Yes , I now have black bars with both but I am able to get a larger 2.35 image vs. a 16:9 screen while also getting a larger 16:9 image vs. using a CinemaScope (2.35:1) screen . I wanted a 2.35:1 screen but I did not like the idea of such a small 16:9 image within the 2.35 screen . So 2.0 has its advantages ;) .


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

By doing this, aren't you just trading the black bars from 2:35 movies to black bars with 1.78 movies? Masking is still required, but now it's for 1.78 material instead of 2.35?


Thanks Jason. You made my day.

I am stuck with a 89 inch ceiling. A 100 inch 1.78 screen (and this size is pushing it with this ceiling height) leaves me with an ~ 95 inch 2.35 image. The 2.05 screen provides a nice 2.35 image size increase (~14 inches). I know I am just moving around the black bars, but for me the increase in 2.35 image is worth it. Size matters ;)

Jon

Looks like cheif universal mount is the way to go: I see 2 models that fit it the RPA-U (universal) and also the RPA-096, is it worth spending the few extra bucks for the 096, or should I go with the Universal (future proof hopefully), I dont know if there are any advantages to getting the custom one.

Most specs are for zero zoom and I would suggest this with the HC3000 as the optics are not high end by any means ( no Carl Zeiss lenses here ) . The optics are not bad and they are all glass but you might end up with some color flaring at full zoom .

I run at full zoom and haven't had any color issues.

Thanks Jason. You made my day.

I am stuck with a 89 inch ceiling. A 100 inch 1.78 screen (and this size is pushing it with this ceiling height) leaves me with an ~ 95 inch 2.35 image. The 2.05 screen provides a nice 2.35 image size increase (~14 inches). I know I am just moving around the black bars, but for me the increase in 2.35 image is worth it. Size matters ;)

Jon

No problem Jon , always glad to help when I can , hope it all works out for you ;) .

--------- Jason

Looks like cheif universal mount is the way to go: I see 2 models that fit it the RPA-U (universal) and also the RPA-096, is it worth spending the few extra bucks for the 096, or should I go with the Universal (future proof hopefully), I dont know if there are any advantages to getting the custom one.

While the direct fit mounts are usually easier to bolt the Projector to (no universal arms/plates to align) I would suggest the Universal so that you can use it for future upgrades (as you stated) ;) .

Best of Luck ,
--- Jason

I run at full zoom and haven't had any color issues.

Josh ,

-- I did not mean to imply that there would be problems at full zoom , just that there could be (especially if the optics are not perfectly aligned) ;) . Pushing to the outer edges of a lens can cause edge focus issues as well (unless one is dealing with high end optics) .

;) -------- Jason

Ankuse,
I also recommend the RPA-U. It's super easy to put on and gives you the flexibility of using it with the next projector too.

I just put up my HC3000 last night. It replaced a BenQ 8700+, which replaced a Panasonic AE500, which replaced an Infocus X1. First off, my ceiling is only 90 inches high and my screen start 13-14 inches from the ceiling, the offset is not as bad as I thought. I just shimmed the top of my Carada BW 104" off the wall, tilted the projector up slightly and voila, problem solved. No digital keystoning used.
The picture, quite frankly is excellent. It totally blows the 8700+ away in every department, Brightness, colors, sharpness, black level (not even close). I am really impressed with the progression FP DLP has made in the last two years, and considering I paid about 40% of what I paid for the 8700+, this machine is incredible.
Considering this is my stop gap machine till 1080p DLP is affordable, I think I'll be very happy for the next 18 months.

Josh ,

-- I did not mean to imply that there would be problems at full zoom , just that there could be (especially if the optics are not perfectly aligned) ;) . Pushing to the outer edges of a lens can cause edge focus issues as well (unless one is dealing with high end optics) .

My setup is a 1.85 screen. :) (nice to know people are starting to experiment with different aspect ratios!)

It's 90.6" wide, and for my room I have to push the HC3000 to max throw. I'll be remounting soon, with a Chief RPA-U, and I'll be able to decrease the throw very slightly. While chromatic aberrations and focus uniformity are comparable from min throw to max, the biggest difference I've seen is very slight bowing horizontally. Better than any RPTV out there, but still visible with a 1.85 chart up on-screen nonetheless. (e.g., horizontal lines are closer to center of the screen in the middle than they are at the edges.) Vertical lines appear very straight.

Rick

Hey Jason or other Mits owner; In my set up I would be resting the mits on a shelf in the back of my room. It looks like from the Mits calculator ( which is killer by the way if it is accurate) I would need to raise the bottom edge of a 16/9 picture by about 2" to line up with the bottom edge of my screen. From what I've read the shift function should handle that right? I am using a 92" wide screen and the front edge of the projector will be about 13' back from the screen.

Thanks
Peter

Peter ,

The digital shift function should have no problem getting you that needed 2" ;) .

---------- Jason

Peter ,

The digital shift function should have no problem getting you that needed 2" ;) .

---------- Jason
Ah if only all of life's 2" shortfalls could be overcome so easily.

By the way have you decided if you are going to keep the Mits?

Cheers
Peter

Well I have not seen the IN76 as of yet (I honestly don't expect it to beat the HC3000 anyway) and I really do not want to spend more $ for the Sammy 710 so I might end up keeping the HC3000 for a while ;) . I am still getting everything tweaked for the HC3000 set-up and the more that I do the more I like it :D .

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

I dont know where my post dissapeared to, but I am also having the lamp flicker issue on standard lamp mode.

Does anyone have mitsubishi canada email adress?

Can someone tell me exactly the color of the leds (power and status) during the minute of lamp cooling, after pressing twice the power off button?
Thanks

Rob

Does anyone have mitsubishi canada email adress?
http://www.mitsubishielectric.ca/corporate/contact_us.html

Unless you mean the little indicator lights on the projector, none. IT does not use leds.

Can someone tell me exactly the color of the leds (power and status) during the minute of lamp cooling, after pressing twice the power off button?
Thanks

Rob

As I recall they are green and amber , one of them flashes until the cool down period is done and then there is only a single amber light .

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

As I recall they are green and amber , one of them flashes until the cool down period is done and then there is only a single amber light OK, thanks Jason. Mine does exactly the same, the colors are red (steady) and greeen (flashing) for the minute of cooling and then remains only the red (steady). You say amber but probabily mean the same color.
I asked this because on the user manual there's a little difference,as you read:
------------------
9. Press the POWER button on the projector or the OFF ( ) button on the remote control again.
• The lamp goes out and the projector goes into a standby mode. In this standby mode, the POWER indicator
blinks red.
------------------
Bye
Rob

Exhaust vents on the 3000u besides the lt side exhaust, does it exhaust out both sides of the lens and the vent in the back?

OK, thanks Jason. Mine does exactly the same, the colors are red (steady) and greeen (flashing) for the minute of cooling and then remains only the red (steady). You say amber but probabily mean the same color.
I asked this because on the user manual there's a little difference,as you read:
------------------
9. Press the POWER button on the projector or the OFF ( ) button on the remote control again.
• The lamp goes out and the projector goes into a standby mode. In this standby mode, the POWER indicator
blinks red.
------------------
Bye
Rob


Yes , Amber or Red ;) .

--- The manual is obviously wrong , another typo .

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

Exhaust vents on the 3000u besides the lt side exhaust, does it exhaust out both sides of the lens and the vent in the back?

Most of the exhaust from the HC3000 comes out the front vent on the right (if ceiling mounted and looking at the front of the unit) .

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

I ve been busy with my Mitsubishi HC-3000 for a few months now and have it almost tweaked well. However. I m still dealing with a very, very strange problem. I ll try to explain it but don t hang me up on my bad English:

Problem is that the picture is not correct in each corner of my screen. I use a Thommy 16:9 screen high gain. Let me try to tell you guys what is going on with the picture I made:

The first picture is the right under corner enhanced and the second a total shot of my screen.

http://img107.imageshack.us/img107/4796/naamloos20ml.png (http://imageshack.us)

http://img135.imageshack.us/img135/3846/naamloos4sc.png (http://imageshack.us)

I wasn t able to make a color where the blue shines on the black bar if you know what I mean but I think you ll guys get the point: My picture is 'wrong' in just ONE corner!!??
;
I m sure that the lens of my pj points exactly to the middle of my 16:9 screen so this can t be it. Also tried to fix it with keystone correction but keystone correction does work on 2 corners (with is of course logical) and not on one.....

What could this strange problem be?

sanderdvd,

I assume it's the same for movies, etc.?


mech

Something's not level or square or plumb or flat. ;) (I know, no help at all)
Maybe it's something like your wall isn't at a 90 degree angle??

I would check with your "plumb'er".

Assuming it's not a problem with your projection angle, that looks like your projector is employing some cornerstoning control. Did you accidentally hit the button for that on the projector body? I would go into that menu and see if you can return all of the settings to the original default.

The Ultimate A/V review of the Mits recommended using a component 480i connection for DVD viewing rather than an HDMI connection. I found this surprising as I assumed that HDMI would always yield the best results, even for DVD sources. Has anyone made this comparison with the Mits and if so do they agree or disagree that 480i over component is better for DVD's than HDMI? I don't have a long enough component cable to try this and am wondering if I should get one. Thanks.

The Ultimate A/V review of the Mits recommended using a component 480i connection for DVD viewing rather than an HDMI connection. I found this surprising as I assumed that HDMI would always yield the best results, even for DVD sources. Has anyone made this comparison with the Mits and if so do they agree or disagree that 480i over component is better for DVD's than HDMI? I don't have a long enough component cable to try this and am wondering if I should get one. Thanks.


I run HDMI on my dvd. Picture looks best set to 1080i. I connected another player with component (RGB) and it didn't look near as good. If I set my player to 480i/p looses quality.

I run HDMI on my dvd. Picture looks best set to 1080i.

The projector's native resolution is 720p. You should set your DVD player to 720p. Using 1080i requires the DVD signal to be upscaled by the player and then downscaled to by the projector, which introduces the risk of artifacts. There's no good reason to set your DVD player for 1080i.

The Ultimate A/V review of the Mits recommended using a component 480i connection for DVD viewing rather than an HDMI connection. I found this surprising as I assumed that HDMI would always yield the best results, even for DVD sources. Has anyone made this comparison with the Mits and if so do they agree or disagree that 480i over component is better for DVD's than HDMI? I don't have a long enough component cable to try this and am wondering if I should get one. Thanks.


I changed out a sony sp 7000 because it was a 480i player being fed to my Mitsibushi 3000 and it looked horrible. Went to a Panasonic s77 (cheap!), switched output to 720p via HDMI and it looks amazing. Sony sp7000 now sits in the box collecting dust. Go figure!

A quick question for you folks who used the mitsu calculator to mount your projector.

I plug in the numbers and it gives me 2 values for distance from the wall, I'm assuming these are min and max distances. What are the advantages of closer versus farther and vice versa? Does this have to do with screen gain? Thanks for any help!!

mech

mech ,

Closer is using Max Zoom , brighter image and has more chances of having focus issues (which is not to say that it will) . The HC3000 is bright enough that I do not use any Zoom with 16:9 in order to light up a 120" HiPower (1.4-1.5 gain when PJ is ceiling mounted) . I do use some Zoom to fill my 2.0 screen width when viewing 2.35:1 material , the image is slightly brighter and just a pinch softer .


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

Well had to send mine back, because its a japan import I get one ship back free option.

The flickering on standard mode became ridiculious, i seen someone else had this problem, Im worried the one there going to send back is going to have the same problem.

I love the vibrant picture on standard lamp mode, especially for HDTV.

Had only 120 hours on it.

When I first took my HC3000 out of the box I noticed a mark on the lens. It wasn't a "smudge" but rather it looked like some dried liquid (imagine a streak a dried saliva actually). I didn't want to hastily clean it right then so I mounted the PJ and went on with life. Today I had some free time so I decided to clean it. I used my "blowgun" (hand powered only, not an aerosol deal) to first blow any dust/grit off the lens so I wouldn't scratch anything. I then used Canon lens paper and a couple of drops of solution. These are the same components that I use to clean my $1000+ Nikon SLR lenses and they were highly recommended by experts in that field. Anyway, I always use a flashlight to shine on the surface of the lens to "highlight" any slight smudges that I might have left behind. After the cleaning, the lens looked "perfect". However, as soon as I turned the PJ on, the center of the lens where the image rectangle is looks "cloudy". Looking very closely, it appears to be fine scratches. This only becomes noticeable under the extremely intense light that the PJ puts out. Even my 18V flashlight from 1" away show "nothing" on the lens.

So now I'm obviously upset. It would seem that I have traded a smear for some scratches. My questions are:

is it even possible to touch one of these lenses without leaving some kind of ultra-minor scratches behind?

and will this effect the projected image quality in any way? The picture still looks "sharp" but of course now I'm second-guessing myself like crazy about "how did it look before".

:( x 1000

I am running the new Toshiba HD-A1 HD-DVD player on my 3k. If you really want to see what this projector can do, buy this player, set output to 1080i via HDMI and sit back to be amazed. Yes, 1080i out, let the 3K do the conversion. I can't wait until my Blu-Ray player arrives in August. I previously ran D-Theater to the 3K but that was via component. It looked almost as good.

Well had to send mine back, because its a japan import I get one ship back free option.

The flickering on standard mode became ridiculious, i seen someone else had this problem, Im worried the one there going to send back is going to have the same problem.

I love the vibrant picture on standard lamp mode, especially for HDTV.

Had only 120 hours on it.

I have had 3 HC3000's here over the past couple months and none of them had any lamp flicker .

Best of Luck on the new one .

