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Aeka 2.0
Nov 16, 2000

:ohdear: Have you seen my apex seals? I seem to have lost them.




Dinosaur Gum

etatoby posted:

My W1070 has been giving me nothing but superb pictures, thank you very much. Though I will send it back in for repair before the warranty is over, because the color wheel has become noticeably noisy. I think I mentioned it before. Has anybody else experienced it?

Anyways, my friend liked my setup so much he wants to buy a projector too. But the W1070 is too expensive for him. Are there any cheaper DLP projectors worth buying? He says he could do without the 3D and with only 720p resolution, since he'd only be watching movies on a smaller screen. Any recommendations?

Edit: I found the Benq MW526, seems to fit the specs and is very cheap! What do y'all say? I wonder why it's sold as Business/education and not Home. Are there any shortcomings using it to watch movies?


Do not touch projectors that are meant for business. That one will have a slow color wheel, causing some serious rainbow artifacts in blacks, plus the contrast ratios usually suck bad as they are meant for brightness and not detail.

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Aeka 2.0
Nov 16, 2000

:ohdear: Have you seen my apex seals? I seem to have lost them.




Dinosaur Gum

King Hotpants posted:

Nope.

It's gonna cost a lot, depending on how large of a screen you want. But you're the "doing everything right" guy in this thread, so I thought I'd throw it out there.

Do they even sell the material separate? I never got a response back on email and I hate using what little lunch time I have on the phone.

King Hotpants
Apr 11, 2005

Clint.
Fucking.
Eastwood.

Aeka 2.0 posted:

Do not touch projectors that are meant for business. That one will have a slow color wheel, causing some serious rainbow artifacts in blacks, plus the contrast ratios usually suck bad as they are meant for brightness and not detail.

I came in to answer this and you got there first.

Sperg moment: the color wheel will probably be spinning at the same speed (7200 RPM in most projectors). The difference is in the color wheel segments. Here's how.

The W1070/HT1075 have color wheels with six segments -- two each of red, green, and blue. We call this an RGBRGB wheel.

Business projectors usually include white (clear) and sometimes the secondaries (cyan, magenta, yellow). So you'll see RGBCMY or RGBCYW.

7200 RPM is 120 revolutions per second. At 60 frames per second, that's two revolutions per frame. So the W1070 will, in one frame, flash RGBRGB RGBRGB. Each color is refreshed four times in each frame. A business projector will flash RGBCYW RGBCYW, which is twice per color per frame. That's how you get a "4X wheel" or a "2X wheel."

That's the basics. Some projectors get a little tricky when working with 24FPS, but we'll save that for another day.

Aeka 2.0 posted:

Do they even sell the material separate? I never got a response back on email and I hate using what little lunch time I have on the phone.

I'm sure they do. However all the people I know who have done this already own a Stewart frame, and I'm not sure if that makes a difference.

Aeka 2.0
Nov 16, 2000

:ohdear: Have you seen my apex seals? I seem to have lost them.




Dinosaur Gum
Hopefully not. But it's a good thing I didn't get a reply, had to get my parents a new TV so any screen upgrades will have to wait.

Thanks for the info on the color wheel too! I didn't know that.

emocrat
Feb 28, 2007
Sidewalk Technology
Hi thread, I am looking for some recommendations on a screen. Here is my situation:

I have a Sony VPLVW70 Projector. I recently moved to a new house and I am replacing my old screen, which was a low end elite screens motorized one.

The room this is in has a window but it will be blocked off. I will say I have a 97% light controlled room. The room is just over 20 feet deep. I am thinking a screen size of 120 is about what I want. Because of other uses of the room, I am committed to using some form of motorized screen.

So, I understand that tab tensioned is probably what I want, any specific recommendations? I have seen some that include 2 actual screens, one for 16x9 and one for 2.35:1, are those reasonable solutions, or do they have other drawbacks? Finally, any recommendations on screen color/gain? My last screen I was elite screens "maxwhite 1.1 gain" and I did not like it, seemed to bright too me.

I do not have have a set budget for this, but I am willing to spend what I need to to get something quality. Probably not super top of the line, but I will consider any suggestion.

iSimian
Jan 19, 2008

Well, there's your problem!
Great thread!

After realizing I never really watch TV anymore, I've been thinking of ditching it and getting a projector instead. Sound will run through the stereo, and it will be mostly use for movies (either Blu Rays through the PS3 or Netflix etc from an Apple mini). I don't think I will do much, if any, gaming, but the option is of course nice. The projector it self will be ceiling mounted and about 2.8m (9.2 feet). There is a natural nook for the ceiling-mounted pull-down screen which when measured should be able to hold a 88" diagonal screen. The room itself is white painted with windows on one wall, but these all have metal blinds, so I can shut out the light pretty well. Also, where I live it's dark half the year anyways. I can pull one 8m HDMI, but I have been looking at wireless projectors too.

