# LED HDTV v.s. A high-end Projector .. Which is better ?



## ahmadka (Nov 27, 2010)

Hi guys ... I need advice on a matter ... I'm building a dedicated Home Theater room for my new house, and I've allocated about $5000 to cover all hardware equipment costs .. roughly $2500 of it will probably go towards the audio related things ...

So my initial plan was to put both a HDTV and a projector/screen combination in this room .. But if I do this, I think I'll have to go way beyond $5000, which I want to avoid .... So, I'm now thinking of only buying a high-end 3D ready Full HD projector, such as the Epson 5010 (around $2600) ... I figured that its much cheaper to get a big display (111" ~ 134") by buying a projector, than by buying a HDTV .. I have also heard that 3D is best experienced on larger displays, so getting a 3D projector only seems like a good move in this regard as well ..

So do you think its a good idea to only buy a projector for a Home Theater room ? .. How does a projector's quality compare with an LED HDTV ? What about the 3D effect ?

I have not seen any demos of any high-end projectors, but all the reviews I've read regarding Epson 5010 seem to suggest that its *extremely* good ..

What are your suggestions ?


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## pmcneil (May 29, 2010)

First, I prefer plasma over LED, so there is not just one choice!

But that being said, size does matter. I've got a 130' diagonal screen, and older Panasonic projector Au100, and my Kuro Panasonic 65' can't touch it, in the dark!


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

Yup, In a properly light controlled room there is nothing that can touch a projector and screen in any reasonable price range. I have a 120" 2:35:1 screen and panasonic AE4000 and would never change to a LCD or Plasma (remember LED is just an LCD using LEDs as a backlight rather than a florescent lamp)


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## ahmadka (Nov 27, 2010)

pmcneil said:


> First, I prefer plasma over LED, so there is not just one choice!
> 
> But that being said, size does matter. I've got a 130' diagonal screen, and older Panasonic projector Au100, and my Kuro Panasonic 65' can't touch it, in the dark!


Sorry if I sound crude, but I didn't quite understand your point there 

I was asking about HDTV v.s. Projector, not Plasma v.s. LCD .... Or maybe I missed the point you were trying to make ?


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## yoda13 (Feb 14, 2012)

Hi,

Although I'm not going to comment on which is better (I don't think one is "better" then the other), I'll give you this friendly reminder. If you don't have another venue to watch reg.TV, a projector might not be the best option due to the limited hours available on the bulb. 

Just food for thoughts

cheers


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## ahmadka (Nov 27, 2010)

I don't plan to watch regular TV on the projector ... I'll have a HDTV on the 1st floor's TV room where I can watch normal TV ... the basement's home theater room is primarily only for movies and gaming ... although regular TV might be worth watching on it sometimes as well (some big game happening, etc ..)


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

ahmadka said:


> Sorry if I sound crude, but I didn't quite understand your point there
> 
> I was asking about HDTV v.s. Projector, not Plasma v.s. LCD .... Or maybe I missed the point you were trying to make ?


LOL, ya I guess we kind of ran off the rails on this one but Projector is the better rout even if your considering 3D as a use. The larger display is just much better to immerse you in the movie.

I also agree that if your not going to have a different room to just watch TV shows or the news a projector can cost much more in the end as bulbs last no more then around 3000 hrs and by then they loose a fair bit of output as well.


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## pmcneil (May 29, 2010)

No problem, there are two choices for HD TV: LED and plasma. LED is superior IF you intend to watch in a well-lighted room. In a home theater situation, where the room can be moderately darkened, many would say that plasma is the best choice.


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## pmcneil (May 29, 2010)

p.s. If you had not used the word 'LED', there would have been no confusion!

GO BIG!


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## Todd Anderson (Jul 24, 2009)

For a dedicated theater room? I agree with Tony. If you have a light controlled room (control of ambient light and dark surfaces) the projector is 100% the way to go. Figure out the proper screen size for your seating distances and go for it! You won't regret it.


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## hjones4841 (Jan 21, 2009)

tonyvdb said:


> Yup, In a properly light controlled room there is nothing that can touch a projector and screen in any reasonable price range.


+1. Even the largest flat screens look small by comparison. But light control is very important. Without that the flat screen is the better choice. A projector almost requires a dedicated room.


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## pmcneil (May 29, 2010)

27dnast said:


> For a dedicated theater room? I agree with Tony. If you have a light controlled room (control of ambient light and dark surfaces) the projector is 100% the way to go. Figure out the proper screen size for your seating distances and go for it! You won't regret it.


light controlled room (control of ambient light and dark surfaces)

This means that you can keep the room dark, when you want to watch via a projector. They are not nearly as bright as a plasma let alone LED.


