The H57 has sold out and won't be available until at least late July. :( Recently a big box chain held a successful promotion of it and cleaned out Optoma of it's stock.

So, given that this projector has sold like hotcakes, why isn't there an official thread about it? Why haven't more H57 owners been talking this baby up?

I started out with the H31 but upgraded to the H57 and I'd never go back. So come on all you H57 owners out there. Pipe up! :)

Wayne

So, given that this projector has sold like hotcakes, why isn't there an official thread about it? Why haven't more H57 owners been talking this baby up?

Wayne
You'll need to venture over to the $3500 and up forum. Just remember it gets lonely at the top and all your friends are down here...for now.

The H57 is the odd man out in the Optoma lineup. It really seems aimed at PAL countries, as here in the states its native resolution doesnt match DVDs or HDTV. Why would anyone want to pay almost double the H31 price for an H57, when the H31 works so well? And, if you wanted to upgrade, why not spend a little more for a 720P like the BenQ or Toshiba? I'm really curious, since while I'm happy with my H31 I couldn't see upgrading to anything less than 720P. See the article at www.projectorcentral.com concerning resolution, they agree that H57 class PJs are the red-headed stepchild of the PJ world.

CMRA,

I understand that Optoma has lowered the MSRP to $2000.00 U.S. which should make this projector a more talked about entity in this forum.

floridapoolboy,

While the H57 is essentially a matterhorn, it renders both DVDs and HDTV beautifully without scaling artifacts. I have seen 720p projectors and neither DVDs nor HDTV look better to my eyes than on the H57. When you're that close to HD resolution, it's my opinion that a negative comparison is only really nit-picking.

The price of D3 chip DLP projectors isn't even close to what the H57 is selling for now. It hits a sweet spot between the 480p pjs and the 720ps. If what you want is an LCD projector @ 720p then yes, it doesn't make sense to buy the H57 but if DLP is what you're looking for then the H57 is a good fit.

I went through two H31s before giving up. I can't afford a 720p DLP, especially the way they're priced here in Canada but the H57 is now being aggressively priced.

Here's why I upgraded to the H57:

1. Better reds. The H31 has orangey reds whether it's through an HTPC or a DVD player. You can only tweak them so far before your image begins to suffer in other ways.

2. The H57 has no trouble syncing with an HTPC unlike the H31 which can be hit or miss. Both my H31s would not work with a computer over DVI.

3. Better resolution. The pixels are smaller and there are more of them on the H57. You can sit closer to the screen without being affected by SDE.

4. The H57 is brighter. This may or not be a good thing but I like it.

5. Color saturation is better on the H57. The H31 is very good in this regard but I see the H57 as being noticeably better.

6. No tearing on the H57, unlike the H31 when used with an HTPC.

7. Separate VGA input on the H57 rather than a shared DVI/VGA input on the H31.

Check out this review posted by a fellow AVS Forum member who runs the website on which the review is posted:

http://www.projectorreviews.com/review.asp?reid=35

Wayne

At roughly twice the street price it should. But, fear not, in this leap frog world of digital PJ technology don't be surprised (down the road) when some of us replace our H31s with H79s (dare I say, for less than H57s currently go for?) And, remember, the best is yet to come. Enjoy.

Remember, it's lonely at the top...for now.

Reminds me of that episode in the old Twilight Zone series where people had been deemed obsolete in view of the fact that certain functions once performed by them were no longer needed. :eek:

Oh well...

Well, I have to agree with Mystery. I love my H57, the color is wonderful, it is bright enough for lights on and its so easy to connect. The menu is more than I could ever have asked for. I was displaying it in my room at about 92 inches in diagnol and sittin about 6 fee6 away and it still looked absolutely stunning.

Nautica,

Thanks for the reply. I knew I wasn't the only one who owns this projector. :)

Now there are at least two happy H57 purchasers. I don't feel so lonely anymore. :D

Wayne

It's about time I hear more about this projector.
I am also an H57 owner here in canada.

Adam

Adam,

Good for you and thanks for responding! And a fellow Canuck to boot. :)

Our little family is growing now. ;)

Wayne

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder someone said. I have a H57 with 350 flawless hours of operation. Could I have spent another 1k to say I have a 720 projector? Absolutely. So why didn't I?

I had a friend bring his H77 to my house one weekend for a neighborhood movie night. My H57 against his H77. We had 7 couples watch two movies. The first half of the movies we watched the H57 and the second half we watched the H77. Both projectors calibrated with AIVIA. Both projectors using a Harmon Cardan DVD 21. The other couples were not told which projector was in use. We then watched some HD broadcast on various stations using both.

The movies were: Gladiator and Lord of the Rings Return of the King.

Results:
Gladiator - H57 - 8 votes and H77 6 votes
LOR - H57 - 6 votes and H77 8 votes

HD Broadcast - H57 7 votes and H77 7 votes

When all asked if they had to choose one over the other, they all said, which one is cheaper? What does this all mean? We all see things differently. I think some people get so wrapped up in all the technology that they become afflicted to the point of never being satisfied. Of course the manufactures love it. The best is not always better. The middle of the pack is sometimes the better choice. The newest technology comes with an unproven cost performance measure. The oldest is always stable but getting behind the times. The middle takes in some new technology while perfecting what was learned from the older technology.

In the end. Both me and my neighbor are still very satisfied with our purchase. My money went for buying more movies and a better DVD player while his money gives him the bragging rights of having a newer technology that cost more.

The H57 was trapped in a bad time with too high of a retail price. The price dropped and in my opinion is the (Best) middle of the road you can buy and knocks on the door of the super projectors.

Thank you for that superb testimony 'Brother avolfan'. :D

Wow, what a story you have to tell! That is truly remarkable. So the two projectors were virtually neck and neck when the dust settled.

This thread is staying alive through folks like yourself and the others who've contributed. The H57 is underappreciated on this forum in my opinion. It's sort of Optoma's best kept secret.

I think you're right in that it got off on the wrong foot with pricing that was too high, especially on a projector with a resolution that's neither HD nor SWVGA.

But now with the price drop it ought to be very appealing to anyone wishing to own a projector that delivers as you've proven, almost HD resolution quality.

Indeed, the proof is in the putting and anecdotes such as yours that allow people to compare units comparable to what you had, speak volumes.

I'm sure that the H77/79 are fine projectors but it would appear based on your little experiment that those of us who've opted for the H57 aren't missing out on too much.

There must be other owners of the H57 who've read this thread but haven't posted. Let's hear from you! :) That big box store that cleaned Optoma out of the H57 recently with it's massive promotion, well, there must be people who took advantage of that who belong to AVS.

Good stuff avolfan! :)

Wayne

OK, I've narrowed it down to either the H31 or H57. I'd like to set up a 110" diag (16X9) screen due to my large room (18'X18'). How would the H31 do at this size given my two seating tier distances will be 17' and 11'? Given the screen size I want is the H57 the only way to go (or perhpas I'm too new at this and not asking the right questions)?

Any and all help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks, Mike!

PS - Hope you don't mind a potential future H57 owner posting here :)

Hi Mike,

Welcome to the H57 appreciation thread! :)

The H31 will do well at 17' but at 11' may cause some people to notice SDE. You probably should opt for more pixels viewing that closely.

I'm using my H57 at about 10' and I can see SDE on occasion and that's a 1024 x 576 resolution projector! And my screen is only 92" across diagonally so you'll be spreading your pixels out quite a bit more.

If most of your viewing will be at 17' then you'll be fine with the H31 in my opinion. You could always stick the non-picky people up front. :D

Let us know what you finally decide on and treat us to a review. :)

Wayne

Using Erik's nice little calculator we get these numbers for the H31 @ 110":

17 ft - 31.72 pixels per degree. You are at 26.45 degrees horizontal field of view. This is the same as the worst seat in a THX certified theater. 30 degrees is SMPTE recommended.

11 ft - 20.52 PPD - the folks here likely will see SDE. They have a 40 degree HVA.

The rule of thumb is that at 30 PPD you shouldn't see SDE anymore.

For the H57 at 11 ft you're at 24.61 PPD. Still not good. At 17 ft you're at 38.03 PPD.

You know...given that its 2005 I think that we should move on from considering WSVGA to be the cat's ass...even for the budget forum.

Nigel

Link to calculator: http://home1.gte.net/res18h39/calculator.htm

Neat little gizmo.

So based on my 84" 2.35:1 screen to get 30 PPD:

H31=13.09 feet
H57= 10.84 feet
H77,78,79= 8.67 feet

So...13.09 feet approx $1000
subtract 2.25 feet...approx $2000
subtract 4.42 feet...yikes...

That's $74.00 an inch.
Or, 5 DVDs per inch. Now there's a difference I can see.
And, to think, Optoma is coming out with a Wally World special H27.

Neat little gizmo.

So based on my 84" 2.35:1 screen to get 30 PPD:

H31=13.09 feet
H57= 10.84 feet
H77,78,79= 8.67 feet

So...13.09 feet approx $1000
subtract 2.25 feet...approx $2000
subtract 4.42 feet...yikes...

That's $74.00 an inch.
Or, 5 DVDs per inch. Now there's a difference I can see.
And, to think, Optoma is coming out with a Wally World special H27.

Well, 26 degrees is the worst acceptable seat in a THX theater. The H57 allows you to sit at the NHK and SMPTE preferred 30 degrees. If you prefer (or need) to sit at 13 feet it gives you better pixel density. 30 PPD is the minimum acceptable. 60 PPD is the target.

The point really isn't that the matterhorn is worth $2000 but that the minimum for HT should be at least the matterhorn if not 720 and not 480 in this day and age. Neither the H31 or 4805 are all that worthy of the praise they get around here. The bottom end DLP should be a 4805 class $1200 machine with the matterhorn and not SVGA. IMHO the matterhorn is pretty danged borderline for 2005.

I've been running an XGA projector since 2000. Ya think in 5 years SVGA would have gone the path of the dodo. At least we now have the SX50 at a reasonable price for presentation. Perhaps a HT model might appear next year and SVGA finally dead and XGA the new bottom end.

Anyone here still use their computer at 800x600? No? Didn't think so.

Nigel

PS Yes it is a neat little tool.

Nigel, you wrote:
"The bottom end DLP should be a 4805 class $1200 machine with the matterhorn and not SVGA. IMHO the matterhorn is pretty danged borderline for 2005. "

You make a fine argument. WXGA (1280x720p) LCD projectors have been out well over a year (Z2) and street for about that price.
Anyway, for what it's worth, and for whatever the reason, I find the H31 very watchable at 11.2 to 12.6 feet with only slight peek-a-boo SDE. By calculation, this works out to be 25.7 to 28.8 PPD. Perhaps it's my setup, or Optoma's engineering, or maybe I just have a higher tolerance for SDE (or a combination).

So why are the H77's the same price now on Ebay (3k avg.) as the H57's? I understand that they had a BIG price drop but why haven't the H57's too? The cheapest on Ebay is 3k as well. WTF?!?!? Even 2K would be pushing the cost at this stage...

The H57 can now be had for roughly twice the price of an H31 (just do a little internet digging and you'll see) so it's still much less than an H77. I don't know about Ebay but I've re-searched the prices online and the prices are all over the board. However you can get a phenomenal deal if you let your fingers do the walking... :)

Nigel,

Would you please explain in layman's terms exactly how this PPD thing works? :confused: I've tried to think it through but I don't understand it.

Thanks! :)

Wayne

True, I've now seen the h57 through an AVS sponsor for $1999. Is it even worth that at this point? Should I wait? Most people who've checked out the 31 and 57 seem to prefer the 31... :) d

Nigel,

Would you please explain in layman's terms exactly how this PPD thing works? :confused: I've tried to think it through but I don't understand it.

Thanks! :)

Wayne

The rule of thumb is that average human vision can see things down to a little under 1 arc-minute in your field of view. There are 60 minutes in a degree so at 1 pixel per minute this yeilds 60 pixels per degree as a decent target of performance where pixel structure should be undetectable for most folks.

30 PPD is where SDE should become less visible to most folks. That's probably like saying a 6x wheel makes rainbows less visible to most folks. Mostly true with a few exceptions. I know that at 30 PPD I can still see screen door at times (mostly skies). Many folks, when looking for it, can spot RBE even with the best of the single chippers. But for the most part, shouldn't be a big deal for most folks.

There are caveats of course. Folks can actually detect smaller objects than one minute. A powerline in the sky at 0.5 seconds is detectable. Stars are another example. So some things are a little bit more visible than you might otherwise think given the rule of thumb.

Nigel

True, I've now seen the h57 through an AVS sponsor for $1999. Is it even worth that at this point? Should I wait? Most people who've checked out the 31 and 57 seem to prefer the 31... :) d

Someone has told Jason that their HD2+ projector will list at $2500 around the end of the year...

If you have a projector I might wait. If you don't have a projector...that's tougher. There's always something new coming along and you can wait forever. If buying now, I suggest getting the cheapest you think you can live with. I'm just whining that the cheapest should be better than it is today. :)

Regardless of what you get, there's generally a few months honeymoon where just having a big image for the first time makes any projector shortcomings less noticable. After a while you start noticing bad things about your projector anyway and start getting that upgrade itch.

Nigel

True, I've now seen the h57 through an AVS sponsor for $1999. Is it even worth that at this point? Should I wait? Most people who've checked out the 31 and 57 seem to prefer the 31... :) d

I see the same pattern with digital PJs as PCs and cell phones. Early adopters pave the road through high prices. Over time, prices trickle down and quality, performance, and features improve. Everyone prefers the H31 only because you get so MUCH projector for your money. The 57 is the better of the two, just not twice the price better. BTW, Optoma is following Infocus's lead and making a name for themself in the consumer market. Neither can be ignored, nor should they be. Optoma, in particular, is cutting new ground in the price/performance arena.

Nigel,

Thanks for the explanation. It's all greek to me still but I get the idea basically I think. :)

Dave,

In my mind there are enough benefits to make the H57 worth the extra cost over the H31. I've had both in my home and I wouldn't go back to the H31. I liked it a lot but when I tried the H57 I liked it a whole lot better! ;)

CMRA,

I think you're right in that Optoma is going to give Infocus a run for it's money. Yes, the H57 is better than the H31 and of course, it ought to be given the price. The H31 is without a doubt though probably the best bang for your greenback at the present time. Whether it's worth double the cost to opt for the H57 is a subjective call but I feel that the difference is worth it.

Wayne

I'm sorry. I meant for DVDs the 31 was preferred over the 57. No scaling etc...

I know what you mean Dave. I guess some people notice artifacts or maybe a softening of the image when upscaling. It hasn't been an issue for me. I really liked 848 x 480 on the H31 though. But I couldn't get rid of the tearing at that resolution so I had to upscale to 1280 x 720 at 48 Hz which reduced/eliminated the tearing at the expense of image quality ever so slightly. With the H57 I don't find any degradation with it's scaling to 1024 x 576. Hopefully no one will see it and point it out to me. :)

Wayne

Hi again,

I'm starting to lean towards the H57, I just wish there were some deals like for the 31. The cheapest I can find the 57 is the new MSRP of $1999. But the 31 can be found for about 25% off its MSRP. Should I wait? And yes, I am TV-less at moment. Sold my good old tweaked 55" Mits. Diamond recently.

If you had a TV I'd be tempted to suggest that you wait to see what the new projectors are going to be like. But since you're desperate and TV less :) maybe you should do something about it.

You know the H31 is so relatively cheap right now that you can't really lose, even if you only keep it for a year. You could probably recoup half of what you paid and plunk that down on something better.

On the other hand, you might want to dig down a little deeper and get the H57 since it's apparently hard to tell the difference between the H57 and the H77. This means that spending a little more now may save you the aggravation of selling in a year. You might want to keep a pj with more resolution for several years until 1080p comes in and low enough to make it worthwhile.

Wayne

I see that the 57 comes with a free replacement bulb and free shipping now. The bulb goes for about $399 so it's getting more tempting. Maybe I could sell the spare bulb???

:) d

You're getting creative now. :)

That spare bulb could come in handy when you go to sell the H57. Might be something a prospective buyer would like and you could raise your price a little too.

Either way you can't lose. You'll get something now by selling the bulb or you'll reap a little extra when you sell the projector, provided you haven't had to use that spare bulb yourself. ;)

It's a beautiful projector. I noticed right away how it renders colors more accurately than the H31, especially reds. Better saturation too. And of course the resolution is better even on DVD when scaled. It appears sharp to me without artifacts. HDTV is so good that it's very close to 1080i that I view on my 64" Pioneer CRT RPTV.

Bright as the sun too! We can watch with a lamp or two on and we do just that on occasion. Works flawlessly with a PC and has a separate VGA input apart from DVI which I like.

Can you tell I'm biased? :D

Wayne

tempting, tempting..... Does anyone think that the prices will drop? I mean, if one retailer is giving away a $400 bulb....

I am agonizing over the same decision of going with the H76 or H57. The two projectors are priced at exactly the same point. The H57 comes with a free bulb which makes it more economical to run past 3000 hours.

I am currently own a Panasonic AE500u and have enjoyed it except the VB has killed the viewing enjoyment. So my motivation to upgrade is based on a desire not to have VB and increase black levels. My room is white and it is not totally light controlled, but I watch the projector primarily at night. I prefer a dim picture because when the picture is very bright it gives me a headache. I originally thought the headache was caused by dlp projectors but the exact same problem occurred with the Panasonic. I created a gray screen to reduce the brightness of the projector and the headache virtually vanished. I like screens in the 80' to 90' range with viewing distances of 1.7 to 2.0+. I plan on getting a black screen in the future so that I can have fluorescent lighting in the room without degrading the picture. This I believe will help eliminate all traces of headaches.

I am reluctant to give up the native resolution of 720p because I enjoy HD through cable and I feel I will have a HD DVD player in the next 9 months. I also will enjoy gaming in 720p. The H57 has 1000 higher contrast but I am not sure I would achieve it in my white room. My biggest questions are on the black levels and dlp dither. Do they have the same black levels? Will either machine have a greater dither tendency?

Other considerations are that the H76 has greater placement flexibility. I will be able to mount it perfectly in my room with a much higher WAF. I do not believe either machine has an advantage in terms of operational quietness.

Currently I am leaning in favor of the H76 because of convince issues and I believe the picture will look virtually the same in my room.

Everyone's input is appreciated

Robert

All the 76's I find are factory refurbished.... But I am curious....
Also, what screen would 57 owners reccomend?

:) D

Yes I was talking about a factory referbished unit. That does not really bother me.

Well, I'm currently using a 92" diagonal Da-Lite High Power screen with my H57. Let me tell you, HP is NOT the screen to opt for with this projector. Even in econo mode it's very bright and it's hard to calibrate with AVIA because the black bars in the brightness screen are difficult to bring into view. I have my brightness setting at 61.

What I've done is taken Krasmuzik's advice and purchased an ND2 filter which has cut the lumens in half and rendered a much more satisfying image. I am even considering purchasing an ND4 filter because I still think that the image could be possibly too bright. It's cheaper than buying another screen. However, if I were to purchase a screen for the H57 I'd either get a plain Matte White 1.0 gain or try the new Optoma Graywolf screen @ 1.8 gain.

It would seem that any of the gray screens on the market may be a good match for the H57. Still, I don't think that a Matte White would be a problem. You may have to use an ND2 filter even with a Matte White screen. But you have to try these things out in your own home in order to determine what's best for you.

Wayne

You're getting creative now. :)

It's a beautiful projector. I noticed right away how it renders colors more accurately than the H31, especially reds. Better saturation too. And of course the resolution is better even on DVD when scaled. It appears sharp to me without artifacts. HDTV is so good that it's very close to 1080i that I view on my 64" Pioneer CRT RPTV.


Mystery,

I'll admit, I'm a newbie when it comes to front projectors, but how is it possible that a projector at 576p outperform a projector at 480p like the H31 when the latter needs no scaling to project a dvd's true resolution? Given all the factors were the same, such as light control, lumen output, same video sources, etc., for dvd, wouldn't for example, an H31 be more ideal for dvd viewing? Like everyone here, I want to get the deepest blacks and most vibrant, accurate colors as possible so that has led me to the dlp's and the Infocus 4805 and Optoma H31. For dvd viewing, I thought these were the kings. Now the H57 retails for twice as much as said projectors so will it give me twice the performance? For my needs, I think this machine would be overkill when a 4805 or H31 would do just as well as an H57. But hey, I could be wrong and that's why you guys are here to shed some light. Do I need to go into the 2k or 3k price range to get the best dvd picture possible? I think the H57 has not garnered much attention because it has to up or downscale everything it projects and giving everything a softer picture, dvd or hdtv. If I'm wrong, let me know, and as always, any recommendations will be appreciated. Forum members, what are your thoughts? Currently, I'm looking into buying my first projector and my primary viewing will be 65% DVD and 35% HDTV in a completely light controlled room, 16w by 12h, with no ambient light, table mounted, and 15 ft. back for seating.

Joe

Joe,

Welcome aboard! :)

Many have offered your argument that watching DVDs is always best at their native resolution with projectors that display such without scaling.

I think that it depends on which projector you're comparing with. There are probably a lot of projectors with higher native resolution than 480p that look not as good as these Dark Chip 2 pjs running at 854 x 480.

On the other hand, resolution is only one part of the equation when evaluating an image. I used to own the Infocus X1 as recently as March of this year. I have noticed that when I purchased the H31, the image was superior whether DVD or HDTV. It was brighter, had more resolution when viewing widescreen material, rendered most colors with better accuracy and saturation etc...

However, I went through two H31s before finally opting to upgrade to the H57. The problem was that the H31s didn't hold a digital signal coming from an HTPC. Another issue was consistent tearing in the image from the computer whether analog or digital feed.

These two issues were resolved by switching to the H57. I also noticed that the H57 rendered reds with tremendous accuracy versus the orangey reds on the H31. The greater amount of pixels on the H57 allow me to sit closer to my screen without seeing SDE. It's also a much brighter projector than the H31 and because of it's design, doesn't 'leak' light out of the case as much as the H31. The H57 has better input capabilities than the H31.

Earlier in this thread it was stated that the H57 performed very well up against the H77.

But to your question, I have determined that watching DVDs at higher resolutions doesn't necessarily render a softer image. I find that the PixelWorks scaler is very good and I don't see an image from DVDs on the H57 that is softer than the native resolution that an H31 would display.

I also use the LG7832/ZenithDB318 upconverting player @ 1080i over component which I find absolutely superb on the H57 and also was the same on the H31. I never noticed a picture without the same amount of detail present as straight 848 x 480 or 854 x 480.

So, it comes down to trying it out for yourself and then deciding. Some people may not like viewing DVDs on a matterhorn or higher projector.

In my estimation, more pixels are better as long as you have a scaler that will work well. If not, then it's probably best to stick with the native 854 or 848 x 480 projectors.

Is the H57 worth double the price of the H31? To me it is. I've outlined a litany of reasons why. For those who're using the H31 only with DVD players then it may not be worth it to upgrade to the H57. With an HTPC, for me it was absolutely necessary to go to the H57 because I couldn't get the H31s to work with DVI from my HTPC and many others have had the same problem.

Now, debating the Infocus SP4805 versus the Optoma H57 would be a different story. The Infocus works well with an HTPC so I wouldn't have that problem to deal with. Still, in that case it's louder than the H57, won't render HDTV as well, and is now a relatively 'old' projector in the grand scheme of things.

