Originally posted by guitarman
"Lens masking is a round black disc with a 16:9 cutout. It completely covers the optics and helps mask off pixels that are not used, at the same time will increase contrast to 2500:1 appx. Only to be used in 16:9 mode."

This is something they mentioned to me when I first started talking with the Tech area. Must be something they were having made but not out yet. Looks like a simple black lens cap measured exact for the H30. Most likely we can get these once the deliverys in. I'll look into it to see for sure.

I may be misunderstanding what this is, but it sounds like a simple rectangular mask that sits in front of the lense. It shouldn't be too difficult to come up with a DIY solution, should it? Maybe just a little scrap of black paper or cardboard with a rectangular hole? I guess you'd have to experiment with distance from the lense to get good results.

I would love to get rid of light spill without having to hang curtains or panels on the wall.

Originally posted by jeff_4242
I may be misunderstanding what this is, but it sounds like a simple rectangular mask that sits in front of the lense. It shouldn't be too difficult to come up with a DIY solution, should it? Maybe just a little scrap of black paper or cardboard with a rectangular hole? I guess you'd have to experiment with distance from the lense to get good results.


I don't see why not. If you can get a good measurement in from the top of the lens, you could make one yourself. It would be nice though to just buy one from Optoma if they became available soon.

Maybe my situation is unique, but the light spill above the 16:9 image really doesn't bother me at all. I have done nothing special above my screen -- no curtains, black cloth, or anything. I can hardly see the light spill when a movie is running. My walls are a light blue/grey. Maybe they just happen to counteract the light spill fairly effectively. I had planned to put up something to deal with it, but now that I'm watching movies on the projector, I don't know that it's worth the effort for me. It's great as it is.

Maybe after the wow factor wears off a bit, I'll get more picky and start finding things to perfect. :)

Hey Simon: I was talking to David at Optoma sales and he said the warranty should apply in the UK. To get something in writing maybe send an email to support@optoma.com

Good luck
Peter

Thanks Peter

Already sent two emails to the address - but no replies.
Seems strange that Optoma USA, Europe and UK seem reluctant to confirm the warranty status (I've sent a total of about 5 emails asking for info so far.
Will try sending another mail - Getting more interested in purchasing one of these units the more I read about them.

Has anyone seen any magazine reviews on the H30 yet?. A UK dealer I was speaking to said that the, as yet unpublished, UK mag reviews are raving over this machine - Would make good reading before I make my final decision.
Thanks again - Much appreciated.

You looser, I told you to dump the ceiling fan. Having it on a cart is going to drive you nuts, expecially when your son starts getting his fingers all over the lens, ha-ha-ha. Since you won't listen to me over the phone, so I will tell you again, projector first, screen second:eek:

Ok I just got off the horn with my best buddy at Optoma. He was surprised I knew about the Lens Mask because he just got his first prototype just now. Optoma will make them available to everyone is a few weeks. He described it as a aluminum Lens cap blackened and with the 16.9 eye. Contrast will increase substantially.

Price will be very low for custom lens cap. Probably the best couple bucks you'll ever spend. This ups the bar for the little H30.

Let the Pre-Orders begin :) !!!
--- Sign me up !!!
--- Has always , thank you for the info Tom !!!
----- Jason
********** Question : Mask will be designed for use with current 16:9 panel operation and not for use with those using true RGB connection where by the 16:9 image is directly in the middle [ I am sure I know the answer to this one ;) ] . **********

Great! The lens mask sounds like a really nice solution. Thanks for keeping us up to date.

Love the idea of this lens cap - I'm just surprised that projector manufacturers haven't thought of this before !

So simple, but hopefully very effective - Nice on Optoma :)

He described it as a aluminum Lens cap blackened and with the 16.9 eye. Interesting idea. But wouldn't the overcast light that get's caught within the lens cap cause some problems?
I guess I would have to see some tests that back up the higher Contrast claim. Anyone trying this yet? (DIY)

Just curious.

Here's some more info to make you happy with your H30. I told him about a member that has both the H56 and H30 and liked the colors on the H30 better. He said yes he's in on part of the designing of the H30 and it has a newer chip techonlogy that's does improve the color.

Not that I didn't know on opening day fire up that the colors were outstanding.

Precise measurments would be needed. Having one designed for your specific projector is great. Hmmm I wonder how the zoom will effect the mask or mask effect the zoom?

Hey , just tested an Iscan DVDO Pro via the RGB(vga) connection on the H30 and it does open the full 800x600 panel ;) .
-- I have tested a Sega Dreamcast with VGA pack that seems to work as well [ although you only get 640x480 with the Dreamcast ] .
-- I would have tried my Xbox via VGA as well but I am moving this weekend and already had the cable packed up in a box somewhere ;) [ I will try this next week ] .
------- Jason

"just tested an Iscan DVDO Pro via the RGB(vga) connection on the H30 and it does open the full 800x600 panel"

With the Iscan where does the 16.9 image fall, bet it's still at the bottom? .

-- Well I had to bump up the brightness a bit to tell but it looks to be shooting in the middle as there is equal light spill above and below [ same as my HTPC ] .
---- Jason

That's interesting, so you can get the squeeze 16.9 and in the center. I never got around to it but I did want to test a simple transcoder to see if it would have the same effect, centered 16.9.

Well, I got my screen built this weekend--just a DIY with blackout cloth from JoAnn's. I thought I'd be able to get a review up sooner, but I just can't tear myself away from the projector. After playing with the settings for a while (I really think that VE's usefulness is limited), I've gotta give you some impressions.

This is my first projector, but I've demo'd a ton. Several Runcos including the 510 and the 710 (not impressed with either), Sharp z90, 9000, & 10000, Yamaha DPX 1000 & LPX500, Sim Domino 30, Sony 12HT & HS10,and several others I can't even remember now. How does the H30 compare?

Colors--really just amazing. From memory, the only one better on this was the Domino 30. The Z90's are nice, but the H30's seem to have more depth. I didn't have the best demo of the NEC 260k (it was projector on a
markerboard, very high gain), and I didn't care much for the colors. Z10000 is good, but it couldn't touch the Domino.

SDE--I could see SDE even on the high res LCD projectors, but I only see it on the H30 when it's closer to 1.5 or 1.6x screen width. I'm watching at about 1.85, and there is no screendoor. Sure, on bright white scenes or
during subtitles you'll notice the pixels there, but you won't notice pixels most of the time. It's worth pointing out that there is a big difference between the screen door effect and seeing some pixels. The screen
door effect is when the pixels are so pronounced that you pretty much see pixels all over the screen all the time. In the case of the H30, that's only true at 1.5 or 1.6x the screen width. You do see pixels occasionally in bright scenes, but the low res never really interferes with enjoying the movie.

Blacks are reproduced very well and very deeply. One area where you can really see the difference is in people's hair. For instance, in Gladiator, you can see all the detail in Maximus's hair even though it's such a dark brown that it's almost black.

Rainbows--I saw none at first, but I'm seeing a few now. It really depends on the movie. I can't force myself to see them on Nemo, but Gladiator has some here and there. They're very few, and nothing like the NEC 260k,
which, at least with Gladiator, was unwatchable.

In the Japanese website review, they mentioned that it was more tv like than film like. I'd have to disagree. I think it's VERY filmlike. In fact, of all the projectors I've seen, I think that the H30 and the Domino 30 have
to take the cake for best colors and most filmlike.

I took a bunch of pictures, and most of them turned out pretty bad--blurry. There were a few that were passable, and I'm posting them in my gallery. If you like the pictures, you should love the projector. I never realized there was that much detail in DVDs, and I especially didn't think that an SVGA projector could resolve it.


Miguel.

Jason,
I am new to all this, could you please explain what the Iscan DVDO Pro does. I did a little searching and it seems to be a hub for various types of connections. What else does it do? Will it look better with that type of connection than a component progressive player?

jigrillo ,
-- It is a line doubler for use with non-progressive devices [ more or less ] .
---- Jason

so with this lense cap that means you do not have to get the upgrade ,correct


okay i am just measuring the pic size ,so i measure the total lite on the wall for a 4:3 screen hight wise because that should be the total hight viewing area .yes or no

Jason,
So will the image look better with the linedoubler than a regular progressive dvd player? Will this improve standard TV as well?

Hopefully, the lens cap will work well. I tried using a shoe box to block out the light spill, but it doesn't do it very cleanly. It tends to darken the upper part of the image a little bit.

By the way, are their any DVD players with VGA connections?

jigrillo ,
-- No , the Iscan will not really improve upon a progressive dvd player [ well unless the dvd player is total junk but then you would probably have a terrible S-Video out as well ;) ] . Now the Iscan HD would be a different story .
-- There are many DVD players with RGB(vga) output . Some of them can be purchased for well under $100.00 [ I have seen them as low as $59.95 ] .
------------------------------
Fabbas ,
--- It is tricky and must be near perfect to work properly . It is also my understanding that you cannot do it right on or at the lens , I think it has to be further out [ not sure how far ] .
------------------------------
------- Jason

I'm seriously considering the H30. I think I'm going to be constrained by room height rather than width. The home theater portion will be a 13' by approx. 17' portion of a 13' by 28' room. From cement floor to joists overhead, I have 7'9", so I'm figuring about 7'3" when finished.

That's 87" of vertical clearance. To get started, I've purchased some DIY material from "moakes" on EBay that is supposed to be big enough to allow up to 54" of screen height (plus 3" for fastening to the frame) and ample width for either 4:3 or 16:9. Between the black border, distance from the ceiling, and distance from floor to have the center speaker in a viable spot, that will use up the rest.

I'm primarily interested in viewing 16:9 and greater DVD material, though there will certainly be 4:3 as well. No game/computer video, but perhaps a high-def TiVo someday.

So my questions, finally, are thus: will it make more sense for me to have a 16:9 screen with the H30 mounted so that I can view 16:9 material at 96"x54", and how much of that 54" will I be able to use at 4:3? (That is, would it be able to drive 4:3 at 72"x54"? I welcome your comments and suggestions as I am but a lowly newbie anxious to get his feet wet in HT.

Jason,
Do the VGA players give you the same picture quality as a HTPC? Do they still outperform regular component progressive players? Do they allow you to upscale your projector?

Sorry for all the questions. I really appreciate all your help. :)

jigrillo ,
-- No , an HTPC is superior .
-- They would be on par with a progressive player of equal quality .
-- They do not do upscale conversion [ only players that I have seen that do this are DVI equipped - and some of these can send the upscaled video through the Component outputs ] .
----- Jason

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Fabbas

Rainbows--I saw none at first, but I'm seeing a few now. It really depends on the movie. I can't force myself to see them on Nemo, but Gladiator has some here and there. They're very few, and nothing like the NEC 260k,
which, at least with Gladiator, was unwatchable.


That is the exact problem I am having! I didn't see them at all and still don't on animation. I do see them on darker films and on regular SDTV, especially at an angle. I am wondering if the lens cap will help solve those problems.

Mike

Ok, guys. After more watching this evening, I am definately seeing more rainbows than before. I have about 60hours on it. I have not calibrated it yet, but I will do that this weekend with DVE on the new Panny RP91 that should be here tomorrow.

Question is, can I expect no change in the rainbow situation or can I be hopeful that after calibration, it will be greatly reduced?

I really, really want to keep this projector. I love the picture and the colors. It really is excellent, but the rainbow issue is getting worse. I could not see them on the Samsung DLP RPTV's at all in the stores, but I could see them on an LCOS based RPTV in a darkened theater area. Maybe I am just one of the unfortunate ones...

SIGH...

Mike the hopeless.

Originally posted by guitarman
Ok I just got off the horn with my best buddy at Optoma. He was surprised I knew about the Lens Mask because he just got his first prototype just now. Optoma will make them available to everyone is a few weeks. He described it as a aluminum Lens cap blackened and with the 16.9 eye. Contrast will increase substantially.

Price will be very low for custom lens cap. Probably the best couple bucks you'll ever spend. This ups the bar for the little H30.

Tom, tell Mr. Wang to build a 4x3 version as well... then you can switch them back and forth and have no light spill with either format.


Veggie... does tilting your projector cause you to have to use keystone adjustments? If your projector was level... how far down from the ceiling would the top of the picture be?

Steve

Hi DaGamePimp,

Thanks a lot for trying the Iscan pro in VGA mode. You gave me great news and I am very likely to go for the H30 soon.

If you don't mind, could you let me know if you noticed anything abnormal (green push, poor scaling, ...) or annoying about the overall picture quality when using this configuration?

Also, did you prefer the deinterlacing performed by the projector or that from the Iscan?

How would you compare the picture quality between the VGA output of the Iscan and the normal YUV output from the same DVD player in terms of color saturation, contrast, brightness, etc ...?