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## Todd Anderson (Jul 24, 2009)

pmcneil said:


> light controlled room (control of ambient light and dark surfaces)
> 
> This means that you can keep the room dark, when you want to watch via a projector. They are not nearly as bright as a plasma let alone LED.


Yes exactly... if you can control the ambient light, meaning you can completely cut off any light source other than the projector, and you cut down on light that will reflect off of walls, meaning you want dark walls to stop light from reflecting back onto the screen, you can have a fantastic image with amazing pop. Not everyone is ok with creating that kind of environment.

Your pq won't be nearly good in a room with uncontrolled light washing out the screen or white walls bouncing screen reflected light back on the screen.


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## hjones4841 (Jan 21, 2009)

I have seen many photos of projector based HTs with light colored walls. I guess they are OK with the result, or that fashion trumped performance (hence the published pictures). It is possible to keep it dark and stylish at the same time with proper choice of color schemes.

I went full black, except for the carpet which is a dark shade of gray. But, HT is the only function of that room. It might give a decorator a heart attack

With the acoustic treatments making the room very quiet and all the electronics off, it is not that pleasant of an environment except for escaping for an afternoon nap, especially for the dog.


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## pmcneil (May 29, 2010)

hjones4841 said:


> I have seen many photos of projector based HTs with light colored walls. I guess they are OK with the result, or that fashion trumped performance (hence the published pictures). It is possible to keep it dark and stylish at the same time with proper choice of color schemes.
> 
> I went full black, except for the carpet which is a dark shade of gray. But, HT is the only function of that room. It might give a decorator a heart attack
> 
> With the acoustic treatments making the room very quiet and all the electronics off, it is not that pleasant of an environment except for escaping for an afternoon nap, especially for the dog.



Sounds perfect, to me!


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## ahmadka (Nov 27, 2010)

Thank you guys for the unanimous input .... I guess it's a projector only then 

I have a few more questions though:

1) What about the projector screen ? There are a lot of different kinds out there, so any advice on that ? Preferably I don't want to spend too much on them, but I also don't want to buy something that I'll later regret ...

2) regarding darkening the room, I don't think painting the walls all black is a good idea (my parents won't really like all-black walls), so how about I put all-black curtains on all walls, and then maybe we can cover all the walls with those curtains when we want to watch something on the projector ?

3) There was one guy on another forum who suggested that I should get an 'RPTV' instead of a projector, if I want to get the most value for my money. Would you agree to this ?

4) Lastly, Do you think the Epson 5010 is something worth getting, if a want a Full HD 3D projector ? Any other recommendations if this is not good enough ? $3000 is my absolute max though, as far as a projector is concerned ..


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## ahmadka (Nov 27, 2010)

And how does the Epson 5010 compare with the Panasonic PT-AE7000U ? I know the panny has a flickering/ghosting issue, but how serious is that ? Is there any quick fix for them ?

I am tied between this projector, and the Epson 5010 ...

Also, since I'll be importing the projector, chances are I'm won't have warranty for it in my region, so I want to get something which does not have any issues (at least nothing major!) ...


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## pmcneil (May 29, 2010)

As for which projector, please see recent form post initiated by me.


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## hjones4841 (Jan 21, 2009)

ahmadka said:


> Thank you guys for the unanimous input .... I guess it's a projector only then
> 
> I have a few more questions though:
> 
> ...


1) Check out Carada screens: http://www.carada.com/ I have one of theirs and it is very nice for the price.
2) That will help but you will still get light from the screen reflected from the walls, ceiling, floor, etc. But do the best you can. When shopping for curtains get the ones that say light blocking and read the reviews to see if they really do block.
3) I don't see the advantage of a RPTV over a LCD or plasma.
4) I will reserve that for someone familiar with that projector.


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## phillihp23 (Mar 14, 2012)

Check out VisualApex.com for projector/screen combo deals. I went through them, great customer service.
The Panni does have a flicker/shake issue ( I have noticed it with red colors when watching cable). Other than that I don't notice it. Maybe I am just to engulfed in my theater experiance 
There are ways to make the walls dark (paint) without painting everything black. Although it is important to have a black(really dark color) on the ceiling and projector screen wall. The areas that the projector are most likely to bounce light off. I used a dark red on my walls and black ceiling and front wall. It came out pretty rich looking. Others have used tones of brown. Look around at some of the theater build photos on here to get an idea. I would go Projector all the way, the only true way to have a Dedicated Home *Theater* (my opinion :whistling


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