Projector vs Plasma

[mannyjarnail]

Hi

I am am after some advise regarding what would be better a projector or a plasma screen to achieve a screen size of 60-65 inches and which projector or plasma would you advise?

I have had demos of some fantastic plasma screens of which my shortlist would be the new pioneer 60inch or the Panasonic 65inch full HD models. The other downside to projectors i find is that some of the high end DLP or CRT sytems have very short lamp lifes and considering a DLP lamp can cost 300 upwards and CRT tubes are expensive. Furthermore plasma screens are improving with each generation becoming bigger, better and cheaper. I can understand that it would be a easy decision if i wanted to have a screen size bigger than 65inch but i do not require it any bigger. In most projector installations that i have seen they are not bigger than typically 65 inches.

I have been told to pateintly wait for the new Pioneer Plasma generation due for release as my local dealer says they are awesome.

[Jonstone]

Have you considered going for a combination of the two?

I use a smaller plasma for normal tv viewing and a pj for the big screen feel for movies etc. This also has the advantage that poor sources i.e. some channels on sky still look ok on a smaller screen whereas they would look pretty awful at 65 inches plus.

Pj's also need a much more light controlled room than a plasma to look their best so if it is for normal day to day viewing then I think you should go the plasma route.

The cost of bulbs will obviously be a consideration, although I am sure you could buy a lot of bulbs for the difference in price between a good pj and a 65 inch plasma. There is also the other running costs to take into account, I am sure that a 65 inch plasma will use a lot more electricity over 3000 hours than a pj would so maybe that £200 bulb replacement cost would not look so bad if you take everything into consideration.

A 65 inch plasma will also weigh a great deal so if you are intending to hang it on the wall I think you will need it professionally installed, again adding to the cost.

There is also the possibility of rear pro tv's which may offer a reasonable alternative

[mannyjarnail]

Hi Jonstone

Thanks for the response you have got a good point that the running costs would possibly balance the outlay of replacing a lamp. I did consider having both a plasma and pj as i currently have a 50inch pioneer. Although the picture quality on the new panasonic or pioneer is only matched by a projector of say £4000+ then i would have to pay for the screen, which justifiably i would spend at least £600+. This equates to about the same as the panasonic or pioneer plasmas. The installation of the plasma would not be a problem as i have done many installations. I am not very knowledable on projectors but i giong through a steep learning curve at moment. Do you have a projector and screen in mind?

[Avi]

Originally Posted by mannyjarnail

Hi

I am am after some advise regarding what would be better a projector or a plasma screen to achieve a screen size of 60-65 inches and which projector or plasma would you advise?

I have had demos of some fantastic plasma screens of which my shortlist would be the new pioneer 60inch or the Panasonic 65inch full HD models. The other downside to projectors i find is that some of the high end DLP or CRT sytems have very short lamp lifes and considering a DLP lamp can cost 300 upwards and CRT tubes are expensive. Furthermore plasma screens are improving with each generation becoming bigger, better and cheaper. I can understand that it would be a easy decision if i wanted to have a screen size bigger than 65inch but i do not require it any bigger. In most projector installations that i have seen they are not bigger than typically 65 inches.

I have been told to pateintly wait for the new Pioneer Plasma generation due for release as my local dealer says they are awesome.

I guess many choose a PJ for bigger image size > 65" and dark room viewing. There are several things to consider with the PJ performance such as ambient light, room decor, mounting position, available throw distance etc, etc. Personally for viewing TV I use a a 50" plasma because SD TV looks pretty crap on a very large screen and I don't always wish to watch in a dark room. However, watching a movie I want a dark room and good black levels that are difficult to achieve with plasma. Also what distance would you sit from the screen ?

Given you are looking at small screen (relatively) I would probably stick with a plasma for ease if you can only go with one option.

AVI

[Gae]

What I love about my projector is the flexibility of size and its always a treat to watch. I watch normal TV on my 27" LCD screen but the projector is always used for movies and certain HD programmes. I love the feeling of anticipation of switching the projector on just before a HD movie is about to start. It really gives you that Cinema feeling of waiting to watch a movie. I also love the fact that, just like in the Cinema, you can adjust the image size depending on what you are watching and what the ratio is. My screen is 6' x 6' and widescreen movies have a width of around 67". I sit about 8 ft away and HD movies look great. If you love movies then go with the projector and see it as a "special treat" whenever you switch it on for those special movies and programmes. Keep the Pioneer for normal TV. The other thing is, I dont think you get used to a Projector as much as a "fixed" ratio TV because when you watch everything on the same size screen, you become accustomed to it quicker and the novelty wears off faster. The fact that you can adjust the image size on a Projector means that you never have to watch the same sized screen all the time and so the novelty of it lasts longer. I like that factor.
Good Luck with your choice

Gae

[gazbarber]

Also a decent projector will give an image that can't be matched by TV's, not just size but the quality of the picture if the room is light controled.

