getting the edge in my opion at the mid/budget end of the market. The panasonic PT 900 looks great and will even do an acceptable spreadsheet if you require occasional data work. I love the zoom on it as well. When you are going to cleints it is versatile.

Well for movies there is nothing that can really beat a good plasma atm. Awesome blacks and genreally brilliant picture.

A Projector can be very good but you pretty much need a proper setup for it. This would include a proper screen to project onto and room that can be properly darkened. If you put the effort in a Projector can yield amazing results. The best I have seen was a purpose built home theater with a roughly 7m diagonal projected image.... looked amazing.

For general use I think an LCD or Highend CRT would be best.

Someting most people dont know is that a good CRT will still beat EVERYTHING out there, including LCD's, Plasma's and any other type of screen/projector. The size is the only proble. Our CRT is awesome but is only 36".

IF it will mostly be for movies then a Plasma is my prefered option but cost can be a problem. If you can make the room dark enough then a projector with a good screen will work very well.

Maybe OTT, but does anyone know where I can get a replacement buld for a SANYO PLV-20B Projector form? and what price?

Horses for courses:
Plasma panel:
pro: Excellent contrast (up to 10,000:1 if you believe the ads), usable in most lighting situations, getting cheaper, good viewing angles.
con: screen burn on static images possible, resolution limited at present, altitude buzz on cheap models.
LCD panel:
pro: higher resolution on smaller panels, good colour fidelity (on good panels), usable in most lighting situations, no burn, reasonable viewing angles.
con: contrast ratio not as good (1300:1 on an excellent panel), expensive compared to Plasma.
DLP front projector
pro: excellent contrast ratio, big images, fairly good colour depth, film-like effect due to rounded pixels (good for movies)
con: Colour streaking during fast motion, expensive bulbs, needs dim room.
LCD Front projection
Pro: easily available, good colour reproduction and high resolution, data ready (better than DLP 'cos of square pixels!), can be excellent
Con: Black levels generally not as good as DLP, needs dimmed room, expensive bulbs
DLP rear projection
Pro: all the advantages of DLP front projection plus less dependent on dim room
Con: Very bulky, colour smear on fast motion, expensive lamp replacement, limited viewing angle
LCD rear projection
Pro: All the pros of LCD front projection plus less dependent on dim room, also not as bulky as the DLP models (similar footprint to a Plasma on a table stand), very bright with excellent colour reproduction. Very good bang for the buck (50" HD ready models for under R20K)
Con: Can't be wall mounted, viewing angles limited (but still acceptable), contrast not as good as plasma or DLP, replaceable lamps.
Silicon reflective displays (Sony SXRD)
pros: Front and rear projection available (soon),excellent quality, film like resolution, full HD (1080p), best value for image quality...
con: RPJ can't be hung on a wall... that's about all.


CRT
Pro: great colour, good resolution, bright.
Con: Limited in terms of size (up to 36" or so), F*ckin' heavy and bulky (I had a break-in at my house - they took everything except my 85kg 34" TV), not easy to find anymore.
CRT Projection
...don't go there...

BobJones said:

I'm gonna have to spell-check before I post.

Funny how a lot of people think that brightness is the only consideration for projectors. When doing movies, resolution and contrast ratio are important too, maybe more important than brightness.

Looking at the picture quality for a projector at the near end of its throw range compared to the far end of its throw range shows quite a lot of difference, at least in my experience.

Big pictures are great, but a lot of projectors struggle to maintain picture quality at the extreme end of their specifications.

Maybe you've got something more to add about the differences/merits of LCD v DLP?

Click to expand...

A good thing to remember with projectors is the inverse square law, as the image gets bigger, the brightness reduces i.e. double image size = a quarter of the brightness

Personally if you're going for a projector <R25,000 then you are probably going to get more bang for your buck from LCD than from DLP. LCD has got much better recently and some of the dedicated HT LCD's in the budget range are able to give some much more expensive DLP's a run for their money.

If you don't want the hassle of a dedicated room - which is really the only way to go with a projector - then go for a widescreen DLP rear projector. The larger (55-60") LG and Sony models give pictures that can be mistaken for plasma/LCD . You won't get much change from R50,000 tho.

BobJones said:

If you don't want the hassle of a dedicated room - which is really the only way to go with a projector - then go for a widescreen DLP rear projector. The larger (55-60") LG and Sony models give pictures that can be mistaken for plasma/LCD . You won't get much change from R50,000 tho.

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Sony units are LCD, not DLP... and a 60" is much cheaper than R50k... cheaper than a Plasma anyhow... http://www.sony.co.za/prod.asp?DTID=1&CID=49&SID=219&PID=1282
R35K is MSRP, so should be available for less.

I've never seen a good LG rear projector, but Samsung make some DLP RPJs which aren't bad.