In my budget, I have been looking at three different projectors, but don't know which one to choose:

1. Epson LCD TW6600 ($1488 here)
Gotten some good reviews as far as I can see.
(http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/tvs-entertainment/projectors/1402018/epson-eh-tw6600-review)

2. Epson LCD TW6600W ($1643 here)
This one is the same as the previous, but wireless and comes with a wireless hub that has 5 HDMIs. Very handy!
(http://www.homecinemachoice.com/news/article/epson-eh-tw6600w-review/20551)

3. BenQ DLP W1070 ($932 here)
I see this one recommended by many people.

3. BenQ DLP W1070+W ($1452 here)
Same as previous, but with wireless, although this one only has space for 1 HDMI wireless signal.

Are the Epson's worth the price difference? Are there better options?
I can of course consider other projectors and tips, and budgetwise I would like to get a good option as cheap as possible, but around $1500-1600 is doable for the projector.

Thank you for any advice!

iSimian fucked around with this message at 19:52 on Sep 8, 2015

wolfbiker
Nov 6, 2009
W1070 should be less than that, it's around $620 CAD (refurbished).

iSimian
Jan 19, 2008

Well, there's your problem!

wolfbiker posted:

W1070 should be less than that, it's around $620 CAD (refurbished).

After looking around it seems $827 US is the cheapest the W1070 can be bought for in my country. It's many Kroners.

Rinaldi
Dec 29, 2008
I'm in a somewhat similar situation to Stephen from earlier in the thread. I'd like to get a cheap projector with the intention of using it outdoors at night. I know nothing about projectors.

What's your budget?

No more than $300, but cheaper is better. We won't be using it very often so I don't want to spend too much money on it. It's for a relatively rustic getaway spot that we visit every now and then.

Intended sources -- what are you going to watch/play/do?

Movies, at night. Something to have on while sitting outside with friends or grilling.

How big of a picture do you want? "I don't care/Big" is an acceptable answer

Doesn't really matter that much. I don't need perfect resolution for this purpose. The actual TV in that house is small and ancient so anything is better than that.

Are you going to use a screen? (if you already own a screen, how big/what kind/what gain, if known?)

Probably a sheet strung up between trees or maybe a do-it-yourself screen with a PVC frame.

What are the restrictions, if any, on placement?

Portable. Built-in speakers or a way to easily hook speakers up would be needed.


I have no idea if this is even reasonable or not, so thanks for any advice.

Aeka 2.0
Nov 16, 2000

:ohdear: Have you seen my apex seals? I seem to have lost them.




Dinosaur Gum
Hey King,
I don't know what kind of connections you have, but I'm wondering if some parts are interchangeable on these JVC projectors. I've got the x700r right now. I'm going to be piping in a 4k/uhd blu ray to this thing with an HDFury to bypass HDCP 2.2, but at that point im limited to 8 bit color since it is only HDMI 1.4b. The new JVC came out, or is coming out, and it is the same fake 4k e-shift thing as before, but it has a 2.0/2.2 board. Would anyone know if these boards can be retrofitted and work?

Sir Nose
Mar 28, 2009


Time to upgrade! Right now I have Samsung SP-H710E on a shelf over the couch, 100" screen, throw distance of 140". Want to go full HD 3D.

What's your budget?

Negotiable. I'd like to spend as little as possible, of course, but I'll pay for the right projector.

Intended sources -- what are you going to watch/play/do?

Mostly movies (blu rays, dvds, Netflix, even the occasional VHS!), mostly at night. There will be occasional daytime use with ambient light (I cannot get the room completely dark). Some game play, so low input lag would be nice.

How big of a picture do you want? "I don't care/Big" is an acceptable answer

I'm a CIH guy... Image height is always 37". I manually zoom for wider aspect ratios; 2.39:1 uses the screen's full viewing width of 87". (Do they even make projectors with powered zoom? Expensive?)

Are you going to use a screen? (if you already own a screen, how big/what kind/what gain, if known?)

For the time being, anyway, I'll continue using my old screen-- Elite VMAX100UWH electric screen, 100" diagonal. No idea what the gain is.

What are the restrictions, if any, on placement?

Size of room gives throw distance of 140" for shelf. Might be able to squeeze out a couple more inches if the projector is petite. (My Samsung is a loving tank). It would be nice if I could continue using the shelf as it's easy to reach the zoom lens. But I'd install a ceiling mount for the right projector. Ceiling is just under 8'. Top of screen viewing area is about 1' down from ceiling, could increase that up to another 6 inches if necessary.

And some additional questions for other CIH fans-- How do you do it? Same way I do? Are there high end projectors that do CIH automatically? I have in my possession a Sankor 16C anamorphic lens... Could it somehow be rigged up with a projector to get the job done? Thanks!

