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.
Last edited by Zimm; 11/01/09 07:20 PM.
