I'm looking to get a new projector, I want to get a 1080 projector. And I would like to stay around $2500 or less. I have complete control of lighting, and my screen is a Carada 110 BW. I have a LCD now, hearing a DLP has more pop and looks more 3D.

Almost anyone will tell you DLP is better, because generally they are The main reason why anyone goes LCD over DLP is because they are either part of the rare percentage of those effected by rainbows (which can sometimes go away overtime) or because of placement issues. LCDs are generally more flexible because they usually have lens shift. HOWEVER, I would rather use keystone with a DLP than to go LCD for lens shift. Many are afraid to use keystone for some reason, even though with most newer DLPs you can't even really tell it has an effect on images, especially film based images. I just won't go to an inferior image just to avoid keystone....if I was genuinely bothered by rainbows it would be a different story. BTW, no one that has seen my DLPs has either noticed or cared about "rainbows". I can see them only occassionally and they don't bother me one bit. They are over in a millisecond and are few and far between for me. Generally I only catch a glimpse if I dart my eyes quickly to one side and even then I can't always see them.

If you want more pop, better native contrast and better dark detail get a good DLP.

Almost anyone will tell you DLP is better, because generally they are The main reason why anyone goes LCD over DLP is because they are either part of the rare percentage of those effected by rainbows (which can sometimes go away overtime) or because of placement issues. LCDs are generally more flexible because they usually have lens shift. HOWEVER, I would rather use keystone with a DLP than to go LCD for lens shift. Many are afraid to use keystone for some reason, even though with most newer DLPs you can't even really tell it has an effect on images, especially film based images. I just won't go to an inferior image just to avoid keystone....if I was genuinely bothered by rainbows it would be a different story. BTW, no one that has seen my DLPs has either noticed or cared about "rainbows". I can see them only occassionally and they don't bother me one bit. They are over in a millisecond and are few and far between for me. Generally I only catch a glimpse if I dart my eyes quickly to one side and even then I can't always see them.

If you want more pop, better native contrast and better dark detail get a good DLP.


Agreed totally.

yeah untill your color wheel breaks, then your up $)$# creek!

yeah untill your color wheel breaks, then your up $)$# creek!

That usually doesn't happen until well after the polarizers on an LCD have burned and failed.

Bring your paddle!

:)

What DLP would you go with, I would like stay around $2500 or lower.

I'm looking to get a new projector, I want to get a 1080 projector. And I would like to stay around $2500 or less. I have complete control of lighting, and my screen is a Carada 110 BW. I have a LCD now, hearing a DLP has more pop and looks more 3D.

1080p DLP at that strike point leaves you with an Optoma HD80. Check it out at projectorreviews.com and projectorcentral.com.

What DLP would you go with, I would like stay around $2500 or lower.

Sharp DT-500 (about $1,200 usually, but I got mine for $762 total), Sharp Z3000, Marantz VP4001 or Sharp Z12000 MKII. The price hike from a DT-500 to an HD80 is a ridiculous joke. No offense to HD80 owners. You have to pay an excessive premium for 1080p. A unit like the Sharp DT-500 will lose less of its current value over the next couple of years than an HD80, especially if you find the best deals available.

I have a Sanyo Z5 LCD because I noticed the rainbows. I was afraid to get a DLP because I wasn't sure if my family would notice them as well. Since I don't have anywhere in town to preview projectors I went with the LCD to be safe. It would have been a bummer if I went with DLP and then found out that it bothered my family. If you have a place to demo projectors I would do so and take family members with you to see if they are sensitive to the rainbows. I am more than happy with the Z5.

I love my DLP...but i'm switching to LCD and not for rainbows or anything....DLP's generally run a bit hotter and louder and i have a small room and need it to be cooler and quieter.

This thread should be of interest:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=881820

My wife and I both see rainbows (I see them on 6x wheels) so that was the deal breaker for me. Otherwise, I liked the DLP image just fine.

