Two rooms, two possibilities

[quicksand10]

Hey all,

This is the first time I post in the Home Theatre section of the forums (I'm pretty active in the New PC build section).
It's also the first time I have the opportunity of going with a full-on home theatre.

Here are the facts:

Back in 2005-2006, we bought a high end (back then) HDTV. It was a Sony Bravia 40" XBR 1080i KDL-V40XBR1. It was placed in a room with a big 'solarium-style' wall behind the couches and viewing position, so a plasma display was out of the question.

Later on, we got a PS3 and, because the TV only had one HDMI-in, we decided to get a 2.1 sound bar + subwoofer "sound system": Sony HTCT100. It had multiple (3, I think) HDMI-ins and better sound than the TV, without being too powerful for the room with big glass windows.

Today, we are thinking of making a little home theatre room in the basement. Low light, normal walls. Ideal conditions, really

However, since I've been out of the game for a while now, I don't know what kind of display to go with, let alone which brand.

For the basement setup, we're going to go with a HD cable settop box, I'm probably going to be building an AMD-Llano based mini-ITX HTPC (HDMI video/audio out) and we're going to go with a home theatre receiver + speaker bundle (which I'm going to make a separate thread for, but if you have any suggestions please don't hesitate. I'm currently looking at the Onkyo HTS5400.)

We have two options: Either we get a 60"-70" 3D Plasma HDTV for the basement or a 60"-70" 3D LED HDTV and put the old 40" LCD in the basement.

So basically, my questions are:
1. What is the better choice for a new HDTV in my circumstances, 3D LED or 3D Plasma?
2. In both cases, what are the better brands, and what are the features to look for?

Thanks a lot.

 

[Wolfshadw]

If you basement theater room is large enough, have you considered an HD 3D Projector?

Also, If you're building an HTPC for the basement and intend to also utilize a cable set top box, why not forgo the set top box and go with a cablecard tuner card/solution like the Ceton InfiniTV4 (PCI-E or USB), SiliconDust HDHomeRun Prime, or Hauppauge WinTV-HVR-2650?

Sorry. Can't help with 3D LED/Plasma.

-Wolf sends

 

[quicksand10]

The room in the basement would be barely large enough. What are the pros and cons? I haven't really done my homework on this.

Also, I've heard that the company I'm with (Vidéotron) sends encrypted signals through coaxial and I don't have a cable card like in the US, so I would need a set top box for this (however, I am considering a PCIe card for an A/V).

Thanks for the suggestions!

 

[Wolfshadw]

Sorry. Didn't realize you weren't in the States. My bad.

For me, the two Pros of going with a projector is screen size and cost. I live in a small apartment and my living room doubles as my theater. My living room is 19' in length (13' wide). With the projector at one end and the screen at the other, I get a 135" diagonal, 1080p image. From my viewing position, it's very much like sitting in the back third of an actual movie theater. I could move closer, but I don't want to be continually moving my recliner back and forth!

My projector cost me just under $1000. Granted, it's not 3D ready/capable, but looking at the cost (again, here in the states) of a 60"-70" HD3D LED TV, the cheapest I found was $1800. One of the HD3D Projectors I would probably recommend comes with one pair of 3D glasses and costs a couple hundred dollars less.

The Cons of having a projector are wiring (you either have one long HDMI run or several long speaker wire runs) and heat. A projector will very easily, over the course of a movie, heat up a small enclosed room. Good air circulation is a must.

Still, in my case, it's worth it (I don't go to the theaters anymore).

This site is a gem when considering a projector purchase.

http/www.projectorcentral.com/Optoma-HD33-projection-calculator-pro.htm

Hope this helps.

-Wolf sends