On the Z91, there are huge differences in terms of picture quality between a conventional interlaced YUV input and that from an Iscan or a computer. The Z91's VGA input usually gives more washed out pictures than the YUV. The image also appears a bit blur compared to the YUV. But it is my feeling that these problems are Z91-related since the Iscan connected to a PC monitor gives amazingly clean and sharp pictures. Too bad it's only 17".

Also, having an Iscan made me aware of a faulty firmware design on the Z91: it shifts Pal 576p images to the right. This is only present on firware versions made before 2003 and there is a firmware update but requires to send the unit to the nearest Sharp Technical Centre to install it. Bugger!

Anyway, thanks again!

P.S. As far as I know, there is only one DVD player with VGA output for sale in the UK and it's a Vigatec with DCDi and sells for about £500-600. So It's not cheap. I paid about the same for my Iscan Ultra and I can use it for everything. By the way, Dreamcast games rock in VGA ;)

Originally posted by simong
[BUK dealers have told me that the H30 has an international warranty but I've been unable to confirm this with either Optoma UK or USA (No response to several emails).
My parents goto the US nest week and I'm thinking of getting them to buy one out there but want to ensure that Optoma UK will repair in the unlikely event of a failure.
Can anyone confirm? [/B]
I can confirm a US model will NOT get warranty in Europe. Because of the high prices here in Europe I looked into importing the unit myself but Optoma UK (the distributor for Europe) confirmed they do not warrant these machines.

That's why I am waiting for a drop in price for the H30 in the UK (currently between £1,100 and £1,300). This shouldn't take too long given it's success and the fact that there will be soon some competition from Infocus with the SP4805.

The other reasons why it's good to wait for few more months are that the new units will not only be cheaper but carry this 16:9 removable mask and a backlit remote control and maybe the updated firmware.

As soon as the price drops to £1,000 or less, I'm taking one :D

Originally posted by Shock96
Ok, guys. After more watching this evening, I am definately seeing more rainbows than before. I have about 60hours on it. I have not calibrated it yet, but I will do that this weekend with DVE on the new Panny RP91 that should be here tomorrow.

Question is, can I expect no change in the rainbow situation or can I be hopeful that after calibration, it will be greatly reduced?

I really, really want to keep this projector. I love the picture and the colors. It really is excellent, but the rainbow issue is getting worse. I could not see them on the Samsung DLP RPTV's at all in the stores, but I could see them on an LCOS based RPTV in a darkened theater area. Maybe I am just one of the unfortunate ones...

SIGH...

Mike the hopeless. Wow Mike you're scaring me. I ordered an H30 a couple of days ago; my only fear was rainbows. And like you I was basing my sensitivity of rainbows on the viewing of Samsung DLP RPTVs at the stores. I'm almost thinking I should return the thing unopened when it arrives. I *am* usually sensitive to visual anomalies (flickering in monitors etc.) so my concerns are growing.

Robin the timorous

Originally posted by RichE
You looser, I told you to dump the ceiling fan. Having it on a cart is going to drive you nuts, expecially when your son starts getting his fingers all over the lens, ha-ha-ha. Since you won't listen to me over the phone, so I will tell you again, projector first, screen second:eek:

RichE, you could've at least spelled loser right, ya loser. :D

Don't worry fellas, RichE is a close friend of mine, and the person who just made me about $3,000 poorer by getting me hooked on the whole HT thing.

As far as mounting goes, the plan right now is to place the H30 on a rack 12' away from the screen, which will place the H30 at about 36" above the floor. I have 8' ceilings, so is this height going to mean the picture will be projected too high on my wall? I'd prefer to not have to use keystone, but I would if I had to. Does the picture gets altered if I were to tilt the pj down a bit?

In other words, when mounting on a coffee table, how high a coffee table is too high for projecting on an 8' high wall?

As RichE mentioned, I could move the ceiling fan over a bit so that a ceiling mount would be a possibility, but my handyman skills are right up there with the three stooges.

Originally posted by DrJo
That's why I am waiting for a drop in price for the H30 in the UK (currently between £1,100 and £1,300). This shouldn't take too long given it's success and the fact that there will be soon some competition from Infocus with the SP4805.

The other reasons why it's good to wait for few more months are that the new units will not only be cheaper but carry this 16:9 removable mask and a backlit remote control and maybe the updated firmware.

As soon as the price drops to £1,000 or less, I'm taking one :D

Is the removable mask confirmed for the H30?

Hi Robin,

Just like you, I am sensitive to monitor flickering at 50 and 60Hz, even a bit at 75Hz , and I do see on dark movies (Dark City, Queen of the Damned, Underworld) a bit of Rainbow Effect on the Z91 (5x RGBRGB colorwheel) and I do not see any on DLP-based RPTV.

I think it is due to the fact that RPTV screens are much smaller than front projection screen and the eye doesn't have to dart around as much.

So it is very likely that both you and I will see some rainbows on the H30, but the real question is how distracting will they be for each of us?

Demo compulsary!

Regarding the Iscan Pro, I have been using one for about three years now for my SD sources and it does a great job improving the look of cable or satellite broadcasts on a big screen (where they can really look bad). It uses the Silicon Image 503 chip (precursor to the 504 now used in some projectors and most Denon DVD players. Like the Pimp said, if you have a decent DVD player, there's no reason to run it through the Iscan.

Great news on the lens cap. It gives you more color choice for the wall behind the screen in a totally blacked out room, where overspill's more apparent. With the inside of the cap blacked out, the weak light from the overspill shouldn't present a problem reflecting off the cap.

Robin, I don't want to freak you out. I am hoping that a calibration this weekend will help reduce/solve the issue. I think I am extra sensitive to rainbows seeing as I see them on LCOS units which are not supposed to have rainbow issues.

I will report as soon as I am done.

Mike

Originally posted by Shock96
Robin, I don't want to freak you out. I am hoping that a calibration this weekend will help reduce/solve the issue. I think I am extra sensitive to rainbows seeing as I see them on LCOS units which are not supposed to have rainbow issues.

I will report as soon as I am done.

Mike Yeah Mike, I guess I was being a little overdramatic for effect. I am still excited about getting the projector (arriving tomorrow)!

Robin

DrJo ,
-- It did appear to have the same slight green push as an HTPC but the RGB adjustments open and it can be overcome .
-- We actually did not spend much time with comparing the Iscan to the built in scaler of the H30 but from what we did see we both agreed that the Iscan looked a little better [ it was very close IMO ] .
-- We actually did not compare the Iscan to the Progressive output of the same DVD player - sorry [ just something we forgot to check ;) ] .
--- I was just curious if the Iscan would open the entire Panel or not , so really that is all we were after and did not do any in-depth comparisons .
--- I am sticking to my guns on this one , the HTPC is far superior to any other source with the H30 . The RGB(vga) input does not give a washed out look at all when compared to the Component input (via vga) so maybe that is at least some useful information ;) .
--- hehe , yeah the Dreamcast/VGA combo is pretty nice , even when compared to todays consoles it holds its own at 480p and it has a huge choice of great games [ I play the DC more than the PS2 although Xbox is my #1 right now for consoles ;) ] .
-------- Jason

I have seen a number of people mention that component video feeds on the H30 have a "washed out look". Is that only compared to a VGA connection via an HTPC? How does it compare to an s-video connection from the same source, say a DVD player? I'm just about to order some really long component cables, but if it's going to give me a lower quality picture than an s-video cable, I may just stick with s-video and get some kind of an a/b switch.

veggieguy ,
-- to me nothing looks 'washed out' with the H30 but RGB(vga) source is the sharpest and cleanest image with the H30 . To me the colors seem very vibrant via Component [ more so than S-Video ] but they also seem to bleed a bit . This could just be my observation after seeing the H30 with an HTPC [ after seeing this everything else looks blurry ;) ] .
------ Jason

Pimp, your HTPC sounds great. I apologize if you mentioned it previously, but what are the specifics on it?

It's not going to have a washed out look w/component. Take a look at my screen shots. The best thing about the projector is the strong colors.

http://www.cigarbest.com/sales/h30austin1.jpg

Just get your good DVD player and calibrate up, or at least start with some of the numbers I got with Avia. Use the Cinema/film modes, gamma 1 or 2, color temp 2=6500k.

This is new about hearing washed out with component, we have heard of green with progressive but the majority don't have that problem. If anything if component colors were any stronger they'd be over saturated.

Mike ,
-- My HTPC :
--- AMD Barton 2500+ OC'd @ 3200+
--- 512mb DDR 433
--- Radeon 9500 Pro 128 modded to 9700 spec
--- Soyo Dragon Ultra PE mobo [on-board spdif output]
--- FlyVideo 2000 capture card
--- NMB Ultra Quiet fans through entire case & PS (6 fans total)
------ I use Zoomplayer Pro with WinDVD's latest Video filter and ffdshow for resize options [ takes the scaling process away from the Video card and allows a better filter to be used ] . I can adjust for any aspect ratio on the fly and use Dscaler for any S-Video input source there by using my HTPC as a scaler rather than the H30 (via s-video) .
--- There are many more things I could describe but I would be here all day ;) .
-- If you have not experienced a full blown HTPC then you are really missing something special IMHO .

-------- Jason

" Colors--really just amazing. From memory, the only one better on this was the Domino 30. The Z90's are nice, but the H30's seem to have more depth. I didn't have the best demo of the NEC 260k (it was projector on a
markerboard, very high gain), and I didn't care much for the colors. Z10000 is good, but it couldn't touch the Domino."

Fabbas, nice review, I agree with the colors. Right there with the Seleco's in depth and reds.

Hey Veg, thx for meauring out the ceiling mount numbers. Looks like a good flush mount.

Nice setup Jason. :)

That certainly explains why your picture's so good. I'd heard some good things about Zoomplayer. I asked because I've seen some lessor HTPCs that did not fare as well as a good prog scan player.

We had a long rap on HTPC and the Bravo D1 with HTPC users agreeing the Bravo D1 looked better. Alan started this discussion. Now I have the D1 and a good progressive scan player. When a/b-ing the two with the HT1000 the difference wasn't extreme, many thought the same thing and allot preferred the progressive player over the D1.

Just some facts, you could read all about it in the HT1000 bravo D1 thread. Maybe I can find it for you.

I guess what I'm trying to do is tell the majority that are using DVD-players not to worry. You'll get a stellar picture you can enjoy.

Hey what a great machine this H30, looking good isn't it?

Originally posted by guitarman
This is new about hearing washed out with component


Maybe I am remembering incorrectly, or I took the comments in the wrong context. Since this is not a problem I've personally witnessed, I wouldn't chalk this up as an official problem unless somebody confirms it.

I was wondering if the latest firmware thats being tested/installed has a specefic revision number? Also what was the revision of the older firmware that has the 800x600 issue?

thx

Tom ,
--- I have seen a D1 in action and while it is nice [ no doubt there ] it is not as nice as a tweaked HTPC [ by tweaked I mean using the best of all possible filter combinations to obtain the best output ] . Now for ease of use there is Zero to compare , the D1/v880 win every time [ although once you have everything smooth on an HTPC it can be just as simple to use ] . My friend had a D1 connected to a Hitachi HD-RPTV and we compared my HTPC to his D1 , he had me build him an HTPC the following week ;) . Please note here that most of my findings have been with RGB(vga) or Component signals [ the only DVI comparison was on the HD-RPTV ] . I have heard the v880 is actually better than the D1 so that would be an interesting comparison with an HTPC . I am also interested in comparing the D2 to an HTPC but they seem to be continually delayed :( .
-- Please know that I am not trying to say that a nice Progressive player is no good on the H30 [ it looks wonderful ] , but I want to let people know there is something that looks even better to me and everyone that has been here with me to see it [ and I am sure that one of these next generation DVI equipped up-scaling DVD players will take it up another notch very soon :) - the D2 or D3 maybe ] .
------ Best Wishes ,
------ Jason
----------------------------
*** Oh , Thanks Mike :) !!!
---- It has taken a bit of work but it performs great !
---- ANother thing to consider is the new WMV9 encoding for HD material , the HTPC is the only thing that can currently play them . Let me tell you it is something to behold ;) .
----------------------------

I didn't get the call numbers for the firmware but yesterday Wing did say so far the firmware is looking good and to give him a week to start rolling it out.

He also said they would adjust any PJ's with the green problem on component at the same time.

Not to go off topic here, but I should find out a specific date (sometime in April) on the D2 in a few days. It's still using the same chipset as the D1, so I doubt it will look any better. The D3's another story though as it is supposed to have motion adaptive deinterlacing.

Originally posted by guitarman
I didn't get the call numbers for the firmware but yesterday Wing did say so far the firmware is looking good and to give him a week to start rolling it out.

He's been told by everyone I could get a hold of to apply it to my H30 first, so he'd better get going. ;)

(Just kidding Wing. Take your time. Just get it back to me next week :D )

The key thing I'm looking for is better analog output with true blacks passing pluge. I think Jim Noyd said the analog output would be much better I just hope we can still upscale with it. Plus he said they'd add a Darker/Lighter feature. The loader thing also, though mine works well.

