OK, I know that this has probably beeb posted before...I am currently projecting my HD 72 on the wall while waiting for a screen to come in. There seems to be a border around the picture. Depending on which setting mode I choose, the border gets bigger or smaller, but it never goes away. I would assume this is lightspill.

Any thoughts on how to get rid of this?

Thanks.

Thats because this is natively a 16:10 projector and you're using it as a 16:9 projector. (I think)

I don't believe you can get rid of it using a 16:9 source but you can move it around and once you have a screen it will disapear into the black border

Thats because this is natively a 16:10 projector and you're using it as a 16:9 projector. (I think)

I don't believe you can get rid of it using a 16:9 source but you can move it around and once you have a screen it will disapear into the black border


OK, currently it is sitting in my bedroom ....we are about to move into the house where it will be ceiling mounted. I had gladiator in the DVD player...of course the aspect ratio of Gladiator is in letter box. Possibly I am running into problems with the conversion the projector is doing converting the picture...When I hooked up my VCR to the projector and put the TV on it, I noticed the border problems were virtually gone....Since I will be watching both TV and Movies, should I choose a different screen setup than a 16:9?

Thanks. :)

Concerning the free lamps that many received from their dealers, everyone check your packages. The dealer I got mine from had received the wrong lamp from Optoma (it's Optoma's promotion is seems) and had sent out several hundred of the wrong model before I caught it, since they figured Optoma had sent the right part.

If Optoma sent the wrong part to my dealer, odds are they sent it to your dealer as well.

I bought mine form projector packages and they sent the wrong bulb as well. I received mine around the begining of June and returned the bulb and have yet to receive the replacement from them. They say Optoma mandated that they have to wait till all the incorrect bulbs are returned to them (the dealer) THEN they will ship them to Optoma for the replacements and THEN I will be sent the correct bulb. They say this was Optoma's promotion and are acting like they are doing me a favor by even dealing with the issue. I think this is BS. Did you receive your bulb?

OK, currently it is sitting in my bedroom ....we are about to move into the house where it will be ceiling mounted. I had gladiator in the DVD player...of course the aspect ratio of Gladiator is in letter box. Possibly I am running into problems with the conversion the projector is doing converting the picture...When I hooked up my VCR to the projector and put the TV on it, I noticed the border problems were virtually gone....Since I will be watching both TV and Movies, should I choose a different screen setup than a 16:9?

Thanks. :)

Quite literally, you really intend to watch TV from a VCR?

http://users.pandora.be/eforum/emoticons4u/fingers/fing21.gif

the analog tuners in quality vcrs is probably not much different than many dish or cable boxes... tape playback or hd is a another matter.

the analog tuners in quality vcrs is probably not much different than many dish or cable boxes... tape playback or hd is a another matter.

I know.. it just sounded so.. "old school".

Quite literally, you really intend to watch TV from a VCR?

http://users.pandora.be/eforum/emoticons4u/fingers/fing21.gif


Thanks for the post, but no I do not. Since I am just about to move into the house, I am still in an APT and the only other source I could plug into the PJ was a VCR to see if the problem I was facing was due to a cheap Wal-Mart DVD player that does not scale or if there is something I was doing wrong with the PJ.

Hope that helps.

I bought mine form projector packages and they sent the wrong bulb as well. I received mine around the begining of June and returned the bulb and have yet to receive the replacement from them. They say Optoma mandated that they have to wait till all the incorrect bulbs are returned to them (the dealer) THEN they will ship them to Optoma for the replacements and THEN I will be sent the correct bulb. They say this was Optoma's promotion and are acting like they are doing me a favor by even dealing with the issue. I think this is BS. Did you receive your bulb?

OK, I got mine from Visual Apex...are they one of the wrong bulb people?
My P/n is SP.83F01G001

Bud, open the box and you will see a smaller box inside with the model number the lamp is for on it.

Good luck! Wow, VA is doing the free bulb thing along with the rebate. Optoma must really want to move these suckers!

Enjoy!

No actually I got mine in May with just the free bulb offer. I called VA to check & they said my S/N is THEIR product # which is linked to OPTOMA's FU220A bulb # so apparently I DID get the proper replacement bulb. VA is REEEEEALLY nice to me now since I had the reset problem & BLASTED them.
Bud

I got my projector in and the extra lamp.

Haven't done any calibration yet but the picture is bright and vibrant.

I don't have a lot of experience with projectors but this sucker is impressive!

Congrats Mucho! Enjoy it! I am PJ-less until nest week!

:0

I got my Hd72 and RCA hddvd yesterday. The pq is amazing out of the box. Very 3d like. I do have boarders all the way around though-is that normal? This is my first projector and I'm very impressed. I am having a hard time understanding zoom. When I zoom the picture it cuts off the ends. When mounting is it best to have zoom set to 0?? Thanks

I am trying to decide between the HD72 and AE900. I would rather go with the HD72, but I am not sure if it will work with my home theater room (due to the offset and no lense shift). My room is currently under construction (drywall stage). The room is approximately 14' x 40' with an 8' ceiling. I will use approximately half of this room for the home theater and place the screen on one of the 14' walls. The projector will be mounted in the center of the room approximately 14' from the screen (give or take several inches). If I use the flushest ceiling mount possible, what is the largest screen size I can get and still keep the bottom of the screen a reasonable height off the floor? Thanks for your help.

I used a 106" diagonal screen with those same dimensions. Chief flush mount would work, get the universal one so you can use it with the next projector. Screen height will be in a good place, you want your eye level 1/3 up from the bottom.

OK, I got mine from Visual Apex...are they one of the wrong bulb people?
My P/n is SP.83F01G001

That's right SP.83F01G001, above the P/n number is the model number BL-FU220A

This is directed to Guitarman - I've read many of your posts in the past, so I know you have intimate knowledge of the HD72. I received mine yesterday. Out of the box, nice image but needs obvious tweaking, so I'll set up my Spyder and adjust it sometime this weekend when I have some time. However, one item I noted is that, out of the box, the lamp was running in high power mode and Image AI was turned off. I changed the lamp to the low power setting and the noise level dropped dramatically. Then I activated Image AI and the projector cranked up in decibels and it turned ON the high power setting for the lamp. I then set the Image AI to OFF, but the lamp stayed on in the high power mode. I had to go to the lamp settings and turn the high power setting off. Is this normal? I mean, I can DO this, but it sure seems lime a pain in therear to do it. Something I didn't check was what would happen if I set the Image AI to ON, and then went and turned the lamp seeting to Low, would the Image AI stay ON. Any info on this?

