Optoma H57 owners. Come out of the closet! [Text View] - Page 3

mystery

10-23-05, 06:33 PM

Hey guys,

Looks like my H57 is going in for service.

I just noticed light leakage coming out the front of it at the base where the front panel adjoins the bottom. The two edges have separated slightly and it can be readily seen from a distance. What's most annoying is the light spill coming out now and especially a concentrated beam of light not unlike a laser beam. It doesn't appear to affect the image on screen at all but you can't glance up at the projector when it's on without noticing this .

I've attached pictures that should help you to see what's going on. The one photo shows the H57 in use and you can clearly see the small light emanating from the projector just above and to the right of the lens. If you zoom in you can see it better and also the horizontal separation of the two edges.

I've tried tightening a nearby screw but to no avail.

The buzzing sound is something that I've noticed from the start but wasn't bothered by it enough to send the unit in. Now that there is another problem I'm informing Optoma about both.

The other photo shows the H57 without power and you can see the two small areas where light would leak through.

For those of you who are hanging their H57, beware that this could perhaps be something to look out for. Mine's been hanging in the same spot since mid July and I never need to fool with it for any reason so I think that the stress on the chassis has caused this split.

I'm hoping that I won't be without the projector for long and that Optoma can repair both problems or at least the light leakage.

What a drag eh? :(

Wayne

spong

10-23-05, 07:15 PM

Hi Wayne,
Is your H57 only supported on two mounting pads on one side? If so, I wonder if that has caused distortion of the plastic case through plastic creeping? It's hard to tell from your photo from here. As far as the buzzing goes, I understood that all H57's make a slight buzzing sound from the colour wheel, which is noticeable because the fan noise is so well hushed, and hence isn't masked as it would be with many other projectors. Is your one noisier than usual?

mystery

10-23-05, 08:28 PM

spong,

I've always used three screws to hold it up by the mount. Projectors are made to be mounted upside down so there shouldn't be a problem. Seems to be a manufacturing defect in my opinion which exhibits itself over time. I hope I'm the only one who ever notices it.

As for the buzzing, I'm not sure that every H57 owner has this problem. I know that the very same problem was found on many H30s prior to the H31 being introduced. I've never heard or read that Optoma has admitted a problem in this area. Speculation has been a noisy color wheel and also a power supply malfunction.

The theory about the low fan noise enabling the buzzing sound to be heard probably doesn't hold water. There are other very quiet projector models on the market from other manufacturers that don't have this buzzing effect.

Anyway, the buzzing noise is only a minor annoyance to me and as long as it doesn't get any worse, I could live with it indefinitely. It's the light leakage problem which is really bothering me. It just started yesterday. I could have covered it up with black duct tape or something but this would present a problem if/when I go to sell the H57. I wouldn't want to have to explain the tape and I also wouldn't want to show the projector with the tape off so it's a catch-22 situation. Better to have Optoma rectify the problem while the unit is still under warranty I think.

Wayne

curious_

10-25-05, 03:31 AM

Well I finally have the PJ mounted with a special one suited for the H57, here in Australia.
Fitted perfectly and took no more than15 minutes to fit to completion. Then the fiddling of alignment etc.
The keystone problem is much better with a dedicated mount and as the PJ is mounted in alignment with the top of the screen its much better.
For the metric minded the PJ is 4.2 m from lens to front of screen.
PJ is mounted 2.2m to centre of lens. ceiling height is only 2.4m.
PUll down screen. Grandview 92", got that free when I bought the H57.
PQ is indeed superb, it is like being in your own cinema.
Seating position is unfortunately directly below PJ, and I do tend to notice noise from it in quiet scenes for sure. Nothing too distracting I guess it depends on your sensitivity to noise.
All in all fantastic. I havent looked at the hours counter, but will be mindful of it in the future.
More to do, and ripping off wall paper and painting required. new black out curtains are in, and lighting needs to be done, Nothing like dimmers etc, but some nice spots would be good.
THats it for a while from down under.

mystery

10-25-05, 06:40 PM

Bad news guys. :(

Optoma Canada has informed me by email that after inspection of my H57, they've determined that the light leakage/case separation problem has been caused by human tampering. They're claiming that someone has tried to open up the projector, thereby causing the damage.

I have responded to this charge assuring them that no one has ever done anything like this but I fear that they will try to circumvent my warranty and leave me without any recourse but to pay to have the case repaired.

This is very upsetting and they didn't even address the buzzing noise which I also complained about.

Why in the world would I pay $94.00 including $2500.00 insurance coverage to ship this projector to them if I could put that money towards a local technician to repair the damage if I had caused it myself? That doesn't make sense.

If they don't resolve this issue quickly and amicably, I will never, ever purchase another Optoma product. I may look into taking the matter to small claims court. Hopefully things won't escalate that far.

Am I having a good day or what? :mad:

Wayne

1Time

10-25-05, 07:29 PM

@ mystery,

I know how you feel Wayne and I'm sure many others do too toward some company or another. I said nearly the same thing as you about Optoma right after I determined many H31's including mine do not work properly with HTPC's. However, now I'm actually glad my H31 doesn't work right with my HTPC... because it sent me looking for a new projector and now I have a new H57 with which I am very satisfied. A big thanks to you and others who posted in your thread; otherwise I seriously doubt I every would have considered the H57. Optoma at the least owes you the benefit of the doubt just for this thread alone. You may want to consider referring Optoma to this thread; they may very well change their tune.

Dave Mack

10-25-05, 08:28 PM

Wow, Wayne! This sucks! Since when did Optoma get bought out by Sanyo?!?!? They have been pulling this stunt for years now to get out of warranty work I've read. Blame the owner. Man, tell them that you will spread the bad word about them all over this forum! They will potentially lose sales! Contact Guitarman! You have personally been responsible for SEVERAL optoma sales! Email them this thread!

Get the pitchforks! I'm ready for battle! I'm right here with ya! Me and a bunch of other "complainers" barraged amazon.com when the season one dvd set of "Roseanne" came out with edited, syndicated episodes and we raised such a ruckus over there that the sales tanked and the studio decided to release unedited seasons from now on! Roseanne hereself even mentioned it on Larry King! Never underestimate what a grassroots type of thing can accomplish! I'm with ya, bud! Give the word!

dave mack

spong

10-25-05, 08:36 PM

My heart goes out to you Wayne. Having been involved in service for over 25 years I've seen this happen countless times. Stick by your guns I say, get it escalated higher up the management tree, and if all else fails take them to small claims. It's true that you have influenced many H57 purchases, myself included and you deserve much better. I'm sure if you make enough fuss they'll back down because most people guilty of tampering whould probably not perserve. Keep us informed.

mystery

10-25-05, 08:54 PM

1Time,

Thanks for your comments. I'm glad that I may have played a small part in influencing your purchase of this otherwise fine projector. If things go badly when I hear back from them I may just refer them to this thread. I'm not holding out much hope that it would do me much good though. Little me going up against big Optoma.

Dave,

Guitarman is aware now of my problem but I don't know that he can/will do anything about it. He does sympathize and that's nice. I suspect that posting my problems of late may have hurt them already or will possibly do so. That's what I love about this forum. So many of us help each other out and come to each other's defense like you're doing right now.

If you or anyone wish to contact Optoma Canada about this you can email Will Xing at willx@optoma.com. He is only the messenger, relaying the findings of the technician so I don't blame him personally.

spong,

So you know how the game works eh? I will fight for justice if necessary. It's not worth hiring a lawyer of course but small claims doesn't cost that much so I may consider that. I am not a stranger to small claims court and I won't hesitate to go that route if necessary.

But I really just want this to all go away. I've got better things to do than to fight with Optoma over this.

Wayne

Bill Best

10-27-05, 12:43 PM

I just thought I'd pass on the fact that Costco Canada has the Optoma H57 on sale until November 9th. It's $400 off and you get a 92" screen free.

Bill.

hardg

10-28-05, 04:49 AM

I just thought I'd pass on the fact that Costco Canada has the Optoma H57 on sale until November 9th. It's $400 off and you get a 92" screen free.

Bill.

Yeah, I'm torn on this deal. I was going to purchase an H27 real soon, but now this deal comes along. The thing is, I can get the H27 (with no screen) for about $800 less than what Costco is currently selling the H57.

Anyone wanna comment on whether the H57 is worth the extra $800? The H27 claims a higher contrast ratio, and I'm assuming that means the black levels may actually be superior on the H27. Anyways, would appreciate some advice on this while the H57 is still available!

1Time

10-28-05, 11:57 AM

hardg,

You first will want to be sure each will work well with your set-up and HT needs. That right there may help make your decision easier. Not having seen the H27, I'm practically certain the H57 gives the better picture. I would not base my decision on the specs advertised by Optoma. You also may want to take a look at the reviews at projector central. If you've never seen the H57, chances are you would enjoy the H27 and not soon find a need to upgrade. However, it is also very likely that if you get the H57, you will enjoy it and not once wish you instead had saved the money and bought the H27. Providing each will work with your set up and HT needs, I suggest getting the best projector you can afford. I will follow up shortly with my initial review of the H57 which I somewhat compare to my H31.

1Time

10-28-05, 01:11 PM

I only have 1 hour on my new H57. I'm holding off on using it again until after I rebuild my HTPC today. I am projecting an 86" image onto a matte white Dazian screen (1.0 gain) in a light controlled room from 10'. My viewing distance also is 10' with the H57 mounted about 4' over my head. I have a shelf mounted 2' x 4' board between the H57 and me to help block the projector's operating noise. I have yet to cover this board and back wall with any kind of sound absorbing material. I've not calibrated yet and I changed the settings to "normal" and primarily viewed in high lamp mode.

The first thing I noticed after turning it on was a buzzing sound. I immediately recalled having heard this sound before; it's the exact same sound that some flourescent light fixtures make. I trashed one such light not too long ago because I could not stand hearing it. A computer monitor makes a very similar sound; just put your ear close to the back of one. Even with my HTPC running which is fairly quiet but only about 3 feet away, I still could easily hear this buzzing; it's not loud but it is audible. To say the least I was a bit concerned.

However, I then focused my attention to the beautiful picture I was seeing with my "test" DVD movie. I noticed right away the picture was brighter than my H31's, as in wow this is good... just what I was hoping for. I easily could see more detail in the dark scenes than with my H31, much better, and I nocticed the images were more 3D which is very important to me since it adds to the realism. And last I noticed the abscence of any screen door effect (SDE), which I occasionally would notice with my H31 but did not really mind.

So after about 5 minutes of thoroughly scrutinizing the picture I was seeing, I gave up on finding fault and just sat back and enjoyed. All of my viewing was done without any sound as I primarily wanted to focus the picture quality. And then somewhat to my surprise, about 10 minutes later I found I had completely forgotten about listening for the buzzing sound and didn't notice it thereafter. I guess I just tuned it out. So I'm sure with the sound on it would not be an issue. Even though, I still will add sound absorbing material of some kind which I expect will render it practically inaudible from my viewing position. I recall doing the same thing with a computer monitor that I once had positioned against a wall. The buzzing from the monitor was bouncing off the wall and driving me nuts. I simply hung a bath towel on the wall behind the monitor which absorbed the sound and rendered it completely inaudible from where I sat. My final word on the buzzing is I could see some may find it an issue especially if seated near it or if it is mounted near a sound reflecting surface like mine is on a rear wall, but more than likely it will not be an issue once the viewing begins.

Before receiving my H57 I primarily was concerned with whether I would need a gray screen or ND2 filter to tone down its bright picture. However, I now know I will not be needing either as I am extremely pleased with the bright picture I get with my 1.0 gain white screen with the H57 in high lamp mode. I found there to be such an improvement in my enjoyment of the picture when I switch from low to high lamp mode that I already know I always will be viewing my H57 in high lamp mode. The projector calculator at projector central estimates my image brightness at 38 fL which is fairly bright but I REALLY like it. It seems to add so much to my viewing pleasure and to the realism of the picture over its low lamp mode. I also like it much better than my H31 whether it was in high or low (econo) mode. I am very satisfied with the brightness of the H57 in high lamp mode and would not consider using an ND2 filter. As I found it impossible to use the lens cap without incidentally moving the focus ring so it is out of focus, I will be using a 67mm Tiffon UV filter instead of the lens cap. Thanks to whoever suggested this.

That's it for now. I need to rebuild my HTPC, calibrate, and enjoy this fine projector. Thanks everyone.

EMAGDNIM

10-28-05, 02:30 PM

Yeah, I'm torn on this deal. I was going to purchase an H27 real soon, but now this deal comes along. The thing is, I can get the H27 (with no screen) for about $800 less than what Costco is currently selling the H57.

Anyone wanna comment on whether the H57 is worth the extra $800? The H27 claims a higher contrast ratio, and I'm assuming that means the black levels may actually be superior on the H27. Anyways, would appreciate some advice on this while the H57 is still available!

I would go for it. The addd value is there and that offer is great. There IS a difference that you would notice if you had them side by side.

mystery

10-28-05, 06:36 PM

1Time,

So glad to hear about your first experience with the H57. :)

The buzzing sound has been present on both the loaner H57 I used earlier this year (while my H31 was in for evaluation as to why it wouldn't work with my HTPC), and my current H57. Others have mentioned it as well. It seems to be prevalent. Like you say, it's quickly forgotten about once you see the gorgeous picture and when you put you audio system on, the only time you might hear the buzzing is during very quiet scenes but again, it's not a deal breaker unless you're super sensitive to this type of thing.

Now, I want to gently suggest that you take time to reconsider your decision to use your H57 in high lamp mode. Of course, you are perfectly welcome to continue to do this as it's your call and after all your hard earned money that you've spent. But I'd like you to try viewing movies and such for a full week on low lamp mode. I think that you'll find the transition interesting after the week is over and you then try it on high. What happens is that we tend to acclimatize ourselves to what we're seeing. You may be used to a bright picture tube image and the high lamp mode may approximate that and look pleasing. Unfortunately, the H57 is the last projector one should use in high lamp mode unless it's for a very large screen in a big auditorium.

You will enjoy far better blacks and contrast ratio if you can get used to the lower lamp setting. 38ft. lumens is way too bright for home theater and isn't recommended by SEMPTE.

Also, your lamp hours will be reduced by about 35 to 40 percent and those lamps are expensive to replace.

Now, if you're truly happy then disregard my advice. But all I ask is that you try it for seven full days of viewing and then revert to high lamp mode and if you find at that time that high lamp mode appears to you to be too bright then your eyes will have nicely acclimatized to the lower lamp setting and the high lamp mode will be incorrect for you.

Just keep in mind that you're blowing out your whites in high lamp mode and you'll see much better fine detail in lighter portions of your images with the lamp in the lower setting.

But my eyes are not your eyes and the final arbiter must be what ultimately pleases you. So, if you can stand it, try my little experiment. It'll be probably absolutely awful at first. Stick with it for the week and then go back to your original configuration and then you can make a more informed decision as to which lamp mode you really like best.

I use a High Power screen from Da-Lite which is way too bright for me even with the H57 in low lamp mode so I had to put on an ND2 filter which did the trick.

By the way, with the ND2 filter on, I never have to fiddle with the focus ring because the filter acts as the lens cap and it keeps dust and fingerprints off of the lens. I really like that aspect of it as well as it's lumen darkening effect.

Congratulations again on your new toy! :)

Wayne

mystery

10-28-05, 07:12 PM

Great news!

Optoma Canada emailed me today about my H57:

"Hi Wayne,

I checked the unit myself and it really looks like someone doesn't know our projector but tried to open it and failed. Since it's not a big deal and easy for our technician to fix it, we fixed it for good will.

For the buzzing noise as you mentioned, we found when you put ear very close to the unit, you can hear a little bit buzzing noise from power supply. I don't know if this is what you were talking about, but this noise is from the ballast, it's normal and it's the same as all other projectors. To reduce any other possibility of making noise, we replaced all the fans, power supply and color wheel to make the noise minimum. I hope it could meet what you expected.

We will be sending you the machine today by UPS so you could have it next Monday.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any question.

Will Xing
Optoma Technology Canada
Tel: 905-882-4228"

So, they decided to repair the case separation and light leakage issue, and they also tried to lessen the buzzing sound by replacing all the fans, the power supply and the color wheel.

All this and my projector is only 3 months old with probably only about 200 hours on it.

It should be almost like new now and I'm very relieved that this didn't end up as badly as I had been mentally preparing for.

I should get it back on Monday. I'm trusting that the light leakage is truly fixed and whether the buzzing noise is gone or not, I'll find out soon enough.

Anyway, thanks to all who publicly supported me during this very stressful week.

Optoma Canada was not really obligated to fix the light leakage problem but they did anyway. However, I didn't tamper with the unit as they claim that the evidence suggests so I would have gone after them if they hadn't helped me.

But replacing all that stuff related to the buzzing sound I feel was far more than I was expecting from them and they're back in my good books. At least for now.

So, as long as I don't find any new problems with the projector when I get it back, and they've truly fixed the light leakage problem and the buzzing noise isn't any worse than before, then I will consider purchasing an Optoma projector again in the future.

Wayne

Tacjam

10-28-05, 08:03 PM

hardg

10-28-05, 10:30 PM

Well, I broke down and ordered an H57. Hopefully, I'll have it by next Friday, and I'll chip in with my 2cents :D

mystery

10-29-05, 08:19 AM

Good man! Congratulations. :)

You won't be sorry. Get your Kleenex box ready to mop up the drool. :D

Wayne

Yosh70

10-29-05, 07:34 PM

A friend of mine bought his H57 with a free 92" Graywolf screen from Costco when they had a pretty good deal....now I see its even better with an extra $400 off:rolleyes:

We just finished setting it all up last week in a very nicely painted dark room and even without any calibration ( everything set to the middle, not sure about hi lamp ot lo lamp mode) its looks pretty impressive.

I think the best deal about buying it from Costco is the warranty.....if theres something wrong with it and its still under the manufacturers warranty, take it back and get another one, fairly simple.

mystery

10-29-05, 08:12 PM

Yosh,

Warn your friend to be careful about Costco's return policy on the H57. They've changed their rules on certain items and it's likely that they'll only cover him for about 6 months. Tell him to get a clarification on that to put his mind at ease. I'd hate to see him think he could take it back there only to find that he has to ship it to Optoma for repair or something like that.

Wayne

Yosh70

10-29-05, 08:51 PM

Will do, thanks Wayne.

Cerwin

10-30-05, 12:57 PM

Hey Yosh,

I just pulled the trigger and also ordered the H57 from Costco. If you or your friend get any info on their return policy for the unit, please let me know.

Thanks,
Christian

Tacjam

10-30-05, 01:37 PM

I don't think anyone who gets the H57 will be sorry, the more I use it....the more I like it!

Dave Mack

11-03-05, 03:48 PM

Great news, Wayne!

I tried taking the filter off again last nite and I do like the pic. a teeny bit better with it off but it can increase RBE for me on certain images. MAN, this is a bright little PJ!

:) d

mystery

11-03-05, 05:40 PM

Thanks Dave,

It's nice to have the pj back.

Yeah, when our bulbs reach their half lives, we'll be able to take the ND2 filter off and it won't be too bright then.

All you H57 owners ought to try 'The Princess Diaries 2'. I saw the first movie (I like Julie Andrews, what can I say. :) ), and I haven't yet really watched the sequel but I've been testing out some scenes from it and it's pure eye candy!! I don't think I've ever seen a more colorful movie, especially on the H57. Almost every scene just jumps out in glorious color. So, if you want to impress anyone besides yourselves or you want to put the H57 in it's best light in case you're trying to sell it (Heaven forbid! :D ), give this movie a try.

Wayne

hardg

11-03-05, 10:38 PM

Thanks Dave,

It's nice to have the pj back.

Yeah, when our bulbs reach their half lives, we'll be able to take the ND2 filter off and it won't be too bright then.

Wayne

out of curiousity, instead of using a filter, can't you just dial the h57 down to its lowest brightness setting, or is that still too bright?

Also out of curiousity, what brightness setting are you using with the ND filter?

hardg

11-04-05, 09:17 AM

BTW, can someone tell me the proper filter size for the H57? I can't find it listed on the Optoma site. Thanks.

