86 Inch TV VS 110 Inch Projector

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Since you have experience on this matter could you please let me know how much is the quality affected? For example are you looking forward to change the lamp after a couple of hundred hours or after a thousand hours of usage due to the quality reduction or do you see a noticeable difference only when the time to change the lamp comes?

It seems the original first lamp is the best. Then all the replacement lamps aren't as good even though they cost a lot.

My previous PJ was a BenQ W6000. After the original lamp, I had to replace the lamp about every 2 years, then once every year because it would get dimmer and dimmer so much faster.

When I realized that I would have to shell out $200 every year, I knew it was time to buy a new PJ.

In my experience, I will always buy a laser PJ from now on - assuming they will always look this awesome for about 25K hours (economy mode).

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I think fiber optic HDMI cable might be the way to go for long runs.

My 50+ FT of HDMI wire isn't fiber optic. So I had to use this $30 HDMI extender for my NZ3. It has worked everyday. But I think fiber optic is the way to go. But I am getting 4K/60Hz.

 

[Kosta]

It seems the original first lamp is the best. Then all the replacement lamps aren't as good even though they cost a lot.

My previous PJ was a BenQ W6000. After the original lamp, I had to replace the lamp about every 2 years, then once every year because it would get dimmer and dimmer so much faster.

When I realized that I would have to shell out $200 every year, I knew it was time to buy a new PJ.

In my experience, I will always buy a laser PJ from now on - assuming they will always look this awesome for about 25K hours (economy mode).

Oh, so the actual picture quality is not affected, just the brightness. Did you feel like replacing the lamp sooner because of this or is the movie experience sufficient during the 2K lifespan of the lamp? I am asking this because from what you say about the quality of laser projectors over time it sounds like there is a noticeable difference the more you use a lamp projector.

What I don't understand is why the lamp was deteriorating faster every time you replaced it. I mean, if all the replacement lamps are from the same maker shouldn't that mean that the same time should pass before they lose brightness? The opposite can only mean that there is another component of the projector deteriorating over time which can affect brightness.

I think fiber optic HDMI cable might be the way to go for long runs.

My 50+ FT of HDMI wire isn't fiber optic. So I had to use this $30 HDMI extender for my NZ3. It has worked everyday. But I think fiber optic is the way to go. But I am getting 4K/60Hz.

I see. Personally I would like to avoid extenders because not only they will cost me a lot more than an optic cable but I don't know if it affects the quality since it's a "station" between the source and the projector.

 

[panteragstk]

I see. Personally I would like to avoid extenders because not only they will cost me a lot more than an optic cable but I don't know if it affects the quality since it's a "station" between the source and the projector.

It doesn't if you get a good one. It's a digital signal, either all the data gets there, or it doesn't.

I have used many a long HDMI cable without issue, but my longest was 25 feet (7.62m) and never had an issue. The quality of the cable is very important for long runs. Optical or HD baseT can be expensive, but do allow for longer runs.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Oh, so the actual picture quality is not affected, just the brightness. Did you feel like replacing the lamp sooner because of this or is the movie experience sufficient during the 2K lifespan of the lamp? I am asking this because from what you say about the quality of laser projectors over time it sounds like there is a noticeable difference the more you use a lamp projector.

What I don't understand is why the lamp was deteriorating faster every time you replaced it. I mean, if all the replacement lamps are from the same maker shouldn't that mean that the same time should pass before they lose brightness? The opposite can only mean that there is another component of the projector deteriorating over time which can affect brightness.



I see. Personally I would like to avoid extenders because not only they will cost me a lot more than an optic cable but I don't know if it affects the quality since it's a "station" between the source and the projector.

Lamp life vs PQ? PQ may deteriorate over tine. The PJ might be deteriorating. The lamp replacements I got were supposed to be OEM parts with 12 months warranty.

Time will tell. I’ve been using lamp PJ from 1992 - 2019. The NZ3 is my first Laser PJ. I will know a lot more in 5 years.

The HDMI extender I used is only $17. It comes with a power cable, but I don’t even use the power cable. The HDMI signal powers the small $17 extender box.

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But yeah I think fiber optic is recommended for longer runs. Just know that in case the fiber optic cable doesn’t work for long runs, you have the HDMI extender as plan-B.

