i was just wondering if you could take the H30 and essentially use a panomorph and really have something great. I've toyed around with the idea, but I don't know. LCD's really don't do it for me, but i watch many black and white movies and/or dark movies and the rainbows do affect me (at least the x1 did).

Your thoughts guitar man?

A panamorph would benefit any 4:3 projector. If you already have one then the h30 would look really good if you don't it might be hard to justify almost another grand. Rainbows bugged me on the x1 i watch a lot of classic films and i haven't seen any rainbows on this machine. If you jump from an x1 to this machine you will be amazed in the quality increase. The Gama controls will give you a lot more flexibility

After watching my OT Star Wars laserdisc for the last few days I've come to the conclusion that the de-interlacing on my l300u isn't that great.

Guitarman: I know you mentioned your star wars laserdisc earlier, have you watched them yet? Just curious how they looked on the Optoma. The longer I have my l300u the more tempted I am to try dlp.

Maybe the next round of screen shots could include a few from the laserdisc. :)

p.s. I think Optoma should give you some sort of commission.

reading the majority of this post just makes me wonder many things. First of all the screenshots look quite nice but, alas, they are screenshots. I loved the color i was getting after i calibrated my x1.

My thinking is that this pj would make an awesome piece of equipment until 720p or better DLP's are affordable. Comments?

The only problem I see is that I'm confined by my space, as I live in an apartment. I must throw from 11 feet or closer (my room is 12' x 12'.

The screenshots don't do this projector justice, it looks brighter and more colorful in real life and smoother too. I'm going to try posting some of my own this weekend. I don't know how well it will work in your space. According to projector central you can get close to 90 inch diag(16.9) with that throw which isn't bad at all.

The x1 cant compare to the color or the brightness. The difference is night and day and the Gama controls will really help you out depending on source.I find movies on certain cable channels look really dark adjusting the Gama allows me to watch the movies and see the detail.

Not to mention the rainbows, I also went an bought an hs20 because of the rainbows from the x1. Im glad i didnt because i dont seem them anymore even when trying and with the money i saved i can refurnish my apartment and take a cruise to the Caribbean.

The two things about the projector that dont work for me is the masking (firmware will fix that or htpc) and the remote.

Originally posted by optikill
The only problem I see is that I'm confined by my space, as I live in an apartment. I must throw from 11 feet or closer (my room is 12' x 12'.

With a throw distance of 11', you could have a screen width of 75", which would look fine as long as you could also sit at least that far back. Use the Optoma calculator here (http://www.optomahometheater.com/content/calculator_index.htm).

My preliminary impressions of the H30 are very favorable. I won't have time to properly set it up until this evening, but a quick check right out of the box confirms the absence of SD (at as little as 1.5 X width away) and rainbows (although I'm not very sensitive to them anyway, even on slower speed projectors). I need to spend a lot more time tweaking, but it's got potential. :)

mike - looking forward to your comments =)

The Star Wars Laser Disc looked excellent on the H30. Smooth and excellent colors. I do hv a good player, it's a Pioneer Elite which helps. But remember to watch non-anamorphic material correctly you would hv to get the firmware or use a upscaler like the viewsonic VB50.

It's great that everyone is noticing the lack of screendoor. This is major on this projector and just what I was looking for. The other pluses are just icing on the cake.

on the x1 i only saw rainbows on scenes like... the matrix when they're in the hovercraft.... So i'm hoping that i won't see them at all with the H30? Anyone wanna take a guess?

As for the H30 where can i order it online?

if you hardly see them on the x1 then you most likly wont see them on the h30. Ive gone to specific scenes where i remember rainbows being awful and they have disapeared.

Thanks to Tom for his first set of screenshots. I have been comparing X1, BenQ6100 and Optoma H30 until he put up the screenshots. Got my order to Dell on the 15th. It was suppose to be shipped by the 27th. Got "1st delay notice" from Dell on the 27th in the morning stating, it will be 2/5 instead.
Send them an " I am very pissed" email, late on the 27th. Got an email this morning that it has
been shipped last night. Still miss the Superbowl, but at least I will get it Monday or Tuesday next week. From all the posts, I think this will be a great starter projector. Thank all for keeping this thread alive.

Now I got to tell the wife to keep an eye for a box from Dell. Someone got to be home to sign for it (-;



KB

do you know what scene i'm specifically talking about? The matrix reloaded in the nebakanezzer. It's very dark with white vertical lines.... when the camera panned across they showed up very bad and also anytime it was dark and fire (torches etc. was present).

I don't want to spend my hard earned money not to be satisfied. I'm also considering other DLP's like the BenQ 7220 (anyone seen this one) and the likes of over LCD's (they're just okay) Z2, AE500.

on the x1 watching starwars episode 2, theres a couple of scenes in space, that bugged me a lot. Other then that i rewatched all of underworld which i thought was horrible with rianbows and i didnt see one on the h30. On the x1 anytime my focus changed on subjects i would see them. I can now change focus with out seeing them ive even try darting my eyes around and i cant even make myself see them anymore. I was serously thinking of going the lcd route because my dad and i love to watch classic films together and both he and i were bothered by the rainbows from the x1 im no longer bothered.

Im hoping to post some screenshots this weekend. Probably from films i like that i dont usually see screenshots of like, being john malkevich, fightclub, may and who knows what else . Maybe a black and white film for good measure and amelie to prove there is no color bleeding.

KB,
You won't be disappointed. Glad I could help. Lets us know what you think when you hook up.

Tom: That's good to hear. Which elite player do you have? I have a cld-79 that seems to do a good job.

At this point I would take some screen door to get rid of the vb that my panasonic has. At least you can defocus a little to help screendoor.

Has anyone had practical experience using the H30 with PAL? How does 576i or 576p get handled? Is it cropped or scaled?

"Which elite player do you have"

It's a CLD31 I got off ebay for $75 just to watch the Starwars Trilogy which are the only discs I got. A freind just gave me his top of the line Sony LD for free, a 800 model which is indeed the TOTL but it doesn't compare to the Pioneer.

Lol, the things we do just to see a good version of Star Wars.

"Hey kid! that was one in a million!"

Brings back memories heh?

I got my ceiling mount for the H30. Its the same ceiling mount Optoma uses for the 737 which is # SP86301-001. The room I have projector in has a low ceiling and this mount is one with an adjustable height bar to it. So, I had to tilt projector up and use keystone a bit but I got it to fit my screen. HD from the DTC-100 Satellite Receiver and DVDs from my Denon 1600 all fit fine. I have to use some of the adjustments like frequency for HD from the DTC-100 Satellite reciever but they are all saved now so it works out fine.

Anybody thinking about this projector shouldn't worry about any short comings. I am very picky about screen door, black level, and rainbows. This projector at $1399 retail easily passes all of the above criteria and even with only 1 VGA input I have bought a VGA switcher and now I have the following components hooked up to it : RCA DTC-100 Directv Satellite Receiver VGA out, Denon 1600 DVD player component out, JVC 30k DVHS component out. All can be switched with one click of a button on the switcher and I can retrieve saved settings on the H30.

An excellent projector for the money and produces an excellent picture that you would think costs alot more than it does.

Mike

P.S. Thanks Guitarman for all the time he has spent answering questions and being one of the first to get it. This projector is a winner!!

Lol, the things we do just to see a good version of Star Wars.

Tell me about it. I've had a laserdisc player for over ten years. I sold all of my disks many years ago except for Star Wars. I bought the 79 a few years ago because my old 701 was dying. Just to watch star wars. My wife thinks I'm nuts. :) So far I've watched star wars and empire in the last few days and hope to be able to watch jedi tonight or tomorrow. What an experience! I've put 460 hours on the l300u and this is the first time I've had the laserdisc player hooked up. I feel so ashamed..:p

Anyway, I just found out there is an Optoma dealer about twenty minutes from me. I'm going to go up there tomorrow and see if they have the h30. Maybe I'll get lucky and they will have one out on display.

Originally posted by neversoftpl
Has anyone had practical experience using the H30 with PAL? How does 576i or 576p get handled? Is it cropped or scaled?

Here's the UK PDF Brochure. It mentions a PAL Progressive"scart RGB"

http://www.projectorpoint.co.uk/pdf/Optoma/H30-Brochure-UK.pdf

I get mine tomorrow.

hey mbw23air,

Where in KY are you located? I'm in Lexington.

brooster,

Once you receive it and get some experience under your belt, a post here for us PALs :) would be fantastic.

Originally posted by neversoftpl
brooster,

Once you receive it and get some experience under your belt, a post here for us PALs :) would be fantastic.

I ain't no PAL of yours! Just kidding. I'm in Tennessee USA. I found the UK brochure hopping arount the internet and noticed the PAL comments. Looks like it should do well for you.


http://www.projectorpoint.co.uk/pdf...Brochure-UK.pdf

Hi! Got mine for a week ago. 30hours on the clock. Looks really good. Had some problems placing it due to my room, have to use som keystone. 6 I think it was. Does anyone know how I can see what kind of signal I am feeding the projector, to see if it is 480 or 720 and stuff like that. I get the 720-480 mode 49 for example, but what is mode 49?

All tihs talk about Laser Disks and Star Wars got me thinking. I haven't had my laser disk player out of the box for at least three years.

Can I hook it up to my video card on the computer and burn my laser disks to DVD? And will I lose the AC3 Sound track and end up with only Dolby Pro-logic? Has anyone else done this kind of thing. I just don't have space in my rack to keep the Laser disk player out all the time. It would be nice to get onto dvd, without losing video and audio quality, but can it be done?

buffster you have mail

I'm taking a real hard look at the H30. It would be great to hear some peoples thoughts on HDTV. How is it?

Rainbows? Dell MP2100 gave me huge rainbows. Didnt know about rainbows at that time, but The Recruit and Mission Impossible 2 were both really unwatchable. Could proper set up and better dvd player be a solution?

Another question would be, if I bought this now, did the firmware upgrade to get a full 4x3 image, would the brightness go down at that point? If I added an anamorphic lens, no light spill or bars?

Originally posted by optikill
do you know what scene i'm specifically talking about? The matrix reloaded in the nebakanezzer. It's very dark with white vertical lines.... when the camera panned across they showed up very bad and also anytime it was dark and fire (torches etc. was present).


Do you know what chapter that scene is in? I have that DVD and can take a look at it tonight.

I'm still trying to decide what I like better the Film modes or the Video ones. Both look excellent but next time you calibrate for film try and flip over to the Video. Now that I've watched many more movies that openness I talked about shines for everything. You'll see stuff pop out at you that you just didn't notice before.

You asked about the firmware changing the brightness, no I don't think so because the light for the 4.3 chip is there now. That's why we're masking the upper are when using a 16.9 screen. Slow speed white segment color wheels are rainbow prone not the Six color ones. HDTV looks very good but would look great the a panamorph.

" RCA DTC-100 Directv Satellite Receiver VGA out"

Mike, isn't this a problem with your 16.9 screen? Because a VGA signal sent to the H30 opens up the 800X600 chip. I would think all your basic Direct TV is blown up outside the screen.

Thanks to everybody, especially guitarman, for all of the great information in this thread. I am a complete newcomer to digital projectors, and I'm trying to figure out which one I should get for my home theater. So far I'm leaning toward the H30, but I am confused about the various messages regarding the firmware.

Could somebody please post a brief synopsis of the two firmware versions, their differences, and which version one can expect to get with a new H30 bought in the US?

Thank you!

It's my understanding that any H30 you buy (including in the U.S.) will come with firmware that has the machine display a 16:9 image out of the box. And that if you wish to view a 4:3 image, it will be shown as a smaller 4:3 rectangle inside of that larger 16:9 rectangle, with black bars on the side.

But some people would like to use all 800 X 600 pixels that machine is physically capable of displaying to blow the 4:3 image up so that the sides are the same width as the original 16:9 rectangle, but the height is greater. The new firmare will turn off the masking and allow you to do this.

But some people would like to use all 800 X 600 pixels that machine is physically capable of displaying to blow the 4:3 image up so that the sides are the same width as the original 16:9 rectangle, but the height is greater. The new firmare will turn off the masking and allow you to do this.

So if I'm correctly interpreting my quick aspect ratio education from Projector Central, the firmware update essentially changes the H30 from a native 16:9 projector to a native 4:3 projector? If so, presumably a projector with the upgraded firmware would work best with a 4:3 screen?