Dave Mack

11-04-05, 12:10 PM

Hiya hardg. I put the filter back on again. Helps with rainbows which I am VERY susceptible to. I have the lamp in low, the contrast now at about 25, brightness around 33 and gamma around 3. I don't have the PJ ceiling mounted, it is in a rack at eye level and with the grewolf screen it is MUCH brighter than if ceiling mounted. and the filter is a hoya ndh2 67mm, I believe.

:) d

hardg

11-04-05, 02:47 PM

Thanks Dave. Do you by any chance know how to enter the service menu on the H57? I just got mine and opened it up and noticed that there was a bit of dust and a small mark on the lens when i took the cap off. It looks like something that can be cleaned off, but I mean, hell, I shouldnt have to clean the lens on a brand new projector! Is there a life timer or something that would let me know if this thing was previously used? I just wanna make sure this thing is brand new. Lenses are usually spotless when you first get them.

But I gotta get goin to work, I'll fire this thing up later and try it out. Thanks guys.

mystery

11-04-05, 07:54 PM

hardg,

This projector is still way too bright for me without an ND2 filter on, even when in low lamp mode. But I'm using a High Power screen which makes it even sunnier so I definitely need the filter.

I've got contrast at 34 and brightness at 72 as calibrated with my AVIA DVD.

My ND2 is also 67mm.

You can check the lamp hours counter to see if it has been used. One trick that I did when Optoma sent me a loaner to use was to look at the levelling feet on the bottom of the pj. They should be lilly white with no smudges whatsoever. The projector they sent me as a loaner was obviously a refurbished unit or just one of their used units because the feet were very dirty and of course had been used.

You're right that you shouldn't have to clean the lens on your projector. That would really tick me off. One thing you might want to try is a lens pen. You can get them at photo stores and one end has a handy little brush, safe for sweeping away dust and the other end has a treated rubber piece which is used to clean most optical lenses.

Wayne

shippo

11-04-05, 09:09 PM

Just received my PJ today from Costco as well. It looks really used after close inspection, the lens even has finger prints on it. Also the top of the remove is scratched and the batteries are already inserted!

Does anybody has the same problem?

hardg

11-04-05, 09:42 PM

Hey Shippo, mine looks new, with the exception of the lens thing. The feet look pretty new as well, as per Mystery's suggestion. There is one other thing that I didnt notice until I took a closer look tonight, and thats the black plastic trim that borders the lens. It looks kinda rough, and almost like its a bad glue-job or something. I tried taking a pic but its hard since the flash reflects off the lens. But lets just say, it doesnt look right. Does anyone else notice this on their H57?

Still haven't had a chance to actually try it yet, by the way. If I find out its a refurb or somethin, it's definitely going back.

mystery

11-04-05, 09:52 PM

Take that puppy back shippo. Tell them you want a unit that hasn't been returned unless they're willing to give you a substantial discount on the unit they sold you. Tell them you can tell that it's been used. Open up the box of the unit they replace your present one with and see whether it's brand new or not.

They shouldn't be selling merchandise as new when it's been used.

Wayne

hardg

11-04-05, 09:56 PM

shippo

11-04-05, 10:13 PM

Thanks Wayne.

I'll try to call Optoma Monday morning. If they can't replace with a new one, I'll just take the whole thing back to Costco.

I'm still very disappointed with Optoma!

shippo

11-04-05, 10:17 PM

By the way .. The used PJ I got also has the bad glue-job around the ring too and the plastic bag is re-tape with Scotch Tape! The box, however is the only part that looks new.

What a joke!

hardg

11-04-05, 11:12 PM

By the way .. The used PJ I got also has the bad glue-job around the ring too and the plastic bag is re-tape with Scotch Tape! The box, however is the only part that looks new.

What a joke!

Shippo, please let us know what happens on Monday. I'm obviously especially interested, and I'll probably be contacting someone on Monday as well.

hardg

11-05-05, 02:56 AM

OK, so I finally got the chance to try the H57 out, and what a disappointment! As soon as I put on a DVD...rainbows. At first I thought it was screen door or really large pixels, since I've never encountered rainbow effect before, and to be honest, I'm assuming that what I saw was rainbows..basically most of the screen looked like little shimmering diamonds. Sort of looked like really large pixels, like the really old lcd projectors had. So would this be rainbow effect? By the way, when paused, they went away, and there was the occasional scene or certain areas of the scene that didnt show that, but they were there 90% of the time.

I don't know if this makes a difference, but I was just projecting onto my plain off-white wall. I used an H27 on the same wall and saw no rainbows at all. To be honest, the picture quality didnt seem all that different. But i am going by memory here. The H57's colours might be a little better...maybe. Again, I'm going by memory, but I have read that the H57 is supposed to be more accurate out of the box then the H27. Still, that RBE ruins it completely.

Now, continuing with the suspect unit thread... is the H57 not supposed to be a "sealed unit", as in NO light leakage? Because, there was MAJOR light leakage from the right-side vent and underneath the projector. This and that shoddy looking glue-job (as I can best describe it) around the lens is making me think that this was a refurb or something. This is so disappointing! I was so impressed when I saw an H27 in action and I thought that this could only get better with the H57. Looks like this is going back to Costco in the next couple days.

So out of curiousity, anyone else here other than me and shippo having a bad experience with this?

1Time

11-05-05, 03:47 AM

Although from the way you've described it I'm not sure the artifacts you saw is RBE, I have no idea what else it might be. I've seen RBE several years ago but have not seen it on my H31 or H57.

I recall reading the H57 is known for being well sealed for sound, but apparently it is not for light. I got my H57 new from V/A and I get light leakage from around the lens area and somewhere else near the bottom or side too but can't remember exactly where.

My H57 is mounted near the ceiling and I have a board under it that helps block its sound and light from getting to me. I thought I might cut a circular piece of black felt and cover the light from around the lens, but I may not bother. The light leakage isn't much of an issue for me.

mystery

11-05-05, 08:08 AM

The H57 is built with a sealed light path and therefore no filters to clean which is a bonus since I had to mess with that on my old X1.

It's normal though for some light to 'leak' through venting ports and shouldn't usually be a problem. I'm not having the leakage around the lens but I did as most of you have read earlier, have a light leakage from a separation in the case. Optoma fixed that for the most part and I've added some masking tape to a couple of areas near their repair in order to completely seal off any light that was escaping.

Here is a link to a very good example of what you should be noticing when you see rainbows:

http://www.dietforum.net/balagee/projected/rainbow.html

Notice carefully as the words move and you'll see the red, green and blue rainbow effect.

If this isn't what you were seeing hardg, then your problem isn't rainbows and it's something else entirely. Make sure your lamp isn't in 'brite' mode and make sure your lens is focused and the resolution coming in from your source isn't too small. If you're viewing DVDs from an HTPC you should probably set your video card to 1280 x 720. That's what I do.

Wayne

1Time

11-05-05, 12:37 PM

Wayne,

Thanks for the tip on using masking tape and the 1280 x 720 resolution.

I have yet to calibrate or tweak my settings or give low light mode a try, but I will be sure to post back after I've found my optimal settings.

The picture is so nice "as is" that I've been caught up with enjoying my new H57. After having fiddled with my H31 and HTPC failure for months, it's so nice to just sit back and enjoy.

hardg

11-05-05, 12:51 PM

Mystery,

Judging from the link you sent me, it was not rainboaws that I was seeing. Whatever it was, it was pretty extreme. I was using an old, non-progressive dvd player via component. But I dont think that should end up with what I saw last night. I'll borrow my friends panasonic s97 and give that a shot though. Just to see if it makes a difference. Although, I think its gonna be the same thing.

Tacjam

11-05-05, 12:52 PM

mystery

11-05-05, 03:13 PM

1 Time,

The picture is so nice "as is" that I've been caught up with enjoying my new H57. After having fiddled with my H31 and HTPC failure for months, it's so nice to just sit back and enjoy.[/QUOTE]

Man, I hear ya! :) I went through the same thing with two H31s and my HTPC, eventually trading up to the H57 and I'm really glad now that I couldn't get the H31s to work.

hardg,

I wish you could post a picture of what you're seeing. Perhaps your unit is defective. Let us know how you make out with the S97. That's quite a good player. Try using it at 480p as well as upconverted resolutions of 720p and 1080i if you have a DVI cable. Your analog non-progressive unit probably isn't the best but still should allow the H57's de-interlacer to work it's magic.

Tacjam,

That sounds like a good plan the way you're setting that up. Pictures would be nice once you're done. :)

Wayne

hardg

11-05-05, 03:22 PM

I wish you could post a picture of what you're seeing. Perhaps your unit is defective. Let us know how you make out with the S97. That's quite a good player. Try using it at 480p as well as upconverted resolutions of 720p and 1080i if you have a DVI cable. Your analog non-progressive unit probably isn't the best but still should allow the H57's de-interlacer to work it's magic

Wayne

I would, the problem is that as soon as you hit pause, it goes away. The analog player that I used was the same one that I used with the H27, and it looked great. BTW.. although I had diamond-pattern shimmering thing in the background, I played the beginning of master and commander for a bit and it looked just as it did with the H27 more or less. Has anyone experienced similiar performance with this movie on a projector as what you might see with a CRT? This is the only movie where I was left wanting really. I guess its just a contrast thing, eh? It looks like there's a haze over it.

sirredz

11-05-05, 06:07 PM

It sounds to me as if the deal at costco was on refurb units, but no-one bothered to tell the purchaser. if it turns out to be refurbs, then you have a case for false advertising, bait and switch or fraud, depending on your viewpoint. In any event, you should be able to use it as leverage for a nice shiny new unit from Optoma, an appology and some nice little bonus's (think spare bulbs.....)

Wayne: Glad to hear your PJ is back and repair. As far as adding some masking tape, I wouldn't mind if I had to do that to mine. Think of it as a custom job, or customization for your needs. These days, everyone does something a little different. If it came down to selling your unit in the future, once your out of warranty, I would definately be glueing that baby together, but in such a fashion that the glue could be removed if required. Maybe a nice silicone glue would fit the bill.

My theatre has not progressed at all. After tomorrow's poker game, I have set aside every weekend until the room is done for the basement project. Truth is, I got a little tired of the work and needed to back away for a bit. Now, I'm chomping at this bit with new ideas and energy to again tackle the beast. The good news is, the worst is over for sure.

I did however, find someone who will paint my murals in my theatre for me. Might be a good way to showcase her work aswell. Could be a win-win situation.

Imagine... Superman, Darth Vader, CLint Eastwood, and Golum (sp?), just waiting for your appreciation..... thats my idea,... well, Superman and Darth Vader for sure anyway....

Back to work!

Will

mystery

11-05-05, 08:54 PM

I thought about glueing the separation together but the heat around that area is so intense that I'm not sure that any adhesive wouldn't melt and drip into the unit. Scary thought! :eek: Maybe silicone would work but it's transparent isn't it? The light would bleed through that anyway I would think. Also, the two edges don't seem to go any closer to lessen the gap even with forced pressure. But you're right, when I go to sell the unit the masking tape will have to come off. Fortunately, Optoma repaired it enough that the leakage is down to a bare minimum. Before, it was like a laser pen was shooting straight out from inside the pj.

The murals sound neat! You'll have to give us a 'tour' when it's all finished.

Wayne

hardg

11-06-05, 04:39 AM

So I borrowed my friend's new player which is a panasonic s77, and used the hdmi out to the H57 with the included DVI adapter, and it seems to work fine now. Picture is great, but to be honest, it seemed smoother on the H27. Probably because of the native 480 res. I'm gonna try get a hold of some pal discs.

Anyway, the colour may be a tad better on the H57..it's hard to compare from memory, although I'm sure it looks better on HD material, which I have no access to. DEFINITELY brighter. And I got Master and Commander to look a little better adjusting a couple things on the proj. and some of the player settings.

Right now, I am just projecting onto my off-white wall, and its softly lighting up the room a bit. I'm wondering, would I see a big difference in blacks and shadow details once I put the screen up? I got a graywolf as part of the deal, but I'm not sure its gonna be big enough for the image thrown from the spot Im gonna keep the H57.

Regarding the problems I had last night, I'm guessing that my component input is defective. I wonder what Optoma would do for me in this case, since I doubt they have brand new H57's, and Costco is sold out. And I really dont want a repaired unit after 2days of ownership.

mystery

11-06-05, 07:28 AM

hardg,

You really need to be making your decisions with a real screen in place. There's just no comparison to walls.

The H27 isn't supposed to be as good as the H31 and the H57 is much better than the H31 so it would seem that you have a bum unit there.

Master and Commander is a tough movie for any projector to do justice to. So much fog and clouds and dimly lit scenes above deck and below.

Try something like Austin Powers, Princess Diaries or Troy for instance. Something with lots of color. Also check out a B/W flick for contrast and blacks.

I'd give Ryan at Optoma Canada a call. See if they could swap you a brand new unit for the one you have.

Wayne

dvdvideo

11-06-05, 12:04 PM

he H27 isn't supposed to be as good as the H31

Most comments seem to actually indicate the h27 is roughly equal to the H31 and in some ways better. (quieter, more inputs)

mystery

11-06-05, 12:23 PM

I based what I said on what was told to me by the Director of Optoma Canada himself who indicated that the H27 has an inferior scaler/de-interlacer.

Wayne

hardg

11-06-05, 04:51 PM

This is just a guess, but that might be the "official" line regarding the H27. I'm thinking that it may have been meant as a mass market model, while offering the same performance as the H31 with some of the newer features (Ai). I'm telling you, the H27 looked pretty close to the H57 for the most part (on dvds). I'm eager to see how big of a difference there will be once I get a screen up.

Regarding my unit, should I just ask for Ryan, or is like the only service person there?

fgrosell

11-06-05, 05:36 PM

Hi Wayne , and friends of the H57 Family
I´m Continuous waiting for the arrival of the H57 that I buy to Luke 780.
After read your posts of the H57 I decided to buy it.
I contact with him by the e-mail address he put in AVS forum when he was selling the H57.
I did a money transfer to Luke Gerszak .
We sent a 5 or 6 e-mails in both directions.
But suddenly he erased his gmail address (lgerszak@gamail.com)
I did a transfer to Luke Gerszak to Bank of Montreal.
He gave me this address 403-2680 Arbutus St.,Vancouver ,BC V6J5L8 Canada
And the account number when I sent the transfer to the bank.
I had check in the bank and he as received it.
I did the transfer in October 19.
I´m telling this , because if this is a deceit we have to help and protect us , because I think we´re of the AVS Forum family , and brothers in the H57.
Please excuse me for use this thread , but I´m worried,
I.m a shipping address in Miami, because I live outside continent .

Best regards
Fernando

sirredz

11-07-05, 05:53 PM

I hope this hasn't actaully happened the way it sounds.. I'll be honest, if my personal information was posted publicly, without cause, I would be furious!.

I would recommend only taking that step once all hope is gone that your receive your projector. And shipping, so many thinks can go wrong beyond Luke's control.

I wonder if you have his email right? You quoted gamail.com, but GMAIL is all @ gmail.com isn't it?

How long has it been since you had contact? Luke, now is a good time for you to jump in and clear things up before your name gets splattered unfairly.

I hope your wrong, and all works out. You may wish to remove his personal info until that time..

Wayne: You might be right about the silicone, I guess I never thought of heat. And silicone glue comes in colors now I think. Work in the basement will resume tomorrow night, if I can get a hand moving my poker table out of the way. I want that room done and done now.

Well, tonight is Monday night, so you know what that means: MNF -- and WINGS and BEER. See ya!

mystery

11-07-05, 07:27 PM

Fernando,

I really hope that Luke comes through for you.

Luke,

Please straighten this out ASAP for the good of your name and that of AVS and most importantly, for Fernando's peace of mind.

Will,

Maybe tonight Peyton gets the Brady Bunch off of his back. :) Speaking of Indianapolis, the Colts had a scout in my city on Saturday. They're looking at Andy Fantuz, a phenomenal wide receiver for the University of Western Ontario Mustangs who has rewritten the CIS record books the last 4 years. Talk is that he may skip his last year of school and either go to the CFL or maybe join his compatriot Mike Vanderjadt in the NFL.

Wayne

shippo

11-07-05, 11:02 PM

Shippo, please let us know what happens on Monday. I'm obviously especially interested, and I'll probably be contacting someone on Monday as well.

Called Optoma this morning. Will from Optoma called me back while I was away from my desk. In the voice mail he say it may be a mix up on shipping and asked me to call him back to arrange for a brand new replacement.

Only problem is I may not be able to tell if it's brand new or a good clean job. Will see how it goes tomorrow!

mystery

11-08-05, 06:03 AM

Will is a good guy. I've dealt with him several times including recently as I've outlined previously in this thread.

I think you can trust him to send you a new unit. If you have any doubts you can always go above his head and contact the Director of Optoma Canada, Lincoln Vaz with whom I've also conversed via email. He's a very fair person as well.

Let us know how this plays out shippo.

Wayne

hardg

11-08-05, 12:54 PM

fgrosell

11-08-05, 04:44 PM

Dear friends, thank you very much by its attention. I hope that this is a confusion by consequence s of the hurricanes that have passed by Florida. Serious bad for us the users of AVS that between us pass these things. I continue waiting for a communication of Luke, the money is not but important if not it confidence that is lost between us if it is that the fraud exists. I continue hoping to be able enjoy with an H57.
Greetings
Fernando

fgrosell

11-08-05, 07:07 PM

Yes, you´re right the e-mail is lgerzak@gmail.com, that is the email address that I have been writing all the time and he aswered me many times.

I expect that Luke will report soon.

Can you try to write him to this e-mail?

I appreciate your interest, thank you in advance.

regards,
Fernando

I hope this hasn't actaully happened the way it sounds.. I'll be honest, if my personal information was posted publicly, without cause, I would be furious!.

I would recommend only taking that step once all hope is gone that your receive your projector. And shipping, so many thinks can go wrong beyond Luke's control.

I wonder if you have his email right? You quoted gamail.com, but GMAIL is all @ gmail.com isn't it?

How long has it been since you had contact? Luke, now is a good time for you to jump in and clear things up before your name gets splattered unfairly.

I hope your wrong, and all works out. You may wish to remove his personal info until that time..

Wayne: You might be right about the silicone, I guess I never thought of heat. And silicone glue comes in colors now I think. Work in the basement will resume tomorrow night, if I can get a hand moving my poker table out of the way. I want that room done and done now.

Well, tonight is Monday night, so you know what that means: MNF -- and WINGS and BEER. See ya!

hardg

11-09-05, 03:48 AM

Well, even though the graywolf is going back to optoma because of the large dent, I figured I would check it out before sending it off. And it definitely looked a lot better than projecting on to my wall. Master and Commander was finally watchable!

I put on Batman Begins as well cause I wanted to see how really dark scenes look on the screen, and they looked great. Although in a lot of scenes there appeared to be a fair bit of noise. Anyone notice this with Batman Begins?

mystery

11-09-05, 06:25 AM

That noise you're seeing may be the grain caused by the beads in the screen. I have a Da-Lite High Contrast screen which I'm not presently using, that mimics the Greywolf screen somewhat and it also has a grainy texture.

Some scenes that are dark can also exhibit a noise which I think some have called 'dithering'. I've seen it myself with the H57 and my High Power screen. Not all dark scenes show this phenomena however so it could also be a fault of the DVD.

I'm wondering if you could somehow reverse the dent maybe the way body shop guys do with metals. Maybe a tiny hole piercing the metal and then a slight pull might level it? I mean, if you think you'd like to keep it and the dent is basically the only thing that bothers you why not try something like this? You could also cover the dent with a small piece of something, maybe wood or plastic and affix it with a small amount of glue, then paint it the color of the case.

Bottom line is, do you see the dent when the lights are off and you're watching a movie? Or does it more bother you that it's there to be seen even when the screen is retracted?

Wayne

hardg

11-09-05, 12:50 PM

Bottom line is, do you see the dent when the lights are off and you're watching a movie? Or does it more bother you that it's there to be seen even when the screen is retracted?

Wayne

Well, I'm actually getting it replaced. But yes, it bothered me with the lights on. Ultimately, it's a furnishing really, and its like receiving a new dining room table with a big scratch on it. It's noticable enough.

