Good TVs or Projectors?

Question

Plasma, LCD, projector... although I'm leaning more to the projector side. I'm looking at the In76 by infocus and i don't know if i should get it. I don't know if i should get this dlp projector or a wall mounted lcd or plasma. For a lcd tv, i'm currently looking at the "46 BRAVIA XBR® LCD Flat Panel HDTV" from Sony that will come out later this august (2006). However, it does seem a little expensive for only a 46'. So what would be a better bargain for great picture quality and longetivity. Let's say money isn't a problem at this stage.

So in76 vs best plasma vs best LCD...
Whatever I'm going to buy is going to be my gaming television. (not that i play my 360 for hours and hours nonstop so i probably won't get burn-ins from plasma anytime soon after my purchase...)

Answer 1

46" lcd is available now. amazon seems to be cheapset $2500 no shipping and no sales tax

Projectors have a very small life lamps.
So if you want play games all night it couls get expensive in the lon run. Cheaper to buy.


LCD projectors ar good for the price quality etc

Plasmas are no good for one reason. The glare from them are terrible. Compare you will understand.

Sony 46" is my choice if you can afford.
If not lcd projection TV

Answer 2

I've been repairing these units for as long as they have been making them. A LCD flat panel will statistically last the last the longest and the primary reason is heat. Heat destroys electronics and the solder connections. All of the technology generates heat, but LCD back lights with fluorescent tubes and these tubes and their ballasts is basically all that gets hot. Then you look at the size of the LCD panel and you reallize that the panel gets only moderately hot. For a flat panel LCD it the best. A projector (rear or portable) LCD uses a mercury vapor lamp that creates enough heat that it will burn polarizer plates and blister the small LCD panels (these panels are usually less than 4") over time, not to forget what the heat does to the electronic components and the cost of replacing the lamp over time. I must admit that I never have replaced a bad LCoS panel yet, since the light is reflected off the panel rather than going through as in typical LCD panels. If I was to get a projector it would be a DLP. They aren't destroyed by the heat, but the DMD boards can be (driver boards for the DLP mirrored chip). Remember that in 15 years (if all the surrounding electronics are still working) you can put a new lamp in the DLP and the picture will be as good as it was on 'day 1', while the LCD projection will likely be damaged. Plasma is another good choice, but again they generate a lot of heat and they work with big power supplies to put the panel gas in a plasma state, so we see them in our shop 10 to 1 over LCDs. But again they use phosphor and it will deteriate over time. It will not be as bright in 15 years no matter what you do. Next time your in a store looking at them don't forget to put your hand on the screen and you will see what I'm talking about. No matter what you buy, get the extended warranty and make sure that there is a authorized repair facility in your area that honors the warranty.

Answer 3

WHile projectors are not a waste of money, unless you spend quite a bit and get a good one (which infocus does not make a good quality projector, and some of the bulbs on these get several thousand hours before they burn out, and being able to have a 10 foot screen is nice), you would be well served to get an LCD size for the money can't be beat here. If you are willing to spend 4000 - 5000 get a Runco projector, otherwise go Panasonic for your LCD and enjoy. Plasma shoudl be avoided. Panasonic is tops in my book.

Answer 4

For gaming I would avoid plasma. Take a good look at the Sony SXRD rear-projection LCD (LCOS). It has an outstanding picture, and has true 1080p resolution display. The newer models will even accept 1080p as input, which some game systems have available. The higher resolution display will definitely improve the appearance of game images. DLP projectors are also good, but not as sharp as the Sony (even though they also display 1080p, they "fake" it through a technique called "wobulation", which softens the image). The HP 1080p DLP projector will also accept 1080p inputs. For an explanation of wobulation see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wobulation. Also, before deciding on DLP, make sure you can't see "rainbows": scan your eyes across the screen when a bright object is being displayed. If you see a trail of colors, you may find that disturbing. Not everyone sees it, you must test it yourself.

Answer 5

Definitely go with a good TV. Projectors are a waste of money. LCDs and Plasmas are the main competitors on the market right now. LCD causes a blur with fast motion though, and Plasmas apparently suffer from burn-in. CRT TVs are the regular big box TV sets. I use one of these. I got a Sony 32 inch WEGA / Trinytron. It's not the best, but I like it.

Answer 6

depends on the rm you will be putting it in.. how far away you will be and the seating arangements of the forsaid rm.
projection tvs r only good for a viewing range of around 30-40 degrees from the front where as the plasma or lcd have a much broader viewing angle
the glare froma plasma is minimal i have a lg 42pc3d no glare and its great for the hd programs..some ppl prfer lcd i liked the plasma ..
i was going for a prjector till i found out about the light source (bright rm not so good) and the viewing angles ..this was to be in my family rm and was need to be seen from many angles as well from the kitchen...ask to c the tvs in the store main area ire lots of light and flow (rm to look @ it from differanrt angles)
most new style tv have burn in protection built in to them a white was program..you get the burn in from the station logos on the screen most of the time since they put hte logo in the same spot for every station

theres my 2 points worth

THE JESTER

Answer 7

I agree with the guy who said look into the Sony SXRD. It's not flat, but the picture quality is stunning (among the very best out there). It's capable of higher resolution than anything else out there. It is a great value considering the picture quality you get. If the very best picture quality matters to you, you owe it to yourself to at least check out a Sony SXRD before paying much more for a flat screen with lower picture quality. It's probably a good thing this TV isn't flat... probably helps to keep it affordable, that it has to compete with the trendy flat screens (and compete it DOES).