I love my DLP BenQ PE7800, I have had at least 80 different people at my house in the last 2 years and no one has ever complained about rainbows or headaches.... my PJ isnt even HD its a 576p projector, yet on a 121 inch screen HD looks fantastic, easily comparible to my friends Optoma H79-DC3 which in my opinion only has better blacks/contrast levels he also has never had a complaint on rainbows.... in fact I have never heard anyone complain about rainbows or headaches anywhere but on this forum :)

Go with DLP, all you have to replace is a bulb, your image will never fade or degrade, it will only dim as the bulb wears out... when you pop in a new bulb, your image will look as good as it did the day you bought your PJ

Now I will say this for LCD the technology has been greatly improved in the last few years and is still improving.... but I still feel DLP is superior

I do see rainbows, but they don't bother too much. My only problem with DLP is I get headaches. Similar to motion sickness. Otherwise I would probably have a DLP.

I had a Sony vpl-hs60 and a Marantz vp4001 in my house at the same time, and the contrast ratio of the Marantz (dlp) blew the sony away. It was such a drastic change, that I didn't even need to compare the two. It was instantly noticeable after owning the Sony for 7 months.

I must say, though that the image of the dlp has such a high intra scene contrast ratio, that it can actually be a little hard on the eyes in extreme scenes, with pure whites on top of pure black. But for most scenes, the benefit far outways the negative.

To my eyes, the lcd was so inferior to the dlp, that I told my brother that I just couldn't sell the Sony to him, since he already owns a dlp.

I have had both kinds of projectors (Toshiba TDP-MT700/Benq PE7700 DLP, Epson Home Cinema 1080 LCD) and black levels/contrast ratio were very similar between those two models in my experience.

I think one should compare one unit to another rather than a blank conclusion dlp vs lcd.
Both have their cons.

I find it strange that in these types of threads, no one really comments on the different 'look' of the two technologies, especially the projectors in this price range. Believe me, I'm a fan of on/off CR as I use a CRT pj for my primary movie viewing, but I don't think that CR is the only factor in deciding between a budget DLP and LCD. I've seen most of the popular models and I generally find the DLP's have a sharper image with more punch. LCD have a smoother image. I love watching my HD1000 for sports and tv, as I like the sharp 'HD' look of the image. However, for movies, when we're not watching the CRT in the basement, I prefer my Epson 400.

I find that in this price range the ANSI and On/Off aren't that drastically different, just like ChrisW6ATV reported. If you move up to the next price bracket, or get a fire sale previously-high-end model, you'll see more dramatic improvements in this area.

If blacks are really important to you, you like very sharp, and your budget is under 3k, the HD80 is the projector I've been most impressed with recently.

If you want blacks and smooth, then I'd look for a used SXRD/LCOS/DiLA from a memeber in the > forum trading up.

If you can wait a few more months, I'll bet Epson brings out a home version of the new 1080UB which will shake things up again.

just my 2c

Jonathan

I have had both and found DLP smother than LCD because of its fill factror.
Lcos is smoother. LCD has smoother pan than DLP though.

I have had both kinds of projectors (Toshiba TDP-MT700/Benq PE7700 DLP, Epson Home Cinema 1080 LCD) and black levels/contrast ratio were very similar between those two models in my experience.

I can see those two models having pretty similar native on/off contrast ratios and pretty close ansi as well. But like the previous poster mentioned, when you move up to a Sharp xv-z12k mkII or a Marantz vp4001, it's another story. We're talking native on/off of 1200:1 for lcd versus 4000:1 for those dlp's.

I had a Benq PE7700 before, and my Marantz vp4001 is in another league.

So if the question is, which is better for $1500 or less, I would go with the dlp. Problem is it's a bit tougher to get those really good dlp's for that price.

Edit. The op is talking 1080p, so I guess I really can't say anything about that because I have never owned a 1080p pj yet.

I owned the Sharp DT-500(DLP), and I now own the Panny AX100U.

I preferred the picture of the Sharp, it's hard for me to say exactly why, I just feel that the image was superior, blacks/depth probably.
I've said that since the day I got the Panny, but don't get me wrong, the Panny has a great picture as well.

With that being said, The Sharp was definitely louder than the Panny, the Panny is FAR more forgiving of placement, and the Panny is a fair amount brighter, although the Sharp was decent in that regard up to the time it died.

