Chris, the HDMI wallplate is probably not worth the cost. It is also another connection point which could become problematic. I'd just move the bookshelf over initially, so it doesn't matter down the road. Or, move it just enough so that you could put the hole on the right side of the bookshelf, but if you moved the bookshelf to the right, it'll still cover it.

Again, just going by memory from reading past posts, but I believe it more or less cuts the light it lets through in half. Think of it this way. On a scale of 1 to 10, if your blacks are at a 1 (0 being completely black) and you apply a NDx2 filter, your blacks will now be at .5. Closer to 0 the better. At the same time, it cuts all the light in half, meaning your whites will be half as white. Take this with a grain of salt as I'm no expert. Never used one and just going by memory. I may pick one up and try it though.


I don't know specific measurements in light reduction, but it doesn't feel like the light output is halved.
It still burns in my eyes when the scene switches to a snowy landscape or a huge explosion covers my screen with bright flames.
Remember, I'm running a 100" GreyLine 0.8 gain. I'm under the impression that most of you are using a 1+ gain screen and will still be brighter than mine after a NDx2 tweak.

Tor,

So you highly recommend it? My screen is +1.3, and 123" diagonal, do you think it will still help, without making it too dim? What about when watching TV, doesnt ir require more lumens?.


Thanks,

Chris - I normally use a 15 meter (about 50') Ultralink cable when reviewing projectors - works great. I have also tested their 20 meter (once) with the BenQ 7700, H78DC3 and the Marantz VP12S4, and no problems. That's the longest HDMI or DVI I have seen. (BTW the first generation of Ultralink DVI's did have problems, but they have been shipping these for perhaps 4 months).

-art

Tor,
So you highly recommend it? My screen is +1.3, and 123" diagonal, do you think it will still help, without making it too dim? What about when watching TV, doesnt ir require more lumens?.
Thanks,

Yes, I would at least give it a try.
My benefit were quite noticable.

You're right regarding wathing TV. It might feel a bit dim for that purpose, especially during daylight. Then again, it takes less then 10 seconds to remove or reinstall the filter.

It is done. I got an absolutely ridiculously good deal on it from an authorized, reputable dealer.

That, a new Samsung HD950, lots of cables and DIY blackout cloth 65"x110" should all arrive Monday or Tuesday. I'll be building myself a clone of Tim's plexiglass ceiling mount this weekend if I can manage to find it at a reasonable price locally.

Now I just have to figure out how to deal with waiting until Monday or Tuesday. I have the whole week off work to get everything installed. Can't wait. :D :D

Yes, I would at least give it a try.
My benefit were quite noticable.


Just be prepared to throw away the cost of the ND2. Experimenting never hurts, but you'd be smart to get a cheap one off of ebay rather than a brand new B+W.

tor has a .8 gain 100" (width or diag I don't know), which cuts light by roughly 20%. You have a much larger screen and are talking about cutting light by 50%.

A gray screen has advantages beyond what a ND2 has. The lower screen gain not only reduces the initial reflection of light, but also the secondary reflections of light, which matter if you have a non-black room.

Just be prepared to throw away the cost of the ND2. Experimenting never hurts, but you'd be smart to get a cheap one off of ebay rather than a brand new B+W.

tor has a .8 gain 100" (width or diag I don't know), which cuts light by roughly 20%. You have a much larger screen and are talking about cutting light by 50%.

A gray screen has advantages beyond what a ND2 has. The lower screen gain not only reduces the initial reflection of light, but also the secondary reflections of light, which matter if you have a non-black room.

I may try one of the graywolf 1.8 high contrast pull-downs sometime next week and compare it to the DIY blackout cloth's supposed 1.1 gain. There's a local big chain that carries the graywolfs that I can get a full refund from if I'm not impressed. I'll report back if I do give it a shot.

tor has a .8 gain 100" (width or diag I don't know), which cuts light by roughly 20%. You have a much larger screen and are talking about cutting light by 50%.


That's my point. Not only does my screen it self reduce light due to less than 1 gain, but I also reduce light with NDx2. Still flames, snow and flashlights burn my eyes.
The screen mentioned above I belive was something like 1.3 gain.
I payed 60$ for a quality Hoya Multi Coated NDx2 filter.
It's probably possible to get a cheap brand for around 40$, but is worth putting some money in the filter if you benefit from it.

I encourage anyone in doubt on this tweak to give it a try with an open mind.
If it doesn't work, you'll simply ebay your filter.
In domestic av-magazines the reviewer actually mentions the benefit of a NDx2 filter on this projector specific.

I payed 60$ for a quality Hoya Multi Coated NDx2 filter.
It's probably possible to get a cheap brand for around 40$, but is worth putting some money in the filter if you benefit from it.


You must have bought the Ultra Thin for that price. The regular Hoya HMC ND2X costs about half price excluding shipping. Shop around. It's worth it. When your lamp hits the 1500 hour mark, remove the filter and it's like having a new bulb.

I've searched around and didnt do a good job of finding the answer to this one...

Just got a Dishnetwork 811 HD receiver, hooked up via the stock component 6' cable to the 7700.

Is there any advantage using the 811 DVI output to BNC on the 7700 or should I just get a 16' component set...?

The HTPC is using the HDMI port.

tor, apologies - I missed that you had both an ND2x and a gray screen.

I've searched around and didnt do a good job of finding the answer to this one...

Just got a Dishnetwork 811 HD receiver, hooked up via the stock component 6' cable to the 7700.

Is there any advantage using the 811 DVI output to BNC on the 7700 or should I just get a 16' component set...?

The HTPC is using the HDMI port.Get an HDMI switch for both digital sources. I wouldn't invest in analog video if you have a digital display and sources.

Back to the filet topic.
My screen is 123" fixed wall Stewart 1.3 gain white screen. (I think I was stupid to pay 2K+ for the screen, but somehow I got caught up with the idea of having a top of the line something. Well, actually I thought that I would never change the screen while projectors would come and go.) Ok, back to the topic, the room is 100% light controlled, and covered with dark grey sound absorbing fabric. I like to have some dim light while watching TV, I dont think it has the same effect as daylight, but it still washes out the image a bit if the PJ is too dim.

What do you guys think now?

I saw the Hoya filter for 30 bucks in ebay, are they all the same, or some difference under the same specs?

thanks

Any light which shines on the screen will wash out the picture. The light has to be behind the screen, pointing away from it, or very diffuse.

A filter will make the image darker and the picture will be more washed out.

... and the picture will be more washed out.

I don't know if you have any personal experience trying a NDx2 filter on BenQ 7700, but I totally disagree with that statement.

tor -- maxkoz said that his image was too dim. If he added a filter, it would make it even dimmer, since it cuts the light output by 1 f-stop.

I agree with you, that adding a ND2 filter can improve the image. But an image that is too "washed" out (or too dim) is different from one that is too bright.

Exactly why many PJ users went the Stewart FireHawk, a 1.15 gain screen for increasing lumen output and that has a silver or gray cast helping black levels. This gets even more important with large (100+ inch) screens that reduce picture levels as well.

So I'd recommend a + gain gray screen over a ND filter which drastically decreases light output if you have to go past 100" wide to help black levels. Either way ambient light control/elimination is very important in maxing out both black levels and image brightness.

Guys, to be clear, I ment that if I turn up the lights too much, they wash out the screen, but the room is 100% dark, I guess that WHen I watch tv the filter should come off, and for movies it will be great. I will let you know, but I am still a few weeks away.

Are there different Hoya ND2x filters, or are they all the same? Someone mentioned something about a thin lens, so I just want to make sure.

Thanks,

My lamp failed yesterday while I was watching a movie.It had less than 66 hrs.on it.No warm restarts just turned on once on the days I used it.

Hmm... :( Looks like the bulb problem may be with BenQ as well as the Toshiba? Although I think sparky's is the first report of an early bulb failure on the BenQ so far.

I have faint curved-vertical lines in portions of the top 1/3 of the image (projector ceiling mounted). They're only visible in bright scenes.

They exist regardless of source material -- htpc or hdtv. Connection is DVI to HDMI only. I tried a more expense, thicker DVI to HDMI cable, and that didn't solve it. I removed all input connections, and the lines are there on the blue screen.

I think I've narrowed it down to the power cord -- when moving it the lines will temporarily shift or disappear, but they always come right back. I tried a different much thicker extension cord, and replaced the projector's IEC power cord with another 18 awg cord. I've used a different outlet as well to no avail.

While the unit was on I was making sure the new power cord was properly seated in the projector. I pushed it in a bit (not very hard) and the projector shutdown completely -- no orange light at all. It came back on when I unplugged then plugged back in etc.

So, do I try a thicker (14 awg) IEC power cord? Or perhaps a power conditioner? Or does this sound like a power supply problem in the projector?

Could the PJ not be grounding properly? Probably should send it in for service.

How does one check for proper grounding? It's plugged into a three-pronged outlet. I currently have an X1 also in the same room, and it doesn't have this problem. Also, I've had 5 prior digitals and 1 CRT on this same outlet without issue.

I think I'd try seeing what kind of voltage the outlet is giving you, but I agree with you that it may be a PJ power supply problem. Something's not right if you push the cord in more and it shuts off.

Very early bulb failure?

While some friends and I were watching a movie last night suddenly the projector went black, with no light output. The projector had less than 100 hours on the lamp. Just turned it off normally, with the remote, and there were no failure indications on the panel. Turned it on again after an hour or so and the lamp would not go on, and then the red led lamp showed up on the panel. Hmm, very disappointing (understatement), never had any problems with the 7800 I had before the 7700.

Very early bulb failure?

While some friends and I were watching a movie last night suddenly the projector went black, with no light output. The projector had less than 100 hours on the lamp. Just turned it off normally, with the remote, and there were no failure indications on the panel. Turned it on again after an hour or so and the lamp would not go on, and then the red led lamp showed up on the panel. Hmm, very disappointing (understatement), never had any problems with the 7800 I had before the 7700.
Try disconnecting power and then reinstall the bulb. I've had the same thing happen with an 8700 and it has worked normally after this procedure.

I am really having a hard time deciding between the BenQ 7700 and the Sony HS-51. I do not experience any of the viewing problems of either DLP's or LCD's, so that is not a problem for me. I like everything about the Sony except I fear it may not be bright enough to enjoy HD sports with ambient lighting. I like everything about the BenQ except I fear it might struggle a bit with black levels. If I could get some answers to the following questions, I would very much appreciate it:

1. How is the BenQ with HDTV, especially fast action sports? (HDMI Connection).

2. How is the BenQ with Upconverted DVD's? (HDMI Connection).

3. How is the BenQ with black levels in a light-controlled environment?

4. How is the BenQ with SDTV?

5. Do the colors on the BenQ pop-out at you while watching an HD Channel such as Discovery HD?

~Josh

2. How is the BenQ with Upconverted DVD's? (HDMI Connection).

3. How is the BenQ with black levels in a light-controlled environment?

4. How is the BenQ with SDTV?


I was also struggling between these two models.
I went with BenQ and don't regret it.
(The Sony is a lot easier install due to lensshift)

2. Excellent. When I watch Superbit movies I feel the picture is semi-HD.
Way beoynd the ordinary 480p I was used to.

3. I my case on a 100" greyline 0.8 gain I really benefitted from using a NDx2 filter that reduces light output. This projector is really bright.
But then again, it let's me watch tv in a daylit room due to the brightness.
Filter on for late night movie enjoyment with stunning blacklevel.
Filter of for daytime tv.

(Sony HS-51 can't be both bright and dark in the same scene. A night scene with a candlelight gives a somewhat dim and "grey" candle.)
BenQ can have a dark scene and blind your eyes with a flashlight, lightning or explosion.

Guys, to be clear, I ment that if I turn up the lights too much, they wash out the screen, but the room is 100% dark, I guess that WHen I watch tv the filter should come off, and for movies it will be great. I will let you know, but I am still a few weeks away.

Are there different Hoya ND2x filters, or are they all the same? Someone mentioned something about a thin lens, so I just want to make sure.

Thanks,
Here you go : http://www.thkphoto.com/products/hoya/coatings.html

Turns out my problem with curved vertical lines in the top of the image were due to the metal mounting screws from the ceiling mount. I replaced them with non-conductive screws and the problem is gone.

Anyone to answer Questions 1 and 4?

~Josh

Josh,

1) Sports are unbelievable on this projector, IMO. Baseball feels like you're standing on the field. I haven't watched much sports that are fast moving.. was pretty busy during basketball season, but it looked great the few times I watched. Absolutely no complaints about this projector with HD sources.

2) No experience with this (yet).. I currently use DVDs over component @ 480i. Will be getting TheaterTek to use through my computer (DVI->HDMI) connection soon.

3) When it's dark out (I don't have light control, so night is the best it gets for me), the blacks look better than I'm used to (old X1 is the comparison point for that).. they're dark gray as any other digital projector, but I think they look worse in my setup due to not having a black border around my screen (yet!). I don't have a direct comparison with the HS51 to be able to tell you which is better. Maybe Pip can answer this specific question.

4) I'm not watching SDTV much anymore, since I got an HD DVR, but it looks fine. I'm not asking for much because SDTV IMO is garbage in, garbage out.

