Projector info

**scorezero** · #1 23-10-2004, 10:33 PM

Hi,

does anyone have any great sites to suggest for projectors? Preferably non biased, non shopping. Just straight-to-the facts-jack!

Any help would be greatly appreciated!!

**Shishkabob** · #2 24-10-2004, 09:53 AM

www.projectorcentral.com

**scorezero** · #3 24-10-2004, 08:42 PM

Hi Shishkabob,

know that already! But thanx anyway! Are there any Australian sites? It's always handy to get $A RRP, plus knowing what's actually available here.

Although here's an American forum which has lots of useful stuff!!

Keep on truckin'!

**pharmaboy** · #4 25-10-2004, 11:10 AM

only other forum I have found in Oz is DBA (digital broadcasting Australia) forums, apart fromplaces like whirlpool, which is how I found EYO.

for US try AVS forum, UK try AV forums.

FWIW, you can get a Panasonic pae700 for 3k here, and sony hs51 for 5k, from allmy reading and knowing I want wxga res., and max.bang for my buck, I reckon the pana is the best deal (also the price is reasonable in oz compared with US - some brands sell for 2k in US and 4k here - huh!)

Pretty much everything available in states and europe is avaialable here (sometmes rebadged though)

pb

**scorezero** · #5 25-10-2004, 10:49 PM

Thanx for that,

I've since found AVS in the US, and that forum alone has kept me up late!
But I didn't know about DBA, so I'll check it out.

There are some nice Barco CRT projs on eBay at the moment, but still not sure whether to risk a second mortgage on potential retubing, or go for LCD/DLP. I managed to overcome the "WAF" (wife approval factor) by telling her about how great PS2 games would look in the big screen!

Now I'm off to do some serious reading...

**Adman** · #6 04-11-2004, 11:37 PM

for a simple no fuss proj try the optoma H-56. bout $5-$6K and not bad for the money. anything below that price is purely entry level. try to spend a little more and save the disapointment. Its a DLP proj. steer away from lcd. they suffer from the flyscreen door effect. i have seen some great lcd projs with a brilliant picture but the pixels are still noticeable.
for a step up have a look at the studio experience Boixlight range. they are sold by amber technologies in the east. great range, esp the premiere 50 HD, bit pricey tho. but great picture.
most important, audition b4 u buy. and spend good money on good quality cables.

**scorezero** · #7 05-11-2004, 07:03 PM

Thanx Adman,

I've since bought a CRT pj. I had a look in store at (only) 3 DLPs, and I saw rainbows everywhere, plus got a headache. Yet the GF had no probs at all.
(I saw the Benq PE8700, Sharp XVZ12000, and an IF4805 (this seemed the worst, but then, it was the cheapest.)) I didn't see and LCDs, as the salesman wouldn't show me any!

If it wasn't for the rainbows/headache, I would say that the DLPs are the way to go, and for most people, they probably are. I was happy with the brightness/black levels/contrast, but the rainbows and sore head put me off!!

I bought a Sony VPH1292, (see my avatar!) and apart from having something the size of a photocopier on the roof, I can't wait to set it up. I'd imagine that the CRT will last a few years (900hrs on the tubes) and by then, digital pjs will have improved enough to remove any probs. At least, that's the plan!!

**Adman** · #8 06-11-2004, 02:17 AM

Nice. CRT's will always give you the most neutral colours and richest black levels of any proj. However they need to be re-calibrated (converged) every six months or so. This means aligning the three guns exactly.

Also a good dvd setup disc is "The Ultimate DVD - Platinum Edition"
Has to be one of the best calibration discs I've seen.

If you weren't in Melb I would like to give you a hand to set it up.

Have fun.

**petefletch** · #9 06-11-2004, 09:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scorezero

I bought a Sony VPH1292, (see my avatar!) and apart from having something the size of a photocopier on the roof, I can't wait to set it up.

Congrats on the projector.
But where and how do you mount one of these monsters?
From the specs I've seen the photocopier description is no exaggeration and these things are supposed to weigh about 100kg.

As much as I would love a projector like this, I'd have to buy a bigger house to put it in.

**scorezero** · #10 07-11-2004, 09:18 PM

"Also a good dvd setup disc is "The Ultimate DVD - Platinum Edition"
Has to be one of the best calibration discs I've seen.

If you weren't in Melb I would like to give you a hand to set it up."

Thanx anyway, adman, I'd really appreciate it!! Luckily, the guy I'm buying from includes setup and astig. adjustments as part of the price. I'll have a look out for that DVD, as I don't have a HTPC. There are some great little bits of software that u can run on a PC for alignment of CRT pjs, but I only have the DVD player for now.

As for ceiling mounting, you're right about the weight, petefletch!! It weighs in at 94Kg!! The trick is to have 2 planks of timber about 3cm X 12cm, that are long enough to span 5 beams in the ceiling. (Say 3 metres?) They run across the roof beams, and sit upright, so that they rest on the 3cm edge, not the 12cm edge. Metal brackets are used to keep the planks on their thin edge. A 500mm square steel mounting plate will rest on these 2 beams, and another mounting plate that attaches to the pj will have a post that locks into this.

The idea of using long hardwood beams is to spread the weight of the pj over a larger area, to prevent the ceiling from sagging over time. The actual hole in the plaster board is only around 5cm square, not too offensive!

A block and tackle is needed to get the pj up to the right height to mount it!! I'm sooo glad that the person I'm buying it from is a technician, and is helping...I very much doubt I could do it blind the first time!! (maybe even the second!!) By the time the tubes are shot, I hope DLPs or something else are up to scratch. I certainly liked that sharpness of the DLPs, and the black levels looked great.

**Tech cripple** · #11 14-11-2004, 09:55 PM

scorezero crt is the ultimate in front projection for a little while longer. I have a Panny 500E and its about 2.5kg and the picture is awesome and I don't have a photocopier mounted to the roof.

Digital projectors are getting really good.

Adman you havn't seen the Panny if you think you can see flyscreen on an LCD. One thing people are right about though is black level. Until Sony release the new Black screen I won't be able to use my Panny in broad daylight. If my panny is entry level then the bar has been well and truly lifted for front projection.

Anyway I have the ultimate home theatre dvd and I have Digital Video Essentials and I like the latter better. Just another choice scorezero. The THX optimizer on the Starwars DVDs is pretty good also. DVE for me though. Enjoy that CRT you lucky bugger!! Ahh the blacks are always better on the other side!!
TC