The DT-500 bulb EXPLODED at about 650 hrs or so, I was watching the Sox play the Yankees in HD(maybe the Sharp was gagging on Matsui's pockmarks...)... damn Yankees have been causing me grief since I was a kid!!

I am beginning to have the Iris/Shutdown issue with the Panny, so this will have to go in for repair shortly.. it has 1075 hrs on it.

m

"The DT-500 bulb EXPLODED at about 650 hrs or so"

Ouch!!! Knocking on wood.

That usually doesn't happen until well after the polarizers on an LCD have burned and failed.

Bring your paddle!

:)

ROGLMAO.

LOL:D


murphy

That usually doesn't happen until well after the polarizers on an LCD have burned and failed.

Bring your paddle!

:)

The LCD light cannons of recent vintage tend to lose their polarizers after about 4-5000 hrs . Color wheels tend to start to go after about 10,000. So not only would the LCD owners have no paddle, I'm guessing the boat would be gone, the creek dried up and they would be walking.

I'm hoping that the newer polarizers are better at resisting burning.

The LCD light cannons of recent vintage tend to lose their polarizers after about 4-5000 hrs . Color wheels tend to start to go after about 10,000. So not only would the LCD owners have no paddle, I'm guessing the boat would be gone, the creek dried up and they would be walking.

I'm hoping that the newer polarizers are better at resisting burning.
Its not quite the polarizers that are the problem, its how well designed the projector is.
My backup projector is an old sony vpl-px1 with now over 14,000 hours on it (and still throws a decent image). It is a 3-lcd projector, yet i have yet to see any polarizer degradation.
While i have no doubt the recent cooling designs are superior, you do have to wonder.

My 3 LCD projector (Hitachi PJ-TX100J) began losing it's blue panel around 4000 hours, not even halfway through it's second $300 lamp. So I switched to an Optoma HD70, which seemed the best bang for the buck to me in 720p at the time. The first few days I was rainbows on just about every high contrast scene. A couple hours of watching gave me a headache. But after the second week, those symptoms abated and I've loved the last 3000 hours of viewing. No one that has been over for movies or sports has complained about the image at all.

Breaking yourself in to DLP may not work for everyone, but it worked great for me.

I do see rainbows, but they don't bother too much. My only problem with DLP is I get headaches. Similar to motion sickness. Otherwise I would probably have a DLP.

I never saw rainbows but I always got headaches as well.

Its not quite the polarizers that are the problem, its how well designed the projector is.
My backup projector is an old sony vpl-px1 with now over 14,000 hours on it (and still throws a decent image). It is a 3-lcd projector, yet i have yet to see any polarizer degradation.
While i have no doubt the recent cooling designs are superior, you do have to wonder.

It seems the problem has really surfaced lately in the low-cost-high lumen LCD projectors. The older models didn't seem to have this problem pop up so early - so yes I would agree that better design would help. I do wonder about the current crop - to the point where I have almost disqualified LCD even though I can see rainbows on some material.

DLP without a doubt. I can only comment on my own experiences with 2 projectors, my first being a Sanyo Z3 and the second the HD70.

My Z3 seemed great at first but after about 1 1/2 years of limited use the polarizers went bad and apparently the LCD panels wore down to the point where I had a dust glob appearance across half of the screen. Sanyo was extremely unhelpful with the problem even though I maintained the projector as guided through the manual.

That's one of the great things about DLP that I didn't see mentioned in the other posts. They're practically maintenance free. No filters to clean, no LCD panels that need to be blown off religiously.

The other advantages have already been mentioned: better contrast, brighter, and sharper images. The only real downside is they tend to be louder and produce more heat (marginally, it's not a night/day difference between LCD and DLP), but if you can live with that you'll not get a better bang for your buck.

Seems like a clear preference for DLP.

I'm looking to get a new projector, I want to get a 1080 projector. And I would like to stay around $2500 or less. I have complete control of lighting, and my screen is a Carada 110 BW. I have a LCD now, hearing a DLP has more pop and looks more 3D.


So far, I'm in alignment with said. At least where film based transfers are of concern. The new d7 chips may change my POV however.