-------- Jason

When I first took my HC3000 out of the box I noticed a mark on the lens. It wasn't a "smudge" but rather it looked like some dried liquid (imagine a streak a dried saliva actually). I didn't want to hastily clean it right then so I mounted the PJ and went on with life. Today I had some free time so I decided to clean it. I used my "blowgun" (hand powered only, not an aerosol deal) to first blow any dust/grit off the lens so I wouldn't scratch anything. I then used Canon lens paper and a couple of drops of solution. These are the same components that I use to clean my $1000+ Nikon SLR lenses and they were highly recommended by experts in that field. Anyway, I always use a flashlight to shine on the surface of the lens to "highlight" any slight smudges that I might have left behind. After the cleaning, the lens looked "perfect". However, as soon as I turned the PJ on, the center of the lens where the image rectangle is looks "cloudy". Looking very closely, it appears to be fine scratches. This only becomes noticeable under the extremely intense light that the PJ puts out. Even my 18V flashlight from 1" away show "nothing" on the lens.

So now I'm obviously upset. It would seem that I have traded a smear for some scratches. My questions are:

is it even possible to touch one of these lenses without leaving some kind of ultra-minor scratches behind?

and will this effect the projected image quality in any way? The picture still looks "sharp" but of course now I'm second-guessing myself like crazy about "how did it look before".

:( x 1000

Jeff ,

I cleaned one of the units that I had here that just would not focus properly and it also had very fine scratches from pro grade cleaning tissues . The very fine scratches do not appear to be visible in the projected image , at least to the human eye ;) . I had a CRT front projector that had some decent sized scratches on the outer lenses and nothing could be seen on the screen . I would not worry about it as long you are taking proper steps to clean (and it sounds like you did to me) . I think all digital front projectors have that smear/cloudy look as soon as you light it up (all the ones that I have seen have it to some degree) .

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

I am running the new Toshiba HD-A1 HD-DVD player on my 3k. If you really want to see what this projector can do, buy this player, set output to 1080i via HDMI and sit back to be amazed. Yes, 1080i out, let the 3K do the conversion. I can't wait until my Blu-Ray player arrives in August. I previously ran D-Theater to the 3K but that was via component. It looked almost as good.


Kipp ,

--- I also have the HD-A1 connected to my HC3000 (via HDMI @ 1080i) and it certainly does show what the PJ can do with a great source . Now if we can just get some GREAT HD-dvd's then we are in business :D . The standard DVD Upconversion on this player is about the best out there now as well so it does have many advantages . Being an HTPC user I am very critical of standalone dvd players and this is the first one that I have seen that actually impressed me enough to buy it (even though I might not keep it due to lack of titles) .

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

Thanks Jason, you made me feel better about what I'm seeing :)

Kipp ,

--- I also have the HD-A1 connected to my HC3000 (via HDMI @ 1080i) and it certainly does show what the PJ can do with a great source . Now if we can just get some GREAT HD-dvd's then we are in business :D . The standard DVD Upconversion on this player is about the best out there now as well so it does have many advantages . Being an HTPC user I am very critical of standalone dvd players and this is the first one that I have seen that actually impressed me enough to buy it (even though I might not keep it due to lack of titles) .

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


Any running on standard lamp mode?

If you set the HD-DVD player to 1080i and let the projector do the conversion - won't you be losing a lot of data as I believe this projector converts 1080i -> 540p -> 720p?

That is a lot of detail lost in the conversion!

I know a couple have mentioned Brilliant white and run the projector in low lamp mode.

I had emailed carada and they said:
I am familiar with the Mitsubishi HC3000U and I think the Classic Cinema White screen material is the best fit in a light controlled room on a screen in the neighborhood of 92” diagonal 16:9 screen.

anyone have recomendations of which one?
It is a completely light controlled room, I would prefer to run in low lamp mode save some bulb hours.
thanks
Ankur

If you set the HD-DVD player to 1080i and let the projector do the conversion - won't you be losing a lot of data as I believe this projector converts 1080i -> 540p -> 720p?

That is a lot of detail lost in the conversion!

Unfortunately, the Toshiba HD-DVD players have simply terrible 720p output when watching HD-DVD discs. It looks like they downconvert the 1080p data to 480p and then scale it back up. Even on a 720p display, the 1080i output from the HD-DVD player is preferred.

I know a couple have mentioned Brilliant white and run the projector in low lamp mode.

I had emailed carada and they said:
I am familiar with the Mitsubishi HC3000U and I think the Classic Cinema White screen material is the best fit in a light controlled room on a screen in the neighborhood of 92” diagonal 16:9 screen.

anyone have recomendations of which one?
It is a completely light controlled room, I would prefer to run in low lamp mode save some bulb hours.
thanks
Ankur

All depends on your projection mode - if you use what DaGamePimp said we came up with closest calibration presets or you get it ISFed - and you prefer to stay in teens ftL mostly - then 1.0 gain is fine. If you want to be never worse than movie spec than you want the 1.4 gain - but it will likely be too bright and need to filter it down. Presume you lose half of the marketed specification when properly setup. Start at 16ftL to average movie spec, start at 24ftL to never be worse than movie spec over lamp life.

It looks like they downconvert the 1080p data to 480p and then scale it back up.

Do you know this for a fact or are you guessing? I think you are guessing.

k

Have any of you tried cleaning the lens using ordinary tape like 3M to lift off dust? It seems to work fine for me. I wait until the PJ is cooled down so the glue doesn't melt. I can't imagine using any kind of cleaning solution or wiping action on the lens.

Any running on standard lamp mode?

Low lamp here ;) .
---- Jason

If you set the HD-DVD player to 1080i and let the projector do the conversion - won't you be losing a lot of data as I believe this projector converts 1080i -> 540p -> 720p?

That is a lot of detail lost in the conversion!

I have not heard anything about the Mitsu scaler doing 1080i -> 540p -> 720p and from the results it would appear that it is doing 1080i -> 720p . I could be wrong here but it would be great to have confirmation one way or the other . Does anybody know what scaler is in the HC3000 , does the DDP 3020 do all the scaling ?

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

Do you know this for a fact or are you guessing? I think you are guessing.

k

Actually I think he was just being sarcastic ;) .

The HD-A1 1080i looks much better on most 720p displays than 720p does , this will probably be the case until we see actual 720p encoded HD-DVD's (all so far appear to be 1080p) .

---------- Jason

Have any of you tried cleaning the lens using ordinary tape like 3M to lift off dust? It seems to work fine for me. I wait until the PJ is cooled down so the glue doesn't melt. I can't imagine using any kind of cleaning solution or wiping action on the lens.

That can be dangerous as well , I recall reading about people stripping the lens coating right off when using mildly sticky tape . Now wether or not the HC3000 has a coated lens is unknown to me .

---------- Jason

I think the problem is entirely with people who use standard lamp mode, the lamps flicker after 100 hours of ussage.

Other people running in standard said the same thing, if i put it in low it wont flicker, but thats why I purchased this projector.

What should I do, should I tell mitsubishi they have a lamp problem?

I think the problem is entirely with people who use standard lamp mode, the lamps flicker after 100 hours of ussage.

Other people running in standard said the same thing, if i put it in low it wont flicker, but thats why I purchased this projector.

What should I do, should I tell mitsubishi they have a lamp problem?


I would cetainly be interested to hear if any others have noticed this before I buy. I have been swayed by coments about how bright this pj is and I guess it all amounts to naught if the lamp can't handel it.
While I'm on the topic does anyone have an real numbers as to the brightness capability in standard mode. I was kinda hoping it could pump out 500 lumens.

I think the problem is entirely with people who use standard lamp mode, the lamps flicker after 100 hours of ussage.

Other people running in standard said the same thing, if i put it in low it wont flicker, but thats why I purchased this projector.

What should I do, should I tell mitsubishi they have a lamp problem?

You can certainly suggest to them that there might be an issue with normal lamp mode ;) .

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

I would cetainly be interested to hear if any others have noticed this before I buy. I have been swayed by coments about how bright this pj is and I guess it all amounts to naught if the lamp can't handel it.
While I'm on the topic does anyone have an real numbers as to the brightness capability in standard mode. I was kinda hoping it could pump out 500 lumens.


Well it can pretty much pump out 500 lumens in low lamp after ISF calibration ;) . We were able to get 1000 lumens from low lamp with certain presets , so yeah you could say it is a bright projector .


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

Do you know this for a fact or are you guessing? I think you are guessing.

I'm guessing at this point, but that certainly appears to be the case. There is a significant loss of picture detail and increase in stair-stepping and other artifacts when you set the HD-A1 for 720p output. This is corroborated by posts from Stacey Spears from Secrets of Home Theater.

Actually I think he was just being sarcastic ;) .

The HD-A1 1080i looks much better on most 720p displays than 720p does , this will probably be the case until we see actual 720p encoded HD-DVD's (all so far appear to be 1080p) .

No, I'm quite serious. The HD-A1's 720p output is awful. If you have the Serenity disc, just look at the disc menu using both 720p and 1080i outputs and you'll see a lot more artifacts and softer text resolution on the menu screen with 720p. The problem is also quite visible during movie playback, which at 720p looks no better (and sometimes worse) than a standard DVD.

1080i output from the player to the HC3000, however, looks terrific.

The HD-A1's scaling engine does a very poor job of downconverting HD-DVD content to 720p. Oddly, it does much better upconverting standard DVDs to that resolution or to 1080i (though its deinterlacing is not so good).

Josh ,

--- Oh Yeah (no doubt there) 720p from 1080p source is terrible on the HD-A1 but it sounded to me like you were just making a sarcastic comment as to just how terrible it actually is ;) .

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

Went and had a look at the mits yesterday and the salesman put on some soccer. I noticed that there was a shimering in the green areas of grass mainly around the bottom left corner. It kinda looked like the heat distotion you see over a hot tar road. Anyone know what this could have been?

Went and had a look at the mits yesterday and the salesman put on some soccer. I noticed that there was a shimering in the green areas of grass mainly around the bottom left corner. It kinda looked like the heat distotion you see over a hot tar road. Anyone know what this could have been?

Source? Was it DirecTV, Dish, Cable, DVD, etc.? I've yet to mount my mitsu, but what little I've seen of sports in HD - mainly basketball from cable -I think I know what you're talking about. My money's on the source.

mech

I think it was Japanese HDTV and I forgot to mention it was in a room with 10 other projectors all recieving the same feed. None of them had the problem.

I have seen this as well. I have only seen in on a white screen from my HTPC, but I did see it. I think it might be a heat issue.

I noticed that there was a shimering in the green areas of grass mainly around the bottom left corner. It kinda looked like the heat distotion you see over a hot tar road. Anyone know what this could have been?

A proper ISF calibration will take care of that.


Have you guys noticed a review of Mitsu HD4000U in Audioholics? What a pathetic attempt of discrediting Mitsubishi front projector models so that they can sell a few more models from 'web based' 'front projector sell only' companies like Infocus and Optoma. They thought comparing a business projector like HD4000 with Optoma H72 is fair.

Lesson learned: Never hire Ray Adkins for your front projector calibration.

Seen it and thought "Hmmm"....

mech

A proper ISF calibration will take care of that.


Have you guys noticed a review of Mitsu HD4000U in Audioholics? What a pathetic attempt of discrediting Mitsubishi front projector models so that they can sell a few more 'web based' 'front projector sell only' companies like Infocus and Optoma. They thought comparing a business projector like HD4000 with Optoma H72 is fair.

Lesson learned: Never hire Ray Adkins for your front projector calibration.

Yes I did see it. I couldnt be happier with my Mits HC3000U... I was wondering how the 4000 could be so bad???

While I agree that there was an agenda with that HD4000 review I also think the HC3000 is a far more refined unit than the HD4000 (aside from the fact that the HD4000 is basically a dual mode business class PJ and not designed for serious HT use) .

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

While I agree that there was an agenda with that HD4000 review I also think the HC3000 is a far more refined unit than the HD4000 (aside from the fact that the HD4000 is basically a dual mode business class PJ and not designed for serious HT use) .

------------- Jason
I understand this but one is really good and one is awful? They should be closer than that..lol

What a pathetic attempt of discrediting Mitsubishi front projector models so that they can sell a few more models from 'web based' 'front projector sell only' companies like Infocus and Optoma. They thought comparing a business projector like HD4000 with Optoma H72 is fair.

The HC3000 and the HD4000 are distinctly different pj's aimed at entirely different segments of the market. As far as the reviewer trying to discredit all Mitsu FP's, it didn't come across that way to me at all. I took it as he was just disappointed in this particular model.

And you certainly can't lump Infocus together with Optoma as they are vastly different in the way they sell their respective pj's. Infocus is far from being a manufacturer that pushes their product via a "web based" distribution network.


While I agree that there was an agenda with that HD4000 review I also think the HC3000 is a far more refined unit than the HD4000 (aside from the fact that the HD4000 is basically a dual mode business class PJ and not designed for serious HT use) .

------------- Jason
Hey Jason, I hope you are still enjoying your HC3000 and new screen.

I'm a bit curious what agenda you saw in the review? The only thing I thought was remotely questionable was that he seemed so surprised to see the Mitsu using the DDP-3020. Anyway, Audioholics is one of the last places I would look to for a review of a pj that I was considering purchasing.

Hey Jason, I hope you are still enjoying your HC3000 and new screen.

I'm a bit curious what agenda you saw in the review? The only thing I thought was remotely questionable was that he seemed so surprised to see the Mitsu using the DDP-3020.
Anyway, Audioholics is one of the last places I would look to for a review of a pj that I was considering purchasing.


The obvious standout to me was that they were comparing the dual mode business class HD4000 to a supposed HT designed HD72 . To me this says 'Agenda' , that and the wording that they used was somewhat lacking in the professionalism category (IMO) . If they wanted to make a fair comparison then why not compare the HC3000 to the HD72 , I think we know why ... because most would probably prefer the Mitsu (assuming both had been ISF'd) .

