Randall, I wasn't mistakemn abouty what NDA was for my location, you must be in a closer zone because that rate was what they charge here for 3 Day service. I do agree that the less time they handle it the less likely it will get damaged. But, I preferred to go with full insurance and save on the shipping. Unfortunately, that is a problem too as UPS rates are high. So, I'm stuck risking the loss. I was more concerned about the return trip after paying the repair cost than the trip out to them where I marked the content "Electronics in need of repair. " Dwin packaging/carton is quite good so damage was not much a concern to me. The trouble with these carriers is that their FOB contracts exempt them from liability over $100 and if you buy insurance it's expensive too.

As for the bulb question- My bets are that the power supply is malfunctioning.

MetallicaFreak, I can't seem to view your jpg, however based on what you described you have a bad DMD. When I upgraded from the TV3+ to 3E, the unit came back and within a couple of hours I had black lines running vertically every 3 or so inches. It was really ugly. The interesting thing was that I could turn the unit off and let it cool and it would be fine for the first 5 to 10 minutes and then the lines would reappear. I did notice though that the time between turn on and lines appearing was shortening the longer I was playing with it. I guess it would have been better to describe it as 10 minutes down to seeing lines in less than 5 minutes.

Well,
It is heading back to dwin today. I figured seeing that it is most likely a dmd problem as ranger said and tech support at Dwin, might as well just do the upgrade.
Will let you all know when it gets back
FREAK!

Freak- How did you ship yours?

Don,
I checked some UPS pricing all with declared value of $7000. Next Day Air Saver one way $153.50, 2nd day air $129.60 one way, 3 day Select $90.90. This is for 48 pounds which is what mine weighed boxed up last time(I also sent back my DVI cable so I think it will be 4 or 5 pounds less without the cable).

At you can see it is not a large savings between NDAS and 2nd Day. Insurance added about $28.00. The prices were the same if I shipped from Jacksonville or Memphis. This is with my company account and I will get a discount on top of this, so if you go to the UPS store it may be more. I'm sending mine back this Friday.

I didn't send the cable back since it is in the ceiling and wall. I checked the rates and then realized your rate quotes were w/o insurance and needed to add the insurance on top. With that, I get the same thing. I thought you were getting some heck of a discount I did not see here. My Staples dropoff center is the same price as a UPS account charges. (Plus I also get the Staples and AMEX discounts :D) Regardless, I send mine ground and saved the $200. I also saw my PJ originally was shipped from Dwin to the dealer via ground and from the dealer to me via ground. I expect to see a confirmation of delivery sometime today! :)

I dropped the bucks insured to the max at $12k standard overnight fedex (I really don't like UPS) $240. They will have it any minute now......
FREAK!

Rate quotes were with $7000 insurance. NDASaver was $125.50 w/o insurance. I sent the cable back last time because I was have trouble with the plug on the projector and Dwin wanted to make sure there was not a problem with the cable.

I dropped the bucks insured to the max at $12k standard overnight fedex (I really don't like UPS) $240. They will have it any minute now......
FREAK!

Yeah but UPS sure loves you! :)


If I would have done NDA and 12,000 insured, the UPS rate would have been $239.63

Don,
You seem to get higher rates than I do. Not that big of a deal but I got these rates from the UPS website for $12000 insured and 45 lbs. It doesn't really matter since you shipped ground anyway. FedEx probably has a little better air service and UPS has much better ground service. I've used both extensively on a daily basis. I have no love for either company.

Ship From: JACKSONVILLE, 32210, UNITED STATES
Ship To: BURBANK, 91506, UNITED STATES
Shipment Date: Wednesday, June 15, 2005
Bill to UPS Account: Yes
Total Shipment Weight: 45 lbs.
Drop-off / Pickup: Daily Pickup - I have a daily UPS pickup
Address Type: Commercial
Number of Packages: 1
Packaging: Your Packaging
Customs Value: Not Entered
Currency: USD
Package Information


Service

Total (All Packages)

Days In Transit

UPS Sonic Air®
Guaranteed by: Same Day*

See Note*

Same Day*
UPS Next Day Air Early A.M.®
Guaranteed by: 8:30 A.M.
Thursday June 16, 2005
Billable Weight: 45.0 lbs.

226.49*


1
UPS Next Day Air®
Guaranteed by: 10:30 A.M.
Thursday June 16, 2005
Billable Weight: 45.0 lbs.

195.28*


1
UPS Next Day Air Saver®
Guaranteed by: 3:00 P.M.
Thursday June 16, 2005
Billable Weight: 45.0 lbs.

182.96*


1

The other entries may have had slightly different data such as 45# vs. 48# etc. I also was required to enter the Your Package dimensions which were 21x21x24. I don't recall the exact dimensions but those are pretty close. This time I entered as close as I could the entry data you posted and this is what I got:


(Keep in mind this is how you would ship and I don't know if your going online with your account number which would offer rates for your company. Your rates would never apply to me for many reasons. First I don't have daily pickup, and I rarely ship by UPS, especially next day service which I would normally use Fed EX. Actually, I have an account with them but my best rates for next day service has always been DHL. But then I only use their prepaid envelopes and never ship over 3 pounds. )

As you see, the rates are indeed different and but interestingly Metallicafreak and I get the same rate, well, pretty close. I always thought the UPS rates would vary but not by as much as we discovered here.





Ship From: JACKSONVILLE, 32210, UNITED STATES
Ship To: BURBANK, 91506, UNITED STATES
Shipment Date: Thursday, June 16, 2005
Bill to UPS Account: Yes
Total Shipment Weight: 45 lbs.
Drop-off / Pickup: Daily Pickup - I have a daily UPS pickup
Address Type: Commercial
Number of Packages: 1
Packaging: Your Packaging
Customs Value: Not Entered
Currency: USD








Package Information



Service Total (All Packages) Days In Transit



UPS Sonic Air®
Guaranteed by: Same Day*
See Note* Same Day*


UPS Next Day Air Early A.M.®
Guaranteed by: 8:30 A.M.
Friday June 17, 2005
Billable Weight: 55.0 lbs.
253.31*

1


UPS Next Day Air®
Guaranteed by: 10:30 A.M.
Friday June 17, 2005
Billable Weight: 55.0 lbs.
222.11*

1


UPS Next Day Air Saver®
Guaranteed by: 3:00 P.M.
Friday June 17, 2005
Billable Weight: 55.0 lbs.
205.95*

1


UPS 2nd Day Air A.M.®
Guaranteed by: 12:00 P.M.
Monday June 20, 2005
Billable Weight: 55.0 lbs.
191.88*

2


UPS 2nd Day Air®
Guaranteed by: By End of Day
Monday June 20, 2005
Billable Weight: 55.0 lbs.
175.68*

2


UPS 3 Day Select®
Guaranteed by: By End of Day
Tuesday June 21, 2005
Billable Weight: 55.0 lbs.
133.74*

3


UPS Ground
Guaranteed by: By End of Day
Thursday June 23, 2005
Billable Weight: 45.0 lbs.
79.36*

5




Result estimates calculated by UPS: Thursday, June 16, 2005 1:03 A.M. Eastern Time (USA)


* Rate includes a fuel surcharge.

* Based on flight availability. Please visit UPS SonicAir or call 800-451-4550 for rates and additional details.

I've been a regular reader (and sometimes poster) of this thread. So far, I guess I've been lucky because I can't think of anything negative to say about my TV3. It's been perect for me. However, after almost two years and 1900+ hours, it did something it's never done before -- the bulb shut off. As recommended, I don't shut the unit off if I know I'm coming back in an hour or so. Well, today I did just that, but when I got back, the fan was going but no lamp. I turned the unit off and back on, and the lamp came back up, but I haven't tried to see how long it will go for yet.

Is this how lamps usually go, or does this sound like another problem creeping up?

Nobody knows for sure but what you saw is apparently quite typical and the reason many are now returning their TV3 for repair. My TV3 had an additional symptom. I first experienced this behavior with the PJ in ceiling mount but NOT on table top so I ran it for 6 months Table top which my HT is also designed for. Then it experienced the same problems table top and decided it was time to send it in. My TV-3 arrived at Dwin on Thursday but I have not heard from them yet as to diagnosis and cost.

I was hoping you wouldn't say that. Some have said it may be thermal. I have taken it down once or twice and cleaned it out. There wasn't too much dust the last time, but the fan blades were not as clean as I like. I think I might pull it down and do it again.

I was planning on ordering another lamp, but if I end up having to send it back for repair, I may hold off for a bit.

Well, I was just enjoying my Father's Day watching a little of the US Open, and the lamp cut out after a little more than an hour.

My dealer is on vacation this week, so I will ask my question of this group. Should I just order a new lamp and install it myself, or should I send things back for repair and a lamp change? Given how much it is to send it back, I'm leary about sending it back if it's just the lamp giving its last gasps.

I wish I could give you a good answer but I thing there is too much just not known at this point as to what is causing these projectors to behave this way. It doesn't hurt to have a spare bulb. I did, actually purchased one with my TV3 when it was new. In my case the problem was the same with a new bulb or one with thousands of hours. The difference between the two was the brightness and with my older bulb it was quite obvious as to why it's output was less. A hazy mirror and foggy front glass was the obvious difference.

Logically, I would order a new bulb and test. It it works OK then fine. If not send it in right away and note that the bulb is new. I can't recall but if it is the bulb and it is not working, they should cover it as a new bulb warranty. The down side to this is you may be just delaying the repair anyway.

Thanks, Don. I will order a new bulb tomorrow and see what happens. In addition, I cleaned out the fans and insides as much as possible last night. My thinking is that maybe the issue is purely thermal, due to the older bulb getting hotter and reduced airflow due to dust in the fans (at least that's what I'm hoping).

What I'm concerned about is my unit has close to 2000 hours, and it goes for over an hour before it cuts out. Also, after both failures, I was able to watch a full movie without a problem. Most others I've seen in this thread, either the bulb will not fire up, or it cuts out in a few minutes (like yours).

The way I see it, I have nothing to loose by changing the bulb now. If it fixes the problem, I save myself the shipping of sending it back. If it doesn't, then I will need to decide whether I send it back with the new bulb or the old one. I'm not even going to mention the temptation of an upgrade. I've had twins since purchasing my TV3, so my audio budget has been curtailed a bit.

Well, I sent my TV3 in for the upgrade and that was, oh, two weeks ago! :eek:

I still don't have it back. I'm going to call them on Tuesday to see what the deal is. I had a couple of problems before and got it back the same week. Not sure what is going on now. They've had it since the 7th, and my credit card still hasn't been charged. :(

How long did the upgrade take for the rest of you?

When I had my upgrade performed, it took about two weeks at their site due to them waiting for DMD's from TI, or at least that's what they told me.

How does one get an actual live person at DWIN? Since my dealer, Brent Huskins, is out until sometime next week, I though I would go straight to DWIN for a bulb -- I want my theater back!. However, after several attempts over the last two days, all I get is a recording. If I leave a message, will someone actually call me back?

You can punch in an extension number like 106 which will get you tech support Voice mail but then I believe there is a way to reach a live person operator as an option. I've done it. Also, if calling from the East coast be sure to call near their quitting time or between 7 and 8PM as it has been my luck to reach someone in tech support at that time.

Update on my TV3 at Dwin- They called me tonight with a status report on my PJ. They replaced my 5000+ hrs bulb, rebuilt the bulb power supply, and did the upgrade. She said two capacitors were replaced. I kind of figured they were the problem as they were a bit puffed up when I looked at them!
She said it is essentially a new projector with their latest TV3+ chipset. She also said since I went with the upgrade they rebuilt the TV3 at no charge to fix the power supply problems and make it like a new projector. Something those of you who were not considering doing might consider if you are also having problems with the projector cutting out and it is out of warranty.
So, it looks like my TV3 is on the way back to me. I have it coming in ground service at full insurance. Looks like it will be a bit over two weeks without the TV3 with ground shipping each way. Not bad turnaround.

I had tech support as x103, but I will try x106 tomorrow since it is just after 8pm here on the east coast.

Any idea how much your service would have been without the upgrade? As I mentioned, my audio/video budget has shrunk considerably. I might not have a place to sleep next week if I told my wife that I need to get a $1500 upgrade plus a $450 bulb in order to fix the projector.

I have to admit that I'm a little disappointed. I would have expected a $10k projector to have a longer lifespan than one bulb's worth. Hopefully, this is not a trend. Otherwise, should I expect to dish out $2k plus shipping every couple of years?

Oh, I couldn't recall what the tech number was. but I think the operator option came after you couldn't reach the number ext you entered. Understand?

I didn't ask because I had planned to do the upgrade in my request for work done, besides the repair of the suspect power supply. Remember, I tried a new bulb and it did the same symptom.

Maybe you'll get sent to sleep in the your TV3 Home Theater room, not a bad place to be sent, no? :D

It is a disappointment to need a repair after 2 years but I doubt this will be a repeat deal. A bulb? I am happy to get 2 years, / 5000 hours out of one. I would suspect that a trained tech located the suspect problem in my PJ in an hour of bench time, Cost to repair if typical would have been $150 plus shipping costs. As a point of comparison, I sent a broadcast VCR in for Sony repair 4 years ago and the repair ticket was $4200. so don't feel bad. Now I repair the VCR myself and just added a new audio board for $500.

If it's any consolation, I am now using a Panasonic AE700 LCD 720x1280 PJ as a backup and the picture, while supperior to anything I saw a few years ago in the cheap LCD line, it still is way below the image quality of the Dwin. Mainly in the area of screen door artifact, ability to deal with wide dynamic range of brightness, and natural looking colors across the spectrum. Just very hard to beat the Dwin TV3 or others in it's price class. You get what you pay for. I'm very happy to have a backup but will welcome the TV3+ when it arrives. I have no buyer's remorse on the TV3, NOR the TV3 upgrade.

How does one get an actual live person at DWIN? Since my dealer, Brent Huskins, is out until sometime next week, I though I would go straight to DWIN for a bulb -- I want my theater back!. However, after several attempts over the last two days, all I get is a recording. If I leave a message, will someone actually call me back?

To get a new bulb there is a form on the website to download, just fill it out and fax it back.

Even though people said it wouldn't work, I emailed a description of my issue to DWIN late last night anyway, and they got back to me this afternoon. Their recommendation is that since I can go over an hour before anything shuts off, I should order a new bulb but save the old one. Their thinking is that my bulb is giving its last gasps and sometimes can't stay lit. Given that my pj has been on for 3-4 hours over two nights since the last failure, it sounds like a reasonable and cost-effective plan to me. My new bulb order went in a few minutes ago.

I'm still a very satisfied DWIN customer.

Two notes:
1) if you leave a message they d get back to you. They got back to me w/in 1 hour.
2) as far as upgrade turn around time, they got mine 6/15, upgraded ans shipped it out 6/21. I should have it 6/27. I think they will do overnight return if you pay them $200 bucks.
FREAK!

Did they send you a trk # ?

I expect to see mine the same day based on when they said it was shipped.

Don,
What happened was I called to see what was going on and after 3 days of getting voicemail I decided to leave a message. They called back and told me it had been shipped the previous day. I asked for the tracking number and the tech guy said I had to call later (as it was just about 8:45am there) and as at a different extension. Guy sounded very tired. I called back and got the trq# (another tired sounding person) and am now waiting until monday....
FREAK!

Boy have they changed their policy!

I have sent my TV3 in three times now, and in the past they ship your projector out the same way you sent it in and they picked up the charges (at least on my previous 2 experiences). This time around, I am picking up the tab both ways! :rolleyes: They saw I sent it in overnight and gave me a discount on 2 day air, so I will have it tomorrow (UPS shows it's already in my city!!!).