I think that if you can afford it, it's always better to opt for more pixels in the long run. If you're main viewing is DVDs then this point MAY be debatable, especially if the projector with more pixels that you might be considering has an average scaler. In that case, the WVGA projector with fewer pixels may be the best choice.

You have to very carefully consider so many things other than just resolution though.

Another thing to think about is that if you're concerned about a higher resolution projector softening a DVD image too much, there are ways to sharpen it up without edge enhancement or ringing artifacts. If you do use an HTPC, there are programs available that could counteract any softening you might notice.

Anyway, this has been my experience and perhaps the H57 isn't the right projector for you price-wise or performance wise. You'll have to explore that personally to determine the answer.

Good luck! :)

Wayne

My H31 looks spectacular on DVDs with a 480P component input, and very very good with HDTV using DVI. If you plan on sitting very close to the screen or using HTPC then the H57 may be worth the extra cash, otherwise buy the H31! I personally wouldn't upgrade to a Matterhorn, with true 720P PJs dropping in price like they are. Buy the H31 now, upgrade in a year or so to true Hi-def! (thats what I'm gonna do)

Hi Wayne, I also have a flashed original firmware zenith dvb318 (Was sending 1080i over comp. to my 55" Mits. Diamond...) I loved the added deatail pq-wise, but I hated the fact that there was no pillarboxing of 4x3 available. (Mits. locked into FULL mode at 1080i) also it seemed my player lost audio sync. at times. Now would the PQ on the H57 look better with the 1080i signal than say a good 480p player? I would assume that the pic. would be scaled twice then, up to 1080i by player then back to 576p by projector. Also would you used DVI or component? I know of the white crush issue with the old firmware but I could always reflash the new.... And what do the H57 and H31 do for 4x3 material
Thanx! D

Dave,

I've never been able to get DVI to work from the LG/Zenith player. It just freezes and locks up and then I have to unplug it and start over so I've given up and just upconvert over component.

I can't remember what the H31 did with 4:3 material unfortunately. I can tell you that the H57 displays side bars @ 480p but I usually never use this player at that resolution. When I feed the H57 1080i from the LG/Zenith the projector stretches the picture to 16:9 and doesn't do as good a job of it as my fantastic :) 64" Pioneer CRT RPTV.

However, interestingly enough, when I'm using my HTPC and TheaterTek player, 4:3 material is properly displayed in the middle of my screen with bars on either side. However, I find that video based material from my HTPC doesn't show as well as it does from the LG/Zenith. Film based material is fine via DVD player or HTPC.

So, although I prefer to view video based 4:3 material from the LG/Zenith player, I have to resort to 480p for the proper aspect ratio unless I want to put up with poor stretching @ 1080i.

As far as whether 480p or 1080i looks best on the H57 I can't really say because as you probably are aware, the LG/Zenith player has been panned for it's 480p mode. I imagine that a very good player @ 480p would be comparable and maybe even better on the H57 because as you say, there are two scaling operations in effect when using an upconverting player.

But I gotta tell ya, I just don't see the problem. The PixelWorks scaler in these Optoma projectors has to be at least on a par with Faroudja. I really like the look of an upconverted signal whether it was my old X1 or the H31 or now the H57. I used the LG/Zenith on all three projectors and never went back to my previous Sony NSP700 which was regarded as a good 480p player with the Genesis chip.

And if you're worried about a softening up an upconverted picture, I find the LG/Zenith to render not only a very film like image but also one with just enough detail to satisfy me. And if I want more detail, all I have to do is put the DVD in the HTPC and use TheaterTek with ffdshow post-processing filter to sharpen things up to my heart's content and I have the best of both worlds! :)

Oh, and another thing. ;) I use component with the DVD player and DVI-D with the HTPC and the only thing that I like better about the DVI-D cable is that it seems to pass along a brighter image to the projector. Otherwise, colors, blacks, CR, etc... are similar enough that I can't really say whether component or DVI is better. The difference though is that there is far more control over the image when you use an HTPC and I really like that so for that reason I tend to favor the HTPC when viewing DVDs. I'm using expensive cables for both if that makes any difference.

As for your audio sync problems, I think that I've experienced this on occasion as well but it usually corrects itself or I turn the player off and then back on again and the situation is back to normal.

I REALLY like this H57 Dave. I'm glad that I had a chance to compare both the H31 and the H57. They're both excellent but my jaw dropped even further to the floor after seeing the H57 for the first time than it did upon firing up the H31 on it's initial voyage.

Wayne

Thanx for the thorough answer! I appreciate it. I have a 12bit video D/A JVC region-free player and Compared to the zenith (10 bit) on my old mits... the JVC had better color range. The zenith was more detailed at 1080i but 4x3 videos looked awful. Also the JVC player has pic. controls, contrast, brightness, gamma, color, tint and sharpness so I could adjust the pic. in the digital realm. I liked having that flexability so I might just stick with the JVC and sell the zenith.
Now, if we could only get an apt. here in Berkeley/Sf, we could actually GET the 57 and start watching flicks~! d

... Now would the PQ on the H57 look better with the 1080i signal than say a good 480p player? I would assume that the pic. would be scaled twice then, up to 1080i by player then back to 576p by projector. ...

Yes, H57 throws a better detailed HD image than any 480p projector!

People believed that 576p doesn't bring any benefits to the 480p/720p NTSC world. In fact, that may be a big oversight! Let me explain.

DVD --
Resolution is 720x480, most projectors are scaling to 2-3% bigger than 853x480, so that they have overscan to protect from some unwanted boundary noises. Unless a 480p projector was designed with 1:1 480p vertically-unscaled (horizontally, one still needs to streth from 720 to 853), all projectors scales the 480p, then more pixel resolution will have a smoother, less screen-door image. So, in this case, 576p projector enjoys some benefits over 480p projectors, unless there is no overscan in 480p processing.

720p --
Well, only 720p projector with 1:1 mapping can show an outstanding 720p image, but most 720p projectors scale the 720p input to have overscan as well. 576p enjoys a bigger advantage over 480p for more pixel for scaling process.

1080i --
I know for sure that H57 has a mode that treats 1080i as 540p signal, and just display in 960x540 image area centered. What does this mean? NO SCALING! Imaging the good looking 34" 16x9 1080i CRT Tube TV showing an HDTV image. 576p projector can have a very similar image if it treats 1080i simply as 540p. As far as I know, only Priceton Graphics 30" 16x9 CRT is true 720p progressive. Sony/Panasonic/Toshiba high end CRT TV are all showing in 1080i mode, just like H57 in the 540p mode. So, H57 can beat 480p projector completely in terms of sharpness and no scaling artifacts.

So, there you have it, H57 stands out better than most 480p projectors, no matter the source is 480p, 576p, 1080i or 720p. Heck, it is even better than 720p with overscan for H57 can show 1080i "unscaled" (I wouldn't say "native" :p ), and in 480p and 720p, both scales.

So, I've always said to my friends that 576p is the way to go for entry home theater. Yes, if you have the bucks, you can be the Buck Roger and have 720p or even 1008p. But for average folks, with a little premium, H57 with 540p mode 576p projector can make you very happy with DVD and with all those 1080i movies from HBO HD, SHOWTIME HD, Discovery HD, .... (except for ABS 720p HD! which is only a small portion of the HD programs, and only US has 720p)

Congratulation of you lucky 576p owners! (I have a "576p" H56 in my den, projecting 75" on a white wall, my kids love it!!)

(Note: H31 was designed with 1:1 mapping with DVD signals, and has a special 1080i mode to treat 1080i as 540p, then only display the center 853x480 .... so, it's not bad for a little fellow, but H57 comes with 250W lamp, more intensity and more light output, also a bigger, stronger ID with air-duct for quieter operations .... )

Hmmm... interesting. Might keep the zenith at 1080i after all...... :)

Mystery and Floridapoolboy, thank you for the replies.

Mystery, initially, I wanted to go with a 576p resolution projector thinking that the extra resolution would make for a clearer, more vivid picture for dvd viewing. Now dvd's, keep in mind, will be my primary viewing. I came to this conclusion after seeing an Infocus 4805 and 5700 demoed in my theater room and wasn't too thrilled with the 4805. There was a little ambient light coming in from the outside so the room wasn't completely dark but still, both projectors were tested with the same sources and under the same conditions. To me, the 576p 5700 had richer colors and deeper blacks, so my thinking is I have to go with a 576p to get an image that I'm happy with. But after reading all these posts and sifting through all the arguments, the facts become murky, especially if you're so new to front projectors and looking for advice from more knowledgeable people.

On one side, some say you cannot get a better or more detailed image out of a projector outside 480p. In addition, going with a 576p or 720p projector would require scaling and softening of the picture. While the otherside says go with the higher ends because it will allow you to sit closer to the screen without having to suffer from SDE and will better equip you for future technology.

Okay, taking the above points into consideration, my reasoning is:

1. Let's go with a Dark Chip 2 like the Optoma H31 because I wasn't too thrilled with the 4805.
2. I won't be using HTPC so I won't have to deal with those issues.
3. I'll be sitting at least 15 ft. away from the screen so I won't suffer from SDE.
4. Why pay twice or three times as much when according to everybody, 576p or 720p would be just too much for dvd?

Mystery, like all newbies that barely enter the realm of home theater, we want that "jaw dropping" effect that you got out of the H57. So why can't that be had out of a projector like the 4805 or H31 when these projectors are displaying at the dvds native resolution. Please provide some insight and much thanks for the help.

Joe

Hi Joe,

Thanks for your post and your questions. You're obviously sincerely grappling with this decision and it certainly can be a difficult one to make.

Mine was made for me. I had researched the H31 for months. The upgrade itch was upon me and I couldn't 'afford' anything much more than the price of the SP4805 or the H31 so I narrowed my choice down to one of these two. I also considered the NEC410 and the BenQ5120 but discarded those from my consideration, the reasons I don't think really matter to anyone at this point.

It seemed to me that after having an Infocus product (X1) for close to 2 years, it would be kind of uninteresting to buy another projector from them without sampling what one of the other manufacturers could produce. Also, I was REALLY ticked that Infocus would come up with this grand scheme to soak purchasers out of even more money by charging for an M1 adapter just so that one could then use DVI. On principle alone I wouldn't buy the SP4805 because of this one factor.
Also, there had been just way too many reports of a loud fan on that projector. The X1 can be loud and I was keen to buy a projector that had lower decibel levels.

After much research and actually seeing the H31 in person, I was sold! It is a marvellous projector, especially given it's price. Unfortunately (or maybe providentially? :) I tried two H31s, neither one of which could satisfy me due to the tearing and syncing issues associated with the use of HTPCs.

In most other ways, it was nearly perfect. Great color saturation and black levels. Eye-popping colors, bright and a joy to watch generally. However, if you like fire engine reds you will unfortunately be treated to pumpkiney reds instead. Familiar movies featuring the color that you are used to will be maddeningly off kilter. Try watching Spiderman on the H31 and you'll have a slight orange tinge to his outfit. Very annoying! I went through this once before with an Hitachi CRT RPTV that had the same problem.

I hate reds that aren't right!! If you do as well, then get the H57 or another lower priced unit such as the SP4805.

So Joe, you will get a jaw dropping effect from the H31, especially if you've come from owning a projector like the X1 or your experience is with other non-optimized for Home Theater pjs.

Since SDE and HTPC aren't issues for you then you are indeed a candidate for the H31. But I caution as one who's gone through two of them prior to giving up and getting the H57, color accuracy is WAY better on the H57 and also keep this in mind, one of the first things that I noticed when firing up the H57 for the very first time was that color saturation was far better than on the H31. There was much less of a grainy texture to the image. It took on a depth and richness that the H31 was lacking.

Let's face it everyone. You get what you pay for in life. There's a reason why the H57 costs more than the H31. You can't really lose with either one but I've warned you as one who's owned both, I'd never go back now to the H31 if I had any say about it at all.

Joe, re-read TzungILin's excellent post a few entries back. He says what I've been trying to say much more eloquently than I'll probably ever be able to do and he makes a lot of sense.

TzungILin,

Thanks for your post. It was very informative and educational. Tell me, is there anything special one must do in order to bring up the 540p mode? I use both an HTPC and a DVD player. I'm feeding 1280 x 720p from the HTPC and it looks wonderful. The DVD player is upconverting the image to 1080i and is accepted as such on the H57 but I seem to recall that for a brief moment, the display shows 1080i/540p in the upper right hand corner. Is this what you're talking about? If so, then 1080i coming from my DVD player I can assume is possibly being converted to 540p by the H57? Please advise. :)

Wayne

Since SDE and HTPC aren't issues for you then you are indeed a candidate for the H31. But I caution as one who's gone through two of them prior to giving up and getting the H57, color accuracy is WAY better on the H57 and also keep this in mind, one of the first things that I noticed when firing up the H57 for the very first time was that color saturation was far better than on the H31. There was much less of a grainy texture to the image. It took on a depth and richness that the H31 was lacking.

Mystery, So is the better color saturation and the less grainy texture mainly attributed to the higher resolution of the H57 over the H31? From what I've read, I was under the impression that the higher res was useless for dvds because good Dark Chip 2 dlps at 480p were in a sense, a direct, unaltered projection of a dvd's image. Thank you so much for the help and I'll have to read more about the H57. I'm thinking I might as well wait for the H57's to drop in price rather than buy the H31 now and have buyers remorse until I eventually upgrade.

Joe

Joe,

The H57 just had a massive price drop so I'm not sure when the next one will be. Also there was a run on this projector recently hence Optoma states that the next batch won't be available until at least late July.

The reason for the better color saturation may indeed be the extra pixels. But that doesn't account for the better color accuracy so I'm not really sure if the extra pixels explains the difference without some other factor.

I have found that upscaling DVDs either via a good upscaling DVD player or allowing the display device to do it is not detrimental to image quality versus just using 480p players. There seems to always be a little scaling going on no matter what you use to deliver the image so I think the more important thing to be concerned with is the scaler of the display device or source.

Everyone's different in this regard though and you may find any upscaled images to be unacceptable. I've never failed to like an image better once it's been upscaled though (with one exception noted below).

I still remember the first time I tried an upscaling player which was the LG/Zenith model and I had it hooked up to my X1 which is a native 800 x 600 4:3 AR projector that either scales or crops 16:9 images down to 800 x 450. I put in Jurassic Park and I was absolutely floored at how much better the image was upscaled to 1080i over component cables. I've never looked back and I always upscale DVDs now. I did however audition the Panasonic S97 which disappointed me in that I found I liked it's 480p image far better than it's upscaled image to either 720p or 1080i over DVI. So, I returned it and I'm sticking with the LG for now. The new Oppo player sure is tempting though. :)

I'll bet that Oppo in combo with the H57 would render a killer picture. :cool:

Wayne

I too am curious now about this 1080i mode....

Hi all,
I just joined this forum and am a newbie to FP. With the new pricing I am seriously considering getting the H57. I'm still a bit confused on what type of screen to use for this puppy. Are any of you using your PJ in the following config? if so what screens have you used and what are you happy with?

Projector distance to screen is 12 ft, and seating distance to screen is 10-11 ft. It will be ceiling mounted as High as I can get it. We tend to watch movies with some indirect ambient light. Every thing I have read says with some ambient to get a high gain high contrast screen. I've also thought about a sound screen but with my viewing distance and the problems I've read with seeing the perf and Moire I'll probably pass on that one for now.

Any comments on this would be greatly appreciated.

RMB-PDX

rmb-pdx,

Welcome to AVS!

I currently am juggling two screens as I can't decide which one to use. :) I've been using a Da-Lite High Power 92" diagonal but the H57 is SO bright that the High Power is overkill and I've had to purchase an ND2 filter in order to cut the lumens in half. This has made a tremendous difference and improved the blacks and contrast ratio.

However, I also have a Da-Lite 92" High Contrast Matte White (gray) screen that I'm currently testing once again after bringing it out of 'mothballs'. :) What I'm finding, is that the HCMW screen appears to be a very good match with the H57 and may be better than a High Power. The blacks are possibly even better on the HCMW and shadow detail/contrast ratio seem to be about the same as High Power if not even a slight bit deeper.

I think that the H57 probably needs either a gray screen or some sort of a matte white. It certainly doesn't need any help via a screen with any high gain. A good compromise may be the new Optoma Graywolf screen that is essentially a High Contrast screen with a gray base and even has a 1.8 gain. So it's retro-reflective, has a gain somewhere between matte white and high power, is gray based to help deflect ambient light and improve the perception of black levels and contrast ratio.

Hope this helps!

Wayne

Thanks Wayne,
This really does help!!! There is a lot of information on screens and the h31, sp4805... but they are much lower lumen than the H57 so this is very useful information. I'll check out the Graywolf screen and Da-Lite HCMW.

With the brightness of this projector I'm even thinking of pushing up the screen size from 92" to 100". I know that my sitting distance is getting a bit close for SDE but for most DLP my eye sight isn't that good for it to be a big problem.

Do you have any experience with sound screens with this projector? heard anything about them?

Thanks for the feedback
Randy...

P.S. Looks like I'll be joining the H57 owners group shortly.

Great news Randy! We have a small but growing club here. :)

The more I view material on my HCMW screen the more I'm thinking that a gray screen is the right type for the H57. I wish I had a matte white screen to test because I think that it would also be a good match since it's the same gain @ 1.0. The only difference being that the matte white's blacks may not appear as deep as the those on the HCMW. There may be a bit more 'punch' to the image using matte white though but from what I can tell, the image on the HCMW is very bright.

I'm still intrigued about Optoma's new Graywolf screen with 1.8 gain and a gray base. It seems to be that it could potentially be the perfect screen for the H57 in that it's gray base will lower the blacks and cut the brightness yet the increased gain may give it back some of the pop that you lose when you move away from the High Power.

I haven't heard about sound screens unless you mean perforated ones. :confused:

You could easily go to 100" or 106" or possibly larger with this H57. Then you wouldn't need a HCMW screen or even an ND2 filter to cut the lumens because you'd pretty much need those lumens to brighten the larger image. In that case, the High Power might be okay but I'd think that a matte white screen would be very good. Then again, the Graywolf might be the best for a larger screen like that too.

Let me/us know if/when you take the plunge on a projector and/or screen.

Wayne

I recently purchased the H57 to replace my trusty; but, now dated Piano HE3100. My first H57 had a dead pixel and it was replaced by Optoma immediately (outstanding service from Thomas in Milpitas, CA and Ryan in Richmond Hill, ON).

I am very pleased at the improvement in the colours, contrast and depth of focus. I’m now seeing details that were not present with the Piano. With an interlaced component signal (Pioneer DV-09) the improvement over the 848x480 mode Piano chip is quite apparent. The H57 is very quiet and motion artifacts are gone as compared to the Piano.

I have a question that hopefully someone can answer. Since the H57 has a zoom lens and since I will ceiling mount the projector in a fixed position, what is the best point in the zoom range to locate the projector? I know with a camera lens, distortions may be present at either of the extremes of the zoom range. Will the lumens or contrast be different within the zoom range?

Peter

Peter,

You've made a great purchase. Congratulations! :)

Hey, your Piano Plus projector was no slouch though in it's day that's for sure. I had a chance to audition one locally and I was absolutely floored at the quality of the image that it produced except that I thought it was too dim.

But you're right. The H57 is head and shoulders above it. I agree with everything that you said in regard to the improvements you found.

I don't know if there's ever been a definitive consensus about your question with regard to the zoom lens. Some people think that you shouldn't use any zoom at all. That's the way I have mine set up. I have the image as small as it will go. Others say to keep it in the middle.

My last projector was the Infocus X1 (well, I did own the H31 for about a month before upgrading to the H57 but that's another story). The X1 I had set so that the zoom was almost all of the way out in order to get just about the largest image that I could. I didn't notice any difference when zooming out or in.

Wayne

I will be taking the delivery off my new H57 this week and I cant wait. I sold my X1 a couple of weeks ago so I have been without a projector for a while.

Should be perfect for me here in Australia, as its PAL resolution, and most of our HDTV too is actualy 576p (I believe US standards dont have this res) only some channels beeing 1080i so there shouldn't be much scaling and most of the material will be watched in its native resolution.

It will be used on 92" matte white with 1.0 gain screen.

I have heard you can see some rainbows on this model? I assume its going to be much better then the old X1 with its 2x colour wheel....

Also I heard with this projector the noise is reduced and lamp light increased in econo mode, yet I havent found a way to engage the econo mode in the user manual which I downloaded from optoma....

Regarding the 1080i/540p mode,

Connect H57 to a HDTV source with 1080i signals, first use 16x9 mode, you will get a 1080i signal scaled to fill the 1024x576 image.

If my memory serves me (I've not played H57 for a long time), there is a "Native" mode in the Aspect ratio control, change it to Native mode.

You should be seeing the image shrunk just a little to 960x540. This is the 540p mode for 1080i.

You might prefer the full image (16x9) than the 540p one with black, unused surrounding pixels. Give it a try and see which one you prefer.

H57 is so very bright, I also recommend using grey screen. Da-Lite High Contrast sounds like a goo match, one can also try Optoma's Greywolf, which is affordable enough as a side experiment ... :p

TzungILin,

Thanks for your post. It was very informative and educational. Tell me, is there anything special one must do in order to bring up the 540p mode? I use both an HTPC and a DVD player. I'm feeding 1280 x 720p from the HTPC and it looks wonderful. The DVD player is upconverting the image to 1080i and is accepted as such on the H57 but I seem to recall that for a brief moment, the display shows 1080i/540p in the upper right hand corner. Is this what you're talking about? If so, then 1080i coming from my DVD player I can assume is possibly being converted to 540p by the H57? Please advise. :)

Wayne

If you are using DVD as source, the 1080i/540p mode probably won't do you any good, since the source is 480p and scaled.

If you are using HTPC, stay at 720p resolution, as you already found a sweet spot there. If you are using a DVD player, does output 1080i from the DVD help the resolution in the 540p mode? I don't know. In this way, the signal is processed, from 480p to 1080i by the internal scaler of the DVD. Compared to feeding H57 with a 480p and scale to 576p by H57 scaler, both are processed, the resulting image quality really depends on the quality of the scaler.

That being said, I still encourage you to try it, just to compare. I've heard people saying that feeding a 480p projector with upconverted 720p from DVD is better than sending it at 480p. Like I said, if the projector won't show a 1:1 mapping, then upconverting to 720p, then scaled in the projector back to 480p might give you a smoother picture, but may not be sharper than a 1:1 mapping projector.

Feeding DVD from HTPC will always give you a much better image, especially if you have pixels to spare (in this case H57 does!) The Graphic chips (ATI or GeForce) will give you a powerful image processing (combined with FFDShow and other software). In this case then, you don't really need to get 1080i out from a HTPC, then to H57 using 540p mode. Just let the HTPC do the processing and scaling to 576p or 720p, then feed to H57.