Tom,

A little ot, but I noticed a few pages back, you went to a matte white screen. What made you give up your high-power?

Tim

Ok, I have read all the info and have made the decision to go with the H30 for my new HT setup. I am a bit of a newbie in this area, so I need some hard recommendations for my screen.

My wall to hold the screen is 120" wide with a 87" (7'3") ceiling height. I can place the unit on the ceiling from 11ft to 15ft from the screen. I can set the viewing distance from about 9ft to 12ft away.

I will be using the unit for DVD, SDTV(Digital Cable), HDTV(Digital Cable *soon*) and Playstation2/PC gaming.

I suppose the best course of action would be a 100-120" diag 16:9 screen. My main concern is the standard digital cable feed at 4:3. How does this look on a non-upgraded H30? If the 16:9 DVD/HDTV fits great at 100" or so, how large is the 4:3 feed as is? Is it acceptable (news, sitcom viewing etc)?

Also, with the unit having a 15" differential at the lense, will I be able to mount the unit on the ceiling with that low height and not use the keystone for adjustment? Would mounting the HD30 first and then hanging the fixed screen on the wall to match sound like a good way to get the alingment right?

Second question is about the Bravo unit that guitarman has been using. It can basically "fix" a 4:3 DVD to work correctly at 16:9? I need a new unit and that would be great!

Thanks a bunch everyone for all the info. This site has been a godsend to the new guys. I have learned more in a few weeks than I ever had by going to shops and reading magazines. This unit sounds like the best choice if it will fit in my space.

Also, I have yet to pick up any Strat that can match my Peavey T60 in tone, quality, power and versatility. I love Peaveys!

Mike

"I have yet to pick up any Strat that can match my Peavey T60 in tone"

Tell that to Jeff Beck, lol

All kidding aside, you will be able to ceiling mount the projector with a 7.3 ceiling height. A 92" wide screen would be best and 4.3 inside a 16.9 screen looks ok but for me is always better on a 4.3 screen. Priorities should help you decide on what screen shape to get 4.3 or 16.9. Don't upgrade to the Bravo, pick a Denon or find a recent Panasonic with DCDI. I only use the Bravo in a pinch when I encounter a NA-dvd which luckily isn't too often.

Matt white versus High Power. For a pull down screen High Power will always be better, It's less wavy. Matt white will be darker that's all, but again HP will be brighter. So just a matter of taste.

Eric Clapton makes a Strat sound pretty good too!

Because he's new, we'll let the Strat comment go. ;)

I agree with Tom on the Bravo. Without a DVI input, another player would be a better choice. You can get the Denon 1600 for a pretty good price these days (around $300) and it will look great on the H30.

If you're only sitting 9' away, you shouldn't have a screen width of more than 72". At 12', you could go to 92". In both cases, you're right at the minimum distance for a proper viewing angle and not seeing screen door. For comparison, I'm using a 92 diagonal 16:9 (80" wide) at about 11'.

Check out the viewing calculator here (http://www.myhometheater.homestead.com/viewingdistancecalculator.html), but keep in mind that the THX viewing distance is designed for a movie theater, so it's a little close for a DLP home theater.

BTW, Tom's hasn't been BSing anyone about this projector. So far, I think it's the best DLP I've seen in its price range. I haven't finished going through all the tests, so I'll reserve final judgment until then.

"BTW, Tom's hasn't been BSing anyone about this projector"

Like I said, if something is really great I have to tell about it and if it's just ok I'll say that to. This projectors video quality is scarey for this kind of money. The smooth resolution and beautiful facel hues with the added black detail an the snap in the brights. Aaaa! it's just scarey for this kind of money. Just ask anyone that's just bought one.

Thanks for the help guys. The current setup of my furniture is about 12' viewing, so I will go with the 92" screen. I was planning on building a fixed wall unit instead of a pulldown. Do the pulldowns provide a nice wave free surface?

Also, has anyone ever bought some of the material off of EBAY to build their fixed wall units? They are selling DaLite material for pretty cheap. So for a fixed tensioned type screen, what would be the best material for it?

I still stick by my Peavey's. Have you guys every played a T60 or T30 with the Super Ferrite pickups?

Mike

Thanks for the screen update Tom. Are the guys in the 3500+ forum going to talk to you after this? :D

Check out this press release from ces 2004. my friend went, im jealoous
optomausa.com/documents/Optoma%20H30%20Press%20Release_FINAL_print.doc
The password it press the cancel button ;)

Originally posted by Shock96
Also, has anyone ever bought some of the material off of EBAY to build their fixed wall units? They are selling DaLite material for pretty cheap. So for a fixed tensioned type screen, what would be the best material for it?


I actually use a fixed DIY screen with matte white material from the top seller on Ebay (there's a thread in the "Screens" forum about it). It's as good as any other commercial screens I've seen and works great with the H30.

Check out this press release from ces 2004. my friend went, im jealoous

I have to say, after viewing the H30 at CES, I wasn't that impressed. I thought it may not have been set up properly though and that was reinforced after reading a number of Tom's posts. Having set it up at home now, I can definitely say that you shouldn't base your opinion of this player on what you saw at CES.

If you can go with a fixed it's always better. Pulldowns without tensioning will hv to buy Dalite High Power to beat the waves. Matt white doesn't show waves to easily (with video) either but HP is much better at that.

Hey, Krillin, no they still need me over there I can still help on the HT1000 but that's last years deal projector the H30 is this years. :)

Guitarman,

Many thanks to you and everyone else on these forums for all of the input . I've been following your posts on the HT1000 for some time while saving money for my first projector and had pretty much decided on that model . Now that I've seen from your screenshots what the H30 can do, I'm wondering wether I would be better off getting this projector for the short term and upgrade in a year or two . I've seen the HT1000 in action and love the picture . Could you please give me a better comparison of these 2 projectors ? Specifically, what would I be missing by going with the H30 ? Is the H30 75% as good or 95% ? Seating will be about 130" from a 70" wide screen in a light controlled room with off-white walls . Thanks again .

Brock

Re comparison on the HT1000 and the H30. You will like DVD more with the H30, the resolution for this source is still there but that pop with the bright level makes things fly off the screen at you. :) For HDTV of course the HT1000 will win out. Unless you're an HDTV fanatic the H30 would be the smart buy now.

Here, like this picture, you see the slight redness hues in like gollums nose/ears plus how he seems to pop off the screen, very nice indeed. This is a down resed photo but scenes like this live are snapping off the screen.

http://www.cigarbest.com/sales/h30gollum.jpg

Another look, you see how the girl seems to be 3D and coming out of the screen. Live this is ten fold.

http://www.cigarbest.com/sales/h30vampire2.jpg

Because we still watch a good deal of 4:3 material at my house, mostly thanks to TiVo recordings via cable TV, I am leaning toward a 4:3 projector and 4:3 screen. From what I've read, our 16:9 material won't suffer with this setup, and the 4:3 material would still use the full screen size.

I'm really sold on the H30 except for one thing. It sounds like off the shelf, it essentially acts as a 16:9 native projector, where 4:3 material will not be full horizontal width and will have bars on each side. That doesn't sound too appealing to me, but if I understand correctly, the rumored Optoma firmware update would fix this.

Can anybody in the know confirm this? Also, what's the latest info on when the firmware update will be available? I think I read earlier in this thread that it could be available in February, and that at some point new H30's (at least in the US) will ship with this updated firmware. I'd love to go ahead and buy an H30, but I'm a bit nervous doing so based on an unannounced firmware upgrade with an undetermined date of availability. On the other hand, I also don't want to wait indefinitely for new retail H30 models to start shipping with the new firmware.

What a catch 22! The other option is to skip the H30 altogether, but that sounds even less appealing.

Help? Any opinions would be appreciated.

Veggie, FWIW, I'm not sure I would want to watch Tivo from cable on the big screen. The so-so cable quality further compressed by the Tivo looks acceptable on a small screen, but it would be questionable on a huge one. Tivo from satellite at least records the bitstream without further degradation. I have a SVGA DLP (the DT-200) and I like the aspect ratio for computer and video game use. However, I don't hook cable up to it because the results are grim. I just keep the cable box at my direct-view set and keep the projector for higher quality content. You don't want your low-quality content to be huge and your high quality content to be small by comparison. On the other hand, if you have a lot of TV shows on DVD, or video games, or want to use the computer on the projector, then 4:3 is great. I'll be keeping this projector for video games and portable use even after I get a dedicated 16:9 HT projector.

"BTW, Tom's hasn't been BSing anyone about this projector"

Like I said, if something is really great I have to tell about it and if it's just ok I'll say that to.

I think thats why so many people took notice of the h30 when you started this thread. You've never been anything put open and honest with your opinions.

I cant beleave with all this STRAT talk no one has mentioned Hendrix. People were ready to quite the scene when this guy strut his stuff. Sure people in England where runing around claiming Clapton was god but i dont think anyone was prepared when Hendrix made his mark.

since we are talking about guitar players. i have this amazing video of D'jango Reinhart playing and it blows my mind.

I'm not sure I would want to watch Tivo from cable on the big screen. The so-so cable quality further compressed by the Tivo looks acceptable on a small screen, but it would be questionable on a huge one ... I don't hook cable up to it because the results are grim.

Hmmm... you make a valid point there scoby. I had not considered that the Tivo/cable quality may not be worthy of running through the projector. I had assumed that the deinterlacer in the H30 would turn the 480i TiVo/cable signal into acceptible 480p big-screen fodder, but I guess that may not be the case. Maybe I should get the H30 and use the smaller format 4:3 from the stock firmware, which may be better suited for lower-quality 4:3 material. Most (but not all) of my good quality stuff is 16:9, and I may occasionally use it for computer input, but it won't be my primary focus.

Now, if I go that route, I may have to reconsider the 4:3 screen. Man, these decisions just don't get easier do they?

Well, I was running through some test and calibration disks and right in the middle of DVE, the H30 just shut down. :(
It wasn't particularly warm and had plenty of ventilation room. The orange "Lamp" light is on, which is not a good sign and the lamp is not coming on. Looks like I'll be calling Optoma service on Monday. Fortunately, I wasn't planning on using it for the Superbowl tomorrow.

Before it died, its Pixelworks deinterlacer became the first to pass all the tests in the Faroudja test disk (which usually only a Faroudja chip with DCDi can do). Excellent per pixel motion adaptive deinterlacing using a JVC pplayer outputting 480i. This was easily contrasted with the JVC outputting 480p and having a much rougher time with the same tests.

This really is a terrific, low-priced projector for a DVD-based home theater and a great stop gap until lower-priced higher resolution units are available. Just got one with a bad bulb I guess. :(

Wow, Mike, bummer about your H30 dying. I hope Optoma will take care of it for you quickly. Let us know how your dealings with their service folks turns out. I'm curious to hear if they are responsive and reasonable to deal with.

Before it died, its Pixelworks deinterlacer became the first to pass all the tests in the Faroudja test disk (which usually only a Faroudja chip with DCDi can do). Excellent per pixel motion adaptive deinterlacing using a JVC pplayer outputting 480i. This was easily contrasted with the JVC outputting 480p and having a much rougher time with the same tests.

Am I reading this right? The H30 had a rougher time with the test disk when processing 480p? It seems like a progressive signal would be easier for the projector to deal with since it doesn't have to mess with deinterlacing it first. If I'm misinterpreting what you said, could you please clarify?

Thanks.

.Wow, Mike, bummer about your H30 dying. I hope Optoma will take care of it for you quickly. Let us know how your dealings with their service folks turns out. I'm curious to hear if they are responsive and reasonable to deal with.

Thanks. I may just have them keep it long enough to do the firmware upgrade as well.

Regarding the difference in performance with the Faroudja tests, I believe the H30 just passes 480p through (since it doesn't upscale, there's no reason for it to process 480p), so I was getting the DVD plyer's 480p. The results you then see are the DVD player's deinterlacing, not the H30's. The H30's deinterlacing is superior to that of the JVC DVD player.

Tom: Please quit posting those screenshots. :)

Those shots of underworld look so much better than my l300u. I have a bad feeling I'm going to cave at some point and pick up an H30, which means I'll have to change my projector location and everything since the throw is different.

