Anybody play their games on a gigantic screen?

[Anthony1]

I've heard that alot of people are starting to get Front Projectors for their homes. I understand that the prices have come down quite a bit, and for a grand, you can have a DLP Projector that will display your TV, DVD, games, HDTV, etc, etc, on a giant 8 foot screen.

Obviously, one of the biggest downsides to this, is that you need to have a big enough room, to put the projector and the screen in. The projectors are really small, and the screen just goes on a wall, but you need to be able to sit far enough away from the screen, and that is the real problem.


But if you did have the right size room, where you could put the screen on one wall, and sit far enough away from it, I've heard that playing video games on a 8 foot screen is just an awesome experience!

Especially the progressive scan games. A DLP projector can display progressive scan signals, so Dreamcast games, XBOX games, GameCube, and a handfull of PS2 games should all look absolutely incredible on one of these puppies.

The InFocus X1, seems to be the projector that people are raving about. Mainly because of cost. You can get one brand new for $999.99 and you can get a used one for $699.99 (if you look hard enough). Then of course you still need a screen, and those screens aren't cheap, but I understand that if you figure it all out, for under a grand you can be up and running if you get a used projector and a used screen.

I've always dreamed of playing my games on a huge jumbo screen. I could only imagine how good a game like Halo 2 could look on a 110 inch screen.

[Darth Sensei]

Other downsides are that the room needs to be dark and the bulbs need to be replaced every few thousand hours. The bulbs tend to cost a couple hundred each.

Otherwise, if you can afford it, go for it.

D

[Rev. Link]

I actually bought one of those kits you see on eBay all the time that let you project a TV image 150". It actually works, too, but I haven't been able to get it quite that big. Or as sharp as what they always show in the pictures. But it is kinda nifty to fiddle with.

I played a little Capcom vs. SNK on it once. Another time I took it camping with me and my friends and I watched a bootleg copy of Spider-Man on it, then played Marvel vs. Capcom 2. Fun night.

[Ed Oscuro]

My brother played MGS2 Substance on our 50 inch TV a couple times, there were jaggies in the image though. I don't know if it's HDTV capable or what (probably not), but I'm pretty sure he didn't try anyways.

[lionforce]

I currently play everything on my Panasonic 36 inch flatscreen Tube, they make a HD design as well but I want to wait a few years to see where HD technology is by then, I highly recommend the Panasonic and after playing on this TV I can't see myself going back to a smaller screen size, only bigger, my next TV will probably be a 50 inch 8-)

[Nick Goracke]

The InFocus X1, seems to be the projector that people are raving about. Mainly because of cost. You can get one brand new for $999.99 and you can get a used one for $699.99 (if you look hard enough). Then of course you still need a screen, and those screens aren't cheap, but I understand that if you figure it all out, for under a grand you can be up and running if you get a used projector and a used screen.


I'm using an Infocus X1. You DON'T need a screen, but you DO need a dark room. It looks amazing, especially in progressive scan. As a matter of fact, I've moved most of my LEGIT collection to my modded X-Box so I can play the classics in progressive scan instead of the cruddy composite hookups most older systems have. You wouldn't believe the difference in picture quality.

If you've got questions, let me know. I've had this setup for 9 months or so now, and I'm 100% happy with it.

[wberdan]

i have an early generation DWIN TRANSVISION 1 DLP projector and a 100 diagonal 16:9 stewart grayhawk electriscreen.. the resolution isnt that hot (1024x576 in 16:9 mode), but it looks pretty good most of the time. color fringing is annoying in the early dlp and cheaper dlps... and forget about low level shadow detail- it DOESNT EXIST. games also dont feel as smooth in control or in display as when you use a regular CRT (this problem i think is due to the spinning wheel generating the color or something... im not sure).
but, yeah for many games the result is absolutely awesome. and with newer, good DLPs... many of those problems i mention are completely resolved.

willie

[GaijinPunch]

I just got a 32" Sony HDTV as a wedding gift. Will be hooking up the games once I move... the tv is still in the office here.

[jonjandran]

I actually bought one of those kits you see on eBay all the time that let you project a TV image 150". It actually works, too, but I haven't been able to get it quite that big. Or as sharp as what they always show in the pictures. But it is kinda nifty to fiddle with.
.

