NEC Multisync LT150 any good ? (1 Viewer)

[PeteE]

the specs on this projector look real good and it can be had for under 3k. Anyone using this now ?
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[Don Black]

Heh .. you have the worst timing in the world. Dell was having a fire sale on these for $1680 about a week ago. The LT150 is an amazing HT projector that spanks projectors twice as expensive because of its killer contrast ratio.
If you want more information than you ever thought possible about the LT-150, checkout avsforum.com's DLP section. Everyone there has an LT-150 now. There are also people in AVS's classified section selling extra LT-150s for $2100-$2200 (that's with a $400-$500 markup).
For some good reviews on the LT-150, checkout projectorcentral.com...

 

[Jon_Mx]

One of the $1700 NEC LT150 units is being shipped to me as we speak. The price supposively happened because of an error between Dell and a distributor. Dell has stuck to their word and are shipping the units. They probably sold close to a 1000 units between July 18-24. I just got a Sanyo XP21N, but couldn't pass up a deal on this. These units are showing up all over eBay. Right now the eBay going Buy Now price is $2400, the first couple of units sold for $2600. As more units are shipped, I think the eBay price will go down to $2000-$2200. Watch the forum classifies as there are even better deals offered there.
The LT150 provides an outstanding picture but does have limitations. It is not a particullary bright projector at 800 lumens, it has no zoom capability, and doesn't have many inputs. But if you can live with those, this is the best deal going.

 

[Matt Perkins]

NEC's specs say that this will accept & display a 480P signal. But, it also says the imaging device has 4:3 AR. Can anyone tell me if this will accept a 16:9 signal (and diaplay it properly)? I'd hate to get a downconverted progressive-scan picture out of this.
Thanks for any help!

[Ummm, I think I meant to type "display." I don't know what "diaplay" means.]
[Edited last by Matt Perkins on August 03, 2001 at 12:29 PM]

 

[Howard_A]

I bought my LT150 six weeks ago...before the price drop. Doh!
I love it, though. The picture is very bright in my theater. I use a Da-Lite Da-Mat (1.0 gain) screen. The blacks are truly black.
I use a Crystal Image VS 2.0 video scaler. It handles the conversion to 16x9 so I can't comment on the native capabilities of the projector.

 

[Jon_Mx]

>>I'd hate to get a downconverted progressive-scan picture out of this.
Well it's panel is 1024 x 768, so even using only 3/4 of its panel to get a 16:9 image, it still has 576 rows of pixels. A 480p signal with 480 horizontal rows are UPCONVERTED to 576 rows.

 

[Lou Sytsma]

See my comments on this projector in this thread:
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/uub/...ML/007819.html
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Every man is my superior, in that I may learn from him.

 

[Don Black]

Howard_A:
Do you find your picture to be bright enough. It seems that you are using a screen with a lower than recommended gain for a projector that isn't very bright. I am looking at a screen with a gain of 2.8. Thanks.

 

[Parker Clack]

Don:
A lot of the guys on AVS that bought the LT 150 are using the 2.8 gain screen because it gives them the best looking picture in direct comparison to the lower gain screens. In particular the color levels are a lot better and the whites are white.
From what I have read the 2.8 gain screen is the way to go.
Parker

 

[Don Black]

Parker, that was my impression too. However, the good folks over at AVS (the retailer) were worried that such a high gain would promote hotspotting. They thought perhaps the the LT150's low lumens rating though might prevent that though. So basically, it will either be a DaLite High Power or DaLite High Contrast for me. I'm betting on the High Power though... Thanks!

 

[Parker Clack]

Don:
That is what I would worry about too, that is hot spotting, at first thought. But from what I have read the guys that are using the Da Lite high gain (2.8) say there is no hot spotting noted and the difference that it makes in over all brightness and clarity of the images is outstanding.
There is a great thread on AV Science where one guy took several swatches of different screen types (the Grey Hawk, flat matte, 1.0 gain, etc.) and just in those swatches you could pick out the 2.8 screen with no problems. Then another guy used a full 2.8 gain Da Lite and noticed no hot spotting and it made all the difference in the world on how the picture ended up being with his LT 150.
I would go with the high gain myself but first I have to buy the projector.
Parker

 

[Chuck C]

This thing is so good that people are writing haikus about it!
http://www.avsforum.com/ubb/Forum10/HTML/007770.html
I want one!
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Chuck
Chuckster's HT Equipment List

 

[Bill Lucas]

I'll offer a slightly different view of the projector. I've seen it in my home used in conjunction with an EAD progressive scan DVD player and an iScan Pro. It gave a bright image with very good contrast for a DLP projector. The problem I had was that once I noticed the rainbow effect I noticed it time after time after time. On slightly off-axis viewing the effect was very noticeable. Perhaps I am more suscpetible to this effect but it is not something that I could live with. Regards.

 

[Parker Clack]

Bill:
Good point on the rainbow affect of the single DMD in this projector. I know that people either live with it or it is such a bother they can't stand it. Something to definitely think about in getting one of these, or any kind of single DMD projector.
Parker

 

[Howard_A]

Yes, a 1.0 gain is plenty for 800 lumens. I think a lot of people are used to CRT projectors and get a screen with too much gain. Either that, or they can't control ambient light. I have complete control over ambient light in my media room. I calculated the amount of light necessary to meet or exceed typical cinema brightness for a projector with 800 lumens and a screen that is 8'x6' using the forumla:
Lumens Required = ((10Fl x 10.76) x Area (mtr2))/Screen Gain
The whites are dazzling bright and the blacks are pitch. The image is crisp and even from any angle in the room and there is absolutely no hotspotting. It really is a good match if you can control the light in the room. I have no windows and my ceiling, floor, and walls are black so my reflected light is as near zero as possible.

 

[Stephen Dodds]

I use a 4:3 Da Lite High Power (2.8 gain) AND a matte 16:9 screen for my LT150.
The Da Lite is retractable so I can roll it up for serious watching. The matte screen has better blacks and shadow detail but is not as punchy as the High Power.
For serious watching I prefer the better blacks.
Steve

 

[David Tolsky]

Please describe the "rainbow effect" in more detail. I am very curious. Also,what are people doing for 16 x 9 anamorphic dvd's? Is this projector capable of handling an image on a 100 inch screen? What is the recommended throw distance?
PS: Alan from AVS told me on the phone that Seleco will be releasing a new DLP projector with the chip "that everyone wants". Anyone know about this up and comer? Thanks

 

[Bill Lucas]

David,
The rainbow effect occurs when a white field flashes onto the screen. A red/green/blue blur seems to flash infront of the white area as it appears. It would seem that some people (myself included) are more susceptible to seeing it. Off angle I see it every time white is introduced into the image. It will do a good job driving a 100" screen. I'm not sure of the throw distance but most DLPs have about the same through distance for a given screen size. Good luck.

 

[Parker Clack]

David:
I am not sure what Alan is refering to here. You might ask him to explain what he meant and let us all know as I am curious myself.
Parker

 

[Howard_A]

Here is a PDF from NEC that gives you an idea what the throw distance will be.
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I use a screen that is 8' wide by 6' tall with no problems. The image is very bright even at that size.