**The reasons I give in this post are based on things that I think are important when owning one or the other, you opinions may vary from mine and that is fine, let me know about them in the comments section!**

Flat screen televisions are popping up all over the place and the prices are coming down faster than Tiger’s ex-wife with a 9 iron.  You cannot get enough information about flat panel tv’s with all of the brands, cable options, contrast ratios, sizes, colors and HD-ness.  It sure makes it hard to come up with a conclusion that will make your family happy for years to come.  We know that the new televisions are NOT going to last as long as the old 2-ton console tv’s we are used to, but I really wanted to weigh in on the reasons I would choose a flat panel tv over an HD projector for my first HD experience.

Reasons I Like a Flat Panel Television Over a Projector

1. I feel like I have more options, at a better price when it comes to picture quality with a flat panel tv.  With a projector, no matter the brand, there are a ton of outside influences on the quality of picture and overall experience.
   The projector is effected by setup.  You have to know the right viewing distance, surface to project on and lighting in the room to get the best optimal experience.
2. With a flat panel tv you really need less room to enjoy the experience.  The whole purpose of the flat panel is to take up less room.  Now, if you are a lucky person that picked up the Mitsubishi 82″, then your room might have to be a bit larger than normal.  But if you are like most, your averaged size living room will do just fine with a 40″-55″ television.
   With a projector, if you want to see a 100+ inch screen (which is awesome by the way) you are going to need plenty of room just for that.  This means the possibility of using up one whole room in the house, or a section of your basement just for home theater purposes.  This can get a bit pricey in that you are either customizing a room or losing space in your home, such as additional bedroom or den.
3. The setting up of additional equipment can be a bit easier with a flat panel.  Most Blu Ray disc players, xBox360′s, cable boxes or surround sound is located right under the TV.  With a projector, it is typically setup behind you and all the above listed equipment is setup there too.  Now, try changing the settings with your remote.  Of course, you’ll have to reach behind you to do so.  That makes things less enjoyable in my opinion.

I know there aren’t as many people, average people, that have a projector setup, but there are some that went that route because they have the extra room.  Even still, I think that for your money (now) you can get a much better overall theater type high definition experience going with a quality flat panel television.  When you finally win the lottery or somehow can afford to purchase another television, maybe take a look at some of the HD projectors as an option.

As far as being the first time you upgrade from your 27″ squealing box tv, I would upgrade right to an easy-to-use flat panel that you can find just about anywhere.

ESPN has always been a leader in the sports world when it comes to all the sports you can pack onto one channel.  Take that note and add the fact that the network is going to be the first to go 3 dimensions.  That is right, ESPN is going 3D in June 2010.

The network is going to show a minimum of 85 live sports events during the first year and the first one is going to be a FIFA World Cup match South Africa vs Mexico.  There are plenty of other events, but the ones announced so far include 2011 BCS National Championship Game, college basketball, football, 25 World Cup matches and the Summer XGames!

I personally think that watching sports in 3D might be a little hard on the brain at first.  But once the headache is all worked out, it would be quite an experience.  ESPN has been testing the technology for about 2 years now and the CEO of the Consumer Electronics Association is claiming this as the “turning point for 3-D”.

ESPN will be the first to offer this experience and this rockets them to the forefront of the next big advance for TV viewing.  (Source: ESPN)