| Many homeowners are struggling with an | | | | possible with a plasma screen. However, |
| important, electronic question: What is the | | | | plasma's have the advantage of not needing |
| ideal display for my home theater? Many | | | | any amount of space. A projector must have a |
| people have fought this debate, but I'll try | | | | long enough corridor to project its image on |
| to make clear some important considerations. | | | | the wall or screen. To get an 81-inch or |
| | | | greater image, you need a decent distance |
| The most important detail to consider when | | | | between the projector and the target. Second, |
| deciding between a projector and a large | | | | a projector's image is dependent on more than |
| plasma television is ambient light. A room | | | | the quality of the projector; you must be |
| with lots of windows presents a problem for a | | | | projecting onto a specialized surface or you |
| projector because every little bit of ambient | | | | lose detail. A top of the line HD projector |
| lighting degrades the projected image. The | | | | with a very high native resolution would be |
| ideal environment for a projector is one | | | | wasted if you were just projecting the image |
| where you have total control over the | | | | onto a wall. You need an equally high quality |
| lighting. If your home theater uses a | | | | screen with features such as a matte finish |
| projector, you are limited to using it when | | | | to eliminate reflection and glare. A plasma |
| you can eliminate other light. A plasma | | | | display requires no additional equipment. |
| screen can be used anyplace, anytime. | | | | |
| | | | Overall, a projector has the potential of |
| Assuming your home theater has blackout | | | | creating a beautiful image, but it needs too |
| curtains, or exists deep underground; let's | | | | much to work effectively. If you're creating |
| examine differences between a plasma | | | | a private movie theater with lighting control |
| television and a projector. One advantage of | | | | and an investment in a screen, mounting |
| a projector is that you can get a much larger | | | | equipment, and blackout curtains, then a |
| picture than is available in plasma. | | | | projector is your piece of equipment. For |
| Projectors can produce images comparable to | | | | everyone else, I suggest a plasma television. |
| an 81-inch screen and larger. This just isn't | | | | |