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less than 3500 vs more than 3500

416 Views 3 Replies 4 Participants Last post by nigel_ht, Dec 17, 2005

larrypg

Discussion Starter · Dec 17, 2005

Hello all,

Up until about a week ago I have never even considered a FP setup. I have not seen any in the last10 years and my vague recolection of those were of terrible quality. My 40" CRT died a few weeks ago. I was pretty positive that I would want a plasma to replace it...but it turns out with my most likely 17 ' viewing distance that I would not be able to tell the advantages between an EDTV and a HTDV. It would seem that I need a much larger picture to enjoy the advantages of HDTV...or to sit much closer which is not possible. This then brings me to the questions I have...

In my particular situation I have a north facing wall that is all windows (20 feet). I can use shades but not blackout ones. Will this negate any daytime viewing? At night obviously there is no ambient light but there is a light that would be in front of the screen on so that one can read or do any of a myriad of things. Is this enough light to make the picture unusable?

If it was decided to get a FP I would not want to mount it on the ceiling but to have it in between the seating arraingement on a table. Is this a problem?

I have a million questions but think I will end it with this and then proceed farther depending on what the responses are.

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TimB

· #2 · Dec 17, 2005

Larry,

There are many more knowledgeable than I who will happen along shortly, but in the meantime ...

You mention the windowwall is north, which is your screen wall? Yes, I would think that the windowwall in the daytime, and the light at night, will make a FP setup difficult. There are screens that reject ambient light and enhance contrast more than others, and that may prove satisfactory with a fairly bright projector. The new Sony black screen looks very intriguing/promising (although I'm currently boycotting Sony over their absolutely outrageous root kit issue).

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cavu

· #3 · Dec 17, 2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by larrypg
If it was decided to get a FP I would not want to mount it on the ceiling but to have it in between the seating arraingement on a table. Is this a problem?

Certainly you can place it on a table BUT:

The ceiling is the preferred location as you can set it and forget it. Nothing bumps into it. Nothing gets poured into it. People don't 'burn' their fingers on it. No finger prints on the lens. It's always in focus and zoomed properly. Generally, people don't walk through the beam, blocking the screen. You don't have video and power cables draped across your coffee table and the floor where your guests trip on them. The fan noise is generally above and behind you and is easily ignored. You get the idea.

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nigel_ht

· #4 · Dec 17, 2005

A clearer room description would help but if there is any direct sunlight peeking in between your blinds and hitting the screen directly you will have a difficult time getting a viewable picture.

If you can get it so that where the screen will be is not hit by light directly and what you have is a relatively high amount of ambient there are some choices that will let you watch sports and regular TV during the day. A reading lamp (or two) not shining directly on the screen is workable.

For this kind of install I would recommend reading the SX50 thread in the other forum. If that's out of your price range, come back here and look for the best of the business class projectors.

But typically direct sunlight on the screen is a deal breaker...although personally, my tube TV suffered badly when that happened too.

I currently have no blinds on a large sliding door but the door is in shade to begin with from trees AND the angle is such that the light doesn't hit the screen directly so for sports its barely tolerable during the day with a 1900L projector and 1.3 gain screen.

With blinds that at least gives you full coverage, the SX50 coupled with say a SilverStar screen would work for daytime. Might be a tad bright at night though.

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