5) Absolutely wonderful. My favorite is to watch InHD and InHD2, because all of their commercials are previews for what is coming up to watch, and some of those Imax previews (and actual shows) are absolutely incredible. Nature shows, etc, on Discovery HD are unbelievable and really pop off the screen.

You won't regret getting a 7700.. only thing that may be an issue is bulb life, but it seems that it's happening right away, so I'd say just use it quite a bit initially and before the 90 day period.

Tim,

Thanks for the information, I really appreciate it.


Question to anyone:

I noticed that the BenQ cannot down-convert a 1080p signal to 1080i or 720p. Does this mean it will not be able to view the upcomming HD-DVD's? (Blu-ray or HD-DVD). Or will the DVD players for these new discs have optional output settings?

What makes this projector so difficult to install? That is the only complaint I have read for this thing so far, other then some of the bulbs blowing quickly.

At a throw distance of a little over 11 feet, would I be able to achieve a decent 106" image?

~Josh

Guys,

I know there is a lot of info regarding the similarity between the Q7700 ant the Tosh MT-700, but in a nutshell, any reaso nwhy I should go with one or another? It seems that price on the Tosh could be lower than the Q, am I right?

Thanks,

Max

Tim,

Thanks for the information, I really appreciate it.


Question to anyone:

I noticed that the BenQ cannot down-convert a 1080p signal to 1080i or 720p. Does this mean it will not be able to view the upcomming HD-DVD's? (Blu-ray or HD-DVD). Or will the DVD players for these new discs have optional output settings?

It's almost inconceivable that HD-DVD players (be they HD-DVD or BD) would not output 1080i/720p, for the simple reason that there are very few 1080p capable displays out there.

What makes this projector so difficult to install? That is the only complaint I have read for this thing so far, other then some of the bulbs blowing quickly.

I wouldn't call it difficult, it's just not as flexible as some other PJs. The fixed offset and lack of lense shift simply limits the placement to one degree of freedom. Basically screen location will dictate where you place it up/down and left/right, leaving you only forward/back adjustment. For some that's a problem.

At a throw distance of a little over 11 feet, would I be able to achieve a decent 106" image?

According to the Projector central calculator, you'll be able to get 106" at anywhere between 10 and almost 14 feet (10.1-13.7).

FWIW, I've got the MT700 (Tosh clone).

Beatboy, there are very very few displays that even accept a 1080p signal, even most of the ones that can display it. HD DVD players will be able to output 720p to this projector.

Guys,

Regarding the ND 2x filter. There seems to be a difference in quality between the two available. One is multi coated, and the other is not. Which ones do you guys have? Do you think there will be a significant difference between the two? Its not the 6 buck difference, its more a question of availabilty.

Thanks

I use the Hoya HMC myself, but it has been stated that the standard filter with the single coating works fine as well.

The multi coatings will prevent internal reflections from the lens to the filter, and back to the lens.
The multi coatings will also be more resistant to stripes or accedential scratches.

I think the HMCs pass more light as well. It's a pity the Super HMCs aren't available on more of their range of filters though as they are about as transparent as filter glass can get:

http://www.2filter.com/hoya/hoyauvsky01.html

Gary.

I know there is a lot of info regarding the similarity between the Q7700 ant the Tosh MT-700, but in a nutshell, any reaso nwhy I should go with one or another? It seems that price on the Tosh could be lower than the Q, am I right?

See the following post from a couple months ago...
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=5657349&&#post5657349

I got the BenQ because of the extra year warranty, the better looks (IMHO of course), and I tend to favor an OEM versus rebranded item. For a while I was going to get the MT700 until I found out about the warranty.

Picture size question from someone who didn't take geometry in high school but wish I had.
The online manual for the 7700 lists specs for a diagonal screen size of 100" and 110". I am interested in the specs for a 106" diagonal screen- how wide and how tall would it be for this projector?
When I get this projector, due to room constraints, I will probably start with a 106" blackout cloth screen until I can save for a better more permanent screen. Are manufactured screen more commonly available in 106" or 110" sizes or both?

Go to this link and enjoy researching various scenarios-
http://www.projectorcentral.com/BenQ-PE7700-projection-calculator-pro.htm

106" diag. is 52"x92" viewable. Most manuf. offer a 106" as well as 110".

I love this projector so far but for one problem I have noticed. When playing pc games such as Farcry or GTA San Andreas, when I pan the camera horitontally across the screen, there is a sort of motion blur effect. I never experienced this while hooked up to my sony rptv crt. Even when the framerate is at 60 frames per second, it looks like evertything gets blurry when panning the camera. Is this supposed to happen? I thought dlp didn't have a response time issue like lcd had or still has. I'm running my pc via HDMI now , tried vga and component same issue. Resolution 1280x720@60hz. I also noticed this effect on a Samsung dlp rptv. I know some people while watiching DVD's claimed to see this effect but often times could trace the problem to the source when pausing the movie but video games should be a pretty solid source I would think. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I just got my PE7700 and so far am very impressed and I dont even have it really setup yet (just tested on the floor etc.).

I was surprised by its size (never really paid much attention to the dimension specs) and thought in all the pictures it was an all silver unit...didnt expect the white top cover.

I will post more reviews once it is setup in my theater room....very close, no carpet and it is too dusty/dirty right now.

However, FYI, I just got my new S77 player with the projector and without any calibration, out of the box for both, I saw macroblocking in the movie 'office space' in the background in the grey fabric of all the cubicles in that picture. subtle, but it was there. No one who was watching with me said anything, nor did I as I was not about to explain anything.

Hoping it is not very noticable once I get it officially setup and calibrated.

Jim

it looks like evertything gets blurry when panning the camera. Is this supposed to happen?

Yes unfortunately if you pan faster then a certain speed you get this temporal dithering effect. You update the picture info faster then the DLP-chip can handle and you get intermediate coloreffects resulting in dithering.
Nothing to do about it, you could try a 8-segment DLP like the Optoma H79 but even that one will have it but perhaps less visible. If you use a ND filter the effects will become a little bit less but still clearly visible.

Or....

the H77+ if your feeling lucky......

which, with the upgrade have supposedly corrected this issue.....

My new PE7700 arrived today and wow. Looks amazing playing DVD's from my HTPC using a radeon X800Pro DVI out to HDMI in on the projector. Haven't gotten to run a Hi-Def signal to it yet other than the 1280x720 resolution from the HTPC but the desktop looks ridiculously great. Very pleased with the purchase.

I've run into one major snag which I believe is due to operator error. I also received a new Samsung HD950 which upscales to 720p and outputs via HDMI. I went into the Samsung menu and set the output to HDMI at 720p, everything else looks to be set right. The projector recognizes the 720p signal and displays the Samsung's menu screen fine. As soon as I load a DVD into the tray and it attempts to play, the screen trips out and goes blank, then I get what looks like a refresh rate purple bar about 1/5 of the screen high that cycles up the screen. No picture whatsoever. I tried a shorter HDMI-HDMI cable (the 6' patch that came with the DVD player) and still no luck. I ran component out of the Samsung and into the component RGB on the 7700 and it plays the dvd, although the picture quality is crap compared to the HTPC via HDMI.

Also, if I don't turn on the projector first, then the Samsung dvd player, it sometimes recognizes the dvd player but says HDMI (unsupported) and won't even display the Samsung's menu. I assume this has something to do with the HDCP quirk others have experienced as far as turning on each piece of equipment in a certain order for HDCP compliance.

I've gone through the settings on both the projector and the Samsung 950 over and over again, checked both manuals. I'm usually pretty good at nailing down a problem. This one has me completely stumped. I'd just continue to use the HTPC but that machine won't always be in the projector room. I have a feeling that the Samsung may look even better over HDMI-HDMI rather than the HTPC's DVI-out to DVI-HDMI adapter to HDMI-HDMI cable.

Another issue I need to go back and re-read is the IRE setting. I'm not sure if my 7700 has the firmware upgrade, but there are two black level settings of 0 IRE and 7.5 IRE. I see no other options grayed out. I've yet to calibrate it with my avia dvd but 0 IRE looks entirely too dark.

If anyone has a Samsung HD950 and the 7700, please let me know if you have any suggestions. Maybe I just have a dud dvd player and need to send it back. I'd like to cover all my bases with it, though, and make sure I'm not just doing something wrong, which I can almost guarantee is the case.

Other than this, everything's great. Can't wait to feed it some Colts games in hi-def this fall. With the deal I got from a forum sponsor, its truly too hard to pass up. PM me if you'd like my dealer contact's info and he'll hook ya up with the same deal.

THANKS again to everyone here. I'd have never ended up with a great setup such as I have without tons and tons of help from a ginormous number of people here.

If anyone has a Samsung HD950 and the 7700, please let me know if you have any suggestions. Maybe I just have a dud dvd player and need to send it back. I'd like to cover all my bases with it, though, and make sure I'm not just doing something wrong, which I can almost guarantee is the case.

Well... I can't say for sure what the problem is, but I've had the same problem with the 7700 paired up with the HD950. It happened on some discs, but not others. (As an aside, have you tried multiple discs? I had that problem with "The Incredibles" and one other. I don't remember offhand what the other was.)

Anyway... I had the same problem, and nothing I did would fix it. I had another DVD player hooked up as well, so I figured if a certain disc didn't work I'd be stuck playing it on the other (lower quality) DVD player. The other day, though, I forgot that The Incredibles didn't work and I put it in. PRESTO! It worked fine.

The only thing that I can think of that I did to change anything since last time I tried that disc is that I did the "hi-def over component" hack on the HD950, just to see if it worked. (I was, though, using HDMI for the movie.)

Might be worth a try, anyway...

Don

Smooth317,
I've had the same problem with a HD850.
I made the HD850 multi region and now seems to be OK.

which is the right (or the best) diameter of the ND2 filter to be fit in the 7700 optics?

I have found several diameters like 49, 55, 52, 58, 62, 67, 72 and 77 milimeters (Hoya).

thanks.

(Sorry about my english but I studied in the same languajes school than adefesio :) )

I'd tried several different DVDs in the HD950 with no luck. The region-free / upconverting over component hack fixed my issues and plays DVDs now. No clue why that was necessary. Does Samsung expect everyone with an HD950 using HDMI to go online and use a hack? I assume this hack doesn't reduce picture quality over HDMI. The HD950 looks pretty damn good. Its hard to compare to the HTPC right now because I'm still in the process of putting up blackout curtains so there's ambient light washing out the picture.

Bottom line though, looks great. I have some calibrating to do now after I get it ceiling mounted and make my screen.

which is the right (or the best) diameter of the ND2 filter to be fit in the 7700 optics?


The 67mm with a small bit of tape to hold it in place.

Should I be concerned that the BenQ PE7700 doesn't support 1080p versus the Sony VPL HS51 which does?

There aren't any broadcasts, dvds, or other content with plans to support 1080p in the near future. I think it is a safe bet for atleast 3 more years. Maybe a little longer.

Also, any format or source that will be capable of 1080p will most certainly have an ability to output a downconverted source, in order to be compatible with the millions of current HDTVs that can't display 1080p.

And I thought the HS51 does not handle 1080p....both are same vertical resolution at 720.

As far as native 1080p content, it will some time before we see any viable releases on whatever HD DVD format that wins out. If it does come out the content will be 1080/24 or 30 not 60 or 720/60 this PJ's native resolution anyway. And all players will be able to output any of those three rates as well.

Plus will be a few product generations before you see a 1080p DLP Front Projector at a $3000 or lower price point.

Well said Jim.

I've had a few clients say they will wait for 1080p before upgrading their projector. After getting a taste of 1080p at CES in January, I was feeling the same way thinking that it would be affordable and available by Christmas.

However, with the high definition DVD debacle and the apparent lack of affordable 1080p program material, I think the reality of the situation is that 720p is as good as it gets for at least the next two years.

Not too long ago, many of us would have paid $10,000 or more to enjoy the picture quality offered by the $3,000 PE7700. While its hard to do in this hobby, I'm going to enjoy the good times now and try not to think about 1080p -- at least until the next CES.

The 67mm with a small bit of tape to hold it in place.

tor ove, could you post a photo of your setup?

I have no idea how to best mount the filter

thanks

(My PE7700 logo is upside down since my projector is ceiling mountet. Just put the tape on the other side if yours is right side up.)

Having the NDx2 67mm filter in my hand, I flip it so the threaded part is in towards the lens.
On the top edge of the filter ring I preattatch about 1 inch of tape.

Then I simply put the filter on letting the tape go between the focusring of the lens and the chassis around the lens.
When the filter is in position you might take a small skrewdriver, fork, toothpick or something else to gently press down the tape on the focusring of the lens.

I put my filter on last night as well. 2 little pieces of tape (one on top, one on bottom) seem to hold the filter nicely in place.

thanks tor, I´ll try in a few days

It says on BenQ's webpage that the 7700 has a RGB input. I looked at pictures of the 7700's back panel and I did not see one. I may be wrong here, but isn't RGB similar or the same as a VGA? The reason I ask is because when I get my 7700 I would like to hook my HTPC up to it via RGB. I will hook up the Directv HD-Tivo and Denon DVD player via HDMI, Xbox via Component. Any other ideas for hookups?

~Josh

Well, I got my PE7700 mounted successfully with Carada Brilliant white screen mounted also. (I found the best method was to mount the projector, mark the final image height on the wall and then mount the screen to fix the height...better than calculating).