Agreed ... The only review site that I currently trust is Cine4home , they seem to be the only guys that actually know what they are doing .

But alas the HC3000 is pretty much 'dead' now because it has been out too long to be considered along with the new 'HOT' PJ's (even though it shares most of the same tech as the newer units) .

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

I gotta agree with Jason - not being familiar with the Mitsu line I would have inferred it was a new upgraded HT unit with a poor review - and not a multimedia biz unit in which case the review was fair.

I also agree on Cine4Home.com - it is the only review site that I "currently" trust for technical reviews. At least for now...:D :D

Maybe this Mitsu has passed thru the monthly hype of AVS already - but with it in the "royal blue polo shirt" store that advertises in the sunday paper - the average Joe is buying it. I got a CEDIA hit this week from a guy wanting to know how he could get his tuned up! Of course when he found out it cost more than a DVD he said isn't there just a DVD or better player he can buy to fix it! Sure and that store you bought it from should have it! :D But I let him know if he rents me for as much as the test DVD's cost I would tune it up better and - then I would pitch him for the greyscale tune.

Kinda sad that the review link was posted on the entrance to the forum as well... :confused:

AVS should know better.

mech

I have heard that the 3000 and 4000 share the same chassis but I imagine there are colour wheel and other differences. If they do share the same chassis, these comments certainly seem to contradict each other:

"All in all, the technical construction as well as the innovations of the new HC3000 are remarkable. The projector is quiet, sensibly designed and has numerous new features which until now could not be found in this price range." (Cine4home)

"We would say that we were a little disappointed in the overall build quality, fit and finish of the HD4000." (Audioholics)

I can understand the picture issues (any maybe RBE) given the points made above by Jason and Kras but the build thing is mystifying to me at least.

The obvious standout to me was that they were comparing the dual mode business class HD4000 to a supposed HT designed HD72 . To me this says 'Agenda' , that and the wording that they used was somewhat lacking in the professionalisim category (IMO) . If they wanted to make a fair comparison then why not compare the HC3000 to the HD72 , I think we know why ... because most would probably prefer the Mitsu (assuming both had been ISF'd) . Yeah, now that you point it out, I see what you mean. I was curious myself why they didn't review the HC3000 instead. My eyes have been opened and now I can see the "hidden agenda". ;)

But alas the HC3000 is pretty much 'dead' now because it has been out too long to be considered along with the new 'HOT' PJ's (even though it shares most of the same tech as the newer units) .

------------- JasonIt does seem to be overlooked by most and the fact that his thread went silent for over 10 days speaks volumes. For some unknown reason, the Mitsu is not receiving much love around here at AVS and hardly anyones seems to be picking this one from the new crop of budget 720P pj's. I can understand why the BenQ/Tosh pj's are being avoided like the plague but this is a good performing unit and can be calibrated to near perfection according to kras.

I gotta agree with Jason - not being familiar with the Mitsu line I would have inferred it was a new upgraded HT unit with a poor review - and not a multimedia biz unit in which case the review was fair.When you think about it, they shouldn't even be reviewing this unit since it's not specifically intended as an HT pj.

I also agree on Cine4Home.com - it is the only review site that I "currently" trust for technical reviews. At least for now...:D :D

Until you're up and running..... Cine4home will suffice nicely in the meantime. ;)
I wish they would speed up the translations of their reviews onto the English version of their site.

Maybe this Mitsu has passed thru the monthly hype of AVS already - but with it in the "royal blue polo shirt" store that advertises in the sunday paper - the average Joe is buying it. I got a CEDIA hit this week from a guy wanting to know how he could get his tuned up! Of course when he found out it cost more than a DVD he said isn't there just a DVD or better player he can buy to fix it! Sure and that store you bought it from should have it! :D But I let him know if he rents me for as much as the test DVD's cost I would tune it up better and - then I would pitch him for the greyscale tune.Is it gettig no love here because of poor out of box calibration from the factory?

Well out of the box calibration does not seem to hurt the Optomas....but then they have their own screenshot reviewer and "Official Projector Tester" posting here ....

I've narrowed my pick of projector's down to the Mit HC3000 or Hitachi TX200
Can in of you tell the pro and con's to each, and what you have and the hours on your's?
Thanks in Advance
greatly Appreciated!
Frank

I've narrowed my pick of projector's down to the Mit HC3000 or Hitachi TX200
Can in of you tell the pro and con's to each, and what you have and the hours on your's?
Thanks in Advance
greatly Appreciated!
Frank

Frank, I dont know anything about the Hitachi unit but I have had my Mits HC3000U paired with a ClearPix2 103" diag screen for 3 weeks now (just had it ISFed last week) and I couldnt be happier with the PQ and acoustic transparency of the screen (my fronts and center inwalls are behind the screen) being my first front projector.

There are several good reviews of the 3000 out there!

In very dark scenes or when using "blank" function from remote control comes one problem visible...There is white round spots everywhere in screen area and even outside screen area at least for one meter in every direction.
I had dust problem with panny AE500 (green spots in screen area) but with mitsu HC900 and until now with HC3000 i have been completely free from anykind of problems.
There are no spots in outer surface of lens, but when projecting black image and looking inside optics there seems to be small bright dots allover? Maybe there´s like ten spots or so. Dust?
Is warranty void if i take lamp out and see if theres some dust.

Put a piece of paper infront of the projector while you are projecting a black image or use the blank function. The room should be dark when you do so, now move the paper back and forth (10cm-40cm) until the little stars which you will undoublty notice become sharp.
This is due to dust on the clear DMD cover.

Every 'star' on the sheet of paper which is bigger than 2mm in diameter under these conditions will make it to the screen... The Mitsubishi doesn't use a prism in front of the DMD and therefore dust can collect on the cover. The only way to get rid of this dust is to access the DMD.

Ask a service center to do so.

BTW all prism-free DLP projectors have dust on the DMD-cover but usually it is nothing to worry about unless there are bigger particles as well...

Thanks drpp.
I tried that paper thing and it looked really messy. Small dots and really big ones, lots of them. Also visible in paper was that something like couple of small hairs are in there too...
Those spots focused when i moved the paper so does it now seem that dust has gotten on the DMD?
Now i feel disappointed. This is the first problem with mitsu projectors for me.

I hope that warranty covers also that cleaning service.

Yep, there is dust on the DMD, or to be exact on the clear glass cover infront of the DMD. The smaller particles are there from the start but they are so small that they do no harm. Larger ones can get there when you operate the PJ in a dusty environment, did blow some air into the lamphousing or something similar.

Well if this were the Infocus 4805 I could give you detailed step by step instructions how to get rid of the dustblobs within 15 min (it really doesn't take longer), alas I don't have the service manual of the HC3000. It should not be to difficult, but in general I would say don't try it if you do not know exactly what to do, how to disassemble the optical engine etc. With the HC3000 I think you would have to remove the mainboard and the seal of the optical engine, so this is definitely a bit more work than on a design as simple as the 4805. It might be possible to remove the lens from the front but without a service manual you could very likely do more harm than good so, stay away from it.

I will say however that this should be covered by your warranty and AFAIK Mitsubishi does a decent service job.

I understand that you feel disappointed but this can happen to ALL DLP projectors without lensshift (=telecentric design=prism infront of DMD). Let a service center take care of it, the unit will be like new afterwards.

The Mitsu HC3000 light engine is actually pretty easy to get to if you wanted to blow the dust out yourself (not that I am suggesting to do it on your own) . There are pictures on www.cine4home.com that kind of show the process if you follow the picture progression , you can see that even though the mainboard has to be removed it really is not that big of a deal , there are only a couple of other metal shields that have to be removed to gain access to the light engine . Be sure to keep track of the plugs as they are removed and put the mainboard in an anti-static bag (like the ones that come with PC parts) . Use canned air that does not produce any misting or you can 'spot' the internals . You might want to even consider a mini-vac like the ones used for PC's (sometimes the mini-vac is better than using canned air since the air can just blow more dust around) .

Again I am not suggesting that we do this ourselves and I am not liable if anybody does it and makes things worse or destroys their HC3000 but I wanted to point out that it should not be that difficult ;) .

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

What is the difference between the new WD2000U and the HC3000U.

Mits presentations has the HC3000U as their home theater model, and the HC3000U has a RGBGGB color wheel with large red segements and is cheaper than the WD2000U.

But the WD2000U has had some great observations on its home theater usage, has a RGBYW color wheel and motorized lens shift. It's brochure seems focused on the presentations crowd. MSRP is 3995 .

Has anyone seen both?

I've just decided what proj to buy since my Toshiba MT-700 was returned a few months ago.

After several weeks of testing it got down to the MC-3000 and Optomas Europe version, the HD72i.

Both projectors calibrated to D65 I must say the HC-3000 had more natural colors and quite a bit better black levels. But as I was finishing up and was pretty much done there I connected my computer to see what resolutions these projectors could pixelmap at. To my surprise the hc-3000 only pixelmapped 1024x768 and lower resolutions. The HD72i on the other hand pixelmapped both 1280x720 and 1280x768.

I can't believe this hasn't been discussed here. As for running HTPC and my xbox via component the HC-3000 is quite useless.

Any comments?

I've just decided what proj to buy since my Toshiba MT-700 was returned a few months ago.

After several weeks of testing it got down to the MC-3000 and Optomas Europe version, the HD72i.

Both projectors calibrated to D65 I must say the HC-3000 had more natural colors and quite a bit better black levels. But as I was finishing up and was pretty much done there I connected my computer to see what resolutions these projectors could pixelmap at. To my surprise the hc-3000 only pixelmapped 1024x768 and lower resolutions. The HD72i on the other hand pixelmapped both 1280x720 and 1280x768.

I can't believe this hasn't been discussed here. As for running HTPC and my xbox via component the HC-3000 is quite useless.

Any comments?
Hopefully Jason (he does the HTPC thing) will pipe in here soon, but IIRC the HC3000 is capable of SXGA or WXGA resolution. Which would be 1280x1024 or 1280x768 respectively. I have yet to hook up a computer to mine.

mech

I've just decided what proj to buy since my Toshiba MT-700 was returned a few months ago.

After several weeks of testing it got down to the MC-3000 and Optomas Europe version, the HD72i.

Both projectors calibrated to D65 I must say the HC-3000 had more natural colors and quite a bit better black levels. But as I was finishing up and was pretty much done there I connected my computer to see what resolutions these projectors could pixelmap at. To my surprise the hc-3000 only pixelmapped 1024x768 and lower resolutions. The HD72i on the other hand pixelmapped both 1280x720 and 1280x768.

I can't believe this hasn't been discussed here. As for running HTPC and my xbox via component the HC-3000 is quite useless.

Any comments?

Hey firefreak I'm in the same situation as you and will buy either of these 2 before the end of the week. I hope to run a HTPC with possibly a 360 as extender so if it can't be done with the Mits I guess its the hd72. You mentioned the blacks seemed better on the hc3000. How did it compare in brightness? This could also be a deciding issue for me. Are they about the same or is the hd72 clearly on another level of lumens?

Hey firefreak I'm in the same situation as you and will buy either of these 2 before the end of the week. I hope to run a HTPC with possibly a 360 as extender so if it can't be done with the Mits I guess its the hd72. You mentioned the blacks seemed better on the hc3000. How did it compare in brightness? This could also be a deciding issue for me. Are they about the same or is the hd72 clearly on another level of lumens?

To answer the question about resolutions... the mitsu does show a decent to bad picture in 1280x720 and 768 but it's really bad compared to the HD72i since it, infact pixelmaps.

The HD72i has far more punch when it comes to brightness and color. The mitsu is like a dull lcd and the HD72 is more like a plasma. Vibrant, rich and really powerful colors. But, that being said, the Mitsu is closer to what people in the business call reference class.

Another fact. I tried them both in a completely dark room and then gradually increased the ambient light. As soon as the room had just the slightest ambient light the darker levels of the mitsu werent visible which meant the powerful HD72i colors produced a WAY better picture.

I'm picking up the HD72i on my way home from work today so I'll have more info about it shortly.

Gooi: For HTPC, Xbox 360 action and if you plan on having the slightest ambient light the HD72i is infact on a different level. But, if you plan on mostly doing some moviewatching and have the ability to completely blackout your room, i'd be temted to go for the HC-3000.

To answer the question about resolutions... the mitsu does show a decent to bad picture in 1280x720 and 768 but it's really bad compared to the HD72i since it, infact pixelmaps.

The HD72i has far more punch when it comes to brightness and color. The mitsu is like a dull lcd and the HD72 is more like a plasma. Vibrant, rich and really powerful colors. But, that being said, the Mitsu is closer to what people in the business call reference class.

The HC3000 will allow perfect 1:1 pixel mapping for 1280x720 (16:9 ratio) or 1024x768 (4:3 ratio). You don't really need 1280x768 mapping since that would give you a 1.66:1 screen and there is no DVD or HD source material natively at that ratio.

1:1 pixel mapping has nothing to do with "punch", brightness, or color quality. It is strictly relating to the digital scaling.

If you are not able to pixel map with an HTPC then you did not set the Overscan to 100% in the menu (look for it , it's there) . The HC3000 can map 1024x768 , 1280x720 , 1280x768 with no issues once you set the Overscan to 100% for each resolution . Be sure that you do not use the REAL setting for aspect , use 16:9 for 720p .