Another thing to consider with a projector vs tv, is that the more money you spend on a tv generaly goes to get a bigger screen vs. better picture (after a certain point say about £700-800 at the moment). With a projector its pretty much image quality improvements from the get go, and they generaly have better scalars than a TV in my experience.

[Jonstone]

Its definitely a case of each to their own though, I personally wouldn't like a 65" plasma permanently taking up one wall as in my house it would look a little silly but may look fine in someone elses set up.

My personal opinion though is that a pj is not a direct replacement for a plasma, I certainly wouldn't want to use one for my general viewing.

I would advise though that you get a demo of a pj with a screen larger than 65" because if you have room there really isn't a plasma that compares ( well ok yes there is but its £60000 ) I am new to pj ownership but I was blown away by how good blu ray on even a budget pj can look

[kevin glover]

I have a 42" Panasonic plasma in the front room and a dedicated room with my PJ and 6 foot screen, no comparison in my book!.
As good as HD content on Sky looks on the plasma it just goes to another level via the PJ and with HDDVD all I can say is Oh my God!!!!.
There really is nothing like the PJ experience, even the missus won't bother with a decent movie on anything other than the PJ!!

[mannyjarnail]

Thanks for everyones response to my thread its been a big help.

I think ultimatly i can conclude that the general concensus is to go projector and demo one at my local dealer. My room size is about 5mtr long and 3.6mtr wide, which was purpose built for home cinema and i wish i went bigger. The next time i wont make the same mistake.

Furthermore i have got limited width to project an image on due to the size of my speakers (kef 4-2), they are extremely big, as my plasma is wall mounted between the speakers, which are above mid height of the screen.

What i will have to do is post some pics.

I sit about 10ft away from the screen so this was one of the reasons for me stating a screen size of about 65inch, as i beleive this will be sufficient for my viewing distance. What do you think?

[mannyjarnail]

what i would love to do is to get a side by side comparison for the same size screen and image i wonder if a dealer has such a demo room where he could demonstrate the differences?

[Gae]

My room is 10 ft by 8ft and I can easily get a 65in (width not diagonal) size screen with the AE900. It has a good adjustable throw distance. You can check these distances out at Projectorcentral.

Gae

[Astaroth]

The Plasma and PJ combination is certainly the best route to go. I wouldnt want to watch my "normal" tv on a 65" screen and many people I have seen with such large screens just look silly in the room.

Personal preference is for a reasonable size plasma (42") with a projector that drops down infront of it for movies/ big action.

[mannyjarnail]

I only really use my home cinema room on the weekends and with movies only, hence i will probably go with a pj or plasma screen, whichever seems better when i demo. As i can spend more on the projector or plasma by replacing it because i will use my existing plasma in another room.

[Jonstone]

Originally Posted by mannyjarnail

I only really use my home cinema room on the weekends and with movies only, hence i will probably go with a pj or plasma screen, whichever seems better when i demo. As i can spend more on the projector or plasma by replacing it because i will use my existing plasma in another room.

If you have a dedicated cinema room where you can control ambient light then I would definitely recommend a pj then, and with that limited amount of use the lifespan on the bulbs won't be that much of a consideration either.

I would suggest though that you see if you can fit a larger screen than 65" diagonal, I sit 11-12 feet from my screen and the image is great even up to a diagonal of 106" and although that may seem big at first it really is a whole different experience.

There are a few things to look out for though if you decide to go the pj route.
First you need to choose between dlp and lcd pj's, each has its own strengths and weaknesses.

There is also placement to take into account as some pj's are more flexible than others.

If you are going to use it with an hd source such as hd-dvd or blu ray it would be worth checking to see how badly you notice 3:2 pulldown judder, if you do then you will need a pj that can accept and properly handle a 1080p24 source, your pioneer plasma for example will probably do this already but most don't yet.

[ddlooping]

Originally Posted by mannyjarnail

I only really use my home cinema room on the weekends and with movies only...

Dedicated home cinema room => projector.