Projector or big freakin plasma??

[gator20]

I am working on my game/media room. I am torn on what type of TV to put in here. My question is this....I am leaing towards a projector and 100" screen. Will the lights in the room drown out the picture? What lumens do I need to avoid that? Is there a real difference in a 720 and a 1080p projector besides the $3000 cost difference?

The other option is buy a 65" plasma and hang it...quick and easy.

[Charlutz]

Do you intend to use it mostly for movies or watching football games in a group where you'd want to have some light on? Nothing beats the wow factor of a projector, but sunlight will destroy it. Having the lights dim will work fine but you need to plan around the room lighting.

[IgotDANUTZ]

If you can get the room semi dark go with a projector. Ill never buy a big TV over a projector, besides the cost factor, my 106" picture is right on par with my 42' plasma. THE KICKER IS ITS 106"!!!! I love it. I was like you before I got it and was worried about the unknown. Its by far the best electronics purchase Ive ever made

[pond007]

The projector I have is 3500 lumens, and i still have some issues with the room being too bright. Anything over 3500 should work.

[gator20]

It is going to be used for both. There is no natural sunlight that will be in the room, the only lighting is goign to be 4 wall sconces onn a dimmer and a hanging light over the main poker table.

[Charlutz]

Do you know anyone in your area that has one? There are compromises with all of the technologies and the one you like best is pretty subjective. For me, I'll never be without a projector again. BTW, if you are a costco member, you can buy one through them online and have 90 days to play with it before it needs to be returned with a 100% refund.

Pond - 3500 lumens? WOW. Which pj? My panny is rated at 2000, and is more like 1600 actual according to projectorreviews.com and it is supposedly one of the brighter ones.

[IgotDANUTZ]

I have the sanyo plv4 and its bright as hell
Id test one out at costco and see how ya like it.

[pond007]

Pond - 3500 lumens? WOW. Which pj? My panny is rated at 2000, and is more like 1600 actual according to projectorreviews.com and it is supposedly one of the brighter ones.

It's a Infocus LP840. I got it from work because we got some water damage and it was claimed destroyed through our insurance company. They planned on throwing it away assuming it was busted. So I said sure, I'll "throw it away" and now it's sitting in my "dump". Great resolution and fun as hell!

http://www.projectorcentral.com/InFocus-LP840.htm

[chuckerin]

I have a projector with a 100" screen. There is no substitute for the movie theater experience that it provides.

When I decide to sell my house, I'll sell the theater with it. It should be a great selling point.

I say, go with the projector and screen.

[King of the Farm]

I don't have a whole lot to add to the discussion except this,

One of my customer's is Christie Digital. If you've been to the movies, chances are you watched it on a Christie Projector... especially if it was an IMAX, Digital or 3D movie.

I've been in their testing and manufacturing lab a million times. It's incredible what they've been able to do with HD projection technology over the last couple years.

Christie has begun branching out into the home market. Check out their stuff. Someone mentioned infocus. These guys look at infocus and laugh. Their stuff is just leaps and bounds better... But if i'm not mistaken, you pay for it. GL.

[Gerdass]

What other costs are included in a projector home theater.

It's not like you buy the projecter and a white sheet and are done. What are the average costs for something like this? What is done for sound, etc.


Also, this would be a great "How To" topic for this forum, if someone had both the initiative and the know how....... :)

[Charlutz]

Projector $500 - $5000 or much more
Screen - $50 DIY or up to several hundred bucks or much more
Cables (25 foot runs or maybe longer depending on your configuration) $200
Building materials - paint to darken walls and ceiling to cut reflection
Window treatment to block out light
Projector mount - $20 DIY up to $200 purchased
Audio - Bigger the screen, bigger the sound. Don't want that 747 flying overhead to sound like a Cessna
Speaker stands and mounts
Then, the niceties, like a universal remote, theater seating, automatic dimmer, curtains, and on and on

[Gadgets]

Gerd, this is probably more than you want to know but if I could find the cash and contractor to finish my mancave this is what would go into it from a HT standpoint.

Projector - Sanyo Z4 720p $1,800.00 *
Screen - Ebay special 106" $150.00 *
Receiver - Pioneer 1018AHK $575.00 *
Cable/Sat Box - usually free $0 *
Univ. Remote - Harmony 880 $70.00 *
Speaker Cable - Monoprice.com or Home Depot x 150ish ft $60.00 *
HDMI Cable - Monoprice.com x 4 $70.00 *
Speakers - SVS SBS-01 5.1 setup $1,200.00
TV - Sharp Aquos 46" 1080p $1,800.00
Blu-Ray - PS3, Panasonic, Sony $400.00
Speaker Mount - Monoprice.com x 2 $30.00
Speaker Stand - x3 anything cheap will do $70.00
TV Mount - Monoprice.com $35.00
Projector Mount - Monoprice.com $20.00
Seating - 3 seat recliner $750.00

$7,030.00

* already own

Other possibilities could be to upgrade the projector to a 1080p display. You could also include any gaming system, I have the Wii hooked up to the projector. If you really wanted you could also add the cost of any movies purchased. Blu-Ray movies run on average $20 a disc depending on how close you follow deals/sales.

[IgotDANUTZ]

Yea what they said

[Haps]

Projector costs vs a standard TV. Basically the added costs over a traditional tv are just the screen, the mount, and the extra length cables. All the other shit are part of a HT setup budget that would cost you regardless.

And you don't necessarily need a screen either. A really nice flat wall painted Behr ultra pure white with some MDF moulding "framing" the screen painted black works remarkably well.

With a projector your going ambient light is an issue. And as you watch the screen you lower the light lower and lower and the picture just gets better. Next thing you know your going to be watching it with the lights off. So if that's gonna be a problem then maybe a standard TV is a better option.

I'm between house at the moment but I did have a dedicated home theatre before. Total dark and I used it for watching movies or certain TV shows that I want high end visually quality. I have other TV's in my house for watching general shit.

[gator20]

Well, I decided on a 73" projection TV. It is a 1080p LED Mitsubishi. It is freakin badass.
Why I didnt go with the projector and screen? I buy and sell new houses every 4 or 5 years. Since I am a Realtor I get the preforclosure list. For example the home I am in now, I paid 159k for. It appraised for 192k. I am adding this 420 SF room to the house and an additional 30-40k worth of value. I will probably be selling this one sometime next year and it is hard to tell if my next one will have a dedicated room for a projector and screen. Anyway, it gets delivered on Wednesday.