The HDMI from my Yamaha CX-A5100 to the wall is 10FT. The HDMI 2.0 cable inside the wall to the NZ3 wall is 50FT. It goes into the HDMI extender. Then a 6FT cable goes from the extender box to NZ3. I get 4K/60Hz.

 

[Danzilla31]

I visited a small tech store today and they had a cheap 70" LG model on display. I was siting a little over a meter away from it and I said to myself "man this is small"... I watched a few movies on my parent's 55" Oled and I have to say, there is nothing like the perfect Oled picture quality but the size... I had to seat as close to the TV as I could to enjoy it and the experience was still subpar. I can easily afford a 65" Oled but I have seen them from up close and they are still too small and the price increase of the 77" one is unreasonably high and unfortunately well outside my budget.

I will have to visit a bigger tech store which is in another city and have a look at the new 2020 75+ inch models and see if they are sufficient even If I have to seat a little bit closer than I had originally planned. I heard positive things about the new models so I hope their quality reminds me a little bit of the Oleds. I am willing to sacrifice a little bit of quality for the bigger size as long as the blacks are not noticeably bad.



Thank you for asking them! Since we now know for sure that's the case that could be a deal breaker. The big plus with the laser projectors is the uniformity of their picture over the years unlike the lamps that slowly lose quality over time. I know this in theory though, since I ve never owned a projector I don't really know how much the quality is affected after 500, 1000, 1500 and finally 2000 hours.

Since you have experience on this matter could you please let me know how much is the quality affected? For example are you looking forward to change the lamp after a couple of hundred hours or after a thousand hours of usage due to the quality reduction or do you see a noticeable difference only when the time to change the lamp comes?

Doing the math like you did is not a bad idea! The Optoma P1 costs 4K euros and I found lamps for the epson 6050 for a little over a 100 euros. The epson costs 2500 euros so I will have to change the lamp about 14 times to reach the price of the optoma. 14*2000 hours = 28000 hours which are not only more hours but after that the optoma will need replacement but I can keep buying lamps for the epson and keep going until another component fails. The only issue is the quality reduction over time which I don't know if it has an impact on the overall home theater experience.

The epson was just an example. It was one of my lamp based picks when I first started looking for a projector. The pixel count is half that of the rest of the e-shifters but from the reviews I ve seen they say they look sharper due to their excellent contrast. Then again their good blacks are due to their iris, as far as I know, which is quite slow so I don't really know how good they are with their iris turned off.



That second picture!!! Gorgeous!!! I have seen ceilings like yours with the star effect and man do I love them! The roof of my house is not flat so I don't know If I can do something similar but even If I can I don't know where to start...

I see in the first picture your center channel is blocking a little bit of your screen (It could be the picture angle though). Did that bother you while watching movies? I am asking this because I was thinking that I could go with a 120" screen If I go with a projector and place the speakers at the front. A little bit of the top of the speakers will block the sides of the screen but is it actually noticeable when you are watching a movie on such a large screen?




So am I right to assume that a decent 2-3 grant 4K projector can be on par with a decent LED TV?



This is what I noticed with my parent's 55" TV. They had a 32" TV so understandably for them it was a big upgrade. It turns out you get used to a small TV quite fast and my father keeps telling me he should have gone for the 65" one but at the time the price difference was enormous... When we visited a couple of big tech stores though and he saw the 75"+ ones he said "Those wouldn't be half bad either"

I guess you should base the screen size on your sitting distance and get the biggest screen you can...



I can imagine Playing a war game on a good Atmos system must take things to a whole other level!!



This is such a painful truth.... I truly hate the black bars... This is actually one of the reasons why I can't enjoy content on smaller TVs because the content itself makes the TV looks smaller... When 16:9 content appears is like watching on a different TV....

This is a huge plus for the projectors since even the original Ben Hur can look immersive on a huge screen!



I mentioned the epson above, that was before I saw your comment. I would really appreciate your input as well on my question above for both the lamp quality reduction over time and the sharpness & quality of blacks with the iris turned off.

