Hi,

I am looking to finally upgrade my current av setup from a 34" Sony XBR CRT that i have had for the last 5 yrs. I was just about to pull the trigger on a Pioneer Kuro 5020fd after weeks of research when i got an itch to revisit projectors which have always interested me. I have spent a little time researching projectors although still a complete noob and was looking for a little advice.

http://www.prudentialelliman.com/NYCPhotos/floorplans/de/1041419.1010144315.gif


This is a floorplan of my tiny apt :) As you can see i have quite a few windows and would plan to project the image onto either the large window in the living room or the opposite wall. I have roller shades on all windows which let in 3% light although from what i have read that would seem to be my primary concern. Ceiling height is around 100" and width of room is 12'.

My budget is around $2500 and two projectors i am interested in are the:

Panasonic PT-AE3000
Mitsubishi HC6500U

Both seem to have great reviews however my questions are the following:

-What has the better PQ and detail? Above projectors or the kuro?
-Will either of the above projectors work well in my apt? Screen size is important although coming from a 34" tv 96" should be more than enough.
-Will i be able to adequately view tv during the day or if my gf insists on reading a book in the same room with a light or two on? Not sure how keen she would be about living in a dark room :)
-Any other major advantages/limitations between the technologies (i.e bulb replacement)

I would plan to use the projector as my primary viewing device, i.e. 3-4hrs of viewing a day including Bluray, hd cable through my tivo series 3, htpc for movies and web surfing, gaming and anything in between both day and night although i usually do most of my watching at night seeing as im at work paying off my gadget addiction during the day :D

I have never had a projector or a plasma for that matter and have for some reason always thought that i would need a big house with a dedicated cinema in the basement before springing for the projector which i would only use for movie night. Recently however it seems the price and desire for a projector have coincided :)

Would love to know if you guys think i should go with my original choice of the kuro or if a projector is a viable option and if so which one?

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

The most important light to block out, for me at least, is the sunlight it seems to have the most effect on the screen. If you can block that out you should be ok.

IMO, the intented use of the projector is a big factor on whether or not to purchase one. I use mine for mostly sports viewing in my basement with some lighting and it is great. However, if I want to watch a movie I have to turn off all the lights to get the most out of the dark sceens.

If the light is directly on the screen you should be fine. Also check out the screen forum as there is information on the da-lite HP, which helps cut out unwanted light and brightens up the screen to help in the daytime. It has one disadvantage which is viewing angle, but thats not a big concern for most people that own one.

I watch mine in the daytime, and its not bad, but could be better. Of course I block out the light so its not a big deal.
Screen size also plays a role in how bright the pj will be. I read on one review that said going from 100 inch screen to 120 requires something like 65% more light to power it. Having said that I have a 135" and a 1000 lumen pj which works fine together, although brighter would be better.

Having gone from tv to pj was the best thing in movie/tv experience I've had. I highly recommend doing so, if you can deal with the cons.

I wouldn't chose the HC6500 because it doesn't have as good of placement as the 3000, and is not as bright in brightest mode. I believe the 3000 came in at 1273 and the 6500 came in at 750. I would actually chose something even brighter such as the Epson 1080UB or the new Epson 6500UB. THe 1080ub had 1800 lumens of brightness on default and reviewer said it go to 2000, but colors suffered alot. If your going to daytime view, I'd choose something that has a higher than average bright mode such as the epson. Call up Jason from the AVS store to find a great price on the new epson. You'll be surprised how good it is. Next choice would be the 3000 as it is still bright and has many great features.

I wouldn't buy a screen until you project on a wall first, this way you can see how it looks, and decide from there. You can buy jo ann fabric white blackout material for around 16 bucks and use as a screen up to 110 diagonal. the pq is no differnt from my regular screen.

The Kuro will probably have better pq, but we are talking two different technologies. There is a thread of a guy who owns the Kuro and 1080UB, I think its in the official thread towards the end, maybe last ten pages. He posted some pics comparing the two. He loved his pj from what I remember.