It's a good thing you haven't posted any of star wars. I know that would do me in. :(

Hey Tom: Guess where this link goes http://www.coleprojectors.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=21_31&products_id=37
Right back to the beginning of this thread. See link to independent review at bottom of the page. You should be getting a taste as well as AVS. Guess anything goes here in the wild west.

Peter

Is there a way to "block" the light overspill from the H30 when watching widescreen material (on a 4:3 SVGA or XGA front projector). My main concern is that the light overspill will reflect off the 40" Sony CRT TV that I'm planning on getting, since my front projection screen will be above my CRT TV.

Man, I can't wait to pick up this unit! I think I will be buying it on Monday. I just ordered my new Paradigm speakers for my surround. Great sound for a great price.

I am wondering about 16:9 vs 4:3 for the screen. Would the 16:9 still be OK for Playstation/PC use and regular SDTV?

Mike

well i am getting a 4;3 screen with the updated firmware and that way i take advantage of the hole screen and also have the 16:9 material in the center of the screen also ;) , so i will enjoy both aspect ratios .


know when doing some calculations on my set up to find a screen well this is what i get for a 12 ft throw .


dalite cinama vision 1.3 gain = 33.6 ftL


carada brilliant white 1.4 gain = 36.2 ftl

on a 571/2 by 771/2 screen ;)

Hi all

This is my first post though i am a long time reader...
I am from Israel and over here the tax that we pay is in one word - SAD !!! For example X1 - 2000$, Z2 - 3600$ HT-1000 - 6000$ and H30 - 3500$ !!!
Any way, I all most bought the Z2 but then i read this thread,
First i must say this forum is the best !!! second, over here, the price different between the Z2 and the H30 (for me) is 100$ i know it is a difficult comparison but if i use it only for movie watching with DVD no HDTV or HTPC but i am planning to get a DVI DVD player. what should i get ?

guitarman :
Thank you for this wonderful thread !!!

i have a fully light control room.

Thank you .

So can someone summarize what makes the H30 worth $400 more than the X1? I understand the benefits of the faster color wheel in minimizing rainbows, but aside from that (or for people who don't see rainbows) how specifically does the PQ of the H30 improve on the X1?

its brighter has better colors and its less then 400 dollars more if you know where to look. You have more flexibility with gama controlls. Screendoor is less pronounced. What other reasons do you need?

faster color wheel in minimizing rainbows



6 segment and no rainbows that i can tell

and the deinterlacer is just as good or even better then the dcdi chip that i have in my xp30 and yes it has more adjustments then the x1.:)

well in stead of seeing the h30 at my friends house ,mine will be here today or tomorrow and know just need to figure out a screen type :confused:

arieldr,
The H30 Dlp has better blacks and contrast over the Z2 but it doesn't have DVI so don't buy that DVI player.

Hey Mike,
So the bulb went? I'm at 150hrs sor far and wondered how long it's ok to keep a projector going. Sometimes like yesterday I had the PJ going over 10hrs straight. It just kept purring alone. :) Oh HDTV/Superbowl looked way better than I thought it should. Very smooth with a sharp and strong resolution, plus natural colors. People hv asked how HDTV looks, well very nice indeed (smooth and Hi res) must be the pixelworks scaler doing it's magic.

Peter,
The link, that's funny, at least they show the retail price. We have people coming here from all over the world reading about this projector, they all like a bargin deal.

It's the pictures that makes a good thread interesting. No matter how the experts may scoff, everybody want's to see a projectors colors and contrast with screenshots. Sceenshots is one of the main reasons I bought the H30. It was the Japanese shootout with the Z2 that got me going. Especially that screendoor comparision.

Joe -I built a 16:9 screen because most material has a height restriction. Usually 54 inches all though pvc material is really stretchy and you could probably go as high as 64. I would recomend getting the pvc material and building a screen. The projector is bright enough and colorfull enough to power a 16:9 110 inch screen made of the backside of the material (matte white). You could build one for about 50 bucks. Gives a great picture.

Hi Tom and others,

Great thread! Been reading this from the start and decided to register and do some typing myself.

Do you have an H56? I am wondering if it is just as good as the H30, but better on resolution. I am a bit worried that our PAL DVDs, who output 576 lines, suffer too much in resolution when using the H30. The H56 should not have to scale this at all. On the other hand it is an older machine and I wonder if it is of the same quality as the H30.

Thanks,

Mike
Netherlands

I haven't seen the H56 but from the Gladiator H56 and HT1000 shootout pictures I saw it looked like it has the same qualities. The H30 is substantially lower priced and has a excellent scaler which wouldn't hurt your DVD viewing I'd say. I watched HDTV scaled down for 10hrs yesterday and it looked very clean and smooth.

I've seen the H56 and HT1000 side-by-side with the same source feeding each one and there's not much difference between the two, if any. The H56 does not have an "Eco" mode, so you just get the 2000 hour bulb life and higher dB rating than the H30.

Tom - How would you compare the H30's HD performance to your HT1000?

BTW, I contacted Optoma this morning and I'm sending mine in for a replacement. Already got the RMA form faxed to me and they're supposed to turn it around in a day. Very good service thus far.

Got a call from my wife that Airborne Express came by this morning (a day early).
Can not wait to get home. I do not have a screen at this time and I am thinking
of pointing the H30 at the wall to see the size I would need before spending money
on a screen. Need recommendations from current H30 owners about a screen
for this thing. Do not really want to spend more than 1/3 of the cost of the projector.
DIY? manual? color, gain? The H30 is mostly for night time DVD viewing.


KB

Well, I went and ordered my new Optoma H30 from Dell. The 15% sale does not include the H30, but they did offer 5% off and free shipping. That makes it slightly more than the lowest I found, but I feel better about buying from Dell.

As far as a screen goes. I think I will try the blackout material DIY first. I plan on sewing up the ends and inserting copper tubes to keep it taught.

I can't wait!!

Mike

I would go for matte white i dont think you really need grey or silver. 1.0 gain should be fine the projector is pretty bright. Blackoutcloth is good for smaller screens. PVC is better for larger screens.

Take a look in the "Screens" forum for lots of DIY suggestions. I just made a 92" diag. 16:9 screen with some matte white material and instructions from an Ebay seller. Excellent quality and price.

Mike,
I like the colors and hues a little better with the H30 and the brightness of the black detail better also. The HT1000's XGA res is better but the lack of SD on the H30 nullifies this comparison allot. In fact I can see more pixel structure in white text on the HT1000.

Looks like the HT30 club is growing.

Joe -I built a 16:9 screen because most material has a height restriction. Usually 54 inches all though pvc material is really stretchy and you could probably go as high as 64. I would recomend getting the pvc material and building a screen. The projector is bright enough and colorfull enough to power a 16:9 110 inch screen made of the backside of the material (matte white). You could build one for about 50 bucks. Gives a great picture


yes i know i would go with the pvc but during the day there will be some light not much but some :D but also with the firmware upgrade won't it fill the 4:3 screen and still do 16:9 in the center and this is what i came up with for the ftl ?


for dalite cinama vision 1.3 gain 33.6 ftL



carada briliant white 1.4 gain 36.19 ftl

If you use the silverside of the pvc and coat it smoothly with krylon matte clear to reduce hotspotting youll be able to watch with ambient light. It can be hard getting that smooth coat on though. But it sounds like youll be more then happy with the carada brilliant white or the dalite =)

thanks velvetpoet but as for the update (firmware) after that the 4:3 image should fill the screen and also fit the 16:9 in the center of the screen also


because i need to get also a t frame so after watching the h30 for a while and say i want to go back to my rptv i need some thing quick to dismantle for now till my new home is ready :D

Tom-

After reading your posts I'm finally ready to get the H30 based on your views. However, the firmware issue has me a little confused. I'd like to get the H30 with the firmware update, preferably without shipping it out to Optoma. How long before I can get one from a retailer with the updated firmware.

Thanks, appreciate your posts.

Scott

Originally posted by spoll
I'd like to get the H30 with the firmware update, preferably without shipping it out to Optoma. How long before I can get one from a retailer with the updated firmware.

I think the actual question is probably: How long till some enterprising reseller gets a few of these and sends them to Optoma for the update, then tests them and sells 'em to people like us? Seems like there's an opportunity here. ;)

~ Kiran <entropy@io.com>

I've emailed Optoma with this question, I'll post back when I get a reply.

Scott

I'd like to get the H30 with the firmware update, preferably without shipping it out to Optoma.

No kidding. Sending the pj in just after getting it seems like torture to me. Of course not getting all the options is almost worse...

What about supplying the file, and letting people flash the rom?Bla bla bla...at your own risk...bla bla bla...we recommend you send it in?

Personally im hopping the firmware update will be in before the end of the month so i can send my projector in durring my week long cruise =) Otherwise i dont think i could part with my projector long enough to get a firmware update.

Personally im hopping the firmware update will be in before the end of the month so i can send my projector in durring my week long cruise =) Otherwise i dont think i could part with my projector long enough to get a firmware update



you doggggggg ;) enjoy the trip :D

but velvetpoet as for the update (firmware) after that the 4:3 image should fill the screen and also fit the 16:9 in the center of the screen also


because i need to get also a t frame so after watching the h30 for a while and say i want to go back to my rptv i need some thing quick to dismantle for now till my new home is ready

I haven't decided whether I want the firmware upgrade or not. Since only about 1% of my viewing with this projector will be 4:3, and I have a 16:9 screen, there wouldn't be much benefit unless I decide to get a panamorph. Also, if you're mounting it on the ceiling, I assume that centering the 16:9 image in the chip is going to make the current offset even greater. :(

Mike, my understanding in that the offset would be reduced with the centered 16:9 image. Without the updated firmware, the image is pushed to the bottom of the DMD, whether mounted on a tabletop or on the ceiling (meaning light spill is always on the top of the screen).

I'm guessing the firmware update allows you to do a constant width setup and use all the panel's 800x600 pixels for 4:3 material - ideal if you want to use a 4:3 screen.

If you prefer constant height, and a 16:9 screen, it sounds like the original firmware is the best bet.

-cjs

I don't know for sure since I never got a chance to ceiling mount mine, but I was going by Tom's comment back on the first page of this thread:

Originally posted by guitarman


Nope it's stuck with the 16.9 window at one end of the chip. This is why you have a strong light spill from the unused part of the chip. If you table mount the spill will be above, if you reverse and ceiling mount the spill will be below and there's no moving the image.

I've experienced the light spill above the image with a table mount. If the light spill's below the image when mounted on the ceiling, the firmware fix would push the image down, thereby reducing the light spill, but increasing the offset.

Maybe Tom can clarify this for us since he's been talking to the Optoma people.

That's what I first thought but the light spill is on top no matter which way you use the projector. So the offset will be affected if the widescreen image moves up to the center.

I just finished ordering an H30 from the Twister Group. Now I need to find a place that has a good long HD15 cable so I can connect the projector to my HTPC. Any ideas on who sells good VGA cables?

Thanks Tom. I think I now remember you saying that somewhere else in this thread.

Hi Tom,

2 things that have me worried. Your second underworld pic seems to lack detail. Can it be because it is overly compressed in the forum? What is the best way to see the pic in its original state?

The second thing is I took another look at the japanese review you quoted, and to my dismay, they have sound bytes of all 3 pjs (click the colored blob circle under the screenshots...)

Well, the H30 sounds like a vacuum, and I cannot hear the Z2 at all...or the 3200 for that matter. Do you think this is representative of reality? Or did they stick their microphone 1 inch from the fan?

TIA

Where in KY are you located? I'm in Lexington.

Sorry, I haven't been online as much since I have been enjoying my H30. I am in Bowling Green.

" RCA DTC-100 Directv Satellite Receiver VGA out"

Mike, isn't this a problem with your 16.9 screen? Because a VGA signal sent to the H30 opens up the 800X600 chip. I would think all your basic Direct TV is blown up outside the screen.

Tom,

If I leave the H30 in 16:9 mode and have the DTC-100 set for a 16:9 screen and also have the DTC-100 set to have 4:3 displayed as 4:3 then when the H30 shows the 4:3 it puts it correctly on my 16:9 screen without distorting it or me having to change anything. If someone is using a 4:3 screen and they choose 4:3 on the H30 using VGA it will then use the whole 800 x 600 chip. So, the H30 will accomodate users with either a 4:3 screen or a 16:9 screen with VGA and....users with a 4:3 screen will be able to use all of the chip's resolution for 4:3.