Like the bigger screen size I bet the same applies with the image quality. Unless you buy the absolutely best thing on the market you will always crave the better one

Well for starters nothing these days are built to last I wouldn't be surprised if in about 5 years you'd need to flip the TV as well with quality control the way it is

At least with projectors unless you do laser all you need to switch is the bulb

Also I've had it for almost a year so far I've noticed no degradation but I run mine in eco mode thanks to being in a light controlled room which you will have as well and that greatly extends life and performance

Third the picture quality even with my cheaper optima can hang with a lot of so called higher end TVS simply because what they lack in blacks color they make up for it with detail at a size and immersion that tvs cannot

Its not like the colors suck either I'm not sitting there going dang I wish I'd bought that oled this picture sucks unless you can look at them side by side you won't miss the difference based on what big screen makes up for

It also doesn't have to be crazy expensive there are good budget friendly screens being made silver ticket comes to mind

Projectors can be found on sales refurbed etc run the install urself to cut cost it's worth the effort in my opinion

Lastly from your reaction and disappointment with viewing your parents tv id say ur a perfect candidate for projection you obviously love a BIG picture and I don't think you'll be truly satisfied until you get that experience

 

[Kosta]

The HDMI extender I used is only $17. It comes with a power cable, but I don’t even use the power cable. The HDMI signal powers the small $17 extender box.

Thank you for the recommendation, it's significally cheaper from the ones I found on my local stores! It looks like it can't do HDR though based on the first review. Does HDR work for you with the extender?

Just know that in case the fiber optic cable doesn’t work for long runs

If I am not mistaken the fiber optic cables can transfer data one way over 100m distance so it should be fine.

Well for starters nothing these days are built to last I wouldn't be surprised if in about 5 years you'd need to flip the TV as well with quality control the way it is

At least with projectors unless you do laser all you need to switch is the bulb

Also I've had it for almost a year so far I've noticed no degradation but I run mine in eco mode thanks to being in a light controlled room which you will have as well and that greatly extends life and performance

Third the picture quality even with my cheaper optima can hang with a lot of so called higher end TVS simply because what they lack in blacks color they make up for it with detail at a size and immersion that tvs cannot

Its not like the colors suck either I'm not sitting there going dang I wish I'd bought that oled this picture sucks unless you can look at them side by side you won't miss the difference based on what big screen makes up for

It also doesn't have to be crazy expensive there are good budget friendly screens being made silver ticket comes to mind

Projectors can be found on sales refurbed etc run the install urself to cut cost it's worth the effort in my opinion

Lastly from your reaction and disappointment with viewing your parents tv id say ur a perfect candidate for projection you obviously love a BIG picture and I don't think you'll be truly satisfied until you get that experience

You have a point... The good Oled blacks always puts a smile on my face but from my experience with small TVs I just can't enjoy a movie that way... I would really hate it if I spend my budget on a TV and can't enjoy a good movie due to the insufficient size. After seeing the 70" TV, even an 85" TV could not be enough at this point. You can't go wrong with a 100"+ inch screen though especially if their only drawback vs LEDs is the black details.

BTW I see many people recommending 120" screens. Is there a specific reason for that? Obviously they recommend bigger if you have the space but it looks to me like the 120 is the magic number for some reason...

In any case If I go with a cheaper lamp projector or even the more expensive JVC I will still have some of my budget left and I will be able to add a 65" or even 75" TV on my system later for casual watching. I mean if a series or game is not good enough for the projector I don't need to watch it on an OLED, a decent LED TV will be more than enough.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Thank you for the recommendation, it's significally cheaper from the ones I found on my local stores! It looks like it can't do HDR though based on the first review. Does HDR work for you with the extender?



If I am not mistaken the fiber optic cables can transfer data one way over 100m distance so it should be fine.



You have a point... The good Oled blacks always puts a smile on my face but from my experience with small TVs I just can't enjoy a movie that way... I would really hate it if I spend my budget on a TV and can't enjoy a good movie due to the insufficient size. After seeing the 70" TV, even an 85" TV could not be enough at this point. You can't go wrong with a 100"+ inch screen though especially if their only drawback vs LEDs is the black details.

BTW I see many people recommending 120" screens. Is there a specific reason for that? Obviously they recommend bigger if you have the space but it looks to me like the 120 is the magic number for some reason...

In any case If I go with a cheaper lamp projector or even the more expensive JVC I will still have some of my budget left and I will be able to add a 65" or even 75" TV on my system later for casual watching. I mean if a series or game is not good enough for the projector I don't need to watch it on an OLED, a decent LED TV will be more than enough.