Your apartment isn't to small, I've projected a 92 inch screen from around 11 ft x 11 ftand would've gone bigger had the pj been capable. I do sometime project on a 110 from about 16ft away, once again I would go bigger or closer, but pj is limited.

IF you get a pj with good lens shift you can mout that thing pretty much anywhere.

Bulb life can be a concern, at 300 hours it doesn't last long. However, you would have to watch that thing 8 hours a day everyday to burn it out in a year, and even then its worth the money in my opinion.

One problem with pjs is the fact you shouldn't turn them on and off very much, such as every half hour because truning on a pj is hard on the lamp and hurts its lifespan. If you plan to turn it on and leave it on for a while then its not an issue.

Bulbs also have half-life, so they can dim to half their brightness towards the end of their life, thus having a bright pj and screen is helpful.
Hope that helps.

My first projector was a Z3 in an apartment living room similar to yours. The screen was only 80", but it was absolutely worth it in my opinion.

Simply put: Projectors are fun. There are trade-offs, especially in a small apartment with windows...but if you want a projector, you will enjoy a projector.

My personal opinions:
Web surfing on a projector is not nearly as much fun as you might expect. Gaming on a projector is substantially more fun than you would expect.
Projectors are good for TV, but fantastic for movies.

Also, as it might be within your budget, I would highly recommend checking out the Epson 6500UB. The Z3000 is also out very soon, and could save you a few bucks while providing the same quality picture as the AE3000. Add those two to your list, as they may or may not fit your room setup and needs better. Both of those have fantastic horizontal and vertical shift capabilities, which was important for me in my first apartment, and might be very helpful for you. (The large amount of horizontal lens shift would allow you to use both projectors while having them up against a wall or in a corner, which gives you more flexibility as you figure out what size screen and where you want the projector and screen...and you don't need to worry about putting holes in the ceiling or whether or not it's properly installed.)

Contrary to Plasma or LCD HDTV sets, projector screens are reflective devices - they can "tell" the difference between ambient light and light from the PJ. Also, by projecting across your room (from your description), you won't have a good way to set up a 5.1 channel surround sound system (and the audio is 50% of the HT experience, so that is also very important).

You could certainly use a PJ, as you described, but having a light in the same area, that is bright enough to read a book with (you need to negotiate that issue with your GF), will virtually destroy the image (especially with the HC6500, which is not as bright as the AE3000 - but it is a better PJ, IMHO). See the reviews of these PJs on www.projectorreviews.com.

You might be better off getting a cheaper (and smaller) LCD HDTV set for "normal" TV watching and have the PJ for movie watching + TV watching (when you both want to watch).

Another option would be to use a retractable screen that drops down in front of the Balcony wall/windows. That way you would have walls to place your surround speakers on and would be better for the audio part of your LR/HT area (although the balcony door would still be a potential problem). Just some food for thought.

The bottom line is that you need to do a lot more reading and planning, if you really want to go the PJ route. It is certainly worthwhile, if you are willing to make the necessary compromises. It's certainly less money than a Kuro, and a lot bigger picture. Don't forget that you will also need around $500 for a decent screen, which sort of rules out both the AE3000 and HC6500. A HC5500 and a screen should fit your budget, however. You can also get a Da-Lite High power screen (gain = 2.8), which will help with rejecting ambient light (coming from the sides).

I have a 106" Da-Lite High Power, Model C, retractable screen in front of my LR windows, and I can watch TV (at least) during the daytime, with my HC5500 and the front drapes pulled (my LR is on the NE corner of my North facing house). I have posted some pictures of my screen and some movies and HDTV here: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showpost.php?p=15039493&postcount=931, and in the following 2 posts (#932 & #933). My HC5500 is sitting on a shelf behind my seats (couch) and just above my head height. My TV set is behind my screen.

peteer01 has some good thoughts too. He also pointed out some other options and uses.

