"While waiting on the H30, I spent a few hours last night with the BenQ 6100. Nice picture, but it makes me glad they're not going to center the 16:9 image in the chip with the H30. I'd rather deal with light spill above rather than both above and below like it is with the 6100. Of course, the lens mask will remove that issue anyway."

Mike, that's because you prefer a 16.9 screen (The spill). I haven't tested this yet but lets say there are some owners that want a 4.3 screen. I'd say you don't need the firmware and could get the projector to act like it does with HTPC. How? by using a component to VGA Transcoder, they're about $69 on Ebay.

HTPC sends an RGBHV signal to the VGA input on the H30. A Transcoder converts component to RGBHV.

With this a 4.3 screen user could have the full 800X600 4.3 and 16.9 images would be centered in the 4.3 screen. Which for me looks more balanced.

Here's a couple of shots with the Hoya FLD filter. The image gets darker and the colors are stronger. Not the the H30 needs any help. :) I think I like the projector more without the filter.

http://www.cigarbest.com/sales/h30apes1.jpg

http://www.cigarbest.com/sales/h30apes2.jpg

I'm really fond of the second picture. ;)

Originally posted by guitarman
Mike, that's because you prefer a 16.9 screen (The spill).

Yes, I should have mentioned that having light spill only on top is better for 16:9 screens.

Has anyone tried the H30 with a 104" wide or bigger screen?

Penniman ,
--- If you are talking Width then the largest I have done is 96" [ 110" diagonal ] and the image was still wonderful [ just not as punchy as say 72" or 84" (width) ] . Consider this is not an Ultra Bright digital like some out there , it is designed for HT use where at least some light control is usually found . It is not dim by any means either but don't expect a bright punchy image at 104" or bigger ;) .
------ Jason

Hey Johnny Bax,

Good stuff, thanks man! I feel more comfortable by the hour/response with the choice.

I was wondering if the ~76" diagonal 4:3 viewing was going to be a bit much at ~13-14'. I am not one to sit in the front third of a movie theater as I don't want to move my head back and forth to watch a movie. That is another reason I have chosen not to build a screen until I see both limits of the projector from the fixed projector distance on a temp screen. How far away are you sitting from that ~70" 4:3 screen?

I hear you on the spring thing. I sometimes feel like we live above the Arctic Circle when we have more winter months than summer. I often ask my wife around "sick of winter" months like March- "Remind me again why we live here?"

Take care and have a great weekend!!

I guess you new owners know this, but there's two ways to set up the projector.

One is scaling 16.9 & 4.3 which is 800X450 for widescreen dvds.

Other is Native 16.9 & 4.3 = 800X480 for WS-dvds

Setting up in the scaled versions is easiest because all formats will fit the screen HDTV, 480pOTA, 16.9 & 4.3 DVD.

But lately I've re zoomed my setup to use 800X480 native. Because the picture is larger you have to zoom down the image which makes the pixels smaller with the higher resolution. On the plus side DVD's will look very good. But widescreen HDTV will be a littler large for filling the screen, you'll get some overspill.

Also OTA 4.3 TV shows will have black bars on the sides with a small black bar on top. I found it to look ok especially if you use zoom 2. It will give quite a large 4.3 image this way.

I've left things in native for now because I mainly watch DVD's and OTA 480p and not much if any HDTV widescreen movies. If there's something super in HDTV I'll just re setup My projector in the 16.9 scaled version, for that one show.

But 99% of the time I'll leave it using the 800X480p for the tighter resolution. Another good thing is you'll also notice that all 2.35 dvds will have a much larger image.

Try it, see what you think.

Tom ,
-- Basically the same thing that I have been doing with my HTPC [ for the gain in resolution - from 450 to 480 ] . I also use the Anamorphic AR setting in ZoomPlayer Pro and let the PJ do the squeeze , this gives great results with 'Reference' material ;) .

_________

-- I have a question : is anybody using the 1/4"-20 threaded mount hole on the bottom for ceiling mounting [ along with a safety cable of course ] ?
--- I thought about trying this since I already have the stuff to do it [ just a speaker mount ;) ] . I would think the larger bolt would have just as much holding power as the 3 smaller 3mm mount holes [ maybe ... ? ] .
_________
---- Thanks
----- Jason

I use just the tripod screw. I have a chief mount and made a wooden plate to attach to the Tripod screw. The PJ attaches firmly using it's rubber feet to snug down to the wooden plate. The plate I attach to the removable bracket that all chief mounts have for an easy off feature.

No worry the one large screw holds firmly.

Great !!!
--- Thanks Tom :) !
---- Jason

I guess I'm a little confused. If you use 480 Native for a resolution of 800x480, then the aspect ratio is off. How are you compensating for that. I can understand how you could adjust the squeeze with an HTPC, but using just a regular DVD player?

I want a 2nd PJ for outdoor movies when things warm up and have been seriously considering the Infocus X1. I'm a little confused over the advantages of this Optoma over the Infocus X1.

The X1 is rated a brighter 1100 Lumens over the H30's 800 Lumens, but some say the H30 has a brighter more colorful pic?? Since their is some ambient light outdoors I think I would benefit more from the brighter PJ.

The H30 has a faster color wheel and possibly a different SVGA DLP chip. Is the only benefit here reduced rainbows? Is their in fact a different chip used on the H30 that has a significant advantage?

I have an NEC LT150 which is an XGA DLP. I watch mostly HD but do an occasional DVD. How bad is the resolution loss going to an SVGA DLP on HD material?

Is their an XGA or 16:9 DLP chip based PJ that will run in the $1500 or less range in the next few months that would be worth waiting for?

Thanks.

I'm confused too. If I understand it correctly the X1 and other 800x600 PJ's only display 800x450 out of 848x480 DVD resolution. So you are looking about 48x30 pixels lost which is not a big deal.

But what you are saying doesn't make since to me. Here is where I'm confused. What a projector basically does is loose the 48 pixels on the sides because it just doesn't have the resolution to display them. However on the top and bottom it has the res to display the 480, it just masks these pixels to make the picture fit to a standard 16:9 screen. If they didn't, the picture would be a little too tall. What would be nice is if native mode just unmasked these lost 30 pixels without scaling the image at all even though it slightly ruined the 16:9 aspect ratio.

However this would accomplish nothing at all for DVD viewing. Because most DVD's are 1.85:1 or 2.35:1. So these 30 lost pixels on the top and bottom are just black bar area anyway because a 16:9 window is 1.79:1. So the PJ would just be revealing more of these black bars, accomplishing nothing except more light spill.

Here is where I'm confused. You said 16:9 native mode actually reduces the black bars. So it must not work like I described. What native mode must do is scale a full 848x480 DVD resolution to fit in the 800x450 window. This would reduce the black bars, but it would also scale and reduce the image quality. 1:1 pixel ratio would be much better, it's better to just drop the extra pixels then to scale and reduce the image quality to display them.

I might completely misunderstand this, so if you could explain it I would appreciate it.

Why make it so complicated. With the H30 when you choose the native aspects adding the 30 extra vertical pixels you, (wait you do have the projector?) just use the zoom ring to fill a 1.85 movie, then when you play a 2.35 movie it will be the right fit also The pixels are smaller overall because there's more of them. Also the black bars of a 2.35 movie are smaller also, giving a larger 2.35 image. It looks very good to me. :)

Handwired, The H30 is a HT based projector which will kill the LT150 for contrast and snap (I had a LT150). Not only does it have the RGB/RGB wheel, it also has the DDR-dark chip. The X1 isn't in the same category also, those are both presentation projectors with the white segment color wheel. Yes the color wheel makes a huge difference, gives better color/blacks and lowers rainbows. The cheapest HT based 1024x576 16.9 projector costs around $3200-$4000.

Right now the only low priced HT based DLP projectors are the SVGA Sharp Z90 and the H30. The only reason the Sharp is low priced is because it's fazed out. I've compared these two projectors at my house. The H30 is better. If you want a high end HDTV DLP you'll have to pay up for it. Up to $5k.

I've got it on order. By the way, do you know if new projectors once they come back in stock will have the updated firmware? And how bad is the blue shift problem?

<<I've got it on order. By the way, do you know if new projectors once they come back in stock will have the updated firmware?>>

Maybe, maybe not. Worst case, send it to Optima for the most recent update.

<<And how bad is the blue shift problem?>>

It is green shift, not blue.

As one who was affected by this, I can tell you - it afforded me the opportunity to learn about RGB brightness / contrast adjustments. In the end, I've decided that the scaler in the H30 does a slightly better job than the one in my DVD player, so I just feed it 480i, and it is 'picture perfect' without fiddling.

The green shift only affects non-480i component input material.

John F

I also decided to take the plunge and order an H30. I got an ok deal on it- but the place I ordered from doesn't currently have it in stock. That's ok with me though, because i'm not in a huge hurry, and was also hoping that, once they get it in, they will be the units with the updated firmware.

I demo'd both the X1 and the 6100 at home, and they both had significant rainbow problems. In fact, I felt that the 6100 had more rainbows than the X1. I tried tweaking and everything, and found that if I dropped the contrast and brightness, i could make the 6100 show slightly fewer rainbows than the X1, but then I found that the loss of shadow detail was really unacceptable for me. Basically, if I set them both so that the image was satisfactory for me (and pretty much equivalent between the two), the 6100 showed more rainbows. I could feel myself starting to get used to them, but I figured, why settle when the H30 sounds like it will be significantly better?

Anyway, here's hoping that when the H30 arrives, I won't have as big of a rainbow problem.

Anybody who's demo'd either the X1 or 6100 and the H30 (and who sees rainbows on the former 2) have impressions regarding this?

The new contender against the H30 is the benq 6200.

3 year warranty (vs 2 for H30) , XGA and free bulb for 200$ canadian more...

That 4X video color wheel on the H30 better be something special...

Mike, will you be getting one in for review?

P.S. To be fair, the 6200 is much louder (34dB vs 30dB) and has a white segment in its color wheel (which I hear can be turned off in video mode). And its wheel is only 3X, which I hear makes a difference in perceived rainbows. And consensus says the composite (surprise) and s-video inputs suck.

Originally posted by Greg337
Anyway, here's hoping that when the H30 arrives, I won't have as big of a rainbow problem.

You won't.

Anybody who's demo'd either the X1 or 6100 and the H30 (and who sees rainbows on the former 2) have impressions regarding this?

I have both the 6100 and the H30 (well, I had the H30 - due back this week). There are rainbows on the 6100 thta weren't noticeable on the H30. Flames or headlights in dark scenes (Chapter 2 of Blade 2 for example) display rainbows that I don't see on the H30. Check out this thread (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=377784) for more comparison comments.

I have been working out of town for a week in sterling,va and have been lucky enough to finally view a couple of dlp fpjs. WOW are they awesome!
After researching the past two months and reading this thread almost daily(except this past week-i have to catch up yet and yes i need a laptop) I was very close to deciding on the H30 but can wait to hear about the IF4805 and the firmware and lens cap of the h30.
I first found an all digital dlp movie theater playing starsk and hutch. The colors were incredible, you could see pores on close-ups of people's faces. I swear even make-up on their faces was more pronounced.
I was extremely impressed with dlp and with the help of this forum now am positive that is what i want-granted that was a 3 chip mega money machine.
Then a couple days later i stumbled onto a tv store with two ht rooms, i darted right to them (for me locally all i could find was huge crt units). The first room i entered had a 92" 16:9 screen( i new instantly because my basement has had a masking tape outline on it for a month now, my wife is really beginning to think i am nuts) displaying discovery hd- i quick looked to see what was displaying this incredible pic- it was an optoma h56! I sat uninterupted for about 10 minutes it appeared very bright. I almost felt a bit of eyestrain. But the pic was incredible- a few rare pixelizations but thought that could have been from the feed? I then went for a salesman to see a dvd all they had was animated, so i veiwed ice age. also incredible! i shook my head back and forth trying to see rainbows and thought i might have seen one but it was very faint and i am not positive it even was one(my wife is right- i am nuts!). I asked what screen gain was and he wasn't sure he thought it was 6. I have only ever seen ranges from .8 to 1.4 is there a six? The two sales men really new nothing about these machines or fpj but were pleasant and told me i could bring in dvds to view. I was just happy i was viewing a ht dlp machine and on top of that an Optoma. the next day i went to blockbuster and rented LOTR 2 and was back at the store. The source was progressive scan component. Blacks were great, detail was great i asked if these were calibrated with any dvds they said someone came and set them up. The eyestrain i had mentioned disappeared after a couple of minutes the first day also.
Ok the big question- how does this machine compare to the h30 for those of you who have seen both?
I know the hd cant be near the same but are dvds close( brightness, sharpness, blacks)?
The other room displayed an h76 on a 110". i was actually more impressed with the h56, tbh.

Originally posted by Marco T
The new contender against the H30 is the benq 6200.

Mike, will you be getting one in for review?


I'm working on it, but since the increased resolution is the only difference from the 6100, I'm not sure that's going to be enough to sway me. Unless you're sitting pretty close, that resolution difference isn't that noticeable IMO.

Originally posted by Greg337
Anybody who's demo'd either the X1 or 6100 and the H30 (and who sees rainbows on the former 2) have impressions regarding this?
I have the H30 and tried the X1. I seem to be extremely sensitive to RBE as I see it every time on the H30 if there's anything with high contrast in the image. On the X1 however I saw it continuously, even when I was not looking at the screen (corner of my eyes). The difference is huge. If you noticed them sometimes on the X1, or had to move your head to notice them, you won't be seeing them on the H30.

Originally posted by Greg337
Anybody who's demo'd either the X1 or 6100 and the H30 (and who sees rainbows on the former 2) have impressions regarding this?

