Just read letter to ed. in home theater mag. A guy wrote in saying how much better front projector are over plasmas and lcd panels...looking to up grade my pany 50 inch plasma with a f.projector, in all catagories except light output.....I have a completly dark room with plenty of space....went today to checkout 3 projectors in a complety dark space...in ideal viewing rooms...a hi end runco...sharp and a sony with 1080p feeds...and was not inpressed at all...they all looked washed out with colors that had no pop....I'm I to critical...my friend thought the same....I'll take my smaller plasma over the 100 inch screen any day...any thoughts would greatly be appriciated

I've thought about this also but was detered because of the distance/space needed for the projector to project an image on the screen. I was told that the projector would have to be 12ft. from the screen to project a clear image. Plus, my room (basement) would not be completely dark. What do you do when you want a picture larger than 60"?

Just read letter to ed. in home theater mag. A guy wrote in saying how much better front projector are over plasmas and lcd panels...looking to up grade my pany 50 inch plasma with a f.projector, in all catagories except light output.....I have a completly dark room with plenty of space....went today to checkout 3 projectors in a complety dark space...in ideal viewing rooms...a hi end runco...sharp and a sony with 1080p feeds...and was not inpressed at all...they all looked washed out with colors that had no pop....I'm I to critical...my friend thought the same....I'll take my smaller plasma over the 100 inch screen any day...any thoughts would greatly be appriciated
I have both and I love both. I love my front projectors (an older NEC DLP in the bedroom and a Panny LCD in the living room (with a portable Da-lite Instatheater pull up screen) for "movie nights" at my house with lots of friends over and for big screen high def sports watching (I'm in a movie club) and I love the Pioneer Kuro 50 inch plasma for critical viewing of high def material and the upconversion of 4:3 standard def which looks bad on a big screen.
It is possible to have the best of both worlds! :D

just got back from another store by me...they a 8000.00$ sharp and a 130inch 1200.00$ screen with a blue-ray Transformer dvd...looked awsome...still a little darker than I'm use too....if they shot it at a smaller screen...for a smaller pic....would it look even better...is that how f. projectors work...the smaller size pic the better the display?...i'm thinking for my room going with a 92 inch screen and going with that new panny ae2000u projector....what do you think....

I have an old Sharp XV9000 DLP projector and love it. I also just bought a Panny 50PZ700U and love it also. The thing to remember with a projector you need a pretty long distance froom it to the screen. The room has to be ABSOLUTELY dark for descent viewing, and the bulbs are very expensive ($500+) and have to be replaced every 2k hours, at least with the old ones this may have changed.

So I guess if you watch a large quantity of low quality TV in a bright room, go with the plasma.

If you want it to watch movies & HD for 2-3 hours at a shot, go with the projector. Although you can watch a large quanitity with a projector, just expect to pay out the a$$ in bulbs.

That said, for day-day viewing I watch the plasma. If I want to view a movie in a theater type setting I watch the projector.

I've thought about this also but was detered because of the distance/space needed for the projector to project an image on the screen. I was told that the projector would have to be 12ft. from the screen to project a clear image. Plus, my room (basement) would not be completely dark. What do you do when you want a picture larger than 60"?

This isn't true, you can make a clear image at any distance, it just depends on what size you want. Distance has more to do with size than clarity. With my Sharp to get the 96" picture size, I had to have the projector ~12' from the screen. Obviously the more distance you have the larger you can make the picture (to a point).

This isn't true, you can make a clear image at any distance, it just depends on what size you want. Distance has more to do with size than clarity. With my Sharp to get the 96" picture size, I had to have the projector ~12' from the screen. Obviously the more distance you have the larger you can make the picture (to a point).

Thanks for the info. I went to the projector forum and asked this question and they were less than eager to answer my questions. I've been looking at the Panny AX100U projector and 96" @ 12' would be perfect. I want to have one before football season next year.

zx2,
I am cuurently in the market for a 58"+ plasma for my recroom. I have a
three and a half year old pj in a dedicated theater room that while I paid
about $5500 for would sell new today for about $1500-2000 max. I am currently
focusing on the Pro 150 FD but there is no way I would trade my pj for
this plasma as a main source for movies or HD sports. Once you get used to
a 120"+ picture there is no going back.
You may want to look into the JVC RS1 or wait for the new RS2. You could
also look at the new Sony Black Pearl. Dollars to performance it may be tough to beat.
If you want to add punch and if your room permits it you could match either
of these pj's with something like DaLite's high gain High Power screen.

