[TRADERXFAN]

I have a 61" jvc that "does" 1080 (whether that is "i" or "p" is questionable). Bottomline, it looks pretty good to me and I have been satisfied. BUT whenever I walk into blockbuster and see those blue ray demo's I think the lcd looks freakishly 3d and WANT one. 

The wife and I think the samsung LN52A650 would be our choice if we bought one. It looks great for the price (sony is the actual one used in blockbuster).  My whole inner turmoil over it is that I would be going down in size, and I had told myself that the next "tv" I get was going to be a projector.  I have never had one because screen door effect, rainbows, etc had put me off on previous generation machines. 

My question to fellow AC'ers is: do the new (consumer grade) projectors give the same freakish 3d effect that these 120hz LCD TV's seem to have? Thinking of products like Epson 1080, etc. Not 20k machines. Also, I know there is more to it than the 120hz refresh, its just denoting the newer lcds where I have found myself being really blown away. (Plasma may work too, just haven't seen any personally) I would love to have that degree of picture quality on a huge screen.  Black level isn't the priority for me.

 Thanks for any insights that you could share on the subject.

-Tony

[electricbear]

The simple answer is no. I have yet to see an affordable projector that can compete with a regular tv. Sure the picture is smaller but the quality is much better. btw the Sony that you saw was probably made by Samsung.
The debate over lcd vs plasma is not quite so clear cut. Most videophiles will tell you to go with plasma as the true contrast ratio is much higher and there are no concerns over motion artifacting.

[TRADERXFAN]

Thanks for that succinct answer.


Do you still feel Sharp are best at LCD?  I have only actually looked at the samsungs and sonys.



-Tony

[electricbear]

I personally like some of the Sharps but not all of them. The new Limited Edition is absolutely stunning but it should be at $12000 for a 52". The D85 series has a good picture at $2099 for a 52".  Samsung gets a lot of great reviews but I've not studied them too closely. Samsung seems to have several levels  but I don't know what differences are.

[rydenfan]

I use the Samsung  61" (also comes 67") LED DLP. These are incredible sets for the money. After mine was ISF calibrated I was told that my colors are equal to the Pio Kuro Elite, obviouslt the Elite still having superior black levels.

FWIW, often times those demos are completely un-realistic. They are way over saturated and using a dynamic contrast to get an unrealistic pop. These are very far from accurate color space colors.

[jqp]

My 2 cents...Never had a projector but  think you need to spend money and have a fairly dedicated environment to get the most out of one (projrctor, screen, screen setup, bulb lifetime, etc = $$$)

On the other hand, the perfect lcd, or even plasma may not be as east to obtain either. You have to remember many sources will not look as good on the screen as that demo you see in the store. I saw an amazing picture when shopping with a friend - from a Sony Blu-Ray demo disc on an expensive Sony LCD. Other screens were less amazing.

On the other hand, watching Sports from HD Satellite on the "lowly" Pansonic 43" Plasma at my friends is an amazing experience!

I have decided that it is the color spectrum you have in HD that gives this 3D effect you mention, even on a 60Hz 720p set! Also Blade Runner and  Fifth Element Blu-Rays look fantastic!

[RichardS]

IF you have the space and ability to create a reasonably dark environment, and if you mostly watch movies and/or sports, I'd encourage you to consider a projector. You can get a new Panny or Sanyo for just over $2K that has 120Hz, good motion, no screendoor or rainbows, sufficient brightness and decent contrast at 100+ inches. Does it have the 'pop' of a good LCD or plasma? Not quite. But the extra size (4x-5x as large) more than makes up for it and really draws you into the experience, IMO.

We have a 32" top-end Panny tube TV in another room that we never watch because the projector experience is so much better. If you want some extra pop, consider a high gain screen. I went from a 105" Dalite neutral screen to a 120" Vutec Silverstar and the pop suits me much better, though you do give up a little color accuracy. Go to a store that has projectors set up and view a movie for a half hour. I suspect you'll be impressed....

[anthony a.]

i agree, if you have a very dark room and want a big screen (like 100" atleast), then definitely get the pj.  for up to 70" its not worth the hassle.  get an lcd or plasma and you can watch it any time of the day in any location, lights on or off.  and, you don't have to worry about bulbs dimming after 800 hrs, and getting replacements, etc.  now if you want to go big screen, then go for the pj because nothing is like watching movies were the actors are almost the same size as you.  video games on pj's are also simply awesome.

[bunnyma357]

If it is a multi-purpose room where you'll want lights on or to use a laptop go for the LCD or a Plasma. I'm partial to Sharp's, but it really comes down to what you prefer. If it is a theater room and you're willing to have all lights out, then go with the projector. I think the image quality of the LCD direct view will be superior, but the impact of a projected image really turns it into a movie, not just a big TV. For me any of the drawbacks of the projector are easily ignored, and you are drawn into the film. The projector is a far better experience even though the image isn't quite as nice.

I have a low end Mitsubishi HC4900 1080p projector and it has no issues with screen door, there are really only three issues - black levels could be better, but aren't objectionable - any ambient light really kills the image, the less light the better - SD video blown up huge looks even worse than on a direct view LCD, DVD's aren't too bad, cable even HD cable is totally artifact filled. So if you're planning on using the PJ for more than just BluRays, you might take that into consideration.


Jim C

[bunnyma357]

One other plus for a projector is that most BluRays are 2.35 rather than 16:9 so you'll get letter boxing on a direct view, with a projector you can have a Constant Image Height set up and fill the screen with the image and just mask the sides.


Jim C