I have demoed the X1 several times in different setups. Everytime I saw a significant number of rainbows. I've only seen a handful of rainbows on the H30 -- mostly on subtitles for some reason.

Most likely the new shipments will have the firmware. The firmware originated from the headquarters in Taiwan.
Any projectors that were sold here in the US and are sent in for any kind of repair will automatically have the firmware applied.

The Lens mask will be available in 2weeks says the tech dept when I asked a couple of days ago. It won't be free and I guess if they're going to sell it it will work.

Originally posted by MikeSRC

I have both the 6100 and the H30 (well, I had the H30 - due back this week). There are rainbows on the 6100 thta weren't noticeable on the H30. Flames or headlights in dark scenes (Chapter 2 of Blade 2 for example) display rainbows that I don't see on the H30. Check out this thread (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=377784) for more comparison comments.


Thanks for the input. Wasn't it you who had a bulb problem with the H30? You're still waiting to get it back? Is that slow customer service, or was it just you wanting to wait until they could put the firmware update on before they sent it back? If so, I take it the firmware update is now available? How has it been, dealing with the Optoma people?

On the rainbow tip, I had big problems in Crouching Tiger, hidden Dragon, when the girl steals the sword for the first time, and all the people are running around with lamps in the dark... killer rainbows. Also at several points during LOTR:TT- the same idea, torches in the dark.

But I'm really excited to get the pj now. Maybe I was wrong about being able to wait...

Originally posted by guitarman
Most likely the new shipments will have the firmware. The firmware originated from the headquarters in Taiwan.
Any projectors that were sold here in the US and are sent in for any kind of repair will automatically have the firmware applied.

The Lens mask will be available in 2weeks says the tech dept when I asked a couple of days ago. It won't be free and I guess if they're going to sell it it will work.

thanks for the info. Just to be clear, what exactly will the firmware change? Something about masking of the chip in certain modes and a green push, right?

And the lens cap is to help with light spill in 16x9 mode? (with the added benefit of boosting the contrast ratio, right?) or am I wrong here? Did they give you any idea regarding cost of the cap?

sorry for the basic questions, but I'm a bit new to this whole scene, and the thread is insanely long to look through.

Someone with more knowledge than me should make a faq as a companion to this monster thread.

Originally posted by Greg337
Thanks for the input. Wasn't it you who had a bulb problem with the H30? You're still waiting to get it back? Is that slow customer service, or was it just you wanting to wait until they could put the firmware update on before they sent it back?

Yes, I had the bulb replaced, but they changed the firmware and it caused some windowing of 4:3 images in 16:9 mode. So, I sent it back and told them I'd wait for the new firmware.


If so, I take it the firmware update is now available? How has it been, dealing with the Optoma people?

No, it isn't yet. It should be another week. The people at Optoma have been great. They recently moved their offices, which caused some of the delay, but they've been very responsive. Of course, being one of their dealers doesn't hurt. ;)

On the rainbow tip, I had big problems in Crouching Tiger, hidden Dragon, when the girl steals the sword for the first time, and all the people are running around with lamps in the dark... killer rainbows. Also at several points during LOTR:TT- the same idea, torches in the dark.


I haven't tried CT,HD but yes, LOTR:TT is another example of where I saw rainbows on the 6100.

Originally posted by Greg337
thanks for the info. Just to be clear, what exactly will the firmware change? Something about masking of the chip in certain modes and a green push, right?

Yes, the H30 currently doesn't use the full 800 X 600 resolution with a component input. There are a few other things being addressed as well.

And the lens cap is to help with light spill in 16x9 mode? (with the added benefit of boosting the contrast ratio, right?) or am I wrong here? Did they give you any idea regarding cost of the cap?


Yes. Don't have a price on the lens cap, but the one for the H56 is $49.

"green push" about this problem, it's a small number of PJ's that had this problem. Some Tech in the setup area was probably having an off day and calibrated an interlaced signal not remembering that Progressive produces a different level of black so his colors calibrations were off. No offense to the Techno we all have an off day. :) The green is a service menu miss adjustment re 6500k grayscale. I wouldn't expect any of the newer machines to have the problem. And we outlined the fix for anyone right now that does so he can fix it himself with a color adjustment in the service menu.

All the firmware does is make available a full sized 4.3 800X600 image and add letterbox support for NA-dvd or compressed TV like HD-ESPN. :)


The 16.9 image will still shoot to the bottom of the chip for the masked effect, leaving light spill just on the top for convenience, plus added brightness.

The lens cap is just or 16.9 screen users, adding to the brightness and contrast plus deleting any light spill in the unused area.

To sum it up, we got a nifty little projector with allot of cool options and a technical department that's working and thinking up more tricks to make the PJ even better. Like the future digital picture shift - allowing you to move the 16.9 image up and down to any point of the 4.3 chip.

Is anyone using a lens (and probably HTPC) with the H30, in order to use the full 800x600 for a 16:9 image? I should think many of you guys will eventually jump on the lens bandwagon and create a 77 page thread about that. 800x600 is 25% more than 800x480, 33% more than 800x450, and only 18.6% less than a Matterhorn's 1024x576. (Granted, horizontal resolution buys you more than vertical resolution.)

Is anyone having ground loop problems with VGA or component or s-video input with a H30? (I personally have massive ground loop problems between my HTPC and my TV, so I'm scared to go with a projector lacking DVI inputs.)

Originally posted by guitarman
I use just the tripod screw. I have a chief mount and made a wooden plate to attach to the Tripod screw. The PJ attaches firmly using it's rubber feet to snug down to the wooden plate. The plate I attach to the removable bracket that all chief mounts have for an easy off feature.

No worry the one large screw holds firmly.

Whoa! I almost missed this. Thanks for the tip, Tom. I can easily do this with low priced speaker mount since the H30's so light.

Mike ,
--- That was my idea exactly ;) .
--- I plan to use the Omnimount AB2 .
---- Jason

Originally posted by Abdul Jalib
Is anyone using a lens (and probably HTPC) with the H30, in order to use the full 800x600 for a 16:9 image? I should think many of you guys will eventually jump on the lens bandwagon and create a 77 page thread about that. 800x600 is 25% more than 800x480, 33% more than 800x450, and only 18.6% less than a Matterhorn's 1024x576. (Granted, horizontal resolution buys you more than vertical resolution.)

Is anyone having ground loop problems with VGA or component or s-video input with a H30? (I personally have massive ground loop problems between my HTPC and my TV, so I'm scared to go with a projector lacking DVI inputs.)

However that doesn't accomplish anything because the source is still 480P. What good is it to scale the 480 image up to 600 and then redistort it back down with a lens.

rsmith4321 ,
-- If you had seen a Panamorph in action then you would certainly understand that the added resolution does make a nice difference and that the lens actually filters some of the SDE [ so it does accomplish something ;) ] .
----- Jason

Perhaps it does reduce screen door effect, I wonder if they will offer the lens cheaply. I don't notice screen door I sit about 15 feet from a 92". So it's not a problem.

Abdul,

Don't own the PJ yet, but already looked into making my own anamorphic lens.

No increase in brightness (probably a slight reduction, due to reflections), but better resolution, and no light spill. Plus higher geek factor knowing you are using 100% of your chip ;)

I think we should be able to make a 16:9 and maybe a 2.35:1 if we are lucky.

On ceiling mounting an H30-

I was going to inquire whether anyone had experience with the sp86301001 ceiling mount from Optoma for sale from distributors for ~$120. Aren't Chief mounts more than this from the quick glance I took? What is their advantage?

The Omnimount AB2 sure looks attractive, especially from a price standpoint- but I'm not clear how you would mount the H30 to it or a wood plate that is attached to the H30. Could you provide additional insight?

Cheers!

The Infocus X1 has RGBW 4 element 2X color wheel, with White element added from RGB to increase lumen in data mode. In video mode, the W element is off, essentially cut the lumen more than 50%. So it's much less than its spec on lumen. The H30 has RGBRGB 6 element 4X color wheel, the lumen rating should be close to real video mode, so H30 should be a lot brighter than X1. Similar applies to the BenQ PB6100 with RGBW 3X color wheel, lumen in video mode should come close to half of its spec, still brighter than X1. Correct me if it's wrong.

The cheif mount is the same price. I located them at my store computer with a google search. You won't need any wooden plate as the have a complete mount already for the H30 with the easy off metal SPA adaptor bracket. Those cheifs are very solid and flexible, plus super flush to the ceiling. If you can't find it when I open up on Tuesdays I'll find the location.

Re the FL-day filter, testings over. I took it off. Just can't live with the darker image. At stock the H30 is so snappy and bright you don't want to mess with it.

Marco, once you're done with the DIY anamorphic lens, let us know how we can make one?
thx

Since I'm a procrastinator, I will share what I have found so far...

First option is using cylindrical lenses, one plano concave, and one plano convex. I am not sure if this will work (I am afraid it will be more difficult to correct chromatic abberations with this design). But if it does, it should minimize barrel distorsion.

Lenses here

http://www.einsteins-emporium.com/science/l-optics/sl230.htm

As you can see they are fairly cheap, so if it does not work, its no biggy. I know this combo is used to correct laser beams (from oval to round) but laser is only one wavelength... Of course, the dimensions are also borderline. Size is always the issue.


The second version is safer, because I KNOW it can work. This time you use 2 right angle prisms of the same material. Acrylic in this case. Prisms found here :

http://www.einsteins-emporium.com/science/l-optics/sl215.htm

The largest available of course. And it won't be too large for sure... Again, note the cheapness... Its almost worth it just to try it out. I have no idea if the polish will be sub par, or what. I will see.

This spread sheet (rename to xls)gives the angle calculations for different refracting media :

Originally posted by guitarman
Like the future digital picture shift - allowing you to move the 16.9 image up and down to any point of the 4.3 chip.

You mean the H30 does this already?

gottahavapj ,
---- The Omnimount AB2 has a 1/4"-20 adapter that will bolt directly to the H30 , the mount is rated for 8 lbs. so should hold the 4+ lb. H30 with no problems . I would certainly suggest a safety cable be used to ensure the unit not falling to the ground if the bolt should loosen over time . I am planning to bolt the safety cable to one or two of the 3mm mount holes and the other end to the ceiling right next to the mount . The mount has full tilt / swivel and can be purchased in black or white for $20.00 (or less) , radio shack even sells it so it should be easily obtained .
--- I know somebody here local to me that has done a couple DIY pana-morph style lenses so I will check with him and see what he has learned from the experience .
----- Jason

clamrade ,
--- No it does not currently [ this is a future addition ] .
---- Jason

Thanks, Jason.

BTW, will the Omnimount AB2 allow wall mount as well? Is it long enough?

clamrade ,
--- I don't think it is long enough for a wall mount due to the extra space required for the connections at the back of the unit :( [ I am not 100% sure however as I have not tried it ] .
----- Jason

Hey Jason-
Interesting stuff, thanks for the response. That Omnimount shows some real promise.

Do you have any concerns with the relatively small contact area of the bracket that I'm assuming from the Omnimount pictures would be against the H30? I could envision that touching the H30 occasionally for zoom, focus, lens cap? and (in my case) the occasional swapping of the VGA connection cable could make for a wobbly install. I guess that's the reason for the safety cable right? :)

Thanks again to all of you for the great insight. I plan to pull the trigger on the H30 in the next few weeks but would like to ensure at this point that I'm getting a unit with updated firmware. I then look forward to providing some insight rather than just requesting it.

Cheers!

I was wondering if the ~76" diagonal 4:3 viewing was going to be a bit much at ~13-14'. I am not one to sit in the front third of a movie theater as I don't want to move my head back and forth to watch a movie. That is another reason I have chosen not to build a screen until I see both limits of the projector from the fixed projector distance on a temp screen. How far away are you sitting from that ~70" 4:3 screen?

Hey Gotta, sorry for the delayed reply. My couch is aprox 11' away from the screen, and I don't get that "in your face" feeling at all. It's just nice, big and beautiful. From this distance, when watching the full 16:9 screen with a DVD, I can sometimes see a very slight screen door effect, but it doesn't bother me at all. Once my eyes adjust, I don't even see it anymore.

The 4:3 screen at that distance looks perfect. I should really get out my measuring tape, because I'm not sure the 4:3 image is really 70" diagonal. It looks to be in the 60-70" range. You shouldn't have any problems from 13-14' away.

I called Optoma tech support today to find out when the firmware upgrade would be available. I was told the firmware would be available by the end of the month. Optoma tech support is also telling me that the firmware upgrade will move the 16:9 image to the center of the chip as opposed to the current bottom location. Can anyone confirm the planned 16:9 image location on the chip?

Mike

Johnny Bax- Thanks for the input. Sounds promising for my preliminary, intended layout that is of course subject to change. :)

I am just now starting at the beginning of this monstrous thread that Tom was good enough to start and all of you have been good enough to maintain. I am now on page 10 and jumping back here to participate at the end. Perhaps I should just finish the 78 pages before asking any more questions. I already found an answer to one of my questions on page 8, sorry!

I am having a little bit of concern however that Tom indicates on page 3 of this thread (January 15th) that the Optoma tech indicated he would have the updated firmware when he got back from Taiwan next month, meaning February. I certainly realize that timelines (especially unofficial ones from techs) can slip but now CorbraMRs post directly above indicates end of March. As I would guess that at least 1/2 of my viewing will be 4:3 I want an updated firmware unit on initial purchase. I guess I wait many more weeks. :(

The first version of the updated firmware had a few bugs, so there's a newer version that they've just started testing. If all goes well, it may be ready by the end of this week.

