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Just installed NEW Projector - HTPC setup - TEXT FUZZY! - MUST resolve this! Panasonic PT-AE4000U (1 Viewer)

LordX

Grip
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Jan 30, 2009
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18
Real Name
Brian
Hey all. I just received and setup my new Panasonic PT-AE4000U last night. I was able to easily use the zoom - horizontal and vertical shifts to get the picture lined up perfectly with my 120" screen. (NO Keystoning used) I have an HTPC setup - and the machine recognized the new projector immediately (Windows 7/GeForce GTS 450). It autoed to 1080i@39HZ - I set it to 1080p@60HZ. My only issue is trying to get the TEXT to look good. It looks really FUZZY. I spent 30 mins playing with the FOCUS and I just CANT get the text to look good. I even tried messing with the sharpness settings on the projector - to no avail... I ended up leaving sharpness at +1.... The Desktop background looks great (A 1080p wallpaper). I watched a movie on it, and I think it looks great... (However, I am upgrading from a cheap 720p projector - so anything would look better). I cant help thinking that if the TEXT looks fuzzy/out of focus - then my movies aren't going to look as good as they can either... ANY help is GREATLY appreciated... I just spent $2000 on this - and my wife is going to KILL me if I cant even get the TEXT to look as good as the 720p projector did!!!!
 

LordX

Grip
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Jan 30, 2009
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Brian
First: Thanks to everyone on every forum for your ideas and insights! I applied the following changes: Played with the Focus more. Turned off any Scaling or Oversizing. I was hoping for something dramatic with this - but didn't get it. There was a Video Mode setting on the video card that was set to Auto (it described itself as what it told the display was going to be done most). The options were Desktop/text and Video Mode (and auto of course). I set it to Video Mode because that is what I am going to be doing mostly. I noticed the Brightness of the screen go up a little bit when set to this mode. I ran the Clear-text Wizard - It helped a little bit. I increased the DPI/Font size in windows - this helped a LOT - as in, this was the most noticeable change. So what does that show? Is it possible that the Matte on my screen was making the smaller text less clear? Or I guess the combination of all the things I did?
 

Sam Posten

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Understand that fonts on windows use anti-aliasing to make them more readable on a standard display used for work. Anti-aliasing is actually fuzzing up the fonts to make them hurt your head less when concentrating. I wouldn't judge anything critical based on them! See this one in particular then the rest in order: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subpixel_rendering http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ClearType http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Font_rasterization http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spatial_anti-aliasing
 

LordX

Grip
Joined
Jan 30, 2009
Messages
18
Real Name
Brian
Ok UPDATES and PHOTOS. First - I used the leveler to see that sure enough after plugging in the laptop HDMI cable yesterday - I had shifted the projector. After some messing around - i was able to get the image almost perfect. There is still some trapezoid effect - but it is so minimal it is not noticeable. I am posting LINKS to the photos I took (hosted on my web page - not some photobucket place). This way they will not get super shrunk. And yes - I kept all the photos BATMAN related.... haha http://www.aaa-computerrepair.com/pictures/htpc-screen.jpg This is the 'unorthodox' framing. Dont laugh at it - when the lights are out - you cant see any of it. :) http://www.aaa-computerrepair.com/pictures/htpc-pj1.jpg This is a photo of the projector and where it is mounted. As you can see - there is NO room for it to move due to the stair case. Thankfully it is ALMOST exactly centered. http://www.aaa-computerrepair.com/pictures/htpc-pj2.jpg This is a closer view showing the mounting method. This makes it relatively easy to remove the projector when I need to service it or replace the lamp. http://www.aaa-computerrepair.com/pictures/htpc-stext.jpg OK - HERE is the screen that has caused me so much grief. This is a notepad file with all windows and notepad fonts default (windows 7 DPI at smallest - notepad font @ 10). I know pictures of a projection image never do them justice - but you may be able to notice the somewhat not crisp text at this size. http://www.aaa-computerrepair.com/pictures/htpc-wallpaper.jpg This is the desktop background - a 1080p image. It looks very nice to me - in focus and crisp. http://www.aaa-computerrepair.com/pictures/htpc-wpstext.jpg This is a menu in small text next to the wallpaper image. The test looks all right - just not as crisp and sharp as I would have liked - or initially assumed it would be. http://www.aaa-computerrepair.com/pictures/htpc-ltextWEB.jpg This is an image of a web page with large text. As you may be able to see - the text looks nice when it is large. http://www.aaa-computerrepair.com/pictures/htpc-movie1.jpg This is a screen shot of the Dark Knight paused (all the movie shots are paused - not taken while playing). http://www.aaa-computerrepair.com/pictures/htpc-movie2.jpg This one looks the nicest IMO. http://www.aaa-computerrepair.com/pictures/htpc-movie3.jpg Even dark images look crisp. http://www.aaa-computerrepair.com/pictures/htpc-movie4.jpg I like this one as well. CONCLUSION: After getting the screen squared again - and setting my text to LARGE - I think I may be comfortable with this. The text at low font size doesn't look perfect - but in the end this setup is for MOVIES - and if they look good - then I shouldn't complain. I just wanted to make sure that my settings were right for the absolute BEST picture. PS - on that note, I still have to use a calibration disk to set the colors - my wife says she sees bluish tint in all the whites.
 