Sir Nose fucked around with this message at 05:27 on Sep 29, 2015

mediaphage
Mar 22, 2007

Excuse me, pardon me, sheer perfection coming through
Haaaa, I can tell I haven't been on the forums lately, because I was surprised to see this thread. Hurray!

Anyway, I'll probably get the standard goonproj BenQ. I know that the screen makes up a big part of the experience, though, and unfortunately, I don't really have a spot where I can have a permanent screen. If I put it in the living room, I'll be divorced once I'm done hanging it, and the basement in our new house has a gently caress all huge useless fireplace that takes up most of a wall.

So, I'm left with having to go with a collapsible, portable screen. Are there any I should bother with, with the understanding that they'll probably look terrible in a couple of years?

Additionally, has anyone used the W1070 outside? Lots of families in the new neighborhood, and we have awesome neighbors, so I think that might be fun to do in the yard sometime.

King Hotpants
Apr 11, 2005

Clint.
Fucking.
Eastwood.

emocrat posted:

...I will say I have a 97% light controlled room...
So, I understand that tab tensioned is probably what I want, any specific recommendations? I have seen some that include 2 actual screens, one for 16x9 and one for 2.35:1, are those reasonable solutions, or do they have other drawbacks? Finally, any recommendations on screen color/gain? My last screen I was elite screens "maxwhite 1.1 gain" and I did not like it, seemed to bright too me.

Re: light control -- are your walls/ceiling white? If they are, fix that. Fabric is best. Matte paint in a dark neutral color is better than nothing.

Tab tensioned is what you want if you're set on retractable. The big boys don't do the two-screen thing, they use masking. Stewart makes retractable screens with masking and I'm sure most of the other major manufacturers (Draper, Da-Lite, Screen Innovations) do too.

What size was your last screen? If you're going bigger this time, you'll need higher gain to keep the same image brightness. If you give me that info I can make a better recommendation.

iSimian posted:

The room itself is white painted with windows on one wall, but these all have metal blinds, so I can shut out the light pretty well...

Are the Epson's worth the price difference? Are there better options?
I can of course consider other projectors and tips, and budgetwise I would like to get a good option as cheap as possible, but around $1500-1600 is doable for the projector.

From those options, I'd stick with the W1070. I'd also put some effort into making your walls and ceiling something other than white. That will have a huge positive impact on picture quality.

Rinaldi posted:

I'd like to get a cheap projector with the intention of using it outdoors at night.

Get a cheap Epson business projector. They make one model that's around $300 and I think it has a built-in speaker. That's going to be a million times better and brighter than the no-name crap you'll find on Amazon/eBay for less money. Projector Central did a series on cheap projectors that you might want to read.

Aeka 2.0 posted:

Hey King,
I don't know what kind of connections you have, but I'm wondering if some parts are interchangeable on these JVC projectors. I've got the x700r right now. I'm going to be piping in a 4k/uhd blu ray to this thing with an HDFury to bypass HDCP 2.2, but at that point im limited to 8 bit color since it is only HDMI 1.4b. The new JVC came out, or is coming out, and it is the same fake 4k e-shift thing as before, but it has a 2.0/2.2 board. Would anyone know if these boards can be retrofitted and work?

Unfortunately, the only people who know the answer to this work at JVC. Your best bet is to get in touch with them and see what they say.

Sir Nose posted:

Time to upgrade! Right now I have Samsung SP-H710E on a shelf over the couch, 100" screen, throw distance of 140". Want to go full HD 3D.

The only "affordable" projector with a powered zoom right now is the Panasonic AE8000, which is showing its age. If you can live without that, get the Sony HW40ES. It fits your throw requirements and it looks fantastic.

If you want to spend some extra money, get one of the JVC models; they have powered zoom, focus, and lens shift and can be programmed to zoom up/down for 2.39:1/1.78:1 switching.

You can also rig up that anamorphic lens on some kind of sled and move it in and out of the projector's light path. This takes some fine-tuning to get right, as anamorphic lenses are a little finicky, but that's how anamorphic widescreen is traditionally done. Fancypants rich people use motorized sleds with a 12V trigger, but you could probably make one out of drawer slides and wood if you're handy.

Actually, I should make one of those. Thanks for the idea. :)

mediaphage posted:

Haaaa, I can tell I haven't been on the forums lately, because I was surprised to see this thread. Hurray!

Anyway, I'll probably get the standard goonproj BenQ. I know that the screen makes up a big part of the experience, though, and unfortunately, I don't really have a spot where I can have a permanent screen. If I put it in the living room, I'll be divorced once I'm done hanging it, and the basement in our new house has a gently caress all huge useless fireplace that takes up most of a wall.

