Need Upgrading Advice

[dbillow]

First, here's my current configuration:

Studio Experience Cinema 13HD 1080i Projector
86" (diagonal) VUTEC screen
Onkyo TX-DS797 receiver
Toshiba HD DVD player
Time Warner HD DVR - SCi Atlanta Explorer 8300HD
Klipsch Center and Rear speakers (don't remember the models but very happy with them)
Advent AS2 front speakers
DCM subwoofer and rear center
Harmony remote

Room is 21' x 11.5' with two sofas, first 11' from the screen, second elevated at 16'

I have wired my room for 8.1 sound but am only using 6.1 now

So....

I am basically looking to upgrade my system to eventually support 1080p, blue ray and HDMI.

I am budget conscious and don't usually buy high end gear. I usually buy products that are 1-2 revisions old and try to get a great deal.
I built my entire room in 2002 for around $5K, including the wiring and jacks.

I am debating whether I should go to a flat screen, plasma, LCD, LED, etc. from my projector. Since Time Warner is still 1080i that brings in the question "should I stay with Time Warner, my 1080i projector and component video connections, or should I go to DirectTV and 1080p. Even if I do will 1080p look that much better?

I'm 48 now, my eyes aren't what they used to be and sometimes I think the screen I have now is perhaps too big for the room I have. With the way a lot of films are shot today, I sometimes get dizzy watching from the front row when they shoot in "nausea cam" as I call it. That's what got me thinking about downsizing to 55-60" flat screen, but I'm not committed to that. I would like to preserve whatever investment I can.

Should I do this in stages and perhaps just move to a new HDMI receiver now? If so, will an HDMI receiver allow me to keep using my component video connections to my projector? I have no HDMI cabling running to my projector but I do have a VGA cable run, it's big fat cable that has a lot of runs in it.

Any advice? Thanks!

[deewan]

Personally, I don't think you will notice that much of a difference between 1080i and 1080p. There is a difference, but with cable TV I am not sure you will really notice one unless you are able to do side by side comparing.

Component cables are fine for now. You are able to upgrade to Blu-Ray and 1080p using those cables, but with that you also have to run audio cables. Switching over to hdmi will allow you to send both audio and video signals using one cable.

If you currently like your setup with the projector, then I would stay with the projector. There are some great 1080p projectors out there for a fairly reasonable price. Look at the Epson Home Cinema 8100, Panasonic PT-AE3000U, and Sanyo PLV-Z3000. But since you think the screen might be too big and think about stepping down to a more managable screen size, I'd go flat panel TV. Should be some steals out there for the next two weeks. Make sure you get a TV with at least 120 Hz refresh and try to find one with a high contrast ratio. I recently bought a Samsung LED for the living room and LOVE it.

Switching up to a new AVR with hdmi inputs will still allow you to use your component cables for now. I would suggest buying a new to you higher-end model AVR with hdmi (make sure it has at least 3 hdmi inputs) that suits your budget. Then move up to the Blu-Ray and display device.

[dbillow]

Thanks Deewan,

so does anyone know - if I get a HDMI receiver and hdmi devices, i.e. Blue Ray player, DirectTV, can I go into the receiver with only hmdi cables from my source devices and then get the audio and video in from hmdi but go out of the receiver with component cables to my current projector at 1080i? will that work and would the source devices just default to 1080i instead of 1080p?

Thanks!