You're ok that's the way it works.

Hey guys, I REALLLY want this projector! Next month it's on sale at Costco for only like $1825 CDN with screen and everything.

My Question is, I have a 7ft ceiling and I want to project a 106" screen. Currently they will give me a 92" screen that I can deal with - but only for now until I pick up a greywolf screen 106.

Can I custom mount this pj to the ceiling because the offset keeps me from using this in my 7ft ceiling room? I mean is there any way I can project a 106" image in a 7ft room?

I would rather not use the floor as it is a nuissance, I have a dog, and I am worried that the subwoofer will affect the pj and shake it around.

Any operions? Can I look into custom mounting it so the PJ is sort of tilted so the image can be centered more on the screen? Thanks!

THANKS!!!

what would happen if I set the Image AI to ON, and then went and turned the lamp setting to Low? Would the Image AI stay ON. Any info on this?

Guess I'll check that this evening since nobody responded to the question.

Hey guys, I REALLLY want this projector! Next month it's on sale at Costco for only like $1825 CDN with screen and everything.

My Question is, I have a 7ft ceiling and I want to project a 106" screen. Currently they will give me a 92" screen that I can deal with - but only for now until I pick up a greywolf screen 106.

Can I custom mount this pj to the ceiling because the offset keeps me from using this in my 7ft ceiling room? I mean is there any way I can project a 106" image in a 7ft room?

I would rather not use the floor as it is a nuissance, I have a dog, and I am worried that the subwoofer will affect the pj and shake it around.

Any operions? Can I look into custom mounting it so the PJ is sort of tilted so the image can be centered more on the screen? Thanks!

THANKS!!!
I'm not an expert but I don't think it is possible. The screen would almost be touching the floor even with a flush mount. I believe this is accurate but hopefully someone else with respond.

Hey guys, I REALLLY want this projector! Next month it's on sale at Costco for only like $1825 CDN with screen and everything.

My Question is, I have a 7ft ceiling and I want to project a 106" screen. Currently they will give me a 92" screen that I can deal with - but only for now until I pick up a greywolf screen 106.

Can I custom mount this pj to the ceiling because the offset keeps me from using this in my 7ft ceiling room? I mean is there any way I can project a 106" image in a 7ft room?

I would rather not use the floor as it is a nuissance, I have a dog, and I am worried that the subwoofer will affect the pj and shake it around.

Any operions? Can I look into custom mounting it so the PJ is sort of tilted so the image can be centered more on the screen? Thanks!

THANKS!!!

There is. You must install the projector tilted up so that it is shooting the image up and then install the screen so that it is tilted forward at the top. Keystone issue solved. This works only with a fixed frame screen, not a pull down screen. You'll be able to move the screen up as high as you like. The top of the screen would need to come forward about 6" - 8" and the projector moved further back the same amount. The geometry stays exactly the same. If this is a dedicated room for HT this is a good way to overcome the ceiling height limitation.

I used a 106" diagonal screen with those same dimensions. Chief flush mount would work, get the universal one so you can use it with the next projector. Screen height will be in a good place, you want your eye level 1/3 up from the bottom.

I was on a site that sold the Chief mount you are talking about. I noticed the following regarding flush mounting:

Mounting Methods:
1. Flush Mount to suitable ceilings using the four corner slots in top of the RPA mount. RPA now allows you to flush mount without disassembly by providing suitable access for screwdrivers and socket sets. +/- 25 degrees of pitch when flush mounted. 10 degrees yaw possible on flush mount with slots in top of RPA (Hardware not included).

What hardware are they talking about that is not included for flush mounting? I'm about to pull the trigger on the HD72 and wanted to get a jump on the mount.

Thanks in advance

I don't believe you are going to have a problem. Mine is located on a 7'4" ceiling 14' away from the 106 grey screen. The screen is 16 or 18" off the floor for a perfect height for viewing comfortably.
If you are in the GTA (Mississauga area), your welcome to come see the setup in my 1/2 finished bsmt.

Rabid :D

I don't believe you are going to have a problem. Mine is located on a 7'4" ceiling 14' away from the 106 grey screen. The screen is 16 or 18" off the floor for a perfect height for viewing comfortably.
If you are in the GTA (Mississauga area), your welcome to come see the setup in my 1/2 finished bsmt.

Rabid :D

Hey Rabid

What mount are you using?

I was on a site that sold the Chief mount you are talking about. I noticed the following regarding flush mounting:

Mounting Methods:
1. Flush Mount to suitable ceilings using the four corner slots in top of the RPA mount. RPA now allows you to flush mount without disassembly by providing suitable access for screwdrivers and socket sets. +/- 25 degrees of pitch when flush mounted. 10 degrees yaw possible on flush mount with slots in top of RPA (Hardware not included).

What hardware are they talking about that is not included for flush mounting? I'm about to pull the trigger on the HD72 and wanted to get a jump on the mount.

Thanks in advance

They're mostly a two piece unit. A small box shaped metal anchor that you lag screw to the ceiling. The second part attaches to the PJ and slide locks onto the anchor. The anchor swivels, plus can pitch sideways and back and forth. The universal one has moveable (legs) that can align to any screw configuration.

I don't think you'll need extra hardware, maybe they mean lag screws.

are they refering to the longer m3( i believe) screws needed for the ceiling mounts?

Congrats Mucho! Enjoy it! I am PJ-less until nest week!

:0

What PJ are you going with?

Any experts want to take a crack at this question?

I'm debating purchasing the Oppo 971 or the 970 for use with my new HD-72.

I have a 92" screen, and won't be using the player for anything but DVD playback and will exclusively be using the digital output.

I'd like to save the $50 on the 970 but it seems like the scaler in the 971 is superior and for my needs the better choice.

Which one should I buy?

MUCHO,

Dave ordered the Mitsubishi Hc3000 720p projector.

As far as the Oppo goes, unless you're going to use an expensive scaler like the DVDO VP30/20, Lumagen, Algolith Dragonfly etc.., you are best off to purchase the 971 model. That's the original one.

