Projector group test in the new magazine: some questions

[yiannis550]

Hello, I was checking out the projector test in the new issue and I have a couple of questions about the two infocus models (in81 and in82) How would it compare with a good 40-42 inch LCD or Plasma TV of about £2000 How would they be in the daylight? Will I have to cover all windows etc.? how long would a lamp last and how much does it cost to replace? I like the magazine's tests but sometimes you miss basic details. the above questions are basic FAQ when it comes to projectors.

 

[Andrew Everard]

It's a bit chalk and cheese - at very small image sizes the flatscreen would be better, but of course the projectors can throw a much larger image, and with a proper screen will give exceptional results.

But yes, they do need as total a blackout as possible - otherwise ambient light on the screen will smother all the dark tones in the picture, So effectively useless in daylight.

Lamp life? Varies according to usage, but estimated at around 2500 hours in whisper mode, or 2000 at full brightness. A new lamp will cost between £150 and £275, depending on where you buy it, as a moment's Googlage will illustrate.

 

[Clare Newsome]

Er.....not useless in daylight if you watch with a high-gain screen. I only use a projector at home , and never draw the curtains (other than when it's already dark). Quite happily watched lots of sport this afternoon with bright sunlight outside.

Yes, for movies/TV with lots of dark scenes (24; Lost etc), it's best to watch at nighttime, but for everyday viewing and high brightness programming (ie sport), you can live with a projector happily with the right screen.

 

[Andrew Everard]

OK yes high gain screen helps, but you don't get black blacks in daylight,,,

 

[yiannis550]

I don't know much about projector screens so can someone explain what is a high gain screen and if there are any disadvantages over a regular screen?

 

[Andrew Everard]

[quote user="yiannis550"]I what is a high gain screen and if there are any disadvantages over a regular screen?[/quote]

Basically a screen designed to reflect more of the light being given out by the projector. The gain is expressed as a number relative to the light output available with a standard white board (the white usually being defined as magnesium oxide). So the white board is 1, anyhting with greater gain (or rather less loss!) is given as a number greater than 1, and screens with lower reflectivity have fractions of 1. So a common home cinema screen might have a gain figure of 0.9 or 0.8.

In general, high gain screens are more usually employed in business enviroments, where you might want to project with some ambient lighting on. Their disadvantages are usually a much more narrow viewing angle before the light levels drop off, and in the case of some high-gain screens this can even be seen as hot-spotting, where the image is brighter in the centre than it is at the edges.

That's why purist home cinema screens tend to be of lower gain, giving more even reflectivitiy and thus a wider viewing angle. Indeed, some screens can appear light grey rather than purw white, many home cinema enthusiasts feeling these give a more natural picture. But they do need to be used in near-total blackout.

 

[Clare Newsome]

Andrew's spot-on above, but there are some new screens coming out that offer the best of both worlds: high gain, high contrast designs aimed at home cinema enthusiasts who don't want to live with a permanantly blacked-out room.

For example the Planar X Series, which we tested earlier this year - we knocked a star off for poor off-axis performance in a lit room, but otherwise praised it for its ability to show an excellent picture in ambient light.

Yes, you won't get the 'black blacks' in daylight, but it's great with sport, family movies etc - typical daytime fodder, in fact - and contrast is far better than the majority of flatscreen TVs can offer under the same conditions.When night falls/you draw the blackout curtains, you get no problems (with the right projector) achieving the inky darkness.

 

[yiannis550]

Great! Thank you Andrew and Clare for the excellent info!