I want to calibrate but the first thing I notice is in some scenes it appears a bit blurry...especially if I am closer to the screen (1x for example).

I am using S77 thru HDMI upconvert to 720p. Incredibles was no issue...switched to Pirates of Caribbean and got this....focused it the best I could.

Is this a potential DVD issue? Or am I actually seeing the lower resolution of DVDs in this large (114") screen? I wont have the HD box setup for another 2-3 weeks to see that.

Thanks
Jim

Josh, the 7700 will take an RGB input. You'll need to purchase a VGA ro RGBHV breakout cable.

>which lens<

I have a MT700 don;t know for sure if the lens is exactly the same as 7700 but I think so. If you use a 52mm lens with a bit of thread it fits perfectly out of it's own by turning it a bit on the projectorlens and the dustcap still fits also. Oh yeah and the 52mm is also cheaper :D

Josh, the 7700 will take an RGB input. You'll need to purchase a VGA ro RGBHV breakout cable.

I believe this is included in the box? The manual seems to indicate this to be the case. Can any current owners confirm this?

Josh, the 7700 will take an RGB input. You'll need to purchase a VGA ro RGBHV breakout cable.
The VGA to RGBHV breakout cable is included in the box.

So I should buy an RGB cable, not a VGA cable, correct?

~Josh

So I should buy an RGB cable, not a VGA cable, correct?

~Josh
If you are trying to connect from a standard analog computer port, I would buy a VGA cable. In fact... I did. I bought a 50 foot long VGA cable.

If the included (about 6 foot, as I recall?) breakout cable is not long enough for your needs - and I'd assume it's usually not - you will want a MALE-MALE VGA cable for the remainder of your run. You will then connect that cable from the computer to the breakout cable, and from the breakout cable to the projector. (When viewing that connection, be sure to use the RGBHV input selection rather than the COMPONENT2 selection. If you use COMP2, your image will be all funky.)

Josh, you want a VGA to RGBHV breakout cable. It will have a standard 15-pin vga style connector on one end and the 5 BNC style connectors on the other. From the sandpoint of keeping the signal as clean as possible you should get one 75 ohm cable the length that you need. However, you can use a shorter breakout cable and patch together with an existing vga cable.

There's always somebody selling these on Ebay, or you can go to forum sponsor BetterCables and see what they have. Hope that helps.

I want to calibrate but the first thing I notice is in some scenes it appears a bit blurry...especially if I am closer to the screen (1x for example).

Is this a potential DVD issue? Or am I actually seeing the lower resolution of DVDs in this large (114") screen? I wont have the HD box setup for another 2-3 weeks to see that.


It's not your equipment. Well it is, but you are now on a high edge of technology that reveals movieproducers glitches.
I didn't notice unsharp camera focus on my old X1 with a Yamaha DvdS550 to it.
Got the Denon 3910 which costs 5 times more than the Yamaha.
Thought at first something was wrong since some scenes were slightly de-focused.
The answer was; Denon 3910 did reveal things and details, actually lack of details I hadn't seen before.
After getting 7700 with the Denon it's even easier to spot when the cameramen has been struggling a bit with the focus.
The worst scene I've come across this far regarding scene shot out of focus is SpiderMan when MJ runs in the rain, gets attacked by 3 street bums.
At first, we se SpiderMan running across the rooftops with MJ down on the street.
As the scene cuts down to street level with MJ running towards the camera, focus is horrible. Then as the running settles down camera get better focus.

Again. De-focusing in scenes are your equipment revealing poor productions in the movie.

Steve, the breakout cable comes with the PE7700.

It's not your equipment. Well it is, but you are now on a high edge of technology that reveals movieproducers glitches.
This is why, especially in the >$3500 projectors forum (and HDTV programming forum of course), everyone emphasizes how important the PQ of the source is, because once you have a display capable of showing you every detail, you want those details to be accurate and crisp. Welcome to the pins-and-needles wait for HD-DVD/Blu-ray... (even more than before) :)

Steve, the breakout cable comes with the PE7700.


Oops. Thanks for clarifying.

I may have a long VGA to RGB breakout cable at home in a box. I can check later. Shoot me a PM if you are interested.

HD-DVD and Blu-ray will be awesome, but they aren't going to fix the focus the filmmaker messed up.
Josh, you could consider getting a hdmi switchbox and running the computer dvi-hdmi.
Warren.

I really find it hard to fathom that 1080P would become available in a short time such as two years. As far as I know all the HDTV tuners, TVs, Cable boxes and Satellite receivers are all 1080i and 720p. I don't think they can even downconvert from 1080p.

They have been working years to get the current HD standard into the hardware and into the homes. And that hasn't even been accomplished in the plurality. I don't see them switching all of this to a new standard 1080p for many, many years.

I think a projector like the 7700 that does 720p will be a cutting edge projector for many years at that price range. To look to the future where an average Jo can afford a 1080p projector and there is actually content available, if it happens, I think will be a long time.

I wonder what standard/resolution is used in Japan for HDTV? They seem to be far ahead of us.

The 67mm with a small bit of tape to hold it in place.

At least on the MT700 a 69mm can actually "hook" onto the outer grey lens surround. I've got a 69mm FL-D on mine, rotated to hook on, and it's stayed there for a couple weeks with no tape. Maybe someone can confirm is the PE7700 and MT700 have the same lens surround - I'd guess they do.

On the MT700 a 52mm will also sort of screw into the inner black lens surround. It tends to take some doing since the gradiated black isn't really made for filters.

Where did you purchase the 69mm filter? I can only find 67 or 72. I find it hard to believe BQ does not make filters (lost profit) or at lease make it a standard size. :)

I've got a 69mm FL-D on mine,

How's that working for you? What adjustments did you have to make to get it back to ~D65? I think I can actually get one of these locally:)

One of these right?:
http://porters.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=PCS&Product_Code=07-2264&Product_Count=&Category_Code=

I'll make a post in the MT700 thread on the FL-D. I'll post relative settings changes so people can try it out. The problem is that I need to do a calibration with no filter to get relative. It may be a week or two as I'm now mucking with my htpc and have relatives visiting.

The B+W FL-D worked much better than the Hoya FL-D for my projector/bulb (at 350 hrs). Apparently each filter mfg has their own recipe for FL-D. My blacks are noticably darker with just the FL-D, almost but not quite to the point of the ND2. For me they do fall into the range of what I would call black instead of the normal dark grey. Whites are noticably brighter with the FL-D then the ND2. At some point I'll try a 69mm ND2 on too. But first I have ~$100 of other filters to sell on ebay...

I got the 69mm B+W FL-D off of ebay. I believe FL-D = FL-DAY.

This is why, especially in the >$3500 projectors forum (and HDTV programming forum of course), everyone emphasizes how important the PQ of the source is, because once you have a display capable of showing you every detail, you want those details to be accurate and crisp. Welcome to the pins-and-needles wait for HD-DVD/Blu-ray... (even more than before) :)

Right on. I had last week off work to set up my home theater for the new 7700. Repainted the walls a darker shade of brown, built a plexiglass ceiling mount from Tim's thread (works great btw, I may try to find a bit thicker plexi to replace the top tier with though), built a frame and wrapped blackout cloth around it, ran the cables (25' was just baaaaarely enough) and calibrated with avia.

At first, I was a little disappointed at how DVDs looked but I realized that its just that DVDs are too low resolution for a 106"+ screen. Once I hooked up my PC to the 7700 and ran the WMV-HD 720p clips...holy crap. Blown away. Amazing. Can't wait to get the HDTV dish installed and for HD-DVD to come out. The 720p clips looked just as good if not better than a movie theater. Why is T2 the only real movie that has a WMV-HD disk?

I'm a graphics designer by trade (perfect 20/20 vision as well) so my job pretty much boils down to finding imperfections in images. I see no RBE unless its crap signal like Standard TV or on DVD's during the 20th century fox intro. Nowhere else. My throw distance is 12.5' feet and my viewing distance is 12' on an 8' wide screen for a 1.5x screen-width to viewing distance ratio. No SDE visible at 1.5x. Any closer and it starts to become visible in scenes with large sections of solid colors. Again, I'm probably the first person to spot this and most people would probably never notice it.

The Samsung HD950 is going back though. I keep having to re-enter the hack to make it region-free / HDCP free even though I'm using HDMI-out. I'll try out a Panasonic S77 and see what happens. Picture quality on the HD950 was pretty good (again, considering DVD's just aren't supposed to be blown up that big) over HDMI upscaled to 720p. 720p over component does look smoother, blurs out the imperfections but HDMI has much better contrast and colors to me, plus its obviously sharper. The quality of the DVD itself is noticeable with a projector that can show its flaws. Shorter movies with less compression to fit them onto the DVD do look much better. I've read that LOTR looks noticeably better on the extended version since its spread over 2 DVD's instead of crammed onto one.

For the deal I got from one of the forum sponsors, couldn't be happier. Too hard to pass up. Extremely glad I made the plunge but, as Tim said, now I sit and wait for HD-DVD / Blu-Ray.

DOH!!!! I just joined the blow bulb group. Watching I Robot last night it just went off. No flicker, nothing. Just off. I hit the power button a few times and the power light just flashed. I let it sit for a while and flipped off the hard power switch. This morning I turned it on and hit the power button. The power light flashed for a long time then the red bulb light came on. :(
Warren.

Ouch! That sucks... How many hours, Warren?

Where is the best place to get the bulbs from? Probably BenQ?

Just as important, it seems, is where you can get a bulb with a decent warranty. I wouldn't want to buy a new bulb and then have it fry <90 days later.

Yes, that would stink if it blew so quickly. I wonder what makes some go so fast? I would definitely want to have a spare on hand at all times...

A spare would be nice but from what I have read the warranty starts when you purchase it.I don't know how good that would be?

I have like 150 hours I think. I got the projector april 27 so I am just barely in the 90 day bulb warrenty. Whew! I am on the line with BenQ now. They are sending me a new bulb. Very nice tech support. I am very happy I got a BenQ so far. The only bad thing is the new bulb gets the remainder of the first bulbs warrenty, which will be nothing by tomorrow. I asked her (BenQ girl) about that and she said they were cool and would work with me on that, so I am somewhat relieved. I will let you know how things work out.
Warren.

Yes, that would stink if it blew so quickly. I wonder what makes some go so fast? I would definitely want to have a spare on hand at all times...

I guess the BQ factory could have been blowing me smoke, but I ask them about a spare bulb and they told me the mercury type bulb had a shelf life!!!!! And recommended me not to purchase a spare. Not to mention like some have said the warranty starts at purchase. Go figure

I am sure they would rather sell you a bulb than not, so I would believe them.

The support girl I talked to decided if the bulb blew there could be glass inside the projector and decided to do a DOA on it and send me a whole new projector. Very nice. Stupid me, though, I forgot to have the serial number handy so had to call her back and leave a message. I am feeling much better about my decision to buy a BenQ now.

I am sure they would rather sell you a bulb than not, so I would believe them.

The support girl I talked to decided if the bulb blew there could be glass inside the projector and decided to do a DOA on it and send me a whole new projector. Very nice. Stupid me, though, I forgot to have the serial number handy so had to call her back and leave a message. I am feeling much better about my decision to buy a BenQ now.

I had to return the first 7700 I received, and I am now on a second bulb replacement and both times BQ's service were GREAT, not only did I get new units, they even sent out the call tags to UPS all I did was answer the door. GREAT SERVICE!!!!!!!

Listening to Smooth37's comments, it is disappointing that DVD looks not that good. I was hoping for better from a good projector. Maybe he is just supersensitive to the fine points of picture quality? I hope it looks OK for DVD cause that's where I do a lot of watching and second would be HDTV on DirecTv which should look great and of course ESPN HD Sunday night football and other select games on networks.

Is the picture really that bad everyone?

Also, do you guys use a surge protector for the projector or just a regular power outlet?
I need to know how to wire it up before I get my PJ.

Tim, the picture quality of DVDs is so much worse than HD that you notice that, and this projector brings out the quality (or lack thereof) in the source, such as most DVDs. Your football games in HD will look amazing, believe me.

You can just use a single outlet surge protector to plug in your projector. No need to plan extra for that (though some rig up ways to use UPSes, etc).

Its not that the 7700 plays DVDs poorly compared to other projectors. Its that any display of this quality makes it plain to see the inadequacy of 480i or 480p signals that DVDs provide. This is why everyone with a display bigger than 65" is waiting impatiently for HD-DVD / Blu-Ray. Its similar to blowing up a standard definition tv signal to 100"+, which is the same as trying to blow up a low resolution digital photograph to poster size. The resolution just isn't there. Smaller screens don't show the inadequacy because they aren't blowing the image up past it's limits.

You can get an upconverting DVD player or use the 7700's upconverting, but both of these interpolate or, basically, guess what the extra lines of resolution should have. The best guessing players and projectors are crap compared to actually having the actual info for what should be on those lines. You can do different things to maximize what you can squeeze out of a DVD, but it still won't replace having higher resolution signal from the start.

So, to sum it up, the 7700 (IMHO) plays DVDs well compared to others in its price range. Even $10,000+ projectors are going to be limited by the low quality of DVDs. The fact that HDTV and WMV-HD looks so amazing on the 7700 makes it clear that the image quality issues are because of the source, not from an inability of the projector.