I'd want to go interlaced to the H30 anyway.

Here's what the prelim release info said on the D2:

"adds control of brightness and contrast on DVI, enhanced DVD-ROM drive, improved analog video output and a new remote control."

The Brightness and Contrast settings on DVI is nice. I don't think the analog outputs will be acceptable to me until the D3 comes out.

My H30 just arrived, so I'm going to check it out tonight, then tomorrow I'm ordering a Carada screen.

Is the H30 considered a "bright" PJ, relatively speaking? The answer to this will help me decide on what color screen I get.

I went with the Carada 92" diag screen in Bright White. Perfect for the H30. Very bright and clear.

Mike

It also depends on how much ambient light is present during your normal viewing. If you have a dark theater room, you probably don't need more than a 1.0 gain. If you do a lot of daytime viewing and can't get the room completely dark, you might want a higher gain. You should probably just contact David at Carada and ask him for a recommendation.

Thanks Shock, think I'll do the same. But as Mike said, how much ambient light do you have in the room? My HT is in the basement with only one window nearby.

Shock, what aspect ratio screen did you go with for your H30?

-- Please know that I am not trying to say that a nice Progressive player is no good on the H30 [ it looks wonderful ] , but I want to let people know there is something that looks even better to me and everyone that has been here with me to see it

Damn you GamePimp!

You already have me shopping for yet another computer and looking for ways to pipe VGA cable 2 rooms over without destroying my appartment...

And I haven't even ordred the pj yet! I need serious help...:)

Marco ,
---- hehe , sorry buddy :) !!!
--- Jason

After reading about the praise of the H30 in this thread I am considering this pj.
I am planning on a 92" 16x9 screen.
pj distance to screen- 18.5'
viewing distance- 14'
controlled lighting

a) Will this projector be bright enough at this throw distance?
b) would it handle a silver screen if unhappy with bl of a white screen?

game pimp- any ss of pc gaming on this pj

thanks-matt

Johnny. I am using my projector at 16:9 and I am sitting about 1.7 ratio out from the 80" screen. About 12' away.

I can detect a very slight SDE at this distance on the bright white screen. I have 2 windows in the theater area of my room with some decent blackout type curtains. I can control the light pretty well, but I was of the mindset to have some kind of ambient light in the room at times. I wanted to make sure that the screen was able to keep up with the bit of light there might be at times. Working great so far, other than the few rainbows I am seeing.

Kuvasz Friend - At 14' throw, I think you will be putting up a larger image than 92" DIAG. If you mean 92" across, then I think you will be OK as far as size goes. The H30 is pretty bright, so I think you should be OK at that distance, especially with a bright white screen and good light control.

PS: I grew up with Kuvasz's. They are the best dogs.

Actually he said a 18.5' throw distance and at that distance you would have about a 12' image [ could be a bit smaller or a bit bigger depending upon zoom ] but no where near a 92" diagonal 16:9 image .
--- I am working on how to take better screen-shots with my HP digi-cam but it doesn't seem to like how bright the H30 is and just makes a blurry mess :( [ which you can see from the 2 shots posted on my website - click the www link above ] . I asked for some pointers with a lowly 2 mega-pixel digital camera but had no responses . PC Gaming on this thing is Fantastic !!!
---- Jason

Hi DaGamePimp,

Thanks again for your comments, they are very helpful and I agree that the closer you can get to a fully digital signal with the same resolution as a digital projector, the better it will be. So the HTPC is the way to go anyway.

In my case I am trying not to throw away my LDs and not to introduce too many new and bulky components (for example a PC) and I hate upgrading my DVD player (once I find a player that I like, I stick to it!) so the Iscan ultra was the cheapest and slimmest way to go.

As for the weaker color saturation on my Z91 in VGA it is mainly due to a lack of serious calibration and an out-of-date firmware. I think that's why I didn't like it at the beginning. As a newbie, I expected perfection right out of the box. Silly me! Now that I have full access to all 3 menus on the Sharp, I am enjoying myself and the Z91 a lot more.

Anyway, thanks again and I'll wait for a slight drop in price for the H30 here in the UK, which should take only a few months. But if it is so much better than the DT200, then it's worth getting one. I'll probably keep the Z91 as a replacement unit in case of lamp failure. Selling it at a good price now would be impossible, so it's better to keep it.

Thanks to all!

Originally posted by DrJo
Hi Robin,

Just like you, I am sensitive to monitor flickering at 50 and 60Hz, even a bit at 75Hz , and I do see on dark movies (Dark City, Queen of the Damned, Underworld) a bit of Rainbow Effect on the Z91 (5x RGBRGB colorwheel) and I do not see any on DLP-based RPTV.

I think it is due to the fact that RPTV screens are much smaller than front projection screen and the eye doesn't have to dart around as much.

So it is very likely that both you and I will see some rainbows on the H30, but the real question is how distracting will they be for each of us?

Demo compulsary! Yes DrJo, I will give it a chance. The projector is scheduled to be delivered today---should make for an interesting weekend! And yes, I think there probably is something to your relative viewing size theory with respect to the appearance of rainbows...

Robin

Well, had my first viewing with the H30 last night. It even elicited a "Wow!" from "She who must be obeyed", and that's something, considering that she was reluctant to spend the money on the H30. :)

Right now I'm projecting onto an off-white colored wall, and it still looked great. Can't wait to see what it looks like on a Carada screen!

The PJ is 12' from the screen, giving me an 80" wide x 44" 16:9 picture. Viewing distance is about 11' from the screen, and we can detect a very slight SDE, which didn't bother us at all. I've got the PJ sitting on a 36" high coffee table, but I had to tilt it forward a bit to keep the screen off the ceiling. I'm using keystone of -10 to compensate.

We started out in component 480i, but then changed to component 480p from my new Pioneer DVD-563A, and that improved the picture considerably. Along with the improved picture in 480p, however, came the "greens". The whole picture became saturated in a very slight, light green hue. I was able to compensate for this, luckily, with a tint adjustment. With the tint adjustment, Lawrence of Arabia was looking mighty fine, considering the wall I was projecting onto. I'm going to leave the fine tuning until the Carada screen arrives. I wonder why the greens only showed up when I went to 480p, and didn't happen with 480i. Both were using component connection to the DVD-563A.

One curious thing I noted, however. When I viewed LoA in 16:9 native on the PJ, yet left the settings on the DVD player as "4:3 Letterbox", I could swear that the image was being projected in what looked like a very Cinemascope-looking 2.35 picture. When I changed the settings on the DVD player to 16:9, then it projected a 16:9 image on the wall, complete with the black bars on the top & bottom. Anyone know if what I was seeing when I had the DVD setup for 4:3 Letterbox was a true 2.35 image? I didn't see any black bars or distortion of the image.

"Casablanca" looked fabulous, viewed in the center of the 16:9 image on 4:3 native setting. The image was crisp and clear.

In short, I'm extremely pleased by the H30 so far. The picture straight out of the box without any adjustment looked very good, and I'm sure it will only get better once I get a bright white Carada screen and do some tweaking.

Oh yes, and "No rainbows" at all. :)

Forgot to ask a question. What's up with the zoom feature on the video menu? Is that the same as the physical zoom wheel on the unit itself? If they are different, then what should each be used for? The owners manual isn't very enlightning.

When I used the zoom on the video menu just to see what it does, it made the image much larger, but at a cost of cutting off some of the image. Almost seemed to me like a pan & scan type of zoom. Why would anyone want to use zoom if it cuts off part of the image?

The zoom in the menu is a digital zoom, which zooms in on the pircture itself, rather than adjusting picture size like the manual zoom does. If you wanted to "fill the screen" and accept the loss of picture and resolution, you could use this zoom. More of a presentation feature IMO.

Thanks shock and pimp-
i was hoping to convert a rear closet to house pj,pc, and audio gear (and keep wiring to a min)but i guess i will have to pull the pj out to the ceiling. I have seen some pj with longer throws but are much more $$. I don't want to go larger than 92" diag (80"wide) due to the max viewing distance of 14'.
My next question, is 10" adequate for the top of screen to the ceiling?
ht is going in a basement with a drop ceiling and a height of only 7'.
I am planning on pj purchase by May- hoping to compare this to IF4805 but so far this looks like a winner.
Shock- i agree kuvaszok are the best dogs!

Originally posted by kuvasz friend
After reading about the praise of the H30 in this thread I am considering this pj.
I am planning on a 92" 16x9 screen.
pj distance to screen- 18.5'
viewing distance- 14'
controlled lighting


If you're talking about a 92" diagonal, the range you could adjust the projector zoom to fit that is 10.7 to 13'. At 18.5 feet, the smallest screen you could have would be 132" diagonal. See the Optoma distance calculator here (http://www.optomahometheater.com/content/calculator_index.htm).

Originally posted by kuvasz friend
My next question, is 10" adequate for the top of screen to the ceiling?
ht is going in a basement with a drop ceiling and a height of only 7'.


That will be a problem with a 16:9 screen because the H30 uses the bottom of the chip to display the 16:9 image, so the offset is pretty great. With a 7' ceiling, I'm afraid your screen will be very close to the floor unless you have a mount that allows you to tilt the projector up..

This was posted a few pages back, but for those looking for more information than is in the manual, there's more info here: H30 Functions (http://www.optomahometheater.com/howto/d3.asp)

My next question, is 10" adequate for the top of screen to the ceiling?
ht is going in a basement with a drop ceiling and a height of only 7'.


The drop ceiling over my viewing area is a bit less than 7', and the top of my 16:9 picture is currently 12" from the ceiling. My H30 is ceiling mounted and tilted upward a bit to raise the picture on the wall. It does require a little digital keystone correction, but that hasn't been a problem for me. I believe my keystone is currently set at 8. I'm sure I could shift the image up a couple of inches to hit 10" from the ceiling, but it would require more keystone. (Plus that would be too high for my screen :))

You'll have to be sure that your ceiling mount allows for this kind of tilting though. Check my gallery link above for a couple of pictures of the mount I'm using.

"When I changed the settings on the DVD player to 16:9, then it projected a 16:9 image on the wall, complete with the black bars on the top & bottom. Anyone know if what I was seeing when I had the DVD setup for 4:3 Letterbox"

Johnny Ramone, :)
You were just seeing a large image, You want your player in 16.9 to pick up 33percent more information. The projector compressess the info into 16.9 view, 2.35type=bars top and bottom.

Another green push progressive model? That's right progressive scan allows tint adjustments. This would be the easiest way to fix it if it works. Using the Avia or DVE tint correction with the blue filter should put things exactly where they should be.

Glad you like the PJ, welcome to the club.

I've been loving my H30 so far, but I've run into a little trouble with HDTV. I just got the projector hooked up a few days ago and there seems to be a problem when I switch from HDTV channels to SDTV ones. When I do, I just see a green bar across the top of the screen (but I know I've switched channels because I hear the sound from the speakers). I hit resync and switch inputs a billion times, but it doesn't matter. The only way to remove the green bar is to turn off the projector, wait and turn it back on.

I don't seem to have this problem if I start on SDTV, switch to HDTV, and then switch back to SDTV. It only seems to happen when I start on HDTV.

I'm hooked through component inputs and have a Motorola DCT 2200 box with RCN cable.

If anyone has any ideas on how to fix this, let me know. Thanks.

Try powering down the STB to re-initiate the signal.

I've tried that - it doesn't get rid of the green bar. I just get "lost signal" and when it finds it again, I still have the green bar. Thanks, though. Any other ideas?

I was watching Star Trek: Nemesis last night and I can see rainbows from time to time, but I noticed that they come and go during the same scene. Is it possible that my H30 might have a problem with the color wheel not maintaining a steady 4x spin rate? I was thinking it might be slowing down then speeding back up making the rainbows appear then disappear. Any thoughts on that?

Mike

This is a bit off topic but still relevant. Being a Fifth Element fan, as I gather a lot of Sci Fi theater fans are, I was interested in the Superbit re-release that came out a few years ago. However, having only a 30-something inch TV set, I didn't bother replacing my copy with the Superbit version, since I figured my TV wouldn't really take advantage of it.

Now that I have an H30, I'm curious again. I've seen in various screenshots that some of you own the Fifth Element DVD. Do you have the normal or Superbit release? If anybody has the Superbit, have you compared it to the regular DVD through the H30 (or other digital projector). Does the Superbit really make a visible difference?

i have seen the super bit and to be honest it is not what it is cracked up to be :( but i remember allen here at the forum talking about another type of release that looked great but for the life of me i can't remember the name they used for that remake ? but i know it was discussed on the forum a while back .

"Nemesis last night and I can see rainbows from time to time"

Two things, is it giving you a headache?

Rainbows on all these high speed PJ's come from viewer error (darting your eyes around) (staring at the screen and casually glancing off to the side and down) relax. :)

Rainbows on all these high speed PJ's come from viewer error (darting your eyes around)


Hehehe... viewer error. What a funny term.