Does anyone here know if optoma wil sell the graywolf cloth alone? I'm proably gonna need to build my own screen. The 92" screen that I got is just too small for me with my room setup. The smallest image that I can achieve is 124" (16:9). The projector HAS to stay against the back wall of my family room. Theres no way around that.

mystery

11-09-05, 03:13 PM

Contact Optoma. They'll special order to your specifications. I just read about this somewhere recently. You may have to deal with Optoma U.S.A.

Wayne

shippo

11-16-05, 10:20 PM

Hey shippo, let me know if it is indeed going to a brand new unit that you get. I just talked to optoma about my component problem, and they told me the technicians would look at it. When I stated that I didn't want it repaired, the rep told me they weren't sure if a new one would be doable. And of course, thats not really fair, since technically the product should be considered DOA when its defective upon receival. I'm gonna email them back and investigage further.

BTW, I'm assuming that you have to ship yours back first before they send you one, correct? That's what I was told and that kinda sucks, that I'll be without it for a while. Oh, how was your graywolf? Mine had a bad dent in on the left side of the front casing. So thats going back too. If it was the backside, I wouldnt really care. But it just just looks kinda crappy in the family room looking at a dented housing.
hardg, I finally got the new unit back on Tuesday. I hand delivery the old one back to Optoma last Friday. They are just 2 blocks from where I live.

I finally put up the Graywolf, no dent that I can see. The only thing is it has black marks on the handle and kind of difficult to retract, it may need some oil ..

The PQ is much better with the graywolf, although I also see noise when I watching HD CSI-NY. Will do some more testing tomorrow.

hardg

11-17-05, 12:12 AM

hardg, I finally got the new unit back on Tuesday. I hand delivery the old one back to Optoma last Friday. They are just 2 blocks from where I live.

I finally put up the Graywolf, no dent that I can see. The only thing is it has black marks on the handle and kind of difficult to retract, it may need some oil ..

The PQ is much better with the graywolf, although I also see noise when I watching HD CSI-NY. Will do some more testing tomorrow.

Glad you finally got that taken care of, Shippo. Does your lens area still have that bad looking glue-job, like your previous model?

I sent in an RMA form last week and they haven't replied yet. I've finally got some free time tomorrow to follow-up, since they haven't replied to my email.

scotchfaster

11-17-05, 10:03 PM

On Monday, I'll be comparing the H57 against the AE900U and deciding which to keep.

Basically, I'd bought the AE900U despite having two bad experiences with LCD projectors (I can't stand SDE) and then on impulse looked at DLP projectors. I got a fairly amazing deal on the H57 that included a 106" screen, ceiling mount and extra bulb, so even if I decide not to keep it I should be able to sell it fairly easily. I have up to four hours of lamp life on the AE900U before I can return it without paying the restocking fee.

The projector will be ceiling mounted (close to the ceiling, so I am concerned about the heat output of the AE900U) and will use an Oppo DVD player as its main source. The screen is 1.0 matte white. I'm concerned about the usual things: fan noise (when a projector is reviewed as "nearly silent" I experience it as "fairly quiet"), SDE, good colors and black levels.

Can anyone who knows these projectors advise me on what to look for?

Thanks!

shippo

11-17-05, 11:37 PM

Glad you finally got that taken care of, Shippo. Does your lens area still have that bad looking glue-job, like your previous model?

I sent in an RMA form last week and they haven't replied yet. I've finally got some free time tomorrow to follow-up, since they haven't replied to my email.
The new PJ still has the bad glue job around the lens but it's not as bad as the previous one.

I think you should insist on a new replacement since your is basically DOA.

After watching more .. I notice fair amount of rainbow effect (at least I think that's what it is) from Starwars III. The colour though is beautiful without adjusting!

hardg

11-18-05, 02:10 AM

The new PJ still has the bad glue job around the lens but it's not as bad as the previous one.

I think you should insist on a new replacement since your is basically DOA.

After watching more .. I notice fair amount of rainbow effect (at least I think that's what it is) from Starwars III. The colour though is beautiful without adjusting!

That's weird man. What's up with that glue thing??

Anyway, what dvd player are you using out of curiousity? I used a panasonic s77 and was pretty happy with the results using the hdmi out.

mystery

11-18-05, 06:13 AM

scotchfaster,

This sounds like a very interesting comparison shaping up. If you turn back to the first page or thereabouts in this thread, you'll find that one of the most valuable contributions here was a showdown between the higher resolutioned H77 or H79, I forget which, and the H57. Basically, the poster had a group of people over and had them evaluate the two projectors. The bottom line was that the H57 more than held it's own against the DLP big brother with it's HD 720p resolution.

So, based on that, I wouldn't be surprised if you decided for the H57 and against the Panny. It's pretty tough to beat DLP's superior blacks, contrast ratio and shadow detail.

That is one sweet deal you've got going there with the Optoma. Think long and hard about passing all those goodies up.

As for the Panny, watch for vertical banding. If you see it you'll hate it and you'll never see anything else. It'll become an obsession and you'll actually be actively searching for it everytime you turn on the projector. Sort of like DLP rainbows in a way.

Compare the gorgeous colors of the H57 to what the Panny can produce. See how the two perform with various source material. I use the Oppo with my H57 and in my opinion the combination was made for each other.

If you haven't already, read the ProjectorCentral review on the Panny. Are the throw distance and setup possibilities suitable for your environment?

Have fun and I'm sure we'd all be interested in your comparison review.

Wayne

scotchfaster

11-18-05, 04:01 PM

Thanks, Wayne. I did read the H57 vs. H77 post, which was part of my reason for getting the H57.

I should probably search the forums and educate myself on this "Vertical Banding" phenomenon, but while the name seems self-explanatory can you quickly tell me where it's most likely to show up? My guess is that I'd see it more in light solid swatches of color, is that right?

Also, is there a particular kind of scene that's likely to show the rainbows on the H57?

Thanks for helping a novice out.

Not that I *want* to be accutely aware of flaws in the image, I just don't want to start noticing them after I've decided.

mystery

11-18-05, 06:15 PM

'scotch',

Well, I'm no expert in this vertical banding thing but I believe I've seen it when sampling LCD projectors. It seems to be in the form of vertical pillars that extend from top to bottom of the image. I believe that you're correct in assuming that it's mostly viewed in lighter scenes. I know one thing for sure; I hated it! I'd rather see a few rainbows once in a while than see vertical banding regularly.

ProjectorCentral has a nifty review of the Panny and you might check in on that. I think they mentioned that this wasn't a problem with that unit and I think that there may be a mechanism in place whereby you can reduce or eliminate it altogether.

Rainbows show up with high contrasty material, especially black and white films or white credits on a black background. Most people who notice them get used to them after a while to the point where they aren't even noticed much anymore. The trick is to not move your eyes from side to side. Just take in the entire screen at a glance and if you must shift your eyes, do so slowly.

Wayne

shippo

11-19-05, 11:24 PM

That's weird man. What's up with that glue thing??

Anyway, what dvd player are you using out of curiousity? I used a panasonic s77 and was pretty happy with the results using the hdmi out.
hardg

I'm using a cheap Liteon 5005 connected with component and I like the PQ already. I'm sure with better DVD player and HDMI, the PQ will be much better. Do you know where in GTA I can find affordable long HDMI cable?

hardg

11-19-05, 11:38 PM

hardg

I'm using a cheap Liteon 5005 connected with component and I like the PQ already. I'm sure with better DVD player and HDMI, the PQ will be much better. Do you know where in GTA I can find affordable long HDMI cable?

I just received a 25ft hdmi cable that i bought from monoprice.com. I havent't had a chance to try it out yet, but it looks to be of pretty good quality. Check them out, amazing prices compared to what you can get from futureshop. The HDMI to DVI adapter was really cheap too. FS charges $50 for it!

scotchfaster

11-20-05, 03:35 PM

Watched the AE900U last night. I could live with this projector. While the Z4 has gotten such rave reviews, the SDE bugged me, where it was a non issue with the AE900U.

Still, the lack of shadow detail bugged me. It was almost like watching a cartoon of the movie. And this was The Big Lebowski, for cripes sake.

Looking forward to the H57.

With my new Oppo, should I use 1080 upscaling? Seems like that would be a better match for the 576 lines of the H57.

mystery

11-20-05, 08:31 PM

I don't use my Oppo for upscaling anymore but when I did, I found that 1080i seemed to be the best in combination with the H57.

I really think that this projector is going to shock you in a positive way. :) Wail until you see the blacks, contrast ratio and shadow detail. Honestly, you'll probably think you've got a 720p native machine.

Wayne

1Time

11-20-05, 09:47 PM

Wayne,

What software / settings / hardware are you using for DVDs? Have you 1:1 pixel mapped your H57 with your HTPC and if so how? I'm wanting to do this and I assume I will need Powerstrip to do it. I run TheaterTek 2.2 and FFDShow with an A64 at 2.35 GHz and nVidia 6600GT.

Thanks

mystery

11-20-05, 10:05 PM

1Time,

I'm using TheaterTek and ffdshow as well on a P4 3.0 GHz and BFG 6600GT OC with the newest Nvidia drivers (81.94).

I haven't 1:1 pixel mapped. I'm very happy setting my video card @ 1280 x 720. ffdshow resize is 1776 x 1000 and I've experimented with 1920 x 1080 without any problems other than the occasional revving up of the fan. Lanczos 4, Luma sharpen 1, levels input 16 and 235, gamma correction 1.02, Blur and Noise Reduction is Gradual Denoise 18 (I can do denoise 3D but it really eats CPU).

I've played with Powerstrip before but am very wary of it as I've screwed things up in the past and I'd just as soon leave well enough alone. I find that the newer Nvidia drivers offer a lot of tweaking possibilities, far more than the ATI cards that I've tried. I really like Nvidia.

Just watched 'The Longest Yard' newer version today. I basically thought that it was a lousy movie but it's a real nice transfer and shows fantastically on the H57.

I don't know if you'll be able to achieve 576 or not but let us know how if you succeed. :)

Wayne

Cerwin

11-21-05, 09:07 AM

Hi all,

I've had the H57 for a few weeks and I'm really enjoying it.

One question though:

What do you guys do for regular maintenance, if any? Last thing I want is my machine croaking on me due to my lack of maintenance (if it dies 'cause I used it too much, I can live with that).

Thanks

mystery

11-21-05, 01:22 PM

The good news is that unlike so many other projectors, there's no filter to clean. :) Tom (Guitarman) has suggested that once in a while it might not be a bad idea to vacuum out the vents. I haven't done this yet but probably will sometime. ;)

Wayne

scotchfaster

11-22-05, 02:09 PM

Okay, so I compared the AE900U against the H57 last night.

After being underwhelmed by the Z4, the AE900U was a pleasant surprise. I wasn't bothered by SDE and generally enjoyed the picture. There were some odd effects around the edge of objects that gave the image a cartoonish effect, and turning the sharpness down didn't seem to help, but I felt I could live with it.

I watched The Big Lebowski on it and took a picture of the title menu for comparison.

Then I fired up the H57. Immediately I found the image to have much more depth. But what was the most striking was that on the title menu was a dimly lit checkerboard floor that you SIMPLY COULD NOT SEE on the AE900U.

I'm thinking this was because the title page is mostly bright colors on a black background, and the AE900 used its iris trickery to bring down the black levels at the cost of wiping out the dimmer elements.

While there seem to be a lot of folks insisting that if you watch movies in less than 16:9 you aren't seeing the whole movie, I feel much the same about watching movies on projectors that use irises to compensate for low inherent contrast ratios.

The AE900 had some definite feature advantages compared to the H57 and was a bit quieter, but I had to go with the H57.

That 106" screen, though...I'm a little scared to put it up. Isn't that just insanely big to watch from 12 feet back?

Dreyfus Fabrini

11-22-05, 04:58 PM

mystery

11-22-05, 06:12 PM

Yes, that screen should be a good match for the H57 as long as the light is moderate as you say.

What did I tell you scotchfaster (I keep on wanting to type scotchgard :) )! Once again, the H57 with it's 576 pixel count has trumped a 720p projector. This time an LCD unit. Earlier, the H57 went toe to toe with a 720p DLP projector and basically battled that unit to a draw.

What does that say about this awesome projector? ;) Anyone still on the fence shouldn't hesitate to take the plunge and join in the fun. Remember, resolution isn't everything. You have to take into consideration black levels, contrast ratio, SDE, color saturation etc...

I'm glad you compared these three units scotchfaster. Very informative.

Dreyfus,

Congratulations on your new purchase. :)

I can only tell you what I've found to be the best thing to do. When viewing video based material, I send it via my Oppo player @ 480i and let the H57 do the de-interlacing.

The odd time that I view film based material on the Oppo, I upscale to 1080i as it looks best to me.

However, most of the time I send film based material from my HTPC to the H57 @ 1280 x 720p which to me is the ultimate of them all.

It's almost impossible to get the H57 to show badly no matter what you throw at it. :cool:

Just experiment a little and you'll soon know what's best to your eyes.

Wayne

Tacjam

11-24-05, 07:07 AM

Good evening! :)

I´ve just bought a H57 and I want to know how do I get the best possible image from DVDs:
- A 480i signal, so the projector can do its own upscaling
- A 720p signal from a DVD player like the Denon 2910
- A 1080i signal from a DVD player like the Denon 2910

Thank you! :D

I use the Samsung HD931 while others are using the Oppo OPDV971H. Upscaling to 720p or 1080i just blows 480i/p away in my humble opinion. If I were to buy another DVD player....it would be the oppo. It's cheaper than the Samsung and I've read some simply awesome reviews on it.

ULTRAMAG

12-05-05, 12:16 AM

I've had my H57 for about a week now, and although I'm really happy with it, I am noticing some artifacts like jaggies around the edges, and flickering in moving parallel lines.

I have an old 480i Toshiba SD-1200 and was hoping the H57 would be upscaling the signal and remove /limit these artifacts.

Any one else experiencing these?
Is this the DVD players problem? The DVD's problems, or is it the projector?

Any help would be appreciated.

Shane

rosh1

12-05-05, 05:34 AM

Not seen it on my H57 so it must be your DVD player...
BTW gang, I have been talking to Optoma, the H57 is officially being discontinued this month...
the replacement is called HD72 (at least in Asia) and its a 1280x720 with the same DC2, Im told, expected to be released abt Jan middle.. no other specs at the moment, though i have a pic of it...different looking from the 57...

rosh1

12-05-05, 06:18 AM

some more specs on HD72:
The H72 is based on Texas Instruments new 1280 x 768 DLP chipset utilising DC2 technology. As with most projectors being shipped with this new budget DLP chip, the H72 boasts BrilliantColour technology but rather than use the partnering DDP3020 chip for video processing Optoma have gone with a far more exciting Faroudja based approach!

- 1300 ANSI Lumens
- 1280 x 768 resolution 16:10 aspect ratio w/ 16:9 native mode
- 3000 Hour lamp life
- 1.6-1.9:1 Throw
- 7-segment RGBRGBW colour wheel
- 3000:1 Contrast Ratio
- DVI-I (RGB Scart or VGA via adaptor), HDMI, Component Video 3xRCA (also available into DVI-I socket via adaptor), S-Video and Composite Video Inputs

mystery

12-05-05, 07:07 PM

Shane,

It sounds as if the problems originates with your DVD player. Perhaps you could borrow a newer one from a friend to test for differences.

rosh1,

Thanks for the info on the H57 replacement. It looks very exciting. My H57 is too new to replace though. If I had the money I'd consider this new model but I don't think that's going to happen for at least a couple of years.

Wayne

ULTRAMAG

12-05-05, 10:59 PM

Thanks for the replys.

I was just looking for some feedback to see if anyone else is experiencing any of these artifacts.

I will attempt to find a DVD player from somewhere that I can test. I know my player isn't the greatest, and I only bought it as an interim player until the prices of combo DVD Audio/SACD players came down in price, and more software became available in these formats. Looking around recently it seems the time has come to upgrade, as a decent Denon player can now be had in my price range.

The H57 was the newest addition to my system, and I was hoping the onboard scaler would upgrade the signal and eliminate the artifacts. But apparently it won't. Shouldn't the H57 upgrade a 480i to progressive? Is there something in the menu system that I have to set?

mystery

12-06-05, 05:52 AM

Shane,

The H57 will automatically output progressive when fed an interlaced signal. I have the Oppo player which I use to send analog and interlaced video based material to the H57. The scaler/de-interlacer (Pixelworks I believe) does a tremendous job in rendering a beautiful image.

You should be impressed and pleased when you try out a good quality player.

Let us know how you make out. :)

Wayne

ULTRAMAG

12-07-05, 11:55 AM

Wayne

I was wondering if the buzzing issue in your projector was fixed. I'm experiencing buzzing with my unit, and it bugs me. I spend thousands of dollars on quality audio equipment to experience distortion free sound and then have to listen to buzzing from the color wheel or transformer. I have to turn up the volume to drown it out.

Yesterday I recieved a 50' S-video cable to hook up the sattelite receiver and found the quality was awfull when using this input. I even switched out to a shorter 12' cable and noticed some improvement. But the surprizing thing was when I used a composite video, the picture was almost watchable. I am wondering if the s-video imput is faulty. Their is also a design problem with the S-video input, in that the projector case overlaps(too small) the input and prevents the cable from pushing all the way in securely. I could take a dremell tool and route out the hole to make it wider, but I really hestitate to do that, as it will likely void the warranty.

Shane

scotchfaster

12-07-05, 02:40 PM

Hi all,

Well, unfortunately the honeymoon is over between me and my H57. I'm hoping that we can get back the love, but I think it's going to take some work. I've ordered the AVIA DVD and am hoping that's going to help, but I’d like some advice.

I’m finding that the bundled screen is just too big for my room. With a 106” screen at 12 feet back, I often see SDE, and I think it shows the limitations of the source. So I’m considering replacing the screen with something smaller and possibly higher contrast.

I’m wondering if a High Power screen with the ND2 filter (as Wayne has) is actually the way to go with this projector. As it is, I’m finding that I either get grayish blacks or the screen seems too uniformly dark. I’m also seeing this bizarre effect in which a dark gradiated image will seem to crawl (like a wall in a nighttime scene – I’m watching a lot of Angel, which I think is a challenge for any projector), as if the projector only has a few colors to work with and is forced to dither like mad. My hope is that this problem would go away if the screen improved the contrast and the projector’s contrast could be effectively lowered.

Any thoughts on this?

One other question – the Oppo projector has its own brightness and contrast controls. Any advice on whether I should be tweaking the Oppo or the Optoma’s settings?

Thanks!

Scott

scotchfaster

12-07-05, 05:57 PM

I think my reasoning that lead me towards the HP screen was flawed, particularly because I do have some ambient light.

Now I'm leaning towards a Severtson high contrast screen, which is gray with a .95 gain. Although it doesn't seem to be a very well known brand, they apparently make screens for IMAX and the few owners out there seem to love them. And they quite seriously inexpensive compared to the screens they're compared to.

mystery

12-07-05, 06:57 PM

Shane,

The buzzing noise is still there in mine as well. It seems to be a little quieter since my H57 came back from Optoma but I could be hearing things. :rolleyes:
It used to be distracting during quiet scenes although I haven't noticed it bothering me any more since they replaced the color wheel, power supply and all of the fans.

I've found that satellite just doesn't show well on projectors. You may have a defective issue there but blowing up compressed satellite images to projector screen size just magnifies anomolies that are not as easily seen on a television.
Seeing better pictures through composite is really weird. If you fool around with the s-video input you will void your warranty. You might want to use the buzzing and s-video problems as a reason to perhaps get Optoma to take a look at your unit. Who knows? There may indeed be a problem.

Scott,

106" is pretty large @ 12' away. I love my 92" High Power @ 11'. Be careful with the High Contrast screens. I have the Da-Lite High Contrast Matte White which I don't use anymore. I tried it with the H57 and the contrast and blacks were excellent but the images lacked punch. There was just something missing that the High Power provides as long as I use an ND2 filter on the H57. Otherwise it's just too bright a projector for a High Power screen.

Not only did the images lack punch, there was a grainy texture to the pictures which could easily be seen and that bothered me. Also, the Da-Lite High Contrast Matte White screen (gray) has definite waves to it that can be seen when viewing material. I don't know what the screen is like that you're considering. I've never heard of that company.