Thanks for the info. I went to the projector forum and asked this question and they were less than eager to answer my questions. I've been looking at the Panny AX100U projector and 96" @ 12' would be perfect. I want to have one before football season next year.
The Panasonic AX100U is a very bright pj but there were some
issues associated with it. However, being an LCD with a reasonable
zoom and with two way lens shift it is very flexible as far as placement is concerned. You can check out the calculator here
http://www.projectorcentral.com/Panasonic_Home-PT-AX100U-projection-calculator-pro.htm
but I can tell you that this pj will do 96" at 12'.

Thanks for the info. I went to the projector forum and asked this question and they were less than eager to answer my questions. I've been looking at the Panny AX100U projector and 96" @ 12' would be perfect. I want to have one before football season next year.

football on espnhd and others, on a 108" screen is absolutely astounding!! and im not even a sports fan, except for skiing.

The Panasonic AX100U is a very bright pj but there were some
issues associated with it. However, being an LCD with a reasonable
zoom and with two way lens shift it is very flexible as far as placement is concerned. You can check out the calculator here
http://www.projectorcentral.com/Panasonic_Home-PT-AX100U-projection-calculator-pro.htm
but I can tell you that this pj will do 96" at 12'.

What do you mean by bright? I would be using it in a downstairs basement with some ambient light, so a "brighter projector" for daytime use would be good. Would I be able to dial it down for evening theater viewing? Can anyone recommend a good projector and screen for under $2500? I would like to have a screen that rolls up when not in use.

just got back from another store by me...they a 8000.00$ sharp and a 130inch 1200.00$ screen with a blue-ray Transformer dvd...looked awsome...still a little darker than I'm use too....if they shot it at a smaller screen...for a smaller pic....would it look even better...is that how f. projectors work...the smaller size pic the better the display?...i'm thinking for my room going with a 92 inch screen and going with that new panny ae2000u projector....what do you think....


Given that price you most likely were looking at the Sharp XV-Z20000 single chip DLP projector. That is not a very bright projector and a 130 inch screen would be way too big for that projector. You'll get a dim image for sure (unless perhaps you go with a super bright Da Lite High Power screen with tons of gain, and even then it's pushing it).

I've seen the Sharp many times on a 100" screen and it has in incredible picture. As sharp an image as any plasma I've seen, but with a cinema-size vibe and incredible contrast and colors.

I too was headed to replace my plasma with a larger plasma, but decided more recently on the Big Screen experience with projection. It's hard to beat for movie watching. I was watching 2001 Space Odyssey in High Definition (just released on HD-DVD), on a 10 foot wide projected image last night and it was incredible. Like being in the theater watching a freshly minted print of that classic film. With my plasma the images look vivid, but the spaceships look like little models (which they are of course) but on the big screen the FX look huge, like you are flying right through a real space station. You can't do that with a small screen.

But...if you want to do projection right it can be kind of tough, depending on how easily you can control light and decor.

At the same time, plasma...especially something like the new Pioneer Kuro...has a vividness and dazzling look that is hard to beat for pure eye-candy.

When I first got into plasma they were unique and even a 42" flat panel was so much bigger than the average TV it felt cinematic. Now with flat panels having taken over from old tube sets, a flat panel like mine is just a regular old "TV." To make movies feel more like a cinematic event - beyond what you get as standard these days in Best Buy - I found I had to go much larger, into front projection.

It all depends on what effect you want, what type of material you watch most, and what you can accommodate.

BTW, early reports are pegging the new Panasonic PTAE 2000U LCD projector
(somewhere around $3,000) as possibly the new giant killer, as far as deals in projectors go.

That Sharp projector you saw, which would look incredible on the 92" screen you are thinking of, can be found for less than $8,000. (You can even buy it from AVS for less).

Cheers,

What do you mean by bright? I would be using it in a downstairs basement with some ambient light, so a "brighter projector" for daytime use would be good. Would I be able to dial it down for evening theater viewing? Can anyone recommend a good projector and screen for under $2500? I would like to have a screen that rolls up when not in use.