*** As a matter of fact you will want to be sure to set all your sources to 100% overscan for the best results , all sources come at 97% as default ***


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

I think that HC3000 does 1280 * 720 resolution perfectly, very sharp and WMVHD demos look stunning, almost like looking through a window.
When i first watched Amazing Caves 720P version and straight away changed that normal resolution DVD to play the difference in picture quality was very easy to notice...No more window effect and smallest details were gone or messy.
Normal DVD films look good when there is no direct comparison to HD version.
I use panny S-97 for watching movies and it does does good job in that. no need to hassle with HTPC anymore, that hobby is over for me huh...
With 1280*720 or 1280*768 res. overscan setting must be 100% from projector, that setting changes for 97% from resolution change and doesn`t come back to 100% automatically even if you send 720p signal again. If overscan is something else than 100% then pixel mapping is not perfect and picture doesn´t look as sharp as it could be.
Panny AE500 had very sharp picture with computer too, and mitsu is no different in that matter.
I have ATI Radeon 9800PRO and dvi-hdmi connection to projector, no problems here.
Really fun to play Half-Life 2 with 106" screen and good hometheater equipment
:)

edit:
Looks like DaGamePimp got first...

Normal DVD films look good when there is no direct comparison to HD version.

A comment like that applies to any projector.

overscan setting must be 100% from projector, that setting changes for 97% from resolution change and doesn`t come back to 100% automatically even if you send 720p signal again.

Not true. The 100% setting will "stick" for 720p input after you set it the first time.

From side by side comparisons by others on the forum, this is the first I heard of people finding HD72 to be superior.

[QUOTE=Josh Z]

A comment like that applies to any projector.

Yes that´s true, if you haven´t seen anything better you can be happy with what you have.
I mean´t that i´m happy that normal DVD films still look good after you have seen HD material if you don´t compare those two side by side.



Not true. The 100% setting will "stick" for 720p input after you set it the first timeQUO.[/TE]

After connected with PC my overscan setting wasn´t 100% anymore. When changing resolutions from DVD player then it sticks at 100% with 720P.

After connected with PC my overscan setting wasn´t 100% anymore. When changing resolutions from DVD player then it sticks at 100% with 720P.

Are the PC and DVD player on the same input (HDMI)?

Are the PC and DVD player on the same input (HDMI)?

Yes.

Just playing my new HC3000 for 2weeks, using Phillips 642 DVD and 480i through component, picture is beautiful. Since everybody is talking about OPPO, got one yesterday and expected a big improvement, what a disappointment. I use DVI to HDMI cable come with OPPO, set to out put 720P, set OPPO as per its thread here(vedio 2), the picture is not as sharp as 642, still can not believe the HC3000 do better upcovert than DCDI, has anyone here have the oppo with 3000? pls give some advise.

MIJIACHEN ,

--- My guess is that you did not set the Overscan to 100% for the HDMI input when using the Oppo as it should be much sharper than the Phillips 642 . I have owned 3 of the 642's and they are decent players at best , there are much better players out there (like the Oppo) . The 642 adds artificial sharpening to the image and its component output is not accurate either , it has been measured . Now for the money the 642 is a wonderful all around media player as long as people don't expect too much out of it ( but then if you are happy with it that is really all that matters ;) ) . If you want a really great upscaled dvd image without spending a ton for a high-end Denon I would suggest the new Toshiba HD-A1 HD-DVD player . I am using one and it is as close to tweaked HTPC output as I have seen from a standalone dvd player with SD-DVD's .

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

Thanks for your advice, i do set to 100% overscan, since 97% is unwatchable soft, also try OPPO 480i through component, shame on it. According to forum's opinion, OPPO should at least on par with toshi A1 regarding the SD-DVD. Maybe I expect too much for a upcovert DVD, what I can say now is 642 is really a good budget DVD and HC3000's 3020scale set is really good enough for 480i.

If you are not able to pixel map with an HTPC then you did not set the Overscan to 100% in the menu (look for it , it's there) . The HC3000 can map 1024x768 , 1280x720 , 1280x768 with no issues once you set the Overscan to 100% for each resolution . Be sure that you do not use the REAL setting for aspect , use 16:9 for 720p .


*** As a matter of fact you will want to be sure to set all your sources to 100% overscan for the best results , all sources come at 97% as default ***


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


The store where I did the shoot-out between the two (HC-3000 vs HD72i) is considered being the top place in the entire south of sweden to buy projs so I asumed he was correct when he told me that the MC-3000 could not pixelmap which seemed to be true when I connected my computer. As noted by a few of you it defaults to 97% overscan which clearly explains why it looked awful. Nice to see that it does pixelmap though but I got my HD72i 2 days ago so I'm not going back now.

I still would have got the HD72 though since it has a little more punch when it comes to color and I can very rarely get my room really really dark to enjoy the marvelous blacklevels of the HC-3000.

I must say though, the HD72 takes quite some time to adjust to get a good balanced picture but once you start to get close the image is just breathtaking. I love it...

Actually once again this is the exact opposite others on the forum have also said, the colors of the HC3000 colors were said to have more punch while HD72 seemed a bit washed out with overblown whites.

HD72 is brighter though, although I dont know how much brighter you would want to go, color is most important to me.

After many happy years with Sharp XV-H37U LCD projector, it is the time to replace it with a native HD unit. Compared few units and fecided on HC3000U due to picture quality in this class, price point and value. Now there is only two things left to do: 1) Wait for the unit to show up; 2) prepare the XV-H37U for Ebay listing :-)

Many thanks for all the very informative posts here.

I definitely need Brilliantcolor 'on' for my 133" diagnal screen, but others should read what Kevin Miller is saying about Brilliantcolor in his review of HC3000.
http://www.avrev.com/equip/mitsubishiHC3000/index.html

Well we just did a little comparison with my HC3000 and an IN76 with a Toshiba HD-A1 HD DVD player . The HC3000 was connected via Component and the IN76 using HDMI . There were 7 of us in the room and nobody could tell the difference . So if the HC3000 is doing 1080i -> 540p -> 720p it looks no different than the IN76's 1080i -> 1080p -> 720p . Just wanted to comment on this because I had not seen anybody else make this comparison as of yet .

Best Wishes ,
---- Jason

Jason,

I have followed your comments on the Mits and appreciate all your input. I own the HC3000 and am quite happy with it. I am looking to purchase another 720 DLP for a second home and am considering the IN76, the Optoma HD72 and another Mits HC3000.

My questions: did someone say that the Mits does 1080 - 540 -720? I wasn't aware of this and have found that feeding 1080i often produces better results than the native 720 that theoretically should be superior. I have also read the cine4home reviews and it appears that the Mits is superior in contrast and blacks, and the IN76 is brighter and better out of the box. Can you detail your thoughts on the two, and have you seen the Optoma?

I do not know for sure if the HC3000 does 1080i->540p->720p , I have tried to verify if it does but cannot get an answer ( I have emailed Mitsubishi but they have not responded ) . It would appear that the HC3000 does something very similar to the IN76 as they looked almost identical when fed 1080i from the HD DVD player .


I have not seen the Optoma HD72 ;) .

The IN76 is brighter than the HC3000 after calibration .

The IN76 is better calibrated out of the box than the HC3000 .

The HC3000 has more accurate colors for HD colorspace than the IN76 .

The IN76 is louder than the HC3000 .

The ISF calibrated Contrast Ratio is about the same on both units (slight edge to the IN76) .

The offset of the IN76 is about half of the HC3000 .

The HC3000 really requires ISF level calibration to do what it is capable of .

--- At this point I would say the real benefit of the IN76 would be the added brightness if you wanted to drive a large screen ( or a good sized low gain grey screen ) . The overall image quality of the two units is very very close .

--- Hope that helps a little ;) .

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

English reviews for the HD72 and HC3000 are both up at www.cine4home.com ; looks like a win for the HC3000 in most areas.

I just moved to my new appartment and set up my HC-3000 to the ceiling. I made a drawing of my HTroom and need some advice on the offset. I would like to know how many cm I have to take for the red line (the upper of the screen to the ceiling). Can someone tell me what this needs to be?


http://img110.imageshack.us/img110/3766/homecinemaroom12dn.th.png (http://img110.imageshack.us/my.php?image=homecinemaroom12dn.png)

Have you tried the Mits calculator?

Good suggestion Kipp. I was looking at it the other day - http://www.mitsubishi-hometheater.com/hc3000u.asp (you download it at bottom of the page) - and it allows you to plug in about every variable you can imagine to get a solution for your room; much better than the standard throw distance type. Can't vouch for its accuracy down to the last mm though.

I tried this but can t figure it out....... So can someone help and give me a tip about what the red line should be approx.?

You really need to download the calculator and figure it out. Some of the numbers you have don't jive with the calculator. ie. plugging in a height of 112cm gives a diagonal of 228.4cm and a distance from screen to lense of 327cm - 396cm. It shows the top of the screen sitting at 191.7cm and the height of the center of the lens at 229.4. That would give you a difference of 37.7cm. What is the height of the ceiling? Basically, download the calculator , plug in your data that is known and it will tell you where to place your projector.

mech

Well, I updated from Gefen DVI Switchbox to the Monoprice HDMI 5x1 switch and my JVC D-VHS is now able to communicate with the Hitachi without issues. I'm assuming the issue was having to do DVI->HDMI twice in the path from D-VHS to Switch to Projector.

No sparkles so far with 50ft Monoprice Silver/Gold plated cable with 6 foot device cables and about 9 feet total DVI cabling on Mac/PC KVM + DVI Detectives. I have been very pleased with this projector for about 4-5 months of use compared to the Z2 I had prior.

After a recommedation from someone, I am now considering buying this projector over the HD72. This machine has a fixed offset like the HD72. My question if anyone can answer is what is the offset? If I mount the projector 8 ft high, how high off the floor will a 110 inch picture be?

i have mine mounted @ 7.5', 110" screen is 20" off the floor.


muncey

Just got mine couple of days ago. Still waiting for the ceiling mount kit. But, sofar, I am very happy with the picture quality, even before all the caliabration.

This is directed to those who have done ISF calibration on this machine:

I was wondering if any global calibration possible with this machine for all scan rates (480p/720p/1080i) when connected through HDMI. I understand that the calibration numbers are different when connected through component (vs HDMI).

I know that HD colorspace is different than SD. I am guessing that one needs separate calibration for SD and HD feeds?

Has anyone calibrated their machine for anything other than 480p scan rate?

Has anyone calibrated their machine for anything other than RGB colorspace (like YCbCr 4:2:2 or YCbCr 4:4:4)?

Thanks in advance.

I do not know for sure if the HC3000 does 1080i->540p->720p , I have tried to verify if it does but cannot get an answer ( I have emailed Mitsubishi but they have not responded ) . It would appear that the HC3000 does something very similar to the IN76 as they looked almost identical when fed 1080i from the HD DVD player .


Hi Jason,
Have you got an answer yet from Mitsubishi?

I have the HD-A1 and the HC3000. I am happy with the picture I get with this combo, but I sure would like to know how the Mits is handling the signal.

I also have a DVDO HD+ scaler which I have been told does 1080i->540p->720p. If the Mits doesn't process to 540p I can feed the 1080i directly to the pj. If it does, I guess I can live with it. At least until I can get a Lumagen that will properly process 1080i.

Thanks.

This is directed to those who have done ISF calibration on this machine:

I was wondering if any global calibration possible with this machine for all scan rates (480p/720p/1080i) when connected through HDMI. I understand that the calibration numbers are different when connected through component (vs HDMI).

The simple solution here is that there are 3 memory settings for each input so you can have mem1 for 480p , mem2 for 720p and mem3 for 1080i ;) .


I know that HD colorspace is different than SD. I am guessing that one needs separate calibration for SD and HD feeds?

Yes , and you will be happy to know that the HC3000 actually does very accurate HD colorspace (even the IN76 does not do this as it uses SD colorspace even for HD) .


Has anyone calibrated their machine for anything other than 480p scan rate?

Yes , mine has been done for both 720p and 1080i with excellent results .


Has anyone calibrated their machine for anything other than RGB colorspace (like YCbCr 4:2:2 or YCbCr 4:4:4)?

I think mine was done for 4.2.2 with the Accupel HD signal generator , not certain and I would have to check with the calibrator .


Thanks in advance.

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

Hi Jason,
Have you got an answer yet from Mitsubishi?

I have the HD-A1 and the HC3000. I am happy with the picture I get with this combo, but I sure would like to know how the Mits is handling the signal.

I also have a DVDO HD+ scaler which I have been told does 1080i->540p->720p. If the Mits doesn't process to 540p I can feed the 1080i directly to the pj. If it does, I guess I can live with it. At least until I can get a Lumagen that will properly process 1080i.

Thanks.

No answer back from Mitsu on that one but honestly after seeing it back to back with the IN76 that does proper 1080i to 720p conversion I am not really concerned with it any longer since the HC3000 was every bit as good as the IN76 in this regard (IN76 has a slight edge with its optics however) .

It would be very interesting to try a Lumagen to see if there would be any gains in image quality but then I would have to ask myself if the 'possible' gains would significant enough to be worth the investment ?

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

I also have a DVDO HD+ scaler which I have been told does 1080i->540p->720p.

Close, but not exactly. The HD+ and VP30 field-scale directly from one 1920x540 interlaced field to 1280x720. They lose a little bit of vertical resolution from the 1920x1080 original, but when going to 720p that only amounts to 180 pixels. All of the horizontal resolution is scaled properly, and horizontal resolution is more noticeable to the eye.

This is not the same as downconverting to 540p, which would be only 960x540 and would lose resolution in both directions.

It's still not ideal, but with a 720p display the field-scaling produces very good results and most viewers would be hard-pressed to tell that anything is missing. On a 1080p display, you'd have more of a visible loss.

Is vertical position on the HC-3000 the same as vertical lens shift what can be done with a few other pjs manually?
I have -2 vertical keystone correction now. Is it better to play with the vertical position in the menu of the HC3000 and after this tilt my pj a bet down/up to prevent using keystone correction (which causes little artifacts/distortion)?

