Hi,
Just a [hopefully] quick question. We're getting a 'CinemaScope' screen for our schools theatre - but there's no money at the moment for an anamorphic lens, so I was hoping to use the zoom method.
This (http://www.cnet.com.au/projectors/lcd/0,239035421,339275038,00.htm) is the projector. It says it has a 2.1x ultra wide zoom. Will that work fine for a 3.2 metre wide screen? Or do I need to find some more information to know if it will work?
I know it's a manual zoom ring, but that doesn't really matter for now.

Bit of a noob - you probably realise this. Thanks for your help.

Hi,
Just a [hopefully] quick question. We're getting a 'CinemaScope' screen for our schools theatre - but there's no money at the moment for an anamorphic lens, so I was hoping to use the zoom method.
This (http://www.cnet.com.au/projectors/lcd/0,239035421,339275038,00.htm) is the projector. It says it has a 2.1x ultra wide zoom. Will that work fine for a 3.2 metre wide screen? Or do I need to find some more information to know if it will work?
I know it's a manual zoom ring, but that doesn't really matter for now.

Bit of a noob - you probably realise this. Thanks for your help.

Your projector can do it. You'll need to zoom and maybe also lens shift (depending on where the projector is mounted). The Epson has the necessary zoom and shift range.

Your projector can do it. You'll need to zoom and maybe also lens shift (depending on where the projector is mounted). The Epson has the necessary zoom and shift range.

Awesome. Thanks very much. Probably post the results at the end of the week (that's when it is meant to be done anyway).

once you set the projector up, it will be fine. :)

I've got a similar question about my Sanyo PLV-Z60. It has a zoom function but when I zoom it cuts off the sides. Am I missing something or does the zoom method cut off the sides normally? Do I need to do something to the image at the source, Panasonic BD30? I have it set to output 16:9.

Most blu-rays are 2.35:1. If they are already at the edges of you screen, you have reached the maximum you can zoom, you must be using a 16:9 screen.

You will need to have a screen with different proportions to fully utilize the "zoom" method. Mine, for instance, is 5'x10". My 16:9 material is 5' high but only 8' wide. for 2.35:1, I zoom until the bars are off the screen. Now the image is ~5' high by 10" wide.

Come by and check it out sometime! I'm in midtown.

I've got a similar question about my Sanyo PLV-Z60. It has a zoom function but when I zoom it cuts off the sides. Am I missing something or does the zoom method cut off the sides normally? Do I need to do something to the image at the source, Panasonic BD30? I have it set to output 16:9.

The zoom method involves the zoom on your lens, not the zoom scaler function. That would just crop the sides off of 2.35:1 and make it 16:9 zoomed to the height of your screen.

You need a 2.35:1 screen, then you would zoom your lens to fill the width.

I've got a similar question about my Sanyo PLV-Z60. It has a zoom function but when I zoom it cuts off the sides. Am I missing something or does the zoom method cut off the sides normally? Do I need to do something to the image at the source, Panasonic BD30? I have it set to output 16:9.

To expand upon the good Dr.'s post:

You need a 2.40:1 screen to do CIH (or some other commonly accepted screen ratio such as 2.35:1, 2.39:1, or similar). I used that same projector, Sanyo PLV-Z60 with a 2.4:1 screen and just zoomed it out to cover active image within the screen (black bars above and below). For 16:9 material you just zoom it back in to keep the active image on the screen (if you left it zoomed out you would have active image above and below your screen).

With that projector, I would be cautious about making the screen size too big. I felt that the image on my 111" wide 2:40:1 screen was very washed out and had fairly visible SDE. Before I sold it I had planed on scaling down my screen size to about 96" wide for 2.40:1. From my seatting distance that would have eliminated the SDE.

Most blu-rays are 2.35:1. If they are already at the edges of you screen, you have reached the maximum you can zoom, you must be using a 16:9 screen.
I'm actually using a 4:3 screen with both 16:9 and 2.35 manual masking (just boards wrapped in black felt hung with hooks and eyes). I guess I thought that the zoom method meant that you project a 16:9 image (which would have black bars on top and bottom if it's a 2.35 movie) then hit zoom and the image would fit but I neglected the sides. I would guess that the zoom on my projector is for 2.35 material that is centered on a 16:9 image (bars on top, bottom and sides).

