Basic Front Projector Questions (1 Viewer)

[Ben.K]

I have a few basic questions about front projection. First how is the quality? Is it comparable to HDTV? Are the projectors easily hooked up to a computer? Secondly, how much does this cost? Is it alot more than getting a big screen HDTV? How big of a screen can the image be projected on? What sort of screen is usually used and how much does it cost? Currently I have a 36" Sony flat screen tube, but I was curious about this as I have never heard anything about it.

 

[Twisten]

I'll try to help out a little bit. Let's see...first you should do a little research over on projector central.com they have a ton of information that can probably help you out. Also, look around on avsforum.com as there is a wealth of projector information over there too. As far as HDTV quality, yes you can get it, depending on how much money you can afford to spend. You can get a decent lcd or dlp digital (picture quality is definitely a subjective issue) projector for little more than $1k. You can also get a state of the art Reference Imaging CRT projector for 50 grand!!! That's just a quick taste, you can also spend 30 grand on a digital and $1500 on a used crt. Screen size also depends on what quality projector you can afford, but more than likely you'll be limited more by the size of your room/home/theater. Some of the $1k (low end) digitals can put out a good picture around 80-100 inches, though with the less expensive digital projectors there is a definite drop off in picture quality if you try to push it too much.
As far as screens go, that will somewhat depend on what type of projector you choose. You can spend $150 for a 80 inch Da-Lite model B, or $1100 for a Stewart Filmscreen of the same size. Many people make there own screens with pretty good results. Well, hope I've got you off on the right foot. Again, check out AVS, projectorcentral and this forum. Try doing searches for the information you are looking for. Later

 

[Neil Joseph]

Ben, you can take a read throught his thread from the FAQ area for starters...

Front Projection - How do I select one for my needs?