Thanks everyone for quick replies.

The Kuro will probably have better pq, but we are talking two different technologies.

Would you say there is a noticeable diff in pq between the two (5%, 10%)? And in what area would the difference be, brightness, black levels, detail? Trying to find some sort of A/B shootout. It also seems that a lot of people prefer the pj because of the size of the screen which really heightens the experience of watching on a pj. I am trying to find an objective opinion regardless of screen size. Do you think most ppl would still prefer pj's if the screen was maxed out at 60" like most plasmas?

My concern regarding pq has to do with sharpness and detail. For some reason im concerned that the image will look blurry and not crisp similar to most movie theaters i go to.

peteer01 the Epson 6500 looks good although i cant seem to find many good reviews on it. The Epson 1080UB also has great reviews so that is also going on my list.

Also in my layout above would you recommend me projecting the image onto the wall with the window perhaps even onto the roller shade? or onto the wall opposite the window?

Finally light it seems is my biggest issue. When you guys say it doesnt look good during the day or with lights on do you mean its viewable but just not as good a picture as a dark room (say 75% of the quality) or is it just unwatchable end of story?

thx again.

Thanks everyone for quick replies.



Would you say there is a noticeable diff in pq between the two (5%, 10%)? And in what area would the difference be, brightness, black levels, detail? Trying to find some sort of A/B shootout. It also seems that a lot of people prefer the pj because of the size of the screen which really heightens the experience of watching on a pj. I am trying to find an objective opinion regardless of screen size. Do you think most ppl would still prefer pj's if the screen was maxed out at 60" like most plasmas?

My concern regarding pq has to do with sharpness and detail. For some reason im concerned that the image will look blurry and not crisp similar to most movie theaters i go to.

peteer01 the Epson 6500 looks good although i cant seem to find many good reviews on it. The Epson 1080UB also has great reviews so that is also going on my list.

Also in my layout above would you recommend me projecting the image onto the wall with the window perhaps even onto the roller shade? or onto the wall opposite the window?

Finally light it seems is my biggest issue. When you guys say it doesnt look good during the day or with lights on do you mean its viewable but just not as good a picture as a dark room (say 75% of the quality) or is it just unwatchable end of story?

thx again.
I don't have any personal experience to the Kuro, however I will say that my HD tvs (40) are jsut as sharp as my pj. My Sony XBR is just as good pq and sharp wise, my other cheaper 40 doesn't compare well at all to the pj. From the comparison pics I saw of both the Kuro and 1080UB, both looked very equal. Of course this is from pictures and doesn't really demonstrate the complete truth. I'll see if I can find that thread.

When I was at circuitcity recently I checked out some tvs, and they usually appear more dynamic then my pj, but this is because they are pushing much more lumens off the screen. I think somewhere around 50-80 lumens. A theater pushes around 16 lumens, so projectors aren't usually pushing 50 lumens, not unless set up that way with a small screen that is high power. My point is, some people judge pq based on brightness, and they shouldn't, as there are other things to consider. I guess it comes down to how picky you are, some guys that are used to plasma tvs with deep blacks can't go to a pj. On my low budget pj, I am not bothered by the blacks being defiecient. When I compare my pj to my LCD tvs, the only thing that I like better is that the tvs are brighter, but everything else seems equal. I am running a big screen and not a super bright pj, i'm pushing according to the charts 8 lumens, which is pretty low. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

I've never heard anyone say, oh that looks pretty good, but not as good as my tv, quite the contrairy, most say "wow I can't believe how good that looks." Some even said, "I can't believe I spent all that money on my tv, when I could've had this."

Far as compared to movie theaters, there is no comparison, everytime I go I am disappointed because the pq and sound is usually very poor and the contrast is not as good because they have all those lights on. A good pj will look very nice. It will not be blurry, unless you are watching SD tv material which looks bad becasue of the poor quality, it becomes amplified upconverted dvds look excellent, some not as good as others, but most very good, sometimes almost hd looking. the picture is crisp as well, don't worry about that.

