I am stuck deciding between the Epson 720 and the Panasonic AX200U. My seating distance is about 9.5 feet and my throw is about 16 feet, I want to project a 120" image. I am wondering if this projector is a good fit? I like everything I read about it but am concerned about SDE primarily.

So Epson 720 owners please post:

1. Throw distance
2. Seating distance to first row
3. Screen size diagonal
4. Any SDE?

Thank you all!

I have a 810 but its the same as the 720

1. Throw distance 18 feet
2. Seating distance to first row 18 feet
3. Screen size diagonal 150 inch
4. Any SDE? No

150" viewed at 18' is 1.65 x screen width. I would not expect to see SDE at that distance. 120" viewed from 9.5' is 1.08 x screen width. That is a big difference. At 1.08 x screen width you will see SDE using the 720. If you are going to set it up like that I think your only choice in 720p is the AX200U.

21 feet lense to wall(screen)

160" screen

seating distance 19.5 feet

no sde at that distance

sde visible at 12 feet

great projector

best when used with hdmi

if you have more than one hdmi input I would suggest a hdmi switch rather than component.

Good luck


John the bulbman

I've got a 120" screen, the throw is about 15' & the first row of seating is about 10'. I don't see any SDE & I've got pretty good eyesight.

I've got a 120" screen, the throw is about 15' & the first row of seating is about 10'. I don't see any SDE & I've got pretty good eyesight.

Wow Topher, your setup is virtually identical to mine. So obviously you think I would be pleased with the 720 in my situation then. Being that our setups are so similar, what are your impressions of:

1.Sharpness
2.Brightness
3.Fan noise

Any pics of your setup and screen shots?

Thanks!

At first I thought my Hitachi PJ-TX100 was sharper, but I'll have to wait to get it back from the shop to make a comparison. It may just be the extra contrast of the Epson fooling me.
The pj's plenty bright in Theater Black 1. I bought the demo pj & it has 420 hours on the bulb. My screen's an Elunevision with 2.4 gain, but the pj being ceiling mounted probably negates a fair bit of that. I can have the front 4 pot lights on about 3/4 brightness & the rear 2 full before it becomes too washed out.
Fan noise is negligible on modes with lower fans speeds. At the higher speed, it may be objectionable. The Hitachi was quite a bit louder.
Here's pic of my basement:
http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/photo/2092091180053564223ByRBbW?vhost=home-and-garden
One of these days I'll get around to putting in a drop ceiling.
I have more pics at webshots. Just follow the link above or search for user Topher5000.

Screen size 120"
Throw distance @18'
Main seating distance @17'

No SDE whatsoever at 17'. It starts to become noticeable at @10'.

I am currently using an Elite powergain screen, @1.8gain. I was using the cinewhite, @1.1gain, but I felt it was a bit to dim in theater black 1 mode. The powergain material is brighter but it has some downsides. Mainly the screen material is notieceable with bright solid images that pan. If I could do it over I would get a Da Lite high power. There is a great review from Chad about different screen materials he has tried with the 720.

Hi all,

You think a 92" screen with viewable area of 80w 45h will strain eyes at 9ft away?

Thanks!

Shouldn't be a problem. I sit +/-10' away from a 120" screen with no complaints.

If you plan to watch a lot of low resolution material (MPEG2 TV), the minimum seating distance is dictated by the visibility of MPEG artefacts, not SDE. At least in Europe, where a lot of broadcasting stations use rather low bitrates. You will stop seeing SDE before you stop to be annoyed by digital artefacts. Personally, I prefer seating = 2 x width of screen for that reason and use ffdshow for picture processing (ffdshow adds a lot of sharpness and clarity but probably accentuates artefacts). If you watch high definition material most of the time, get the Panasonic if you want to experience best immersion. For me, the Epson's minimum seating distance is a bit too large to achieve immersion. I own the TW700 - same as the HC720.

I took his question as being about constantly moving your eyes back & forth.
You're right about SD resolution. AVI's from my htpc look great, but SD satellite broadcasts look pretty lousy.
I tried setting up ffdshow on my htpc, but it's pretty daunting. Perhaps I'll give it another try over the holidays.