That's good news... MikeSRC- I'm rather new to this forum/thread/H30 thing. I just noticed you're a reseller- can I PM you for additional info? I assume you cannot post any more detailed info in a thread.

Cheers!

gottahavapj ,
--- I am planning to use a small section of double sided tape to help the contact area of the AB2 to the H30 [ just for those small adjustments ;) ] .
__________

--- The 1/4"-20 mount hole on the H30 is almost exactly 5 inches from the back of the unit and you would need about 3 inches for a VGA plug [ less for an S-Video/Composite ] so a good 8 inches of extension would be required for a wall style mount to function .
__________

--- Please note that anybody doing this type of speaker mount should bolt to a wall/ceiling stud !!! Use a stud finder if you are not sure of the stud spacing where you live .
__________
---- Jason

Hi guys,
After read all your comment on H30 I have buy it (in USA).
Now the pj it's arrived, I'm very happy for purchase, it's the best Q/P pj I have seen.
The only problem is a 4:3 in 16:9 with RGB o SVideo input.
Question: If I realized a circuit for split sinchronized signal present on RGBS in H+V, the pj will recognize the VGA input, so I will see on entire panel, right?
Maybe I wait a new firmware, but I live in Italy and is not easy for me send a pj for update. Will be possible to do ourself, making apposite cable?
Thank you
Stefano

Originally posted by Abdul Jalib
Is anyone having ground loop problems with VGA or component or s-video input with a H30? (I personally have massive ground loop problems between my HTPC and my TV, so I'm scared to go with a projector lacking DVI inputs.)

I do have some ground loop interference when feeding my TiVo via s-video into the H30. I don't have any issues with my DVD player via component cables though. I haven't put much effort into fixing the problem yet, but I may try a few things this weekend. This is my first run-in with ground loop problems, so this will all be new to me.

Stefano,

It maybe the best thing to buy the H30 in the US. I just wanted to buy this projector from a local dealer (very high reputation), they told me that they could sell it too me but he was concerned about OPTOMA future support of the product. If you have a problem the unit goes to the UK and may go for repair to Korea (I'm not sure if this is true but OPTOMA Belgium is very unclear were the repair center is). At the other hand you get in Europe a 3 year warranty but if it is broken it could take a month or more to get the unit back.
If somebody could confirm if this story is true or false?

Vorst
Belgium

Vorst :

If you buy the H30 in the US then OPTOMA EUROPE (UK) will not deal with you. So if it get "BROKEN" the only way is to ship it to OPTOMA US (California).

Jason:

Can you please post the distances of the 3 screws holes on the bottom of the H30 ?
I am building a wall mount to the H30 - i will post pictures ones it will be ready.

Thanks

Ariel

Vorst, In Italy my abitual reseller told me about support center in UK, but if were repaired onsite or ship in another place...
Ariel, there isn't screws hole on the bottom, the only hole is 1/4 for tripod.
There is a trace on the side of pj for insert a thin iron and after lock with tripod screw.
Bye
Stefano

Originally posted by arieldr
Can you please post the distances of the 3 screws holes on the bottom of the H30 ?
I am building a wall mount to the H30 - i will post pictures ones it will be ready.

I already had an image of the bottom of the H30 complete with measurements for the three 3mm screw holes. This is what I sent jayblaine to build my mount, so I know they are correct since the mount fits perfectly.

Click my gallery button above to see the image. You will probably need to view the large version to read the numbers.

Stefano :

congratulations for the H30 !!!
Where in the US did you buy the H30 ? and Except of the problem you have are you happy with the picture quality when watching PAL ?

veggieguy :

Thanks a lot this really helps and it's even in CM so i don't have to convert it !!!
I didn't get where did you connect the security wire to?

The H30 throws a great picture out of the box. But using it with a Panamorph and low gain (0.8) screen makes it nothing short of ASTOUNDING. The Panamorph for increased resolution (33% - full chip 800x600 for 16:9) and brightness (20%) - while the gray screen helps pull back the blacks, punch the colors/contrast even more and control ambient light rejection which helps everything. This setup has incredible blacks, shadow detail and contrast. The black bars on wider than 16:9 are virtually non existant. Feed it RGBHV source (I have a modified and now stable V880) and this is THE killer combination for DVD FP.

Originally posted by arieldr
I didn't get where did you connect the security wire to?

It connects to a 1/4 inch screw which screws into the larger tripod hole on the bottom of the H30. The other end connects to the piece that is screwed into the ceiling. You could secure the wire separately to the ceiling instead of onto the mount, but my mount is screwed into a ceiling beam, so it's not going anywhere. My saftey wire is mainly to prevent distaster in case the smaller screws or the ball socket joint fail.

Originally posted by nomit
The H30 throws a great picture out of the box. But using it with a Panamorph and low gain (0.8) screen makes it nothing short of ASTOUNDING.

Thanks for the input. Which Panamorph do you have?

nomit,

What is the width of your screen and how far from it are you seated? Which screen in particular are you using? I like the word "astounding"!

Veggie

Is the angle you have the projector in the picture... the angle it needs to be to hit your screen?

Did you have to do any keystone adjustments with this tilt?

Steve

Originally posted by HiHoStevo
Is the angle you have the projector in the picture... the angle it needs to be to hit your screen?

Did you have to do any keystone adjustments with this tilt?

Yes, I have a very low drop ceiling over the seating/screen area of that room, so I had to tilt the projector up as shown in the picture in order to hit the screen. I believe my keystone is set to 8.

Mike & Penniman

I am using the Panamorph U100 and a 96 inch Draper Luma 0.8 gain gray screen. The low gain counteracts the increased light delivered by the anamorphic lens in a positive way. Seating pos am still deciding but anywhere from 12 ft back the enormous picture is incredible after calibrating...super smooth - and the contrast is just crazy. There isn't much more you could ask apart from maybe an ND filter to tame the brightness (even on low lamp setting) but thats enough glass in the light path. I have total light control. The picture is AWESOME!

Doesn't that panamorph lens cost about $1000?

..on the bottom!!! Sorry me!!
Are 3 hole of 3mm. , see the photo below.

Ariel, I have buy on www.provantage.com linked from Texas Instruments DLP official site, so I was sure of seriety of place.
In Italy H30 cost 2 times, so I have preferred risk...
Bye
Stefano

Just read entire thread. Feel weak, need soup badly...

Thanks for all the great info guys. I was in the market for an RPTV and almost bought a Sony 46" and then a Mits 55". I really didn't think a PJ was a good solution for me but after thinking about it further and seeing the screenshots here I am convinced. I currently have a Sanyo 36" CRT and plan on installing the screen to the ceiling and have it drop down in front of my TV. That way I can use it for movies and games, and still watch regular stuff on the TV. Plus this way when I have relatives staying they don't have to be monkeying around with my PJ. Other bonus is my speaker placement will be set up directly behind the Screen. Only draw back is I lose about a foot on the view distance.
Anyone else set up like this or are there reasons not to do this?
Thanks again for all the info.

Originally posted by hikarate
Just read entire thread. Feel weak, need soup badly...

Hahaha... so what's the time investment needed to make it through the full thread these days?

Other bonus is my speaker placement will be set up directly behind the Screen. Only draw back is I lose about a foot on the view distance. Anyone else set up like this or are there reasons not to do this?

I've read messages about people placing speakers behind a screen, and the general consensus seems to be that you should get a screen that is "acoustically transparent" to avoid dampening your sound. I have no direct experience in this, but it's something that I came across fairly frequently when doing my screen research.

Starting the screen at the ceiling means you'll have to hook it on chains like I did to lower the screen so your eye level is 1/3 up from the bottom. That's for a 16.9 screen. Another possibility for 16.9 is to get a custom masked 4.3 screen. Dalite will black paint any size configuration you want. The screens have balanced hooks for suspended mounting. Choose High Power first and if you want to go low priced, mat white would do. Other materials will show waves with video.

-- Is anybody doing a Constant Height set-up with the H30 [ for 2.35:1 to be as large as possible ;) ] ?
--- Just curious what others are doing with the H30 and its mounting/zoom ability .
---- Thanks ,
------ Jason

Originally posted by guitarman
Another possibility for 16.9 is to get a custom masked 4.3 screen. Dalite will black paint any size configuration you want.

Thanks for the info, I will check out the screens forum for more info, don't want to get you guys off topic!

hikarate, ever since I got my H30, my 2yr old JVC 36" I'Art flat screen TV has been sitting in the corner gathering dust. I have no desire to go back to a 36" screen after seeing the H30 in action.

Now, if only I could find someone to buy that TV!

There's no doubt that DLP projectors with there huge display views is the ultimate for HT. My 65" Tosh HDTV is the toy HT display now. I'm so glad I stumbled into this Projector forum a few years ago and saw all the Hub Bub about the NEC LT150. :)

New info on the firmware. They're working out a couple of bugs and a real nice feature is that all signals in the 16.9 native 480p aspects will match each other in screen height. Like you probably noticed that a 1080i feed will display a slightly larger image ovr a 1.85 DVD when using 480p/native. This way a 16.9 screen user can get a perfect fit corner to corner for native aspects with 16.9dvd, 4.3native & 1080i/OTA.

Like I said early a week ago I've opted to setup up in the native 480p resolutions, living with the fact that a 1080i or OTA signal would produce a slightly larger image and spill a bit onto the black frame around the screen. With the new firmware this problem will be eliminated.

16.9 images with the new firmware will still be at the bottom of the 4.3 chip. I was told the reason Optoma prefers this, is because it's the sweet spot of the lens. This area of the lens produces a better picture, it's optically better. Better than the previous projectors like the H56 which puts a 16.9 image up higher in it's lens.

Finally the last bug is color calibration. When a projector comes in for the a firmware change first the projector has to be reset in the service mode canceling out any of the original color calibrations. This is why Mike got a green problem when he got his projector back and they added a new firmware. They're checking all the input signals and re-calibrating the colors so each signal will produce the same quality of colors or grayscale.

In other words no more of those faulty color problems with new firmwares.


I'm wondering did any of the few that had a green push problem on component inputs ever go into the service mode to try the fix we stated earlier?

"In the service Picture menu, just bring back Green/gain and Green/Bias - 2clicks each?

Originally posted by guitarman
.16.9 images with the new firmware will still be at the bottom of the 4.3 chip. I was told the reason Optoma prefers this, is because it's the sweet spot of the lens. This area of the lens produces a better picture, it's optically better. Better than the previous projectors like the H56 which puts a 16.9 image up higher in it's lens.

Probably a silly question that's been answered before, but when you say that 16:9 images are at the bottom of the chip, how does this effect the image if the projector is ceining mounted?
Does it put the image higher up the wall?

Table or ceiling mounted the 16.9 image is at the bottom of the screen/chip. Like if you had a 4.3 screen either way the 16.9 image is at the very bottom.

Thanks Guitarman :)

Are you saying that depending on how the projector is mounted, it effectively switches from using the top of the chip to the bottom of this chip if you catch my drift !?.
If so, wouldn't this change the part of the lens being used depending on the orientation.
Hope my question makes sense.....still a newb here I'm afraid :)

Right, the light beam is always aimed at the bottom of the lens, upside down or straight up.

Many thanks :)

Originally posted by guitarman
Right, the light beam is always aimed at the bottom of the lens, upside down or straight up.

Hmm... it seems like this either invalidates their claim that the physical bottom of the chip gives better picture quality, or those of us with ceiling mounts are using a sub-par section of the chip. If you can flip the projector over and have the picture shifted to the physical top of the chip in order to still have the picture shown at the relative bottom, that would hint that perhaps we are getting somewhat lower picture quality with this orientation.

It's possible that somehow the sweet spot changes when the projector is flipped over, but that would seem very unlikely.

No the concept is that the 16.9 image isn't pushing through a center point of the lens. The glass is better at the outer area.

I am with the veg here also.

On a table mount, using the bottom of the chip would provide a smaller beam angle hitting the lens, which should improve picture quality.

But on a ceiling mount, the offset is reversed, and so is the angle. So using the top of the chip, and putting the image on top should provide the best PQ there. Not to mention the ease of setup for a pull down 4:3 screen!

And if its somehow a bother to have both options, i think they should cater to the ceiling mount crowd first. I would think they are far greater in numbers than the table mount people. Plus the PQ difference should be more visible in a controlled environment.

Originally posted by guitarman
No the concept is that the 16.9 image isn't pushing through a center point of the lens. The glass is better at the outer area.

Ahh, interesting. The top and bottom are equally sweet, with the center being the place to avoid. In that case, they could offer the ability to move the 16:9 image to either the relative top or bottom regardless of table or ceiling orientation, and the picture would still be going through a preferred part of the lens/chip. Maybe that's the picture shift feature that they've said may be in future firmwares?

Good point, we'll have to test the difference once they add the feature.

i know this thread has been touting just how great and value-packed the H30 is. I believe it is , too. but being a soon to be pj owner, i can't help but look the other way , to other pjs in the price range. is there anyone out there who may have considered the sanyo Z2 or panny 500u but instead decided on the H30? i would like to know your reasons why so. the price diff isnt significant (300-400 bucks) considering they are both HD pjs with dvi, etc.
I also understand that its also an lcd or dlp question i am asking.
any input, anyone ?
jay

jay ,
try here :
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=378047

New info on the firmware. They're working out a couple of bugs and a real nice feature is that all signals in the 16.9 native 480p aspects will match each other in screen height. Like you probably noticed that a 1080i feed will display a slightly larger image ovr a 1.85 DVD when using 480p/native. This way a 16.9 screen user can get a perfect fit corner to corner for native aspects with 16.9dvd, 4.3native & 1080i/OTA.



okay tom so 16:9 native is a little taller now and with the firm ware regular 16:9 will fill the screen and not be smaller hight wise so if i measure the a screen again :eek: i should measure in 16:9 native to get the right hight for the screen .:eek:

I find it interesting that many that saw the H30 next to the new hi-res LCD machines preferred the H30. :)

Shows resolution isn't everything. Smoothness & contrast/blacks/3D seem to be. What I want to know is how the H30 got these deeper colors? ;)

So if you can't buy into an HD2 or Matterhorn, better get the H30.