For $2500 you have a ton of choices. You might want to look at the
review of the AX200 at

http://www.projectorreviews.com/panasonic/pt-ax200u/index.php

In fact, you should check out the main review page at projectorreviews.com.
Art writes a less technical, more practical review that is well respected.

You should know that no projector is at its best with much ambient light.
There are certain pj's/screens that do better in this regard than others.
However, in your price range you may soon be able to get a decent pj, a good size screen AND a 42/50" plasma for non-critical daytime viewing. Mount the plasma on the wall and have the screen pull down in front of it.

Get a bigger plasma IMO.

For $2500 you have a ton of choices. You might want to look at the
review of the AX200 at

http://www.projectorreviews.com/panasonic/pt-ax200u/index.php

In fact, you should check out the main review page at projectorreviews.com.
Art writes a less technical, more practical review that is well respected.

You should know that no projector is at its best with much ambient light.
There are certain pj's/screens that do better in this regard than others.
However, in your price range you may soon be able to get a decent pj, a good size screen AND a 42/50" plasma for non-critical daytime viewing. Mount the plasma on the wall and have the screen pull down in front of it.

Yes, the Panny AX200U looks like a very good projector. I plan on buying a Pioneer 5080 during Christmas or Super Bowl sales. After that is in place, I would like to do as you say, mount the PDP and have a screen that pulls down over it.

How small of a room is too small to have a projector? Also, how noisy are they?

I apologize about talking projectors on the Plasma forum but no one on the projector forum would answer my questions. Thanks.

Front projector, ax200u. Just got one afew days ago, and have thrown away the idea of a 5080HD in my living room.

2000 lumens cannot be ignored. The PQ on HD content is just superb, even with ambient lighting! A steal for its price.

Now the 5080HD can most definitely throw a better PQ, but are you seated 5 feet away from it?

-ELmO

There's almost always going to be a picture quality advantage to a smaller screen. It's just how it works (more picture information squeezed together - doesn't tax resolution etc). If you zoom in a good projector to plasma size the image also starts looking plasma-like. Luckily with new HD media you can have quite a large image and still have excellent image quality.

A dark room begs for front projection. I was at Circuit City and shocked to see so many 1080p projectors under $3000.

I have a 119" diagonal Da-Lite high power blasted by a 6 month old BenQ W9000 1080p. It does 1080p/24fps and NFL football is fantastic. I can easily watch with the room at 50% lights with this retro-reflective screen. It is at least 2.5 gain at my widest viewing angle.

If you were in my neck of the woods I would have you over. Minneapolis MN.

I presently have a Panny 37PX50U that I bought 2 years ago. I'm looking to replace it with the Pioneer 5080HD and move the Panny to the bedroom. I presently live in an apartment and sit 8-9ft from my PDP. I will be proposing to my girl in a couple of months and we'll probably buy our first home and I have no way of knowing what the viewing environment will be like. Although, we'll probably buy a townhouse with a finished basement to use as an entertainment room, my requirement. The places that I have looked at so far have finished basements that are 11X15. I'm not sure if this is a large enough space for a projector? If its not, I'm also thinking about purchasing a 58 or 60" PDP. I was thinking that for the price of a 58 or 60" PDP, I could buy a projector and display a 92" picture. I want to be able to have friends over to watch movies or the big game but I do not want the room to a black cave. BTW, I have a PS3 for blu-ray movies that I love to show off. Suggestions?

I presently have a Panny 37PX50U that I bought 2 years ago. I'm looking to replace it with the Pioneer 5080HD and move the Panny to the bedroom. I presently live in an apartment and sit 8-9ft from my PDP. I will be proposing to my girl in a couple of months and we'll probably buy our first home and I have no way of knowing what the viewing environment will be like. Although, we'll probably buy a townhouse with a finished basement to use as an entertainment room, my requirement. The places that I have looked at so far have finished basements that are 11X15. I'm not sure if this is a large enough space for a projector? If its not, I'm also thinking about purchasing a 58 or 60" PDP. I was thinking that for the price of a 58 or 60" PDP, I could buy a projector and display a 92" picture. I want to be able to have friends come over to watch movies or the big game but I do not want the room to a black cave. BTW, I have a PS3 for blu-ray movies that I love to show off. Suggestions?

11x15 is fine for a pj. In fact, in a room that size you could shelf mount the
pj on the back wall. You may even want to bump up the screen size to
about 100". No one will complain about it being to big.

