Home-theatre dilemma: projector or TV?

The Panasonic PT-AE700 impressed us with its image quality and ease of use.

So, I watched the Oscars, and I sat there thinking, year after year, no one does anything about Al Pacino's hair. In fact, the Oscars were, for me, a parade of bizarrely messy hair, yellow teeth, sweaty features, webs of wrinkles, and pancake makeup. All that is thanks to the magic of life-size HDTV, in the form of my father-in-law's new home-theatre setup: a 72-inch screen with a Sanyo PLV-Z3 LCD projector. He and my brother-in-law managed to get the whole room set up in time for the Oscars, complete with a ceiling-mounted projector, a recessed screen (in a converted closet), and surround sound. But when it came to shopping for that nice home-theatre setup, the preparations for their modest Oscar party were months in the making.

The latest burning dilemma in home-theatre planning is quickly boiling down to one central question: projector or TV? My in-laws spent about three months weighing the pros and cons, so I thought I'd try to make your buying decision a bit easier. Most of you already know the pros and cons of TV sets (but check out our quick guide to TV types if you're in the market), so let's discuss projectors, starting with the basics.

Related articles: Projector quick guide Key features that matter most when shopping for a projector

Consumer-priced portable projectors generally use one of two display technologies, DLP or LCD.

Both have their pros and cons, of course, but to be honest, both technologies have been tweaked and twirled and improved until there really aren't significant differences between them. DLP projectors tend to be smaller, for example, while LCDs tend to have a brighter output and be more light-efficient (the bulbs, which are expensive, don't burn out as quickly). On the other hand, DLP projectors, which use a spinning colour wheel to produce images, may suffer from a rainbow effect -- a trail of colours that disappears in an instant.

However, LCD projectors lag behind DLPs in terms of contrast, and some cheaper models may suffer from visible pixelation. When it comes to choosing between DLP and LCD, odds are that price will determine your decision -- you can find perfectly good performers in both camps. So what does a projector offer over a TV?

Projector pros

• Price
  Although a projector seems like an expensive investment, it can be cheaper than a similar-size television. For example, my in-laws spent about US$2,000 for a great-looking, 72-inch HDTV. By contrast, a 61-inch rear-projection Samsung HL P6163W is about US$2,500, while a 65-inch Panasonic TH-65PHD7UY plasma TV will run at least US$9,000. Of course, the price of the projector does not include the price of a screen (my in-laws went with an 80-inch slice of white particle board from Home Depot, about $20), or the cost of replacing bulbs (more on that later).

  NOTE: Models and prices quoted in this commentary are based on US products, but the price ranges mentioned are roughly comparable, if ahem, slightly dearer, in Australia - Ed.

• Display size
  I've been talking about a 72-inch projector display, but that's frankly tiny compared to what you can accomplish with a good-size room and a blank wall or a pull-down screen. My father-in-law chose to replace his TV with a projector, rather than use a projector to create a home movie-viewing mecca, but if you're looking to complete your own personal Greater Union Cineplex, a projector is the way to go.

• Audio fidelity
  If you're a true audiophile, a big TV can actually impede your listening experience -- that is, it physically interferes with sound waves, blocking some and misdirecting others. A projector and its screen are "acoustically invisible." They don't interfere with sound in any way, meaning you can have a perfectly calibrated home theatre that's perfect for both movie-watching and audio enjoyment.

Projector cons

• Lighting
  The issue of lighting can't be overstated. You must have complete or near-complete darkness in the room where you're setting up your projector, which means you'll require blackout curtains or a windowless room. That alone makes the question of a projector moot for most people -- if you don't have the luxury of a separate home-theatre room, it's TV for you. My father-in-law has that luxury, and he placed his screen in a converted closet, which was painted deep purple all around the screen. His LCD projector is bright enough that the screen is easily visible in a dimly lit room, but that won't be the case for everyone.

• Location
  Obviously, it's great if you can mount your projector on the ceiling. But the mounting itself is no easy feat, unless you have it professionally installed. Otherwise, you're looking at stud-finders, keyhole saws, and so on. It's easiest, probably, to just set your projector on a coffee table, but that limits seating and the number of drinks you can put on that table. It's also easy to set the projector on a shelf in the back of the room, assuming you have one and can adjust the angle as needed.

• Price
  Yeah, I know what I said a minute ago. But consumer projectors are all over the map -- they can be cheaper than TVs, but they can also jump quickly from around US$1,500 to more than US$8,000. Then there's the question of lamp replacement. Your projector's lightbulb is one of its most expensive components, and unfortunately, it has a limited life span. Most lamps last about 2,000 hours -- a nice long time if you use your projector only for movies, but less so if you've replaced your TV with a projector -- and cost between US$300 and US$400 to replace. Then there are the screens, which range from the aforementioned US$20 to US$1,000. You can spend as little or as much as you want, as with most home-theatre setups.

• Noise
  Projectors are louder than TVs. Like computers, they tend to create a whirring noise that can be distracting. Some home-theatre owners have built boxes to hold their projectors and contain the noise, but then you have to worry about heat, and creating sophisticated fans and ventilation systems is a heavy investment.

So, what's the answer? I admit, I was skeptical when my in-laws started talking projector, and I'm certainly not in a position to replace my TV with one. But I do think they're the obvious next wave for home theatres -- that and platform-based, stadium seating -- and I'm looking forward to making my visitors stay in hotels when I'm ready to convert the guest room.