Aug 19 Podcast #492: Projectors and Mistakes
Podcast Tags: HDTV, Projectors 
Have you ever wondered what the biggest mistakes are that people make when buying a new HDTV? Or perhaps you're looking for ideas for projectors to use in your home theater. Forget that, you want to know how to get NFL Sunday Ticket on your PS3. We've got all that and more on an action packed episode of the HDTV and Home Theater Podcast. And for your reference, the answer is 22 minutes.
Listen to the show
Today's Show:
Blu-ray Reviews:
News:
- ATSC Begins Work On 3D Broadcast Standard
- ZyXEL Wireless HDMI Adapters Now Available
- LCD TV makers set for falling shipments
- Too Much TV May Take Years Off Your Life
Other:
- Harley's CD called The Show Starts in 45 Minutes
- Movies in the Jungle in Costa Rica
Top 10 mistakes made when buying an HDTV
By Gary Merson, HD Guru.com
Choosing the best HDTV is harder than you may think. Using reader feedback, along with having written, tested and researched the subject since 1998, we’ve compiled a list of the most common buying mistakes when choosing an HDTV. By being aware of the pitfalls, you can end up with a better experience, a better TV and without the grief others have experienced.
5 Projectors for Your Home Theater
List published by Electronic House. Full article.
BenQ W1100
The perfect projector for anyone with a limited amount of space. $1500
Buy Now, $1100
Optoma GT750
If you’re looking for affordable, look no further; this unit costs just $800.
JVC DLA-X7
This projector offers 1080p HD imagery and a 70,000:1 native contrast. $8000
SIM2 Lumis Solo
For the Electronic House fanatics, there is this projector. It can display images at 144 fps (the standard movies/television are designed for between 24 and 30). $32,500
Wolf Cub Projector
For $15,000, you certainly expect a lot. Fortunately, the Wolf Cub brings it all.
Reader Comments (5)
Sorry Guys, but I absolutely hate the new intro. I don't believe I object to a new intro in principle, though I don't hear anything wrong with your old one, but this particular new one is bad in many ways
The new intro is slick but still too much, too long. Cut the tech at the beginning and the "Now it's time to hang out with the guys" bit and it would be fine. Find some way to incorporate the current intro's music, and it would be better.
I'm guessing that projector article was written before the new Panasonic PT-AE7000U was officially announced :p It fits nicely into that "middle ground" price bracket with its $3500 MSRP. Panny's AE4000U was certainly a very popular projector, and even though this 7000U successor is priced higher, it's also the first "affordable" FullHD 3D projector using traditional LCD panels. More exciting than the 3D though is the new, brighter, red-rich, cyan-rich lamp!
If all of the early previews pan out, the AE7000U looks likely to become THE go-to projector for people who want 3D-capability, large-screen capability (thanks to the extra brightness), Panasonic's awesome "lens memory" function for "the poor man's" Constant Image Height setup AND a reasonable price point. It's not the $2000-ish price that the 4000U occupied, but it's certainly not the $1500-to-$8000 jump in price found in the article mentioned on the podcast!
So it'll be exciting to see. I'm sure Epson will be releasing something similar at a similar price point to compete. But it looks as though, once again, Panasonic pretty much hit the bullseye in terms of features and price. Let's hope the performance matches!
Keep the old intro! How can you go wrong with David Lawrence? Every time I hear it, I think Heroes.
I agree with YT about the new intro and I had exactly the same thought Braden did. That list of HT stuff is too long and will soon be dated. Nothing wrong with the existing intro as far as I'm concerned.
The only HDTV buying mistake I made was buying a Samsung LED DLP a few years ago. While the 61" picture is spectacular further testing by Samsung indicates the LED's will last much longer than the original 20,000 hour claim. More like 60,000 hours last I heard! I guess that pushes my ability/need to buy a projector back a little.