The Epson is not released yet in the states, Peter is in Japan, so there is only one that I know of, that cin4 something website from germany I believe. Just look at the UB ones, and know that the 6500 should be better than its predicessor. IT does have the Silicon Optics Reon processor, which is considered one of the best out there for scaling.

At my place, the pj is constantly moved around from wall to wall, I find having it over the windows or porch doors, helps keep out the light, but other than that, it seems to be personal preference.

With lights on, the pq is better than watching in the daytime because the sun really is powerful, but it is still watchable. During thansgiving we had our running all day from about 11 am, and it was super bright outside, so i pulled the shades down, and it was washout compared to night, but still very watchable. It was still very bright in the room, even with the shades closed. My pj is rated as 1000 lumens, but in brightest mode it was rated at 768, so I'm sure with the brighter pjs you'll be fine, depending on how bright your space is. The high gain screens work wonders with keeping the light at bay.

I could never go back to regular tv, and in fact having the pj has made me quite the movie buff now, and I can't stand watching on small 40 screens. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

In a few days after finals, I can take some pics of the room with lights on and off, and in daytime to show you. Its the blacks that lose out, and if its a real dark movie it can be hard to watch, but normal bright type movies are fine. Before summer ended I had the door shades up watching in the daytime, and it was doable.

Heres a thread you might enjoy as they discuss plasma against pj. http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1082195&highlight=high+gain
The guy with the Kuro that I mentioned is in that thread, with some pictures showing the difference. You could PM for more information, to help in your decision.

Would you say there is a noticeable diff in pq between the two (5%, 10%)? And in what area would the difference be, brightness, black levels, detail? Trying to find some sort of A/B shootout. It also seems that a lot of people prefer the pj because of the size of the screen which really heightens the experience of watching on a pj. I am trying to find an objective opinion regardless of screen size. Do you think most ppl would still prefer pj's if the screen was maxed out at 60" like most plasmas?Honestly, I think my TW4000's (Epson 6500) picture quality is right up there with any TV I could have, but that's subjective. Additionally, it'd dependent upon the room being completely dark and having black curtains up on the wall. The quality of the image is going to depend on your room, screen, projector, setup, ambient light, etc...

Assuming you live in the states (and since your floor plan is in feet, you probably do), there's probably someone not to far from you on AVS that will be happy to show you their projector set up. I'd pop into the +3K forum and ask if there's anyone not too far who wouldn't mind showing you their setup.

My concern regarding pq has to do with sharpness and detail. For some reason im concerned that the image will look blurry and not crisp similar to most movie theaters i go to.Hahaha...:D

My TW4000 has pretty much insured that anytime I go to a movie that's slightly out of focus, my wife is going to hear about it. It is razor sharp. So sharp that you'll see a moire pattern on some of these screen shots (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=15230958#post15230958) taken from almost 20 feet away. Shadow detail will depend on the projector that you get, but I am very impressed and satisifed with the sharpness, detail and shadow detail of my new projector. (I would say that my projector looks sharper and has better color and detail than my 1080p 40" Sony Bravia that I bought last year.)

It is a matter of personal preference, but I personally think the Panasonic smooth screen technology decreases preceived sharpness. The technology removes any sort of screen door effect, which is very useful on a 720p projector, but on a 1080p projector, you won't see SDE from even one screen width (at least for my projector, and that's with 20/10 vision with my glasses) so the effect is a preceived lack in sharpness. It's not a big deal, but is a matter of personal taste.

peteer01 the Epson 6500 looks good although i cant seem to find many good reviews on it. The Epson 1080UB also has great reviews so that is also going on my list.It comes out on the 15th in the US, so everyone's still waiting for it, including reviewers, apparently. Cine4Home has a great German review on it, and I've got my evolving layman's review on the Japanese model posted in this thread (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1089480).

