TV vs. Projector

If you have light control dollar for dollar a projector is the best thing.
I was looking at a brand new Hitachi Plasma screen yesterday and thinking that with my HTPC and two year old projector the PQ is the same, except my screen is four times bigger.

Yep, it all comes down to light control.

I've got an inexpensive projector that absolutely blows people away when the room lighting is correct. Looks simply amazing for less than a third the cost of a smaller RPTV screen.

But at mid-day in my living room, with winter (low angle) sunlight streaming past the blinds, its almost unwatchable, so we resort back to our 32" tube TV.

I'm not sure how much better an RPTV would do in my conditions, but any of the "really bright" technologies like plasma, CRT, etc. seem have the edge when the lights are on bright.

So, evaluate your room, and evaluate your usage case. If the windows will be open, or the lights on bright for a lot of your viewing, you'll need a brighter display. If you'll be watching more with the lights low, then a projector will get you unbelieveable bang for the buck.

I think one of the best things about a pj is that YOU control screen size. If you want only a 55" or 60" tv, you got it. But if you want a 120" screen you can have that. I currently am in a condo with a pj with a 76" screen. The best thing, again, is that when I buy a house and have more room I can upgrade to a 120" screen for a lot less money than buying a new tv!!
My 2 cents

Bulb life is a factor. If oyu plan on doing lots of TV viewing on your projector you must factor in the cost of replacing every couple of years or so (depending on the number of hours on it). I use my PJ for movie viewing only, I have a second dvd player that the kids use to view extras material on.

But there is nothing like watching a movie on a large projection screen. TV cannot duplicate that.

Check out this link for some nice black out blinds that don't cost very much. There is almost always a way to somewhat control ambient light. This is what I'll be getting soon as well.

I got my projector about 3 months ago (SP5000) and will never go back to watching movies on anything else again. IMHO it is sooo much better than the movie theater for the obvious reasons (ticket price, snacks, BEER)You still need a "regular" TV for the other stuff because as Neil stated bulb cost is a factor. Besides who really wants to see Larry King or Bill O'Reilly on a big screen? But it is well worth it for DVD viewing as well as HDTV. There is nothing like watching a football game in HD on a 106" screen. As far as light control goes that is definatly a factor. I have my PJ setup in the basement with complete light control so not a problem here. But you can really get any curtains you want, than go to your local fabric store and pick up some blackout cloth and sew it on to the back of the curtains, that should do the trick. Depending on your "regular" TV you may still need some sort of light control anyway. I have a 65" mits RPTV and at times the glare comming in during the day makes it almost unwatchable.

CRT based RPTV's are good for TV because the tubes will last 10,000 hours.
Projectors are portable and very easy to set up. All you need is a DVD player, a sound system and a blank wall.

Not anymore.
I am a recent convert from a CRT RPTV to a front projector. I use mine for everything... movies, HD, sports, basic cable and video games!!!
I will never go back to a small screen again!!!

I'm also a convert to projectors, but agree that if you're not able or willing to adapt the room for light control then it's probably not for you. With the projector I don't have to do the regular calibration nor am I bothered by the geometry issues of a CRT. I still have my CRT, but it's been relegated to the bedroom for conventional TV viewing and the occasional movie when I want to watch in bed.

Two main issues: light control and INPUTS. I have room for just one unit, so everything has to hook up to it: XBOX, PS2, LD, VCR, Satellite box, 2 DVD players ... I think that's it. I don't know of a pj made that can handle that.

But if you have room in the basement (or other dedicated room), they are the best $/inch value.

I have no problems running all that on my projector.
Here is my setup / list of components:
PC
2 DVD players
VCR
Xbox
PS2
GameCube
HD Cable Receiver

I run most of them through the processor/pre amp.

I will co-sign on that! Front pj is where it's at, and i will never go back to the AKA BIG screen (really?) RPTV again. Once you see the that screen up on your wall, that's it, it's a wrap. I never looked at my old tv the same again, and RPTV's are cool if you do not have the enviroment for a pj. In some cases bigger is better.