You will need to have a screen with different proportions to fully utilize the "zoom" method. Mine, for instance, is 5'x10". My 16:9 material is 5' high but only 8' wide. for 2.35:1, I zoom until the bars are off the screen. Now the image is ~5' high by 10" wide.
That seems very narrow - jk - :) you must mean 10 FT wide. I think what I have is a constant width approach. I guess I didn't realize that the zoom method, refered to here so often, is zooming in (making the overall image smaller) to fit the 16:9 material on a 2.35 area. Sort of a Doh! moment for me today. I thought it was something like the anamorphic squeeze with a projector to take advantage of the lost pixels of the black bars.

Come by and check it out sometime! I'm in midtown.
In Omaha? Shoot me a PM.

Oh, I know what you are talking about now, the "zoom" screen setting. Yeah, that actually will zoom the image on the panel to fill a 16:9 screen with either 2.40 or 4:3 material by cropping either the tops or sides off of the image. 4:3 screen huh? I think it might be time to upgrade. ;)

To expand upon the good Dr.'s post:

You need a 2.40:1 screen to do CIH (or some other commonly accepted screen ratio such as 2.35:1, 2.39:1, or similar). I used that same projector, Sanyo PLV-Z60 with a 2.4:1 screen and just zoomed it out to cover active image within the screen (black bars above and below). For 16:9 material you just zoom it back in to keep the active image on the screen (if you left it zoomed out you would have active image above and below your screen).

With that projector, I would be cautious about making the screen size too big. I felt that the image on my 111" wide 2:40:1 screen was very washed out and had fairly visible SDE. Before I sold it I had planed on scaling down my screen size to about 96" wide for 2.40:1. From my seatting distance that would have eliminated the SDE.
Hey, imprez. Wow! 111" is pretty darn big. My screen is only 80" wide so I haven't had any SDE from about 10 FT away. I think now I understand the zoom method a little bit better. Thanks.

Imprez: If you're still interested in buying a Fury, mines still for sale. I take it you went back to the CRT? Anyway, I'll entertain any offers.

4:3 screen huh? I think it might be time to upgrade. ;)
With the masking, you can't tell it's 4:3. I love it!:)

Hey, imprez. Wow! 111" is pretty darn big. My screen is only 80" wide so I haven't had any SDE from about 10 FT away. I think now I understand the zoom method a little bit better. Thanks.

Imprez: If you're still interested in buying a Fury, mines still for sale. I take it you went back to the CRT? Anyway, I'll entertain any offers.

Yeah, I think I went a little big. :) For the Fury, my impuse got the best of me and I ended up buying it from curtpalme.com. Thanks though.

Yeah, I think I went a little big. :) For the Fury, my impuse got the best of me and I ended up buying it from curtpalme.com. Thanks though.
Got to love those CRT blacks!

No kidding. That was my biggest gripe with the digital. Not saying that there aren't digitals out there that will perform at the same level as a CRT, they just are not in my price range. So the CRT makes the most sence for me.

No kidding. That was my biggest gripe with the digital. Not saying that there aren't digitals out there that will perform at the same level as a CRT, they just are not in my price range. So the CRT makes the most sence for me.
To continue off-topic, I recently saw a demo of a Kuro projector and it had to have been the best digital I've ever seen. Blacks were unbelievable! I think that was LCOS. They were selling it at half price that week (the week before Pioneer announced discontinuing the Kuros). It's good to dream.

To continue off-topic, I recently saw a demo of a Kuro projector and it had to have been the best digital I've ever seen. Blacks were unbelievable! I think that was LCOS. They were selling it at half price that week (the week before Pioneer announced discontinuing the Kuros). It's good to dream.

Isn't the Kuro just a re-badged JVC?

Isn't the Kuro just a re-badged JVC?
Beats me. It sure looked good!

Isn't the Kuro just a re-badged JVC?


Absolutely.:cool:

What about "digital zoom"?

I have an LP250 and in the manual and specs it says "digital zoom" but i dont understand how to use it. If it even works at all?

Another question concerning using the Zoom method. Is it preferable to use a flat 2.35:1 screen, or a curved screen?

No need for a curved screen when using zoom method.

No need for a curved screen when using zoom method.

Just thinking long term. I'm looking at going CIH piece by piece. With my current setup, I could have CIH using the Zoom method with just a 2.35:1 screen. And thinking long term, I would prefer a curved screen. I'm wondering how bad a zoomed image would look on the curved screen in the mean time.