I tried setting up 1280x720p and got no where near resolving a single line with one on and one off for both the vertical and horizontal. All the vertical one on one off pattern looks like is a 100 IRE pattern that flickers badly.

When I do 1440x1080i, I get HUGE scanlines for the horizontal and very faint, but they're there for vertical too. I get very light gray and even lighter gray stripes. All 1440 stripes. MTF is very very poor, but I'm "resolving" the full 1440 lines.

So what gives? Another thing, 1280x720p gives a much narrower picture (and bounces like mad compared to 1440x1080i and 1920x1080i) than 1440x1080i. If I attempt to go any wider than maximum with 1280x720p, which still isn't as wide as 1440x1080i, I start getting retrace. 1440x1080i uses up the full raster, and I actually have to use more total, what my Lumagen calls HTOT, than the default in order to keep the picture from going off the tube on the bottom corners.

These are my widths:

1920x1080i: 101.5"
1440x1080i: 98"
1280x720p: 90"

WTF?

As a note, I spent over six hours focusing my damn projector, a Dwin HD 700. Which you should know is focused damned well if I'm seeing 1440 vertical lines.

Easy peasy, this one. You can resolve 1440x1080i because it is an interlaced resolution. The pj is scanning the 1440x1080i in two passes of 1440x540 each so it never has to resolve more than 540 horizontal lines in one pass. 1280 x720p is progressive where the entire 720 horizontal lines are rendered in each frame. 720>your PJs resolving capability>540.

Try something smaller like 1066 x600p. Should be resolvable and your PJ should have the bandwidth to do it.

Give it a shot:)
Rob

Hmm didn't you say in this tread (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=16024059#post16024059) you could setup a CRT projector from scratch in under two hours? I said at the time I doubted it then and this thread proves it. It takes a LOT of effort to get a CRT resolving hi-def resolutions.

That aside Bobby is right the 720p is a harder on a projector that 1080i. It doesn't surprise me that it looks soft on a 7" ES focused set. 720P was the sweet spot on my Barco Data 808s with the higher res p16s which is a step or two above your set. I would stick with interlaced or learn to live with the softer image. Honestly can you tell it is softer on video material? Remember we don't watch video test patterns on our projectors. I would judge what looks best to your eyes on video sources. My Runco 1100 does not full resolve 1080p at the edges of the screen. It is obvious on test patterns and even to some degree on the Windows desktop but not at all on video material.

Try something smaller like 1066 x600p. Should be resolvable and your PJ should have the bandwidth to do it.

Give it a shot:)
Rob

Just tried that. It works but the resolution looks horrid. It's a lot worse than doing 1920x1080i. So far 1440x1080i looks best, with 1920x1080i looking nearly as good. 1920x1080 is brighter. I don't know why but when I re-size the raster at the 54 mark on vertical, brightness jumps nearly double, for comparison vertical size is at 94 when doing 1440x1080i. But sharpness wise, 1440x1080i is sharpest. For some reason progressive resolutions just don't look as nice as interlaced. I get tons of bounce and not good scanlines being resolved. The Dwin doesn't like progressive signals much apparently. Oh well. When my projector dies in another eight years or so, hopefully a nice 4096x2160 digital will have better blacks, contrast and optics to blow away my Dwin in all aspects for a reasonable price. I guess I can't bitch much when all I spent was $750 when including the repair by Curt, right?

Hmm didn't you say in this tread (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=16024059#post16024059) you could setup a CRT projector from scratch in under two hours? Honestly can you tell it is softer on video material? Remember we don't watch video test patterns on our projectors. I would judge what looks best to your eyes on video sources. My Runco 1100 does not full resolve 1080p at the edges of the screen. It is obvious on test patterns and even to some degree on the Windows desktop but not at all on video material.

I can do a quick and dirty setup from scratch that's "watchable," but not perfect in under two hours. I could definitely not setup 1440x1080i and be able to see all 1440 vertical lines with a one one and one off pattern in that amount of time.

1280x720p looks soft as all get out. It's not sharp at all. The scanlines overlap, no matter what I do. 1440x1080i is as sharp as can be expected for a 8'6' image from 7" tubes, especially ES.

Yeah it sounds like you have reached the limits of what your projector can do given it is a 7" ES focused set. I think 720p is out. Have you tried interlaced resolutions at a higher refresh rate? I know some folks have been really happy with like 96Hz vertical refresh rate and 1080i. I don't know if it make the scan lines less visible or not or whether you set can even sync to it. You might need to got the HTPC route as well.

Yeah it sounds like you have reached the limits of what your projector can do given it is a 7" ES focused set. I think 720p is out. Have you tried interlaced resolutions at a higher refresh rate? I know some folks have been really happy with like 96Hz vertical refresh rate and 1080i. I don't know if it make the scan lines less visible or not or whether you set can even sync to it. You might need to got the HTPC route as well.

I have a Lumagen, no need for an HTPC, unless I want to get no delay when playing MAME on the PC, but I'll need a PC which supports Power Strip first.

No way can my projector do 96 hz. 75 hz was just barely making it. I got a hold of the German version of The Never Ending Story DVD. I output 75 hz, it worked but I noticed a lot of "rainbows," more so than on 72 hz and 60 hz. I notice rainbows least on 60 hz, more on 72 hz and most on 75 hz, which I was told the reason was I'm really using up the bandwidth. The highest interlaced resolution is ~580 or 1547x1160i. But I have no idea how hard that is on the projector. Not trying to say ill of Curt, but the Dwin HD 700 shouldn't really be called a "720p" projector. Its max resolution is either 1920x1080i or more realistically 1440x1080i, which is the sweet spot. The projector also can't do 50 hz, so you have to do 75 hz for PAL. Although I did do some MAME from my PC and was able to do some 56 hz games. The Dwin's video circuitry is funky to say the least.

Just tried that. It works but the resolution looks horrid. It's a lot worse than doing 1920x1080i.

Jeez Dude, I didn't say 600p would look better than 1080i just that it was more in line with the progressive capability of your machine. 1080i is obviously where it's at for 7inch ES sets.