Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: What Kind of Big Screen Should I Buy?

This is topic What Kind of Big Screen Should I Buy? in forum The Afterlife at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Joshua Waaland (Member # 287) on 10-05-2004, 07:11 AM:

My wife and I have decided to buy a big screen for our new home. When we started to look we were confused by all the different types of technology that different manufacturers offered. We want to stay around the $1,000 mark which seems like it may be hard. Since we are on a budget what features are just fluff and what can we not live without? I would like something that is HDTV ready and preferably a widescreen for watching dvd's.

Another idea we had was to just buy a entertainment center (our original idea until one of our friends suggested a big screen) for our smaller tv for the living room, and buy a digital projector for the screening room once it is built. We could then watch dvd's in the screening room where the 35mm projector will be.

Suggestions, comments?

Thanks,

Josh

Posted by Dean Kollet (Member # 1789) on 10-06-2004, 01:03 AM:

make sure it has DVI inputs or HDMI (which I was told was going to be the new standard). I stay away from stuff like Picture in Picture and the likes of it. I had it on a TV once, and I used it once...to watch a movie and keep ESPN on the bottom to check a score (which is now replaced by a laptop or me getting my fat ass up and checking it).

I believe anything that's made from now on over 36" has to include a HDTV tuner built-in, but I'll have to check on that. You don't really need one though, as long as you have a Satellite or Digital Cable, the boxes decode it for you (and most cable companies make you use the box anyways).

Obviously in that price range you are going to get a CRT Monitor, and I swear by those anyways. They still give the best picture. Take a day and go around to stores and check out the pictures. But don't go by what they are playing, ask to watch a DVD or REAL HDTV signal on it (not one that's been split 100 times). In that price range it may be a bit hard so you may want to just save up for the digital projector. Hope this helps.

Posted by Ron Yost (Member # 1850) on 10-06-2004, 12:58 PM:

Simple: Infocus SP4805 DLP projector. Native 16:9. Approx. $1500. Prepare to be amazed, for the money. [Big Grin]

Ron Yost .. extremely satisfied Infocus X1 owner, but it's 4x3.