I hope you're not talking about the one with the lenses. Where you put your small tv in a box with the lenses on the end ?
And you have to turn your tv upside down because the lenses reverse the image.
That one ?

[Anthony1]

I'm sorry, but it's funny to me that some of you guys are just stepping up to 32i inch and 36 inch TV's, and you consider them to be "gigantic screens".


Not to come off as a pompus ass or anything, but those really aren't gigantic screens. They are decent, but nowhere near what I'm talking about.


And I defintely understand that alot of people aren't the hardcore videophile, like I am, and they don't really care all that much about the TV they use. But 32 inch to me is old hat. 36 inches are decent, especially if you get one that has the flat screen and progressive scan capability. A XBOX or GameCube in progressive scan on one of those big tubes looks pretty damn good.

I actually have a 51 inch widescreen Sony HDTV, but I still don't even consider that to be a "gigantic screen". Yes a 51 inch TV is pretty big, but it's nothing compared to a 8 foot screen hanging on a wall.

Now that, is a gigantic screen.

It used to be that a setup like that was only for the rich and famous. I would hear about the super rich, and their special rooms with a drop down screen and a freaking front projector. But now, even us " Po Folks" can actually get a piece of the pie. I just saw today, an ad with a Sharp DLP projector for like $999.99 brand new. It actually does HDTV resolutions too! The InFocus X1 does basically 800 x 600, which is great for DVD, and 480p stuff, but it doesn't really go into the HDTV range of resolution. But apparently this Sharp does.

Anyways, these 1 grand projectors are probably extremely noisy, and really not that good, in terms of contrast and brightness, and they probably need a almost totally dark room, and after using them for a couple of hours, you will probably have a huge headache, but still, I think it would be freaking awesome to be playing a game like Sega Rally Championship on the Sega Saturn on a huge freaking 8 foot wide screen!

Yeah baby.

Now, if only I could convince the wife........


Ain't happenin...

[Anthony1]

guys, check out this review of the InFocus X1. It explains my point absolutely perfectly.



http://www.projectorcentral.com/infocus_x1.htm

[Flack]

I own a Toshiba projector that I use for movies/video games. I think it was just over $1000. The thought process behind this purchase was, most of the rear projection tv's don't go as big as this projector and cost twice as much. It has S-Video, Composite, and SVGA inputs.

When I got it home I put it on a chair and pointed it at a white wall and have been semi-pleased with that setup -- on a scale of 1 to 10, I would give it a 6.5 or so. One of the worst movies in the world to watch on it is Attack of the Clones. I thought the straight digital transfer would make things look better, but that movie in particular looks like a PS2 game with bad jaggies. They're everywhere. Most other things look pretty good.

Last weekend, I bought a roll of screen material for $25 off of eBay. It's 54" x 108" (I believe). You can either put it on a frame or just velcro it to the wall. Just as a test I stuck it up on the wall and I would say I would have to say the picture quality jumped from a 6.5 to an 8.5 or maybe even a 9 in my eyes. Sure, it's no plasma, but neither is the price. Right now I've got a 4 way s-video switch box running to the projector, with PS2, Dreamcast, DVD and VCR all hooked up to it.

I have relatives coming the week of Thanksgiving so my goal is to have that project completed before the arrive. Once done I'll take some pictures and toss em online.

[lendelin]

My former neighbor had a front projector, and we used it a couple of times to play Gran Turismo 3. The first time we used a big screen, otherwise we used my garage wall to play.

I don't know the brand or the specifics of the projector. He got it relatively cheap, he told me it was about three years old, and the original price was about $3000. The screen was 6 feet or something like that. It had S-video, and we hooked up my PS2 on S-video.

The size was incredible, of course. The first time I played GT3 again on my 27" flatscreen (component video, no HDTV, no progressive scan) I thought: "oh my god, it's so SMALL! :) However, the contrast with the projector was not so good, and so was the resolution. I suspect that the INFocusX1 is probably better.

