Hello all,
I'm in the process of purchasing a new house with completion being on Thursday. The sole reason I went for this house is because it currently has a converted basement which is being used as a home disco, but I plan to use as a cinema room. I've enclosed a layout with measurements etc.
Looking at the pic you can see the stairs coming down in the top right corner, where we plan to put the sofa in the left, the two pillars for support, and also a support beam that runs across part of the room (there is another one for the other pillar which I've left out drawing as it's not important.
My needs are mostly for my Xbox which is my only hi-def source, and I do play a lot. I also like to think of myself as an audiophile and videophile in my needs for quality are somewhat higher than that of an average person who doesn't really know what they're looking at.
My budget (for the TV alone, I've got everything else) is around the £1700 mark. I used to have a Samsung PS50Q7 which I returned as it was faulty, and held of replacing until this purchase went through. I wouldn't regret having one again though. I've also seen a Panny 50" PX60 for a similar price. When I was testing out my Sammy in JL, I tried the 42" Panny too (via my 360, component source) and it didn't perform as well as the Samsung in my opinion, so I'm a little weary that the 50" might be the same.
Up until a few days ago, I was all set to buy the Sammy again, but I've read a lot of good things about the InFocus IN76, and what's really attracting me to it is the 100" screensize. But, I also understand projectors are expensive to maintain with bulbs and whatnot.
I think an IN76 would be ideal because the room size allows for a projector above the proposed location for the sofa, and there's a little spot on the side of the sofa (left part of the pic) where I can put all the AV equipment for easy access. I also have permission to paint the basement a dark colour too (I'd prefer black, but the missus is pushing for dark blue which is fine too I suppose). The only source of uncontrolled light is from the stairs, there's no door, it's literally a flight of stairs that enters the room from the hallway upstairs, but for the most part the basement can be made almost completely dark.
I suppose what I'm looking for is some advice on which to pick. I'm hoping to have my choice finalised in time for me to have whatever I've picked be delivered for this Friday which is when I move in. My main concern is getting a good 1280x720 picture from my Xbox 360.
Talking about the IN76, I understand it does 1024 by 786 for computer apps, which I'm taking as a fancy term for the VGA input. The 360 only does upscaling via the VGA input (and HD-DVD via that one too) so I'm wondering if this is a limitation, or can it pull out 1280x720 from this input too?
Errm, what else to tell you? It's just my wife and I who are living in this house. There is an almost 100% chance of another sofa being placed where I've drawn the 8ft line (we'll prolly have a rack of DVDs or whatnot go in the little bay on the other side).
As I mentioned, my budget is around £1700 because that's what I can get the Sammy for. I understand the IN76 is around £1300 - does that leave me with enough money for a decent screen? Where can I save money in this area (should I save money in this area)? The wall it's projecting onto is flat and white for the moment. How long do bulbs last, and how much do they cost to replace? My wife wouldn't be too happy if we get a bill for £400 every two years or so (although.... it is a 100" screen?)
Anyway, I think I've spilled enough of my guts, so any and all advice would be well appreciated please, thank you
P.S. I'm not against any 3rd option of going with something else, so long as it's justifiable
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