Is vertical position on the HC-3000 the same as vertical lens shift what can be done with a few other pjs manually?
I have -2 vertical keystone correction now. Is it better to play with the vertical position in the menu of the HC3000 and after this tilt my pj a bet down/up to prevent using keystone correction (which causes little artifacts/distortion)?

As you say, keystoning causes artifacts. The vertical position function does not, however. What this does is move the 1280x720 image up or down within the 1280x768 pixel panel. You can still get 1:1 pixel mapping of a 720p signal after adjusting the vertical postion.

It's not a whole lot of range, unfortunately (only 12 pixels in either direction from the default center).

It's not a whole lot of range, unfortunately (only 12 pixels in either direction from the default center).


But, it's better than nothing.....I was surprised at the handiness of this feature, for my 100 inch diagonal screen the vertical shift permits an image shift of about 4 inches either way from center.

The Mitsu HC3000 light engine is actually pretty easy to get to if you wanted to blow the dust out yourself (not that I am suggesting to do it on your own) . There are pictures on www.cine4home.com that kind of show the process if you follow the picture progression , you can see that even though the mainboard has to be removed it really is not that big of a deal , there are only a couple of other metal shields that have to be removed to gain access to the light engine . Be sure to keep track of the plugs as they are removed and put the mainboard in an anti-static bag (like the ones that come with PC parts) . Use canned air that does not produce any misting or you can 'spot' the internals . You might want to even consider a mini-vac like the ones used for PC's (sometimes the mini-vac is better than using canned air since the air can just blow more dust around) .

Again I am not suggesting that we do this ourselves and I am not liable if anybody does it and makes things worse or destroys their HC3000 but I wanted to point out that it should not be that difficult ;) .

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

I DID IT :)
Yes it wasn`t a difficult job to do, but some experience with assembling computers for example is good to have.
I used canned air to blow dust off and had vacuum cleaner in the other hand to make sure dust wont just fly around and get inside the projector again.

Projected "blank" image to white paper and now it showed clear image no dust blobs anymore!

I DID IT :)
Yes it wasn`t a difficult job to do, but some experience with assembling computers for example is good to have.
I used canned air to blow dust off and had vacuum cleaner in the other hand to make sure dust wont just fly around and get inside the projector again.

Projected "blank" image to white paper and now it showed clear image no dust blobs anymore!

Excellent , did you take any pics or have any further insight that you can share so that it might benefit the forum should any other HC3000 owners need to do the procedure ?

--- Best Wishes ,
------- Jason

I would have taken pics, but the problem is that i have only a webcam and those pics would have been quite useless i think :p

From this link you will find those pictures of how mitsu looks inside:
http://www.cine4home.com/reviews/projectors/MitsuHC3000/Final/HC3000Review.htm

I don´t know if this is gonna be any help for anyone but here it comes, straight from diy amateurs mouth, from a man that never couldn´t get those toy cars to work anymore after he had examined what are inside them... ;)

When you have opened the projector, there is one metal shield covering the mainboard.
After you have taken that out you can start unplugging those wires from the mainboard, there are something like ten wires or so. Those wires are marked and are of different sizes so they don´t get mixed.
When you have taken out all the screws that are keeping the mainboard in place there are still two electric connections under it, keeping it still in place so carefully pull mainboard up until those connections open.
Now another metal shield has to be removed and after that you get to open the light chamber where in my case all the dust were. Light chambers metal seal is connected with two really small screws that are easy to drop inside the projector.
If you didn´t drop those screws then it´s time to blow dust out with clear air that have no liquid that could spot those mirrors and optics.
That´s it and last, beware of static electricity and do not sweat on the mainboard or touch the circuits.

The connections on the underside of the mainboard was what concerned me but it sounds like they are not a problem to disconnect and re-connect ;) .

Thanks for the added input , I have a single dust blob to take care of and I intend to tackle it very soon . I knew the procedure would be do-able at home but it is nice to hear that somebody else had great success considering the limited information we have to work with .

------ Jason

New to the forum.. I just purchased a 3000-u and am in the process of setting it up. I have used the calculator. Simple question- is it preferable to set the projector up on the farther or closer to the screen or should I put it in the middle. I am planning a 100" 16:9 screen. I have some ambient light, but am planning to supplement my plantation shutters with exterior 80% shades. My initial thought was to push it back to about 160" so that I could move into a 110 inch screen without remounting. Any thoughts?

Extremes of the focal range are where problems are most likely I believe. Also there may be some impact on brightness if the lens if fully stopped down. You could check the www.cine4home.com review and see if they make any observations.

Good luck
Peter

Hi. Just moved over from the BenQ PE7700 camp and bought the HC3000. I have passed 25 hours on the lamp and have just (re)calibrated it. However living in "PAL land" I am a bit uncertain how interesting it is for you NTSC people, but anyway?

This unit is more time consuming / tricky to get correct and I am still not satisfied with the colour settings.

DVD player is a Pioneer 868 - 59 Avi in USA I think?
Connected with a 10 + 2 m HDMI cable via a Gefen switch and fed with 720 p from the DVD player. 0 IRE setting. Screen is a 99" gain 1,0 matt white screen.

The first thing I noticed was that I could not get the correct BTB displayed or the WTW in the reverse grey scale pattern on DVE?
On the DVD player I therefore had to reduce the white level with one unit and increase the black level with one unit. After that it showed both BTB and WTW. With the BenQ this was not necessary.

What I ended up with was:
Software version 3,0 installed in the HC3000
Low lamp
Iris closed
BC on
Cinema

Contrast -3
Brightness 3 could be lowered to 1 (BTB bar can be "seen")
Sharpness -2

Colour
Contrast - R -4
Contrast - G 3
Contrast - B 2
Brightness - R -1
Brightness - G 0
Brightness - B 1

With the colour settings the grey scale looked "neutral grey".
-But as I said I think it can be improved further.

Compared to the PE7700 the HC3000 has a lot less dithering noise (nearly non existing), which always has annoyed me on DLPs. The details in dark scenes is also better. Because of the higher contrast the picture depth / 3D effect is much better. Just watched Men In Black II the Superbit version, and what a nice picture. The faces was extremely well defined and you could really see every detail.

Well it looks like this baby will stay in my ceiling for some time.

Hey Joe: Have a look at a series of posts starting with #1686 in this thread to get an idea of what is possible with ISF calibration on this box. Not sure if it is available where you are but may be worth investigating. You can check at http://www.imagingscience.com/isf-trained.cfm . You need someone who has the equipment to do a full grey scale calibration.

Hi smyth22.

Yes, i know. I have read the whole topic :)
Unfortunately there are no ISF people where I live, so I have to do with my own two blue eyes ;). I am considering buying the Spyder unit if I can find it at a reasonable price where I live. I have also bought the Peter Finzel test disk and will see how it works out. All in all I must say that I am very well satisfied with the HC3000 and i don´t think that you will find a better PJ for the money.

Found the rs232 codes for this projector here (http://vis.mitsubishielectric.co.uk/downloads/HC3000).
If anyone tries these, let us know if they work okay.

--Dan

Just got the mit Hc3000.Have the Carada BW 110in screen.'This is my first FP.The Pic lloks great.I am very impress.All the settings now are just the default.Any settings advice would be appreciated.Thanks BUDDA

Obviously many will find this weird but coming from a plasma background, I was switching back and forth between settings. With the gamma selecion, typically I used cinema, however comparing to my plasma I just love the bright vibrant picture I turned on sports setting gamma, what was achieved was a look similar to my plasma at 106 inches, perhaps even better.

My biggest surprised are blacks did not really seem to take a hit, they were still better on the mitsubishi, shadow detail took a small hit. But by comparison it was as if I switched to a silverstar screen. My neighbor has a silverstar and while I love my Carada BW, I love the plasma look of his silverstar. I had to obviously crank brightness down, and add alot more contrast, but still doing a quick calibration by my eye, I was still pleased how the colors popped, and the vibrant picture with still good blacks and detail. I was watching a shark tale so it maybe unfair because those colors and that type of movie suit it better, but I also put in underworld, blacks were still great, and red's from blood poped out at me.

Obviously for almost everyone this not the way they like there projector people on here like a film like picture, with deep blacks, different from what general consumers and myself like, but I just thought I would share. If you come from a plasma background like me.

Yes the picture is bright, I use brilliant color, standard lamp, closed iris. But I am honhestly happy I have a plasma like picture, at 106, with great detail and good blacks yet.

What sports gamma is doing is stretching the midgrey out to the extremes - destroying any shadow or highlite detail you had in favor of a brighter contrastier midrange image. The absolute whites and blacks do not change - you are just crushing part of the image near whites and near blacks. No doubt one of your plasma presets are doing the same thing - since this initial comparison pop is what sells TVs on the wall at the chain store.. Nothing wrong with this in a football game which is not reference source material - which is why it is there. But you should educate yourself on what you are losing out on in the image if you use that preset for cinema viewing. Watch the Winter Olympics followed by DarkCity - and you will learn to hate the sports preset.

The SilverStar has about 2-3x gain depending on viewing angle - less if you are table rather than ceiling mount. The SilverStar is a great way to go for that plasma pop for ceiling mount projectors - or the DaLite High Power for table mount projectors. You should choose your screen to achieve the brightness/contrast you need in your room - rather than abusing your projector setup. The Mitsu has the most reference image out there when properly calibrated - if you learn to appreciate it before long you will want to get your plasma properly calibrated.

My plasma is properly calibrated by a technician, plasmas in general simply produce a brighter picture then the film like high contrast aspects of projector enthusiasts.

I am well aware of the details of shadows and black levels, but honhestly comparing it to my proper calibration (yes my hc3000 was calibrated by a local technician with the cinema setting) I have viewed very closely and different material and even popped in my dve, I gained alot of punch, and lost very little detail to the noticeable eye. I know people like you in theory think think its terrible because in theory its not right, but the picture is very bright vibrant, and emerced in the picture, seriously if you look really closely as i said shadow detail took a bit of a hit in underworld, but its very hard to notice for me.


Still I am not abusing the setup i have various presets saved, and can change them back and forth depending on the viewing.

Hi

I have been trying to do a search but have not found anything.

Can I upgrade the firmware on my Mitsubishi HC3000?

Do any of the new firmware add support for 1080P?

Any other cool new features or better performance?

What do you use when you are calibrating your projector for HD material?
I have recently bought an HD-DVD player..

Thanks in advance for helping me!

Do any of the new firmware add support for 1080P?

Firmware can't add pixels that aren't on the DMD panel. This is a 720p projector. It only has 1280x720 active pixels in 16:9 mode.

For use with HD DVD. Set the Toshiba s output to 1080i. let the HC3000 do the conversion from 1080i to 720 p internally.

If you set the HD DVD player to 720p early reports are that it is upsacaling the 720p from 480p so the resulting picture isn't as good as if you output 1080i and let the HC3000U do the heavy work.

WOAH! The Mits has dropped to under $2K!!! How would y'all compare it to the IN76?

Thanks! D

WOAH! The Mits has dropped to under $2K!!! How would y'all compare it to the IN76?

Thanks! D


Where can you get it under $2k?

I bought mine on ebay for well under MSRP and I've seen it there recently within the above stated price range. Mine came direct from Japan.

Hope this discussion is within forum rules. If not, please delete and I apologize.

mech

It's ok I think. We didn't give a price or name a dealer!

:)

WOW... I just checked EBAY myself and they are selling this WAY below MSRP. I wonder if the MSRP has dropped on this.

I contacted a local dealer today and they were still selling it right near MSRP. I also contacted several other online dealers and I got the following responses:

1. "This unit has been discontinued and replaced with the HDC4000"
2. "This unit is exactly the same as the HD72, just more expensive.

So, now I am back to where I started. I was orginally interested in going with the HD72, but I have 7 ft ceilings and was told this would not work. Then today I talk to an installer and he tells me he has never had any problems mounting this unit on a 7ft ceiling, 13.5 feet away onto a 92" screen..

If the specs are practicially identical, then why wouldn't the HD72 work but the HC3000 would? If the price has indeed dropped on this unit and it will work in my room, I think I am going to go with it.

Does anybody use this unit with similar room specs as mine?

Thanks,

Coach i brought a MIT HC3000 home from BEST BUY.I used it for a weekin.My home theater is in the basement with 7.5ft ceilings.Plus the time you mount it on a ceiling mount it was at 7 ft.It would not work on my 110in screen.I had to put it on the floor allmost to get the right vertical placement.It only has 3in of play in the controls that i could get tp move the image.I took it back.I do not see how it would work unless i had 9 ft ceilings.I have to say though the Mit 3000 image was excellent.Great color.But myself i would not buy any projector with out len's shift.I finally got the PANASONIC AE9000 which is a great projector,Plus with the reabate it was only $1400 compared to $2300 for the Mit at BB.By the way Best Buy though a fit when i brought it back.I told the salemen that i did not know if it would work in my room.He said no big deal'try it and if it does not work bring it back.Well they wanted a restocking fee of %15.I told the return person your nuts.Let me see the manager.I told him my problem and that no one mention ant restocking fee to me.The salemen said try it out and see what happens.The manager finally sided with me.He also told me the salesmen were not suppose to sale any FP without a in home consultation.But this unit will not work with low ceilngs unless you put your screen on the floor.THANKS BUDDA

Budda,

Thank you very much for the information. I had thought about picking one up from Best Buy as well to try out and then if it worked, take it back and buy it from an online dealer. Sounds like it would be a big waste of time.

What was the biggest difference you saw between the Mitsubishi and the Panasonic?

How far back do you have your projector mounted?

Thank you.

Coach

Take the time to read most of this thread before you make a decision.

Several people have found ways to make the 7.5 ceiling work.

110 inches in a 7 foot ceiling is a big screen and short ceiling.

