Are LCD projectors that much worse than DLP, or is it just hype? Anyone happy with their LCD projector?

Question

I am going to get a low end home theater projector.

I looked at the infocus in72, optoma h27, toshiba tdp-et## (forget the model) and the epson home 20.

The DLP seems to get better reviews for black but they are much lower in lumens. Also the 300-400 replacement dlp bulb really scares me.

The epson seems to have better colors, higher light output. $200 bulbs and much more flexible positioning. I like the idea of putting the projector on the coffee table instead of behind or on the ceiling. I figure that I my Wii, home theater pc and dvd player in the coffee table as well.

What worries me is the test that Texas Instruments did that showed that LCDs are really prone to burning out their colors. But the test was a little extreme. 24/7 operation for 2 months.

Anyone else have an epson powerlite home 20, 30s or something similar with an lcd prjector and are happy with it?

I don't want to go 720p or higher for another 2-3 years.

I have alot of Epson stuff other than projectors and have always been happy with their quality.

Answer 1

I'd have to agree with Robert P on this one. LCD has always had the "screen door" effect and with DLP it has been the color wheels. These days the color wheel problem has improved by adding more color wheels and the screen door effect has improved for the LCD as well so I wouldn't factor either of those into it much. Especially with the screen size you're talking about.

One thing I would take into consideration however is the contrast/lumens aspect. Although high lumens is good they don't need to be as high as you think to get a decent picture with soime ambient light. 900 -1200 lumens is plenty and you are not gaining anything by going any higher as long as your lighting and throw distance stay consistent. As a matter of fact if the lumens are too high you run the risk of whiting out the picture.

I have owned both an Epson S3 & an Epson S4 and loved them both, so I feel certain that the Epson brands you are looking at will work just fine. Plus I hear you on the bulb. I replaced the one on my S3 and it only cost $130.

weeder

Answer 2

You don't want to go to 720p for another 2-3 years?! Well, just be forewarned that watching a 480p LCD-projected picture in today's world would be horrible.--since we're so used to hi-def. The main reason LCD projectors were considered inferior to DLPs is that the LCD projected a "screen-door" effect that was VERY noticeable on 480p and below. With 720p, the screen-door effect is not very noticeable; with 1080p, it's non-existent.

I don't know model numbers but, apparently Sony has one of the best 720p LCD projectors in the $1,000 range (and maybe even lower now) out there right now. There are probably decent ones below that price range but the home theater industry doesn't really pay attention to those. Of course Epson, Infocus, and Optoma are very highly regarded in this field as well, but I haven't heard anyone clamoring over any of their $1,000 projectors as of late.

Answer 3

DLP was better than LCD a few years ago but now some of the newer LCD projectors surpass DLP in quality,.So either format should be ok.

Answer 4

I personally don't like DLP at all. Apparently I'm one of the few folks who can actually see the cycling color wheels. To me, a DLP display looks kind of bluish or purplish - especially the white fields which almost look like a blue florescent light bulb to me.