The best $20-$40 projector tweak EVER! (1 Viewer)

[Bob_L]

In case some of you have missed this thread, check out
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htfo...&highlight=FLD
I finally added a Hoya FLD filter to my Vidikron LCD front projector yesterday and the results were incredible!
If you have a digital front projector, you HAVE to do this tweak.

 

[Steven Phipps]

Will this tweak work with a Sony VLP400Q LCD projector, I see they tried it on DLP projectors only. Although, Bob_L, you said you have a Vidicron LCD...Could you please elaborate on which model? Also, which filter did you buy, how much, and how did you attach it? How difficult is it to set it up after attaching the lens? I do not have Avia...only Video Essentials. Thanks alot!!

 

[Bob_L]

I dunno about the Sony, Steven. If you can adjust the white levels in it by individual "gun" I suspect it will. This tweak isn't really model specific, just digital projector specific.
My projector is the Vidikron D-600, a three-panel LCD projector that allows me to individually set the driver level for each of the three panels.
I did a real "eyeball" calibration after installing the filter: set the green driver level as high as I could, adjusted the blue and red levels to create a good black and white picture using a B/W calibration screen in a THX setup suite (on the Toy Story 2 DVD), then adjusted the contrast and brightness to get a good luminance balance across the board. A little additional tweaking of the "gun" levels to maximize that B/W balance and I was done. If you want more detail, you can drop me an email. I don't want to reveal my "crude" techniques to HTF nerd scrutiny and criticism.
I bought the Hoya single-coat FLD filter for $32 from Canoga Camera. They're online but I just drove up to the valley and bought it. My projector required a 72mm size. Until I come up with a better solution, I put a little masking tape on the filter and the FPTV lens holders to keep the filter in place. Nothing touching lens or filter, of course, just the surrounding mounting. Nothing fancy.
There are several other threads that discuss all of this in considerable detail. You can probably find them with a "Hoya" search.