Did that confuse anyone???? ;)

Mike

My H30 is mounted 4 feet above my head and it is very quiet. No vacuum noise on mine. I have a Marantz VPS1 DLP projector and they are both about at the same level as far as volume which is very quiet. In other words, unless projector is mounted very near to your head it shouldn't be a distraction at all.

Mike

After a week of researching, measuring, shopping, etc, I am THIS close to ordering an H30. I just have one more concern. The ceiling over the area where my screen/projector will go is quite low (6' 10") due to some ducting that runs through part of the room. A few people earlier in this thread had problems getting the picture placed correctly on the wall in restricted height situations, so I'm a bit concerned about mine.

Is there some way to calculate just how close to the ceiling I can get the H30 to place the top of the picture? I am planning to ceiling mount it with the Optoma SP86301-001 mount. Based on the projection calculator at ProjectorCentral, I was planning to do about a 44" high 16:9 screen, which they say puts me at a throw distance of 13.8 feet. (At least I think that's the biggest screen I can do since the furthest back my seating can be is 13 feet.)

This is the last hurdle to placing my order! Thanks for any help you can offer.

I decided to pony up the extra dough for a nice subwoofer to complete my surround system (Paradigm PDR10). So when I called to make sure it would be in with the rest of my setup, I told them about the H30 and that I had ordered it.

Now, they sell Sony LCD projectors and frankly I wasn't all that impressed with the one on display. They all read the forum BTW, so I sent them to this thread.

Anyway, they are eager to get their hands on my unit (so to speak) to do a comparo with the Sony HS3 projector that they sell. Should be interesting...

Mike
New H30 owner (in transit)

Originally posted by veggieguy
Is there some way to calculate just how close to the ceiling I can get the H30 to place the top of the picture? I am planning to ceiling mount it with the Optoma SP86301-001 mount. Based on the projection calculator at ProjectorCentral, I was planning to do about a 44" high 16:9 screen, which they say puts me at a throw distance of 13.8 feet. (At least I think that's the biggest screen I can do since the furthest back my seating can be is 13 feet.)


If you're using the PC calculator, that's the minimum screen size (44" high) you could have at that distance (assuming no zoom). You could easily have a 100" diagonal screen at that distance which would put you right in the middle of the zoom adjustment. A 13' viewing distance would be fine for that size. For example, I'm using a 92" diagonal (45" high) 16:9 screen at about a 12' viewing distance.

Hi there! Thanx to everyone that contribute to this great forum.
I have one question for Guitarman:
For the same price which is the best buy, DT200 or the H30? I really want the 5x spinn color wheel the DT200 offers (i'm using subtitles when playing movies and then rainbows very easly appears) but if the overall picture quality is much better on the H30 maybe it's worth some more rainbows(as long I don't get headache or eyestrain).

The Reaper

Ps. My english is not the best so have indulgence.

Originally posted by guitarman
I haven't seen the H56 but from the Gladiator H56 and HT1000 shootout pictures I saw it looked like it has the same qualities. The H30 is substantially lower priced and has a excellent scaler which wouldn't hurt your DVD viewing I'd say.
Thanks for saving me 1000 euro :) What about the Z2? I was saving for that pj but I have a feeling that you are going to say you like the H30 better? Projectorcentral was very enthusiastic about the Z2, but then they have not tested the H30 yet..
PS: I have seen a demo of the X1 and the colour flashing (I would not call it a rainbow effect) drove me crazy. But I have not given up on DLP as I like its deep blacks, unlike what I've seen on many LCD projectors..

Ok, I bought the H30 so now I need to mount it. What I need to know is if I need an extension for the mount I bought.

I bought the Perfectmount projector mount off of Ebay. It is a universal mount with a custome bracket for the H30. I can reuse the mount and just buy a different bracket for it when I upgrade the projector.

According to the website, the mount has the projector sitting about 5" below the ceiling. Is that enough space or do I need to order the adjustable extension?

My ceiling height is about 7'3" and the screen size I am going with is your guys' reccomendation of 92" diag.

Mike

Shock96,
The mount sounds perfect because the higher the PJ can be the better. That lens distance is the same as mine. The PJ can't be flat against the ceiling because we do need the option to tilt up a little if needed.

Re the Sharp DT-200 and Z2. I had the Sharp and kept the H30 mainly because I like it's colors/black detail and especially the lack of screen door. The Z2 is LCD and doesn't have the black/detail of DLP, I've always preferred DLP's. LCD's are great for lack of rainbows but if you've never been bothered by them, DLP would be your best bet. The Z2 does have 720p resolution but I've read many users selling their Z2's becuase they wanted the black level of DLP - since they were coming from the CRT forum. Oh once they got a high contrast DLP they were ecstatic.

"VGA signal sent to the H30 opens up the 800X600 chip."
Thx, I see you can set your STB to 16.9 and it will still shoot the widescreen image at the bottom of the chip even though VGA. Interesting/

Today I got the final version of European H30.

I have H56 in my theater but at a second glance H30 and H56 are surprisingly near each other in a total PQ. Naturally in a HTPC-use H56 is more flexible with XGA resolution.

H30 is silent, colors are really good and I don't see any rainbows at all.

H30 resolution in enough for dvd at a 2 x screen width distance, IMO.

Looking forward the H57 with Pixelworks, DVI with HDCP and silent fans. :)

Edit: from first glance to second glance

Tapani

Wow, that's surprising you like the H30 over the H56. I would think the colors and rainbows level would be the same.

Re the H57, I think the H57 will be the high def killer in it's price range. News flash, a product rep from Optoma talked to me about the helpful info on this thread and thought it would be a good idea to let me review the H57. Especially since I'm located in their headquarters area. We'll see, but I would hv to post that review in the over $3500 area. Stay tuned, I hope that Alan and Optoma would argree that they should start dealing the Optoma line so we could get in on some of them great AVS deals. :) I have a feeling these products will start selling like rocket fire from what I've seen so far.

Marco,
If you want to see a higher res version of that underworld picture paste this and add the htttp/www (I don't want to slow this site down).

cigarbest.com/sales/under1024x768.jpg

Also I heard those fan sounds on the Japanese shootout and don't worry those are for tones and not actual volume. The projectors sound is smooth and low. Not bothersome at all.

Guitarman,

Thanks for the pic. It does seem a little better, but I still see some graininess (new word ;) ) around the loose hairs and in the background. Is this part of the transfer? Do you see it on your HT1000?

I figured the H30 wasn't that loud...Must be that it was loud enough to activate the microphone, while the others were not...

Thanks

Marco

FWIW, while I was checking out the H30, I had it on a table just a few feet from my ear and running in Eco mode you couldn't hear it unless there was dead silence in the room. The extra 2 dB of the normal mode (which matches the H56) does make a noticeable difference however.

Update on my return: I'm shipping it off to Optoma today. It took 24 hours to send in the RMA request and receive the authorization. Very quick service. When they receive the unit, they will ship out a new one within 24 hours and it's sent via UPS 2nd Day Air. So far, service has been excellent.

I did ask about the firmware, but was told it may be as much as another month, so there was no reason to wait to get the replacement.

What resolution will the H57 be? Same as H56?

And the same DLP chip or ? What other differences? Just when I thought it was safe to start shopping for an H30. Tom: any idea on MRSP and shipping date? That Optoma guy should give it to you for a l----o-----n-----g test. Don't want to rush to judgement; there's about 2 yrs worth of tests to do. Maybe the occassional interim report.

Peter

I think they are talking about the optoma H76.

It feature Trident De-interlacing and pixelworks scaler(465)

Yes I meant the H76 but I think Tapani is looking for and updated H56 to a H57 with those added features plus the longer bulb life with econo mode. Anyway if a H57 model surfaces it would probably retail at $3995 or less.

Mike,
So far so good with my H30, 165hrs no dead pixels and just keeps going. I do think the colors/reds got deeper after the 100hr level. Let's hope you get a return by Friday. I'd like to find a way to keep the projector at masked 16.9 and also figure a way to shoot it a VGA signal from a DVD player to see if it would act like a 4.3 800X600 projector and also center up the 16.9 image with added non-anamorphic letterbox support.

I was thinking a component to VGA =RGBHV transcoder, but then Mike said that VGA output from the DTC100 (set to 16.9) kept the projector in masked 16.9 mode. Is that right Mike? When you sent it a 16.9 setup from the DTC100 the 16.9 image was still at the bottom of the chip?

Is the difference between the H30 and the X1 sufficient to warrant contemplating selling one to replace it with the other? That is, is it worth the trouble to investigate it? I realize worth is a subjective measure, but I'm interested in H30 owners takes.

Thanks,
R.

If you already hv an X1 you could stay with it. But if I was shopping for a projector and had the choice dollar wise between the two I would definetly pick the H30.

Lets say if you had somebody to buy your PJ for $900 the little amount you would hv to add to that to get the H30 is well worth it. Guess it's a matter of the used X1 market.

Hi guys,
went to AV shop last monday and the sales give me some advice.
They don't get optoma H30 for sale but they think the Z2 is a better choice since:

1. better resale value, especially for upgrading other machine in the next 1~2 years
-- It is not my main concern as I don't think i will upgrading another pj if H30 is good

2. Higher res
- I'm living in Hong Kong and we get no HDTV in the near future. For my planning, I will use the PJ mainly for DVD Movie (25%), DVD Video (35%), TV game (20%) and TV (20%). Most are 4:3 and so I think it's ok for me. However, just want to know that do u think HD's DVD will be popular in the near future? The cost of these?

3. Optoma H30 (DLP) is no good for TV game as it will make your eyes very tired.
- no idea on this. any advice

4. shorter throw distance / easier to set up
- yes, i think lens shift is good bonus. but does H30's offset make it hard to set up well?

5. DVI input
- does the lacking of various input hurts the H30's PQ?

appreciate any advice on these. thx

If you're bothered by rainbows from the X1's slower color wheel, then I'd go for the H30. Otherwise, I'd agree that you might as well keep it a little longer to see what the next crop of low priced projectors brings.


Mike, So far so good with my H30, 165hrs no dead pixels and just keeps going. I do think the colors/reds got deeper after the 100hr level. Let's hope you get a return by Friday.

Mine lasted 3 hours, then they were all dead. :D

It was obviously a rare, early bulb failure, so I'm not very concerned about it. They won't get my H30 until Thursday, so I'm not expecting the new one this week. That's fine because I'll be up in NoCal this weekend anyway for a winery party. Next week though, watch out!

I did want to mention that while I normally prefer Avia, I found that some of the test patterns in DVE that are specifically targeted toward fixed pixel projectors were better for setting white and black levels. The real shocker was that there were not jaggies in the waving flag sequence on the Faroudja test disk. This is the first non-DCDi deinterlacer I've seen that kept the edges of the stripes smooth and clean. Very impressive.

Yeah I was surprised when the Spaceship in Galaxly Quest flew by smooth as glass, no judder at all. A JVC player would do the classic jerky motion with it's deinterlacer.


yipchunyu,
Check out this shootout for some pointers.
http://www.ippinkan.co.jp/pj_test/H30/page_1.htm

A good DLP projector will always give you better contrast and detail in blacks. It's pretty important in the quality of video watching. There's like a 5% chance that ones optics cause eyestrain with DLP technology. So go and view one for a while and see. If no problem then save a bundle and get the H30. Maybe you can find a dealer there with a return policy in case you have that very rare problem.

I was thinking a component to VGA =RGBHV transcoder, but then Mike said that VGA output from the DTC100 (set to 16.9) kept the projector in masked 16.9 mode. Is that right Mike? When you sent it a 16.9 setup from the DTC100 the 16.9 image was still at the bottom of the chip?

Well, I don't remember which it was but if you have a 16:9 screen then you don't have to change anything. With a 4:3 screen I will have to check and report back if the added picture is from the bottom or top.

Mike

What about the BenQ 6200 as a contender here? It's XGA native for a couple hundred more $ than the Optima.

yipchunyu,

I think your dealer is just trying to prompt the product he has in stock. His points are mostly valid, you'll need to decide for yourself how important those (and other) factors are to you.

The resale value in a couple of years time is anyone's guess - but the fact is you can save hundreds of dollars today on the H30 vs. the Z2.