Tech Support: Hello?

Customer: I'm seeing rainbows on my projector!

Tech Support: Are you darting your eyes around while watching it?

Customer: Uh, maybe a little bit.

Tech Support: Ah ha! Classic viewer error. Stop doing that. Did the hospital not give you your owners manual when you were born? Chapter 10 (A Guide to the Human Eye) clearly states that darting your eyes around is a sign of stress or nervousness and may cause rainbows when viewing a DLP projector. It is not a recommended activity.

Customer: I see. Also, my arm hurts when I bend it.

Tech Support: Stop bending it then!

Hehehe... sorry, I couldn't resist.

Hehe , well I think the point that Tom is making is that too many try to look for rainbows while viewing instead of just kickn' back and enjoying the show . Do yourself a favor and DO NOT TRY TO SPOT THEM because once you train your eye/brain to see them you will end up seeing them all the time [ even on higher speed DLP's than the H30 ] . Trust me on this one , this is the same thing that happens as you learn to look for convergence errors on CRT projectors [ I can now spot red and even blue offsets on even the most high-end direct view sets :( ] .
--- By the way the SuperBit 5th is wonderful but does not get enough credit IMO because the original release was done very well . There is a detectable difference on projection with the SB version [ not night and day but it is better ;) ] .
--- For a real treat on the H30 try 'Blade II' , this dvd is a Black Level dream ;) . Most digitals would make a mess of this dvd but not the H30 .
------ Jason

I had read some threads about trying to perform masking back at the projector rather than at the screen (akin to the lens cap with a rectangular cut-out talked about here). It seemed to be a common acceptance that you needed to get about 12' to 14' inches away from the lens before a you could get a crisp shadow line between where you were blocking out the light and the projected image. I did experiment with this by holding up a piece of cardboard in front of the lens to block the light spill. Any closer than about 1 1/2 feet resulted in a very soft fade from light to dark on the screen. So, while you could block some of the light at the top of the light spill, you couldn't block it all without affecting the picture at the top of the screen. I don't see how a mask attached to the outside of the lens could provide acceptable light blocking. I think you would have to place the mask before the lens (like the iris on the Sanyo Z2), then you would get a perfectly crisp edge and block all the light spill (or would it have to be masked between the bulb and the DLP chip?). Anybody have other insight into the lens cap mask?

Woot! My H30 just arrived! I plugged it in and it looks great. I'm a bit worried that the PJ central screen calculator misled me and I made a screen too large even with the H30 at the back of the room, but I need to play around with it a bit more (in a few hours when it gets dark).

Does anyone have a pointer to a "setting the your H30 for the clueless newbie" type of guide? I'm seriously clueless. I don't know which mode to use, 4:3, 4:3 native, 16:9, 16:9 native (my screen is 16x9). I popped in The Matrix but it is widescreen so I don't think it's a good source to calibrate the screen size because it's not 16:9 (2.35? I dunno, as I said I'm totally clueless).

Anyways, any pointers for setup/calibration would be great. The H30 user manual doesn't seem to have too much to help me out other than power on instructions. :)

Hehe , well I think the point that Tom is making is that too many try to look for rainbows while viewing instead of just kickn' back and enjoying the show.

Yep, I figured that's what Tom meant. The phrasing just struck me as funny, so I had to make a joke. What can I say... It's Friday. :)

Do yourself a favor and DO NOT TRY TO SPOT THEM because once you train your eye/brain to see them you will end up seeing them all the time

That's been my fear, but I wasn't sure if it would really happen. I've been avoiding looking for rainbows anyway just in case.

Originally posted by jeff_4242
Anyways, any pointers for setup/calibration would be great. The H30 user manual doesn't seem to have too much to help me out other than power on instructions. :)

Look at Tom's settings on previous pages of this thread for starters. Look at the extended explanations of the menu settings from the Optoma website. I posted a link to them on the previous page here (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?postid=3446110#post3446110). Get Avia or DVE if you don't have one of them to properly set up your H30. Happy viewing!

I don't know Optoma seems to think there's will work, we shall see. I think they intended to use an item like this all along, it just wasn't ready yet. I e the statement 480P masked. This item got mentioned to me early on with the tech people. Maybe there's something with the optics in the H30 that will let it work.

Blade II, there's one I haven't popped on yet. I'd like to see that Optoma Red also.

I'm still torn on whether I like gamma 1 or gamma 2.

Deep blacks and saturation with gamma 1 but black detail suffers. So far tuning in gamma two is great for dark movies. Any bright movie you could just leave it tuned as is and choose gamma 1.

Blade 1 or 2 are both pretty good for shadow detail (but 1's a better movie :D ). Of course, if you have Dark City, it's pretty hard to beat as well.

Blade II, there's one I haven't popped on yet. I'd like to see that Optoma Red also


tom i watched blade 2 yesturday after i came back from dental surgery and it looked really good and the reds where very good also and i even poped in the cult clasic day of the dead all that internal guts ,blood ,bone ,and the pick was so real .


it was very good wow

Oh yes , the first 'Blade' is a better movie but the second is just so visually intense ;) .
-- 'Dark City' has incredible black detail but I find it to be a bit soft when compared to the Crisp/Snappy image on 'Blade II' .
--- I am liking Gamma 1 so far but as Tom stated for movies such as what we are currently discussing Gamma 2 might be more appealing [ especially if you do not have Total Light Control ] .
------ Jason

jeff_4242,

The top two menu's are for picture adjustments.

For starters

In the first one choose
Cinema
gamma 2

In the second menu choose
Color temp 2
Film

Pop on the matrix and hit the brightness button on the remote. Bring the brightness down or where ever it needs to be to to make black where you can see detail, like jacket lapels etc.

You can get DVE or Avia at Amazon reasonably.

"Hehe , well I think the point that Tom is making is that too many try to look for rainbows while viewing instead of just kickn' back and enjoying the show . Do yourself a favor and DO NOT TRY TO SPOT THEM because once you train your eye/brain to see them you will end up seeing them all the time "

You should never even mention the word rainbows to someone unless they are ready to buy a projector and need to take it into consideration. Don;t ever mention it to your family (unless you are trying to justify an upgrade, JOHN!) Anyone remeber the 3-D art that was in all of the mall kiosks about 15 years ago. It was a picture of squiggily vertical lines of various colors that appeared quite random. If you stared at it long enough you could see the 3-D image that was hidden in the picture. Once you saw it, you could see it again quite easily. I think the same thing happens with the rainbows. I didn't even notice them on 2x speed DLP's until I started reading about them and looking for them. Now I can see them whenever I want and frequently when I don't want. I think one of the biggest factors is sitting too close to the screen relative to the screen size. Any sudden eye movements to another part of the screen will cause me to see them. If I can see more of the screen within my accute field of vision, I have less eye movement. Anybody notice them when they sneeze? (due to the quick eye movement again I would say).

i dont know i think its a bit silly to tell someone they arnt watching movies correctly. I dont see rainbows on the h30 so I guess im lucky but its nearly impossible for you to keep your eyes focused on the same area while watching movies. Your eyes will scan and focus on whats important on their own. Making the screen smaller will help alot but i just dont think its fair to say seeing rainbows is a users fault and they should learn to watch the movie correctly. Fortunatly for myself and my dad,who were sesnsitive to rainbows on 2x dlp, dont see them at all on the h30. I know there is a whole thread dedicated to rianbow discussion, i just disagree with the atittudes of some that its a viewers fault. wether its lcd vertical banding or dlp rainbows if it distracts you it distracts you and thats a real bummer.

RichE ,
--- Exactly my point ;) .
_____________________

velvetpoet ,
--- I don't think anybody was saying it is the viewers fault , just simply telling people not to look for them intentionally :) .
_____________________
----- Jason

It was all in good fun not really silly he got some good info there. If you steady your optics you can cut down the chance of rainbow activity. But new intrested owners should know the H30 isn't a rainbow bomb. Yes the X1 and other 2X white segment color wheels can be annoying but not the H30.

What I really wanted to know from Shock is if he's getting a headache. There was a member here over to view the HT1000 which is a higher speed PJ, he got a bad headache after 15mins. DLP is not for him. But just seeing a rainbow once in a short while shouldn't make you want to sell the projector. Only if you're getting headaches.

Guys

Do NOT click on the following link if you don't want to see rainbows ;)
http://www.dietforum.net/balagee/projected/rainbow.html

Dohh....that's done it ! - Sorry ;)

Found this while hunting for H30 info on the web - I'm actually very impressed at how the guy made such a realistic example on a web page.

The more I read about the H30 the more I want one - Anyone know the cheapest source for the H30 in the UK?

I have yet to see a rainbow of any sort, and I hope I never do. I'm loving this projector!

That's not like the rainbows I've seen but the RGB flash is ok.

The rainbows I've seen on my first PJ the NEC LT150 where huge and covered the screen vertically, maybe a foot wide and slow. But after having the projector for a while I hardly ever saw one. Could be like Wine or Cigars "gets better with age".

If you see one on the higher speed color wheels, it's minature and fast. I'll bet with time new users seeing a couple now won't see any later.

Since we were talking about Blade 2 before, I checked it out on the BenQ 6100 and in the second chapter, there were quite a few rainbows in the flames of the fires, the motorcycle headlights and the subtitles (when the vampires aren't speaking English). I hadn't really noticed anything with other DVDs, so it appears that Blade 2 is also a pretty good check for rainbows as well as black detail.

Originally posted by nosdmi
I've been loving my H30 so far, but I've run into a little trouble with HDTV. I just got the projector hooked up a few days ago and there seems to be a problem when I switch from HDTV channels to SDTV ones. When I do, I just see a green bar across the top of the screen (but I know I've switched channels because I hear the sound from the speakers). I hit resync and switch inputs a billion times, but it doesn't matter. The only way to remove the green bar is to turn off the projector, wait and turn it back on.

I don't seem to have this problem if I start on SDTV, switch to HDTV, and then switch back to SDTV. It only seems to happen when I start on HDTV.

I'm hooked through component inputs and have a Motorola DCT 2200 box with RCN cable.

If anyone has any ideas on how to fix this, let me know. Thanks.

I'm still having trouble and it actually worse than I remembered. Any time I go from HDTV (1080i) to SDTV, I just get a green bar across the screen (even if it had worked on SDTV prior to going to HDTV). Is anyone else using HDTV having this problem?

Also, does anyone know the hours for Optoma's technical support (there phone menu is messed up and I don't ever seem to get a hold of anyone)?

ok next, the screen- if i decide on the h30 i have read always pj first and screen later. If i have paneled walls then what? I want to experiment with the pj, Can you use a taunt bed sheet? if so what type of material would generate the best pic? I would eventually buy a screen probably Carada from what i have read but to begin with i would like to try without the purchase of a screen or major reconstruction of a wall. Any suggestions?

Kuvasz. My walls are wooden planked, so I was in a similar situation. I bought 3 yards of latex backed blackout lining for $18 and temporarily taped it up on the wall. I used this to test projector image sizes, etc, to arrive at my final screen size. I then built the frame and used the same fabric to construct the screen. It cost a total of about $70 in materials and gives a great picture (to my eyes at least).

Originally posted by guitarman

What I really wanted to know from Shock is if he's getting a headache. There was a member here over to view the HT1000 which is a higher speed PJ, he got a bad headache after 15mins. DLP is not for him. But just seeing a rainbow once in a short while shouldn't make you want to sell the projector. Only if you're getting headaches.

Tom are you saying that the color wheel in the HT1000 is faster than the H30 or faster than the X1???

Steve

Tom - I don't get headaches per se, what I experience is more akin to eye fatigue. A tight feeling in the upper front of my face. As I said before, the darker the move, the more I see them. They don't appear on animation at all.

I plan on spending the better part of Sunday calibrating the projector. I really, really love it! I do! I want to keep it. It looks fantastic on most everything I put in it (except Unforgiven. It is super grainy and looks crappy. I am guessing a poor DVD?)

And I am not looking for the rainbows. They just appear from time to time. Even in the same scene they come and go. They appear as a full vertical rainbow about 6-10 inches wide for a split second. They also appear as a halo on the edges of images, again for a split second.

I don't want to scare anyone away, but I thought it should be reported to make sure everyone was informed. I still think it is the best projector for the cash. Hands down. But I think people should be informed that even with the 4x wheel and the DDR chip, rainbows can still appear. Having taken apart the DLP chip from TI, along with the color wheel, I don't think there can be a solution to the problem with single chip DLP's. A 3 chip RGB system is the only way to get rid of it for good.

What I am interested in seeing is the new LCOS chips that will be coming from Intel in the next year or so. Resolution in the 2048x1280 range is an easy goal...and they should be cheap too.

Mike

i went to see the demo this afternoon. the pq is good but i see quite a lot of rainbow (more than i expected). I don't know why. may be the setting is not good. the sales told me that if i adapt the speed of the wheel and I will see less rainbow. is it true?

