Need a new TV! Few Questions.

[PMC]

Hey guys.

The old "good TV" (lounge room TV) has pretty much had it! We are looking to get a new setup for the lounge room, but not knowing a lot about the home theatre/TV technologies of the present I am having trouble finding something. There are no really good buyers guides I can find on the net and information conflicts, so I thought I would ask here in the hopes of getting a home theatre expert to shed some light on my dilemma.

Firstly, I need to know wether to get a TV or a Projector? Projectors seem to give a much larger picture for the price?! Why would I get a TV instead? I know that I need a high lumen projector and am aware that I will need to change the lamp, but a projector just seems a better choice - bigger screen for less dollars; wats the catch? Would it be a LOT harder to setup my foxtel with a projector?

Also if I should go TV, plasma or LCD or Rear Projection or whatever the hell else they are making nowadays!?

As for resolution, why would I need 1080p? I personally think that a 720HD picture is really good and cant see myself justifying the extra price difference for the next step up. Would getting 720 be like buying old technology that I would have to upgrade fast anyway? And would it allow for futureproofing? Could I never watch Blu-Ray or HDDVD once they become affordable by people who arent millionaires?

I think thats about it...sorry for the longness of the question. I think that there would have been a thread like this already, but I couldnt find anything similiar. Any help or opinions would be greatly appreciated...and the quicker the better, I think the current TV is almost dead

Thanks in advance.

 

[Seth=L]

Getting 720p or 1080i won't be "getting old technology" per say. You can use an HD DVD player or Blu-ray with a 720p display, and it should still look great.

The catch with the projector is as you said, the bulb. Also, the room has to be dark, preferably no windows or very good blinds.

Good luck with your decision. Go look at some projectors and TVs and decide based on what you like.

 

[PMC]

thanks a lot for the reply.

would it be just dumb to get a 1366x768 (or any display other than 720/1080 standard)?

Also, I read somewhere that if I watch 3-4 hours of TV a day I will have to change my lamp about once a year...is that true? Because that could get costly!

My budget is around 2500-3500AUD and the room is bright and roughly 3.5 (towards TV, viewing around 2.5) by 4.

 

[MDS]

thanks a lot for the reply.

would it be just dumb to get a 1366x768 (or any display other than 720/1080 standard)?

Also, I read somewhere that if I watch 3-4 hours of TV a day I will have to change my lamp about once a year...is that true? Because that could get costly!

My budget is around 2500-3500AUD and the room is bright and roughly 3.5 (towards TV, viewing around 2.5) by 4.

1. 1366 x 768 is fairly common and is fine (it is ever so slightly higher resolution than 720p). The TV is going to scale anything it gets to that resolution so there is no issue if you have 720p or 1080i coming into the TV.

2. IMO a projector is a no-no for everyday viewing. Besides the bulb cost issue it really requires a fairly dedicated room with good light control. The bulbs will go fast if you use it as the primary 'TV' day in and day out.

3. A bright room almost screams LCD. They are very bright. Flat panel LCD is slightly shallower in depth and a bit more costly than rear projection LCD but NO BULBS.

 

[PMC]

thanks again. it seems that maybe a projector isnt for me and that I should just get any HD TV with a good scaler (have heard that a bad one will mess up the picture sometimes?). Think I will just look around and then pick what looks good to me (and has a big screen) then try to get a good price.

 

[Hi Ho]

Considering your budget, lighting conditions, as well as your quest to get the most screen size for the money, I would recommend a rear projection DLP. You can get a 65" Mitsubishi DLP within your price range. They are very nice sets. If you watch 3-4 hours a day the bulb should last well over two years, though there is never any guarantee. Bulbs for rear projection sets are much less expensive compared to those for projectors (around $200 compared to $400 USD).

As far as LCD flat panel goes, you may be able to find the Sharp LC-52D92U within your budget but I'm not sure about availability or pricing in Australia. The Sharp is definetely one of the best looking LCD flat panels I have seen to date.

 

[PMC]

thanks Hi Lo.

Yeah I was looking at those sharps. They look very very nice and seem quite high quality. I will try to find a supplier and will also check out DLP TV's.