The 971 is rated more highly. There are reviews about this like the Benchmark ones. The big deal about the 970 is that it can output 480i over HDMI which is an unprocessed signal which can then be manipulated by a video processor in several ways.

As a matter of fact, even Oppo on their website admit that the 970 isn't quite as good as the 971 and should be mainly of interest to video processor users. I think it's in their FAQ section.

I was just watching a bit of 'The Last Samurai' last night on my H78 using the Oppo 971 @ 720p upconverted out of it's DVI output. The images I was seeing were absolutely dripping with excellent contrast, blacks and shadow detail. Colors were magnificent and artifacts on my 106" screen were difficult if not impossible to detect. But I don't intentionally look for those too often. :)

Anyway, hope this helps.

Wayne

Rabid, hey I am curious to see your setup (I am in Etobicoke). I just want to make sure that in my 7' 2" room the ceiling mount will work fine. Also, do you mind me asking where you purchased your 106" greywolf - because that is the screen I am looking to get once I pick up this projector! And what mount are you using? Thanks!

Hiya guys! One thing though... I have a greywolf and it really looks best for table mounting because it reflects the image straight back towards the PJ primarily. When I stand up, there is a noticeable drop in pic. brightness. If I eventually ceiling mount my new PJ, I might look at a different screen. Wayne has a couple so he has more screen info.

:) dave

Hiya guys! One thing though... I have a greywolf and it really looks best for table mounting because it reflects the image straight back towards the PJ primarily. When I stand up, there is a noticeable drop in pic. brightness. If I eventually ceiling mount my new PJ, I might look at a different screen. Wayne has a couple so he has more screen info.

:) dave

Guys, I know they're expensive, but they are for a reason. Get a Stewart screen if you can afford to plop down the dough. That drop off does not happen with my Studiotek 130 and there's no such thing as a sparkly. If you can control ambient light, you don't want a grey screen, you want a white screen.

I went with the grey because we rent an apt. and the walls and ceilings are white, REALLY affects the PQ with the light bouncing off and reflecting around.

Like Dave says, I've got a 92" High Power and a 92" HCMW which is essentially a grey screen. I've also got a 92" Graywolf II and a 106" High Power.

And as digital_dilemma has mentioned, a grey screen is great if you have ambient light/white wall-ceiling issues. But take it from me, once we painted our rec room from white wall and off-white ceiling to green and black colors (black back wall to cut down on retro-reflective reflection from the High Power screen), the grey screen was horribly dim whereas before with the white and off-white walls, it really rendered a contrasty image. Now after painting it was all washed out. So we went to a High Power screen and I love the extra gain. Even with it ceiling mounted. The trick is to mount your projector as low as you can on the wall or from the ceiling and in turn mount your screen as low as comfortably possible. This way you'll be keeping the angle of reflection from lens to screen to your eyes as small as possible thereby somewhat emulating a coffee-table set up.

Wayne

Does overscan do anything to degrade the picture quality? On several HDTV channels there is a slight noise around the picture and I can overscan a bit to get rid of it then zoom out to fill the 92".

I realize I'm losing a small bit around the edges doing this but is there any other negative effect?

Also - I prefer 1080i to 720P slightly for HDTV which could simply mean I prefer how the projector translates 1080i to 720P more than my Morotola HD cable box.

Ok. Got my projector on Monday. Finished a preliminary version of my DIY AT screen on Thursday, and fired up the theater on Thursday night (component video only, until I get new cables installed into the wall/ceiling.)

So, the setup is:

Room -
14' - back wall to screen, with a 3' space (equipment alcove) behind the screen
14' - side to side (with the right front corner occupied by a curved stairwell
08' - floor to ceiling
Mount -
DIY - two pieces of 3.5"x5.5" plexiglas, two 1/2" pipe flanges, one 1-1/2" nipple, 4 M3x20mm machine screws, 4 spacers, 3 #10x2" bolts and nuts and, 3 springs, 3 wingnuts, assorted washers...
HD72 (lens) location-
12' 3" back from screen
6" down from ceiling
Completely zoomed out (i.e. smallest image possible from this distance)
AT Screen -
80"x45" (16x9)
~18" down from ceiling, ~32" up from floor
Best (ultrecht.com) museum stretchers (wood/alum)
SandmanX's 1080p material (Thank you Ruben!!!) backed with Joann's speaker cloth
Screen material attached to frame with OfficeMax 1-1/16" binder clips (works great!)
Seating -
Front row - 3 seats (Costco Berklines), center seat eye position = ~8' back from screen
Back row - 5 seats (Conventional theater seats - SeatsandChairs.com), center seat eye position = 12'7" back from screen

Out of the box experience - Fabulous! And, although the front row is too close (By The Book), there is no hint of screendoor (with my weak eyes), and the immersive quality of the experience is very satisfying. Also, I have not got one hint of a rainbow artifact, and I was pretty sensitive to it with my Samsung HLP rptv. Whoo hoo!

Also, if you look at my numbers, you'll see that the top of the screen is only ~12" down from the lens, which, at 12' 3" away, surprises me. I expected to have to really angle up the projector, and angle out the screen, but not so. The screen is naturally hanging a little off-plumb (in the correct direction), so I just centered the image (with my DIY mount!) and, voila, theater heaven. Once it's all permanently set up, I'll repost more accurate numbers.

Lot of work still to do: Velvet border for screen, digital cabling, cleanup(!). But it sure looks good so far. (I want to go back and watch all my movies over now!)

I purchased a DVI to VGA adapter and output the 1280 x 768 signal from my laptop to the HD72 and while the image will display, I certainly would not purchase this projector for it's ability to display a computer image. It's not sharp like it should be. It's distorted. I did the usual attempts to correct using phase and tracking, but to no avail. Am I alone? I'd planned to use an HTPC, but probably not if this is as good as it gets. :(

digital_dilemma,

I think your problem may be the fact that you're not going straight digital into the HD72. VGA is analog and won't appear as sharp as if you went DVI>DVI or DVI>HDMI. I've tested VGA vs. DVI before and there's no comparison. If you can hook up a computer with a DVI output on the video card and then run that cable to the HD72 or use an HDMI>DVI adapter, I think you'll find your projector will display a pristine image. This is what I'm getting now on my H78. I'm going DVI>HDMI into my Monoprice switcher and then HDMI>DVI out to the pj. The clarity is amazing.