Anyway, I called on Tuesday and asked what the deal was with my projector (remember, they got it on the 7th of this month) and at first they couldn't find my projector even getting there! :eek: Then they found it and I got, "Uh, it will be ready tomorrow or the next day". My guess is nothing was done over the course of two weeks. So much for me overnighting the projector!

I get a call on Wednesday asking for my credit card information :confused:. What was the point of me faxing my credit card information with my RA form? Anyway, gave her the number and then I asked what was done to the TV3 besides the upgrade to the TV3e. Apparently I had a bum fan, so they replaced it. They also replaced some capacitors (sounds like something is up with that considering Don had the same problem), upgraded the software (which is interesting because the last time I had it in they put the new software in it, so I am guessing it's a newer one) cleaned it up and what confused me is that she said they tweaked the color wheel? I thought we got a new one with the updgrade? I'll have to call tech support and ask directly what was done.

The main reason I sent it in was for the upgrade, but was happy they did a few other things (everything was "free" except the fan and the upgrade) while they had it. I also wanted them to fix the solarization problem that popped up again (sent it in 2 times before for same request), and a loud buzzing noise which I am assuming was the fan.

Can't wait to try it out! Don and Metallicafreak, I am interested to hear your thoughts on the upgrade as well.

Chris-

Companies will have several ways they do repairs on electronics. One way is to fix what's wrong and make it work. Another way is to bring the projector up to current mfg. specifications. Obviously the second always costs more but you get a projector that is meeting original factory specs. In the case of an upgrade, they will do a conversion to the upgrade and specs. As I understand, with Dwin, no upgrade it will be repaired to original new specs and with an upgrade, to the specs of that current model, as it is sold new. In the upgrade the cost is a "flat rate" and as she explained to me, the $1500 included everything needed to bring it to their current specs for that level TV3e I believe it is callled. That is with the Dark Chip 3e or something like that.

As for free shipping, this is a silly concept and people who don't understand business often fall into a state of confusion regarding shipping. Here are some basics to consider-
Shipping charges are never free out of a warranty service. They are a necessary cost of delivery of the product back to you. If you were told the shipping will be paid by them it is generally accepted that is an FOB point for insurance reasons. Now how the charges are listed on an invoice is that they may be included in the cost of your service or line item separate. It is always to the consumer's and manufatcurer's advantage to have the line item separately list the shipping charges. The obvious most common reason is for sales tax computation. But a lesser understood reason is the FOB point. All this means is who is responsible for the damage in transit. Warranty cases are a separate and regulated way the shipping must be handled. Generally, it is The consumer who pays the frt to return the item under warranty and the mfg pays the frt to return it to you. How it gets shipped back to you is their choice and you may request your own choice but then they are not bound to pay for it under the regulation. States do vary on this slightly but most states are the same and are done as I just stated. Dealers are not bound by the warranty regulations of the manufacturer and may elect to handle it differently. Such as, your dealer may eat the frt and all you do is bring it to him and pick it up from him, or he may pick up and deliver as well. That is all about your relationship with your dealer, not the manufacturer's warranty. Additionally, the dealer may be bound to handle the warranty work a certain way by the manufacturer under his contract as a dealer.
Anyway, I didn't see any funny business with Dwin and how they handled my request for out of warranty repair so far. Everything was business like as I expected it would be.

One more thing for clarity about that FOB point- If you are billed for the frt and it gets damaged on the return trip. you have to execute the insurance claim. If Dwin "eats" the frt, meaning they bury it in their costs and the FOB is delivered, then they must file the claim for lost or damage. This always becomes a messy situation since the normal procedure is for the FOB point to be at the shipper not at the destination. A Manufacturer wants to end his liability for your item the moment it leaves his control.

I guess it really wasn't a complaint, just more confusion based on the previous experiences that I had as far as shipping goes. The first one was in warranty, the second not, and this one was just the upgrade. I guess I was just expecting it to be returned the way I sent it based on previous experiences, thus the shock.

We'll see what they did to it tomorrow. Only gripe I have is I'm tired of sending it in for solarization fixes. The first time could be fixed on site. After that, with the "hands-off" service mode software fix, I can't change it.

The projector has been fantastic thus far. I figured I'd get the best while I can with the upgrade. I hope it was worth it!

Are you expecting yours tomorrow as well?

Sorry to hear you are still having the solarization issue Chris.

I had the same issue. Sent it in to Dwin, came back fixed. A few months later, it returned. Like you said, I can not get into the service menu to adjust the speed of the color wheel (apparently Dwin changed something when they had the unit and the code to get into the service menu will no longer work).

This will give me second thoughs about sending my unit back for an upgrade. I had the solarization problem when I first got my pj. A quick phone call to my dealer and within 5 minutes, I was taken care of. Now, you have to be without your projector for a week or so, not to mention without a few hundred $$ in shipping costs.

Anyone know why there is such paranoia? I remember that even when I called before, I practically had to promise my first born that I wouldn't post the code somewhere.

Got the projector back.

The good. Black levels are much improved and the image is brighter/crisper. :D

The bad. Solarization is here, and worse than ever. :(

I'm tired of the secret code, so I decided to play "Hacker" on my own since DWIN won't give it up. :cool:

I can get into service menu now, and adjusted the index setting. It was over 10 points off!!! :eek: Wasn't this originally in the 200 zone?

If you want to test for solarization...Hitch DVD - Movie Trailers - Zathura. The open sequence was an absolute purplish mess. Now fixed.

Code will be posted here shortly. Just making sure the sequence of buttons I pressed is right.

Curious to see what the others have found since the upgrade. It's such a shame. 3 times into the shop, and it's still not fixed. I even spoke face to face with DWIN at CES this year and was told they would fix it. I love the projector (when it works right) and the design is great, but damn this technical support is the pits. Sorry, but enough is enough.

Thanks for the update Chris.

How in the world did you figure out the new code and how long did it take???

Hey, Rob!

It didn't take long to figure out at all. Decided to do some of my own sequencing and all of a sudden, I got the service mode. Remembered what I did, and it varied every time I put it in. I played with it some more and have the exact sequence. If you or anyone else wants it, please PM me, and I'll send it.

I'm liking my projector again. ;)

THanks a million Chris. I will try it out when mine gets here tomorrow.
FREAK!

I've been out of town for a week but had a voice mail message from Dwin. Dwin said my DMD was bad and that it was replaced with several other parts. Also said a mirror was broken when they received it. I don't know which mirror but other than the purple lines from the bad DMD and the bulb shutting off problem, I didn't see anything wrong with the picture when I used the old bulb. I guess the mirror might have broken during shipping, but I don't see how. They said they had considered doing a recall on that batch of DMDs. Everything was fixed at no charge and it is on the way back. Not sure how they shipped it.

My TV3 arrived today. I got it back up on my ceiling mount and it's been running fine all afternoon.

At first I thought Dwin just gave me a new PJ head but then discovered they just chose to give me a new case cover. I called them and maybe there was a communications problem but they thought I wanted a blue case and kept my white one. A quick phone call and they promised to send me my original white case as it is what matches my ceiling. :)

As for the image- Well, I don't see much improvement other than the TV3 stays on now. :)
I'd say that if any of you are on the fence as to whether to go for the upgrade or not, you won't be disappointed in staying with the original. However, personally, I don't regret doing the upgrade but it does put me off budget for getting the new screen I originally planned on this summer. I can put that off for another year and enjoy the TV3 with the knowledge that it is the latest TI chip even if I can't see much improvement.

PS- the PQ runs rings around the Panasonic AE700 I used as my backup!

Good informative post Don, thanks.

I don't agree Don. I think the upgrade was a significant improvement and easily worth the money. Are you still using an old bulb or did you get a new one? Of course this is all subjective and in the eye of the beholder. I think it has better blacks, colors seem more saturated and shadow detail seemed better to me.

Count me in as one that doesn't agree with Don either! I wonder if he is suffering from the solarization issue I had when I got it back! :cool:

Anyway, after the solarization problem was nixed (thanks to me, not DWIN :p ), I have watched a couple of movies that looked damn near Hi-Def. The image was soooooo crisp and bright. Dark scenes were pitch black (night and day difference from TV3 to TV3e), shadow detail was vastly improved and the color rendition is just outstanding! And I thought the colors were great before!

My wife even commented on how crisp the picture looked, and she never notices things like that. I'd say that comment alone was worth the money! :D

DWIN makes a fantastic product. It's too bad their customer support isn't as strong as what their selling. Don, it sounds like you got a great deal when you sent your projector in, minus the cover change! I thought I was going to be in for a treat after talking with their tech support at CES for an extended period of time. He knew I had prevous problems with the projector and said they would make it right. I'm still waiting, but not holding my breath.

got mine today too. Back up and running.
I was going to say that I agreeded with Don but I think that is unfair to say at this point. I really have not watched enough to make this judgement. I have watched for about 2 hours.



Another note: Chris's hacked code works perfectly! You are AWESOME DUDE!

I will be watching material I am familiar with soon.

So good to have it home.

FREAK!

"Count me in as one that doesn't agree with Don either! I wonder if he is suffering from the solarization issue I had when I got it back! "

I suppose it's really where you came from. If your original TV3 looked like crap then making it right is a big improvement but my original TV3 DID have excellent blacks, great chroma gamma, and never suffered the ghosts some complained about. After watching a couple of DVD's with an LG upconverted player, and some true HDTV off of E* and D*, I did find one significant improvement- NO MORE RAINBOWS! As hard as I tried, I could not see them using my method of perpendicular eyescanning from bright white lines. Just not there!

I don't know what "solarization" is as it is used here. In video editing it is a special effect that describes a blend of color negative mixed with original to create a look like the scene was suffering from nuclear radiation. Remember- I AM using the Dwin screen standard of Matte white 1.0. According to Dwin, this is their optimum screen choice and they do allow a 1.3 Gain as acceptable for their settings but their calibration is for 1.0 Matte white. High gain screens, gray, and fire hawks will not have accurate color and suffer hot spotting according to Dwin. But, according to dealers who sell these screens it is not so. According to Don Stewart any color shift to blue of the gray screens can be adjusted in the calibration.

And, yes, Randall, new bulb too.

I might have asked this before, but did anyone here test the scaler output on a different projector? I plan to do some testing with that too. I'd like to be able to drive the Panasonic AE700 with the Dwin processor. To use mainly as a switcher of my devices.

FYI - Chris's original TV3 didn't look like crap...

Brent Huskins
Media Design

I thought my original TV3 looked great. It was never ISF calibrated nor was my TV3e upgrade. I do use DVE and Avia but there is not too much to do there except set the contrast and brightness. I'm using a 92" wide HiPower screen and have never noticed hotspotting. I don't have much experience with other mid high end projectors but I would bet the TV3e compares favorably to any of the new projectors in a similar price range.

Initially I saw rainbows much more easily with the e but this may be attributable to my high gain screen and the increased C/R.

My original TV3 did look great. I did not get a new bulb in. I only watched about 2 hours last night after getting it back up and set so I removed my comments earlier as I feel they are unfair to make so soon. I will agree with Don that I too could not see rainbows by my method that is similar to his. I did watch some of Sky Captain on my Denon 5900 and it looked pretty damn awesome (I did not view this movie on my TV3 pre-upgrade). I put on AFC Championships and Superbowl briefly and I think that they did look a bit brighter. Some real tests will be when my daughter asks to watch Shrek 2 tonight when it is not completely dark yet.

Note:I do not in any way regret the upgrade even if I determine for me that I can not see a difference (which I did not conclude yet). I would have had to pay for the DMD repair anyway so this was an added bonus.

before the upgrade, my blacks were very deep, I never saw solarization. It was ISF'd and looked pretty god damn awesome. To me, hard to improve near perfection.

More comments to follow.
FREAK!

Sorry guys, I try to apply logical scale to things. If one starts out before upgrade with "Looks great" and other superlatives, I have trouble understanding the concept that an upgrade is a big improvement. LOL Thus my use of the word "crap" as a start point. Plus the reason why I didn't feel it was a "big improvement as my original Dwin looked great!

Since I thought my original TV3 was great, the only real improvement I saw here (on a new bulb) was the lack of rainbows in the TV3e. For that alone the upgrade is worth the price to me but maybe others will have different results with rainbows.
In my first post after setting up the TV3e yesterday, I didn't realize the lack of rainbows. Only after several hours watching did it occur to me they were non-existent.

I think it would be a good idea for all of us here with the upgrade and new TV3e to compare settings as they came from Dwin. I had to make one change on my DVI 1 input for brightness. They had it set for 65 and I set it back to 17 with SMPTE calibration. The component 1 was at 36 and I set that back to 20 for the same reason. Consequently the blacks in the Dwin setting were a bit washed. Now they are intense with details still in the shadows. RGBHV 1 was OK at 16.

As a point of reference, I had my brightness settings at 8-12 range on the TV3 before upgrade.

I'm, quite surprised you didn't see any difference in the colors. The color wheel is using different color points and many have found the reds to be more saturated and truer.

Could be but you have to admit that remembering every color saturation from 3 weeks ago while watching an LCD in the meantime is not something I would be willing to bet my life on. If the saturation os better, it may heve to do with the FACT that Dwin has the TV3e color saturation set for 75 and my old TV3 was down more like 50. 75 is probably OK as long as the gamma is perfect but I haven't had the time nor the incentive to mess with their settings at this short time. Frankly, the picture is just plain enjoyable and maybe that's where I should leave it. Sorry if I can't integrate a definition further. :)

Well I think the TV3e looks better than "great" :) . I'm sure I would think a Qualia or JVC HD2k would also look great in a better way than the Dwin.

Well, mine did look great until the verticle lines came back....back to dwin it goes tomorrow.
FREAK!

Ouch!

I would be pretty upset about that. Good luck Freak!

Oh no! So sorry to hear that metallicafreak! I know the feeling! I wish I had a code to fix that for you!

Don, to say it looked like crap is way off. Thank you Brent for chiming in. I was going to say, "Speak up Brent because you have seen it", but you already did. ;)

The projector was great before I had the upgrade. It had some issues, which were temporarily fixed, but returned over time (ie Solarization). When it was correct, the image was fantastic! Just thumb through my posts from back in the day and you'll see what I'm talking about! ;) I totally notice a difference in color, depth, etc. Don, the black were great before, but they are much improved this time around. And everything was calibrated correctly too! I'm still upscaling the image via an upconvert DVD player, and using the same HD Sat box as I did before. It's noticable.

Now, to take your comment and throw it back out at you, if you had a great image before, had the upgrade and didn't see a noticable improvement, was your upgrade not implemented correctly? :D Works both ways.

I don't know what "solarization" is as it is used here. In video editing it is a special effect that describes a blend of color negative mixed with original to create a look like the scene was suffering from nuclear radiation.

Ding, ding, ding! Give Don a prize! :) Nuclear radiation is dead on. I posted a few pics in the past in this thread, and what I should do is set it back to the way DWIN sent it back to me and take a picture with those settings. Zathura is a perfect trailer to check the solarization issue out....if you have it!

I found my previous post for you Don....

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=3010922&&#post3010922


About the screen, DWIN has always stated since day one that the screen should be a 1.3 gain screen. That's what they used, and if I'm not mistaken, it's all over the earler parts of this long thread. I was originally set on a Firehawk, until a call to Brent and his call to DWIN confirmed it being 1.3 that they use/recommend.

