Difference between 480 and 720 projector. (1 Viewer)

[Derek Duncan]

Hi, I have a Mitsubishi hc100 DLP projector, and I also have a Playstation 3, and have been enjoying blu-ray, and also upgraded to HD-DVD. Although the projector is native 480, it accepts 1080i signals. The difference in quality between the HD and standard DVD is very noticable, but I would like to upgrade. I can't afford 1080p right now, but was strongly thinking of upgrading to the mitsubishi HD1500. I was wondering what kind of improvement I am going to see in upgrading to 720p from 480p, with my HD-DVD and Blu-ray, is it going to be a worthy upgrade, will I really notice it. Thanks.

Derek

 

[Jeff Gatie]

Literally, it is 240 lines. Improvement seen would depend on how close you sit to the screen (or how close you would like to sit). Moving up to 720p would allow you to sit closer (or increase screen size) and still not be able to resolve the pixel structure of the display. However, you would defintely see a greater benefit from a 1080p projector (approx. 125% more vertical resolution vs. 50%) and if foregoing the 720p will let you get a 1080p sooner, that may be the road to take.

 

[GeorgeAB]

Just do the math. Your projector is 854 x 480 = 409,920 pixels. Upgrading to a 720P projector would provide 1280 x 720 = 921,600 pixels. That would be more than doubling your current resolution! Step up to 1080P and you'll get 1920 x 1080 = 2,07,600 pixels.

Resolution is not the most important element in image quality. It's actually 4th on the list of most significant image characteristics according to the Imaging Science Foundation.

You neglected to provide 4 very vital bits of information about your display system. How wide is your screen and how far do you sit from it? What type of screen is it and what is your viewing environment like?

If you want image fidelity to be the primary quality of the projector you buy, look on the internet for the 720P Samsung projectors Joe Kane designed: SP-H720AE (HD2+ chip) & SP-H800BE (HD2+ DC3 chip). Some are still in the pipeline. They are affordable and both originally sold for $12,000.00. Both are being used in professional post-production work by studios. If you don't mind distorted pictures, look at everything else out there.

The new 1080P model is about to be released for somewhere between $6k and $7k. Display resolution required is primarily a matter of viewing distance/screen size. Being able to display an incoming signal at its native resolution has additional benefits that are not as critical to the viewing experience.

Best regards and beautiful pictures,
G. Alan Brown, President
CinemaQuest, Inc.

"Advancing the art and science of electronic imaging"

 

[SherardP]

that mitsubishi will run you around 700-1000 bucks. I wouldnt waste the money there, if youre going to upgrade, save up a tad bit more and pull the trigger on the Epson Home Cinema 1080 for around 2300 bucks. Thats a worth while upgrade.