Anyone see a front projection DLP and a CRT side by side? (1 Viewer)

[ScottieZ]

I was wondering if anyone has ever seen a front projection DLP next to a front projection CRT in 16X9 (both using the same HD signal)? I have never been able to make a side by side comparison. If you have, which is superior?

 

[SimiA]

Without a second thought, CRT wins every time.
For pure color rendition, contrast levels, blacks, and just over all PQ, it really is no contest.
Now, don't misunderstand me here. There are some top of the line DLP's that give a great picture, with some approaching the PQ of CRT's, but equal to a CRT.... I think is still a few years away.
You do have to give a CRT TLC, convergence and such, but I think it's worth it.
Vb

 

[Max Leung]

Not exactly side-by-side, but I did see a Runco $100K CRT front projector (in a rear projection setup) playing the Academy Award screener DVD of The Two Towers nearly 18 months ago. It completely destroyed the old Runco DLP projector (an NEC LT150 clone I believe). To be fair, the DLP projector was projecting onto a 120" diagonal negative gain screen. It looked terrible - why didn't they replace the bulb and use a high gain screen? *shakes head*

The CRT projector environment was worth approx. $500,000 - an optically perfect glass rear projection screen that is 10 feet wide, a separate room with its own airconditioning system, a 1080p capable 6 foot tall CRT projector (probably a Barco clone), with hand-tweaked convergence of all 1080 lines (takes approximately 8 hours or more to converge by hand). Video processor to take in a Panasonic RP91 DVD player's interlaced output and upscaled to 1080p. Big bucks. It looked great! Perfect black levels, yadda yadda yadda. Way too expensive.

$500,000 CRT projector system versus now-obsoleted DLP projector from 2002 (MSRP $10,000 but worth not much more than an NEC LT240K at $2,500) - no contest - the big expensive CRT monster beats it!

 

[Matthew Todd]

I'm guessing that would be the Runco 1200, a rebadged Barco cine9. I think the MSRP for the cine9 is around $45K.

Matt

 

[ChrisWiggles]

Scottie: I've spent fairly extensive time with CRTs and DLPs, including a thorough shootout side by side with a sony G70 and a Sharrp 12K HD2+ unit. The CRT still wins slightly, though the HD2+ units are very nice. 3 Chippers are not that much better, and IMO don't justify their added price, and the Qualia is the first projector I've seen that really approximates the smoothness of the CRT, and as such is by far the closest in this regard to the PQ of a CRT on real video. The weak point, though (and a big one), is the Qualia has low on/off compared to the DLPs, and especially compared to the CRTs.

CRT FP is the absolute bargain out there, if you have the proper space, and you can deal with one, because IMO, you do need to move to at least an HD2+ to approach the quality of an 8inch CRT, and a Qualia to get a picture smooth as one.

There are significant subjective concerns too, but FP CRT used is cheaper, and still IMO better.

 

[Bruce McDermott]

Another CRT booster here. Dollar for dollar, in a light-controlled home theater, with the CRT FP properly set-up, there really is no contest.

Price independent, it starts to get closer (at maybe 2.5 to 3x, where x is the price for a good 8" EM focus 8 inch CRT FP).

 

[ScottieZ]

Thanks for all the great comments. I have been on the fence for a while, but have been leaning toward CRT. Does anyone have a CRT preference? I have looked a little at Sony's, NEC's, Electrohome, and Barco. I will probably go used, and will probably be looking most at DVD's and HD programming. I want to get the most out of both. Any suggestions? Thanks

 

[Scott L]

I was looking at the rebuilt Electrohomes for around $5k and imagine upgrading to one of those babies when I can. The only thing that really scares me is the tube life. I already hate having my DLP on because I know the bulb is being used.