Super-Size HDTV with a Projector

Filed in archive Video Projectors on April 4, 2005

A lot of people are starting to discover that office type projectors are great for home entertainment. An article at SoundAndVisionMag.com says:

To test the state of the art in affordable LCD front projectors, I rounded up four high-def models: Panasonic's PT-AE700U ($2,995), Epson's Powerlite Cinema 200+ ($2,999), Sony's Cineza VPL-HS51 ($3,500), and Hitachi 's PJ-TX100 ($3,999). Each is stuffed to the max with advanced picture-tweaking features. Most also include iris control so you can "stop down" the amount of light passing through the projector's lens for improved contrast - a welcome thing with LCD projectors, which typically struggle to achieve contrast levels approaching those of CRT, or even DLP, models. But I'll be diving into those details soon enough, so let's get to the reviews.

While I like the idea of a projector, which can now cost under $1000, the article doesn't mention that replacement lamps can run around $500. Consider if you have a lamp that lasts 2000 hours and you watch TV 10 hours a day, 7 days a week, then you'll have to pony up about $1000 a year for lamps. Projectors are great for viewing TV but a heck of a kick in the wallet.


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