Front projectors

[dholmes]

Okay you front projector folkes, which is better DLP-LCD. Ive got the upgrade bug & want to move up to front proj. I will have to drive at least 100+ miles to see both in action to see which one I like. The Sony # 20 looks good for 3500.00 at Crutchfield. thanks

[scottvamp]

Just heads up, I will soon be selling my FP because I am moving into a new home for awhile (rental).

[goingganzo]

depends on what you want. they both have the good and bad.
lcd good
easy to watch cheaper no rainbows. bad sde and vb
dlp good beter blacks higher contrast less sde. bad rainbows lower res and more eye strain.

the sony has a slightley higher throw than the z2 and ae500 panny the panny and sanyo can be had for 1800-2k
sony goes for 3k-3500

if you want dlp there is olny 1 way to go benq 8700 or 8700+
the 8700 can be had for a little over 4k and will go down when the + is shiping this is a clone of the runco 710 with sells for 10k



this is my plan i am getting the z2 for the lenze shift and the price so when the lcos get the upgrade and come down in price i can upgrader sooner. or i will go with the benq 8700 of there is a good price drop and i dont go over seas on a vacation any time soon.


i have a 115in diag diy screen thet the pj will set about 12 feet from and i will be 14 feet from 1st row.

[Frank Z]

The Sony HS20 was my choice. I looked at the AE500, and the Z2 as well. I didn't want the Z@ because of the Dust Blob issue, and the Pannt AE500 looked like a possiblity until I read numerous complaints about the Vertical Banding issue. Is the HS20 perfect, no it has it's down side as well. The fan noise is greater than I expected, but luckily I've been able to tune it out. Picture quality is nothing short of spectacular! An HD image at 106" is something that you just have to see. I just watched the Superbit edition of Vertical Limit on Sunday night and was completely amazed at the images I was seeing, and HD broadcasts are even better!

As far as the Screen Door Effect, I can't see any at all from my primary seating position (12' from the screen). The HS-20 does need a bit more room to get the proper throw length.

I wasn't able to find a DLP pj that had the same resolution for the price I was willing to pay. I didn't "settle" for a lesser quality, infact I feel I got a damn good projector, it just happens to be a different technology. DLP's can provide a great picture, no argument from me, but they also have issues that LCD's do not. The Rainbow Effect is very visible to some people, others don't notice it at all. I've read some reviews where people have gotten severe headaches from DLP units, so make sure your whole family gets a chance to look at the DLP image before spending your hard earned money.

I had considered the Screenplay 7200, but the price was just to damn high.

[goingganzo]

i cant wait for the lcos to get better and come down in price you can get a unit that is better than the sony but it is about 5k and has a longer throw. soon it will be better than the dlp in all areas.


there is olny 1 small problem with the siny is a pannel mis alignment. it is not that big 1-2 pixels off but you need to be 3-4 in from the screen to see it. and it has a hue problem on the left side has a slight red hue that gets worse near the edge. but also not bad.

if you want it all you must get a crt but that will cost you a mint.

[Frank Z]

From What I've read the misalignment is not common place. If mine has that problem I can't see it, no matter how close I get.

Just like all things audio/video, there are all kinds of options for all kinds of people. The best we can hope for is the best value our money can buy.

[Ron-P]

Read this: DLP vr LCD

Both have their pros and cons. The above link is a great read. I know that projectorpeople.com will offer you a 7 day in home demo time period with no restock fee. This is much better then going to an a/v shop.

[dholmes]

Thanks everyone ,very good reading!

[brettw22]

With the soon to hit the market Intel technologies in the RP's, wouldn't it be prudent to wait until that hits the FP lines to see if it aleviates a lot of the problems that each has?

[brettw22]

I don't know specifically when the new sets are supposed to hit the market, but there is a new type of technology that is based on DLP being put out by Intel I believe. The RP sets would get 3 chips vs. the single that DLP uses and the Intel based sets would use chips that have no moving parts on them, compared to the DLP's that do........

I don't know exactly how (considering they're going 3 chips vs. 1) but it's supposed to cut the cost on RP sets by half, and is supposed to be superior to both DLP and LCD's.........

[spyderman]

I have a friend at Crutchfield and he just bought one. He researched it to death and compaired the Infocus 7200 ($7,000)vs the Sony HS20 ($3,500) and couldn't come up with a reason to spend the extra money for the Infocus. I've seen both side by side and agree. The Sony is good!

Good luck!
Spyder