HDTV or Projector

[Vivienyuan]

Reading up on something i was looking at either buying a LCD TV or a HD projector, My range is about 600-1000 I live in Studio with a big blank wall and it stays fairly dark in my cave, should i go for 42"lcd or just a HD projector? I am now looking at these two:
BenQ W500 Home Theater Projector $800
Olevia 242T 42-inch LCD HDTV with $850
I had never tried the projector just want to have a try, and many people say that the TV is more reliable and with better pictures. So what's your opinions please?

 

[mtrycrafts]

Reading up on something i was looking at either buying a LCD TV or a HD projector, My range is about 600-1000 I live in Studio with a big blank wall and it stays fairly dark in my cave, should i go for 42"lcd or just a HD projector? I am now looking at these two:
BenQ W500 Home Theater Projector $800
Olevia 242T 42-inch LCD HDTV with $850
I had never tried the projector just want to have a try, and many people say that the TV is more reliable and with better pictures. So what's your opinions please?

Well, BenQ was just posted around here, if I remember correctly that it has problems. And, the poster had one replace just as the warranty was about up. However, the replacement also broke about a year later, not in warranty.
So, I'd stay away from them.

 

[Davidt1]

Reading up on something i was looking at either buying a LCD TV or a HD projector, My range is about 600-1000 I live in Studio with a big blank wall and it stays fairly dark in my cave, should i go for 42"lcd or just a HD projector? I am now looking at these two:
BenQ W500 Home Theater Projector $800
Olevia 242T 42-inch LCD HDTV with $850
I had never tried the projector just want to have a try, and many people say that the TV is more reliable and with better pictures. So what's your opinions please?

This is how I see it. Casual viewing = regular tv. Movie experience = front projector. I have the Optoma HD70, an entry level projector, in my bedroom for a year now. I can't go back to watching smaller tvs. To give you an idea, I could have bought a nice 50'' Panasonic plasma tv for a good price from Fry's recently. I even posted the deal here. But even that nice plasma couldn't get me interested.

 

[orAgon]

Well, BenQ was just posted around here, if I remember correctly that it has problems. And, the poster had one replace just as the warranty was about up. However, the replacement also broke about a year later, not in warranty.
So, I'd stay away from them.

Mtry, I believe the BenQ that was posted as having problems is an LCD panel (TV). The W500 is a projector.

Vivien, read through this forum if you want more than an impression on the BenQ you listed: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=725484. I have one and for the price, I don't think you could do any better IMHO.

Cheers, guys.

 

[Hi Ho]

You have to factor in the bulb costs when you use a projector. Bulbs can cost anywhere from $250 to $400 a pop and if you use a projector as a TV for every day viewing then you will most likely be replacing the bulb every 1 to 2 years.

If you go with a TV I would recommend checking out plasma displays. A good plasma will have better picture quality than any LCD in my opinion. The Panasonic TH-42PX77u can be found for under $1000 if you catch a sale.

 

[mtrycrafts]

Mtry, I believe the BenQ that was posted as having problems is an LCD panel (TV). The W500 is a projector.

Cheers, guys.

That would be odd for them, a good projector but a terrible LCD reliability.

 

[Hi Ho]

That would be odd for them, a good projector but a terrible LCD reliability.

There are companies that make good products in some catagories but not others. I wouldn't trust a Samsung DLP or plasma but their LCDs are rock solid. Mitsubishi plasma sets were more problematic than others but they make (made) excellent CRTs and DLP sets. Sony makes great TVs but their receivers are not very reliable. The list can go on.

I have not heard of any major issues with BenQ projectors. I didn't know they ever had an LCD TV until I saw that thread on this forum. BenQ has been making good quality PC monitors for years.

 

[tn001d]

I would get a 42 plasma.

 

[orAgon]

There are companies that make good products in some catagories but not others. I wouldn't trust a Samsung DLP or plasma but their LCDs are rock solid. Mitsubishi plasma sets were more problematic than others but they make (made) excellent CRTs and DLP sets. Sony makes great TVs but their receivers are not very reliable. The list can go on.

Correct. Or, to put it more succinctly, one goat thief does not make a whole village. Here’s a post on AVSForums that sums it up:

Originally Posted by klover
Yeah, those personal testimonials can really skew your opinion of something. I am reading a book called The Paradox of Choice and it details a few case studies involving consumer reports pointing to excellent product durability and then one or two single, user experiences suggesting otherwise.

A high number of people in the case studies often decided against products with proven records when faced by a very small (in some cases, a single) bad testimonial.

We disproportionately assign more weight to bad personal review then we do industry averages. Places like AVS are bad in that way. There are so many posts like "my bulb blew at 400 hours!" which we assign a lot of weight. This of course, ignore the 90% of users with no problems.

 

[rnatalli]

I can't go back to watching smaller tvs.

I'm in the same boat. I can't go back to a smaller TV. Plasma or LCD TV will yield a better picture, but in this case I chose quantity over quality probably breaking a few rules