The other issue I would point out is that although the Z2 supports a higher number of pixels, remember that the fill factor for LCD is not nearly as good as DLP. So although you have more pixels, the effect is not nearly as great as the raw numbers suggest, as the DLP projector makes better use of it's pixels than the LCD.

In the end, the only thing that matters is image quality - on bright, HDTV resolution content you may well prefer the extra resolution of the Z2. For darker, DVD resolution and lower content where the extra contrast is needed the H30 will no doubt look better. And for content that is DVD resolution and average brightness, I still think the H30 would win out due to it's more natural color rendition and film-like DLP image.

The risk with DLP is the obvious rainbow issue - the H30's 4X six segment RGBRGB wheel will likely make this a non-issue for just about everyone. The biggest risk with the Z2 is in the vertical banding - some don't have it, some had it and tweaked it away, and some still seem to be dogged by it.

I've gone through the same debate myself, and I've landed on the H30 for my room, for what it's worth.

Now I just need to get off this forum and down in my basement to work on my sheet-rock! :-)

Best of luck on your decision,

-cjs

the 6200 is an rgbw wheel. Image quality shoudnt be as good but it is a cheap solution for xga. The moderator told me the only diference a 6 segment color wheels make are with rianbows so who knows.

Difference between x1 and h30, if you have the cash in my opinion its definitely worth the upgrade. For me the difference was night and day. But i was longing for more from the x1 if your satisfied with it then stick with it. If you feel you need richer colors and a brighter image and less screendoor then the h30 is definitely a step up. Its really a question with how happy you are with your current projector.

I'm working on getting a 6200 for review, but I am concerned by the 34 dB noise level and possibly the slower 3X wheel. If I get one it will make for a nice comparison though.

Doesnt the 6200 use the same scaler and deintelacer? It will be interesting to see them compared i hope you get your review unit in soon mike =) I'm guessing it will be a resolution vs image quality thing.

Originally posted by guitarman
Yes I meant the H76 but I think Tapani is looking for and updated H56 to a H57 with those added features plus the longer bulb life with econo mode. Anyway if a H57 model surfaces it would probably retail at $3995 or less.

Yes Tom, I had an updated H56 in my dreams.

Tapani

Mike- With suplies it might be awhile before you could get that 6200 do you think you could get your hands on a 6100 unit to review? Then we would have an apples to apples comparision and think of a higher res slightly brighter model for teh 6200.

BenQ 6100 or 6200 vs Optoma H30 is exactly what I am looking at right now. If the tax man treats me nice, I am getting my pj in March.

I am really considering the extra pixels of the 6200 though, so a nice head to head would be a godsend.

BTW, does the blood on the emperors face look orange to you on Optomas? (Gladiator)? Maybe its time to calibrate my CRT monitor?


How large is the H30 light beam 3/4 inch from the lens? Is it bigger than 2 X2 inch in 800*600?

Trying to source some lenses to make my own anamorphic lens...

Originally posted by colins
yipchunyu,

I think your dealer is just trying to prompt the product he has in stock. His points are mostly valid, you'll need to decide for yourself how important those (and other) factors are to you.

The resale value in a couple of years time is anyone's guess - but the fact is you can save hundreds of dollars today on the H30 vs. the Z2.

The other issue I would point out is that although the Z2 supports a higher number of pixels, remember that the fill factor for LCD is not nearly as good as DLP. So although you have more pixels, the effect is not nearly as great as the raw numbers suggest, as the DLP projector makes better use of it's pixels than the LCD.

In the end, the only thing that matters is image quality - on bright, HDTV resolution content you may well prefer the extra resolution of the Z2. For darker, DVD resolution and lower content where the extra contrast is needed the H30 will no doubt look better. And for content that is DVD resolution and average brightness, I still think the H30 would win out due to it's more natural color rendition and film-like DLP image.

The risk with DLP is the obvious rainbow issue - the H30's 4X six segment RGBRGB wheel will likely make this a non-issue for just about everyone. The biggest risk with the Z2 is in the vertical banding - some don't have it, some had it and tweaked it away, and some still seem to be dogged by it.

I've gone through the same debate myself, and I've landed on the H30 for my room, for what it's worth.

Now I just need to get off this forum and down in my basement to work on my sheet-rock! :-)

Best of luck on your decision,

-cjs

Colins,
Do u play TV game with the pj? Does it really easy to get tired as we need more focus on the screen than watching movie?

Anyway, thx a lot for your advice (of course to Tom also).

Best wishes

Originally posted by Shock96
, but I feel better about buying from Dell.

funniest thing I've read all day. LOL

Dell sucks. I'll never buy from them again. And this is not based off one purchase from them, but four seperate purchases all made within a three week span.

They are still charging my card for something I bought two months ago, but they cancelled the order and never even bothered to tell me.

They shipped my X1 three weeks late.

Try to get Customer Service from them and you're screwed for hours on end just trying to get someone to transfer you to the correct department. I got transferred to three different countries once, all on one call to Dell.

F YOU, Dell. :mad:

Do yourself a favor sometime and read the Customer Service message boards that Dell has on their website. It's meant to "better serve" the customer but it's actually useless. What's amazing is you can sit for two weeks reading horror story after horror story about the Dell service. I really can't believe Dell leaves all that up on their boards.

Sure, if you're buying one of their computers, their service is fine. It's when you buy their peripherals like parts, or projectors or something else. That's when Dell just crumbles.

when comparing the brightness on the X1 vs. H30, how much more are we talking about? What about the menu's? I found that the optoma H55 had a very limited menu with respect to color control when using component in, while with the X1 there are more option plus the user settings. Anything like this in the H30?

THe Optoma seems a lot brighter then X1. THe H30 has advanced controlls where you can tweek the colors RGB . I watched Hero last night and the picture was stunning. I posted some shots on my galary. I also threw in a couple of dark City shots. The gama could have probably been upped one more for a movie so dark.

Ill take better pictures this weekend once i callibrate with DVE. Another note i have white walls and a white ceiling havent built any masking yet. Dark City is a dark movie so ofcourse the pictures are a bit dark. Hero on the otherhand has some realy artistic scenes.

I also threw in a couple of shawshank pictures. Yeah some of the shots are a little skewed. I just took a couple of quick shots before heading to bed. Hero inspired me to take some.

Originally posted by velvetpoet
Mike- With suplies it might be awhile before you could get that 6200 do you think you could get your hands on a 6100 unit to review?

Very true. Actually, I asked for both of them hoping to at least get the 6100. :D

Tom,

I was curious what seating distance you recommend with a given screen size if you have 20/15 corrected vision for this projector. Can you sit 1.7 times the width back without seeing pixels? Does the image look more real at 2 times the width?

Gopher

I've emailed Optoma twice, no response, I'd like to get this machine but the firmware issue is a real issue with me. Any ideas?

Scott

Scott, I know for a fact that my contact is in Taiwan right now and will be back with the firmware in a couple of weeks or less I hope. Unless he's having too good a time hanging around the factory. :)

Well, I have only made one Dell purchase (laptop) and that went fine. There are no local retailers for the H30 in my area and I am a bit more leery of unknown internet dealers. Dell seemed to be the best choice.

We will find out!

PS: Gotta go get my new HSU STL-2 sub! :)

"The moderator told me the only difference a 6 segment color wheels make are with rainbows so who knows."

Not true there's a big difference in color saturation which makes for a much better Home Theater experience. Velvetpoet, you've seen this with the difference between the X1 and your new H30. Another member here also saw a big difference when he switched from his tweaked out X1 to the Sharp DT200. It's the RGB/RGB colorwheel all the way.

About screen width distance, 1.85 is where I view and see just a smooth picture. I could view even closer but sit back to get a better scope of the whole picture.

Someone said they were seeing orange on the Gladiator blood shot. :) Nope on my monitor it looks very red, in fact some of the best red I've seen for this shot. The projector does a very good job with Orange, Red & Green.

Guitarman - Yeah i know theres a difference with the color wheel i was being kind of facetious. =) I definitely noticed a difference.

Did you check out the hero screenshot i posted on my photo gallery? the reds are really good. Ill try to take some better quality shots this weekend. The dark city shots look pretty dark but i thought it looked good for such a dark movie =)

The color hero shots show great color. I know live Dark City is wide open. Allot of camera's have a hard time with Dark City. I'm not an expert camera guy but got lucky with the Oplympus it's just point and shoot.

Received this email regarding the updated firmware:

Hi,

The latest firmware for true 4:3 format won't be ready till end of
February.

Regards,

Michael Chen
Optoma Technology, Inc.
550 Sycamore Drive
Milpitas, CA 95035

The latest firmware for true 4:3 format won't be ready till end of February.

Yes, that pretty much matches what I was told the other day when I got my RMA.

When I followed up with a question regarding when can I expect to get one with the firmware preinstalled rather than buying one and shipping it out to Optoma, this was the response:

Hi,

By that time, the firmware should be ready, however, for shipping units,
you might need to wait till March shipment to ensure of the latest
firmware pre-installed.

Regards,

Michael Chen
Optoma Technology, Inc.
550 Sycamore Drive
Milpitas, CA 95035

So, my problem is, buy now and ship later or wait till March.

It's likely that you could have to wait even longer until whatever stock that's still around is cleared out. I'm pretty sure the updated ones will not have a sticker on them that says "New firmware", so everyone will be hard pressed to know for sure. Hopefully, they will provide a starting serial number for the upgraded ones so I can check stock as it arrives.

I've decided that I will probably send mine in for the upgrade, just in case I ever want to use a panamorph.

well mine comes tomorrow and the optoma guy here said (mr.xing ) said the end of the month also ;)

If new units are at some point going to ship with this new firmware, I wonder if it is going to have an option to toggle the 4:3 behavior. It seems like a lot of people with 16:9 screens wouldn't want the big 4:3 picture since it would go outside of their screens. I suppose you could always zoom out, assuming you aren't already zoomed out, but what a pain that would be every time you watch 4:3 material.

With the firmware it would act like any other HT 4.3 projector. From what I understand you would get anamorphic 16.9 centered and Letterbox support for non-anamorphic DVDs. 16.9 screen users would have anamorphic & 4.3 within the 16.9 frame with black bars on the sides. But you will pick up light spill above and below the widescreen.

Yes, I expect the display properties will be governed by the screen setting.

Tom, how would the projector with new firmware know when to letterbox 4:3 material (for 16:9 screens) and when to use the full chip (for 4:3 screens)? It seems like two distinctly different behaviors for the exact same input signals. Would you just select a different projector mode for the desired behavior?

If so, it sounds like the new firmware at least wouldn't screw anything up for 16:9 screen owners, other than introducing two lightspill areas and probably requiring them to either move their screen higher on the wall or point the projecter down a bit further. Would there be any advantages to the firmware upgrade for 16:9 people? It sounds like in a few months, new units will already have it, so it won't even be a choice.

That's why I think it will be determined by the projector setting (16:9 or 4;3). If it's set to 16:9, the image height will remain constant no matter what the source aspect ratio is. If it's set to 4:3, the image width will remain constant.

As you said, other than creating light spill above and below the image, it would probably not be much advantage to 16:9 screen owners unless the 4:3 image was resized and used the full chip.

Originally posted by veggieguy
It sounds like in a few months, new units will already have it, so it won't even be a choice.

It's unclear to me whether the projector will be shipped with the newer firmware. Several Web pages seem to insist this is a 16x9 projector, and others claim it's a 4:3 projector. I would expect that if you bought one when you expected the other, you'd be pretty annoyed. (I certainly would have been annoyed if I got 25% fewer pixels than I expected, and 43.75% fewer pixels when displaying 4:3 material. I assume that people who wanted a 16:9 projector would be almost as annoyed (since this seems to be a religious issue around here anyway. :-)) So it wouldn't surprise me a bit if the firmware remains a factory upgrade.

~ Kiran <entropy@io.com>

I figure they'll auction out the five remote aspect buttons to allow 16.9 screen setup and 4.3 screen setup. Guess they're sorting it out right now. Let's hope they drop in on this thread to get some idea's.

"Would there be any advantages to the firmware upgrade for 16:9 people?"

The absolute huge advantage will be non-anamophic support for me. I have a slew of older not enchanced for widescreen dvd's. I assume 16.9 screen users could hit Normal 4.3 aspect and display these movies correctly. Plus I'd get to see my Star Wars Trilogy LD's without a hassle.