Jay, I am in the same spot as you are since I was looking for the best projector in the 2k region. I wanted the best projector for dvd viewing out there and I believe the H30 may be it. I actually had 2 other projectors in mind. The Pan AE 500 and the BenQ6200. The reason I chose the H30(though I am still waiting for it to be delivered) was basically due to ruling out the other ones due to the projector demos I had in my place.

I demoed the X1 and found it to be noisy, and saw too many rainbows. So I demoed a Sharp DT200 and liked it except for the screen door and the noise. So When Tom posted a pic of the DT200 screendoor compared to the H30, I was pretty much sold.

AE500
1. LCD has more issues(Vertical banding, more dust blobs etc.)
I don't think I could handle a dead pixel.
2. Lower Contrast
3. The biggest reason is that I have not seen anyone say that they have favored one of the LCD's to the H30.

BenQ 6200
1. The slower color wheel with a white segment worried me a bit about the rainbows.
2. Supposed to be a bit louder than the H30.
3. In my demo of higher resolution projectors, I found that I didn't see a big difference in a DVD image compared to a lower resolution projector.

And the fact that the H30 was the cheapest also helped. Though the BenQ came with a free bulb, which made it a bit more attractive.

"okay tom so 16:9 native is a little taller now and with the firm ware regular 16:9 will fill the screen and not be smaller hight wise so if i measure the a screen again i should measure in 16:9 native to get the right hight for the screen"

They're just changing what happens to 16.9native and HDTV in the native aspects.

Picture this, I have a standard 92"X52" HDTV widescreen. If I align for the scaled aspects and then hit 16.9native the whole picture is larger (sides & height) I would down zoom the lens to squeeze the extra pixels into the same frame size. This makes the pixels smaller with a 15% higher resolution. If I view HDTV if shoots beyond this screen size, this is what they're fixing.

Before to have standard and HDTV fit the aspects you had to use the scaled versions. They found a way to scale down HDTV when using the native aspects or 480p. HDTV will look a little better also.

Didn't you buy a screen yet? Or I forget are you making DIY's? I remember you have a limited distance.

does anyone have a photo showing the back of h30? i tried searching around this thread and google but couldn't find any. maybe i missed it?

tom this is a second screen this is for the living room the throw is 15.7 ft and the zoom is all the way down and i get 87 t0 92 or so width and hight in the native ratio is in the high 50"s .


so like i under stand i should measure in native because it will be taller and then the 16:9 mode when zoomed it will fill the 16:9 native mode .correct .


man from 15ft away this pj throws a big pic and i can tell you the pic looks really good

and for screen material i am going with the high power because my pj is table mounted ( in a cabinet ).

or is only when you zoom it down to fit

Originally posted by guitarman


So if you can't buy into an HD2 or Matterhorn, better get the H30.

Tom

What about the NEC HT-1100?

Steve

I realize prices are dissimilar... but it is the same price ballpark as the Matterhorn

Jay -

I was looking at both the Z2, Panny L500, H30, and many others at CES.

Being "frugal" by nature I was intrigued to see if I could get a great image at a lower price point than the HD2+ machines I was looking at.

Frankly I was a bit underwhelmed with the image on the Z2 and L500 at CES... could be blamed on the venue and the setup, but I was very impressed with the overall picture quality (considering the price point) of the H30 at the Optoma booth.... they also had it set up terribly, but it still looked "pretty good" ... until they told me the MSRP was $1,399.. then it looked "dang" good!

Steve

Does anyone have any idea when store like Dell will be getting new shipments of this PJ. Do you think they are waiting to ship until the new firmware is ready. Should a new stock of the units have all the new features you mentioned?

Does anyone have any idea when store like Dell will be getting new shipments of this PJ. Do you think they are waiting to ship until the new firmware is ready. Should a new stock of the units have all the new features you mentioned?

uranium,

Go to optomahometheater.com, click on Optoma Home Theater Products, click on H30 Projector. Click on the User Manual link. The pdf file shows a nice details image of the back of the H30.

Sorry I couldn't post the link. Since I haven't posted enough yet, the forum is preventing me from doing so.

Rob

I just ordered my H30 from Dell, 10% off and free 3-5 day shipping. They estimate delivery in about 3-4 weeks, some time during the second week of April. That's OK with me because hopefully that will mean that the projector will have the latest firmware.

Rob

thx SGOne!

i'm tempted between infocus 4805 and this H30. not sure if 4805 is worth the wait.

Do you think they are waiting to ship until the new firmware is ready. Should a new stock of the units have all the new features you mentioned?

Yes, I believe the shipment from the Orient is being held until they're sure about the new firmware and can apply it to the new units. This would obviously avoid having to deal with a bunch of customer returns for firmware upgrades. I will let you all know when the new batch arrives and if the firmware's been upgraded.

This thread sold me...I've been reading since day one.
I get mine tursday morning so I've joined the club.
Don't think I'll sleep much till then I can't wait. lol..
Thanks all for you timeless efforts and informative banter!!

:D

Originally posted by MikeSRC
Yes, I believe the shipment from the Orient is being held until they're sure about the new firmware and can apply it to the new units. This would obviously avoid having to deal with a bunch of customer returns for firmware upgrades. I will let you all know when the new batch arrives and if the firmware's been upgraded.

Do you actually work at Optoma, I'm assuming you must. Never mind I just noticed you have a audio video store. Nice to see someone with a store actually posting and helping out. If I hadn't already ordered mine.

Many thanks to all those that have posted, the information found here in this thread (and forum) is invaluable to a complete newbie in the realm of front projection.

As someone who was seriously considering jumping on a DLP RPTV ....I can honestly say that once I saw a really nice FP setup ... there was no turning back. After researching for months, I've pretty much decided that the optoma H30 is what I was looking for.

I pulled the trigger on it finally :)

Just a few questions...

1.) I'm looking at a screen size of about 92 or 96 inch diagonal (16:9). I have 10 ft ceilings and intend to have the bottom of the screen 45 inches from the ground. How close could I mount the H30 to the ceiling without having to use too much keystone correction (if at all...).

2.) I have about 15 ft between the center of the lens and the center of the screen. How close should I mount this to give me a 92 - 96 inch diagonal? How bright would I expect the picture to be? Is this a good size for seating at about 13-14 ft?


Also.....anyone have anymore recommendations on screen material? I have 98% light control in my basement.


Thanks,
John

Guitarman,
If Optpma has designed a lens that has less distortion, coma, and chromatic aberration at the bottom than in the centre, they're the first in the entire history of the Universe, and should share the info with tyros like Nikon and Canon, who can't. lol

hey

how will the TI480 chip in the 4805 help scaling over the h30. Does it really help PQ having the 1:1 pixel ratio.

Originally posted by guitarman
Table or ceiling mounted the 16.9 image is at the bottom of the screen/chip. Like if you had a 4.3 screen either way the 16.9 image is at the very bottom.

Well I think this is music to my ears....

My physical layout will have a few challenges:
Fixed projection distance of slightly under 10', ceiling mounted.
Screen width limitation of ~64", 62" viewable.?.
4:3 DIY screen dimensions of 62X48, ~78" diag. Projection calculator fits.
Bottom of screen needs to be ~28" above floor.
Top of screen then only ~9" from ceiling.
Sitting 14' away.

If the 16:9 image would have been forced to the top of the 4:3 screen- this would have looked weird. Imagine a 2.35:1 image which I think is not even 30" high at 62" wide would have been a narrow strip WAY up by the ceiling. This would have looked stupid and probably been a deal breaker for me.

Sounds good now if that 16:9 image is at the bottom of that 4:3 screen that is mounted high.

I'm not missing anything am I? Thanks again Tom for the great work!

Originally posted by Cactus
Guitarman,
If Optpma has designed a lens that has less distortion, coma, and chromatic aberration at the bottom than in the centre, they're the first in the entire history of the Universe, and should share the info with tyros like Nikon and Canon, who can't. lol

I believe the optics are laid out at an offset angle from the axis of the lens to produce a rectangular projection at a height above the projector. Either that or the lens are not spherical. In any case, abberations manifest different than with cameras.

Sorry, Clamrade, the laws of optical physics are not mutable, and can't manifest differently by reversing the light path; but this ain't the place for that discussion, it was just such a whopper I don't think Optoma should get away with it.

Hi all,

Since yesterday I also am the proud owner of a H30.
I do have a problem with adjusting the user settings though.
When using AVIA to set contrast level one or both of the white bars should vanish in the white (according to AVIA). However even with contrast set to maximum the white bars are still very clearly there. So how does one adjust contrast level with AVIA on the H30 I wonder?

Best regards,

Ronald

Has anyone compared the H56 to the H30?
Is it worth the extra 2G, the H56 has higher resolution and higher light output, but is it worth the extra cash over the H30?
Im planning a 96x72 screen in a 26x16 room with a 10 foot ceiling and the H30 seems backordered everywhere forever, so I am wondering if making the jump to the H56 is an option.
The only problem is obviously the fact its double the price, so the question is again is it worth it if I could swing the extra cash? ...

thx

Rikachet,

Look at page 25 of this thread, there is a guy called Tapani which has both the H56 and H30.
I also read in the High end projector forum, that the H56 will be replaced in a few months by a H56A. Which is basically the same but with a longer Bulb live, so maybe you find a H56 cheaper in some locations soon.

Vorst

I'm basically on the verge of buying a pj (had a Sony VPL-HS1 before), and the ones I've had my eyes on for some time now are (and with the price-quote from my local dealer):
- Optoma H30 (~ €1.690 / $2.075)
- Panasonic PT-AE500 (~ €1.665 / $2.040)
- Sanyo PLV-Z2 (~ €1.805 / $2.215)

My budget stands somewhere around €1.800 / $2.200.
But I'm torn by the facts these pj's all having some kind of (minor/major) "problem(s)"...

Optoma H30 (~ €1.690 / $2.075)
- Somewhat low resolution (even for being DLP)
- High(er) fan noise (than the other two)
- Lack of inputs
- I got this unit demo'ed (along with the other two) about a month and a half ago at my local dealer and I noticed dithering issues via S-Video! Now, I don't know whether this issue was due to poor calibration and/or the fact that at the time S-Video was the only video signal they could use (they claimed their component->VGA adapters were missing). Otherwise the picture looked great.

- Panasonic PT-AE500 (~ €1.665 / $2.040)
- Pixel warranty issues in Sweden (Europe?)
- VB
- I've read posts regarding units with frequent pixel-problems and units with overall low quality panels
- Also dust seems to be a reoccurring issue (even though not as frequent as with the Sanyo PLV-Z2)
- As said; I also got this unit demo'ed and was astound with its picture not being at a satisfying level = smooth screen was NOT what I though it'd be, and the overall pq looked almost like seeing it through some sort of greaseproof paper, or something! I really hope this was due to poor calibration!

- Sanyo PLV-Z2 (~ €1.805 / $2.215)
- VB
- Poor scaling with compos(h)ite & S-Video (supposedly a H/W issue)
- Dust-problems from hell (maybe I'm exaggerating, but dust is still a fact)
- This unit had at the time, interestingly enough, best overall picture - I could tell the pq suffered from red push (could probably be due to poor calibration). In late 2003 I got this unit demo'ed with heavy blue push (early firmware version).

Maybe the best thing is to give these pj's a second look. Also, InFocus are soon out with their SP4805, maybe worth having a look at it...?

Any ideas which other pj's to look at?
I really want a DLP, but I surely need a second look before plunging into the world of budget-DLP's...

Actually the model I am considering is the H56A...But like I said its alot of extra cash...

Is a 96x72 screen a bit hefty for a H30?

Is a 96x72 screen a bit hefty for a H30?


i had a pic that big or bigger on my wall and it still looked good very smooth looking pic and the colors where still popping of my white wall and that was only a white wall . ;)



now the real test is going to be when i get my extra big samples of the dalite screens ,like the high power ,cinema vision , High Contrast Matte white , and then we will see the pic jump off the screen ;)

2 days ago, I saw the Sharp XV-Z90/Z91 (2 models with short and long distance lens). The sharp is DLP and 5xWheel.

I have seen the Sanyo Z2 twice, the Sony H20 and HC3. So far the Sharp was the best by far (fantastic colors). The problem with the Sharp is that the de-interlacer is weak. Somebody said on this thread that the H30 is better then the Z90, but for what reason I'm not sure, I haven't seen the H30 myself.

Vorst

The screen I have is a 96x72 Perm Wall Cinema Vision. The room is 26x16 with a 10 foot ceiling and No windows.

The H30 is ordered but back-ordered and I have the option to change to the H56 and was wondering if it is worth it for double the price especially with the large screen I am going with...

From what I am reading the H30 seems to be the best bang by far for the buck but what are its limits that would make it necessary to go the next step in higher end projectors? is it screen size? or what other factors?

Originally posted by tingtong5
When using AVIA to set contrast level one or both of the white bars should vanish in the white (according to AVIA). However even with contrast set to maximum the white bars are still very clearly there. So how does one adjust contrast level with AVIA on the H30 I wonder?

Best regards,

Ronald

Use the black bars, not the white bars for setting contrast. The "white bars" are for testing white clipping level of LCD projectors.

