How good is a projector with 500:1 contrast ratio compered to a HDTV with 1000:1 contrast ratio when on 360?

Question

I was going to buy a HDTV for my room so I could have my 360 in HD, but I then found out you can put them on projectors. I was wondering how good it would look at 55" with a contrast ratio of 500:1 compered to a 32" HDTV with 1000:1 contrast ratio. :)

Answer 1

Before answering consider a couple of points.

1) Bigger is -- often but not always -- better. Try laying out a 55" "screen on the wall with masking tape and try to judge whether ... given your intended viewing distance ... the image is a tlerable size (remember you will have to move your head around a lot if you are too close ... and this can get tiring).

2) You can project on a white wall, but improvements to apparent contrast ratio can be achieved with a light grey surface. This is what so called "high contrast screens" do. You don't mention a screen, and they can be expensive, but they may be worth considering.

Regarding your question: it really comes down to what your expectations / requirements are. Neither contrast ratio (CR) are "good" by current home theatre standards (2000:1 is only considered adequate these days) .... but that would be in a light controlled setting (i.e. dark room). In a room with any lights on much of the benefits of higher CR are lost and even 500:1 might be considered adequate. On the other hand in a dark room you will notice a certain flatness to the image and probably a lack of graduation to shading that will make it hard to see, for example, details in shadows or bright areas.

It might be useful to consider some comparisons. Many LCD monitors (for a PC) have CRs in the 400 - 800 range, and only specially treated screens (e.g. Toshiba TruBrite) have CRs in the 2000:1 range. You might want to visit your local "big box" store (e.g. Future Shop, Circuit City) and see what the picture is like on an HDTV and/or projector with similar CR specs to the ones you are considering. This type of evaluation will demonstrate there is much more to this than contrast ratio.

For example, brightness plays a big part in image acceptability, particulalrly if there is light in the room. If the projector you are considering using is fairly bright (nominally more than 1500 ANSI lumens), at 55" the image may be quite acceptable. In contrast, if it is not very bright you won't be able to use it in any but dark conditions since it will be washed out if any lights are on.

Resolution of the image will be another important consideration. I'm guessing the projector you mention is probably a low resolution (480 x 854 ??) model ... in which case the image may appear more "jaggy" than that on an HDTV.

You don't say what type of HDTV display you are considering but the response time of an LCD display can be an important factor if you intend to have fast action. A sub 12 ms response time is highly desireable to prevent "smearing" on the screen. An LCD based projector may have this same issue, while a DLP based model is less susceptible.

Another consideration is the cost of replacement lamps for projectors .. typically $300-400 every 2-3000 hrs of use).

So .. bottom line ... a projector CAN be a good option as a display device (I personally love watching HDTV or DVDs on our 100" HT setup) but whether it is the right choice for your needs is questionable. In the price range you are probably looking you will likely get better value from an HDTV .... but as I suggested earlier, go to a store and look at a projector and judge for yourself.

As a final point, consider the larger picture ... not just games, but also TV watching and movies ... what device is likely to give you the most flexibility and be best value in the long run.

Hope this helps.

Answer 2

How big is your room? 55" ? unless u have a distant of more then 10 metres. If not just go for the 32". Projector will never give good picture that a HDTV

Answer 3

The higher the contrast ratio the better the information will appear against a darker background.
Tv's with higher contrast ratios have better picture quality and display black better than tv's with lower contrast ratios.

But also.. Whats the resolution the projector displays and whats the tvs resolution?

Answer 4

I use my XBox (old one!) in HD on a Philips LCD (CR~1000) and the results are really good. The Epson projector we use at work cannot easily give a comparable picture quality due to other light sources in the room.

Answer 5

Having twice the contrast will give you much more variance from light and dark graphics. Quality over quantity, 1000:1 is better.

H a p p y
G a m i n g !

Answer 6

500:1 is not very good, and even 1000:1 isn't really great.

Answer 7

i think u should to wat is cheaper because it saves you money and they r both really good!!!!!!!