Tom, I missed why you have the Optoma H30.

Are you supplementing the HT1000 or have you replaced it?

I always have two projectors, I swapped out the Sharp DT-200 with a minimal money difference.

H30 ends up being a super projector, even gives the HT1000 a run for it's money. :)

Which is why I really wasn't that surpised when a user who has both the Optoma H56 and H30 thought his new H30 looked better. :eek:

Tom,

I have another question for you. How bright is this projector compared to a Sanyo Z2 for example? I know it is brighter than an HT1000? Or how might it compare to the old Davis Cinema One, or Panasonic AE100. I am trying to get a point of refernce... Or even a DILA G-10 unmodified?

Thanks for the help... and please pardon my drool... I might jut have to get one of these bad boys for myself.

Gopher

Originally posted by entropy
This is unclear to me. Several Web pages seem to insist this is a 16x9 projector, and others claim it's a 4:3 projector. I would expect that if you bought one when you expected the other, you'd be pretty annoyed.
~ Kiran <entropy@io.com>

In it's current state, the H30 projects an 800 X 450 (16:9) aspect ratio or 600 X 450 (4:3) when using component video inputs. Although I haven't tried it, it's my understanding that only a true VGA input gives you the full 800 X 600 (4:3) aspect ratio. So, if you're expecting full use of the DMD for viewing 4:3 material through a component video feed, you will be disappointed. The firmware upgrade is intended to enable the full 800 X 600 aspect ratio with 4:3 material via component video.

I received my H30 today, it is my first projector. Will be used for DVD only, so the current firmware is probably fine for me. The only other pj I have any experience with is the Pan 300 a friend has. The H30 makes for a much more pleasant movie viewing experience I think.

I'm projecting on a wall, fairly heavy sprayed texture, pale yellow in color. The picture looks very good, but being new to this, I have no idea how much better it could look with a proper screen. Any recommendations for the H30 that don't cost, well, a lot? I'm sure the wife would prefer a pull-down type, she isn't in to the living room looking like a dedicated viewing area, if you know what I mean.

Thanks for any recommendations,

John F

Just ordered my Themescene H30 :D
Tom, you can call Optoma UK and collect your commission ;)

Thanks guys, looking forwarding to post some of my own screen shots :)

if you're expecting full use of the DMD for viewing 4:3 material through a component video feed, you will be disappointed. The firmware upgrade is intended to enable the full 800 X 600 aspect ratio with 4:3 material via component video.



so using s video in 4:3 mode will give you a full 800x600 rez. :confused:

and also pixel works deinterlacer only work threw s video ,because i have the xp30

.

why the frown joe?

Mike dont forget you can use 800 by 480 native mode as well=)
I switched over to coponent interlaced the other night it seemed to open up darker scenes even more. While using svideo when calibrating color and tint the yellow and magenta whould show noise within the color boxes. Kind of like noisy scan lines the coponent eliminated the artifact. So now im even more impressed with the h30.

Originally posted by new teq joe
and also pixel works deinterlacer only work threw s video ,because i have the xp30


If you want to see how the Pixelworks deinterlacer works with your component input, turn off the progressive scan on the XP30.

If you want to see how the Pixelworks deinterlacer works with your component input, turn off the progressive scan on the XP30.


okay so for my xp30 do i set it up to interlaced or do i set it up to user one ?

Press "Display" to get into the XP30 Picture menu, then select 480i as the video output mode. The "PROG OUT" indicator on the display should go out and you'll now be outputting 480i.

Press "Display" to get into the XP30 Picture menu, then select 480i as the video output mode. The "PROG OUT" indicator on the display should go out and you'll now be outputting 480i.

okay mike i under stand that but is this for the s video or compoenent cables or either are okay :D

It only affects the component output. The S-video output is always 480i.

It only affects the component output. The S-video output is always 480i.


that is what i thought thanks mike :D



dam i am still waiting fo my pj it should be here today :mad:

"so using s video in 4:3 mode will give you a full 800x600 rez"

Goodmorning,
No straight s-video will be scaled down. I have tested and sent the projector s-video converted to VGA and the 800X600 chip is displayed. Here's what happens then. A 4.3 DVD will cover the whole 800X600 area, but if I set the DVD player to 16.9 the widescreen image would shoot down to the botom of the screen masked. If I set the dvd player to letterbox 4.3 the image would be centered but with this you lose 33% or the squeeze. Non-anamorphic material would be displayed in the center correctly with this setup also. I'm using this now for my LD player.

Still trying to think of a way to send the projector a progressive 16.9 signal converted to VGA which would display the image centered in the 800X600 4.3 area. But the business of when a DVD player is set to 16.9 that the image gets sent down to the bottom of the chip confused me.

"proper screen. Any recommendations for the H30 that don't cost, well, a lot? I'm sure the wife would prefer a pull-down type,"

Get a Dalite Model B pulldown in either Mat White like I have or High Power which is a about $150 higher. Both don't show waves too easily with video. The High Power is thicker and hangs flatter and it's brighter. Not that this projector needs any help in the brightness department.

So let's know how the pictures looking, colors, blacks, smooth picture, etc? You picked a pretty great projector as a first projector. I've had and seen allot, this one stands out.

guitarman -

<<You picked a pretty great projector as a first projector. I've had and seen allot, this one stands out.>>

Here is how it happened - a friend from New Zealand was here for CES (he is head engineer / designer for a very high end audio amplifier mfg - Plinius.) He ordered a Panny 300 to take back, so I had it at my house for a couple of weeks. I mentioned to the wife that we could free up a lot of living room space by getting rid of our 32" CRT & huge stand.

She watched one movie on the Panny and decided that the big screen was the way to watch DVD's. Gary took his Panny back to NZ. He told me aobut this forum to 'research'. I ran across your posts on the H30, and that is what sold me. I must say that cost was not really much of a factor, but your enthusiasm for this pj is what sold me, regardless of its low price.

I do listen to music, so my equipment is geared to audio - Harbeth Compact 7 ES-2's are up front. I do have a 5 channel amp, however, so I'm hooking up an old set of NHT Super Zero's for rear & center. I think it will work quite nicely for home theatre. Oh, and a Velodyne sub as well.

<<So let's know how the pictures looking, colors, blacks, smooth picture, etc?>>

Unbelievable. I never would have imagined something this good could come in such a small package and at a low price by industry standards.

My DVD player is a few year old Sony (non-progessive scan.) Would I see a substantial improvement with a progressive scan player? I've tried both the component inputs as well as S-Video, and like the S-Video better because of the higher placement of the picture on the wall for 16x9 material.

Is there any technical reason to use the component inputs over s-video that I should know about?

I'm throwing a 80"x 45" image (16x9), it is bright, well saturated, and much more 'film-like' in appearance than the Panny 300 was. I had to limit the image size to 76" diagonal on the Panny to get acceptable brightness, so the H30 appears to be 30-40% percent brighter despite the identical published specs.

Thanks for your help with my 'newbie' questions, and thanks for the accurate and enthusiastic recommendation of the H30.

John F
Las Vegas, NV

I've tried both the component inputs as well as S-Video, and like the S-Video better because of the higher placement of the picture on the wall for 16x9 material.


Hmmm... so the same interlaced signal sent to the H30 via S-Video shows higher on the wall than if it were sent via component connection? I wonder why that is? I was under the impression that with the projector set to 16:9 mode, all 16:9 material was shown at the bottom of the chip, no matter how the signal is received.

Has anybody else with an H30 in their hands seen this? Mine doesn't get here until Monday. Yes, I ordered one too! Chalk up one more new H30 owner due to this thread. It'll be my first projector as well.

For the particular DVD I had in last night, I had the H30 in 'Native 4x3" mode to look right, even though it was a widescreen DVD. Maybe I have to check what mode my DVD player is in?

But, yes, in the mode I had it in, the picture placement is different with s-vid and component.

John F

I'd bet your player is set for 4.3 letterbox. It's best to have the player set to 16.9 for the 30% more resolution. When you then choose 16.9 aspect on the projector this infromation is compressed to the correct form and you should notice a much bettter image. Component connects also output better color seperation/saturation.

"Just ordered my Themescene H30"

Mike V,
Great, I'd be interested to see what you think.

WhooHoo! Dell reports the H30 has been shipped and is on the way!! Damn! I gotta get that screen ordered! Knotty pine panelling sucks as a screen...

Mike

Originally posted by Shock96
Knotty pine panelling sucks as a screen...


Not if you paint it white. :D

I'm sure you're going to like the H30. Let us know what you think when you get it.

I've been reading this thread for the last couple weeks because it caught my eye that guitarman was posting downstairs in the 3500 and under projectors. I was blown away!!! He was always so articulate talking about his HT1000 that I could never afford and just dreamed of. I settled with the X1 8 months ago which projector central said was awesome and it is in its own way, especially through an ati card. allot of party's over at my house. the only thing that bothers me is the x1 is a 4 segment color wheel and its not that bright. I saw a samsung dlp with the 6 segment color wheel at circuit city and it rocks all over the X1 better saturation of color and brighter. Dell just shipped it yesterday and I've jumped on the H30 bandwagon with guitarman and all the rest of you guys. thank you for the info. I will be eating popcorn watching movies on the same quality projector guitarman is.... I feeel goood. 8 months ago it was just a dream now its reality.

Guitarman -

Thanks for the tip, I've been out of video too long - the player was set for 4x3. Now the picture is better than ever. Watched Seabisket tonight. Phyllis gave the OK for the Da-Lite. I see a seller on Ebay with them in matte white or high contrast, but I didn't see any high power. Feel free to email me a recommended vendor if you don't mind...

John F
j.f@cox.net

John:
Jason right here at AVScience has great prices on all dalite screens, including the hipower. I bought one from him and have been very satisfied with it. Supporting AV is a good thing too of course given how much benefit we all get from this board.

Cheers
Peter

I can't help but be sceptical a bit; in 16:9 mode this thing only has a resolution of 450p which is not even high enough to diplay all of the resolution of standard cable TV or DVD. Isn't that a huge compromise?

"I can't help but be skeptical"

"Isn't that a huge compromise?"

Naah! This PJ looks great for DVD and even HDTV, scaling is fine. Allot of people use SVGA projectors for DVD/TV (X1). This one just happens to be one of the better ones.

There are options you can do with the H30 to increase resolution. Firmware/panamorph equals dollars or leave the PJ at native 480p and build a custom screen. I've a/b'd 480p and 450 and can't seem much of a difference, actually I think 450 looks a little sharper. Maybe the scaler is magic because HDTV looks awfully good also. :)

Originally posted by smyth22
John:
Jason right here at AVScience has great prices on all dalite screens, including the hipower. I bought one from him and have been very satisfied with it. Supporting AV is a good thing too of course given how much benefit we all get from this board.

Cheers
Peter

Does AVS ship to Canada, or did you have to pick it up in the U.S. ? (sorry for going ot)

I think the 450 looks better as well. The sd looks slightly smaller and the picture slightly sharper.

Well i decided to play some xbox last night i wanted to see how well soul calibur 2 would look (720p game), and i just couldn't get the thing to display right. It had black bars on the side. I played with all the different video settings and it just wouldn't use the full panel. I also played with the different aspect ratios on the projector if i used native 16:9 it would use the full screen but it was cropping out part of the picture(cause its 720p). Using svideo works fine no problems but it has serious problems with component input.

Another odd thing when calibrating with thx when i set up the contrast then set up the brightness when i go back to contrast its just a huge white square. No matter what i cant seemed to get the two balanced. Im going to try the same test with another dvd player and see if it does the same thing. anyone else run into this?

I get a beautiful picture, im just trying to resolve these two issues. anyone have any suggestions?

Guitarman or anyone else with suggestions:

I need to get a manual pull-down screen. Da-lite is a little limited in in screen material in the manual model. Seems like the main choices are: matte white, high contrast matte (grey-ish), video spectra 1.5, or high power. I think high power is out as my viewing angle at worst could be 40 degrees (but typically less than 20.)

I can't find any reviews of the 'video spectra 1.5', and the Da-lite web site mentions LCD but not DLP for this material. Any experience with this, or can you think of any reason why it wouldn't work? I'd like the moderate gain with decent viewing cone.