Guitarman,

Finally found where you have been lately. My daughter and son-in-law are building a dedicated home theater (all 4 of my daughters want a home theater after seeing mine) and the Optoma H30 sounds perfect for them and their budget. The only information about the Optoma that I have not seen in this thread or the Optoma website and user's manual is :

Does this pj have sealed optics and does it vent out the front or the rear?

Does this pj have sealed optics and does it vent out the front or the rear?



the h30 intake is threw the sides and the hot air leaves threw the front :)

Tom:

<<I'm wondering did any of the few that had a green push problem on component inputs ever go into the service mode to try the fix we stated earlier?

"In the service Picture menu, just bring back Green/gain and Green/Bias - 2clicks each?>>
I'm one with the green push problem on progressive input.

Please help me get into the service mode so that I can try this. I promise not to hold anyone responsible for anything I do in the service menu...

I've tried the up-up-left-left with no results. Thanks for your help,

John F

<<And if its somehow a bother to have both options, i think they should cater to the ceiling mount crowd first. I would think they are far greater in numbers than the table mount people.>>

NO, don't do it, don't cater to either crowd!

John F
Table mounted H30, with no plans to ceiling mount becuase of my HighPower screen...

Originally posted by new teq joe

now the real test is going to be when i get my extra big samples of the dalite screens ,like the high power ,cinema vision , High Contrast Matte white , and then we will see the pic jump off the screen ;)

Joe do you have a sample of the High Contrast Cinemavision for comparison also?

Steve

As I get my h30 tomorrow I find the need to buy a standalone dvd player as I only have htpc now.
What is a good dvd player for the h30? $200 to $300 range...
I want something easily available in north america that I don't have to wait to get. Thanks! Jim

"2 days ago, I saw the Sharp XV-Z90/Z91 (2 models with short and long distance lens). The sharp is DLP and 5xWheel.

I have seen the Sanyo Z2 twice, the Sony H20 and HC3. So far the Sharp was the best by far (fantastic colors). The problem with the Sharp is that the de-interlacer is weak. Somebody said on this thread that the H30 is better then the Z90, but for what reason I'm not sure, I haven't seen the H30 myself."

It was me that talked about the Z90 vs the H30. I had the Z90 and the DT200 which I had at the same time as the H30. So I could compare them very well.

The H30 has a better overall image and colors are even nicer than the Sharp , if you can believe that because the Sharps main plus was it's colors.

The H30 has a more open picture quality because of it's Luminance (Snap Pop) are the best words to describe it.

Oh and the major thing the H30 has over the Sharp is the Screendoor. This is the best SVGA projector I've seen at masking out the screen door.


Jim, Congrats on your purchase, and you were even able to get one delivered! Pretty good.

Try a JVC progressive player they will allow you to view non-anamorphic dvds correctly and have top notch video quality. They can be bought for $100 or less. I'd say if you don't care about non-anamorphic capability that the Denon 910 would be a good choice. It's around $300 and has a farouja chip. The Farouja chip is great for progressive but doesn't allow proper display for non-anamorphic dvds.


So lets us know what you see when you hook up your projector tomorrow?

John F,
On the projector enter ---

Up + Enter (at thesame time) hit it twice

Left + Enter, hit it twice

A screen should pop up.

Then

Up + Left + Down at the same time once.

Use the cross keys to move about and enter to open up a menu choice. To fix the green use the Picture Menu and lower green bias and gain just a little. Have a DVD going in progressive and take the green out. :)

Stay away from the colorwheel menu and the reset to factory menu. There's allot of menu's in there but all you'll need is the top one "Picture Menu"

Write down your original numbers also.

I see Dell has 10% off today, what are the chances that I will get the projector with the updated firmware if I order it? Should I just wait till the release of the firmware is officially announced or should I go ahead and get the 10% of from Dell? I saw someone else here already purchased with this deal. Just curious for your thoughts, and hoping it will ship with the firmware! Thanks!

hikarate ,
-- Well if I had to guess [ and this is only a guess ] I would say that the reason for the shortage of H30's is at least partially due to the new firmware and so one could assume that the next batch would be shipped out with the new firmware in place [ from Taiwan ] .
--- Again this is only speculation on my part ;) .
____________________

Tom [ and those with the green push issue ] ,
--- I actually found that I have better results with gray-scale and color-balance by using the 'Bias' adjustments in the "Picture" controls [ Service Menu ] . I re-calibrated it again last night and can say that I am about at Video Nirvana with the H30 :) [ it just keeps getting better , much like tweaking a CRT which I enjoy very much ] .
________________
---- Jason

Originally posted by Cactus
Sorry, Clamrade, the laws of optical physics are not mutable, and can't manifest differently by reversing the light path; but this ain't the place for that discussion, it was just such a whopper I don't think Optoma should get away with it.

Dear Cactus,

This is Wing from Optoma.

You are correct that we did not invent any new lens system and the best part of a lens is usually the central portion.

However, the application of optics of a projector is not the same as a camera lens. H30's projection has a built-in offset so that image is projected upward. (otherwise it will be a nightmare to install this project without excessive keystone that will kill the image quality)
The light paths of the lower portion of the projected image actually pass mainly through the central portion of H30's projection lens.

This is not a conventional design. However, we believe this design is giving user the best 16:9 image possible from H30's projection system.

Clarification about ceiling mount projection:
If H30 is ceiling mounted (up side down, image flipped) the 16:9 image will be projected relatively closer to the ceiling than a conventional design

Clarification about dead pixel policy:
Effective Jan 2004, Optoma's dead pixel policy for hometheater projector is ZERO dead pixel within the product's warranty. That is 2 years for H30.

Best Regards.

Originally posted by yauwing
Dear Cactus,

This is Wing from Optoma.

Clarification about ceiling mount projection:
If H30 is ceiling mounted (up side down, image flipped) the 16:9 image will be projected relatively closer to the ceiling than a conventional design

Clarification about dead pixel policy:
Effective Jan 2004, Optoma's dead pixel policy for hometheater projector is ZERO dead pixel within the product's warranty. That is 2 years for H30.

Best Regards.

Mr. YauWing...

Thank you for graciously joining this discussion... we are all honored by your presence and contributions.

Please excuse my slight confusion about the ceiling mount. I had thought that as the projector when table mounted projected the image higher that it would do the same thing when flipped upside down... except now the image would be lower on the wall rather than higher. However, now I understand that with a ceiling mount the image will be higher on the wall as it is in a table mount configuration...

This may require us to tilt the projector slightly lens down to have the picture presented at the proper height.

Do I now understand you correctly?

Thank you,

Steve

Joe do you have a sample of the High Contrast Cinema vision for comparison also?



yes steve i have the hccv for comparison :)

what would you like to know ?

Dear HiHoStevo

The projector still projects downward, just relatively less if we had used the central portion of the DMD chip to display a 16:9 image.

My experience is most user don't need to tilt it downward, some even tilt it upward very slightly.

Regards.

Please excuse my slight confusion about the ceiling mount. I had thought that as the projector when table mounted projected the image higher that it would do the same thing when flipped upside down... except now the image would be lower on the wall rather than higher. However, now I understand that with a ceiling mount the image will be higher on the wall as it is in a table mount configuration...


i have this set up for the bed room and the pj was wall mounted about 8 ft high and turned up side down and the pic was about 2.5 feet of the ground and it does shoot a nice pic .

Thanks Joe and Mr. Wing

Joe about the HCCV I am wondering how it compares to the others you have to test it against...

Do you have any of the Carada Brilliant White? I understand this is a good choice for the H30 also.

When are you sending in your projector for the firmware update?... before the shootout?

Steve

Originally posted by yauwing

The projector still projects downward, just relatively less if we had used the central portion of the DMD chip to display a 16:9 image.


Hello Mr. Wing. Thanks for joining in. According to prior posts, I believe the current firmware has light spill above the 16:9 image regardless of whether it's table or ceiling mounted, so the question is whether the new firmware (using the bottom of the chip for a 16:9 image) will have light spill below the image when it's ceiling mounted.

Excellent , major thanks to Wing for his input here !!! :)
--- Always great to hear from the manufacturer [ especially in a Technical capacity ] .
_____________
Steve ,
--- Go through your image projection selection options and you will see they all use the same area of the panel so even if you invert the H30 it still uses the same portion of the panel [ this is what causes the different offset from table to ceiling mount positions ] .
_____________
---- Jason

"Clarification about dead pixel policy:
Effective Jan 2004, Optoma's dead pixel policy for hometheater projector is ZERO dead pixel within the product's warranty. That is 2 years for H30."

:) Thanks for dropping by.
That's good news about the zero pixel, but I haven't heard one complaint so far of anybody having any dead pixels. Batting 100 so far. I don't know if everybody knows this but I had to send back three HT1000's in a row because of dead pixels. The fourth one was the charm. ;)

So newcomers aren't worried about dead pixels, they're extremely rare on DLP projectors. It's the LCD models that are the biggest culprit.

Hey Wing, I'm surpised everybody hasn't jumped on you about getting the firmware finalized. Go get him boys!

Just kidding! ;)

Yes yauwing, thank you for joining us...

So if I have a 4:3, 78" diagonal screen mounted fairly high (top is ~9" from the ceiling) and I want to use the full 4:3 screen for SDTV and computer gaming- then the 16:9 image will be rather high on this screen? Like in the top 1/2 of the screen?

Thanks again!

Originally posted by guitarman

Hey Wing, I'm surpised everybody hasn't jumped on you about getting the firmware finalized. Go get him boys!

Just kidding! ;)

That's right! He hasn't got time to be posting here until he's done upgrading mine. (Just kidding Wing. No rush, anytime within the next 24 hours would be fine. :D )

Joe about the HCCV I am wondering how it compares to the others you have to test it against...


steve compared to the other gray screens that i have draper ,and carada , i say the hccv is a lighter shade of gray ( still gray) but it has a pearly color i think that is what it is and to be honest i did like it ,but the wife does not like the gray screens :rolleyes: and yes i have the carada screen samples also i do like the brilliant white screen 1.4 gain very nice , and now i have bean checking out the high power but i need bigger samples of it ,so i called da lite and kelly hooked me up with 2 12" by 12" samples should get it in a couple of days ;)

When are you sending in your projector for the firmware update?... before the shootout


steve i don't know yet if i will be bringing my pj because Robert still might get some optoma's but as for the firm mr.xing is the guy down here in canada or toronto and i still have to get a hold of him to find out if the new firm is down here yet but Wing should know if it will be ready down here .

H30's projection has a built-in offset so that image is projected upward. (otherwise it will be a nightmare to install this project without excessive keystone that will kill the image quality)


Except for those of us who want to mount it on a rear wall and not the ceiling, so we can avoid the ceiling fan hanging down! :D

What I wouldn't give to be able to table mount my H30 on the rear wall at about a 5" height without having to tilt the PJ down and use an enormous amount of keystone.


What is a good dvd player for the h30? $200 to $300 range...

Not sure about the $200-300 range, but for about $170 you can get very good results with a Pioneer DVD-563a. Not only does it give an outstanding picture and sound on DVD, it also is a universal player, capable of giving decent SACD, DVD-A and CD results.

Do you have any of the Carada Brilliant White? I understand this is a good choice for the H30 also.


My H30 picture went from "wow!" to "Holy **it!" when I added the Carada Brilliant white 1.78 screen to my setup. :D

My H30 picture went from "wow!" to "Holy **it!" when I added the Carada Brilliant white 1.78 screen to my setup.



yes it is nice just buy the couple of samples i have it does make the pic look good .


but now with the pj mounted on a table the high power screen is teasing the crap out of me :) but have to wait tell the bigger samples come to see :D

Originally posted by gottahavapj
Yes yauwing, thank you for joining us...

So if I have a 4:3, 78" diagonal screen mounted fairly high (top is ~9" from the ceiling) and I want to use the full 4:3 screen for SDTV and computer gaming- then the 16:9 image will be rather high on this screen? Like in the top 1/2 of the screen?

Thanks again!

I'm really sorry to sound like a broken record here but this question is crucial to my H30 plans and keeps getting lost in the shuffle.

Given the scenario above, with the new firmware- will my 16:9 (and especially 2.35:1) image be a skinny strip way up by the ceiling???

Thanks!

If the position of the 16:9 image on a 4:3 screen changes from being table mounted to ceiling mounted, the difference would be that the 16:9 image would take up all but the top 1/4 of a 4:3 screen when table mounted and all but the bottom 1/4 of a 4:3 screen when ceiling mounted. Either way, you're using 3/4 of the 4:3 screen (800 X 450 vs. 800 X 600).

Mr Wing..............

1. Please encourage Optoma to get that firmware update available.

2. After you answer "gottahavapj" question....... see #3.

3. Could you please encourage your marketing folks to make an H30 with the new firmware and at least an H76 (if not an H56A also) available for the Canuck Shootout 2? You can get more information on this on the "Above $3500 forum". Rob is putting on an amazing event for 300 folks all interested in projectors and it would be wonderful if a "fully functional" H30 could make it along with the rest of the Optoma Gang. This will be happening on April 17th outside Toronto, CA.

Thanks for your assistance,

Steve

gottahavapj ,
--- If you will be using an HTPC then the new firmware will make no difference for you with 4:3 (full panel 800x600) [ other than maybe no green push issue ] .
--- For SDTV try using your HTPC as well , grab a capture card and feed it S-Video then use Dscaler to scale the image with your HTPC connection . This way all of your connections go through your HTPC [ use it as a scaler as well as dvd player and gaming machine ;) ] .
-------- Jason

If the position of the 16:9 image on a 4:3 screen changes from being table mounted to ceiling mounted, the difference would be that the 16:9 image would take up all but the top 1/4 of a 4:3 screen when table mounted and all but the bottom 1/4 of a 4:3 screen when ceiling mounted. Either way, you're using 3/4 of the 4:3 screen (800 X 450 vs. 800 X 600).



okay that makes sense but after the firm ware the 1/4 of the lite spill will be filled if using a regular 4:3 image ,correct so that means the 4:3 image will fill the lite spill we have now :)

"
Here's my measurments when using a 16.9 screen.

