formica Posted February 17, 2005 Share Posted February 17, 2005 How many watch TV, daily, on a front projector? Just wondering... as I'm planning a music/HT room. Front projector quality, price, and display size can't be beat... but I would hate buying something I'd only use every once and a while. Rear projection DLP sets are becoming more reasonable... and may be an passable compromise for movie/TV watching. I'm still in the early stages of planning, but I need to architecturally know how much room I need and what kind of centre I can use. Thanks in advance... Rob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rplace Posted February 17, 2005 Share Posted February 17, 2005 My $0.02, if you are trying to make it "theater like" then you want the screen as big as you can properly view it. A 40/50/60 inch CRT/RPTV/Plasma seems big when you are used to viewing a 35 inch TV but even on the small side you can have a 70 inch front projection screen. A lot of factors come into play. Lighting is for sure a big one. CRTs and Plasmas are going to look a lot better in a brightly lit room but again if you are going for the theater experience how is every commercial theater set up? As a windowless room that is dimly lit with a projector in the back and a huge screen in the front. I just completed my HT with a 2:35 to 1 screen and could not be happier, but it is in my basement and I can control all the light. Currently I am dragging my satellite receiver back and forth between the HT and my bedroom because I have not gotten around to getting another one. I have watched a fair amount of TV as well as several movies and concert DVDs. I tell ya from my point of view I cant see having anything else in my dedicated room. That said, I am not going to stop using my standard CRT TV in my living room. It is just not practical to tote my corn flakes down a flight of stairs to watch 10 minutes of the Today Show in the morning when I am getting ready for work. But I do see my self watching a show like The West Wing which I regularly do anyway on my projector. One because they broadcast it in HD and the sound is good and two because like you said you dont want to have something you only use once in a while. Finally bulb life might have to factor into your cost equation if you plan on using the projector a ton. If you watched roughly 5.5 hours of projector content a day you would go through a bulb a year. At 200 dollars or more it might add up. Personally I easily waste 200 bucks a year on worse things related to Audio/Video so I dont think a bulb a year is unreasonable and I doubt you would watch 5.5 hours of projected TV ever day for 365 days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iwillwalk Posted February 17, 2005 Share Posted February 17, 2005 i put 5-10 hours a day on my infocus 4805 & love it even with light its not that bad.for 5 or 10 nmin i just go in the bedroom.who cares about a bulb when you have a movie screen for a tv.how cool is that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rplace Posted February 17, 2005 Share Posted February 17, 2005 Ha ha >>who cares about a bulb when you have a movie screen for a tv.how cool is that? Well said, too funny, that should be your new signature. I like my projector so much right now I would gladly buy a bulb a month. I also agree on the light issue. I have 8 recessed lights that I use in the room when it is not in "Theater Mode" and sconces with a dimmer for movie veiwing. Even with all the lights on and doors opened to other rooms is is still viewable by my standards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCOOTERDOG Posted February 17, 2005 Share Posted February 17, 2005 Rob, I run my infocus 4805 at least 6 hours a day. In the begining I think it was more like 10 hours a day since I work out of a home office. I discovered that even though I am home I ran it a lot. Now I just keep the audio on if I am watching fox news. I realized that I had it on but was not always watching. I also turn it off usually after 9-10 because I am on the PC. Everyone else in the house usually watches in there rooms. But in reality I don't care if I have to replace the bulb once a year...I love a 106" 16:9 screen scooter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tkot Posted February 17, 2005 Share Posted February 17, 2005 i have a sony vplhw12htthat ive had up for a year and a half. when we first pit it up we were trapped in the ht room for months and the i dwindled off some . we still watch almost ever day and have 1500 hours in the bulb. bulb life is 3000 hours. a new bulb is $300 would i go back? no way. do we still watch the 65 inch rptv upstairs, sure. jay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