And as for ambient light, the gray screens are very good if you have lighter colored walls, ceiling and carpeting as well as reflective surfaces in the room. But if you only have a small amount of ambient light, the High Power is surprisingly proficient at rejecting light. We have small lights on in the room at times and the images are very good considering. Sometimes we have light streaming in from an open doorway at the back of our recroom and we can't see any on screen diminishment.

Carefully consider your room environment when you choose a screen. If you have a dark room with maybe a little ambient light to deal with then you should probably go with either a plain matte white or a high power. The darker your room, the dimmer your images will be if you get a high contrast screen. I learned this lesson personally after we painted our recroom from off-white walls and white ceiling to a semi-dark green. The high contrast screen was terrific before we painted and dull afterwards so that's when we went to the high power screen.

Anyway, those are my thoughts on the subject. If you do get the Severtson screen let us know what you think. I'm curious about it.

Wayne

scotchfaster

12-08-05, 01:14 AM

Thanks for all the feedback, Wayne. Points to ponder, although I'm still a bit confused by it all. What exactly would the difference be between say, using a gray 1.0 gain screen vs. a white 1.5 gain screen with an ND2 filter?

All that aside, the honeymoon is back on. A few things I did:

1) Raised the H57. I had mounted it way too low, requiring keystone correction - for some reason I thought this would reduce the need for keystone correction, but I had it backwards.

2) Upgraded the firmware on my Oppo. BIG DIFFERENCE. I highly recommend this to Oppo owners. Now I'm using 1080 exclusively and it looks great, even with DVD from video sources.

3) Finally, discovered that the last DVD I tried with the H57 ("Love Actually") was just really poorly mastered. I tried it on my Mac and it looked horrible, blurry and completely unwatchable. I couldn't have been more pleased!

ULTRAMAG

12-08-05, 11:40 AM

While I picked up a new DVD player last night, hooked it all up but didn't get a chance to try it out. I did some research and ended up going for a Pioneer DV-588A-S. It has DVD-Audio & SACD capability, good quality audio and video DACs and some video noise reduction features. Its a low priced unit that has many of the features of Pioneer Elites (and exceeds some?) at hundreds of dollars less. I figure I would give it a try, as it has to be better then that old Toshiba I had. Can't wait to test it on the H57! I can't wait to be impressed, I really want this projector to work out.

As far as the S-video input goes, one thing didn't do was use a differant source, so maybe tonight I will use the s-vid out of the DVD player as test. I agree with you Wayne that picture quality from sattelite sources is generally quite poor, and the quality of the receiver is also questionable. So it likely not the H57's problem.
I would like to use the H57 to watch some hockey & football games every once in a while. A new receiver and some HD channels would be nice. Its obvious long S-video runs arn't gonna cut it though.

As far as screens go, I'm using the free 92"Greywolf supplied by Optoma, I works just fine for me. I do notice some of the grain that Wayne talks about in flat color scenes like sky shots. The odd time too depending on where I sit a little glassbead will reflect light and sparkle. But all I have to do is shift a little bit and it disappears.

The quality of the transfer does play a big part on the image displayed by the H57, and I find myself switching through the modes to see which setting looks best with which DVD. I have the same problem with audio CD's and DVD concerts too. I've yet to really adjust any of the settings as I've found the stock settings adequate (except for the artifacts from my old DVD player), mainly just turning the bright mode to low.

As far as the buzzing goes, it only bothers me. My wife says "It has to make some sort of noise, its a projector!" She is probably right. Like you say its only noticable during the quiet passages. It doesn't really seem like the buzzing/whining sound is really bothering other forum users, so maybe mine is defective? Or maybe I'm just overly critical.

mystery

12-08-05, 06:57 PM

Scott,

I don't think that you'd want to use an ND2 filter with a gray screen. Even though the H57 is mighty bright, it wouldn't work with my gray screen when the lens had the filter on. The images were very dark. The white screen should be fine with the filter. I'd experiment though and try it without the ND2 first.

I'm glad you raised your projector. The offset on the H57 is kind of steep and it can't be used up the middle of a wall.

I haven't upgraded the firmware yet on my Oppo. I'm really happy with the images as they are and I don't use DVI with it because the HTPC is a little better.

Shane,

Give us a review of your findings with the new DVD player when you get a chance. Also, uopgrade your receiver to HD sometime soon if you can. The H57 shows high definition marvelously. Hockey and football show spectacularly.

As you say, some movie transfers to DVD are better than others. Garbage in, garbage out as the saying goes.

It's unlikely that the buzzing noise on your H57 is indicative of any defective part unless it's really loud. Occasionally annoying is more the way I'd describe it. At least that's the way it used to be for me. Either I'm getting used to it or Optoma really did solve it for the most part.

Wayne

scotchfaster

12-08-05, 07:05 PM

Wayne,

Sorry, I worded that badly. I'm trying to decide between:

1) High Power screen with an ND2 filter, as you have
2) A gray screen with about a 1.0 gain (equivalent to the gain on my current screen), without using the ND2 filter

It seems like both should produce about equivalent brightness, but I'm wondering which is going to provide the better image.

Does the HP screen / ND2 filter combo somehow improve blacks compared to a matte white screen?

Thanks again,
Scott

mystery

12-08-05, 07:24 PM

Scott,

I found that both screens were fairly even in brightness although I do give the edge to the High Power.

There is a bit of a trade-off. The gray screen does tend to improve the 'perception' of black and contrast ratio but it does so at the expense of 'pop', 'punch' and that ever elusive and hard to explain 'wow' factor. The High Power screen in conjunction with the ND2 filter will give you that. The blacks and CR suffer ever so slightly. You have to try to compare the two if possible. That's what I had to do and since I own both screens it was luckily for me quite easy. I found that I liked the gray screen for the blacks and contrast ratio a little more than the High Power but the High Power excited me in a way that the gray screen just couldn't. Add the occasional grainy sheen and waves that the gray screen exhibited and the High Power won the contest.

I need to say this about blacks and contrast ratio: Although the High Power screen does elevate blacks somewhat so that they do appear in fact to be not quite as inky as those on a gray screen, still, what we have to keep in mind is that the High Power screen is so bright that everything is relative. In other words, the colors are brighter as well as the blacks so that the ratios between the two remain consistent. Therefore, our brains do not easily perceive the blacks on the High Power to be anything but jet black. It's really only when you can compare side by side or within a very short time, the two screens, that you can see the slight difference.

Wayne

scotchfaster

12-09-05, 01:59 AM

Sorry for being dense here. I understand that the ND2 filter cuts the projector lumens and the high power screen reflects more light. I wish I understood better how this combination increases contrast ratio over using a matte white screen without an ND2 filter, but I've taken your word for it and made the purchase.

Do you find that the ND2 filter reduces visible pixel structure, as I've seen claimed elsewhere?

Thanks again,
Scott

1Time

12-09-05, 03:58 AM

Although a screen / ND filter cannot change the contrast ratio (the projector is responsible for this), the choice of screen / projector / optional ND filter / and abscence or presence of ambient light can help or hurt the perception of contrast, the perceived difference between the lightness and darkness in the picture.

Mystery pointed out to me earlier in this thread that the H57 is too bright for my 1.0 gain white screen at a viewing distance of 10', and I have found this to be true. Although I very much enjoy the picture I'm getting with my HTPC, I now can tell the picture is slightly washed out. My screen and H57 simply are not the best match. Of course the easy way for me to improve my perception of contrast with my current screen would be to use an ND2 filter, and I reserve this option.

However, for now I prefer attempting to use or adapt one of the newer DIY screens currently being discussed and developed in the DIY Screen Section of the Screens Forum. These new DIY screens promise to improve the perception of contrast by rejecting ambient light. I will post back if I find or adapt one that works well with my H57.

ULTRAMAG

12-09-05, 11:41 AM

I got a chance to check out the image from the H57 with my new DV-588a. After doing the inital setup up the player to 16x9 and setting it to progressive, I thought I would start out with Finding Nemo, then Pirates of the Caribbean and finally Monster Inc. ( kids shows I know, but hey I'm a family guy). I watched a fewchapters of each movie that I saw digital artifacts with my old Toshiba. With this new player the image from the H57 was all I could have expected!
It was bright, colorful, awesome details and textures. I'm sure the image had better color than the BenQ 7700 1080i I had previewed at a local dealer. I could see details that I never noticed before, freckles, individual hairs, the textures of the monsters skin etc. I pretty sure I can live with this system now. I even slept better last night. No more buyers remorse.

I can't wait to finish off my basement now and get my system up and running to its full capacity. Right now I'm only listening in stereo as everything is set up temporarily just to test the H57. I wanted to make sure it was keeper before the return policy expired. Right now it looks like the H57 and the DV-588A will be finding a permant home!

Scotchfaster not sure if you would want to try this or not, but the Costco.ca website shows an inexpensive screen. You could try it out and if it doesn't work for ya simply return it. Costco will usually give you a 30 day return policy.

mystery

12-09-05, 01:23 PM

Scott,

I'm glad that you've ordered the High Power screen. I think you'll be amazed. Be sure to purchase an ND2 filter or you'll need sunglasses. :)

I don't think that you'll have a problem with SDE on this projector as long as you aren't sitting too close for your screen's size. I can't say whether the use of the ND2 filter has helped any with SDE, but it was barely noticeable to begin with.

I think 1Time has given a good explanation here. The H57 has a fantastic contrast ratio of 3000:1 and whether that is actually achieved in reality is irrelevant to me because the images are spectacular no matter what screen I try.

It's basically what you do with your screen/projector combo to benefit from the H57's strengths that counts. Try to eliminate or keep to a minimum any ambient light and consider painting your walls/ceiling a dark color if possible. Also, the carpets affect CR and black levels and if we want to get really picky, we should all cover our furniture with flat black material and wear dark masks and dark clothes. :D

Realistically though, we can paint, put up good window treatments, use our lighting in a subdued manner if at all, lay dark area rugs like I've done and ensure that the screen and the H57 are well matched. I think that the Greywolf screen from Optoma is probably a good match with the H57 being that it's retro-reflective like the High Power. It's kind of a cross between the High Power and the normal gray screens. But again, these gray screens sometimes exhibit waves, and show a grainy texture including being able to view some of the beads at times. And colors are subdued on gray screens when compared to the matte white and High Power. The 'wow' factor just isn't there, at least not for me.

Make sure you get the proper ND2 filter and be prepared to be amazed. The ND2 filter really does help with the contrast ratio and blacks. Without it, you'll be blowing out your whites on bright screens like the matte white or High Power.

1Time,

Before you go to all that work on the DIY screen, give the ND2 filter a try. It's inexpensive and I'd be curious to find out your opinion as to the differences with the filter and without. Of course, going the DIY route is possibly fun and adventurous to you and you may have a blast even if it doesn't work out as well as you'd hoped. You could try the filter and also build the DIY screen and really compare.

Shane,

Don't be embarrassed about owning these animated movies. They're great for adults too, even if your child just turned 20 as mind just did. I've got Toy Story, Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Shrek, and Monsters Inc. I think that every projector owner ought to have at least one good transfer of an animated film. It's a great way to show your projector off to friends, family and also to people who are in the market for a projector. I can't think of a better way to get a person to consider buying your projector than this. You just can't lose with these animated films.

I'm glad that your new DVD player has proven to be a wise move. Now you're seeing what the H57 can do. :)

Post some pictures if you're so inclined when you're room is finished.

Has anybody tried the Fantastic 4 on their H57? I'm curious how it looks.

Wayne

ULTRAMAG

12-10-05, 01:40 PM

Since I got my Pioneer DV-588A I've noticed significant improvements in PQ over my old Toshiba, however I can't help but wonder if I made too hasty a decision.
I've done some more research and found a Toshiba SD6980 upscaling DVD player with the HDMI (720p/1080i) upconversion.

I went back and read a few pages at the beginning of this thread and was interested in TzungILin's comments about upscaling and 720p.

Has anybody noticed any significant improvements using upscaling players with the H57?

Would getting this unit for the HDMI output be worth the extra cost? I'm expecting to pay $50-75.00 more.

I'm toying with buying this player and doing a head to head with the Pioneer.

mystery

12-10-05, 03:08 PM

Well, I have the Oppo player and it upconverts over DVI to 720p and 1080i. I thought it looked great but I had already been using the LG/Zenith upconverting player for about a year prior to the Oppo so I'm kind of used to an upscaled image. I send 1280 x 720 from my HTPC to the H57 and I really like the way it looks. I think you should check out that Toshiba Shane. You owe it to yourself to get the best picture possible. If you can still return the new one you bought then you've got nothing to lose.

Wayne

ULTRAMAG

12-10-05, 04:10 PM

I'm pretty sure returning won't be a problem. I'll double check the return policies to make sure I won't get stuck with 2 units, or an instore credit!

Now the next question might be the dealbreaker;

I'm looking at approx. 20-25' for cable length. I understand HDMI doesn't do longer distances very well. Will component provide comparable quality?

If the Toshiba SD6980 outputs 720p & 1080i over the components, which setting will provide the better match with the H57. From what i've learned, 720p is the setting to go with.

Thanks for your help Wayne, I'll provide an update of my findings if I pick up the Toshiba this afternoon.

arieldr

12-10-05, 04:31 PM

mystery

12-11-05, 08:15 AM

Shane,

You can go long distances over DVI and then put adapters on each end to connect to HDMI. I'm using a 50' Ultralink brand DVI-D cable from my HTPC @ 1280 xi 720. Looks fabulous! No drop-outs or sparklies ever. Don't go component unless you have to. I've seen the difference between the two and to me it's not subtle.

As for which resolution to go with, I use the 720p from my HTPC and when I had the DVI cable hooked up to my OPPO, I found 1080i to be superior over 720p.

Ariel,

I too opted to quickly upgrade to the H57 shortly after purchasing the H31.

Don't know what's happening there with your size differences. This probably shouldn't be happening. Switching between interlaced and progressive ought to only affect the de-interlacing chip. It shouldn't change the aspect ratio. Check your DVD player's menu and see whether you've set it up correctly for 16:9. I do think that your idea to try another DVD player is a good one. Maybe there's a malfunction on the H57 itself when receiving progressive signals.

Let us know how you make out.

Wayne

ULTRAMAG

12-11-05, 12:27 PM

I was up to 2:30am lastnight checking out differant movies and settings, and inputs.

I agree with you Wayne that on the Toshiba SD6980 the HDMI is the way to go. It was even readily apparent to my wife and kids when I switched between component 480p and HDMI 720p. HDMI hands down.

As far as the Pioneer vs Toshiba mini shootout that I had, the Pioneer is going back this morning. Although I found the 480p component signal quite good, there seemed to be a mismatch with the H57. The 1st time I used it, no problems, the 2nd there was some sort of blocking errors during panning shots during Mr & Mrs Smith, I had to shut down the player and reboot it, then for some reason it set the H57 into picture in picture mode. I forget how I fixed that. But it worked for the rest of the movie. Now last night I fired it up for a direct comparison with the Toshiba and the damn thing set the H57 into picture in picture mode again. While that was it, the Pioneer was going back. I shut it off and disconnected it.

Meanwhile I got the Toshiba going again, and it ran until late in the night as I tested differant movies. It performed without a hiccup, so it was a no brainer that I'm keeping it. It will be my new temporary DVD player, unitl technology improves some more and I can afford one of higher quality. Can't wait to get some SACD & DVD-audio software and try them out on my sound system when I get it hooked back up in a couple weeks.

As far as the HDMI lengths go I did some research and found other people like yourself Wayne that are running long 40-50' lengths. So I've located a 25' cable on the net for around $128.00 and I'll be returning the S-video & component cables that I bought and exchange them for just about straight across. How much did your cable cost Wayne?

mystery

12-11-05, 01:45 PM

Shane,

Mine has an MSRP of $350.00 Cdn. but I got it for $225.00 Cdn. plus both taxes through Mandarax, a fellow AVS member. He's an authorized UltraLink dealer. Send him an email or PM and I'm sure he'll quote you a killer price. Tell him I sent you. Ultralink cables are probably the best in the world. They aren't assembled in North America from cheap Asian parts but are wholly manufactured in Canada and the United States. That's why they're so expensive. You get what you pay for. My cable is rated to go as far as 100'!

Wayne

spong

12-12-05, 06:49 AM

Ultramag.
Have you considered the Oppo DVD Player? As you'll see from this thread, the H57 and Oppo are a marriage made in heaven, and the price is incredible for the PQ you get via DVI. There have been frequent firmware updates, and interestingly, it again gained the highest ever benchmark score of 98 in the December 2005 retest of respected "The DVD Player Benchmark" see: http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/cgi-bin/shootout.cgi?function=search&articles=124

sirredz

12-12-05, 09:40 AM

Boy this Christmas season stuff is for the birds. I seldom get home before 11pm after worrk, just busy doing things -- and I still have christmas shopping to complete.

My room is starting to progress again. I have completed the drywall on the ceiling, and I decided to close off the speaker shelves I had planned to hold flush mounted speakers. The main reason for this is the screen partially covered my speakers, and just didn't look well designed. It would have also drastically affected the soound quality, so I opted to used those speakers as "in room" speakers as they were designed. I am sure they will sound better as the room will deflect the sound from the back of the speaker now aswell.

The first coat of MUD has been applied, and tomorrow night my professional drywall friend is going to come back for round #2.

My next step is to build the electrical room/audio rack that will hold my components and start work on the raised platform required for my seating area.

I can't wait to actually mount the projector and speakers, and see the appearance of my new home theatre. It will be ready shortly after christmas. Carpet will follow (I have an area rug for now) the painting of the walls and murals by the artist that I have hired.

So- thats my update.

Congrats to all the H57 owners in this thread, I will be sure to post some updated pictures soon.

Will

mystery

12-12-05, 02:47 PM

spong,

Good advice on the Oppo! :) Anyone with an H57 is cheating him/herself if this player isn't considered.

Will,

Glad you're back! I'm looking forward to photos of your completed room.

Speaking of prodigal sons? :D Where's Dave Mack??

Wayne

ULTRAMAG

12-12-05, 11:43 PM

Greg Matty

12-13-05, 12:14 AM

I read about the Oppo , but never really gave it any serious consideration. My choice in players was primarily for a universal player, and something that I could get locally, or at least get ordered in from one of the local suppliers. I would have liked to have gotten a better quality unit like the Denons or P. Elites but the H57 kind of drained my electronics budget, and HDMI cables aren't exactly cheap either.

How are you guys doing with bulb life? I have not heard a single complaint on this thread about it ( knock on wood), i'm only at 28 hrs.

I am a little concerned with the availability of bulbs in the future. Think it might become an issue?

I would say the cost of replacement bulbs in general for all projectors are their biggest drawback. But I never go out to the crowded theaters, much prefering the comfort of my own home, and freedoms it provides. Now that I've got the H57 not only do I have quality sound, I also have a great quality BIG picture too.

I may not be able to afford a 720P LCD and may go for the H57 if the price is right. Is there a noticeable difference betwwn 576 and 480? Specifically, can I go to a 106" image sitting fourteen feet back and not get SDE? Obviously SDE depends on the person but I have never seen a comparison between 576 and 480 in this regard. Any insight you can provide is appreciated.

BTW, is this a new PJ as in six months old or so? I don't think projectorcentral.com reviewed this PJ.

Greg

Edit: What is the offset like with this PJ? I need to ceiling mount it (7.5' ceilings) and I need it to have similar offset to the H31.

ULTRAMAG

12-13-05, 12:42 AM

Greg
Sounds like your in the same boat I was. I've tested a few 480 projectors, both LCD and DLP. I found LCD to have the worst SDE, so much that I never even considered one. I watched the DLP Optoma H27 which can still be had in Canada at a local Electronics store, and the price was very good.
I wasn't pleased with the 4805 which also exhibited SDE and noisy.
I am not sure if the H57 can be purchased any more, as its been discontinued along with the H27 but that doesn't meen they were poor performing units. I look at it this way, "the electronics industry developes at such a rapid pace that everything gets discontinued"

There are links to articles on the H57 further back in this thread. When Wayne comes on, he can point you in the right direction. There is a review on projectorreviews, it won one of their "Hot Product Awards". Try this www.projectorreviews.com/review.asp?reid=35 not sure if it will work or not.

I'm using a 92" screen at 12' with no SDE at all. So i'm pretty sure you'd be ok!

arieldr

12-13-05, 06:01 AM

Ariel,

I too opted to quickly upgrade to the H57 shortly after purchasing the H31.