If I set my projector perfectly level and use no keystone

Lens center is 6" down from the ceiling

Projector is 173" from the screen surface

Top of 16.9 image is 38.5" from the ceiling

My ceiling height is 94.5"

Using a 92"X52" 16.9 screen

So you can see when using a 16.9 screen there's quite an offset. I think most everybody is aligning their picture with a slight tilt and using some keystone. My keystone spot was 8."

Update now that I setup using the 480p Native aspects my keystone went down to 5. 480p needs less keystone because the image shifts up a little.

__________________

Hey Jason-

Thanks for the response. I really didn't have any intention of using my PC as an HTPC though. :( I have an Onkyo DVD changer that would display all my 16:9 material. My PC would not stay connected full time either due to its required location. It also just got a new video card (without tuner) and it doesn't have a DVD drive either... yikes..

Tom ,
--- Wow , so you have a 32 inch offset from the center of the lens to the top of the 16:9 image [ when PJ is flat ] . That is a HUGE offset !!! Obviously that would shrink for Native 16:9 and full panel 4:3 but it is still a big drop .
---- Jason

gottahavapj ,
--- Ah , sorry
--- I assumed the PC gaming comment meant you would be using an HTPC ;) .
--- To answer your question however is that you will have a Higher placed image if you do not tilt the PJ and use some Keystone correction . Now this could change when they come out with the ability to move the 16:9 portion across the panel [ as Tom stated should be a future firmware release ] .
----------- Jason
------ Jason

Thanks all for the responses. I've got a bunch of thinking and measuring to do now. This could be the deal breaker for me....

I sincerely appreciate the help. You guys are great!!

I ended up buying the projector through Dell, they are shipping April 16th if no one already posted that, so hopefully will have the new firmware. Thanks for all the info and screenshots guys, really cool to see someone from Optoma reply, I pretty much purchased it minutes after reading Mr. Wing's post. Not that I didn't already have my finger on the trigger :)

Just a note to say I went ahead and bought the lenses referenced earlier for my DIY anamorphic lens project. Still do not have a pj, but maybe I can test out the theory at the canuck shootout.

Wait ... if what I just stated above is true then how in the heck does Tom get a 32" drop from lens to top of the screen ???
--- Hmmmm .... maybe I am wrong here and have misunderstood what Wing stated .
--- Or I just need to remember that most people are not using an HTPC with the H30 ;) [ as I am ] .
----- Jason

Gamepimp- when running pc games can u run at higher res though the game settings or do you have to run at 800x 600?
also- i am currently running a p4 2.4 with a radeon 9700 pro and onboard 5.1 sound what else can u recommend for my htpc while waiting to purchase an h30 when they recieve the new firmware?

Ah, Yaowing, you should have stayed hidden. Now they're all after you! My statement stands: no lens has better distortion, coma, chromatic aberration off centre. Almost all pjs use an offset, simply achieved by offsetting the lens a small percentage, no optical changes necessary as long as the chip is within the circle of acceptance for the lens. As long as the chip is within the circle of acceptance, the image MUST stay centred - it cannot be otherwise. Do not suggest thst it does so because of your lens design. And yes, a projector lens and camera lens are essantially the same optically. Originally the same lenses were used for taking, enlarging, and projecting slides, elements being removed to adjust focal length. A pj lens simply has a huge focal length. If you are interested in optical formulae, refer to the Photo Lab Index, Morgan&Morgan, N.Y., N.Y. at most public libraries for the basics. I still think this is not a subject for this thread and will not discuss optics further here; those who wish to verify what I say can refer to the above source, and others - they all agree, physics is physics.
On the subject of the software, however, I for one am almost certainly going to buy this pj when you are finished developing it. BUT I am heartily tired of buying electronics products and winding up doing beta testing, which seems to be the position Tom, Mike, et al are in. Who would buy a car and wait for new software to be able to turn left (keep circling right, the new software is on the way)? Unfortunately all electronics firms seem to play this sad game.
So, Yaowing, don't despair, I'll probably buy one anyway

Cactus,

Some people seem to enjoy being early adopters. It sounds like you don't.

For my part, I'm firmly in the camp that waits until it's ready for prime time before spending a bunch of money. What's neat about it is that by the time a category of products is relatively mature it generally sells for a smaller bunch of money, too!

Originally posted by Brent Hutto
For my part, I'm firmly in the camp that waits until it's ready for prime time before spending a bunch of money. What's neat about it is that by the time a category of products is relatively mature it generally sells for a smaller bunch of money, too!

Of course by the time that happens there's a brand new product for less money and so cool you have to wait for IT to be ready for prime time! :D I was about to order a Panny 500 until this thing turned up. :confused:

~ Kiran <entropy@io.com>

Originally posted by hikarate
I ended up buying the projector through Dell, they are shipping April 16th

I was looking around the Dell website... I did not see the H30 for sale there?

Steve

kuvasz friend ,
--- You can run at anything up to 1280x1024 but then it is of course scaled back to the native resolution of the H30 [ I find that the native rez looks the best ] .

--- Well if you want to play the new games at full spec. [ i.e. : FarCry , UT2k4 , Doom3 ] then consider a faster cpu . I run an AMD Barton 2500+ @ 3200+ and still get an occasional stutter [frame drop] from the latest and greatest . Then there is WMV9 HiDef to consider , things like T2 and Coral Reef Adventure . These require a ton of CPU for the HiRez playback [ 1080p ] , you should be good to go for 720p playback however since you are close to a 2.5 [ which is spec. for the 720p media ] . Trust me when I tell you that the WMV9 HD content is Fantastic :) , T2 is so-so HD but still much improved from the dvd . Also consider a good capture card like the FlyVideo 2000/3000 , when used with Dscaler you can have amazing results from crummy old sources [ like VHS , SD Cable , old game systems , etc. ] .

------------- Jason

Originally posted by HiHoStevo
I was looking around the Dell website... I did not see the H30 for sale there?

Steve

It's there if you do a search for Optoma, but I guarantee they're just guessing about the shipping date since even Optoma doesn't have a firm date yet.

"When using AVIA to set contrast level one or both of the white bars should vanish in the white (according to AVIA). However even with contrast set to maximum the white bars are still very clearly there. So how does one adjust contrast level with AVIA on the H30 I wonder?

Best regards,

Ronald"

For digital projectors use the all black pattern with gray moving bars for brightness first then use the all white pattern with black moving bars for contrast.

Guy Kuo said it's best to set the contrast by finding the spot where the right lighter black bar is half the brightness of the left bar.

I just solved my green push problem.

Original settings: Green Gain= 10, Green Bias= 15

Final Settings: Green Gain= 6, Green Bias=10

Originally posted by Cactus
Ah, Yaowing, you should have stayed hidden. Now they're all after you! My statement stands: no lens has better distortion, coma, chromatic aberration off centre. Almost all pjs use an offset, simply achieved by offsetting the lens a small percentage, no optical changes necessary as long as the chip is within the circle of acceptance for the lens. As long as the chip is within the circle of acceptance, the image MUST stay centred - it cannot be otherwise. Do not suggest thst it does so because of your lens design.


I will be here to answer some of the more technical questions once a week.

To project an offset image with minimal distortion, the DMD actually need to be located a little off from centre of the lens.

It may be easier to understand if you imagine the projector is trying to project a image much bigger than the DMD chip but with zero offset. Now if the DMD happens to be place off centre inside the area to be projected, it will appear to have offset with minimal distortion. (of course practically, the remaining non-displaying part of the image is masked off inside the projector)

Since the DMD is off from centre, I hope you can understand that the portion of DMD closer to centre will perform slightly better.

Using the DMD to display 16:9 like this is an original Optoma design.
The improvement is readily measurable by equipment.

Originally posted by HiHoStevo
I was looking around the Dell website... I did not see the H30 for sale there?

Steve


just go to Home software and peripherals and search for optoma

According to Tom's set-up and Wing's post should I expect the distance from the center of the lens to the bottom of a 4:3 or 16:9 image (should be same) for a table mounted H30 at Tom's throw distance of 173" to be about 32 inches?

Mike

Okay I'm sold! If one wanted the H30 with the new firmware when would you order your H30? I'd hate to get the H30 then have to turn around and ship it back to get the new firmware.

Thanks,
Steve

I ordered the H30 and in the mean time I was trying out a HP VP6110. I'm getting a very nice bright image with this model. I wonder if the H30 is worth the extra cost.

Johnny Bax ,
--- Wow , your Green Gain was high but I hope you still have proper color balance dropping it 4 points .
--- My findings would not allow for proper color balance if the Green Gain was dropped more than 2 points .
--- Of course this is all relative to your Red & Blue Gains ;) .
---- I wonder how it is that Optoma calibrates these units , which test patterns are used and from what source ? Could be some very interesting information ...

----------- Jason

yauwing: Thanks! It's a good design.

cactus: Do you understand Maxwell's equations and the significance of the absence of magnetic monopoles? If not, give it a rest, like you say you should. I enjoy and benefit from good technical discussions by anyone, but your disparaging remark about Guitarman's posts and your tendency to hide behind comments like "go look up a book" is not helpful.

I'm in. Just ordered one today. My very first FPJ! :D :D :D


DaGamePimp:

I have an AverTV in my PC and see quite a bit of noise in the video, using AverTV's software or DScaler. Same story with the S-Video input.

Have you noticed greater noise rejection using the FlyVideo capture card?

Thanks.

.

clamrade ,
--- I have actually owned an AverTV and loved it for its time but the new generation of Capture Cards are far superior . The FlyVideo 2000 is so clean and has such vivid colors that you might not believe it's so inexpensive [ under $50.00 ] . I have owned many different capture cards [ tried almost all that is out there other than the Holo3D ] and can say that the most impressive has been the FlyVideo 2000 . There are a couple others that perform equal to the FV2000 but none that I have seen can out perform it ;) .
------- Jason

Jason...

I did a search on pricegrabber and pricewatch... neither of them had any info on a FV2000 or FlyVideo 2000.

Where can I find some info on this card.

Steve

suppose I will have to google it............

Okay found some info on it... apparently it does not do HD... have they changed the name on the card to "98" now?

surprising that neither pricewatch or pricegrabber show anyone selling it.

Steve ,
--- I am not sure of available retailers - sorry I do not recall where I ordered mine from as I have had it close to a year now .
--- It is not an OTA HD card , the cheapest HD cards out there are the Fusion I , II and now the III's [ these range from about $150.00 to $200.00 ] .
--- There have been many posts here on AVS regarding the FV2000 and I am sure if you do a search you will find all the info you could want ;) .
--------- Best of Luck ,
--------- Jason

Originally posted by guitarman
For digital projectors use the all black pattern with gray moving bars for brightness first then use the all white pattern with black moving bars for contrast.

Guy Kuo said it's best to set the contrast by finding the spot where the right lighter black bar is half the brightness of the left bar.

Thanx, I did this last nigth and that worked fine for me :))

Regards,

Ronald

Originally posted by guitarman
On the projector enter ---

Up + Enter (at thesame time) hit it twice

Left + Enter, hit it twice

A screen should pop up.

Then

Up + Left + Down at the same time once.


This does not work for me on my H30. From what state exactly can one use this procedure to enter the service menu?

Best regards,

Im concerned with screen size and have a question...Of the lucky few people here that have an H30 what would you consider the 4:3 screen size limit for a room 26x16 with full light control?

A fully dark room would no doubt be best but what about the same room with some ambient light, what would be the suggested maximum screen size?

Clamrade, you misread; I'm not trying to shoot the meswsenger. In fact I think Yaowing should refund Tom's purchase price, as he'll never find a better salesman. If I buy one it will be largely due to his review and subsequent posts. As to your comment, no more optics discussion. Period.

Originally posted by DaGamePimp
Johnny Bax ,
--- Wow , your Green Gain was high but I hope you still have proper color balance dropping it 4 points .
--- My findings would not allow for proper color balance if the Green Gain was dropped more than 2 points .
--- Of course this is all relative to your Red & Blue Gains ;) .
---- I wonder how it is that Optoma calibrates these units , which test patterns are used and from what source ? Could be some very interesting information ...

----------- Jason

Jason, to be honest I'm not sure that I have proper color balance with these settings, so I'm still going to pickup Avia one of these days and make sure. But, on the film I test drove it on last night(Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines), the green push was gone and the colors were fabulous.

You know, once I was in the service menu, it took all the self-discipline I could muster not to enter the other menus and start tweaking!

That tweaking thing can be contagious! :D

Originally posted by tingtong5
This does not work for me on my H30. From what state exactly can one use this procedure to enter the service menu?

Best regards,

Tingtong, this worked perfectly on mine last night, are you sure you're pushing the buttons all at the same time?

The pj can be in any state(except powered off, of course) to enter the service menu. I entered it once without any other devices turned on, and once while I had a DVD being projected by the pj.

Nice job Johnny Bax, As long as the facile hues look natural you'll be ok. Of course you make as minimal of an adjustment as you can. There's a ton of other adjustments in the service area, thanks to Jason for narrowing down items to Picture gain/bias.

I posted a formula for gray scaling earlier. The principal is if you have to move say green 6 digits in one direction, counter move the red and blue 50% of the level.

