When choosing between a regular high definition television and an HD projector system there are a series of questions you can quickly answer to decide which is best for you. The questions are:
- What is my budget?
- Will I use the TV as a multi-use monitor for things such as gaming?
- What is the lighting like?
- How is the room configured for cables and power cords?
The answer to the first question can really get you started (or finished) with the whole thing. Typically an HD projector will cost more than a plasma or LCD HDTV but the prices are coming down. As the standards for resolution go up and their cost comes down it really is about the technology that delivers the picture and whether you want other bells and whistles included (such as audio). Remember that a projector typically only has a small speaker that isn’t really good for TV so if you are looking for a full cinematic experience with 7.1 surround sound you will still either need a good HD receiver or you may want to look at the HDTV as they usually have some form of HD audio output built in.
If you are a gamer than you may want to go the route of the projector. It is capable of high quality, portability (if you ever take it to a gamer’s party) and you don’t have to worry about screen burn in or image ghosting. With the newer HDTVs this is less of a risk but remember that a constant image can damage the screen so if you replay your best Madden moves over and over again to impress your buddies you should look at the projector route.
Today’s HD projectors have a pretty good lumens count to enable you to view in direct light, but if you are looking for the best picture while watching movies in rooms with a lot of light you will want an HDTV. To get the cinema quality viewing the HD projectors typically have lower lumens ratings and thus your images can get lost in the light.
Finally, don’t forget the cables and power. An HDTV will typically have the power and cables for signal, audio, DVD, etc. centerally located in the front (or on the side) and these can get bulky. But if your plan is to still have those things in the same place you now have the issue of the video cable going back to the HD projector. There are some slick ways to hide this cable with fiber optic or even wireless but it is still an issue.
Most HDTV aficionados agree that the only way to truly get the best home theater experience is with a projector unit. The picture quality is the same, but you are able to view it on a screen that is 5-10x the size of your normal plasma or LCD unit. Price and staging are really the only thing holding everyone back from using these in their home. Price is quickly becoming a non-issue. For example, high quality hd projectors 1080p can be purchased for under $1,000.
HDTV versus HD projector? The picture quality is there for both so the real questions are budget, portability and use. In either case you’ll still be the talk of the block.
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