Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Home Theater HD front projection??

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Craig,

If you want a true 1080x1920 front projector, you have to budget pretty high, and also should wait till December/January. JVC is scheduled then to release their "killer" full-HD unit using D-ILA panels (JVC's own version of the LCOS technology). Currently, the only available full-HD front projector is the Sony Q004, based on Sony's own LCOS-like technology called SXRD, and it costs over $20K.

But if you can live with 720x1280 resolution, a whole bunch of LCD, DLP, and D-ILA options available from ~$2K to over $10K. I remember you once called scaling the 1080i image down to 720p resolution as "cheating" -- it is true indeed, but unless one has a very good eyes (not only highly critical viewing skills but also 20/13 or better visual acuity), I bet most people cannot tell them apart.

I haven't yet watched in action the LCOS RPTV you referred. But I would warn you that the picture quality will very unlikely stand against CRT or DLP RPTVs, especially with respect to blacks and shadow details, according to what people seem to say in the AVSforum. Expect it to be similar to LCD RPTVs in image quality, except for higher pixel resolution.

In case you have a generous budget, among the 720p front projectors that you definitely ought to look at are the Sharp Z10000U, Marantz VP-12S2, InFocus 7200/Toshiba MT8U (these are clones), JVC SX21U, and Yamaha DPX-1000.

Obviously I am biased, but what a front projector offers you, in a nutshell, is really the difference between the experience of watching a "cinema" versus a "television" if you know what I mean.

"...but unless one has a very good eyes (not only highly critical viewing skills but also 20/13 or better visual acuity), I bet most people cannot tell them apart."

Unfortunately for me, I have good eyesight and extremely critical viewing skills. It's part of my job. I notice things in movies and DVD's that I just shouldn't be noticing. (I don't mean continuity errors). Slight color/lighting shifts from shot to shot drive me nuts. (It's called color timing guys...get with it!)

One issue I'm going to have with my BF is that he loves really bright, zero contrast looks. He has a flat panel LCD monitor on his computer and has it CRANKED up as bright as it will go. Mine on the other hand is good old fashioned CRT, and looks down right DARK compared to his, and we both swear each others looks horrible.

So he really likes Plasma, not only for its "cool factor" but the fact that it has that similar "hot" video look. I personally think it looks too bright, too edgy/sharp. The bright, vivid colors are nice, but it in NO way looks like film at all.

An example: I was at my bf's parents place watching Zorro on ABC as few weeks back. It was broadcast in HDTV. They have a small plasma tv. The picture was stunningly clear. I've never seen an image like that before - BUT it still looked like HDTV, not film. (and regular broadcast TV looks like complete poop on the plasma. Bleck!

I want my movies to look like film, not video. That is REALLY important to me.

You could just put a really large 4-bladed fan running at 360 rpm in between you and the TV. It's sure to give you that film-like flicker.

Ok, that took waaay to much effort to calculate.

What do you have to say about this...pros and cons. ??

73" Mitsubishi RPTV

I just bought one. Expect to pay an extra $300 to have someone come out and calibrate out the strong red push Mits puts in all their screens. Otherwise, the 9" guns pushing it result in a remarkable image for a screen that size. I don't have the capability of controlling light enough now so it was a good fit for me.

And it's fricking massive:

http://www.msnusers.com/_Secure/0TgCz*4kXTJ7hRhkXqZr0JnAZ4KDc4lsdj!1jLqd3zaoxSJtxYpKN9APa1BqmNgBbbGVyvs1eQyJcpV3qTqleKe9Y0YP1ZmpHfNDF*jG1MtWJFjE7LK7TYA/IMG_0449.jpg?dc=4675435111619442829

9" CRT's seem like a pretty darn good idea to me.

How deep is that monster?

I really need to see a FP setup. I find it hard to believe a FP can compete with three 9" CRTs. Though all you FP owners SWEAR it's the best thing since sliced bread.

Craig, Craig, oh Craig,

Right. Front projectors, or for that matter any digital displays, cannot beat a good, properly calibrated CRT RPTV in blacks and absolute contrast ratio. However, in pretty much ALL other aspects, FP readily beats RPTV in my opinion. I've watched the Mits 73" many times -- in fact, it was one of the top candidates before I discovered the FP. The other day I watched the 73" in my local UE again, and frankly, it brought me a big smile -- I simply felt "superior" that I went with FP.

For me, the biggest drawback of RPTVs is its "dithered" screen and its quite a narrow viewing angle (especially the vertical angle). The screen dither really gives a "video/TV" look to the picture. Viewing angle may not be a big issue for people who pretty much sit still when watching movies, but for slackers like me, who wants to lay down on the sofa or even on the floor while watching, it is highly frustrating to see the brightness variations. Oh, and the 73" box is nearly 3-feet deep; it completely dominates even a generously sized room. The big box won't do too much good to the Axiom sound, either.

In reply to:

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I want my movies to look like film, not video. That is REALLY important to me.

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This comment pretty much nails it, doesn't it? -- Craig, you do have to go with the FP then. And you really need to see the FP in action, in order to appreciate its unique virtues (and take your BF, too -- he may well change his view). It is the only display method that produces a truly "film-like" image. After all, the IMAX theater is front-projected, right?

That big bad 73 stats out at:
65 3/4 high, 65 3/16 wide and 29 7/8 inches deep..
Weight is given as approx (they aren't even sure) 420 lbs..
I have the 65 inch diamond, and love it.. Beautiful picture, fully HD, verrrrrry easy to use "64" point digital convergence adjustments, etc, etc..
Sure, it's big.. Just arrange your furniture and decore to compliment the thing..
I don't have to buy a new bulb in xxx hours, I don't have to buy a screen for $$$, I have 1080i (and everything in between), blah blah blah, yadda yadda yadda..
I only wish they would make them with room to put the center channel speaker under the screen, inside the cabinet..
Now, having said all that, I have not yet seen a FP set up in operation.. I could be swayed.. Bigger is better with movie watching.. I've got an 11 1/2 wide blank front wall, with vaulted ceiling, and 21 feet of split level seating area.. And, it's dark ! (I can just hear Sushi's gears turning.. hahah)

I'm certainly not ruling out FP. I'm actually VERY interested. I just have never seen it done properly. (ie bars and such) And it's going to be a tough sell. Although Roger is VERY open minded about my HT hobby, unless we can see a properly set up FP system that won't look weird in our living room, I'll have some trouble selling the idea I think.

I didn't realize those 73" Mitsu's were so deep. That's too big. That's one of the selling points of the LCoS to me as well, it's only about 18" deep.

Hmm...anyone know where I can see a FP setup in the LA area? (not a $10,000+ deal either! Something between $3000-$6000 would be better)