A dark room begs for front projection. I was at Circuit City and shocked to see so many 1080p projectors under $3000.

I have a 119" diagonal Da-Lite high power blasted by a 6 month old BenQ W9000 1080p. It does 1080p/24fps and NFL football is fantastic. I can easily watch with the room at 50% lights with this retro-reflective screen. It is at least 2.5 gain at my widest viewing angle.

If you were in my neck of the woods I would have you over. Minneapolis MN.

Thanks Kevivoe, I looked at your pictures and I really like your setup.

I notice that you have a sliding glass door toward the back of your theater. How does that effect the screen? Do you watch football on the projector during the day? If so, how's the picture quality? What kind of projector do I need to look for so that I can watch material during the day as well as night? Can the light output be adjusted for night or daytime?

I presently have a Panny 37PX50U that I bought 2 years ago. I'm looking to replace it with the Pioneer 5080HD and move the Panny to the bedroom. I presently live in an apartment and sit 8-9ft from my PDP. I will be proposing to my girl in a couple of months and we'll probably buy our first home and I have no way of knowing what the viewing environment will be like. Although, we'll probably buy a townhouse with a finished basement to use as an entertainment room, my requirement. The places that I have looked at so far have finished basements that are 11X15. I'm not sure if this is a large enough space for a projector? If its not, I'm also thinking about purchasing a 58 or 60" PDP. I was thinking that for the price of a 58 or 60" PDP, I could buy a projector and display a 92" picture. I want to be able to have friends over to watch movies or the big game but I do not want the room to a black cave. BTW, I have a PS3 for blu-ray movies that I love to show off. Suggestions?


Mbroad, the very best suggestion is DONT GET MARRIED, lol.

Mbroad, the very best suggestion is DONT GET MARRIED, lol.

Yeah, I'm trying to amass as much audio/video gear as I can up until I ask her to marry me. She cannot understand why I would want to buy another PDP when I already have a good PDP. I ask her, why does she need more than 20 pairs of shoes? Its not like she doesn't benefit from me having a couple PDPs. She gets to watch Desperate Housewives and such in HD. :D

Just read letter to ed. in home theater mag. A guy wrote in saying how much better front projector are over plasmas and lcd panels...looking to up grade my pany 50 inch plasma with a f.projector, in all catagories except light output.....I have a completly dark room with plenty of space....went today to checkout 3 projectors in a complety dark space...in ideal viewing rooms...a hi end runco...sharp and a sony with 1080p feeds...and was not inpressed at all...they all looked washed out with colors that had no pop....I'm I to critical...my friend thought the same....I'll take my smaller plasma over the 100 inch screen any day...any thoughts would greatly be appriciated

Well what are you looking for by making this statement? For people to agree with you that plasma is better than FP?

IMHO you're comparing apples and oranges. Having a FP is more for a "true" home theatre. That being a dedicated space for watching movies on a movie like scale, 80 inch plus screens.

There are plasmas that are in the same size category, but for the most part they are 60" or smaller. It's really two different experiences. I think Plasma is more for regular day to day TV watching were as the FP is more for a movie, difference being in a totally dark room vs. just sitting in front of the couch at a moments notice.

Picture quality aside, FP are most impressive due to the scale, i.e. large picture. This is what I like about FP that I haven't found in Plasma. Due to the larger screen though the picture may not seem as detailed, but remember that you're making the screen larger and keeping the same resolution so it won't seem as "detailed" but the picture really does maintain it's fidelity.

I haven't lived with one of todays modern LCD or other FP sets, but I have lived with a humble ECP 4501 which only outputs 720p. I've been looking at going with Plasma and I find myself comparing the ECP to the sets I see in store. To me there's no comparison, the ECP looks more 3 dimensional and realistic even though it has a lower pixel count and the picture is more that 2x the size. However, I have to remind myself that I can't just fire up the ECP at a moments notice and watch regular TV, it's an involved process to get it turned on along with all the accessories, Receiver, active speakers ect... the the old CRT tubes warm up and get the light control going. Not to mention it can be difficult talking to people in the dark.

The best solution is to have both, one for regular day to day and one for watching movies. I can't say one is better than to other, to me they serve two different purposes.

