In Reply to: and if 60" of plasma ain't big enough... posted by Joe Murphy Jr on September 11, 2007 at 21:16:32:
There is no way a 60-inch plasma screen can compete with my 100 inch diagonal screen running using a Panasonic projector. The cost of the projector and fixed-frame screen is nominal compared with the cost of a plasma screen approaching that size.
The cost of a 100-inch plasma screen is 70K. I'm taling 1.5 K for my setup so we are dealing with a cost factor of 40 or even 50:1. One has to be really fascinated with the 1-piece technology to pay that sort of price premium, and a room that could accommodate a 100-inch plasma screen is probably pretty much dedicated to theater setup using a plasma screen that size is surely big enough for a front projector setup. One doesn't walk into a room with a 100-inch plasma screen and say "Goodness, I didn't even see there was a TV in this room." In contrast, (no pun intended) the front projector setup could be all but invisible when not in use.
I think the 100-inch diagonal measure is a size that will become increasingly popular as it fits a more or less normal-sized room (figure a 13-ft lens-to-screen distance) woith only 8 ft ceilings, occupying a wall space just over 4 x 7 ft, and gets the screen up high enough for pleasant viewing with space for front speakers etc beneath. I suppose if one has 9- or 10-ft ceilings in a house, one could go ito a 120"+ diagonal screen which would take up about 5 ft of vertical space and about a 9 ft width-- the same size as a regulation ping pong table LOL.
The puzzle I have been trying to unravel is that given the drastic cost differential between really big-screen plasma versus front projector, why haven't more people opted for the projector option. Many of the earlier problems with front-screen projectors, such as the room had to be nearly completely dark to get adequate contrast, have been all but completely resolved, and there is nothing quite like seeing a movie on a real cloth screen as opposed to through what amounts to a glass "window".
I bhope to eventually change a lot of people's minds in this department.
David
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Follow Ups
- I'm sorry... - DavidLD 05:54:02 09/12/07 (9)
- Same here, in my house..... - millen 21:34:50 09/12/07 (0)
- depends on what you're comparing - Joe Murphy Jr 18:04:03 09/12/07 (0)
- $500 bulbs every 2000 hours (YMMV) for your FP can be an issue... - oscar 06:36:04 09/12/07 (2)
- Your math.... - grantv 07:00:24 09/12/07 (1)
- Might be just as useful to wear out the current FP.... - oscar 15:34:54 09/12/07 (0)
- RE: I'm sorry... - Jack G 06:16:36 09/12/07 (3)
- bulb math - DavidLD 08:04:48 09/12/07 (2)
- use current numbers (2003 - present) - Joe Murphy Jr 17:56:32 09/12/07 (0)
- RE: bulb math - Jack G 08:35:22 09/12/07 (0)