A devious projector (1 Viewer)

[Kent Erik]

I have searched the net in different forums, at different search engines and mailed different people including Panasonic, but fails to find anyone who have experience with the Panasonic 2010U projector.. All i find is this site : http://www.cco.net/~vland/rental/equiphtm/pv2010.htm and thats that.
The projector is a 7 years old 7" CRT and the seller is describing the projector to be a little out of focus + displaying white text yellowish at the top. But part from that he says it is supposedly in ok condition..
This will be my first projector for my newly invested home-cinema so I don't have much experience with projectors. I think "400 bucks for a 3 tube CRT is surely a bargaing" but then again I think "there is bound to be something wrong with it for this price.. maybe the tubes are worn out or something".. ?
Any experience.. any suggestions.. ? What should I do?
If the tubes are worn out, what about refurbished tubes..? but ain't that expensive? And are there refurbished tubes that match this devious and unknown projector?

 

[Guy Kuo]

A bit out of focus and yellowish in the description of a CRT projector's picture very strongly suggests the tubes are quite badly worn and in need of replacement. I would take a pass on a unit with worn tubes unless it were a very recent higher end model which was worth the $3000 or so to install new tubes. There are plenty of other projectors with used but decent shape tubes that wouldn't require such an additional investment. Just be absolutely sure to purchase from someone who has an excellent reputation or an established CRT projection seller. Doing otherwise in an attempt to save a few dollars will likely end as an expensive newbie debacle.

 

[Kent Erik]

OK. then I'll just keep looking.. Do you have any suggestions for what used CRT-projectors that are worth concidering? I am checking out threads in this forum now, but some guidelines would have been great My budget lies around 1000 - 2500 USD.. unrealistic?

 

[Chris Rosene]

There is an excellent projector on E-Bay with a Buy It Now of $500. It is a Sony 1031Q. This projector is capable of higher refresh rates so it CAN accept a line doubler. It is also being sold by a reputable EBay company/seller, not some individual.
Auction here
More info on this great projector at AVS Forum
And yes I do own one of these!!

 

[VicRuiz]

The Sony 1031 (7", 36 Khz, 500 lumens) will only accept a line doubler (480p, 31.50 Khz) and 1080i HDTV (33.75 Khz), but that's about it and that's getting too close to its maximum specs for my taste. If your budget is $1000-$2500 you can get a much better projector like a Sony 1272 (7"+, 93 Khz, 700 lumens), and Electrohome ECP-4500 (7", 90 Khz, 725 lumens) or a Barco Graphics 800 (8" CRT's, 90 Khz, 850 lumens). All these projectors are well within your budget. Go to the CRT Projectors forum at www.avsforum.com and look for Curt Palme. He can get you any of these projectors for around $2000 or less. Beware of Ebay unless you can get references for the seller or you can personally inspect the projector.

 

[Chris Rosene]

Vic gives some great alternative projectors and all the ones he listed are better than the Sony 1031. However, if your total budget is close to $1000, nothing beats a 1031. When you add in a line doubler ($400) or HTPC ($800), screen ($100-$200), and cables/interconnects ($50) it starts to get costly. There are TONS of options out there and they all have pros and cons, so hang out at the AVS forum and get some ideas.

 

[Kent Erik]

Thanx for the eBay tip Chris. I might bid on the Sony since I keep reading that it produces a great picture even without a doubler!! Sounds for me like a real bargain.

I will mail the seller asking some questions, but what should I ask for regarding this particular projector?

And another thing that probably needs its own thread :

Something I find very annoying is the high-pitch sound that ordinary 50/60Hz TV-sets are making (and that 100Hz TV's don't). Do you guys know what I mean, and are this something that also is an issue with CRT-projectors? ..and what about the 1031?)