Hello,

I've been kicking an idea around in my head and that has been to go to a overhead projector setup. We're tired of having been through 3+ samsung dlp tv's and I suggested a overhead setup and really go "big".

Question is, which one, what type etc? She asked how can we watch tv on it, and would it look better or the same as a rptv?

I'd like a bit of advice or tips on the subject or where I can go to educate myself on the technology. Is this the best way to go or should I just get a bigger/different brand RPTV?

Definitly go BIG - I just got my first PJ (Sanyo Z5) and its really incredible. The pic
is sharp as hell and and at 92" -BIG. All my friends and family that come over can't
believe how great it looks. I would stay and read alot of posts, you will get all the
help and info you need to get your self a nice set-up. Good luck and Weicome.

Projection can deliver a killer picture, but you generally need light control. A dark or dim environment is a big factor IMHO.

Projection can deliver a killer picture, but you generally need light control. A dark or dim environment is a big factor IMHO.
Well it depends to what degree you mean by "dark or dim", but mine has turned out better than I expected, despite less than total light control. I got a Panasonic PT-AX100U (2000 lumens) and set it up with a 106" screen. The theater room, in my basement, is not what you'd really call a dedicated theater. In a sense it is - the room itself is sunken about 8-10" from the rest of the basement (in line with the room above it on the main level) - so that sunken area is "dedicated" to the theater, but it's open to the surrounding rooms/areas, and the screen is on a wall with two small windows (about 1' x 2') at the top on either side of the screen. And there's a double French door at the bottom of the basement stairs in the area next to the theater room.

Of course, the picture looks superior at night with as little ambient light as possible, but I'm still thrilled with how good it looks during the day. The projector has several preset brightness/contrast/etc. configurations for both "Theater Room" and "Living Room" lighting conditions, and the Living Room ones work great for me in the daytime. It's still in my basement, so without any lights on it's not like there's significant sunlight spilling in, but it's far from what most people would call "light-controlled."

I recently had a poker tournament and had to have a lot of lights on right in the theater room, and we still had no problem getting a great picture for the De La Hoya-Mayweather fight. I have three rows of three recessed lights, and I had them installed with the three closest to the screen on a separate switch. Just having those 3 off was all the light control I needed. With the other 6 on, as well as all the lights in the surrounding areas, it was plenty of light to play cards, and still have a great picture on the screen.

My point is, with the right projector, you don't necessarily have to have a closed-off room with no windows. I'd certainly recommend a basement area, unless you only plan to ever use it at night. You can also compensate for the light by not going quite as big with your screen, although like I said mine is 106" and it looks fantastic. I was also constrained by the windows on either side, the curtain my wife wants to put above the screen, etc., so I probably wouldn't have gone any bigger anyway.

Here are my suggestions

http://thetechhunter.blogspot.com/2007/03/prey-captured-projectors.html

A short post on what to look for in a projector
http://thetechhunter.blogspot.com/2007/03/what-to-look-for-when-buying-projector.html

I suggest reading all the reviews on www.projectoreviews.com and www.projectorcentral.com