Hi there everyone
I am coming to Newyork city from the UK in 4 wks time, I want to get my hands on a H30, does anyone know where I can get one from(retailer) in Newyork as I dont want to take the chance of ordering one over the internet and then shipping it to the UK as would end up paying loads of DUTY!!
plz help as my 32" tv is doing my head in, help me to join you guys in the bigger picture.

"Tom are you saying that the color wheel in the HT1000 is faster than the H30 "

Exact same color wheel RGB/RGB 4times speed. The X1 is RGBWhite 2X speed.

indiejones,
If no New Yorkers reply I'd get started by doing google searches and checking the Optoma site for NY dealers. AVS is a New York Dealer but New York is a big place. Not sure but I thingk they're upstate. In any event you had better purchase ahead of time, maybe a subsantial down payment. Because dealers don't usually have warehouse supplies of these things. Some Etailers just drop ship once they have a buyer.

Well, my H30 just rocks even on my textured wall! I have a couple of questions though, if someone could help me out:

1) I'm a bit confused about "16:9" versus "16:9 native". I need to figure out which modes I will be using so I can see where I can mount my projector. I have a 16:9 screen. Should I use 16:9 mode for DVD and 4:3 mode for cable? Or should I use the native modes instead?

2) Using the settings recommended above, Finding Nemo had some very oversaturated colors. I had to turn brightness down almost to the minimum to kill some of the wicked color (especially Dory - she was literally incandescent blue). Other movies look pretty good, color-wise - why is Finding Nemo so "colorful"? If there a setting I should use to control this other than brightness?

3) The power cable is really long! For ceiling mount I will install an outlet just behind the projector. Do most people cut it down or is there someplace I can get a short compatible cord?

Thanks all! I just love this thing so far!

Very OT :
--- I will be off the forum for several days due to a move and then internet re-connect so if any questions (PM's) come my way I am not ignoring you ;) .
---- Have fun all :) !!!
------ Jason

The normal 16.9 and 4.3 will be easiest to set up with if you use HDTV/OTA/DVD/Tivo etc. Use 16.9 for widescreen movies with your DVD player set to 16.9. 4.3 is a window boxed 4.3 with bars on the sides.

The 16.9 native aspects add 30 line of vertical resolution. You can set these up for just standard TV and DVD but once you add HDTV/OTA into the mix you'll have a problem with HDTV spilling off the screen.

If colors are too strong just use the color saturation. The brightness control lowered will make for even more saturation. You have to get Avia/DVE, using these is the only way to know your picture setup is perfect

Thanks guitarman! I like the results for DVD and Tivo with the normal 4:3 and 16:9 modes so I will stick with that. A nearby Borders has DVE - I will pick it up today.

Now I'm off to browse for a good DIY ceiling mount plan!

Can anyone tell me what size the mounting screw holes are? The large hole seems to be 1/4" from what I gathered but I'm not sure if I'm comfortable suspending the projector from just that screw.

Originally posted by indiejones
Hi there everyone
I am coming to Newyork city from the UK in 4 wks time, I want to get my hands on a H30, does anyone know where I can get one from(retailer) in Newyork as I dont want to take the chance of ordering one over the internet and then shipping it to the UK as would end up paying loads of DUTY!!
plz help as my 32" tv is doing my head in, help me to join you guys in the bigger picture.

Contact Robert via PM here at AVS

DTV TiVo Dealer

He is an AVS sponsor and sells the H30 in New York City.

Steve

Many thanks Steve will do

"size the mounting screw holes are"

The three small ones are 3mm. The length according to the DIY plate. I hear they seem snug at first but 3mm is the right size.

Originally posted by jeff_4242
Thanks guitarman! I like the results for DVD and Tivo with the normal 4:3 and 16:9 modes so I will stick with that. A nearby Borders has DVE - I will pick it up today.

Now I'm off to browse for a good DIY ceiling mount plan!

Can anyone tell me what size the mounting screw holes are? The large hole seems to be 1/4" from what I gathered but I'm not sure if I'm comfortable suspending the projector from just that screw.

Several folks here have purchased the JayBlaine mount for the H30 on Ebay and been quite satisfied.

I am trying to talk Mandrax here on the AVS forum into building mounts for the H30... he builds "killer" mounts. Perhaps if more people pester him for the mounts we can convince him!

Steve

"Tom - I don't get headaches per se, what I experience is more akin to eye fatigue"

Hang in there, I got that when I first got the NEC LT150. Keep watching and you'll get use to the big bright picture.

Now we were watching Spy Kids 3-D last night and after a while the 3D started bothering me. No pain just bother.
Pretty unbelievable 3D for just watching at home.

I know the Infocus X1 has an onboard Faroudja processor. What does the H30 use and how does it compare?
thanks,
Sam

New Pixelsworks scaler/deinterlacer. Passed all the tests just like the Farouja chip. It does a nice smooth job on Direct TV.

Originally posted by simong

Do NOT click on the following link if you don't want to see rainbows ;)
http://www.dietforum.net/balagee/projected/rainbow.html

Found this while hunting for H30 info on the web - I'm actually very impressed at how the guy made such a realistic example on a web page.
[/B]

Thanks :D

It's a simple flash animation. It's not really what rainbows like.
They happen mutch faster. Of course a 40fps flash animation cannot reproduce the real effect.

Tom, Have you been able to try Avia Pro on the H30? You have said the Pixelworks scaler/deinterlacer works as good as the Faroudja, Avia Pro would allow you to make a true comparison. I'm going to Mark's house on Sunday to see Mike's transcoder again and I'm sure AP will be used and we'll see how good Mike's modded Momitsu really is, he claims it sails thru AP tests that last weekend's players at Phil's stumbled on. Next week I'm off to see if rainbows bug me by auditioning an HT1000 at RitzAV in Laurel, MD. If I don't get a headache or find myself really bothered by rainbows, I'm on the path to get an H30 or wait and see how the 4805 performs(very similar but includes DVI in) if I can wait.

I haven't used Avia Pro (too expensive for me) with the H30, but I did use a disk with Faroudja test patterns on it. The H30 was one of the few deinterlacers I've seen that passed all the Faroudja test patterns, including the DCDi ones. The Faroudja chip does do an even better job with those patterns, but then you'd expect it to.

I'd like to hear how it does with Avia Pro. Guy Kuo demoed it for me at CEDIA last year and there are patterns on there that I doubt any display or deinterlacer could pass.

Have any of you used DVE to calibrate the H30 via S-Video? I just popped in my new DVE disc this afternoon, and after learning as much as I could in the guide, I started tweaking things. The colors I think I've got right according to the filters, except the green is showing "decoder errors" which is apparently common. I'm having the most trouble with the brightness/contrast patterns.

If any of you have settings for S-Video that you're happy with, could you post them?

Thanks.

It is way off topic... but the Avia Pro discussion makes me wonder how the iScanHD vs. Dwin TV3 processors would fair on the AP tests....

Steve

Steve, At the Towson, MD MP5 gathering last weekend a RP91 SDI mod into Lumagen Pro/SDI did not perform better on many tests than a Bravo/Gefen(DVI to RGB) player, but the Bravo stumbled on colors. The Avia Pro DVDs will prove to be a great method to distinguish between the top notch performers and the also rans. Mike Parker is bringing his MP5 and AP to Mark Haflich's Sunday so I'll get another chance to see it in action and we'll see if Mike's modded Momitsu is a winner on those test patterns.

How's the Momitsu modified? If it's still using the Sigma Designs chip for deinterlacing, it won't pass the test for per-pixel motion adaptive deinterlacing.

Mike wouldn't tell us anything except it is only the component out modded and he replaces a few parts. I'll report our findings from tomorrows debut as we watch on Mark's tweaked 9500.

has anyone got a diy screen using the h30 and satisfied or should i say, ecstatic about it because of the pq AND $$$$$ saved?
where are you guys buying your h30s? screens ? just in case i dont diy one.
jay

Well, my local AV store lent me a new Sony HS3 LCD projector for the weekend. The unit is a direct competitor to the H30 in as much as it has similar specs. 858x484, 800:1 contrast, 1200 lumens etc.

I can't believe people actually bought this thing. They must have not been looking at any other units at all. I guess I am just plain spoiled by the H30. The colors on the HS3 were, at first, washed out. Very visable SDE. Crappy contrast. Noisy fan. Limited adjustablility.

The only thing that saved the picture was my RP91's color adjustments. I was able to get a reasonable color level in progressive scan mode only. The RP91's scaler is not as sophisticated as the H30's and the HS3 really is poor, so I guess it was the best I could do.

Picture was bright, blacks were dark grey, reds were muted as were blue's. Flesh tones were ashen. etc.

So I plugged the H30 back in and watched the same stuff and I just was amazed. If you haven't looked at any other projectors, I can tell you that the LCD units just don't cut it. If you think your picture is great now, go take a look at a competitive LCD model and you will just be amazed. Colors on the H30 are much more saturated. They practically jump off the screen. Picture is much more smooth and SDE is about 90% less at a 1.7:1 viewing distance. Simply amazing.

I went up to the big high end store in Seattle today, (Definitive Audio). They are a bunch of really nice guys in there, even if you don't have a mint to build your system. They will sit and chat and show you the high end stuff anyway, because they love the stuff. I sat down and took a demo of the Runco 5000 series DLP projector. Very cool and about 25k with an adjustable anamorphic lens. It was projected on to a 9ft screen. The distance from viewing is about the same at 1.7:1 as my home system. I can tell you right now that the 25k Runco ain't got nothin on the H30. It was about the same brighness and clarity. The SDE was completely non-existant though. It has a 6x color wheel in it, so the rainbow effect was nearly gone for me. The only advantage I can see for this unit is the amount of lumens it produces. It can throw a really huge image without washing out. They say a 20' screen would be no problem for this projector.

As far as my rainbow issues go, I have decided to keep on trucking with the H30. I just can't bring myself to buy another unit in the hopes of a better/equal picture. The only ones I am looking at are the Z2 unit from Sanyo, and that might be nice, but if the HS3 is any indication, it will not live up to the H30. I have watched a few other movies this evening, and I think that I can get around this rainbow thing. Some of the movies don't have as much of a problem as other and I think it will lessen in time. I am not really getting headaches, and the eyestrain I was feeling could be from watching 5 hours of DVD's at one sitting. :)

So, for all you fence sitters and people concerned with the rainbow thing, go for it. You won't regret it.

Mike (back in the fold)

Mike see if your friendly dealer will loan you a Panny L500U to compare against the H30.

Steve

That would be sweet, but all the carry in stock is the Sony stuff. I might try and weasel a HS20 out of them when they arrive. They sound great, if you can get one that isn't all screwed up from the factory...

Mike

I've been playing with DVE for hours, and I *think* I finally have things set correctly according to the patterns, filters, etc. However, my numbers are dramatically different from the ones that Tom posted, and I'm hoping that is because his were for component video and I'm currently using s-video. Can any of you compare with your s-video settings or otherwise glance these over for general sanity?

Mode: Cinema
Contrast: 4
Brightness: 5
Color: -1
Tint: 0
Sharpness: 0
Gamma: 1

White Peaking: 1
Color Temp: 2
Image Mode: Film

Thanks!

Anyone know the best (cheapest) place in the UK to buy an H30 at the moment?

Originally posted by veggieguy
Can any of you compare with your s-video settings or otherwise glance these over for general sanity?

Mode: Cinema
Contrast: 4
Brightness: 5
Color: -1
Tint: 0
Sharpness: 0
Gamma: 1

White Peaking: 1
Color Temp: 2
Image Mode: Film

Thanks!

I wouldn't worry about your settings being different. Even if you were using component video, there's enough differences between individual units to make standard settings impossible. Also, different DVD players will yield different results. When I first got my H30, my settings were similar to Tom's, but after it came back with the first firmware revision, the optimal settings were closer to the default numbers (0 in most cases), as yours are. The unit could presumably be set up through the service menu so that all the correct settings in the regular menu would be zero.

C4Sip,

I built a DIY blackout screen with fabric from Joann's Fabrics. I stapled that onto the back of 1x3 strips of poplar that are being held together with angle or 'L' irons. If you do a search for 'blackout', you'll likely find a number of different variations. Here (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=363701&highlight=diy) is a link to one similar to the way I did it. I spray painted the wood black and attached the fabric to the back. It produces pretty decent images (have a look at my gallery) and it's cheap to boot. I spent about $50 making it, and I'm very happy with the results.

Miguel

Last night I tested the H30 with my PC. I used 800x600 resolution, and after playing around with it a bit, I couldn't see any differences in picture quality except in grayscale and smoothness, and the improvements were small. The colors didn't seem more or less vivid. I'm using a 1.4 AMD chip with a 9600 Pro and WinDVD 5 with ffdshow filters. Am I missing something? Should the difference have been readily apparent?