Don't know what's happening there with your size differences. This probably shouldn't be happening. Switching between interlaced and progressive ought to only affect the de-interlacing chip. It shouldn't change the aspect ratio. Check your DVD player's menu and see whether you've set it up correctly for 16:9. I do think that your idea to try another DVD player is a good one. Maybe there's a malfunction on the H57 itself when receiving progressive signals.

Let us know how you make out.

Wayne

I did some more researching on my odd problem and found that the image shifts only when switching between Interlace and progressive signal with PAL discs. With NTSC there is a little to non shift at all.
Wayne can you please check it out with your projector, it will be a very helpful info incase I do have to speak with Optoma,
Hopefully I will soon get a Pioneer DVD player so I will be able to determine where the problem is.
My bet is that the Projector is to blame since I used the same DVD player with the H31 and had no such problem.

mystery

12-13-05, 09:26 PM

Shane,

I wouldn't worry too much about the bulbs being available. I never hear of people who own older projectors having any problem in this regard. I suspect though, that if our lamps last on average as long as they're rated at or thereabouts, we'll probably be upgrading to a newer projector before we replace any blown bulbs.

Greg,

I forget what the offset is but I think that you can count on around a 12" to 14" drop from the lens center to the top of the screen depending on the size of your screen of course.

This projector has been around for about a year now if I'm not mistaken.

ProjectorCentral missed the boat on this H57. They blew it big time. Should have written a review for sure. As for comparing it to 480p units. Shoot, you're at the wrong end of the tunnel. :) The H57 has been compared to 720p projectors and has had some people unable to tell the difference. I used to own the H31 and went through two of them before giving up and upgrading to the H57. The improvements were enormous in almost every sense. Better color saturation, brighter, more inputs, quieter and 1024 x 576 may not seem like much more than 854 x 480 but believe me, there's no comparison where the H57 is involved. I'm sitting 10' away from a 92" screen and I don't see pixels unless I'm really looking for them and then it's only during the white credits on a black background. You may be able to use the H57 @ 14' away with a 106" screen. You could always de-focus a little if necessary. Works really well.

Ariel,

I'm sorry but I don't own any PAL discs. I wish that I did because I've been curious but I really have no need for them other than to satisfy my wonderings about it. Perhaps someone else reading the thread who has compared NTSC and PAL might be able to help you out. I know that Dave Mack has some PAL discs but he hasn't posted on this thread in a while. You could always PM him. I'm sure that he'd be glad to give you his opinion. I'll bet that this problem is annoying. You might want to contact Optoma and see if they have an answer.

Wayne

sirredz

12-13-05, 09:56 PM

Rolling, Rolling, Rolling!

Dave Mack ---> Where are you?????

Thanks Wayne: I feel guilty for being absent so long, but Ive just been tied up doing other things.

I mounted my projector plate tonight, trying to find the correct spacing for the projector's throw distance, in relation to the wires and plug. I temporarily hooked up the projector and turned it on, to see where the rectange appeared -- Looks pretty darn good if you ask me. The Projector lens is 12' exactly from my screen.
The mount from perfectmounts drops this unit about 5 inches from the ceiling, and that gives me the image exactly where I wanted it on the wall, and the right size.

Now I have some of the wing anchors to do the permanent installation of the plate. Next step will be to mount the Infra Red eye that sends the signal back to the amp rack. After that, I will need to position and mount the 5 surround sound speakers. I will also mount the screen and position it according the the projectors mount. I think it's going to work out just fine.

I realized that I forgot to purchase and run the DVI cable that I was planning on sending signals from my new Media Center PC. Oopps, forgot to mention that one-- picked up a steal!

Gateway Windows Media Center 2005 PC
P4 3.06 GhZ HyperThreading CPU
1 Gig DDR 400Mhz RAM
250 Gig SATA Hard Disk Drive
DVD +/- RW 16X Dual Layer Burner
128Mb PCI Express ATI Video Card
Avermedia Tuner/Capture card
Standard Speakers/Keyboard/Mouse
Loaded with software
9 in 1 Flash Media reader
... and all kinds of other goodies I've already forgot
under $700 Cdn. Refurb.

Anyway, so I will now install the Vision Plus DVB Satellite card and run a DVI out to my Projector Directly.

Pictures coming Thursday...

Will

Greg Matty

12-13-05, 10:54 PM

mystery

12-14-05, 06:27 AM

Will,

I can smell the popcorn now. :) Add some beer to that and you'll qualify for a day care subsidy cheque! :D If you're not following the Canadian election campaign you won't get that joke.

Greg,

You WERE right. It WAS priced below $2000.00 earlier this year. I guess now that it's harder to find and still in demand, the price favors the retailers. Too bad. In my opinion it's still worth it. I just did a search and found it under $2400.00. There's no way I'd settle for an LCD 720p projector over the H57. I've seen both in action and in my opinion DLP still wins.

Whatever you decide, good luck and let us know how it all turns out. :)

Wayne

ULTRAMAG

12-15-05, 09:08 AM

I Finally got around to doing the test of the H57 s-video input lastnight. This time I ran the 50' cable out of the DVD player, and it worked fine,. The connection was still a little wobbily in the back of the H57, but I managed to position it so it wouldn't fall out. Might get a male to male s-video connector and stick it on the H-57 end, to see if it will get a better connction. I guess the sattelite output signal isn't strong enough, so maybe I'll need a signal booster. Good to know the H57 S-video input isn't faulty.
I've also been watching in 1080i lately, I think I'm ready to start playing with the settings and try to do some calibrations, gonna have to get my hands on Video Essentials or something like that. Are the video calibraters that come on some DVD's any good? Which movies have them, I thought I read somewhere that "Castaway" and "Toystory" have them. Does anybody know of any others?

Shane

johnny_marin

12-15-05, 10:47 AM

Get yourself a DVE or Avia DVD calibration disk. While the THX calibrations on specific DVD titles will get you in the ball park they are not as accurate in setting black and white levels (I know - I've tried it both ways). I have had the best success in setting the proper levels using DVE and this helps in reducing the instances of black or white crush.

John

sirredz

12-16-05, 03:09 PM

Will,

I can smell the popcorn now. :) Add some beer to that and you'll qualify for a day care subsidy cheque! :D If you're not following the Canadian election campaign you won't get that joke.

Wayne

No Wayne, I am not following it - I've never been much into politics. Sad, I know, but true. Hows your PCI card working? Keeping it up and running? I will be adding support to my website soon.

Yeah, I'm going to have to stock-up on popcorn-- Its going to be a cold winter, and my theatre will be on fire!

Sorry, I'm behind on pictures -- we'll see what tonight brings once I get home from work!

Will

mystery

12-16-05, 07:33 PM

Will,

Unfortunately the programs and files associated with the PCI card eventually affected my computer so badly that I was forced to do a full hard drive restore. I decided to take the card out for that reason and also because the PCI slots were really crowded and I needed space for air to circulate so that the Nvidia video card wouldn't run so hot. I may move to a DreamBox sometime but it won't be for a while if ever. It was interesting while it lasted though.

Yes, blow the dust off that camera and entertain us! :)

Someone should PM Dave Mack and see how he's doing.

Wayne

ULTRAMAG

12-18-05, 12:46 AM

I guess everyones just too busy enjoying their H57's to bother writing lately.

I just finished watching the Cinderalla Man, pretty good show but not much color.
Sure makes me feel spoiled to have a big screen in my basement!

I checked the THX Optimizer on Pearl Harbor the other night, as it ended up, I didn't have to adjust anything, the stock settings were just fine. I'm going to borrow a DVE disc from my cousin, to see if anything might need tweaking.
But I'm pretty satisfied right now with flipping through the H57's settings and matching it up with the movie. The cinema setting seems to be getting the most use.

What's everyone else using?
Are you modifying the "user" setting?

mystery

12-18-05, 07:54 AM

Hi Shane,

I alternate between 'normal' and 'user'. I use normal for my HTPC and user for the Oppo.

You may get frustrated if you try DVE. It's menu system is confusing. Try to get AVIA. Everyone into this hobby ought to own the AVIA disc. It's great.

I'm looking forward to viewing Cinderella Man some time. One thing about the H57 is that it shows films with either little color or no color with a crispness that has to be seen to be believed. :)

Wayne

ULTRAMAG

12-18-05, 12:44 PM

Wayne

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the "user" mode is the one I should be modifying the H57's settings on, right?

My DVD player has no adjustments whatsoever in HDMI mode, so there is nothing I can do with that. (Sometimes simple is a good thing). I had to do some kind of video quality check with it, and all I had was the THX Optimizers on various movies. I used the "user" mode on the H57 to check the picture with the Pearl Harbor DVD, it showed all the shades of black and the different shades of white. I thought that was a good thing. I had concerns with the DVD player that it wasn't showing the different blacks, but I think it was just the diifferances in the movie, and not the player.

I played with the brightness and contrast levels on the H57, and found the stock settings the best. But what I'm finding is I keep switching the H57 through the different "movie modes" to get more color. I'm sure its not accurate, but its more pleasing to the eye that way.

What do I need to adjust in the user mode, that will give me increased colors, and still retain the different shades of black & white?(still a noob at this )

Shane

mystery

12-18-05, 04:04 PM

Shane,

Those display modes, 'Cinema/Normal/Vivid/Dynamic/User' are all configurable to your personal tastes. They're set up at the factory at their default levels but you can change any of them. Pick the one that looks best to you and tweak it from there. I have found to personally prefer the Normal and User settings and I've adjusted both of them somewhat according to AVIA and also what I find pleasing.

As far as colors and contrast go, a proper calibration with a good setup disc such as AVIA will take care of all of that for you and you'll only need minor personal preference tweaking after that if at all.

Until you get AVIA or DVE, you're really just guessing and you won't be squeezing out that last bit of quality from your H57. That's why it's a must if you're serious about a fine picture which I can tell that you are. :)

For now, adjust to what looks good to your eyes and then when you get your calibration disc, you can 'finalize' from there.

Wayne

scotchfaster

12-19-05, 07:30 PM

Greg Matty

12-19-05, 10:20 PM

Greg,

I personally can see some SDE with my H57 from 11 feet back on a 92" screen, although I'm very sensitive to SDE (and not particularly bothered by rainbows).

Just so you know, there is some visible pixel structure at normal viewing conditions if your eyesight is particularly sharp. It's pretty subtle though.

Scott

With my X1 I can see SDE at 12 feet with an 84 inch screen. I know I'll be pushing it to go 106" at fourteen feet but mathematically it is pretty close. By that I mean 800 horizontal pixels in 74 inches (my screen width) feet is about 10.8 pixels per inch. The 1024 of a 576P at 93 inches (to get to 106 at 16:9) it about 11 which is pretty close. Vertically I am looking at about 42 inches and with 480 pixels that works out to 11.4 pixels per inch. I guess these pixels are non-square?? With the 576 I would have a screen height of 52 inches. That works out to 11 as well.

I may have the math wrong but certainly it appears to be close. I guess I won't really know until I take the plunge.

Greg

ULTRAMAG

12-20-05, 12:31 AM

Scotchfaster

That's funny, I've pretty much given up looking for SDE, at 12 feet I can't notice any on a 92".

Greg

Hows the hunt for an H57 going, find any in your price range yet?

I know I was going to give up on projectors for a year or two until the price of 720p's & 1080i's dropped. SDE was apparent on all the 480's I looked at. Until I found the Costco deal, and did some research on the H57, which eventually lead me to this thread that Wayne started. It peaked my curiousity about the H57, enough so, that bought one to see if I could live with it. So far the only faults I've found is its a little noisy (whining sound), which I still want to talk to Optoma about.

Shane

sirredz

12-20-05, 06:54 AM

Will,

Unfortunately the programs and files associated with the PCI card eventually affected my computer so badly that I was forced to do a full hard drive restore. Wayne

I am sorry to hear that Wayne. But, rather than hold out for a Dreambox, you will find the Viewsat 2000 Platinum is a really, really good unit. I just bought one for myself the other day, and I have a dreambox. They are my 'top of the line' box that I recommend to those who don't have the desire/energy/time to play with the Dreambox. Viewsat has no recording abilities, but it's a damn fine box.

I wonder how Dave Mack is doing. Probably stuck on front of his projector, buring the bulb into the back of his eyes.

After Christmas is all over one more big push and my theatre will be done.

In case I don't make it back to here before Christmas, MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

And to those who don't have H57 Pj's yet, May Santa be very kind to you this year - only if you've been good.

Will

Greg Matty

12-20-05, 10:18 AM

mystery

12-20-05, 06:27 PM

Merry Christmas to you too Will! :)

And the same to all who have contributed to this thread and also to those who've visited without posting.

Be sure to watch a good Christmas movie on your H57! ;)

Wayne

ULTRAMAG

12-22-05, 04:38 PM

Merry Christmas to all

I bet everyones getting a DVD or two under the tree eh! ;)
I know I will!

I got an early present in the mail the other night, my 30' HDMI came, its rated for 1080p to 30' and 1080i to 100' so hopefully it will fill the bill for years to come. I ended up going with a Canadian company I found on the net.

I'm shooting to get my ceiling sanded, primed and textured by tomorrow, or the next day before Christmas. It will be a really nice present for my wife and I to get our basement back to normal(at least some semblance of normal). Anybody that is/had to live through reno's must know what I'm talking about. Doing it all yourself takes forever! :(

I will make sure and take a few pictures when it's nearing completion.

Going to be a busy Christmas around my place! Which should give me good excuse to kickback and watch a good movie on the ole H57, and relax between jobs :o .

mystery

12-22-05, 04:42 PM

It's a race between Shane and Will to see who completes the theater room first! :)

Looking forward to photos from you guys.

Make sure to keep the chimney clear for you know who. :D

Wayne

ULTRAMAG

12-25-05, 12:57 AM

Wayne

I've sanded the ceiling, got the texture up, it ain't perfect but I think it will will do.

Not sure about the race with Will, but I'm just trying to complete my home theater room while I've got the time.

Shane

mystery

12-25-05, 08:12 AM

I know. :)

I was just kidding. You sure don't need any stress from any of us. And if you rush it you might make a mistake so take your time.

And hurry up with those pictures!! :D

Wayne

sirredz

12-28-05, 01:56 PM

Shane is leading the way with his ceiling sanded. I have to wait for my friend, the drywaller, to become available again and finish the job he started. Either that, or give me the go-ahead to continue what he started.

My Goal is Feb 1st, all furniture, carpet and walls done. Projector mounted and stereo setup/wired.

I am actually going to Leons tonight to look at some new livingroom furniture and possible recliner for the basement. (I got some Gift Certs. for Christmas...)

- Next step to finalize pot light installation
- Finish second coat of mudding, and 1st sanding.
- Position speakers and apply primer

I am glad I made it through Christmas -- It really snuck up on me this year.

Talk soon!

Will

mystery

12-28-05, 03:11 PM

Thanks for the update Will! :)

I just bought a ButtKicker to complement my H57. MAN! What a phenomenal addition to a sound system that's turned out to be.

It's made low frequency sounds come alive. Here's a brief description of it from their website at www.thebuttkicker.com.,

"The ButtKicker is a small, linear motor, which reacts to an audio signal sent by an amplifier. It is similar to a loudspeaker, but instead of moving a cone, and transferring sound waves through the air, it attaches to seats and floors, and sends low frequency sound directly into the listener's body. The effect is amazing.

It takes two senses to perceive full range sound. We hear sound, but we also feel sound, especially low frequency. Traditionally, it takes big speakers, moving tremendous amounts of air, to feel the low frequency of sound. People like loud concerts because they want to feel the sound pressure in their bodies.

The ButtKicker reproduces the feeling range of audio in a more direct way than through air. The perception is actually better and sound pressure disappears."

My H57 has taken on a new dimension now. Explosions and deep bass sounds are experienced and not just heard.

Thought I'd share that with you all. :)

Wayne

ULTRAMAG

12-29-05, 12:17 PM

Christmas wasn't very restful for me!

Textured the basement ceilings on Christmas eve, after a failed first attempt on the bedroom closet the night before(stress!), took the rental machine back and exchanged for a different model(worked way better!). The wife informed me that I had to texture the bathroom ceiling at 8:00pm Christmas Day, so I finished that around 11:30-12:00pm.

So, the ceilings are now finished, put up all the fixtures, pulled the cabling for the H57, didn't think I was going to get all that cable(s-video,HDMI & component) through the vacuum cleaner pipe that I gyprocked into the ceiling but it eventually pulled through. I was getting worried around the 3rd-4th try :(

The h57 is hooked up, stereo all in, a new fresh coat of paint on the walls, things are looking pretty good. Picked up some ceiling molding, still need some shelving and trim work left to do. Carpet will come later. But at least all the hard stuff is completed. :o

Wayne

Buttkickers eh!
Yes they're pretty cool all right!
I made a homemade one about 5 years ago, have a link for it if someone wants it. It worked great. made it out of an old speaker with a blown surround, attached a lead weight to the voice coil and mounted it into the couch. I had too make sure I didn't have the couch turned louder than the music.

I haven't had it hooked up for a few years since moving to Alberta from B.C., but I was just thinking of getting it going the other day. Funny coincidence you mention buying yours Wayne.

Will

I know what your going through with your room, its hard to find the time and energy some times. Patience is definitely required.
We'll be looking at new furniture too, probably later in the new year.

Shane

mystery

12-29-05, 03:01 PM

Shane,

Your homemade shaker idea should be a nice little addition to your new furniture. You might have to wisk away the dust and cobwebs though. :) From the shaker that is. :D

Might as well bring that sucker out of mothballs when you get further along with your improvements.

Then treat yourself to Jurassic Park, Twister or Saving Private Ryan. ;) Hope you're abode is detached.

We want photos!

Wayne

ULTRAMAG

12-29-05, 04:18 PM

Wayne

I haven't figured out how to get photos up on this site. Where do I go to get instructions?

Shane

mystery

12-29-05, 05:50 PM

Shane,

When you click on the 'Reply to Thread' button, scroll down to 'Additional Options' and you'll find a heading called 'Attach Files' under which there's a button labelled 'Manage Attachment' which you can click on that'll allow you to search your files for the proper photo. Of course you have to upload your photos from your camera to a photo file first. :) Then it's just a matter of finding the file and attaching which photos you want.

The photos will appear as a link that people can click on in order to view.

You can also post your photos to a photo gallery but I've never done that and don't really know how but wouldn't mind knowing if anyone can help.

Wayne

p.s. By the way Shane, I have two sisters-in-law who live in Edmonton. Are you closer to there or Calgary? Just curious.

Yosh70

12-31-05, 10:23 PM

I understand the Oppo is the DVD player to have these days considering the value but since its not really local around here, my friend and I decided on a Pana S77 for his HT.

The 30' HDMI cable wont arrive till next week so we tried component on it and it seemed to be pretty good. We forced it into 480P from 480I and at first we got a big mess on the 92" GW screen....not sure what happened but the H57 finally accepted it and it looked a bit smoother.

There seems to be a ton of options on this player and with the options for the projector as well, we decided to just set a few and wait for the HDMI cable before really tweaking it.

Anyone else with this player? Any suggestions?

mystery

01-01-06, 08:42 AM

Yosh,

I have tried the Panny upconverting player and it can't compare with the Oppo. The Oppo's images are superior in every way whether you're considering straight analog 480i de-interlaced to 480p by the H57 or the DVI scaling @ 720p or 1080i. Do yourself a favor and consider returning that unit if possible and order the Oppo from a fellow avser called tommyj3 who operates yourprojectorguy.com out of Calgary. He's a good guy and I've been in contact with him privately on several occasions. He'll match any deal you find in Canada on the Oppo. Visit his site and click on DVD players and search for the Oppo. He's an authorized dealer. Plus you'll find that any firmware upgrades to the Panny involves shipping the unit to the Manufacturer whereas the procedure with the Oppo can be done at home by burning the file onto a cd and running it in the Oppo.

Wayne

mystery

01-01-06, 08:51 AM

[Happy New Year everyone!

curious_

01-03-06, 04:19 AM

A question out of left field.

Is there a preset code for the H57remote. Please?

