All,

I have not posted in a long time. I am happy with my Sim2 HT380 DLP PJ. I'm thinking about moving it from my basement (super light controlled) into my living room (ambient light, but will be blocked as much as possible) for various reasons.

How does the HT380 compare on the market to current PJs? Does anyone have any clue what a Sim2 HT380 projector is worth on the used market today? There are so many new PJs out, the specs look incredible.

I've been doing 140" 1.78 in the basement and it's fantastic. I'm going to give the HT380 a shot in my living room before I considered selling it, I just like playing with new hardware I guess...

Thanks for any input,
ELmO

Look at the Black Diamond II screen for that type of setup if you keep your projector.

Scott

Check out Bob Sorel's posts in the Planar threads. He's replaced a HT380 with a Planar 8150 and seems very satisfied. I believe he's running it on a ~140" diagonal 2.35 screen.

Thanks friends.

If you are still happy with it, I wouldn't mess with changing it. It still is a current model and quite good, plus ultimately you are the one watching it and since you said you are happy...well, you get the drift.

There are some screens which work well for ambient light conditions. Do you have pictures of your room?

Jason,

Thanks. Here are some pictures of the room. The bottom windows are blinded (but not full light block). The semi windows above them are NOT blocked. The windows on the 2nd story of the room are NOT blocked.

My current idea is to pay for long fully light blocking curtains to cover both sets of windows (8-12 windows in all, lol). It would give the room a neat look to boot, I think - but could get expensive quick due to length.

Room is 20 back by 17 wide. Open to kitchen and morning room. Will be difficult to completely block all light. More plans to watch at dusk/night than any other time anyway.

http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v2358/160/58/1441465159/n1441465159_260644_1690.jpg

http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs026.snc1/2358_1086578051619_1441465159_260643_9778_n.jpg

http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v590/160/58/1441465159/n1441465159_132747_8761.jpg

http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v590/160/58/1441465159/n1441465159_132746_8480.jpg

Here's one problem, this is a view of the room looking out - all rooms have blinds, but none are completely light blocking. I've considered another curtain to close this room off but I don't think that would look good at all:
http://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v590/160/58/1441465159/n1441465159_132748_9078.jpg

More to the right of the room (older furniture/etc) - kitchen and morning room with yellow blinds:
http://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-sf2p/v335/160/58/1441465159/n1441465159_49054_3283.jpg

May be one of the most imperfect rooms for a projector (LOL!). I can figure it out though. As I said, I would use it only at dusk/night anyway - I have rarely watched a movie in my light controlled basement during the day.

I did use an epson 6100 for testing purposes in this room exactly as its configured, it was "watchable" (barely) during the day - and awesome during the night. The differences between my projector and it were noticeable, but sometimes with PJs you just look at the size and it's like I'll give up any nit-pickings otherwise. It felt like it took up the whole width of the wall (which always makes it seem larger than life) - and the height of the room actually seemed to help the movie theater feel.

Thanks for reading friends,
ELmO

Very nice space -- have you considered automatic blackout shades? Not sure what you are willing to spend, but it could look nice and still give you open windows and easy access.

Here is a thread that discusses it:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1175539

i don't know about light control, but i think you need some big art pieces to go on those light colored walls!! :D

Nice room, like the layout allot too.

Nice room!!! Doesn't look like you have any kids, Huh?

"could get expensive quick due to length."

I agree w/scotty, put the $ toward a Black Diamond screen, which will also reduce sensitivity to reflections from all of those light surfaces at night.

Tough room for sure. I assume the screen would go where the flat panel is wall mounted?

Correct.

I have already moved my paris-hilton-like couch into the adjacent morning room:
http://www.facebook.com/v/1245179096546

It's all about creativity and vision, I will make this room work and it will be marvelous. A living room dedicated home theater, only in a bachelor's home.

Ignore the iphone picture quality and epson placement with massive lense adjustment (lol), this was just to show how the epson 6100 dwarfed the 52" LCD earlier when I was playing with that PJ (13-14ft wide I think, w/ ambient light):

http://img26.imageshack.us/img26/493/img0520rp.jpg

http://img63.imageshack.us/img63/4171/img0521q.jpg

http://img188.imageshack.us/img188/3791/img0522m.jpg

Felt very movie theater like, almost more so than my ht380 only because the room environment was much larger/open and the image filled the wall well.

ELmO

How big a screen do you want? Also, where is the projector going to be positioned?

Looks good for a theater set up. Since you watch mostly at night, it's not a big deal to accept the lighting. The advantages in the open layout appear worth it.

