Is a projector viable alternative for a home theatre setup?

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Sei

Galvanizer
Hey everyone

Just wanted a few opinions on the above matter.

I've been reading quite a few projector reviews online and was thinking whether a 720p/1080p projector is a viable alternative to a LED/Plasma for a home theatre setup.

As an example, I am considering a room that measures approximately 10' x 14' and will be placing the projector along the length i.e. 14'. So, the seating can be anywhere from 10'-13'. It will be running off my current HTPC with the config -
E6300 C2D
2GB RAM
ATI 6670

I've randomly taken this projector as the type I would like to buy. Not sure about availability of this particular model in India though.
Panasonic PT-AX200U Home Theater Projector Review - Overview - projectorreviews.com

This is priced at around $1000 in the U.S. and I am considering a budget of around 65k-80k for the same or similar projector + screen setup. Not sure about the screen prices in India too. The screen size can be anywhere between 90"-120" ( Haven't quite decided the optimal size of the screen. Seems to be dependent quite a bit on personal viewing preference. )

The projector will be mainly used for viewing HD content ( which includes movies, series and the occasional cricket/football matches ). We already have a 40" Sony LCD which will be used most of the time with the setup box and watching normal SD content.

Now, am I wrong to assume that this setup will provide a much more immersive viewing experience than a LED/Plasma? The only caveat here is that the picture quality of projectors is quite dependent on the sunlight/ ambient light in the room. But that is a non-issue for me since we never watch anything with the curtains open. And we have really dark curtains.

Please have a look at some of the screenshots from the review for picture quality. Looks quite good! :O
Panasonic PT-AX200U Home Theater Projector Review - Image Quality

Neither of my digital cameras, nor your computer monitor can begin to match the dynamic range the projector offers. The camera and displays lose a lot of info (shadow detail, create non-representative black levels, and crush whites and blacks) and also are not perfect in terms of color accuracy. Still they can be helpful when taken with the comments. Certainly, they make the review prettier, if nothing else. In the case of this Panasonic review, as with the older PT-AX100U, for some reason, I encounter difficulties with the color balance captured on my camera. Again, there is a visible shift to red. I'm not sure why, but I did something I normally shun, which is to make a minor adjustment to the images to better reflect what the projector actually projects. Enjoy!
Click to expand...

Only thing that I am concerned about is the life of the lamp. The specs say around 2000 hrs on full power and that is the main part of the projector. The average cost seems to be somewhere around $350. Not that cheap.


So, in sum, considering that there is a 40" LCD to service daily needs like Live TV, youtube and the normal sitcoms/movies, is a projector a good alternative to a 55" Rs 1.5 Lakh LED or 64" Rs 2 Lakh Plasma? Would love to hear your views and experiences.

PS: Sorry for the long post! :)

Edit - Just saw this 720p projector by Epson retailing for 52k
http://tech2.in.com/news/projectors/epson-launches-new-range-of-ht-projectors-in-india/289612

Can't seem to find reviews, but the spec sheet looks good - http://www.epson.co.in/resource/india/product_brochures/projector/EH-DM30HD.pdf
 
The large screen of the projector will make the film much more immersing.

You have to incl. the cost of the screen too, the shade of the screen makes a huge impact on color reproduction. Am assuming that you would go for a screen, some people get it painted (right temperature specialty shade) . The center speaker can go behind the screen to get a real cool effect.

Most of the people have two problems.

1. Space - you would ideally need a separate room for the HT setup with a screen. Or, you can fix it to the wall and pull down each time you use it.
2. Cost of the lamp - many times (this used to be the case) like printers, it is sometimes cheaper to get a new printer than replace the color cartridges.


If you have the space & can afford it, "just do it!"
 
I think you should not go for the projector.Bcoz my self dream of this but latter changed my mind

1.You will have to have a separate room for this built specially for this for it to be effective
2.you have to change the lamp frequently based on your use
3.You have set up room such a way that there is minimum light
4.Separate audio system and all

in my opinion buy a good LED or LCD large screen with media players like airplay to enjoy internet and tv together.
 
Jambumali said:
The large screen of the projector will make the film much more immersing.

You have to incl. the cost of the screen too, the shade of the screen makes a huge impact on color reproduction. Am assuming that you would go for a screen, some people get it painted (right temperature specialty shade) . The center speaker can go behind the screen to get a real cool effect.

Most of the people have two problems.

1. Space - you would ideally need a separate room for the HT setup with a screen. Or, you can fix it to the wall and pull down each time you use it.
2. Cost of the lamp - many times (this used to be the case) like printers, it is sometimes cheaper to get a new printer than replace the color cartridges.


If you have the space & can afford it, "just do it!"
Click to expand...

Ok, I get your points regarding space and cost of the lamp.

Is a 14' x 10' room big enough for this? I will be content with a 90"-100" screen.