I presently have a Panny 37PX50U that I bought 2 years ago. I'm looking to replace it with the Pioneer 5080HD and move the Panny to the bedroom. I presently live in an apartment and sit 8-9ft from my PDP. I will be proposing to my girl in a couple of months and we'll probably buy our first home and I have no way of knowing what the viewing environment will be like. Although, we'll probably buy a townhouse with a finished basement to use as an entertainment room, my requirement. The places that I have looked at so far have finished basements that are 11X15. I'm not sure if this is a large enough space for a projector? If its not, I'm also thinking about purchasing a 58 or 60" PDP. I was thinking that for the price of a 58 or 60" PDP, I could buy a projector and display a 92" picture. I want to be able to have friends over to watch movies or the big game but I do not want the room to a black cave. BTW, I have a PS3 for blu-ray movies that I love to show off. Suggestions?

Which way would you face in the room. If the 15 dimension is from front to back, .i.e. you can use the 11 foot wall as the screen, you can definitely do a projector. It may be a little tight, but it will work, depends on how many seats you plan to put in the room. However, don't forget about the extra costs associated with an FP.

You'll need a surround setup, projection screen, some way to mount the projector. Other thing to consider are bulbs. Bulbs go out anywhere from 1000 hrs. to 3000 hrs. and are expensive. They can even go out accidentally if not properly cared for.

Which way would you face in the room. If the 15 dimension is from front to back, .i.e. you can use the 11 foot wall as the screen, you can definitely do a projector. It may be a little tight, but it will work, depends on how many seats you plan to put in the room. However, don't forget about the extra costs associated with an FP.

You'll need a surround setup, projection screen, some way to mount the projector. Other thing to consider are bulbs. Bulbs go out anywhere from 1000 hrs. to 3000 hrs. and are expensive. They can even go out accidentally if not properly cared for.

Not really sure which way I would face. I would hope to use the 11 ft. wall to hang the screen, like you say. I plan on having a couple of couches and a few lounge chairs, no stadium type seating. I already have a surround system but may upgrade my fronts.

I saw today that Costco's website has several projector and screen bundles for a pretty good prices.

Do I want a DLP or LCD projector?

Not really sure which way I would face. I would hope to use the 11 ft. wall to hang the screen, like you say. I plan on having a couple of couches and a few lounge chairs, no stadium type seating. I already have a surround system but may upgrade my fronts.

I saw today that Costco's website has several projector and screen bundles for a pretty good prices.

Do I want a DLP or LCD projector?

Honestly, I'm not up on the latest projection technology. However, we do have a projector forum and those folks have been very informative in the past. Last time I checked, a couple years back, DLP was all the rage because of higher resolutions and deepest blacks. This may have changed. Here is a link (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=68)
to the forum.

As far as sitting arrangements, the 11 ft. wall for the screen is definitely best. I think you may be able to squeeze in two rows, but don't think 3 will work. The best viewing distance is the same distance the projector sits from the screen, for a regular throw projector. You'll have one row there and maybe one closer to the screen.

For example, lets say you go with the Sharp XV-Z12000 Mark II, to project an 80" diagonal screen, you'll need to mount the projector 14'4" away.

here is the calculator (http://www.projectorcentral.com/SharpVision-XV-Z12000_MARK_II-projection-calculator.htm) That means your primary viewing row would be at the very back of the room. Getting close to the screen will make it hard on peoples necks.

Not knowing your budget, the PTAE1000U would be a good choice from Costco. The other projectors are good for budget choices.

Also, consider the cost of a replacement bulb when making your decision. They can be very expensive.

Mike

I have owned at least 15 crt projectors and perhaps 5 digitals...none are ideal for various reasons.

A big dark scene on a digital is not very immersive...it generally looks fake, or wrong.

Crt's have lousy ansi contrast.....so bright scenes don't have great dimension on them. They're also big, loud and require a lot of tweaks. But all in all they have the best image quality.

Plasma's probably have the best ansi contrast...and are getting very, very close to crt in black level and low end contrast....that is why I'm thinking of going plasma at this point.

The other thing about projectors is that they make noise...and sometimes they have to be right over your head....they can be pixellated at 720p. But...if they come out with a massive zoom lense lcd with good low end contrast...I would be interested in trying another one.

I suspect that dlp still has the better low end contrast and would be the closest match to plasma.

Ben