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Just talked the wife into a RPTV and now this newbie discovers FPT..help Please!!

1083 Views 18 Replies 14 Participants Last post by ras1s, Oct 25, 2004

ras1s

Discussion Starter · Oct 13, 2004

I pounce happily into the local AV store, mind grinning on a RPTV. They are shocked I am not interested in a set of Hafler Mono's.

No, I am here to buy a RPTV because I am ready to view, at any time of my pleasing, "Diner" and "Masked and Anonymous" , (actually the wife says I can have the Home Theater in the front room, ...after 3 years of remodeling every other room in the house that combine "our tastes and functionality", this seems to be the finale, or her afterthought to provide me with a modicum of pleasure.)

But I got my room.

To make this long story longer....

I am festooned with the virtues of DLP, reverse 3:2 pulldown, and God blessing the resolution of a 1933 Bela Legosi "Invasion of the Black Taratula". As usual, I soaked in what they said, went home, and did my homework.

The ritmatickin' showed I should get a FPT set-up.

Here is where it gets strange.........

I go back to the AV store, tell them my prioities and what do you think they expelled?

"Don't buy a TV, Front or Rear, until the new "tech-knowledgy" is out!!??

Now, my first computer was a Texas Instruments "TI 49-A, which I bought in 1978 for $900.00.

But they insisted that the new "blow it all away" LCOS is coming and they will not risk a good customer for the sake of not informing him. It gets worse.......

My wife was standing there at the time of his utterance.

If I havn't prefaced this question well enough , email me, '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''but the my question is,

for 3-4 K, do I wait 4-6 months or do I buy?

Of course, further diggin' leads to SED, is it posible I may not not see Bela's clear acne until 2007?

P.S. I am an audio nut, movies do not have to be the best on the block.

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1 - 19 of 19 Posts

Mntneer

· #2 · Oct 13, 2004

You'll always wait to "catch up" to the latest and greatest technology.

One great thing about FP.... price vs. screen size. You can get a bigger picture for less money with a FP. So you can tell you're wife that you'll actually be saving money in the long run.

Cyrano

· #3 · Oct 13, 2004

LCoS has been talked about in other forums here. You might want to do a LOT of lurking in the various forums at AVSFORUM.

As for FPTV. It is quite easy to get a picture that is superior to anything you'll see on an RPTV showroom floor. I still shake my head in wonder at the amount of money people are shelling out at our BB for a TV that has a smaller and less film-like picture. Yet is more expensive and comes in a huge, room-filling, 250 lb box. (the X1 weighs in at 6.8 lbs, the screen about the same.)

Of course we do have an RPTV in the living room, because ambient light won't allow an FPTV, except after the sun goes down. Our X1 (80" 4:3 or 72" 16:9 screen - Total cost for PJ, mounting, cables and screen just over $1000) lives in the basement HT we spent a year carving out of a crawlspace.

I think it is crucial that one has good light control. I hesitate to say 100% but I do think that is what it takes to get a good picture.

We have a neighbor who bought an X1 after viewing ours and they were unable to watch movies during the summer until after 9 P.M. because they had limited light control in their Living Room. Of course, they still really love the FP experience. And now with winter coming they'll be able to watch as early as 5 P.M. (we're in the Northwest)

Good luck - read and lurk and question, it's worth the effort.

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Shedrock

· #4 · Oct 13, 2004

Quote:

Originally posted by ras1s
"Masked and Anonymous"

A great movie that few have had the pleasure of viewing.

Quote:

But they insisted that the new "blow it all away" LCOS is coming and...

The new Canon LCOS is coming, sometime, possibly soon. I hope the projector lives up to the high expectations some are building on it. But, we are talking about a technology with more failures than successes, and a company without much of a track record in home theater. About 2 years ago, Toshiba made a huge leap when they released their 57" LCOS rear projection set that (I believe) could do true 1080p. The TV's sold for more than $7k, and had so many problems that most of them were bought back from the customers by Toshiba for full refunds.