See if you can do that and then compare images and see what you think.

Wayne

So, I was all set to pull the trigger and projector people have run out of the free bulbs. Very frustrating to say the least. I fould one of the big online retailers that offer the bulb, but if you get the buld you can't get the $300 rebate. Anyone know a place were I get the free bulb and rebate at a reasonable price? PM if you do.

Thanks.

Lloyd, that's hooey! Optoma themselves offers the $300 rebate. Email optoma and find out. :) d

digital_dilemma,

I think your problem may be the fact that you're not going straight digital into the HD72. VGA is analog and won't appear as sharp as if you went DVI>DVI or DVI>HDMI. I've tested VGA vs. DVI before and there's no comparison. If you can hook up a computer with a DVI output on the video card and then run that cable to the HD72 or use an HDMI>DVI adapter, I think you'll find your projector will display a pristine image. This is what I'm getting now on my H78. I'm going DVI>HDMI into my Monoprice switcher and then HDMI>DVI out to the pj. The clarity is amazing.

See if you can do that and then compare images and see what you think.

Wayne

Actually, I disagree. I've worked for four different projector manufacturers. The image is supposed to be sharp as a tack, even with VGA. It should look on a DLP projector as sharp and precise as it looks on an LCD monitor when the computer's video output is set to match the native resolution of the display.

I just called them to confirm. The rebate itself says not valid with any other rebate. They said you have to submit the origional UPC from the box to get each of the rebates and can't submit it for both the money and the bulb.

Actually, I disagree. I've worked for four different projector manufacturers. The image is supposed to be sharp as a tack, even with VGA. It should look on a DLP projector as sharp and precise as it looks on an LCD monitor when the computer's video output is set to match the native resolution of the display.

I think that the digital to analog and then back to digital conversion may be the culprit here. The image of course will be sharp on a small 17" LCD monitor going VGA but when blown up to projector screen sizes I'm not as confident that VGA will deliver the goods as well as DVI or HDMI. Sharpness can be very good with VGA if you can 1:1 pixel map though as it seems you're already doing. But I noticed that colors weren't as bold and that the images weren't as bright or contrasty when using VGA.

If you have a computer available or can utilize a friend's for a few moments, why not try straight digital to the HD72 and leave your laptop out of the mix this time? At least it would give you more information. Maybe you won't notice a difference? Either way, you can call Optoma and be more informed and give them more data to work with to try to solve the problem.

Wayne

So, I was all set to pull the trigger and projector people have run out of the free bulbs. Very frustrating to say the least. I fould one of the big online retailers that offer the bulb, but if you get the buld you can't get the $300 rebate. Anyone know a place were I get the free bulb and rebate at a reasonable price? PM if you do.

Thanks.

Projector Point - (but don't let them sell you mine which is on hold for my check!)

I just called them to confirm. The rebate itself says not valid with any other rebate. They said you have to submit the origional UPC from the box to get each of the rebates and can't submit it for both the money and the bulb.

Lloyd, let's see if you can get this; some resellers made deals with Optoma (assumed) to purchase a large quantity of HD72's. As part of that deal, they received a cache of lamps to use in marketing and they weren't available for resale on their own (assumed). The lamps then come directly from the reseller, not from Optoma. Therefore, you receive a boxed projector with the UPC still intact and then file a claim for the $300 rebate.

Are any of these lamps still available and are any dealers continuing to offer the deal? Check to see.

I think that the digital to analog and then back to digital conversion may be the culprit here. The image of course will be sharp on a small 17" LCD monitor going VGA but when blown up to projector screen sizes I'm not as confident that VGA will deliver the goods as well as DVI or HDMI. Sharpness can be very good with VGA if you can 1:1 pixel map though as it seems you're already doing. But I noticed that colors weren't as bold and that the images weren't as bright or contrasty when using VGA.

If you have a computer available or can utilize a friend's for a few moments, why not try straight digital to the HD72 and leave your laptop out of the mix this time? At least it would give you more information. Maybe you won't notice a difference? Either way, you can call Optoma and be more informed and give them more data to work with to try to solve the problem.

Wayne

I have some 50" plasmas that are 1280 x 768 and they mapped out the output from the laptop perfectly, so it's probably the HD72 not mapping correctly. Have you ever set the resolution for a computer differently than the native resolution of an LCD monitor and you can read it and everything looks good, but then you set the resolution of the computer to match the native resolution of the monitor and everything just snaps right into place like it should? That's what is going on here. It's like the projector has a slightly different native resolution and I can't pixel map it, like it's out by a pixel or two horizontally and it can't resolve the output from my computer accurately to get that snappy, crisp text.

Lloyd, let's see if you can get this; some resellers made deals with Optoma (assumed) to purchase a large quantity of HD72's. As part of that deal, they received a cache of lamps to use in marketing and they weren't available for resale on their own (assumed). The lamps then come directly from the reseller, not from Optoma. Therefore, you receive a boxed projector with the UPC still intact and then file a claim for the $300 rebate.

Are any of these lamps still available and are any dealers continuing to offer the deal? Check to see.
i think he was pointing out that the advertised deal from projector people was no longer available... and for what it's worth the coupons on projector points website are clearly marked "manufacturers rebate" only adding to the confusion.

i think he was pointing out that the advertised deal from projector people was no longer available... and for what it's worth the coupons on projector points website are clearly marked "manufacturers rebate" only adding to the confusion.

That's true. I, however, asked the Optoma rep directly, and he said the lamnp deal from the dealer doesn't affect the rebate. There were a limited number of lamps out in the field for the promotion.

I have some 50" plasmas that are 1280 x 768 and they mapped out the output from the laptop perfectly, so it's probably the HD72 not mapping correctly. Have you ever set the resolution for a computer differently than the native resolution of an LCD monitor and you can read it and everything looks good, but then you set the resolution of the computer to match the native resolution of the monitor and everything just snaps right into place like it should? That's what is going on here. It's like the projector has a slightly different native resolution and I can't pixel map it, like it's out by a pixel or two horizontally and it can't resolve the output from my computer accurately to get that snappy, crisp text.

I was going to say that perhaps the HD72 has a defective input or maybe your unit isn't syncing properly with your laptop.

It would be interesting to see if your DVI or HDMI inputs react the same way if hooked up via a non VGA cable.