Also in my layout above would you recommend me projecting the image onto the wall with the window perhaps even onto the roller shade? or onto the wall opposite the window?My friend bought a 720p projector 4 years ago and is still projecting on to his wall in a room has a lot of windows. It's not a lack of money, the guy just hasn't seen a justifyable need to change things up. I projected on a wall, then screen, then upgraded to an electric custom aspect ratio screen that fit my room, usage and new projector. The screen's material, type and placement can all be figured out later, I'd suggest figuring out what kind you want and where you want it before you spend any real money on a screen. (There are spring loaded screens you can pull up from the floor, wall mounted screen, drop down screens, etc...you have a lot of options.)

Finally light it seems is my biggest issue. When you guys say it doesnt look good during the day or with lights on do you mean its viewable but just not as good a picture as a dark room (say 75% of the quality) or is it just unwatchable end of story?My friend above with the windows and a white wall...he watches TV during the day sometimes, so obviously it's watchable, and he thinks it looks good enough. That said, it's not nearly as good as a dark room.

peteer01 & d james - thanks again for all your input. peteer01 I have been following your threads closely :D. I also believe i read somewhere that you are using horizontal lens shift in your setup. Can you tell me how much shift and what affect if any that has on the image quality vs no shift at all?

Kind of an odd question but do you know how long and what color the power cord is? Reason i ask is if i end up mounting the pj on the ceiling close to the windows i would have to run the cable along the frame and then down the wall and to an outlet which im guessing is not going to be long enough.

Also have you found a way to bypass the Reon chip in the pj for use with gaming etc? After having some time with the tw4000 how have you found it in that regard and over all?


Lastly im also considering a denon 3808ci (or onkyo 876 although thats another issue all together :)). Im assuming the reon chip in the pj renders the one in the avr redundant? From what i have read the chip in the pj is of better quality than those found in either avr so i would imagine i would end up bypassing that functionality in the avr?

Still getting to grips with a lot of this stuff.

thx again!!!

peteer01 & d james - thanks again for all your input. peteer01 I have been following your threads closely :D. I also believe i read somewhere that you are using horizontal lens shift in your setup. Can you tell me how much shift and what affect if any that has on the image quality vs no shift at all?When I watch 2.35:1 movies, I'm using horizontal lens shift to move the screen approximately 40% of the screen width to the left of center. When I'm playing Xbox 360 or watching 16x9 material, I sometimes leave it there (which makes it right of center), and I sometimes use the maximum lens shift (~47%) to center the screen as much as possible.

(Put simpler, the right end of the projector is in line with the right end of the screen. The lens is offset to the left.)

It felt that there were more lens issues introduced with the horizontal shift on my Z3, although they might have been compounded by less than ideal convergence. The CA and purple fringing that are introduced by using lens shift are surprisingly minor, and not noticable at normal viewing distances. I don't doubt that you get a slightly improved image using no lens shift at all, but I have no interest whatsoever in moving my projector based on how it performs where it is.
Kind of an odd question but do you know how long and what color the power cord is? Reason i ask is if i end up mounting the pj on the ceiling close to the windows i would have to run the cable along the frame and then down the wall and to an outlet which im guessing is not going to be long enough.It's a black power cord, about two meters long. (This is for the Japanese TW4000, which is black, and people are less likely to ceiling mount here)
Also have you found a way to bypass the Reon chip in the pj for use with gaming etc? After having some time with the tw4000 how have you found it in that regard and over all?No. I think it's part of the processing path, and while turning everything off minimizes the impact of image lag, it looks like it is slightly slower than previous projectors with the same PixelWorks chipset.