So, I'm left with having to go with a collapsible, portable screen. Are there any I should bother with, with the understanding that they'll probably look terrible in a couple of years?

Additionally, has anyone used the W1070 outside? Lots of families in the new neighborhood, and we have awesome neighbors, so I think that might be fun to do in the yard sometime.

Collapsible/takedown screens are either built like tanks (these are built for trade shows and priced accordingly) or fragile as poo poo.

You can get motorized retractable screens. Some of them are even built to recess completely into the ceiling when you're not using them. Get something tab-tensioned -- it will stop the screen from developing ripples over time.

Aeka 2.0
Nov 16, 2000

:ohdear: Have you seen my apex seals? I seem to have lost them.




Dinosaur Gum
RE: different screen materials

It seems the only way to get Stewart material is by proof of ownership of a Stewart frame. So I suppose that is out for me. I decided to look at AT fabrics again, all were poo poo except for one, but sadly the gain sucked. It seems gain is cheated a lot on these, several seemed to have boosted magentas on white scenes. I did seem to find a decent combo of two, and that was if I layed an Elite screen material over my Seymore material, but since neither stretch real well I could imagine them not tensioning together properly and that is an expensive risk if they decide to separate.


So it all comes back to perforated vinyl. I got a sample pack from DaLite. I don't have anything else to compare them to, but from what I can tell this is quality stuff, even the sample pack made me feel like I was about to invest in a new car with their presentation. Unfortunately from my seating I can still see the perforations. If I sit back one or two feet from normal they blend in, but this is all judging from an 8x8" square, which is kind of a lovely way to test things for a possible 1000 dollar investment.

I feel like I've exhausted all of my options and I'm not perfectly satisfied. I can't move my seating back as then it would block my sliding door to the back yard. Perhaps im being picky and I'd get used to the perforation? Is there another option with a tighter cut?

Sir Nose
Mar 28, 2009


King Hotpants posted:

The only "affordable" projector with a powered zoom right now is the Panasonic AE8000, which is showing its age. If you can live without that, get the Sony HW40ES. It fits your throw requirements and it looks fantastic.

Thanks for the recommendation, the Sony looks good.

What about appropriate IR 3D glasses? HW40ES literature recommends Sony brand (of course), but they are pricey, nearly $100 apiece. Will other glasses work, or are there compatibility issues? What are some good options?

emocrat
Feb 28, 2007
Sidewalk Technology

King Hotpants posted:

Re: light control -- are your walls/ceiling white? If they are, fix that. Fabric is best. Matte paint in a dark neutral color is better than nothing.

Tab tensioned is what you want if you're set on retractable. The big boys don't do the two-screen thing, they use masking. Stewart makes retractable screens with masking and I'm sure most of the other major manufacturers (Draper, Da-Lite, Screen Innovations) do too.

What size was your last screen? If you're going bigger this time, you'll need higher gain to keep the same image brightness. If you give me that info I can make a better recommendation.

So, in my old space the ceiling was flat black and the walls were a mid level red. I think one of my problems was that the walls, despite being a darker color, had a more shiny finish and reflected a decent bit of light.

Looking at the Stewart link, are there particular advantages to a vertical masking system vs horizontal? Horizontal seems more advantageous. It seems as though my limiting factor will be width, so I should maximize that, and then mask the height. But Maybe I am missing something there.

My last screen was only 92 inches diagonal.

This time around, I have a bigger space and I am planning on a 120 inch screen. I have not decided on how I will do the walls and ceiling yet, but I will definitely keep the cloth suggestion in mind.

King Hotpants
Apr 11, 2005

Clint.
Fucking.
Eastwood.

Aeka 2.0 posted:

RE: different screen materials

It seems the only way to get Stewart material is by proof of ownership of a Stewart frame. So I suppose that is out for me. I decided to look at AT fabrics again, all were poo poo except for one, but sadly the gain sucked. It seems gain is cheated a lot on these, several seemed to have boosted magentas on white scenes. I did seem to find a decent combo of two, and that was if I layed an Elite screen material over my Seymore material, but since neither stretch real well I could imagine them not tensioning together properly and that is an expensive risk if they decide to separate.


So it all comes back to perforated vinyl. I got a sample pack from DaLite. I don't have anything else to compare them to, but from what I can tell this is quality stuff, even the sample pack made me feel like I was about to invest in a new car with their presentation. Unfortunately from my seating I can still see the perforations. If I sit back one or two feet from normal they blend in, but this is all judging from an 8x8" square, which is kind of a lovely way to test things for a possible 1000 dollar investment.

I feel like I've exhausted all of my options and I'm not perfectly satisfied. I can't move my seating back as then it would block my sliding door to the back yard. Perhaps im being picky and I'd get used to the perforation? Is there another option with a tighter cut?

