[John Wells]

I am considering using a Front Projection HD system as opposed to a Rear Poj. The advatage is that I can get a larger screen in my room leaving me with more floor space if I mount the projection unit on the ceiling. I am not sure of any other other advantages or disadvantages. I know I definatley want at least a 65" 16:9 screen. 1600 horizontal res with basically the same features as the Toshiba Theater wide series. Looking to pay roughly $2500.00. Can anyone give me some advice?


John

 

[work permit]

You may want to check the crt, dila forums.


As for FP vrs RP, A Front projector requires very good light control in your room (ie the room needs to be very dark).


Think of it as follows: Your blackest black will be as dark as a white sheet of paper. Hence, any ambient light will reduce overall contrast and make for a washed out picture


------------------

Alex

 

[Man E]

Quote:

Originally posted by work permit: Your blackest black will be as dark as a white sheet of paper.

...or gray. You just might be surpised what that can do. John - Alex is right visit the digital projectors forum. There's a world of information there.



------------------

The button is labeled "Play", not "Pay". STOP the MPAA!

Our Silent Angels

Please visit The Manny Page!

 

[dleithaus]

wait a couple of years for the DLP projectors. They will be superior in contrast and brightness control to anything available today. Right now they are expensive and still have a couple of bugs to work out (notably contrast and brightness control, especially in dark scenes).

 

[Gary McCoy]

I just installed a front projector (the NEC VT540) and I have recent experience with the tradeoffs involved.


Firstly I moved in this direction after I mocked up the size and shape of the 65" diagonal, 16:9 rear projector I liked, and estimated the size of the new Entertainment Center that would have to surround it to hold the speakers and audio gear. The wife had kittens, our rooms are not large, and this would have dominated the family room. On the other hand, the same family room where 65" would have been enough screen, where we view from 78" distance, was clearly too small and laid out wrong for front projection.


On to the front room, reserved for visitors and containing Grandma's antiques. I mocked up the screen size with push pins and string and the projector location (on top of a 7' bookcase) with a box - provisional acceptance. The projector and the two surround speakers are hard to notice on the back wall, the fixed screen sits on a window sill and can be stashed in the garage or the window curtains drawn over it.


It works - but due to lack of ambient light control, can be used only at night. With the screen stashed in the garage and the former TV cabinet containing the DVD player and receiver closed, the effect on room decor is negligible. Furthermore, the install took over three weeks before the projector hushbox was complete, the custom video cables made, and the speakers installed in the room - contrast that to a RPTV that would have seen use the same day delivered.


But I do not regret a bit of the three weeks it took, when I see DVDs in high resolution on a 90" screen.


One final comment - the only way you will get 1600 lines of horizontal resolution is with 9" projection CRTs - they are available in both RPTV and front projectors, but not in the price range you want. The best digital projectors (the DiLAs) are 1365X1024, and to get this amount of horizontal bandwidth from an analog CRT projector requires expensive electronics. I think you should hang around the two projector forums a while, to decide what you can afford.


Gary

 

[John Wells]

Thank you for the responses. It is apearant that I will be getting the Toshiba 57H81. It does have 1600 lines according to the spec and I found it for $2389.00 plus 249 shipping. Thanks again for the response. This forum is a great place to get information.


John

 

[work permit]

Looking at the manual:
http://tacpservice.toshiba.com/Consu...0_57_65H81.pdf


I don't see where it even accepts anything but an HDTV component signal, which is 720p max (or 1080i). I highly doubt it has a resolution of 1600 lines.


Warning: Manufacturers specs for resolution (especially rptv's) are notoriously inflated.


------------------

Alex

 

[John Wells]

The 1600 lines are horizontal resolution not verticle. 1080i is the max vert. This is not an indication of the format but to the quality of the picture.

 

[Gary McCoy]

John, "lines of resolution" is a meaningless number unless they tell you what was measured and how. Another set which specifies 500 lines may actually be superior to the one you are interested in, and may have more usable horizontal resolution. It's as useless as "watts" used to be for audio amps - it all depends on how you measure. Don't try comparing specs from different manufacturers - instead try to find independant evaluations of the products that interest you.


Gary

 

[Don Landis]

Careful how you interpret the spec-

1600 H lines on a 16X9 is equivalent to 1200 H lines on a 4:3 AR monitor. Most people spec the H res as equivalent to the 4:3 monitor spec since the CRT's will be 4:3 AR even when displaying a 16X9 picture. This is also quite different on a true digital screen. Simply comparing a simple number is not not accurate when A/B 'ing two monitors. I'm not surprised to see some specs quoting the 16X9 H res since this is automatically a "bigger number" and this makes for good marketing BS.


------------------

Don Landis

Home Theater Pics at: www.scubatech.com Last updated 3/25/01