Quote:

do I wait 4-6 months or do I buy?

There is always going to be something better due in 4-6 months.

The best course is to buy fairly new technology that has been well reviewed and meets your needs. If this is your first projector, you don't need the best model in the catalog; an entry level projector will still impress everyone you know.

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Ian Fleet

· #5 · Oct 13, 2004

You're always going to hit a moving target with theater projectors. When I bought my projector two years ago there were no Z1's no panasonic ae300 and no x1's. I'm still getting a good picture although black levels are not as good as the current crop of projectors.

I've been tempted to buy a used CRT where lamp hours are 10,000 hours and black levels are so good they don't even bother to calculate it.

The downside is CRT's are not portable.

I suppose in the long run people still have good working theaters without the latest gear, it's an expensive hobby.

price3

· #6 · Oct 13, 2004

Dont let people talk you into a front projector unless you are ready to work on light control in your room. I have both and the tv is MUCH more watchable with ambient light. I prefer the 100" picture my projector throws, but it takes alot more thought about the room than a good rptv does.

timtimes

· #7 · Oct 13, 2004

Light control is an issue. I have a Benq 6200 and it is watchable with some ambient light, but not nearly as stunning or rich in detail. I'm projecting about 80" or so. If you owned one of these projectors and kept the picture down to a MEASLY 40 inches or so (like a $3000 plasma), you might be able to get away with more ambient light? Anybody ever play that game? Light control is not an issue for me since my media room has only one window and all I had to do was upgrade to a better quality of window shade.

On the issue of what is going to be the next great thing? Does it matter? If you've got the kind of cash to drop for the latest greatest thing, spending a grand or so RIGHT NOW for what I'd consider state-of-the-art front projection shouldn't be a problem! An eighty inch plasma tv I priced was $45,000. I paid $1100 after rebates for my Benq.

I had already primed the wife for the $3000 plasma. Reading here and elsewhere woke me up to the folly of plasma (my opinion). Spend $3000 on a DINKY little 40" plasma or $1000 on something REALLY cinematic - no comparison).

Enjoy.

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Shkuey

· #8 · Oct 13, 2004

If you're wanting to wait 4-6 months for a better projector now, then in 4-6 months you'll be wanting to wait another 4-6 months for the next new thing. I'm in the middle of an experience with this, I bought an HS-20 about a month and a half ago, and they're already poised to sell the HS-51 at exactly the same MSRP. Frankly there isnt any reason for me to be disappointed in the quality of what I got, even though it's not the latest and greatest. I dont think there is any LCOS revolution on the horizon that will make all previous units obsolete.

cabreau

· #9 · Oct 13, 2004

Well, CEDA just happened fairly recently...so much new technology came out then. We have the new Sony 6000:1 contract ratio LCD projector, a new Panasonic AE700 which looks to be a really nice product, and a whole bunch of other new projectors out there. I think right now is the time to buy, while the technology IS new. LOL.

mrjag

· #10 · Oct 14, 2004

The other end of the never ending 4-6 delay of purchase argument is that all these products are based on technology that comes out in cycles. You can optimize your purchase by buying at the right time. CEDIA just released a new wave of LCD's and in 4-6 month's we'll probably see the next wave of DLP's. If you like LCD's then now is the time to buy, for DLP you'll probably want to wait just a little, and LCOS seems to be a gamble for the moment.

SpeedyHTPC

· #11 · Oct 15, 2004

Put in a request for an additional $3-4K now with the boss. It never ends. Make sure you spend the budget or else you wont be allocated next time.

suade907

· #12 · Oct 15, 2004

Here is my take,

I'm a noob in the projector scene also. I just got my first Projector a few weeks ago and loving it. THough I mainly use it only for computing and movies. More movies than computing but then again I have built a custom mini pc in the past in hopes of buying a projector. Good thing all things came to fruition.

