[drphoto]

I've noticed you can get projectors pretty cheap these days. Is this a good alternative to a modern plasma or LCD TV? I'm not going to build a dedicated room, but I suppose I could install one of those brackets to hang it from the ceiling. Ambient light is not a problem, or WAF issues. Could I get one along w/ a portable screen and enjoy movie night on the cheap? I only watch concert vids and movies now, as I cut the cable months ago.

thanks for any advice. I know next to nothing about modern A/V. (or anything else for that matter... )

[Kenobi]

I recommend a good size TV (50") for day time viewing in your situation and a good projector (Panasonic PT-AE 4000 @ $2K) for night time or movie viewing.  You can have both occuppying the same viewing area with the projector mounted on top of the TV.  The screen size difference is dramatic for a projector if coupled well with a good sounding HT system.

Good luck,

Kenobi

[WGH]

Projectors are great, the picture quality is excellent and it just seems more like a movie night when a beam of light is used to make the pictures. I also have a Samsung digital TV tuner that I use with the projector because some TV shows just look and sound better on a big screen in 1080i and 5.1 surround sound.

I have a 69" dia. portable screen that is moved to an out of the way corner in another room when not used. My small bungalow has a lot of doors and windows and the screen sort of blocks the kitchen doorway on movie night but there is another route through the bedroom or behind the right speaker.

I like not having a big screen in the room while listening to music.



Wayne

[coke]

If you have control over the lighting, and watch lots of movies, a projector is definitely the way to go.  Too lazy to calcualte it right now, but i think a 100" projector has roughly 4x the surface area of a 50" tv.  Also with 1080p projectors so cheap, it's not difficult to get a really good picture.

[Bob in St. Louis]

I recommend a good size TV (50") for day time viewing in your situation and a good projector (Panasonic PT-AE 4000 @ $2K) for night time or movie viewing.  You can have both occuppying the same viewing area with the projector mounted on top of the TV.  The screen size difference is dramatic for a projector if coupled well with a good sounding HT system.

Good advice assuming you've got the cash for both. I would also recommend the "Panny" 4000. Looks to be a very nice unit in this price range. The Epson 8500 is also a nice one, but isn't $300 nicer.

Doctor,
I've got a 50" plasma, and a projector with a 140" screen. They both have their "place". Neither does everything perfectly. I wouldn't trade either of them for a better one of the other type (that make sense? ).
The comment you made about PJs being "pretty cheap", what did you have in mind? hopefully not one of those $500 "multimedia" units. 

Bob

[drphoto]

Well, Bob, as I said, I don't know much about this, so yes my post was prompted by a trip to an office supply store where I saw several units from $500-$900? What's the minimum requirement for decent movie projection? If $2K, I'd probably pass.

[GHM]

Yeah if you got the room for both , I would do them both. I use a 52 inch LCD at one end of the room and a 119 inch screen at the other. You can get a very nice image from a $1000 or below projector. You just have to pick the right ones that are home theater projectors.

I picked up a new Optoma HD65 for $626.00. One dollar of that was for shipping. lol This is a 720P pj.
I watch everything with it! Only on the brightest days do I watch my LCD. There's a new HD66 model coming to market with the new 3D technology for $699.00. Technology has come a long ways over the last couple of years making it possible to get good quality without breaking the bank. The first 3 are just in the last 30 minutes with a 5 megapixel camera(not the greatest to display image quality). There's a skylight 6 feet or so from the screen that is 10 ft long and 8 ft wide. So the picture has much more pop when it is dark in the room. None of these were taken at night or without ambient light entering the room.

It is very possible to get a great cinema experience without spending 2K.







"
Here's a pic taken at night from the Blu ray movie "The Island"  ripped to my Hard drive.

[bunnyma357]

You can spend well under $2K  -  I bought a Mitsubishi 4900 (LCD 1080p) for about $1400, and really love it. There are a lot of great deals out there if you shop around for them, or even check out the used market. If you go for a 720p you'll spend a lot less.

In recent years LCD's have really improved their black levels, so look at both LCD and DLP - also go check out a single chip DLP at a showroom somewhere to figure out if you are bothered by the "rainbow effect".

