DLP vs. LCD - The Discussion Thread that Combines Them ALL (1 Viewer)

[Michael TLV]

Greetings

This assumes you don't get a headache watching DLP units which many people do get.

Regards

 

[Sean M]

Unfortunately, you won't find any DLP's with that resoultion in this price range, but some alternatives to look at are the Infocus X1, and NEC LT-240 and the Sharp PG-M20X.

Really though, the HS10 sets a new standard in price/performance under $3k. It doesn't have much competition. If the price of the NEC HT1000 drops more after the first of the year to bring it close to the HS10, then it would be the projector to beat. You really will have to view some projectors before making a final decision. Crunching the numbers alone doesn't always turn out the way we think it should based on those numbers.

 

[Neil Joseph]

This is a loaded question with a complicated answer. Price range has a lot to do with it. Generally, contrast ratio is better with many DLP's but not always the case of course. If my budget were limited, I would give the edge to LCD but when the budget starts to raise then there are many DLP's that can compete with and beat MOST LCD's (generalization). Each has its trade-offs screendoor, dead pixels, black level (LCD) and colour reproduction, rainbow, headaches (DLP).

 

[DaViD Boulet]

go here to learn more about digital projectors:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forum...?s=&forumid=24
There's also a separate forum for digital projectos less than $5000 in retail price.
A few days reading some posts and you'll be surprised how quickly you'll learn more than any salesperson on the floor.
-dave

 

[Jeff Me]

3. Setup again - How the HECK can I as a consumer evaluate displays when I don't know what effect a different setup may have? Maybe if the contrast on the Sammy were turned down, it would not have been so bad? Maybe a different source - we won't be getting any HDTV sources for a while and intend to view standard cable TV and DVD's on it mainly.

It is pretty tough, but the method I use is to research the service menu settings that impact each set and then calibrate each one in the showroom to see how they look. I spent many hours with the Sammy and Sony Grand Wega doing this with some other folks.

 

[Gordon Groff]

To see what settings on this set can do you need to go into the service menu and eliminate the sharpness enhancement, increase the gamma level and calibrate the picture and brightness in the user menu at a minimum. You can also adjust the chroma delay, color decoder and white balance in the service menu.

I have not had the nerve yet to ask to play with their controls. Not that I don't have "nerve", just that I don't know what I'm doing. What you speak of above is beyond my current knowlege, but I'm going to take your post to the store and play around - if they let me!

Thanks!

Gordon

 

[Sean M]

Gordon, you should at least play around with the user adjustable controls to see if that makes a big difference. I've seen the TV and I didn't think it looked overly washed out, but I did think that the absolute black level was too high and lacked shadow detail, but the shadow detail can be improved with tweaking, at least.

I don't think the quality of the picture had anything to do with your unease and your wife's nausea. I think that it was caused by the way in which single chip DLP displays the picture. The picture is created by sequentially flashing red, green, and blue picture components on the screen and allowing your brain to combine them to form the full color image via persistence of vision. This can cause headaches, eyestrain, and nausea in some people that watch it, as the brain has to work overtime to view the image. I experience headaches depending on the setup, and always with rear projection DLP.

My adivce would be to play with the Sony and see if you can get the picture up to an acceptable level. BTW, when I can stand to watch it, I still prefer the picture of DLP to LCD. But it may not be in the cards for me to own one.

 

[Gordon Groff]

Gordon, you should at least play around with the user adjustable controls to see if that makes a big difference.

Thanks, Sean.

I'm going to visit Tweeters w/Jeff's suggestions in hand and see what I can do with the Sony GW RPTV. From all the posts I've been reading, I don't expect it's contrasts and blacks to match the Samsung, but I should see colors and resolution at least as good and the PQ to match or exceed the CRT units beside it. What I saw the other night was bad, and it was on the same video feed as the CRT's beside it. I'm hooked on the clarity of the DLP vs. CRT and lack of burn-in, maint, convergence issues as well as the improved vertical viewing angle. The purpose of this set would be for everyday viewing w/varying ambient light and sometimes from a standing position.

I would like the Sony LCD to be an option if I can't get past the WAF of the DLP eyestrain issues we had with the Samsung. Everything I've read indicates it should be a strong contender, so I'm hoping it is a simple setup issue in the store.

Gordon

 

[Jeff Me]

I doubt the sales associates will know how to adjust the service menu and they will probably not want you doing it. To find more information on how to ajust this set go to www.avsforum.com and search for the thread named UMR Does GWII.