Like moving Green to minus 6

Then change that number to minus 3 and counter move Red & Blue up to plus 3 each. Hope that's clear. Again write the original numbers down, give it a look, see whatever looks best.

Tom, I'm no HT experten, so what are these "facile" hues you mention? I was using the human face to decide when I had it right. Should I have used something else as a benchmark?

Tom/Johnny Bax, I think Tom's "facile" actually should be spelled "facial" and does reflect flesh tones on the face.

For Dell site you can type "Optoma H30" in the search field from anywhere and it should bring up the projector. I couldn't find it either going through their projector's section. They would rather sell their own projectors I am sure :)
Anyhow the 10% deal is still good today. April 16th is probably a guess as someone said, but I figure get your order in early, they don't charge your card till it ships anyway. Plus I am happy there is a delay, gives me more hope that it will already have the firmware applied.
I'm gonna post a question about suggested screens for the H30 in the screens section later today if one already doesn't exist. Would appreciate any feedback there. Thanks for all the help and great info guys!

I was able to find it by going to "Home/Home Office" -> "Software/Peripherals" -> "Projectors" -> "Entertainment Projectors". They had the H30 and the Epson Home 10.

Now I sit and wait. And occasionally walk around the living room with a tape measure trying to get an idea on screen size, viewing distance, mounting location, etc. :D

for those ordering from dell, don't forget to use SB$JRXL$?5MVFT for $25 off $300 (good for today only).

u can also try getting 50 off 500 coupon from ebay or 2004 entertainment book (maybe they'll stack?).

Hey Pimp how bout some game screenshots? i'm curious. Would be great if you could find the time.

I can do that ;)
-- They might be a little washed due to ambient light from my patio but I will throw some up on my website in a few [ I will do some later tonight too so I can get better shots ] .
--- Jason

I decided to place a different order to save the $25, now I'm on hold with Dell's support that can barely speak english to cancel my first order. She's put me on hold like three times, but I think she almost understands that I want to cancel my first order. Maybe. I've canceled things from Dell before and they sent them anyway, so I'm starting to regret this for 25 bucks. Oh well. I wonder why in their commercials the tech support people can actually speak english fluently :)

Oh, I just got off, I feel bad now because she was very nice. Now let's see if I don't get two projectors. And now their shipping date is on or before May 4, I hope I don't have to wait that long. I've seen dell say something wouldn't be available though for 2 weeks and they shipped it the next day, so their estimates are meaningless.

Heh,
I'm on hold too.

Anyone able to answer:
Im concerned with screen size and have a question...Of the lucky few people here that have an H30 what would you consider the 4:3 screen size limit for a room 26x16 with full light control?

A fully dark room would no doubt be best but what about the same room with some ambient light, what would be the suggested maximum screen size?

That's a good sized room. You could go with a 92"X69", that's 120" diagonal. Viewing distance s/b about 14'. Colors will be strong and brightness will be fine. Now that is a huge screen, the next size down is 80"X60, 100" diagonal.

Tom, I'm no HT experten, so what are these "facial" hues you mention? I was using the human face to decide when I had it right. Should I have used something else as a benchmark?

That's the way, if faces look good everything else should look good. The projectors color red gets real nice after the first 100hrs. I'm still amazed at how great the colors are.

Hehe, I was just next door with Dan Miller of Marantz. He wanted me to see there new 3chip machine. Super stunning picture for $38,000 retail. But you can still be very happy with the H30. Nothing better than a good DLP machine. I hope your projectors arrive quickly. Any day now Optoma s/b be finished up with the new upgrades and they should ship.

Originally posted by DaGamePimp
I can do that ;)
-- They might be a little washed due to ambient light from my patio but I will throw some up on my website in a few [ I will do some later tonight too so I can get better shots ] .
--- Jason

Jason,

Well I finally pulled the plug and ordered a H30. I will run via HTPC.

Couple questions, I just can't get myself to scan / sort this massive thread (Thanks, Tom...it's been a God send.)

Are you using 800x600 as display resolution on PC at all times? or are you setting the PC at a larger resolution and letting the H30 scale for specific programs? Do you need Powerstrip? As I remember you were using ATI?

Is H30 always set at 4x3 for DVD and Game/Desktop?

Thanks in advance for your inputs...cobbling together another PC will make the wait for my H30 a little easier.

Thanks,
Fred

Originally posted by DaGamePimp
I can do that ;)
-- They might be a little washed due to ambient light from my patio but I will throw some up on my website in a few [ I will do some later tonight too so I can get better shots ] .
--- Jason

No hurry, my projector won't be here for a month or more anyways :) Dells new date on my reorder changed from April 16th to April 30th.

Originally posted by semi_expert
Jason,

Well I finally pulled the plug and ordered a H30. I will run via HTPC.

Couple questions, I just can't get myself to scan / sort this massive thread (Thanks, Tom...it's been a God send.)

Are you using 800x600 as display resolution on PC at all times? or are you setting the PC at a larger resolution and letting the H30 scale for specific programs? Do you need Powerstrip? As I remember you were using ATI?

Is H30 always set at 4x3 for DVD and Game/Desktop?

Thanks in advance for your inputs...cobbling together another PC will make the wait for my H30 a little easier.

Thanks,
Fred



I am also interested in the very same questions. I find it hard to gain any real info from the HTPC faq's regarding these matters. Jason, you seem to have the very same setup as I wish to have. I want to use my HTPC for PC gaming as well as DVD's.

One more question for you, would you run a PS2 through a HTPC to the projector, or PS2 directly plugged into the pj.

Thanks

Mark

Posted 1 pic of Unreal Tournament 2004 on my website [ 2nd page of Photos - click 'NEXT' at bottom ] . This was a real quick shot and the angle is horrible - sorry . This is running at full panel rez of 800x600 [ in 4:3 obviously ] and was during full motion in spectator mode so it is a little blurry too . I will work on some better gaming shots tonight with FarCry and NFS:Underground [ along with better shots of UT2k4 ] . I have not set any games at 16:9 resolutions for the H30 as of yet but I plan on doing so soon ;) . I can also do some Xbox screen-shots if anyone is interested in that . I really have to say that PC gaming on the H30 is spectacular [ but then most digitals do look good with PC games ] .
___________________
Fred ,
-- I do have the PC set at 800x600 since it really looks the best IMO [ most digitals look best at the native rez ] .
-- You can certainly run higher rez and let the H30 scale it back , this works well for FPS games where you want more view area [ especially for sniper fun ;) ] .
-- You do not need Powerstrip but I do use it since I like the customizing it allows .
-- Even though the RGB (VGA) connection from the HTPC does open the entire panel you can still set the H30 for 16:9 and use it just as any other connection would function [ using part of the panel for the 16:9 image ] . I have played around with a 16:9 PC resolution and set the H30 for 16:9 but the image becomes slightly distorted [ I probably need to play with some timings in Powerstrip for a nice clean 16:9 image - I tried 960x540 and 1280x720 ] .
--- For dvd viewing I set the player software [ in my case ZoomPlayer ] for Anamorphic and then use the Native 16:9 setting on the H30 to do the Squeeze , the results are a Breath-taking image .
_____________________
------- Jason

Mark ,
--- I use Dscaler via S-Video with great results [ via a very clean capture card - FlyVideo 2000 ] but I am sure a direct connection from the PS2 would look nice as well since the Pixelworks scaler does a good job of scaling .
----- Jason

What size is that image on the screen? Is that using the whole chip or just part of the 16:9 section? Looks really sharp, especially the lettering, if that is a bad picture then I can't wait to see the good ones. Thanks a lot for posting these!

hikarate ,
-- that image is about 80" diagonal , I cannot do bigger due to my 16:9 screen ;) . That is using the entire panel at 800x600 [ gives you a little taste of how good the H30 is considering it is only SVGA ] . Yeah the real image is every bit as sharp as my 21" trinitron PC monitor :) .
------- Jason

Service menu adjustments -

Thanks, Tom, I can now get it into the service menu. However, will changes I make to help the green push in progressive mode make things too red when using 480i?

It doesn't seem that the service settings are specific to inputs like the regular menu settings are...

John F

Don't think so. Give it a shot, write down your orginal numbers. After you fix the color for progressive just rerun your Avia calibrations for the other signals in the user adjustments.

Just heard there is a bug in the new firmware so now it is another week or so before I get my new projector....

Well, I'm sold. I just ordered one at Dell. I was a sure-fire in for the Benq 6200 at $1500 USD w/ the spare bulb, but seeing as I'm a SDTV and DVD watcher, I opted for the H30 and a iScan Pro (together less than the 6200). From the sounds of it, it's a better investment.

(By the way, if you order today from Dell, you can stack the 10% with the $50 entertainment.com coupon, AND the $25 affliliate coupon).

Now...time for the DIY screen for < $200. :) Any suggestions for inexpensive screen material?

Thanks to all on this thread, it's a great discussion.

Jason,

When playing DVD with your HTPC, is the image shifted toward the top of the chip? If not, how can one accomplish that?

I too will use H30 almost exclusively with HTPC. I get very good image on my monitor with ATI DVD player (when it doesn't crash, that is). Have you tried that? How does it compare to your ZoomPlayer?

Thanks.

Originally posted by hikarate
I'm gonna post a question about suggested screens for the H30 in the screens section later today if one already doesn't exist. Would appreciate any feedback there. Thanks for all the help and great info guys!


Did you start that thread yet? I'm interested in that issue as well, but can't find the thread.

clamrade ,
--- When using an HTPC a 16:9 dvd image is displayed right in the middle [ using the full 4:3 800x600 panel - 4:3 mode on the H30 ] or it can be the same as other sources using 16:9 mode [ using only part of the panel ] .
--- So the advantage of the HTPC [ besides much better image quality ] is that it can open the full 800x600 panel if so desired .
--------- Jason

So how's this for insanity?

After reading this entire thread and watching this forum for about a year now, I have finally made my first attempts to quench the madness that is my projector obsession and ordered a H30 from Dell. I felt slick having saved the 10% and the $25 using the coupon. I show up here to thank you all, only to see the post that mentioned the $50 entertainment.com coupon.

that got me crazy.

i glanced at the clock, saw 11:48 and like a mad monkey signed up with entertainment.com to access this beefy coupon. i become a member and low and behold, the entertainment.com site won't load. And when I say it won't load, I mean, it won't LOAD. I sign in on three different computers (and my clie ux50) and each time I sign in the site WON'T LOAD. So, desperate, I clear my cookies, buy a book from them and jack my way into the dell coupon code. By now I'm shaking harder than a good catholic sitting in a Sens-O-Chair wearing a Hair-shirt and watching the "Passion." With three minutes to spare, I log onto dell's site (through ebates I might add, which slows the whole damn thing down) and ring up another order. I MAKE IT!!! Bwahahahahahahahahhhahaahahahaha!!!! I've finally married my cheapness with my desire for a projector!

I feel so dirty.

so to recap: i saved lots of cash (10%, $75, and $23.68 from ebates) and finally can stop lurking around these forums because my H30's on its' way (in a month). Just got to remember to cancel the first one.

Thanks guys! I'm still giggling like an idiot.

peace-
geoff

Originally posted by DaGamePimp
clamrade ,
--- When using an HTPC a 16:9 dvd image is displayed right in the middle [ using the full 4:3 800x600 panel - 4:3 mode on the H30 ] or it can be the same as other sources using 16:9 mode [ using only part of the panel ] .
--- So the advantage of the HTPC [ besides much better image quality ] is that it can open the full 800x600 panel if so desired .
--------- Jason

Yup. I agree. But this projector is unique in that the bottom portion of the display is better. I'm just not sure how I can take advantage of this design with a HTPC, which puts the 16x9 at the center...

With the PJ and me being 12 feet from the screen, will a 100" screen be just too big if I don't have complete control of the ambient lighting? Also, will the screendoor be visible at (1.5xscreen size) seating distance?

Against my better judgement, I'm trying to get a headstart on the screen while I wait a month for the H30 to be delivered. :)

Thanks.

Originally posted by DaGamePimp
hikarate ,
-- that image is about 72" diagonal , I cannot do bigger due to my 16:9 screen ;) . That is using the entire panel at 800x600 [ gives you a little taste of how good the H30 is considering it is only SVGA ] . Yeah the real image is every bit as sharp as my 21" trinitron PC monitor :) .
------- Jason

jason,
u use the full panel with a 16:9 screen? so do u mean that u will adjust the zoom ratio if u view dvd?

clamrade ,
--- what you are wondering is exactly what I stated in the second part of my comment ;) . You can use the HTPC just the same as any of the other sources because as soon as you hit the 16:9 mode on the H30 it shifts the image to the bottom and the light spill is on the top [ this is the same as using the S-Video input ] .
-- So no worries there :)
--- In my opinion 12' is too close for a 100" screen , but that is just my opinion ;) . Some people think the bigger the better [ which certainly wins the Coolness factor but I much prefer Image Quality ] .

_____________________

yipchunyu ,
--- Exactly , I intend to use no Zoom to get the 4:3 image to fit the Height of my screen and then Zoom out for the 16:9 image [ this is what is called a Constant Height set-up and it is very tricky to get nailed down but works very well once you do ] .
-- Plus I do not have the H30 mounted as of yet so I can move it around on the tripod for the best fit ;) [ this is what I did for the UT2k4 shot ] .
---- Well I am about to try for some better gaming shots now that the rest of my family is in bed ;) .
---------- Jason

Hi fellow H30 owners :-)

I just ceiling mounted my H30 yesterday, it is my first projector btw :)

Apart from the fact that I am very contenct of its qualities I also do have a major problem with it.

