[krazyscotsman]

I'm looking at building my first theater with projection in my upstairs landing area. Currently, I'm using a Pioneer 6010 Kuro TV in my living room and the landing was merely a billards table and arcade cabinet area. My wife and I are thinking about converting it. I'm really torn about whether to just go with a very large LCD (70" to 80") or to use a projector. I have never used a projector so there's definitely a big learning curve to implement. It seems that ALL projectors under $10K US are 1080p or some sort of faux 4K (like line doubling). My question is pretty simple with the increase of 4K coming out and ultra blu ray in the late Fall / Winter, are there any 4K projectors that are around the $3K / $5K at this time or any word on any being released this year? I'm really wanting to do this theater soon (in the next 3 months or so). But I really don't want to go with a projector that is already behind the curve in current resolution with 4K material starting to show up and should start to show up in earnest later this year. I don't want to drop $3K to $5K on just a projector to replace in 2 years. As you can see with my Kuro, I've not been doing any upgrades for years. I like to buy once cry once.


Last question, if I decide to continue down the projector approach, what forum is the best for general questions such as large LCD vs. projector, screen recommendations, viewing distance, setup recommendations. I have my room measurements, but I don't have a good understanding of where and how to place the theater.


Thanks for any thoughts on current projectors and future expected projectors. Again, just trying to avoid getting in an upgrade cycle.

 

[rekbones]

No not even close, most guesses are 3 to 5 years from now for 4K front projection to become under 3K. TI needs to release a consumer 4K DLP chip before 4K entry level projectors come along. The quality of your room makes the largest impact on front projection, as full light control including the color and reflectivity of walls, floors and ceilings. Movie theaters are painted dark for a reason. I would say buy an entry level projector now and experiment with it and if the bug hits you look for upgrades to 4K in a few years.

 

[krazyscotsman]

No not even close, most guesses are 3 to 5 years from now for 4K front projection to become under 3K. TI needs to release a consumer 4K DLP chip before 4K entry level projectors come along. The quality of your room makes the largest impact on front projection, as full light control including the color and reflectivity of walls, floors and ceilings. Movie theaters are painted dark for a reason. I would say buy an entry level projector now and experiment with it and if the bug hits you look for upgrades to 4K in a few years.

Thanks for the response. UGH, Tough decision. By a big LCD or try projection. Thanks again for your help!

 

[kmartin173]

Thanks for the response. UGH, Tough decision. By a big LCD or try projection. Thanks again for your help!

I was in a similar predicament, looking at 75" Samsungs & 80" Sharps while contemplating a projector. I ended up keeping my Samsung plasma and mounting the projector screen in front of it so I could decide while not putting a bunch of money into a projector setup just yet. Found a good deal on an Optoma 131xe to experiment with and it turns out we love the projector setup.

 

[Seegs108]

I can tell you for pure PQ a large flat panel will give you a nicer over image than most of the projectors that sell in the sub $3000 price market. There are a few outliers that give pretty good performance however. The one thing a flat panel will never give you is the sheer size and immersion a large screen can. This is one of the biggest selling points a projector and large screen offers.

 

[zzoo]

I think that projectors benefit a lot from 4K, much more that TV. But since the 4K content is not widely available, it would be great if the coming 4K projectors can upconvert 1080p to 4K.
Most of my TV channels are still in 720p, few are in 1080i

 

[Craig Peer]

I think that projectors benefit a lot from 4K, much more that TV. But since the 4K content is not widely available, it would be great if the coming 4K projectors can upconvert 1080p to 4K.
Most of my TV channels are still in 720p, few are in 1080i

Of course 4K projectors can upconvert 1080p. I watch Blu Rays on my VW600 now. That's all I watch ( and some HDTV sometimes ). They look spectacular. Interstellar was incredible looking last night !

 

[Craig Peer]

Thanks for the response. UGH, Tough decision. By a big LCD or try projection. Thanks again for your help!

I've had a projector since before 2002. There is no comparison in my opinion. Having a 2 piece projection system with a big screen is amazing. Get something like an Epson 5030 or Sony HW40, and don't worry about 4K until 2019 or 2020. Blu Rays look incredible now, and can be had at bargain prices !