I've put in about 15-20 hours of COD:WaW since buying this projector, and in multiplayer, I'm in the middle of a 37 game winstreak right now, and I feel confident in saying that the projector has improved my performance because the increase in visability and response time have more than offset whatever fractional increase in image lag this projector has over my Z3. That is not to say it is the ideal gaming projector. If you're only interested in gaming, the TW3000 (6100) may very well offer better image lag with more lumens, but worse blacks and contrast...the 6100 may be better for some gamers, and the speed of the Z3000 and Z700 are yet to be tested.Lastly im also considering a denon 3808ci (or onkyo 876 although thats another issue all together :)). Im assuming the reon chip in the pj renders the one in the avr redundant? From what i have read the chip in the pj is of better quality than those found in either avr so i would imagine i would end up bypassing that functionality in the avr? If you're worried about image lag, then you're connecting the projector directly to the game system, right?

I connect everything directly to the projector, which includes my RD-X7 (http://www3.toshiba.co.jp/hdd-dvd/products/vardia/rd-x7/), which has a Reon processor in it. HDTV looks great through it, and SDTV still isn't something I'd want to watch on my projector.

If you really want the best audio possible, the Denon 3808i may be a worthwhile purchase for you, but in my smaller apartment, and even now, I've been more than satisfied with a much more reasonable non-HDMI audio only receiver. If you want the Denon for other inputs, like a dedicated Blu-Ray player, then it might be worth it, but if you're actually concerned about image lag, then run your audio through optical out and run VGA (or HDMI, as I don't see any additional image lag) directly to the projector.

I've put in about 15-20 hours of COD:WaW since buying this projector, and in multiplayer, I'm in the middle of a 37 game winstreak right now, and I feel confident in saying that the projector has improved my performance because the increase in visability and response time have more than offset whatever fractional increase in image lag this projector has over my Z3.


Sounds good and congrats :)



If you're worried about image lag, then you're connecting the projector directly to the game system, right?

I connect everything directly to the projector

I do all my gaming on my 360 and was hoping that by getting the denon i could channel everything through it with one connection to the pj and just bypass the video processing in the avr for gaming etc?

What do you think about having a pj as your one and only display device? I remember you mentioned you had a sony lcd, do you think you could manage with only the pj and if not why?

Im a little worried that down the road after the wow factor has diminished somewhat it might not be as practical? I have heard people mention that its not good to switch a pj on/off frequently but is there any data on that? For example would it be better to keep it on for 3-5hrs straight then to switch it off 2-3 times over the same period?

Hopefully this will be my last round of questions :D

I do all my gaming on my 360 and was hoping that by getting the denon i could channel everything through it with one connection to the pj and just bypass the video processing in the avr for gaming etc?Much like the Reon in the TW4000/6500UB, even when you're not using the chip, any device you connect between the 360 and projector has the potential to introduce unwanted delays, and that's something I'd suggest avoiding if you really care about the best response time possible.

Every projector I've looked at seriously has at least two HDMI ports and one VGA port. If you do need a receiver for your other devices, you could always use a receiver for everything else, and the other HDMI port or VGA port for your projector.
What do you think about having a pj as your one and only display device? I remember you mentioned you had a sony lcd, do you think you could manage with only the pj and if not why?Yes, I could and did. We had a tiny TV in our bedroom, but that and the projector were definitely sufficient. We bought the Sony because we had room in our bigger place, wanted something we could turn on and off even if just for background noise or the two minutes of the evening news weather forecasts, and we got a fantastic deal on it.

After two years with just a projector, I still wouldn't have bought a TV if it wasn't a great deal and easily within our budget, but I think I was gradually moving towards the, "since have space, we should also get a TV, when we see a good deal" mindset. Reading various threads on AVS, I get the feeling that a lot of people who use a projector as their only display usually end up getting another TV with two or three years, but I wouldn't let that discourage you, I think the vast majority would tell you they wouldn't be willing to part with their projectors, and would give up their TV if they had to choose.;)
Im a little worried that down the road after the wow factor has diminished somewhat it might not be as practical? I have heard people mention that its not good to switch a pj on/off frequently but is there any data on that?Yes, turning on and off your projector definitely takes it's toll on the lamp.For example would it be better to keep it on for 3-5hrs straight then to switch it off 2-3 times over the same period?There's a lot of factors: Lamp type, projector, lamp mode (high/low), voltage, room temperature...but basically, the generally accepted logic around AVS seems to be that turning your projector off and on is equal to (very) roughly an hour of viewing. Allowing your bulb time to sufficient time to properly cool down before turning it back on is also a good think to consider when turning the projector off and on.