Someone else should hook up their HD72 to any type of computer using digital_dilemma's adapter and cable and see if this problem can be duplicated.

This may be a new issue for this pj. :(

Wayne

I was going to say that perhaps the HD72 has a defective input or maybe your unit isn't syncing properly with your laptop.

It would be interesting to see if your DVI or HDMI inputs react the same way if hooked up via a non VGA cable.

Someone else should hook up their HD72 to any type of computer using digital_dilemma's adapter and cable and see if this problem can be duplicated.

This may be a new issue for this pj. :(

Wayne

To clarify, I used the DVI input on the plasmas from the VGA output of the laptop and it was perfect. I'll borrow from our computer rental inventory one of the desktop units with DVI output and see if that makes any difference with the HD72. If it continues to look this way and not sync up properly I may have to send this in to Optoma for service. If anyone else has a VGA to DVI adapter and a VGA cable, please see what your results are like and let me know.

Let us know what happens.

Maybe you should temporarily change your moniker to analog_dilemma. ;) :D

Wayne

I have a Optoma HD72 that has a problem when switching inputs. When you switch inputs from my Time Warner Cable HD8300 DVR (scientific atlanta) to my Oppo DVD player the projector image starts blinking the picture in different colors (strobe effect). I have to shut off the projector and turn it back on to get it to stop. I have switched the inputs by just moving the HDMI cable from one device to another and I have also tried switching sources with a MonoPrice 5X1 HDMI switch.

I emailed Optoma about a week ago and haven't heard from them (the Optoma web site states I should receive an answer in 24-48 hours).

Anybody else had this issue? It is a real pain to have to turn off the projector everytime I want to switch from DVD to TV.

dj,

I also have those very same video sources and I use the Monoprice 5x1 switcher with my H78 and don't experience anything like what you've described. Sounds like your unit needs to be sent in for repair.

Wayne

Before I finally commit... I am positive I am goign for the $1875 Costco HD72, 92", Mount, 5meter DVI... Is this better than AE900, Z4, and similar in this price range. I am pretty sure it is. I only have a 7' 2" ceiling so I hope that it will work. Or i'll have to floor mount it!!!

Thanks!!!

Holy Moley!!!

GOt the H72 today...wasnt completely prepared..not everything set up...106" screen has yet to arrive but I couldnt wait so I hooked up dvd, D* H20, and Xbox 360. No screen so I just projected the image against a light blue wall with lots of white spackle. Not at all a presentable surface on which to view the H72

I gotta say, despite the less than perfect walll surface I am already blown away. Projectore isnt mounted yet so I had to tilt it foward to keep the image on the wall because of the throw...WOW..The fact that everything will be even better after its ceiling mounted and leveled and set up and calibrated and on an actual screen designed for this sort of thing is too much...I cant wait

Guys! Don't advertise or PM for deals.
Members will be suspended if you continue to do so.

Kyser

Oh boy - I hate to sound like a commercial but I did some basic callibration and BINGO the HDTV looks like a million bucks. It looks like a 92" version of the picture you see on the 26" screen in Best Buy when you're walking by. Well - actually it looks better.

Right now my DVD picture is looking a bit weak but I've ordered the OPPO and hope that will improve what I'm seeing.

The projector is quiet! When watching TV/movies you have to really listen for it to even notice its making noise.

Its not too hot either. I'm up in our loft (third floor) and its pretty warm up there. This PJ of course is warm but the H27 I had was too hot to touch, while the H72 just gets warm. Most likely because the H27 was always in high lamp mode.

They must have improved the remote because mine works great. I'm about 12 feet from the screen and the remote signal bounces off the screen back to the PJ which is shelf mounted above my head. Very responsive, backlit, ect. Of course once the OPPO arrives I'll be reprogramming the Harmony but since the remote has taken some bad press I wanted to provide some new info.

There is a negative. There is a bit of light spill out of the front which hits about 5 feet left of the screen against the wall. My wife didn't notice until I pointed it out but its there and its annoying to me. I don't know if I'll be able to mask it but it is coming directly from the lens area. Initially I thought it was a reflection but testing revealed straight from the lens.

im trying to set up the H72..I get a 720p image through component with the Xbox 360 but through HDMI and the D* H20 HD reciever its telling me its only a 480p image..it looks good but I cant find why im not getting a 720 image

make sure you have the hd20 set to 720p... hope that works for you

Sorry Kyser, I didn't know that was against the rules to request PM's about it. Won't happen again.

i had the 72 on for about 6 hours tonight trying stuff out and then the LAMP LED came on amd I lost the image....? WTF? I waited an hour or so a turned it back on and the LED was off and the lamp was back on...only 7 hours on the whole thing...very scary

gozorak, sounds like the reset issue bug. Look back several pages in this thread and you will see the details.

good luck!

I have a Optoma HD72 that has a problem when switching inputs. When you switch inputs from my Time Warner Cable HD8300 DVR (scientific atlanta) to my Oppo DVD player the projector image starts blinking the picture in different colors (strobe effect). I have to shut off the projector and turn it back on to get it to stop. I have switched the inputs by just moving the HDMI cable from one device to another and I have also tried switching sources with a MonoPrice 5X1 HDMI switch.

I emailed Optoma about a week ago and haven't heard from them (the Optoma web site states I should receive an answer in 24-48 hours).

Anybody else had this issue? It is a real pain to have to turn off the projector everytime I want to switch from DVD to TV.
Have the same thing happening to me with the 8300 and the Monoprice HDMI switcher. Did not happen with the SA 8000. I also get the wild green tint to the screen without cycling through the "other colored screeens" strobe effect. The first time it happened the H72 switched color spaces and I couldn't get it back to RGB without turning the unit off. Now I can switch the inputs back and forth, or just sometimes change the channel and it returns to normal. I also have a Mac G5 hooked up to the switcher. Thought it was a HDMI bug....

New here, does ProjectorPoint offer AVSforum members discounts - % off what is advertised at their web site

Stacy-they have better deals then what are listed. I sent an email and got an almost instant response last Friday. It is well worth your time :)

my new H72 serial number is ****613

I thought that put me in the clear

I hear ya but if you read back there were some owners who got theirs that were CONFIRMED by dealers like VisualApex to be the updated firmware versions and they still had the issue.