I'm not super familiar with AT screens unfortunately, so this is about as far as my limited knowledge will go. That said, you're going to notice the perforations right now because you're actively looking for them (as you should be). I see flaws in every projector I look at, but I can also enjoy a movie even on a crap projector as long as I let myself enjoy the movie and stop looking for problems.

Sir Nose posted:

What about appropriate IR 3D glasses? HW40ES literature recommends Sony brand (of course), but they are pricey, nearly $100 apiece. Will other glasses work, or are there compatibility issues? What are some good options?

You can apparently use the IR glasses meant for the PS3, which cost all of $25 each.

emocrat posted:

So, in my old space the ceiling was flat black and the walls were a mid level red. I think one of my problems was that the walls, despite being a darker color, had a more shiny finish and reflected a decent bit of light.

Looking at the Stewart link, are there particular advantages to a vertical masking system vs horizontal? Horizontal seems more advantageous. It seems as though my limiting factor will be width, so I should maximize that, and then mask the height. But Maybe I am missing something there.

My last screen was only 92 inches diagonal.

This time around, I have a bigger space and I am planning on a 120 inch screen. I have not decided on how I will do the walls and ceiling yet, but I will definitely keep the cloth suggestion in mind.

Vertical masking is better for most people, but not everyone. Most people are height-limited before they are width-limited. Also, you use vertical masking for constant image height (CIH), and CIH is how the vast majority of anamorphic lenses are designed to work. For your situation, it sounds like horizontal masking would be better.

Re: screen size and brightness. You mentioned that your 1.1 gain screen was too bright, but it was also only 92" diagonal. A 92" diagonal 16:9 screen is about 3,600 square inches. Moving up to a 120" screen brings area to 6,195 square inches -- quite a bit larger. The Sony VW70 was what, 800 lumens? A 1.1 gain screen sounds about right given that brightness and screen size. You'd be getting 32 fL from the 92" screen and 18 fL from the 120" screen -- so it's not surprising that you thought it was too bright, because it was way too bright.

emocrat
Feb 28, 2007
Sidewalk Technology

King Hotpants posted:


Vertical masking is better for most people, but not everyone. Most people are height-limited before they are width-limited. Also, you use vertical masking for constant image height (CIH), and CIH is how the vast majority of anamorphic lenses are designed to work. For your situation, it sounds like horizontal masking would be better.

Thanks, good to know.

King Hotpants posted:

Re: screen size and brightness. You mentioned that your 1.1 gain screen was too bright, but it was also only 92" diagonal. A 92" diagonal 16:9 screen is about 3,600 square inches. Moving up to a 120" screen brings area to 6,195 square inches -- quite a bit larger. The Sony VW70 was what, 800 lumens? A 1.1 gain screen sounds about right given that brightness and screen size. You'd be getting 32 fL from the 92" screen and 18 fL from the 120" screen -- so it's not surprising that you thought it was too bright, because it was way too bright.

Wow, OK, that makes a ton of sense, but it totally never occurred to me. Is there a guideline for how many FL I should be looking at (if my size etc changes as this starts)? Also, do you have a particular recommendation for screen material? For Stewart , I guess the Firehawk is the 1.1 material, any specific recomendations?

Thanks for your help.

King Hotpants
Apr 11, 2005

Clint.
Fucking.
Eastwood.
The number most people use is 16 fL. You calculate fL by dividing lumen output (in the mode you're using) by screen area (in square feet) and then multiplying by screen gain.

I like Stewart, but that's partially because I've used a lot of their stuff over the years. Right now I have a Firehawk G4, a Studiotek 130, and a Studiotek 100. The Firehawk will help cut down on reflected light and keep your contrast up, so if you can afford it, that's what I'd do.

SCheeseman
Apr 23, 2003

Okay, last time I didn't have the information to really ask a definitive question, but now that things are clearer (amplifier bought, projector and mount has been ordered) I figured I'd come for you guys help again.

I need a 120" screen for a dedicated theatre room (light blocking blinds/curtains for the windows) with a W1080ST projector. OK with something that is fixed there permanently, no need for moving parts or anything. Can be material, a pre-made screen or even paint if it's good enough.

I have a budget of US$250, what do I get?

Aeka 2.0
Nov 16, 2000

:ohdear: Have you seen my apex seals? I seem to have lost them.




Dinosaur Gum
well, its 100 dollars more, but you really cant beat Visual Apex for buck to bang ratio.

http://www.visualapex.com/Projector-Screens/Projector_Screen_Details.asp?chPartNumber=VAPEXPRO9120FF

I have the 135". I recently changed out the material to go acoustic transparent, but i was happy with the performance.

Aeka 2.0 fucked around with this message at 20:12 on Oct 16, 2015

King Hotpants
Apr 11, 2005

Clint.
Fucking.
Eastwood.

