plasma or projector?

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borgia

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#56717 21-Jan-2010 17:53

Just wanted some sage advice. We are renovating, and a room (6m long by 4m wide) is free to build a movie/home theatre room. There is a nice wall for a screen or to hang my pioneer 42 inch plasma. the rear wall has a massive window, but with very black curtains. A projector would have to come down from the roof (lovely old house with lots of fancy mouldings and a plaster roof) or sit off center about 50 cm in on the rear wall. I have heard that correcting for a non central placement can cost a lot of quality. Anyway, do people think the move to projector is worth it? I guess my budget for the whole room (need a new amp for bluray audio) would be 8000, so maybe $4k for the projector.

Any thoughts from those down this path already?

Cheers

ivan

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#291978 21-Jan-2010 18:00

I don't recommend projector if you are going to be watching/using it daily as it eats up the bulb's life.

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borgia

94 posts

Master Geek

#291993 21-Jan-2010 18:22

We do six hours a day max. Thats 2000 hours a year, probably more like 1500 really. How realistic is the bulb life?

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#292098 22-Jan-2010 09:03

If it's going to replace your lounge, i'd probably go plasma screen.
If it's only for movies, I'd go projector to get the wow factor. (100" projected screen is equivalent to 4x 50" plasmas.)

Masterpiece

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#292230 22-Jan-2010 14:57

With that budget for the display side? You could get a modest screen(brand), something like an AE4000E 1080 projector and a LC/plasma for general TV duties.

Most bulbs if treated well are getting old 2000hrs and beyond, remember bulbs age so at 2000hrs they are aprox half the lumens from the new rating.
However if you control the max power brightness by limiting the max size of screen to 100"~90" you hedge a little more longevity into the bulbs age by brightness value.(they can still pop if ill treated).

If you like to have ambient light in your viewing environment or cannot control the ambient light(daylight) you will better served with a plasma/LCD
If you can control the light, and want movies to be their best, go projector.

There can be a inconvenience value for projection, that is to take care of a bulb switch on/off regulary for short durations can kill a bulb. You really need to view in the dark for best experience, for social engaugements this may not work well unless the social thing is watching movies where you will get envy from your friends.

For some projection seems too much hassle, for others its worth the result.

I can never go back. Projection all the way.

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#292262 22-Jan-2010 16:20

Having had a projector as my main screen for the past 18+ months I say do it! you wont go back to 40" once you have had 100".

I spent $2000 on a 720p panasonic that is bright enough to watch with the lights on - doesnt like sunlight to much though. replacement lamps are a lot cheaper overseas when you need one (mine was half the cost of buying in NZ - $350) and I think that the wow factor (as mentioned earlier) far exceeds the hassle of having to replace a buld every couple of years - plus I'll prob upgrade it after 1 bulb replacement anyway so 4 years at a total cost of $2350 is still cheaper then any plasma worth looking at.

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#292272 22-Jan-2010 17:08

borgia: Just wanted some sage advice. We are renovating, and a room (6m long by 4m wide) is free to build a movie/home theatre room. There is a nice wall for a screen or to hang my pioneer 42 inch plasma. the rear wall has a massive window, but with very black curtains. A projector would have to come down from the roof (lovely old house with lots of fancy mouldings and a plaster roof) or sit off center about 50 cm in on the rear wall. I have heard that correcting for a non central placement can cost a lot of quality. Anyway, do people think the move to projector is worth it? I guess my budget for the whole room (need a new amp for bluray audio) would be 8000, so maybe $4k for the projector.

Any thoughts from those down this path already?

Cheers

ivan

After using projectors for years now, for me every Plasma or LCD just look like a postage stamp!

I use both........ A 50" Panasonic Plasma just for the news, short programs and daytime watching, all movies are always always screened with my Panasonic PT-AE4000 projector. If you want wow factor, a projector is still the only way to get that impact!

1080p BD on a 120" 16x9 screen seated 4.5M away is wow factor, whats even better is when I use my 150" CinemascopE 2.35 screen.

Everything else but a projector for me is a real letdown, only a projector will give you that WoW factor.

But be warned not all projectors are built alike, old cheap 2nd hand models will not display the same as the latest 1080p models. Older 720p models with low lumens and low contrast ratios just dont cut the mustard when playing the latest 1080p Blu-ray discs.

borgia

94 posts

Master Geek

#292282 22-Jan-2010 17:40

Projector and plasma togther I guess then. I ll put the plasma I own on the wall and have a screen drop down in front maybe. Thanks for the input. Suggestions for cable amd projector/screen installer in auckland?