2 Questions. 1 - Has anyone seen the HD72 perform with the Toshiba HD-A1 versus the Oppo? I am thinking about getting one or the other! (Maybe wait until christmas for the HD-A1) but if it performs really well, who knows!

Second, in terms of mounting the projector I have a 7'4" ceiling, what mount would best? I have seen some people recommend the flush mount - but the Costco package comes with a Universal Mount (not sure what one). Can anyone make a suggestion? I would like to keep it close to the ceiling as possible becuase i watn my 106" 16:9 roughly 20" off ground.

Aside from that, I can't wait to build my Behr SilverScreen and get this baby running! Or possibly using the Airblown Gemmy Outdoor Screen!! :) You guys have to check that one out. $189 for this 149" outdoor inflateable. It's Sweet!!!1

Thanks!!!

I have the hd72 and hddvd combo. The pq is awesome. Better than anything I have ever seen. I had a mits 65" for five years. I was going to wait on hdvd but since I got the projector I decided to go with hddvd. I couldn't be happier. Fill free to pm me with any questions.

Is there a way to turn of the flashing green light when it's in standby mode?

This is my first projector and originally I wanted to keep the lens cap when not in use. I soon found out this is not pratical as you might bump the projector when putting it on and off and not to mention you have to shimmy up there to do this every time. should I worry about it not being on? Proably not but wanted to ask.

Also is there a way to tell from menu screen if you have firmware update? Seems this may not matter either as the reset issue can happen with or with out?

Thanks,
JDV

hey, about the hddvd and hd72... I had a question about viewing 1080p on teh hd72 in compressed mode, versus 720p or 1080i (even though 720p > 1080i).. Was curious what the 1080p looked like? Is anyone able to check this mode out on this projector? I have a macbook that outputs 1920x1080 and will use an HDTV stream to check out the quality versus an hd-dvd at 720p... I am just curious how this compressed 1920x1080 looks?

Will I be able to place the projector 15' 6" from the sceen to the lens?
8' ceiling
5" from ceiling to center of lens
92" wide wall is all I have to work with. either a 45 X 80 - 92diag, or 52 X 92 - 106diag, no screen yet

Which screen would work better?
How high off the floor would this put me on each of the screens?
Hate to move the PJ closer to the screen, but if I had to, no problem. If I had to what would be the furthest I could place the PJ from the screen for each of the screens? like to keep the bottom of the screen around 24" from the floor

hey, about the hddvd and hd72... I had a question about viewing 1080p on teh hd72 in compressed mode, versus 720p or 1080i (even though 720p > 1080i).. Was curious what the 1080p looked like? Is anyone able to check this mode out on this projector? I have a macbook that outputs 1920x1080 and will use an HDTV stream to check out the quality versus an hd-dvd at 720p... I am just curious how this compressed 1920x1080 looks?

Not sure how 1080p looks as hddvd doesn't output that yet. The 720p on the hddvd is defective. 1080i looks as good as anything I have ever seen.

Will I be able to place the projector 15' 6" from the sceen to the lens?
8' ceiling
5" from ceiling to center of lens
92" wide wall is all I have to work with. either a 45 X 80 - 92diag, or 52 X 92 - 106diag, no screen yet

Which screen would work better?
How high off the floor would this put me on each of the screens?
Hate to move the PJ closer to the screen, but if I had to, no problem. If I had to what would be the furthest I could place the PJ from the screen for each of the screens? like to keep the bottom of the screen around 24" from the floor
stacy, have you looked at the calculator on the optoma site? there is also one on the projector central site. i think these will answer many of your questions, as well as familiarizing you with the specs of the projector. good luck.

Is it better to set a D* or E* hdstb to 720p or should it be set to 1080i and let the hd72 downcovert to 720p? Most hd channels are different 1080/720p which setting do you guys prefer? Thanks

To clarify, I used the DVI input on the plasmas from the VGA output of the laptop and it was perfect. I'll borrow from our computer rental inventory one of the desktop units with DVI output and see if that makes any difference with the HD72. If it continues to look this way and not sync up properly I may have to send this in to Optoma for service. If anyone else has a VGA to DVI adapter and a VGA cable, please see what your results are like and let me know.

Well, I tried the computer from work and it was great with DVI. It snapped right in, so no problem there. I went back to the laptop and set the VGA output resolution to 1400 x 1080 and after it displayed this, I let it reverse itself back to the 1280x768 resolution and everything popped right into place. I then set the output to 1280x720 and the projector to 1280x720 and everything was perfect. Curious about it, I turned off the PJ and started it up again. This time, the 1280x768 wouldn't lock in properly until I did the same resolution change up to 1400x1080 then reversed back to 1280x768, whereupon it locked in tight. Wierd. I didn't have that problem with DVI, though.

For those folks comtemplating going with the H72 as their first projector, its is my first projector, I got it saturday and Every time I turn it on I am blown away. I use it for Xbox 360, DVD, and HD D* by way of the H20.

My screen is on backorder so I have been projecting the image on a light blue wall with lots of spackle filled holes. Not the best viewing surface to be sure. I havent ceiling mounted the H72 yet, waiting for the screen. I havent had it calibrated or anything..no adjustmets made other than fooling around with the basic lighting modes. And all the while , hard as it is to believe, I know the image will be even better when projected on a proper surface and after making some adjustments

You hear alot about D* HD and how its HD lite and all..it may well be but from my point of view it is clearly a vastly superior image than that offered by standard TV by way of D* or any other source..AFter watching 2 HD baseball games on ESPNHD and at times turning my 36 inch flat screen Toshiba to ESPN standard in comparison ...well once you see the 720p image you cant even watch 480i without noticing just HOW INFERIOR it actually is. I can not wait for NFL.

Every HD owner already knows this..but for those of you on the fence and wondering if an HD projector is worth it...so long as you can afford it I dont see how you can not make the purchase..whether it is the H72 or some other model. Just do it.

Recommended Calibration for HD72.

What is the recommended method for calibrating the HD72 for optimal useage? Is the AVIA disk suitable if you spend your time going through proper calibration? Or is there any other methods?

On a side note, I was thinking of building a Behr SS to go with this projector. I have been planning on making a 106" screen and I am in a basement with medium darkness wood walls and a white/grey ceiling. However, no lights from windows will be coming from any direction just ambient reflections off of the surrounding walls/ceilings. This is unless I am viewing in ambient daylight conditions. Has anyone seen a Behr SS with this projector or can tell me if this is a good combination? Otherwise I was thinking of looking at the Da-Lite screens in the future.