I suggest if it is possible in your room. Get a CRT based HDTV rear projection television for about $800.00 to $1500.00, of a larger size. Use that for your daily tv and so on. Even though DLP is hot and expensive you'd be surprised at the quality of a image a 1080i crt hdtv can display. Plus you save some cash for the cooler toy. Get a infocus screenplay 4805 for your movies. While it's not the most state of the art projector it has received rave reviews on this site and has excellent picture quality and pretty good bulb life. You can have a pull down screen and that projector relitively cheap. I'd say that can all be accomplished under $3000.00. Or you can go the Infocus X1 route but I wouldn't reccomend that without a Computer to use for dvd's.

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ras1s

Discussion Starter · #13 · Oct 22, 2004

Thanks for all the help and suggestions...here is what I did..

bought the infocus 4805..painted the room black and dark burgundy..lots of black-out heavy drapes..have a 36" sony xbr for daily tv;will use 4805 for movies and when the bulb burns out i fiqure it will time to upgrade anyway. I will post a pic this weekend. still need to run cables.

Next request...I will be running 2 sets of componet vide0, 1 s-video, and will run this up the wall-in the attic and to the ceiling-about 30 feet. Will i need to boost anything or is this run OK or am I in the wrong room for this post?

Thanks again for your input, it made the decisions easier.

bob

DaveInBerlinNJ

· #14 · Oct 22, 2004

I ran a 30' component and S-video. Generic "decent" quality, nothing fancy or expensive, they work fine.

Art Lloyd

· #15 · Oct 22, 2004

Why the "S" cable? Why two component cables? Art

Art Lloyd

· #16 · Oct 23, 2004

I asked about the reason for "S" and multiple cables because I have found such cabling to be redundant and expensive. "S" cables deliver only interlaced signals and are pretty much useless in the world of HD and ED from OtA, satellite or progressive DVD players. It costs less to get a reasonable progressive dvd player than it does to buy a good "S" cable. Even inexpensive home theater receivers have component switching these days.

I was inn an Ultimate Electronics store last month and I overheard some guy asking the salesman about running cables from a central dvd player to more than one display in his home. Ten feet away stood a wall of cheap dvd players and the guy was being sold on tearing up his house to run cables as if the players were only available at a $K and above. Go figure.

ras1s

Discussion Starter · #17 · Oct 24, 2004

thanks for the reply art but , as a newbie still learning, i quite dont understand.

here is my set-up,(as of 2 hours ago, wires arent ran yet just laying all over the floor, but couldnt wait),-

4805

da-lite ?? $350.00

integra dps-7.3 dvd

integra dtr-5.4 receiver

klipsch cinema 10 w/ rw-12inch sub

i have 30ft of component and s-video.

i was going to use the s for vhs, are you saying i can use the component and switch through the receiver? probably sounds stupid but am now reading the manuals.

by the way, i am wowed by the picture i have and i havent tweaked anything yet.

thanks again for your help.

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Art Lloyd

· #18 · Oct 24, 2004

Nice stuff!! Sorry, I did not expect the VHS. Many people have given up on vhs since it looks so bad with a larger format. If it works for you, great. My guess is that you will use the vhs sparingly when you get used to higher quality signals.

I was just commenting that it might be easier and cheaper to run but one component input and use a receiver to do the switching. Wires of good enough quality for a thirty foot run are not cheap and most receivers made now have switching built in. It is often easier to use a receiver to switch than it is to use a projector. I guess I wrote about this because I spent a bunch of money on things I did not need during the past decade of HT hobbying. Art

ras1s

Discussion Starter · #19 · Oct 25, 2004

thanks art, yea the vhs is due tomy reluctance to buy 50 dvd,s to replace the disney videos for the kids. already went through beta, vhs, albums, cd's. i know have at least 4 copies of everything ever recorded on every format, drew the line at little mermaid and dumbo.

pics of my ht will be on end of week.

thanks much to art and all and to the admin of this site. hope i can share some exp. also.

bob

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