broadwayblue

i recently saw a demo of a sony lcd projector playing some hockey on HDNET and it was unbelievable! i wasn't able to get the model number but the salesperson said it was their new model and it was only $5000. could that be right? seems like the prices are coming way down. what i'd really like is a DLP projector but those are still super pricey.

skar

I don't know too much about LCD projectors, but I do know that the prices of nice DLP's are dropping fast. Models like the NEC LT150 and the InFocus Home Screenplay 110 are available for under $5k.

Frank S

You need to go to www.AVSforum.com and you will find the greatest wealth of information on projector's (and all other HT equipment) on the Internet!

broadwayblue

true, i go there for tips on my replaytv. thanks.

broadwayblue

those are the one chip models though, right? how do they compare to LCD projectors?

gotapex

There are a few questions you have to ask yourself:

1. How much ambient light is being let into this room? Is lighting well controlled?

2. What screen size am I going to use?

3. Am I sensitive to rainbows from single chip DLP units?

4. Am I sensitive to the screendoor effect from LCD units?

5. Am I willing to build a hushbox for the projector, or does fan noise from the projector bother me at all?

6. What am I watching with this projector? Am I going to use a HTPC? How about a scaler? Progressive scan DVD? VCR as a tuner? Viewsonic tuner?

7. Is most of my material 4:3 or 16:9?

8. Do I value vibrant colors the most or am I a blackaholic?

9. Am I looking for the absolute best around $6000, or am I willing to settle for a lower quality at a substantially lower cost?

Let us know. We'll be able to give you a much more informed suggestion with this information.

BTW, the Sony projector you were seeing was probably the VPL-VW11HT. It's a reasonably good 16:9 projector for the price, but there are definitely better ones in that price range.

ckolchak

i've been the happy owner of a LT150 since the big Dell goof-up.
of the several LCD fp's i've seen in stores being demo'd, NOT ONE (including the sony Vw10ht...probably the most consumer friendly fp) made me salivate the way the dlps i saw did.
the screendoor quality, which is endemic to all LCDs (and very infrequently seen on my dlp) just made everything look too ..."digital".
dlps, imo, just look so much more film-like.

the issue most people have with dlps-the rainbow problem, i have happily found to be a non issue after a hundred or so hours of viewing.
they are still there to a small extent, but they are not the deal-killer i had feared they would be.
as best as i can figure, i have gotten so use to them that i no longer 'conciously' see or seek them out the way i used to. hence they are no a factor now.
i would highly recommend the LT150 to anyone, and the spectacular 3 year warranty that NEC provides with this pj, is one of the strongest reasons why.

MichaelBlanton

Also, don't forget projectorcentral.com when looking for info on HT projectors.

broadwayblue

thanks for all the info guys! i am new to the world of projectors. i was originally thinking about going with a rear projector (maybe a 50 or 57 inch) but then i started looking at front projectors when i noticed that they are really coming down in price. i know that the dlp is the newer technology but i'm not all that familiar with it.

i know that ambient light is a serious consideration...does the room have to be completely dark, or would keeping the interior lights on dimmers and blacking out the windows be enough?

how big a room do you need to make a projector worthwhile. if my maximum viewing distance from the screen will be 12' is a projector a mistake? could i use an 80-90 inch screen at this distance?

what is the "rainbow" effect and why do people say they get headaches from watching dlp projectors?

i think i've seen the screendoor effect on some cheap lcd projectors (the sharpvision comes to mind) where the image looks very pixelized. or is that something else? i thought that wouldn't be a problem on a better lcd.

i guess if the noise was really bad i could purhcase or build a hushbox.

i would mostly be watching Digital Cable and DVD's. my cable system (Time Warner) now offers some HD channels so i could watch HBO, Showtime, CBS, and NBC in High Definition. i wasn't planning on using an HTPC (although if i needed to i could build one) and i really don't know much about scalers. i don't own a vcr.

most of my material is 4:3 (not by my choice) although if i started receiving the HD channels from TWC that amount would be reduced. i don't really want to invest in any 4:3 technology even if it takes a couple of years for 16:9 to become widely accepted. should i hold off a bit longer?

so i have to choose between vibrant colors or dark blacks?

while i would like the absolute best i most likely can't afford it or can't justify the added cost. i refuse to purchase a projector merely because it can produce a giant picture. while i do want to have the cinema feel, i would rather wait a bit longer if my price range puts me in a position where my image would be full of jaggies and look all washed out or just average. i don't plan to actually purchase a projector for about 6 months or so as i am currently waiting to move into a bigger apartment. right now i'm in the research phase and as i am new to the world of projectors i appeciate all the information i can get.

gotapex

I'll try to tackle a few of these:

Ambient light is a serious consideration. If there is ambient light, you're going to want a bright projector. For dim'd lights and blacking out the windows, I'd say aim for at least a 1000 lumen D-ILA or LCOS unit, or a 1300+ lumen LCD unit, or a 1500+ lumen DLP unit. Visually, with differing technologies, lumens /= lumens.

With a max viewing distance of 12', you can definitely still use an 80-90" screen. I'm at about 13-14" and an 80" screen and it's very comfortable.

Rainbows bother some people and not others. It mainly happens in dark scenes with some small bright sections and fast action. There's no way to say if you're going to be affected other than actually viewing a few DLP units. I'd suggest viewing at least 2-3 full movies with fast, dark scenes.

Screendoor effects are more prevalent in non-MLA (Micro Lens Array) LCD's. From a viewing distance of 12' or more, it's less of a bother, especially on a screen as small as 80-90'. Again, some people are more sensitive to it than others. D-ILA projectors and LCOS projectors have the least screen door effect, followed by DLP.

Purchasing and building a hushbox will definitely be a consideration with a lot of high power projectors. Always ALWAYS remember to consider the WAF of your purchase (Wife Acceptance Factor).

4:3 is fine, and most 4:3 projectors scale to 16:9 just fine.

You don't really have to choose between colors and blacks, but people tend to have a preference one way or another. It just makes choosing easier if you know your preference. For instance, Epson projectors have excellent colors and uniformity, however, the black levels tend not to be as good. Many DLP's, such as the popular NEC LT150z have excellent blacks, but the colors are not quite as good (NECophiles, please do not tar & feather me for casting doubt on the obvious perfection of your chosen projector).

If you want to contact me offline, I might be able to get you a good deal on some of the parts (projector, screen, etc) through some contacts. I'm going to be gone from Sun night to Tues night though.

[email protected]