TV or projector? ( main purpose for sports/movies) (1 Viewer)

[goodu9]

I am looking to remodel my basement and create a home theatre.

I have been doing some research and I think I am leaning towards a TV instead of projector. My main focus will be for everyday use and lots of sports. My biggest concern is the refresh rate and the "lagging effect" you see when watching sports.

I have heard that projectors are not the best for every day use and you have a greater chance of seeing the lag.

Any suggestions for TVs with great fluid motion. I want at least a 70 inch tv.

I am looking at the 4k tvs, but right now they are way too expensive. I will most likely want to buy within the next few months. Budget is around 5-6k.

Thanks

 

[schan1269]

Lag?

In a projector?

Maybe if you online game. If you do, don't buy a LCD projector.

That budget would allow you a $2000 65 plasma(while you can still get one) and a $4000 projector/screen.

A projector in that price range...won't have "lag".

 

[goodu9]

really?

I heard the "blurry lag" will come into effect when watching sports on projectors... will this be good for everyday use as well?

I know the main reason for this is the refresh rate

 

[Jim517]

really? I heard the "blurry lag" will come into effect when watching sports on projectors... will this be good for everyday use as well? I know the main reason for this is the refresh rate

It can happen with some LCD projectors. For sports, you're best off with a DLP projector. What exactly do you mean by "everyday use"? Turning it on and off once a day, or numerous times a day? You cannot treat a projector like a TV(turning it on and off numerous times per day. That is very hard on the bulb and shortens bulb life significantly. If you plan to do that, buy a TV.

 

[goodu9]

It can happen with some LCD projectors. For sports, you're best off with a DLP projector. What exactly do you mean by "everyday use"? Turning it on and off once a day, or numerous times a day? You cannot treat a projector like a TV(turning it on and off numerous times per day. That is very hard on the bulb and shortens bulb life significantly. If you plan to do that, buy a TV.

Yes I plan on doing that. I want to have it as my main tv for movies, sports, and gaming. Also having my ps4 connected to it for netflix streaming as well.

I have been learning that the OLED Tv's are supposed to be the smoothest with the highest refresh rate around. Apparently these are the best for sports?

 

[Sam Posten]

I game just fine on a 2 year old consumer grade LCD projector (Epson 5020). YMMV.

 

[Jason Charlton]

I have been learning that the OLED Tv's are supposed to be the smoothest with the highest refresh rate around. Apparently these are the best for sports?

You should do some reading on frame rate vs. refresh rate and image interpolation.

A high refresh rate doesn't mean anything by itself. The refresh rate is how fast the display redraws its screen. This may be 30 times per second, 60, 120, 5000...

The frame rate of the source material is another matter. Frame rate for all consumer video formats, currently maxes out at 60 frames/fields per second (60 Hz).

So, if the source material is coming in at 60Hz and your display refreshes at 480Hz, all things being equal, the display will re-draw the same frame 8 times before the next frame is fed to the display.

Now, you get to the fun part - image interpolation:

Some TV manufacturers decided, "Well, if I am CAPABLE of drawing the screen 8 times during 1 frame, why should I draw the same frame over and over again? Let's compare the current frame to the next frame, and find a way to "manufacture" 7 intervening frames to display before the next "real" frame arrives!"

These frames attempt to "tween" between frame 1 and 2 - in the guise of making things "smoother" but to many people, this effect looks artificial and distracting.

In addition, the processing used to create these frames isn't instantaneous (and in fact, needs some delay inherently, since it needs to compare the current frame to the next frame - so there is automatically a buffering process). The result is often lag between audio and video that is notoriously difficult to completely eliminate.

In the end, most of us find that disabling any sort of "smoothing" feature is ultimately the best solution.

Some find it "tolerable" for sports ("Hey, the yard lines are more straight and less jaggy!") but that becomes a matter of personal preference.

I would highly recommend that you take the time to audition a display with these features turned off (in addition to comparing the image when they are on), and avoid getting a display that has no ability to disable/defeat these features.

 

[DaveF]

really? I heard the "blurry lag" will come into effect when watching sports on projectors... will this be good for everyday use as well?I know the main reason for this is the refresh rate

I don't think any mid to high end display today suffers from noticeable dynamic image degradation. In 2009 this issue, a dynamic MTF, was discussed in reviews comparing the Kuro to other competitors. it was a measurable effect, but even 5 years ago it didn't seem like a primary concern for TV shopping.

 

[Chuck Anstey]

To attempt to answer the original question posed, I would say it depends on whether you are going to go down to your basement to do the majority of your TV viewing or if it a special occasion type of thing. I have a dedicated HT room for watching movies and I don't watch normal TV down there except in very rare instances. I have a projector because to me, no TV of any size and compare to a projected image for the feeling of watching a movie although I imagine some of the very largest TVs if built into the wall like a screen would be close enough. However, if I had a bar / pool table area that was casual and did significant amount of TV watching with occasional movies on my nice audio system for that theater experience, I would have a TV because it would be brighter and I wouldn't be concerned about burning through 1 or more bulbs a year.