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General discussion

FRONT PROJECTOR L.C.D, or D.L.P ?

Aug 2, 2005 4:29AM PDT

I own a Sony 65" kp-65wv600, with dobly digital 6.1 the Dish 811 system, Denon 2900 d.v.d. player. also Iam using my d.v.i imput thru a Gifin d.v.i switcher so I can switch between d.v.d and my 811. Well the prices of front projectors has dropped to a Point where I can afford to go really big, and I know this would give me a true movie theater experience. well my question to you nice folks is. Will the picture be better on a front projector vs my 3gun rear projector? Also my old Sony 3 tube set claims a true 1080 and I understand that the front projectors only run at 720my last question is which disply should I get l.c.d or D.L.P I want the sharpest picture and I dont care about black level specs also I have about $3500 to spend. In closing Iam new at this computor stuff so how do we comunicate with each other? May the force be with you stewart norrie

Discussion is locked

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FRONT PROJECTOR L.C.D, or D.L.P ?
Aug 3, 2005 3:51AM PDT

Front projectors in your price range are rated at 1024x768 or 1280x768. Keep in mind that you will need a screen and room lights will be MORE of a problem than with your old Sony.
Get one that has at least 2000 lumens or more.
DLP has not become popular in this type of projector so the majority are LCD at this time, but things change.
The interest thing is that the 3CRT rear projecton TV still has the best picture/cost ratio.
Here is link to place that has good prices and a lot of info.
http://projectorpeople.com/

"In closing Iam new at this computor stuff so how do we comunicate with each other?" Just repost with any questions. John


http://projectorpeople.com/

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Lighting
Aug 3, 2005 4:15AM PDT

One big consideration here is AMBIENT LIGHT. How much light do you have in your home theater? Front projection is fantastic in terms of picture reproduction if you have good conditions and a reasonable quality projector but can be washed out and dull if you can't get the room to near pitch black (unless you have a very expensive projector). The advantage of rear projection is that ambient light is essentially unimportant.

You mention one thing:
''I want the sharpest picture and I dont care about black level specs''
This is somewhat of a contradition as your black level will dictate your picture quality. Think of watching LOTR in a dark scene where you can't see Orcs hiding in the shadows just a black, (or rather grey), blur. You'll be missing some very important information that the director wanted you to see!

Don't worry about 720p or 1080i, it's unlikely that you'll be able to tell the difference.
Lastly if you go with a projector and can stretch to a newer DLP, then go for it. Texas Instruments Darkchip is particularly good if you can find that in a projector of your price range.

If you need further help feel free to email me.

Terry
CEO/Owner
Beyond Home Theater
www.beyondhometheater.com

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DLP for sure and a black screen...
Aug 3, 2005 3:06PM PDT

Hi Stewart,

Seen you around a bit.

My suggestion, stick with DLP. LCD is getting better than it has been, but still has the screen door effect and trailing on fast action sequences.

DLP on the other hand, is great for fast motion and is clearer (no screen door effect) as it projects the light on the screen vs lighting making sections of the screen (Pixels) brighter or darker. Breaking the screen into little squares is where you run into the screen door effect.

Only drawback, the room needs to be dark in order to get the vibrant picture with natural blacks and greys, if you use a standard screen. That said, Sony and another manufacturer (I don't recall their name), is ready to release a special new black screen which utilizes the black color of the screen to recreate the blacks and greys and also reflects the light out so that room brightness is no longer an issue. So, eventually the prices of those screens will drop and your DLP projector will be the highlight of your video displays (kidding). You will be happy with investing in a projector.

Take Care,

Shawn Mosqueda
WireSmart LLC

If you would like to contact me, click on the profile link below