Also, though I saw more rainbows after I'd had the machine a while, I think that it's important to note that at first I saw NONE, and as I see more movies I now have seen a few, but they have never detracted from enjoying the movie.

I wouldn't worry about your settings being different. Even if you were using component video, there's enough differences between individual units to make standard settings impossible. Also, different DVD players will yield different results.

Thanks for the tip. This does bring up an interesting question though. When my component cables arrive, I'll be viewing DVDs through those instead, and s-video will be used for cable/tivo viewing. If I use DVE to calibrate the H30 via s-video, I take it those settings won't necessarily be optimal for my cable/tivo signal when that gets plugged in.

So what's the best way to calibrate/optimize for a signal that won't be coming from a DVD player, since you obviously can't get at the test patters of DVE/Avia except through a DVD player??

Originally posted by veggieguy
Thanks for the tip. This does bring up an interesting question though. When my component cables arrive, I'll be viewing DVDs through those instead, and s-video will be used for cable/tivo viewing. If I use DVE to calibrate the H30 via s-video, I take it those settings won't necessarily be optimal for my cable/tivo signal when that gets plugged in.


They'll be close enough for dealing with SDTV signals. Regular TV broadcasts are all over the map, so a calibration for them can only deal with what it should be. Remember the old adage, NTSC really stands for "Never The Same Color". ;)

Veg, yeah that's the best way. Use your DVD player to calibrate each type of input. S-video, composite, component, like when I watch my laser disc in S-video I have the calibration numbers I got with S-video from the DVD player.

I have a couple of JVC DVD players and I thought I had a problem with non-anamporhic DVD's with one but that's fixed. I can run any NA-dvd in the correct form with the JVC's. The Pany Farouja chipped players don't allow stretching up NA-material. I understand it's related to the Farouja Chip. "Farouja chip doesn't support letterbox" so I hear. Now I'm using the JVC in interlaced. Looks great to me. :) "Pixelworks"

Another thing, I know they say at the Opto site white peaking is good at zero for HT. But I took a look at what it does to white in an Avia steps pattern. 6 is pure white and zero goes to a dull white. Since I like punch I've been using the stock number 6 lately. You still can't see the SD.

This PJ has so many HT functions you can get confused at what looks best. Then again most anything looks great.

Another thing, I know they say at the Opto site white peaking is good at zero for HT. But I took a look at what it does to white in an Avia steps pattern. 6 is pure white and zero goes to a dull white. Since I like punch I've been using the stock number 6 lately. You still can't see the SD.

Interesting. I'm pretty sure my projector defaulted to a white peak setting of less than 6. I currently have mine set to 1, as recommended on the Optoma Functions web page. I've thought about setting it higher, but I'm afraid that will mean I'd have to go re-adjust the painful brightness/contrast settings that I worked so hard to get right. Is that true?

"but I'm afraid that will mean I'd have to go re-adjust the painful brightness/contrast settings "

lol

Hi Simong,

Here's one possible place where you can get the H30. That's the cheapest I found on the web so far. There may be cheaper though!

http://www.audiovisiononline.co.uk/erol.html

Take care!

If this has been answered in previous posts I apologize for asking (can't bring myself to read 58 pages) but does the H30 possess any sort of gamma adjustment?

Thanks, Bob

yes

Originally posted by Fabbas
Last night I tested the H30 with my PC. I used 800x600 resolution, and after playing around with it a bit, I couldn't see any differences in picture quality except in grayscale and smoothness, and the improvements were small. The colors didn't seem more or less vivid. I'm using a 1.4 AMD chip with a 9600 Pro and WinDVD 5 with ffdshow filters. Am I missing something? Should the difference have been readily apparent?

Also, though I saw more rainbows after I'd had the machine a while, I think that it's important to note that at first I saw NONE, and as I see more movies I now have seen a few, but they have never detracted from enjoying the movie.

Fabbas,
are u using 16:9 screen? when u use the HTPC via VGA, the 800x600 screen will project a bigger 4:3 screen or just the same as other ? (a 4:3 screen with black border on the two sides). Just a higher res picture or project a bigger screen image?

where are you guys buying your h30s? screens ? just in case i dont diy one.


C4sip, since I am DIY-challenged, I just ordered a 96" 1.78 Carada brilliant white screen for my H30. Can't wait to get it, should be here sometime this week.

You can send an email directly to Carads Screen's owner, David Giles, at carada@carada.com.

David is extremely customer service oriented, and will help you with making the right decision for you.

Robert,
The PJ has five gamma settings and a very cool menu system with many adjustments. The projector remembers everything you do and applies it to the specific signal you used. Like progressive vs interlaced component, hdtv/OTA, s-video, composite.

There's five picture modes,
Cinema Normal Vivid User1 User 2

It will also remember what you did in any of these modes and apply it to the various signals you used for each of the five modes. Makes things very easy for new users.

Bob what are you thinking of getting a back up projector also? You'll like the contrast,blacks & colors on this one big time. Just like the HT1000.

Well I had a scare last night. Now that I have my H30 calibrated with DVE, I decided to check out a few movies from my collection to see how they looked. The first DVD I pulled out was The Matrix. I popped it in, turned up the volume, and sat in the sweet spot on the couch awaiting the action.

The 1/0 intro looked cool, but as the opening scenes with Trinity in the room unfolded, I was horrified! The blacks weren't black, things were incredibly grainy, and there were dancing pixelation artifacts everywhere. I played with the H30 settings a bit, but nothing made it look any better. I thought, "What did I do to this thing?!"

I quickly put the settings back to my DVE calibrated numbers and put in The Fifth Element instead. Whew, what a relief! It looked spectacular! The picture quality was amazing and the colors were breathtaking. I watched the entire movie, even though I hadn't really intended to.

In the few seconds that I could manage to pull my eyes away from the screen, I checked the DVD box for The Matrix. It's a non-anamorphic letter box version, and I can only assume it's an early sub-par transfer. This was the very first DVD I ever owned, and I bought it back in 1999 when there weren't many DVDs to choose from. I certainly hope there has been a GOOD version produced since then.

I officially love my H30 again. :)

Is there any consensus as to whether DVE or Avia is the better calibration DVD on the market right now?

Can you find these at any large store, like Best Buy or Barnes & Noble?

Nine times out of ten, I prefer Avia. It's much easier to use than DVE's clumsy menu system. I do find a few test patterns on DVE that I like better than Avia's for use with DLPs, but overall if I could only have one of them, I'd choose Avia.

Best Buy sells it online and you can check for local availability on their website. You'd have to call your local B&N and see if they have it.

Originally posted by guitarman
Robert,
The PJ has five gamma settings and a very cool menu system with many adjustments. The projector remembers everything you do and applies it to the specific signal you used. Like progressive vs interlaced component, hdtv/OTA, s-video, composite.

There's five picture modes,
Cinema Normal Vivid User1 User 2

It will also remember what you did in any of these modes and apply it to the various signals you used for each of the five modes. Makes things very easy for new users.

Bob what are you thinking of getting a back up projector also? You'll like the contrast,blacks & colors on this one big time. Just like the HT1000.

Shoot, Tom. I'm actually thinking of selling the 1k and replacing it with this one.
Although I have HDTV I really only care about watching DVD. So if pixels don't show I don't mind the SVGA resolution. The only downside is I would probably have to go back to using the HTPC again.

Bob

Bob ,
-- I find the HTPC to be the best route with the H30 after comparing many other DVD playback options [ many different players tested as well as an Iscan ] . The internal scaler/d-i does a wonderful job of getting 480p from a 480i source but the image just seems a bit blurry after using an HTPC [ an HTPC really shows just how sharp of an image can be obtained with the H30 ] . But as always some may not like the added sharpness and might prefer a standalone player , so YMMV ;) .
_______________________________

-- I prefer AVIA over DVE as well ;) .
_____________
--- Jason

Shoot, Tom. I'm actually thinking of selling the 1k and replacing it with this one.
Although I have HDTV I really only care about watching DVD. So if pixels don't show I don't mind the SVGA resolution. The only downside is I would probably have to go back to using the HTPC again.
Why? I haven't seen the H30 yet but I can't imagine it performing better than the HT1000. Guitarman, I know you love the H30 but is it really better than the HT1000?

The projector remembers everything you do and applies it to the specific signal you used. Like progressive vs interlaced component, hdtv/OTA, s-video, composite. I'm pretty sure my LT240K does this as well. (It seems to remember the settings when I switch to the Xbox.) Doesn't the HT do this?

Just curious.

Jason,

I'm not really happy with anything other than DVI or HTPC (DVI or RGB).
And since there's no DVI, I'm in your camp here.
--------------

Kysersose,

Because I'm the Sultan of Cheap. And if it gives as much performance as others are indicating then I can dump the 1k and buy it and put mucho dollars in my pocket :)
--------------

Tom,

Would this switch be a mistake?
----------------

Bob

On the weekend I got my H30 attached to the ceiling and my DIY BO cloth screen hitched to the wall. I am very impressed! Everything looks great. I'm so glad you folks talked me into the H30.

I'm looking forward to the Optoma masking system. In some scenes the ligh spill is definitely significant. I would prefer to do something at the lense to control this rather than do something to my walls. But I'll wait and see for now.

One last question: I'm mostly watching DVD and Tivo at the moment. I'm use the composite video input (because I happen to have a cheapo composite cable long enough for a temporary connection). I'm about to invest in some quality cable (or DIY) - s-video is a better choice than composite, right? Tivo has s-video (it doesn't look much better than composite, but it's there) so I could switch over from composite to s-video completely.

Jeff, that's what I'm planning to do. I have an s-video cable on order for my Tivo and component for my DVD player.

Robert, I wouldn't trade the HT1000 for the H30. The HT1000 is still a higher resolution HT projector. Just like HD2 owners probably wouldn't trade over to a HT1000. The H30 is just a super deal for users not to worried about HDTV. Not that HDTV looks real bad on the H30. It's of course a nice step up from DVD but there's not much happening with HDTV right now. CSI, Jay Leno, occasional movie. The movie's aren't important for me, I own most every movie on DVD. Better time shifting.

If anybody was looking for the best low priced machine for TV and DVD, the H30 is the one.

Hey Jeff, glad you like the H30. See Bob allot of happy first time buyers. I hope they know how lucky they are because I've seen and had guite a few way more expensive projectors that don't come near this quality level.

Firmware update:

Wing's still testing the new firmware this week and possibly next week as well, so it looks like I won't be getting my H30 back anytime soon. :(

However, the lens cap mask may be part of the total package, so I'd rather they just get everything done at once, rather than go though it all again. Really looking forward to seeing the results.

Has anyone tried the H30 with an ND or FL-D filter and a Hi-Power? I love the punch a Hi-Power adds to the picture but I'm afraid it might be too much with the H30.

Anyone have the calibrated lumens figure on this sucker? Thanks.
-Matt

I tried the FLD It looks ok. It's a matter of whether you need or like dark vs bright.

Tom,

Many thanks go out to you on this thread. I actually picked up the Optoma line after seeing your recommendation of this projector. I bought a demo to try, figuring I could use it in a bedroom system at home for occasional use if it wasn't up to my standards for selling in the business.... Well it hasn't made it to the bedroom yet!! It's definitely staying in the theater demo room for customers! The only debate I've had is whether to keep it there or not because it makes it hard to convince people they need to spend MORE for another machine!

You're right Tom. For DVD and TV watching on a reasonable sized big screen and adequate seating distance from the screen, this is THE projector hands down in this price category. I am *extremely* sensitive to rainbows and needed the higher speed color wheel and 6 segment wheels to even remotely be able to stand watching a DLP. I still see rainbows with this projector, but not nearly as much as I thought I would. For the price, this is a no brainer purchase for the great picture, especially the color rendering.

It does throw a decent HDTV picture. It's not spectacular when compared to CRT projectors running full HD res or the HD2 DLP machines, but it is more than acceptable to the average person. Besides the fact you have to spend significantly more money for those higher resolution machines. So it further highlights how great this thing is for the money.

For anyone following the thread that HASN'T seen this unit or ordered one for themselves, do so!! Hands down, one of the best values for the money I have yet encountered.

yipchunyu:

I am using a 16x9 screen. When I used the HTPC it, the 4x3 image was the full 800x600 pixels--it was an image that was quite a bit larger than the 16x9 image.

C4Sip, Johnny Bax:

To be honest, I was a bit worried that I'd completely screw up the screen. I was more worried about this than getting the wrong projector! But for $50, it's hard to beat.

Jeff 4242:

S Video is better than composite, but better than S video is component. Tributaries makes a nice cable that is a little cheaper than Monster cable.