Yes. 4K/60Hz HDR works for me with the extender.

But Fiber optic should work great for you. 100% I would get fiber optic.

 

[mtrycrafts]

That's what she said.

Oh you shorty.

 

[Danzilla31]

Thank you for the recommendation, it's significally cheaper from the ones I found on my local stores! It looks like it can't do HDR though based on the first review. Does HDR work for you with the extender?



If I am not mistaken the fiber optic cables can transfer data one way over 100m distance so it should be fine.



You have a point... The good Oled blacks always puts a smile on my face but from my experience with small TVs I just can't enjoy a movie that way... I would really hate it if I spend my budget on a TV and can't enjoy a good movie due to the insufficient size. After seeing the 70" TV, even an 85" TV could not be enough at this point. You can't go wrong with a 100"+ inch screen though especially if their only drawback vs LEDs is the black details.

BTW I see many people recommending 120" screens. Is there a specific reason for that? Obviously they recommend bigger if you have the space but it looks to me like the 120 is the magic number for some reason...

In any case If I go with a cheaper lamp projector or even the more expensive JVC I will still have some of my budget left and I will be able to add a 65" or even 75" TV on my system later for casual watching. I mean if a series or game is not good enough for the projector I don't need to watch it on an OLED, a decent LED TV will be more than enough.

I have a 100 inch screen in my bedroom how far back will you be sitting from your screen did you say?

 

[Danzilla31]

Thank you for the recommendation, it's significally cheaper from the ones I found on my local stores! It looks like it can't do HDR though based on the first review. Does HDR work for you with the extender?



If I am not mistaken the fiber optic cables can transfer data one way over 100m distance so it should be fine.



You have a point... The good Oled blacks always puts a smile on my face but from my experience with small TVs I just can't enjoy a movie that way... I would really hate it if I spend my budget on a TV and can't enjoy a good movie due to the insufficient size. After seeing the 70" TV, even an 85" TV could not be enough at this point. You can't go wrong with a 100"+ inch screen though especially if their only drawback vs LEDs is the black details.

BTW I see many people recommending 120" screens. Is there a specific reason for that? Obviously they recommend bigger if you have the space but it looks to me like the 120 is the magic number for some reason...

In any case If I go with a cheaper lamp projector or even the more expensive JVC I will still have some of my budget left and I will be able to add a 65" or even 75" TV on my system later for casual watching. I mean if a series or game is not good enough for the projector I don't need to watch it on an OLED, a decent LED TV will be more than enough.

It all depends on how far back you will be sitting

 

[Kosta]

I have a 100 inch screen in my bedroom how far back will you be sitting from your screen did you say?

I will seat around 2,5 meters. I can seat at 3m if I want to but when I visualize the screen while standing at 2,5 meters it looks like the ideal distance since it covers my field of view.

 

[Danzilla31]

Ok

I will seat around 2,5 meters. I can seat at 3m if I want to but when I visualize the screen while standing at 2,5 meters it looks like the ideal distance since it covers my field of view.

Okay so about 7 to 9 feet back? Give or take

A 100 inch screen should be plenty for you I'm 13 feet away from the 100 inch in my bedroom and Its huge I don't see the need for a 120 inch screen at that distance

And the 100 inch will fit better for your plans anyway

 

[Kosta]

Ok
Okay so about 7 to 9 feet back? Give or take

A 100 inch screen should be plenty for you I'm 13 feet away from the 100 inch in my bedroom and Its huge I don't see the need for a 120 inch screen at that distance

And the 100 inch will fit better for your plans anyway

Definitely. the 110" is the limit If I don't want the speakers to block the screen. In any case, the screen will be the last thing I would buy. First a projector and after I project the picture on the wall I can decide what size I prefer on the spot.

So If I understand correctly the 120" is not a "magical" number but a recommendation and sitting closer to a 100-110" screen would have the same effect.

 

[Danzilla31]

Definitely. the 110" is the limit If I don't want the speakers to block the screen. In any case, the screen will be the last thing I would buy. First a projector and after I project the picture on the wall I can decide what size I prefer on the spot.

So If I understand correctly the 120" is not a "magical" number but a recommendation and sitting closer to a 100-110" screen would have the same effect.

