New Sharp 9000U Just Installed! (1 Viewer)

[Jack Smith]

Well, not quite yet, but they will be here in about 15-minutes. The unit is going into my unfinished basement and the alleyway my wife has allotted me (23-feet long, 14-feet wide). What should I expect and look for from the installers? Should I purchase a separate surge protector for the projector? I have purchased a 106 inch electric/tensioned Draper screen (gray), it was a budgetary consideration. How will this compare to the Firehawk? Ambient light is not a problem. Is it advisable to use my pre-amp as the router/switcher (it's a Denon 5800), and not run the DVD, Sony 7700, directly to the projector? Do I need to upgrade the Sony? I'm hoping everything else can run through the Denon as currently configured, especially since I plan to keep my Proscan 60-inch rptv until I learn to completely trust the projector. Any suggestions and advice is greatly appreciated.

Gear:
-Denon 5800
-Cinepro 3k6II (front speakers)
-Cinepro 2k5II (four rear speakers)
-Sony S7700 DVD
-Pioneer 606 dts/dd LD
-Directv Ultimate
-Monster HTS 3500
-JVC svhs
-SVS subs (2)
-Klipsch RF7 speakers
-Klipsch RF3 speakers in center surround position
-Monster Z2 series cables
-Monster M-series interconnects

 

[Doug_B]

Jack,

I will probably be purchasing a 9000U in the near future as well, so do tell us how you like it.

As to your questions, I also am wondering how to deal with the projector "power protection/conditioner" issue, as mine will be ceiling mounted (will yours be, too?). My dealer suggested a Richard Gray conditioner that will supposedly condition the entire line even if it's plugged into a different outlet than the projector. Another alternative I read about is a PS Audio Ultimate Outlet. PS Audio claims that mounting one of these in a ceiling is kosher (but why in a ceiling but not in a wall is beyond me). I'll have to look at PS Audio's web site again.

It seems that many folks swear by the Firehawk for most DLP projectors, including the Sharp. The folks that post at AVS forum don't agree on everything, but most are in the Firehawk camp for the Sharp. My dealer mentioned to me that the folks at Stewart will grill him on a Greyhawk order these days before they'll accept it, at least for DLP applications.

I don't know anything about your DVD player. Does it have component outputs? Does it support progressive out? Do you need any other source video component with the same video output type (e.g., S-Video, Component) to be directed to the projector other than the DVD, such as the DirecTV you mention? This would be a good reason to use the 5800 as a video switcher. Obtaining the On Screen Display is also another good reason, although OSD is not always provided on component outputs.

Additionally, it sounds like you'll need, at least temporarily, a way to split or switch your DVD player's video (and any other video source) to two output devices. Now if you're only going to be doing this for a short time, the manual cable swapping method may be sufficient. Otherwise, I would defer to someone else for a suggestion, although I would think for DVD signals, basic RCA cable switches from Radio Shack would be sufficient to accommodate component switching. Maybe more problematic if also switching HDTV, as a higher bandwidth is necessary to be switched.

Doug

 

[Jack Briggs]

The Sony 7700 used to be the company's flagship DVD player, and it is interlaced output only. You might want to consider getting a Sony 9000ES, the new top-of-the-line model (which is progressive scan).

 

[Gabriel_Lam]

The 9000u does not have the best deinterlacer, so you may want to get something like the Panasonic RR82 (just over $200 shipped). If possible, run cables directly to the projector instead of through the 5800.

 

[Luis C]

A better chioce would be staying with your current player and getting an IScan PRO, that way you can really get the performance out of your 9000U. And I would also recommend getting the BetterCables VGA to VGA cable... best I've tested yet.

 

[Gabriel_Lam]

Can the iScan Pro output 1280x720?

 

[Luis C]

Gabriel,
I'm not sure exactly what you are asking. The IScan PRO outputs a 480P signal which it can generate from any composite, S-Video or interlaced component output. This makes it ideal for the exact equipment listed by Jack. His VCR, DirecTV and DVD player are all interlaced signals, thus will ALL be markedly improved by the IScan PRO without needing to buy replacement equipment. The picure enhancement when using the IScan PRO instead of a progressive-scan DVD is significant. Another nice thing is that the IScan PRO has an "auto-detect" feature where it auto-switches to whatever input is operational and you can set a priority input that it will default to. You can see the article that Widescreen Review mag did here: IScan PRO review
For Jack's application, this is the perfect unit.

 

[Gabriel_Lam]

Luis,

I was under the impression the iScan Pro was a scaler, but I was mistaken. It is merely a doubler. You're right, it will make an improvement for all of the interlaced equipment he has. However, the SIL503 based iScan Pro will definitely not spit out the quality a Faroudja equipped DVD player will. Basically, all the iScan Pro is is a deinterlacer. It's really aimed at the lower end CRT based tube and RPTV market, which will display a 480p picture without having to scale it upwards.

Though the Sharp 9000u does have very good internal scaling, he may want to save his money for something that scales up to the sharp's 1280x720 native resolution. A HTPC, of course, would be an ideal choice, of course, but he can also use a Faroudja NRS, a Key Digital HD Leeza, a CS-1, a Dune-F, or a number of other scalers.

 

[Luis C]

Gabriel,
I agree with you but for two things...
1) - All of the mentioned scalers are FAR more expensive than the IScan PRO and the advantage of using them in his particular setup would be negligible at best.
2) - I disgree with your assertion that a Faroudja-equipped DVD player would output a better picture than the IScan can. I have auditioned some pretty expensive DVD players w/much touted outputs that can barely match the performance of an IScan-equipped system. These things are remarkable for the money.
Yes, there are better units, for a TON more money. All the ones you listed are $4000 or more. For that kind of money, he could buy an IScan for every room in the house! The laws of diminishing returns? I think so...
If only we all had unlimited budgets...

 

[Neil Joseph]

You better believe I am an advocate of a good surge protector for your projector. Everything in your system should be surge protected because if your projector is protected but your other components are not, an electrical surge can travel through your components all the way back to your projector.

 

[Gabriel_Lam]

Actually, the ones I listed are $1995 and above, full retail price, just over twice the iScan Pro's $895 retail (which in turn is more than 3x my Panasonic RP82 suggestion). Yeah, most of those options are pretty expensive, but you can find scalers that can do 720p down to $1495, full MSRP. The SIL503 chip in the iScan Pro is reasonably good at deinterlacing. It's not very different from the SIL502, but it is definitely not as nice as the newer SIL504 chip. My current projector (the Proxima DP8000) has the Silicon Image DVDO chip too. Back to back is it as good as Faroudja? Decidedly not. The lowest cost option is probably a

 

[Doug_B]

You better believe I am an advocate of a good surge protector for your projector.

I'd like some suggestions for how to do this with a ceiling mount projector.

Thanks

Doug

 

[Gabriel_Lam]

I'd like some suggestions for how to do this with a ceiling mount projector.
Thanks
Doug

A whole house protector along with a UPS that outputs a true sine wave is probably ideal. If you don't want to spend a lot of money, there are a lot of other options. Here's a really cheap one that works well:
Belkin Mastercube

You get a $10k equipment protection warranty, 688 joule rating, 43dB of EMI/RMI filtering, 39,000 AMP max spike capacity, lifetime warranty, and a kind of neutral white/beige color in a unit that's small and only about an ounce or two. You can find them for about $10 usually, though Amazon did have them for $3 for awhile.
I'm using one right now:

 

[Doug_B]

Gabriel,

Cool, Thanks.

Doug

 

[Neil Joseph]

That's basically what I did with mine too except I ran an extension cord up to the ceiling. My protector is some distance away.