Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Home Theater Now I need video!

I run a X1 myself and partnered with a Da-Lite Hipower it would cost you less than $1500 USD.

http://www.spacelofts.com/x1/

Saturn

Saturn,

Those TV pics look great! Is that attributable to the NextVision N5?

Hi dannyc,

Welcome to the message boards. A couple of things first: If you are willing to make the compromises of getting a totally dark room to appreciate a front projector image from, say, the InFocus X1, you can adjust the zoom lens to vary the picture size so you won't be craning your neck. Besides, no matter what technology you choose, your viewing distance from the screen should be three times the diagonal screen measurement or greater. For a 46-inch set, that's about 11 or 12 feet--otherwise you'll start to see annoying video artifacts except with really pristine hi-def images.

You can read more about pros and cons of various TV technologies in an Axiom AudioFile newsetter of mine (axiomaudio.com/archives), the April 2003 issue. In any case, given your budget, you can get true hi-def in a rear-pro CRT set for about $1,500, if you can fit it into your place. The best-looking pictures I've seen in that screen-size range are from Hitachi, Sony, and Panasonic. Any of these CRT sets will benefit from careful calibration and alignment, which will cost extra. And you won't have to replace expensive projection bulbs every few thousand hours as you must with DLP and LCD rear or front-projectors.

Another fundamental truth: nothing will ever look as clear and sharp as a direct-view CRT set, properly set up. Don't look at one next to a rear-projection set, or you'll start seeing all the flaws in rear-pro images. That said, the Samsung DLP 43, 46-inch rear-pro and Hitachi 50-inch LCD rear-pro now yield wonderfull looking hi-def pictures, but these are fairly costly $3,000-plus sets.

Two years ago I wouldn't have considered a rear-projection set of any design because the picture compromises were too great. Now, they are greatly improved. Unless you have an unlimited budget, Plasma screens are for uncritical eyes. The blacks are lousy, but that may be outweighed by the thin-panel gee-whiz factor, which is persuasive for lots of consumers.

LCoS has a ways to go, but I'll be at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas later this week, and there may be some impressive new sets there at lower prices.

Regards,

Alan thanks for your input, it's always very appreciated. Please give us a full report on your findings at CES! (Audio and video!)

Boomer;

Yes the NextVison N5 rescales my crappy Rogers cable to a watcheable picture.

Alan: As with the new generation Projectors...Infocus X1 or Panny 300 or 500 you can be within 7.5-10 feet and not see any pixalation with a 80 inch picture. You will see some pixalation at about 4.5 feet and thats barely. They are that good today...specially with DLP projectors.
That said you are correct that they last only for some time but since the X1 has about 4000 hours ... thats a pretty long time if I may only watch 3-4 movies a week..and thats on the high side. I barely watch TV on my projector. Thats why I have a separate 19 inch LCD monitor for daily news and stuff. The projector can do TV duty but thats only speacial occassions like a game or a speacial show.

I've read reviews for the X1 and checked out a couple other forums on this product, as well as Alan's article, and I'm nearly convinced this is the route I want to go. The bang for the buck just seems to be too good to pass up (much like Axiom speakers!). I still have one major concern, though.

I don't have a dedicated HT room in my house, so the projector would be used in the living room. Normally, I keep the curtains closed, but during daylight hours, some light is going to enter the house. (My living room window faces to the South.) Is the X1 capable of overcoming a bit of daylight, or is everything going to be completely washed out? Saturn, you may be the most qualified to answer, since you actually own this particular projector.

If I do get a projector, I intend to use it for movies only, which I watch mostly at night, but I'd still like the option of watching DVDs during the day. Additionally, are there any recommended screen options that will improve the picture in such a lighting situation?

I thought I sent you private message about this issue. Do a refresh on your browser. Nonetheless I have found that unless your curtains can block out the sunlight IT WILL be washed out. I have this same issue so I put BLACK-OUT fabric behind the curtains. It is a cheap alternative and works rather well. You can find it at your local fabric store. I went even further and took out our old curtains and just use the BLACK-OUT fabric as the curtains as they are rather nice and modern looking. They also work well with blocking out drafts from the cold winter and they work well and block noise from outside the windows. Damn new condo is coming up beside me. Lots of construction noises. I should not complain myself since my new place is also coming up and the building beside would have the same issue.

As with helping out with ambient light rooms....the Da-Lite Hipower is recommended. But be wary this will also highlight a little more of the rainbows that people talk about in DLP projectors.
Saturn

If you go the projector route, just make a mental note of one item (which Alan mentioned in the course of his extremely good advice):

Projector bulbs.

These suckers are expensive. Our AV dept here at the university where I work has to buy dozens of them a year for academic presentations. The cost can be breathtaking, and cheaper knock-offs from China don't last nearly as long as they are supposed to. If you can afford projection, great, but do you really want to be breathing down your couch-potato roommate's neck about when he can and can't watch a movie on your system? You could alternately charge viewing fees.

Now, I've never had the budget to contemplate a DLP, so take my opinion with that grain of salt, but personally I still think an outstanding and large CRT (screen and lighting budget being a consideration) is the way to go at this time, and Alan mentioned some great manufacturers. Toshiba's CRTs always please me as well -- and even one of their less expensive 32- or 36-inch sets would be a good purchase now -- get you a great picture today with the chance to wait out the tumult over future standards without becoming an overpaying early adopter. (Note that this early-adoption concern has persisted for the last five years ... we are still in the midst of some volatile screen-format wars. Are you ready to vote with your wallet?) As an aside, I've noticed Toshiba's sometimes look pinkish in tint alongside Sony's and Panasonics in the storeroom, based on their default settings, but that can be adjusted of course.

Your sitting distance is also very critical in this decision. We sit 8-10' back from a 32-inch Toshiba CRT and it's great. After we bought this set for $560, my dad splurged about 2 grand on a Phillips flat wide-screen TV, HDTV ready I think, but he placed it in a little viewing room. It's ridiculous. At 4-6', where he sits, the thing looks worse than my sub-$600 Toshiba no matter what the source. Now, at 10' back or so, it looks great. But that distance is a critical part of the decision. Personally I would not spend the money on the Philips no matter what the viewing distance, unless I was sure NO ONE would have to sit too close to it, that's how lame it looked at closer viewing distances. This is not a knock on Philips, just on the practicality of larger screens in everyday watching environments.

Sometimes saving money and procrastinating (here, on choosing a lane for future screen formats) are the best answers.

Birdman

Costco has a 55" Akai RP widescreen for $1599, I believe. Picture looked great with the HD signal they were piping in. Sound was also very good from the onboard speakers. The cabinet wasn't the most beautiful I've seen, but at $1600 that is alot of bang for the buck. Whatever you do don't break the bank this time around - whatever you buy will be totally obsolete in a few years, regardless of the price tag that it carries today.
I love my Phillips 60" HD (also available at Costco for $1499), especially for sports.

Speaking of hd sports...Do you think CBS does a better job than ABC in this regard?