If I know I'm going to use it again within 30 minutes, I always keep it on, if I know I won't use it for at least an hour, I always turn it off. Considering my long gaming sessions, I'd rather err on the side of turning it off too often, as extended sessions can get pretty hot, and that seems to have lead to my blue polarizer dying in my Z3.

Panasonic actually has a warning about something along the lines of 6 hours of continuous use daily falling under excessive use, and warns against extended continuous usage. I haven't seen that for Sanyo and Epson, but I would say that you should make sure to keep your filter clean, and turn on the AC if the room feels warm and the projector's been on for a while.

Im a little worried that down the road after the wow factor has diminished somewhat it might not be as practical?

Had my AX100 for 2 years now ... I just ordered 2 new bulbs as mine is starting to hit it's expiration time... the wow factor isn't going anywhere over here lol .. I have total light control mind you..

HD Hockey / Football / Blu-ray / i can go on and on is absolutely breathtaking ... if you're worried about image quality and this is your 1st major bigscreen purchase... you'll be blown away.

My projector is only 720p .. but it downscales 1080p internally (and it does SUCH an amazing job that I have issues seeing a difference on my friends' 1080p projectors) .. and considering the PJs you were looking at... you'll probably be frozen stiff after everything is set up correctly. I was nervous too .. but this is probably one of the best personal purchases I've made for myself.... ever lol.

djbuddha

Hi,

I am looking to finally upgrade my current av setup from a 34" Sony XBR CRT that i have had for the last 5 yrs. I was just about to pull the trigger on a Pioneer Kuro 5020fd after weeks of research when i got an itch to revisit projectors which have always interested me. I have spent a little time researching projectors although still a complete noob and was looking for a little advice.

http://www.prudentialelliman.com/NYCPhotos/floorplans/de/1041419.1010144315.gif


This is a floorplan of my tiny apt :) As you can see i have quite a few windows and would plan to project the image onto either the large window in the living room or the opposite wall. I have roller shades on all windows which let in 3% light although from what i have read that would seem to be my primary concern. Ceiling height is around 100" and width of room is 12'.

My budget is around $2500 and two projectors i am interested in are the:

Panasonic PT-AE3000
Mitsubishi HC6500U

Both seem to have great reviews however my questions are the following:

-What has the better PQ and detail? Above projectors or the kuro?
-Will either of the above projectors work well in my apt? Screen size is important although coming from a 34" tv 96" should be more than enough.
-Will i be able to adequately view tv during the day or if my gf insists on reading a book in the same room with a light or two on? Not sure how keen she would be about living in a dark room :)
-Any other major advantages/limitations between the technologies (i.e bulb replacement)

I would plan to use the projector as my primary viewing device, i.e. 3-4hrs of viewing a day including Bluray, hd cable through my tivo series 3, htpc for movies and web surfing, gaming and anything in between both day and night although i usually do most of my watching at night seeing as im at work paying off my gadget addiction during the day :D

I have never had a projector or a plasma for that matter and have for some reason always thought that i would need a big house with a dedicated cinema in the basement before springing for the projector which i would only use for movie night. Recently however it seems the price and desire for a projector have coincided :)

Would love to know if you guys think i should go with my original choice of the kuro or if a projector is a viable option and if so which one?

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Hi, I've been going through some of the same struggles trying to decide between a projector vs a larger TV. It's a pretty tough decision on a variety of levels. Picture quality, size, short/long term costs, ambient light, placement, etc.