Thanks Chris- I looked at Post 1283 and I can say I have NEVER seen any of that artifact you called solarization. What Brent said about your color wheel being out of cal. seems to be what caused it so if mine is and was properly calibrated then I guess that artifact is non existent here. Additionally, the other big complaint I recall was ghosting. I was able to recreate that effect reported some time back by hanging a large picture on the back wall that had a reflective surface. It was a suggestion from Don Stewart actually to test the ghost phenomena. It seems that the screen image in a dark room with a reflective surface on the opposite wall can generate this artifact. The image reflects off that surface and projects a dim ghost like effect on the screen. I was only able to get it to appear like the posted images in this thread when the credits white on black rolled. Pulled the picture with the glass off the wall behind the projector and it went away! Many people like to hang Movie posters in a frame in their HT for decoration. These often have reflective surfaces and even glass which can act like a low grade mirror in an dark room.

Anyway, I'm done with "arguing semantics" of image quality before and after the upgrade. The discussion is really stupid and a waste of time. More important is when it is not good such as now with Freak and his lines and what to do to get it resolved. It does bother me that certain issues keep returning to same people. That, added to the fact that Dwin is not the most friendly when it comes to customer relations makes encouraging others to select a Dwin more difficult. Funny, but I think Dwin is it's own biggest competition. From my first introduction to the Dwin system, I was never impressed with how they presented their products. But, I was able to look past their reps and their phone manners and go with the build and I have never regreted it. Even their repair RMA process is borderline rude but it got the job done for me and I suppose that is what counts.

I wonder how other competing companies stack up against Dwin in Customer Service. I really haven't had any bad experiences with their C/S department. Sometimes when I call I don't get anyone and leave a message and they always call back.

How is Dwin bad compared to other companies such as Sharp, Marantz or InFocus? I haven't dealt with the other companies so maybe I don't know what good C/S is with this price range projector.

I know NEC was great with the old LT150. Anyone had a problem under warranty and they NDA a new projector and picked up your old one so their was no downtime.

Dwin's tech guy was reassuring that they would fix it. He said that when I sent it in the first time they did not see the lines. That is strange. I made sure it was not some strange thing with my set up by changing power cords, turning off AC circuits, plugging it in across the room and it was always there. I was nearly exploding last night when I turned it on and saw this. If my kids were not right there I would have made a passing truck driver blush. As far as the RMA stuff goes, they were quick to say 'ok send it back' but I had to ask to have it return shipped free. I still payed to send it and no offer was made to pick that up. Not pleased about that and all they upgraded their return shipping to was 2 day. This sure is going to be a crappy 4th (5 day weekend for me) with no big screen! Anyone here have experience with a problem with them that they could not fix? Did they replace the unit? Even out of warranty?
Pissed and FREAKING but still love my Dwin and just want it back WORKING FOR GOOD!

Totally agree with you Don about the customer support and the reoccuring problems the same users have with the projectors. On top of that, the shady customer support that we all seem to get every now and then.

But the fact of the matter is, I sent it in 3 times for this. Let's just say for grins and giggles it was the color wheel being out of whack. If they did indeed do the upgrade, and indeed do it correctly, I shouldn't have this problem. Afterall, they "should" have replaced the color wheel when doing the upgrade, correct? I guess I need the full rundown of what they do exactly during the upgrade...besides making it look pretty. :D

Funny you mention the ghosting, as I have never had it. The next post or two below the solarization image has a pic of Daredevil on a nice dark background.

Anyway, all is well now, and the image is fantastic. I just hope that FREAK and others get theirs back to their stellar state! Let us know how it goes.

What kind of index settings are you all seeing on your upgraded projectors?

chris, before mine went out again, I think it was 208 not sure. I'll check it when it comes back.
FREAK!

Score one for Dwin. They shipped my white cover and it arrived today! No instructions as to what they want me to do with the blue cover.

Mine got there at 10am cali time. I called to ask how long it will take and if they could overnight it back on their voicemail. I sure hope they do it.
FREAK!

I finally got my Dwin back yesterday afternoon. I sent it in NDA and they sent it back by ground. I was out of town when they were ready to send it back and they sent it UPS ground. I would have gladly paid the difference for the NDA saver but I had no communication before they returned it.

I have a couple of complaints now and I'm beginning to agree about their CS being borderline bad. I think maybe they are understaffed and their is a lack of communication. I have the blue cover and the plastic had stuck to it from the heat of shipping and left some slightly noticeable smudge marks on the finish(not really a big deal). The picture looks great but I now have a significant light spill that was not there before. It begins about 2 feet to the right of the screen. I'm sure it is caused by some sort of alignment issure with the mirrors as it was not there before. I guess I could do the lens cap trick but I may call Dwin and see if they can walk me through a fix.

Randall, If my memory is correct I believe someone else in the forum had an alignment problem that was corrected by a walk through over the phone. Possibly created by shipping (mis)handling. Their packaging seems very good compared to others I have seen. The plastic adhering to the cover has been mentioned before also. I would ask them for another cover. Maybe if they have to make enough compensations they will make some adjustment in their customer service.

I had an alignment problem before and I fixed it with phone support. This seems to be a different problem than I had before but I may pull the cover and try adjusting the mirror in front of the color wheel. The problem I had before was a shaded area on the bottom of the screen and I fixed it by adjusting this mirror. I'm not sure if it will fix the light spill, but maybe.

Give the Dwin Tech guys another plus. They received my TV3 yesterday, diagnosed it (the main formating board NOT the DMD), fixed it, cleaned it...no charge to me and free return shipping 2 day going out today.
FREAK!

Randall- There are several light spills on the TV3, not corrected with my upgrade to TV3e. One that throws a stream of light to the right of a ceiling mount is a slit in the base just to the right of the lens. I used a piece of gaffer's tape to seal that off as it threw a stream of light across my ceiling that disrupted my artsey planetarium like lighting. The other spill is a crescent shape that IS from the lens and it is still on my TV3e. That is cured with the rectangular cut out lens cap calibrated for your installation. The only other major light spill is to the rear from the fan exhausts and only a good hush box is advisable to fix that. I tried a deflector down and it fixed the light spill but caused the hot air to be drafted to the seating as well as increased noise. Not good! I have another idea that may work but I haven't had the time to construct it yet. It is a rectangular black shroud that would deflect the exhause horizontally straight back.
So much for what I've done with the TV3 light spillage.

Other minor leakages are around the power plug and lens seal. I have posted fixes for those earlier in the thread as well.

I'm sure I've read your whole thread Don and I remember reading about your fixes for the light spills. This particular one is the only one that really bothers me. I didn't have it before and it is coming from the lens. Since it wasn't there before, then I would assume there must be a way of adjusting the mirrors to get rid of it. I'm leaving town for another week today so I guess I will play with it when I return. Thanks for the advice.

The lens cap would surely take care of that but if your suspicion is correct, there is an aluminul shield just between the lens and the DMD stick that may be out of whack. Personally, I wouldn't mess with the optics alignment unless I had guidance from one who knows what they are doing.

Also, I had a scare of a vertical brite line on the left side the other day but I discovered it was a Discovery Channel program editing error. There was a lower video layer that punched through in their edit as when they switched to another view that showed the bright scene that created that line. Anyway it was an issue of how the show was edited and probably the editor thought overscan mask would conceal it. That was true for NTSC but no longer. :) I'm sure your problem is not this. I use a lens cap to mask out the thru the lens light artifacts and it works!

got mine back yesterday...and they put in a new FREE BULB on top of not charging me for the repair and return ship! Pretty damn sweet. I put it up last night and no lines!!! Brightness/contrast need adjusting though so can give an accurate review yet. Avai tonight and then we will see...
FREAK!

how do you know they put in a new bulb? i didn't get any kind of documentation at all when i got my tv3 back as a tv3e. nada. nothing to prove that the work was done at all, in fact (and because i had it installed and ISFed for the first time at the same time, I couldn't even be sure by comparing before and after).

maybe I made an incorrect conclusion but my bulb hours were reset to 4 so I am guessing that means a new bulb.

Picture is quite bright and overcomes more ambient light than I remember.
and no rainbows...
FREAK!

UPDate on My personal claim of "no rainbows"

I have tried real hard to see them and now I do! IMO, they are not gone but rather just much, much shorter in duration and size on the screen.

When I got my TV3 back there was a packing slip that listed the work done.

Being much much shorter in duration is still a big improvement! I am not susceptible to rainbows anyway, so it wouldn't be worth an upgrade for that point alone.

As construction on my attic remodel begins, I have a few questions for you TV3e owners as I continue my seemingly endless quest to find the perfect projector for my situation.

1 - Panning issues. I see many threads re panning issues on various DLP projectors, such as the Optoma H77, Sim300e, Sharp XV2000, etc., especially on more onerous scenes like the Spiderman 2 dragging the bike scene or the LOTR:FOTR Journey into the Dark scene. Has any seen these panning artifacts in thier TV3e? Has anyone specifically checked out these alleged torture scenes?

2 - How loud is the TV3e compared to other projectors?

3 - Has anyone compared the TV3e scaler to something like the DVDO Iscan HD+?

4 - Does using the maximum offset on the TV3e impact picture quality?

Thanks for any info! I really like the 2 box design and the large lens offset on the TV3e.

1. Never saw it. Not sure what you are referring to as pan artifacts. Aparently it is non- existent in the TV3e.
2. Louder than it should be IMO. I have a Panasonic AE700 that is much quieter.
3. Not that one but ths scaler is without competition, IMO. being remote, a dual DVI, makes it very convenient but the quality is the best I have ever seen.
4. No. Compared to the Offset in other projectors the Dwin is very well implemented and very stable. Most who have only tried the offset in the Dwin don't realize how good it is until they experience others on the market.

I've installed several dozen TV3's and here's my take...

1. No serious panning issues that are seen easily in some lower-end DLP projectors. I wouldn't lump the Sim300e in with the H77 and XV2000 though. The panning on the TV3 can be improved with a Lumagen scaler but it's not a requirement for a great result.

2. Fairly loud is right...louder than other DLPs in the same price range? not really. It's on par with the Sim, Sharp, Marantz and Infocus.

3. The TV3 uses the same chipset as DVDO so they are very similar in scaling quality...not as good as Lumagen though. I do feel that the Marantz S4 has superior scaling to both the DWIN and DVDO scaler and is on par if not better than the Lumagen. The Marantz S4 has the best 1080i reproduction of any DLP unit I've ever installed.

4. Absolutely, the maximum offset SHOULD NOT be used. I would never suggest anyone using over 16-18" of the available offset. This is where ghosting and chromatic abberation type artifacts will show up. If you stick to 16" or less of offset, you'll be fine. I've tested this with many of the TV3s I've installed, and this problem consistently shows up on their units if a large 20" to 24" offset is used. I really feel that DWIN should improve this function if they are going to continue to let customers manipulate the lens out to a 24" offset. This extreme setting will cause problems within the unit every time.

With that said, the 2 box solution of the DWIN is one of the biggest deciding factors for most. It's hard to pass up.

What part of SA are you in? I work in Austin and SA all the time.

Brent Huskins
Media Design

1. Never saw it. Not sure what you are referring to as pan artifacts. Aparently it is non- existent in the TV3e.
2. Louder than it should be IMO. I have a Panasonic AE700 that is much quieter.
3. Not that one but ths scaler is without competition, IMO. being remote, a dual DVI, makes it very convenient but the quality is the best I have ever seen.
4. No. Compared to the Offset in other projectors the Dwin is very well implemented and very stable. Most who have only tried the offset in the Dwin don't realize how good it is until they experience others on the market.

Thanks for the info, Don. What kind of offset are you using? Do you have any problems with light spill?

Have you ever tried a constant height setup?

I've installed several dozen TV3's and here's my take...

1. No serious panning issues that are seen easily in some lower-end DLP projectors. I wouldn't lump the Sim300e in with the H77 and XV2000 though. The panning on the TV3 can be improved with a Lumagen scaler but it's not a requirement for a great result.

2. Fairly loud is right...louder than other DLPs in the same price range? not really. It's on par with the Sim, Sharp, Marantz and Infocus.

3. The TV3 uses the same chipset as DVDO so they are very similar in scaling quality...not as good as Lumagen though. I do feel that the Marantz S4 has superior scaling to both the DWIN and DVDO scaler and is on par if not better than the Lumagen. The Marantz S4 has the best 1080i reproduction of any DLP unit I've ever installed.

4. Absolutely, the maximum offset SHOULD NOT be used. I would never suggest anyone using over 16-18" of the available offset. This is where ghosting and chromatic abberation type artifacts will show up. If you stick to 16" or less of offset, you'll be fine. I've tested this with many of the TV3s I've installed, and this problem consistently shows up on their units if a large 20" to 24" offset is used. I really feel that DWIN should improve this function if they are going to continue to let customers manipulate the lens out to a 24" offset. This extreme setting will cause problems within the unit every time.

With that said, the 2 box solution of the DWIN is one of the biggest deciding factors for most. It's hard to pass up.

What part of SA are you in? I work in Austin and SA all the time.

Brent Huskins
Media Design

I included the Sim b/c there seems to be a group that is quite adamant that the Sim suffers from panning artifacts.

Have you ever set up a TV3e for a constant height setup (is it possible)?

Also, how's the light spill on this unit?

I'm in the Bitters/Blanco area of SA.

....

With that said, the 2 box solution of the DWIN is one of the biggest deciding factors for most. It's hard to pass up.
...

Brent Huskins
Media Design

I agree!

I was recently considering the Optoma H79 until I saw how many (few) connections it had (only one DVI connection) and didn't have the two box design.

Thus, I would have to run long lenghts of cable for each of the following items: 1)DVD player 2) JVC D-Theater deck 3) HD Satellite box 4) X-Box 5) OSD for the Pre/Pro

With the connectivity options of the Dwin, this isn't a problem. With the two box solution, I don't need to worry about running long lengths either.

I do wish the Dwin was quieter though.

I included the Sim b/c there seems to be a group that is quite adamant that the Sim suffers from panning artifacts.

Have you ever set up a TV3e for a constant height setup (is it possible)?

Also, how's the light spill on this unit?

I'm in the Bitters/Blanco area of SA.

I've seen some issue in the Sim as well but not anywhere as bad as the others mentioned. I think it helps keep it in perspective though. If you're going to spend over $10K (MSRP) for a top notch projector, you shouldn't have panning issues whatsoever. Small panning issues in the Sim at its price is definitely a deterrent. In the sub $4K projector market problems like that are somewhat expected.

The light spill is hit and miss. Some TV3s have more than others. When comparing to Sharp or Marantz, the DWIN is not in their league. Is it a deal breaker?, absolutely not. But if you want zero light spill, expect to do a few small mods to the TV3 to get the results you want. You could also consider the placement carefully to eliminate the problems as well (out of the room, in a cabinet or in a box of some sort.) It doesn't impact the image at all.

Constant Height is possible but best set up with an alternative scaler like the Lumagen (or HTPC) and with an anamorphic lens (which I've done). The easier way to go is to use a 4-way masking system on the screen which allows you to get the best of both worlds - big HDTV and framed in 2.35:1 with no bars. If you go with a dedicated 2.35:1 screen you'll suffer with the 1.85:1 and 1.78:1 stuff. HDTV will look small compared to the 2.35:1 movies. Something to consider based on how you plan to use the room. If you're only going to watch blockbuster action movies then 2.35:1 may be the best plan for you. If its going to be for all types of material then a masking system would likely work better. Some will argue that its an advantage to scale the image so that the full DLP panel is used in all aspect modes in the constant height set up, but I think the overall screen size is a bigger issue. Plenty to consider...

I know your area well...

Brent Huskins
Media Design

My DWIN TV3 recently started showing a "polarized" picture.

It would work fine for 30 minutes and then the colors start fading. It ends up like you are looking at the picture through a polarized filter.

I shut it down and start it up again (after the fan died) and the fan would start but the bulb won't.

Lamp is only 385 hrs old.

HAS ANYBODY ELSE SEEN THIS?

