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How is it better to watch movies at home?

Posted: Thu Dec 14, 2017 10:40 am
by Daghan
Hi, folk. I have finally moved into my own flat :D And now thinking, how is it better to watch movies :?: I think only the projector Image can create the illusion of cinema. But, also, thinking that big curved TV Image can create similar illusion too.
What are your ideas about it :?:

Re: How is it better to watch movies at home?

Posted: Thu Dec 14, 2017 4:41 pm
by mattorama12
Projectors are great for large displays if you have the space, but they are expensive, as you need both the projector and a screen. You can use just a flat white wall, but then the quality is going to suffer and you're better off with just a large tv. The biggest issue with projectors is that it really only looks good with no ambient light, so you'll still need a tv for daytime watching. (Note, I haven't seen how well projectors do with the newest 4k and HDR formats, so you should look in to that.)

For TVs, I would recommend against a curved TV. I'm not sure they're even really making them anymore, as the gimmick has worn out its welcome. It reduces the viewing angle and provides very little benefit from a straight view, so it's just downside with no upside.

Re: How is it better to watch movies at home?

Posted: Thu Dec 14, 2017 7:25 pm
by BadCosmonaut
Another option hopefully available within the next few years is a virtual reality theater using VR goggles. I want to lay on my bed looking up at the ceiling in a pitch black room and see a giant movie theater size screen above me.

There are VR apps now that can do this, but the technology isn't good enough yet to make it look right. I think the screen needs to look indistinguishable from a theater screen or else I'd rather watch on a large TV. The current goggles don't have a high enough resolution, plus they have issues like the screen door effect.

But by generation two or three of the headsets, I think this will be possible.

Re: How is it better to watch movies at home?

Posted: Thu Dec 14, 2017 10:31 pm
by 90sCoffee
I roll my eyes whenever I hear VR or 3D. Just gimme a nice medium sized LED TV with a vivid clear picture and a warm tone. I'll forego the 3D headaches or the home theatre because constantly watching movies loudly is awful for your hearing. And you can get a budget projector under $100 online and use a wall or some cheap screen but the quality of the two combined would probably be dull. Just give me a good picture on a TV that isn't too close or too far. Or even a high-res monitor/laptop is fine since I prefer seeing it a bit closer.

I will say that one useful gimmick though is this, it's a strip of coloured LED lights that you stick on the back of the TV. The lighting reflects on to the wall but not the TV picture so it's useful for when you wanna watch a film in the dark but reduce the eye-strain especially in bright scenes:

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss ... d+tv+light

Re: How is it better to watch movies at home?

Posted: Thu Dec 14, 2017 11:50 pm
by PrestoBix
I find that the brightness and clarity of my 'nothing-special-1080p' TV is better than a standard theater showing. If I sit close, it's like sitting 3/4 back in a cinema in terms of distance to size ratio.

Sometimes I find that I don't like having so many places for my eyes to look in the theater and prefer to suck up the image all at once.

There's also other factors, like being able to pause the film to use the restroom, not having people talking, and also for certain films, I feel I can gain more of an emotional connection if I watch it at home, by myself -- although I've done a comparison with the same movie I can think of.

Re: How is it better to watch movies at home?

Posted: Thu Dec 14, 2017 11:52 pm
by PrestoBix
90sCoffee wrote:
I will say that one useful gimmick though is this, it's a strip of coloured LED lights that you stick on the back of the TV. The lighting reflects on to the wall but not the TV picture so it's useful for when you wanna watch a film in the dark but reduce the eye-strain especially in bright scenes:

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss ... d+tv+light


I used to have a TV that had one of those built in. It'd do red when the screen was red, blue when the screen was blue, and so on. I ended up turning it off because I felt it was altering my experience to something other than what was intended by the filmmakers.

Re: How is it better to watch movies at home?

Posted: Fri Dec 15, 2017 7:34 am
by Daghan
mattorama12 wrote:Projectors are great for large displays if you have the space, but they are expensive, as you need both the projector and a screen. You can use just a flat white wall, but then the quality is going to suffer and you're better off with just a large tv.


If honest, I haven't thought about the display fro the projector :? I was sure that the white wall will be enough. It seemed to me the quality had to be the same.

The biggest issue with projectors is that it really only looks good with no ambient light, so you'll still need a tv for daytime watching. (Note, I haven't seen how well projectors do with the newest 4k and HDR formats, so you should look in to that.)


It's ok. Almost always I have time for watching the moving at night or late in the evening. So that's why I want to choose one item

For TVs, I would recommend against a curved TV. I'm not sure they're even really making them anymore, as the gimmick has worn out its welcome. It reduces the viewing angle and provides very little benefit from a straight view, so it's just downside with no upside.


Oh, against? And again I was sure that curved TVs are better, because their shape makes illusion of closed space

Re: How is it better to watch movies at home?

Posted: Fri Dec 15, 2017 7:39 am
by Daghan
BadCosmonaut wrote:Another option hopefully available within the next few years is a virtual reality theater using VR goggles. I want to lay on my bed looking up at the ceiling in a pitch black room and see a giant movie theater size screen above me.

There are VR apps now that can do this, but the technology isn't good enough yet to make it look right. I think the screen needs to look indistinguishable from a theater screen or else I'd rather watch on a large TV. The current goggles don't have a high enough resolution, plus they have issues like the screen door effect.

But by generation two or three of the headsets, I think this will be possible.


Oh, yes, I dream so much about such goggles. Only one thing worries me a bit the influence on eyes..

Re: How is it better to watch movies at home?

Posted: Fri Dec 15, 2017 7:44 am
by Daghan
90sCoffee wrote:I roll my eyes whenever I hear VR or 3D.


Why? Can you explain, please?

I will say that one useful gimmick though is this, it's a strip of coloured LED lights that you stick on the back of the TV. The lighting reflects on to the wall but not the TV picture so it's useful for when you wanna watch a film in the dark but reduce the eye-strain especially in bright scenes


Oh, I haven't known about this trick. Don't your eyes hurt with this LED lights?

Re: How is it better to watch movies at home?

Posted: Fri Dec 15, 2017 7:53 am
by Daghan
PrestoBix wrote:There's also other factors, like being able to pause the film to use the restroom, not having people talking, and also for certain films, I feel I can gain more of an emotional connection if I watch it at home, by myself -- although I've done a comparison with the same movie I can think of.


Yes, that's why I prefer watching movies at home. But, though, I like huge screens. It is possible for me then to sink into the movie fully