Sony Cineza Home Entertainment Projector (1 Viewer)

[Michael D. Bunting]

I'm very tempted........
www.sony.com/cineza
List price is $2999.00
How does this projector compare to the Sony VW10HT projector? I know the VW10HT is considered one of the best ones out there.
Or, would one be better off purchasing a HDTV Direct View 16:9 Widescreen set at $3500.00 versus buying the Cineza for just under $3000.00?
Thanks for any help!
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I WAS DRUGGED AND LEFT FOR DEAD IN NEW MEXICO AND ALL I GOT WAS THIS STUPID T-SHIRT
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My DVD Collection
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[Edited last by Michael D. Bunting on October 01, 2001 at 09:53 PM]

 

[Rob Robinson]

wow. that looks cool as hell.
my signifigant other would much rather have a projector than a big tv, but the fan on the proxima from work is WAY too loud.
i may get this instead of the 42inch tosh for my apt if the reviews are good.

 

[Michael D. Bunting]

"Cool as hell" is right Rob!
I saw the ad for the Sony Cineza in my October Issue of MAXIM earlier this evening and my eyes about popped right outta my head! I get a $3,000 bonus from my job in about 2 weeks - how convenient!
My "SO" has given me the okay if I really want it (Cineza)..I just need to be sure on this purchase before I make it.
I like the Memory Stick slot on it also..as I will be getting a Sony Digital Camera for X-mas this year (hopefully).
Still very tempted!
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I WAS DRUGGED AND LEFT FOR DEAD IN NEW MEXICO AND ALL I GOT WAS THIS STUPID T-SHIRT
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[Rob Robinson]

bonus? sweet. i remember those days. sigh.
we just found out that we are going to have to reduce staff in 2 weeks and no one knows who is gonna get cut.

worst case scenario, i suppose i can blow the severance on the sony and use my unemployment checks to scrape by while I catch up on unwatched disks- in style

 

[Rob Robinson]

Why in the hell is the 3 inch "projector stand" $200???

 

[Doug_H]

I think I just found my new projector!
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The Mischievous Rogue Strikes Again! The Humble Hanson Theater

 

[John Morris]

Can this possibly be as good as it looks???
How does it compare to other LCD PJs?
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Take Care,
merc
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God Bless America!!!

 

[Kimmo Jaskari]

This projector is known as the VPL-HS1 over here in Europe. People who have seen it demoed like it; it is very quiet, has a function to project images off-center (ie, place projector by the wall and still project onto a centrally placed screen) and good colors etc. Black level is the problem as usual, and not ceiling mountable.
It's considered better than the Sanyo PLV-30 from what I have read though; less obvious screen door effect.
It's still "only" a 4:3 SVGA (800x600) projector though. Meaning, vastly inferior to the VPL-VW10HT. Which is to be expected considering the price difference.
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/Kimmo
[Edited last by Kimmo Jaskari on October 02, 2001 at 05:49 AM]

 

[Michael D. Bunting]

I need help with some of these features on the Cineza - can anybody help me?
The Sony web site states:
"With the Cineza™ Projector, the possibilities are endless. You can easily connect directly to your TV, VCR, DVD player, component TV tuner, and more. The giant screen Sony Cineza Projector accepts both 16:9 and 4:3 signals, providing different viewing options. The spectacular color looks natural and lifelike."
Q:Even though it's "only" 4:3 (800X600) - it also lists that it accepts a 16:9 signal. What does this mean exactly?
Does it mean that I would be able to display a 16:9 Anamorphic Widescreen image with this thing - if my input was coming from my DVD player?
Also, how long do the Lamps in projectors last? Would I need to replace them say once per year on average (depending upon useage I'm sure ?
One more question for now:
The Cineza has an optional accessory called the:
IFU-HS1 Signal Interface Unit
Used for easy hook-up of all components with a single cable to the HS1 projector.
Wouldn't this de-grade the quality of connections, say from my DVD, LD, PS2, etc? And how many items can I have connected to this unit at once? From the pictures on Sony's web site it looks to me only 3 inputs (but I'm just guessing)
Thanks for any education!
Looks like I may have to see a demo of this before I fork over $3k - but it looks very promising to me. But I don't know jack about projectors

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I WAS DRUGGED AND LEFT FOR DEAD IN NEW MEXICO AND ALL I GOT WAS THIS STUPID T-SHIRT
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My DVD Collection
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[Bill Lucas]

I'm pretty sure I saw it at CEDIA. It was not impressive. Save your money for an 11HT. Although the 11HT is not my cup of tea it is decidedly superior in every respect to the home cinema LCD they demo'd at CEDIA.