I wish to punch it in to one of my 3 remotes (Pioneer VSX-515 receiver) so that I only need one remote. PLus I then dont need to buy another "universal" remote. ;)
The Panasonic DVDs97 is a 003, and once the code is entered the Pioneer remote handles the basic functions.

Or do I have to teach the Pioneer about the H57 remote.

TIA.

ULTRAMAG

01-04-06, 10:27 AM

Shane

p.s. By the way Shane, I have two sisters-in-law who live in Edmonton. Are you closer to there or Calgary? Just curious.

Wayne

I am closer to Edmonton, I too have relatives there, and in Calgary.

Still no photos to post yet, I've just been too busy working on my basement. I'm now working on the trim, and boy have I ever had to scratch my head head when it comes to the crown-molding! I've got some difficult outside corners that so far I can't figure out how to cut the angles. Not your basic 90 degree corners, and even those are hard to do, as every corner is not perfect.
Still making progress on the other trim though.

I'm thinking of dropping the plans to get carpet, and toying with the idea of laminate flooring. It should prove to be cleaner and more durable in the long run. Then I can put an area rug down on the floor with a thick underpad to help tame sonic reflections from the speakers.

Soon I will be basking in the glow from the H57 eating popcorn and sipping an ice cold beer. :rolleyes:

Shane

mystery

01-04-06, 12:38 PM

curious_,

I'd get in touch with Optoma about your question. Your answer may be in the manual but I don't remember seeing it.

Shane,

If you go with the laminate flooring, try to stay away from anything too reflective because that will impact your blacks and contrast ratio on the screen. Shiny surfaces anywhere in your room will eventually find their way to your screen and wash out the image. The area rug sounds like a good thing if you're not going with wall to wall carpet.

Even rugs and carpets should be darker toned even though they might not be very reflective. I have a beige carpet in my recroom where the H57 is and I've had to lay some navy mats down due to the brightness of the reflected light bouncing off of the screen onto the carpeting. It's much better now.

Wayne

ULTRAMAG

01-04-06, 09:55 PM

Wayne

The ceiling is flat & textured, two walls are dark green, the third is offwhite. The white ceiling and offwhite wall do reflect light, but i can blacken the room completely and the image doesn't seem to terribly affected. Could be attributable to the graywolf screen & the brightness of the H57 to cut through the ambient light bouncing around?

But I'm still very pleased with everything. Unfortunately a dark ceiling will not fly.

I will chose a darker toned carpet, which will be primarily in the viewing area, and am not that concerned with the rest of the flooring.

My room is not a dedicated theater room, but a family room oriented around the home theater/sound system.

We haven't heard from Greg for a while, I guess he gave up on his search for an H57 :(

Shane

mystery

01-04-06, 10:02 PM

I hear ya Shane!

My room's also a multi-use area so compromises have to be made. Sounds like you've got the right screen given the mixed walls you have.

Yeah, the thread is kind of quiet these days. Won't be long now for the CES to start in Las Vegas. Maybe Optoma will surprise us with an H57 successor.

Should be interesting later this year when HD-DVD and/or Blu-ray become available. HD is so nice on the H57. I can't imagine HD-DVD to be any less stunning.

Wayne

H57Indian

01-04-06, 11:57 PM

Hi folks,

Just bought a brand new H57+bulb+106"+Cieling mount around $1750. I have been waiting for a long time and this deal hit the sweet spot. I am extremely happy with the picture quality. I have one regret thought, that I cannot get subtitles for non-DVD pictures that I use the H57 to watch. For DVD ofcourse I activite it with the DVD itself. Is there a way?

THis forum had helped me a lot in finlaizing the deal with H57. thanks and keep up the good work.

Cheers

curious_

01-06-06, 03:03 AM

curious_,I'd get in touch with Optoma about your question. Your answer may be in the manual but I don't remember seeing it.

So the answer is no one knows??
What does everyone do to control all the equipment?

BUY a Universal remote and teach?
Surely not. :mad:

ULTRAMAG

01-06-06, 11:23 AM

Curious

Unfortunately, I have a large pile of remotes on the coffee table, I rather like the lighted feature of the H57 remote, and frequently use it to sort through the modes, and aspects etc when I first plop a movie in. I've given up on "one remote controls all" for now anyways.

H57Indian

Welcome to the thread! Looks like you got a great deal on your H57. Is that price in American $? Is it a new or used unit?

As far as subtitles, I don't recall any feature on the H57 that will decode subtitles from something like TV programs. I know that TV sets have this feature though.
Wayne will probably chime in soon, maybe he knows otherwise.

Did anyone catch the Canada/Russia Hockey game? 5 to 0 "ya-hoo! great game"

Shane

H57Indian

01-06-06, 12:21 PM

Ultramag,

Thanks for the welcome.

Yes it is American $ and the set is brand new. It was displayed at $2395 as a bundle and I took a chance and called up the folks at AVP to check if they can lower the price - they had a sale going on and I grabbed it both hands. I think we need to pick up the phone and give the online folks a call and I am sure you will be able to save $100 or $200 atleast as compared to the original price quoted. Pick up a holiday (christmas, thanksgiving,labour day etc) and you are sure to get a deal....

Looks like there is no way I could subtiltes unless I hook up the signal to a TV Tuner for a computer display and then get the S-video out of the computer to the PJ - the catch is that TV Tuner should have the subtitle feature otherwise I am back to square 1.

cheers

H57Indian

01-08-06, 11:05 AM

Ultramag,

I found some stand alone devices that help me get CLosed Captions. They are called Closed Caption Decoders. TV Guardian and V-GIS Vchip are two example products which does this. Link Electronics also has it but very expensive. I will do some experimenting and post details for those who are interested in getting closed caption for TV programmes on their PJs.

Cheers

mystery

01-08-06, 01:17 PM

curious_,

I bought a Harmony remote about 15 months ago back when I still had my Infocus X1 projector. At that time I attempted to configure the set-up to include the X1 but realized that since I'm using an HTPC mostly when viewing the H57 as opposed to my DVD player, it was simply pointless to arrange the start up in this manner.

In my opinion, people using projectors ought to leave well enough alone and only utilize the remotes that came with their units. The reason being that always, always, always, you should turn on your projector first and then wait until it starts searching for a signal from a source such as a DVD player or an HTPC for instance. Then once the projector is looking for a signal, you can safely turn on your source device but not sooner. If you don't follow this order, then you can run into problems with the projector syncing with the source device. There can be situations where the devices don't 'talk' to each other or colors will be way off etc... So because of this, it's not recommended to use a remote like the Harmony when turning on all of the devices needed to watch a movie on a projector. The projector needs time to do it's warm-up thing and a one-touch remote will not allow this because the sequence is too rapid even if you tell the remote to turn on the DVD player after the projector is turned on.

H57Indian,

You got a great bundle there! :) Enjoy!! And welcome to the thread.

Shane,

Yup, we wupped their butts! And they deserved it too with all of their pre-game trash talking and bravado. Pride goes before a fall! The U.S. junior team was rooting for Canada to cream Russia because the Americans went through taunting and such during their game with them.

Wayne

ULTRAMAG

01-10-06, 11:16 AM

Should be interesting later this year when HD-DVD and/or Blu-ray become available. HD is so nice on the H57. I can't imagine HD-DVD to be any less stunning.

Wayne

Wayne are you planning to be an early adopter of HD-DVD? I was aware of blue-ray several years ago, it sure is taking its time to get here. I don't think the mass consumer market is anywhere ready for it. I think for most people a 27" tv is still a big tv. It is really only in the last couple years that DVD have really dropped in price and become an everyday affordable item for the average household where electronics just isn't high on the priority list.
Personally, I'm gonna wait and see what the prices of HD-DVD's will be compared to regular DVD's, maybe the price of regular DVD's will drop even more. ;)

As far as hockey goes I can't wait for Team Canada to take the gold in February too! :D

Shane

mystery

01-10-06, 05:49 PM

Hi Shane,

I am excited about it but I got burned with Betamax during the VCR wars with VHS so I'm not so sure I want to jump in immediately. There are some concerns about whether HD content will be allowed to pass over component cables and so far only one of the formats has indicated that it will acquiesce to the movie studios and the other one has yet to make a public announcement about that.

I'm fearful about what the HD DVDs might cost to purchase and whether they'll be available for rent in abundance. Blu-ray is very expensive, especially Pioneer's $1800.00 U.S. unit that allows 1080p. HD DVD is starting out reasonably enough at $500.00 U.S. but it's all so confusing and unstable right now so I probably will purchase when I'm reasonably certain that I'm not going to get hosed again.

I think you're wise to hold off a bit like you've planned.

Wayne

H57Indian

01-11-06, 04:05 PM

Wayne,

Since you been dabbling with Projectors & H57 for some time now, I thought I should post some important questions for achieving best life for the lamp:

1. The lamp hours on H57 i.e 3000 hours, what are the conditions for which this is applicable. What I mean is will the lamp give me 3000 hours even if I watch movies on
dynamic mode (max bright)? Alternatively if I watch on normal mode will it give me more than 3000 hours? What combination gives me more than 3000 hours?

2. What has Contrast and RGB to do with lamp life? If I keep contrast to max, does it decrease lamp life?

I know probably you may have to repeat answers for these but would greatly appreciate you can share your thoughts again.

Cheers

mystery

01-11-06, 05:34 PM

Well, the 3000 hour figure is rather speculative and certainly not a promise nor a guarantee no matter what one does. It's expected that probably in a laboratory under perfect conditions that these lamps could theoretically last that long.

However, we all know that our environments are far from perfect. You should try to not use the lamp in it's brite mode if at all possible. If it's used in that way then the estimate of lamp life is reduced to 2000 hours. Quite a difference! And given the ridiculous prices of replacement lamps I'd rather have that extra theoretical 1000 hours to play with.

A proper theater lighting scenario will require the lower lamp setting anyway as the higher setting tends to be too 'hot' and the whites will appear too bright.

The best thing to do with these lamps in order to ensure even a possibility of long lamp life is to follow proper warm up and cool down procedures. Don't try to re-start a lamp that's been turned off until the lamp indicator shows a steady red. Try to limit extreme temperature changes in the room in which the projector sits.

I don't know what effect on the lamp higher contrast settings might have but I do know that it will shorten the life of a CRT lens on an RPTV. Since CRT and DLP are totally different technologies, high contrast levels may not affect a projector lamp in a similar fashion.

Bottom line is, based on what I've read here and on other forums over the last few years, anyone who gets as many as 2000 hours on their projector is very lucky, no matter how much they baby their projector. It just seems that these bulbs either blow or start to diminish in some other way well before reaching those lofty heights. I only had about 800 hours on my X1 when I sold it and I'd owned it for almost two years. Some people rack up hours like that in less than a year and others might take even longer than I did. Everyone's different. I choose to basically use my H57 for movies and the odd television show on DVD. Some people like to use their projectors for gaming and internet surfing as well as TV watching and movie viewing.

Anyway, we're all on borrowed time with these lamps once we pass the 3 month mark in ownership and the reality of the situation is that they can go at anytime so we ought to enjoy our projectors while the good times last! :)

Wayne

H57Indian

01-20-06, 09:38 AM

Wayne,

Over long distances i.e 10ft to 15ft, which is better - S Vidoe or Component? Right now I am working on Composite and would like to see the difference if I use S Video or Component. I noticed that on a 32" TV, the differences are very minor and altogether negligible especially if the cable length is small. I will make the purchase this weekend based on the feedback.

VJ

mystery

01-20-06, 02:02 PM

I'd definitely go component. It will render you a brighter image overall. At least that's always been my experience.

Try to go with DVI sometime if you can. The difference between DVI and component to me is not subtle.

If you need to save money right now you could probably stick with s-video. At least it's better than composite.

Wayne

H57Indian

01-20-06, 08:21 PM

Thanks Wayne.

I have 576p DVD player which does not have a DVI Output. Are u suggesting that I buy a HD DVD player with DVI output? I see that these cost around $200 and I guess a 25ft DVI cable will be equally expensive. Hmm...tough call after I spent the lot on the PJ.
I have to also spend on the Closed Caption Decoder for the TV programmes (we are not english u see :-) and to enjoy the movie fully both my wife and me really need one....my daughter though doesnt - She understands everything).

VJ

mystery

01-22-06, 08:30 PM

H57Indian,

Don't run out and purchase anything you can't afford. When you can, upgrade a bit and treat yourself to better cabling. I think you'll notice the difference.

Wayne

H57Indian

01-26-06, 07:00 PM

Friends,

Does anybody here use ADS Tech HDUP 1500? I am not sure whether it supports both PAL & NTSC. Let me know.

This prouct seems to be cheaper than DVDO & other Video Scalers.

VJ

imaginary

01-27-06, 11:53 PM

i just came across this site searching google on how to enhance my projector. i bought an h57 a few months ago and am pretty pleased with it except one thing has been bothering me slightly ever since i got it. i notice that bright and colored scenes look great on the h57 but when i play a dark movie with dark scenes, etc (ie. exorcism of emily rose), then the areas which are dark/black look faded/washed out.. is there anything i can do to correct this? i already installed a high contrast screen by dalite, however the problem still persists. i do have a light room (sandy/beige colored walls, white ceiling, and very light colored carpet). is this my problem? i am thinkng the light is bouncing off the light colored walls/carpet and hitting the screen in turn washing out the dark scenes.. is there a prefered setting on the h57 that i should set to enhance black levels? or should i go ahead and try to paint the walls a darker color (although i would like to try to stay away from this, unless it is absolutely necessary to achieve good black levels). any suggestions would be great. thanks in advance

1Time

01-28-06, 06:23 AM

Welcome to AVS, Imaginary.

Two things are washing out your picture. The first is the H57 is too bright for your white screen. I found this out with my H57 and high contrast white Dazian screen. The other is the ambient light bouncing around the room; the projected light hits your screen, then bounces around the room and comes back to your screen. You can reduce the light output of the H57 with a neutral density filter; a 67mm ND2 has been recommended for the H57. And you could reduce the light bouncing around the room with a dark flat/matte paint or material on those reflecting surfaces.

A black boarder around your screen would help; black velvet is often recommended. Also, a shadow box built around the screen would reduce the ambient light that reflects back to the screen.

Using a screen that is better suited for the light output of the H57 is another option for obtaining a better picture. IMO a neutral density filter may or may not be the best way to go, depending on the screen used.

mystery

01-28-06, 07:09 AM

1 Time,

All very good advice! :)

imaginary,

I second that welcome. :)

You're situation isn't the best and you do need to either darken your walls/carpets or put on a neutral density filter as suggested. It appears to me that for your room, the screen that you're using is the correct one though. If I'm to understand you correctly by your description, you have a gray screen because you said it's a high contrast. Did you mean to say high power because that would be very different?

If your screen is a gray one for sure, then your problem isn't necessarily because of your walls due to the nature of gray screens and how they help reduce light reflections.

Make sure you calibrate with AVIA or another similar tool. Slap on an ND2 filter before you calibrate. Treat your carpets with dark area mats to help reduce reflections. If you're really industrious, build a shadow box as 1 Time suggested. I did that with my old X1 and the difference was absolutely amazing. That was when I had off-white walls and a white ceiling and beige carpeting and the X1 wasn't a very bright projector either but I still needed to do that.

1 Time's suggestion that you put a black border around the screen is also something that would help you. I would go even further and suggest that you incorporate some kind of covering to put over the black bars when viewing 2.35:1 material. Those bars are kind of a gray-black and if you use black felt material as I do, you'll really notice a difference with your contrast and blacks. I attached enough material to extend from one side of the screen to the other at the top and bottom. The material is stapled to a light piece of wood that's hung from chains. At least the bottom bar covering is utilizing chains. The top bar covering is attached to the screen casing by magnetic roll which adheres to the metal casing on one side and is sticky on the other so that the material stays on it and then covers the top bar.

At the very least, buy a ND2 filter for sure and if your screen isn't gray based then you'll either need to paint your walls/ceiling or invest in a gray screen.

Good luck and let us know how you make out! Don't forget to calibrate. Your eyes will deceive you otherwise.

Wayne

imaginary

01-28-06, 11:47 AM

thank you for both of your very helpful replies. I am using the dalight high contrast cinema vision grey screen, and not a "high power" screen. Someone actually suggested I use the AVIA calibration DVD and i went out and bought one but unfortunately I have absoultely no idea how to use it, i'm not extremely tech savy, do you suggest a website where it has step by step instructions on how to use it properly? and do I have to calibrate EVERYTHING that the dvd offers? or just certain thing such as brightness, contrast, etc?

Also the ND2 filter you speak of, what exactly does this do?

Thank you once again for the great replies mystery and 1Time!!

Yosh70

01-29-06, 12:53 PM

Anyone running a Pana S77 with the H57? Finally picked a 30' HDMI cable and connected it to the projector with the DVI adapter supplied.

1080i and 720P no go, the projector goes a little nuts searching for a signal. Finally got it to display after hitting the re-sync button but of course the image was horrible. 480P is the best we could muster.

Any ideas?

mystery

01-29-06, 02:25 PM

Yosh70,

That sounds like either your Panny's digital signal isn't very strong or your cable just won't do the trick.

My Oppo will push a clean digital signal at either 1080i or 720p through a 50 foot DVI cable to my H57.

Of course, you could be having a problem with the H57 itself. Have you tried a shorter cable to the projector? If that works then I seriously doubt your H57 can be blamed and at least that would be one factor to rule out.

Imaginary,

The ND2 filter will cut the lumen output exactly in half. The H57 is such a bright projector even in low mode that it needs a filter like this unless you have dark walls and a gray screen. In that case I'd forgo the filter. I have both a gray screen and a high power and cannot use the ND2 filter when I have the gray screen up because the image isn't punchy enough for me. It's not dark but just lacks a certain 'oomph'. Anyway, it sounds as if you could really use this filter.

AVIA isn't hard to use. It's actually designed for the beginner in mind as well as intermediate and advanced users. Just take some time to play the disc from the beginning and skip over any parts that you don't feel are relevant. You can go directly to the video calibration section in the menu and learn about how to calibrate. It'll teach you how to set up your system for proper contract and brightness, tint, color, sharpness, etc...

Rome wasn't built in a day. :) But this hobby is well worth the time to learn how to squeeze the best images from your H57 and the AVIA disc will be of great assistance to you in this regard. No need to feel intimidated at all. Just relax and spend some time viewing it and eventually you'll have that projector smokin!!

Wayne

Scruffy

01-29-06, 07:31 PM

Yosh70,

I’m currently running a S77 to my H57 using a 5m long Monoprice cable (HDMI to DVI). The projector syncs perfectly with 480p, 720p and 1080i. I prefer the 1080i output from the S77 (I first activate the projector and wait a few second for the image to appear on the screen and then activate the DVD player). The H57 cycles through all of the connections, then senses the digital input and switches to the proper output resolution of the DVD player. Works every time with no problems. Make sure that the cables are seated properly, I have had problems in the past where the cables were not fully making contact. As an aside the S77 video eats my faithful DV09 that has served me since 1988.

Peter

Yosh70

01-29-06, 11:24 PM

Thanx Scruffy. I checked both ends of the HDMI cable and its firmly seated. I would think it would be as 480P works.....my friend who owns this setup will bring the S77 over sometime
and see if it upconverts to my ol 57 Hitachi.

Yosh70

01-30-06, 08:52 PM

Well he brought the stuff over tonite and we hooked er up. No go on my setup as well.

Now the kicker. Hooked up the piece of string HDMI cable that comes with the player and hey!...we have liftoff! Doesnt say much for 10M Monster Cable product that retails for $400.

ULTRAMAG

01-30-06, 11:40 PM

Yosh70

If your interested, send me a PM and I'll give you a link to a Canadian supplier that I got my 30' HDMI cable from. I ended up having to go with an internet supplier and feel I've got a quality cable for a very reasonable price. Its good for 1080p for the 30' so I know it easily handles 1080i and I've had no problems at all.

Here's the link to the manufacture
http://phantomcables.com/hdmi-hdmi.html

I was nervous shopping off the net, but in the end I saved a lot of money.

scotchfaster

01-31-06, 01:29 PM

So I took Wayne's advice and got the High Power screen and an ND2 filter (finally - they are not easy to find).

It's a really good combo - thank you very much, Wayne!

