Front Projectors (1 Viewer)

[Andrew^WH!]

I am new to the FPTV market and I was wondering how the picture quality stands up against RPTV? What should I look for in different projectors or what is a good pick for a projector.

Andrew

 

[Neil Joseph]

The first thing you need to do is get some hands on demos done on some LCD, DLP, and CRT projectors. Try bringing in one of your DVD's to do the demo and make notes from each demo.

 

[jimmy~e]

I recently bought my first front projector,the NEC HT1000 and I absolutely love it. I can't imagine better picture quality and at this point I am just projecting onto a white living room wall with no screen yet dvd and HDTV look spectacular.
If I were you, I'd read all the user reviews on various projectors in your price range at projectorcentral.com and also check out the over $5000 and under $5000 forums at the AVSCIENCE forum web page. I got educated about front projectors at both sites.

 

[Neil Joseph]

There is a thread in the FAQ area that is a good starting point...

Front Projection - How do I select one for my needs?

 

[Andrew^WH!]

Thanks Neal and Jimmy,

That sounds pretty cool, i'll look into those sites. See what I can learn.

Andrew

 

[Dave Milne]

Andrew,
A good FP system can be stunning. There's simply nothing like a nine-foot diagonal screen displaying HDTV or line-doubled DVD images from a good projector.

I have a Dwin HD700 (near the "bottom end" of CRT projectors) with Transcanner2 line multiplier. I haven't seen an RPTV that can touch it. With a good CRT FP there is absolutely no evidence of line structure... no DLP "rainbows"... no LCD "screen door"... and deep inky blacks. In fact, with 2.35 material the black bars on the top and bottom of my 16:9 screen completely disappear into the blackness of the front wall!

Recognize that with FP... especially CRT FP... you need to have perfect light control in your room. And the setup of a CRT FP requires some skill. But the results are well worth it. Try a FP (obviously I'm biased toward CRT) and you'll never look back!

 

[Max Leung]

How big is your Dwin, Dave? My room is 10'x15', but I lose 3 feet in the back because of the stairs. I hear that CRT FPTVs are heavy and bulky. What kind of throw does it have?

 

[Dave Milne]

Max,
The Dwin is small by CRT FP standards. The owners manual lists the dimensions as 22 x 23.5 x 10.5 inches (it seems smaller than that to me) and weight at 65 lb. I mounted it to the ceiling according to the instructions which put it about 10 feet back from the 52x92 screen.

My room is 13 x 22 with 9' ceiling. I did the setup myself (not too difficult even for me... the video novice) and it looks so good I've been waffling on the value of professional calibration. I imagine it can be even better... Steve Bruzonsky, a moderator for the AVS forum, has his tweaked "to the max" and it reportedly is stunning.

 

[Craig Aguiar]

How much was the Dwin?

Craig

 

[Max Leung]

Wow, that sounds pretty small. And it isn't much heavier than my Yamaha integrated amp.

Too bad my ceiling is only 7 feet 4 inches high though. Hmm, but if it has a large lens offset, I could floor mount one...

 

[Craig Robertson]

WOW, the Dwin is tiny! i just picked up an Electrohome 8500 and it's approx 28 x 32 x 16.75 and 145 lbs.

 

[JohnWR]

Ive got a NEC HT1000 as well and its throwing a 100 inch diagonal picture at 12 feet on a vutec brite white screen with an awesome picture. Bought it for new delivered to my front door for 3999. IT weighs 7 lbs.

 

[JohnWR]

I spent two weeks looking at and researching projectors, DLP's, LCDs and CRTs, and to me, for out of the box performance that doesnt require tweaking a DLP projector is the way to go, After MUCH research, contemplation and watching I picked the NEC HT1000 DLP projector, I dont think anything out there can touch this for the money. I would not go beyond 100 inches with it though.. A guy in my office spent over $20,000 three years ago on a Runco CRT and a line doubler. Everyone who has seen his vs. my 4,000 NEC DLP swears mine has a better picture. (although mines only 100 inch, his is 140something). I have never seen the so called "rainbow" effect with this projector although I could see it in some models with slower color wheels. If you are looking to spend under $2000 on a projector, I thought the Panasonic lt300u LCD projector had the best picture. The InFocus x1 DLP is a cheap DLP with a good image but I saw rainbows with it and it has a long throw to get 100 inch picture.

