LCD VsDLP projectors

[Lotus]

Originally Posted by Alfredino

Lotus,

You make some good points. There is no doubt that TI is up against it and should consider
lowering their chip pricing in the ultra competitive projector market, but the fact remains that
1080p DLP projectors can be had for under $3000. Whether you think they are good enough
wasn't the original point.

That is the point. With the exception of one projector that streets for $3500 but you can get with questionable warranty issues for $2444, there is no real DLP alternative out there. It also has a $5000 MSRP. The only DLP I know if with a $2999 or less MSRP isn't a good projector.

So the competition isn't there.

I find the JVC LCOS projectors to be very compelling as far as full field blacks. Unfortunately, the other image artifacts that I saw in the RS-1, but happily not so much in the RS-2, made me go to DLP. I feel that my DLP throws the sharpest, brightest, most three dimensional image available.

Right but I think it is fair to assume that what you and I won't put up with, is not "common practice." Most individuals shouldn't be spending more than $2,500. There is little reason to.

I own an Optoma HD81-LV which is incredibly bright, over 1000 lumens after D65 calibration.
An RS-2 is more like 600 lumens. My 2:35:1 Stewart Studiotek 1.3 gain screen is only 100"
wide, yet I wouldn't want to give up 40% or more light output by going to an RS-2. For the
same price as an RS-2, I feel I've got a brighter, sharper image, accurate color, no convergence or white/black shading errors.

A configured RS-2 is more like 450 lumens. The RS-2 isn't as bright as the RS-1, due to the lens it uses among other things. For a 100" screen 450 lumens is more than enough, and there is such a thing as "too bright," but neither projector has to worry about that.

Your projector is so good that they haven't bothered with a replacement model for 2007. I really like the projector but without fighting for a deal, it's priced too high in comparison with the competition.

Having said that, I'm sure that I could be very happy with an RS-2, the blacks are the most
CRT like I've ever seen in a front projector, and am happy that there is such amazing progress being made in projector quality and lower pricing at such a rapid pace. Every home theater enthusiast benefits from the technology race and if you think one technology has an edge today, don't worry, that will change tomorrow.

That CRT like black is why I love the RS-2, but I wouldn't recommend it to everyone. If you got money to burn, sure.

Technology changes all the time and who knows what will happen in the near future. However if I was TI, I'd be dropping the price of their older generation 1080p chips to such a point that:

A. Sub $3000 MSRP units were readily available.
B. Sub $6000 MSRP 3chip units were readily available.

If TI did that then you'd see a market war.

[Alfredino]

Lotus,

I agree with most of your points, but a quick check with NexTag showed these DLP 1080P models for under $3K street price:

BenQ W5000 $2279 at Abe's of Maine, $2499 at Visual Apex
InFocus X10 $2599-2619 at two sellers I've never heard of
BenQ W9000 $2444-2769 at three sellers I've never heard of
BenQ W10000 $2644-3729, one of them was Abe's of Maine and not the $3729 price

An Optoma HD-803 can be had easily in the $2500-2600 range.

I think there should be more DLP offerings at this price point and with newer TI chipsets,
but we have to remember that 1080P projectors haven't been around very long and have
already had a huge price slide, so I think it's early to rule out DLP yet at the lowest price
points.

There is no doubt that to pay over $2500-3000 will mean taking a big hit at resale time,
but this has always been the case for digital projectors, it's just worse now.

I agree that a projector can be too bright, and most of those don't have good CR. It's important to remember that a bulb drops down in output pretty quickly, so a 450 lumen
projector can drop down to 300 lumens or 250 lumens at a few hundred hours.

I also think the prices of the bulbs are ridiculous and never seem to last the hours they
are rated for. I am looking forward to LED based projectors.

What seems clear to me is that for those looking for a bright, sharp, lightweight, but not
necessarily the most flexible in placement options, projector, DLP needs to be considered
at any price point.

[mikeyrad]

Has anyone seen the Canon REALiS SX80?

[hdancer]

I have been told by nearly every professional I've spoken to about this that calibration of your system by a qualified ISF calibrationist is essential to getting the best video quality from your system. These guys are very well-trained, so the price can be pretty step. Check this out
(http://www.hdtvguy.com/faqs.html) for more info.