I agree with the comments about light control. But I would also add that there's just something about light coming through the screen and image that has just never seemed quite "right" to me. Front projection is what the film-maker intended and designed for. The differences may be really subtle (or for all I know, lost completely in the transfer), and maybe it's just more of a matter of having a "proper cinematic experience", but that's how it seems to me.

TV I don't care enough about to waste bulb life on. I have the Tivo connected to the 4805 and I'll throw stuff up there if it's letterboxed (The West Wing, Battlestar Galactica, Enterprise), but otherwise we don't bother. The picture quality is just too pathetic, especially after one stage of DirecTV compression and a second stage of Tivo compression. (blech)

Any P/J (Infocus 4805) lover here too . If plasmas went down to under a grand for a 42" I think I would still have a p/j. No comparison. YMMV though, its not a one size fits all item.

Kevin,

Some ambient light is generally okay, but think of it like a movie theater. They turn off all of the lights befor the movie starts also. With what you are going to spend on the RPTV you could definatly get a decent PJ and screen. Or forget the screen and just paint one on the wall like a lot of us do and spend the extra on the PJ. You wont regret it as I am sure others will agree.

"I guess I opened up a can of worms after all."

LOL!! yeah you might have...... Seriously though, if you are thinking of looking into FP's check out www.projectorcentral.com they have a ton of good advice on which projector is for you and IF a projector is good for you. There are a TON of questiong you need to answer before you really start looking at projectors. such as:

What will it be used for....HT, HD, TV, Games..etc.

Do I want DLP or LCD....or even CRT.(big and VERY heavy though)

16:9 or 4:3 ratio?

is there total light control or partial light control.

How big a screen do I want?

Where will the main viewing are be?

Once you answer these questions and other you will have a better idea of what projecto is right for you. As for your set up right now...I think a projector is fine. As long as you are not doing any SERIOUS viewing while people have the lights on playing pool. A higher Lumen projector might be best for you in you situation but you really need to decide first if you want to opt for brightness over picture quality. I personaly think that the Infocus 4805, Optoma H31, Pannasonic 700 and Sanyo Z3 are the best bang for the buck for HOME THEATER projectors out there right now. So research research research.....it is actually kind of fun and not as much work as it seems...a lot of it you already know. Best of luck to you.

>"I run most of them through the processor/pre amp"

And if you're ok with that, then you don't have an issue. I prefer direct connections. So that's why I mentioned it.

Obviously, even a tv can have too few inputs, and there are receivers/preamps/switches that can deal with it.

It's not my preference is system design, unless I could go with a serious piece of switching equipment (high end scaler, Theta/Meridian prepro, etc.).

Oh man, if you have $3000 to spend you have ALOT of options. I can definitely recommend the 4805, but the others would be great too I'm sure.

You probably don't feel like "starting over" in all your research, but look at it this way: A projector is a whole lot easier to pack up and return than a 60" RPTV, especially if you're in a basement. Given that, I would probably do a thorough trial with projectors FIRST before committing to an RPTV.

Bulb life on FPs is definitely shorter than RPs.

Someone should be able to pop open their manual and give a nominal figure. I'm thinking I have heard around 3-5,000 hours.

My RP-LCD is nominally 10k hours.

Typical FP bulb life is between 2K and 4K hours.

Used CRT FP is the best bang for buck but it also required much more knowledge to set one up. Bulb on them should last for years if you only watch movies.

Your friends statement of one year is a bit of an exaageration, unless you have the projector on all the time. The InFocus 4805 lamp is rated for 4000 hours. Figure four hours a day, every day, then you are looking at 2.75 years of usage, just in time for another upgrade Seriously though, lamp life is a consideration. Those who want to save it for the good stuff invariably watch regular TV on a tube and DVDs and HD on the projector. With the (ahem) expansion of HD this may change the dynamic a bit.

My projector (Sim2 300e) has a 8000 hour bulb.