It's even harder if you are talking about an apartment where wall space is limited. One tool I've found useful is http://www.displaywars.com. It lets you enter in various screen dimensions and compare two different sized screens. It's nice to see how a 16x9 screen compares at different sizes. Personally, the choice for me is going to come down to the 55" vizio LED LCD coming out this summer vs a comparably priced projector.


P.S: Here's some comparisons of your 34" 4x3 TV to a 55" TV and a 92" projector:

http://www.displaywars.com/34-inch-4x3-vs-55-inch-16x9
http://www.displaywars.com/34-inch-4x3-vs-92-inch-16x9

The 92" screen definitely looks more impressive. You'll have to decide if it would work in your apartment. :)

Good luck!

No one needs a dedicated room to enjoy Theater in their Home experience.

NO tv on the market today can deliver a Theater visual experience. In my opinion and experience, Theater is a visual experience and sound is needed but ranks as an accessory. Anyone who thinks audio is equally important to visual just buy a ticket and sit in a Theater with a blindfold on - LOL but it's true!

Our viewing room is our living room which we have made into a multi-purpose Theater, Television and visiting room. Our first screen was a 60X80 Da-lite fixed wall screen with 11 1/2 ft. throw and eyeball-to-screen distance of 12 ft. and in that configuration we achieved Theater experience without question.

We're using a mid-price 5:1 Onkyo - our room doesn't allow "perfect" speaker location relative to seating but it doesn't matter - it sounds awesome to us and, IMO, a small room doesn't need a zillion dollars of sound equipment to achieve a theater sound experience.

If you can afford 1080p then by all means buy into that level of projector but you can have an awesome HiDef H.Theater experience with a good 720p projector.

Dim light is okay - I watch a LOT of movies in the daytime and the light is dim - never dark BUT light is the enemy of a projection screen image and the less reflecting around the room the better will be your experience.

We have a 56in TV for television watching but it simply can't do Theater which is why we bought into projection. You will not believe the difference in your experience so what are you waiting for??!! Jump in.

The WOW Factor will probably wear off. But never entirely. Let me put it this way. A year ago I never would have considered turning on a TV. Now I got rid of cable downstairs (on the projector) to save $10 a month :D.

That being said a big part of my "decline in wow factor" is I'm getting tired of locking myself up downstairs in the basement :rolleyes:. When I sent in the AX100 and waited to replace it with the AX200 I had to wait a few weeks and it was a nice change of pace to be playing Xbox upstairs in civilization, I actually saw my roommates occasionally :eek:.

I can't believe no one has said "don't get rid of a (good) CRT-based HDTV for casual TV viewing". It sounds like you want to REPLACE your tube with something else, and I would never use a projector as a primary viewing source. I think someone mentioned they love watching movies on their pj, but not so much other things; I feel the same way. I thought about replacing my CRT with a flat-panel (LCD, not Plasma), but I finally realized you'll never get as good of a picture from ALL ANGLES as you do with a tube for "all day" TV viewing, and you'll never be able to get a flat-panel as big as a screen (at least one you can buy) when you want to watch movies. So, I have a 32" Princeton HDTV monitor that I drop a 92" screen down in front of to watch movies via an Optoma HD65.

i can't believe no one has said "don't get rid of a (good) crt-based hdtv for casual tv viewing". It sounds like you want to replace your tube with something else, and i would never use a projector as a primary viewing source. I think someone mentioned they love watching movies on their pj, but not so much other things; i feel the same way. I thought about replacing my crt with a flat-panel (lcd, not plasma), but i finally realized you'll never get as good of a picture from all angles as you do with a tube for "all day" tv viewing, and you'll never be able to get a flat-panel as big as a screen (at least one you can buy) when you want to watch movies. So, i have a 32" princeton hdtv monitor that i drop a 92" screen down in front of to watch movies via an optoma hd65.

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