WHAT IS IT? (Heat related fault?)

Brent, Thanks for the update on the offset. Your #4 Mine is at about 12 inches. I did test it and didn't notice any issues but I never tested that 24" offset for ghosting. I may do a quick test sometime to satisfy my curiosity. I've only ever reproduced the ghosts with placed reflective surfaces opposite the screen. I can visualize how the offset could also be responsible.

Re my light spill issues. I really don't have any in front as I have the mods in place. I have an idea to kill the rear exhaust light spill as well but haven't built the test prototype yet. To date the only effective rear light spill has been the hush box. My idea is to tunnel the light spill and also use a tuned ported muffler concept to reduce the noise in that device. I have a db meter to do the testing when I get around to it. Just an idea at this point.

What is the calibrated lumen output on the TV3e? If an exact number isn't known, how does it compare to other bright projectors like the IF 7210?

Another bulb experience... This time a good one!

A few weeks back, I posted a question regarding my TV3 lamp shutting off after an hour or so being on. Given the number of hours on my lamp, several people mentioned that I may have the phantom lamp shutoff issue. After an email to DWIN (they replied in less than 24 hrs), I took their suggestion and got a new lamp. Since I installed a new lamp, I've had no more lamp shutoffs.

At least in my case, it seems the lamp showed its age by shutting off after an hour or so.

Now, I will go back to enjoying some good movies and not worry about it.

Actually, I do have one other question, given that my unit has never gone back to DWIN. What's the best way to clean it out safely? I've taken the top off a few times and carefully blown out all the dust (I used to be a photographer, so I'm familiar with what not to touch). There really wasn't nearly as much as I thought there would be, but I still have one or two areas that show up only in very dark scenes. Essentially, these areas show up just slightly brighter than the rest. My guess is that there is some dust causing some stray reflections that end up in the main light path. Depending on where the dust spec is, it could show up as a large out of focus blob. The effect is subtle enough that it's hard to notice unless there is a lot of movement. It's like a haze.

Short of sending it back or taking it apart, anyone have any suggestions? So far, I'm the only one that can see it, so I suppose I could live with it. Then again....

How thorough do you want to be on dust removal?

Once, I went in and cleaned out the three fans in the rear. This was quite a project as I had to remove each fan and take them apart to reach the fan blades. I q-tip was used to actually remove the dust buildup. My concern was that the dust on the blades was clogging the fan making them less efficient. The internal fans were also hand cleaned. There is also a place where the main intake air comes and behind the slots is an angled plastic deflector that gets coated with dust. This is pretty easy to clean. I did not notice any dust buildup on the other internal parts. Of course I did seal most of the light leaks so that prevented dust buildup as well.

I should note that when my TV3 came back as a TV3e upgrade, Dwin did not clean the internals of the projector at all. I sent it in with dust and got that same dust back. I saw it because they had put the wrong cover and sent me my original one later that I needed to replace. I should do another thorough cleaning since they didn't bother during the upgrade. Maybe dust cleaning is a separate service that I did not opt to have????

Unfortunately for me, the areas I have now didn't show up until I blew out some of the dust in the fans and the intake area. Most likely, I mistakenly blew the dust onto some part I shouldn't have.

Something else that surprises me is that the entire interior of the pj is not flat black. Even though the light path is pretty well sealed, every lens, color wheel, mirror, etc. will cause some reflections. Those extra reflections can affect contrast. In my case, I'm wondering if that might be one of the causes of my issue because the brighter areas do no move. It's almost like a haze somewhere. If I remember solarization correctly, the effect is similar on very dark scenes except it's more subtle and it doesn't change location. Picture a large dark object crossing the screen during a dark scene. When it passes one of these areas, you can faintly make out brighter areas. It's like looking through smoked glass with inperfections.

I've read that many scalers, due to the video processing, can add a noticeable lipsync error. In other words, the audio doesn't match up with the video, albeit slightly. Has anyone noticed this when using the Dwin's scaler?

"Most likely, I mistakenly blew the dust onto some part I shouldn't have."

Sorry you did that. When I did a thorough cleaning I resisted the temptation to use the air jet on the optics. Instead, I pulled each fan from the case, took it apart and cleaned it away from the case and then put it back. Those fans in the back do come apart allowing you to get at the fan blades. I used a Q-Tip inside the case where visible dust collected. I never touched any of the mirrors or optics which looked clean to my eyes wearing magnifying head gear. This was a job I dedicated a morning to complete.

I've read that many scalers, due to the video processing, can add a noticeable lipsync error. In other words, the audio doesn't match up with the video, albeit slightly. Has anyone noticed this when using the Dwin's scaler?


Joe- I never saw this where I could blame it on the Dwin. I have seen a lipsync problem with particular DVD's, usually ones that have a look of low quality to them. Like one I saw last night that was not even done in Anamorphic format- The audio was out of sync a good second in some parts. It was-The Prize Fighter with Gary Busy.

Don, that lip-sync problem you had last night was not the DVD. Gary Busy's been that way ever since his last motorcycle accident.

Don, that lip-sync problem you had last night was not the DVD. Gary Busy's been that way ever since his last motorcycle accident.

:D

that's great!

Brent Huskins
Media Design

Guys,
What is the verdict on the upgrade from a TV3(ISF'd) to a TV3e?

I have my form and am ready to take down the unit to send into DWIN(what a kick in the ballz this will be).

Guys that have done this, what do you think?

Thanks,
Fred

Fred- Some think it is day and night difference but I don't see that much. Maybe the rainbow duration is shorter time on the screen but I believe my TV3 always had a great picture and it still does wiht the upgrade. If you're itchin' to spend some money, go ahead. I had a p[ower supply problem in mine that caused it to shut off all the time so it needed repair and they did that too. Said it was a couple of capacitors went bad in the power supply.

Fred,

The TV3 to TV3e is worth the $1,500. The TV3+ to TV3e is a more difficult decision. Getting the update is also a good way to somewhat protect your resale in a couple years. Whenever Dwin releases a 1080P DLP unit likely the TV3 form factor (and upgradeability of it) will be gone. It would be nice to have the last of the 720P's while waiting for 1080P to come down in price.

Brent Huskins
Media Design

NEW SPECIAL OFFER FROM DWIN...

"Starting Monday (08/01/2005) DWIN will mail a letter to consumers offering an exchange of their existing DWIN video processor for a new DuoVision dual-output processor when they purchase any DWIN Plasmaimage HD-series display by October 31, 2005.
Essentially this gives existing TV3 customers the advantages of DuoVision at no extra cost.

Consumers will be instructed to visit authorized DWIN dealers with a DuoVision Processor Offer Certificate. Note: this offer requires an exchange of the TV3 processor (handled as an RMA).

We're also mailing dealers blank copies of the offer letter + consumer exchange forms so dealers can send it to TV3 owners on their mailing list."

This is great news for all the TV3 owners out there. This applies to all 3 versions.

Brent Huskins
Media Design

Brent-

Can you tell us what the advantages to the DuoVision processor are over the TV3? How much are the Plasmaimage displays (retail)?

Thanks!

Basically, the Duovision is identical to the standard TV3, +, e processor, BUT it has 2 independent outputs. So, the idea is to have a typical home theater with a projector and all your sources (up to 10) hooked up to the scaler. Added to that you can place an additional Plasma in another room (or same room if using a drop down screen) and enjoy all of the same source equipment on the plasma. The real beauty of it is that the scaler has a matrix switch in it as well, meaning you don't have to watch the same thing in both locations unless you want to.

This would also work with people that have a TV3 and want to add another TV3 in another room...the special wouldn't apply but it's doable.

Here the MSRP pricing, which we all no is subjective on Plasmas:

HD-142 - $7,995
HD-150 - $9,995
HD-161 - $18,995

You can run their cable out to 100' if necessary as well.

Let me know if you have other questions.

Brent Huskins
Media Design

Brent-
Was there ever as deal to simply swap the single output to a dual output for a $ price?

I may be interested in somehting like that if the duovision will work with other projectors. I once tried using my current TV3 scaler with an LCD monitor and it would not work properly. It just flashed on and off. Maybe the Dwin scaler needs to work into a Dwin projector anyway. I should test it with my Panasonic LCD AE700. Any thoughts? Has anyone else tested the Dwin scaler with other projector heads or screens?

It only works with DWIN products per DWIN...haven't tested the theory though...nor does DWIN sell it as a stand alone item...only sold directly with display products.

I believe this restriction is how they get around HDCP from the scaler to the PJ/Plasma. Also, there is control information sent on the DVI to the PJ/Plasma that would probably conflict with non-DWIN gear.

Brent Huskins
Media Design

Well since no one has anything to say since Aug 1, I will say my two cents (3 cents with inflation) worth:
I have just upgraded my TV3 to TV3e and so far have watched a couple of movies since. My comments are:
(1) my picture pre upgrade was very very good, and now it is very, very, very good.
(2) the blacks are noticably darker (guessing about 5% but detectable)
(3) the color is richer, especially the reds (guessing about 5%)
Was it worth it for me?
Well it was for me since I had some other issues pre upgrade.
Is it worth it for you?
I tend to agree with Don that from the TV3 it is. Also I found that the DWIN staff were really attentive to me and could not do enough for me. I loved my DWIN before, but now I really love it. (And I hope my premature bulb failure never happens again... time will tell)

Question for you now: I have never seen a "HD" source through my DWIN. We have only used our PJ for DVDs and it has been exceptional, but now I was thinking of subscribing to a satellite provider. Will I experience the next level of ecstacy?? Or should I just wait for the next generation of HD DVD?

Question for you now: I have never seen a "HD" source through my DWIN. We have only used our PJ for DVDs and it has been exceptional, but now I was thinking of subscribing to a satellite provider. Will I experience the next level of ecstacy?? Or should I just wait for the next generation of HD DVD?[/QUOTE]

IMHO, You will experience the next level of ecstacy! I haven't upgraded yet, but the HD picture is amazing.

Wow, are you in for a treat. DVD may be nice but I find it kind of hard to watch (unless it is a really good transfer) compared to HD. Make sure you get a DVR so you can have plenty to watch. HD is simply incredible on the TV3(e)
FREAK!

Agreed! Get HDTV and you will have realized what the TV3e can really do. Right now, well, it's just standard definition on your Dwin.

Your biggest decision will be which satellite provider. The thing is, you'll have to decide which provider offers you the unique programming you will want to see. Lots of debates here but the bottom line is nobody can tell you what programming suits your lifestyle. It does seem like movies since you get along for now with DVD's and that is what DVD's are all about. Thwerefore maybe DishNetwork with The HDPack and VOOM channels will give you the best bang for the buck, especially if you don't do NFL. I like Football but I find I get plenty over HD broadcast and the TV3 works very well with HD over local channels but the VOOM collection on DishNetwork with a DVR is just top gun on the TV3e, especially with the DVI. freak mentioned the DVR. Yes definitly go that route. You won't see any difference in PQ on the Dwin between live and DVR recorded. With Directv the HDTIVO works better and is more robiust but D*'s HD programming is not as varied as is E* right now. All this can change from one month to the next, however. With Dish their DVR of choice is the 942 and I believe you can lease it as a new customer so that may not be a bad deal to try it for a year without a buch of up front cash.
Gosh, I can't believe you haven't tried HDTV with your Dwin!

Question for you now: I have never seen a "HD" source through my DWIN. We have only used our PJ for DVDs and it has been exceptional, but now I was thinking of subscribing to a satellite provider. Will I experience the next level of ecstacy?? Or should I just wait for the next generation of HD DVD?

You simply have not seen what your Dwin can do until you display HD on it!

I would recommend Dish Network since they have the most HD programming, including several of the old Voom HD channels.

Good luck!

Speaking of displaying HDTV on the Dwin, I had a first today myself. Last evening I shot my first production of a stage performance with my new HD camera. It's the HVR-Z1U. I've had it since April but have used it mostly in DVCAM mode for my work. I got this assignment last week and decided this would be a teriffic performance in HDTV so I shot it that way. I connected the Y,Pr,Pb to the Dwin's component in and immediately, I was just blown away by the live HDCAM's performance on the Dwin. Even the audio from the camera's build in stereo mic was surprisingly brite and crisp. I can't wait to render it to DD5.1 in post. But the picture on the Dwin was as good as the HDNet or Discovery HD stuff I see on DishNetwork.
I did have to make a few adjustments in the brightness, contrast and color from the default to get the picture to look "perfect" but I Will need to experiment with these as the camera has several custom image modes that modify the color. As I experiment with these in the camera I suppose I'll be needing to make further tweaks on the Dwin as well. At first the camcorder's HD output was lacking intense blacks as I see on many of the VOOM channels. The performance I shot yesterday was all done with default camera settings. The performance was a play in an outdoor theater setting with large sound system and full stage lights. I had my HDCAM about 150' in front of the stage so the sound was balanced and I could get full chest/ head shots. The images of these closeups showed every hair and costume texture. However, since I was using the camcorder's steady shot feature the pans I did went out of focus slightly during the pan. Next time I'll use my bigger heavier tripod and switch off the steady shot so the pans stay in focus during the movement.

Anyway, this is the first time I have seen the Dwin TV3 with camera live unedited and unprocessed HDTV footage. IT looks so good it makes you cry!

Don, Rob, CGauntt, Metallica Freak
Thanks to all for the info. My delema is that I live in Canada and the HD here is somewhat limited.
What I would like to do is to get a ligitimate US Dish Network and its associated hardware. As I understand it, this can be done and I would just pay my monthly fee through my Dishnet account over the internet.
Does anyone out there have a Canadian contact who can help me get this started?

Hey Fishlady: There is no legal way to receive DISH in Canada due to CRTC rules. You can get access but it is only through the grey market - be very careful if you try. I have Starchoice and find HD stunning over my modest Infocus 4805; your picture with the DWIN should be really good. As for value depends what you like; american PBS,CBS,NBC, ABC is available plus some Sportsnet. Bell may have more choices not sure. I really liked NFL football and NBA playoffs -- should get some HD hockey in the fall. Good luck. By the way did you get your Dwin from an Alberta dealer? If so who?

Cheers
Peter

I also found the upgrade to be worth it. I did notice more light spill after the upgrade. I've got 400 plus hours since the upgrade on the PJ and the other night I noticed a bit more light on the corner of the TheaterTek Black startup screen. I closed TT and opened up the Colorfacts test patterns and went to an all black screen. The light on the bottom left corner of the screen was still showing.

I had the cover off several times before the upgrade but this was the first since then. They used silicone all around the front of the mirror that reflects the light through the colorwheel and it looked sloppy but I guess it serves whatever purpose it is there for. Light was shooting out from everywhere, much more so than before the upgrade. I don't see why Dwin could't align things better.
I tried adjusting the prism in front of the ColorWheel but I don't think it made any difference. When I put the cover back on the extra light to the screen was gone but I didn't think I did anything to cure it.

Most of the lightspill is coming through the lens but not hitting the screen. It seems to me if all this stray light inside the projector were damped in some way the contrast ratio would be better. I just don't understand why Dwin didn't do a better job on this in the first place.

Having vented about this, I have had good service and am still quite pleased with the Dwin. I have been tempted by some of the new 1080P projectors but I can't bring myself to spending that much money for an incremental upgrade. It needs to be a quantum leap.

Smyth22:
I got my dwin through this forum (i.e. AVS) and I worked with Jason. Absolutely great people. They also supplied me my screen and my Denon amp. There is however a place here in Calgary that does sell DWIN, but you just "would not believe the price they want!" PM me if you really want to know.
Now with respect to HD satelite. There is a place in Vancouver that if found in the bargan finder who as said that it is not illegal to have Dish net if you are willing to pay for it. Apparently, there is a subtle agreement that US suppliers will not openly compete for Canadian customers and vise-versa. PM me.

