High def Projectors vs LCD tv? who wins?

Question

Ok im considering investing in a large screen primarily for movies and video games, however the main goal is portability followed by visibility...due to the fact my job has me moving alot with small space to put stuff..

So is a high def projector a good investment compared to a Big clunky lcd? I can put a projector in a box without worrying to much and it takes less space and has more applications?

but I hear so much complaints about how the lcds picture quality is soo much better and projectors cant compare...

help me?

Answer 1

I agree with Martin and Wesley that you need a darker room for a projector. If you move a lot though, a projector might still be a better choice for you. You don't need a completely dark room, you just need the light knocked down quite a bit.

Thinking about room lighting, there are several things you can do. You can place your screen in a darker area of the room. It's the light that reflects off the screen that matters. You can use darker curtains/drapes than white. Home Depot has inexpensive blackout shades that are cheap for that matter, and they hide behind your drapes/curtians. And remember, most viewing is done at night typically.

I have a 48" LCD in my bedroom, a 60" DLP in my family room and I don't have to worry about light at all. But, there's nothing like the 133" projector/screen in the living room for the real movie theater impact!

Answer 2

Go with the HDTV LCD, main reason projectors aren't more popular than LCD’s or Plasmas is because they require a dark room (preferably pitch black, like a movie theater). That's because room lighting washes out the relatively dim projected image much more easily than the relatively bright image produced by a self-contained TV.

Again HD LCD not just plain LCD....

Answer 3

I've slowly but surely been replacing all my LCD TV's with HD projectors.  Although the posters above are correct they make it seem like you can't get a picture at all unless it's totally dark which is just not true.  Although the darker the better of course, we watch ours in the Living Room during the day and the picture still looks outstanding.  At night we usually watch it with enough light for my wife to read by and it still looks great.  It's not so much the ambient light as it is the glare.  If you can avoid any glare on your TV then your in business.

Trust me, an LCD TV may look a tad better during the day, but an HD projector will blow it away at night.

weeder

Answer 4

For the best picture, a TV would be what you want.  You just need to weigh the differences with your current situation.

If you're more worried about convenience, then maybe a projector is better.  Just remember, you will need space on a wall for a screen.

Answer 5

I just purchased a 720p 3LCD projector and 100" screen after researching this quite a bit.

I agree with the other answers.  It's hard to watch TV with the room lights on.  The colors are all washed out.  I find that the color temperature, contrast, and brightness have to be changed.  We had family over to watch a football game and had the lights on so it's possible though.  It still looked pretty good.

Once the room lights go off, it's really a movie theatre experience and the display calibration can match that predetermined by the video test patterns.

From far away it's awesome and it's great with low ambient light.  Up closer with bright images we can notice the texture of the screen (or maybe what's called the screen door effect).  Overall, I'd give the system a 9 out of 10.

When I first told my wife about a projector, her expectations of the system were 2 out of 10.  When she saw it set it she gave it a 7 out of 10.  It would have been higher, but she still didn't like always having to keep the lights out.

All in all, I'm satisfied with it and like the high def resolution on the big screen.