I will say that having a very dark room is really important, so if I couldn't control the ambient light - I'd go with a flat panel.

Jim C

[ctviggen]

If you don't make your own screen, you have to factor in screen costs, which vary wildly.  Also, you have to factor in a place to put the projector, and ceiling mounts aren't too expensive but add to the cost.  You have to include long cables to get to the projector, if you're ceiling or wall mounting the projector.  Further, the bulbs don't last forever and can range from $150 to $300. 

So, a fair comparison will include all of these costs. 

[GHM]

I forgot to mention use Bing search engine when hunting for this stuff. You can get some good discounts. Tiger Direct is giving 12.8% off when searched through Bing. That means you can get a 92 inch 16:9 manual pull down Accuscreen for $70. Not a bad deal at all. Sam's Club also carries these screens at a good price. Monoprice.com has all the cabling you'll need on the cheap.

[Bob in St. Louis]

Ok Doctor, I was afraid of that.
But there's still hope. Hang with us.
I bought my high def 720p PJ four or five years ago for $999. It's fantastic (but no longer available). With the price range you've given, there are still options available, and they'll be in High def, just not "all the way" high def (1080p). The units you're seeing at the office supply stores are made to project a PowerPoint Presentation pie graph or chart on a wall 30' away from the projector in a conference room that's light bright enough that people can still move about, take notes, etc... These are generally 4:3 aspect ratio. They also have a tendency to "hot spot" in the very center in the screen. Meaning that the outer edges and corners are considerably dimmer than dead center. Most unpleasant for movie/concert viewing. Please stay away from them.

Your new best friend (other than me  ) is a place called "ProjectorCentral.com".
There, you can find what you want, for the price you want. True, for a "real" home theater projector that's 1080p, and has all the bells and whistles the moderate HT fanatic is going to require, you'll have to spend $2,000. But for the casual user that wants something (much) larger than your average flat panel at the same price, you can find a PJ that will blow your mind. But just like audio, keep in mind, you can always get better. You just have to find your "happy place".

As far as a screen material in concerned, a flat/smooth surface painted with "Kilz2" is a darn good starting point. You can get as carried away as you'd like with screen material as you can with audio. There are guys that have purchased spectrum measurement device thingies to determine where their screen falls in the spectrum of light and if it's "contribution" to the image you're seeing, or has remained neutral and is simply showing you the original artists intent. Sounds kinda familiar doesn't it? Again, how much money and time have you got? You can build a monster screen for less than $100.
You can also buy a screen from the likes of Carada, Da-Lite, Stewart, etc... but.....how much you wanna spend. They'll require anywhere from $300 to $5,000 depending on how large and fancy you get.

yes, bulbs are a couple hundred dollars. They'll generally last 2,000-3,000 hours. You'll get about  1,000 - 1,500 two hour movies. You do the math. It works out to about twenty five cents per movie.

I designed and built my own PJ mount for less than $25. There are also places who bundle a PJ, a screen, and a mount. Again, check the link I provided earlier.

But to answer your direct question, "What's the minimum requirement for decent movie projection?":
- 720p
- 16:9 native aspect ratio
- HDMI (preferably), DVI or component (second choice's) inputs.
- The "throw distance" (distance from the PJ to the screen) and,
- Diagonal screen image size (how big you want).
Those last two are very important in choosing a PJ. On the link I gave, there's a "Calculator" to determine how far away your PJ will have to be from your screen to achieve the screen size you're looking for. Not all PJs will fit into all rooms. Keep that in mind.

GHM - You should post pictures of your HT room in the "show off" sticky in this Circle.  aa
Good lookin' room.

Hope that helps.
Bob

[ctviggen]

I hate to go against Bob's advice, but take his and my advice with a grain of salt.  Here's a thread about bulb life, for instance:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=640554&highlight=bulb+life

You'll see bulb lives ranging from a few hundred hours to thousands of hours.  You also have to realize that bulbs get dim as they age, so if you have a very dark room, you can still be going strong at 2,000 hours (or whatever) and another person with a not so dark room can't take the bulb after 1,000 hours.