I'm having problems with my remote. I only use it for making image adjustments. For some reason, it changes from "tv" to "cable" when I'm in the setup menu, just using the arrow keys. I select "tv" again and it repeats, sometimes after a couple of clicks on one of the arrows and sometimes after several.

Any ideas?

Thanks

You almost certainly need fresh batteries. Universal brand remotes (the supplier for Dwin) always have symptoms before the low battery light comes on.

Thanks - it worked

Hi,

It's been a while since I visited this thread. I guess I was enjoying my TV3 so much until last night. For some reason my tv3 keeps on shutting down. I tried turning it back on and few minutes later it shuts off again. Do you think the bulb has reached its end-of-life? When I checked its about 1640 hrs. It's still bright in my opinion.

Anyway, if it requires a bulb replacement, can somebody point me where I can purchase the bulb? I tried searching the web but I couldn't find any internet reseller. Is it easy to replace the bulb? I remember somebody posted the procedure for replacing the lamp.

thanks,
twelly

You have to get a new lamp from Dwin or your dealer. Dwin does not discount the lamp so your best bet is to go direct to Dwin.

Here's the link for the Dwin Replacement Bulb Order Form:

http://www.dwin.com/downloads/lampOrderForm.pdf

Has anyone on here been able to compare picture quality between the TV3 and the TV4? If so, how do they compare?

Thanks for your quick response. I really appreciate your help.

Has anyone on here been able to compare picture quality between the TV3 and the TV4? If so, how do they compare?

Please see the TV4 thread.

twelly:

Does the picture do funny things intermittantly before it shuts down or does it just quit? Might not be a bulb issue.

Eric,

I do notice that 2-3secs before the screen goes blank the picture goes dim. The pj shuts down (blinking red) but the switch box remains ON. I just hope its a bulb problem.

-twelly

So now that 1080 chips are starting to trickle out, has anyone asked DWIN if they intend to offer a retrofit for the TV3 series to incorporate the new chip? A long time ago, some DWIN reps stated this would be possible when the new 1080 chips came out. I'm not holding my breath, though, since nothing was ever put in writing.

Here is my story. About a year ago, I noticed that at different time intervals my picture would freak out and do funny things with colors and, heck, just wierd things, then the PJ would shut down. Sometimes after being on just 15 minutes, sometimes it took 4 hours, but nearly every time. We changed the bulb and it remained. Finally had to send it in. As usual not much detail was given as to the fix, but it works and even looks better. Despite the $ of the bulb, I was not sorry I changed the bulb out to troubleshoot, because now I have a spare with about the same amount of hours that you have on yours. Hey it's not as bright as a new one, but when we've got company over for the Big Game, and the lamp blows, I have it covered. Good luck.

Twelly, I know someone posted a similar problem some time back. I know it was not a bulb issues. I want to say it may have been Don Landis but not sure. Hopefully, the right person will chime in
FREAK!

Please be sure to post your results after replacing the bulb Twelly!

Just to give you an update, after replacing the lamp the projector shutdown problem is no longer happening. I guess my lamp has reached its end-of-life, anyway, my lamp is already at 1640hrs, close to the advertised 2000hrs. Replacing the lamp is so easy, the instruction that came with the lamp is quite easy to follow. I was surprised when I opened my hushbox. I didn't see much dust inside, even though it's been 2 yrs since I installed the husbox without cleaning.

Anyway, after I faxed my order to dwin the lamp arrived 2 days after, of course I selected the 2nd day shipping. Thanks for posting the link to the order form. I'm now a happy camper. Back to my regular HDTV programming. Hard to keep up with the HD primetime programs nowadays, especially if you have hd tivo. Thank you all.

-twelly

Thanks for the update twelly. Glad to hear it was just a lamp issue.

glad to hear I was wrong
FREAK!

For those of you that have had dust blob problems:

I just changed out a bulb (1500h) and after remounting I had horrid dust blobs all over the picture, after taking down and opening the case, cleaning all visible optics with a micro fiber lens cloth I have had no success in decreasing the spots. All specific info on how and where to clean would be much appreciated. You know when the wife sees it its bad!

The new bulb has a glass shild in front of it , I would make sure that is clean too along with the obvious mirrors and the back of the lens.

Compressed air. Make sure the unit is cooled off and don't get the nozzle too close to anything.
Also be sure to hit the area right behind the lens.

For compressed air, be careful what direction you attempt to blow the dust away. Make sure you point the air flow away from everything. When I changed my bulb, I blew out all the dust while I was in there. Unfortunately, I ended up with a couple of dust blobs after that. I had to go back in an do it again to get rid of most of them. Yes, I said most of them. After several attempts, I still have a couple of tiny dust blobs. Thankfully, they are only visible when the screen is total dark, but you have to know where they are to spot them.

I should have left it alone...

That is the operative phrase: "I should have left it alone"

Where do you guys feel that the dust spots are coming from, the optics closer to the bulb or the ones closest to the lens. I can't see squat as far as dust goes on any of it. When this gets cleared up, you can be sure that next time I change a bulb I will not obsess about ridding the case of dust.

The dust is on top of the DLP chip...

Brent Huskins
Media Design

The dust is on top of the DLP chip...

Brent Huskins
Media Design

The man knows of what he speaks!

I had the same problem.

Thanks for the info, but how does one get it off? Not terribly easy to get back there to it. Tips and tricks please

Not much activity here lately. Hope that is because everyone is enjoying their Dwin and not because they have moved on to something different.

My TV3+ is now a couple of years old. I have been using it with a business type screen. Since I now seem to be watching it more than I used to, I thought it was time to get a "real" screen, so I wanted to come here and see what has worked best for all of you.

My system is in my family room, so is not totaly dark, although there is no direct light. It is ceiling mounted so I guess the reflective / refractive factors will have to be considered. I will be looking for a tensioned pull down - manual or electric is still undecided.

All thoughts and suggestions are welcomed.

George M

Hi All,
I would like go give a quick follow up feedback of my TV3 to TV3e upgrade. At the time of my upgrade, I had a repair done which replaced some of the boards in the PJ. I had assumed that they also replaced my bulb because the hours were reset. Well, about 2 weeks ago, I was watching the Pats game and just kept saying to myself that the picture just is not bright enough (I calibrated with avia to contrast 90). It then dawned on me that the hour reset was probably a result of the hardware replacement and I was still working on my old bulb now at 1900+ hours. I replaced the bulb (very easy) and POW! Bright, eye popping colors, deep blacks, fantastic detail. IT LOOKS AWESOME!! Take this with a grain of salt, but I believe it does look noticeably better than when I first got it. Not grain of salt needed for this next comment, it IS brighter than when I first got it because I do not have to control the ambient light as strictly to watch football during the day with contrast calibrated to 65.
FINAL conclusion, if you have the cash, I would say to do it.

Any word if they will/can implement the 1080p DLP chips?

Happy Thanksgiving!

GO Pats!
FREAK!

They stopped production of TV3's. Should have a 1080 at CES

They stopped production of TV3's. Should have a 1080 at CES

Cool! Source? Estimated MSRP?

Quote:
Originally Posted by vegashomes
They stopped production of TV3's. Should have a 1080 at CES



Cool! Source? Estimated MSRP?

What about an upgrade? There were discussions before that this might not be possible when Dwin adopted a 1080 chip, but I know I'd like to know. It might keep me in the Dwin camp and I could stop looking at the Ruby.

The StudioTek 130 is the product that DWIN recommends for that projector. I have mine in my basement with 3 windows and a sliding glass door. It works well even with some light coming in !

Good Luck, I got my 100" screen for around $1799 delivered....

What about an upgrade? There were discussions before that this might not be possible when Dwin adopted a 1080 chip, but I know I'd like to know. It might keep me in the Dwin camp and I could stop looking at the Ruby.

I would be downright shocked if this could or would happen. It would be great, yes, but highly doubtful.

Try ordering a LAMP. They are the Nazi's of LAMPS. Their Web site stinks, and All the companies that FORCE you to conform to their way of doing business should go out of business.

If I want to order a lamp for one of their stupid machines, I should not have to fill out a bunch of forms and provide serial numbers.

Please look at these companies before you purchase. I sure will next time. Luckly I prevented several frineds from making the same mistake.

On top of their arragonce, There product is not very good, nor are there Lamps. I only get about 500 hours per Lamp. (Yes, I know all about lamps and how they work).

Unhappy Dwin Camper.

Your results are not typical.

Brent Huskins
Media Design

Is it such a big deal to fill out a form and fax it to place an order? This is the standard for dealing direct with CE companies.

They have to protect themselves against fraud, etc.

Brent Huskins
Media Design

I had no problem at getting a new bulb. Fast and easy.
FREAK!

I still love my Dwin but I think I will move up to 1080P in the near future. I recently ordered a bulb with no problem. I filled out the form with my name and address and just wrote the words "on file" for Ser #s etc. No problem. I know some people have had problems with Dwin support, but I have had very good luck with them.

I now have bulb remorse and am still using my old bulb which is on the high side of 2700 hrs. I've already put another 100 hours on the old bulb since I got the new one. The picture still looks reasonably bright in a light controlled environment on my 92" wide HiPower.

Anyone know how the brightness of the TV3e compares to the Ruby. I think the 3e is probably a lot brighter but maybe not. If the Ruby is of similar brightness to the 3e, I think I would be very happy with the Ruby. I will wait for the reviews on the 1080P DLPs before I purchase a new projector as I have no problem watching DLP. I see rainbows but have learned to ignore them for the most part. I don't sit that close so the dithering and resolution are not a big deal. I would like less light spill and deeper blacks.

In talking with the DWIN tech support, it looks like I have Dust on the DMD chip itself.

Does anyone know how to get to the HD2 DLP chip so I can blow off the dust and save a trip to DWIN for repair ?

Thanks

Gifter- Dwin as a company has never been the most friendly type but that is not as important as their ability to fix it when it's broke, and build the best darn product for the money. I truly believe they do. I am extremely happy with my Dwin TV3e. I was one of the first to own a Dwin TV3 and now. having a backup lower priced Panasonic PJ, I can assure you and everyone else, at $1700 for the Panasonic, the Dwin PQ is 10 times the quality and it is 10 times as stable. The lens offset and adjustments are precise compared to the Panasonic and, well, the features of the twin box design just is no comparison. However, when my Dwin went in for upgrade and repair of the power supply, I had this as a backup and having a low cost lessor quality PJ for that time was better than nothing at all.

If you hate the Dwin TV3, you either bought something that is way under your tastes and you need to be looking at something in the $30K-$50K range, or you are really not in a position to understand the quality difference and need to unload the Dwin, buy something like my backup Panasonic or a traditional RPTV and spend the difference cash money on local Theater tickets each week!

Merry Christmas Don ;)

Brent Huskins
Media Design

U2, Brent- Hope to see you at CES!

Merry Christmas to my fellow Dwin owners!

Merry Christmas to all.

Happy New Year to all.

Gifter, just a tad cavalier with the use of NAZI.

I'm thinking of getting a Ruby. I wonder how much I can sell my TV3 for?

Put it on ebay with No Reserve and you will find out :) . I would guess maybe $3500 if it is a TV3e, maybe a bit more. If I upgrade I plan on keeping the Dwin as a backup.

Happy New Year to all.

Put it on ebay with No Reserve and you will find out :) . I would guess maybe $3500 if it is a TV3e, maybe a bit more. If I upgrade I plan on keeping the Dwin as a backup.

Happy New Year to all.


I think that is a good estimate for the TV3e.

Probably $750.00 less for the TV3.

But please let us know how much you get for it!

You've got the itch for the Ruby too, Rob?

You've got the itch for the Ruby too, Rob?

Sure I do!

But I am going to try and hold out at least until the 1080p DLP's come out to compare. I moved, so I am doing a new HT as well, and it is going much slower than expected....so I have some time to mull things over.

I would be interested as well but the 2 box design is a deal breaker for me. I wish more companies adopted this concept

I would be interested as well but the 2 box design is a deal breaker for me. I wish more companies adopted this concept

I completely agree.

Supposedly the new Optoma (H81?) 1080p dlp will be offered in a two box format, so it is good to see at least one other company is going to be doing this in addition to Dwin.

When will Dwin announce a 1080p projector?

I was told Dwin will have a 1080p at ces.

I was told Dwin will have a 1080p at ces.

Cool!

:cool:

1080p was a no show for DWIN. I was told it just was not quite ready for Dwins criteria. They probably won't have it ready till just before CEDIA. TV4's will be their only projector till then.

Hey all!

Long time no talk!

Happy New Year to all!

I need some help!

I have the TV3e upgrade and everything was fine until I decided to Hook my Xbox360 up to my projector via VGA/RGB. The whole picture is green!

So, I decided to pop into the service menu to see what settings were under the Grey Scale setting, and holy $hit, there's the problem! I have only used DVI and component on this, so this is my first time for RGB and blech! Here were the settings:

R Gain: 50
G Gain: 97 (Gee, ya think this is the problem?!?!)
B Gain: 50

R Level: 43
G Level: 29
B Level: 50

Could I get you guys to post both your Grey Scale and White Balance settings via Service Mode? If you need the code, send me a PM

Wow, I am guessing they didn't recalibrate my projector when they did the upgrade. I also think it's a tad on the blue side via DVI. Hopefully you all can help me out here.

Also, what is the best procedure for setting the balances of the above? I just feel lost here.

Thanks!

1080p was a no show for DWIN. I was told it just was not quite ready for Dwins criteria. They probably won't have it ready till just before CEDIA. TV4's will be their only projector till then.

Bummer.

The Sony Ruby has a huge advantage being released so far in advance of the 1080p DLP machines.

I spoke to the Marantz rep and he was a bit more forthcoming. Seems they were not satisfied with the quality of the chips they were getting from TI. Too much variation in quality so they said it was a TI problem of not being able to supply the chips consistently.

Chris I would set the gain for green at 50 and see what that does.

I know there has been much criticism of Dwin's tech support, but I have found them to be extremely helpful each time I've called. Recently, I replaced my bulb and, unfortunately, got some of the dreaded "dust blobs" on my DLP chip. I e-mailed them this weekend and had this reply waiting on Monday when I got home from work about how to attempt to remove these blobs. Hopefully, this will work:

You can use either an industrial compressor (best) or buy a can of
compressed air ( radio shack, Fry's). Take the top cover off and just behind
the main projection lens you will see another round lens. There is a cavity
behind that. Try and blow the air into that cavity and check if any blobs
are left repeat until all are removed. Any other Q's please feel free to
contact us again.

I recall very early in this thread that Don went through a procedure for adding additional filters to prevent dust blobs. As it turns out, this was an excellent idea, as it appears that many of us have had encounters with the dreaded blobs!

I was a very early adopter of the TV3 and had about 2000 hours on it when I replaced my bulb. Surprisingly, there was very little dust inside the cabinet. With what was there, I tried to be extremely careful not to spread the dust. First, I used a vaccuum to get as much of the dust out as possible. Then, I tried to blow the remaining dust away from the optics and out of the cabinet. Still, when I fired up the PJ, I had about 4 or 5 noticeable blobs. I took the cover off and, again, blew off the optics and used a microfiber cloth to clean a couple of the mirrors (very gently more like knocked off a couple obvious specs). When I fired it back up, I was down to two blobs. I think, tomorrow, with the new info about trying to clean out the cavity, I might be able to get the last two. (Of course, I may end up with more than I started with. You never know.) Still, I think this advice is worth a shot and I'm going to give it a try. I'll post my results.

Still have the original TV3 and love it. Especially with the new bulb. Even my wife noticed a difference in PQ.