Some tilting of the screen forward can make up for pointing the projector up slightly.

A 96 or 100 inch screen at max or min zoom and the digital offsetan make a large difference and minor keystoning may not be an issue.

The AE900 and HC3000 images are very different.

Take the time to read through this massive thread, especially the last half where people are actually describing their experiences with their projectors.

Coach i had to the Mit 16 ft away for it to work on a 110in screen.I am also kind of new to FP.But i just can't see how it would work,It is not good to angle FP.You might try it doing what i did,Go to BB and borrow one.Just beware of a restocking fee.As for as image i would say once you dial your FP in i think both are pretty much good.They both have their faults and advantage's.S&V did not care for the Mit in their review,They said the pic was soft.I found that the Mit had a quite sharp image.And it's color was just killer. I give the edge to the Mit for as color but i think the Panny ae 9000 has so much going for it with the price and lens shift.Plus it was great right out of the box.I could not jutify the price of the Mit over the ae900.If the mit was down at $1900 and it would work in my basement i would have kept it

I only have 8' ceilings and use a 120" screen (bottom of screen is over 1' off the floor) .

The HC3000 destroys the AE900 regarding image quality but if you need a very flexible installation then the AE900 would be the obvious choice .

---------- Jason

Pimp having had both the Mit and panny.I would say destroy is a littel stong.I had over 10 people looks at both and they like both of them.The only projector i have seen that would destroy both of these is a Runco.The Mit is good.But it by no means destroy the panny.Not to start a flame here but both of these FP are great and provide spetacular pic for the money.THANKS BUDDA

Just checked with the authorized seller who is selling this now cheaper. He had a typo on the website. It is the full 2 yr. warranty...

:)

I will do some more reading in this thread. Maybe since I only am using a 92" screen, and not a 110", I might be able to make it work...

Pimp having had both the Mit and panny.I would say destroy is a littel stong.I had over 10 people looks at both and they like both of them.The only projector i have seen that would destroy both of these is a Runco.The Mit is good.But it by no means destroy the panny.Not to start a flame here but both of these FP are great and provide spetacular pic for the money.THANKS BUDDA

The HC3000 is simply superior on all image quality categories . The Panny cannot compete on any level of PQ with the Mitsu . The Mitsu is sharper , better blacks & black level detail , better CR , brighter , more accurate (both require proper calibration) . The only area that the AE900 bests the HC3000 is with install flexability . So for me I would call that 'destroys' but to each his own ;) . The value in the HC3000 and IN76 are second to none at this time . I know others that have seen/owned the AE900 and they all agree that the HC3000 kills it . Now much of this will come down to how serious you take your image , if you are not a videophile then you might not care . I would suggest the IN76 over the AE900 any day because it has a more flexible offset that will work for most people (even those low ceilings) and the image quality is far superior .

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

I have seen both. AE900 is nice and cheaper and may be all you need. But the images are not comparable.

Read both of the AE900 and HC3000 threads through. generally no complaints about the image on the HC3000. Some compromises exist with the AE900.

The HC3000U image is vastly superior IMNSHO especially with a large screen. Brighter, more color accurate, more flexible gamma options and less screen door with no perceptable RBE. Dark blacks and contrast available are no comparison.

The AE900 has a great image but you must set a lot farther away from the screen not to see the screen door. Under most reviews, the HC3000 was considered more color accurate and could be made brighter to handle much more ambient light. There are just less compromises in the HC3000 image.

The AE900 now is cheaper although the HC3000 has dropped in price. The HC3000 is really best in a ceiling mount and the AE900 is best on a back shelf.

In practice for most that have actually bought and installed the HC3000 the displayed image was not as restricted as the offset specs seems to show.
In theory keystone is bad although in practice minor keystoning may be unperceptable. The image may make it worth a try.

Several people thought they needed keystoning but the limited zoom was all they needed. Many basements ceilings floors and walls are not in reality actually plumb, so your mileage may vary, in a positive way.

My local home theater installer has now used the HC3000 in over a dozen basement applications and has had very satisfied clients.

I have seen both. AE900 is nice and cheaper and may be all you need. But the images are not comparable.

Read both of the AE900 and HC3000 threads through. generally no complaints about the image on the HC3000. Some compromises exist with the AE900.

The HC3000U image is vastly superior IMNSHO especially with a large screen. Brighter, more color accurate, more flexible gamma options and less screen door with no perceptable RBE. Dark blacks and contrast available are no comparison.

The AE900 has a great image but you must set a lot farther away from the screen not to see the screen door. Under most reviews, the HC3000 was considered more color accurate and could be made brighter to handle much more ambient light. There are just less compromises in the HC3000 image.

The AE900 now is cheaper although the HC3000 has dropped in price. The HC3000 is really best in a ceiling mount and the AE900 is best on a back shelf.

In practice for most that have actually bought and installed the HC3000 the displayed image was not as restricted as the offset specs seems to show.
In theory keystone is bad altough in practice minor keystoning may be unperceptable. The image may make it worth a try.

My local home theater installer has now used the HC3000 in over a dozen basement applications and has had very satisfied clients.



The Perfect Vision magazine (issue 69) gave the HC3000 a very nice review.

Also they gave the Toshiba HD-DVD player (HD-XA1) rave reviews!

Wouln't exactly call TPV review of the HD A1 a rave review, they liked the image but they accurately saw the slow load times and other user interface quirks of that player.

Wouln't exactly call TPV review of the HD A1 a rave review, they liked the image but they accurately saw the slow load times and other user interface quirks of that player.


The reviewer more than "liked" the player. I agree that the article did cite quirks, but the visual and audio were exemplary. I quote: "None of the problems cited above detracted from the player's primary strength: stupendous picture and sound quality." The two HD-DVDs shown ("The Last Samurai" and "The Phantom of the Opera") with a Samsung SP-H710AE were ".... both .... fantastic - crisp, clean, and clear as a bell."

Well after having both i still say for a $1000 less'That was last weeks price at BB.They wanted $2400 plus tax for the Mit.And one can get the Panny for $1400 or so with rebate.Iwould get the Panny and wait for the newer 1280p FP next year.BUDDA

Woah, Sound and Vision gave the mits a kind of mediocre review...
http://www.soundandvisionmag.com/article.asp?section_id=3&article_id=1408&page_number=5
They say the greyscale is bad and it's a bit soft. They give better marks to the sammy and the IN76.

:(

Woah, Sound and Vision gave the mits a kind of mediocre review...
http://www.soundandvisionmag.com/article.asp?section_id=3&article_id=1408&page_number=5
They say the greyscale is bad and it's a bit soft. They give better marks to the sammy and the IN76.

:(

The greyscale is not accurate out of the box (it requires proper calibration) but once calibrated it is as accuarate as they get ( after calibration my HC3000 is more accurate than an IN76 ... this comes from an ISF tech that is also an InFocus dealer ;) ) .

They claimed it was soft because they did not set the Overscan setting properly ( I am certain of it) , it is deep within the menu options and easily missed ( I missed it for a good hour when first setting up the HC3000 ) .

The Sammy 710 is an excellent unit , no doubt there but it does have its faults and seems a bit pricey for what you get IMO when compared to other 720p DLP's .

The IN76 is simply one of the best deals out there right now IMO , it's an awesome unit and probably has one of the best (if not the best) out of box calibrations available in this price range .

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

Thanks Jason, Would the greyscale be tweakable enough just with AVIA? I wouldn't want to have to do an ISF calib. Thanks! d

budda, screw BB. You can get it for just under $2k from an authorized dealer.

:)

Thanks Jason, Would the greyscale be tweakable enough just with AVIA? I wouldn't want to have to do an ISF calib. Thanks! d

No you really cannot do accurate greyscale calibration with AVIA/DVE/etc.

All of these PJ's really require an ISF level calibration to get the most out of them (to show what they can do) . Even the IN76 that comes excellent out of the box can benefit from an ISF calibration ( get that extra 5-10% out of it ) .

The beauty part is that if you have never seen an ISF calibrated display then you really do not know what you are missing and will still be thrilled with most of these units mentioned after basic calibrations ;) .

---------- Jason

Is it done by adjusting the RGB values like my h57?
Thanks

Is it done by adjusting the RGB values like my h57?
Thanks

Yes , there is no way to do it properly without a sensor .

------- Jason

Yes , there is no way to do it properly without a sensor .

------- Jason

And a trained monkey using the sensor.... :p

And a trained monkey using the sensor.... :p

--- Ah yes , a most critical aspect of proper calibration .

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

Question for DaGamePimp or anyone else.

I have a local retailer wanting to sell me and install a Mit HC3000U. They want to use IXOS component cables with the gold ends. The DVD player is one that comes with a HTIB audio system. My question is two part. 1) First if I myself upgrade the DVD player to the Oppo, will these cables allow me to get the best picture possible out of DVDs and Hi Def TV using the Mit 3000?

2.) Second in a year or so when the HD DVD players come down in price I will get one. Will these IXOS cables be good enough to get the optimum picture from a High Def DVD player with his projector?

The main reason I ask is since this is a new install I want to get the correct cables now, instead of having to get new cables down the road after the walls and ceiling is finished.

Be sure to run a HDMI cable to the projector...if you don't, you will be sorry.

Having an DVI/HDMI cable run is a "must" today. Having both Component and HDMI/DVI cables together is fine but do get the digital run and make sure it's a quality product (for wire DVI cable such as Ram's "High End" series).
If you have an exceptionally long run, say over 50' then maybe you should investigate the more expensive fiber optical cable.

1) First if I myself upgrade the DVD player to the Oppo, will these cables allow me to get the best picture possible out of DVDs and Hi Def TV using the Mit 3000?

If it's the Oppo 971H you're planning on, you definitely don't want to use component. Progressive scan and upscaling are only available over DVI from that player.

Is DVI/HDMI the same cable or two separate cables?

Cab someone reccommend a DVI/HDMI cable to purchase? thanks

Averhoff...how long of a run are you making (feet or meters)? That will depend on what type of HDMI cable that you will need. I have a 35 foot run and use an Accell Ultra HDMI cable, which is recommended for longer runs because it has a signal booster in the HDMI connectors. If your run is less than 15 feet, then the quality of cable isn't "as" important, but I wouldn't skimp in this area personally.

Dave my run will be about 30 ft. So all I need is 30 of the Accell Ultra HDMI cable to hook the Oppo DVD player to the projector and I am all set?

Where can I buy that cable at a good price?

Coach i brought a MIT HC3000 home from BEST BUY.I used it for a weekin.My home theater is in the basement with 7.5ft ceilings.Plus the time you mount it on a ceiling mount it was at 7 ft.It would not work on my 110in screen.I had to put it on the floor allmost to get the right vertical placement.It only has 3in of play in the controls that i could get tp move the image.I took it back.I do not see how it would work unless i had 9 ft ceilings.I have to say though the Mit 3000 image was excellent.Great color.But myself i would not buy any projector with out len's shift.I finally got the PANASONIC AE9000 which is a great projector,Plus with the reabate it was only $1400 compared to $2300 for the Mit at BB.By the way Best Buy though a fit when i brought it back.I told the salemen that i did not know if it would work in my room.He said no big deal'try it and if it does not work bring it back.Well they wanted a restocking fee of %15.I told the return person your nuts.Let me see the manager.I told him my problem and that no one mention ant restocking fee to me.The salemen said try it out and see what happens.The manager finally sided with me.He also told me the salesmen were not suppose to sale any FP without a in home consultation.But this unit will not work with low ceilngs unless you put your screen on the floor.THANKS BUDDA

I have a 7'9" ceiling and while my room is yet to be finished (close though), this projector worked fine when I initially set it up for a 106" screen. According to mitsui's calculator and your numbers, a 110 inch screen would work. Maybe buy a flush mount?

mech

Sunny images?

Hello there!

I have been running my Mitsu for about 4 months now and am delighted with most aspects of the picture I'm getting.

I bought the projector from a recommended cine4home dealer who also did a cine4home tuning before delivery. The projector came with an extra colour filter (red) which I use as I find it reduces the slight rainbow effect I sometimes notice.

My only quibble with the picture is that it seems quite cold, even in scenes with direct sunshine and a lot of contrast (light and shade, skin tones). I would like to see a little more warmth in some of these pictures but am not sure what settings I should play around with, or even if I can make the changes I want to (I'm using an HDMI laptop source).

I noticed from the specs sheet the dealer sent me that the red values (brightness and contrast) are set to - 2/-3. Would a change here make any difference? Or is my filter already compensating here? Is the Mitsu known for a weakness in the red tones?

Background info: the projector is table-mounted in a room where light can be semi-controlled, but walls are white and some street/daylight can filter through.

Any suggestions would be gratefully received! And I love reading your comments here. I have to add, just on the basis of the last couple of pages, that I checked out quite a few projectors at a dedicated home theatre dealer's before buying and don't agree that the Panasonic image quality comes anywhere near to the Mitsu. And this comes from someone who was actually intending to buy into the LCD technology before seeing the Optoma 72 and Mitsu in action. As far as LCD is concerned, I actually preferred the Epson TW600 to the Panasonic but DLP blew both of them out of the water. You do have to have the room to fit, though, and I've just recommended an LCD to a friend because he can position it so much more flexibly.

Cheers,

moogh

Well, I pulled the trigger! I am psyched! I want to thank Jason and the others in this thread for helping me decide. Art's review today just cinched it! Woo hoo!!!!!! After doing alot of research I think it's the best PJ choice for me. Similar offset to my h57 so I won't have to really change my settup.

Happy feet!!!! ;)

Edited... Dave, please read the forum rules.

I wish I could pull the trigger as well but unfortunately the offset is too much for my 7 ft ceilings. I think I am going to end up purchasing the Samsung 710.

