Do you think a projector would be the best choice for me?

Emily P

My father is a super movie fan, and his birthday is coming up next month. I was going to buy a wide-screen HDTV for his originally, but some of my friends suggested me to buy a projector instead. They said you'll get better view for a movie and it's not too much expensive that a HDTV. I've got a new PC at home which I think it can be hooked up with the projector.

Do you think it better to buy a projector for him? Thank you.

Answer
Buying a projector isn't a bad idea at all,but if you are concerned about picture quality you'd better get a high resolution one which can be somewhat expensive.These projectors can provide a large size image if that's one of your interests but they
should always be viewed in the dark for better quality.IF you have
too much daylight in the room and yet cannot help it by using
curtains or anything like it , maybe buying one can be frustating
since you don't get the most out of it.The projector have a bulb
with a limited life time which can actually last a few years depending on how much you use it.Of course it can be replaced but you should know it isn't cheap like most replaceable parts.IF size matters,at about 70 inches and you happen to buy a hdtv of such size ,this one's going to be a rear projection hdtv which also uses a bulb.So if it's a large size picture you're looking for without the expense you have to take into account that both tecnologies in a size like this, need a dark environtment to get the most out of it.If you choose to spend a lot of money in a hdtv of such size you should know that hdtv's require a hd signal if you wanna get the best picture.They say a hdtv is as weak as is weakest link.This means that if you opt to buy a hdtv for the high quality every video source must be hd too.Otherwise,THE PICTURE QUALITY IS CRAPPY.Meaning that your computer, if it is the case, must have a hd video output to enjoy the maximum quality. HDTV is not only digital but also of higher quality and according to researches it seems to be that is gonna be the standard for the near future due to its excellent quality not only of video but sound too, even if prices remain high for major brands or such technology is not affordable for most people.IF you want to make the old man happy think that the projector is simpler in operation and more accesible to older people.HD is simple once you get used to it but it takes to invest more money in accesories and services such as,HD programming,HD dvd player,hd video cables which are necessary to get a high quality picture from a hdtv.In brief,the projector is a no brainer for the budget and the
quality is good.IF you're looking for something more sophisticated
and compatible with the near future technology you'll have to go with a hdtv.Anyway this a topic to which i don't have all the info
and your specific needs and specifications on the conditions you have in the room and the picture size you need.For that reason I'd
like you to consider the aforementioned statements and knowing what you know now ,find common sense based on all
this and see how high monetarily speaking you want to go for your specific need.Before i go i'd like to say that both technologies are great for as long as you use any of them for a
particular case depending on bugdet,use,quality,compatibility and
ease of use.Anyway if you need more info you can go to any of the stores that specializes in HDTV and find out what the best
might be for you.thanks.CLAUDIO ORTEGA

Which cheap projector has the best picture quality?

snowboardm

For under $200

Answer
Optoma PK-100

It is cheap and good .........but the picture quality depends on the projection distance and lux level in the room...

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What is the best home theater projector available for less than $6000?

drjay71

I would like the best picture quality available.

Answer
There are several projectors available in this ($0 - $6000.00) category. In fact as technology has improved, pictures have gotten better and cost has come down to where most folks can actually afford to enjoy LARGE Screen movies in their own home!

*There are 3 projector technologies that are currently in use in the home entertainment industry: LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), DLP (Digital Light Processing) and LCoS (Liquid Crystal on Silicon.)

***LCD is the most mature of the three types in terms of age and number of units produced. It claims it's roots in the commercial and House of Worship (HoW) arena. Because of this, there are more "high brightness" LCD projectors than any other type. If you're theater is situated in a daylight room with little in the way of light control, LCD may be an excellent choice. Their picture quality has also improved over the years to the point where some brands are considered fairly stiff competition for some of the DLP and LCoS offerings. The best LCD projectors will most certainly look much better than their DLP or LCoS counterparts in this price range if the room's light can not be properly controlled.

Answer a) Ep son's Pro-Cinema series LCD projectors are a favorite in the daylight or medium lit room category and worth a serious LOOK!

**DLP is the technology that Texas Instruments (TI) developed to improve black levels and color accuracy. Over 6000 commercial DLP Cinemas were installed as of 2008 (currently searching for an update to this count) and they hold the lions share of all new Cinema installations world wide due to their VERY HIGH contrast ratio and resolution. The first company to partner with TI and offer a DLP Projector was the Kennesaw, GA manufacturer, ******Digital Projections Inc. (DPI) who is the ONLY projector manufacturer to ever win an EMMY Award for a projector (actually two Emmy's were awarded to DPI in 1998 for Outstanding Achievement in Engineering development.) By the way, DPI offered 18 new 3-D projectors at InfoCom 2010.

Pricing for DPI projectors starts nearer to the $9k mark than $6k but worth a look if you inherit your rich uncle's change purse. Outstanding picture quality! State of the Art. If you can afford it, DPI is the 800lb Gorilla in the room of DLP Projection!

Answer b) Digital Projection's DLP projectors - Worth a Really $erious LOOK if you can afford it!

*****Mitsubishi may be the best known and most sought after manufacturer of DLP TVs and projectors. They offer both front projection (on the ceiling) and rear projection (table top TVs.) Their table top line has recently become VERY, VERY popular due to their outstanding picture quality, *3-D capability (since 2007!) and size vs. price. If 82" is large enough for your Home Theater or Family Room (and that IS really pretty BIG!) then you should consider these products. No "DARK ROOM" needed.