Thanks,

John F

Okay so perhaps 450p does look better than 480p for whatever reason; but how do you even get 480p on this thing? I figure the 800 lines is what stays constant right; so with the masked 800*600 chip, the resolution is 800*450. Or is it when you use it in 4:3 mode the resolution is the cut further to 640*480? I guess thats how you get 480p; but thats not the mode you'd use for watching anamorphic DVDs right?

Also; is it against the rules to ask where you guys are purchasing this from? Price is important; but also a place with at least a 15-30 day return period that wont hassel you over returns and doesnt have a restocking fee.

get it from dell if you want to return it. It will display 800 by 480 p.

"matte white, high contrast matte (grey-ish), video spectra 1.5, or high power."

Only HP or Mat White won't show waves badly when video is on them. High Power being the better of the two.

All the other types of screen material need a tensioned or fixed screen. This is where the price starts going up. I had video spectra and it showed the worst waves, almost as bad as HC-grey.

Personally I would opt for High Power, it's the classier material. Hangs as flat as a non-tensioned screen can.

Originally posted by jfried
Guitarman or anyone else with suggestions:

I need to get a manual pull-down screen. Da-lite is a little limited in in screen material in the manual model. Seems like the main choices are: matte white, high contrast matte (grey-ish), video spectra 1.5, or high power. I think high power is out as my viewing angle at worst could be 40 degrees (but typically less than 20.)

I can't find any reviews of the 'video spectra 1.5', and the Da-lite web site mentions LCD but not DLP for this material. Any experience with this, or can you think of any reason why it wouldn't work? I'd like the moderate gain with decent viewing cone.

Thanks,

John F

The HP pulldown (model B with CSR in my case) is a great screen for not much money. The important thing to remember about it is that the gain shifts as the angle changes, but even at extreme angles, it is still quite watchable (just not as bright). Dead-on, my DT-200 is almost too bright. In fact, it makes me really wish Sharp would have included an economy mode with it. For the brief time I had the H30 running, it was also good with the High Power.

Later,
Bill

For anyone diagnosed with FP-procrastinitis - there is now a cure: the H30. I haven't fired DirecTV through mine yet but feeding it DVD @720p from my latest firmware Momitsu (buy a DVI>VGA adapter for 15 bucks) throws a massive image with awesome color, no rainbows, no crawly stuff/artifacts, deep blacks and importantly, shadow detail. For the money this setup is amazing...Now for the panamorph then...

Has anyone tried their H30 with a panamorph yet? Tom - I recall reading you found it raised the black levels on your HT1000...I guess the same would happen with H30. Maybe using a Panamorph AND an ND filter last could get us the extra rez but correct the blacks (by knocking back the light gain with the ND). Whatever, I don't personally need the extra light output a Panamorph would introduce but the resolution gain: yes please. This little thing sure bangs out a LOT of light....

Guitarman and others -

Went ahead and ordered the Da-Lite Model B pull-down. Size is 92w X 69h (I'll normally pull it down far enough to view 92x50 for widescreen DVD's.)

Getting the high power, by the way. Ordered it from Jason here at AVS. Hope we don't have to wear sunglasses while we watch movies. According to Da-Lite, the High Power works very well for table-top pj applications. It'll be a couple of weeks, but I'll report how it works as soon as I get it, and post a few screen shots.

John F

Can ayone confirm what velvet said about it being able to do 800*480p?

By my calculations that's a 1.666 ratio; neither 16:9 (1.777)or 4:3 (1.333).

"down far enough to view 92x50 for widescreen DVD's.)"

If you do this you may check out the 800X480 16.9native & 4.3native which gives u 480vertical pixels. I was trying this option this morning. I could use it for 1.85 and 2.35 dvds and 4.3's but when viewing 16.9 HDTV the image is about 4inches taller. So if you plan to vary the 4.3 screen it may work for you. What you will get is a larger widescreen movie, about 5" more diagonal

It's an interesting feature but takes a little testing around to find what works. You may ask for a black case rather than white if you plan to use the screen like that.

OK Tom, I finally did it!

On your say so, I ordered the H30 from Dell with the 10% off coupon and I am pumped! I want to warn you though, I will be asking a lot of dumb questions regarding connections so please bear with me.

I have a nice DIY 84" 4:3 diagonal fixed screen with blackout cloth and the Denon DVM-1805. I've read earlier about the correct cables to purchase so I'll just have to scroll back a few pages.

I was going to wait for the firmware upgrade but I can't take it anymore!

Scott

If you do this you may check out the 800X480 16.9native & 4.3native which gives u 480vertical pixels. I was trying this option this morning. I could use it for 1.85 and 2.35 dvds and 4.3's but when viewing 16.9 HDTV the image is about 4inches taller. So if you plan to vary the 4.3 screen it may work for you. What you will get is a larger widescreen movie, about 5" more diagonal



so say if i go with these screens would it fill


54" x 72" 90"

60" x 80" 100"

58" x 77" 96" :confused:

eyiie, I wouldn't know without hands on testing the different changes when using the native resolutions. Maybe I should get out my 4.3 screen and see.

You can use straight 16.9 & 4.3 which will display these and HDTV to fit a normal screen like mine 92"X52".

well my optoma just came in 10 min. ago nice and packaged everything inside so know tomorow i will do some testing and find out what is going on with pj . oh and it has a nice carrying case ;)

Alright! you mean you're not going to turn it on tonight?

Alright! you mean you're not going to turn it on tonight?


tom i am in toronto and it is cold down here right know and i am going to wait till the pj gets to room temp. :D


and how does it go again

turn on from unit and then use remote and to turn off threw remote then the unit right ?


and the pj is a nice looking unit wow impressed :)

OK, can't find the info on the correct cables. Are they the component w/rca ends -vga cable that I need to hook the projector up?

Also, is there a wall mount available for the H30?

Scott

spoll it comes with the s video and a signal video and also VGA adaptor to component cables so don't worry about it .

Excellent, how long are the components? Any idea on the wall mount also?

i guess they are standard lenght cables

Okay, trying to sort out a Ceiling mount for this in the UK..as its a new unit, nobody knows for definate what its dimensions/shape is, is it similar to the H50 or H56 or totally different ?

Re components, the projector comes with the accessory that changes the VGA to component. It's not a cable.

quote from earlier
"I got my ceiling mount for the H30. Its the same ceiling mount Optoma uses for the 737 which is # SP86301-001."

I just converted my chief mount with a wooden plate. I used the one Tripod screw to attach the plate to the PJ. So if you're a little crafty any flush chief mount could be made to work. The PJ's so new you won't find the after market companies with one just yet. Anyone here could ask AVS for that part number #SP86301-001 also.

Re the Standby, Once you have the AC connected you can just use the remote to turn on and off. Manual says for long periods of time to unplug. I have mine connected to a circuit breaker box and use it to totally cut the connection after it's cooled down. Not that it really matters.

Re components, the projector comes with the accessory that changes the VGA to component. It's not a cable.


tom it is a adapter i checked again vga to component :)

"OK, can't find the info on the correct cables. Are they the component w/rca ends -vga cable that I need to hook the projector up?"

One usually needs one long component RCA's to VGA cable. You can use your HT receiver if it has component switching or a simple analog switch box from radio shack like I use. I can connect four component items to the box and then run my 30' cable over to the PJ.

hello new teq joe
i live in toronto too, can you tell me where do you get your projector?
thanks in advance!:)

I ended up using an old speaker mount i had. I lucked out it fit the h30 perfectly. =)

Anyone else try using an xbox?

So this would be the correct cable to use? If so, I'm using a digital cable box, Onkyo HT receiver and Denon 1805 prog scan player, am I connecting the rca component end to the receiver?

Thanks-
Scott

Originally posted by spoll
So this would be the correct cable to use?
Thanks-
Scott

Yes, but you could also just use regular component video cables with the VGA-to-component adapter that comes with the H30.

After reading through all the posts in this thread, I am seriously considering getting one myself. I've been waiting for decently-priced DLP projector that has a fast enough wheel to avoid rainbows (couldn't stand them on the X1) and this looks like the ticket for now.

Spoll, that is great news. I actually just bought that exact cable but in 20FT length. Unfortunately it is OOS right now so I'll just use the adapter that comes with the H30 (didn't know it came with it) and the cables provided by Time Warner with the STB

Another question for everyone. I am currently going to set up the H30 (if it gets here on Tuesday hopefully) projecting against one of my white walls. Right now the quality looks pretty good but I am wondering if a screen would improve the image quality that much. It seems to me like it would since everyone who has a PJ pretty much has a screen as well.

Then the question becomes which screen should I get. Mind you that this is also my main television in the living room so it does play a lot of 4:3 content. Should I get a 4:3 screen or go widescreen for great movie playing and have black bars while watching TV?

Does anyone know of a company that can ship screen samples so that I can see the difference in quality? I've heard great things about the Carada screens and guitarman is pretty tight on the Da-lite Model B for the H30.

I'd really recommend that you wait a while before getting a screen. The H30 will look great on the wall, but more important, it will give you an idea of what size screen you might want, best mounting position for the H30 and screen, etc. Waiting a week before deciding on the screen was one of the few things I did right, as we decided to completely redo the living room after the first few days of movie watching, and I would have gotten one that couldn't have worked.

John F

Thank you, I will definitely wait a while before getting a screen. Want to make sure I can get all of it set up first including the sound system. I still can't find a decent mount for this pj, seems like the optoma one is out of stock everywhere. Any ideas?

I would like to hear some views on if there are any fundamental reasons why the new Infocus 4805 would output a better image.

1. Scalers would seem to be of equal quality. Guitarman (btw thanks for starting this thread) has raved about this Pixelworks chip.

2. Resolution is comparable

3. Assuming quoted specs and relative to x1 (they state it will be considerably brighter) brightness should be comparable

4. Optic quality ?

5. 4805 will have hdmi (or is it dvi?) digital input

So lets hear some opinions.

"So this would be the correct cable to use? If so, I'm using a digital cable box, Onkyo HT receiver and Denon 1805 prog scan player, am I connecting the rca component end to the receiver?

Looks like a good high end cable and it has quality component ends. Just hook your cable components and dvd components to your receiver and run the new vga cable out to the PJ.

Re screen, a screen is always better than a wall. It has the black border which estically is better for that framed look. Plus they reflect better. You hv to decide on fixed or pulldown. Pulldowns are cheap but you hv to stick with the Dalite matt white or High power. WIth a fixed you could get the High Contrast Cinema Vision. For an idea on size, I have the projector ceiling mounted 14' back from a 92"wide screen. It that mounting distance works for you than this large of a screen would be fine. Plenty of punch in the colors and brightness. Viewing spot s/b about 1.85 the screen width.

"I am seriously considering getting one myself. I've been waiting for decently-priced DLP projector that has a fast enough wheel to avoid rainbows (couldn't stand them on the X1) and this looks like the ticket for now."

Right idea, this is the best deal now for a HT based DLP projector with (RGB/RGB color wheel. When the X2 comes out in a few months it would be this projectors competitor, but I'm not sure if the pixel grid on the X2 will be as light as the H30. The H30 will also have the advantage with the firmware to make it a 800X600. Which opens up the options for a panamorph or using a huge 4.3 screen.

The biggest difference which between the H30 and the 4805, will be that the 4805 will use a new TI chip designed for 16x9. For myself, I prefer the native 16x9, so that there is no light spill above or below the screen. Others may prefer to open up the 800x600 chip for full 4x3 resolution.

For me personally, who doesn't watch a whole lot of 4x3 movies, and there is no way a want to view Direct Tv blown up to giant proportions, I am leaning towards the 4805, because of the 16x9 native panel.

My hope is that Infocus steps up to the table with this new projector, and gives more flexibility as far as tweaking, contrast, color, brightness, and it is a highly competive piece for the money. If not I'll reconsider the H30 once I have a chance to get the 4805 for a review period.

guitarman, in that configuration how far down is the image from the projector?

and do you recommend a da-lite 4:3 screen then?

another question. If I connect this puppy to a HTPC, can't I use powerstrip to output a 16:9 format and then just set the projector to that as well?

"guitarman, in that configuration how far down is the image from the projector?

and do you recommend a da-lite 4:3 screen then?"

I figure with a 4.3 screen the image will be about 6" down from the ceiling. About the same as when I use the HT1000. Oh and I fall in the 4.3 group. You won't lose any 16.9 screen size but you get to view any 4.3 you want at 120" diagonal and believe me there's plenty of great stuff to do that with. I can't wait for the firmware. :)

I prefer the 4:3 if for nothing more then the chance to use a anamorphic lens.