I just thought of another way to explain this... Many people view DVDs on, say, a 42" TV and it looks quite good. That screen's a bit more than 3 feet wide, and people are sitting 10'+ away from it. That's 3.3x screen width. Many people have an 8' wide screen, but aren't necessarily sitting 27' away from it; more like 14'. So the picture is four times bigger to your eye! (2x vertically x 2x horizontally) This will much more easily show the inadequacies in the resolution offered by DVDs.

I have both a Panasonic DVD player (RP62 I think) hooked up on component progressive as well as an HTPC running in 720p mode, Zoomplayer, ffdshow on VMR9 using an HDMI connection. On the 7700, the Panasonic displays a noticeably soft image. The HTPC on the other hand looks crisp, clear, and colorful. For me, it's a huge improvement. The same HTPC through VGA into the RGBHD connection looks great as well - to the point that I'm not sure that HDMI is really required. The HTPC combination with regular DVD is better than most content provided by my HD carrier with the exception of live sports programming or other special broadcasts.

I don't have an upconverting standalone DVD player but suspect it should get a better result than a standard player. I have seen this combo on a Sanyo Z2 and it did look noticeably sharper.

With a good, upconverting DVD player (I'm thinking of the Bravo or Denon 2910), DVDs are imminently viewable on the PE7700 -- even on 116-in. screens.

Of course, they don't look as good as HD, but most people who have seen a demo of the PE7700 are impressed at how good DVDs can look on a big screen when the entire system is optimized (upconverting DVD player, HDMI connection, ISF calibration, quality screen, etc.).

Ok, maybe my IScan HD+ was a better buy that I thought. It converts so well that DVD's look just awesome. I was running a 133" screen. 120" at the moment. I prefer to sit at 120" from the screen and just love the picture. The particular DVD makes a difference. The superbit version of Fifth Element is just astounding. No way I could tell it wasn't HD. Escape from New York on the other hand isn't so good. Still fun to watch.
Warren.

I dont get it? Does this mean I will rather have my 800x600 projector for DVDs than the BQ7700?

I am starting to feel like Neo. Should I take the blue pill and be happy with my current PJ which does not show the flaws, or should I take the red one, and see things for what they really are. See all the faults on the DVDs and be miserable until HD/BR?

Is this the question that drives us?

Comparing my 7700 to my old X1 (800x600), the 7700 displays all movies slightly better, and some much better (the better quality ones, as Warren points out). The better your DVD player and/or external scaler, the better the 7700 will make the DVDs look. If you have any of these (HTPC, great DVD player, or IScan+), the 7700 will look much better than an 800x600 (or 480p) projector.

The question that was easily answered for me was how much better will it look with HD and computer sources. As I said, the answer is obvious -- night and day better.

It really depends on the DVD, too. LOTR: EE discs look amazing. Some cheezier DVDs are barely watchable, hardly better than overcompressed SDTV from DirecTV. I find that I grow accustomed to the excess grain in poor DVDs and it doesn't bother me after a few minutes if I am immersed in the movie. But if you keep switching between a poor DVD and a good one, or HD, you will be annoyed by the crap DVD.

The last couple nights I have watched Pride and Prejudice and The Matrix Reloaded. Reloaded is only a mediocre disc, but the difference is VERY obvious as PandP is not good at all. It may have been shot on video as it is a miniseries. But as long as I didn't switch back and forth, I could deal with the poor quality of PandP.

I'm researching my first projector after moving into a new house and wanting to replace my 4 year old RPTV. At this point I'm trying to decide between the AE7000, the MT700, and the 7700. I've read through all 37 pages at this point and early on a lot of people discussed the performance of a 480i source and seemed to think that the MT700 would have been able to handle it much better due to the scaler it used. Lately all of that talk went away and I'm not sure if that's because there isn't a difference, the 7700 is on the losing side of it, or no one watches it?

As much as I wish it wasn't true, overcompressed DTV 480i still makes up probably 50% or more of the viewing in my house, even worse a lot of it is sports. DTV's hockey package looks horrible and after seeing HD hockey is almost unwatchable, the scaler in the HD-Tivo didn't really help that much so if I had another scaler I'd probably switch it off. Am I right in assuming that there is a huge different in the scaling processor here versus the iScan HD+?

So did I miss something or is the scaling performance for a 480i source roughly the same between the mt700 and the 7700? I'm thinking that based on what I watch I will be better off saving some money by buying the AE7000 and investing the savings in the iScan HD+. While the raw projector image might be slightly worse, would the overall package better?

Here's the comparison of the MT700 and 7700, cntr_ice_junkie...
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=5657349&&#post5657349

Basically, the 480i performance is essentially the same (which is why nobody is talking about it), and it is better than a 480p projector. However, if all you're going to watch is 480i, I might be hesitant to get an MT700 or 7700. I'd probably go for an Infocus SP4805 or something, and tradeup later, when you get HD sources, and HD-DVD/Blu-Ray are available. If you are a gamer, or have an HTPC, or will get HD anytime in the next year though, get one of these PJ twins. I got the 7700 due to the better warranty.

Tim,

Thanks for the info. I do have an HTPC although it isn't setup to be a deinterlacer, it's a music and video jukebox. I already have and watch a signifigant amount of HD so I definetly want something that can do more than 480p. I saw the 4805 last night and wasn't overly impressed. You were one of the ones that was leaning most towards the MT700 because of the 480i and then switched. If you're happy that's obviously a good sign but some of your other posts seem to indicate you've lessened the 480i you watch.

What I want to know is if the 7700 scaler is good enough if you're watching 480i or do you need a dedicated scaling processor. Would someone be better off going a little cheaper and investing that savings in something like an iScan?

I'm actually watching 480i for every movie I watch. I'm satisfied, though I'll much prefer when my HTPC is setup and I have TheaterTek outputting through my DVI-HDMI cable. IMO, there's no reason to get an IScan if you have an HTPC. Technically it is setup to be a deinterlacer, because if you put a DVD in the drive and setup the video card to output 1280x720, you're going to be deinterlacing & scaling from 480i -> 720p. Given the HTPC & HD sources (and assuming you're not RBE sensitive), you're a perfect candidate for the 7700.

You both explained it very well! Tim, it really puts it into perspective about viewing on a 42" TV and then expanding the screen but not moving back 3x the distance.

Before I started remodeling my theater I borrowed a friends cheap business projector with 4 year old technology and projected it on my gray wall to get an idea of what picture size I wanted or could put in the room (100" probably) and it didn't look half bad cause it was so big! I am sure the BenQ will look way better than that even with DVD.

I suppose DVD looks much better than standard satellite or cable channel. And of course HD would blow them all away. On my 56" widescreen HD set, satellite looks so-so, DVD looks very good and HD looks awesome. I guess it will be similiar with the BenQ.

Thanks for your comments. You guys have shared an enormous amount of info on this thread!

Let me join the chorus and ask for a recommendation:
Currently I have a Sony 7700 feeding component into a Panasonic AE-300, shooting onto a EuroScreen GreyLine (0.8 gain I think).
I've been thinking about upgrading my projector, and this little baby sound like the thing. (It's available for demo in my town as well, which of course is important.)

Can I then just summarize what I've been reading here, and guess that I would probably get a good image, but that I would gain a lot by getting a good scaling DVD player? Such as Denon 2910 or Pioneer 868 (59 something in the states)?

/Andreas

Andreas,
You may just try your existing DVD player first before deciding on a upconverting player. There are a couple of other models mentioned also, Bravo, Oppo, Samsung, Panasonic.

Tim,
Couldn't agree more on describing PQ on different source material. On my MT-700 clone, PQ varies on D* TV w/ 480i source from unwatchable to so-so on 118" diag. screen. Generally DVD are indeed very good but source dependent (dvd transfer) and my OTA-HDTV is awesome, esp. Fox which transmits in native 720p. I recall American Idol being almost 3-D.

No experience w/ HTPC but sounds like closest thing to HD-DVD.

On my 56" widescreen HD set, satellite looks so-so, DVD looks very good and HD looks awesome. I guess it will be similiar with the BenQ.
If by "similar", you mean "it feels like I'm looking through a window at whatever is on TV..." (and by window, I mean an 8' wide window, of course). :)

Everytime I watch baseball, it feels like I'm standing on 2nd base while the pitcher releases the ball... can make out all the facial expressions and everything behind the plate, as if I truly were there. Unbelievable.

Andreas, the converter in the projector is as good as any of the upconverting players, however the real issue is the quality of the dvd players components at 480i even. My pioneer which I bought not too long ago was aweful. Bad mpeg artifacts and other problems. Getting a Panasonic S97 even running at the same 480i over component looks a million times better.
Is there a cheap way to get OTA HD? You guys are making it sound good even though there is amost nothing on TV I like to watch.
Warren.

Warren, the two main options that I've seen are a set top box (I've seen them even at Walmart for <$200), or a PCI card for your computer (I have the MyHD MDP-130 card) which is about $250. So basically, for $250 or so you're setup.. you also need an antenna that will depend on your location as far as what type and how big of an antenna you'll need.

I ended up getting it from my cable company... satellite is also available. If you don't watch TV much, then just an initial investment (non-recurring) may be a better option, at least initially. Go to a local specialty HT store with a 720p DLP projector with an HD source on display to see what we're talking about. :)

Andreas, the converter in the projector is as good as any of the upconverting players, however the real issue is the quality of the dvd players components at 480i even. My pioneer which I bought not too long ago was aweful. Bad mpeg artifacts and other problems. Getting a Panasonic S97 even running at the same 480i over component looks a million times better.
Is there a cheap way to get OTA HD? You guys are making it sound good even though there is amost nothing on TV I like to watch.
Warren.

Warren, Have you tried to send a 480p signal from your Pan dvd player? How does it's scaling compare to the 7700's scaler?

Shelly

Andreas,
You may just try your existing DVD player first before deciding on a upconverting player. There are a couple of other models mentioned also, Bravo, Oppo, Samsung, Panasonic.

Tim,
Couldn't agree more on describing PQ on different source material. On my MT-700 clone, PQ varies on D* TV w/ 480i source from unwatchable to so-so on 118" diag. screen. Generally DVD are indeed very good but source dependent (dvd transfer) and my OTA-HDTV is awesome, esp. Fox which transmits in native 720p. I recall American Idol being almost 3-D.

No experience w/ HTPC but sounds like closest thing to HD-DVD.

Either the Samsung I tried and my HTPC using ZoomPlayer / Dscaler / ffDshow are both inadequate or what some people consider "very good" is completely different from what I think very good is. I'm still trying to figure out which is the case. I still have some learning to do regarding watching DVDs from the HTPC to get the best picture possible. The WMV-HD files on the second disk of the T2 Extreme Edition DVD aren't even HD-DVD quality (yes, 720p but not the same bit rate as HD-DVD I believe) and those look amazing compared to what I'm getting out of the Samsung HD950 and my HTPC.

Regarding getting a more expensive DVD player, I can't imagine spending more than a couple hundred on a dvd player right now knowing that HD-DVD and Blu-Ray are right around the corner. That'd be like buying a ridiculously expensive VCR right before DVDs came out.

Regarding scaler choice, I've tried sending the 7700 720p over HDMI using the Samsung HD950's Zoram (Zoran?) scaler versus sending the 7700 480p and using the projector's scaler. I definitely prefer the Samsung's scaler.

For those interested here are the commands to access the PE7700 Factory OSD (i.e. service menu):

Factory OSD for PE7700 : "Menu" -> "Up"->"Down"->"Up"->"Down"-> "Up"->"Down"->"Menu" ( Use remote )

CAUTION! Use these function with care and only if you are reasonably sure of what you are doing. Document any changes you make so you can reverse them if necessary. It appears the "Load Saved Factory Settings" will reset the projector to the original delivered settings. The "Load Factory Default Settings" does NOT load the original delivered setting but something far different (strange).

There are many setting possibilities in the factory OSD including gamma, overscan and IRE black level that may help us further optimize the PQ. I don't claim to have any knowledge of the best way to approach this, but I wanted the members of this forum who are much more skilled in this art to have the advantage of these advanced setting to help guide the rest of us!

P.S. I would appreciate hearing which firmware version others have. My projector has version 0.32,A00 with a release date of Mar,31,2005.

Chuck,
You da man!
Did you find this by trial and error or some other way?

For those interested here are the commands to access the PE7700 Factory OSD:

Factory OSD for PE7700 : "Menu" -> "Up"->"Down"->"Up"->"Down"-> "Up"->"Down"->"Menu" ( Use remote )

CAUTION! Use these function with care and only if you are reasonably sure of what you are doing. Document any changes you make so you can reverse them if necessary. It appears the "Load Saved Factory Settings" will reset the projector to the original delivered settings. The "Load Factory Default Settings" does NOT load the original delivered setting but something far different (strange).

There are many setting possibilities in the factory OSD including gamma, overscan and IRE black level that may help us further optimize the PQ. I don't claim to have any knowledge of the best way to approach this, but I wanted the members of this forum who are much more skilled in this art to have the advantage of these advanced setting to help guide the rest of us!

P.S. I would appreciate hearing which firmware version others have. My projector has version 0.32,A00 with a release date of Mar,31,2005.

