Time to let the projector go (but not time for 3D)

It's been a while since I've posts about audio/visual gear here but
this is a pretty big decision so it's probably with a post. We've been
toying with the idea of changing our lounge room layout and some of
the wall placements for a while now and have come up with a layout
(thanks to some invaluable advice) that will make the space much more
usable. This is in no small part to make unit living work a bit longer
while Zachary is still little (but getting a lot bigger). The
consequence of all this is however there is no real place for the
projector anymore. I tried very hard to make it work in the new space
layouts but there was nothing that was going to give a suitable result.

Fortunately not all is lost for big screen viewing though, we will
probably replace the projector/LCD TV combination that we have
currently with a single 55"+ display. The front runner at the moment
is a 58" Samsung Plasma.

I thought about holding off for a 3D set but after trying out one of
the offerings for Samsung I don't think first gen 3D is going to sit
well with me. First off they are able to produce a great sense of
depth in the picture. There was a demo disk running had a staged band
performance and a beach scene. In both cases the picture felt like it
was coming out from the screen toward you but I had a few problems
with it and one of the reasons I think it needs a few more generations.

1."Sweet Spot" - I had to stand in a sweet spot to be able to "see the
image perfectly" according to the Samsung rep. The difference between
being in this spot and out was pretty dramatic though. Best way to
describe it is though the image is focused at that spot and everywhere
else was like dialing back the focus. It didn't go blurry but the 3D
depth decreased and the crispness of the edges dropped.
Why I think this is a problem - while I'm pretty picky about the sweet
spot for my surround and there is a drop in the sound imaging it
doesn't make it more difficult to enjoy the movie. The other reason is
you might be able to the sweet spot concept work for a movie where
you're probably curled up in your favourite couch but for sports and
normal tv viewing I'm often wandering around the house doing other
things (especially if you've got a few mates around to watch a big
game) there is almost no chance of being in the "sweet spot" not to
mention it's going to get very cosy in there

2. Where did all my definitions go? - the picture just didn't seem
as sharp or crisp as I've come to expect from even a mid-level HD set.
This is probably not helped by the problem in point two and also from
a fair bit of ghosting in the background images

3. Headaches - I have this problem with the colour wheel in DLP
projectors. I could always see the rainbow on every dlp projector the
slower the wheel the worse it was. It only took a few minutes and I'd
have a headache. It seems that the effect that creates the 3D image
has the same problem for me. I probably had under a minutes viewin and
had a headache for most of the rest of the day. Samsung recently
released a list of people that would have issues with watching 3D so
it certainly isn't for everyone.

4. Glasses - Last but not least you have to watch the image. It
certainly isn't watchable without. And on top of the fact that you
have to wear glasses logistically if you want someone else to watch
with you they need glasses. The set we looked at only came with two
pairs so you'd easily need another two pairs just for normal visitors.
They also make you look stoopid. Nuf said

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