I'd always prefer a great picture quality with a 27", 36", or 24" TV compared to the quality this projector produced. It all depends what kind of resolutuion and low shade ability a projector delivers. If the graphics quality goes significantly down, bigger size won't do it. If it's about the same quality, dear God, it must be great!! :)

[Zaxxon]

How far away do you have to put the projector to get a big 8x8 or 10x10 sized image? Do they make something like a tripod to mount the projector on so you can stick it in a corner if you don't want to mount it to the ceiling? Do the bulbs for all brands run about $200 and do they all typically last about 2000 hours? They used these at college to project what was on the teachers PC screen in a lit up classroom and it was easily viewable. Surely these newer $1k models must be at least that bright, so you can watch TV, right? Does anyone know how the Dell or Gateway(?) brand ones stack up to the ones mentioned above? I've never heard of InFocus brand anything. Are they including SCART connections on the proj. overseas? Can all these projectors accept PAL and NTSC? That review just mentions SVGA.

[Sylentwulf]

I'm sorry, but it's funny to me that some of you guys are just stepping up to 32i inch and 36 inch TV's, and you consider them to be "gigantic screens".


Not to come off as a pompus ass or anything, but those really aren't gigantic screens. They are decent, but nowhere near what I'm talking about.


And I defintely understand that alot of people aren't the hardcore videophile, like I am, and they don't really care all that much about the TV they use. But 32 inch to me is old hat. 36 inches are decent, especially if you get one that has the flat screen and progressive scan capability. A XBOX or GameCube in progressive scan on one of those big tubes looks pretty damn good.

I actually have a 51 inch widescreen Sony HDTV, but I still don't even consider that to be a "gigantic screen". Yes a 51 inch TV is pretty big, but it's nothing compared to a 8 foot screen hanging on a wall.
Now that, is a gigantic screen.
Yeah baby.
Now, if only I could convince the wife........
Ain't happenin...

It's not that we wouldn't like an 8 foot screen, but since you're a videophile of great knowledge, you know that you're supposed to sit, what, 2-3 times the screen size away from the screen for best viewing distance? So, a 51" TV has you sitting 10 and a half feet away. That makes a pretty big room in itself. Now, if your screen is 8 feet big, you'll need to sit 20 feet away for optimal vieing. THAT, is a big friggin room.

Plus, the number one reason not to get a projector as mentioned above, is it has to be DARK in the room, not shades closed dark, but the moon is out, and it better not be a full moon dark. Like if you're room has ANY windows and you want to play during the day time, you're going to need boards or blankets.

Most games and movies aren't MEANT to be displayed that big, and they're not going to look good that big. As you can already tell, on a 51", the PS2 is pushed to the limit, playing anything older than the dreamcast just looks like crap (ok, not like crap, but it sure as hell doesn't look that good)

Theres just no reason to go that big. I have a 47" and I would have liked a 50"-52" instead, but that's not enough of a difference for me to worry about.

edit - the videophile comment bugs me, not to say that you aren't one, but I personally don't think ANYONE on these boards qualifies as a videophile except maybe wberdan. If you ARE, then you should know many more forums much better suited for a post like this, like the AVS forums.

[Cranduit]

At my work we have some of the higher model up InFocus Projectors for intermissions. About once a week we go in and play Halo (because everyone can agree on that). Even with really dark rooms it's hard to see everything, but the size gives off enough of the wow factor (around 25' x 46'). Other than that I just use a standard TV until they perfect DLP technology. But the new 80" Mitsubishi LCoD screen looks real nice :)

[lendelin]

Most games and movies aren't MEANT to be displayed that big, and they're not going to look good that big. As you can already tell, on a 51", the PS2 is pushed to the limit, playing anything older than the dreamcast just looks like crap (ok, not like crap, but it sure as hell doesn't look that good)

Theres just no reason to go that big. I have a 47" and I would have liked a 50"-52" instead, but that's not enough of a difference for me to worry about.


I second that. As I said before, pic quality is everything, not the size. I love good electronics, and I wanna squeeze out of my consoles the best videosignal. With a HDTV, progressive scan, on component video, I wouldn't go bigger than 42". With a regular TV and component hookups, I wouldn't go bigger than 27". I like clean, crisp pic quality, and if that's compromised, no impressive size helps.

I have still an old RCA TV from the mid 80s, 20", RF connection only, which runs perfectly fine; the 16bit and and later systems look plain awful on it, and I use my newer TVs for them with S-video and component video; however, the NES looks great on that simple, outdated, basic connection TV. The pic is even better than on my newer TVs with composite.

Some older systems are meant to be played on their corresponding older TVs. I'm electronic obsessed, but have zilch knowledge about it. I suspect that some older systems are "somehow" tailored towards the TVs of their time.