Well i thought i would post a small update. The xbox seems to be fussy with the h30, still having problems with getting it to display widescreen material while using component. Using Svid works great. Also for what ever reason the xbox will not allow me to THX calibrate the contrast and brightness correctly. Usually i can tune the contrast level then lower the brightness level, with the xbox when i set the contrast level and go to the brightness level i have to raise it instead of lowering it, when i go back to contrast i just get a huge white square. I threw on another dvd player I didn't have any problems, i can raise the contrast level then lower the brightness and go back to contrast and see all the different shades. The image sill looks good but it still nags be in the back of my mind. Didn't have the same issue with the x1.

Side note my VGA to component adapter broke the stupid monster cable made a nice strong link to it and when i tried unplugging it the green connector from the adapter came out along with it. So now i have to try to get another one.

tom,
is 92 inches the max screen size for this pj?my wall to wall distance is about 17 feet with a with a room width of 15 ft. seriously wanting my first pj to replace a tosh 65 rptv. will the silverstar screen work ok? any retailer locally that demoes this unit?
new to the forum and glad to be in it!!!
jay from el cerrito.

Hi,

Trying to decide what screen to buy.. I understood from Tom that a min. viewing distance of 1.85 is needed to avoid seeing pixels. Is this 1.85 times screen WIDTH?

Thanks.

I don't get it -
I have an X1 that works well switching between aspect ratios as I watch 80% 4x3 material on a 4x3 screen. What can I expect from this machine?

1.85 the width.

Jay, 92" wide is plenty big. That's 106" diagonal for 16.9 movies and 120" diagonal if you get a 92"wide 4.3 screen. No silverstar please :) try a High Power dalite if you want bright. Further on the screen size the next size up is 96"wide, it might be ok with a HP screen. Optoma is nearby in Milpitas maybe they can help on a demo. :)

Well, after looking at some of the options (BenQ 6100 and upcoming InFocus 4805), I decided to go ahead and order an H30 from Mike at surfaudiovideo.com. I've dealt with them in the past and it's nice to be able to call someone who knows a lot about the products he sells.
e
I'm looking at picking up a Carada screen, but I think I'll take the advise about projecting on the wall first to see what size screen will work the best. Thanks to Tom and everyone else for all the info on this thread. :)

Hey, another reviewer coming up. Lets see how you like it.

hey Tom, how hard/easy is it to adapt one of the Chief mounts for this baby and would you be willing to post kind of a step-by-step instructions on how to do it and the materials needed?

I'd love to get the actual mount for the pj but it is completely out of stock everywhere on the web

Hi all,
I am another newcomer to PJ’s and the H30. I have only used the H30 for about four hours so far and love it. I do have a question though. I have tried two different DVD players (Denon 910 and a Pioneer) with Progressive scan. When I send the projector an interlaced signal it has good black levels. Then I switch to progressive and the blacks all turn gray. It is like watching a movie with the lights on. Has anyone tried progressive input and seen this problem? I have played with the black level setting on the Denon and the contrast and brightness settings on the Pioneer. Whatever I do it just does not have the black levels in progressive that the interlaced signal has. I would like to use a progressive DVD player. Any thoughts on this would be much appreciated.

Thanks
MadMaxWI

Interlaced signal is better for H30, IMO. There is so good de-interlacer/scaler on the board.

Tapani

Sorry to break up the non-stop praise here, but I just got back from a demo of the H30 and various other projectors.
I was expecting to see that the H30 was as good as the XGA models, just with a lower pixel count. It wasn't.

Disregarding the lower resolution, the Infocus 5700, NEC HT1100, Sharp z201 and the Optoma H56 (all XGA) simply walked all over the H30. Cleaner image, better color fidelity, more filmlike image. I do not know if all this comes from a denser pixel structure, but the difference really was a lot bigger than I expected. The H30 almost looked like an LCD in comparison. Dirty, pixly and strange colors.
So tell me, was there something wrong with the setup, or is the difference between the $1500 SVGA DLPs and the >$3000 XGA DLPs really that big?

Disregarding the lower resolution, the Infocus 5700, NEC HT1100, Sharp z201 and the Optoma H56 (all XGA) simply walked all over the H30. Cleaner image, better color fidelity, more filmlike image. I do not know if all this comes from a denser pixel structure, but the difference really was a lot bigger than I expected. The H30 almost looked like an LCD in comparison. Dirty, pixly and strange colors.


i mean sure there is a difference between these pjs but when you said it looked lcd like :confused: , well mine on a flat white wall was very Rich in color and like tom says the h30 is the best deal right now for what it gives you ;)

and when the pj is set up properly , man this little pj does shine

but like i always say every body likes something different ,but for my self i saved money on this pj and i could now wait until the next great pj comes out at a good price range .

Thanks tapani,

I just wanted to compare the de-interlacer/scaler of the Denon and the H30. Maybe I just need to adjust the contrast brightness on the H30 for better blacks with the 480P signal. If I don’t see a better picture form 480P I will save some money and take back the Denon 910.

Thanks

Tom actually perfers the image of the h30 to the ht1000 in some cases. THere shouldnt be any lack of color saturation, sounds like a bad setup (allthough the h30 seems pretty good out of the box). It uses the same color wheel as the xgas listed, so i dont know why the color wouldnt be as rich.

There are no problems with the H30 in my setup...I am feeding it DVD via RGBHV with my Momitsu (awesome) and it throws a whopping picture (10ft wide & light to spare) that is hard to fault for the money. The color is really good out of the box & the blacks/dark scene details are great.

Max, the Denon 910 s/b be fine. You hook up with component cables and set the DVD player to the Darker picture setting and 16.9. Also maybe theres an enable progressive button. On the Denon 1600 it's a hard switch on the front of the player. You need Avia or some kind of black level tool. Pretty sure for the Denon I had to lower the brightness allot. I'll check but something like minus 24 and contrast to plus 8.


"Sorry to break up the non-stop praise here, but I just got back from a demo of the H30 and various other projectors.
I was expecting to see that the H30 was as good as the XGA models"

lol, you just got a bad demo that's all, source material, proper gamma, color temp, contrast & blacks, colors & hues. There's a ton of adjustments available so next time bring Avia with you and grab the remote.

The HD2 and HT based XGA'a projectors will look better for HDTV but with DVD and proper viewing levels the H30 can compare nicely with these machines. I just watched Raiders of the lost Ark and know anyone would love the colors and resolution with the H30.

Originally posted by Dinn
Disregarding the lower resolution, the Infocus 5700, NEC HT1100, Sharp z201 and the Optoma H56 (all XGA) simply walked all over the H30.

Dinn,

if you sit at 1.5 x distance so the machines you mention walk over the H30 but at 2 x or more distance H30 is very competitive.

I have H56 and H30 in my theater so I can compare them. For me the resolution is only a part of total PQ. Motion artifacts and rainbows are annoying and on those areas H30 is the winner. I don't know the real reason why I see sometimes rainbows with H56 but not with H30. Honestly H56's rainbows are no issue for me.

It seems that H30 de-interlacer/scaler combination is slightly better than H56's Sil 504, IMO.

... and H30 is silent.

Tapani

So who's opting for the firmware when it comes out? I probably will because I'm an old die hare 4.3 guy, but users that prefer 16.9 may prefer to leave the machine as it is. Or could wait until some testing of the new format comes out. The tech did say we would have letterbox support for the new firmware. Hmmm wonder if they could have a firmware for letterbox support for the current masked firmware.

If Optoma and my buddy Wing over there in Taiwan are listening to this thread. What about that? How about an additional firmware to give letterbox support to the current masked firmware?

ill be opting for the firmware update. I perfer 4:3 to 16:9

"I have H56 and H30 in my theater so I can compare them. For me the resolution is only a part of total PQ."

Tapani, right - I compared the HT1000 and the H30 and at the same viewing distance for me 13' from a 7.6' wide screen the SD becomes a
non issue. But as far as colors I think the H30 has stronger color saturation.

When Dinn said noisy and LCD like I can guarantee the reasons are the whites and blacks weren't set right, mosquito noise /mirrors still moving. :)

I don't have my projector yet (finally shipped today), but I expect to do the firmware upgrade. I'll probably wait to see if others have problems with it, but I fully expect to send it in for upgrade at some point.

I'd like to get some confirmation of exactly what will happen in each display mode before I send it in for the revision (of course I still have to get my replacement unit first ;) ). If it works as I expect it will (discussed a few pages back), I'll go for it.

why can they not make the firmware available as a download? is that not possible?

Wing's going to call me when he gets back from Taiwan. Since I'm a hr away from the factory there s/b a one day turn around. Then I'll get the word out quick. If I wasn't so hooked a a giant 4.3 image I'd keep it the same as long as a firmware could supply letterbox support.

The company does have a very good idea with the 480p masked setup. But I'll bet they just settle on one type of format. Most likely all future USA H30's will be 800X600. I'll talk to the product manager and see what he thinks. Maybe they should keep options open.

I asked about a download and he said there's a special cable needed to talk to the PJ's memory.

and how much would said cable cost :)

but seriously, if I send it to them, is it free? all I have to do is pay shipping on the way there?

well i hooked up my h30 yesterday on a white wall all i can say is wow i tried different seating position's and all i can say you could actually get away from seeing the screen door at 9 to 10 away on a screen size 571/2 x 76 and noo rainbows at all NOT ONE .


now i tested the carada samples on my wall and the brilliant white 1.4 gain looked the best and the classic cinema looked a little better then my wall ,but both are good choices , but to be honest i wonder how the high power screen would look with this pj after calibration .mmmmmm that sounds tempting ;)

new teq, how did you get the carada samples? I'm thinking of getting some myself. H30 arrives maniana!!! woohoo

just email david and give him your info and he will air mail you the samples


David Giles <carada@carada.com>:D

My buddy and I are planning on going halvsies on a 96x96 high power screen - cut the material in half and create two custom 80x45 screens. This way it'll only cost us about $150 each. I strongly suggest anyone thinking of a 80x45 inch high power screen do this. Even if you have to pay for the entire 96x96 yourself, you can build two screens and sell the other one.

Of course, first we need our H30's :)

BTW, I'm really hoping the firmware upgrade does not completely do away with the 16:9 screen support. I really like the idea of the 4:3 image automatically sizing itself to fit within my 16:9 screen.

I'll stick with the current firmware till I hear exactly how it behaves, as almost all of my viewing is for 16x9 DVD.

My current DVD player is 5 years old, and is starting to have some stutters. So today I ordered the LG LST-3510A - the OTA tuner will at least allow me to watch the occasional football game or whatever.

Since I've never owned a progressive scan player, am I likely to get a better picture from DVD's with progressive or non-progressive?

It'll be a couple of weeks for my new high power to get here, utill then the H30 is projecting on a pinkish sheet (the only one my wife would let poke nail holes through). I believe the worn sheet does not offer the highest gain, but a 92"w image is still great - can't wait to see it on the high power.

Thanks for answers to my Q about progressive vs. non-progressive.

John F

Thanks,

John F

I apologize for the complete newbie question, but I can't find an answer searching the forums so far. What is this AVIA device people refer to occasionally? From the context, I'm guessing it's some kind of a color meter? Is it expensive? recommended? available where?

Thanks.

Originally posted by jfried

Since I've never owned a progressive scan player, am I likely to get a better picture from DVD's with progressive or non-progressive?


With the H30, its deinterlacing chip (and therefore its progressive scan output) is equal to or better than most of the lower priced DVD players out there right now. For example, I've reviewed the current batch of Panasonic DVD players and their progressive scan performance is not as good as the H30. I would recommend you get a reasonably priced progressive scan player, but then use its interlaced output with the H30.

What is this AVIA device people refer to occasionally?

It's a DVD used for properly setting up any display. While with most displays I prefer Avia, with DLP and LCD projectors I like the patterns on the newer Digital Video Essentials disk better.

You can get info about Avia here (http://www.ovationmultimedia.com/) and DVE here (http://www.videoessentials.com/).

Mike - thanks for the tip on interlaced / progressive. I assume most progressive DVD players have an option to switch between interlaced / progressive? I'm using component input to the H30. Thanks,

John F