Some observations. I have the H57 ceiling mounted, and I do find that the screen is brightest when viewed standing up. This makes sense, because the screen is retro-reflective. However, my viewing position is the couch. This cuts the lumens a bit, almost to the point where the ND2 filter is unnecessary. Incidentally, my room is currently painted white...I hope to correct that in the next few months.

A nice benefit of the High Power screen is that when viewed from the sub-optimal angle (as far as brightness goes), the pixel structure is much less visible. Apparently this hasn't been an issue for most H57 users, but it's bothered me at times.

The ND2 filter doesn't seem to me to be cutting the lumens in half, unless there's a non-linear relationship between lumens and brightness I don't know about.

mystery

01-31-06, 08:37 PM

scotchfaster,

Congratulations on your new combo. I'm glad you got the ND2 filter especially since your walls are so bright. Yes, do consider doing something about that soon. You will really notice a difference.

Right now you are being bathed in brightness due to the walls and high power screen and the H57 being so natively bright, even in low lamp mode. Once you've painted your walls darker and calibrate with AVIA you'll see what I mean.

If you can, try to mount your H57 as low as possible in order to take advantage of the retro-reflective nature of the high power screen. In my own setup, I have the projector mounted at 6'4" off of the floor. This makes the angle between the lens, screen and my eyes quite small and the difference when I stand up, although noticeable, isn't really big.

The ND2 filter does indeed cut the lumens in half. I also bought an ND4 filter which cuts the lumens by 75% and that filter is just way too strong for the H57.

Take some time to adjust to the new screen and filter. Do what I did. After using the high power screen and ND2 filter for a while, I took the filter off and couldn't stand the image on screen. Way, way too bright. It's like most new situations in life. It takes a while to get used to some things but after some time passes, there usually isn't any going back.

Anyone watching the Super Bowl this Sunday on their H57??

GO STEELERS!

:) :)

Wayne

ULTRAMAG

02-01-06, 11:39 AM

Just curious how noisy everyone H57 is? And if its normal.

I'm still not happy with the high pitched whining from mine, and wondering if I should be contacting Optoma about it. I can easily hear it with the projector above and slightly forward of my sitting location.

Waynes comment about mounting the projector lower would make the sound even louder in my case. I have noticed the brightness difference between sitting and standing with my greywolf screen, but the picture is still good sitting. So it is not a problem for me that way.

I watched the March of the Penquins with the family the other night and the grain of the screen was apparent on the bright scenes with all the snow and ice. So the glassbead screen does have advantages and disadvantages, although I have no plans on replacing it.

1Time

02-01-06, 02:22 PM

Just curious how noisy everyone H57 is? And if its normal.

What you're hearing is normal, unfortunately. You can, however, take steps to minimize what you're hearing like using sound absorbing material and sound barriers. Close to and slightly forward of your head would be about the worst position as far as hearing the H57's operating noise. I suggest considering the constructoin and use of some sort of hush box.

Yosh70

02-01-06, 08:28 PM

Noisy? The H57 is one of the quietest projectors I have ever heard(?)....a high pitched whine is not normal.
When the sound is muted, I can faintly hear the fan running....this is about 7' from the floor with no hush box and roughly situated near the couch.

Quite possibly the fan in yours is defective is MHO.

1Time

02-01-06, 09:06 PM

My H31 in econo-mode is quiet, but my H57 in econo-mode is not as quiet. The noise is not from a fan or its ball-bearing; it's from the power supply. It's a sound very similar to what is made by the ballast of some flourescent lights.

mystery

02-01-06, 10:20 PM

Yes, the H57 does exhibit this sound and it's apparently the same problem that many of the older H30s were afflicted with.

I think that I agree with 1Time about the position of the H57 in Ultramag's case not being ideal. In my case the H57 is just a few feet above my head and probably 3 feet behind me. The sound is noticeable during quiet scenes at times but I don't really observe it anymore. Perhaps I'm used to it. It's not at all obtrusive and given the fact that the db level overall is one of the quietest of all projectors on the market, I think that a tradeoff of putting up with the power supply sound is a small price to pay.

It's much quieter than my old Infocus X1. But this noise simply isn't exhibited by the H31 because I had a couple of H31s in my home prior to settling on the H57 and neither one of them sounded like either of the two H57 units I sampled. I'm also not aware of this sound being an issue with the H31 so it seems to be an H30 and H57 phenomenon yet not affecting every unit.

I did complain about this to Optoma in late summer or early fall of last year and they replaced all of the fans, the color wheel and the power supply and it does indeed seem to be slightly more quiet than before.

Wayne

ULTRAMAG

02-02-06, 11:36 AM

I've almost considered recording the sound and sending it electronically to Optoma via the e-mail link given deep into the beginnings of this thread.

Unfortunately after I've drywalled my ceiling, the electrical and video wires are all installed at approx 12 feet from the screen.
I did put plywood between the joists so that I could mount the projector further forward or backward about 16" in either direction. This would still allow a solid base to install the mount between joists if I ever required future adjustment to projector distance. I afraid this wouldn't make much of a difference in diminishing the sound from the H57 though.

Wayne

When you sent yours in, did they supply you with a replacement?
Also Would it be wise to remove the lamp to prevent damage and unneccessary vibrations during shipping, if I decide it needs repair?

1Time

Yes, I agree with you it sounds like a flourescent light ballast. The sound goes away during cool-down mode, so it can't possibly be the fan.
It must be related somehow to the power supply for the lamp or onboard processor or something.
I have a dedicated electrical outlet powering only the projector, so it isn't starving for power. Maybe I will double check the polarity of the plug-in.
I wonder that if this unit was designed for European markets, don't they have a different standard than 120 volts? But, Optoma would most certainly would have taken this into consideration.( just thinking outloud)

Thanks
Shane

1Time

02-02-06, 01:27 PM

I consider it a design flaw and/or quality control issue. I wouldn't send my H57 to Optoma because I doubt they'd do anything to correct it. It's not like this noise results in a total operating noise level of over 28dB.

This type of sound really bothers me; fan noise does not; however I've dealt with it to my satisfaction with a sound barrier and sound absorbing material, sort of a hush box. My H57 is mounted about 4' directly above my ears.

ULTRAMAG

02-02-06, 01:49 PM

Deaners

02-02-06, 02:03 PM

Just want to throw in my 2 cents about the noise issue:

Do you have it on the bright-mode or econo-mode. The fan noise is much louder in the bright-mode. I noticed my projector was much louder than before and thought something was broken. When I went thru the menus someone changed the brightness setting on me.

ULTRAMAG

02-02-06, 04:12 PM

Deaners

Probably the first thing I did was put the lamp in econo mode. And to be honest I don't recall the fan changing speeds at all?
The image did go dimmer, however.
I read through the owner's manual and couldn't find any thing on adjusting the fan speed, so I just thought it was not an adjustable feature.

I've found that I had to go into the different viewing modes and ensure the lamp was in econo, I think the H57 remembers the setting depending on imput used and viewing modes. I may be wrong however. But lately I randomly check to see what setting its in, and the # of hours I'm putting on, and it hasn't been changed to bright.

Shane

mystery

02-02-06, 04:24 PM

Shane,

When I sent my H57 in to Optoma Canada, I didn't ask for a loaner although perhaps I could have. They have supplied me with a loaner in the past when I've had other issues.

I didn't fool with the lamp when I sent the unit in.

Is anyone knowledgeable about DivX? I'm just looking into it now and I've been trying out a few programs. One in particular is #1 DVD Ripper. When I convert a scene from a movie to DivX and then play it back, the result is horrible. I see macroblocking and checkerboarding. Does anybody know how I might convert DVDs to DivX or XviD cleanly?

Wayne

Deaners

02-03-06, 12:11 PM

Hi Wayne,

I use a program called Auto Gordian Knot or AutoGK to do the actual converting. You need to have another program to rip the DVD to your hard drive (and also to take out the macroblocking, etc.). I use either DVD Decrypter or DVD Shrink (both are free). I like DVD shrink because you can choose in and out points (I don't need to have the credits at the end), and I keep the shrink ratio at 100% since I'll be converting it to xvid. It usually takes about 10-15 minutes to rip a 2+ hour movie.

In AutoGK you can set the size of the file or the %age of quality. I choose %age of quality since it does the conversion with 1 pass versus 2 passes. It still does take a long time, but the quality is very nice since I choose 80% or higher for most jobs. Another thing I like about AutoGK is you can keep the AC3 or DTS soundtrack whereas other programs convert it to mpeg. There is another setting where you can que multiple jobs, then run them at night while you sleep.

I also choose xvid over divx. I notice the picture quality is a bit soft compared to the DVD source, but it looks great on the H57. Xvid or Divx is great for those TV DVD's like Lost or Alias. By the way, the OPPO DVD plays both Xvid and Divx.

Hope this helps. If anyone knows of a program that does the conversion faster, let me know. AutoGK is by far the easiest to use that I have seen, but still takes time for the conversion. I've also used Dr. Divx and WinAVI, but I don't think either of these let's you keep the original soundtack. I could be wrong though.

Dave Mack

02-03-06, 12:57 PM

Hey Wayne, all!

Been awhile but I'm BACK!
Wayne! Good news! I just noticed (or DIDN'T Notice, actually) the other nite that I barely see rainbows anymore! Maybe 2 or 3 a WEEK! In the past I was seeing many more than that every DAY! So I guess you DO get used to them!

Superbowl in HD on the h57 this sun!

Hope everyone is good!

Also, watching HD on my h57 has SPOILED me! What is everyone gonna do re: the new hd disc formats?

Peace! d

mystery

02-03-06, 01:35 PM

Deaners,

Thanks a lot for your detailed response! :) I'll give those programs a try and also your settings. If you want a very fast DVD to DivX converter program then try Magic DVD Ripper. The trial version will allow you to rip and convert 5 movies in their entirety. Not just 50% of a track or a 5 minute limit. I just did it with Behind Enemy Lines and the whole process took only about 40 minutes. However, the quality when played back was worse than VHS over coaxial!

I tried backing up a DivX file to a DVD-RW last night and then played it on my Oppo. It was very cool to to be able to do that but again, the quality of the video was very poor and unwatchable.

I'll report back with my conclusions on AutoGK and DVD Shrink.

Dave,

Where the x@%$& have you been?! :) I thought you'd dropped off the face of the earth.

Good to have you chiming in again. Now we need Will to update us on his home theater room too.

Glad you're taming those rainbows.

Yep, HD on the H57 is a true thing of beauty that's for sure. As far as HD DVD or Blu-ray is concerned, I'm going to be careful this time. I got burned with Betamax years ago and don't want to side with the losing team again.

Wayne

hardg

02-03-06, 08:33 PM

Hi all, I finally put together an htpc to use with my H57, and the picture looks great! No noise, and a real smooth image. But... now i am seeing rainbows like crazy. What the heck is up with that? Before, when using a dvd player, I used to try to search for rainbows and couldn't see anything. Now they're popping up with regularity!

Does anyone have idea what might be causing this? This is so disappointing. There's no way I could watch a whole movie like this.

If it helps, I'm using an ati x1600 xt card with ffdshow yv12 output and VMR9.

I would really appreciate some advice. :(

mystery

02-03-06, 10:59 PM

I'm using TheaterTek with ffdshow and DVI to the H57. No rainbows here other than the odd one if I turn my head quickly or dart my eyes around during high contrast scenes like white credits on a black background or night scenes for instance.

Could be your set up is now so much cleaner that it's revealing what your DVD player was hiding previously.

Put AVIA in your DVD burning tray and calibrate your HTPC. Make sure your lamp mode is in econo and not brite. Put on an ND2 filter to cut the lumens in half. Wear sunglasses. :D Ignore that last one.

Consider darkening your walls/ceiling and carpets/floors if you haven't already done so. Is your screen right for your room? The right size? If it's too big you'll be moving your eyes all over the place to follow the images. Are you sitting too close to your screen? This will also cause rapid eye movement.

Try changing your menu parameters and experiment a bit with your DLP Gamma settings and Color Temperatures. Try a different Display Mode such as Cinema or Dynamic.

Your HTPC could be pushing a stronger feed to your projector than your DVD was doing and it may need toning down some.

Give some of these suggestions a go along with two aspirin and call me in the morning. :)

Wayne

arieldr

02-04-06, 02:08 AM

Hi all,

I had the H31 for almost a year now and I was very happy but when I saw the H57 in action I new that the countdown has started, I just couldn't help myself.

I am very happy with my new purchase but I do have one very BIG problem:
I have a Denon 1910 DVD player connected with DVI to the H57. When I first hang the projector I couldn't match the picture to the screen.
If I match the height then the width was about 2-3 inch short and if I match the width the picture would be too high and over the black border.
Today finally I had some time to play with my new projector and I wanted to see the results when feeding it with Interlace signal. (I remembered wayne recommended it)
The first thing I saw was that the projector is doing a dam good job but the more happy thing was that I could finally match the image to fit exactly to my screen.
When switching back to progressive signal Once again the picture became smaller at about 5 inch at the left side and 1 inch at the right. This happens both with DVI and Component cables. And I know I didn't have this problem with my H31.
Did any of you out there have the same issue? Or can someone please try it out for me so I can know if it the same for all or just my unit.
I will try to get a different DVD player just to be on the safe side.

Thanks
Ariel

Update:
It ends up being a DVD issue, it's seems like that the Denon 1910 / 1920 can't show PAL without cropping the picture.
I now have the H-57 with oppo + ND2 + gefen DVI booster + dalite CV (1.3 gain) and the picture is AMAZING... Thanks wayne :)
For all of you who wondered how the H-57 looks like with PAL please feel free to drop for a visit :D

It's unbelievable what picture can a 199$ DVD produce, the Denon 1920 has the same "technology" twice the price and the oppo is doing a hell of a better work and without the PAL cropping bug.

First time since I stated this hobby that I don't have the upgrade scratching, I am really happy with my picture.

mystery

02-04-06, 06:50 AM

arieldr,

You're welcome! :)

The H57 - Oppo - ND2 filter combo works well doesn't it?

Yes, the H57 is kind of an upgrade killer which isn't necessarily a bad thing.

Wayne

1Time

02-04-06, 10:59 AM

1Time

I have toyed with the idea of a hush box, but am apprehensive about the aesthetic aspects.

Do you have some pictures you can post of your design?
Maybe I can discuss this with my wife if I have some photos to help explain (she can't visualize well).
One of the concerns I have with the hushbox is ventilation, the exhaust vent must remain unobstructed and this is the side of the unit where the buzz seems to be emanating. It would be beneficial to see how your design overcomes this concern.

Shane

My H57 is mounted near the back wall which is only 11' from the screen. My sound barrier is a 2' x 4' shelf mounted from the back wall and a few inches below the H57. Seating is directly below the shelf. For sound absorbing material I used rolled up towels and foam rubber. There's enough ventillation since it's basically enclosed on 2 sides, the back and bottom. The whole thing is trimed in black velvet. It's really pretty simple but does well.

You're basically looking at building a box that has as few sides to it as is necessary, and then covering or finishing it to taste. You may be able to get away with a 4-sided one, just leave the top and front open. A larger hush box will ventillate better. With a 4-sided one, you'll want to use a quiet 5 1/4" PC case fan on the box that's positioned near the H57's exhaust. If building a smaller one or one that's more enclosed, you'll also want an intake fan on the hush box that's positioned near the H57's intake. I suggest asking for help with the fans in the HTPC forum. It probably would be a bit much for a novice DIY'er and chore for some, but a fun challenge for others.

hardg

02-04-06, 11:03 PM

[QUOTE=mystery

Put AVIA in your DVD burning tray and calibrate your HTPC. Make sure your lamp mode is in econo and not brite. Put on an ND2 filter to cut the lumens in half. Wear sunglasses. :D Ignore that last one.

Consider darkening your walls/ceiling and carpets/floors if you haven't already done so. Is your screen right for your room? The right size? If it's too big you'll be moving your eyes all over the place to follow the images. Are you sitting too close to your screen? This will also cause rapid eye movement.

Try changing your menu parameters and experiment a bit with your DLP Gamma settings and Color Temperatures. Try a different Display Mode such as Cinema or Dynamic.
Wayne[/QUOTE]

I'm wondering if the graywolf screen that I'm currently using is enhancing the rainbow effect at all. As far as the rainbows, I watched some more material, and it's mainly on dark scenes. Specifically, during the early Ducard scenes in Batman Begins. I think I'm getting some micro-stuttering too. I almost feel stressed when watching. I've toned done the brightness and contrast, btw.

As for the screen, I was thinking of getting a Carada Brilliant White screen. I often notice the texture of the graywolf when there are light coloured backgrounds.

Does anyone know where I can get the latest "stutter-test" app?

mystery

02-05-06, 08:47 AM

Try this link for the latest JudderTest 1.1 over on the HTPC forum:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=318096&page=1&pp=30&highlight=JudderTest

Hope that helps.

I know that micro-studdering makes me stressed.

As for the rainbows, I don't know what to say. Perhaps changing screens might help. I know I don't like the sheen that some of these gray screens tend to exhibit. I see it on my Da-Lite High Contrast screen when I pull it out to use once in a while. 99% of the time I use my High Power with the ND2 filter. I see rainbows once in a while but it seems to be related to turning my head away from the screen for a moment and then quickly facing the screen again.

Wayne

mystery

02-05-06, 08:56 AM

Deaners,

I followed your advice pertaining to DivX and installed both AutoGK and DVD Shrink and xvid. I emulated the setup that you described and played it by ear for the other parameters and the improvements were 1000%! :)

Thanks very much! I'll experiment a little and tweak a bit to see how best to set it up for my tastes but for the most part the macroblocking and checkerboarding are history and I ripped and converted Behind Enemy Lines and then played it on the H57. It was virtually indistinguishable from the original DVD.

One thing I'm still having trouble with is getting a movie compressed enough. For instance, Behind Enemy Lines ended up at 1.3 GB which is a lot better than 4.3 GB or whatever it was to begin with but before, when I was experimenting with DivX, movies were routinely compressed to about 600 to 700 MB.

What could I be doing wrong here?

Wayne

H57Indian

02-05-06, 12:50 PM

Friends,

Found some interesting comparisons with H57 on the net. FYI.

Wayne,

Between H56 & H57 , what do you the see main difference except for the contrast? Which beats which?. Just an academic interest.

_____
HC900-H57-HC2000-Proj. Design 0.5 compared
Yesterday we did a shootout between the following projectors:
Mitsubishi HC900
Optoma/Themescene H57
ProjectionDesign 0.5 (Pjd)
Mitsubishi HC2000

Using PAL DVD discs and DVI players enabling to connect all using DVI. The first three are matterhorn DLP's 1024x576 resolution and the HC2000 is HD 1280x720.

First I will give some impressions after going back and forth between the various models. Using the opinions of myself and the others. All pj's were first calibrated to the source with DVE. No grey scale calibrations were done so as to establish an out of the box comparison.

I will list various categories and the list from best to least good where / means equal.

Picture quality impression.
Pjd 0.5 HC900 HC2000 H57
Close to call, but resolution has the edge, not much difference here, HC2000/HC900 were quite pleasing. H57 has quite bright whites, although impressive it seems that you notice a bit more rainbow. Since it has no sort of iris and I haven't found a way to control the white segment, that makes the other ones a tiny bit more pleasing. But if you like a striking picture the H57 is king.

Color
There are just so many options in each of these machines that it seems unfair to give some conclusion. My opinion though favours H57 (jumps of the screen the most), bright reds. HC900 and HC2000 very good colour less pronounced. Pjd is very good not much comment comes to mind, maybe red seemed a bit brownish.

Scaling (576P)
Pjd 0.5 H57 HC2000 HC900
The Pjd stood out to be just perfect, every resolution pattern was tops. No overscan anywhere.
HC2000 and H57 are good, no overscan, good resolution pattern. H57 over HC2000 because playing 576P gives better resolution on the H57, the HC2000 needs to scale and thus details normally one pixel are for example scaled to 1 or 2 or 3 pixels, just not 1:1. Easy to see. Of course when HD is used HC2000 gets the edge and will win.
HC900 was just unsatisfying, 15-20 pixels overscan left/right and 5-10 top/bottom over DVI! Resolution patterns are way unclear.

Deinterlacing
Pjd 0.5 H57/HC2000 HC900
The faroudija realy does the trick, H57/HC2000 are good, HC900 is ok but in detail quite edgy and flimmery, really needs progressive DVD players.