Update-

FYI-
Yes, I did "pioneer" the additional dust filters for the Dwin TV3 and it kept the projector clean for all that time. When I sent it in the the modification upgrade. I removed those filters. When the TV3e was returned, I never put the filters back on. I decided to try it without for a year and see what dust collects. In February I will open it up and have a look-see. So far I have no dust visible on the screen but the pollen season is just now arriving. If I'm going to do dust filtering, this season is the time to do it. I now have about 1400 hours on the TV3e since it came back from the upgrade sp the new bulb look is gone. I believe that only lasts for a couple hundred hours anyway.

Well, less than 2000 hours on the bulb and I need to order a new one. Sigh. I have a buddy that has a Sharp projector and he is still on the original bulb. Had his projector for about 3 years now. Go figure. And he watches it a good amount too. :(

Was working great last night. No flickers or signs of it going out. Tried firing it on this morning, super fast blinking lights. Grrr. :mad:

I really love the picture, and the two box design, but this is my third bulb in less than three years. It's starting to piss me off! I don't know what else to do to get more life from the bulb...other than not watch anything on it! :p

Great, just when 24 starts, my bulb goes out. :rolleyes:

Hopefully they can get my bulb out and in my hands this week. Is it hard to swap it out? DWIN has done it in the past for me as I had my projector in for either a fix or an upgrade.

It's not too hard, and the new bulb comes with good instructions. Be careful to note how the wires are dressed before removing the old bulb.

Hello- I have a DWIN TV3 and it randomly started shutting off in the middle of playing video games. I turn it off and then back on and it's fine for awhile and then it'll do this again. My question is: what is this a symptom of? How do I know when it is time to replace the bulb?

Thanks in advance,
Ryan

phiphika@hotmail.com :eek:

You only need to post once, Please go in and delete at least two of your posts. :)


Answer- I suffered this problem a year ago and the solution ended up being a repair by Dwin. As I understand there were some sensors that were failing inside the power supply box that they fixed. I can't tell you what the out of warranty repair cose was because they gave me an option to have it done for free if I bought the TV3e upgrade. So I did and don't regret the decision. Still extremely thrilled with my Dwin TV3e. I won't be switching to another anytime soon.

Ok, so this is not a symptom of a bulb needing to be replaced?

Can be, the only way to tell is to put in a new bulb and if it still does it with a new one, you will need the work on the power supply by Dwin. If you have lots of hours on the current bulb, I'd start with changing that first.

Understand these bulbs are not simple halogen filament type bulbs, but rather arc type bulbs and as such require a special start sequence to fire up properly. The power supply has several sensors that detect start up response from the bulb and if that is not seen, shuts things down. If while running, the sensors detect something not arcing properly, it shuts down the bulb. Therefore if a new bulb still has the symptoms, then it is safe to say that the powersupply is not delivering the proper voltages for start sequence or run voltage to keep the arc going.
When I had my trouble, I was able to determine that the external overheat sensor was working properly with my limited electronic knowledge but once inside the powersupply, troubleshooting there requires intimate knowledge of that power supply design which is not common information. It must go to one trained in Dwin TV3 repair. That would only be the factory repair. You will need to follow their requirements to return your Dwin for repair. One is to return everything in THEIR boxes! If you don't have factory boxes, they will sell you a new set. None of this is a cheap undertaking so doing a new bulb test first may be a prudent first step. If it doesn't work, at least you know and can keep the bulb for a future spare. They will replace any bulb with a new one as part of any repair so I've been told. Good luck!

I wish I had found this thread a long time ago. I've had my TV3+ for nearly two years without any problems.

Just FYI, I just learned about and tried recently to purchase the upgrade path for my TV3+ and was advised it is no longer available. I suppose it went away when they stopped selling them. Oh, well.

My pj just hit 2000 hours and it seemed like time to replace the bulb, so I did so using the order form from the Dwin web site. I also ordered a replacement fan since my fans are getting a bit noisy. (I haven't protected it from dust as well as I ought, during some construction.)

When I got the new pieces, I did some googling just to compare prices. For the fan, an ADDA AD7512HX, Dwin charge me $15 plus s&h. The only other site I could find sells them for $20 apiece for quantities of 1-10, and the price does not get below $15 until you purchase 100 ($12.45 apiece at that point), so it seems like Dwin is passing along a fair price.

I wish, though, they had told me when I called that there are three fans in there, instead of just one.

In talking to Dwin tech support, I was told that the replacement lamps they sell are a "standard Osram lamp" that need to be placed in the special fixture in order to fit it into the machine, and an owner might be able to do it himself "if he is handy." Well, having now looked at that special fixture, it seems like it is a matter to two screws and a couple of screw on leads. However, I'm having difficulty finding an on-line source for Osram lamps. Has anyone looked into this and located an alternate supplier of the correct Osram lamp? It is a VIP R 200/P22. Am I missing something here? Seems like it ought to be possible to reuse the fixture, and replace the lamp for less than the $450 that Dwin charges.

My Google search so far has found a web site (can't post the url here until I have made 5 posts) for "MULTI-LITE Group is a wholesaler of replacement lamps for stage, TV-, film-, theatrical- and effects lighting" who have this to say about Osram VIP P lamps (with a picture that looks very much like the one we need):

OSRAM VIP und PHILIPS UHP
OSRAM VIP and PHILIPS UHP lamps are special halogen discharge lamps developed for data and video projectors. VIP-P and UHP lamps are specially designed mercury halide high-pressure lamps that are custom-built exclusively for OEM in a modular design. Please ask for our daily actualized prices. We are happy to provide a short term quotation.

From this I infer it may be necessary to order a number of the lamps in order to get their attention, if it is possible at all. Do people do Group Buys in this forum? Would there be interest in a Group Buy for these lamps, if I have any success?

I don't get it, You spend ~$12,000 for a fine projector and are tripping over yourself to track down replacement fans to save $2 ???? Now the key performer in the projector and you want to do the same for the bulb?

BTW- the latest upgrade to the Dwin TV3 is the TV3e. The plus was discontinued and replaced with the e upgrade. I'm surprised to learn they are no longer doing that upgrade but then, that tells me they are about to introduce a whole new model, maybe its time for the 1080p version. :) just speculating.

At CES I was told they were aiming to have the new 1080p in time for CEDIA.

Don,

First, the sarcasm was unnecessary. Yes, I spent $12,000 to purchase a good projector. No, I don't feel any obligation to pay more than necessary for a replacement lamp. You are free to mock by assuming a savings of $2.00, but each lamp costs $450.00 from Dwin, and if it were possible to save $100.00 or more off that price, I thought, and still think, it would be worth pursuing. I saw a fair amount of traffic at one time about the cheapest way to send the pj in for upgrading, so maybe I am not the only one who feels that saving money is not contemptible.

Second, I have learned the OSRAM VIP R 200/P22 is an OEM lamp that is only supplied to and available from Dwin. So now, anyone reading this knows that if Dwin ever goes belly up, or chooses to stop supporting the TV3+, you'll never get another lamp for your $12,000 projector. Personally, I think that is information worth having. Might be a reason to purchase an extra lamp right now, just to be safe.

Third, this doesn't seem like a real welcoming forum, suddenly. You started it, you set the tone, and I guess I will bow out and leave you to rule your little kingdom as you see fit.

Good bye.

Thing is you are reinventing the wheel here on a 3 year old projector. I said the tripping over yourself to save $2 on a fan not the bulb did and still does seem silly when it is so much easier to just buy the right one from Dwin, if they did sell them. I didn't know they did.
As with the bulb, there is no real savings on making your own bulb. We've been down that road before wiith Osram sales rep. But if you really want to try, why don't you just install a commonly available bulb assembly out of an old slide projector. Should be easy as pie, in your price category, and you just may be satisfied with the results. We're not talking about a synced color wheel assembly here, just a light bulb. You feel bad about sarcasm when there wasn't any on the earlier post. This, my fellow Dwin TV3 owner was sarcasm with just a touch of possiblity!

BTW- I took my fans apart since they are the type put together with screws. Then I cleaned all the blades and housings of the dust last year. All that cost me was about 2 hours of my time! Come to think of it, it is time to do that again.

Give the guy a break Landis...

I think saving a $100 or two on any lamp from any manufacturer is a good idea if all you have to do is pop a couple screws and connect a couple of wires to a generic bulb that meets specs. Granted it's typically not be that simple, but exploring it is what this hobby is all about.

Dwin is such a small niche in the industry...everybody needs to lighten up.

Brent Huskins
Media Design

This is probably a nitpick question, but I will ask it anyway.

I'm on my second lamp and about 3000+ hours of totally enjoyable viewing on my standard TV3 (no + or e). It's been calibarated a few times by me, and the picture has always been stunning. However, lately I've been noticing subtle steps in gradual color changes. At first, I thought my solarization problem was back, but it isn't a color shift like that was. In this case, something that should be a nice gradual progression from dark to darker will show a few steps. Now, I know I'm dealing with a digital device, but I thought I remember it doing better than that. I don't remember seeing this before, but that doesn't mean it wasn't there. I was too busy looking for color, brightness, and contrast issues.

My question is whether I'm seeing this due to my projector or the source material? Is this to be expected? Is there something I might be doing wrong when I calibrated it?

An excellent example that I see is if there is a candle in a dark scene. Around the candle, I will see step rings as the brightness changes.

Brent- tell you what, if you offer the lamp at those discounts, I will buy one from you instead of Dwin the next time I need one. feel better now?

BTW- I now have 2000 hours on my Dwin replacement bulb put in at the time of the 3e upgrade.

Don, I just hated to see you bust the chops of Doug, which is/was a newbie with one post. He sounded like a nice guy (and a fellow owner) just looking to help and share ideas. This whole thread was created for owners to share ideas. Just like you did with your dust elimination modification. Some would say what you did to your new $10K unit was crazy, but it seems to have worked out just fine.

Brent Huskins
Media Design

First of all, Brent, there is some degree of communications error here.

The original disagreement was about taking apart the fans and removing them from the back of the unit and replacing with some aftermarket generic ones to save a couple of bucks! Considering that if one were to go to the trouble of replacing the fans in the projector head I suggested that one could just as easily take those Dwin fans apart and clean them. I did that so I know. But if the part needed replacing, I still would have purchased an exact replacement part from Dwin and spent the extra $2 each. That was the point of exact replacement couple of dollar item on a $12,000 system. The information about the fans cost difference was from Doug as I really don't know since I never priced them. But I do know that the generic fans that fit in the place would only cost about $15 on the internet. No big deal as far as I'm concerned. I just felt that with such an expensive projector it would be wrong to put a substitute part in.
The the communications confusion lies in that people misinterpreted what I said about saving $2 on the fans with finding and constructing a generic bulb for the Dwin. I do believe we ( forum members) went through this several years ago. We determined that the maker of the OEM specific bulb was not willing to enter into a retail type of sales with endusers for whatever reason. While I never addressed specifics as to how much could be saved by building your own bulb assembly, as I just don't have those numbers, I did feel that considering the sensitive process that the bulb needs to fire up and stay on that building your own from the angle of a complete novice in projector head design would be a pretty iffy undertaking even if you could locate the right generic bulb and attach the Dwin wires to it.

As a comparison to adding a small piece of AC filter media to the outside of the projector box, you say that was considered crazy by some? I have no problem with that but adding a piece of filter media to the outside of the box and rebuilding the bulb, IMO are entirely two different levels of technology undertaking. However to support your disagreement with use of external air filtering, Dwin representative and I did have quite a conversation on the merits of doing this. He is no longer at Dwin now, so here, for the first time was the context of that discussion. The place was at Dinner on ther Home Theater Cruise where he and I "coincidentally" were assigned the same dining table. He initiated the discussion about my modifications I suggested in my users guide I once published here on this forum. He said Dwin could not support them because I had suggesed them not Dwin. Second, they felt that filtering was a bad idea because owners are generally neglect in maintenance and could not be considered responsible to keep the filter clean. If the filter had become clogged it would most certainly cause overheating. I agreed with that. Therefore they felt that it would be better if the projector be sent back to Dwin when it became dusty for internal cleaning. Additionally, we discussed the various dust environments around the country specifically the pollen dust now present in the late winter months in Florida. I said their policy would mean that Dwin owners would need to send the projector back every year. He said yes if that is what would be necessary. Brent- there are people on this forum who have complained consistently about the dust issues showing up on the screen and needing to have long down time and great expense to have Dwin service their projectors because of it. Ever hear me complain about dust blobs on my screen? No! Yet I'm the one who recognizes the pollen hazard to the projector here in Florida. I did something about it. I have no Dust blobs on my screen and I live in an extremely dust pollen poluted environment! So who's crazy? :)

BTW I have worked on a new dust attractor using electrostatics. There is no air flow resistance using this method. I will be checking the results when this season of pollen dust is over to see how well it works. I won't mention any more about it since this may be patentable.

The line between $15 fans and $450 bulbs was not clearly defined earlier and that's why I came to the defense of Doug. Just because bulbs were mentioned before doesn't mean that can't be rehashed. Who wants to read a 73 page thread anyway. Anyway, enough on all of this. I hope Doug is not gone forever because of your comments and good luck with your patent.

Brent Huskins
Media Design

"I don't get it, You spend ~$12,000 for a fine projector and are tripping over yourself to track down replacement fans to save $2 ???? Now the key performer in the projector and you want to do the same for the bulb? "

If this is what scares people away then so be it. I'll bow out and release "my little kingdom" as it was referred to to anyone who wants it. ( as if it was mine to give) I was just trying to answer the man's question with some experience from the group in summation. I could have been quite nasty and said to go read this GD long thread. That is what I get with so many others in this and other forums. Or worse, go do a search and stop posting old repeated questions. However, I promise when I get those responses from others I DON'T go complaining they were mean to me. I go do the research as suggested.
Better things to do with my time than to try to steer someone in a better direction and advise when we've been down this path before, then get accused of scaring people away because I won't tell them what they want to hear which is the truth. It was for these same reasons I pulled the short users guide I posted here. Just got damn tired of some people not appreciating the help, tips and tricks and apologize to all who did get some benefit from it. It was just a few that killed that.

I feel sorry for you Don...

Like I said...good luck with the patent.

Brent Huskins
Media Design

"I don't get it, You spend ~$12,000 for a fine projector and are tripping over yourself to track down replacement fans to save $2 ???? Now the key performer in the projector and you want to do the same for the bulb? "

If this is what scares people away then so be it. I'll bow out and release "my little kingdom" as it was referred to to anyone who wants it. ( as if it was mine to give) I was just trying to answer the man's question with some experience from the group in summation.

If you can't see that your response was, at best, abrupt, or at worst downright rude, you are not very perceptive. Your statement that you were "just trying to answer the man's question with some experience from the group in summation" is not accurate. You didn't "just" try to answer the mans question. You apparently felt the need to be rude about it. If your response was directed at someone who has participated at length in this thread, it still would have been rude. But considering it was directed at someone that was not only new to the thread, but to AVS, makes it that much worse.

I could have been quite nasty and said to go read this GD long thread. That is what I get with so many others in this and other forums.

So lets see...you are allegedly treated rudely by others in this and other forums, so that gives you the right to do the same? Is that your logic? Or are you just saying that you weren't as nasty as others have been to you?

Or worse, go do a search and stop posting old repeated questions. However, I promise when I get those responses from others I DON'T go complaining they were mean to me.

Actually, you just did. Even more, you used it as an excuse for being mean to someone else, who was new to the forum. Great welcome!

I go do the research as suggested.

Good for you.