Thanks!

I'm seriously considering buying this projector as it seems without equal when considering its performance and aggressive coupon inspired street pricing. My dilemma is that I have 7' ceilings and would be forced to tilt the projector so the image moves up about 5"... so how bad is it to keystone... I know it's not desirable but just how bad is "bad"?

Derek, if you will refer to earlier in this thread. EVEN this page or the last 1, you will notice how you can prevent keystoning by tilint your "FIXED FRAME" forward about 5-6" and this will overcome keystone issues. Since keystoning is not advised as it disturbes quality... You can tilt it up or hell, just mount your screen touching the ground and watch the movie from sitting on the ground LOL

Derek, if you will refer to earlier in this thread. EVEN this page or the last 1, you will notice how you can prevent keystoning by tilint your "FIXED FRAME" forward about 5-6" and this will overcome keystone issues. Since keystoning is not advised as it disturbes quality... You can tilt it up or hell, just mount your screen touching the ground and watch the movie from sitting on the ground LOL

I should have mentioned that a fixed frame is not an option for me... I am stuck with a ceiling mounted pull-down... but then I guess I could attach rods to the bottom corners of the screen and glue the other ends to my forehead... and then all I'd have to do is lean in a little :) Seriously though, how bad does keystoning degrade the picture?

I should have mentioned that a fixed frame is not an option for me... I am stuck with a ceiling mounted pull-down... but then I guess I could attach rods to the bottom corners of the screen and glue the other ends to my forehead... and then all I'd have to do is lean in a little :) Seriously though, how bad does keystoning degrade the picture?

Not much, especially for video. You'll notice it more with small text if you ever hook a PC up to the projector. If you don't you'll be hard pressed to notice.

Don't forget it also has 3 or so inches of digital image shifting (+/- 48 pixels) to help out, and you could live with a slightly trapezoidal image w/o keystone that's hard to notice if you aren't tilting too much...

Why can't you use a fixed frame? If you can, this site will help. Click Here (http://mysite.verizon.net/ress6c9s/hd72installation/)

Is it better to set a D* or E* hdstb to 720p or should it be set to 1080i and let the hd72 downcovert to 720p? Most hd channels are different 1080/720p which setting do you guys prefer? Thanks

Is it better to set a D* or E* hdstb to 720p or should it be set to 1080i and let the hd72 downcovert to 720p? Most hd channels are different 1080/720p which setting do you guys prefer? Thanks

Can't speak for E* or D*, but with Verizon Fios and the Motorola QIP6416 I find that the 720P seems to look better as the output resolution. I think if you use the 1080i it takes the 1080i signal, downconverts it to 540P then upconverts it to 720P. You will probably learn what constitutes the least amount of conversion artifacting by visiting the forums appropriate to your general question. I think, if in general one is better than the other, then you may consider that to be the way to go. there are others on this forum who can address this flow of conversion more accurately than I.

Thanks double d. I guess it is a trial and error issue. Some stbs might be better/worse than the hd72 with 1080i signals.

Why can't you use a fixed frame?

I don't have a dedicated theater room, but a good old fashioned "family room" (i.e. the basement)... its layout, size, and ever-changing function make it next to impossible to have a fixed frame... unless I went with a 120" screen that is... but then there's the WAF.

Does it make a difference on the picture quality if the lens is zoomed in or out at a given distance?

For example:
52 X 92 screen

14.6 feet, 1.0 zoom
12.2 feet, 1.2 zoom

I Guess what I'm asking, are there any benefits to placing the PJ at 14.6 or 12.2 feet from the screen to get the 52 X 92 size, other than increasing/decreasing the distance from the floor to the screen?

Is there any negative effects with using the Da-Lite Video Spectra screen with this PJ(already ordered)?

OMG I tried out the HD72 for the first time and out of the box configuration looked flawless. Blacks were black, whites white, and PQ is amazing!!! Just shining it on to a wall in the apt, my jaw dropped. I put it Underworld Evolution and holy crap this thing is WELL worth the money!!!

Yes it is a great projector. Out of the box mine seem pretty well calibrated with VE.

Does it make a difference on the picture quality if the lens is zoomed in or out at a given distance?

For example:
52 X 92 screen

14.6 feet, 1.0 zoom
12.2 feet, 1.2 zoom

I Guess what I'm asking, are there any benefits to placing the PJ at 14.6 or 12.2 feet from the screen to get the 52 X 92 size, other than increasing/decreasing the distance from the floor to the screen?



Put the projector in the middle. That will give you the most adjustment range for the image. I did this with mine and was surprised that the zoom is quite a bit off "center" to get the image the right size. If I would have been right at the outer edges of the range, making it fit the screen might have proved challenging.



Is there any negative effects with using the Da-Lite Video Spectra screen with this PJ(already ordered)?

I'm using this screen, and like it. It's very visible during daylight while using the projector in bright mode, and at night switching to cinema mode reduces the white flare to almost non-existent. If you want a perfect cinema screen it's probably not the one for you (IE black basement) but if you don't have a perfectly light controlled room it does alot to make the image usable during the day.

Funny - I was watching Band of Brothers on DVD using the OPPO I just got. I was impressed with the picture even though it clearly wasn't the best transfer. Then when it was over I switched to Showtime HD which was playing "Walking Tall" and it was like the window was opened. WOW thats a good transfer and the H72 does great work with converting 1080i to 720P

Guys, I've ordered a HD6800 from Costco which is just a HD72 re-badged. I'll be placing it on a low-table in my basement between two couches.

My question is this:

I noticed that the exhaust vent for the 72 is in a port on a left side of the projector, near the rear, shooting warm air out the left. How much ventilation do I need? With the couches set up the way I intend, I'll have maybe 4 or 5 inches of space between the PJ and the couch. Is this ok?

I don't see any guidelines in the manual. I have 7.5 ft. ceilings and it doesn't come with a flush mount (just a regular one) so my best bet is still low-table mounting.

Thanks!!

Sam

That may be okay but if it were me, I'd rig up something like tubing to direct that air away from that tight spacing.

Wayne

How close can the flush mount get tot eh ceiling?