Focus/Sharpness
Pjd 0.5 HC2000 HC900 H57
The Pjd has very good optics, sharp and focussed all around, HC2000 and H900 are almost up to the Pjd and the H57 has a focus issue, center is sharp but near the edges it becomes a bit softer, will be fixed by Optoma, might be a batch error.

Black level
HC900/HC2000/H57 Pjd 0.5
The HC900 HC2000 H57 are too close to call, the Pjd 0.5 is just a tad worse, but add an color or nd filter and you are a happy camper.

Contrast (impression after basic DVE calibr.)
H57/HC2000/HC900 Pjd 0.5
The H57 is quite bright, just visually it has nice contrast, it jumps off the screen the most. HC2000 and HC900 are quite alike but a bit more "calm" or smooth, the Pjd 0.5 is just a bit behind.

Noise
H57 HC2000 Pjd 0.5 HC900
The H57 is near silent, the HC2000 as quiet but adds a tiny high pitch, then the Pjd also with a high pitch but really a bit louder. The Pjd has long throw, so it can be placed behind you, easier to ignore the noise. Last the HC900, makes me remember a Benq data projector.

Rainbow
Pjd 0.5 HC900 HC2000 H57
Pjd was very controlled here, HC900 seemed up to par, but better than HC2000, H57 was a bit bright which make you see them a bit easier, but if you are not paying attention to it, most people won't really notice.

Posturerising (using some sequences from 5th element superbit)
HC900 H57 HC2000 Pjd
HC900 was a bit better than H57 (both had little but HC900 was a tiny bit more steady when we saw it) HC2000 seemed almost equal to H57, but better than the Pjd, that had quite some of it. You really have to look for this DLP disadvantage though and you need trained eyes to really detect it.

Size (for the record )
Pjd 0.5 HC900 H57 HC2000
The HC2000 is just plain big. But then again silent as well, and the Pjd is not.

Price
The HC900 is a bit (say 200-500$) cheaper here than the H57, then comes the Pjd with a substantial difference (more than 1000$) then the HC2000 with the same substantial difference.

Conclusion:
Since silence is king and taking budget into mind the H57 gets the edge, but must be free of the optical focus issue. HC900 has a very nice picture but the noise and overscan is just placing it behind the H57. The Pjd 0.5 is very good, you get really much quality, optically and technically but the noise and price place it behind the other two. (If the extra$$ are no issue, add a colour/nd filter and a hush box and it is the best ) The price of the HC2000 makes it interesting if you can let it shine using HD sources. DVD sources will not benefit much if any compared to the matterhorns and PAL scaling doesn't make it better. 1:1 pixel projection for PAL dvd's is surely king.

Comments during the evening:
The HC900 picture was favoured over HC2000 using PAL dvd's.
HC900 picture was noticed to be a bit sharper than H57 (H57 has the edge electronically (scaling) by a good margin, but the optical system seems to need a fix in this H57 demo model)
During the demo, those who have not had a projector before seem to care less about noise, they seemed to favour HC900 over H57.
But for me knowing the overscan of the HC900 and the noise level I favor the H57.
I saw the H77 too on another occasion, only beats the H57 using HD

mystery

02-05-06, 03:27 PM

Well, I don't know anything about the H56 other than it's been my understanding that it's the predecessor to the H57. Sorry, can't help you here.

Thanks very much for posting the details of this mini shootout. Very interesting. Once again, the H57 has proven to hold it's own and even then some when competing against projectors that are more expensive and have more pixels.

I have noticed a focus uniformity issue with my H57 as well. But it's not a big deal to me because I don't use the projector to read text that might be blurry on the sides. My focus with movies tends to be around the middle of the screen where the focus is good and usually any images off to the sides are kind of extraneous or are background images not necessarily crucial to one's enjoyment whether they're sharp or soft.

I'm planning on watching the Super Bowl on my H57 in just 90 minutes from now and I know that this projector renders HD beautifully so I can hardly wait! :)

Wayne

Deaners

02-06-06, 12:07 PM

One thing I'm still having trouble with is getting a movie compressed enough. For instance, Behind Enemy Lines ended up at 1.3 GB which is a lot better than 4.3 GB or whatever it was to begin with but before, when I was experimenting with DivX, movies were routinely compressed to about 600 to 700 MB.

What could I be doing wrong here?

Wayne

Hi Wayne,

In AutoGK, you can choose the file size you want versus the quality %age. If you choose 600 to 700MB it will run the compression in 2 passes which will take longer. It may also change the aspect ratio to a smaller version which may not look as sweet on the H57 if you have a 100+ inch screen, although I've seen some nice divx quality in that size -- I don't know how picky you are. Also, you can try to have the soundtrack compressed as well instead of keeping the AC3 or DTS soundtrack.

mystery

02-06-06, 01:03 PM

Thanks Deaners! That's good to know. :)

Wayne

H57Indian

02-06-06, 04:24 PM

Friends,

Does anybody here tell me how to clean the air filter on the H57.

VJ

mystery

02-06-06, 05:37 PM

There is no user maintenance on the H57 for filters thank goodness! :) What you can do once in a while if you wish is to vacuum the vents a bit.

Wayne

OntarioTL

02-13-06, 01:45 PM

Well after finding a good deal online for the Optoma H57 and reading all the posts here about it, I decided to take the plung! My girlfriend isn't happy as I cancelled a trip to Mexico because of this :D .
Sure there are the native 720p projectors out there, and the new crop of LCD's look interesting. I like DLP especially the no burn in or dead pixel issue. I'm too scared that if I bought LCD, that it would degrade over time. As for 720p DLP, way out of my league in Canada. I might as well bend over and grab my ankles!

Mystery, since I live in London, ON as well I should have checked yours out first, but I will go by your opinion ;) . I too have the X1 modded to the 4800 firmware, blackened optical engine, etc. I like it, but I think its a little too dim for my needs. No one has mentioned it here, but how does this projector handle say the beginning of Star Wars? I mean the starfield with the star wars text scroll specifically? I know the X1 shows a few scattered stars, but what on the H57? I'm hoping there will be a big improvement. I hate how the X1 crushes most of the stars. Nitpicking here I guess.

I was also wondering what the offset is and whether its comparable to the X1. I just don't know whether to have it on the floor or on the ceiling. I looked at the manual, but there is no info on this.

OntarioTL

mystery

02-13-06, 05:31 PM

OntarioTL,

Welcome to AVS and particularly our little H57 love-fest here. :) Yes, I jumped from the X1 and stopped briefly at the H31 donut shop and then settled in at the Motel H57. :D

There is no comparison between the X1 and the H57. The latter has much greater resolution, contrast, blacks, colors, quietness, inputs and brightness. It is a fair bit bigger and heavier however as I'm sure you've noticed.

One of the many things I love about the H57 is the way that it renders darker scenes. Let me tell you, it seems as if whatever you're not seeing on screen, you weren't meant to see by the Director of the film. In other words, this projector leaves little to the imagination.

I can't comment specifically on Star Wars but I have noticed generally that the H57 does a much better job resolving space related shots than the X1 did. I'm not knocking the X1 by the way. It's a terrific little projector for the money but you get what you pay for and the H57 to me is a bargain at almost any price.

As far as the offset goes, I can't remember the exact numbers on either machine but the H57's offset seems to be greater than the X1's. But they are natively different when it comes to aspect ratios.

Give us a review when you've had a chance to play with it and calibrate it a bit and good luck!

Wayne

OntarioTL

02-13-06, 06:39 PM

Wayne,

I can't wait to have it in my hands. I made the mistake by paying using paypal via bank account instead of credit card with paypal, so now I must wait until it clears. :( So much for getting it on my days off.

I know by looking at pictures of it looks sleeker than the X1. Unfortunately I didn't get the free bulb deal but I still think it was worth it. I was thinking about getting the Benq 7700 but with all the posts about premature bulb death, that strayed me away. And of course it was cheaper than the 7700 anyway.

How many hours do you have on your bulb Wayne? Has it dimmed much? I know you said you don't use the brightmode so that must mean its still shooting a nice picture. Have you fed any HD feeds through it? The X1 is acceptable for HD, I can only imagine how its on the H57 even though it is still not native 720p.

Like you, I would never knock the X1 either as it is a very nice starting point to get into the FP hobby.

The reason I was asking about offset was because I was wondering if I can use the same spot as my X1, or if I have to rearrange.
I might have to rethink my screen as well. I have the Da-lite Video Spectra 1.5 that worked pretty good for the X1, but maybe not so well for the H57.

Mike

mystery

02-13-06, 08:40 PM

Mike,

I have just over 300 hours on my H57 now. My wife and I only use it for a couple of movies each week so it doesn't get a rigorous workout. Occasionally I'll watch a huge sporting event like the recent Super Bowl and HD looks fantastic on it. I sometimes view TV shows on DVD via my Oppo player. They look great.

It's a very bright projector so you'll want to get an ND2 filter to tone it down or else you'll be exploding your whites at the expense of your blacks and contrast ratio.

I haven't noticed any dimming of the bulb whatsoever. I check with AVIA every so often and my settings haven't had to change at all.

I had to move both my mount and screen when I changed projectors. The lens configuration is different.

Wayne

Deaners

02-14-06, 12:13 PM

Hi,

I have this calculation on the offset when I did my H57 installation:

I have my H57 ceiling mounted, and used this formula in Excel:

=168*TAN(RADIANS(7.42))

Where 168 is the distance of the lens to screen in inches (change this to what your installation distance will be).

The answer you should get is approx 21.9 inches which came out pretty close to what it actually was. So the top of the projected picture will be 21.9 inches lower than the middle of the lens.

I needed the light from the projector to pass just under a ceiling fixture 1/2 way to the screen and still have the screen high enough to be mounted over a credenza when in the down position. The formula worked for me, but I would hold the projector where you think it will be mounted and turn it on to make sure it lines up correctly before installing the mount & screen...just to be safe.

Good luck.

OntarioTL

02-14-06, 12:49 PM

Thanks for the info deaners.

Now if my bank would clear my funds for paypal so I can get my projector already!!!

H57Indian

02-15-06, 11:23 AM

Wayne,

I have been looking at HD72. Looks impressive and at such attractive price of less than $2000. Any feedback/Comments vis-a-vis H57?

VJ

Dave Mack

02-15-06, 01:15 PM

Hey Wayne! Congrats to the Steelers!
Watchin' any Olympics in HD? Our cable company, comcast just switched one of our free hd channels, inhd2 which cropped 2:35-1 films to 16x9, to Universal HD which doesn't and has no logo! Scarface on this week!
I have been trying to find permanent work out here in Cali. and going through a bit of stress but I'm good.
What's this new HD72?

:) d

mystery

02-15-06, 03:13 PM

VJ,

The HD72 looks very impressive indeed! And if you can get at the $2000.00 mark or even lower then it could be a bargain. It has a seven segment color wheel and is rated at 5000:1 contrast ratio when used in AI mode. It's a real bright projector coming in at 1300 lumens which I think is 200 lumens more than the H57. All this and 720p native too? Sounds pretty good.

My H57 won't be a year old until the middle of the year so I'm in no hurry to upgrade. Heck, I've only got just over 300 hours on mine so far.

If any of the H57 buddies subscribed to this thread takes the plunge and goes for this HD72, be sure to chime in with a comparative review.

Dave,

As far as work goes, why don't you try out for the Governorship? Seems like Californians will elect almost anybody these days. ;)

Seriously though, (not that you couldn't be Governor :) ), yeah, I enjoyed the outcome of the Super Bowl but it started out as a Super Dud. Olympics in HD? I've been catching a bit of the action on my Pioneer RPTV but nothing on the H57 yet. Naturally I'm hoping that the Canadian Men's and Women's Hockey teams get the Gold again. :)

Haven't heard from our old buddy Will in a fair bit. Wonder how his theater room is coming along?

Wayne

Dave Mack

02-16-06, 02:25 PM

Hey Wayne!
Good news, I just got a part time job so that helps. And I actually have been trolling the hd72 threads. I'd like to hear a comparison before making any decisions though. I asked Tom, (Guitarman for his 2 cents) Since I have my extra lamp if I throw that in with my unused Zenith dvb-318 and the h57 I wonder if I could sell it all and break even? My fiancee thinks I'm nuts. But she said if I could break even she wouldn't give me hell about it. :)

mystery

02-17-06, 01:26 PM

Dave,

If you can come close to breaking even then it would seem like a no-brainer option.

Tell your fiance that it only gets worse once you're married. :) Wouldn't want to spring any nasty surprises on her. This constant urge to have the latest and greatest electronics gizmos is an obsessive disease and I am incurably afflicted with it. ;)

Let us know if/when Tom chimes in on the comparison.

Glad to hear that the news is positive on the career front. Keep plugging away at it. You might need that extra income to help with the HD72.

You guys ought to see what the H57 can do with the movie 'Stealth'! Absolutely awesome. Great black rendition and super contrast ratio. Colors pop off the screen.

Just got Fantastic Four for my birthday and I'm looking forward to that and Cinderella Man also which we've rented.

Wayne

OntarioTL

02-22-06, 11:19 PM

I'm as giddy as a nerd on a prom date!!! My Optoma H57 should arrive via UPS tomorrow. I can't wait to play around with it! I've been waiting a whole week for my paypal payment to clear (Damn Paypal!!!).

Now I do have the Panasonic RP-82, but was thinking about getting the Oppo. Hmmm, decisions decisions.........

Even though I have a new projector coming, I kinda feel bad retiring my X1. It's funny how many have had problems with the colour wheel motor, yet mine works like a charm. Luck of the draw I guess.

OntarioTL

sirredz

02-23-06, 06:57 AM

After a much needed rest I have resumed work in my basement. Wayne, I have accomplished nothing since we last spoke.

I am concerned to heard about the new H72 and that Dave is considering jumping ship to it... I haven't even installed mine yet!

This weekend is planned for big progress. I have selected my colors, and I have decided to paint the wall two-tone. I will be purchasing a GREY (darker) carpet and the walls will be called PROVENCE BLUE. The bottom 1/3 of the wall will also be a DARKER shade of grey then the carpet, but a textured paint. I have not decide what kind of trim I will use to divide them.

Glad to hear from you guys; I hope to be more regular in here from today forward.

Will

rosh1

02-23-06, 08:25 AM

Hi everyone,
I have been enjoying movies too many on my H57 to post anything here. Right now i was wondering if any one on this forum has come across either service codes or service manuals for the H57.
The reason is My H57 came with a totally greenish picture by default and it tooks hours and hours to get the colors right. Unfortunately its all just too easy to ruin these efforts by accidently pressing the reset button on the remote. I d really like to be able to permanently preset the colors. I ve trawled google but have been unsuccessful so far.
thanks in advance for any info
Rosh

OntarioTL

02-23-06, 02:26 PM

Well lookie what the UPS man brought to me today?

My H57 came in!!!!

I just hooked it up and I nearly crapped my pants. Here I was thinking there will be a little of improvement from the X1. Holly Sh*t, am I ever wrong, and glad I am. Wayne you were definately right on your comments about the H57.

The colours are so robust, contrast is unbelievable and bright but comes with the rainbow penalty. That's ok, I trained my eyes for the X1, I can do the same for the H57.

Right now, I'm playing with both projectors and doing comparisons. I know, its like comparing a Hyundai to a Ferrari, but I needed the justification of plopping down some bills for it. It's actually quite fun comparing. i haven't had this much wow factor since getting the X1 and being impressed how big my screen was.

Now I watch through my Panasonic RP-82 and just love the picture. Makes me wonder if it would even be benificial to get the OPPO player?

Wayne, I recall you had some settings on the previous posts with the H57. I will look for them and use them for myself, or just use the Avia disc tonight.

Mike

mystery

02-23-06, 06:46 PM

Will,

Nice to hear from you. :) I'm sure that rest did you good. We've missed you. Hopefully you'll be able to complete your room and treat us to some photos in the not too distant future. The colors you've chosen sound very good and I don't think that they're going to interfere with the colors on screen. Staying with neutral tones is actually recommended so as not to skew image tints.

Since you've been gone, our buddy Dave Mack has become part time Governor of the State of California (Kaleefourneea). :D

rosh1,

I haven't ventured into service mode and haven't had any need to do it really. Be careful because you can do some awesome damage if you fool around with any settings and can't get them back. I have two suggestions for you. One is to send a private message to Guitarman (Tom) who has a very close relationship with Optoma USA. He may be able to retrieve the codes for you. Another suggestion is to contact Optoma and speak with an Engineer. You may get lucky and get him/her to provide you with what you seek.

Keep in mind that venturing into service mode can void your warranty. Speaking of warranties, why not consider sending your H57 in for repair work? I don't think a default green picture is normal and you're the first that I've heard who's experienced this.

Mike,

I'm glad you finally got your baby. :) So you see I wasn't exaggerating about the H57 eh? I think your rainbows will diminish. I had them with the X1 at first as well and they subsided. I haven't had a problem with the H57 regarding this other than the odd rainbow once in a while. No big deal.

I don't think I could ever switch from Optoma now that I've been spoiled by their outstanding colors. This is one of the many things I don't miss about the X1.

I can't speak for your DVD player but I do like the Oppo. I retired my LG/Zenith upconverting player when the Oppo came. It's very good indeed. I particularly like what it does with a straight 480i feed via component to the H57. I believe that the H57 has a very good de-interlacer and scaler because it converts images to 480p beautifully.

DVI via the Oppo upscaled to either 720p or 1080i is quite good. However, I don't use the Oppo for this purpose as I rely on my HTPC for 720p when I show movies. The Oppo is for video based material in our home and when viewing discs of this nature, the Oppo blows away my HTPC because it handles video with little or no artifacts.

Do a good calibration with AVIA. My numbers will almost certainly not work for you or anyone else for that matter as each person's surroundings are so different. My contrast is set at 32 and my brightness at 72. These settings have proven to be optimal for my set up with semi-dark walls/ceiling and a High Power Screen.

Have fun!

Wayne

OntarioTL

02-23-06, 09:19 PM

Wayne,

Yeah I thought about your settings and it is very true that they won't help me in my HT room. I will play around with AVIA tomorrow.
I took a drive to the local FS in town and picked up the LG 531 upconverting DVD player to test out the HDMI. It's not bad, but I'm not keeping it. I wanted to see whether it was worth upgrading. If the OPPO is much better than the LG, I'll be more than happy. I just ordered one a second ago. I thought about keeping the LG, but as soon as I tested the layer change, it was a definate return. I hope the OPPO fairs better from what other posts have stated. The LG still took about .5 sec to change. I want it basically down to none. I know, I'm picky. The one thing I do must say is that with its new firmware, I haven't seen any macroblocks.

Anyways, going back to play with my H57 before hitting the sack.

Mike :D

baron95

02-25-06, 08:09 AM

Hi everyone.

I've been going through this thread to learn more about the H57. You guys have sold me on the projector and the Oppo DVD player. Is anyone using a 2:35 to 1 aspect ratio for a screen? I'm thinking of going with a 104 in. diagonal in this ratio. Primary viewing of this projector will be DVD and HDTV.

mystery

02-26-06, 06:30 AM

baron95,

Welcome to the club! :) A 104" 2.35:1 A/R screen will light up like a Christmas tree with the H57. :D You might want to consider going 16:9 (1.78:1) for HDTV and those 1.85.1 movies. A screen in 16:9 configuration also shows 4:3 material larger than a 2.35:1.

If you're concerned about masking you can devise ways to hide the bars. I've incorporated a system into my screen setup whereby a piece of wood the length of the screen is hanging from black, plastic chains suspended from a length of dowelling which is situated just above the screen. I just lower and raise the wood as needed to cover up the light overspill when viewing 2.35:1 stuff. The wood is covered in black felt material. I've done the same thing for the top bar only I have it draped over the casing of the screen and held there by magnetic stripping.

For fine tuning of the bottom bar I've got turnbuckles attached to each black chain which allows me to micro manage exactly where I want to place and level off the wood. This gives great latitude in configuration for odd aspect ratios like 2.40:1 for instance. The chain links can also be adjusted by using more or less of the chain link as needed.

Works very well for me and setup is a snap.

Let us know your impressions if/when you get your H57 and Oppo.

Wayne