The folks suggesting getting a screen to balance out some light sound right.

How big a screen do you want? Also, where is the projector going to be positioned?

As big as possible, it would be placed high up on the back wall, or a pipe could be dropped from the ceiling (which would look weird as it would drop maybe 10-15 feet)? On second thought that might look f'ing sweet. :cool:

The problem now is I measured wrong, the room is 19ft wide and only 17.5 back. That means I only have ~16.5ft throw.

The Epson delivered a huge picture in that range, but I don't know what the Sim2 will do. I know I'm doing 140" in the basement with approximately same throw, but not sure how much bigger I can do .. guess I could always tweak it in the basement to see if it gets larger (or use projectorcentrals' calculator?).

ELmO

Do you have the T1 or T2?

do you have the t1 or t2?

t1.

With a T1 at 16.5' or so, the max size you can be is 11' wide. Not sure if the BD is made that large or not...

I checked my basement and it's projecting 11ft wide with lense 16ft back. Didn't tinker with it to try to make it larger. At 1.78 this appears to be over 140" (148") unless my calculation is wrong.

I laid out 11 ft wide in my living room and it looks fine, of course I would like a little bit more (12 ft would be awesome) - but 11ft fills the width of the room if a speaker fairly well.

I wonder if I should sell this marvelous PJ just to get something that can put a larger picture up with some ambient light problems (which will probably sacrifice some image quality)...?

-ELmO

"With a T1 at 16.5' or so, the max size you can be is 11' wide. Not sure if the BD is made that large or not..."

Forgot about that; IIRC the max height is 56.5" and 132" w.

Well that would be about right....

132" is 11ft wide exactly. The problem is 56.5" sounds like 2.35 setup. I measured nearly 71.5" in height for my 1.78 setup.

The actual measurements in the basement right now are:
1.78 : 1
16 ft back
129" wide
71.5" high

So if I did do 2.35 setup I'd need an anamorphic lense setup for the HT380...

Does that make sense?

Monetarily probably not...

-ELmO

I think Noah was basically saying the BD is limited by those dimensions...you can either be 56.5" tall OR 132" wide, but you cannot have say a 74"x132" (beyond the 56.5" height limitation). I could be wrong, but that is how I am interpreting it.

You are correct...for your application it doesn't make a lot of sense to go 2.35:1.

One thing people have had good luck with is Hi Power. Since you are relatively flexible on the wall mount position, that might work quite well. Plus with such a high gain you would have a very bright image (relatively speaking).

"I think Noah was basically saying the BD is limited by those dimensions...you can either be 56.5" tall OR 132" wide, but you cannot have say a 74"x132" (beyond the 56.5" height limitation). I could be wrong, but that is how I am interpreting it."

Right, 56.5" is max height.

"I think Noah was basically saying the BD is limited by those dimensions...you can either be 56.5" tall OR 132" wide, but you cannot have say a 74"x132" (beyond the 56.5" height limitation). I could be wrong, but that is how I am interpreting it."

Right, 56.5" is max height.

So I'm assuming the BD is special material that cannot be purchased (roll your own) or does not "work" appropriately out of the dimensions?

I could go scope but I don't have a need to with this room...hmm.

-ELmO

So I'm assuming the BD is special material that cannot be purchased (roll your own) or does not "work" appropriately out of the dimensions?

-ELmO

i would guess it's a limitation of the material when manufactured so anything wider would have had to have a seam. if that's the case then even getting the material for a "roll your own" wouldn't get around that.

You would be amaze of the high power quality with some ambient light.

I did a comparaison with the Xscreen from planar and the hi-power did a very good job considering.



I don't know about the black diamond. never saw it in action.

You would be amaze of the high power quality with some ambient light.

I did a comparaison with the Xscreen from planar and the hi-power did a very good job considering.



I don't know about the black diamond. never saw it in action.

I would have to see the high power in action.

I really do not care for screens that have terrible off axis response. Why? Because I am used to my white primer paint in my light controlled basement that has superior off-axis response. The first thing people say is, wow, I can sit 20 feet away off to the side and only 1 ft in front of the screen and it's still perfectly watchable.

It may be a trade-off I have to do with ambient light, I will face that decision with more knowledge and first-hand experience with it though I think.

-ELmO

Dalite can send you some samples...800-622-3737...ask for the large ones though (otherwise they'll be too hard to tell anything from.

I'll be disconnecting the Sim2 HT380 and moving it to the living room tonight to see how it deals with some ambient light in that room, and how it performs at night.