Sounds like the infinite lives code for Contra for the original Nintendo. If only this gave my fragile lamp infinite hours :( I believe this to be a Konami - BenQ conspiracy to take over the world.

In all seriousness, thanks for the tip Chuck :)

Fantastic! - I will try this out on my MT700 later tonight to see if they are the same.

Edit: Up-Down-Up-Down-Left-Right-Left-Right-A-B--A-B-Select-Start...that's it right? :)

The factory OSD access command info came directly from BenQ

Couldn't figure out how to get out of the service menu, but powering down the lamp, letting it run through the cool down cycle and turning it back on put me back in the normal menu.

You exit the factory OSD (service menu) by: "Factory"-->"Return User OSD".

Shelly, I am running the panny to an iScan HD+ so I wasn't worried about scaling or deinterlacing. I was just worried about mpeg artifacts and stuff like that. Credits at the end of movies were like waving flags with my pioneer. The Panny looks awesome.
Warren.

Hi, again. FYI.
Just received my exchange PE7700 from BenQ (actually it was a brand new unit, with lamp :) . Produced in June. It took some time before they sent it because they were out of projectors, and had to wait for a new supply from the European HQ.

Popped in the DVE disk yesterday, and I can confirm that they now have fixed the black level via component (BNC). However I was not able to change the black level setting in the menu. It was still greyed out at 0 IRE, but not something I am too worried about. I could not see any other changes in the menus.

I saw that the new unit had an Osram lamp, I do not remember if the old unit had the same brand?

I will try the factory menu later and see what firmware it has.

Looked at Toy Story and what a PQ :) . Amazing 3D effects. A full 16:9 format made this a really good demo for my friends.

Just try out the service menu today thanks to Chuck. My firmware is on 20 June 2005. It also had a settings for CW speed - you can choose 4x, 5x without SLR, 5x with SLR and 6x. 6x doesn't sync properly so this is useless. Default settings is 5x without SLR. I had try 5x with SLR but don't see any difference. Anyone can find out what is SLR? I also try out DLP degamma. Default is graphic for home theater profile. I try changing to film and the scene looks more 3D but you need to readjust your brightness.

DLP degamma. Default is graphic for home theater profile. I try changing to film and the scene looks more 3D but you need to readjust your brightness.This is the same as the 8700. Changing the setting to film lowers the brightness range so lower IRE is adjustable. Now with this access an ISF calibration is warranted to get a flat 6500 grayscale and the most out of the 7700. Even more important you may be able to optimize with/without an ND filter on your specific screen material, size and room environment.

The PE7700 service menu is similar to the PE8700. I ran some tests on some of the SM parameters using the Accupel signal generator and AviaPro, and here are my very preliminary assumptions:

Using a number of different patterns, I could not discern any difference using the CW Speed parameter and toggling between “with” and “without SLR.”

The processor for the PE7700 is clearly a Faroudja.

There are parameters to adjust screen width, but any changes result in a loss of 1x1 pixel mapping over HDMI.

I believe the 6x CW Speed setting is for PAL.

So Kevin which setting is more optimal, film or home theater?

Just checked the firmware version.
Version 0,43,,A00 of June 27

As Kevin mentioned in the post above I also saw that there was a menu for the Faroudja processor. Mine is set with CW 5 speed no LSR? and I have the European version.

My lamp(Iassume) just failed at 8 hours of use while watching a movie!!All of a sudden no light at all coming out of projector.Lamp light and power light are just what manual indicates is a lamp problem.Took aasembly out, reset it and nothing.While looking at the lamp assembly everthing looks normal-no broken glass etc.. Anyone have any idea what a failed lamp looks like?
Benq is sending me a new lamp,but I'd like to make sure its maybe not something else.
Thanks for any ideas

Using a number of different patterns, I could not discern any difference using the CW Speed parameter and toggling between “with” and “without SLR.”


Has anyone tried adjusting CW using a test scene that shows the posterization/8-bit color on horizontal pans? This is where I'd expect a change, if there was any to be had.

I'm not expecting a great deal on CW speed. I believe I read that the Mits HC2000 (? on model #, was a rebadge of Optoma H77) had a user 4x to 5x control, but differences couldn't be seen.

Miltimj,
Your PM box is maxed out so you can't receive any more PM till you clear some out.
I look forward to seeing your BenQ! It all sounds good, I would indeed like to see recorded HD stuff and the HMDI output. I will bring Toy Story 2 and Shark Tale and some others like I-Spy, Star Trek First Contact, etc.
What HD recorder do you have?

See ya,
Tim

Long time listener, first time caller.

First off, I would like to thank everyone in this forum for sharing your knowledge, opinions and experiences with me. In a era of electronics technology changing so fast, I'm sure I would be lost without all of your input.

Secondly, I was wondering if any of you would know where I can demo a PE7700 in the Chicago, Illinois area? I currently have a LT240K and have the upgrade itch. If anyone has the PE7700 and would be kind enough to let me come by to see it, I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks, Steve

I did experiment with CW Delay using the AviaPro luminance ramp patterns and banding test patterns. I think the default is 56. Using my eyes to achieve the smoothest luminance transitions, I consistently ended up at 56-59. My opinion is that you should not need to adjust it more than plus or minus 3 clicks.

Of course, the only accurate way to adjust color wheel delay is with an oscilloscope and photosensor, but my experience suggests that colorwheel delay is almost always right on unless there is a real problem with the projector's electronics.

For my taste, I liked the "graphics" setting on the degamma table. It gave me better detail at low luminance level than the "film" setting, but I think this is very much a function of your particular DVD player (mine is a Bravo D1). I didn't have a chance to see what impact, if any, this has on color temperature, but I hope to do soon.

Interesting Kevin-
Have you done a full grayscale calibration now that you can access the service menu?

The Bravo D1 does output video RGB of 0-255 without any black crush or clipping of whites. Can you report what happens to your gray ramp and brightness setting when you switch from graphics to film?

Miltimj,
Your PM box is maxed out so you can't receive any more PM till you clear some out.
I look forward to seeing your BenQ! It all sounds good, I would indeed like to see recorded HD stuff and the HMDI output. I will bring Toy Story 2 and Shark Tale and some others like I-Spy, Star Trek First Contact, etc.
What HD recorder do you have?
Yeah, I just took care of that... Do you happen to have a copy of TheaterTek that we could use as a demo on the PC? My HD DVR is the Comcast-provided Motorola 6412.

Hi Jim:

I used the AviaPro step ramps, both 0-255 and 16-235. I did not see black crush using "film," but I just saw a greater distinction between the lower luminance levels with the "graphic" setting. I also verified this using the Accupel signal generator with its 1-10 IRE window patterns.

In other words, "film" setting does not crush blacks, but my personal preference was to have a little more brightness at the lowest luminance levels with the "graphics" degamma table.

When I get a chance, I will do a color temp and gamma curve check with the OpticOne and let you know what the difference is between film and graphics.

Should be interesting.

As you are a professional ISF calibrator, do you have the service manual for the 7700?

I checked about a month ago to get a service manual and was told it was not yet available. Maybe the "disclosure" of the SM access code means it is now available. I've just left a message with BenQ to find out. As always, I will share appropriate information about the SM as it becomes known to me.

The last few posts raises a question I have about ISF calibrations on this machine. I don't wish to debate the relative merits of doing an ISF calibration on projectors as there is much info and discussion on this forum already on the subject. However, how does one go about finding the right person to do the job on the PE7700? I've seen general guidelines that have been posted by such as inquiring about type and use of calibration equipment, etc. How about prior experience with specific machines, with the 7700 in particular? If an ISF person has not worked on the 7700 before, can the person do the job competently? Can it be done without the service manual as it appears it's not available yet?

Thanks in advance.

Hi Kevin,

I've checked out those settings on the MT700 as well, but haven't run OpticOne yet either. The only advantage I see so far with the "film" setting is a reduction in dithering in blacks due to the lower brightness level.

Basement:

Excellent questions. First, one does not need the service manual to calibrate the color temp. on the PE7700. The “Advance” option in the user menu provides the RBG gain and bias settings needed to do a calibration. Access to the service menu (which is now available), offers some additional flexibility in doing a calibration, but it is not essential. I have the service manual for the PE8700, and the SM on the PE7700 is very similar. The service manual is simply a “convenience” to better understand what some of the more obscure parameters in the SM do (e.g., I want to know what SLR means on the color wheel settings of the PE7700) but most of the SM options are intuitive or can easily be figured out by doing some experimenting with test patterns.

Second, the BenQs are some of the easiest projectors to calibrate. The adjustment parameters are straight forward and the projector calibrates in a responsive and predictable way that makes it a breeze to quickly and accurately achieve a flat D65 grayscale. Indeed, I actually charge less to do a BenQ because it takes me so much less time.

As to getting a good calibrator, my personal opinion is that for a front projector, a colorimeter is a must (Colorfacts, OpticOne, etc.). Don’t be afraid to ask a calibrator about their equipment – most want to brag about what they use because they’ve spent thousands of dollars on the stuff (the total cost of my equipment, not including the laptop, is close to $4,500). They should also have good equipment for test patterns, such as AviaPro or the new professional Digital Video Essentials. Even better is a signal generator such as the Sencore or Accupel. Finally, having specific experience with the BenQ is a plus but not required; however, I would think you would want someone who has experience with DLP front projectors.

Does the PE7700 look great out of the box? Yes – better than most projectors. Will it look even better with an ISF calibration? Absolutely.

Kevin, I will pay two big ten dollar bills if you fly to Maryland and calibrate my Toshiba MT700. :D :D

I would start your search here if you are looking for an ISF tech. I would limit the search to people with a spetroradiometer or spectrophotometer in their tool bag if you want the most accurate colors.

http://www.imagingscience.com/isf-trained.cfm

I would start your search here if you are looking for an ISF tech. I would limit the search to people with a spetroradiometer or spectrophotometer in their took bag if you want the most accurate colors.

http://www.imagingscience.com/isf-trained.cfm

Yes. Thanks. There's a few names here in my area.

Regards

Just checked out the Service menu...

Firmware:
Version 0.37,A00
May 20, 2005

Thermal Test:
Main +33 +2050
DMD 0 0
Blower +37 +3700
Power +34 +2000
Inlet Temp +2725
Ballast Temp +6100

This is after having it on for about 15 minutes, with a 480p source.

I've got a throw distance vs. screen size question. I am building a house w/ a media room which is going to house a 120" screen which I already have. The media room is 20 deep by 25 wide. They are at the point in framing where I can get in an walk around in the house.

Looking at the media room, the logical place (due to ceiling construction) for me to mount my projector is only 13.5" from the screen location. The calculator says that for a 120" screen the projector should be at 15.5". Is there any sort of ability to adjust the width of the thrown image or is the throw distance pretty much set in stone and if I want it to me a 120" screen, I have to mount it at 15.5"? I haven't actually purchased the projector yet (but definitely want the PE7700) and the screen is a really nice Da-Lite electric that I am getting to use indefinitely for free.

While its 'better' not to use zoom... the difference in quality is incredibly slight. You can mount the PJ as close as 11.5' to achieve that size.

Check: http://www.projectorcentral.com/BenQ-PE7700-projection-calculator-pro.htm

Also, where is your seating area going to be? How low is your ceiling? You don't want to be distracted by the PJ's light spill (or by the PJ itself).

Another thing I'd suggest is seeing if you can turn the direction of your room 90 degrees.. it'd probably be better in the long term to have a 25' deep room & 20' wide.

Okay, two things I've noticed about my PJ recently...

- When it started up, the fans were a decent bit louder, and it seemed there was much warmer air coming out of the front. The ambient air was normal (75 degrees or so). It ended up slowing down and sounding normal after about 3-5 minutes. I was wondering why the black fins (in the front of the PJ) angled the air one direction, then the white grille angled another... it seems that that might help slightly with noise, but not enough to warrant the hindrance of air flow by having those fins there. The other possibility is that it may be limiting light spill... didn't necessarily seem like that though.

- I went into the service menu and turned the color wheel from "5x without SLR" to "4x" and it made the PJ noticeably quieter. I found that interesting...

Hmmm... hadn't thought about rotating the room. Will have to think about that....

miltimj,
7700 owners reporting 5x color wheel speed and 4x on the MT-700. Strange in and of itself.

So is there a consensus on the benefits of 5x to 4x? The only thing I can think of is reduced RBE... is that the only benefit? If so, since I don't see it at all, I may switch my 7700 to 4x full time...

The calculator you used, for some reason, always gives you the max throw distance. The BenQ manual says for a 120" screen that the throw distance is 11.4 to 15.5 feet, so you should be right in the ballpark for a great setup.

Hi guys,

After tons of analysis and research, I've finally decided to take the plunge and get the BenQ. Now that I've decided on a PJ, I'm looking into accesory components. Specifically, I'm going to need a DirecTV HD receiver, a DVD player, and some sort of digital recorder. I'm looking at the Hughes DirecTV HD Receiver/DVR (HR10-250), which has an HD DVR capability and an HDMI output. I'm also looking at the Toshiba RD-SX52 DVD player/writer, which can burn DVDs and upconvert DVD signals to 720p and also has an HDMI output. My questions are these:

1. Does anyone out there use any of these devices with their BenQ?

2. Can anyone recommend other combination of devices to achieve a DirecTV HD receiver, HD DVR, DVD burner, and upconverting DVD player with HDMI outputs? (DVI outputs would be OK, but sense the BenQ uses HDMI, I would like to keep everything the same. I plan on using a 4x1 HDMI switch.)

