Home Theatre Room - Projector vs 55+ inch TV under $1500

How about best of both worlds, rptv. Best buy had a great deal on 73' mits dlp that might be still valid.

I will say that the movie experience on a projector, versus even a large 70" or so TV, is incredible. Definitely more work involved with a projector, but IMHO was worth it. I ceiling mounted mine.

For screens, you can consider projecting onto a wall. I'm projecting onto a previously grey painted wall with a screen of 160" and it looks INCREDIBLE. That said, my wall is far from perfect, so I'll eventually sand it and paint using one of the paint formulations mentioned in the DIY forum here. But that would save buying a screen and let you decide how large you want the screen to be. If the wall would have been painted more smoothly (lines between roller passes), I probably would just leave it without painting.

I'm using an Epson 3010 (around $1500 now) which also does 3D (and includes 2 pair of glasses). Very happy with it.

You can get cheaper high quality projectors if you don't want 3D. Would recommend the Epson 8350 (around $999 now) which gives you more mounting options (lens shift), and there are several DLP projectors out there that are good. For bargain prices, the ViewSonic Pro8200 is 1080p and has been on sale several places for $699 (8350 definitely would best it though).

But yes, PJs are definitely more involved, especially initially (at least if you plan on mounting it permanently), but I'm LOVING mine.

Once you play a game or watch a movie on a big screen you will never go back to a TV.

That said, you will enjoy a TV more if you plan on turning it on/off lots as a projector bulb will be easily slain if you do that too much in a short period of time. For a projector, plan on sitting down and doing your thing, then turn it off at the end of the night. Also, it's best to use a projector in complete darkness, so if you like to have a lot of ambient light, you may wish to go with a TV.

You have the luxury of having a dedicated theater room, though, so I can't imagine why you wouldn't get a projector, assuming that the things said above don't bother you. The dollar to screen size ratio puts projectors way ahead of TVs. You can easily paint a screen and DIY a flat baseboard frame right onto your wall and do it super cheap, giving you more money to spend on a good projector.

Best of luck in your home theater choice!

I went from a DLP RPTV to a projector and never looked back. What are your room dimensions, (length, width, ceiling height)? If you can get at least a 92-100+" screen in there, from my perspective, projector is the way to go. Many projectors, in eco mode, will get 4-5K hours on a bulb.

That's what I'm doing with my Mitsubishi HC6500 in family room at 110" screen.

Check out these projectors.
You can get a projector+screen for around $1500.

Since this will be your first projector, an Epson will make things easier for you as far as placement & setup. Out of the box setup is easy.
Also, they have a great 2 year no hassle warranty.
Take a look at the 8350 & 6500
The 6500 will be a little louder on the fan noise but has a better picture for movies.

http://www.visualapex.com/Epson/Projectors.asp

I first went front projection around 2001 or 2002 with an Infocus X1 for a grand. I never looked back. I tried once, but the tv ended up collecting dust. lol. Since I paid a grand for that X1 that I loved projectors that cost thousands even in 2007 or 2008 can be had for $500+ nowadays.

My previous screen was 110" (ie; equal to four 55" tv screens).



A TV simply cannot give you such an experience. It's incomparable. Now, that 92" Mitsubishi is close though. Still a bit small for me, but it's getting there.

Now I'm at 13 feet diagonal.



It's a great experience.

In a light controlled room its a no brainer.

Size matters (bear in mind, with the PJ if you have enough lumens you can go bigger still)

http://www.displaywars.com/110-inch-...s-73-inch-16x9

I'm totally happy with the Epson 8350 I bought a week ago. Currently running an 8.5ft wide picture (haven't measured diagonal) and I'm still blown away by how good it looks. Forsa Motorsports 4 is a hoot on it as well :-) I did change the color to 7500k based on a review I read but otherwise the picture quality is very good as it is.

I was in the same boat. I had $5k to spend tho. So I was going to buy a Mit 84in DLP HDTV. Then, the guy at best buy showed me a Mit projector and it looked amazing. It's just different looking at a movie through glass and looking at it on a screen. It's just more crisp, like how a movie is supposed to be seen. I got a 1080p projector, receiver, sound system, 6 leather theater seats, and a 120in screen for what I was going to pay for that tv. Now, I'm a HT addict. That was 2.5yrs ago and I have had about 10 different projectors. I usually get one used for cheap, and sell it to one of my friends. Whenever someone comes over, they have to have one. I keep at least 3, because I give them away or sell them.

I have a nice 75in Carada screen, which I got for $25, in my room and a 120in in my living room. I use my $500 short throw Optoma GT720 in my room and outside on my 220in screen. I use my $400 Acer H5360 in my living room on my 120 HP screen for 3D games, sports, PC, and HDTV. My new JVC RS55 is going to be for blu rays, Miami Heat games, and NFL games. No TVs in my place anymore.

I have about the same size room and use a 117" screen. Probably could have gone to 120" but I sit about 11 feet away and thought the extra 3" may be to much.

For mounting, there are several options for wall mount(shelf) & ceiling mount.
For ceiling mount, I'd go for either a Chief or Peerless mount. Around $120-150.
You can probably use a wall mount like this one that is relatively less expensive.
Just make sure the shelf is big enough for which ever projector you decide to purchase.
It also has a 30lb weight limit.

http://www.amazon.com/OmniMount-ECSB...3100166&sr=8-7


Here's a handy projector calculator that will help determine the throw distance for a given projector.

http://www.eliteprojectorcalculator.com/

I can vouch for this also. It looks insane on a large screen setup. I also have a 2D-3D converter and sometimes play it that way (although honestly the 2D does look better).

My room is 12 feet wide and I managed to get a 143" image, so you should be easily able to get 120". Mind you, I'm height limited so I needed to go with a super widescreen setup, but I love it nonetheless.

If you do like games and want a great 3D experience, Uncharted 3 for the Playstation 3 is the best game 3D experience ever. It's better than most of the 3D movies out there, imho.

That game is great in 3D, by far the best