I remember one time, I tried using HTPC to match to a 720p DLP with 16x9 lens to render a 2.35:1 movie in 720p vertical resolution. The viewers who saw it all claimed that it looks like HD ... The power of HTPC and full pixel of 1280x720 with the help of 16x9 lens!! :cool:

Optoma H57 experience:

I am a recent purchaser of an Optoma H57. I have about 180 hours on it so far and I can say that it is an excellent projector. The color is outstanding and it is probably the best DLP color I have seen. Watching B&W movies is a treat. The projector produces excellent contrast and greys. The resolution is a bit better than the entry level and it allows me to either sit closer or move to a bigger screen. Currently, I have a Da-Lite HCCV 84" 4:3 screen that I purchased when I had an Infocus X1. I just use the zoom lens to fill the 4:3 screen when I am watching 4:3 material. Otherwise I watch a 77" 16:9 image on the 4:3 screen. I am tempted to go with a bigger 16:9 Da-Lite screen but I have to limit my budget for a while.

I have only one complaint about the projector and that is a buzz that it makes. I know the fans are quiet because during cool down it is silent. I don't think it is the color wheel because it seems to get louder as the bulb warms up. It almost sounds like it is a power supply buzz. I was aware of the H30 having buzzing issues but I didn't think the H57 would. Does anybody else have a buzz or is it just me? I haven't contacted tech support yet because it only bothers me during quiet scenes in a movie. I just wanted to see if anybody else may have the problem.

Hey just a quick question guys. Like i said earlier, I love my H57, however I was just wondering why you guys bought the h57 over the ae700u. Those were my two main choices. And my reasons were well the most common ones. I was afraid of VB and didn't want to have to clean it and such, and i heard the colors weren't as good. But i was just curious about everyone else. Oh I'm not trying to like take over this thread or anyting, I just figured it would be the easiest place to get the attention of the most h57 owners.

brankota,

Congratulations and welcome to the H57 appreciation thread! :)

I too moved up from an X1 and also use a 92" diagonal screen. Your matte white should be awesome but since the H57 is so bright you may want to experiment with an ND2 filter on the lens to cut the lumens in half. That's what I did with my H57 because I have a High Power screen and that combo is just way, way too bright. However, you should be okay. Just keep the filter tweak in mind if you find the images a little bright.

Your resolution there in Oz ought to be perfect with the H57.

Rainbows can be seen on occasion but nowhere near the level produced by the X1.

It is a very quiet projector. You can choose either Britemode on or off by going into the menu system under the 'Management' tab and clicking on 'Lamp'. You'll be able to see the screen go brighter or dimmer depending on whether you press on or off. Econo mode is plenty bright and I never use the brighter of the two, even when I'm using my gray screen which I'm currently testing with the H57.

TzungILin,

Thanks again for your very informative posts and also specifically for the clarification with regards to the 540p issue. I'll make an effort to test both 540p and 1080i to compare which may be best. I can feed this resolution from the upconverting DVD player and also from my PVR.

I think I'll take your advice and just stay with the 720p from the HTPC though.

emailzdown,

Congratulations to you as well! :)

Your screens are on the smallish side and you probably should be wearing sunglasses when you're using the H57. :D

I have the buzzing on my unit as well. Optoma is taking care of it for me and I should have the situation resolved sometime later this month or next. It is basically I find only annoying when the audio system isn't on. Once the movie starts I don't hear the buzzing anymore. I haven't been bothered by it during quiet scenes but I suspect that I would if I listened for it. I could live with it if I had to but fortunately I don't have to. :)

Wayne

Nautica,

The Panny and the Optoma must be around the same price now I take it, hence your question? :)

If that's the case then it's reasonable to ask why one would choose a 1024 x 576 projector over a 1280 x 720.

I can't speak for others but I'm a DLP guy myself. :) I've never been impressed with any of the LCD projectors that I've seen in person. I did in fact audition the AE700 and was disappointed with it. I like nice blacks and a big contrast ratio. I wouldn't want to see vertical banding and I think that the colors of the H57 are as good as any LCD I've seen. Also, the H57 is monstrously bright. :) I like a punchy picture.

Also, I've read that the smoothscreen technology can cause peek a boo scan lines. That would drive me nuts. :(

Anyway, that's my story.

Wayne

hey thanks a lot mystery. Yeah, i guess its just been on my mind lately reading on all of these forums about it. I mean, i'm a dlp guy myself. When i saw the lcd projectors in stores i just wasn't all that impressed. I guess i just wanted someone elses opinion on the matter. Thanks again.

Thanks Wayne, the screen was purposly made for this projector after I placed an order for it, I think it should be just right for my use. I may post some pics once I have it all setup.
I have a 52mm ND4 filter for my camera, I will try and fit it on the h57 if I find it too bright, but I like a fairly bright image. As long as the rainbow levels are less then the X1, I am happy with that. On X1 I got used to ignoring them, and after awhile would only see them if I am looking for them.

Nautica, I too tested the panny, and it didnt do it for me.
My main categories for choosing the new projector in order of importance were:
1. Blacks & contrast
2. Colours & brightness
3. Pixel blend (even tho panny is higher rez, to me it had a more flyscreen effect then the DLP projectors which I didnt like)
4. Resoltion (actualy prefered 576p to 720p as its not going to be scaled with 90% of my watching material and will give me a much sharper image) as I watch around 75% PAL, 15% 576p HDTV 8% 1080i HDTV, 2% other rez
5. Noise, or the lack of

So for me panny didnt even make the top choices as H57 beat it in every category.

As soon as I seen the H57 specs, I knew it was the one, brief demo only made my decision stronger. I am now eagerly awaiting its arrival later this week...

Hey Nautica,

You're welcome! :)

brankota,

I don't think that your 52mm ND4 filter will work. :(

The lens on the H57 is slightly smaller than 67mm. I've tried both 67mm and 62mm I think it was and neither one fit it snugly. The 67mm was the best fit. It slips on nicely but it loose and needs affixing by some method. I chose to use small circular velcro pieces which hold the ND filter to the focus ring.

I also don't think that you will like what the ND4 filter will do to your image. I know because I have both ND2 and ND4 filters and the latter made the image too dark. And I was using a High Power screen @ 92" at the time that is extremely bright without the filter.

The lumens output of the H57 is 1100 but that's in bright mode I believe. In econo mode it's less but I don't know by how much. I'm assuming that it's somewhere around 800 lumens for argument's sake. So if that's true and it's at least a reasonable guess wouldn't you say?..then the ND4 filter will reduce the H57 lumens to about 200 which is too low for home theater.

However, the ND2 filter which only reduces the lumens by half has turned out to be a very good fit with the H57 and the High Power screen. The image is still 'punchy' but more comfortable to the eyes and the blacks and contrast ratio improve as well.

I'm currently using my other screen which is the gray HCMW and it pretty much essentially does for the H57 (without the ND2 filter) what the ND2 filter does for the H57 and High Power screen. Blacks and contrast ratio may be better using the gray screen but the ND2/High Power screen combo works well with the H57.

Since you like a bright image, you may be just fine without a filter on the focus ring and just use econo mode with your matte white screen.

Yes, post some pictures to this thread when you get a chance and give us a review when you've had some time to play with it. :)

Wayne

Hey emailzdown
I also own an H57 and I am hearing the same type of buzzing. I don't think it's a problem just an inherent trait of the projector. Have about 100 HRS on the bulb and it has worked flawless otherwise.

Adam

I thought I read somewhere that the new models of the H57 are now shipping with 52mm lens thread, which has been revised from the original version..hmmm I'll let you know when I get my toy...I dont think I will need the filter anyway....we'll see.

One thing I wanted to ask, how quick is the H57 to sync to a signal? On my X1 it used to take about 9 or 10sec to sync once I change from a 576p to 1080i channel or different source and that used to annoy me a lot...

That's interesting brankota. Yes, let us know what size your lens is. I'm expecting a replacement for my current H57 this summer so I'll have to watch for this as well.

I think that the amount of time for the projector to sync from an HD channel to an SD channel may not be a whole lot different from model to model. The H57 also takes several seconds to do this but it doesn't seem to be 9 seconds to me although I haven't timed it. :)

It's not an issue for me anyway because SD on any projector looks horrible to me because of the compression artifacts that are being blown up to large screen size so I reserve my critical viewing for DVDs and HDTV. When I do happen to view anything on an SD channel, I realize, garbage in garbage out and don't let it upset me.

Adam Peach,

Welcome to the thread Adam. And a fellow Canuck to boot! :) Hopefully the buzzing isn't inherent to the H57 model but it truly doesn't seem to be a huge fault as it blends seamlessly into the background once the movie starts. At least that's my experience. I guess there'll never be a perfect projector but the H57 is the closest thing to perfection that I've ever owned when it comes to a display device. :)

Wayne

So are all the newbies doing the free lamp deal? And if so, what are you doing with the lamp? Selling? Closet? ;)

Hey Wayne

You have stated a few times that you are expecting a replacement for your current H57.
What seems to be the problem with the one you have now, is it the buzzing issue?,or something else.

Just Curious

Adam

Adam,

Yeah, it's the buzzing. But it's not driving me crazy at all. In fact, I don't even notice it one bit once the movie starts. However, since I'm covered under my original H31 warranty, Optoma is obligated to make me happy. :) The H57 which I'm currently using is only a loaner provided by Optoma Canada until the new H57s arrive.

Speaking of that, woohoo!! The new H57s are in and Optoma is shipping me a brand spanking new one tomorrow. I should get it on Thursday. Curious now about whether it has buzzing and also if they've changed the lens size.

I'll post when the new one arrives and what my impressions are. I don't usually do impressions but I can mimic a mean Jimmy Stewart! :D

Wayne

so its a waiting game for both of us :(

If anyone is sellling their spare lamp, I may be interested.

Wow, this thread really took off!

I am eager to hear if the buzzing does indeed go away. I am probably just buzz sensitive but if a projector is supposed to have <28dB loudness then I guess I expect to not hear it or at least not be distracted by it. One of my main reasons for purchasing it was the quiet rating.

I would have to say that if the buzzing is fixed then it would truely be the perfect projector. I know there are some HD(720P) people who would disagree but I think it is a nice compromise for the price and a free lamp is just gravy on a very nice projector.

Kelly

Kelly,

Yeah, I started this thread in hopes of getting a few people to respond about their experiences with the H57 because I noticed that it just wasn't getting much attention and I thought that was kind of a shame. But boy, it's sure grown into something quite interesting and I sense a small but growing community of H57 owners and tire-kickers. :)

I agree with you. This projector seems to hit the sweet spot between not enough pixels and too much money. :D

Wayne

Interesting... I emailed Optoma about going to Milipitas to see an H57 to see if me and my fiancee are rainbow/headache prone and they emailed back that they don't have an h57 there because the unit is ELO. (end of line) They said come see the h31 which has the same color wheel etc.... 1) I can't believe they don't have an h57 lying around
2) If it's ELO, what are these newer h57's coming out all about?

And yes, if I do buy the h57, I want to sell my lamp. My fiancee gave me permission for the h31. How do I explain that the h57 is twice the price? But selling the lamp I will minimize her being TOO irked.... :)

That's weird Dave. :confused: Optoma Canada just got a bunch in and they're sending me a new H57 tomorrow. Don't know anything about a new H57 model though.

Tough call about your fiancee. How far away is the wedding date. :) What's her memory like. :D Maybe you could compromise. Permit her to spend an equal amount of money extra on her wedding dress or something else. That seems fair. Then you both get an upgrade. ;)

Wayne

Yeah, this was the email....

"David,


The H57 sold well since introduction, more so then we expected. If you can find the H57 you should buy it, the pricing is very good.


At CEDIA this year ( Sept ) we will be announcing our new line of midrange Home Theater product coupled with the new technology. The technology moves so fast in this industry we are seeing new components introduced 3 per year, so it’s hard to keep up.


Yes, we will still have product around the 2 to 3k price point for the midrange Home Theater.


Regards,"

New projectors? The only thing I see is this new combo dvd player/projector that's now on their site... Hmmm.....
And actually I think I'll just order the projector and deal. I recently sold my MIts. Diamond 55" with player/receiver to a good friend for $1500. He's suppossed to give me the dough in the beginning of August. :) d

Dave,

Congrats on your decision. You won't be disappointed.

There is a brand new Optoma Home Theater model on their website. Looks very expensive though. :( Here's the link:

http://www.optomausa.com/optomausa/public/products_hproj_h78DC3.jsp

Wayne

Yeah, the 78dc3. Sells for $3999. MAN did this piss off all the H77, H79 owners! Peek into those threads!

D

That's not a bad price at all considering it's HD3! Wow! Yes, I can imagine that the H77/79 buyers aren't happy. :) But in the world of electronics there are no guarantees. What's expensive and hot today may be replaced by something better and cheaper tomorrow.

Say, what are you doing monitoring those threads anyway? :D Well, we can dream can't we? :)

And don't forget an earlier post in this very thread where the H57 was favorably compared to the H77 and basically tied it in a head to head competition. :) :)

Wayne

The above $3500 forum is more technical than this one...plus whats there will be here in a couple years...

Plus there's often stuff there that should be here: $2K HD2+ projector.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=558462

Nigel

Man, I need a vacation from all this research I've been doing :p

Here's my situation. I'll be moving into a new house come late October/early November. I've pre-wired the family room with component and HDMI at about 12' distance from where I'd have the screen. I'm figuring on a 100" screen, give or take 6". The ceilings are 9', for what that's worth.

I figure to use the projector for 50/50 DVD/HD. I've narrowed down my choices at this point to either the H57 or Tosh MT700. I want to keep the projector for a few years without feeling the pangs of upgraditis (yeah right :)). Having "real" HD resolution would seem to go a long way toward that. I know the difference has been downplayed in this thread, but let's look at the raw numbers:

848x480 = 407040 pixels
1024x576 = 589824 pixels
1280x720 = 921600 pixels

It seems to me that the H57 is closer to EDTV than HDTV. Is there something else going on that would have split the audience with the H77 comparison earlier in this thread? I'm shocked that the difference in resolution/sharpness wouldn't be readily apparent. If the author of that post is still reading this thread, may I ask what the seating distance was?

As for the Toshiba, I know I can't discuss specifics within forum rules. But, I have found one NIB at a price equal to the current H57 bargain (sans extra bulb). I'm not sure if Toshiba has an "authorized dealer" list, but if it does I doubt this place would be on it. If Toshiba's policy only requires that the merchandise is sold new to be warranty-covered, this seems like a heck of a deal. I've e-mailed the store to ask about the warranty but haven't yet received a reply.

A third option would be to take a deep breath, a break from AVS, and come back September after CEDIA is over. I'd have a better idea then about the next generation equipment, and current models might be sold at blowout prices to make way for the new. Do the price drops usually occur on new product announcements, or when the new models actually become available? I'd hate to pass on these current deals only to wait (projectorless) in the new house for an impending price drop.

Sorry for the long ramble, any insight appreciated of course.

Glen,

You make good observations and valid points. If I were you, I'd wait. You don't actually need a projector until October or November anyway and what a pre-Christmas treat that would be. :)

Another thing to consider is that if you purchase it now the clock will start ticking on the warranty on both the projector and the bulb. So, if you don't use the unit much in your present abode (you'll be so busy preparing for your move I could see you possibly putting it in mothballs until Fall), you won't be getting full value for your purchase. What if you buy it now, wait until you move in to the new home and then find out that the bulb is faulty. By then the warranty will be over for it (90 days usually) and your 'deal' will suddenly have become not so much of one. :)

I can understand your desire to buy 'enough' of a pj now to quell any foreseeable urge to upgrade. Unfortunately, whatever we buy today is usually old news tomorrow and there'll always be something new that comes along to make our coveted purchase look kind of tired. :)

I think our friend who earlier posted his results of the little gathering that compared the H57 and H77 has contributed greatly to this thread and your request that he chime in at this point is welcomed. I think though that it doesn't matter at which distance he seated his guests. Let me explain. If the guests were seated too close to the screen it would seem to me that the H57 would have caused those watching to favor the H77 given it's greater count of pixels. Also, it also seems to me that in that same scenario, those seated closer to the screen than others ought to have had unfavorable impressions of the H57 versus the H77. I don't recall the poster outlining the seating arrangements but it's been a while since I read his post. As we all know, the H57 held it's own overall in the contest. Perhaps those who voted against the H57 were seated close to the screen. Our friend will have to tell us whether this was a factor or not. It seems to me that this would be an important caveat and should have been mentioned as a factor in the equation.

If the guests were seated at a distance whereby SDE wasn't a factor no matter the pixel count then it doesn't matter.

I think Glen what you need to consider is that there is a lot more to creating a good image than the number of pixels. I remember a review after the Optoma H30 came out where it was compared to two or three other projectors, one of them being the BenQ6200, a very bright XGA pj @ 1024 x 768 pixels versus the H30 @ 800 x 600 pixels. Surprisingly enough, the H30 took first place in the review. The reviewers liked the H30's colors, blacks and contrast ratio better and they found that SDE on the H30 was muted due to it's exceptional pixel fill ratio.

The point I'm trying to make is that you could purchase the Toshiba on spec, thinking that it has to be better than the H57. And it may be. Only a side to side shoot-out like the H57/H77 will serve to determine that.

But you need also to consider Optoma's reputation for strong, accurate colors. I would have to think that the H77 is one of the premier HD resolution projectors prevalent on AVS. To think that the H57 did so well up against it ought to be reason enough to plunk your money down on it. :) The blacks and contrast ratio are superb on the H57 and the brightness is off the charts which means that you can be creative with filters and/or grey screens and get even better blacks and CR. It's a quiet pj too.

I can't speak for the Toshiba. I haven't researched it. Perhaps it's a fine pj. I know that it has a thread going. But the buzz on Optoma products is almost smothering. Look at all of the posts in the projector forums. It seems that the Optoma H31, H57, H77 and H79 as well as the H27 and now the new H78 are dominating the talk. Every other thread appears to be concerning some Optoma product or another. Now they have new grey screens. The point I'm making is that if you choose to purchase the H57 or any other Optoma product, it's very likely that you will encounter a lot of support from your fellow AVSers which should figure into the equation. If you run into a problem with the Toshiba and there aren't a lot of owners able to help you on AVS, you are at the mercy of your dealer and Optoma to solve it. There's strength in numbers and I would hesitate to spend so much money on a product that may not have the support system there for you in times of trouble.

Now this is my opinion and you're certainly welcome to disagree because after all, it's your money you'll be spending and not mine. :D

And we want you to be happy with your purchase so no hard feelings if you go the Toshiba route. As a matter of fact I'd love to read your review if you do go with them. But just be careful. Resolution specs only tell one very small part of the story and you may purchase a higher resolution projector only to find that the lesser one was better.

Since the price seems to be about the same then you really need to see both pjs in person. It still may not be a bargain even if cost isn't a factor. It may turn out that although the expenditure is equal, the value may not be. I would be very concerned about an HD resolution DLP projector selling for $2000.00 myself. The MSRP of HD resolution projectors hasn't dropped that low yet so someone selling a unit at that price ought to be viewed with great suspicion. At the very least, the dealer probably isn't authorized which could spell trouble for you later on. At worst, there may be something seriously wrong like the unit may have something wrong with it or it may be 'hot'.

You know the old maxim, 'if a deal seems too good to be true then it probably is'.

Anyway, that's all I can contribute to the discussion and whatever you decide best of luck to you. :)

Wayne

Hey all!

I am a newbie here. I have purchased a home in NOVA which has a perfect basement for a home theater. The room is 18x30 and screams for BIG SCREEN!!!!

What is my setup so far??? (not in hand, but on the way).

Optoma H57 (through the $1999 Deal)
Aperion Intimus 5.1 package
Yamaha RX-V2500 THX Cert Receiver

I am new to DLP projectors & want the best bang for the buck on a screen. Ideally I would like a fixed screen, but the Optoma Greywolf screen seems to be created for their projectors & is a GREAT PRICE.

Would anyone try to stear me away from getting that screen? Does anyone think that I will not be happy with a 109" screen? Do I need a bigger one?

Thanks for putting up with a newbies questions!

Bill

Hi Bill,

Welcome to AVS and our humble little H57 appreciation thread. :)

You should be fine with the 106" Optoma Greywolf. I think it will 'tame' the H57's lumens and lower the perceived blacks and contrast ratio which is a good thing. Especially if your walls are light colored, a grey screen will help in reducing reflections that can wash out your blacks and CR. If your walls are darker in color, I think that this screen will still be a good match given that it has a 1.8 gain and is retro-reflective in that it reflects straight back to the projector. However, the larger you go with your screen, the greater the offset will be and you'll have to either angle the H57 up and then use keystone to correct the trapezoid effect, or you'll have to keep your screen low. Then again, if you have high ceilings, you should be able to get away without any keystoning. Even though your room is quite long, you'll only be able to go so far back to fit the image within the confines of the 106" you have available.

Another thing to think about is the fact that ceiling mounting the H57 may cut the 1.8 gain down on the screen to somewhere around the 1.0 or 1.1 that an ordinary grey screen such as the HCMW has. I suspect that the loss may not be that bad though given the fact that the Greywolf is retro-reflective.

Guitarman has a dedicated thread about this screen over on the screens forum if you're interested.

I'm presently evaluating my 92" HCMW which is like the Greywolf except that the HCMW has a tensioning bar which causes waves and also it's not a high gain screen. Otherwise, the lowering of the blacks and contrast ratio is similar and I'm finding that in many ways, this HCMW screen is preferable to the High Power screen which I also own. The HP is just too bright for the H57 although I found a way to make it work by slapping on an ND2 filter to the focus ring that made the image very nice.

One thing's for sure though. If you buy the Greywolf and find it doesn't suit your needs, you sure aren't out much money. :) And you could probably sell it very easily and get most of your money back.

Wayne

Thanks for the detailed reply, Wayne. After sleeping on it, I'm sure you're right--I should wait until it's close to moving time. It seems the Toshiba has had a bit of a problem with very early bulb burnouts (<100 hrs) and there is currently a dearth of replacement bulbs. That, in combination with the potential warranty dilemma has me ruling out the MT700 for the time being.

As for the H57, I guess I'll just have to cross my fingers and hope that a similar or better deal comes down the road. Who knows, maybe an H58 will be available by then, or perhaps the H77 will drop to the $2000 level. Being that this will be my first PJ, I'm sure I'll be wowed by whatever I end up with.

Hey again Wayne,

Looks like my room in the new apt. will be 13'. So if I put the screen on one wall and the projector all the way against the other, what size pic. do you think I'll get? I tried the projector calculator on a couple of sites and they want to me to download "flash 7" which I can't do as I'm not on my computer. Thanx! D

edit: went to optoma's site itself. Wow. I can get 105" if I want. The fiancee will poop..... :)

Glen,

A very wise decision I think. You know I've found that half of the fun in this whole process is the anticipation and research. It's a blast!! There's something romantic to dreaming about getting your new toy. This Fall you will be in the driver's seat and will have the benefit of hindsight to better decide what to do.

Dave,

Without figuring this out I know that your distance between projector and screen is almost exactly what mine is right now! I'll tell you this, I'm JUST able to fit the image into a 92" diagonal screen from that distance so you could go MUCH larger if you want to. Depends on your ceiling height though and how high you want to mount the H57. Going larger than 92" will drop the image a bit but you can tilt the pj up and use keystone which from all reports doesn't appear to change anything so that's good to know.

However, since you're only 13' away I'd be careful about going too big. You might start to see rainbows as your eyes dart back and forth across the screen to take everything in. Also, the pixels will get larger and more lumens will be required to light up a larger screen. Having said that, the H57 is really more than bright enough to power a large screen let me assure you so that isn't really a consideration. And you can always do a little subtle defocus to reduce/eliminate pixellation/SDE.