 

[PaulHeroy]

Just a heads up on the FP market for those who haven't heard yet... there are a new batch of HD2 DLP projectors about to hit the market at $7k and under MSRP. At least 3 manufacturers are supposed to be out by July; Infocomm in a few weeks should provide much info.

Optoma is apparently looking to make a big entry into the HT market with fairly aggressive pricing. They have already released the H56 which is a direct competitor to the NEC HT1000, at a slightly lower MSRP but so far slightly higher street prices. It uses the same 1024 x 768 chip but masked down to 1024 x 576 to have a native 16:9 aspect ratio. The big news is there's an H76 model coming with what's being referred to as an "HD2+" chip, i.e. some further improvements and a different color wheel. (There is an HD3 coming later with the "dimple fix" and increased contrast/brightness.) See this AVS thread for info direct from an insider.

 

[Gordon Groff]

"I am new to the FPTV market and I was wondering how the picture quality stands up against RPTV? What should I look for in different projectors or what is a good pick for a projector."

FP beats RP hands-down! You have virtually no viewing angle constraints. You have a MUCH BIGGER image and you can get into it cheaper than a RPTV if you have a white wall and a sound system already. The PQ is as good or better too.

I went with a Sanyo PLV-70 (LCD-based) for my HT for the higher lumens so we could view with ambient light if we like. I'm becoming so much of a video junkie though, that I'm closing the blackout panels whenever I can. Talk about your bright, vivid image!

Gordon

 

[Dave Milne]

Sorry I've been away from the forum for a while...

Max,
I don't see any reason why a lower ceiling would be a problem... except that maybe for tall people standing up the bottom of the projector could block the screen. But then... who watches movies standing up?

Craig A,
The Dwin is $20K retail with Transcanner2. But you can probably get some discount if you shop around.

Craig R,
Although the Dwin is superb, if I had it to do over again, I'd probably do as you did and go for an E-Home 8500 or 9500. In the used market, you can get an absolutely stunning 9" CRT for less than my 7" Dwin setup was new. The 9"-ers are big and bulky, but once they're dialed in... oh my god - the detail, and brightness, and color purity is just breathtaking!

Also note that the new 3-chip DLP machines eliminate many of the previous problems with DLP. They are expensive - Runco's models are $60K and $90K, I think - but offer most of the advantages of CRT in a small, plug-n-play package with excellent brightness.

 

[Craig Robertson]

Dave,
I hear what you're saying. Going the used route, I picked up low hour 8500, a Focus Enhancements CS-1 video processor/scaler, and a Stewart StudioTek 100" diag 16:9 screen for $5k total. that wasn't a package price, i went thru three sellers.
a 9" 9500 chassis is the same size as my 8500, so size wasn't the restriction, it was the additional $3k.

 

[Dave Milne]

Craig,
'Sounds like some great deals. I'm sure you'll enjoy.

If you need parts, service, or advice, talk to Tim Martin at "E-home Tech". I've visited his place in Scottsdale; He's a great guy and a guru on these machines. He had a nice deal on refurbed 9500LC with new tubes and Faroudja NR. Unfortunately, I'm having difficulty convincing the better half that we need a new projector since ours is, what, a year old now...

 

[Craig Robertson]

Dave,
I'm planning on sending in my 8500's power supply to Tim to get the noise reduction mod. he posts a lot on AVS, where i also hang out.
have you seen his new web page?

 

[Rob Tomlin]

I'm going with the new DWIN TV3 DLP projector myself. Very, very nice!

Will be projecting on a 123 inch diagonal Firehawk screen. CANT WAIT!