Also, I already have an LCD which is going to be used for most of the viewing. I mainly want to use this to watch 720p/1080p content, which is obviously going to be less. So, the cost of the lamp should not really hit me that much.

mannuel said:
I think you should not go for the projector.Bcoz my self dream of this but latter changed my mind

1.You will have to have a separate room for this built specially for this for it to be effective
2.you have to change the lamp frequently based on your use
3.You have set up room such a way that there is minimum light
4.Separate audio system and all

in my opinion buy a good LED or LCD large screen with media players like airplay to enjoy internet and tv together.
Click to expand...

1. I was thinking of using my room ( in the new flat that we move into ) with a pull-down screen. I am in office for 5 days a week. Weekends can be used for watching movies etc.
2. The use is going to be less as I said earlier. The 40" LCD is already connected to my HTPC and is going to be used for most purposes.
3. Since there are only going to be one set of french windows in my room, dark curtains should suffice. I already have a set of curtains which cut out around 90 percent of the light during daytime.
4. A normal HT should suffice. There are some very good deals costing 14-20k. Fortunately, no one in the family is a true audiophile. Really helps to reduce the cost of expensive speakers, amps etc. :P

The more I research about this, the more I get the feeling that it just might work.
 
Sei said:
Is a 14' x 10' room big enough for this? I will be content with a 90"-100" screen.
Click to expand...
Just about - what else would be kept in the room.

Sei said:
4. A normal HT should suffice. There are some very good deals costing 14-20k.
Click to expand...
"Normal" with that budget won't be worth buying. At the least spend ~25k get an Onkyo HTIB. Strongly suggest spend on that first and think of the large screen later.
 
Jambumali said:
Just about - what else would be kept in the room.


"Normal" with that budget won't be worth buying. At the least spend ~25k get an Onkyo HTIB. Strongly suggest spend on that first and think of the large screen later.
Click to expand...

Things in the room -
1. A couch (which is also a pull-out bed).
2. An almirah (recessed into the wall)
3. Wall mounted table for my PC which will be kept at the end of the projector (similar to the ones in office)

As far as the HT is concerned, I am talking about something like this - Philips - Immersive Sound Home theater Blu-ray - HTS3541/51 - Immersive Sound 5.1 - Home cinema sound - Sound and vision & Philips HTS3541 Blu Ray 5.1 Home Theatre System | Home Theatre | Flipkart.com

For 13k, I'll get -

1. Optical in
2. Blu-ray player
3. 300W RMS

Many people in TE are using similar HTs and are quite satisfied with the performance. Refer this thread for more details -
http://www.techenclave.com/gadgets-consumer-electronics-buying-advice/need-advice-5-1-home-125564/

I don't have the budget nor the ears for a 1 lakh setup. There are too many things on my buy list before I think of a dedicated audio setup.
 
Read the reply - I mentioned 25k = Twenty Five Thousand. Still advice that.

One may be satisfied with the 15k setup. I watch the occasional HD documentary with sound on my (still perfectly working) Cambridge SoundWorks FPS1000 (AFAIK the 1st 4.1 system in the market, eons ago) - but the Onkyo would make an impact. Go try out a few hearings, since you are in Pune, you have the opportunity. Come back once you do that.

Start with that HTIB + LCD and then later on, go for the screen/projector.
 
Jambumali said:
Read the reply - I mentioned 25k = Twenty Five Thousand. Still advice that.

One may be satisfied with the 15k setup. I watch the occasional HD documentary with sound on my (still perfectly working) Cambridge SoundWorks FPS1000 (AFAIK the 1st 4.1 system in the market, eons ago) - but the Onkyo would make an impact. Go try out a few hearings, since you are in Pune, you have the opportunity. Come back once you do that.

Start with that HTIB + LCD and then later on, go for the screen/projector.
Click to expand...

Pardon me if I didn't get you the first time, but why have you mentioned that again? Also, I know 25k = Twenty five thousand :)

I do not want to spend that much on an HT right now. I will definitely go for a hearing if time permits, but why are you insisting on a high-end HT? To give you a clue about how tolerant we are, we've been watching all our movies/series via the LCD's speakers for the past year. Believe me when I say that we are not choosy when it comes to sound. Obviously a good HT would be better, but I would prefer to spend the extra money on a recliner or a better screen.
 
I mentioned 25k as you were talking about a 1L setup. A 25k Onkyo is not a high-end setup. High end setups would probably start at >1L at the min!

I understood when you mentioned "tolerance". Sound makes (or breaks) the movie/video experience. Trust me & hear out a few systems - you would get what I mean.

All the best.
 
End result?

I am thinking of getting a projector..

So @Sei what did you do in the end?
did you go for it?
any regrets?
any tips?

cheers
 
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^ Nope, we are going to shifting out of our present flat soon. So, the purchase has been put on hold for the next few months. I'll update this thread when I do start the process again. :)
 
aaah man, I was really looking forward to hear your opinion...

anyways please do update whenever you start the process again.... I'll update too if I decide to go for it.
 
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