I'm thinking of ordering the new Optoma Greywolf screen in the 106" size. When you really think about it Dave, probably most of what we view nowadays is 2.35:1 movies with the bars on top and bottom. I don't think that it's a real huge jump going from 92" to 106" when you're viewing 2.35:1. If viewing 1.85:1 then I think it would seem humongous but screens tend to 'shrink' :) after you've had them for awhile. Trust me.

But I don't think that there would be an enormous difference between the 92" and 106" screens when watching 2.35:1.

Anyway, I went to Optoma's site for you and punched in 13' and came up with the following for the H57:

Your screen could be a maximum 114" and a minimum 96" diagonally. I don't get that? Maybe I'm not quite 13' away because I'm squeezing in a minimum 92" from my distance.

Your screen size could be a maximum of 96" wide by 56" high and a minimum of 83" wide by 47" high. Mine is very close to this as it's 80" wide by 45" high so if you want to go with a 92" diagonal screen you'll have to move your H57 in a little bit closer to the screen to accommodate a screen that size. Otherwise you could probably just stay with the 106" option and keep your H57 @ 13' back.

Hope this helps! :)

Wayne

Wayne,

Thanks for the welcome & information.

I have one question.

A buddy of mine went to school in NY for theater & movie production & is asking me why I want a projector which isn't 720 rated? From the reviews I have read, the H57 handles HDTv well. Am I wrong? Should I not plan on this being my projector?

What will I be watching? Well, I grew up in Holland, so football (nope, not the American style) and rugby, especially the world cup matches are my prime time viewing. Then it is only movies and the ocassional video game (doom 3). Most of the sports overseas is about 50/50 HD here in the capital area, so I want that capability.

Can I get input here?

Thanks!

Bill

Thanks for the detailed reply, Wayne. After sleeping on it, I'm sure you're right--I should wait until it's close to moving time. It seems the Toshiba has had a bit of a problem with very early bulb burnouts (<100 hrs) and there is currently a dearth of replacement bulbs. That, in combination with the potential warranty dilemma has me ruling out the MT700 for the time being.

As for the H57, I guess I'll just have to cross my fingers and hope that a similar or better deal comes down the road. Who knows, maybe an H58 will be available by then, or perhaps the H77 will drop to the $2000 level. Being that this will be my first PJ, I'm sure I'll be wowed by whatever I end up with.

Glen,

I'm in the same boat as you. I think its best that I also wait since my house won't be ready until September at the earliest. The free bulb with the H57 is what makes the deal so appealing to me and without it it makes going with the H57 a little more difficult. I hate passing the deal up, but usually rushed decisions make for bad ones. But really, I'd probably go with it because from what I've read, its so much better than the H31, my second choice. I'd rather make a well informed, smart decision, than a hasty, error prone one.

Wayne,

Good advice and keep it coming!

What screen do you guys recommend for the H57?

I'm looking at a 100" Carada 1.0 gain matte white. My room is 16 ft. w by 12 ft. L. Seating is 15 ft. back. I'll probably just project the image on a blank wall first and decide then what size I like more.

Can't wait to join this club.

Joe

Bill,

Your friend asks a valid question but like I said earlier, you have to take in so much more than just resolution in your decision making process. You've got scalers and de-interlacers and reputation and warranties etc... to consider.

Normally in order for us cheapskates/poor folks :) to be able to afford a 720p pj we have to purchase an LCD unit. This H57 may just be the best deal around until the really good 720p projectors come down in price.

That extra bulb is definitely the icing on the cake here. But I think anyone contemplating a change in residence this year should wait. There's just too much of a chance that your warranty will elapse while the boxed up pj is sitting on a shelf somewhere.

I'll bet that your soccer/football and rugby contests would be terrific on the H57. I know I watch the CFL (Canadian Football League) games in HD and it's awesome. I can hardly wait for the NFL games to start and now woohoo, the NHL has settled it's dispute with the players and we're gonna have hockey to watch on the big screen this fall!! :) I'm Canadian. What can I say! :D

By the way, since you're into soccer and rugby. What do you think of Australian Rules Football? I absolutely love that game! Non-stop action, passing, kicking, rough stuff, man it's got it all. :)

I'm sure that we'll all have 720p projectors in just a few short years but for now I'm completely ecstatic with this 576p H57. I just love it!

Joe,

Carada makes excellent screens. I've seen them in person and they hold their own against the big boys. The matte white is probably a good match for the H57 but you may need to put an ND2 filter on there if it crushes the whites. I know that I finally couldn't put up with the insane brightness of the H57/High Power screen combo so I slapped an ND2 filter on the focus ring and it made the image normal.

Having said that, I'm quite impressed with the H57 and grey screen combination. I used to own an X1 which wasn't very bright and I also used to have off-white
walls. The HCMW (grey) screen helped to reduce reflections off of the walls and improved the perception of blacks and contrast ratio. Then I painted my walls a semi-dark green and the image from the X1 was just too dim to be used with the HCMW and the newly painted walls. Blacks now became crushed and shadow detail was lost so I bought a High Power screen and WOW, that really worked well with the X1 and the new paint job.

However, the H57 is way brighter than the X1 so it needs either a grey screen or a light reducing filter. It's cheaper to buy the filter if you already have a bright screen. I have the luxury of owning both types of screen which gives me the chance to experiment a little.

The jury is still out. I like both set-ups but the High Power's brightness drops off a fair bit as you move off to the sides. The HCMW doesn't have this problem but you do see waves on my particular screen due to the tensioning bar. They aren't real bad by any means but they're there and that's why I'm considering purchasing the new Optoma Greywolf screen. It's said to be basically the same as the Da-Lite HCMW screen that I own only without waves and a little brighter. Sort of a cross between the two screens that I now own.

Decisions...decisions... :confused:

By the way, I received my brand new replacement H57 today. It seems that the lens on the unit that I received hasn't changed any.

And the bad news is that this unit buzzes too. :( But I expected that it might as I suspect that this is an inherent defect in the H57. Unfortunately every projector seems to have an issue, even the super expensive ones so you kind of pick your poison and decide what you can and can't live with. As problems go, this projector is very nearly perfect. :) Considering the problems I had with X1 and the H31, I'm very happy to have a quiet fan on the H57 with a slight buzzing effect that isn't even noticeable once you rev up your sound system. So it's a non-issue really. I just thought that in the interest of full disclosure :) I'd mention it.

Wayne

Hey mystery quick question, because, u seem to know quite a bit more about this projector than I do. I was thinking about buying a dvi cable to go straight from the projector to the cable box. However, I am not completley familiar with them. Do you know what the difference between the analog and digital ones are. Also would I be able to watch regular tv not HD, or digital through the dvi cable. The reason I am asking is because i don't have a reciever which can switch video and that is one of the only other HD inputs on the projector. The component is going to the dvd player as of now.

Hi Nautica,

I have the most fantastic link that I'm going to give you that explains very clearly what the differences are between all of these newfangled cables and it even has pictures! :)

http://www.mycableshop.com/3rd_Level/Video-Flat.htm

This should answer all/most of your questions. It will do a far better job than I ever could by myself. :)

As for sending SD signals as well as HD from your cable box, I don't think that you'll have any problem but I haven't tried it yet on mine so I'm not 100% positive. I would give it a go if I were you and see what happens.

I have a Scientific Atlanta PVR which has HDMI out as well as component out. I use the component out to the H57 through which I do watch both SD and HD. I would think that the HDMI output should be able to pass SD along to the pj. What I would do is make sure that I have a function called 'passthrough' enabled on the cable box's menu system. It may be called something else on your box but the idea is that the box passes through to your display device both SD and HD signals without you having to go into the menus system and change a setting.

Let us know what happens if you try it. :)

Wayne

Im still waiting for my H57, looks like it will be next week not this week :(
I heard however that H57 has problems with DVI input from DVD players, anyone experienced this? Its not that big a deal for me as I will be using component, but I might want to upgrade at a later date...

That's new to me. :confused: I've tried several DVI DVD players such as the Panasonic S97 and the Toshiba upconverting player without any problems. Sometimes the problem can actually be the player itself because it doesn't have the capacity to pump out a signal strong enough for a long digital cable run.

But who knows? Maybe this is something that Optoma should look into.

Maybe it's all disinformation from Infocus. :D

Wayne

that what I was told by vis apex (site sponsor), they informed me of this when I asked about the h57...

I also have a H57 and like a LOT better then my previous H30!

I do live in PAL country but also for NTSC I do easily prefer the H57 over the H30.
Much brighter, higher resolution, better colors, more inputs.

The picture over DVI (using Oppo 971h) is fantastic!

brankota,

Could you be a little more specific as to the nature of the DVI problem with DVD players and the H57? Visual Apex is a good, reputable and well respected sponsor. So the information must have some credibility to it. Perhaps there was a bad batch off the line of some H57s. I've never had a problem myself but that doesn't mean of course that some others aren't experiencing it.

tingtong,

Welcome to our discussion! :) So you had the H30 otherwise known as the 'ThemeScene' in your neck of the woods? :) And that projector was no slouch was it? Still is a good one I guess but the H31 has surpassed it.

Yes, you've nailed it. For all of those reasons, the H57 is an awesome projector and more.

Your mention of the Oppo is very interesting. I'm thinking about getting this DVD player because of it's ability to 1:1 pixel map @ 576 with the H57. Are you sending that exact resolution to the H57? However, I prefer HTPC usage and am waiting for HD DVD so I may not spring for the Oppo but who knows? :D

Wayne

Hi Wayne

All this "Buzz" about the Buzzing Issue on the 57 can probably be put to rest since it seems to be a normal operating trait of not only this projector but many others . I wouldn't call it an
"inherent defect" though,because this may raise some concerns when others read this as the H57 being defective. We wouldn't want to taint the waters of our otherwise stellar projector.

Who knows maybe H57s that don't Buzz are problematic?

Adam

Adam,

Yes, in no way would I want to turn anyone off of this fine projector. Perhaps describing the buzzing as I did wasn't appropriate. It's probably just a minor quirk. There isn't a projector around that doesn't have something going on that people will find fault with so if this is all that anyone can point to in a negative way regarding the H57, then it really is perhaps the best bang for your buck in the market right now. :)

Wayne

Some buzz observations:

There is one thing I noticed about my buzz and that it really depends on where you sit relative to the projector. I have it ceiling mounted and the sound is coming out of the rear of the unit near the exhaust vent. Probably some sort of power supply buzz. I am basically sitting directly below the projector which may make it seem louder than it really is. I guess one solution I could do is get a really big screen and move the projector back. The sound isn't very noticeable when I sit in front of the projector. Currently I am using a 84" 4:3 screen. With that small of screen, I almost need sun glasses to watch it anyway.

I don't regret purchasing my H57 even with all of the recent price drops on the 720P projectors. I expect to keep this projector for about 2 years. With the extra bulb, it will still have a lot of life left in it. I can keep it around or sell it to a friend. By then, I am thinking the HD DVD's will be available and more HD channels will be available. I am sure we will be looking at 1920 x 1080 projectors by then. Who knows, maybe the 3 DMD DLP's will be cheap!

Kelly

Kelly,

The buzzing sound does diminish depending on where you sit but I find it's completely unnoticeable once the audio starts. Not a deal breaker that's for sure.

I'm surprised you haven't gone blind by now with a screen that size and the H57. :) I've got two 92" diagonal screens and I've thought recently about going larger but with the H57 I can sit quite close to the screen without SDE being a factor so it's probably like having a larger screen with a greater seating distance using a projector with less pixels.

Did that make sense? :D I'm only about 10' away and the image is huge and smooth from that distance. I love it!

Yes this projector can probably go toe to toe with many 720p units due to it's other compelling factors. I think my next pj will be 720p or even better. :)

Thanks for bringing the thread back from a two day semi-conscious state. ;)

Wayne

The oppo 971H and H57 is a nice combination, the 1:1 pixelmapping is not working though because of underscanning on the oppo, that needs to be addressed by oppo. If I use 105% zoom on the H57 it works out pretty good though.

Momitsu V880 does give 1:1 pixelmapping, but motion adaptive faroudjia just has the edge.

Well, that makes me a little less inclined to consider the Oppo for the H57 then. Have you tried using 'Native' mode on the H57? That might address the problem.

Wayne

I just got my H57 and I love it. I dont know why you guys are spreading rumors and creating a fuss about this buzz. Its nothing but a standard fan ball bearing noise and its only noticable in dead silence if you come close enough and listen out for it. Its much quieter then any other projector I have heard.

Colours are great and brightness seems just right on a 96" 1.1 gain matte screen. Picture is outstanding, black levels are very impressive! I havent seen any rainbows yet either, it seems much better then the old projector I had.

Only slight downsides I can see are:
Seems a bit hard to focus
Case looks a little flimsy and fragile
Cheapish looking remote

'branks' :)

Great news and congratulations. What's not to like eh?

I've been wondering how the H57 looks on a matte white screen. It looks very nice on either one of my screens, the 1.1 gain HCMW and the 2.8 gain High Power.


As far as the buzzing sound goes, like I've said numerous times, it's not an issue with this projector. It's there but only when there's no other sound going on. I can hear it from my seated position if I turn my head to the side which of course is not where the screen is. :) But as soon as the audio system is turned on, the buzz is nowhere to be heard. I don't think that we've really been spreading rumors and creating a fuss though. Just observational conversation. :)

You find it hard to focus? I've had two H57s now. The first one which was a loaner had a much greater focus curve to it than the new one they just sent me. This one is real tight and it's like turning the dial on a safe. :) But once it's locked in it's razor sharp.

Yes, the case wouldn't win any awards for style or anything but the internal design is brilliant in that light leakage is almost non-existent and it's so quiet too.

I suppose the remote could have been better. I've never really thought about it. I do like it's compact size though and the way that it lights up so brightly. Also, it seems to have just about all you'd need in order to tweak and run the pj without having to go into the menu system.

What's your room like? Light or dark walls? Lots of windows? How far back are you from the 96" screen? Any SDE from your seated position?

Thanks for letting us know you got it. :)

Wayne

Wayne,

I am sitting back about 10 Ft. as well. I am figuring either a 92" or a 100" screen would be the sweet spot. I suppose text might get a little pixelated but I am not too concerned about a SDE. The gap between pixels is pretty amazing. Yet one more reason I choose DLP over LCD. I have some new furniture coming so I may wait to see what works the best after the furniture arrives. One good thing about having a smaller screen is that you can watch it with a lot of ambient light.

Kelly

Kelly,

Pretty cool sitting this close huh? I used to sit closer to 12' back with my X1 but it was only an SVGA resolution pj.

You could probably go bigger than 92" from 10' back but you may be risking rainbows and a little SDE but you also may be okay. There's only one way to find out. :)

Wayne

I kept hearing of this power supply buzz etc and got worried, once it came, I found its just a noise of the cooling system and there is nothing to worry about. All your PSUs are ok.

I sit about 12ft or a little more back from the screen and is great, picture is very smooth and I cant see individual pixels even if I come much closer. Wall on which the screen is very dark, rest are fairly light, room is fully light controlled and I watch in darkness or with very little light.

I like the case style, nice and simple but it just feels a little weak, like its going to break.
The remote is functional, but looks real cheap to me. Also re-sync button doesn't seem to do anything for me...

Regarding the lense, the focus range seems fairly large I suppose so is only a relatively small area that is close to the right focus, and a small adjustment seems to make a pretty big difference. As far as the focus ring goes, its quite tight.

You find it hard to focus? I've had two H57s now. The first one which was a loaner had a much greater focus curve to it than the new one they just sent me. This one is real tight and it's like turning the dial on a safe. :) But once it's locked in it's razor sharp.


So the newer units do have a new lense? I wonder which one do I have...

If just a small turn of the focus ring either way changes the focus then you may have the same lens as mine. I've had this happen before. The two H31s that I demoed here in the home reacted differently to turning the focus ring. And I also had two X1s in the house at one time comparing one with the other and they were different as well. In each case, one projector was easier to focus than the other. I'm not sure whether it's a case of different lenses or just different tolerances at the factory.

Wayne

brankota,
Your mention of the Oppo is very interesting. I'm thinking about getting this DVD player because of it's ability to 1:1 pixel map @ 576 with the H57. Are you sending that exact resolution to the H57? However, I prefer HTPC usage and am waiting for HD DVD so I may not spring for the Oppo but who knows? :D

Wayne

Yes I am using the oppo in 576p mode (for PAL disks that is) and the picture with the oppo is amazing. I can recommend the combination of Oppo and H57. As far as I know there is no underscanning, just a 1:1 pixelmapping! However this only applies to vertical resolution of course. Horizontally scaling is always needed because of the 1024 pixels of the H57.

Thanks 'tingtong'!

That's interesting. Very tempting to spring for this player. :)

Wayne

Yes I am using the oppo in 576p mode (for PAL disks that is) and the picture with the oppo is amazing. I can recommend the combination of Oppo and H57. As far as I know there is no underscanning, just a 1:1 pixelmapping! However this only applies to vertical resolution of course. Horizontally scaling is always needed because of the 1024 pixels of the H57.

Cough-bull-cough.. :)

in fact there is correct DVI 1:1 connection, but before that there is scaling involved.
so there is no vertical or horizontal dvd sourcematerial 1:1 mapping.

Launch a test disc and see, 576 TVL vertical and horizontal frequency swap come out less then ideal.

Still, very good and probably just leaves imaginary room for improvement, lets hope oppo resolves the scaling.

Best seems setting H57 to 105% zoom and you are all set, one of the best PAL hometheatre combinations.

There is no native 1:1 switch on the H57. Only on H78.

Well Wayne and everyone, it's 3am an I just pulled the trigger. Visual Apex had an open box with only 20 hrs. on it, (in "excellent ondition"...) with the free lamp and shipping for $100 off so I jumped. Thanks for all the advice and encouragement. Can't wait. Since it is only shipping from WA. to CA. even with ground shipping, it shouldn't take that long. Now to sell the zenith 318 since I will wanna use DVI and get the oppo.....
Also, might sell the extra lamp. :)

Congratulations Dave!!

After much hand wringing you took the plunge. :) You won't be sorry. Make sure you either have a gray based screen such as the HCMW or Optoma's Greywolf. The other way to reduce this puppy's brightness is to slap on an ND2 filter to a brighter screen such as the HP or matte white. I've done it both ways and switch back and forth for variety.

Let us know after you get it what your impressions are. :)

Wayne

Cough-bull-cough.. :)

in fact there is correct DVI 1:1 connection, but before that there is scaling involved.
so there is no vertical or horizontal dvd sourcematerial 1:1 mapping.


You're probably right.
Remains the fact (or opinion..) that the oppo is a VERY good player to combine with the H57 and certainly the BESt for that amount of cash. You won't regret it.

Thanks Wayne! It comes monday. Hopefully me and the fiancee can get the room prepared by then. Apt, not house, so there's no running wires through ceilings etc... Can I ask, are you just running 480i or 480P to the projector? Also, if I get the Oppo. is the DVI for NTSC 480P only? And for now I think I'm gonna try a DIY screen as an electric gtr. I had on Ebay did not sell at the end of it's auction today which means that I have less dough than I expected. I lowered the price and have my fingers crossed. I've read that people have gone to home depot and had some material cut that they have painted with glidden grey misty evening paint and have been VERY satisfied so for now, I might try that.

BTW, what are your settings PQ-wise???

Thanks! d

Hi Dave,

I could be wrong but I believe that the Optoma will send 480p, 576p, 720p and 1080i over DVI. Perhaps someone who owns it could confirm that.

I haven't yet tested the H57's line doubler as I send both component 480p and 1080i from my LG7832 DVD player and 720p from my HTPC.

I don't think that the LG is capable of sending 480i. I have of course watched 1080i from my Scientific Atlanta 8300HD cable box and it's stunning!

So, I haven't tried s-video or composite to the H57 or component 480i. Just 480p component and 1080i upconverted over component from the LG and 720p through DVI-D from the HTPC.

My settings are as follows:

LG/Component 480p Contrast 52

Brightness 48

Color 56

No sharpness or hue/tint control available over component

RGB Contrast and Brightness

Contrast
R 0
G -5
B 5

Brightness
R 0
G -5
B 5

I haven't calibrated the H57 for 1080i upconverted from the LG yet.

HTPC DVI-D 720p Contrast 50

Brightness 72

No color, hue/tint or sharpness control available over DVI

RGB Contrast and Brightness

Contrast
R -5
G -5
B 0

Brightness
R 0
G -5
B 5

These numbers are calculated using a 92" Da-Lite High Power pull down screen with the H57 ceiling mounted at 6'4" lens to floor. I also have an ND2 filter on the lens in order to cut the lumens in half. This is necessary especially when using a bright screen such as the High Power with the H57.

I also have numbers for when I use my 92" Da-Lite High Contrast Matte White (gray) screen with the ND2 filter off as it's not needed since the HCMW screen darkens everything. I won't post those numbers right now but if you like I could do it sometime.

I can hardly wait for you to get your new toy. :)

Wayne

Thanks again Wayne, your assistance has been invaluable!

You do know that the LG/Zenith is suppossed to have a TERRIBLE 480p mode yes? I had to switch to 480P on my zenith to watch 4x3 material as my old Mits set locked into FULL mode at 1080i. Pic. was noticeably worse than my JVC 480P player. I've read in the BIG Zenith thread that 1080i is the only way to go with that player. Which means that for NTSC, the signal will be upconverted to 1080i and then downconverted to 576P by the h57. Should be interesting. I'm seriously considering the oppo. Also, which nd2 filter should I consider??? And do I just order online? And is it relatively easy to figure out how to attach to the lens?? Thanx! D

You're welcome Dave! Glad to help. :)

Yeah, I know about the lousy 480p out of the LG/Zenith. :( Unfortunately, I'm forced to use it for 4:3 material because the H57 stretches it to 16:9 when I send the image upconverted to 1080i.

And although the H57 displays 4:3 images properly from my HTPC @ 720p, the images are quite horrible actually I guess due to it being video and not film content. If I happen to send a film based 4:3 DVD from the HTPC the image appears in the proper aspect ratio and also beautifully.

So, for now I'm using the HTPC for 16:9 material and the LG for 4:3 using it's 480p output.

Do you think that the OPPO would send 4:3 images to the H57 in their proper configuration?

Wayne

I shall see in the endless oppo thread!!!

Yep....
4:3 display on 16:9 (aka "pillarbox"):
1080i: Yes (with a slight penalty of reduction in resolution)
720p: Yes (with a slight penalty of reduction in resolution)
480i: No
:) d

Thanks Dave! :)

Appreciate your research. Sounds like the Oppo may be the one to get if I decide to upgrade DVD players. I sort of hate to spend any money right now on one given that I might want to buy an HD-DVD player in the new year, provided it's available and doesn't cost an arm and a leg. :(

My other problem is that I'm already using up the DVI port on the H57 with my HTPC and I'd like to utilize the same port with the Oppo so I'd need some sort of DVI switching device.

Any ideas on a good not too expensive switcher that could handle possibly 3 inputs (DVD player, HTPC, and cable box)?

Wayne

I was already to dive into the world of Front Projectors, did my research, and was about to pop a H31 into my wallet, when this thread appeared.

I have read every word of what has been written here, and I am now leaning towards a H57 from Visual Apex (a sponsor here as I understand it).

