Wut 2 Buy - Projector vs LCD vs Plasma???

[Bilodeaumj]

What 2 Buy...LCD vs. Plasma vs. HD Projector

Help! I've been HDTV it for quite sometime and am happy with my CRT JVC 36". However a buddy of mine is planning on moving over to the HDTV way of life but doesn't want a 150lb behemoth that I have.

I haven't been researching which is the best overall product (e.g. price, stability, long term life span) lately but have the perception that HD projectors are the best with LC D's & Plasma's in following order.

I'm assuming all sets have tremendous HD picture quality and am most concerned with the pro's and con's, especially cost & life span with each of the units.

Does anyone have good recommendations for me to relay to him. BTW he has an Apx. 20x20 room with a large wall ripe for a HDTV picture. He also already has a Bose surround sound system. Any guidance would be appreciated. Thanks in advance. MJB

 

[slicer40]

hands down sammy 50" dlp,most reliable, best pic for least amount of money only 58 lbs.

 

[Bilodeaumj]

Help! I've been HDTVing it for quite sometime and am happy with my 36" CRT JVC. However a buddy of mine is planning on moving over to the HDTV way of life but doesn't want a 200lb behemoth that takes up the whole living room like mine does.

What do I recommend that he get? I've been out of the market for a while so what do I recommend as a best overall product (e.g. price, stability, long term life span). I have this perception that HD projectors are the best with LCD's & Plasma's in following order but that's probably a mis-perception.

I'm assuming all sets have tremendous HD picture quality and am most concerned with the pro's and con's of each, especially cost & life span.

Does anyone have good recommendations for me to relay to him. BTW he has an Apx. 20x20 room with a large wall ripe for a HDTV picture. He also already has a Bose surround sound system. Any guidance would be appreciated. Thanks in advance. MJB

 

[Seawaves]

Fujitsu 50" plasma work nice for me.

My 26" Sony wega LCD looks real nice with an HD box and DVI in the bedroom.

If money is no object than he should go to a showroom and let his eyes deceide.

 

[Bilodeaumj]

dlp? Is this a projection screen or projector type system? What's the life span and is there a problem with screen burn-in? TNX

 

[jclampit]

Both have their strengths and weaknesses. The right pj will put out a picture that's beautiful and humongous. But it helps if the room is dark. And you also have to replace the bulbs every year or two, and they aren't cheap. And you can't sit too close to the screen. And some people see rainbows or get headaches with DLP projectors. And it's certainly not as easy to use as a regular TV. And some videophiles might think the plasma puts out a better picture (though your average person would be hard pressed to tell the difference). Lots of drawbacks. You'll probably have to see both to make a good decision.

Fwiw, my cousin recently bought a 60" plasma for close to $20,000. My InFocus 4805 cost around $1300 or so. It's not even HDTV resolution (854 X 480), but guess who's jealous of whom. And he was jealous *before* he found out that I paid about $18 grand less than he did. He is *not* a happy camper anymore.

I've got another friend that just bought a plasma that's also very unhappy now that he's seen what I've got. And this was also before he found out I paid a heck of a lot less than he did.

If you haven't already, you might check out the AVSforum for opinions on both plasmas and pjs.

 

[PBHDinSD]

Check out the New LCOS

 

[Bilodeaumj]

[/QUOTE] If you haven't already, you might check out the AVSforum for opinions on both plasmas and pjs.[/QUOTE]


Wow! I'll be looking at that forum for some time. What a resource! TNX

 

[barth2k]

If I had 20K to throw away, it would NOT be on a 60" plasma, unless I just wanted to show off (mainly, show what a moron I am). I'd put 10K into a good projector and 10K into building a nice home theater for it.

 

[Indy]

I vote for a CRT front projector. I have owned many and now have a Sony G70 with new tubes and love it! That is all I will say due to the hugely subjective nature of projector choices and performance. Come on over to AVS and the CRT projector forum to check out the virtues of CRT.

 

[Slick]

I just bought a 60" Sony LCD and I love it and the price is right.. Cya Slick

 

[Seawaves]

Never heard of a guy who could afford a plasma or high-end LCD buying a projector. If you don't have teh cash, then of course cheaper is better but you get what you pay for-

 

[madpoet]

I would disagree. Show me a plasma or high-end LCD that can give me a 52x92 (106") screen. That's what I thought. I just upgraded from an Panny AE500 to an Epson Cinema 500... wowsers.

 

[Seawaves]

I would disagree. Show me a plasma or high-end LCD that can give me a 52x92 (106") screen. That's what I thought. I just upgraded from an Panny AE500 to an Epson Cinema 500... wowsers.

But you my friend- are mad.

 

[barth2k]

Never heard of a guy who could afford a plasma or high-end LCD buying a projector. If you don't have teh cash, then of course cheaper is better but you get what you pay for-

huh? front projector goes anywhere from 2K to 80K. Cheap? Not!

 

[Seawaves]

huh? front projector goes anywhere from 2K to 80K. Cheap? Not!

Find me one guy here who has paid over 10k for a projector. They were talking about how cheap they are.

 

[Grandude]

Slicer is referring to the Samsung HLN or HLP DLP high def TVs which are rear projection.
That means it is self contained, and is a very compact package compared to other types of projection tvs. I have the 46 inch and love it. Every time I went into a video store I was always amazed at the picture on the DLP TVs. In my opinion, as good as a plasma without the high price and problems of plasmas.
No burn in problems if you are looking at a picture that doesn't fill the screen like plasmas and no heat problems or altitude problems of plasmas.
Don't know the life span but they claim 8000 hours on the lamp and it is user replaceable so it is good as knew when you put in a new lamp.
I would like to have a projector type but they don't work too good in normal room lighting situations. If I had a basement and a rec room I would probably get one.
The Samsung DLP tvs are very light, and very compact. Info at www.samsungusa.com
or call around to various stores to see what they have.
I bought mine on-line from Vanns in Montana. They shipped it to me in California in a couple of days and I avoided the sales tax here which would have been a lot more than the shipping cost.

 

[keno]

Find me one guy here who has paid over 10k for a projector. They were talking about how cheap they are.

Your right. An excellent HD projector with an lumanious of 2000+ (you can watch during the day with blinds open) will cost you about $4,000. The screen another $1,000 that automatically rolls into the ceiling. So you're talking about $5,000 for a great system, no bulky ugly furniture (people ask "where's your TV?" Not the centerpiece in this house), plus a 108" screen filled with HD picture. However, you will change the bulb every year or so at $400.00 a pop. But, remember, a Plasma TV only has a life of 3-5 years.

It's great when people come over, sit down, I touch a button on my remote, screen comes down from ceiling automatically, blinds close automatically, and all components power up for a theater style show. Can't beat it.

 

[Snipr4x4]

I have both I love my plasma which I use in my bedroom and I also love my NEC Projector which I use in my garage for big events (boxing, super bowl, etc) or when the 65" isn't enough space. The only downfall in my opinion to projectors are that you need a dark room the darker the better yeah sure you can buy a brand new super bright projector but trust me you'll still prefer watching it in the dark.

 

[jimmykce1]

I am happy with my Sammy DLP. I haven't seen any rainbows are have any headaches either. The rainbows problems were with the first generation DLP sets. Also a DLP you will not have to worry about burn-ins and pixels going bad. However, with any new electronics, it needs to be adjusted to get the best pq.