Your choices
Here is where you easily can get weighed down with terminology and a range of choices. At one time
there was only the familiar standard size tube TV, now you can choose not only at least 16 sizes from
10-inches to 74-inches and more, but you also you must decide between tube, plasma, LCD, rear projection, and
front projection.
The TV or video display size you select will really depend on the size of your own room and the
setting you will be using it in. For instance: How close will you be sitting to the screen?
But, the decision on what sort of TV you want to have is more complicated. Whatever kind of TV
or video display device you buy, just make sure it is high definition compatible (HD Ready TV), even if you don't
get high definition programmes yet, this is changing.
To decide between a TV and a video projector, the main factor you must take account of is whether
or notyou will be watching a lot of television programmes vs watching DVD films.
Main Things To Consider
The really big points to be concious of when your are gearing up to decide what to go for (video
projector vs a television) include:
1. Video projectors don't have RF cable or ariel connections as does a TV. But, if
your cable or satellite box has either S-Video, component, and/or DVI (for HD components)
connections you will be able to link them up to a video projector.
2. Video projectors have a shorter bulb life than you might have thought. Let's put that
another way: if you are watching TV on your video projector about 3 to 4 hours each
night, you would need to replace the bulb about once a year at £150.00 or so a time.
3. Because of the very large screen sizes used in video projection, standard TV or satellite
don't look as good as they do on standard large screen television. Also, you'll find that VHS
looks very poor. That's down to its low resolution. If you have HDTV-cable or HDTV-satellite,
then you will see far better results.
Most would say that video projection really is best for watching DVD films and, if you want longer
bulb life, just limit your time to around 10 hours a week. You'll find that your projection
bulb will keep going for approximately two years.
It's good advice that, if your goal is to get a replacement for daily TV viewing, it really would be more cost effective to buy a large screen rear projection TV (LCD, or Plasma) rather than a video projector.
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Widescreen 16x9
The pros and the cons of 16x9 TV
Rear projection TV - things to know
An overview of LCD video projection
An overview of DLP projection TV
Deciding on TV rear projection
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