 

[Mfusick]

I think you might see a $4999 4K stripped down model at CEDIA (sept).

But I would caution you that for the same money you want to spend you'll get a better projector in 1080p. Nicer lense, features, brightness, contrast etc...

Don't chase the resolution. It's just a buzzword. The reality is a better quality lower resolution projector probably will look better, especially if it's brighter, has better contrast, and a higher quality lense.

 

[Seegs108]

I think you might see a $4999 4K stripped down model at CEDIA (sept).

But I would caution you that for the same money you want to spend you'll get a better projector in 1080p. Nicer lense, features, brightness, contrast etc...

Don't chase the resolution. It's just a buzzword. The reality is a better quality lower resolution projector probably will look better, especially if it's brighter, has better contrast, and a higher quality lense.

I highly doubt we'll see a $5000 projector out at CEDIA. The vw350es IS a stripped down 4K projector. 4K in the projector market will remain a relatively premium feature for the next 1-2 years. I think we'll see a "cheap" sub $5000 4K projector when TI releases their consumer 4K DMDs. They'll most likely be announced by TI this fall at CEDIA.

 

[Verge2]

I highly doubt we'll see a $5000 projector out at CEDIA. The vw350es IS a stripped down 4K projector. 4K in the projector market will remain a relatively premium feature for the next 1-2 years. I think we'll see a "cheap" sub $5000 4K projector when TI releases their consumer 4K DMDs. They'll most likely be announced by TI this fall at CEDIA.

TI with a new DMD.


Hahahahaha

 

[Seegs108]

TI with a new DMD.


Hahahahaha

I know for a fact one is coming. And it will have some performance gains over the previous DMDs. Unfortunately I can't mention what they are on the forum.

 

[Verge2]

I know for a fact one is coming. And it will have some performance gains over the previous DMDs. Unfortunately I can't mention what they are on the forum.

Where was this 5 years ago, they've fallen off the map. I'll be anxiously waiting.

 

[Seegs108]

Where was this 5 years ago, they've fallen off the map. I'll be anxiously waiting.

In the last 5 years they've released several new DMDs. Most recently was their .47" 1080p DMD used in the popular LG PF1500. Before that they released a revised .65" 1080p DMD that was aimed at increasing 3D performance by including support for triple flash 144hz 3D. They've also released Pico sized DMDs at various resolutions for use in extremely small light engines.

 

[shift_grind]

I've heard a few people say anything bigger than 60-70 is a waste on 1080p and it's simply not true. Even 720 looks decent on a 120", but I just replaced that projector with a Sony 40es and it's amazing. You can't see the pixels / resolution at all, from 10' away. I don't notice jagged lines or pixel structure unless I'm about 5' away. I can't see the lines separating the pixels unless I'm about 2' away and it's very hard to see them. Epson models are known for the SDE though, so you may notice the lines separating pixels from further back.

 

[dcsr23]

I asked the same question to myself a few months ago. I currently have a 65" Sony 4k 900b that was pretty amazing compared to the 1080p Sony TV I had been using for several years, but was amazing when I bought it. I wanted a new TV for my loft, and wasn't really happy with the size of the 65" but it was significantly cheaper than the 79" Sony of the same model which I did want. Because of my viewing habits usually consisting mostly of movies, I felt I needed something bigger to really enjoy them. I contemplated 70" 4k or even just a 70" 1080p but with 4K standards not set and the price of a quality projector hovering at around the price of a decent 70" TV I felt I had no choice but to go the projection route. I went with a Sony HW40 based on the # of rave reviews from people who bought one, and can answer the claim that it's really awesome. In fact I enjoy watching it over my 4K TV when it comes to movies, just because I feel it's more of a cinematic experience. I don't notice much of a difference since blu-ray is still 1080p, and the only stuff I've been able to watch in (native) 4K has been Netflix. Do your homework on setting up a projector, you'll be glad you did the first movie night you have.

 

[Frank714]

I know for a fact one is coming. And it will have some performance gains over the previous DMDs. Unfortunately I can't mention what they are on the forum.

Thanks for the hint, good to know something is happening for consumer grade DLP projectors. There should be the physical advantage that perfectly aligning 3 R-G-B elements for optimal sharpness and detail recreation never had been a DLP or digital micromirror device issue.