LCD v. Plasma v. Projector

[roguerower]

As a college student I'm trying to find the best bang for my buck and I've been flipping between a couple of different ways to get an A/V setup. I've got a couple of different questions regarding A/V and would like people here at AT to help me out...

1) I'm looking at getting one of the dell home theater projectors (Dell projector). Would an LCD tv be better for gaming and movies than the projector?

2) Would a LCD or a Plasma TV be the best bang for the buck?

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

If you're considering a projector, you're going to need to have a light controlled room to really enjoy it.

There are a lot of good options out there besides Dell
http://www.projectorcentral.com/

A front projector is a great way to get an inexpensive large screen for a cinematic experience, but it might not be the most practical solution in all cases.

 

[VIAN]

LCD's are versatile and have great picture. And it comes in many sizes from smaller than 40" to larger than 40". But for PC, I'd get 1080p, so 40" and larger is what it has to be.

Plasmas I would rule out for gaming because they are susceptible to burn-in. Only comes in larger than 40". Flickering may hurt your eyes, depending on how close you are to it.

Certain projectors are susceptible to burn-in I believe, but I know there are some that are not. The only big cons is that it requires a dark room for good watching and you need to sit a a decent distance in front of the TV so the viewing angles don't kill the picture. They put out great picture though. These are also only available in larger than 40" sizes.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: VIAN
LCD's are versatile and have great picture. And it comes in many sizes from smaller than 40" to larger than 40". But for PC, I'd get 1080p, so 40" and larger is what it has to be.

Plasmas I would rule out for gaming because they are susceptible to burn-in. Only comes in larger than 40". Flickering may hurt your eyes, depending on how close you are to it.

Certain projectors are susceptible to burn-in I believe, but I know there are some that are not. The only big cons is that it requires a dark room for good watching and you need to sit a a decent distance in front of the TV so the viewing angles don't kill the picture. They put out great picture though. These are also only available in larger than 40" sizes.

Plasma burn-in can be largely prevented now with a bit of care when you first get it combined with how far the technology has come in general.

Projectors are based on a variety of technologies (some are DLP, some are LCD, some are LCOS, some are CRT, etc.) so it's going to vary a lot. You might get some IR issues like LCDs, but I don't think any really are burn-in prone. Viewing angles on my projectors have been absolutely incredible for the screens I have used.

 

[mshan]

http://www.projectorcentral.com

If you watch a lot of dvds, projectors work well because of the truly big screen perspective.

Just remember that bulbs "only" last several thousand hours, and might cost several hundred dollars to replace.

Optoma MovieTime DV10 used to pop up for $500 on sale, and projectors can look surprising good projected only a relatively flat whitish wall. Current model is Optoma MovieTime DV11.

 

[pennylane]

Size matters. If you have the light controlled room and space for a projector, you should definitely consider it.

What's your budget?

 

[sdifox]

Room dimentions and lighting situation will control your choices. We need that info.

 

[Wuzup101]

To be honest with you, I was dead set on getting a projector this past oct-nov for my apartment. I wanted something HD, and eventually settled on a nice Samsung 4065F LCD that met my needs. I will surly be getting a projector for the first apartment/house that I plan to live in for an extended period of time. They definitely are a lot of fun for gaming... and you won't have to worry about burn in with any of the current tech. Size does matter, and projectors are where it's at. However, as a college student I definitely think that you should think long and hard about it. If you are just renting your place there on a year to year basis, you probably aren't going to want to 1) fix it up that much or 2) start mounting things on walls and such. There are also other associated costs to consider (bulbs, screen, longer cables/extensions/etc... as you may have to move all your other gear so that it can reach the PJ without a problem). This isn't a problem for perm installs in rooms that you design for it - but it can be a royal PITA in a college apartment, especially if you want the setup to look clean (and not be in a place that it's going to get drunk bashed lol.

To be honest, I'd go with a PJ if I could deal with a makeshift setup (but I couldn't). If you have good lighting control (I do), a good place to put it, a good place to sit, roomates who won't use up all your bulb life watching huge porn, if you can get away with mounting it... or deal with it sitting on a coffee table that probably has a mix of beer and semen on it... go for it

 

[mshan]

Projecting on a wall works surprisingly well.

I am projecting on a mustard yellow wall (I am going to get a Carada brilliant white 118 inch screen eventually), but my Infocus 4805 still looks damn good (slight yellowish tinge to white area, but you just can't make up for screen size when watching dvds). Light control is nice, but even with some indirect light in my room, it looks very very good.

I think your projector would need to be about 10 ft. away from wall minimum (though zoom lens can "fix" this somewhat).

Technology improves every year, and costs are always going down, so an entry level 480i or 720p DLP projector might hold you over well during your college years.

If you can find a good price, I think the Optoma DV10 or DV11 (no screen necessary) might work well. They are portable and you can lock it up when not using it so it doesn't walk away from your dorm room when you're not there.

If you have a Redbox $1/day dvd rental machine on campus, you'll probably have a very popular dorm room on the weekends.

You can also check antennaweb.org and see if you get any OTA HDTV signals. If you do, you can either get a computer add on hdtv tuner card or standalone hdtv tuner and watch March Madness, the Super Bowl, or other sporting events on the big screen.

 

[roguerower]

I'll be living in a dorm room next year and then off campus the next year in an apartment. My budget is probably going to be around 1.5-2k, but that'll also include a new computer so, more around $600-1k. This is purely speculative, since I won't be purchasing any of this until the beginning of the fall semester.

The LCD TV i was looking at instead of the projecter was this.

I'd also be getting a home theater in a box for the 5.1 surround sound and a 360 b/c it would be a crime to have a system like that just to watch movies on.

As for the room ill be living in next year, the lighting can be controlled and I won't be doing anything during the day b/c of classes and such.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Can you get out and see some well put together Front Projection theaters to see how you like them?

 

[roguerower]

I can try. I know of a guy in my dorm who had a projector setup. I'll probably talk to him about how he liked it, since the guy he lives with now has an LCD TV and they use that now.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: roguerower
I can try. I know of a guy in my dorm who had a projector setup. I'll probably talk to him about how he liked it, since the guy he lives with now has an LCD TV and they use that now.

I had a projector in my dorm a few years ago as well and I've stuck with them due to my positive experience with it.

 

[roguerower]

I was looking at this sweet which is way bigger than anything i've ever had. an onkyo sx600 looks like it would complement it really well...any thoughts?