Convince me to go Projector Instead of Plasma. All the hassle aghhhh

[Vracer111]

Front projection is definitely worth it...once you go Front Projection you won't go back! A Projector and TV display combo works well together though, so having both is best for all situations! And if you have big, and precise sound you need an equivalent viewing experience - which is what FP does great!

All my wiring and setup is mostly easy though, as all my equipment is at the rear of the living room behind the sofa/sectional in a custom rack and projector cantilevered mount system I built:





Besides not being as distracting because of being out of your field of view and isolating the noises behind you, it makes listening with headphones much less of a hassle as well and makes the front with the project screen and speakers look so much cleaner... putting equipment in the rear makes the most sense to me.

[trini]

you're going to buy a f**king projector! Convinced?

[Ryan0503]

Get both!!!

[Badas]

This is kinda silly.

As he said it is harder to setup a projector.

Really it is up to him to decide.

Put the effort in and reap the rewards or don't put the effort in and keep wondering what is missing.

[bhampton]

But,... what effort?

When I got my first Projector in 1999, you could spend several hours on setup.

Todays Pjs just need to be placed in about the right place and then you adjust focus ... end.

I guess you need to change the bulb when it goes bad... that must be the hassle.

-Brian

[Badas]

Originally Posted by bhampton

But,... what effort?

When I got my first Projector in 1999, you could spend several hours on setup.

Todays Pjs just need to be placed in about the right place and then you adjust focus ... end.

I guess you need to change the bulb when it goes bad... that must be the hassle.

-Brian

Agreed. They are so easy these days.

I got my first in 1999 as well. What did you get? The buzz that year was the Sharp XV-Z 10000U A 720P DLP projector with a 2600:1 contrast ratio. I got one of those.

[Anthony P]

Originally Posted by Badas

This is kinda silly.

As he said it is harder to setup a projector.

But that is the issue, obviously it depends what you do but I don't find a projector is necessarily harder to setup.

For example, look at Vracer111 setup just above. It is a shelf with the projector on topof it and a rack for the equipment underneath. Would it have been easier if the seating was facing the opposite way and on that shelf was a TV?

[Mr.Twinks]

I don't even look at tv's anymore since I installed my FP 2 years ago. If you truly want a cinema feel for watching movies, than this is the route for you. I sit about 11ft from my screen and movie watching is great!

[JeffTheMovieGuy]

When you are watching movies or tv shows on a HDTV its nice but with a projector you get that movie theater quality without the hassle of having to travel and you get to revisit those movies that you might not have gotten a chance to see in theaters.

Really the only hassle out of it would be having to travel to the theater to see a movie, with a projector in your house the only travel is over to the blu-ray shelf and choosing the movie you want to watch.

[bhampton]

Badas,

First pj was Sony VPH1271 CRT,... Loved it! Last CRT FP was a Sony G70 about six years ago now.

[Taygan315]

Originally Posted by JeffTheMovieGuy

When you are watching movies or tv shows on a HDTV its nice but with a projector you get that movie theater quality without the hassle of having to travel and you get to revisit those movies that you might not have gotten a chance to see in theaters.

Really the only hassle out of it would be having to travel to the theater to see a movie, with a projector in your house the only travel is over to the blu-ray shelf and choosing the movie you want to watch.

So true and well said! I don't even go to the theater anymore. I can wait for the blu release. Best seat in the house is YOUR seat in YOUR house. Don't have to worry about people being too loud or having to step out for snacks/restroom and missing some of the film. Only time I go to the theaters is over the holidays with my family. Janurary thru mid November, I'm not there

[slimdude]

Originally Posted by bizmord

All I hear is that to go Projector + screen it's just a pain in the a**.

1) Need full darkness
2) Lost of money $1000 (projector), $400 (screen)
3) All the hassle with wiring and hanging up the projector .... aghhhh.
4) Hanging up the screen


Legitimate fuss or is all of this simply done?

I don;'t have a dedicated room for movies. Room is my living room with 2 windows. Movies I do want in the evening mostly. I sit about 10 feet away from the wall on which now I have my Plasma (50 inch).

Is it worth it? Or am I right that it's not too beneficial for my space with all the extra installation and money spent?


thank you.

You shouldn't need to be convinced, if it's something that you want to do initially. If you want a projection screen home theater, then go for it, but if you feel that it may too much of a burden, and a problem installing it, and out of your price range, then don't do it. Everybody is different, and have different taste. If you feel more comfortable with an HDTV, that you're use to, then stick with it.

[BluVinyl]

As some have mentioned, you can ease into the pj installation. I hooked mine up for a few months while it sat on a table and I projected onto a white wall. I eventually decided on Screen Goo for the screen, 120 inches for the size (after playing around with the sizes for my room). Because I'm incompetent I had Geek squad mount it and put the cables behind the wall.

I used to go upstairs to watch the 55 inch LCD in the family room for some TV shows, but now I watch the pj for everything. I agree it is more of a difference for movies. But I actually bought the pj more for sports, but once I got it I got back into collecting movies (hadn't done that since my LD period).

[SillySauce]

You don't need a 400 dollar screen smh. Go look at Elite's electric pull down screens. You could also make your own using Carl's Place blackout cloth. Projector Central compared side by side Stewart's second best screen, the studio tek 100 to different paints, and they found a paint that looked even better that costs 10 dollars a quart by Sherwin Williams.

There are also DIY paints from avs forums that can give you a much brighter screen with the lights on. I don't have my projector mounted, and all you have do is buy long HDMI cords.

Bulbs are also expensive as hell. Most projectors use 300 dollar bulbs. I don't care if it lasts 2 years on heavy usage, I'm not buying a 300 dollar bulb. My bulbs costs $140. The new budget epsons also use cheap bulbs for 99 dollars.

The size of the image and filmic quality can't be compared. It makes it so worth it when you pop in a bluray with people. I bought a 220 inch Carl's Place screen for 75 dollars for outside viewing. Get some friends and family together with some food, it's awesome.

[wormraper]

Originally Posted by SillySauce

You don't need a 400 dollar screen smh. Go look at Elite's electric pull down screens. You could also make your own using Carl's Place blackout cloth. Projector Central compared side by side Stewart's second best screen, the studio tek 100 to different paints, and they found a paint that looked even better that costs 10 dollars a quart by Sherwin Williams.

There are also DIY paints from avs forums that can give you a much brighter screen with the lights on. I don't have my projector mounted, and all you have do is buy long HDMI cords.

Bulbs are also expensive as hell. Most projectors use 300 dollar bulbs. I don't care if it lasts 2 years on heavy usage, I'm not buying a 300 dollar bulb. My bulbs costs $140. The new budget epsons also use cheap bulbs for 99 dollars.

The size of the image and filmic quality can't be compared. It makes it so worth it when you pop in a bluray with people. I bought a 220 inch Carl's Place screen for 75 dollars for outside viewing. Get some friends and family together with some food, it's awesome.

bulbs are the cost of a good projector. lower quality projectors use cheaper bulbs, but a good projector uses a much more expensive bulb... try going to a JVC... my JVC RS-46 retails for $499 for the bulb.... (although to put it in perspective the PJ retails for $3500)


and the $99 E-torl bulb from epson is ONLY for their low end 2030 line... and it hasn't been proven yet. we'll see in a year or so how well it holds up