HomeTheaterDoc:

You should definitely carry it. I'm sure that there are a lot more people out there that can afford the H30 over the HD2 machines, me for instance. :)

HTDoc is smart, you don't want this machine near the expensive ones. ;)

Originally posted by Fabbas

I am using a 16x9 screen. When I used the HTPC it, the 4x3 image was the full 800x600 pixels--it was an image that was quite a bit larger than the 16x9 image.


so, u project a 16:9 image with space left on the top and bottom of the screen?

or the 16:9 screen will put on the center of the screen?

Well I have to thank you all, after months of research and reading this forum last night I ordered my own H30.
I am getting it from ColeProjectors in NYC as they were one of the few companys that would deliver to Brunei.
The only problem is that now they are waiting for the stock with the new firmware so I may be waiting for a couple of weeks.......


New update new stock due in by the end of the week.... woo hoo

Welcome to the H30 crew. It's worth the short wait.

Originally posted by benos55
Well I have to thank you all, after months of research and reading this forum last night I ordered my own H30.
I am getting it from ColeProjectors in NYC as they were one of the few companys that would deliver to Brunei.
The only problem is that now they are waiting for the stock with the new firmware so I may be waiting for a couple of weeks.......

Did you not consider Singapore?

xvader

Yea thought about Singapore. I get over there quite often,but after loads of web searches could not find a dealer over there. Even tried emailing Opotma to see if they had any retailers over that way but got no response.
On the positive side I am sure I got a better price and I will get the updated firmware.
Now its just a matter of when?

Ps Thanks Tom all your posts have been a great help..

yipchunyu,

When using an HTPC, the 16x9 image is in the middle, with black bars at the top and the bottom. Otherwise, with component, svideo, and composite inputs, the 16x9 image is always at the bottom.

here is a question where is the filter on the h30 and what type of filter is it and how long before you replace it ? and how much ?

How's the quality of projection in a room with some ambient light? (A couple low-wattage dimmed lights near the seating area; a conference table for instance.) I'm looking at the H30 for both personal DVD viewing and using the projector via Inspiron laptop for photography portait sales to end clients.

I realize there are some higher lumen projectors available (at a higher price) but Tom made me and the wife drool looking at the photos of it's output.

Hi benos55,

Well there is a dealer called Igat in Singapore which were supposed to bring in the H30 for SGD 2300+ I said 'supposed to' because, like the H76, the shipment seems to be delayed since December, last I called was on Feb 20, which they confirmed delivery, but still no news, I gave up and am now waiting for the SP4805, afterall what is another 3 months of waiting?

This just in, the Optoma H30 has finally arrived in Singapore, brought in by Igat.

What is the latest firmware version please?

veggie guy,

The Matrix is anamorphic, but as someone else has pointed out it's not that good of a transfer. The graininess is part of the DVD. It was a good DVD for it's day, but it was one of the first. Some of the nicer recent transfers include Finding Nemo, Chicago, and the bright scenes from the Italian Job.

Miguel.

"(A couple low-wattage dimmed lights near the seating area; a conference table for instance."

The H30 has a very high contrast/bright picture. You could hv low lights on the sides, it's best to defuse it some way.

Sweet Tom. That's exactly what I needed to know. I just need to keep enough illumination to make eye contact with my clients at the table during presentations and to jot brief notes down while taking their order...now to find an authorized dealer that has this in stock for a good price. :)

Quick question Tom,
Which one do you remember to be quieter, the DT200 or the H30?

here is a question where is the filter on the h30 and what type of filter is it and how long before you replace it ? and how much ?

well what is it :D

If there is a filter, there's nothing about it in the manual.

Re fan sound DT200&H30, they're both pretty quiet. I'd say the H30 is bassier and the DT200 osolates a little. Both just fine, except I like the H30 better. :)

We hv to ask the tech people about filters, who know's maybe it's sealed up.

We hv to ask the tech people about filters, who know's maybe it's sealed up.


well it is important for the pj to be cool and not to clog up some should ask a tech. about this issue if there is an issue :confused:

I've been playing around with color temperatures 2 and 3, but I can't tell which is closest to 6500k. Can anyone?

From my experience (and if I recall correctly, Tom's as well), "2" is the closest to 6500K.

Mike did you get you projector back with the "first" of the new updates yet?

Steve

Reading this thread, i ordered my H30 but i have a big problem with interlaced sources. First i noticed a blurry picture at horizontal motions,when i go in it i find out that there where black stripes(e.g. red or green Boxes at the menu of Daddy Day Care) or white stripes if there is a scrolling text. It seems that the deinterlacer sometimes gets confused.
I tried both modes video and cinema when using my sat receiver, there is no difference.
With my Denon 2800, i have the probs only in interlaced mode. I'm from Germany using PAL.

Any ideas?

Rudi

Mike did you get you projector back with the "first" of the new updates yet?


well down here xing the optoma teck is testing it out to see if it is up to speed , don't know about how mikes and toms are doing with the firm ware


steve what was that comment on the Canuck Shootout 2 thread is there a hidden joke some where :confused: :D

Originally posted by HiHoStevo
Mike did you get you projector back with the "first" of the new updates yet?

Steve

No. It's going to be another week or two. I posted about it here (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?postid=3460287#post3460287).

I have been waiting on the SP4805 but reading this thread for the last month I'm willing to take the plunge in to FP. Could someone PM where they found the lowest price on the H30?

Thanks
Steve

since the H30 use VGA as input. Any good VGA switcher can u guys suggest?

Tom / Mike...

I would need to run a cable about 25' from my components to the projector. As my Denon 3803 upconverts the composite and s-video inputs and allows me to output all inputs over a single component cable I was planning just a single run to the projector.

Would I be better off running component cable from the Denon to the projector and then using Optoma's component/vga connector... or should I use the connector on a short cable out of the Denon and run VGA cable to the projector?

Which would give you the lowest signal loss? Assuming "good" quality cables of either variety.

Steve

I really don't know if you would see a vast difference between the two. It's kind of one of those trial and error kind of deals. But if you are using quad shielded, teflon dielectric component cables versus well shielded VGA cables, the price difference might make the decision for you (i.e. the component cables are bound to be more expensive).

Unless you get really good VGA cables, the conductors tend not to be shielded nearly as well as some of the better ones out there and certainly not as well as the good component cables....

Depending on the amount of noise in your environment, you just might not see much of a difference..... I'll do some experiments and let you know... I have some long VGA cables, a 9m run of quad shield teflon component cable, some 1m component cables, etc... I'll report back when I've had a chance to compare.

Rob is not impressed at all with the H30 and disagree's with pretty much everything said about it... I have been trying to convince him to build his excellent mounts for the projector, but he is just not convinced... I figured that I had mentioned it enough to him that when you brought it up... he would probably blame me for trying to get others to "gang up" on him.


awwww steve i get it well rob has his own opinion but i can tell you this i am very picky with my ht gear and i can tell you the h30 is the best bang for your buck pj and you know what i am not bringing my h30 to the shoot out because when people see it they will like it for the price well no loss for me and all of us that have this pj . ;)


i tend to agree with you steve because i actually own one and spent time to tweak it to work great .


ps : to each there own even if they are wrong
;)

A DVI feed usually looks much better than a component/VGA feed. For DVD, is a component/VGA-fed Optoma H30 competitive with a DVI-fed HT-1000?!

I read in one thread that a very high resolution component/VGA feed can be almost as good as a native resolution DVI feed. But so far I'm hearing that 800x600p is best when feeding a H30 from a HTPC. Comments?

If I have HTPC DVD (VGA), D-VHS HDTV (component), and PAL TV (SCART/s-video), would I have any trouble with getting everything aligned to the screen with the H30? Would the new firmware be a benefit or detriment?

Originally posted by hometheaterdoc
Unless you get really good VGA cables, the conductors tend not to be shielded nearly as well as some of the better ones out there and certainly not as well as the good component cables....

Depending on the amount of noise in your environment, you just might not see much of a difference.....

I agree. In general, component cables are heavier gauge and better shielded than VGA (which require smaller gauge wire for its connection). Of course, a VGA cable is less obtrusive (if that's a factor) and cheaper. 25' is not overly long for a VGA cable though and if it's got good shielding you should be fine.

Color temp 1,2,3

I did ask the designer about which number is 6500k, it's (2).
But if you have a time when you need more color/red number 3 will help. You've probably noticed this but the color temp gets cooler with the lower numbers, 1 is bluer.

About cables, I hv a 25' component to VGA cable but have read recently that since the pins in VGA connectors are so small, cables used in component form have to be very small/thin. so you should keep the cable length down to 15'.

For long cable runs to a VGA input it's best to use compnent cables to a short VGA adaptor. Like the one supplied with the projector. Point being component to VGA breakout cables do use a very small wire.

I did do an a/b of the two types as I have long component cables also. I couldn't see any difference. But the experts recommend what I just quoted.

"Rob is not impressed at all with the H30 and disagree's with pretty much everything said about it"

Riiight! No Comment. A big LOL

Riiight! No Comment. A big LOL


which comment was this directed at tom :D

Rob's not down on the H30 he's just talking about product delivery being limited. Hey I'm in retail it's pretty tuff to have a product that looks great and everybody wants and not be able to supply the sales. We hv that problem with the Arturo Fuente Opus X cigar.


tom i just read your comment on the Canuck Shootout 2 forum and i under stand ;) so you guys here think i should bring the optoma to the shootout down here and i was supose to get my pj calibrated last friday by michael but i ended up having dental surgery for my wisdom teeth and i am not all here yet because of the pain killers :D but guys give me the best setup numbers for the component setting , so if i bring the pj to the shoot out i want the pj to shine. becasue i am picking up custom made cables and i want the pj to be optimized for this thing . cheers


it will be probably a panny player don't know which one but i have a xp30 ;)

In general -

On your DVD player (Panasonic) menu always choose the Darker and 16.9 for full resolution output.

On the H30 choose
Cinema & Film
Gamma 2 & color temp 2
white peaking 0 for smoother or 6 if you like the whites very white

The rest (brightness, contrast, color) use your Avia as signals are always different re connections and players etc.

I'd expect that they would calibrate each display with Avia or DVE at the shootout or it wouldn't be a fair comparison, especially since he's getting many of the projectors direct from manufacturers. Many settings would also depend on any ambient lighting in the room.

Bad News. My H30 is headed back. They couldn't figure out why I only get a green bar when switching from HDTV to SDTV channels. I also couldn't seem to access the menus needed to at least band-aid fix the problem. They said I should send it back and get a new one from them.

I really have liked the H30 so far, but this is a little disappointing. I'm not terribly optimistic that the new one will fix the problem, but I hope it will. Anyway, if you have RCN HDTV cable like me, you may want to wait until I get mine back before buying one - otherwise, I still think it is a great little, projector.

Just connected Comcast Digital HD Cable [ Motorola dct6200 ] to the H30 and get no such issues [ like nosdmi described having with his HD cable so his problem might be an issue of a bad H30 ] .

--------------------------------------------------------

-- Does anybody else notice a crescent of light coming from the H30 [ projected onto the ceiling when in table-top mode ] . I also noticed that if I project a totally black screen and then look into the lens from the side [ NOT DIRECTLY INTO IT ] I can see some silver material that looks like it has possibly melted [ is this normal ? ] . The image seems exactly the same as it has been since I purchased it so I cannot imagine that if something did actually melt inside that it would not effect the image [ or is it possible ] .

---- Thanks ,
---- Jason

Yes it leaks quite a bit of light - the ventilation, crescent reflection etc...but they are fixable...The H30 case isn't exactly a work of art, but its the inside that counts & this thing ROCKS...no doubt.

nomit ,
-- Thanks for confirming the crescent ;) .
-- Now I just have to see if the melted internal look is normal or something I should be concerned with as I only have a day or two left for an exchange .
----- Thanks ,
------- Jason

Thanks for the cable advice Tom & Mike

Steve

I have the crescent light spill also, and my H30 only has 4 hours on it.

Yep, I see the cresent as well, way up top (middle of my ceiling.) Didn't notice it till you mentioned it. I'd guess it will become a non-issue (less than it is now, even) with the add-on mask.

John F

LOL, would you guys stop it! I haven't noticed any crescent spill on the ceiling, now I'll be doing everything I can to prevent myself from gazing up at the ceiling tonight while watching! :D

They all have light from the vent area, almost looks like the letters O/P :). The heat gets sent off to the side which is nice. On all my PJ's when ceiling mounted would shoot a crescent light on the ceiling. I've seen members setups where they would put a black velvet patch on the ceiling. Overall I've never done this the light never affected the viewing.

So is anybody willing to take a look through the lens for me [ from the side with a black image or with 'No Signal' ] ?
-- If I sit just to the right of the lens [ table top ] and look in from the side to-wards the center of the projector I see the melted metal looking item [ it sits from about the middle of the lens and goes upward on the left of the lens - if you are facing the front of the projector ] .
---- I would greatly appreciate anybody looking to see if this is normal or if I need to make an exchange tonight .
----- Thank You !
------ Jason

Try to reach the tech area to see what's up. I wouldn't be able to look until after 6:30pm PSE tonight.

