Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Home Theater A couple of front projection questions....

Do they work in daylight, yes. Would you have the lights on in a movie theater, no.

If I had nothing better to spend the extra 3-4k above the projectors you’re looking at I I’d be interested in the JVC and Sony LCoS projectors including last year’s JVCs which have if still available have dropped considerably in price.

In short, the darker the better.

They are definately better with ambient light then they used to be, but they are infinately better in the dark.

Well, as I have bored many here with my purchase process and experience with a 118" Carada Brilliant White (fixed) screen and the Panny AE3000U, I won't repeat the whole build up. But suffice to say, after about 1,000 viewing hours, the move from a 50" Samsung DLP RPTV to the 118" Pany LCD projector was worth every penny.

I always felt LCD was inferior to DLP, but this round of LCDs really makes great blacks, and the colors pop. Often, I can't tell where the image ends and the black bars begin on 2.3 films as the blacks are flat black. In short, the blacks on my Panny Projector are MUCH better than the blacks on my Samsung DLP (circa 2005).

As for the size and shape, I went with 118" on 16:9 because I watch a lot of TV and sports, and also play a PS3, about as often as I watch movies. The wider format would mean watching less than a full screen most of the time. I have not regretted it, as the black bars really don't bother me at all because they are black - i.e., not there.

Light control is an issue, but one I was able to deal with. With blackout curtains behind the WAF curtains, the room is dark enough to watch at full brightness outside. No doubt, it looks better at night, but from 14' the 3000 lights up the screen with no problem - watching HD football at 3 pm with friends going in and out of the room generates no complaints. Skin tones are phenomenal and accurate, even if viewed from as little as 3 feet from the screen.

Lip sync is an issue, but I think you have a newer AVR so that is curable.

In short, for around $2000 plus screen (about $800 for mine) it is a no brainer compared to a new plasma or RPTV. The impact of a 1080p image at 118", about 12' from the seat, is so dramatic and involving you can't go wrong.

Going further up the food chain will give even better results - specifically LCOS by Sony or JVC for brighter rooms - but for the money, this is a very good and safe deal.

Thanks for updating. I’m also upgrading from a 2005 Samsung DLP and looking forward to it even more now with your observations. I can’t believe you’ve put 1000 hours on it already, just doesn’t seem that you got it all that long ago. I keep telling myself I’m going to use the Samsung for casual viewing and general computer use but I doubt that will last once I see the picture.

I was seriously considering a Sony or JVC LCoS but the price of the JVC and the notoriously bad things I’ve read about Sony customer service held me back. Your comments about the AE3000 make me feel Panasonic was a good choice.

Cheers,
Dean

I was off on the 1,000 hours. I thought I was near 900 and rounded up, but last night I saw that I was at 750, not 850. But I do tend to run this thing for as much as 12hrs on weekends, and several hours every night. On Saturdays it often gets fired up at 9 am for College Game Day and does not go off until after mid-night.

I bought the bulb warranty for $125, so I'm not overly concerned. I do run it on Eco mode often as the light decrease is minimal. Also, I run the fan on high as I can't hear it so why not keep it a tad cooler in there.

My DLP averages about 10 hours a day mostly as a computer monitor. For now I’m only watching movies and gaming on days off so if I can resist using the projector as a monitor I’ll be putting many fewer hours on it.

Have you noticed the bulb dimming much after the first 750 hours?

No, no dimming yet. The bulb is supposed to last 2,000, and i'm hoping for more. So far, no issue.

I'm still researching ... I was fortunate enough to hear from Michael D with a wealth of information that I need to mull over.

just drop some green man and get one, lol.