Hi, I am building my first home theater with a projector. I am moving into a new house, and have a decently sized room with a wall with enough room for a 170" diagonal, I doubt I have enough depth in the room to allow that, as it is about 15 feet long. I have a few questions though that I cant seem to find on google or anything.

I am looking for a projector to do 1080p because I will be watching HD programming, playing XBOX 360, and watching HD-DVD.

1) I see alot of projectors that claim 1080p, but they are not native 1080p. What is the difference between them being native, and having the possibility to do 1080p? I understand the most basic part, that it is always in 1080p, but is it detrimental to get one that is native 720p, but can do 1080p?

2) Is DLP really that much better than LCD? If both are the same resolution, same image size, etc. Is the pixelation visible on a good LCD projector (2000ish dollar range) that does native 1080p? I understand that less pixelation exists because of the physics of a DLP projector, but in a real world scenario (I'm not a videophile, the best I have is a 52" 1080i projection TV) is it noticeably better?

Thanks in advance for any help you can give me.
-Dan

One part of your question is the Difference between a 1080p projector and 720p I going to assume that you know it's the capability of the chip (more pixels or mirrors) but there is debate about whether you can tell the difference in the real world. You should read these two threads from beginning to end.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=767929&highlight=athens
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=799340&highlight=athens

I have a 720P and it looks darn good on a 100 inch screen when displaying HD material. Would it be better with a 1080P? I would like to think so, so I can justify an upgrade to the newest and greatest. I will have to see with my own eyes before I write a check. I've seen the Sony Ruby and thought it was pretty good but I'm looking forward to seeing some more 1080p alternatives before making up my mind.

Read the threads on the JVC RS1 the most recent new hot 1080P star on the AVS sales block. Many AVSers will be getting their units next week and we can read about their reactions.

1) I see alot of projectors that claim 1080p, but they are not native 1080p. What is the difference between them being native, and having the possibility to do 1080p? I understand the most basic part, that it is always in 1080p, but is it detrimental to get one that is native 720p, but can do 1080p?

When we talk about resolution of a projector it is always it's native resolution - in other words how many lines and pixel per line the projector is able to reproduce.
If you want to watch HD and experience it in it's full resolution you need a native 1080p device - end of story! :)
Devices which say that they can handle 1080p but are native 720p will downscale your HD signal and you loose quality.

2) Is DLP really that much better than LCD? If both are the same resolution, same image size, etc. Is the pixelation visible on a good LCD projector (2000ish dollar range) that does native 1080p? I understand that less pixelation exists because of the physics of a DLP projector, but in a real world scenario (I'm not a videophile, the best I have is a 52" 1080i projection TV) is it noticeably better?

This question is very hard to answer and I do not want to start a war here... :rolleyes:
You have to test different models yourself and decide which you like best. Some people can see the rainbow artifacts of single chip DLP's and hate it, others don't like the large screendoor of LCD's (black grid between pixels), .....
Of course if you have the money - go for a decent 3 chip DLP to have the best of both worlds! :D

Problem is, I have a limited budget, about 2000-2500. Possibly a bit more than 2500 but most likely in that range. LCD is far cheaper for one with native 1080p, and I don't really have any opportunity to see a difference. I'm trying to find stores around my area with quality projectors and rooms to see the differences with my own eyes, but we really only have the Best Buy/Circuit City type places in the vicinity.