I'm curious why more people don't go projection?

Question

With the price of projectors dropping and the quality already at the 1080p level I'm confused as to why anyone would buy just a regular TV for 2-3 times the price, smaller screen and the same picture quality.

Are people just not aware that projection is an option or do they think that the picture quality is bad, or what?

I'm just wondering why more people don't do it.

weeder

I guess I should have clarified front projection.

Kyality -



1. That's all good, but any TV less than 45" you will not be able to tell a dif between 720p and 1080p. Plus the only thing even broadcasting 1080p is Blue Ray and Hd DVD.

2. You can get a 1080p pj for 2K which is the same, if not less, than a rear projection tv

Aman - All valid points, however I disagree with you regarding it as a regular tv. We've been using it for years and it works exactly the same as a regular tv.

Amaan - with all due respect that is just not true after the initial setup. Granted the setup is more complicated, but not that much and most people have separate sound anyway for Surround. We have one system in the living room, 1 in the bedroom and they all work just like regular TV. You just turn in on and watch and we only have 1 remote that works everything.

Answer 1

A few reasons why people don't choose projection:

1.) More complicated setup.
---a.) Longer wire runs from sources to projector.
---b.) Must find a place to mount both the projector and the screen.
---c.) Projector location cannot have any obstructions between it and the screen.
---d.) Separate audio system is required because projector doesn't have built-in speakers.
2.) Lamp in projector will burn out every few years and replacement can be costly.
3.) Not everyone wants a really large screen.
4.) With its large image and lack of built-in speakers, casual TV watching is impossible. With a projector, even just watching the news in the morning has to be a big theater production.
5.) Cooling fan for projector's lamp makes noise.
6.) Some people would consider a screen on the wall (even a retracting one) ugly.

Additional Info:
A projector DOES NOT work exactly the same as a regular tv.

With a regular TV, you can hook it up to nothing but power and the coax jack on the wall and be able to enjoy watching TV. The TV by itself has everything necessary built in. The screen, the tuner, the speakers are all in one box, controlled by one remote, and in one place that's conveniently located close to the power and cable outlets.

With a projection system, not only do you need to set up the projector, you need a separate screen. The location of the projector most likely won't be convenient to the power and cable outlets, so you'll have to install new ones or find a way to hide the long cable runs. If the projector has a speaker built in, not only would the sound be terrible because of the speaker's low quality, but the sound would be coming from the wrong direction. Because that would be unacceptable to most people, a separate audio system is required. Now, just to watch basic TV, you need to configure the projector, the screen, and the audio system. Unless you have a universal remote, you're going to have at least 2 remotes to mess with. While it's still not terribly complex, I assure you that a projection system is more complicated to set up and use than a basic TV. In many ways, they do not work exactly the same.

Many people either don't have a surround sound system or those that do simply don't want to bother using it all the time. I don't need my whole audio system on when I'm watching the news while I eat my breakfast an others are still sleeping. Sure, some audio systems have a "night mode" that lessens the chance of waking people up, but how is that any easier than just leaving the system off and just using the TV's built-in speakers?

Response to VicSEO:
1.b. While it may be convenient to put a projector on a coffee table, it would still be ugly and inconvenient to run wires from a side wall to the middle of the room. Whether it's mounted or painted, a screen on the wall is an added thing that isn't necessary with a conventional TV.
1.d. OK, so there are some projectors that have speakers. So what? Shouldn't the sound be coming from somewhere in proximity to the screen, not from the coffee table, ceiling, or somewhere behind the viewer? Just because it has a speaker doesn't mean anyone would want to use it.
2. Whatever features or procedures are available to extend lamp life doesn't change the fact that a conventional TV doesn't require any of that because it doesn't have a lamp. However long the lamp lasts, it will eventually burn out and replacements aren't free.
5. Even quiet fans make a bit of noise. If it's sitting on the coffee table in front of you, you're more likely to notice it.
6. OK, so instead of an ugly screen on the wall, you just have an ugly wall. I don't see how that's any better.

Answer 2

I'm in the process of studying which TV I'd like to own... I've seen the 61" Samsung 1080p DLP HDTV and gotta admit I wasn't really impressed w/ the pic quality... The LCD is so much brighter and crisper... I'm still learning about the different types, I'm just going by what I saw on the showroom floor at Best Buy... One thing I personally REALLY don't like about rear proj. is how dark it looks from almost any angle

Answer 3

Viewing angle sensitivity and brightness are my biggest qualms about projection TV, whether front or back. The directional quality of the screen, needed to get good on-axis brightness, hurts the brightness and quality at off angles, especially vertically.

But then again, I must admit that my views are based on viewing DLPs over a year ago. Maybe they have improved.

Answer 4

Apart from so-called complex set up of a projector and in particular the negative comments made by Amann, we would like to address those comments with alternative responses:

1.b. The projector can be set up on a regular coffee table while the screen is not required since the image is projected onto a wall;
1.d. Certain models of Viewsonic, Epson, Optoma and Infocus projectors have built-in speakers;
2. The lamp life is extended by proper shutting down of the lamp itself while leaving on the main fan for at least 20 minutes prior to shut down of the whole projector via the main power switch - guarantees a 92% lamp life;
5. Most current model projectors have quiet fans;
6. There's no ugly screen to pull down since the viewing wall can be painted with special goosystems.com movie paint.

Again, until you and your friends view and experience movie sized projection, you will not really appreciate what you are missing in high quality movie or TV reproduction.

Here's a sample TV shot from the Tonight Show in HD of "Carrie Underwood" on a 92" diagonal wall/screen [painted on a 130" diagonal surface consisting of $125 worth of goosystems.com movie paint] with a $320 factory refurbished Infocus SP 4805 placed on a coffee table some 12.5 ft. from the wall:

http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/ciu/5f/94/c547024128a0ae20157e7010.L.jpg

Here's another sample movie shot of "A Good Woman" on a 92" diagonal wall/screen [on a 130" diagonal goosystems.com $125 movie paint] with the SP 4805 placed on a coffee table some 12.5 ft. from the wall:

http://g-ec2.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/ciu/e6/32/22ab225b9da0543f3304f010.L.jpg

Good luck!

Answer 5

projectors r great for movies or superbowl
party but everyday tv i just want my sharp lcd
plus I think you need a really big
room too set it up right and if you want it
done perfect you gota hire a professional
plus a good quality projector is hard too find
threes a few tho if you got $
you should have a room just for 1 like a theater

Answer 6

Most projectors I have seen do not work well with large amounts of light in the room. Whereas a regular TV does.

Answer 7

i have two reasons.
1 most projectores can only get to 720 p (QUALITY) while most lcd and plasmas have up to 1080p quality. 720p is low HD quality but 1080p is true hd quality
2 they are expensive