Home Theaters

Regarding waiting for prices to drop. IMO, try to use some perspective here. I personally don't care what you buy, nor I am trying to sell anything, other than my viewpoint.

Sure, prices for consumer electronics and computer components drop all the time. New models and technologies are developed. Thing is, if you want to enjoy the benefits, you need to pull the plug at some point, and get on with life. If you don't, you can get paralyzed by making choices and you never get anything done, nor enjoy the benefits of todays technology.

Here is a quick tale of Sasha (that's me) and my friend Gary. Sasha and Gary both understand the many benefits of HDTV. They both started researching to get an HDTV display about the same time.

I found what I wanted and bought it. Even though I am "in the biz", the DLP model I wanted at the time was in short supply, so no dealer-cost deal for me, no I had to find one on the open market and paid accordingly. And I had to wait about 6 months for delivery.

Gary on the other hand, this whole time is researching and waiting for prices to drop, all fine and good. Gary has to this day, almost 6 years later, yet to bite the bullet and make a buy. He is convinced that something better and cheaper is just around the corner.

Sasha paid the bucks, but has been enjoying HDTV for many years and has moved on with life. Gary has not done any of these things.

Is my DLP model obsolete? Can you get something similar for less now? Sure, but so what? We've had many great experiences with it and it has enhanced our lives. It does what I need it to do, is fully depreciated and I expect many more years of reliable service from it. I'm happy as a clam.

One more thing about the price of projectors. Please try to have some perspective. Sure that HD model at 4K or so seems awful expensive. Thing is, a couple of years ago, it was not even available, but it's commercial-grade brother would run you maybe 10-15K, so please try to keep that in mind.

Heck, 10 years ago, DLP projection routinely ran in the 30K-60K and up range and CRT projectors were insanely complex and equally expensive. So please try to remember that when you go projector shopping. Today's models are a bargain by any measure.

 

Except for the fact that for the same street price of a 50" HD plasma my BenQ PE7700 and 100" Stewart Firehawk can produce nearly the same image - that has nearly three times the screen area!

I love my plasma, but for the true home theater experience nothing beats a good front projection set up.

 

Yep that says it all!! I know I certainly love my 114" picture and my wife which suprises me loves it too will not watch her special favorite shows anywhere else. [8D]

Now I am thinking about making the picture even bigger.

Lee J Buividas

 

I would certainly agree with this, assuming the availablity of proper infrastruture in which to place your home theater.

 

A good article debating the resolution issue:

http://www.projectorcentral.com/choosing_resolution.htm

 

Coming in late to the discussion...

I just "finished" my theater with the exception of the cable work to the projector and re-painting the screen. Right now I just used ultra bright flat white paint as a "quick-n-dirty". However, a friend of mine told me about "Goo Systems" http://www.goothings.com/.

I checked them out and it's a multi-part process to paint a screen on your wall or other medium like ply-wood. I found a couple of on-line reviews (sorry - lost the URLs) but one review had this $300 screen paint system out performing screen in the multiple thousands.

Has anyone had any experience with this stuff?

RichB

 

check AVS.

I'd like to see some of these DIY screens in person... Such as MMUD, Light Fusion, and there is some new one that is supposed to work in a lit room just like This one: http://www.audioholics.com/cedia/cedia2004/ScreenInnovationsMirage.php

Right now I have the lowest of the low DIY screens.... blackout material over an oak frame =) Hooked through a Dell 3200MP XGA projector that I've had for ~3 years. I'm holding out for a DLP 1080p < $2k =)

I thought the Da-lite hi-power was nice, but is retro-reflective, so you can't hang your PJ from the ceiling.

 

Has anyone looked at the Homeplug AV standard? Looks like a promising standard that allows devices to communicate and share data via the powerlines inside your house.

For example if you want to connect your HD AV projector to your HD TV receiver, you simply plug the devices into the power outlet and all the video/audio signals are transmitted via the powerlines in your house - eliminating the need to run various AV/Ethernet cables between components.

The final spec just got approved last month and there is strong backing by private companies. We should start seeing consumer products early next year.

More info at:
http://www.homeplug.org/en/news/press081905.asp
http://www.homeplug.org/en/news/index.asp
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HomePlug

 

re: Homeplug AV standard?

Call me skeptical. I just don't see quality AV, let alone HD, being transmitted over home 120VAC. I'll believe it when I see it in action, and even then, I won't believe it. Nothing I see on the near or mid term horizon will replace quality structured cabling for AV, HD and speakers.

 

Just wondering, what does "retro-reflective" mean? Can't say I've come across that one before.

 

Boomer, I suggest keeping your Dell 3200MP XGA projector in good shape for years to come. It will be a long time before we get DLP 1080p < $2k projectors. The chip set alone is many times that.

 

FWIW ... it works fine for network Ethernet transmission, its actually faster than wireless in some cases.

Neil Z.
Resident since 1999