Better things to do with my time than to try to steer someone in a better direction and advise when we've been down this path before, then get accused of scaring people away because I won't tell them what they want to hear which is the truth. It was for these same reasons I pulled the short users guide I posted here. Just got damn tired of some people not appreciating the help, tips and tricks and apologize to all who did get some benefit from it. It was just a few that killed that.

Obviously nobody is saying that you shouldn't give your opinion. It is the manner in which that opinion was given in this instance that is the issue.

If you are just "damn tired" of people not appreciating the "help", I believe that you are completely free to stop "helping". No reason to play the martyr.

I give Don the benefit of the doubt. I don't think he realized he was coming off the way he sounded. Don has been very helpful to almost everyone here in the past and I appreciate the info he has contributed to this thread.

I give Don the benefit of the doubt. I don't think he realized he was coming off the way he sounded. Don has been very helpful to almost everyone here in the past and I appreciate the info he has contributed to this thread.

I agree he has been helpful. I also agree that he probably didn't realize that he was coming off the way he did. But when it was brought to his attention, instead of realizing what he did and acknowledging it, he basically denies it and says if he scared people off with his remarks "so be it". I disagree with that attitude.

"No reason to play the martyr."

Most activity here in months- As we say in the advertising business, no bad press is really bad press. Who knows, maybe this front running old thread spurred some interest for Dwin, make a sale, and be a benefit to Brent and other other dealers of the projector. It would be a good thing because I think anyone would be happy with the Dwin TV3 picture, even by today's standards in FPTV.

Speaking of this thread, I guess I had bad timing with my question. Anyone get a chance to see it?

godavego,
I'm not sure exactly what you are describing but I know I don't see anything like that on my TV3e. I didn't see anything like that before I upgraded to the e. Does the same problem occur on all sources? Is this happening the same on your digital and analog connections? I know some people had problems with ghosting earlier in this thread but I'm not sure if that is what you are describing. If I remember correctly the ghosting got worse with more lens shift. If you have a lot of hours on your lamp I would suggest getting a new one and see if that helps.

It's not ghosting. Imagine looking at a gray scale, but you can see the brightness transitions rather than everything looking like a smooth progression. The result is that candles look like they have rings around them. If there is a large expanse of the same color, you can see lines where the color density changes.

I am going to try and spend some time with VE over the next few days to see if I can track it down. The more I think of it, the more I wonder whether this is due to Comcast HD and not DVDs. Lately, I've been watching more HD content than DVDs.

don don't leave.

I second vegashomes sentiment. Don't go man. I think everyone here needs to take a deep breath and realize that this is just type on a screen that can be read with whatever inflections and emphasis the reader manufactures. Don has been pretty amazing with information and help to me and many others. Loosing him would be a tremendous lose even to dwin as his voice of advocacy I am confident has created sales (me in particular).

FREAK!

Oh, I'm not going anywhere. I just need to learn how to recognize when people aren't really seeking a solution but just looking for positive support for their ideas. You know what they say, Freak, Opinions are like a'holes and I apparently have a number of them.
Gosh, this has been mild compared to the CRT forum. If you have thin skin you need to stay out of there! :D

Thanks for staying Don

Just wondering if any Dwin TV owners have picked up a Toshiba HD-DVD player, and if so, how it's working, were there any compatibility issues, etc.

Yes, I have an HD-A1 and there is only 1 glitch that I've had problems with concerning the TV3. The Dwin and the A1 will not remained sync'd over the HDMI-DVI connection if you switch inputs on the TV3. This is not an issue as the remote for the A1 has a video button. By selecting HDMI off and then back on the handshaking will reestablish. Pretty simple actually, but a bug none the less. Other than that, I've been very happy with the TV3/A1 combination.

My biggest suggestion for those that want to try the combination is to read the posts in http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=668781. Above all else these posts will emphasize the need to set the A1 at 1080i output. This is CRITICAL. The A1 does not down convert well. As ALL the media so far has been stored in a 1080 format the quality is greatly improved sending 1080 information out and letting the scaler at the TV3 handle the conversion to 720.

Oh, I did have one other minor situation and that was I needed to use the "custom" images setup at first. When I first plugged up the A1 the image was shifted a little left and high leaving noise on the right and bottom of the screen. I adjusted it out. After thinking about it overnight, I thought that there should have been no reason to turn this on if the TV3 correctly interpreted the image information. So, I decided to turn it back off and see if the signal/picture could be made to come up right by having the TV3 finish it's power up cycle before turning on the A1. Anyway, to shorten a story all too long, I have been able to turn off the image adjust function and the A1 and TV3 have been perfectly happy talking to each other since. No noise, just a beautiful picture and the biggest improvement with HD-DVD -- OUTSTANDING color.

It's been a little over a year that I received my upgrade from Dwin (TV3e) Decided this past weekend to take the PJ head down and do an annual inspection for dust buildup etc.

It was no surprise that without my external dust filter in place that the buildup inside was huge!. This was especially true for the 3 large fan blades. Also, the fans were becoming noisy, more so than before.

I used my vacuum cleaner to apply dust suction all around the main internals of the projector. Note- Vacuum, not blasting air jets. This way there is no airborne dust particles (mostly pollen) that will float around and re-deposite on the optics. In particular there was a huge buildup around the lens where the cover meets. After a thorough cleaning, I replaced new dust filter media around the lens as well as over the outside of the air intake slots.

Fans- Fortunately Dwin uses very good fans in their design. These fans can be removed with two machine screws and nuts. The one for the power supply is a bit more involved as to remove one screw requires you to remove the power supply cover. Once the fans are removed, they can be split apart and have access to the blade which is where the dust really builds up. A 1" paint brush works well to clean the blades. Final blast of compressed air (did this far away from the projector) and the fans are ready to be re-assembled. The fans have a bearing cup than can be relubricated with some bearing grease. This is located under a stick on label and requires you pry open the bearing cover with a small screw driver. It is O-ring sealed. Pack with grease and reassemble.

I put the Projector back together and when I started it up the fan noise was much lower, like it was when new. Of the 3 fans, only one was dry and that one was probably the one making the noise. The others still had plenty of bearing lube. No more noisy fan. and all is like new again.

Misc data- New bulb hours- 1850. Still very happy with the picture quality.

Hey ranger67, Glad to hear that they work well together and thanks for the hints on dealing with the issues. For audio, did you use optical/coax digital or 5.1 analog? The optical/coax looks like it would work better.?? My A1 is due in tomorrow, so I'll be playing with it soon. I'm really looking forward to the hd-dvd because the Dwin does so well with satellite and network already. Thanks again

Hey Don, Would it be possible for you to post(or email me directly) pictures of the dust filtering that you have done. That sounds quite important. I've seen the build up inside my pc so I image it woud be somewhat the same. Thanks

jclem, I have used both and honestly am hard pressed to perceive a difference in quality. I am driving the output into a Lexicon MC-12 processor and they both sound extraordinary.

Hey Don, Would it be possible for you to post(or email me directly) pictures of the dust filtering that you have done. That sounds quite important. I've seen the build up inside my pc so I image it woud be somewhat the same. Thanks


Try reading pages 15 thru 17 for some discussion. For some pics use this link:
http://www.tv-shopper.com/TV3/

Any TV3 owners here ever tried connecting a PowerBook G4 to the TV3 via DVI. I tried it, the powerbook detects the tv3 and autodetects the desired resolution (1280x720). However, if I play the slideshow that I created using iMovie HD I find the picture quality nowhere near HD quality. I'm not sure if the problem is in my powerbook or my tv3. Is it possible my powerbook's dvi is not outputting HD stream? I just wanted to do a slideshow for my sister's wedding in high definition using my tv3. I'm thinking of buying the HD Roku but it has very simple slideshow transitions. I like iMovie, it has tons of slideshow effects and its capable of exporting it to HD format. Need your help.

Ranger, that's good to hear. I'll try them both. At least there aren't any compatibility issues.

Don, thanks for the pics and the thread info. I'm definitely going to use some of those ideas. Mine is mounted directly on the suspended ceiling. I built a small box(out of 1/4" plywood) about 4" high around the Dwin and painted it white to help it blend. I would post a picture, but I don't know how). The box is angled at the back and I bored 2 3" holes in the ceiling(which are within the box) so the exhaust air can dissipate up into the ceiling joist bays. This box seems to take care of the exhaust heat and noise and much of the light spill but NOT the dust filtration, so your ideas will be a great help. Thanks again.

Not too long ago, we had some posts about replacing the fans in the TV3 PJ. Since then I have noticed a gradual increase in the DB level of my rear fans. It sounded like bearing whine so I pulled the PJ down and one of the fans, the light box one was really noisy. I contacted Dwin and they sold me the complete 3 - Fan bank all prewired and mounted on the rear bracket making the swap out really easy. The cost was surprisingly low as I had already checked out the exact replacement model number and for only $15 more, I got the prewired mounted set! I also replaced the internal fan while I was at it as well. Much quieter now! :)

This is great to hear because I was noticing that my fans were getting much louder. I've been playing phone tag with DWIN about getting replacements.

My fans are louder as well. What did the fan set cost Don?

Same here with the phone- Talk to Steve in tech support or Rachel who is recently familiar with my request. They did take a week to respond to my first request which was both voice mail and e-mail. Got to go!

Hi ¡ I Do Own A Dwin Tv3 Enhanced, And I Love The Picture. My Question Is To Anybody Of You Guys. Recently, I Been Reading About Using Anamorphic Lenses Like Panamorph, Isco, Etc. With A 2.35 Screen, So My Question Is Have Anybody Of You Tried This Set Up With This Projector And What Results Have You Have?

I Sincerely Hope To Hear From Somebody Who Has Done It.

Rob- I think it was $100 but I bought another fan (internal) as well. I believe the actuual fan replacement can be had from suppiers for about $31 for the special quiet one and a fiber bearing,( not the standard but will fit for $15 ea. ) I recall some were interested in a cheap fan replacement and I had recommended going with the Dwin exact model at the time.
I recently cleaned my rear fans but while they held up and were quiet for about 2 months, now they started up cold making loud whining sound! The bearings are shot so time to replace! It seems the original fan set had about 8000 hrs on them. But, I also kept them clean of dust withmy filters except for this past year as an experiment with the TV3e mod. No filters and the fans were loaded with dust after one pollen season here in FL.

I still recommend dust filters as I did early on and being so easy and economical, recommend using Dwin original parts for the fan replacement. :) I just wish Dwin would do a dust filter as a standard PJ enhancement. To me, after several years of ownership, communications with their customers and this dust filter seems to be their only shortcoming. I would buy Dwin again in a heartbeat, however. Love my TV3e!




privero-

I haven't heard too many using the panamorph; none with a DWIN.

I have a similar amount of time on my Dwin as you Don. My fans were noisy and I did your grease replacement procedure on two of them, omitting the power supply fan. Its been fairly quite since but I think I still have more of a whine than when it was new.

When I looked at the power supply cover it looked to be difficult to remove because of the phillips head screw on the lamp housing side and the one in front. Was this a difficult job to get this cover off?

I've had dust problems but they have always been easy to fix. I use a bulb blower and I also have a bellows blower and I vacuum what I can. Seems to work well.

I also had the TV3e upgrade a while back and am always looking for something better. I still love my Dwin but if the Optoma HD81 turns out to be as good as it seems, I will probably be changing. I really like the two box solution and not many choices have come along.

Don, it looks like you got the last complete fan set. When I called about it, they said that they just sold the last one. I can still get the individual fans, but I will need to pry open the fan casings and splice the wires myself. That's not a problem for me, but FYI for anyone else that may have fan issues.

Still loving my TV3! Just hooked up my new Oppo DVD player, and the picture is even better. Based on my experience and other reviews, it is tough to beat this little $200 player.

Interesting! Then, you should check out www.mouser.com for the exact fan replacement model. I found them for $20.40 ea. as the best price on the web. They come with enough wire that you can pigtail them to the original plug salvaged from current Dwin set.

In case you are concerned the removal of the fans from the bracket while installed is not difficult but one of the screws needs to be removed from the power supply requiring you to pop its cover and work with long nose pliers to reach it. Randall- You are right about that one screrw. Can't get to it with a phillips driver so take a good long nose pliers with decent teeth and grab the screw head and slowly turn the screw from the top sideways. Patients and it works! I put it in the same way. The key to working on this stuff is not be in a hurry and work with a steady hand. I have small hands too so that makes some of what I do easy for me. When it gets too small I get my wife or daughter involved. :)

I just got back from a long trip so I plan to install the fan set today. If I run into any problems with that bracket mounting, I'll let you know. In the past, cleaning each fan required removal of them from the bracket and that was not a problem. I've never actually removed the whole bracket before.


All finished! First off, I wouldn't recommend replacing the three fan set. To remove and replace you have to take too much apart for comfort for casual repair skills. You have to remove the bottom cover and get to the underside of the base plate. Then you have to pop the silicone RTV sealant that seals the bracket to the light box. I feel it is easier to remove each fan from the bracket and then rebuild the wiring harness. If you buy the fnans individually you'll be doing that anyway and removing the bracket would be a waste of time and effort.

After I replaced all the fans I discovered that I still had a noise and with a machinists stethoscope, I quickly loacted the source. The small light box fan has to be carefully mounted in such a way to have clearance all the way around where its exhaust and the light box meet up. If the fan touches the box, it amplifies the fan vibration to produce an audible whine. With 1/32" clearance all the way around, the noise disappears. The hole size allows for this clearance and there is enough play in the 4 mounting screws that allow for some adjustment.
I'm back up and the Dwin head is now very quiet. I think quieter than when new because I believe that small light box fan was what was making the noise it did. Gone now! :)

The only fan I didn't replace was the box blower on the back of the lens mount. It wasn't noisy and seemed very clean. This one may be a real job getting to it. I didn't study it too close.

One more note, The power supply that has a screw in the upper right hole has a nut welded to the box so you really don't need to remove the box cover to get that one out or back in. I had forgotten about that from before when I was cleaning. I did remove the cover and forgot that I saw it was not necessary. Sorry. The same fan has a second screw that should be mounted the opposite way and it is not necessary to pop the cover either. You can remove the nut and then the fan will slip away. If you hold the screw in place you can still remount a fan there without having to remove the 3 fan bracket. I hope this is clear enough. Just tryiong to save others work if you decide to tackle the fan replacement yourself.

Thanks for the info Don.

I'm having some issues with my DWIN TV3. First if I had the projector running with the DVD player, things would be just great...but if I was running HD through my cable box, after about 1 hour I would get almost a "grey scale" type picture on the screen and it would become impossible to watch. I would have to power down the unit and then everything would be fine for another hour. Now things have deteriorate further. Once I power up the system, I get video (regardless of source) for approx 1 minute and then I loose the picture (to black) all together.

I thought these were heat related issues, but I have separated all the components in my racks and added a fan. The projector had some dust in the fan intakes that it blew out with compressed air...not enough to cause a problem.

Has anyone had similar issues? I just requested original packaging from DWIN so I can send it back them to look at, but I figured I'd seek the counsel of this group first.
Thanks in advance....Brian

Regarding the grey scale like picture, I had a similar problem last year. I don't have access to my notes on the problem now so cannot recall details precisely. Some nights it would happen, sometimes it wouldn't. Sometimes I could turn it off for 5-10 minutes and would be okay for remainder of evening. Other times turning it off did no good. Happened on both Satellite and DVD (one a component and the other a DVI imput -- so not a matter of inputs.

I live in Eastern California but frequently make trips to visit grandkids in Orange County. One road there is within 5 minutes of Dwin. Since I was considering the "e" chip upgrade anyway, I took both units down for the upgrade and told them to fix the picture problem at the same time. I asked when I picked it up about the picture problem but could not learn anything specific about the problem. However, the problem has not recurred since. -- Incidentally, I had the Dwin for 18months to 2 years before the problem began. I do not think it was related to the bulb (I think it still has the original bulb). I wondered about heat but living at 8500 feet in the Sierras, neither the projector nor the control unit was subject to excess heat (unless internally generated by the unit itself).

mclark

I'm glad you guys got your fans done! I've been thinking about that for awhile now since the TV3+ is a bit on the noisy side.

