Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Advice from Axiom Owners System upgrade

Mucho more $ for front projection to get to to good quality 1080p and you need a light controlled environment. Lots more than M80s or an RPTV.

probably $3500 for 1080p projector plus the screen....

just a guess though.

You can get a good tv for much less than that

1080p is nice for front PJ. But it is not absolutely necessary.

A decent PJ and screen can run you less than a $1,000. New cables will probably be required.

I got the Mitsubishi HC-1500 (720p) for under $700 and my screen for less than $250 - it's a fixed frame white screen with a black velvet border.

1080p will cost about $1000 to $1500 more. The screen won't change. Carada and some other companies make great screens. But in a dark room (especially given today's high contrast, generously bright projectors), a high gain screen is not really necessary. The big problem with PJ is the throw distance and the room's light control. If you've got a pretty straight shot, roughly 12 to 15 feet from the screen, perpendicular thereto, and a room with plenty of black out curtains, it can definitely work. 100" is a thing to behold.

HD stuff looks great. DVD looks a little fuzzy when it's blown up to 100". Blu Ray looks absolutely gorgeous. I'm sure 1080p projector would look even better with Blu Ray, but for my money, right now, I think I will be hard pressed to upgrade before the 1080p prices come way down. Big Screen projectors, pretty much, though require a Blu Ray player to really enjoy them.

I think I mentioned above, though. The projector is a great experience for watching movies - like you're at the movies, in fact. It's a bit ridiculous for casual viewing, like watching the news. This is especially true when you consider the fact that he bulbs burn out every couple of years with moderate use. You can expect to change your bulb every year and a half to two years if it is your primary TV. Then's there the minor hassle of having to let the bulb warm up. Every time the PJ goes on, you have to wait about 30 seconds before you see anything, which can be a PITA.

In re: screens. Many a company want to sell you awesome screen materials with crazy crystals all over them, and charge you more than you paid for the PJ. It's your money, but I avoided those guys. Honestly, I don't want to know if there is a big difference between these screens, but I am very skeptical that, in a totally dark room, the screen material is going to make the image better. Brighter? Maybe. But, as I said before, todays PJs are plenty bright, especially in a dark room.

If you want more advice, though, I did tons of research before purchasing, so feel free to ask.

Thanks for all the advice so far.... when I think of more I will ask

If looking for an alternative to expensive screens....

My test runs with a $100 dollar sheet of "Wilsonart, Designer White" Laminate, on a simple home made frame, produced flawless results with my Epson Powerlite 1080P projector. Here is one thread I found as part of my research with some great screen comparison pictures.

Example thread on Laminate Screen

If I ever get off my butt and finish seam filling, it will be put into permanent operation.

In short, this particular brand and model of laminate has been regarded as equal to or even better than many of the 500 to 700 dollar screen alternatives. It certainly totally satisfied my eyes, although I don't claim to be an expert.

I have to agree as well. Get a TV first. While 1080p might not be "necessary", why buy something that's already dated, coming out of the box? Save up until you can get it right the first time. As far as future proofing goes, 1080p and 10-bit color are pretty important. The 120hz option is pretty cool too, as that could open up 3D options in your future.

After that, I'd opt for the M60's next, VP150 third, then QS8's last. Reasoning being, the M60's will be far and away the biggest improvement in sound from where you are now.

The biggest piece of advice I can give though is to save up, and buy everything piece by piece and get it right the first time. The temptation is to grab whatever you can get now because you want it as soon as possible, but in the end you'll just be disappointed in your purchase, and want to "upgrade" everything again. In the end, spending more than if you'd just waited awhile and bought the good stuff to begin with.

Just my two cents.

120Hz opens up 3D options? How's that then?

Because 120Hz is divisible by three dimensions.

Duh.




Yeah, I got nothing. . .

Ah but 60 is divisable by 3D also

Might have been a typo for 36D. That does open up quite a big on a good TV.