Projectors anyone?

[Phil Conners]

I'm considering getting a projector instead of upgrading our ageing LCD TV, would that be available somewhere in Pattaya or would we have to go to Bangkok for that?

Anyone know what's available and what's the best deal? Obviously I had a look online, but most websites discuss what's available in US/EU. As we know that's rarely what's available here.

I'd also be interested in any first-hand experiences with projector TV, pro/cons. I understand the viewing area should be relatively dark for a good result, I assume that's still the case? Is it enough to draw the curtains, assuming there's no direct sunlight, or does it really need to be pitch black for it to be watchable? I'm no concerned about sound, I already have a decent sound system and would anyway not considering listening to TV speakers.

[IMHO]

First of all, you need to work out if a projector is actually what you want, and whether or not you're going to be satisfied with the end result. Generally speaking, most people want PJ's so they can have a huge screen size, but unless you're buying a top-end projector and a top-end screen to point it at, you might not be that impressed with the result... And if you're spending top-end money, you then have the conundrum of PJ vs 84-85" 4K UHD flat panel options..

How big do you want the screen to be?

What will the average seating distance be?

What is the maximum distance between PJ and screen in the room?

Can you block out most/all ambient light?

Will you be watching only 1080P sources, or will is also be used to display SD content?

Does it need to *ever* display with ambient light? if so, does the room get *any* direct sunlight (e.g. even just one window that catches sun)?

Have a look around at projector do co dot th, and piyanas dot com for info/prices on locally available PJ's and screens.

[Phil Conners]

Well that's basically what this post was about, to find out if a PJ would be a viable option.

I have a wall about 3.5 mtr wide that would be cool to use as home theater. It seems screens are routinely about 120" - I presume like with traditional TV screens that's diagonal, so I guess that'd be around 2.5 mtr wide right? Sounds like a good size.

Average seating distance would be about 3 mtr.

Distance between PC and screen would preferably be around 4 mtr, but could be up to 8 mtr if necessary. I think there would be considerably light-loss at that distance though - I recall from my photography days that light reduce with the square of the distance, right?

I can't completely block out all ambient light, but it's not too bad, and besides, we don't generally watch much TV during daytime anyway.

[IMHO]

If you're in BKK, maybe go have a look at the Sukhumvit 101/1 Piyanas store - they have a home theatre demo room where you can see exactly the types of result you can achieve, and it's not as heavily trafficked as their other stores, so they can spend some time with you... the only thing it can't replicate is natural ambient light, which very quickly washes out PJ systems (much more so than artificial ambient light).

If you like what you see there, the only next considerations are what aspect of screen you want (16:9 or 2.35:1 ultra wide), and then decide how much you want to spend on it all... If you're mainly watching bluray movies, consider a 2.35:1 screen, and a PJ capable of doing constant-image-height so it can use the whole screen (i.e. no letter boxing on 2.35:1 material, and vertical pillar boxes on 16:9 and 4:3 stuff).

The closer you can locate the PJ to the screen, the better, yes, but that's not the only factor.. Watch out for cheaper PJ's that distort the image at shorter throw distances (longer throw generally means better geometry, but lower overall lumens), and also note that the screen gain also makes a huge difference to brightness, and the screen material makes a huge difference to contrast levels. Getting a screen good at both gain and contrast = pricey though

At the end of it all add up the bill.. if it's approaching 300K go have a look at the LG 84" 4K LED panel before committing

[FiftyTwo]

Don't need a screen, light coloured wall is fine.

Do need absolute dark, any sun forget watching it without total black out.

Fine at night with normal curtains, not really affected by outside artificial lighting.

Great with 100" or bigger wall and surround sound system.

[IMHO]

Don't need a screen, light coloured wall is fine.

That's subjective - I guess it depends on what you're used to.. If you been watching a Pioneer Kuro or Panasonic VT series plasma, you won't enjoy watching a PJ without a high contrast screen... If you've been viewing on a 6yo Samsung LCD, a PJ on a painted wall will look awesome though

[kevvy]

I have a Mitsubishi 3D projector, HC9000D and it is amazing picture quality full 1080P high definition .What also makes it one of the best is that I have a curved screen .The main benefit of using curved screen for visual displays, is that for known viewer position, a screen with the same physical screen size produces a wider field of view for a curved screen than a flat screen. This is because as the edges of the screen move closer towards to viewer, the field of view increases.This effect provides a greater sense of immersion in the display environment and can improve visual perception due to the increased area of peripheral vision achieved.I have a theatre room 7 x4 , and I have blackout curtains .

http://www.mitsubishi-presentations.com/hc9000d/

[kevvy]

If you're in BKK, maybe go have a look at the Sukhumvit 101/1 Piyanas store - they have a home theatre demo room where you can see exactly the types of result you can achieve, and it's not as heavily trafficked as their other stores, so they can spend some time with you... the only thing it can't replicate is natural ambient light, which very quickly washes out PJ systems (much more so than artificial ambient light).

If you like what you see there, the only next considerations are what aspect of screen you want (16:9 or 2.35:1 ultra wide), and then decide how much you want to spend on it all... If you're mainly watching bluray movies, consider a 2.35:1 screen, and a PJ capable of doing constant-image-height so it can use the whole screen (i.e. no letter boxing on 2.35:1 material, and vertical pillar boxes on 16:9 and 4:3 stuff).

The closer you can locate the PJ to the screen, the better, yes, but that's not the only factor.. Watch out for cheaper PJ's that distort the image at shorter throw distances (longer throw generally means better geometry, but lower overall lumens), and also note that the screen gain also makes a huge difference to brightness, and the screen material makes a huge difference to contrast levels. Getting a screen good at both gain and contrast = pricey though

At the end of it all add up the bill.. if it's approaching 300K go have a look at the LG 84" 4K LED panel before committing

I am looking into OLED CURVED

[IMHO]

I can't really see the benefit of curved OLED's with current 55"models, unless you're using it a desktop monitor Even a bigger 65" flat panel from 3M seating distance doesn't look so big anymore, so doesn't need any curvature. Once they hit 80+ inches, and reasonable prices (say 200-300K Baht), it will be the end of LED though, and for massive PJ screens I can definitely see the benefit too

[kevvy]

I agree , the curved screens have to be of a decent size to get the movie experience .I have a 3 metre curved screen in my home theatre room . Before we installed it the contractor put up a flat screen.The difference was amazing with the curved screen .It was not cheap set us back 100,000 baht just for the screen. I will be building a new house this year and really want to get a OLED for the lounge room

Have a look at this ...

http://www.sony.net/Products/4k-ultra-short-throw/

Cheers

Kevvy