I don't see any kind of a melted looking item when peering into mine. I do see a small silver L-shaped item in about the same position you describe, but it's definitely not melted. It's hard to say whether this is the same thing you're looking at though.

Has nobody the today mentioned probs with interlaced sources?
perhaps Tom you can help

Rudi

Thanks for the input !

--- I am wondering though if I am just seeing a non-machined piece of metal that is being magnified due to the lens optics .... which could be what is making it look rough ? But then veggie seems to be seeing the same metal item as I am seeing [ only his doesn't look imperfect ] .
--- Very odd that it would not effect the image if it did indeed melt [ I mean it must be there for a reason ] .

I am thinking that I should return it and try another one [ just in-case ] .

---- Jason

The metal piece I'm seeing is very regularly shaped "L". I really can't tell what function it serves though. It's possible that losing it wouldn't affect picture quality, but it sure seems like it should affect something. Otherwise why would it be in there?! On the other hand, there are often useless pieces on circuit boards, in cases, etc that are simply a product of mass production.

If you bought yours from a retailer that you can visit in person, I'd say take it in and exchange it, or at least show them what you're seeing. If it's a mail-in situation.... I think I'd call Optoma and ask them what it is. You might have problems getting somebody to exchange it if you can't demonstrate that there's a functional problem beyond, "It just seems wrong!" :)

Veggie ,
--- The unit was purchased at a local dealer where I have a 15 day [ no-questions asked ] return policy from - in writing .
--- Then another concern is even if it does not affect anything why did the unit get hot enough to melt it [ if it is indeed melted ] .
--- I am going to return it , just too many worries with it now to be comfortable keeping it [ even though I am sure Optoma would warranty it ] .
------ Jason

************ Just confirmed an Exchange unit on hold for me [ so I will post my findings on the new vs. old unit later tonight ] *************

Originally posted by DaGamePimp
Veggie ,
--- The unit was purchased at a local dealer where I have a 15 day [ no-questions asked ] return policy from - in writing .
--- Then another concern is even if it does not affect anything why did the unit get hot enough to melt it [ if it is indeed melted ] .
--- I am going to return it , just too many worries with it now to be comfortable keeping it [ even though I am sure Optoma would warranty it ] .
------ Jason

************ Just confirmed an Exchange unit on hold for me [ so I will post my findings on the new vs. old unit later tonight ] *************
Jason,
From what I heard from Taiwan's forum, some machine seems running too hot and melted a small part of the pj (near the air-flow). But most of them claims that these only happen to those early-build one and this problem is solved. Just hope your new one won't face the same situation.

yipchuny ,
--- Ah , thank you for the information .
--- That might explain what I am seeing then .
--- I sure hope the next one does not do the same thing , if it does than I am not sure I will get another H30 :( . We shall see ...
----- Jason

********** I should mention that this H30 had only 25 hours on it :( **********

Tom: Thanks for the feedback with the color temperature.

As far as the gamma goes, I played around with gamma 1 and 2, but I noticed that when I use gamma 2, the dark gray areas tend to get grainy. I think that the smoothest grays & blacks, at least for film sources, is with gamma 1.


BTW, I also see the crescent light spill. Can't wait for the masking lens cap.

As far as interlaced sources, I'm sending a 480i signal from my DVD player. I don't recall seeing any deinterlacing problems. In fact, I'm so satisfied with the picture at the moment, that I can't see getting a new dvd player until the HD DVD players are out and reasonably priced.

Picture is smooth here for Sat TV and DVD.

Re the lens, how about shinning a flash light in there with the PJ off. Would that work?

"I also see the crescent light spill" Is this something different? Every PJ I've had shoots cresent light onto the ceiling.

mine also has it, it is small half moon of light but i thought nothing of it :confused: but the pj does run a little hot but the fan seems to be working fine though. so like tom says i don't think it should be a problem ,or should it :confused:

And I thought the picture from H30 was awesome on my bare wall. Well, my Carada Brilliant White screen arrived today, and within two hours, I had it all mounted and the picture from the pj aligned with it.

All I can say is......W-O-W!

The Carada screen has totally transformed the H30 experience. It's even better than I had hoped for. Highly recommended!


Btw, no crescent moon or any other objects being displayed on my ceiling. But mine is table mounted, maybe it's only the ceiling mounts that are getting that.

I have mine ceiling mounted and the light reflected on the ceiling is normal glow from the circular lens. I see no light anywhere else.

I took a look at the lens with a flash light. Nothing to see there except a clean small round lens eye, can't see a thing in there and when the PJ's on there's nothing to see except the square chip light as it hits the glass. There's no L-shaped piece. Can't imagine what you're seeing there?

JB, what size and shape screen? I with you I love this projector, they'd have to pry it from my dead hands lol

I watching OTA Fox right now, the OC comes on at 9pm :). Picture settings at stock with just having to lower the brightness because OTA comes in way to bright. Brightness is down to minus 35. Picture and colors look great.

Yet again...

A favor. Can anyone measure the light beam size about 1 inch from the lens? I am trying to build an anamorphic lens, and the problem is, as always, that the prisms found seem on the small side. I guess using a checkered sheet would provide a good enough estimage of the beam size.

Promise to share my build with everyone if it works out:D

1" away it's a 2" square.

Picture settings at stock with just having to lower the brightness because OTA comes in way to bright. Brightness is down to minus 35. Picture and colors look great.


Wow, I can't imagine having my brightness set that low. I guess it really depends on your setup. My brightness is currently at +5. I tried turning it down to -35 just for fun, and WOW was that too dark. Everything was dark -- including stuff that shouldn't be.

It's surprising that individual setups could vary so drastically for the same projector model.

There's no L-shaped piece. Can't imagine what you're seeing there?


Hmm... I was actually looking beyond the lens into the innards of the projector. The L-shaped piece is just off center to the right (if ceiling mounted), immediately behind the lens. So I was looking from left of center to get the angle right to see it.

Guitarman, my Carada is a 96" diag 16:9 1.78 Roughly 8 ft wide by 4 ft. high.

I have just started playing around with the brightness and contrast. I lowered my brightness, too, it's somewhere around -23 now. And I've got my tint at -43, due to the green push.

But, I am loving it. :)

Originally posted by Johnny Bax
And I thought the picture from H30 was awesome on my bare wall. Well, my Carada Brilliant White screen arrived today, and within two hours, I had it all mounted and the picture from the pj aligned with it.

All I can say is......W-O-W!

\

Johnny............

That is the screen with the 1.4 gain isn't it???

Steve

"Hmm... I was actually looking beyond the lens into the innards of the projector."

My advise is to not look into the light. lol
There's nothing in there to worry about, enjoy the movie. :)

"My brightness is currently at +5. I tried turning it down to -35 just for fun, and WOW was that too dark."

That lower number is for OTA/HTDV which pushes the bright level. Those signals you have to eyeball. All else Avia is a must, or at least DVE. I got way different numbers for each DVD player. I tried four players and settled on a JVC because it has letterbox support. Well at least until the firmware is finished.

Well I exchanged my H30 and the service guy looked at it and saw that it was indeed melted [ yes it is off to the side of the lens so you don't have to look directly into it ] .
--- I have not un-boxed the new one yet but the serial is only 21 from the last one so it's probably from the same batch that produced the Over-Heating/Melting units :( . Just my luck too , man this stuff always happens to me ( ah well ;) ) .
--- I was just about to order the Jay Blaine ceiling mount when I discovered the melted item in question , so I guess the new one will be back on the Tri-Pod until I can conclude it is not going to melt .
--- Once I get it all un-boxed and set-up I will check out the 'L' and see how it looks [ I wish I could have snapped a pic of it through the lens but it didn't work ] .
---- The Crescent spill that I speak of would not be on the Ceiling if you are Ceiling mounted , it would be on the Floor [ it is on the Ceiling if you are Table-Top style ] .
----- Let the adventure begin again ... ;)
-------- Jason

1" away it's a 2" square.

Thanks alot guitarman, this opens up alot of possibilities (lots of prisms are available with a 2inch face).

I probably don't need the anamorphic lens for this projector, but then again HT is not about NEEDS now is it ;)

Stay tuned...

Originally posted by DaGamePimp
the serial is only 21 from the last one What is the serial # of the melter?

Thanks,
Robin

The serial number might only be 2 away. Often account numbers and serial number reserve the last digit as a 'check' digit that is computed.

That makes sense since the 2 units probably came in on the same shipment

Originally posted by HiHoStevo
Johnny............

That is the screen with the 1.4 gain isn't it???

Steve

Hey Steve,

Yes, it is the 1.4 gain Brilliant White coating. The best analogy as to the difference the Carada screen made to the picture from the H30, was like the difference taking the lense cap off the pj after having started watching a movie with it on.

Btw, I double-checked my brightness setting on the H30, and I was in error. I have it at -12, not -23. I still plan on getting Avia and fine tuning it with that.

1.4 gain sounds just right. Wait till you get Avia you'll be tuning every TV in the house, it works.

"i don't think it should be a problem ,or should it "

Joe, I wouldn't worry, the light whether on the ceiling or floor or both it's just reflection from the lens. I can't recommend looking into the lens when the lights on and I couldn't see anything with a flashlight. I looked when the projecor was off.

DGP,
Curious how was the service guy able to see your problem? Did he take it apart? better luck.

Originally posted by veggieguy
Wow, I can't imagine having my brightness set that low. I guess it really depends on your setup. My brightness is currently at +5. I tried turning it down to -35 just for fun, and WOW was that too dark. Everything was dark -- including stuff that shouldn't be.

It's surprising that individual setups could vary so drastically for the same projector model.

Well, when I first set up the H30, both Avia and DVE resulted in a brightness well below zero. When I got the projector back after the bulb was replaced and the firmware was changed, most of my settings (including brightness) were now close to, or slightly above zero. That's why you really need to use Avia or DVE. If the projector was set up through the service menu, all the correct settings in the regular menu could be zero (as my RPTV is).

I'll bet everybodys sub menu numbers are way different. All the RGB calibrations and more are in the service menu which is where the techs most likely do the calibrations. Makes me wonder what's going on with the user Film, Video, PC factory variations. I wonder is all the machines have the same exact factory user menu settings.

Like my OTA/HDTV user factory setting is -

Contrast 5
Brightness minus 5
Color 3
Tint 0
Sharp 39
Gamma 1

All I have to do here is bring back the brightness to minus 35 till the blacks look black.

Regarding the green strip issue, while I was calibratinghy H30 with DVE, the green strip appeared after the projector lost signal and I had to turn off the projector to retrieve the signal. Everything was fine after that.

All I can say after my calibration is WOW! Much improved picture. I don't have my settings in front of my but I think they are:

Mode: Cinema
Contrast: 5
Brightness: 9
Color: 5
Tint: I can't seem to find the tint. What menu?
Sharpness: 28
Gamma: 2

White Peaking: 4
Color Temp: 2
Image Mode: Film
Bulb is in ECO mode
This makes the image very clean and sharp. Blacks are still good with a bunch more shadow detail. IE: With the stock settings, LOTR:TT in the beginning when they are falling down the shaft, before it was very black with little or no detail. Now the shadow detail is excellent and it is still very dark.

Do most of you guys run your H30 in ECO mode or Normal?

In econo, when you see the difference it's so small. I'll take the extra 1000hrs :)

Here here on the calibration Dvd'S

Originally posted by guitarman
In econo, when you see the difference it's so small. I'll take the extra 1000hrs :)

. . . and the lower noise. I agree.

Tint: I can't seem to find the tint. What menu?

It's not available with all inputs.

Robin ,
--- I don't think posting serial #'s is a good idea but I can tell you that it was Q&A passed on FEB.12th . This would probably not make it an original first run batch so I might of just had bad luck ;) [ or it could have just been a build issue that I had not noticed previously ] .

------------------------------------------------------------

--- The new one seems fine so far after a couple hours of use watching some HiDef material .
-- The AVIA calibration resulted in different settings than the previous unit so maybe they have slightly different firmware [ even though the serial was so close ] .
-- The service tech looked into the side of the lens [ just as I had done ] and said he could certainly see what looked to be a melted item inside . He said it even kind of smelled burnt [ which I had not previously noticed but he said his nose is trained very well since he does service electronics for 8 hours a day ] . So needles to say they agreed with me and we moved on .
-- The new one did come with a nice fingerprint right on the Lens [ yes it was brand new in the Box and never been opened ] and the power cord had bent plugs . Looks like the Q&A department needs a bit of work but I still think this is the best Digital PJ out there in the sub $2K range :) .
--------- Jason

I'm still looking around for decent pricing on the H30 from a reputable dealer (recommendation?) that doesn't reside in CA (don't want to pay sales tax). Anyone?

Secondly, does anyone have an idea of what the replacement bulbs for the H30 cost? I know most of you will just end up getting a new projector when the time comes, but I thought I'd ask anway. ;)