 

[John Morris]

I'm pretty sure I saw it at CEDIA. It was not impressive. Save your money for an 11HT.

Bill: That's easy for you to say...

Yet, those of us holding $3K are also looking at a Toshiba RPTV, not at a Runco, nor 300lb used CRT gorilla, nor even at an 11HT. Our choice is 57" RPTV, an alternative sub $3K PJ or this unit. So, faced with a $3K decision to make before Christmas, what would you buy?
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Take Care,
merc
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God Bless America!!!

 

[Kimmo Jaskari]

The 16:9 mode on all 4:3 projectors is an internal squeeze mode, ie you can feed it the anamorphic signal from your DVD and it will show the image in its proper width. It won't use the entire panel though, obviously.
As for the external connector unit, I doubt if it would noticeably degrade the picture. In fact, I think you need the external box if you want to connect component video to this thing.
But of course there is a world of difference between having 13xx X 8xx pixels to show a widescreen image versus 800 x 480 (or whatever it comes to when you are showing a 2.35:1 anamorphic image on an 800 x 600 panel).
Perhaps look for a used VLP-VW10HT?
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/Kimmo

 

[Miles_W]

Merc,
try and find some one with an LT 150 near you to have a look... Go over to avs forum and check out the dlp area... While it is not as good as some of the dedicated HT projecters... not much can beat it at its price...(2300$ or less...)
Did you get the amp?
Miles
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Miles
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DarkSide Member since(93)

 

[Bill Lucas]

merc,
I didn't mention CRT projectors, did I? LOL!!
If it were my money I'd buy the Toshiba RPTV or the NEC DLP projector. I'm annoyed by the rainbow effect the NEC DLP exhibits but is better IMHO than the screendoor effect that was noticeable from 15' away with the Sony LCD projector.

 

[Huey]

This is OK but I think you can find better deals: Sony VPL-CX1 XGA LCD for $1560, NEC LT150 XGA DLP for $2300. I would really focus on XGA as it has higher resolution than this SVGA unit. Granted this has more keystoning adjustments but if you install your projector in center of screen side keystoning is not a big problem. Vertical keystoning is standard on most "business" projectors. They always jacked up the price on anything labeled "Home Theater". With HDTV around the corner, XGA will give you more TV lines (750 TV lines compared to 500 for SVGA). XGA will give you less screendoor (pixelization or visible pixels) and sharper imaging. DLP is even better at constrast (black level and low light clarity) and less screendoor effect. I owned both above forementioned projectors and they were both good with LT150 being best due to its 800:1 contrast. LCD generally only has 200-400:1 contrast. I did not see what the posted contrast is for this unit. The other factor is lumen or brightness of projector. The VPL-CX1 is only 550 lumens which was plenty for dark room but once lights are on image appeared washed out. The LT150 is 800 lumens and is more watcheable with lights on although still best with lights dimmed or out. You'd need 2000+ lumens to watch TV in daylight or bright light. The Cineza probably is only 500-600 lumens although I did not see lumen posted. Thus when you combine low SVGA resolution and relatively low lumen this unit is not that good of a HT projector. By the way both above mentioned projectors are 16:9 (letterboxing as panels are 4:3 native), HDTV (1080i, 720p), Svideo, composite, SVGA (HTPC), and interlaced component (480i) compatible (with VGA-->component breakout cable), but only LT150 will do progressive component (480p). Both have builtin deinterlacer and scalers although Sony does a slightly better job than NEC. HTPC will be best for image quality for any SVGA compatible projector. Both projectors I mentioned also have less than 40db fan noise. Thus, you be the judge.
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Huey :-]

 

[Joseph Bolus]

