[Josh Matthews]

 Greetings. I lurk around here a lot more than I post. Suffice to say this is the world’s greatest forum. I’m in the market for a new display and I’m leaning heavily toward lcd front projection. I’ve been doing my homework and I’m thinking something in the Sanyo PLV-Z3 or the Panny PT-AE700U range in terms of level/cost. Use would be movies, videogames and at some point hi-def sports (assuming hockey ever comes back). I’ve, of course, read a lot about how, in order to get the best overall picture, the projector should be used in a dark-as-possible environment. This is generally how I’d be using it, but...

I was hoping to get some input/comments on how lcd projectors perform in varying degrees of ambient light from a little directional light pointed away from the screen to dim room lights to windows open. I understand that the picture is going to be progressively worse as you
add more ambient light. I’ve also read how a gray screen can boost performance.

So while I understand this is a necessarily subjective inquiry, I guess I’m interested in sort of informally polling people as to where they personally find the image becomes unacceptable with respect to lcd projectors in this range with this or that screen, in this or that mode, and in this or that amount of ambient light. Projector Central always comments on this but it’s hard to get a read on what they really mean. Thoughts?

[John S]

If the light is enough that you can work / read comfortably with it. It is to bright for FP, some may disagree with that, but that is still my experience.

Dim lighting you can see well enough to not kill yourself tripping over the furniture, ect..ect.. Seems fine with even say an Infocus 4805.

[Neil Joseph]

A little ambient light (enough to navigate around the room with) will render the image still "watchable" on a typical LCD PJ.

[James Phung]

Just remember that your blacks will be as dark as your screen with the light on at best. If you're watching dark movies, it may be bothersome, but with sports and brighter content, it should be watchable.