SwissCM posted:

Okay, last time I didn't have the information to really ask a definitive question, but now that things are clearer (amplifier bought, projector and mount has been ordered) I figured I'd come for you guys help again.

I need a 120" screen for a dedicated theatre room (light blocking blinds/curtains for the windows) with a W1080ST projector. OK with something that is fixed there permanently, no need for moving parts or anything. Can be material, a pre-made screen or even paint if it's good enough.

I have a budget of US$250, what do I get?

Unfortunately $250 doesn't get you a lot of screen. At that price, I'd look into the DIY options. If you can afford a few hundred more, look at Elite or Vapex, I guess. I've never been fond of Elite's low-end stuff, but it beats the crap out of using a wall.

The last time I saw a Vapex was when they were brand new, and the prototype frame I got deposited black flocking particles into my carpet that I couldn't ever get out. I'm sure they must have fixed that problem, because we gave them absolute hell for it.

Aeka, when you had your Vapex, did you ever meter it out and see how it performed? I'd be interested to know.

Aeka 2.0
Nov 16, 2000

:ohdear: Have you seen my apex seals? I seem to have lost them.




Dinosaur Gum
They must have fixed it as I haven't had any of the material come off. I don't have a meter, but the color was visually more uniform than my current Seymour XD material, and the gain between the XD and the Vapex are visually the same and both claim 1.1 gain. Take that for what you will. I haven't gotten into meters because they are quite expensive unless there is something you recommend. All my calibrations have been by eye with charts and I tweak like someone on crack. Like you I obsess on imperfections nobody else sees.

SCheeseman
Apr 23, 2003

I decided to go with that 120" Vapex. They cost a fortune when buying locally in Australia so I ordered the one from that link and am using a parcel reshipper (I used the one that's run by the Australian government, ShopMate :v:).

Aeka 2.0
Nov 16, 2000

:ohdear: Have you seen my apex seals? I seem to have lost them.




Dinosaur Gum
You won't be disappointed. I also have a friend who runs one as well. It ain't a Stewart, but I really have nothing negative to say at that price range.

negativeneil
Jul 8, 2000

"Personally, I think he's done a great job of being down to earth so far."
just picked up the 1070 and a 100" Vapex electric like a good goon. Thanks for the advice Aeka and Hotpants

TapTheForwardAssist
Apr 9, 2007

Pretty Little Lyres
Read the OP and skimmed the thread, but I have a bit of a different situation since I'm working in rural West Africa, so a situation more akin to a military deployment than setting up a home. Fwiw, the first time I ever saw a pico projector was while stuck in a bunker in rural Afghanistan during a rocket attack in 2010 and a guy was playing animated shorts off his iPhone, projected with a pico onto the bunker wall, with a little soda-can type speaker, and it was the coolest thing I'd seen.

* Budget: optimally US$100-200
* Intended sources -- what are you going to watch/play/do?: really minimal requirements, essentially after it gets dark out and we can't do civil engineering stuff, we're going to sit in a cinderblock house with a small portable generator outside, and watch movies on someone's laptop. So our only real desire is a movie-viewing experience more pleasant than four people clustered around a MacBook. We have a couple of those twist-pop fist-sized speakers we can daisy-chain together. So this is some pretty low-fi poo poo where we just want a larger image that can be charitably categorized as "watchable".
* How big of a picture do you want? "I don't care/Big" is an acceptable answer: Don't care/big. Not going to be any space larger than an American living-room, so even like a 3ft image would be helpful, but bigger is cool and our sharpness standards are near-nil
* Are you going to use a screen?: hell no, cinderblock wall, whitewashed if we're lucky. I would expect we can get the room pretty dark to watch it since we're not going to have a ton of lighting anyway
* Placement restrictions: none really, we'll just set it on the floor or on the seat of a chair or on top of some packing crate and point it at a wall.


Not trying to be glib or anything, just we have pretty low requirements for most of the things that are big deals for actual serious home entertainment stuff. We're more interested in it being reasonably compact (like the size of a VHS cassette?), not too finicky about power sources (like can we run it off a USB into the laptop, or have it plugged into a socket whilst it's running, or have at least a little standalone battery power), reasonably durable in a rural environment, etc.

I'm also not in the slightest an AV guy, so whatever model recommended hopefully its Amazon writeup or company website explains in excruciating detail what adaptor/cable/whatever I need to plug it into a MacBook, and hopefully isn't too complicated. Thanks for humoring me on a very low-tech question.

Aeka 2.0
Nov 16, 2000

:ohdear: Have you seen my apex seals? I seem to have lost them.




Dinosaur Gum

negativeneil posted:

just picked up the 1070 and a 100" Vapex electric like a good goon. Thanks for the advice Aeka and Hotpants

I can't vouch for the electric, but please let us know how it works out.

negativeneil
Jul 8, 2000

"Personally, I think he's done a great job of being down to earth so far."

