[TopMeTom]

Hi,

I was thinking about a plasma but would like a big a screen as poss,so I am now interested in pj's.
Question:does anyone know of the best place to go to demo pj's?
What are the best types at the moment?
Would i be able to watch "normal" tv on one or only films?
Does the room have to be totally black all the time?
Are they noisy?
My room is about 18-22 foot long byabout 12 foot wide...what size screen could i get?how far away is the minimum/maximum?

I am just a newbie to this,


PLEASE,help me.......


Phil

[theritz]

Hi and welcome to this part of the forums !!

You're starting from scratch, so I'd recommend reading your way through the posts here for the last while - good way of getting the basics, also recommend the FAQ.

I'll have a pop at your questions, but TBH there's oads of stuff to take into account so take my suggestions as guidelines - no doubt others will be along with alternative/additional views.


Questions:

Does anyone know of the best place to go to demo pj's?

Nexnix are forum sponsors and have a sterling reputation with members here - they have decent demo facilities. (Horsham in Sussex)

What are the best types at the moment?

Ha Ha !! Don Flameproof suits now!! Have a read of posts about the Panasonic AE300, Sanyo Z1, Sony HS10, NEC HT1000 and lots of others.... There are new projectors due to come onto the market in the next few months - see recent posts about Sanyo Z" and Sony HS20, for instance, NEC HT1100 also due, and new models from Sharp etc.

What's "best" depends on your eyes (and your budget....), go out and see some projectors in action, ask if there are forum members living in your area who'd demo their systems for you.

Would i be able to watch "normal" tv on one or only films?

You can watch TV programmes on a projector, no problem, but I wouldn't recommend a projector as a replacement for a TV - there are members who do use them as a TV, but it just isn't for me.

Does the room have to be totally black all the time?

Decent light control - full blackout imho, is key to decent picture quality from a projector. The "blackest" black you'll get depend on what light is reflected from the screen when the projector is not turned on; ambient light falling on the screen is just going to wash out the image, the degree of washout depends on the level of ambient light. You'd need to see these conditions in operation to judge the effect for yourself.

Are they noisy?

Depends on the projector - most are fairly quiet - 28 - 29db is common, "noisy" is a pretty subjective term - you need to see these in action in a typical installation to make a judgement.

My room is about 18-22 foot long byabout 12 foot wide...what size screen could i get?

I wouldn't recommend a screen width more than 8ft, above this level picture performance begins to degrade, 7ft screens are more common. Seating distance from the screen is recommended at 1.5 - 2 times screen width. There's a link to stuff on screen sizes etc. in the FAQ.


Hope this gives some pointers.


All the best,

Sean G.

[Messiah]

Originally posted by philb
Question:does anyone know of the best place to go to demo pj's?

I would also highly recommend AV Sales in Tunbridge Wells who have a great demo room and will set just about anything up for you to view - video and audio.

Ask for Liam. You can call them on 01892 535007

[Comer]

Originally posted by Messiah
I would also highly recommend AV Sales in Tunbridge Wells

I used to live near there, (in Mayfield College) back when I had a stereo video recorder and a portable TV and thought I had a state of the art setup

Sorry for going off topic there, 'just got caught up in a nostalgic moment there, so please ignore this post.

Conor

[theritz]

You soppy thing !!!!!


Sean g.

[TopMeTom]

Cheers for the reply's.Nexnix don't demo at weekends though!!
Compared to a plasma how noisy is a pj?

[TopMeTom]

What about the Tosh tdp-mt100 at av-sales any good?

[MAW]

Coming professionally from the plasma end, yet having a projector at home, I can say that in silent/quiet bits of video, PJ noise can be heard, but how intrusive depends on what your usual material. Plasmas are not silent, and the power supply buzz is one of the most irritating sounds on earth, it comes and goes like a blue-ass fly! They don't all do it though. PJ hum is constant and steady, I usually notice mine when the movie's finished and you relax in your chair with the dvd menu showing again. You 'filter it out' in the film. TV wise, Sean has a very valid point, and I have a 20" beko disgusting tv in the corner of the dining room for the kids, the news, etc.

So, If your usual fare is MTV, Bruce Willis, Vin Diesel, you won't be troubled by PJ noise. The impact of a 8' screen is amazing, and pj quality is rising faster than plasma at the moment. I'd recomment looking at: Infocus screenplay 5700, Sanyo Z1/Z2, PLV70 (the man's projector) NEC HT1000 (an odd ball, it's 4:3) Panny 300. The infocus is pretty new, and very nice. All of those are cheaper than a 42" plasma of any quality (No Samsung or LG please, and pref. not Hitachi.) Check the HCPC forum to max. your quality.