 

[Mark Shannon]

Ok, I already have a system...but, I'm wondering what the differences between the three of these are: DLP, CRT, LCD

What are the advantages, disadvantages, etc

what are the usual price ranges of these?

If there is already a guide of some sort to these, please, point me in that direction

 

[MikeWh]

Niel Joseph's post in the FAQ should answer your Q's:
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htfo...66#post1173066

 

[Neil Joseph]

I hear he is a great guy.

 

[MikeWh]

And really smart and funny, too.

 

[Mike Butny]

What is the difference in picture quality with a DLP 1,366 x 768 pixels vs LCD 1,366 x 768? The DLP cost between $10,000-$12,000 and the LCD cost between $3,000-$6,000 why the big difference in price if the resolution is the same? Both projectors have a natural resolution of 720p.

 

[Curt Luther]

Can anyone tell me any disadvantages to a LCD projector vs a DLP? I don't want any "rainbow effect" on the one I purchase. Is that just common on the infocus x1? Thanks for any information on this.

Curt

 

[Andrew Pratt]

Define "common" Yes many people see rainbow's on the X1 but its hard to get a good feel for just what percentage of the population does see them.
Anyway LCD tends to have more screen door and frequently has slightly less black black's then DLP but the gap isn't that great when you maximize your viewing conditions (grey screen and dark rooms etc). I ended up buying the 1HD which is an LCD model and couldn't be happier with it

 

[MichaelC]

Trying to find some definitive info on the format that has the better picture incorporating practical contrast ratios, aspect ratios, clarity, sharpness and black separation.

I am contemplating a purchase of the Hitachi 61" LCD or the Samsung or Scenium 61" DLP.

Help is welcomed.

 

[James R. Geib]

I'm afraid that when it comes to someone's comments on which format offers the best picture you will only recieve subjective opinions based, sometimes loosely, on definitive evidence. Most of your demands would be better served by a DLP, in my opinion, but it has it's limitations as well.
Personally I like DLP's, but having not seen Hitachi's LCD in person, I can't directly comment on it. I've only seen Sony's.
DLP offers better contrast and, to me, a sharper picture. I don't suffer from the ill-effects of color wheel's (rainbows) nor the headaches caused by the nature of DMD devices. Dithering is also not really an issue with me at appropriate viewing distances. Rainbows, occasional headaches within a select group of unlucky individuals, and dithering are the three greatest detractors of the DLP displays.
LCD generally has black-levels that are not as good as other formats, and lower contrast rations compared to other largescreen technologies. Additionally, some tests have shown that DLP may offer a longer lifespan, as the organic materials making up an LCD may degrade over time after being subjected to heat and high-intensity light (Causing a shift in the accuracy of color reproduction. Also, LCD units have been found to have more 'dead' pixels over time than DLP's by some reviewers. I have only seen a couple of dead pixels on an LCD, and that was on a first-generation Sony.
Essentially, both formats offer advantages over the other by not suffering from the limitations of the other's technological deficiencies!
In the end it will be up to you to decide which offers the best solution for your HT. Take a close look at both types of displays (at the proper viewing distances), and choose the display that you prefer, remembering that you will not see a properly calibrated display in any retail store. The picture you see will only be better in your home after calibration.
As for me and my family, I decided to go with a Pioneer Pro-530HD old-fashioned, CRT! When the 530 dies on me in a decade or so, I'll move on to a newer technology. Maybe an 80 inch OLED?

 

[MikewL]

Well put, James. I think that may be the most neutral summation of the LCD vs DLP argument I've seen. It makes sense that it came from a CRT owner! I have the Sammy DLP, but due to rainbows and dithering, I'm returning it for the Hitachi LCD.

...Mike.

 

[David Sailor]

I don't want to get off the dlp vs lcd debate, but what about the mature crt? It seems that the crt, albeit with limitations, has been around long enough and fine tuned enough to get a great picture for movies. I'm also looking at the new dlp's but always worry about buying a technology in it's first year of production. On the financial side, if I spend 1/2 what a new dlp goes for to buy a crt, use it for a few years then purchase a dlp in it's 3rd or 4th generation at 1/2 the price it originally came out when introduced, what's wrong with that? Of course I'm using some pretty general numbers here, based on Samsung's 61 inch dlp for $5k vs a Toshiba or Mitsu for less than $3k. Like I said, rough comparisons both on price and performance. David