3. Are there any final words of advise before I purchase the BenQ? Feel free to PM me if necessary...

Thanks everyone for your sharing of knowledge and support... and thanks in advance to answering these questions as well.

Todd, I don't use any of those components, but one thing I would suggest is looking into your HD provider's options of an HD DVR. For example, I have Comcast cable and for a whole $10/month (above my basic digital cable service) I get HD service and a Motorola 6412 HD DVR.

My only other advise is to try and get your sources soon with it, so you can begin burning in the bulb. Also be ready with a PJ mount solution if you're not using a table configuration.

Congrats on your decision - you're gonna love this thing!

Kevin - That's great news! Thanks!

Todd, You might want to wait a few months as DTV is supposed to start rolling out their MPEG-4 hardware soon (supposedly). I have heard rumors that those boxes can be leased vs. having to buy. That said, I have one of the Hughes HD-Tivos and am very glad that I bought it when I did.

HD Tivo is a great choice. The mpeg4 recorders may not roll out till next year and there's strong evidence DirecTV will be offering free or discounted upgrades to them, but I'll probably stick with my HD Tivo and (technically) uncompressed HD locals.

I have two HD TIVOs and two regular Tivos and I am very happy with them. I have had to replace one HD TIVO and one regular but since I pay the warranty coverage each month it did not cost me a cent. I think the coverage is more than worth it...Anyone else trying 4X on their BenQ?

For those of you feeding the BenQ 7700 with an HD-Tivo with no scaler (I.E. - Iscan HD+), please answer the following:

1. How does the BenQ do with displaying a SD picture from the HD-Tivo using HDMI?

2. How does the BenQ do with displaying an HD picture from the HD-Tivo using HDMI?

3. How does the BenQ do displaying an OTA HD picture from the HD-Tivo using HDMI?

~Josh

Joe, check out my recent post in this thread, #1156... I've noticed 4x is quieter and am wondering what benefits are gained by 5x other than possibly less RBE, if even seen in the first place (which I don't).

Josh, can you define what you're looking for with the question, "How does the BenQ do..."

Beat... 1. Crappy, but not much worse than having the projector do the scaling (so I just leave it in 720p mode all the time) 2. Fantastic 3. Fantastic.

Tim,

What I mean is, how is the PQ?

~Josh

I want everything set up and running by the start of the NFL season... so waiting on the MPEG 4 devices to ship is not going to happen. I've also heard they were going to upgrade for free anyways...

So far as I know, there is only one device that is a DirecTV HD DVR with an HDMI output and that is the Hughes HR10-250. The only DVD Recorder I know of with HDMI output is the Toshiba. Sony will have a DVD Recorder with HDMI available in September, but it will cost more and have no additional functionality.

I will always stick with DirecTV so long as they have exclusive rights to the NFL Sunday Ticket.

Curious... what do you guys use for HD reception and/or recording?

Big Thanks to miltimj for letting me visit his house to see the BenQ in action!!
My impressions: This is an awesome PJ. And it is pretty to look at itself (the case).
Tim was fun to meet. We share the same enthusiasm for HT stuff. I also got to see a gray screen compared to a white screen. Now back to the PQ of the PJ:

1. I was happily surprised at the quality of standard cable channels blown up on a 106" screen. From all the posts on this thread I thought they would look like total crap but they were no worse and probably better than I've seen with DirecTv channels on my 56" widescreen toshiba.

2. HDTV from Comcast looked outstanding! Even his HD recordings were awesome. Even with some ambient light in his living room it looked great. I imagine at night or in a total light controlled room (without white walls/ceilings) it would look even more awesome if you can believe that.

3. Xbox looked OK, you can see more pixels when it is that big. Xbox 360 will blow that away.

4. At this time he only had an inexpensive 480i DVD player via component and it looked good. This is the worst DVD input you can give it and it still looked good, not great but good. I didn't see many jaggies or pixelation. I believe 480p or upconverted 720P on DVD would look significantly better. In this arrangement it would shine for movie watching!

5. I didn't see a great difference in brightness between economy and normal mode so I would definately use economy to save bulb life.

Tim, thanks for sharing your home and projector!

One question I thought of: Those of you using a universal remote (I have the Harmony that you program online), do you have to program in a delay to turn off the projector? I assume you have to hit the off button twice to turn it off like other PJs? And because of the slow warm-up of the projector, do you have to have some delays so it can switch to the correct source input?

Tim Sly,
Have the MT-700. The 7700 should operate the same way with the Harmony remote.

Will need to tweak the Power On Delay and Inter-key Delay for reasons you stated. In addition program two hits for power toggle. My Harmony settings are as follows for the PJ:

Power On Delay: 28000ms
Inter-Key Delay: 300ms
Input Delay: 1500ms
Inter-Device Delay: 1000ms

Harmony will help you as they keep track of user settings and could download these to your remote.

Little update on the DVD watching issues I was having. I swapped out the Samsung HD950 upconverting DVD player for a Panasonic S97S, used some suggested settings in the official thread for the S97 and am now much happier with how DVDs look. Up close shots look great. Anything with the camera farther away from the focus point isn't as sharp as I'd like, but I believe I'm getting the best (or near the best for $300) I can get out of a DVD at this size with the S97. Definitely worth the extra $100. The only issue I ran into, which Nothru kindly helped me with, was that the S97 creates a one pixel wide black frame a few pixels in from the edges of the screen. From what I gather, it is due to the DVD player attempting to fix overscan but the 7700 has zero overscan and thus, the S97's overscan reduction feature creates this black frame. Kicking the S97 over to 480p mode and letting the 7700 scale up to 720p looks just fine. Hardly a difference between the two that I can tell.

On a lighter note, my freaking HDMI cable gold tip came off as I was removing it from the DVI-HDMI adapter on the back of my PC. Sending it back as defective and expecting a replacement after I remove it from the ceiling :( :(

Someone was asking about an HD Tivo. I was in the same boat but I was looking at $600 for hardware and $120+ a month to upgrade my standard satellite to HD w/ Tivo. Local cable company didn't want anything up front and ~$90 a month for HD DVR, plus they feed local HD channels over the cable instead of having to deal with an antenna. Easy choice to go with cable for me for now with no commitment required from the cable company. HD looks excellent from cable (some say its less compressed than satellite even, but not quite as good as OTA antenna).

OT: Where do you get $120 a month from? My dad has the premium package with all channels, HD, and five recievers and his bill is about $107 a month. That's with damn near everything.

Indy is probably a more expensive area, as I get everything he does with cable for <$60/month.

Hi again guys,

I'm going to initially try a DIY screen... I can get 1.0 gain or 1.3 gain material. Recommendations?

About the remote: Power-Power should work for OFF without any delay issues, the normal delays seem to work for me. I use Power-Menu for ON since pressing Menu turns off the power off warning screen. No extra delay needed there, either. MX-500 remote.

OT: Where do you get $120 a month from? My dad has the premium package with all channels, HD, and five recievers and his bill is about $107 a month. That's with damn near everything.
From DirecTV? How is that possible? He must be on temporary discounts or you are incorrect about something. Even with the standard $5 off HD package right now that's far more than $107.

Receivers: $20
Tivo: $0 (with premium package)
HD: $11
Premium: $94
Taxes/crap: ~$10

Total: $135 before discounts

I'm going to initially try a DIY screen... I can get 1.0 gain or 1.3 gain material. Recommendations?
I haven't measured the gain, but my screen is a DIY 120" screen painted with Behr Silverscreen. It is plenty bright.

I'm building the frame myself and using screen material... for less than $100 total investment, I figured I had to try...

just need to figure out if I need to order 1.0 or 1.3 gain material...

This is a little like asking whether to go with a white or gray screen -- you are going to elicit a lot of opinions that may or may not reflect your personal preferences of what a home theater should look like.

In a perfect world, 1.0 would be the choice because it doesn't "add" anything to the picture. However, it is not a perfect world, and screen gain can sometimes be an effective tool to brighten up an image or add more "punch" to visuals. My personal screen has a gain of 1.3 and I'm very happy with it.

For many, it is a matter of personal preference. No-gain screens more accurately create the look of a movie theater, but I have to admit that I personally like the look of a little gain, so long as hot-spotting can be avoided.

If your room is 100% light-controlled and your screen size is reasonable, the PE7700 is bright enough to easily handle a neutral gain screen. If you want a bigger, and maybe even artificially bright image, then a little gain can't hurt.

You may want to paint half the screen at neutral and half with gain and see what you like best. A real-time test drive in the conditions of your own home theater is often the best way to make these tough decisions.

From DirecTV? How is that possible? He must be on temporary discounts or you are incorrect about something. Even with the standard $5 off HD package right now that's far more than $107.

Receivers: $20
Tivo: $0 (with premium package)
HD: $11
Premium: $94
Taxes/crap: ~$10

Total: $135 before discounts

Yup, this is just about right. I thought I was getting cheap cable til Tim chimed in :eek:

I'll be going with a 106" screen size... totally light controlled room. Anyone have the post-calibrated lumen output of the 7700???

I should qualify that I'm not getting premium channels (except for HBO since I got a 6 mo. free deal)... You hadn't mentioned that in your original post referencing your cable subscription. It'd be around $90 or so w/premium channels.

Anyway... I completely concur with Kevin's screen statements... :)

I wish they had a package with just HD. Paying for SD channels sucks.
You can request screen samples from some manufacturers. Get a few different gains to test. With the number of people likeing nd2 filters I would be sure to get a grey material to test, besides the 1.0 and 1.3 gain samples. You can always get some BO cloth to test on till you decide. It is roughly 1.0 gain, but of course isn't made for projection. I have been using my BO cloth for three months now and am quite happy with it.
Warren.

I'm building the frame myself and using screen material... for less than $100 total investment, I figured I had to try...

just need to figure out if I need to order 1.0 or 1.3 gain material...

Where can you get screen material that cheap? And what will you use for a frame?
I haven't done a lot of research yet on DIY screens but that is the route I will go untill I can afford a better screen.

Jeffcom & Spiky- thanks for the tips on the remote control delay settings.

Where can you get screen material that cheap? And what will you use for a frame?


Head over to the "Screens" forum, then to the DIY section. A search there will give you a ton of ideas and links for DIY screens. You can also buy screen material directly from AVS and make your own frame.

Ebay has several sellers that offer screen material and some of them include directions on building the frame as well. $30 - $40 plus shipping... plus the cost of the materials to build the frame.

Worth checking out...

From what I gather, it is due to the DVD player attempting to fix overscan but the 7700 has zero overscan and thus, the S97's overscan reduction feature creates this black frame. Kicking the S97 over to 480p mode and letting the 7700 scale up to 720p looks just fine. Hardly a difference between the two that I can tell.


Actually in 480p the 7700 has its own overscan ( I assumed u r putting in anamorphic mode). U can go in service menu and bring it back to full.

btw I just tried the DLP gamma Film mode. well I think I like it better. Overall darker just a bit but it brings out more "depth" to the pic, and has a little bit less noise in dark scenes. maybe it's just me.

I have the cheapest frame. I put the grid pattern up on the projector and took some double sided tape and put up peices evenly outside of the grid line (outside the screen area to leave room for a border.) I then stretched my screen out with help and stuck it to the double sided tape and trimmed so there was a little over an inch outside the screen area. I then took some black ribbon material called Seamaid 1 5/16" x 21 feet (< 2 bucks a roll for two rolls) and sprayed it with some 3m 77 spray adhesive and stuck it to the little over an inch of screen outside the display area. Very cheap and easy screen perfectly fit to the projected image. Of course you can't move it, so that might be a problem.
Warren.

I've bought the PJ myself and I've done a little mini review @ the UK avforum if you want to check it out!

I'm also having slight motion artefacts when de-interlacing.... Ep II on DVD breaks up through my NeuNeo even when its de-interlacing internally through the player? Maybe I've found another fault with my PJ?

Maybe there should be a poll. Which gamma level do you prefer, film or graphic?

I've bought the PJ myself and I've done a little mini review @ the UK avforum if you want to check it out!

Direct link to your review?

Dunn-Edwards makes a Dark Maroon that is excellent and also Deep Earth.

I used the Maroon on my walls and the Earth on the ceiling.

WAF = 100%

As to the question about the StudioTek 130 being overkill... Nope the 130 is a magnificent screen... just depends on the environment you are putting it in. If your Theater is Light Controlled then the 130 is marvelous and you can go for a "BIG" screen. If you have to deal with ambient light, it would not be the first choice.


All,

I've made the decision to join the PE7700 crowd. Looking for a screen. I am leaning towards a 106" ST130 or a Firehawk for later upgrade purposes (using all that money I'm saving with the PJ purchase :rolleyes: ). From the comment above, it seems that for ambient light conditions one would go with the Firehawk. However, what constitutes the level of ambient light that would require a Firehawk?