If I am unsatisfied I will put it up for sale to try another 1080p PJ that has more light output capabilities (in maybe not a best mode).

I think we often concern ourselves with getting the best picture possible, but to the amateur's eyes I think they have trouble telling the difference between 1080p PJs unless they're side by side.

-ELmO

Cool...keep us posted.

I have a HT380 shooting a 100" 16:9 diag from about 13.5' throw.

With the high ceiling, white walls and all them windows [even at night there is light and glare] will the HT380 produce enough light from a 16-17' throw to light up a 10-11' wide screen?

My SIM2 calculator says that 16.72' is on the edge of the "wide" [T1] lens for a 11' wide x 6.19" height 16:9 format screen. The ftL came to 16ftL with a 1.0 gain screen wereas a 1.3 will get you to 21ftL.

21ftl is workable to me. Maybe I'll try a carada BW (1.4)? I'm projecting within inches of maximum screen size at 16 ft in a light controlled basement and it's perfect in brightness.

I had an Epson 6100 (1080p) pumping a "dynamic" and "best" mode images in the exact same situation and it was fine at night.

I plan to get a local interior design college program/student to help me create 4 long light blocking curtains (for cheaper than $600+ per curtain it would cost in retail, argh).

I was reading Art's review on the epson 8500/9500 and he said it's brightest mode (dynamic probably) is still surprisingly color accurate after a little calbiration. I might have to give up overall image quality/DLP depth for something with more lumens if the Sim2 doesn't cut it, but I wont' say anything until I see the Sim2 have a try.

-ELmO

BW really tests more like 1.1ish, just as an FYI.

I am going to be testing Art's theory on that (colors in dynamic mode). I rarely measure that mode but I'd be somewhat surprised if it were anywhere near accurate out of the box in that mode. Of course I have to get hold on an HC8500 first. :)

Cool I'll await your opinion. I didn't know BW tested that low, argh-a-thon.

I was impressed by the Epson 6100's bright mode compared to the older panasonic ax200's light cannon mode regarding colour accuracy. Seems like Epson has figured something out.

I was interested in Art's 8500 comments about "super HD detail" mode or something that tinkered sharpness without adding edge/halos - I don't know about that. We're trained to not add anything to an image that wasn't originally intended to be there...I would like to see that in action.

-ELmO

Sounds good.

Jason,

Do you happen to know if I can buy just the FEET of the Sim2 HT380? Do you have that accessory for sale?

I checked my sim2 box and I can't find the feet I must have removed to install the threaded screws to hang the PJ from the ceiling. I will probably end up shelf mounting it if I keep it, but I don't have the screw feet (stupid me).

Here's a pic of half my stuff moved. Berklines disaassembled. The EPik Conquest subwoofer (black thing) was a beast to move upstairs. Me and my buddy pushed it upstairs, but the thing is like 300 lbs. I remember moving it downstairs thinking I'd never have to get it out of there....

I still have to bring the speakers, secondary SVS sub, and all the pre-processing/amplifier/etc. equipment/tower to hold it upstairs...then I have to figure out how to wire it all under the carpet or through the basement to upstairs.

http://img301.imageshack.us/img301/2157/photonw.jpg

ELmO

Starting to organize and get more equipment upstairs. Carada said they could make me a custom screen. The dimensions would come out 148" diagonal at 1.78 ratio, but I'm researching CIH now to see how much it would cost me and how wide I could get.

I like this pic because it shows how huge the conquest is (the samsung behind it is a 52"). A puny secondary SVS sub will be utilized as well...

http://img38.imageshack.us/img38/9860/dsc0189sn.jpg

Check this height out! Masking is the 148" screen approximately...

http://img22.imageshack.us/img22/1849/dsc0190b.jpg

-ELmO

Ryan Homes? I live in the same house.

Big screen! Though it doesn't appear you would have a lot more room for 2.35:1 (at least if you maintained the same height).

Wolfman - yes, a dunkirk!

Jason - That is 10.75 ft wide. Scope 2.35 would be 14.3 ft roughly. There is room...room would be made...HAH!

It really looks awesome right now but I feel the need for bigger and pushing the sim2 to its limits.

As we discussed the trickiest thing is the aperature you would need. I used an HT380 for a while at a 1.55x TR. Using a Panamorph UH480 at the time, it work, but there was severe pincushion. The ISCO IIIL would definitely work and minimize that, but at a price.

We need ISCO 3 Power Buy for an affordable easy installments of $99.99 a month for the rest of our lives

:)