Please help with a few questions, if answered, I will order in the morning.
(BTW: I am a canuck here too, whitby, ont. East of TO.)

My Room is 10' 10" wide, (130") and 16ft wall to screen.

I am trying to have two rows of seating, two couches I already own, for starters anyway. Will fill back to front.

I want the largest screen possible. Let me explain. I have a Toshiba 4:3 51" TV built into my false wall, that I want to cover when the PJ is in use. Most of my material is 4:3 DVD's, I prefer the 4:3 format, but I accept that more and more the future will be 16:9 ... I have started to see DVD releases NOT AVAILABLE in 4:3 anymore, so I will be switching, as long as I can fill a 16:9 screen like in the theatre.

My calculations put a 100" diagnal, 16:9 screen as the largest screen I can get. I have been looking at budget Elite Screens, and maybe Draper... Can someone help me in this regard... So my questions:

1. What screen size do I need for my room configuration, so I get a huge picture, but not overly done? (given my 51" TV is 10" raised off ground, 43" wide and 50" tall)
2. My celings are going to be about 78" finished, what height will the H57 hang down too? I will have seating directly under it, possibly raised seating on a 14" 2 step platform. (I am building it so I have control over dimensions)
3. Am I understanding correctly I should purchase a Grey screen, rather than Matte White? (I have complete control over ambient light, just 1 small window at the screen end of the theatre, which will be covered with layers if required!)
4. Finally, what else do I need to know, before I pull the trigger?
At <a great price> with a free $399 bulb, I can't justify dropping down to a H31, I'll need a spare bulb eventually, even if it is to sell the unit and max my return as suggested earlier in this thread)
5. Anyone here dealt with Visual Apex??? Is this the company I wanna spend $ lots of US with?

Since my components offer Component out and Svideo out at the best right now, is this the PJ for me -- 70% DVD watching, 30% satellite TV (Directv, Dishnet) S-video connection so far...)

You guys rock, thanks so much for all the great info. I am more excited then ever to finish my theatre ... Just need Insulation, Drywall, Mud, Paint, Calibration.. Oh yeah, and I guess I should buy a PJ....

:SrZ:

Mine just shipped from Visual Apex. Should have it monday!!!!

:) d

My H57 is on it's way, ordered 35 seconds, sorry, 40 seconds ago from < a sponsor here > . Got an open box deal, H57 + Free Bulb for < a greal deal >

Im not sure how the free shipping works for us Canucks, but I'm sure they'll adjust the shipping rate accordingly. (I hope so).

What is the correct ceiling mount (or the best one) to use with the H57 ...

Thanks to everyone in this thread for sharing -- My credit card company appreciates you, oh, ya, so do I!

:SrZ:

SrZ,

Well, congratulations on your decision! You won't be disappointed. My wife and I watched 'The Assassination of President Nixon' yesterday starring Sean Penn. This is a very good video transfer and shows extremely well on the H57. :)

You can buy a screen or make one up that would fit your needs. We use a 92" pull down screen in front of a 64" Pioneer widescreen set. Works well for us. Even if you have total light control as far as light streaming in through windows and/or doors, you still have to consider the color of your walls and ceiling. If they are light and glossy or even light and flat, you'll need a reflection reducing screen such as Da-Lite's HCMW or Optoma's Greywolf. If your walls are darker in color then you might consider a matte white. We have the High Power as well as the HCMW and the High Power is my personal screen of choice for the H57 with this caveat; you must use an ND2 filter on the H57 if you're using a bright screen such as the High Power. Otherwise you're just blowing out your whites, and lessening the blacks and contrast ratio.

I hate to be a party pooper but the height of your ceiling is troubling to me. Optoma projectors seem to have a fairly steep offset to them and they're really better suited to high ceiling placements. Having said that, it's totally doable for you but you'll possibly have to use some keystoning to square up the picture. You'll also need to be willing to place your screen quite low to the floor to reduce/eliminate the need for keystoning.

This may prove to be a problem if you use tiered seating as some people may not see the screen in it's entirety.

Our H57 is mounted from a false part of the ceiling and the lens is 6'4" from the floor while the screen hangs low so that the image starts at 17" off of the floor. We don't have to use any keystoning at all with this configuration.

The good news is that if you must use keystoning to square up your picture, you probably won't notice any difference or degradation. This is remarkable because theoretically the image should be poorer but I've checked this out with not only my own H57 but also the H31 that I had for a short time and another AVSer here in London who owns the H31 and had to use keystoning.

So bottom line is, you shouldn't have any problem. Just mount the H57 as high as you can and then hang/mount your screen as low as you can/need in order to accommodate your viewers and strike a balance between that and the amount of keystoning that you may need.

Keep in mind that the larger screen you choose, the lower the image will drop and therefore the closer to the floor your screen will end up unless you use even more keystoning which generally should be discouraged. Our room length is the same length as yours and we prefer the 92" diagonal screen. It's a brighter image because the lumens don't have to cover a larger area and the pixel size is reduced which helps with SDE.

You'll be just fine using component. I use component from the LG7832 upconverted to 1080i and it looks fantastic. However, I do prefer the DVI-D out from my HTPC and the H57 excels here. Either way produces a marvellous image so you can stick with component and you're set for the future when you get a DVD player with HDMI/DVI output.

S-video from satellite will not impress you. Garbage in garbage out. Too much compression. Stick with your 51" set for regular satellite viewing. However, if you have an HDTV satellite receiver then by all means send that to the H57 because you'll need a box of kleenex to mop up your drool when you see what HDTV looks like on the H57. :D

By the way, please pm me about your DirecTv/DishNet. I've lost both due to encryption. How are you getting it?

Let us know when you're pj arrives and give us progress reports on your room and impressions of the new toy.

Congratulations again!

Wayne

Thanks very much for the reply.

I am very excited about getting the projector. UPS can't be fast enough!

I am in construction on my theatre, so many of your points about color are totally controllable. I want to paint the room a darker blue, so I guess now I have a reason too. I would like to also use a darker carpet, I am hoping to be able to afford the 'movie carpets' I see advertised around...

92" diagnal is your recommendation? I think I will try to squeeze the extra 8" out of it so I may go with the M100 Manual Elite SCreen. If I find it a problem, I'll project a smaller image to the screen to compensate.I will check the sponsors here for a good price on an entry level screen, likely matte white.

Sorry, I don't know what I was thinking when I typed the height of the ceiling, it will be 87.5" finished.

My Screen will go down to 10" off the floor, right where I have my TV cabinet starting.

You have Pm.

:SrZ:

SrZ,

Oh, you're welcome. :) And thank you for your pm Will.

You're laughing now with your ceilings. You shouldn't have a problem at all, especially with your ability and willingness to go as low as 10" with your screen if need be.

Let us know whether you were dinged at the border with any nasty charges. :(

I don't blame you for wanting to get a 100" screen. Sometimes I wish I had a larger one and I've been tempted to go for the new Optoma Greywolf 106" model if only to enlarge 2.35:1 movies.

You're fortunate in that you are designing your room from scratch. So with the darker walls and carpeting you ought to be able to go with a brighter screen such as the matte white or high power. We use our recroom so it's not really a dedicated home theater but it's close and suits our purposes.

This projector really rocks and you got a great deal!! Too bad the MSRP is so high here in Canada.

Wayne

i am thinking of getting this projector or the 4805, H31 or the Sanyo PLV-Z3. Which one, i want a 110 screen, sitting 13-16 feet back. and mainly for DVDs. Can anyone put any screen shots of this baby playing some movies. Thanks rob

Hi Rob,

I don't know anything about the Sanyo other than it's LCD. In my opinion, the H31 may not be bright enough for you if you want to fill a 110" screen. It's a fairly bright little projector but I had it in my home and the difference between that and the H57 is literally like night and day. My High Power screen was a perfect match for the H31 but it's way too bright a combination with the H57 and I've had to cut the lumens in half by installing an ND2 filter on the H57's lens.

The 4805 is old news now in my opinion. It's well over a year old, approaching a year and a half and the H31 has surpassed it from all that I've read. Don't get me wrong, the 4805 should be bright enough to fill a 110" screen better than the H31 but the H31 has been reported by many to be better in some respects although that can be a matter of opinion. The contrast ratio is about the same but because the 4805 is a brighter projector than the H31, it may tend to have poorer blacks. The H31 is reported to have better colors although not necessarily better color accuracy.

Bottom line is, if you want a screen that large you should get a light cannon like the 4805 or the H57. However, a projector such as the WVGA 4805 only has 854 x 480 pixels to work with whereas the H57 has 1024 x 576. This is something to carefully consider because you'll be stretching those pixels on the 4805 to fill a 110" screen. The H57 will handle a screen that size better due to it's superior brightness and pixel count. It's also less noisy than the 4805. I like the H57's allotment of inputs at the back. No need to have to purchase an M1 adapter like you need with the 4805 in order to use DVI.

That's my opinion. No screen shots, sorry. Maybe someone else can help you in that regard.

Wayne

Hi Rob,

In many ways we seem to have the same setup. One thing that was pointed out to me, is how close you will be to such a large screen. At a resoultion of 800x600, pixels are indeed larger to represent the whole image. This is one of the primary reasons I decided to take a step up. I read this entire threat, and I have been searching and reading up on projectors for months, but actively reading day and night this month, before I selected the H57.

Once other reason I selected the H57, is the recent price change. I did a search on the internet, trying to grab the prices from many online retailers. I found that the majority of them still listed this PJ at the old MSRP. One company stood out, at the new price, and offered a free bulb.

I was prepared to pay this very price (less the cost of the bulb) in CDN funds here in Canada, when I saw that for $50 more (but in US funds) I could make the switch. I was sold instantly.

My room overall will be 16' wall-screen, and 10' 10" wide. This means my seating will be 13-14 feet from the screen, at best. I am hoping to be able to add another row (couch) in front of that also, so that puts people in the 10' range to view such a large screen. We'll see with my tests how this all works out. I did also pickup a copy of AvIA setup DVD, with my PJ purchase.

I am hoping UPS get's the PJ to me in good time, as I am very anxious to set it up, even though my room is only framed and wired so far. I will have to run out and buy the screen in Toronto, and I will hang it (temporarily) to make sure all is well from those distances. Then, I will finish the room.

Wayne -- we spoke of CDN make cables, Ultralink!.. I knew I was familiar with them, I have a set of their component cables running my DVD player! :)

I am now in need of a ceiling mount bracket for the projector.

I don't usually make mistakes in my purchases, once I've researched them.. so I am expecting this to hold true for the H57. BTW:, I called Optoma directly 2 weeks ago and discussed projectors in general. They were excellent and very helpful. I just tried to learn more about them, and what was a critical factor for use in my environment. I spoke with Jason, a sales rep (I guess) and he was great!

Good luck!

Will

Hey Will,

Yes indeed, Ultralink cables are in my opinion the best in the world and they're made right in your backyard in the Toronto area.

I have a 50' DVI-D cable running from my HTPC to the H57 and the image is flawless with no drop-outs or sparklies, just a phenomenal image. This cable is a full one half an inch in thickness!! :cool: I watched a 4:3 episode of the BW TV series 'The Honeymooners' last night. No rainbows and the blacks were great.

Your seating that may be 10' away from the screen is exactly where I've positioned my couch for our main seating. I only notice screendoor when I'm looking for it in credits for instance. At that distance, even with my 92" screen, I become completely involved and engrossed in the picture.

That's one of the many great things about this projector. You can sit probably almost as close as you can with a 1280 x 720 projector and not be bothered by SDE.

You might remember the earlier post in this thread where the H57 was compared with the higher resolution H77 and the H57 was considered basically to be the H77's equal. :)

Wayne

Will! Did you get yours??? Mine was delayed til' tom'w! ;0

They called today, lets call them ' V ' to make it easier. V received my order but double-sold the same open box, so I went with new - I'd rather new anyway for $100, but whatever. So the order was confirmed today and is on it's way. I have an approximate delivery day of August 2nd, according to their delivery calendar on UPS's site. I expect tracking info for tomorrow.... I did manage to get $15. knocked off of the shipping though, by asking about V's free shipping in the US and Canadians get nothing???. .. hehehe. It never hurts to ask...

I did some additional work in the theatre tonight, I will run the cables tomorrow or Wednesday... to be ready for the delivery. I hope to get out tomorrow night and purchase the screen, so get an overall feeling for what this is going to look like.

I still haven't had any responses to my request for switching gear, 1 input, 2 outputs selectable via Component or VGA connection... Now, do me a favor, stop talking about this thing, I'm getting over anxious..... :)


edit: Wayne I almost completely missed your post... Yup, sounds like it's going to work out just fine..... I think will all the help here, and my pre-planning and measuring things out I will have an impressive little theatre. I do wish the 16:9 format was more like 9:6, I'd have a bigger (taller) picture. As it stands now, I will JUST be able to cover my in-wall Tv, which I think is important from a visual perspective. If it doesn't cover it, I will likely recess the TV back about 1/2, and I will cover the 'speaker panel' portion of the TV to make it look like a floating screen only. Then, for sure the pull-down screen will be centered and the main focus.

I am rethinking my color scheme, to maybe a mid-gray, rather than a dark navy... Opinions?

Will

Hey Will, read back... I was the other open box guy. :) My shipment was delayed because they forgot the extra bulb. Were very friendly on the phone, though.
Anyways we should both have "A" h57 pretty soon. I got some blackout cloth tonite for a temporary (maybe permanent) screen. I'll let everyone know how it looks ASAP!

:) d

Will,

As far as color scheme goes, I have read that a neutral gray tone is actually quite a good choice because it helps to not affect the grayscale of the image. I guess that the color of the walls tends to tint the picture in such a way that you have to compensate or over compensate by adjusting your RGB contrast and brightness.

I think that you should pm Kraszmusik and ask him for advice or even to grace our little thread here with some opinions that might help us all out. He's up on all of this stuff because of his ISF calibration training etc...

Dave,

Won't be long now for either you or Will. :) I watched Disc 1 of the NFL Super Bowl DVD set last night in 4:3 AR and it was great! Love this pj. :)

Wayne

Wayne;

You've indicated several times that you're watching 4:3 material. I am concerned how my 4:3 material will actaully look, as many of my DVD's are 4:3. How does the projector do this? Do I use one of the zoom modes to 'pillar box' the screen and thus end up with a 4:3 image? Is there multiple choices how to view my 4:3 stuff?

Dave;

I did read about the open box deal you got, and when i saw it one the website I assumed it was another open box I was ordering. They are excellent on the phone - I spoke with Jennifer who straightened everything out for me. I did read some of he feedbacks from Canadian Customers who have ordered from V before, they all had nothing but good things to say. I would say this is how the company conducts themselves.... Did you order a ceiling bracket? I just can't bring myself to order a $200 bracket (cdn) so I am looking for alternatives... Even if I have to weld my own, and paint it....

Where is everyone else who owns a H57???.. Seems like I have taken over this thread with Mystery.... Come and join the fun!!! ... ps. waiting sux. :)

Will

Hi Will,

I've been trying to PDF a file to answer your question but it either ends up being too large to use or it doesn't seem to work for some reason so if you go to the link below, click on the User Manual link under the Download section and go to page 24 I think it is. That will bring you to the area that explains the different aspect ratios.

I just use the Window button on the remote when I want to view 4:3 material. You can also go into the menu to do the same thing and from there access even more options.

http://www.optomahometheater.com/content/H57.asp

Wayne

Hi Wayne,

got into the PDF ok here, thanks for the pointers. Looks like it will handle my 4:3 just fine... Yahooo.

Another thought I just had -- I have a satellite card in my computer, that I could purchase a DVI video card for, and output that signal to the projector. That would give me a HTPC feel for that one input source, and I know that signal on standard VGA just blows my mind....

Question: Can I just get a VGA switching device, and make a VGA - Component cable for my audio receiver output, and switch which output device via manual switch...?

:SrZ:

Hey Will, There is NO way i would spend $200 on a ceiling bracket that people can replicate with about $20 in parts and a bit of labor. Also, my fiancee would kick my sorry as*!
I am already planning on getting the Oppo. so I will probably sell my Zenith DVB-318, which has been hacked for component upconversion and region-free... And most likely, the spare lamp. For now I am goning to try the table approach. Also, I rent, don't own so I don't know how landlords would feel about drilling holes in their ceilings!! And if there's ever a big enough quake out here, (SF) I don't want this thing crashing down!

It should be here around 2pm. I oughta get the place set up!

:) d

It came! I got it! The World will soon be MINE!!! MUAH,HA,HA!!!!!
Ok, a bit too much, but I got it!!!

;) d

Will,

DVI from my HTPC to the H57 is awesome! :) So, I do recommend a video card with DVI output if you can swing it.

I'm unfortunately out of my league with your other question about VGA stuff. Maybe someone else can chime in here or your could pose this question over in the HTPC forum.

Dave,

FANTASTIC!! :) I imagine we won't we hearing much from you for a little while. :) Treat us to a review when you can but only if it's positive. :D

Wayne

in a word, wow... Can't wait for nite to come so I have full darkness in the room but wow...
Will, you're gonna mess yourself.
I'm just using my wall at the moment... wow. Using the zenith at 1080i through component.
Checked Empire Strikes Back, Fifth Element SB... wow.

Now I gotta pry myself away from watching to hook up the audio comps...

Anyways, thanks again, Wayne! More later!

Dave,

Will and I are three hours ahead of you here in Ontario. So by the time it gets dark where you are it'll be around 1 in the morning our time. Yawwwwwnnnnn. :eek: I'll bet you aren't going to get much sleep tonight. :)

Can hardly wait to hear more!

Wayne

Dave how dare you make comments like that without specifics to back them up!

Now I am super, duper jealous.... You ordered 10 minutes ahead of me, and I will have to wait at least 1 week, damn border, damn customs, damn cdn government (sorry, another topic)...

I think I am going to create a fancy shelf system for my Pj or something. Standard is futile..... heheheh.

Ok, now the waiting game. Please make sure you play 4:3 movie, standard def, and tell me your opinion...

Will

OK, here goes...
Good news and bad news,,,,
Good news... PQ is awesome. Even with minimal adjustments, wow. Wayne was right about the colors. No evidence of macroblocking with my zenith with the faroudja. Bright as hell. I have the contrast on 35 and it's bright in a darkened room.
Bad news... Apparently the 4:3 option only works with computer? Not through component, I believe at 1080i. I'll try at 480P.
And the BAD news. Apparently I am highly susceptible to rainbows. And I mean, I see ALOT of them. At least one every 10 seconds or so. Mostly in a dark scene where there's a strong contrast, like a light. ANGEL and The Crow show this very obviously. On NEMO, I didn't see any. It could be that my projector is too bright, the bulb is new, I might need a filter, I dunno. Gonna fully calibrate tonite. Good news is my fiancee doesn't see them.

No headaches though, so I have my fingers crossed.

More tom'w! :) d

Dave,

Glad you're enjoying the H57! :)

I have the same DVD player as you (LG clone) and I upconvert over component to 1080i. I have found that 4:3 upconverted material will only play on the H57 as stretched to 16:9. It's not ideal, but not horrid either. However, what I did was calibrate the LG @ 480p and sent the signal that way to the pj and the proper AR with the sidebars appears.

As you suspected, my HTPC sends all 4:3 material to the H57 no matter what resolution I select and displays it properly.

As for rainbows, the fact that you aren't getting headaches is a big plus! Also your fiancee not being susceptible is great news. I can suggest some things to help; IF you're sending too many lumens to your 'screen' this will accentuate the problem. I'd get an ND2 filter if I were you. This is what I've done for my High Power and it has helped immensely. The image was just stratospherically bright before. Also, if you are darting your head/eyes around the screen this will create the rainbow effect. With DLP projectors we have to train ourselves to just 'drink' in the movie at a glance with our heads/eyes basically motionless. It might sound unnatural but it only takes a little getting used to. Please ensure that your screen isn't too big for the distance that you're sitting from it. If it's too large you will find yourself darting your eyes/head back and forth in order to take everything in which will result in rainbows.

Many people, including myself have found that by patiently sticking with it, the rainbows subside and basically disappear given a little time. I first saw them quite a bit when I owned the X1 but they soon left even without me realizing it until one day I said, 'Hey! I haven't seen any rainbows in I don't know how long' They will tend to show up on b/w material more than with color but once again, keep the screen size proper for your viewing distance, resist the darting eyes/head temptation, lower your lumens by either getting a gray based screen or slapping on an ND2 filter, and you should be fine. I tried the ND2 filter out along with my HCMW screen but the darkening effect with the combo was too much, even for the super bright H57 so when I use the gray screen, I remove the ND2 filter but it's on there right now because I'm presently using the High Power.

I can't remember what color your walls are. Are you projecting onto your wall or using something temporary? Once you get a proper screen, this should also help with the rainbows. Colored walls tend to skew the grayscale of the image and might be contributing to the rainbow effect.

Do yourself a favor though and don't view a lot of b/w stuff until you've conquered the rainbow effect with colored movies. Once you're comfortable with those, then you can train yourself to reduce/eliminate the rainbows while viewing b/w movies.

My absolute favorite movie to demo on the H57 is Troy. Much of it is shot outdoors on sunny days and it's pure eye candy on this projector. I'd recommend you view that as one of your first 'baptisms'. :)

Someone was mentioning in another thread which I subscribe to that they had for the first time seen the purple spots on the furry creatures coat in the movies 'Monsters, Inc.' Kraszmuzik chimed in and mentioned that if you don't see those spots that your pj isn't calibrated correctly. I also never remembered seeing these spots when I views this movie on my X1 so I put it on last night and wow, the H57 resolves these beautifully. It's as if the creature has purple chicken pox or mumps. :)

Do calibrate with AVIA or DVE. Your contrast or brightness might be off and calibrate again when you change screens.

Will,

Try out this company for a mount. They're Canadian and I know a guy here in London who has one of theirs. I saw it holding an H31 and he loves it. Works well.

http://www.perfectmounts.com/index.html?lang=en-us&target=front.html

Search their site. They should have an exact match for the H57 and their prices aren't that bad. They have universal mounts too which might not be a bad idea given that this will no doubt not be the only pj you even own.

Wayne

Ok.
I was up til' 4:30am. Damn new toys! Good thing I'm unemployed! Anyways, I calibrated it with the basic layman's Avia. My contrast was WAY too high! It's now at about 23. Brightness in the 40's. I messed with my RGB levels as the pic. definitely had a slight greenish cast to it. Could be the Zenith at 1080i, I noticed that on my Mits. 55" as well compared to my old JVC player. After boosting the reds and knocking the green down I got a VERY, VERY swell pic. Also Wayne, what is your gamma at? I have my color temp. set at low,, edit.. I just realized that my lamp was in BRIGHT mode so all calibrations probably need to get redone. Argh...
Anyways, by late last nite, I was hardly seeing any rainbows after knocking down the contrast etc.... We'll see tonite.
Kind of annoying that the sharpness isn't supported with component in. Tint is not that big a deal.

More later.... :) d

Anyone have any screen shots of this thing running a movie? Are rainbows bad on this thing, or is it normal? Sorry still new to this stuff. I am considering this projector. there are Fixed Screens on this site
http://projectionwholesale.com/prodList.asp?idCategory=68

i was wondering woud this be a good screen for this projector, they offer a 110" for $525.00. it comes standard in Matte White, High Contrast Grey fabric. and they are Dalite and you have a choice of High contrast damat fabic or damat 0.8 gain.


this would be for sitting 13-16 feet back in a light controled room. I am unsure with the brightness of the projector. Thanks Rob

You're 'lucky' Dave. Work gets in the way of important stuff like this! :)

Funny about you using high lamp mode without realizing it. It's still bright in econo mode though so you'll be fine. Just have to re-calibrate.