LordX

Grip
Joined
Jan 30, 2009
Messages
18
Real Name
Brian
Ok UPDATES and PHOTOS. First - I used the leveler to see that sure enough after plugging in the laptop HDMI cable yesterday - I had shifted the projector. After some messing around - i was able to get the image almost perfect. There is still some trapezoid effect - but it is so minimal it is not noticeable. I am posting LINKS to the photos I took (hosted on my web page - not some photobucket place). This way they will not get super shrunk. And yes - I kept all the photos BATMAN related.... haha http://www.aaa-computerrepair.com/pictures/htpc-screen.jpg This is the 'unorthodox' framing. Dont laugh at it - when the lights are out - you cant see any of it. :) http://www.aaa-computerrepair.com/pictures/htpc-pj1.jpg This is a photo of the projector and where it is mounted. As you can see - there is NO room for it to move due to the stair case. Thankfully it is ALMOST exactly centered. http://www.aaa-computerrepair.com/pictures/htpc-pj2.jpg This is a closer view showing the mounting method. This makes it relatively easy to remove the projector when I need to service it or replace the lamp. http://www.aaa-computerrepair.com/pictures/htpc-stext.jpg OK - HERE is the screen that has caused me so much grief. This is a notepad file with all windows and notepad fonts default (windows 7 DPI at smallest - notepad font @ 10). I know pictures of a projection image never do them justice - but you may be able to notice the somewhat not crisp text at this size. http://www.aaa-computerrepair.com/pictures/htpc-wallpaper.jpg This is the desktop background - a 1080p image. It looks very nice to me - in focus and crisp. http://www.aaa-computerrepair.com/pictures/htpc-wpstext.jpg This is a menu in small text next to the wallpaper image. The test looks all right - just not as crisp and sharp as I would have liked - or initially assumed it would be. http://www.aaa-computerrepair.com/pictures/htpc-ltextWEB.jpg This is an image of a web page with large text. As you may be able to see - the text looks nice when it is large. http://www.aaa-computerrepair.com/pictures/htpc-movie1.jpg This is a screen shot of the Dark Knight paused (all the movie shots are paused - not taken while playing). http://www.aaa-computerrepair.com/pictures/htpc-movie2.jpg This one looks the nicest IMO. http://www.aaa-computerrepair.com/pictures/htpc-movie3.jpg Even dark images look crisp. http://www.aaa-computerrepair.com/pictures/htpc-movie4.jpg I like this one as well. CONCLUSION: After getting the screen squared again - and setting my text to LARGE - I think I may be comfortable with this. The text at low font size doesn't look perfect - but in the end this setup is for MOVIES - and if they look good - then I shouldn't complain. I just wanted to make sure that my settings were right for the absolute BEST picture. PS - on that note, I still have to use a calibration disk to set the colors - my wife says she sees bluish tint in all the whites.
 

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