Confused... Projector or Plasma???????

"Byfo":

I am with "55dok" on this one. Unless you need a viewing area that is greater than 65", I also think that a plasma set is the best way to go. You can get almost as much effective viewing area as you would with a projector and screen system and they're MUCH easier and simpler to install (though with a massive plasma screen, it is still best that the installation is handled by a professional installer).

I, myself was getting ready to buy an LCD set earlier this year (a Toshiba 42HL67 42" LCD set), but then, I became concerned with the refresh rates that these sets exhibit as well as black level (and to a certain point, viewing size and distance) and decided in the end, plasma was the way to go (I will be getting a Panasonic TH-42PX77U).

You may agree with the same thing after you have weighed the fact that you may have to have a projector and screen professionally installed and calibrated.

A 63" to 65" set should just about do it for you. And as "55dok" has said, plasma sets are available in even bigger screen sizes, but it's going to take more gases and better engineering to make a plasma set bigger, and in the end, you're going to pay a BIG premium for all of that additional engineering and viewing real estate.

Good Luck and Happy Shopping......

--Charles--

"Byfo":

To me, it may be hard to tell a difference, but your eyes may see something that mines do not see. So, from an initial standpoint, I cannot tell any differences in perceived picture quality.

About the only differences between the "77U" and the "700U" is going to be picture resolution mainly. Feature sets are almost going to be equal (given in the end, the "700U" may have a few features that the "77U" may not). But the main difference is picture resolution. The "77U" can go up to 720p resolution and the "700U" will go up to 1080p resolution. And in a 42" set, you'll be hard pressed to detect any differences in picture quality, but you're going to pay $300.00 to about $500.00 more for a set with higher preceived resolution. Given that my Denon DVD-2910 can output only up 1080i, my getting a 42" plasma set that has 1080p resolution will almost prove to be a moot point to me.

So, in the end, you will to decide whether or not you can detect enough of a difference in picture quality and resolution to justify paying such a premium for the higher priced set. In my opinion, I cannot seem to see enough of a difference to justify paying that premium.

Only when you get a plasma set that is about 65" or larger, then the benefits of 1080p resolution will become more and more apparent. Otherwise, it is not necessary to get 1080p resolution in a 42" set.

Sorry that I couldn't be more helpful this time around.

--Charles--