I have been using Gamma at 2 but last night I decided to drop it down to 1 and it seemed pleasing but I've got to look at some darker scenes to see if I'm losing too much detail by doing that. I liked the look of it in brighter scenes though.

I'm thinking about lowering my brightness setting even though it's accurate according to AVIA. The contrast looks better when I lower the brightness.

I have DLP Gamma set to 'TV' but that may change too. Also color temp is at low like yours. I like that reddish feel to a picture. Makes it warmer I think.

Those RGB brightness and contrast controls are great. You can really dial in the tint. And my LG player has a BIG green push but I dialed it out.

I'm with you on being annoyed about the sharpness. I just ordered the Oppo DVD player and it's on it's way. It has a sharpness function on it. I'll be comparing it with my HTPC and we'll see which I prefer. Hopefully it'll get here before the long weekend here in Ontario.

Rob,

Those look like nice screens but they're pretty pricey don't you think? I believe that you can do better than that. You could check out the Carada screens although I'm not sure what their prices are. Many folks make their own frames and use blackout cloth or order a pull down screen and take it apart in order to use the screen from it in their own home made fixed frame screen.

If you have light colored walls, you should get a grey screen such as Da-Lite HCMW or Optoma's Greywolf screen. Either one of these will cut down on light reflections off of the walls. If you have darker walls then a matte white or High Power would be good although if you go with a High Power you probably will need to make the image less bright by putting an ND2 filter onto the projector's focus ring.

I have included some screenshots for you that I took a while back with my other H57 that was a loaner from Optoma until the new one that I have now was received. Please take these with a big grain of salt as I do not consider myself to be a shutterbug although I did take the pics by hand without the use of a tripod and they turned out surprisingly free of blur. However, they are clipping the whites so don't take these pics as representative of what the H57 does in person. The reason for the over brightness is that I took these pictures using my High Power screen and before I bought the ND2 filter to cut the lumens in half. Also, I only used the automatic setting on the camera, a Canon Power Shot A75 3.2 MP, and I haven't taken the time to learn how to use it manually. I probably could have done better even though the ND2 filter wasn't on the H57 at that time but anyway, here they are.

Wayne

Good, it's not just me! The LG/Zenith is definitely greenish. I have my gamma up at 9. I use Bram Stoker's Dracula as one of my calibrating discs. With the gamma much lower, Gary Oldman's head, (hair) disappears into the background in the castle prologue. With it up at 9, quite a bit of pic. info. is revealed in the dark scenes. I am currently just using a matte white wall. Looks decent. I bought some blackout cloth but it has creases and wrinkles in it so until I'm really set to do it, I'm just using the wall. Can't wait for your Oppo review! Play some PAL discs natively too, if you can! I heard that's how the h57 looks best!

:) d

Are you noticing images in brighter scenes washed out with your gamma that high? :confused: I've tried it up around there and it kills the contrast in my setup. Hey using your wall is good. You can have any size screen you want almost without worrying about the image spilling over onto the black masking. You should tack up some felt around your image. Then you'll really see the picture pop!

Yeah, I'll do a review on the Oppo/H57 combo soon. Unfortunately I don't have any PAL discs. But I do plan on trying the 1:1 pixel mapping @ 576i or 576p.

Wayne

Hey Dave...

Take a wet towel, not damp, but wet, and iron the creases out. Takes seconds and does a great job. I realize you might have to call in the wifey to help out with this electronic toy, but just explain that she can help you with this, and you'll help her with the PJ, for as long as she needs to learn.... :)

fair, right?

Wayne;

I guess I missed something, but what's the big deal with this OPPO DVD player?

I have a standard Toshiba SD1900 (i think) nothing special. Whats the diff?

Will

how much do the ND2 filter run?

Will,

Check out this review from HomeTheaterHiFi's DVD Benchmark Review. The Oppo scored second to the Denon 5910. It'll send 576i or 576p to the H57 which of course is 1:1 pixel mapping. It upconverts over DVI to 720p or 1080i. It has the Faroudja chip and has little or no macroblocking and passes blacker than black and all for MSRP $200.00 U.S. :)

http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/cgi-bin/shootout.cgi?function=search&articles=all&type=DVD+Player&manufacturer=68&maxprice=0&deInt=0&mpeg=0

Rob,

My ND2 filter cost me $35.00 plus tax. Depending on where you are, it may be cheaper.

Wayne

Mystery,

Hello. I've been meaning to ask you, how does the H57 handle video via composite compared to the H31? I have several Dish DVR's full of boxing that I'd love to see on the big screen. I'm thinking this might be hopeless, as you've said on several occasions, correct me if I'm wrong, that satellite as a source is horrible blown up. I'm hoping that one could at least do a job adequate enough that it's at least bearable. Thanks Mystery.

Joe

OFFSET FOR H57 ???

I have a 9 ft ceiling and need to know the actual % offset for the H57.

I called tech supt and was told it is 37% of screen height ie 19.2in for a 106in (92 x 52) screen.

Can anyone confirm this as it is not in the manual or the Optoma web site. The CSR seemed to not know what offset is.

Hey again, all

Less rainbows last nite but still some. In scenes with Dark backgrounds where something in the foreground is prominently lit, (Bruce Springsteen Live in NYC is a good example) I see many whenever there is fast action. My fiancee hasn't said ANYTHING so I'm not gonna ask. :)
Which nd2 filter should I try?? And silly question I know, but which side of the cloth should I iron? And how hot should the iron be?? Thanx!

I would iron the bottom of the cloth, putting your intended viewing surface on the top of the ironing board. Use the iron in steam mode, so it will steam the fabric through the towel. The wet towel offers protection for your screen material...

I have never failed to remove wrinkles and folds using this method.

- Wayne, I read the review, I guess I would just need to see how 'average' dvd players perform in comparrison.

Still loving the PJ Dave?

Will

It's pretty sweet. When is yours coming????

;) d

scarfaceforever,

Joe, I haven't tried composite because well, you know, it's down the foodchain on the list of cable types. :) As a matter of fact I haven't even connected an s-video cable to the H57. What I'm doing is sending SD and HD via component cable from my Scientific Atlanta PVR. I also share that component cable with my LG/Zenith DVD player but if the Oppo which I've ordered is better than the LG, then I'll be retiring the LG and using the component strictly for the PVR.

The SD signal via component is watchable but muted in quality when it comes to colors. It's bright enough but it's too soft an image blown up to 92" the way that I have it. I don't like it and I use my widescreen TV for SD as it shows it really well. The pj is mostly for DVD and some HD although I share the HD between the pj and the TV. It looks great on both, only smaller on the TV. :)

So, if you're not expecting pristine quality then you should be able to go ahead and watch your boxing recordings. This pj really shines with HD though.

mooney,

I don't know what the offset percentage is but here's my setup which should give you a pretty good idea of what to expect in yours.

H57 is mounted with the center of the lens 6' 2.5" from the floor.
Screen is hanging whereby top edge of screen is 61.5" from the floor.

Therefore, the offset in my situation is exactly 13". My screen is 92" diagonal which is 45" x 80" and it's 12.5' from the projector.

I calculate 37% of 45" to be 16.65". So either my measurements are wrong or the offset is incorrect.

Dave,

I have the Hoya ND2 filter 67mm. I use a small piece of velcro to attach it to the focus ring. The really neat thing about using this filter is that I never have to mess with the lens cap anymore and also the filter is protecting the lens from dust, fingerprints and scratches.

I suspect that your rainbow problem will take a little time. I know that it did with me and that was with the X1 that uses a 2X wheel whereas the H57 has the 4X wheel. Get that ND2 filter as soon as possible and you should notice a difference. Watching the H57 on a matte white wall even in econo mode isn't ideal. The nice thing about this projector is that you can cut the lumens in half and it's still bright enough to pack a lot of punch. I even bought an ND4 filter which cut the lumens down by 75% but it was too dark then, even for the H57. :)

Will,

Your present DVD player might be just fine. The reason I'm trying out this Oppo is because of it's price and rock solid reviews. And the fact that it'll pixel map at 1:1 with the H57's native resolution. I expect that this will be my last DVD player prior to Blu-ray or HD-DVD coming out.

Wayne

Wayne, I think the Oppo will only output PAL discs at 576P. NTSC ones would be either 480P, 720P or 1080i, I believe. Also, will I have to boost contrast and brightness with the filter on? Would that take life off the bulb? And which hoya nd2 67mm filter did you get? I see 4 different models!!! http://www.pricegrabber.com/search_attrib.php?form_keyword=hoya+nd2+67mm&topcat_id=&page_id=584&lo_p=0&hi_p=0

Thanx d

Thanks Dave. I didn't know that about the 575i or 576p. I'll try it anyway just because I'm curious. :) I'm able to send 576p from my HTPC to the H57. I seem to actually prefer it at 1280 x 720 though.

I'm not able to get any information about my ND2 filter for you other than it says it's an 'NDX2'. I don't think that it's multi-coated or anything fancy like that. It cost me $35.00 here in Canada so it's probably going to set you back around $25 to $30 where you are.

My contrast and brightness settings with my gray screen are 32 and 72 respectively.

The same measurements with my High Power screen and the ND2 filter are 50 and 72 respectively.

I used AVIA to determine these numbers. This is when I use the HTPC. So I only have to increase the contrast when using the ND2 filter.

When I use my DVD player or PVR, the contrast and brightness are 53 and 53 on both screens when sending 1080i either upconverted or actual. When I send 480p from the DVD player my numbers change a bit to 52 and 48.

I don't think that having to up the contrast or brightness will lessen the life of the bulb.

Wayne

Ok, I'm starting to think that my h57 is defective. I DID have some colour adjustment capability with component, which I believe I wasn't supposed to have as said in the book. Now I just tried the zenith with the DVI input, (I flashed the firmware back to the original) and now I have lost color adjustments in my menu! And sharpness and tint are still unavailable which should be ok, now that I'm using DVI. What's wrong???
And if the projector's ok and the manual is wrong, do they think that we don't want to have color adjustment capability? The pic. is now way oversaturated. If I go into the RGB menu and knock the numbers down, that won't help, right?
:( d

Hi Dave,

Yeah, the manual says in a little sidebar note that Ypbpr doesn't allow the usage of the color adjustment. I remember now reading that before but I had forgotten that it was there. Anyway, I too can adjust the color when using component from either my LG player or the PVR. I've never given it much thought other than being pleased because when I'm using DVI from the HTPC the color function is grayed out and unusable. So you can relax, everything's working normally. I don't know why the manual says what it does but it must be wrong. The only thing that would be frustrating now would be the oversaturated picture. You can either reflash the Zenith back to component and get your color control returned or you can definitely use the RGB contrast and brightness controls to tweak. As a matter of fact I just did some fine tuning the last couple of nights with this method. I found that oversaturated reds came down very nicely by dropping the numerical value of the brightness.

See if you prefer DVI versus component or not. I wouldn't hesitate to go back to component if DVI isn't any better because then you have the color control activated and your DVI input on the H57 could be used for something else like another DVD player with DVI or an HTPC.

Wayne

It's pretty sweet. When is yours coming????

;) d

Hey Dave

I am expecting about Tuesday, August 2nd right now...

" Jul 29, 2005 7:11 A.M. LIVONIA, MI, US ARRIVAL SCAN
5:44 A.M. WINDSOR, ON, CA "

Looks like it's just hitting the border... Yesterday.

I have yet to pickup the screen, gotta do that tonight.

Will

Will,

Where are you thinking of getting the screen from? What type and dimensions are you leaning toward?

Wayne

Hi Wayne;

I am leaning towards a 100" diagnal, which would give me 87" W x 50" H.. standard matte white from a wholesale/retailer in the West End of Toronto.

It is manual pull-down, lock in any position. It is made by Elite Screens and is a 1.0 gain. (I believe this means standard)

P.s. I confirmed with UPS my PJ is at Customs, and once released, I should expect Aug 2. Im just worried about duties and fees...

Will

Thanx for the reply, Wayne

It's not a HUGE thing but either the manual is wrong or there are a weird batch of h57's out there. I read the review at http://www.projectorreviews.com/review.asp?reid=35
and it does not mention this. In fact, it says that it is one of the most tweakable projectors out there. I emailed Optoma. Something has to be wrong. I mean, NO sharpness on any input? No tint? What's the point of having the little grayed out area for? To taunt us? Like NYAH! If you had gotten an h77, this would be available! I am gonna want that input for HD if I go back to component for the DVD player! Or if I get the Oppo! Does the Oppo have pic controls? Also, if I ever sell the h57, I wanna be sure it's ok. If the manual says something different, it'd be hard to explain to the buyer that the projector is ok. Will, let us know how yours is working! :) d

Warning...

I found out today ordering across the border VOIDS MANUFACTURER WARRANTY.

Now, in speaking with the company " V " I was assured they would work with me if i did have a problem, and I shipped the unit back to them, but WHY ISN'T THAT IN WRITING...????/

" Shipping out side of USA - We DO NOT ship plasmas outside of the United States. Some projectors can be shipped outside of the United States but will not be under warranty. " - " V " 's policy.

Now I am worried that I will have to refuse my package... Can anyone jump in here and advise me please???

$2500 CDN is a lot to spend, BUYER BEWARE!!!

Will

$2500?!?!? From V? What happened?!?!?

$2500 CDN, after shipping, currency conversion, duty, taxes....

I am estimating of course, thats not a firm number, nor is it the point.

I just got off the phone with OPTOMA technical Support, USA, and they assured me this is NOT TRUE. They are sending me documents in writing to confirm that I would work with their CDN operations to solve the problem, and if that failed, worst case scenario, I would pay shipping BOTH WAYS to optoma US to have the problem resolved. (Again, worst case scenario). I think " V" disclaimers themselves, so they don't have to deal with the issues across the border. OPTOMA OUTRIGHT TOLD ME this is not their policy, rather it is likely' V's policy.....

I guess thats one way to reduce costs on selling units, deny future services .... Comments?

I try to know these things before I purchased, I guess I did get trigger happy.
I am still very much looking forward to my purchase.

Will

$2500 CDN, after shipping, currency conversion, duty, taxes....

I am estimating of course, thats not a firm number, nor is it the point.

I just got off the phone with OPTOMA technical Support, USA, and they assured me this is NOT TRUE. They are sending me documents in writing to confirm that I would work with their CDN operations to solve the problem, and if that failed, worst case scenario, I would pay shipping BOTH WAYS to optoma US to have the problem resolved. (Again, worst case scenario). I think " V" disclaimers themselves, so they don't have to deal with the issues across the border. OPTOMA OUTRIGHT TOLD ME this is not their policy, rather it is likely' V's policy.....

I guess thats one way to reduce costs on selling units, deny future services .... Comments?

I try to know these things before I purchased, I guess I did get trigger happy.
I am still very much looking forward to my purchase.

Will

I don't own an Optoma but rather a Benq. I too was concerned about warranty issues for US machines purchased in Canada. I called up Benq (just outside Toronto I believe) and confirmed with them that they honour the warranty for machines purchased in the US.

Well, I think after I discovered this, I would warn everyone in advance to research this topic prior to purchasing. Now, that being said, V has assured me they would work with me, so has Optoma.... So, I'm not in the dark afterall.

I considered the BENQ line for months before I read 50/50 reviews at projectorcentral.com on the two main models I was researching (6100 / 6200)

I am convinced with what I have read the H57 is a superior model and will suit my needs, now, all that remains is the "test" .... Everyone has their own opinion, I thank you for sharing yours.

Will

Basement,

I too own a Benq purchased in the US from AVS (sponsor) and was told that I would have to ship the unit back for warranty purposes. I didn't think that would be much of an issue as the price was sooo much better than here (boy do we get hosed sometimes!). If what you say is true this is very good news. Can you pm the Benq number you called so that I can use it for future reference?

Will, you should not be paying any duty. There may be a brokerage fee (less than $100) especiallly if it's UPS, and taxes. That's all that I paid extra.

John

Thanks John, I am assuming about duty, or GST... Maybe I'll have to pay GST on it

But I got my IR distribution system, no problems. Was left on my front steps by UPS when i got home...

We'll just wait and see, thanks for jumping in.

Will

I felt it was important for me to post the reply, so prospective buyers know here they stand.

" Hi Will,

If you purchased a projector in the United States and you reside in
Canada, Optoma will honor your warranty. You will be obligated to
prove
your warranty status by providing a copy of your receipt or invoice
showing the date of purchase. Your EPH57 has a two year warranty. If
the projector was to fail within 90 days of the purchase, we will swap
it for a new projector. If the projector fails after 90 days of the
purchase, we will repair the projector. Because you reside in Canada,
you will be responsible for shipping both ways.

Robert Sarauw
Optoma Technology, Inc. "

I feel much, much, much better now about my purchase. I knew Optoma was the company to go with.

Will

Will,

I really hate to bring this up but your $2500.00 Cdn. funds estimate seems way too low. :confused: I suspect that the difference on the dollar will be around $600.00 and then you'll most likely be hit with both GST and PST adding another $375.00 to the total and then there's shipping. I suspect it's going to set you back about 3 big ones. At least that's what I figured when I was considering purchasing from the U.S. Hopefully it won't be any more than what you are counting on but it seems to me that U.S. shipments to Canada have to add the two taxes on for those of us in Ontario.

Dave,

Unfortunately the LG/Zenith player is hopeless when it comes to tweaking. When we use that unit, we have to rely on the display device to control color, tint, etc.... Since some of the H57's controls are grayed out when using component and/or DVI, it's really helpful to be able to calibrate using another link in the chain such as an HTPC or a DVD player etc...

Let us know what Optoma says about it. I think this is a bit of an issue with all projectors really. I believe that the H31 and even my X1 had certain function that wouldn't work with certain cables.

Wayne

Basement,

I too own a Benq purchased in the US from AVS (sponsor) and was told that I would have to ship the unit back for warranty purposes. I didn't think that would be much of an issue as the price was sooo much better than here (boy do we get hosed sometimes!). If what you say is true this is very good news. Can you pm the Benq number you called so that I can use it for future reference?

Will, you should not be paying any duty. There may be a brokerage fee (less than $100) especiallly if it's UPS, and taxes. That's all that I paid extra.

John

Sorry. I didn't keep the number handy. I got the number from the Benq Canada website.

The evil dogs at customs have my Projector. According to UPS, they wanted more information from ME regarding the shipment, before clearing it. UPS informs me that the package is being evaluated for DUTY and FEES.. errrgg I hate this.

Patience, patience.... ahhhhhhhh Whoooooosawwwww......

Will

Will,

Any chance you can get this from those jokers this weekend? Which border point is it sitting at? Do you know?

I received my new Oppo DVD player today and so far I've only tried it at 480p via s-video to my widescreen TV. The Oppo arrived unfortunately with some damage sustained to the box corner but so far I haven't detected anything wrong with the unit. The damage did not go further than the box itself and the underlying styrofoam remained intact.

And Dave, I guess it goes without saying that the Oppo beats the LG/Zenith at 480p. It's a very nice picture with nice flesh tones, color saturation and no artifacts that I could see. And I've only tried s-video so far. Lots of picture controls to tweak the image Dave. With this player, it sort of takes the sting away of not having color, tint, and sharpness controls on the H57 with certain cables.

I'll be testing the component and DVI outputs this weekend and I'll report back as to now they look on the H57. Nice looking unit. Very slim.

Wayne

Thanx Wayne, you da man!

I am curious to know how it looks via DVI. And I haven't had ONE response in my new thread from other Optoma owners about the pic. controls being mostly locked out. When DO they work? With S-video? Composite? Is there EVER a sharpness or tint control? Are the other models like this? The h31? The h77-79? Can't believe this never came up before in another thread. Especially with all the raves. I mean, NO color control?!?!?!?!? And if so, why are the manuals wrong?
I emailed Optoma last nite and did not get a reply all day. However, when I was curious about BUYING an Optoma, I had a reply within 20 minutes! Not the best customer service.

If the oppo works out, I'll sell the zenith in a heartbeat. It's PAL-NTSC conversion is inferior to my old JVC and I would LOVE to try PAL native.

Will, sorry to hear about the customs crap. I ordered a gtr. through Ebay from England and they tried to bill me for customs AFTER it was delivered.

Hopefully we will ALL be soon just enjoying our movie collections!

Peace! d

Thanks Dave! :)

I saw your thread and decided not to respond there as we've been chewing the fat well enough here. :D I'm kind of surprised that you haven't got a response yet though from someone. :(

I just checked the H31 user manual online at the Optoma website and it says that when using component cables, the tint sub menu is unusable. Same thing when using analog RGB cables.

Then I searched for the H77 online manual and it states that the color sub menu is not supported under the digital RGB input source and the hue sub menu isn't supported under digital RGB, component video, or analog RGB input sources.

The online manual for the H79 says exactly the same thing as the H77.

Even the new H78DC3 has the same limitations as the H79 and H77.

Interestingly enough, the online manual for the H27 doesn't state any limitations such as these. :confused:

Say, why don't you try composite and s-video this weekend when you get a chance and then let us know what controls you could use in the menu? I'd do it but my H57 is hanging nicely from it's mount and I don't have cables in composite or s-video long enough to reach it from the audio/video stand. I'm wondering if your set up is a little less 'permanent' than mine?

I suspect it's just a hazard of these newfangled cable technologies that cause us to miss out on some of these controls. I'm sure someone could explain it. This is probably the reason why we don't hear more about this. I guess people expect it to happen and they deal with it by adjusting these controls at the source.

Too bad you're not dealing with Optoma Canada. They treated me very well and responded to all of my emails and phone calls within a reasonable amount of time.

Anyway, for now I'd just tweak your H57 using the RGB controls. I'll bet you get it dialed in way better this way than just using color/tint anyway. It'll take you a little longer but it's very precise and rewarding. As for the sharpening, yeah, I go through that too with the LG/Zenith but I adjust the focus ring on the H57 to my liking and it's sharp enough that way for me. The LG/Zenith has a real nice picture upconverted to 1080i on the H57 don't you think?

Wayne

I learned alot from reading this thread - so thank you all. I want to know if this projector has a zoom that will allow me to do what I hear the H79 can do. On a 110 diagonal I want to play a 16:9 image in widescreen. That would take up 96 wide by 54 high. If I immediately switch to 4:3, the material would show in then center, in 90" diagonal with pilars on the sides. BUT....If I buy a 96 wide by 72 high screen, I could show the 4:3 in 120" diagonal - full screen, a 48 sqaure foot picture, versus the 90" diag at 27 sq. feet. I understand the projector would need a 1.33x or greater zoom. I also understand that I need 17.1 feet between projector and screen to do this. I don't even know how much the H79 is, I'm hoping the H57 can do this for $2k. Any thoughts?

thanks,

Gary (newbie)

Hey Wayne! I tried composite video and ALL adjustmenets are available! I think that I'll get the Oppo. for DVI, and use component for HD, Cable etc....

Can't wait for your Oppo. review, comparison!