I'm hearing that the Sony Cineza is "streeting" for around $2600. At that price, and with the innovative styling, it's a very attractive solution for a "starter" HT FPTV System.
My current projector is the SVGA 1200 lumen Philips SV20i, which is very similar to the Cineza in the area of resolution and contrast ratio.
I've found that with my projector the LCD "screendoor" and the poor black level are "tolerable" as long as you have reasonable expectations for this kind of equipment at this price point.
Specifically:
1. Plan on keeping your 4:3 material image size at around 70". From about 10' back, the "screendoor" is virtually invisible on a SVGA 4:3 panel projector.
2. For 16:9 Widescreen presentations, you can go up to a 96" width (utilizing the manual zoom), and the presentation will still look "good" from about 10' back. Due to the lower number of pixels utilized in the 16:9 mode however, you will detect a slight "screendoor" if you look for it. It doesn't bother me or anybody in our family; nor have any of my guests ever complained about it.
3. To help out with the black level, project on a "negative gain" wall (this can be achieved by painting the wall a very light shade of grey), or purchase a Stewart "GreyHawk" screen which has been specifically designed to increase black level for LCD and/or DLP projectors. The "negative gain" will not only increase the apparent contrast ratio, but will also help hide the "screendoor".
Finally, be aware that today's LCD projectors do have a few advantages over most DLP projectors. With LCD, unlike one-chip DLP projectors, you have full control of the color saturation and hue. I've found that I can get eye-popping color saturation with no bleeding from my modest LCD projector that cannot be matched by any current one-chip DLP projector. And, of course, you don't have to worry about the DLP "rainbow".
THE BOTTOM LINE is that you should approach any native 4:3 panel 800x600 resolution LCD projector as a "get-your-feet-wet" system. You can have a lot of fun with it while simultaneously learning a lot about digital projectors. But in two years plan on upgrading to a native 16:9 XGA resolution or better projector with a 1000:1 or greater contrast ratio, for about the same price.
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Joseph
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"As a matter of cosmic history, it has always been easier to destroy, than to create."

 

[Huey]

True, a gray screen will help black level and contrast, but it may diminish brightness too; thus your projector better be over 1000 lumens or image will appear dull and whites not so bright LCD does provide better colors but it can also provide free dead/stuck pixels. Look at your laptop or digital camera LCD screen and you'll see what I mean. When these dead/stuck pixels are projected onto a giant screen these bright wrong colored dots may be distracting. That's why I upgraded my Sony VPL-CX1 XGA LCD to NEC LT150 XGA DLP. My Sony had 5 dead pixels which were covered by warranty (took 1 month before I got it back--thankyou for loaner), but once the panels were perfect, I sold it and got the LT150 for just a tad more money. DLP also blew away my old LCD for contrast and blacks on plain matte white screen. Colors were excellent too unless you project LCD side-by-side then you can see LCD colors are slightly brighter. DLP offer a smooth, 3-D, film-like imaging whereas LCD is more "digital" (sharp edges, bright colors, flat (poor contrast). This is because of the strobe effect of spinning color wheel bouncing of mirrors of DLP where as LCD is light projecting through 3 LCD panels (R, G, B). That's why some (10%) people see rainbows. I did not thankfully. Definitely check out DLP in person before buying as you may not tolerate rainbows (eye fatigue) either. But if you see no rainbows, you'd see that DLP imaging is much better. Most of the new 10K or higher projectors are higher-speed, color-wheel DLPs. 3 chip DLP eliminate rainbows altogether but is very pricey (SVGA is affordable but XGA 3 chipper is expensive). Bottom line is it's a personal preference DLP or LCD. You'd have to check it out yourself to see as it's your money

 

[TimG]

Is the LT-150 16x9 or 4x3?
Tim

 

[Joseph Bolus]

Tim :
The LT-150 is a native 4:3 projector with a 16:9 mode.
However, the resolution of the unit is XGA, so even though the 16:9 mode doesn't utilize the full panel, it still provides more resolution in that mode than a native 16:9 SVGA projector.
Here's the full specs for the unit as listed at ProjectorCentral.com :
http://www.projectorcentral.com/proj...fm?part_id=923
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Joseph
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"As a matter of cosmic history, it has always been easier to destroy, than to create."
[Edited last by Joseph Bolus on October 04, 2001 at 03:32 PM]

 

[TimG]

Thanks Joseph, that makes more sense. I was wondering why everybody was clamouring for a Panamorph for this thing if it was a 16x9 projector. They are just wanting to squeeze all they can out of it.
Tim