formica Posted February 17, 2005 Author Share Posted February 17, 2005 Wow... between the TV and the web, you guys don't have much time off, huh? Actually my planned room would be in the basement as well. It has small windows and a low ceiling, so it should be pretty dark and cosy. My existing tube set is quite modest and is in my living room. I remember m00n had a thread about being too lazy to go to his HT (built in a separate old garage if I recall), and would hate that to happen. I honestly don't watch a lot of TV... but a little more than I do movies (if we add up the hours). I appreciate the info so far... and didn't realise the bulbs could run as high as 300$US. I assume a rear project DLP would have the same limitation? Later... Rob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rvincerob1 Posted February 17, 2005 Share Posted February 17, 2005 ---------------- On 2/17/2005 4:20:23 PM SCOOTERDOG wrote: Rob, I run my infocus 4805 at least 6 hours a day. In the begining I think it was more like 10 hours a day since I work out of a home office. I discovered that even though I am home I ran it a lot. Now I just keep the audio on if I am watching fox news. I realized that I had it on but was not always watching. I also turn it off usually after 9-10 because I am on the PC. Everyone else in the house usually watches in there rooms. But in reality I don't care if I have to replace the bulb once a year...I love a 106" 16:9 screen scooter ---------------- Scooter, Where did you purchase your Infoucus 4805? And how much did it cost. I seen an Infocus Projector on the HSN that went for $1300, screen included. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCOOTERDOG Posted February 17, 2005 Share Posted February 17, 2005 I did get mine on the shopathometv. At the time i got mine it was 1500 with the screen. Great thing was they had the stretch payment at 399 a month. If it wasn't for the stretch pay I would have had to sneak it into the house I love my 4805, runs circles around my 55" RP mits. scooter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gibby214 Posted February 18, 2005 Share Posted February 18, 2005 I love my Projector set up BenQ 8700+ with fixed 118 inch screen. But I will not power it up for just TV viewing. Except a HD football game etc... The only time I will watch TV is after a DVD or between DVS's during a bathroom/popcorn break. My plan is to get a 20 - 26 inch LCD next to my bar area that would also be visible from the theater chairs for the news and weather. My bulbs are $400 per 2000 hrs LCD 20" $800 lotsa hours I'd still do it again though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griffinator Posted February 18, 2005 Share Posted February 18, 2005 ---------------- On 2/17/2005 8:10:27 PM formica wrote: I appreciate the info so far... and didn't realise the bulbs could run as high as 300$US. ---------------- As high as?! That's the cheap end, my friend. Bulbs for front projectors run as high as $1000US... It's a major shop point for anyone looking at a projo - how much do the replacement bulbs cost, how easily are they installed, and how easily can they be obtained... Can make all the difference in the world which unit you settle on... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
formica Posted February 18, 2005 Author Share Posted February 18, 2005 ---------------- On 2/18/2005 12:53:22 AM Griffinator wrote: It's a major shop point for anyone looking at a projo - how much do the replacement bulbs cost, how easily are they installed, and how easily can they be obtained... ---------------- Well that is actually the catch, as I wasn't shopping yet. But now that the subject has been brought up... I'm curious. Are these bulbs treated like replacement ink-jet cartridges? Are the rear projection DLP or LCD units also stuck with these high priced bulbs? It seems to me that there are some reasonably basic DLP projectors which sell for less than 1000$. Any brands or model recommendations? Right now I have a Heresy as a center channel, but a front projector may allow something like a LaScala to squeeze in... Rob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iwillwalk Posted February 19, 2005 Share Posted February 19, 2005 the 4805 rocks both of those are great prices i got mine for 1175.00 put i think the dearler didnt know how good they are cause they hade just come out,but i would jump on it. het scooter how do you do with fan noise? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCOOTERDOG Posted February 19, 2005 Share Posted February 19, 2005 Originally the fan noise was kinda bothering. Mainly because the projector sits above my head about a foot and half back. During movies I don't really notice it unless I stop and listen for it. I generally have the volume up pretty good for movies. I asked infocus about the noise and they said if I want to have it checked and serviced its covered for almost another 1 1/2 years. I decided after talking to many we share the same feeling on the noise from the fan, its not that bad. Besides it is my first projector and I already knew there would be some noise from the fan, especially when you go from a big screen that makes no noise.I personally think for the money the 4805 is great!, and is not worth sending it in and being without it for who knows how long. Hell it could come back worse, and its not that bad and I don't think it is that noisy. I plan on building a housing for it to help mimimize the noise I do hear. Shhh I hear footsteps now! I LOVE MY 4805! it only has some noise because my hearing is exceptional and I'm a tweak! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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