:) d

Gary,

Welcome to AVS and our fabulous H57 thread. :)

The H57 can display quite a huge image from a short distance. If you press the 'Window' button when playing 4:3 material, it will indeed be centered in the middle with bars on the sides. This projector is probably bright enough to enable you to shoot an image that large without dimming it and it's pixel count is large enough to probably do you justice as well, especially if you're sitting at a good distance away from the screen.

I should caution you though. I think if you really want to view a lot of 4:3 material and as large as you want, you should possibly be looking at the NEC HT1100 which is a native 4:3 projector. With the H57 you will have to deal with the bars at the sides which you'll need to cover up otherwise your contrast ratio will suffer. This is why people use masking on their screens. With a native 4:3 projector, you won't have any light spill in the form of bars to contend with unless you view 16:9 material, then you'll have the bars on the top and bottom of the image creating the problem all over again.

So, it's doable what you want to do with the H57 and I hate to steer you away from this awesome unit. However, if your usage of a huge 4:3 screen will be only occasionally and most of your viewing will be 16:9 then this is the pj for you. :)

The NEC HT1100 can be accessorised with an anamorphic lens which will turn it into essentially a 16:9 projector so that you can have the best of both worlds.

Just something to consider.

Wayne

Interesting Dave. :)

Can you try s-video as well? I suspect it will allow all of the adjustments too. Maybe it's something to do with interlaced versus progressive signals or something.

I fired up the H57 this evening and tested the Oppo using 'Spiderman'. Boy, at only 480i, de-interlaced by the H57 to 480p, this was one fine smooth image that made me feel like I was in the local cinema. What I really like about this Oppo so far among other things is the way it resolves facial tones. There's a naturalness and an evenness that's missing from my HTPC and I also think the LG/Zenith may not be quite as good in this respect either. But if the Oppo can look this good through component 480i, then 480p, 720p, and 1080i through DVI ought to make me faint. :D The Oppo doesn't send 480p through component so you have to rely on the de-interlacing abilities of your display device. This is the first time that I've sent the H57 an interlaced signal and I was curious as to how it's de-interlacer would fare but I've been pleasantly surprised and I think if I went no further in my testing I could be happy. I do prefer a slightly sharper picture though and I expect I'll get that from the player's DVI resolution. It may never approach my HTPC is sharpness but the HTPC can be a hassle sometimes and this may be a very good trade-off on occasion.

Anyway, I turned into a pumpkin 5 minutes ago so it's off to dreamland. :cool:

More to come over the weekend. :)

Wayne

Connect that Oppo sucker to the h57 with DVI, man!!!! :)
Tonite, I had my first headache after watching the h57. Watched a few Buffy eps. which are often quite dark and contrasty. Saw TONS of rainbows and my head hurt for about 2 hours after. Hopefully it is not a sign of things to come. I ordered the ndh2 filter, it should come by monday. Hope that helps. Would the 5x speed color wheels be less rainbow inducing than the 4x? If the rainbows/headaches persist, I might consider upgrading to the Benq7700 or Tosh MT700. If that won't work, I might have to consider LCD. After watching a sweet Mitsubishi 55" Diamond CRT for 3 years with no problems and a gorgeous image after tweaking, I don't want watching dvds to be a chore or difficult. More experimenting to come. Unfortunately I am one of the unlucky ones. I literally saw about 200 or so rainbow instances tonite. Even at one every 30 seconds or so with many scenes having multiple instances for me, it might be too much. My fiancee has no idea what I'm talking about or describing. Lucky her.

:(

Dave,

This doesn't sound good. :( I didn't see many rainbows at all, hardly any, when I was using the H57 without the ND2 filter. I don't think moving up to a 5X speed color wheel would help much as it's only 1X up.

Naturally you don't want to have to go through this on a regular basis. So, try the filter when it comes and see what happens. Rainbows become less and less for many people as they did for me but I never had any headaches and I don't know if they ever stop. I don't remember reading that happening probably because people don't persevere and really who could blame them?

If these problems persist you may have to move to LCD. :eek: :)

I've got to disconnect the DVI-D cable from the HTPC and put it on the Oppo and then do the testing. I just received the test pattern disc called 'HQV' that everyone's talking about. I'll be trying that out too but a reviewer already did and said the Oppo passed all of the tests on it so I'm not worried.

Wayne

Dave,

I had headaches when I purchased an infocus X1 about a year ago. It took a while to get used to it. I watched John Carpenter's The Thing which has bright whites and dark blacks right after I got the projector(x1). Needless to say it had rainbows everywhere. I also used to dart my eyes back and forth a lot for no reason which added to the rainbows. You may want to try watching it with a little bit of ambient light for a while and see if that minimizes headaches. I almost switched to LCD but after a few days the headaches diminished and eventually the rainbows stopped distracting me. I still see them but they don't bother me anymore.

Kelly

Thanx, guys

I do indeed have my fingers crossed. Hopefully the filter will do the trick. If it gets down to once in a blue moon like it does for most, I'll be ok. Can you test the audio sync on the Oppo? I hear that is one of the problems. My zenith loses sync if I pause or chapter skip. Stopping and restarting seems to fix it but it is annoying.

Hope the Oppo gets a rave. I am ready to order. Did you get it from the Oppo site? I know they have the latest firmware installed that way.

:) d

Dave,

I'm about to do some testing shortly. I have to configure the Oppo with my Harmony remote so that will take a little bit and then I'll get on to checking out the audio for you as well as other things. I've connected the DVI-D cable to the Oppo after having removed it from my HTPC. I can still use my high density VGA cable to test analog from the HTPC to the H57 which I haven't done yet and that should be interesting comparing that to DVI-D from the Oppo.

I have the new June 29th firmware installed. The Oppo came with it already in so I don't have to burn it. One less thing to do. :)

I've sent you a pm Dave.

Wayne

Thanx! Can't wait for the review!

:) d

Hopefully it's knocking your socks off! I'm ready to order one tonite! The suspense is killing me!

:) d

Okay Dave. I'll try to put you out of your misery. :)

I think that it's safe to order this player. I haven't calibrated with AVIA yet but it looked absolutely fantastic over DVI. I tried all of the resolutions that were available; 720 x 480p, 1920 x 540, 1280 x 720, and 1920 x 1080. I also tried 720 x 480 interlaced over component. I really like this player. I'd say it's at about 90 to 95 per cent the quality of my HTPC. Yet without the hassles. :) I really, really like the natural flesh tones this player puts out. Better than my tweaked HTPC and also better than the LG/Zenith player. Edge enhancement is shockingly absent in most of the places it would usually rear it's ugly head. And I thought that the sound that this thing pushes out is fabulous. Even better than the LG which to me up to now has been the best DVD player in the world for audio quality richness.

I turned off most of the settings on the player such as sharpness, brightness, cross color suppression etc... because I wanted to see what the naked image would look like interpreted by the H57. I'm used to a very sharp picture coming from my HTPC so it's a tad soft in comparison but keep in mind the sharpening function is disabled over DVI on the H57 and when I added just a pinch of sharpening on the Oppo, the image became so much like my HTPC that I may not go back to it. :o

The menu system has all of the controls that I think I'd ever need and indeed I try not to use most of them if possible but it's nice to know that they're there if needed. Tonight, my wife and I broke the player in by watching 'The Village' and we weren't disappointed either with the movie or the performance of the combo Oppo and H57.

I noticed not one artifact during the entire film and we had the player set @ 1920 x 1080. The front panel display shines a bright blue and I found it distracting during the movie but in the menu system you can eliminate most of the light. One could always cover the remaining part with tape or something.

The image seemed to be a little cropped on the right side. Not as much as the LG/Zenith player but it was noticeable and what I did was press the zoom button on the H57's remote one click to 106% which astonishingly perfectly filled in the gap. The image appeared to suffer no degradation by doing this although there is missing information around the perimeter of the picture but that's to be expected. A fair trade off in my mind. Much easier than re-aligning the projector and focus ring.

I could not get the audio to go out of sync no matter how hard I tried. The remote doesn't even have a back light but I'm rapidly learning where the important buttons are to me in order to be able to feel my way about in the dark.

One thing that the LG/Zenith doesn't have that I've missed since I used my old Sony player is the ability to display the time remaining in a movie. My wife is always asking me how much time's left. :p The Oppo has restored this function for me and I'm fairly ecstatic about that because I've missed it.

Well, that's all for now. I'll be comparing it to the LG/Zenith later this weekend and I still want to calibrate with AVIA. I also am going to possibly hook up the HTPC again only this time with the VGA cable and make a comparison. Sometime I have to pop in the new HQV video that just arrived so as to do the test patterns.

I've got it configured with my Harmony remote so I'm laughing there.

Oh, and another really cool thing about this player. It has a 'keyboard' button on the remote that when clicked brings up a circular icon with all of the most important controls right there on screen for you at a glance. You just move the cursor around without having to fumble around in the dark with buttons. Very nice! :)

I still like my LG/Zenith though. Upconverting to 720p or 1080i over component? How cool is that?? I believe that the Oppo bests it though but I've yet to compare the two seriously.

Here's something that I found great. This machine will upconvert to any of the resolutions and still allow you to format it in the 4:3 aspect ratio. This means that any 4:3 DVD can be viewed in it's native format without being stretched by the H57. I couldn't do this with the LG/Zenith. It expanded all upconverted 4:3 material to 16:9 which wasn't pleasant to watch.

Wayne

Wayne! Once again! You DA' MAN!!!!!
:) Thanks so much for that thorough analysis. I'm gonna order it now and if all goes well, sell my zenith! And how did you deal with the color adjustment issue for the DVI input with the oppo? Did you use the RGB menus for the h57 or adjust the oppo?

Thanks again!!! :) d

P.S. How is "The Village"? I've never seen it.

edit: I just ordered it. Should have it in a few days along with my nd-h2 filter. Hopefully I'll be in HT nirvana soon!

Will, how's your h57 coming along?

You're welcome Dave. :) I hope that I haven't led you astray. I feel like I've almost done it already once with the H57 due to your rainbow and headache problem. Who saw that coming eh? :( Oh well, hopefully things will settle down for you along those lines and you'll also like the ND2 filter. The nice thing about the filter is that it's not expensive and can be used with other projectors as you buy and sell them over the years.

I've been comparing this Oppo to my HTPC more than to the LG/Zenith because it would be kind of nice to transfer the bulk of my DVD watching to the Oppo. It's just easier to fire up a DVD player and there can be issues with an HTPC with bugs and stuttering and tearing sometimes etc...

I fully expect the LG/Zenith to hold it's own against the Oppo at the upconverted resolution of 1080i. Probably the Oppo will kill it at just about any other resolution though. But we'll see. I'll comment on the two players tomorrow or Monday.

I don't think that you can go wrong with this player. Besides, it's probably time for a DVD upgrade in your household as well huh? :D Just think what it would have cost us to get this kind of quality a few years ago. :eek:

As far as the color adjustment, I haven't touched a thing and I may find that not much tweaking is needed. The images looked very good today without changing anything but AVIA will be put through the paces this weekend and we'll see. But I will be trying to do the adjustments on the H57 itself if possible because I've read that it's always best to calibrate at the end of the chain or in other words on your display device. But if it seems to be a chore I'll just 'cheat' and use the Oppo's controls.

The Village is a terrific little movie. Very creative with a twist. From the same Director of The Sixth Sense. M. Night. Shyamalan.

Yeah Will,

Did you get your screen and what's the latest on your pj?

Wayne

Thanx again! And which mode are you using for the oppo with DVI? User? Cinema etc...?
I can't wait til' you do the full AVIA! D

I'm using Normal mode. It's funny because with my loaner H57 that I had prior to this one, I had to use User mode. The reason is because I couldn't see the gray bars in the AVIA brightness test page unless I used either User or Normal mode. With my new H57, the bars are only visible and also the ones in the contrast test page when I use Normal mode. I've got one honking bright set up here with the High Power screen and the H57. Thank goodness for the ND2 filter. The H57 looks great with my other screen too and the ND2 filter off. That's the HCMW gray screen but it has waves to it and also lacks the punchy effect of the High Power which I prefer.

I'll be doing, God willing :) my AVIA stuff today. :cool:

Wayne

Cool Wayne,

I too am considering the Da-lite 92" high power. With the filter, all should be well.

Thanx! d

Dave,

I've worked with AVIA today until I'm sick and tired of it. :o :) But it's very much worth it. I've dialed in am image to die for. I'm very impressed with how the H57 de-interlaces 480i over component from the Oppo. It's the best video rendering by a DVD player that I've ever seen. So good it could be mistaken for film based anamorphic. No kidding.

I've done a little bit of comparing with the LG/Zenith and I feel that the Oppo upconverts better. Images are very close to those of my HTPC. I even like the Oppo at plain old 480p over DVI-D. As a matter of fact this player would be worth it in my opinion even if it didn't do any upconverting. I'd be willing to pay what I did just for it's video rendering and 480p alone.

I had some trouble seeing the calibrating bars with AVIA and I would have been up the creek without a paddle if I'd been using the LG/Zenith but because the Oppo has controls in the menu system (except for tint which can be tweaked through RGB in the H57), I was able to fiddle with the contrast and brightness settings so that the H57 could 'see' the bars. Very nice.

No distracting scaling artifacts to distract you with this player that I could see. I love it! :)

Wayne

Hey Wayne!

Glad you're loving it! My oppo doesn't get here til' monday! Dang UPS ground! But I should have my filter by thursday. I'm REALLY hoping that will help with the rainbows. I consistently see them in any dark scene with a contrasty moving object. Me and the fiancee are going through the Buffy/Angel series sets, (her 1st time) and much of those shows are nite scenes. So I'm seeing RBE alot.

Will! What's going on with your h57, man?!?!?


:) d

Dave my man!

My wife and I watched a lot of 'The Blue and The Gray Recut' over the weekend and during this we had our first lip sync problems. Id say the audio precedes the video by about a half a second. I didn't bother stopping the player to try to correct it because it was so close that it didn't really bother me all that much to tell the truth. As I watch things I'm sure it'll crop up again and I can play with it at that time. There is a function in the menu system that addresses this so that you can adjust the settings. I may try that as well but better to do this when I'm watching by myself so as not to bore my better half. ;)

Hang in there with the rainbows. Hopefully if you give it enough time they'll calm down.

Will,

You haven't posted in 4 days! You don't love us anymore!? :o

You were going to get your screen on Friday night wasn't it? How'd that go and do you finally have your H57? :)

Wayne

Hey Wayne!
Will! What's going on with your h57, man?!?!?

:) d


Boy did I have a rough weekend.

$1500 order of wood and stuff from Home Depot, scheduled for morning delivery, didn't come. 3 people who I had there to help, had to leave by 1:00pm, so when the truck arrived at 2:00pm, I wasn't impressed that I had to unload it alone.
Oh, and what??? No Drywall ... seems somebody just didn't ship my 32 sheets of drywall.... back to the store the driver goes grunting and moaning about 2 guys asleep on the job... 2.5 hours later, still no drywall!

I called the Store Manager, and within 40 minutes had my drywall, and my buddy showed up right on time to help me unload it into the garage.
I was beat after that, and ended up just relaxing.

Ok,

Just got a call from UPS, my PJ has been stuck at customs since July 29th. They needed more info? Seems they are charging me GST + PST + DTUY on this baby? It is manufactured in TAIWAN, so the Govn't wants PST on it???? Whats with that. After talking with the lady at UPS, she told me if it was classified as a business shipment, there would be NO PST. This is a break for businesses... BUt GST + 6% duty are a must, along with an $85 brokerage charge!!!!

I paid via credit card today, it's on its way at an additional cost of $400 bones..
to the CDN GOVN'T ... I saved $208 (PST) by having my business number and bringing the PJ in for my business. (heheheh)

I am expecting delivery tomorrow, to my work address. No screen purchased yet.

Dave: You didn't pay DUTY or anything on your PJ did you?

More later.... Will

Dave's in San Francisco so no duties or exhorbitant taxes lucky guy. :p

Too bad about your weekend troubles Will. When you see the projector in action it'll help you to forget about all of this crap. :)

Wayne

Hi Wayne-

Yeah, I must admit I am disappointed, but not surprised. I still got a deal, no matter how you look at it, it's just not a sweet as it started out. I'll find ways to get money back from the government through other venues....... [insert evil laugh]

I stopped getting notifications, and got busy this weekend. I wasn't able to logon and check with my H57 friends....

I am looking forward to it's delivery. I am going out to see a movie tonight, and will pay particular attention to minor environmental details, I would normally overlook....

I do have to get back to working in the basement, and finishing the theatre. Its getting to the point where I need help to carry the drywall downstairs and get going on as much as I can... I guess in a way I am also waiting for the PJ to establish my throw distance. I still haven't decided on a ceiling mount either... The list goes on.... I have decided to prepare a PC for use with my theatre, a home-made HTPC if you will. I will start it off as a P3-1000 Mhz with 512mb ram, and my satellite card which offers a superior picture than my standalone devices...
I still have to decide on a switching/video distribution source aswell.

If the PJ arrives tomorrow, you can be darn sure I'll be going to the store to get a screen immediately after. I will quickmount the screen and nail a temporary shelf if I have to to determine optimal mounting for the PJ. I figure it'll be 12' from screen (room is actually 14' 4" - not 16 as mentioned originally) and I am hoping to drop 4-6 inches only from the ceiling......

I'll keep you all posted....

Thanks for the interest. But we still only have 4 or 5 people posting in here. I am sure a LOT more people have this PJ, and have comments to share -- good or bad.,... but since I just ordered my PJ, keep the negativity down please.. I hate making bad decisions... :) Just kidding, tell it as it is....

Will

Hey Will,

I think you will be VERY impessed with the pic. the h57 puts out. I just hope you aren't rainbow susceptible as I apparently turned out to be. I just watched 10 minutes of "Dark City" as I've read that's a real rainbow test. If you have the disc, put it on. If you don't see rainbows with this title I doubt you'll ever see any. For me it was so bad I had to turn it off and that's one of my faves. I have an nd-h2 filter coming thursday and I'm hoping that that does the trick but as it stands now, the projector is close to unwatchable for me with any dark scene with a contrasty object. Like headlights, lamps etc...
And since a huge chunk of my dvds are spooky films and shows like Buffy/Angel, I might actually consider upgrading to a faster wheel projector (5x) or even go LCD. Would be a shame as the pic. on this PJ otherwise is astounding.


Supposedly, I am in the minority with the RBE sensitivity at a 4x wheel speed. Odds are you will be fine!

:) d

I haven't been to a movie in years. I wasn't impressed with the quality of the film versus what I could see in my own home so I stopped going.

The HTPC is a good idea. I use both my HTPC and the new Oppo to watch DVDs. HTPCs can be a real pain in the gazoo and fantastic, both at the same time. You can send satellite through your computer!? Cool! I've never tried that and wouldn't know how but if the quality if better I'd be tempted to try it sometime as long as it didn't cost too much money. ;)

My screen is about the same distance from the pj that yours is going to be. Mine is at 12.5 feet.

You'll probably have to mount your shelf for the pj to sit on so that the lens is about a foot higher than the top of the screen where the image starts. This would be a general rule of thumb with this projector also depending on how big your screen is going to be. My screens are both 92" and the offset is 13". If you go with a larger screen you'll need to mount the H57 a little higher than that or mount your screen a little lower to avoid keystoning.

Dave,

Do you have a chance to go and see a projector with a faster color wheel? Might be a plan. Maybe check out a good LCD unit too like perhaps the Sony HS51 I think it's called. Hopefully this won't be necessary though.

Wayne

My top of screen will be at 10" + 50" = 60" from floor. My ceilings will be about 86 or 88", depending on the drop I will encounter using this special resiliant tracking. It is supposed to virtually prevent sound transfer as it runs opposite the ceiling joyces (sp?) and is offset from how you attach it to the joyce.

I watched The Wedding crashers tonight, and was surprised I laughed through most of the movie.... I wasn't expecting it to be that good.

Yes, you can watch satellite TV on your PC using a CHEAP PCI card (software decoding) or a higher priced card (hardware decoding)...The software/cheaper card also supports HD apparently, although I had not tested this feature. I do see horizontal scan lines on fast moving scenes, but I attribute this to ZERO setup and video drivers.. (I just haven't optomized it yet)....

Damn, UPS site doesn't show the package having moved and inch..... Sigh... it will get here when it gets here I guess.....

Ok, off to lala land...

Will

I got my H57, I am currently setting up my home theater....okay, I cheated, I set it all up and watched a movie. Ha! Loved it. Now....how to get power to the middle of my ceiling without ripping everything apart?

Any rainbows, Tac?

:)

I'm buying the h57 later this month and I already got my dvd player (momitsu v880n network dvd player). Any one on the forum have any experiences to share about this player, specifcally it's dvi performance w/ h57's?

Wayne, Will!

I just got my filter! Too bad it's not nite yet as there's some ambient light in the room even with shades drawn. Any advice?

:) d

Cool Dave!

Get that beast onto your H57 ready for tonight's test run! :) You should be able to keep the lamp mode in low position but you might want to try it in high out of curiosity although it'll use up your bulb life a little faster but shouldn't hurt for a little while. I have mine set at low lamp mode with the ND2 filter on using the High Power screen and it's a great combo.

Tacjam,

Nice to have you post for your very first time on AVS in our thread here. If you're interested why not tell us a little about your setup such as type of screen, lighting environment, your impressions of the H57 when viewing different sources etc...

zeitzev,

Also nice to see your first post on AVS with us here on the H57 thread. Why not let us know a little about your situation as well?

Wayne

Any rainbows, Tac?

:)
I haven't seen any. I've been busy all day working on my theater. I have (had) this awful 70's paneling, I am drywalling it. I am putting an outlet in the ceiling, Lots of work, but I think in the end it will be worth it.

I'm buying the h57 later this month and I already got my dvd player (momitsu v880n network dvd player). Any one on the forum have any experiences to share about this player, specifcally it's dvi performance w/ h57's?
I don't have that player, I have the Samsung HD931, sometimes it takes awhile for the projector to see the DVI, I've had this problem with my player on my LCD projection TV as well

Cool Dave!

Get that beast onto your H57 ready for tonight's test run! :) You should be able to keep the lamp mode in low position but you might want to try it in high out of curiosity although it'll use up your bulb life a little faster but shouldn't hurt for a little while. I have mine set at low lamp mode with the ND2 filter on using the High Power screen and it's a great combo.

Tacjam,

Nice to have you post for your very first time on AVS in our thread here. If you're interested why not tell us a little about your setup such as type of screen, lighting environment, your impressions of the H57 when viewing different sources etc...

zeitzev,

Also nice to see your first post on AVS with us here on the H57 thread. Why not let us know a little about your situation as well?

Wayne

I bought a package from one of our sponsors "V" It just a standard 100 inch matte screen, with a gain of 1. I will be able to totally control my lighting when I am finished with my remodel. I still need to get a good 5.1 speaker setup. Right now I am using Logitech Z680's, not the greatest but they put out some serious sound and they are THX certified!

My PJ is _STILL_ in Customs... I feel like if I had of imported COCAINE or CRACK it would have been delivered already!

Room is progressing, drywalling starts tomorrow. Most of the insulation is done, just piecework to do on the ceiling ... And I have to figure out how I want to insulated the front wall.

Welcome to our new members!!!!