I'm going to have a totally light controlled area (dark green walls, black ceiling, dark carpet, no windows) that has double doors that can open to a more brightly lit area (windows, lights...). For HD sports, parties, that sort of thing, I would like to open the doors. This would likely make the HT room 'dusky' at best. I also like to watch movies with a little light on (so I can see the beer on the table :D )

I'm leaning towards the ST130 for the color accuracy... anyone out there have this combo that could report (ST130, PE7700)?

Thanks,

Chris

Don't worry about beer light. This projector puts out an amazing amount of light. No problem seeing the beer while the movie is playing.
Warren.

Have to agree this unit puts out a light of light, and it appears you have done a lot to control ambient light reflection, you will be able to have a few key lights on if you place them wisely, use shades on lamps, use neon and rope light. Keep the lights like lamps in the back of the room will help.

Colored rope light up and under the stage area works nice also. I have enough light in my HT (PE7700 Matt white screen) so my wife can read a book if she wants to(she likes to read if it's not a chick flick). Don't worry you'll able to find your beer :D

I'll make a post in the MT700 thread on the FL-D.

Any updates :D

Direct link to your review?

Not allowed to give out direct links... just go to the avforumDOTTcoDOTTuk (relace the DOTTS with .) and look at the DLP & LCD PJ forum.

I have some questions on the recommended settings on using the PE7700 w/ a DVDO Iscan HD+ scaler (using the DVI/HDMI connection):

1) What aspect ratio do you recommend on the PE7700. Intuitively, I would think "real" is the best (1 to 1 pixel mapping) and let the Iscan HD+ do all the work? Any comments?

2) Are they any recommended settings on the Iscan HD+ besides the basics (input 720P at 60Hz)?

Sincerely,
snooktarpon

Optimum would be to input all sources to the Iscan at their native rate and their best video format (DVI/HDMI, component video, s-video and composite video in that order) and let it output them to the 7700 via DVI/HDMI at 720p 60.

After reading on using the IRIS to improve contrast and black level, I had managed to put an iris at the back of the lens. Took me around 4 hours to fix the iris as I found out the DLP chip is not directly in the middle of the lens. It is actually below the center line of the lens. Took me almost 6 tries to get the position correct. My first comment, contrast does improve and I get better black. In bright scene, I can hardly see the black bar on top and botton in 2.35 movie. In darker scene, the bar is quite obvious but still an improvement compare without the iris. FYI, my screen size is around 90" due to limited space. So those with bigger size may have a lower black. As for brigthness, it's pretty bright to me.

I feel that I can more agressive on the iris size but that's for another time. I have enough of taking the lens in and out. For some tips, you don't really need to disassemble the board in order to get the lens out and I figure would actually take less than 15 mins to take out the lens.

My current Iris size is 1 inch wide and 0.7 inch height in an oval shape. I figure you can try out 0.8" wide and 0.5 height if you want to get better black. If anyone else would try it out, let me know the result.

:D Enjoy your projector.

Amazing.
You will have to go in detail, or make a diy-manual. Please!!!????

Will write a simple guideline on how to fix the iris in few days. Currently I'm enjoying my new mod. It is not that difficult, just need some right tools to begin.

Any of you guys have blueprints/ plans for a DIY ceiling mount? The one I currently have does not fit.

Thanks,

See the link in my sig, maxkoz.

Here's mine using an omnimount, some steel plumbing pipe, floor flanges and some mdf.

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/brian.corr@sbcglobal.net/detail?.dir=cf91&.dnm=47e1.jpg&.src=ph

Thanks guys!! Great Job!!
For the base, do you have the measurements between holes? I dont have the PJ, and I would like to get gowing.

Thanks again.

See post #29 in my thread for dimensions of the plexiglas... I'd wait until you have the PJ before drilling the 4 holes for the bottom plate into the PJ, but you can certainly cut it and round the edges, etc, and drill the holes to attach the plates together w/bolts, paint the pipe, etc.

Note that if you have further questions on my particular mount, it'd probably be best in that thread.

I know the 7700 does not have lens shift. This worries me somewhat because I will have to mount the projector to a soffit which covers the heating ducts in my basement. This will place the center of the lens of the projector approximately 16" down from my ceiling. Does this mean that the top of my screen will also have to be 16" down from my ceiling? Or can I get away with maybe just having the screen 12" down from the ceiling? Will keystone be able to fix this?

~Josh

I know the 7700 does not have lens shift. This worries me somewhat because I will have to mount the projector to a soffit which covers the heating ducts in my basement. This will place the center of the lens of the projector approximately 16" down from my ceiling. Does this mean that the top of my screen will also have to be 16" down from my ceiling? Or can I get away with maybe just having the screen 12" down from the ceiling? Will keystone be able to fix this?

~Josh
Greetings,

If you need to have the four inch difference, you have two possibilities:
1. You could use keystone correction, but it does damage the image quality.
2. Ignore it. The amount of keystoning you will have will be miniscule especially if your projector is on the far end of the zoom range (further back). You may find the small amount of keystoning the 4" causes, to be so slight as not to be noticeable. If your screen as a wide border (and especially if it has a soft velour like border which will virtually completely absorb the light hitting it), any overshoot on the top compared to the bottom, will be very slight (probably less than 1 inch). You almost certainly won't see that little distortion on a basketball or other round objects, and I doubt you would spot it unless viewing something with parallel vertical lines, that are close to one of the sides.

Now others may scream at my recommendation #2, but I have been in the situation, and having a very small amount of uncorrected keystoning and having the screen border absorb it, never bothered me, and I rarely noticed it - even when looking for it.

And if you can trim the difference to 2 inches, or 3 inches, all the better. -a

Hi guy's,

I need some serious 7700 help here! I replaced my original BenQ 7700 due to there being 2 blotches near the centre of the screen. BenQ and Ivojo sent me a replacement out quick smart, which was fine, the blotches had gone and I WAS very happy with the PJ. That was until yesterday, when the same blotches reappeared on my replacement, only this time a few pixels up the screen!

Is dust seeping through somewhere or is this a fault I have managed to introduce? My room is very dusty by nature (wooden floor room). I've cleaned the lens with compressed air and a Jessops lens cleaning cloth and the blotches will not go!

Please help because other than this (and a few ringing/ghosting problems) the PJ is VERY VERY good picture quaility wise. Unfortunately I cannot put up with those blotches! They show up on dark scenes and deter me from the viewing at hand. VERY DISTRACTING. Please someone, help would be greatly appreciated!

Josh, I'd use keystoning and a screen with a good border. I prefer using slight keystoning over a distorted picture. Yes, keystoning distorts the picture also, but what I'm saying is it will be less distorted, except for the edges (which is why you need a good border around the screen).

Spike, it seems that definitely have some kind of dust issue, whether it be on the lens, or in the casing somewhere. I'd investigate that as much as possible, and call on BenQ's support to assist with troubleshooting where the dust may be located. Since you received it without, it's very highly likely that it's your environment that is causing it.

Now, unrelated to either of your questions...

I just got my copy of TheaterTek (DVD software) running through my HTPC through HDMI in Real (1:1) mode, and it looks unbelievably better than my old crappy 480i DVD player. I mean, WOW. More experimentation to follow, as I tweak the sharpness/denoise settings, etc.

Since I have never installed a ceiling mounted projector, are you saying it will be impossible to have my projected image fall directly on the viewable screen? Some of the image will have to spill over to the black borders?

~Josh

miltimj,

Thanks for the reply,

how would dust get into the casing? I thought that the light seepage on the 7700 was very good? BenQ are going to collect this one tomorrow and check to see what the problem might be:(

Do you know of anyone else having this problem?

Guys,

A quick question about tweaking. I have the Avia calibration disc, but since I bought it ussed, it does not have the Red Green and Blue filters for color calibration. Any idea where I could get them?

Thanks,

Since I have never installed a ceiling mounted projector, are you saying it will be impossible to have my projected image fall directly on the viewable screen? Some of the image will have to spill over to the black borders?

~Josh

With keystoning some of the light will be spilling into the border. However, it seems to me that 16" down from the ceiling is fairly ideal. For this mounting, ideally, the top of the viewable screen area should also be about 16" down to eliminate keystoning. I don't know about your intended screen size but if you can mount the screen 16" down from the ceiling your screen should be at a good height for viewing. My PJ is about 11" down on a soffit as well with the screen mounted at the same height. I find it a touch too high.

Josh, try and maximize your throw distance, and minimize the difference between top of screen and center of lens. As basement said, move your screen down if possible. The keystoning and fitting on the screen applies with any mounting configuration of a projector.

Spike, you're the first that I've heard of with your dust issue.

Josh, I wouldn't worry about it at all. It is a very slight difference and unless you are sitting with your eyes in the direct center of the screen you have natural keystoning that will actually be corrected by having the projector pointing up a little.

Spike, I live on the edge of the desert in Phoenix AZ where dust is a huge problem (mainly why I didn't go LCD.) In three months I never had dust blobs. I get plenty of dust on the exterior lens, but that wipes off easy enough. I would talk to their support again. It would be nice if they gave you the analsys of the projector you sent in.

Warren.

What does everyone think of this projector with a Carada Brilliant White? I say this because I will be watching a lot of HD sports with ambient lighting.

~Josh

I would very seriously consider that screen in your situation. I don't have one, but from what I've read, it'd be a great match.

Carada makes a nice screen for the money. I installed a MT-700 with a brilliant white and it looked purdy! ;)

I have a Carada Brillant White and think it is an excellent screen for the money.

I'm going to install one for a client with a PE7700 who, like you, wants to watch HD sports with some lights on so guests can easily find the beer and pizza.

Hi guys - does anyone know if this projector have banding issues, especially in dark scenes around light sources like street lamps, etc. or when there's smoke or mist like in some scenes in Lord of the Rings. It's very apparant in the DreamWorks logo scene where that kid is sitting on the moon fishing and the clouds are all around him. The clouds has this weird banding effect almost like when you drop some oil in water. Out of focus background scenes at night also take on sort of a posterized look. I'm running a 30' HDMI cable. Could that be the problem? I never noticed it before and was wondering if anyone out there is experiencing the same problem before I call BenQ. Any help would greatly be appreciated.

What are you using for a DVD player, and does it happen with a different connection (e.g. component or S-video) or a shorter HDMI cable?

What are you using for a DVD player, and does it happen with a different connection (e.g. component or S-video) or a shorter HDMI cable?

Haven't tried other connections yet. This is a replacement unit that I got yesterday from BenQ. I'll try hooking up to component tonight and see what happens. I'm using an Oppo and I don't have another source with a DVI to test. Do you think it could be the DVD player?

I would let the poor thing break in a bit before getting too worried.
Hey, how long did it take to get a replacement. I sent mine in over a week ago and am missing my projector pretty bad now.
Warren.

The banding problem, which is generally limited to digital connections (DVI & HDMI), can be caused by any number of factors including the DVD player, settings on the DVD player, and settings on the projector including color wheel delay, the degamma table, sharpness, etc.

My suggestion is to select the CINEMA mode and then hit the DEFAULT memory button so that everything is reset to the factory default and see if that makes a difference.

I'm not that familiar with the Oppo, but see if it has any user settings including brightness, contrast, sharpness, gamma, etc., and set them all to their normal or default levels.

If that doesn't work, get another DVD player with a digital output and see if you can isolate it as a projector or source problem.

If all else fails, call BenQ -- they have pretty good customer service.

The PE7700 is really one of the better projectors at minimizing banding and what you are seeing is not normal.

I would let the poor thing break in a bit before getting too worried.
Hey, how long did it take to get a replacement. I sent mine in over a week ago and am missing my projector pretty bad now.
Warren.

Boy, you're not gonna want to hear this. After having my AMEX billed on 7/12 for $2800, after being given the run around for almost a month by 3 different service reps, and after finally writing to the supervisor of customer service to literally get to call the warehouse to pull, pack and ship my unit, I finally recieved it yesterday. I will say that he was very appologetic but I found that some of the customer service people to be pretty bad.
If I were you, I'd get in touch with one rep, get their name, and use them as your sole contact. Also, even though my info and RMA was in their system, warehouse kept on ignoring the send out request. That's why I finally had to get the manager to handle the situation. Good luck.

The banding problem, which is generally limited to digital connections (DVI & HDMI), can be caused by any number of factors including the DVD player, settings on the DVD player, and settings on the projector including color wheel delay, the degamma table, sharpness, etc.

My suggestion is to select the CINEMA mode and then hit the DEFAULT memory button so that everything is reset to the factory default and see if that makes a difference.

I'm not that familiar with the Oppo, but see if it has any user settings including brightness, contrast, sharpness, gamma, etc., and set them all to their normal or default levels.

If that doesn't work, get another DVD player with a digital output and see if you can isolate it as a projector or source problem.

If all else fails, call BenQ -- they have pretty good customer service.

The PE7700 is really one of the better projectors at minimizing banding and what you are seeing is not normal.

Thanks Kevin for your suggestions, my other defective unit that I was running thru component because it wasn't recieving an HDMI signal looked fantastic. Then on Saturday, was futzing around the factory service menu options and hit 'Load all OSD settings". Right after that, I started to notice the banding and now it's showing up on this replacement unit. The last thing I want to do is to have to sent out for another replacement.

There is an option in the service menu to load all factory settings, which I believe is different than the OSD settings (I think the OSD loads user settings previously saved). Try resetting to factory default in the service menu and see if that helps.

