If there was one thing I could always count on, it would be multiple lively threads in the Digital Front Projector forums on AVS.

Nowadays, these forums have become .... well, boring. That tells me a couple of things:

1) The technology has matured to a point that folks can buy a perfectly decent FP for under $3000 - a range attractive to Joe 6Pac.
2) Manuafacturers have made great strides to provide acceptable lumens and black levels at a good value.
3) The technology is stable. 1080p is the new resolution standard. HDMI is the standard for connections.
4) HD source is everywhere, and bigger is better at 1080p.

Finally, there are no 'breakthrough' products in the forseeable future. Sure, there will be the nitpick threads on color balance/gamma/ANSI contrast, but even these parameters will improve quickly over time.

I feel that within 5 years, consumer FP will be considered a mature product line, and prices will be much lower with increased performance value.

The next be product line: very thin very big flat panels using Organic Light Emitting Diodes, Field Emitter Displays, or even some variation on Electroluminescent panels. I can hardly wait :D

I bet lasers can "heat" up the market and the threads over here. It would also be fun with a new projection technology.

I agree with your statements and I believe that within 5 years or so projectors may not be the video preference for home theaters. Soon there will be panels as you are referring to that will simply hang on a wall and provide all of the great features you get with a projector without the need for a dark viewing location. As much as I love having a dark room for movie viewing, it doesn't make for a very comfortable afternoon with the guys when were watching football in the dark.

Not to worry. It doesn't stop at 1080p.
Matt, has it right. Lamps, as we know them, have to go.

One thing I have noticed a decline in is "tweaking." People are still certainly talking about tweaking their projectors still. And certainly there is lots to "tweak" in projection set ups in terms of room situations. But in general there used to be a lot more people tweaking their displays - RPTVs, plasmas and especially DVD players with SDI mods, changing component parts, playing with analog cables etc. I suppose the digitization of the AV chain and the commoditization of everything is making that less of an industry.

I am sure that we all would trade our projectors for 100"+ wall mountable flat panels with 1,000,000:1 Contrast Ratios that cost ~$3000.

Long way and many upgrades to go until then.

I believe we still have some great things coming in projection,including 4K,lasers much better on off CR etc and flat panels that are over 12' wide are a ways off I bet.

Art

I believe we still have some great things coming in projection,including 4K,lasers much better on off CR etc and flat panels that are over 12' wide are a ways off I bet.
Art
4K will be for naught without source, right?

I bet lasers can "heat" up the market and the threads over here. It would also be fun with a new projection technology.
BTW, I did not start this thread just to bait you. LOL! :p

Tweaking has matured into calibration.
Some good things in our future is high quality video processing at an affordable price. I am sure deepcolor will be used in some way. Then our video processors might have to grow up from the 10 bit age to the 16 bit age.
I am sure we will love how much better hi def movies can be mastered for our viewing pleasure.
I hope we can enjoy brighter projectors that do not cost a fortune and sound like a jet engine.
There is room for progress.

flat panels that are that big won't be in for a while.
why?

I think it's easier to DC a projector and move it around....

I am sure that we all would trade our projectors for 100"+ wall mountable flat panels with 1,000,000:1 Contrast Ratios that cost ~$3000.

Long way and many upgrades to go until then.

Untill they make a AT flat panels I'm going to stick with FP. Maybe then I'll think about swaping. ;)

4K will be for naught without source, right?

Why? That would be like saying DVD looks just as good on a 480p projector as it does on a 1080p projector. Clearly not true. There are benefits to supersampling resolution, but with 1080p I agree we're nearing the point of diminishing returns for "normal" viewing ratios.

I am sure that we all would trade our projectors for 100"+ wall mountable flat panels with 1,000,000:1 Contrast Ratios that cost ~$3000.

From a pure picture and ambient light perspective I agree, but I'm not going to knock down a wall to get such a flat panel into the room :)

Maybe when we have roll up flat panel displays...

From a pure picture and ambient light perspective I agree, but I'm not going to knock down a wall to get such a flat panel into the room :)



Yep. There are some inherent limitations to giant, projector-image-sized flat panels. The requirements for the current 103" Panasonic plasma are an example: Panasonic has to send people to your house to investigate if the panel can even make it through doorways and be maneuvered into your room. (It also requires a forklift to move the thing around). Then they look at the wall and general load-bearing capabilities of the area you'll be placing the plasma upon. If it gets a pass - THEN you can own one.

And that's for "only" a 103" screen. A lot of people buying front projectors are getting pretty used to bigger images than that. Especially folks doing CIH set-ups. It's not realistic to think a flat panel will replace that kind of experience anytime soon, given the logistics.

Maybe when we have roll up flat panel displays...

They are coming ;)

Absolutely commoditized when such great projectors like the Qualia are scrapped for the flavor of the month underperformers that can never live up to the hype.

Yep. There are some inherent limitations to giant, projector-image-sized flat panels. The requirements for the current 103" Panasonic plasma are an example: Panasonic has to send people to your house to investigate if the panel can even make it through doorways and be maneuvered into your room. (It also requires a forklift to move the thing around). Then they look at the wall and general load-bearing capabilities of the area you'll be placing the plasma upon. If it gets a pass - THEN you can own one.

And that's for "only" a 103" screen. A lot of people buying front projectors are getting pretty used to bigger images than that. Especially folks doing CIH set-ups. It's not realistic to think a flat panel will replace that kind of experience anytime soon, given the logistics.

They should have required the same for the first VCR that I owned. It was huge.

I have faith that they will get them down to a reasonable weight. Why couldn't they? The average flat panel LCD doesn't weigh much. Plasmas would obviously require some reengineering.

From a pure picture and ambient light perspective I agree, but I'm not going to knock down a wall to get such a flat panel into the room :)

Maybe when we have roll up flat panel displays...

What about flat panels in seemless sections?
You could "build" the screen size you want. ;)

Absolutely commoditized when such great projectors like the Qualia are scrapped for the flavor of the month underperformers that can never live up to the hype.
;););)

I'd bank for every "dumped" Qualia out there, there is still some owner that probably got a pretty good deal on it used that is totally enjoying it. :)