Hey everyone –
AVSF. Great site. I’ve spent about 5+ hours this weekend just browsing and reading. I’m hoping for some help deciding between two items though. I’m building a HT/game room and at the point where I start needing to think about electronics.

My main dilemma is ~85”-90” projector vs. ~50”-60” plasma.

I’m planning on setting it up for entertaining beyond just movies but we’ll probably use the space 65% for movies, 25% for TV/sporting events, and 10% for gaming w/ PS3.

The back partition/wall is about 11’-6” from the screen. My budget for the video would be roughly $2,000. I say roughly because if someone can convince me a bit more money gets a lot more performance I have a bit of flexibility.

Are there any other factors I should be considering or including to make a decision?

Thanks,
Matt

One factor with front projection is light control (required for front projection). But with your budget you aren't going to get a plasma larger than 50"; even then it will likely have to be a lower tier model (or last years model). Front projection will definitely give you a much more immersive experience.

It’s in a basement with two small windows so light control is pretty easy. I do like ambient light, though.

How do projectors (in my price range) handle video games?

Thanks for the quick reply & info!

Remember if you go the front projector route, you will need to buy the screen, projector mount, long cable(s) and possibly a video selector, etc. Depending on your budget you can make the mount and potentially screen or buy a pull down screen.

I have both and I find some 'guests' don't like watching sporting events in the dark. They're much happier with the lights on watching a bright plasma.

Front projection will definitely give you a much more immersive experience.

No doubt about it. I run plasmas in my bedroom and family room because of the light and space requirements, but in my basement it's FP on a 106" screen. Watched Apocalypto via Dish net HD the other night, and it was amazing!

And I never use a completely blacked out room; just dimmed lights. Superbowl this year was a blast!

With your budget you can do a VERY nice FP system!

It’s in a basement with two small windows so light control is pretty easy. I do like ambient light, though.

How do projectors (in my price range) handle video games?

Thanks for the quick reply & info!

There's often more to light control than just blocking windows. If the paint on the walls and ceiling in your basement is a bright color or glossy, you might lose contrast during bright scenes.

If you want a HT experience, absolutely go with the projector. You should be able to get 720p model with a fixed screen or pull down screen for under $2k. At most you can only get a 50" Plasma. Great choice for your basement. However, most likely this thread will go to the projector thread,

My vote is for the projector....!

Chris

Like others have mentioned, light control is the biggest issue with a projector. If you plan on being able to have other activities going on in the basement other than the movie or game that might require lighting then the projector can have a less than desirable picture. In a very darkened room it can give you the best movie experience though. A 50" plasma is very doable at the $2000.00 range as the Panasonic can be had in that area. For about $500.00 more you can step up to the Pioneer 5080 which is an excellent set. At 11' the 50" plasma will still give you a nice experience and lighting can be used in the room for other activities while watching the panel.

I have not found one projector that has as good a picture as plasma. It would be nice to have a 10 foot screen, but not if the cost is washed out colors and a dull picture.

I've got both and it depends on what you're looking for. The big screen of the projector is immersive and it's real fun for games. For pure picture quality, projector can't compare to my plasma. Picture seems much more lifelike on the plasma. I'm guessing it's contrast and color depth is the reason?

If I had neither and the knowledge I have, I'd get the best plasma possible for the budget. Later on, get the projector.

I am facing a similar dilemma and posted a thread in the projector forum here (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=916765). I will be purchasing a plasma or projector in the next few months, and it will be my only HD set. There will be a separate SD CRT for secondary watching. If light and space are non-issues and the budget is fairly decent at $5,000+, would you guys recommend a Pio 6010 or a nice projector setup?

I would probably shoot for a 30-degree viewing angle with either setup (maybe a little more with the projector), so about 8.5 feet from the Pioneer and about 11-13 feet from the projector. I plan to watch HD satellite, SD DVDs (probably not much), Blu-Ray, and PS3.

Which would you choose?

Get a 60-65" plasma and never look back. :D

Given msolar's scenario and budget, it would be hard to beat the bang-for-the buck of getting a projector. You can get a stunning looking projection set up for even that much money on a huge screen. Whereas it'll be tough to find any plasma beyond 50" for the same budget. But it really depends on what you want to emphasize in your viewing.

I was headed toward a Panasonic 65" plasma. But the difference in screen size I'm going to with a projector, in my set up, is massive vs that plasma. However, an 85" to 90" screen mentioned in the original post isn't that huge for projection, in which case
if it had been in the budget, a 65" plasma could be real competitive - gives you a pretty big screen vibe, with all the goodies plasma brings to the table too.

But given the budget of $2,000, if movie watching is a priority then it's hard to beat what you can do with projection at that price point vs a flat panel.



For me it's mostly about movie watching, so I am going from a plasma set up to a projection-based HT system. I keep borrowing my friend's projector and it's just an entirely different experience watching a huge CinemaScope image, vs a 50" plasma-sized image.

But then plasmas rule in other ways - for sheer image realism and versatility. Front projection is "easy" if you aren't anal about having high standards or getting the best from your system. By that I mean, to really get the performance that a good projector is capable of, it really can get involved in terms of light control, decor etc.
Whereas with a plasma, in comparison, almost effortlessly puts out it's best image, with minimal work on your part.