Aeka 2.0 posted:

I can't vouch for the electric, but please let us know how it works out.

Well, I got cold feet and cancelled the screen. When I started to actually consider the logistics of hiding the cord coming from the screen, I decided it wasn't worth the trouble. I've instead opted for a Draper Luma 2 106" manual pulldown. I can more easily hang it from my ceiling and the enclosure is white which better matches my decor. Hopefully I didn't make a stupid decision! I'll post some pics when all is said and done.

Aeka 2.0
Nov 16, 2000

:ohdear: Have you seen my apex seals? I seem to have lost them.




Dinosaur Gum

King Hotpants posted:

I'm not super familiar with AT screens unfortunately, so this is about as far as my limited knowledge will go. That said, you're going to notice the perforations right now because you're actively looking for them (as you should be). I see flaws in every projector I look at, but I can also enjoy a movie even on a crap projector as long as I let myself enjoy the movie and stop looking for problems.



I think I found something. It's called RoseBrand and I have a sample. Its "microperf" so you cannot see the perforations . With a black peice of paper behind it taped to the screen there is a tiny hit to brightness that I can live with. I'm actually impressed.

SCheeseman
Apr 23, 2003

My BenQ W1080ST arrived! Even just plopping it down on a chair for a test projecting onto a wall was impressive. I played some THPS4 for the original XBOX in HD :cool:

Seems to work great, no rainbow effect I could notice. No input lag either. There was some rainbow effect when viewing that test grid pattern but that's a bit of a worst case scenario. I haven't viewed 1080p content on it yet, the XBOX is what I had handy.

The screen is coming tomorrow, but installing it all is gonna take a bit because of cable routing. Still, it's nice to see how good it is even when projected onto a beige wall.

SCheeseman fucked around with this message at 08:43 on Oct 26, 2015

calandryll
Apr 25, 2003

Ask me where I do my best drinking!



Pillbug
My fiancee and I are in the middle of purchasing a house. The best part is the basement is finished into a room that is 34x13. Since it's a nice rectangle we're thinking of turning it into a home theater. Recommendation here is the BenQ W1070, while thewirecutter recommends the BenQ HT1075. What's the major difference between the two? Main purpose would be viewing movies and streaming stuff and sometimes sports.

And since we have such a large room, is there a recommend viewing distance? I was thinking about 10-12 feet away for the first row, which would could afford doing right now. And then another row or two.

I'm also wavering on the size of the screen. With such a large wall I'm wondering if it would be beneficial to use something like a 120" screen instead of a 100".

wolfbiker
Nov 6, 2009
Differences between the two:

http://www.avsforum.com/forum/68-digital-projectors-under-3-000-usd-msrp/1912433-benq-w1070-vs-ht1075.html

Calculator for determining optimal distance and screen size:

http://www.projectorcentral.com/BenQ-W1070-projection-calculator-pro.htm
http://www.projectorcentral.com/BenQ-HT1075-projection-calculator-pro.htm

calandryll
Apr 25, 2003

Ask me where I do my best drinking!



Pillbug
Awesome, thanks for the links. Looks like there is no real difference for me between the two. Now to look at price differences for screen sizes.

Sidpret
Jun 17, 2004

Is it possible to have a nearly wireless system? What I'd like to do is have a projector that I can stream video to from my laptop using Roku/Chromecast/AppleTV or whatever, and send the sound to a bluetooth speaker. Will the latency issues be terrible? Will my sound always be out of sync?

DarkHorse
Dec 13, 2006

Vroom Vroom, BEEP BEEP!
Nap Ghost
HALP ME PROJECTOR

No real limitations on budget, but given the circumstances I'm planning on using it for I'd like to shoot around the $1,000 range unless it can also be a really good movie projector.

What are you going to watch/play/do? - This is an unusual application, my goal is to project the screen of a virtual tabletop for a game that shows a game board and pieces. I'm looking to project an image onto a tabletop or from underneath a table-like surface with a transparent screen. Images will be mostly static rather than video, so image requirements are reduced. A business projector is probably sufficient, but it would be great if I could use the projector for movies as well. Most important factor is throw distance; it would be great if I could get a dining-room table-sized image just by placing the projector on the floor and projecting up (away from kicking feet and such) or, even better, if it could be mounted on the underside of the table and projected "sideways" so it's completely out of the way. In the past I've also bounced the image off a mirror taped to the ceiling. I've looked at short-throw projectors in the past but didn't want to take a gamble on the throw distance being inflexible. Being visible in semi-bright light is a plus.
How big of a picture do you want? "I don't care/Big" is an acceptable answer - big enough to cover a large-ish dining room table, probably 70" or so diagonal or more. Size isn't crucial as long as it can be adjusted.
Are you going to use a screen? (if you already own a screen, how big/what kind/what gain, if known?) - not really. It will either be a piece of paper or else a back-lit screen.
What are the restrictions, if any, on placement? - see above. Under-projection would be best so that arms, game pieces, and scenery don't block the image, but from the top is acceptable. Bouncing the image will cause limitations with projection angle/correction for keystone effect.
Other - wireless would be a plus but isn't required, no requirements for sound, portability and ruggedness a plus.