Well, I pulled the trigger!
I am psyched! I want to thank Jason and the others in this thread for helping me decide. Art's review today just cinched it! Woo hoo!!!!!!

Happy feet!!!!

Way to go Dave! I'll be curious as to your thoughts on how it compares to your old H57.

Thanks Mj! I know the Mits will need some tweaking out of the box but honsetly, I enjoy doing that! My gf makes fun of me all the time and always says, "Go ahead, geek and tweak..."
I will definitely let everyone know. 720P land at last! Woohoo!!!!!!

:) d

Projector Review's report on the Mits HC-3000:

http://www.projectorreviews.com/Manufacturers/mitsubishi/HC3000/index.asp

My gf makes fun of me all the time and always says, "Go ahead, geek and tweak..."


Just keep her away from that factory reset button :D

:eek: oh SNAP! You did NOT go there!!!!!

"Yup, went there ordered lunch, ate it and walked out on the check." :)

Woohoo! It shipped! On way! I've been going through PJ withdrawal!

Happy feet...... :)

Sunny images?

I bought the projector from a recommended cine4home dealer who also did a cine4home tuning before delivery. The projector came with an extra colour filter (red) which I use as I find it reduces the slight rainbow effect I sometimes notice.

My only quibble with the picture is that it seems quite cold, even in scenes with direct sunshine and a lot of contrast (light and shade, skin tones). I would like to see a little more warmth in some of these pictures but am not sure what settings I should play around with, or even if I can make the changes I want to (I'm using an HDMI laptop source).

I noticed from the specs sheet the dealer sent me that the red values (brightness and contrast) are set to - 2/-3. Would a change here make any difference? Or is my filter already compensating here? Is the Mitsu known for a weakness in the red tones?



Cheers,

moogh

The image that you have is calibrated - you are just not used to it is all. The 'cold' picture lacking 'warmth' is the elimination of red pushed video. Guys generally do not have the sunburnt faces and lipstick lips that red push gives.

The red filter covers for the lack of red that all the lamps in these projectors have - the native temperature of the projector is very blue - so you would have to cut blue to add more red - or you use the filter. Because you cannot perfectly match a filter - there may be a few tweaks to get it targeted - which is what your numbers are doing. Since greyscale adjustment is done optically rather than electronically you get a good contrast boost - offset by modest brightness loss with the filter.

This of course presumes you are using the calibrated video memory the dealer setup - if you have lost back to factory defaults - it will be too cold for sure as the greyscale defaults are way blue.

Also that you have calibrated your DVD player on your laptop - that is a complex topic on HTPC - made even worse with graphic limitations of laptops. Have you at least run your test pattern DVD's to see if the basic video adjustments on the player are correct?

It's in PA....!!
One state closer to Cali....!

:)

Well, I pulled the trigger! I am psyched! I want to thank Jason and the others in this thread for helping me decide. Art's review today just cinched it! Woo hoo!!!!!! After doing alot of research I think it's the best PJ choice for me. Similar offset to my h57 so I won't have to really change my settup.

Happy feet!!!! ;)

Edited... Dave, please read the forum rules.

Dave, Could you point me to Art's review?

I'm just about ready to pull the trigger on either the HC3000U or the IN76.

Thanks! :)

http://projectorreviews.com/Manufacturers/mitsubishi/HC3000/index.asp

I too was torn between the 2. The offsets are VERY different though. Mits is much greater, I believe, like 30%. And they are now the same price if you look.

:)

http://projectorreviews.com/Manufacturers/mitsubishi/HC3000/index.asp

I too was torn between the 2. The offsets are VERY different though. Mits is much greater, I believe, like 30%. And they are now the same price if you look.

:)

Thanks buddy! :)

Yeah that darn off set on the Mits is what concerns me. My dedicated theater room is downstairs, and well, most basements don't have the highest ceilings in the world, mine being one of them. My ceiling is only about 7'4".

Now some do say don't worry about it, that the Mits off set is a lot more flexable then what many reviews make it sound. I truly hope this is true, but if it's not, I'm thinking I'd be just as happy with the IN76. I can only hope anyways.


Kurt

I am also worried about the offset and that is why I haven't pulled the trigger on this one myself. My ceilings are 7 ft tall as well and I am worried about keystoning.

I am deciding between the Mits and the Samsung 710. I have even considered the Panasonic AE900.

Hi Krasmuzik,

Thanks for the level of detail in your post, that's cleared up my question with the lack of red. It's amazing how used you get to that digital blusher.

As for my laptop source, I would like to calibrate the colours better, but it's a Powerbook and I just can't get to grips with the basic calibration tool that comes with it. I'm looking into investing in something a little more reliable, perhaps one of the more basic Spyders, as I have a large monitor I also use it with it to work on two screens at a time and the difference between the colours is driving me up the wall.

Is there any other calibration option I might want to look into before forking out 100+ euros for the Spyder, like a CD, which I'm overlooking?

Thanks so much for your help, it's appreciated :-)

moogh

Don't Cine4Home dealers sell the Finkel test pattern DVD which is for PAL?. Any THX DVD (I presume true for PAL releases?) have the test patterns on their optimizer menu as well. Not familiar with DVD video controls on a powerbook - sorry - but possible it is decoding the video improperly as far as color (saturation) and hue (tint). Actually that the design of PAL was supposed to make such adjustments unnecessary - maybe I think of Secam. You need the blue tinted filters to adjust both of those properly - possible your dealer has a stash of those - THX even gives them away.

the Spyder is your best option for calibrating the dual LCD display though - you need to get it's greyscale in sync with each other (if you use the spreadsheet hacks for it) - but it is designed for getting the basic video adjustments right using the sensor rather than the filters and comes with a test DVD to use. Check the display calibration forum - there are threads for Spyder spreadsheets - as well as test pattern DVDs made by AVSers.

A local dealer installed an HC3000U around here in a basement with a 7 foot drop ceiling.

They mounted the PJ close to the ceiling and said it worked without keystoning.

Customer seemed happy.

At a 100 inch screen thats 49 inches tall, add 3 inches for the border and you have 52 inches for the screen height.

7 x 12 = 84 inches. So 84 inches minus 52 inches is 32 inches. At max zoom a 100 inch image drops about 18 inches from the lense. That would leave you 18 inches on top, 14 inches on the bottom.

A smaller image gives you more room.

No matter what you do, with a 7 foot ceiling the image is going to be near the floor, no matter what the offset is.

Try a 92" screen.

:)

I had the opportunity to visit one heck of a showroom this afternoon while at lunch. They had the Mits on display and I talked to the guy working about my situation. He admitted that it would be tough to mount the projector due to the short ceiling, but not completely impossible.

After talking to him about the height of my screen, he was pretty confident that I could pull my screen down farther than I currently have it. He is a DaLite dealer and had experienced with their pulldown screends. I was unaware that I had some slack available. He said that if I can pull my screen down another 5 - 7 inches, this projector would work in my basement with my 92" screen.

I just got done measuring and it looks like I have 8 inches of space between the bottom of my screen and the top of my center channel. That now brings my screen 15 3/4 from the ceiling. Hopefully, we can find a mount that will lower the projector only 3.5 inches from the ceiling.

Now we talked about the price of the projector. They are currently selling it for around 2.5K, but would be willing to match an internet dealer for a few hundred less. That still will make it a few hundred more than what another internet dealer has it for.

I am leaning towards buying it from the local guy because I would want them to come out and help me install it and I know they wouldn't do it if I bought the projector online.

Any mount suggestions?

Coach! How did it look?!?!?

;)

I was really impressed. He had a completely light controlled room setup and it was displaying in a 100" DaLite screen.

We watched some HD shows and popped in a couple of DVD's. I was REALLY impressed with the lack of SDE. I was sitting closer to the screen than I do now, plus the screen was bigger and I didn't see any SDE issues.

The sales guy was very nice and he has me believing that it will work, so I might give it a try...

For all you Mits 3000 keeners I noticed that you can get a service manual cd for it by contacting Mits parts at 1 888 307-8404. Cost is $25; pn is s/m hc3000. here is what is said about the wd2000 version:

.........."He also told me that there is a Service CD that you can order (part # S/M WD2000 ) and with that and a laptop, you can adjust the projector via the Serial port. He (Harry) also told me that it does not VOID the warranty UNLESS you adjust a setting to an extreme that causes DAMAGE to the projector they also will not fix any settings you mess with (and he told me that they KNOW what the original settings are) if you screw up how the projector functions. He told me that you can order the CD from mits parts(888-307-8404) and I do not know the price of the CD. I personally will be ordering my Projector tommorrow"

..........."Oh and I got a couple day ago the Service Menu CD... its all there... gamma, color correction, gains, biases...calibration to the exhaustion... the works... and ...forget about getting an external video processor. Just get the Service Menu CD, connect it to your PC and calibrate the PJ to spec like a Pro... and there are a gazillion tricks you can play with on the service menu with the BrilliantColor feature to make it really come to life and work for verey possible installation and calibration scenario"

If this has already been discussed here, never mind.

Happy tinkering

Peter

WOAH! I'd be kinda scared to try all that out!

;)

I was really impressed. He had a completely light controlled room setup and it was displaying in a 100" DaLite screen.

We watched some HD shows and popped in a couple of DVD's. I was REALLY impressed with the lack of SDE. I was sitting closer to the screen than I do now, plus the screen was bigger and I didn't see any SDE issues.

The sales guy was very nice and he has me believing that it will work, so I might give it a try...

Best Buy in louisville has the Mit for $2199.Iwas in their last week.4 weeks ago it was $2399.As i said i bought it but took it back due to my low ceiling.Great image though,

Projector Review's report on the Mits HC-3000

I wonder how Art got access to color option in the menu unless the projector was connected to the JVC D-VHS player through component. But then, he should have access to tint as well. It shouldn't be grayed out.

http://projectorreviews.com/Manufacturers/mitsubishi/HC3000/performance.asp

I am wondering if software version 3.0 has changed anything in the menu access. With version 2.0, you wont have access to color/tint control when connected digitally (through HDMI). Can anybody confirm this?

Could someone recommend an inexpensive ceiling mount that works well with the Mit 3000. I am finally pulling the trigger.

Jason, when I get my Mits, I need to go into the user menu and set "Overscan" to 100% as it is default at another percentage, yes?

Thanks! d

PS... WooHoo! The Pj is in Cali already! MAN those dudes drive fast!

:)

averhoff,
the chief rpa-universal works great, under $200

Dave,
the overscan defaults to 97%, i don't know why. change it to 100%. if you unplug it for a while it will go back to 97%. if you keep it plugged in on stand by it will stay at 100%.
do you live in california?

muncey

Thanks! Yep, in Berkeley. It went through Fresno at 10:22 last nite. Suppossed to be here tuesday but who knows, maybe monday!

:)

Thanks muncey!

Anybody try the Costco Universal projector for the mit, it is under $100.

Jason, when I get my Mits, I need to go into the user menu and set "Overscan" to 100% as it is default at another percentage, yes?

Thanks! d

PS... WooHoo! The Pj is in Cali already! MAN those dudes drive fast!

:)

Yeah as muncey stated it comes set at 97% so you have to change all inputs that you use to 100% (every input comes at 97% not just HDMI) .

-------- Jason

Thanks muncey!

Anybody try the Costco Universal projector for the mit, it is under $100.

The Sanus universal mount is what I use and it works well but is kind of a pain to set it up , it can be found for $150 at many national retailers . I have not see the costco mount , sorry . The Sanus mount is only 4 inches deep so it keeps it pretty close to the ceiling , I think the Chief Universal is even shorter however .

--------- Jason

Thanks Jason!

chief rpa-u $159 at V.A., a forum sponsor
http://www.visualapex.com/accessories/accessory_details.asp?chPartNumber=RPA-U&MFR=Chief-Manufacturing&Type=Mount

muncey

Hey all! Question for Mits owners... Do you reccomend attaching the dust filter that comes with the PJ...? Thanks! d

i did, can't hurt.

muncey

Please critique my setup.

Mit 3000U
Oppo 971
Draper Cineperm 106" Matte white 1.0 gain
Running monoprice dvi to HDMI adapter to monoprice (22AWG) - 35ft (Gold Plated) HDMI cable to projector.
Going to run a PREMIUM 35FT 3-RCA Component Video Coaxial RG-6 18AWG 75Ohm monoprice component cable from from Time Warner HD cable box to projector.
I will manually try the dvi to HDMI adapter to monoprice HDMI to the projector from cable box and compare if it is better than using component. If better will get a monoprice 2 X 1 switcher and run HDMI thru it from cable box as well.

Could I get a better picture with better cabling or what I have proposed be about the best I can get? Is R6-component better than R-59 for HDTV?

Thanks in advance for anybody who helps!

I know this maybe a dumb question for everyone else but how do you watch OTA HD on this PJ?

There is no tuner in the PJ so I don't think it's possible. It's just a display device, like a monitor. You would have to use either Cable or sattelite HD I believe.

:)

averoff, as far PQ goes with digital, (hdmi, dvi) the signal is either there or it isn't. As long as you don't have picture dropout and/or sparklies you should be fine. Now the component cable issue can be different. I use and reccomend blue jeans cables, (AVS sponsor) Monoprice is supposed to be decent no frills ones. Hope this helps! Anyone else please feel free to amend my info. if needed!

:) d

I have a 7'9" ceiling in my theatre room, I'll have a 106" screen the setup for the projector is approx 14-15 feet from the screen ceiling mount, will the Mit 3000
work?
Also when and where do you calibrate the projector professionally and what is usual cost?

Thanks for your answers in advance, they're greatly appreciated!
Frank

My Mits is "on the truck for delivery!" a day early! And i gotta go to work soon! ARGH!!!!!!

call in sick.

muncey

I have a 7'9" ceiling in my theatre room, I'll have a 106" screen the setup for the projector is approx 14-15 feet from the screen ceiling mount, will the Mit 3000
work?
Also when and where do you calibrate the projector professionally and what is usual cost?