[chadtower]

I suspect that some older systems are "somehow"
tailored towards the TVs of their time.

Think in the opposite direction. It's not that they were tailored to the old TVs, it's that the new TVs expose the limitations of the old consoles.

[lendelin]

It's not that they were tailored to the old TVs, it's that the new TVs expose the limitations of the old consoles.

...which means that the older systems are perfectly suited for the limitations of the older TVs. :) The NES wasn't build for the TVs of the future.

Both of our statements are almost classical "different starting perspectives" opinions, which gives us both right. :) Then we can engage in lenghty discussions; about similar topics are entire libraries written. Oh philosophy, how do I love thee. :)

[wberdan]

I'm sorry, but it's funny to me that some of you guys are just stepping up to 32i inch and 36 inch TV's, and you consider them to be "gigantic screens".


Not to come off as a pompus ass or anything, but those really aren't gigantic screens. They are decent, but nowhere near what I'm talking about.


And I defintely understand that alot of people aren't the hardcore videophile, like I am, and they don't really care all that much about the TV they use. But 32 inch to me is old hat. 36 inches are decent, especially if you get one that has the flat screen and progressive scan capability. A XBOX or GameCube in progressive scan on one of those big tubes looks pretty damn good.

I actually have a 51 inch widescreen Sony HDTV, but I still don't even consider that to be a "gigantic screen". Yes a 51 inch TV is pretty big, but it's nothing compared to a 8 foot screen hanging on a wall.
Now that, is a gigantic screen.
Yeah baby.
Now, if only I could convince the wife........
Ain't happenin...

It's not that we wouldn't like an 8 foot screen, but since you're a videophile of great knowledge, you know that you're supposed to sit, what, 2-3 times the screen size away from the screen for best viewing distance? So, a 51" TV has you sitting 10 and a half feet away. That makes a pretty big room in itself. Now, if your screen is 8 feet big, you'll need to sit 20 feet away for optimal vieing. THAT, is a big friggin room.

Plus, the number one reason not to get a projector as mentioned above, is it has to be DARK in the room, not shades closed dark, but the moon is out, and it better not be a full moon dark. Like if you're room has ANY windows and you want to play during the day time, you're going to need boards or blankets.

Most games and movies aren't MEANT to be displayed that big, and they're not going to look good that big. As you can already tell, on a 51", the PS2 is pushed to the limit, playing anything older than the dreamcast just looks like crap (ok, not like crap, but it sure as hell doesn't look that good)

Theres just no reason to go that big. I have a 47" and I would have liked a 50"-52" instead, but that's not enough of a difference for me to worry about.

edit - the videophile comment bugs me, not to say that you aren't one, but I personally don't think ANYONE on these boards qualifies as a videophile except maybe wberdan. If you ARE, then you should know many more forums much better suited for a post like this, like the AVS forums.

there are no rules about where to sit with a screen- there are some guidelines, but nothing solid. i can tell you this- sitting 13 to 15 feet from a 7 foot wide screen is close to optimal in my opinion.
there is actually a pretty good guideline regarding the angle of the screen in proportion to the viewer.. but i cant seem to recall what it is.

i disagree with the comment about movies not intended to be displayed that large.. that may be true if you do not have a good progressive scan device of some sort. dlp's and lcd's arnt as kind to large images as CRTs- that may be why you think large images look like crap.
i dunno- its basically a 'shop around and see if you like it' kinda thing...
i would advise against going with a projector and screen- and instead go with a good 50+ inch HDTV with a CRT inside. you will get better results (unless you have a LOT of money).

[wberdan]

I suspect that some older systems are "somehow"
tailored towards the TVs of their time.

Think in the opposite direction. It's not that they were tailored to the old TVs, it's that the new TVs expose the limitations of the old consoles.

it might expose limitations, but hdtv's make the old consoles look better than they ever have on regular televisions.

[jonjandran]

i would advise against going with a projector and screen- and instead go with a good 50+ inch HDTV with a CRT inside. you will get better results (unless you have a LOT of money).

A CRT in a 50 inch or larger ? :hmm:
I thought a Cathode Ray Tube is in a computer or small tv.

<edit> my bad I looked it up and you are right, sorry.

[udisi]

well I play mostly on a modest 32 in toshiba cinama series, and I'm happy, though my brother owns a 67in widescreen sony, which just rocks, especially with HDTV xbox games.