Dave, excellent to hear you've received everything already. I can't wait to be blown away.... I must admit though, with all of these hastles, I have wished I went to the local store and bought the H31 for 1/2 the price...

Will

Will, that sucks! Let's go storm customs and liberate that puppy!
Honestly, it will be worth it!
Wayne! Good news! The filter helped ALOT with the rainbows! But I need a screen definitely now as some of the image punch that I had even on a white wall is gone. Since I AM very rainbow prone, should I do the HCMW with the filter or will that be too dark? It's $80 cheaper than the high Power. And my Oppo dosen't come until monday. Too bad. Wanted it for the weekend. Anyways, with the filter on I can definitely see the latent image ghosting effect on the zenith when a black screen comes on after a high contrast one before it. VERY subtle but there. Others in the GIANT zenith thread in the DVD players thread have noticed it too. If you wanna see it, crank your brightness or gamma during a dark scene and it's there.

:) d

:)

UPS Called me again today, got authorization for a $5.00 charge, and they have released my PJ. It will be delivered MONDAY to me! Now that I know this for sure, I will run out on Saturday and buy my screen.

Finally.

Dave: Glad to hear the filter really helped you out. I am convinced I will be happy with the picture on my PJ, and all my hard work will pay off. Now, I got some potentially good news today aswell, my father knows someone who may have some THEATRE seats available for me to purchase, cheap of course, so they are going to get back to me about getting 4 for starters.... I don't know anything about them at this moment but I will find out.

Will

Congrats, Will!

What screen are you getting?

:) d

Congrats, Will!

What screen are you getting?

:) d

The Elite 1.1gain 100" screen, 50" high by 87" wide. I have to drive to the west end of Toronto to get it, but whatever.

I should be able to hang it by MONDAY !!!!! yay for me!

Will

This must be a record. Seven posts without me saying something! :)

Dave,

You have to wait until Monday for your Oppo? Now you and Will are both waiting 'til Monday for something. :(

I'm very glad that you received your ND2 filter and that it's helped with the rainbow situation. You have white walls right? Then in my opinion your best bet is the HCMW or you can even go with Optoma's new Greywolf screen which is a hybrid HCMW/HighPower. The Optoma screen is really cheap and Tom/Guitarman is recommending it in his thread over on the screens forum. It's a 1.8 gain and is retroreflective just like the High Power only the High Power is 2.8 gain and isn't gray. The Optoma screen comes in 92" and 106" 16:9 configurations. This screen is available through AVS as well as at least one sponsor and elsewhere.

The nice thing about this screen that I've read (I've never seen it in person) is that it isn't tensioned (the HCMW has a tensioning bar which actually causes waves that can be seen when video is shining on it). So the Greywolf will deepen your blacks and contrast ratio, especially since you have white walls, and it'll resist ambient light reflections due to it's gray base and the fact that it's retroreflective versus angular reflective screens such as matte white and the HCMW. I have the CM and it's nice but in my recroom I favor the High Power because my walls aren't white. They're a semi-dark green including the ceiling and my back wall is painted black.

A High Power screen in your room would be too bright I think, even with an ND2 filter on but I could be wrong about that. It just seems to me that you'll have too much brightness in the room with a bright projector, walls and screen to contend with. When my walls were white and I had the Infocus X1 projector, the HCMW was perfect, but when I painted, the images became too dark and the projector needed some help so I bought the High Power and that did the trick.

So, yes, by all means get yourself a screen. My advice is to go gray and take off the ND2 filter for now because it should be too dark in use with a gray screen. I know that mine is but I've got darker walls than you so you'll have to experiment. Or you can go with plain matte white and use the filter and I think that would be a good match as well.

This is what I love about this H57 among other things. There are so many ways that you can use it. :)

Will,

Great news about your pj. :) Too bad you have to wait until Monday but it'll give you added incentive to bust your butt this weekend. :)

Sounds interesting about your potential theatre seats. We're going to have to get you to post some pictures when you're done. We should get Tacjam to do the same. :)

I have reservations about the Elite screen you're thinking of getting. It's a very basic starter screen and may not give you the performance nor durability that you should have. I know you don't like to make mistakes when buying things so I just want to caution you.

The Elite Screens are good, but they're much more of a starter setup. DaLites work out better. VuTec isn't bad, but they're a bit expensive to be so middle-of-the-pack...better than DaLite, but not quite Stewart...and pricey.

The EliteScreens are made in China, and held in Vancouver...that's why they're cheaper...no border crossing like the DaLites.

The last two paragraphs I just typed were taken verbatim from a pm sent to me by tommyj3 who is a fellow AVS member and he sells screens out of his business in Calgary.

So just keep this in mind when you go looking for screens. ;)

Wayne

Hey Wayne!

I just read Guitarman's Optoma greywolf screen thread. I think I'm gonna go for the 92" model and sell the filter.

:) d

That's really cool Dave! :)

I'm looking forward to your review when you get it. I don't think I've read about anyone using this with the H57 yet.

Your fiancee must hate me now. ;) I've influence you to buy the H57, an ND2 filter, the Oppo, and now the Greywolf. :D

I'd hand onto the ND2 filter though. It might come in handy in the future and I'd at least keep it until until you're sure you won't be needing it with the gray screen.

Wayne

That's really cool Dave! :)

I'm looking forward to your review when you get it. I don't think I've read about anyone using this with the H57 yet.

Your fiancee must hate me now. ;) I've influence you to buy the H57, an ND2 filter, the Oppo, and now the Greywolf. :D

I'd hand onto the ND2 filter though. It might come in handy in the future and I'd at least keep it until until you're sure you won't be needing it with the gray screen.

Wayne

Wayne,

Don't feel bad, you've pretty much influenced me to get that same setup also. They seem killer together don't they? I've been reading thru Guitarman's thread also for the new Optoma Graywolf screen and man is it intriguing! From what I can gather, its great for projectors with high lumen output like the h57. I wonder if any other h57 owners are as curious as I am with pairing these two together even though I haven't purchased any equipment just yet. I guess I'm looking for that perfect match for the projector to produce that jaw dropping image. I've been turned off in the past by gray screens because I was under the impression that they gave dingy colors where whites became dull grays and grays turned into blacks, etc.

Now, am I correct in thinking that if I were to get the Graywolf, I wouldn't need an ND2 filter? Hey Wayne, will the color of my room have any effect on the Graywolf and projector's performance? I plan on painting the ceiling and 3/4's of each of the walls black with the bottom half a crimson red. Also, it will be completely light controlled and measures 15 W x 12 L.

Dave, I really look forward to your review of the Graywolf.

Joe

Hey Guys!

Wayne! What output did you wind up preferring for the oppo with DVI? 480? 720? or 540 or 1080?
Also, try to get a cheap PAL disc so you can see it in NATIVE 576P 50hz. That's what I'm really curious about.
Now, I'm moving in 2 weeks. Do I order the greywolf now and have 9-10 days to play with it here first or wait...
Joe, I can't wait to see the screen too.
Will, 3 more days, bro!

:) d

Joe,

So I've got to you too! :)

This combo seems to be the hot one right now: H57, ND2 filter, Oppo and possibly the Greywolf.

I think the H57 will look good with any screen but this high gain Greywolf may be a really good fit. The whites do look good on gray screens. I wouldn't say that they look gray. It's all relative. The blacks look really black so by comparison, the whites look normal. But gray screens do lack the punch of their white brethren such as matte white and especially a high gain screen like the high power. This is where the Greywolf may be the best of both worlds incorporating some gain along with a gray base to lower the perceived blacks and contrast ratio. Theoretically it could/should be a match made in Heaven. We need someone to test it out with the H57 to confirm this.

I don't believe that an ND2 filter will be necessary with the Greywolf but since it's a higher gain that your average gray screen, a lumen lowering filter may be a good thing. Once again, this will take some experimentation. That's why I think Dave should hand on to his filter for a little while just in case.

Now Joe, if you're planning on painting your room that darkly then you may want to steer away from this Greywolf and go with a traditional matte white or the High Power. With a projector as bright as the H57, you'll probably be okay with the Greywolf and dark walls but it may turn out to be a little on the dim side. I have darker walls and even with the ND2 filter off, the H57 still doesn't look as punchy with my gray screen as it does with the filter on in conjunction with the High Power screen.

The higher gain of the Greywolf may make the difference here but perhaps you should buy from a place that has a good return policy. The color of walls really does affect the screen. A good rule of thumb in my experience seems to be if your walls are light/bright choose a darker screen. If they're dark go with a lighter screen.

Dave,

I'll be doing more observing of the Oppo/H57 combo this weekend. So far, I prefer the 1080i although the 480i de-interlaced by the H57 via component and the 480p via DVI-D are both very good as well. I don't see a whole lot of difference myself between all of the resolutions really. But they all look terrific. I'll probably stick with the 1080i.

I'll try to pick up a PAL disc. I'm curious about this too. I was able to 1:1 pixel map @ 576 through my HTPC and the H57 indicated '1024 x 576'. I didn't stay with it though because I was losing a lot of information around the perimeter of the image and it was as if the image had been zoomed.

Do you know what the color of your walls will be at the new place? That should be a factor in your decision which screen to order and when.

Now Joe, if you're planning on painting your room that darkly then you may want to steer away from this Greywolf and go with a traditional matte white or the High Power. With a projector as bright as the H57, you'll probably be okay with the Greywolf and dark walls but it may turn out to be a little on the dim side. I have darker walls and even with the ND2 filter off, the H57 still doesn't look as punchy with my gray screen as it does with the filter on in conjunction with the High Power screen.

I'd be more than willing to change color schemes just so I can achieve the same result everyone is saying this screen is capable of producing. To me, I'd gladly change things around because the price/performance of the Graywolf is just too good not to look into. Dave's review will hopefully make things a lot clearer for us.

It all rides on you Dave! :)

Now the only reason I picked those colors was because I wanted the entire room to disappear so that my eyes would only be focused on the screen. Wayne, if the picture is indeed too dim with the Graywolf and dark colors without the ND2 filter, what lighter colors could give me the same effect I was looking for?

Later guys,

Joe

Well Joe, I kind of don't want you to change your decorating plans on account of my humble advice. :) What you've planned is classic home threater colors really and most of us can only dream of having a dedicated room that might look like that. However, if you're not 'stuck' on that scheme then you could actually paint a more neutral based gray or a combination of gray and black around the room. This could actually look quite stunning if done right I think. Always remember though that whatever color you use, it's absolutely imperative that you never go with anything other than a flat base. Never a glossy.

After having studied this issue in the screens forum in the past, apparently the ideal thing to do is to use paint that won't affect the colors on screen. I guess the best shade to go with in order to not affect the grayscale of the image is the neutral gray. It makes sense actually.

Here is a quote from an article from Sound and Video Contractor Online:

"The back wall should be a matte neutral gray or black for front-projection systems. Light that is reflecting off the screen can bounce off the back wall and distort the projected image. Paint behind and around the screen matte black, as well."

If I were you I'd do a search on the screens forum or contact Krasmuzik who really knows about this stuff.

I've tried both the High Power and HCMW (gray) screens here at home and my walls are a semi-dark green front, sides and ceiling with my back wall black.

I know that this Greywolf screen is inexpensive and that's a real draw but Optoma is new to screen development and I am hesitant to whole-heartedly back anyone buying this screen with 100% enthusiasm. If you read the thread over in the screens forum there are people who've sent it back because of some issues. They include a grainy texture to the picture. I have this grainy texture on my HCMW so I know what they're talking about and it can be distracting let me tell you. Sometimes people are seeing 'sparklies' on the screen caused by the glass beads used in order to incorprate the high gain into the screen. That can also be annoying. I've seen it on my High Power with it's 2.8 gain. The picture will lack 'punch' compared to a matte white or High Power screen but the trade-off is that you'll almost certainly get better blacks and contrast ratio from any of the grey screens so you pick your poison. :)

Having said all that :) I still am intrigued by this Greywolf screen and would like to give it a chance because the thought of having a grey based screen and a high power both fused into one seems like a perfect match for home threater. But again, it depends on your environment.

I wouldn't paint my room to accommodate a cheap screen because you will change screens I can assure you when the next best thing comes out and the paint may not be suitable for that but if you go neutral then I believe that you're set for life.

Now if you do go neutral gray then I think this Greywolf screen may work because your walls won't be really dark yet they should be dark enough to give that home theater effect while not playing havoc with your colors on screen.

But that's not a big problem really, all you have to do is adjust your RGB contrast and brightness to eliminate the color changing relfections bouncing off of the walls and back onto your screen. It just may take you a little more tweaking time to do it. :)

Paint's a lot of work Joe. Get some advice from Krasmuzik and/or others before you take the final plunge. I'd also bend the ears of Guitarman and CMRA.

Bottom line is, any projector that is a light cannon such as the H57 should benefit from the Greywolf screen no matter what your walls are painted. I believe that the one instance where the ND2 filter may be useful with the H57 and the Greywolf may be if you have white/off-white walls and ceiling. Someone will have to experiment with this. For instance I did like the effect of the ND2 filter on the H57 with my semi-dark walls and the use of the HCMW screen but only when the lamp mode was on high. Well, I'd rather not use that mode because it cuts the lamp life down by 1/3 but just about anything is possible with this projector. I think you could use any screen and any combo of screen and painted walls so you can't go terribly wrong in any case.

Wayne

Hey guys,

The apartment we'll be moving into has a matte white ceiling, two matte white walls, ( one which is the only place the screen can live due to the room shape) and the other 2 walls are a bluish-gray) I plan on having my bookcases on either side of the screen, (they hold my L/R speakers so that will help with the sides of the pic. (I can cheaply cover the sides of them with Duvetyne) but as far as the ceiling I'm kinda stuck. Not our own place.

Should be interesting. :)

Sounds like the HCMW or the Greywolf would be perfect for you then Dave. Either one of these screens will deflect ambient light reflections bouncing back onto the screen from those walls. The Greywolf won't have any visible waves on it during a movie and it might provide some added punch with it's 1.8 gain as long as you mount the projector low and keep the screen low as well in order to sit in the 'viewing cone'. Outside of that you'll find the image not quite as bright. I think this will do you well and is a no-brainer really.

It's what I would do were I to be in your position. Bright walls. Yeah, gray screen for sure. You might even like the ND2 filter on in that situation. It'll be fun to experiment.

Wayne

I will be painting my screen wall a couple of shades darker gray, then I do the side walls. I like the idea of crimson red bottom, so I will likely adapt such a scheme to my final wall designs. I do like the look of the wall-paneled movie theatre look with traditional diamonds, so I may end up getting creative with some fabric, my air compressor and staple gun!

I think ultimately the gray color will provide me with the best results for the walls. I haven't decided on what to do with the ceiling, but it will likely match the walls. Usually that is a no-no as it appears to close in the room, but with the theatre aspect in mind, I don't think closing in the room is such a bad thing to do.

Wayne: I hear what your saying about the ELITE screen, but it is 1/2 the cost of similar models offered by different manufactures at other retailers. At the cost I will be paying, I wouldn't mind upgrading the screen down the road, once I have had a chance to get comfortable and tweak my setup. (It's mostly electronics I have a hard time buying - and being wrong about).

My friends call my house FUTURE SHOP; what can I say, I'm addicted to electronics.

I have run all the component wires (High Quality RG6 Cable) which will be my main viewing source until the HTPC takes me to DVI and VGA. ---> down the road for sure.

I imagine this setup is going to blow me away. Keep in mind one thing, everything seen is realative to past experiences. So, since I've never owned a projector, the initial WOW factor is going to have me for a while. (Like buying my 51" toshiba TV had me for 2-3 years!) Now, I have seen better pictures on other TVS out there; that motivates me not to buy a new one, but to carefully match my components, and tweak them together.

I once installed a cheap car stereo for a friend of mine. We went to a flea market and but some speakers called SHAKERs that had a huge 52oz magnets on the 12" woofers. He had a Camaro, hatchback model, so I carefully took a 1" thick piece of wood (an old Desk with a malamind veneer) and custom cut it to pressure fit his trunk well. (lots of air to move there). To make a long story short, we bought a cheap ROCKWOOD amp(Rockford fosgate knock off Im sure) and surface mounted the amp and cut holes for wiring. These two 12" woofers, along with his upgraded pioneer 6x9's delivered such clear, loud and pounding bass, he cried. Total cost = $328 if I remember right. Using "name" components would have cost $2,800 for the same 'equivalent' power rating. Now, I am not naive enough to think the quality of sound was the same as the higher end parts, but no-one who looked at the system could tell we use cheap parts when we listened to it. He was amazed -- so was I. The Poor mans version isn't always worse in all aspects.

Thus my search for buying good, cheap, and building the poor mans theatre. I refuse to spend 1cent more than $5,000 to finish my whole basement (materials) not including PJ and furniture... I was told to expect between $15,000 and $20 k for my space and designs....

Thats what brings true satisfaction to me.

Will

So we're moving on the 20th. Should I order the screen now and use it here for 10 days or so, then just pack it up? Or should I wait and get it sent to the new address?

hmmm.....

Aren't you going to be too busy packing and doing all of the crazy things that need to be done prior to a move? :)

If you wait until you get to your new address then the screen is one less thing to take from the old place.

You may not even get it until you've moved anyway. You know how these things go sometimes. Items get backordered and then delays happen etc....

I think that you're so close to your moving date that it would be almost kind of pointless to hang it in your old place for a few days only to have to do it all over again in the new.

But that's my opinion and you may disagree. ;)

Hey, you get your Oppo tomorrow. :) We watched Spanglish and Coach Carter today. Both showed well on the Oppo/H57 combo. I'm appreciating this player more and more as I get used to it. It really is giving my HTPC a go and I haven't watched one single movie on the computer since the player arrived. That's got to tell you something.

Wayne

Well, It's Monday.... UPS has something for me today I hope!

Also, I order my screen today... I will likely need to play with the PJ and determine the optimal mount height by building a temporary shelf. This will also give me a chance to test out my wires, prior to drywalling. I will probably hang a sheet of drywall on the front wall, temporarily, to simulate my screen for positioning purposes. Afterall, thats almost what the picture is going to be! (8x4)

Ok Guys, off to work I go.

Will

It's been too long since you ordered it Will. :( Hopefully the wait will have been more than worth it for you. :)

Looking forward to your review of the H57 and your screen as well. You can even review your new theater room if you like. :D

Wayne

Just got the oppo! Guess what I'M gonna do today!

Will! Let us know what happens!

:) d

Wayne, what were your final settings for the oppo. with DVI? Did you adjust RGB in the h57 menu too, or just have the "normal" mode default?

Thanx! d

Well, Im sick of this game.

UPS called again and Canada Customs has declared my Business Number as invalid, so in order to get my PJ I'll have to declare it a personal shipment and pay $200 in PSt. Its all about the benjamins.....

I am going to think about this for 1 more hour, if it hasn't been released, I am calling "V" to have them cancel my order and expect it back. I can't spend this amount of money and deal with this....

Im ready to explode here.

Dave, glad things are working out for you. Enjoy the DVD player--- If I were you, I would be sick from work today!

Will

I'm interested in buying a Optoma H57 and putting it on a 100" widescreen. My room is 11' wide and 24' long with 7' ceiling. I want to mount it on my ceiling, but don't know about the keystone. I was wondering if this would work given my dimensions or will I get a "trapezoidal" picture.

Also, how is the picture compared to BenQ7700 or TDP-MT700? IS it worth a an extra 1000 bucks for true 720p and +-12degree keystone? Please help a noob. thanks

Dave,

Hope you're having fun with the Oppo! :)

I've connected mine to the H57 with component cables (primarily for video based DVDs and 4:3 material) and DVI-D cable (film based material and anything 16:9).

On the Oppo I have Sharpness Off (sometimes Low depending on the DVD)
Brightness 5
Contrast 1
Saturation 2
CCS On
TrueLife On

I had to put the Brightness and Contrast over to 5 and 1 respectively because I couldn't see the moving black and white bars on AVIA if I didn't do this.

Then I tweaked the controls on the H57 with AVIA working with 'User' mode.

I ended up with Contrast 52
Brightness 48

Brightness R -5 G -5 B -5

Contrast R 0 G -5 B 0

Don't forget I'm using the High Power screen which will probably make my settings different than yours.

Wayne

Will,

Too bad about all the BS you've had to put up with. :(

Only $200.00 separating you from the H57? So close yet so far huh? I don't blame you for being ticked off. It's been one delay after another. Seems like they're holding your pj hostage.

Well, you've got this blossoming theater room that needs a projector of some sort. What did you decide to do? Did the vendor allow you a refund? Did you decide to just pay the 'ransom'?

Wayne

pmaknelho,

You won't have to do any keystoning in my opinion. My screen is 92" and my H57 is hanging off the wall at 6' 3" distance lens center to the floor. If you go as high as possible which should be 6'8"with most mounts that'll put you 5" higher than mine. A 100" diagonal screen is around 49" x 87" I think which isn't too much bigger than my 45" x 80". If you have any keystoning at all it will be minimal and it won't affect the image because I've seen what keystoning does to Optoma projectors and the difference is basically impossible to discern.

You'll need to mount your screen fairly low though so you may have to rearrange your speakers so they're not in the way.

Go for it!! It's a phenomenal projector. :)

Let us know what you do and we want a review too. :D

Wayne

Ciao,
I'm an italian man and I've got the h57 from december .
My video chain is: dvd sony dvpns-730 via SDI into a Lumagen HDP scaler via DVI into the h57.
I set the output resolution from the scaler to 1024x576 @50Hz with the scope to mapping 1:1 the matrix of the vp. I hope that the Lumagen scaler defeats the internal scaler of the vp because in this way I'll obtain the best view.
So, I'm not sure that I'm mapping 1:1 because in a dvd test for ht I still see a circle with artifacts.
Do you have any tips to set the timing values from Lumagen to mapping 1:1 the vp?
For example, the timing values to output 1280x768 @ 60Hz on some Pioneer displays, the vlues are:

0 VTOT: 798
1 VACT: 768
2 VSYNC: 7
3 VFRN: 3
4 HTOT: 1664
5 HACT: 1280
6 HSYNC: 128
7 HFRN: 64

I contacted Lumagen productor but they said to me to contact Optoma for these specifics; so, I contacted Optoma but they said to me that don't release timing values...
Logically I know that the VACT is 576 and the HACT 1024, but what's about for the remaining values?
Thank you in advance and sorry for my bad English!

hotellounge,

Welcome to the H57 thread! :)

I haven't even heard of the device that you're using and this topic is way over my head but I will provide you with a link that may help:

http://home1.gte.net/res18h39/customdvi.htm

Plug your numbers into this and hopefully it'll spit out the proper calculations for you.

Perhaps one of our AVS friends reading this thread may be able to shed a little more light on this subject for you if this link doesn't solve your problem.

Great to have you contribute to our discussion. It's nice to meet another happy H57 owner. :)

Arrivederci! :D

Wayne

Thank you Wayne; unfortunately from the menu is not possible to set 1024x576 and entering manual values many fields are empty.
I read that in the h78 it is necessary set the vp to "native" on the widescreen mode... but in the h57 I don't find a similar menu option :(
The only certainty is that is not enought send to the vp a signal equal to 1024x576 to defeats his internal scaler (and so mapping 1:1).
Bye

unfortunately from the menu is not possible to set 1024x576 and entering manual values many fields are empty.


Logically I'm refer to the menu of the web page of your link.

Thanks again