Thanks for your answers in advance, they're greatly appreciated!
Frank

HC3000 should work just fine.

250-350 for pro calibration. Check out the calib forum or

http://www.imagingscience.com/

Any one see the DTV MAgazine (I think) Aug new review of the HC3000.

It stated that they tested and the HC3000 can accept a 1080P input!

Can anyone confirm?

It CAME! :D
I only had about 1/2 an hour to play with it but here's VERY rough first impressions.
Jason is right, the overscan adjustment is VERY buried in the menus. Took me awhile but I found it and set it to 100%. Instantly made the pic look sharper. I put the PJ in low fan/power mode, closed down the iris and entered Art's values for the contrast and RBG settings. The color temp out of the box was definitely cool/bluish so Art's values from his review are a good jumping off point. Set the gamma to cinema. The sharpness was default at 3 which looked high to me. I popped in Starship Troopers SB and noticed quite a bit of noise and possibly artifacts. Putting sharpness at zero helped alot. Guys, what should it ideally be set at? I am using the oppo upconverting player, DVI-HDMI.
I went from the optoma h57 which was a fab 576P PJ to the 720P with the mits. Screendoor effect is much less noticeable but also it seems that any transfer boogens are going to be more noticeable too. The optics seem better, SDE and resolution aside, the Mits appears to produce a slightly sharper projected image overall. I think it will be less forgiving of certain transfers than the h57. The colors are popping a bit more than the optoma with Brilliant color engaged. I put in SW:ep.III and the added detail is noticeable, especially in longshots like the Coruscant skyline stuff.
Now where there is a more noticeable difference with the Mits. is the black level. WOW. The black is MUCH blacker than the h57. Because of this, space scenes had more depth to them not just because of the added reosolution. (The h57 IS a light cannon though.)
The offset of the Mits is less than the h57. Having the ability to move the 16:9 image around in the projected image is pretty handy. Also the h57 I believe had a shorter throw lens. I can place the Mits further back or zoom it. Guys, where optically is the best PQ, in the middle or fully unzoomed?
The PJ is low mode is VERY quiet.

Ok, back to work, more later....

So far, VERY happy! I HIGHLY reccomend this PJ....!!!!

:) d Thanks again to all the Mits owners here!

enjoy.

muncey

Dave try setting zoom at about the middle of the range; generally you can get distortion at either extreme but each lens is a bit different. Try some experiments using your test patterns.

Thanks, guys! Any sharpness reccomendation? There was no sharpness on my h57 through DVI so I'm not used to dealing. +3, (the default) definitely makes the pic. seem noisy IMO.

Can't wait to get home tonite to watch a flick! (albeit with headphones, gf will be asleep!)
Overall I think it's amazing the quality of PJ you can get for the $$ nowadays!

:) d

Sharpness should be at -2 for HDMI ;) .

------- Jason

Thanks jason!!! Firing it up for a late nite flick!!!!

:)

Greetings, just got mine installed, it is at factory settings right now and I am preparing for a showing of the Superbit Lawrence of Arabia this Saturday! I haven't had time to mess with the calibration, but so far I see to like full power lamp with my Da Lite 1.5 gain matte white pull down model C screen. I have a 106: screen at about 13 feet from the projector, using some zoom to get it right.

My main problems have been with getting the aspect ratio correct using the pure HDMI connection from my Sony upconverting DVD Player and the HC3000. With an older "non-anamorphic" DVD (Grosse Pointe Blank) and my friend watched the whole movie on Auto HDMI on the DVD player and Auto for the Aspect ratio (with player set at 16:9 720P and DVD player told that it is a 16:9 monitor. The aspect ratio was way off, the black bars were too wide on top and bottom so faces were wider, circles were ovals stretched horizontal. After reading on this very helpful forum I switched the player to 480P and tried again last night. The image looked perfect on REAL setting (but half size) and pretty good on ZOOM1, but on 16:9, 4:3 or AUTO it still looked stretched. We ended up watching it half size! I guess maybe component video would be best for these old DVDs, using 480i?

Next I did a test with some scenes from Lawrence, a 2.2 to 1 Aspect ratio movie. I set the DVD player for HDMI AUTO again and the Projector at 720P and 16:9 again. This superbit anamorphic 2 disc set looked great right away. However, I was hoping to use it on REAL setting so I had true upconverting and no rescaling, however I measured the ASPECT ratio with a tape measure and it was 2.0 rather than 2.2. When I change the Mistubishi ASPECT to AUTO then the black bars increased a bit and Voila! 2.2 Aspect ratio. Shouldn't REAL work? Or is the Sony Upconvert just not working right? Or is SONY sending 1080i on AUTO and then the Mits has to reformat it. Maybe forcing SONY to send 720 P will help...

Urgh. Anyway, suggested settings for a dark room with white walls and somewhat shiny panelled ceiling (8' 3" high, projector lens is 6" from ceiling) for best viewing would also be nice to try before Saturday!

Ron

Ron ,

REAL does not work as one would think , do not use it .

Best out of the box settings using factory presets would be :

Low lamp
Iris closed
Brilliant Color = off
Gamma = Cinema
Color Temp = 5900k (not really accurate greyscale but closer than 6500k on the HC3000)
Sharpness = -2 (for HDMI)

Then do your brightness/contrast with AVIA / DVE / THX / etc. .

---- Jason

Hi guys! Watched some stuff last night and calibrated with Avia. VERY impressed. It's also VERY bright right now, brand new bulb I guess.
I wound up with my contrast at -29, brightness at -2, gamma at cinema.
We table mount projecting onto a 92" optoma grayhawk screen so at our height, we are directly in the cone. Detail, depth and color richness are stunning.
very happy feet....

:)

I'm sure the 3000 is wonderful with HDTV, but how is it with regular TV signal coming through a satellite feed?

Thanks! Frank

Hi Frank. I use comcast cable which for regular channels is ok, a bit ghosty but for the HD channels, absolutely incredible. I have heard that Comcast cable at least for HD is MUCH better than say, DirecTV.
I just watched some HD programming and am VERY happy. The black levels on this PJ continue to amaze me.

For the $$, it's a steal. The Mits is the best bang for the buck PJ out there IMHO.

:) d

hehe , Mitsubishi just called me about my warranty information (verification) and the CS rep mentioned "Dave Mack" , I guess she had just been looking at the HC3000 thread here at AVS ;) .

--------- Jason

:) I guess that was Victoria Reid. She's cool. I told her I was VERY happy with my MITS and was gonna "Spread the word" here on AVS. I'm amazed this PJ doesn't sell better! Everyone's all hung up on Optoma or InFocus when it comes to DLP's....
I am still astounded by the PQ I'm getting just with the initial tweaks I've done. After a full ISF..? WOAH!!

:) d

BUY THE MITS!!!!!

Well, I can tell you that my interested has been raised about this little PJ.

Currently an Optoma H31 owner (had a H30 before that. Jason probably recognizes my ID) and always looking out on the horizon of new PJ's.

I figured out a while ago the HD72 wasn't gonna give me any contrast/shadow detail improvements (my most important requirement) and in the beginning, didn't really look into the HC3000 thinking it was just a more expensive HD72.

The great price on the H78DC3's really got me excited, but the lamp issues finally put that fire out in the end.

Not really in Need of an upgrade, but the price drops always tend to make you dream a little :)

For me shadow detail/contrast/smooth blacks (least dithering) are most important. To me it seems to be the most important factor for depth in darker scenes. I probably won't make a move on a PJ this year, but if the prices drop further, I might be tempted. I guess it all depends on what's on the horizon...down the road.

Anyway, just some ramblings from an Optoma owner (but not necessarily a cheerleader :) )

Fleaman

Hiya, Flea! BUY THE MITS!!! Just kidding, (actually not!)
I had the optoma h57 and loved it. I am definitely not anti-optoma but the h77, 78 and 79 issues and the fact that optoma wouldn't do the right thing and maybe just admit there's a design flaw got me spooked.
The jump in "shadow detail/contrast/smooth blacks" over the h57 is VERY apparent IMHO.
I owned a Mits Diamond 55" CRT which was arguably the greatest set in the world a few years back. Mits has always been reliable for me. My mom and friend inherited my old CRT tube sets, (one is 12 years old!!!) and they're both still going strong.
Good to be back in the Mits camp again. They make a Helluva PJ..!
Check Art's review...http://www.projectorreviews.com/Manufacturers/mitsubishi/HC3000/index.asp

"Bottom line: Mitsubishi's HC3000 offers the best picture quality we have seen of the many DLP projectors (using the Darkchip2 processor), as well as home theater LCD projectors, that we have reviewed. "

I agree....

:) d

Wow! The mits dropped again! They must REALLY be trying to move these PJs...!!!
:eek:

Dave Mack,
(Nubie Question) Since you received your projector a day early, Do you mind me asking whether you ordered your projector from one of the AVS Forum Alliance Members?

Thanks,
HD STEVE

Dave:

Glad you are happy. My feeling exactly about the HC3000. Its a great value.

Nice to see the recent good reviews, but it does seem that interest in it on AVS has dropped as time as went on. IMHO its the best value out there too, and it sthe lowest priced PJ out there to me that doesn't have any image compromise. And to me the image is the thing.

Enjoy!!!!! ;)

There's a positive review of the HC3000 in the current issue of The Perfect Vision, but it cites the MSRP as $3900 for some reason.

Dave... you're skirting that line again. No need to mention price drops, etc; MSRP has not changed.

Hiya, Flea! BUY THE MITS!!! Just kidding, (actually not!)
I had the optoma h57 and loved it. I am definitely not anti-optoma but the h77, 78 and 79 issues and the fact that optoma wouldn't do the right thing and maybe just admit there's a design flaw got me spooked.
The jump in "shadow detail/contrast/smooth blacks" over the h57 is VERY apparent IMHO.
I owned a Mits Diamond 55" CRT which was arguably the greatest set in the world a few years back. Mits has always been reliable for me. My mom and friend inherited my old CRT tube sets, (one is 12 years old!!!) and they're both still going strong.
Good to be back in the Mits camp again. They make a Helluva PJ..!
Check Art's review...http://www.projectorreviews.com/Manufacturers/mitsubishi/HC3000/index.asp

"Bottom line: Mitsubishi's HC3000 offers the best picture quality we have seen of the many DLP projectors (using the Darkchip2 processor), as well as home theater LCD projectors, that we have reviewed. "

I agree....

:) d


Thanks, Dave for the PM. BTW, your AVS email box is full so my PM to you bounced!

Rich

Dave Mack

What is funny about your accolades - the Mitsu is ranked very poor by reviewers before calibration. I have never seen such a poor 6500K preset - and using the 5500K preset hoping to make it better it still is not even close. After calibration however - indeed it is imperceivably perfect on not just greyscale - but gamma, color gamut and decoding. That does not happen by accident - as it rarely even happens by design- so maybe the engineers will stage a coup and take over marketing.

So once you get over the big screen excitement and start doing some critical viewing - you should be burned in enough to get calibrated. The great reviews from reviewers are only after calibration.

I agree Kraz. It would be fab if they got it more accurate out of the box like I believe the IN76. After doing some basic AVIA and RGB tweaks it looks pretty swell. Still a bit bright at the moment though. I can only imagine what a proper ISF calibration can do.

The more expensive 2000 is getting pretty close to unanimous praise as well.

:) d

Hiya, Flea! BUY THE MITS!!! Just kidding, (actually not!)
I had the optoma h57 and loved it. I am definitely not anti-optoma but the h77, 78 and 79 issues and the fact that optoma wouldn't do the right thing and maybe just admit there's a design flaw got me spooked.
The jump in "shadow detail/contrast/smooth blacks" over the h57 is VERY apparent IMHO.
d

This may be so, but when I was following the HD72 thread, a couple of posters (Ix and another I think) had the HC3000, HD72 and H78DC3 all in house at the same time and the H78DC3 had beat the others in shadow detail/contrast/dithering by a good margin (yeah, I know it's subjective). Especially in the dithering factor, the poster could not make out any dithering on the H78DC3, probably in part to its 8 segment wheel.

Of course the H78DC3 had questionable reliability issues, so I took a back seat. I can understand that the HC3000 will best my H31 Optoma in this area, but I'm trying to hold out for a machine that can do the H78DC3 performance in this area and considering the age of H78DC3 technology, you would think a PJ will come along that would at least match it's performance and price.

Fleaman

Dave... you're skirting that line again. No need to mention price drops, etc; MSRP has not changed.

Actually Mitsubishi web site has seemed to have changed their pricing scheme to suggested buying price instead of a MSRP:

see

http://www.mitsubishi-presentations.com/products/projectors/HC3000U.html

From their first paragraph:

"It can turn your home theater room into a virtual stadium, cinema, or studio at a price under $2,500."

I agree. But what Dave is talking about isn't the MSRP ;)

I agree Flea. Even the new 7100 is a downgrade from the h78.

The hc3000 WHOMPS the old h57 in black levels. I believe it's pretty superior to the hd72 as well by all accounts.

:)

DAMMIT! I got called into work AGAIN tonite! Me and the gf STILL have yet to watch a flick together!!!!


:(

HI, I was wondering how the HC3000U has fared for dead and or stuck mirrors. I bought my RP DLP from a local dealer and they let me swap my first set after having stuck mirrors in the middle of the screeen. What has been the experience of people who bought the Mits mail-order? Are there any dealers to avoid who mostly ship opened/returned projectors that are likely to have stuck mirrors? Are there any dealers with no-defect guarantees? At this price there should be.

I notice return policies on most websites skip this subject when talking about RMAs.