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Confused... Projector or Plasma???????

I am in the middle of assembling components for a dedicated home theater room. It will have 2 rows of seating. 2nd row I gather would be about 16' from the screen. Don't know whether I should be looking at a projector set up or plasma set up. I would like the screen size to be between 5' ( i have been looking at the new pioneer elite 60") and 7' in width. (5' is probably a little too small at 16' away)I would assume the projector would be the way to go for anything above 60" at the moment(cost concerns). Which set up has the best picture quality? (if you were to compare 60" screens)What's the biggest bang for the buck?
byfo
55dok
162 posts
 
The 58" panasonic full 1080p plasma can proboably be bought at 6th ave electronics (RT 4 paramus NJ) for $3500 or so if you haggle in person. The pioneer elite 60" in either 1365 X 768 or the full 1080p will have a better scaler but probably will cost a $1000+ more. Check their sales online as they often clear out plasmas during holiday sales.
I prefer plasmas to LCD's (which are getting close but still look artificial IMHO) and I'd skip the projectors (DLP's etc and front projectors) if 60" is enough.
Samsung and perhaps LG make 63" plasmas and pioneer makes 65" and even larger plasmas are available but you'll pay a huge premium for anything over 60".
chaskelljr2001's avatar
chaskelljr2001
458 posts
 
"Byfo":

I am with "55dok" on this one. Unless you need a viewing area that is greater than 65", I also think that a plasma set is the best way to go. You can get almost as much effective viewing area as you would with a projector and screen system and they're MUCH easier and simpler to install (though with a massive plasma screen, it is still best that the installation is handled by a professional installer).

I, myself was getting ready to buy an LCD set earlier this year (a Toshiba 42HL67 42" LCD set), but then, I became concerned with the refresh rates that these sets exhibit as well as black level (and to a certain point, viewing size and distance) and decided in the end, plasma was the way to go (I will be getting a Panasonic TH-42PX77U).

You may agree with the same thing after you have weighed the fact that you may have to have a projector and screen professionally installed and calibrated.

A 63" to 65" set should just about do it for you. And as "55dok" has said, plasma sets are available in even bigger screen sizes, but it's going to take more gases and better engineering to make a plasma set bigger, and in the end, you're going to pay a BIG premium for all of that additional engineering and viewing real estate.

Good Luck and Happy Shopping......

--Charles--
mrjstark
1,112 posts
 
Plasma - New Panasonic 1080p. Good picture and price.
Projector - Optoma HD-80 best value vs performance. 1080p 10,000 : 1 contrast. I own one and did my homework before a final purchase. The best projector for the money. Well above competition and equal to projectors costing double and triple of its price.
Check this website:
http://www.homeaudiovideoadvisor.com/Projectors.asp
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