Because it's a 4:3 projector and I am using it with a 16:9 screen and because the projector is mounted closely to the ceiling and the top of my screen is also close to the ceiling (can you still follow?) the ligth spill is causing a big trapezium shape of ligth on my ceiling.

This is so annoying that it kind of spoils the viewing pleasure.

So I wanna resolve this issue by masking the lens. Just putting a piece of tape on it is not a solution I prefer. How are you guys doing this? Any ideas or hints?

Also I was forced to use keystone correction, I had to set it to +15. Is this a worrying high number or is it quit normal?

Thanx in advance.

Regards,

Ronald

**** A few New screen-shots are up ... be sure to check out the Nemo shot and then go change your shorts ;) ****
---- The gaming shots are tough to get nailed down but I will keep trying :)
------- Jason

I just got this email from Optoma:

"Okay, so this is a kind of covering with a 16:9 shape cut out of it which
fits on the front of the lens housing. It has two effects, it helps mask
the light loss and it increases the contrast. It will be supplied in future
shipments of H30. We'll let you know when it will start. "

I was told that I can order them as an acessoire as well :) Seems like this problem will be resolved soon :)

Best regards,

Ronald

tingtong5- If the lens is masked then that cuts down on light output for the whole image (with it convolved with a either D-shaped or a rectangular aperture function as opposed to a circular one- but any effect there is purely academic). So why not use a dimmer, longer life, bulb instead?

It makes more sense to mask at the DLP chip (not feasible for DIY), or at the image (black curtains etc).

well with my dvd player set on 4:3 with my set up about 14 ft away with the zoom totally down and set the pj to native 16:9 i get 82 wide and 42 hight .now the question i have is should i have measured the lite spill with the measurements to get total screen size or is the lite spill just there ?


man this pj is a little dificult to get a read on the screen for a setup

Anyone using a DVDO iScan Pro with their H30?

What sources do you feed through the iScan Pro?
Any improvement in quality?

Does the iScan Pro open the full panel in 4:3 and not requiring the firmware update?

Originally posted by shatten22
So how's this for insanity?

After reading this entire thread and watching this forum for about a year now, I have finally made my first attempts to quench the madness that is my projector obsession and ordered a H30 from Dell. I felt slick having saved the 10% and the $25 using the coupon. I show up here to thank you all, only to see the post that mentioned the $50 entertainment.com coupon.

that got me crazy.

i glanced at the clock, saw 11:48 and like a mad monkey signed up with entertainment.com to access this beefy coupon. i become a member and low and behold, the entertainment.com site won't load. And when I say it won't load, I mean, it won't LOAD. I sign in on three different computers (and my clie ux50) and each time I sign in the site WON'T LOAD. So, desperate, I clear my cookies, buy a book from them and jack my way into the dell coupon code. By now I'm shaking harder than a good catholic sitting in a Sens-O-Chair wearing a Hair-shirt and watching the "Passion." With three minutes to spare, I log onto dell's site (through ebates I might add, which slows the whole damn thing down) and ring up another order. I MAKE IT!!! Bwahahahahahahahahhhahaahahahaha!!!! I've finally married my cheapness with my desire for a projector!

I feel so dirty.

so to recap: i saved lots of cash (10%, $75, and $23.68 from ebates) and finally can stop lurking around these forums because my H30's on its' way (in a month). Just got to remember to cancel the first one.

Thanks guys! I'm still giggling like an idiot.

peace-
geoff

LOL, very entertaining read, Geoff. Glad it all worked out for you. :)

Originally posted by clamrade
Did you start that thread yet? I'm interested in that issue as well, but can't find the thread.

Not yet, I had to go home and make more measurements. it sounds like you and I are about in the same boat, I am trying to figure out if the 100" 4:3 screen will be too big for my viewing distance. I will put that thread in under Screens today, or reply to it if someone already started it.

The lens mask being tested by Optoma for the H30 is similar to one they already have for the H56. It not only eliminates the light spill above the image, but is said to improve contrast ratio as well. It's for 16:9 only of course.

Also I was forced to use keystone correction, I had to set it to +15. Is this a worrying high number or is it quit normal?

Ronald, 15 is pretty high for keystone correction. Can you adjust your mounting angle or height to improve on that?

Pimp

OMG that Nemo shot is unreal. That can't be real. That is unbelievable. Is that fed in and scaled down from a higher resolution? Please give me the details on how you got that shot to look that good. Is that the HTPC difference that you have been talking about? If I can get my screen looking half that good I will be happy, jealous, but happy.

Believe it or not, a component-to-VGA feed with a regular DVD player will look as good as Jason's screen shot with the H30, at least in a screen shot. Take a look at some of Tom's early posts of Fifth Element screenshots.

Here's one from Nemo using a JVC prog scan player with component outputs I posted fifty pages ago or so. :D

It's actually sharper in reality, but it gives you a good idea of the punch in the colors.

http://www.surfaudiovideo.com/graphics/nemo1.jpg

hikarate ,
--- It is very real , you can see my shoulder a little on the left side of the pic . The scary thing is that it still does not do the real image justice since so much is lost going to a 640x480 .jpg [ I only wish I could post 1600x1200 .bmp's ;) ] .
--- That image is fed from an HTPC at 800x600 and set for Anamorphic then letting the H30 do the Squeeze . It is not from any HD source just regular old DVD .
--- Thanks for the compliment :) , I knew when I got the freeze frame on that one that the pic should turn out good . Consider also that I am only using a 2.1 megapixel digi-cam set for it's lowest resolution .
--- I really have to say again however that screen-shots [ even good ones ] do not really show what the Projector can do [ what it looks like in person ] .

*** 40+ hours and counting ;) ***
_________
Mike ,
--- I would have to agree based upon screen-shots alone but standalone players cannot compete as I have tried several different players fed via component to the H30 and none of them have the detail/sharpness level of a tweaked HTPC . Tried Denon , JVC , Pioneer & Onkyo [ none of these are my units , just brought over by friends for comparison ] .
------------ Jason

Originally posted by DaGamePimp
--- I really have to say again however that screen-shots [ even good ones ] do not really show what the Projector can do [ what it looks like in person ] .
------------ Jason

Very true. I know just a straight component-to-VGA connection from a DVD player looks better in reality than any screen shots, so imagine how much better Jason's HTPC looks.

Mike:

I just received an Email from my OPTOMA dealer saying that new Firmware due date is 1 of April, do you have the same info ?

Thanks
Ariel

watch out for anything that is supposed to be ready on that date ;) .
----- Jason

Damn.. this thread is still going..

without reading 87 pages of typing.. is the H30 able to show the full 800x600 yet.. or is the display still limited to 16x9 with lpixels disabled and light spill at the top?

Thanks!

Daekwan ,
--- It has always been able to do 800x600 with a VGA (rgb) source and the new firmware is supposed to be available within the next couple weeks to allow other sources to use the full 800x600 panel .
--------- Jason

I posted a thread to the screens forum if anyone wants to give their opinion. I am currently reading through Tyg's review threads so making an attempt to learn something here in the meantime.
Tom mentioned somewhere to check out the Da-Light high power so I am leaning towards that for now, but just been reading that its not as effective on ceiling mounts so I am confused. Anyhow I won't crowd this thread with anymore of my personal problems. You all have been a great help thanks again.

Screen for Optoma H30 (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=381230)

Jason:

Your new pics on the WWW are in on word - amazing !!! (I wish I had a richer vocabulary)
What type of screen you use ?

Ariel

Ariel ,
--- Thank You :)
--- I actually use a very inexpensive screen solution that was discovered a while ago by a fellow AVS forum member , it is made by a company called Parkland Plastics and is really nothing more than a giant sheet of pure white semi-flexible plastic with a measured gain of about 1.0 (unity gain) .
-- I am certain that a High Power would give even more 'Pop' but when you consider that I only spent $19.98 for my screen I think the Value cannot be matched ;) . I plan to get a 1.3 gain Perm Wall screen eventually .
--------- Jason

Originally posted by hikarate
I posted a thread to the screens forum if anyone wants to give their opinion. I am currently reading through Tyg's review threads so making an attempt to learn something here in the meantime.
Tom mentioned somewhere to check out the Da-Light high power so I am leaning towards that for now, but just been reading that its not as effective on ceiling mounts so I am confused. Anyhow I won't crowd this thread with anymore of my personal problems. You all have been a great help thanks again.

Screen for Optoma H30 (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=381230)

High power is no good for overhead mount. Use Video Spectra instead, I find it to be very bright and it's designed for overhead projectors. If you use the high power it will be very dim because of the angle.

hikarate is planning on a non-tensioned pull down model. His best choice is the High Power. It's actually good that he ceiling mounts with this screen. Takes gain down to about 1.5. For me too much gain is not the best, especially with the H30 being pretty bright.

Allot of users that even ceiling mount preferred the High Power. Many over at the HT1000 thread.

My first screen was a pull down video spectra, here's a picture it shows big time waves with video.

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

I got excited when I heard about a future firmware upgrade that would allow me to change the portion of the chip that is used in 16:9 display. I have my projector mounted at about 6 feet and have to tilt the projector up and use keystone of about 13. As a test, I left the projector in it's place but set the display to "front-tabletop" so the image was upside down. I believe that this should use the other side of the chip (the bottom part if I remember right). It moved the image downward 13 inches. So, I was able to use very little tilt with the projector and my keystone was only at 2.

This should be a big help to me.

Originally posted by guitarman
hikarate is planning on a non-tensioned pull down model. His best choice is the High Power. It's actually good that he ceiling mounts with this screen. Takes gain down to about 1.5. For me too much gain is not the best, especially with the H30 being pretty bright.

Allot of users that even ceiling mount preferred the High Power. Many over at the HT1000 thread.

My first screen was a pull down video spectra, here's a picture it shows big time waves with video.

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

You are making it sound like that's a problem with Video Specta, it's because it's mounted on a cheap model B. Video specta is the recommended screen for overhead projection from Da-Lite, at least low cost anyway. It would be stupid to spend the extra on a high power, to end up with the same gain as VS. If you really want to spend the bucks don't do it on high power for overhead, what you are doing is the same as looking at a Projection TV from an extreme angle, it's not something you want to do.

No it's the thinness of the screen material and the way it reflects. I don't think Model C or CSR will help the VS, HC, HCCV on a non-tensioned screen.

Seeing is believing. Same size and type screen but High Power ---

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

Seeing is believing. Same size and type screen but High Power ---


tom are you using a high power and if so is the whites over blown on the pic or can you ajust contrast and brightness down on the h30 to specs.. thanks

I'm using a mat white with the H30. Out of all the materials and the way they reflect the mat white isn't too bad also, but it does get more waves because it's thin. It's just the way it reflects that makes them harder to see when video is shown on them.

But that's not what you asked. I passed the 92X69" High Power over to a Friend. I do plan on getting a 92"X52" high power. Maybe I'll have it in a couple of weeks. Make sure you ask for a black case. You've probably seen the glow a white case can have. :)

I used the High Power with the HT1000 ceiling mounted. It worked great for the NEC. Even though the NEC is rated 1000 the Optoma seems as bright so it should work out fine.

How much gain the High Power will lose on a ceiling mount depends on how high you are mounting vs. seating height vs. viewing distance from the screen.

I've got the High Power Model B pull down (92x69) used with the H30 table mounted - it is awsome even with a good bit of room light (unavoidable for me during the day.)

I've played with ceiling mounting by resting the H30 on a step ladder. If it is mounted on the 'low' side (7 ft) with a bit of upward angle and a touch of keystone, I seem to lose almost no gain from a seat on the couch (eyes at 3.5 ft). Lying on the floor with pillows, yes, gain is down but the image is still great.

The High Power material is heavier, so I have no doubt it hangs slightly flatter than VS.

It works for me, for the little added cost I'd do it again in a minute. Oh, I did use VS sample when I did the ladder trial, and the HP was considerably brighter...

John F

I used the High Power with the HT1000 ceiling mounted. It worked great for the NEC. Even though the NEC is rated 1000 the Optoma seems as bright so it should work out fine.


well because tom in the living room i have the pj in the cabinate that i got with ajustable legs and i have the high power screen material 12" by 12" and the only thing that is hard to tell is whites are very white and dve all the colors seem to be more lite in colors which it isn't a bad thing but just want to make sure tha it could be calibrated properly ?

hey

does any know where i can get an h30 demo in the toronto area

thanks

For more live comparison here's the mat white showing waves but they're hard to see when video is going. H30

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

http://www.cigarbest.com/sales/h30matrix5.jpg

does any know where i can get an h30 demo in the toronto area


hey you are still looking did you not get to demo the pj yet :confused:

"well because tom in the living room i have the pj in the cabinate that i got with ajustable legs and i have the high power screen material 12" by 12" and the only thing that is hard to tell is whites are very white and dve all the colors seem to be more lite in colors which it isn't a bad thing but just want to make sure tha it could be calibrated properly ?"

I got just the thing, you should check out a Hoya FLD fitler lens. You can get one at a good camera store. I've had mine on and off, lately it's on. It darkens things up, colors get stronger, blacks blacker and s/b great with the HP.

I got just the thing, you should check out a Hoya FLD fitler lens. You can get one at a good camera store. I've had mine on and off, lately it's on. It darkens things up, colors get stronger, blacks blacker and s/b great with the HP.


i have thought obout that ? but you said that you did not like the pic ( if i remember correctly) but the pic on a high power i general does pop off the screen ,very nice .

The filter might be just the right thing for the HP. It's cheap enough to try it out. About $20 I think.

The filter might be just the right thing for the HP. It's cheap enough to try it out. About $20 I think.


yes that sounds about right tom price wise ,so i guess you are going to use one also with the high power i am gettig something in the nabour hood of high 50's lamberts :eek: