Since our 50" plasma died I've been trying to get the wife to let me buy a projector, using the following arguements.

You get a better, (bigger) picture.
We don't actually watch a lot of TV that wouldn't "work" on a bigh screen, (ie. no soaps, etc) but the stuff we do watch, (things like CSI, Dr Who and football as well as DVDs) would be good on a projector.
We could always keep the 28" TV downstairs for watching the news and Neighbours, (she watches that not me, and it's her only TV vice, aside from most haunted and TAPS)

What do you guys think? Am I deluded or would a projector be suitable?

Advice/opinions welcome, as ever.

TIA

John

If you factor in bulb life & cost you'd be better buying a smaller cheaper TV for everyday use then have a projector & screen (coming down in front of the TV) for movies.

What's your budget?

Not sure what the budget is at the moment, as I'm still waiting to hear back from the insurance.

Get an LCD or LED TV.

Since the last TV has a 50" screen and I do not/will not get a smaller screen than that, what are LCD/LED TVs like at that kind of size, reliability/quality/cost wise?

We have a 50" Sony Bravia LCD TV, and it's nothing short of excellent. Having said that, the Samsung 46" LED TV I saw in Dixons looked stunning - the picture quality was outstanding.

http://www.pixmania.co.uk/uk/uk/2422717 ... ision.html

52'' LCD?

Looks like the budget may be £1,000

The latest Samsungs are incredible rich and vibrant. I've never seen the IMAX sequences in Dark Knight look better. Sure the LED TVs are great, but they'll blow your budget. You could hit 46" in the Samsung LCD range and I very much doubt you'd be disappointed

+1, Samsungs are easily the best in the business atm.

I've been looking at the Samsungs as I have heard good things about them, but Mrs. V doesn't want to get a smaller screen.

Anyway, we've got someone coming out on Thursday to look at the set, as the insurance company want a letter from an engineer saying that it's BER before they'll pay out.

Update time: The engineer has been and the TV is indeed BER. He also mentioned that LCD isn't as good as plasma, and whilst I didn't agree with him, nodded and smiled, as I wasn't in the mood for a "conversation" but it did get me thinking...

Is an LCD going to be as good as a plasma screen for playing the PS3 via HDMI? We're also thinking about getting Blu-Ray, (as part of the bundle) but would and LCD screen look as good as a plasma, when playing HI-def?

The engineer person mentioned that LCD still has ghosting problems when watching football/action movies, but I'm not convinced.

Any experiences/opinions you'd like to share.

thanks.

IIRC LCD is superior when it comes to moving images (esp. fast-moving images), but Plasma is better for colours.

So if you're going to be playing FPSs etc, LCD is the obvious choice.

Oh, and Plasma TVs run out of gas and die.

EDIT: Plasma TVs will also munch through lots of 'leccy, more so than LCDs.

^ 'They' say now the plasmas running out of gas thing only happened with the really early models and as far as I know, the plasmas are the better all-rounder, as the LCDs are still catching up on the whole ghosting aspect (Hertz refreshes etc). That was the last thing I read a few months back anyway

edit - Good overall take on it here:

http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/01/16/lc ... a-in-2009/

I'd go for a Panasonic - Which magazine constantly rates them top for just about everything.

Projector? Fine if you've got a good screen and don't mind the noise of the cooling fan constantly in the background, but when you consider that the size of the screen inside the projector is tiny and it's down to the lenses to enlarge the picture, I'd prefer a big picture to start with.