You also have to realize that not all screens are created equally.  Some are better than others.  Some have higher powers than others.  It depends on what you want to do (e.g., only movies in a darkened room or sports in a brighter room?), what light output the projector has, etc. 

Personally, I liken this decision as follows.  It'll take you one-two days to decide on a plasma/LED/LCD TV, plus perhaps a trip to a store.  For a projector set up, it could take several days of research for the projector, then another several days of research to determine what size screen to get, then another several days of research to determine how to hook this up (ie, what mounts to get, where they should be put, etc.).  You may or may not be able to actually see these projectors locally.  If you decide to make your own mount or screen, that's another large quantity of time.

Personally, I spent MONTHS researching my projector and screen.  And I compromised and didn't get what I really wanted, in the end.  By contrast, the last time I bought an LCD TV, I spent a few hours of research and bought the TV. And I got exactly what I wanted.

I'm just telling you my experience.  You may do with this as you wish.

[ctviggen]

My point above is that you have to consider opportunity costs, too, not just price.  Sure, you can get a projector and screen for X dollars, but there is a cost for doing the research to select that projector and screen and determine how to hook them up.  That cost is substantially higher for a projector/screen combo than it is for a TV. 

For instance, what throw distance do you need?  Do you need vertical lens shift?  Do you even know what these terms mean?  Probably not, but you'll need to know what they mean if you want a projector set up.

[coke]

http://www.projectorcentral.com/projection-calculator.cfm     

[drphoto]

I appreciate all the responses.

Ambient light is not an issue, I basically live in a cave. (my photo studio)

1080 is probably not all that important. I'm fine w/ good 'ole DVD.

That being said, I can be pretty picky about image quality (afterall, I have been a photographer for 20 years) My current TV is a last gen Sony XBR Trinitron. It was way more than I wanted to spend at the time (10 years ago) but it killed every other set I saw at the time. It still looks good. But....it is only a 32"....and I'm like everyone else when it comes to size. 

I sort of like the idea someone posted that w/ a temp. screen, you don't have to have a big reflective panel between the speakers for music only listening.

I can guess as to what 'lens shift' means. A way to eliminate 'keystoning'.

As far as bulb life, I probably wouldn't watch anything for more than a few hours a week.

Thanks again!

[stevenkelby]

Good thread, I'm trying to make a similar decision, between a panel or projector.

Why can't a good projector be used in place of a panel all the time? Why do people have both? My room will be dark all the time.

[GHM]

Good thread, I'm trying to make a similar decision, between a panel or projector.

Why can't a good projector be used in place of a panel all the time? Why do people have both? My room will be dark all the time.

There are those people that use a pj exclusively. So you aren't alone with your thinking, it is very possible. I watch my pj much more than I watch either one of my panels. I can't think of one thing they do quality wise that my pj doesn't meet or exceed. With no light entering the room I wouldn't own a panel! 

After watching the movie Avatar in 3D today..mind blowing by the way. I would be looking for a pj that does 3D!

[stevenkelby]

Great thanks! Are 3D projectors available now?

I was considering this projector:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/587790-REG/Panasonic_PT_AE3000U_PT_AE3000U_1600_ANSI_Lumens.html#features

[GHM]

You can get the newer Panasonic 4000 for roughly what that 3000 cost. Also you may want to do your searches through bing.com. You can save quite a bit of money if you buy from a company that's offering a Bing discount.

The only projector I know of at the moment that is 3D capable is the Optoma HD66http://www.visualapex.com/Optoma/Projector-Specifications.asp?For-The=HD66&SE=Google&KW=hd66&gclid=COX7pvii5J4CFQghnAod_A2jJQ. It was just released this month. I have the earlier version the HD65. This is a terrific projector for cheap. Smokes my Sharp Aqous 1080P panel in color saturation, black levels and shadow detail. The HD66 is 720P but don't let resolution numbers sway you from some of the 720P PJs out there..the picture is still fantastic.

[stevenkelby]

Wow that's awesome

I did actually look at the 4000 and would have gone for that if it came to it, but there is more research to do first!

Thanks for the info!