Although some of them ARE wall mountable, they may be a little too deep for some folks taste. That being said, we've seen many of them mounted in built-in "cabinet nooks" and above fireplaces and their very thin bezel looks fantastic when installed this way. The Mitsubishi front projectors have been very highly reviewed in the trade and on-line review magazines and have fantastic pictures. These projectors and TVs will easily fit within your requested price cap with room to spare for all the add-ons you will probably need to finish off your new Man (or Woman)-Cave.

A word about 3-D: *3-D is really cool but if 3-Dimensional movies really are YOUR thing, make sure your TV or projection screen is plenty Big enough. Anything smaller than (approx) 72" diagonal is going to leave most of you wanting more. If you don't believe me, take a look at the closest Big Box Store that demonstrates 3-D. There's nothing worse than a 3-D animated graphic or effect that becomes 2-D at the edges because your "Field of View" is larger than the screen! YUK! You either need to scoot up really close (for 50"-65" sets) or be sure that the screen you purchase is taller than your *3-D glasses lens (field of view) so you can sit in your favorite chair 10-12 feet away.

Answer c) Mitsubishi Table Top DLP TVs - If 82" is big enough and you don't have to hang it on the wall, these TVs are outstanding in any light condition and the Price is Right. They have several 3-D models. They are worth a Serious LOOK!

Answer d) Mistubishi's front projectors (either series) are a great value for light controlled rooms with fantastic color pallet and contrast ratio. Better than most LCD given you have some sort of light control. Dark Room is BEST! Worth a LOOK!

You may want to consider the Optoma brand as well if front projection DLP is what you need. They have been coming on strong for the last couple of years and have proven to be incredibly competitive to Mitsubishi! Very quiet and easy to place in an odd shaped room with lens shift features.

Answer e) Optoma projectors - The higher end of the Op

If you display a projector at its max screen size, is the picture quality degraded?

morgan m

http://www.crutchfield.com/App/Product/Item/Main.aspx?i=158VPLW60&tp=164&tab=features_and_specs



That projector claims a max screen size of 300", which is 25 feet. If I were to display it like that, and sit the appropriate distance away, would it still be a clear 1080i picture?

Answer
It will vary depending on several factors including whether the projector manufacturer chooses to use a realistic number or not. More often than not the maximum screen size typically specified by projector manufacturers will greatly compromise video image quality.

Using the standard zoom lens on Sonyâs mid-to-lower-midrange priced VPL-VW60 1080p projector requires the projector to be placed at a âthrow distanceâ ranging from a minimum of 369 inches (30 feet 9 inches) to a maximum of 631 inches (52 feet 7 inches) to produce a full 300-inch diagonal, 16:9 projected image. For example even if you choose the maximum projector zoom setting of approximately 1.7Ã in order to obtain the shortest throw distance of 369 inches (and thereby providing us a look at the best-case, highest illuminance scenario,) you will still end-up experiencing very poor off-axis viewing angles, i.e., a very small viewing sweet spot, as well as poor screenâand therefore imageâuniformity resulting from a necessity to use the highest-gain screens available. Alternately you can use a comparatively lower-gain 300-inch screen (e.g. under 1.3 to 1.4 thereby improving the screen uniformity and viewing angle a little,) and experience an unacceptably dim* (approx. 1 to 2 fL!), washed-out, low-contrast picture. Of course all of this assumes that you would setup, configure and operate the VPL-VW60 projector properly. So in a nutshell... yes picture quality would be noticeably âdegraded.â

You would also have to take into consideration your optimumâor roughly minimumâviewing distance, which will be approximately 40 feet, give or take, for 1080p video content displayed on a 300-inch screen. To put it quite simply Sonyâs maximum specified screen size is not realistic even if one were to push everything to the limit thereby greatly compromising picture fidelity and/or your viewing experience.

Even though the projection calculators can provide you with a reasonably accurate approximation there should be no doubt that Sonyâs VPL-VW60 projector will be grossly underpowered with any normal gain projection screen larger than 108 inches or so even in a very, very dark viewing environment using the best projection screens available.

*(Note: the target white screen illuminance for professional âdigital cinemaâ applications, as recommended by SMPTE 431-1, is 14 fL or 48 cd/m² = 48 nits ±7% as measured at the center of the screen and not less than 80% of the center value at the corners and sides. This specification also applies equally well for home theater applications.)

################## RESOURCES ##################

PJCalc!⢠Calculation Utility for Projector Throw Distance and Positioning
Sony Professional Downloads
http://pro.sony.com/bbsc/ssr/app-postproduction/resource.downloads

Projection Calculator Pro - Default Results for Sony VPL-VW60
http://www.projectorcentral.com/Sony-VPL-VW60-projection-calculator-pro.htm

How to determine BEST screen size for home theatre projector viewing?
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20071121170743AAnVZ3T
(Contains several worthwhile projection calculator resources)

AVS Forum - Sony VPL-VW60 Tweakers Thread
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/printthread.php?t=926359&pp=60

Sony VPL-VW60 Home Theater Projector Review
http://www.projectorreviews.com/sony/vpl-vw60/

Sony VPL-VW60 SXRD Video Projector Review
http://guide.printthis.clickability.com/pt/cpt?action=cpt&urlID=26282066&url=http://www.guidetohometheater.com/videoprojectors/208sonyvw60/index.html&showBibliography=Y

Sony VPL-VW60 BRAVIA® SXRD⢠1080P Home Cinema Front Projector
http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10551&storeId=10151&productId=8198552921665192796
 

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