Well I made the buy and ordered my 7700 today from ProjectorPeople. It shipped today so I should have it on Friday. :D

Almost finished with my DIY 110" screen(man this thing is huge it makes my 58" look tiny), will hopefully have everything ready by Friday so I will not have too much to do to get it up and running. Just have to paint and hang the screen and run a hdmi/component cable to the ceiling.

Very excited and hoping it will be a huge difference from my Pioneer 58" 16:9, non-HD widescreen. I have a Sony LCD upstairs and I am hoping this will have an even better picture.

Will post back my results this weekend.

Yes, it will be nice. I was running my at 144" diagonal. I have it shrunk down to 120" and it feels small. Once you get used to big it is hard giving it up.
Warren.

There is an option in the service menu to load all factory settings, which I believe is different than the OSD settings (I think the OSD loads user settings previously saved). Try resetting to factory default in the service menu and see if that helps.


Hey Kevin - Thanks once again. I did exactly that and the problem cleared right up. You just saved me from going thru a bunch of hassle.

So they messed it up at the factory then?

Kevin Rules. Hey if you are ever coming to Phoenix, Kevin, I have several cold beers waiting. And gee, you could bring your equipment over if you wanted. ;)
Warren.

He Rocks for sure!!!! By the way, there were already 6 hours on the bulb on the replacement unit that I got yesterday. Does anyone know if that's normal, like a 'factory test break in' thing?

What does everyone think of this projector with a Carada Brilliant White? I say this because I will be watching a lot of HD sports with ambient lighting.

~Josh

Looks like I'm late to the party (again), but I'm running the MT700 with a large Carada Brilliant White (142") and it looks great; better than I had hoped. Many have refered to the the BW using terms like "bright" and "punchy" and I would have to agree. I'm no kind of an expert, but I do know what I like....

If all else fails, call BenQ -- they have pretty good customer service.


Here in Scandinavia it BenQ Support i CRAP! Real CRAP!!

Bought the 7700 13th of june.
It doesn't pass BTB (blacker than black) on the component input. It actually clips a great deal for detail in the black area on that input. Playing Halo2 on XBox is impossible due to the fact that I can't se anything in the dark corridors.

Contacted my dealer. He was on the case. Got back to me. "They're working on new firm. Available next monday. They won`t let customer or dealer do the upgrade. You have to contact BenQ Support".

I email support and Henry Peters was glad to announce the new firmware had arrived. I'm instructed to call the RMA-centre.

At RMA-centre I talk to a woman with NO knowledge at all.
"BenQ, which model. PE7700 projector. Oh yes. When did you purchase it? 13th of june this year?"

It was just launched here in Europe a month before, and she did't know which year it was produced. She didn't know there was a new firmware either. After I read the mail from Henry Peters she gathered all the information on my model, my name and address. A replacement projector would be sent to me, and I was to put my projector in the box and return it when I got the new one.

Waited for several weeks. Nothing turned up. Called the BenQ logistics centre.
They looked into the matter. The projector was lost in shipment. Norwegian Post Service took the blame and would pay BenQ the insurance money.

Got a letter today from BenQ representatives in Norway.
"We have not gotten your BenQ projector in return, and will now send you a bill to pay for the brand new projector we sent you over a month ago!"

I call the BenQ representatives in Norway. The phone gets picked up, but no one is at the other end. Just office noise.
Call again. Get customer care. He seems majorly unfocussed. Suddenly I'm talking to the answering mashine telling me the opening hours, which I'm well in between opening and closing hours.
Call again, third time.
-BenQ, how may I help you. Oh, you should talk to customer care in that matter. Just a moment.
BLIP! and I'm talking to the answering machine again.

It's been over a month since I first got in touch with BenQ support.
My matter has not been corrected, I've received nothing other than a threat letter telling me to gather money for the bill they'll send me next week.

BenQ-Support Scandinavia equals CRAP!

Hate to hear stories like above, I hope you get it solved soon.

Regarding firmware updates, is there consensus of an upgrade for US units? Is it possible to check current version etc?

I am only using HDMI at the moment without any issues....will be using component soon (unless I get an HDMI switcher) hopefully without issues.

Oh, I am using 114" Carada BW screen, love it.

Jim

Jim, you can check your version of firmware through the service menu access (Menu->Up->Down->Up->Down->Up->Down->Menu).

See posts a few pages back that show some (including me) reporting their firmware versions and dates.

Well I sucked it up and ordered today (painful purchase!! :eek: ). My NEC HT1000 died about 4-6 weeks ago and we have been w/o for a while. I got 3 good years out of her and she has moved on :( :( :(

I currently have a Denon 1910 DVD Player. Any reason to change to something like the Oppo or the Panasonic S77 or S97??

Thanks

Greg

I certainly wouldn't switch until you see what the 1910 looks like with the PJ.

By the way, congrats on your purchase! It won't seem very painful in a few weeks... :)

Guys, first of all, thank you for all your help. I finally installed my PJ yesterday, but didn’t have much time to test out or tune anything. I was impressed by the light output, it really is a light cannon. However, I have read that straight out of the box the PJ does wonders. Not my case. I am running the PJ through component, and used a 720p image from Discovery HD (over Directv). The colors didn’t seem right, it looked to me that I could have some sort of convergence problem with the red color (I know this is not possible, but it seemed that way), and I didn’t get the wow factor I was expecting. Stewart +1.3gain 123" widescreen. I have an avia disc, and will try to fine tune today. I read about the service menu, and I am wondering if I should dig in that deep, or stick to the basics. Do any of you guys know of something that I should do right away to get the image to reach its true potential? One other question, when the PJ receives a 720p signal, which setting should I use on the PJ (widescreen, letterbox, anamorphic, etc.) When I use real, I get a green vertical line on the far right side of the screen.

Thanks again for your help.

Max,

Good to hear you finally got her installed. I did basic calibrations with avia almost immediately after installing and haven't had any color issues except if the source is causing it (Matrix DVD's green tint, for example). I was definitely wow'd once I fed it HD, although the only other source of HD I'd seen before was the crappy signal at local stores and my old man's 3 year old 56" Mits RP HDTV. I had a poker tourney at my house a couple of weekends ago and pretty much everyone was floored.

Real is the setting I use for 720p and, I believe, what you should be using as well. From what I gather, Real mode is 1:1 mapping so it pretty much just displays what its being fed without processing the signal. I get the same vertical green line along the right side of the screen on the local ABC-HD channel over Insight Cable, but not on Discovery. Discovery has, by far, the best picture quality of the other HD channels I receive (HBO, Showtime, Discovery, HDNet, HDNet Movies, Universal, ESPN, ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, PBS and a few more). I would guess the green line is caused by the cable provider. I'm still trying to figure that one out myself. I also get a line of noise at the top of the screen on HD channels when they're broadcasting anything other than full HD (non prime time, basically).

I'm running HDMI from the cable box to the 7700, though. I did have to calibrate differently for HDMI vs. component. Perhaps the out of the box quality refers more to the HDMI input? Do you have any sources with an HDMI out port to test it with?

Smooth,
I get the exact same problems you do. I will calibrate and wait for the results. I hope that I will get the wow effect then. I am running the high altitude mode, which I assume increases fan speed, and although tolerable, I have more noise than with my previous PJ. I guess its normal for some people to see the glass half empty vs. half full, but the real test for me is HD Football, and I am sure that I will not be dissaponted. I will tell you guys how it goes later.

You guys could try adjusting the overscan in the service menu to get rid of the green line in real mode. I actually only use real mode with my HTPC via HDMI. Otherwise I use anamorphic or 4:3 mode. I'll try real with my HD source and compare it with anamorphic the next chance I get.

I was looking at my projector settings and service menu last nite...a few questions.

First, my firmware was 0.37,A00...5/20/2005 build. Is there a need for an upgrade from this version and for what improvements?

I fixed my issue with 2.35:1 movies not showing up correctly with my S97...I had the display setting in the PE7700 for letterbox....when I switched to Real, it showed correctly. However, not sure if it is related as I need to verify, but I do not have controls over the display anymore...they are greyed out...the brightness, color, IRE etc...is this a function of 'real' setting? Which setting should be used with DVD thru HDMI? I want to calibrate with AVIA, but I would imagine that calibration should be thru the projector controls and not the DVD controls, correct?

Jim

This forum has been very helpful. I have finally decided to take the plunge and set up a hometheater in my basement. I plan on installing the Carada 126" screen and mount the PJ 16' away. I am however still undecided over the PJ between BenQ PE7700 and Optoma H78DC3 Projector. Lack of lens shift correction in the BenQ made me think about the Optoma PJ.
Any input is greatly appreciated.

Thanks

I recently finished my home theater in my basement and I figured I should report my results since I have learned so much about my Benq 7700 by lurking on this forum.

I am using a Panny S77 and a HD Tivo for input to the projector. These are connected through a Gefen HDMI switch and then through a 45 foot cable from the equipment up through the ceiling. I have had no problems at all with the switch (other than it costs too much!) or the long cable, which I got from PCCables. I have not tried any component inputs as I don’t have a long component cable. Both the Tivo and S77 are set at 720P for output. 1080i also produces a great picture, but I figured that 720p logically makes the most sense. The HD picture is far better than DVDs but that is to be expected. DVDs that we have watched are just fine and I have noticed no macroblocking (as a few people have using the S77). I also haven’t tried using 480i out of the Panny or the Tivo so I can’t comment on the quality of the scalar in the projector.

The picture right out of the box is outstanding! I haven’t taken the time yet to use AVIA to fine tune because there really is no pressing need to do so. My screen is a Da-Lite Cinema Vision High Contrast 110”. This is a slightly grey screen with a 1.1 gain. The blacks are great and the colors accurate, at least by eyeball standards. I do have the black level set at 0 IRE because the light output is too reduced at 7.5 IRE. The picture is very bright and I can leave rear lights on without any problem. I leave the projector set at Home Theater mode and the picture set to Real. SD sources are acceptable, but I don’t really watch SD much any more. Baseball in HD on ESPN and football in HD on ABC are stunning, like being there!

By comparison, my family room TV is a RCA 38” 16:9 HD direct view tube set which has a superb picture. All I can say is that the Benq picture at 110” is actually better!! What a nice surprise. Now I am hooked on the big screen and find myself going to the basement even to watch the news! KUSA, the local NBC affiliate, does news in HD and the picture quality is great.

Since I am at high altitude, I use the High Altitude setting and it does make the projector fan louder. I never had a projector before and my one small disappointment is that I think the ambient noise from the projector is a little high. This is obviously not a problem when watching something with decent sound. When doing adjustments with no sound, the projector is noticeable. I have it mounted about 14 feet from the screen and it is just over my head in the seating area.

The basement has a 7.5 foot ceiling so the projector is right up against the ceiling using a Chief mount. The lens center is about 4 inches below the ceiling and the top of the screen is 3 inches below the ceiling. With only one inch difference, there is no need for keystone correction. The picture fits the 16:9 screen perfectly.

I have noticed that ABC (OTA) does have two narrow green lines on the right side of the screen, at least on HD programs. It is not a big deal. I have the projector set to exactly fill the screen with the grid pattern borders just touching the black edges of the screen.

I will get around to fine tuning using AVIA next week and will report back any major findings. One confusing point to me is that the S77 and the 7700 both have a lot of adjustments for better picture. Not sure where to start.

Thanks to all on this thread for the input that lead me to choose this great projector. And thanks to Jason at AVS for his advice as well. I was initially looking at the Sharp 2000, but the BenQ is a much better price performer.

With my projector arriving tomorrow I want to get prepped for installation.

I only need to do one thing and thus need input from the DIY folks.

I need to know what size to cut the plywood to that will attach to the bottom of the 7700??

I have to cut this tonight as I won't have the time at all tomorrow and will barely have the time to get this on the mount in the ceiling.

Can anyone shed some light on this for me (no pun intended).

Thanks

Greg

Sam, I wouldn't worry about lens shift. That is a one time problem.
Since you are installing in a basement you should be able to get good light control. If that is the case you might like the Optoma H78DC3 better for it's very nice contrast ratio. It isn't as bright but in a basement that might not be a problem. Unless you like really bright pictures that is, then you might go back to the 7700.
Warren.

I'm a newb and don't really know how lens shift works but I am interested in this PJ as well but I would be mounting it (right side up) about 4.5 feet from the floor and my ceiling is 7' tall.

I am looking at doing a 120" diag 16:9 screen at a throw of about 17.5 - 18 feet. Is this asking to much or am I going to have grief with this layout?

Thanks

At 17.5 feet the smallest screen you could have is 134". Check the projection calculator at projector central before doing any calculations with any projector. It is cool.
http://www.projectorcentral.com/BenQ-PE7700-projection-calculator-pro.htm
15.7 feet is the min for a 120" screen. Although you will probably like a bigger screen better if you are like me. I feel 120" is too small after having it 133" (and 144" before that.) A table mount (or whatever you are putting it on) at that distance (or any distance for that matter) will suck. Anyone walking in front of the projector blocks the scene. My whole family was very happy when I finally ceiling mounted mine. Doesn't hurt to try it for a while. I did that trying to determine what size screen to get and where I really wanted to mount my projector.
Warren.