I've used a cheap 720p projector in the past and it works fine, the challenge is it's obviously meant for a longer throw distance than I can manage so the image on the table ends up smaller than I'd like, especially when keystoning is taken into account.

mediaphage
Mar 22, 2007

Excuse me, pardon me, sheer perfection coming through

King Hotpants posted:

I don't like the inexpensive Epson projectors and I don't see that changing much any time soon. Below $1,500, your best bet is (and likely will remain) the BenQ W1070/HT1075.

What would you think if the newer Epson HC2040 only cost $500 USD? Best Buy Canada is having a big sale with this guy $300 off and it's enough to make me think about it. It seems like the only real weakness (for me personally, that is) is its weaker black levels compared to the competition?

EDIT: NVM, missed it as they went out of stock. Definitely going to keep an eye out for future sales, though, because I think it's a great price.

mediaphage fucked around with this message at 10:00 on Dec 4, 2015

SCheeseman
Apr 23, 2003


It is a very big screen.

sigma 6
Nov 27, 2004

the mirror would do well to reflect further

Came here from the last thread, which I had bookmarked forever.

I am a VJ and my lovely Benq W500 is just not bright enough for what I need to do at only 1200 lumens. Bought it many, many years ago and the bulb has gotten a LOT of use, so it is pretty bad for larger rooms. Sometimes the venues have projectors for me to use but my upcoming NYE show will not.
My grandmother recently passed and left me a little money, so I thought maybe now might be the time to finally upgrade. Just don't have a lot of time if I want the thing to be shipped in time for the NYE show soooo....

A few questions for you guys:

What is the best 3-5k lumen HD projector for around 1k? I would like to go full 1080p but I would be happy with 720p as long as the brightness was within the 3-5k lumen range. Since I will be moving this around from venue to venue, reliability and portability will also play a factor. I can spend between 1000 - 1500 but no more. Especially since I would like to buy or build a projector stand as well with the remaining money.

The pics below show what I really want to pull off but I have very little time.




I realize there are multiple projectors used in the above setup but for the NYE show I can only afford one. The "transparent screen" is something I am looking into building as well.

So - basically - what is your advice on buying a projector for a (relatively poor) VJ who moves around quite a bit?
For long term I am looking to build a projector stand (by modifying a speaker stand) and make a transparent screen out of tulle but hey, first things first!

Reading backwards through the thread now so I just saw the list of questions:

What are you going to watch/play/do? - VJ - so as mentioned, portability and durability are a big factor.

How big of a picture do you want? - Hadn't given this a lot of thought as throw distance and lumens are a bigger factor. I would say the size of a club wall, so at least 10-12 feet at bare minimum.

Are you going to use a screen? (if you already own a screen, how big/what kind/what gain, if known?) - Right now I am experimenting with small amounts of tulle but I plan on buying roughly 110' x 50 yard bolt to build a screen out of tulle with. Outside of that, I will eventually buy a white screen used or use the wall of the venue if I can.

What are the restrictions, if any, on placement? - I have a good friend who has VJ'd for many, many years. He modified a speaker stand to make a projector stand and I hope to do the same. The idea is to strap it to a speaker stand with a custom platform and get the thing as high over heads as possible. In some cases, with a new venue, I may have the time to mount the projector but that isn't always possible. Wish I still had my old ceiling projection mount but I have no idea where that went since I moved. Pretty sure it was trashed in the move.

Other - A remote is pretty important, as is the ability to operate focus and keystone remotely. Projector should be black in color and as powerful / rugged as possible for the price. Lumens and throw distance are most important, with screen size and resolution coming next in priority. Paranoid about club environments, so any advice about a case or projector housing is welcome.

EDIT:

Projecting / VJing on the go.

sigma 6 fucked around with this message at 10:05 on Dec 7, 2015

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Hob_Gadling
Jul 6, 2007

by Jeffrey of YOSPOS
Grimey Drawer

King Hotpants posted:

If you are already decided on a new projector, check to see if the Sony HW40ES is inside your price range. I'm not familiar with the cost in Euros, but it sounds like it'd work.

I finally got a new projector. A Sony HW40ES, and good grief is it beautiful to watch. It's also almost completely silent. Due diligence: I think I browsed through every home theater projector cheaper than Sony, before accepting the fact that there just isn't anything worthwhile out there. Thanks for the suggestion.

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