Yeppers that is correct

 

[Kosta]

I will have a look at the 85" TVs once more before my final decision but from the looks of it the projector will probably be the right choice for me.

Thank you everyone for your input! You really helped me with this decision!

 

[TLS Guy]

Well for starters nothing these days are built to last I wouldn't be surprised if in about 5 years you'd need to flip the TV as well with quality control the way it is

At least with projectors unless you do laser all you need to switch is the bulb

Also I've had it for almost a year so far I've noticed no degradation but I run mine in eco mode thanks to being in a light controlled room which you will have as well and that greatly extends life and performance

Third the picture quality even with my cheaper optima can hang with a lot of so called higher end TVS simply because what they lack in blacks color they make up for it with detail at a size and immersion that tvs cannot

Its not like the colors suck either I'm not sitting there going dang I wish I'd bought that oled this picture sucks unless you can look at them side by side you won't miss the difference based on what big screen makes up for

It also doesn't have to be crazy expensive there are good budget friendly screens being made silver ticket comes to mind

Projectors can be found on sales refurbed etc run the install urself to cut cost it's worth the effort in my opinion

Lastly from your reaction and disappointment with viewing your parents tv id say ur a perfect candidate for projection you obviously love a BIG picture and I don't think you'll be truly satisfied until you get that experience

You make a good case for projection. This theater was very much built with our family in mind. All my four children and our seven grandchildren live close by in the metro. However with this covid 19 we only have had one family event in the studio. So there has not been much movie watching, but TV series etc. It has just been me and my wife watching. To tell you the truth we do a lot if not most of our viewing together on that new in wall 3.1 system with the 65" plasma. I have to say that system is really very good. My wife calls it "her piece of Heaven." It is used much more than I thought it would be. In the winter it was cosy by the fireplace.

However when we come out of this pandemic, I will poll the family. I have organized so that a motorized screen and projector could be easily installed. The pre/pro will support two screens.

So it would not be hard to roll down a screen and switch to projection. Up in the AV room, the screen is mainly used for opera, BPO, DSO and Medici TV.

If it something dramatic like Killing Eve, we watch it in the AV room.

 

[Danzilla31]

You make a good case for projection. This theater was very much built with our family in mind. All my four children and our seven grandchildren live close by in the metro. However with this covid 19 we only have had one family event in the studio. So there has not been much movie watching, but TV series etc. It has just been me and my wife watching. To tell you the truth we do a lot if not most of our viewing together on that new in wall 3.1 system with the 65" plasma. I have to say that system is really very good. My wife calls it "her piece of Heaven." It is used much more than I thought it would be. In the winter it was cosy by the fireplace.

However when we come out of this pandemic, I will poll the family. I have organized so that a motorized screen and projector could be easily installed. The pre/pro will support two screens.

So it would not be hard to roll down a screen and switch to projection. Up in the AV room, the screen is mainly used for opera, BPO, DSO and Medici TV.

If it something dramatic like Killing Eve, we watch it in the AV room.

I'm in the same situation you are I built my theater room with my family especially in mind but with COVID I too can't have anyone over

I'm going to purchase the new gaming systems when they come out later this year and when things calm down that room will be the hub for every thing family: movies tv Netflix or Amazon series and games

This makes me so glad I went with the projector and bigger screen

 

[Danzilla31]

You make a good case for projection. This theater was very much built with our family in mind. All my four children and our seven grandchildren live close by in the metro. However with this covid 19 we only have had one family event in the studio. So there has not been much movie watching, but TV series etc. It has just been me and my wife watching. To tell you the truth we do a lot if not most of our viewing together on that new in wall 3.1 system with the 65" plasma. I have to say that system is really very good. My wife calls it "her piece of Heaven." It is used much more than I thought it would be. In the winter it was cosy by the fireplace.

However when we come out of this pandemic, I will poll the family. I have organized so that a motorized screen and projector could be easily installed. The pre/pro will support two screens.

So it would not be hard to roll down a screen and switch to projection. Up in the AV room, the screen is mainly used for opera, BPO, DSO and Medici TV.

If it something dramatic like Killing Eve, we watch it in the AV room.

Which pre pro do you have if you don't mind me asking?

 

[TLS Guy]

Which pre pro do you have if you don't mind me asking?

The AV room has the Marantz AV 7705. The great room and family room both have AV 7701s.