Should I buy 480p or 720p (1 Viewer)

[SummyD]

Hello! I am thinking of buying a projector for my new basement home theater. I'd be using a 92" or 106" screen. Based on the reviews, I like the Infocus 4805, which is 480p. It seems to be priced nicely, perhaps because of the fading technology. The Infocus 5000 seems to be 720p and is about 300 bucks more. So,

1. In general, is 720p a lot better than 480p and worth spending the extra few hundred dollars?
2. How do the 4805 and the 5000 models compare?

Thanks!

 

[Brian Osborne]

buy the 720p. While I have no personal knowledge of the Infocus projectors, I can tell you that you will see a big difference when you are looking at that large a screen.
There is 1.5 times as many vertical lines in 720p and more than twice as many pixels. It will result in a sharper image and less screen door effect when watching lighter images.

 

[Jim Mcc]

I agree with buying a 720p projector, especially with HD-DVD players coming out, and HD programming. But I would not buy the Infocus 5000. It has not gotten very good reviews. What is your budget for projector?

 

[Evan M.]

It really depends on a few factors. A lot depends on how far you will be sitting from the screen and which size you get. If you are sitting well over 2 screen widths away from the screen then the difference between 480 and 720 is negligable. If you are closer than 2X then get 720. Keep in mind too that resolution is a bit over-rated. Don't allow yourself to get too sucked into the resolution world. There are A LOT of other pieces of the puzzle. To me contrast ratio and black level is way more important than res. If it were my desicion I would take a 4805 WAAAAY before a 5000. I think you will find that a high quality 480p FP will offer a much nicer image than a cheep 720p FP. My calibrated 4805 blew a 720p Panny ae700 out of the water when 2X the screenwidth away. Infocus also just released a new line of FP's. They are VERY sweet........

 

[RickRO]

Summy,

What type of TV do you watch? If you watch mainly standard def (SD) and DVD's and you are not looking to "upgrade" your viewing to high def (HD) and you are not interesed in the new HD-DVD Blu-Ray technology then a 4805 is more than enough for your type of viewing. There are many posts here attesting to the 4805's ability to handle in a stunning way DVD's and SD type material.

If your interested in HD or buying the newer HD DVD's then you might want to look at a 720p projector.

I have spent a many hour at this site mulling over the projector reviews....you may find this site very useful to you.

Good Luck

Rick

 

[Steve Berger]

You might want to keep in mind that the best support forums are at AVS and they don't like projectorcentral very much.

I love my 4805 but I have a huge room with appropriate seating and lighting. They are two different technologies so comparisons are difficult. If gaming is on your list, then I would think the DLP 4805 would be the better choice (or one of the new INxx series). If your source is primarily DVDs then the 4805 would be the logical choice (IMHO). The 5000 lacks the Faroudja DCDi processor for interlaced sources (SD and DVD). Digital sources only and/or short seating then the 5000 might be better.

Business projectors seem to do very poorly in home theater situations regardless of resolution.

Here in Peoria, I could do finger puppets that out perform our HD broadcasts (probably for the next 5 years) so the 4805 was the optimal choice.

 

[Jack Gilvey]

In fact, from that distance other factors are more important than resolution (contrast, black level, color accuracy) so you'd likely get a better pic from the 4805 regardless of source.
I went from a 4805 to an AE900 since I wanted a much bigger 2.35:1 pic, and from 1.4x width I'm glad I did. However, the overall pic that the 4805 gives in my brother's basement (its new home) is just as good on all material from about 2.5x width.
Actually, I should say that the AE900 is as good as the 4805, and it took a filter and much tweaking to get it there.

 

[Sami Kallio]

I'm sure you mean the 5000 as resolution is very important with games, not so much with DVD's.

 

[Evan M.]

???? huh???? Not sure what you are referring to when you say "if 720p is a chead 720p".......

If you meant to say that "if the Panny AE700 (or sp5000)is a cheap 720p" then sorry to say it but it is fact. The 5000 and 700 are old models and even when they were out they were the cheapest FP's you could buy that would put you in 720p. If you don't believe me then do the research. a 720p FP can go for well over $25,000. $1,800 is bottom of the barrel. I am not saying they are bad....simply saying that they are cheap. "Cheap" is not always and insult.

As for the 4805 not being a high quality FP....name me a 480p FP that bests the 4805......also do not forget the 4805 has been out for 2 years now.... and is still the measuring stick for 480p FP's. No current 480p FP has a CALLIBRATED CR of 2200:1, a 6 segment 4x wheel and a Faroudja deinterlacer. You could argue the Optima H31 but they really are 1 in the same. The only 480p FP that can beat the 4805 right now is the just released Infocus BP72....and the is the 4805's replacement..........

It may have sounded like I am a "fanboy" but that is not the case....I am just someone who says statements and can back them up.........

 

[Citizen87645]

And makes me feel good about what I own .

 

[Kyle_D]

I just got a 4805 that I'm using in my bedroom of all places, and it's phenomenal. Everything I read about the 5000 told me to give it a pass. Also, I saw the 4805 & 5000 at a local retailer side by side displaying the same HD signal, and the 4805 bested the 5000 hands down in terms of color, contrast, and screen door effect (DLP has a higher pixel-fill ratio than LCD, so even though the 4805 has less resolution, the 5000 looked more pixelated). The 5000 did have more detail, but it wasn't enough to justify its other comparitive shortcomings.

 

[Evan M.]

LOL!! No I don't need to listen to myself talk to appreciate what I own. There are plenty of people who do not like the 4805 because of the fan noise or the SD effect or the light spill in the front. Those are all viable reasons. But to come on here and say that the 4805 is not a high quality 480p when in reality it IS a top of the line 480p for the reasons that I and EVERY professional reviewer says.....I will call someone on that every time. Now if he said the 4805 is a low budget projector then obviously he would be right....it doesn't get much more low budget then that.......it just happens to be one of the best low budget FP's.....as is the AE700, 900, Z3,Z4, H31 etc......