Well here's my problem.

The picture has seemed to drift off the right side of the screen by a few inches.

Is this mechnical? In other words just take the PJ out of the ceiling mount and "bump" it to the left a hair? Or is this in the PJ?


Regards,
Mike

Regarding the grey scale like picture, I had a similar problem last year. I don't have access to my notes on the problem now so cannot recall details precisely. Some nights it would happen, sometimes it wouldn't. Sometimes I could turn it off for 5-10 minutes and would be okay for remainder of evening. Other times turning it off did no good. Happened on both Satellite and DVD (one a component and the other a DVI imput -- so not a matter of inputs.

I live in Eastern California but frequently make trips to visit grandkids in Orange County. One road there is within 5 minutes of Dwin. Since I was considering the "e" chip upgrade anyway, I took both units down for the upgrade and told them to fix the picture problem at the same time. I asked when I picked it up about the picture problem but could not learn anything specific about the problem. However, the problem has not recurred since. -- Incidentally, I had the Dwin for 18months to 2 years before the problem began. I do not think it was related to the bulb (I think it still has the original bulb). I wondered about heat but living at 8500 feet in the Sierras, neither the projector nor the control unit was subject to excess heat (unless internally generated by the unit itself).

mclark
Thanks. Well being in Southwest Florida...we have a bit more heat and humidity than in the Sierras! I think I want to trade places! Tried things again last night and same thing...picture for approx 1 minute and then nothing. Sounds like our original problems were the same, but I'm into a different problem now. Looks like a trip to DWIN for repair in in the cards. Thanks again.

Brian

I saw the above post regarding the Toshiba HD-DVD player and the handshake issue, has anybody else had that problem? What is the PQ like compared to a good upscaling DVD?

Anyone had any experience with the Blu-Ray yet?

For the record-

Had to replace my bulb on the TV3e last week. Number 4 and the last one was installed at the TV3e upgrade a little over 15 months ago. Lasted 2700 hours!

Ordered the bulb from Dwin's bulb order form and received it 5 days later over Holiday weekend. Can't complain.

During the down time, I used my LCD Panasonic PT-AE700U. Took some time to calibrate it and got the image really looking good. Returning to the Dwin with new bulb, I had to get used to a lower light level but that didn't take long. The Panasonic is my backup for when the Dwin goes down or is in need of repair. I think I'll also switch to the Panasonic now for daytime viewing where the theater room needs light up.

Spent some time reprogramming my MX-800 remote so my sources can feed both PJ's and now I can quickly switch between the two. Just need to power one PJ down while I use the other.

Don, what type of usage do you give your bulbs? What is your average time for having the Dwin turned on?

Typical is from 8PM to 3AM daily. Sometimes longer on the weekend.

I may have gotten longer use but we had about 20 power jogs in an hour on Monday and Tuesday the bulb blew. I thought I had that taken care of with a UPS on the projector head but I discovered the battery was dead so it did no good when I needed the UPS. Result- a blown bulb! I now have a new UPS on the Dwin Projector head.

Don, Why the UPS just on just the projector head, if power to the processor goes out wouldn't the projector immediately shut down?

I have another UPS, a big one that handles the equipment cabinet except for the subwoofer amp and the butt kicker amps. (4KW total). The Projector head is in a different part of the room and plugged into a ceiling outlet that I have routed through another small UPS. It's a location issue.

I have a TV3 that has been in use for a little over two and a half years now with 1665 hours on the original bulb. I turned it on today and the picture is (all of a sudden) very dark. I tried a couple of different sources and inputs and they are all the same. Is my bulb going bad, or is it more likely that I am having some other problem? I know that average bulb life is supposed to be 2000 hours, so I'm sure that's a good possibility. I just don't know whether it is common for a bulb to get noticeably dimmer when it is going bad, or if it usually just goes dark. Any thoughts from the experts? Thanks for your help.

Don, thanks much for the previous posts with detailed info on fan cleaning, how to remove the fans, get at the bearings, etc.

My projector started making loud noise that sounded like a bad bearing, from vague recall of your posts in the past I was hoping it was the fans that I could self-repair. It took me a while to remember how to get the projector off the Dwin mount as I couldn't remember how exactly it worked (haven't touched it since I first installed it), but I finally found the Dwin manuals at http://www.dwin.com/support/documents/ which was very helpful to recall how the two parts fit together.

I removed all three fans and cleaned and repacked the bearings, and cleaned out the lightbox fan with a vacuum and a brush (couldn't remove that one with the tools I had available, my main toolbox wasn't at home), reassembled it all, and it's performing without a hitch. The fans weren't as dirty as I expected, but two of the bearings were basically dry. I just used a dab of the Mobil 1 synthetic grease I keep in my grease gun, seems to work fine.

I am buying a TV3e and was wondering what screen should I mate this PJ to in a family room (not light-controlled). What are you guys using? I will be using it at night most of the time, to watch HDTV / DVD (hopefully HD-DVD soon). Thinking of going 92", top 100".

Thanks.

SkyPalace- If the bearings were damaged you may not get much more life from them after repacking with grease. I bought the fan set premounted on the main bracket for a good price from Dwin but I understnad they turned down another who tried to order it. If you need the exact model number of the fan is available online from a major fan supplier but the cost is a bit higher overall and you'll need to splice your own wiring harness to the small plug but for anyone who can get to that level doing the fan harness shouldn't be difficult. The light box fan is easy to remove if you just use a philips driver and remove the fan and L bracket together. You'll have to break the Silicone RTV seal too. When remounting that fan, you must keep it from making contact with the light box to avoid vibration and noise. A couple of dabs of RTV when you replace it keeps the fan exhaust from touching.

mjcow- The right screen is subjective and generally a personal choice. Dwin will only say that matte white no gain is what they do their factory settings to and if you use another screen that is not Matte white you will not have the Dwin calibration accuracy. The worse are those gray screens which tend to exhibit a blue cast to the color unless you recalibrate which is difficult unless you have the access codes and use an ISF procedure and test equipment.
I use a 1.0 gain 120" diagonal screen here matte white and the colors from the factory are right on but the on axis viewing is not as brite as it would be with a gain screen. Many do use a 1.3 gain white screen and claim the color is pretty close. Thje main problem with a no gain screen is it is very washed out in moderate room lighting so dark theater environment is a must. Black levels are also improved with the firehawks and gray hawks too. In most cases an image that has brite vibrant colors will have good blacklevels on matte white like the Firehawks but with low contrast film style images the blacks will be washed. Only on the grayhawks and firehawks or similar competitive brand will the blacks be maintained with low contrast images. These things are always a tradeoff. Personally I prefer to suffer a bit with the blacks wash in low contrast film scenes in favor of a no hotspot, color needing corrected screen and that would be the matte white. Since I have a need for a roll down screen and use aspect ratio matting, I'm not easily ready to play with different screens. Speaking of aspect ratio matts, using them will enhance black levels too even on Matte white screens.

Thank you Don, appreciate your advice. What screen brand/model do you use. The difference in screen pricing is incredible. I am considering the Firehawk as the absolutely best choice, am I correct to think that? I can get a good deal on a SR, but I would need the black matting and I don't really need the acousticaly screen as my CC would be below the screen. Another choice is the Vutec white matte, at less than $1k.

I already bought the PJ, but I am confuse as hell with the screen selection.

MJC

I have a TV3 with a Firehawk screen, and I love the picture. In my case, there often is ambient light (not a lot, but some), and the Firehawk provides a great compromise in that case. I notice very little color shift or problems with blacks.

mjcow- screens are like speakers, they can be very subjective and lots depends on how your room is. The only thing that is certain is that Dwin claims his projectors are factory matched for matte white. However, some have stated they use a 1.3 gain screen but when I asked they said that is incorrect it is a 1.0 matte white.

I use a Dalite screen matte white in a totally light controlled room. It is a roll down model and is set in a theater stage with draperies and flat black velvet masks top and bottom with Navy Blue draperies on the sides. The big disadvantage of the Dalite electrical screen is the motor is noisy. Stewarts screen is very quiet however the motors are external while the Dalite is internal and the metal case acts like a sound box (IMO)

I've had the Dalite screen since 1999 when I bought my Electrohome CRT. When the Dwin TV3 came out I got rid of the CRT. Today, I use both the Panasonic LCD 700 and the Dwin and it works well for both.

Some day, I plan to get the screen with the automatic masks. It probably will be the better model Dalite as I tried that one and it is quieter than the low end one I now have. I recall I paid about $1500 or there abouts for the present screen and the one I would like to get is close to $3000.

Thank you guys for your help. $3k~ is the range for a new Stewart Firehawk Electric. I too have ambient light, and I think the FWK is the way to go. I know I will always be thinking of the FWK, so I think I rather spend the money now and be done with it. Only wish I could find a used one, the screens are like the American cars of the 80s, they don't hold their value too much.

I bought a sencond hand Dwin TV3e, the case came painted and I would like to clean it, anyone know how? Is the case metal? Can I use thinner? If after taking the paint off, and the finish is not in good shape what do you recommend, spray paint? Can the cover be order from Dwin?

Thanks!

mjcow-

Dwin prj covers come in two colors that I know of, white and deep blue. The base is black. You should be able to call Dwin and get a replacement cover for the projector. I'd certainly give that a try, first. What color do you want to have?

White would be better because it would match the ceiling, but blue would work as well - It really does not matter as long as is not the one I have now (painted). Do you have an idea on the cost?

Also, I think Don, you may have good info about this, I went to CompUSA with the idea of buyng a backup but there are so many options and such a wide price range I came out empty handed. I will probbaly like to get a small one for the head unit, and another "bigger" one for the processor - might also plug in my Dish box, 4DTV...

Thank you for your help, really appreciated.

I'm trying to connect an XBox 360 to my TV3 (original, not updated), and it works fine over component, but I can't get it to work using the xbox VGA Pack. The Dwin sees no signal at all (tried both VGA1 and VGA2), though the xbox outputs to a monitor just fine.

I've tried all the expected stuff - made sure it's outputting at 1280 x 720, made sure the VGA inputs work otherwise (have a media center box, also outputting 1280 x 720, which works fine in both inputs), etc.

This is very strange - has anyone else had and a) success, or b) problems, using an XBox 360 VGA pack to a VGA input on their TV3?

Note that there are a couple of advantages of using VGA over component:
1) It's a free input and I don't have to disconnect another source
2) Over component, the XBox only outputs DVD's in 480p, and I have to hit the Zoom button on the Dwin twice to scale the DVD to the full screen, whereas with the VGA pack (and the spring Xbox update) the XBox will upconvert to full res, so the wife factor will be improved (my Bravo D1 has gone belly up so if I can get a decent DVD picture from the XBox, I'll use it as my DVD player).

-Sky

The Dwin "VGA" input expects to see an RGBHV signal. There are many flavors of RGB but usually the DB15 connections is expecting to see all 5 separate signals. You should look at the specs on the Xbox to see what it outputs. If it is RGBs or one of the other derrivations of the tru component signal it won't see the signal. I have had no problems running a computer as well as the PVR921 with it's RGBHV output on the Dwin. It seems that you have tried the correct settings so for me the unknown is the xbox output. Can you test your Dwin for a working VGA input by connecting another device such as a laptop?

The fact that your monitor sees the xbox is not surprising since most monitors will sens sync from the Green or a combined HV as well as the traditional HV. I don't believe the Dwin is that flexible but I could be wrong. I've had a number of devices here that outputted some uncommon RGB signals and have used an EXTRON converter to rebuild the sync so my monitor would properly scan the signal.

mjcow- The choice to run the projector head is based on what you wish to protect. I use a 300 watt UPS and it will keep the projector up for at least 20 minutes to hold it on during the frequent bumps in the powerline that could drop out the unit. Plus it can keep it running for longer times such as a 10 minute rare power outage. For me, I would wait as the power is off for about 10 minutes, then I would go to the panel and fireup my home generator and switch the circuits over. It takes me about 5 minutes to repower on the generator so my choice to keep power in with a UPS was designed with that in mind. Also, you have to UPS your Dwin processor as well and this should be tied to your main system on a larger UPS to handle the power amp current for an equal amount of time. I use a UPS that is 1800 watt for that. What get's dropped during my UPS powered HT is the big amps one for the subwoofer 2Kw and one for the ButtKicker another 2Kw, both Carver amps. During power outage, I can suffer the loss of the subwoofers. My generator is a high end filtered inverter type designed to power electronics. It can handle about 1/3 of the house at a time and I can switch all the circuits around as necessary depending on whether I'm working, enjoying HT cooking in the Kitchen or sleeping with a small AC running. Of course the refrigerator is online all the time.

Thanks Don, yes I have a Media Center PC connected through VGA, both Dwin VGA inputs work fine with that VGA output.

I'll see if I can work through some XBox contacts to see if I can get anywhere on that front.

I can't imagine I'm the first TV3 owner to try hooking up an XBox 360! I guess everyone else must be using the supplied component outputs. I'm anxious to compare the DVD output between the two - component 480p upscaled in the Dwin, versus VGA 720p upscaled in the XBox.

I have an Xbox 360 hooked up to my TV3 as well, but I am using the component connection, and it works fine. My other component hookup is taken by my D-Theater deck.

What I am short of is DVI (or hdmi actually) connections since I have a Toshiba A1, Pioneer Elite 59avi, and Charter HD STB all wanting to use said connections.

Boy those last posts are timely. I just bought my son a 360 and tried to get it going via the component video on the dwin scaler. No picture and the xbox lit up 3 red lights on the "circle". I connected to 2 other TV's and all is fine thru component. What am I missing? I tried both the TV and the HDTV switch on the AV plugs as well. Is this a "handshake" issue where things need to be powered up in proper sequence? Dad is not popular tonite since the x-box 360 is on a 32" TV and not in the theater. Help.

Boy those last posts are timely. I just bought my son a 360 and tried to get it going via the component video on the dwin scaler. No picture and the xbox lit up 3 red lights on the "circle". I connected to 2 other TV's and all is fine thru component. What am I missing? I tried both the TV and the HDTV switch on the AV plugs as well. Is this a "handshake" issue where things need to be powered up in proper sequence? Dad is not popular tonite since the x-box 360 is on a 32" TV and not in the theater. Help.

If you had 3 red lights on the Xbox, that means something is wrong in the xbox. Make sure that you have the video connection in the back completely snug on the xbox, or you will get the red lights.

Other than that, you might try the other component input on the Dwin, but I doubt that is the issue.

I just talked to a Dwin factory rep. at a pre-CEDIA show in Bellevue, WA and he said the new 1080p project should be ready around CES, although he did not say they would be definitely showing it there. He said it would be a single chip machine.

I just changed my lamp today - 2461 hrs. I read some previous posts about quieter replacement fans, and since I am in the "maintenance mode" right now (it does not usually last too long), I though I might get some advice on fans to use and where to get them.

BTW - I saw a demo with the new Sim2 C3X Link projector. It looked really nice but the rep. did not have a Hi-Def DVD projector (and had never seen one himself?). I went home and got my Toshiba HD-XA1 HD-DVD player and some HD-DVDs. The picture was astonishing -you could see the thread count on the soldiers uniforms in the Last Samurai and my dream of going into space was fulfilled in Apollo 13. The Sim2 looked much better than one of my clients Sony Qualias. I sure hated to walk away from that unit. I will be putting it in another clients theater.