[chadtower]

32" isn't modest... the biggest TV in my house is 27".

[Sylentwulf]

RPTV's are technically CRT displays. (Right?)

Did I write movies up there? I meant videogames aren't really meant to be shown that large, hell the playstation 1 was pushing it on a 32-35" and I'm sure the NEXT batch of console will look good up to 60" or so, but for now, what you gain in size, you lose in other area's....

13-15 feet away for a 7 foot screen, is 2-3 times as I stated :)

I know, it's not an exact requirement, just suggested optimal viewing distance.

[Flack]

The book that came with my Toshiba projector said that the optimal viewing distance is 2x the diagonal screen size. Also, projector brightness is measured in lumens. Anything 1000 lumens or less is going to look washed out and not very bright in a room with any light. The Toshiba I bought is 1,400 lumens. It still looks pretty awful with the lights on, but with the lights dimmed and blinds drawn it looks good and with the room dark, it looks great.

I love-love-love my projector. My friends always want to come to my house to watch movies (and football games). BUT, it does take a pretty dedicated room to get maximum enjoyment out of it. I actually toyed with the idea of replacing our living room television with it and I'm so glad I didn't, mainly due to lighting issues/lamp costs.

I bought more paint this weekend ... I'll have everything done in a weekend or two!

[Nick Goracke]

Most games and movies aren't MEANT to be displayed that big, and they're not going to look good that big. As you can already tell, on a 51", the PS2 is pushed to the limit, playing anything older than the dreamcast just looks like crap (ok, not like crap, but it sure as hell doesn't look that good)



I agreed with everything you wrote up until this point. I've been playing a lot of Sega CD and PC Engine games lately through component video (modded my XBox, playing ORIGINAL games) on my ~80" screen. It's GREAT. Really, it is. Even my SNES looked good with an S-video cable.

I really don't understand the concern that playing old games on a huge screen will make them look bad. The only thing that might hold them back is low quality video outputs, not the content itself.

[slurpeepoop]

I've been looking for a big-screen HDTV for a while now, but I just couldn't come up with a good enough reason to blow $3000 or more (I have quite a few tvs in my home, ranging from 27" to 36")

I went to a few sites, and started reading up on front projection tvs.

After a couple of hours, I discovered that dollar for dollar, the InFocus X1 seems to be the best option out there if I wanted to move up in the 60"+ arena. After reading a lot of reviews, it seems that everyone is impressed with this little powerhouse, especially for how cheap it is. I'm a little mad that the 3 year warranty extension promotion ended yesterday :(

One quick question: we're all smoking fools at my house, and we have quite a few parties where the house literally gets hazy from smoke, and once a door is opened, smoke billows out like deep fog. Are front projection tvs especially susceptible to cigarette smoke? I'd hate to shell out $250 every two months for a new bulb.

[Sylentwulf]

I agreed with everything you wrote up until this point. I've been playing a lot of Sega CD and PC Engine games lately through component video (modded my XBox, playing ORIGINAL games) on my ~80" screen. It's GREAT. Really, it is. Even my SNES looked good with an S-video cable.

I really don't understand the concern that playing old games on a huge screen will make them look bad. The only thing that might hold them back is low quality video outputs, not the content itself.

Maybe I just had bad luck with the games I've tried <shrug> Most notably that I can remember, is PS1 games with jaggies just running RAMPANT. The SNES games just look way too pixelated for my tastes, I suppose Pre-SNES games would look fine since they're so simple, but for me, SNES-PS1 just don't look good, they were meant to be played on a smaller screen so the jaggies and pixels are quite as obvious....

[kevincure]

I just bought an Infocus X1 too. My bud back home has one - as long as you can control light in the room, it looks amazing. If you buy a screen (say a DaLite for 100 bucks), it looks really amazing. The resolution and image quality are better than all but high-end TVs. I'm sitting 11-12' back and projecting at 84" diagonal, which is almost too big; the general rule, though, is 2 to 3 times *width*, not diagonal. So at 4:3 ratio, the width should be 84^2 = sqrt(x^2+(3/4)x^2).

Front projection has recently got much, much cheaper. The X1 (I got mine for 860) is an amazing deal - these are equivalent to 3000 dollar machines only a couple years ago. Other than light guns not working (I used an LCD TV before and they also don't work on that), it's a great way to play games. Lifesize Mario!