Guys, I've ordered a HD6800 from Costco which is just a HD72 re-badged. I'll be placing it on a low-table in my basement between two couches.

Sam

Hi Sam, does this HD6800 qualify for the Optoma $300 rebate too?

boma :rolleyes:

Hi Sam, does this HD6800 qualify for the Optoma $300 rebate too?

boma :rolleyes:

Nope. It's technically a 6800, not a H72.

Hey guys, is there a screen calculator on AVS for the HD72 like there is for the Infocus IN76....I was reading about it in that thread and I would like an idea of screen height with my setup. If you are curious, the lens will be about 12.5 feet back from the screen, ceiling mounted on a 8 foot ceiling. The lens will be at a height of about 7.5feet.

Guys, I've ordered a HD6800 from Costco which is just a HD72 re-badged. I'll be placing it on a low-table in my basement between two couches.

My question is this:

I noticed that the exhaust vent for the 72 is in a port on a left side of the projector, near the rear, shooting warm air out the left. How much ventilation do I need? With the couches set up the way I intend, I'll have maybe 4 or 5 inches of space between the PJ and the couch. Is this ok?

I don't see any guidelines in the manual. I have 7.5 ft. ceilings and it doesn't come with a flush mount (just a regular one) so my best bet is still low-table mounting.

Thanks!!

Sam

I think you will be ok with 4"-5" of space on the side and open space above the projector. However, I just got an HD72 and am amazed at the amount of heat that this puppy cranks out. It is twice the air volume at a much higher temperature than my NEC HT1100 generates.

The HT1100 had its air exit on the opposite side and it would blow right at the legs of my wife as she sat it her recliner. She loved it because she is always cold. But the HD 72 shoots its air out the left side and hits me in the leg and I found it way too hot. I had to place a barrier in the way to make my seat bearable. I presently have 4" of clearance between the projector and the wood barrier. That piece of wood gets very very hot as the projector blows on it.

Tom

Hey guys, is there a screen calculator on AVS for the HD72 like there is for the Infocus IN76....I was reading about it in that thread and I would like an idea of screen height with my setup. If you are curious, the lens will be about 12.5 feet back from the screen, ceiling mounted on a 8 foot ceiling. The lens will be at a height of about 7.5feet.
both projectorcentral and the optoma sites have calculators, good luck

How close can the flush mount get tot eh ceiling?

A chief mount will put a center lens 6" down from the ceiling.

I was watching Star Wars I and I noticed that when you had bright blue skys and sand it was not a sharp sky nor sharp sand but fuzzy. Is this just a calibration issue? I have since noticed it's on almost parts of screen that are not the large focus of attention. Also when images are still like in dialog and not action there is a clear line that shadows some image like someones hair or other object.

I'm running an HD72 with just factory settings onto a Daylight screen 110" sitting 15' back directly under the projector.

any help clearing up the image,
thanks,
JDV

Since I am planning on purchasing the HD72, I had a lot of questions about the setup in a basement regarding ceiling height and screen size. So I put together an Excel spreadsheet that will provide all the necessary calcs based on your screen size and ceiling height. (I included the Optoma calculator screen for reference).

With a vertical shift of 1.36" per foot of distance, you can automatically calculate top and bottom of screen, and height and width of screen based on diagonal measurement for the throw ratio range.

Here is a screenshot;

http://www3.sympatico.ca/brendan.hennessy/pics/hd72xls.jpg

And here is a link to the spreadsheet. I hope you find it useful.

Download HD72 Setup Spreadsheet (http://www3.sympatico.ca/brendan.hennessy/pics/hd72calc.xls)

Brendan

I was watching Star Wars I and I noticed that when you had bright blue skys and sand it was not a sharp sky nor sharp sand but fuzzy. Is this just a calibration issue? I have since noticed it's on almost parts of screen that are not the large focus of attention. Also when images are still like in dialog and not action there is a clear line that shadows some image like someones hair or other object.

I'm running an HD72 with just factory settings onto a Daylight screen 110" sitting 15' back directly under the projector.

any help clearing up the image,
thanks,
JDV

What you are seeing as the white outlines around objects in the image is edge enhancement put there during the DVD authoring . Hard to eliminate that. Also, get a decent DVD player and HDMI cable and that should help your images.

Since I am planning on purchasing the HD72, I had a lot of questions about the setup in a basement regarding ceiling height and screen size. So I put together an Excel spreadsheet that will provide all the necessary calcs based on your screen size and ceiling height. (I included the Optoma calculator screen for reference).


Thansk! the spreadsheet was useful. I wonder though, can the bottom of the HD72 be mounted closer than 4 inches below the ceiling? If not why? does it have anything to do with proper ventilation?

Thansk! the spreadsheet was useful. I wonder though, can the bottom of the HD72 be mounted closer than 4 inches below the ceiling? If not why? does it have anything to do with proper ventilation?

He got that value by assuming that the optoma flush mount is being used, which places the projector 4" from the ceiling.

He got that value by assuming that the optoma flush mount is being used, which places the projector 4" from the ceiling.


So there is nothing wrong with mounting this PJ directly below the ceiling, lets say about half an inch below it?

i think that optoma recomends a little more than that, not much but the bigger question is how you would get it that close... perhaps some sort of cradle..

I've searched this thread, and I'm about to go over to the HTPC forum and look, but does anyone know whether I should expect my (recent hand-me-down) nVidia GeForce4 Ti 4200 w/AGP8X video card to work with the HD72? It doesn't. I've tried numerous cabling variations (with/without a switch involved, long cable, short cable, dvi-hdmi cable, dvi-dvi, etc.) and it flickers (wildly) no matter what.

Is there a recommended card? Something that won't break the bank? This is for a 2Ghz Pentium 4 w/512MB...

Thanks, in advance. I'm off to check the HTPC forum.

i think that optoma recomends a little more than that, not much but the bigger question is how you would get it that close... perhaps some sort of cradle..

8" per Optoma

Is there a recommended card? Something that won't break the bank? This is for a 2Ghz Pentium 4 w/512MB...

Thanks, in advance. I'm off to check the HTPC forum.

I have an NVidia 6600 series (not the GT) and it works fine. Should be able to get one in the $75 range these days.

-Mike

8" per Optoma
?? I thought it was 10cm (~4")?

I have an NVidia 6600 series (not the GT) and it works fine. Should be able to get one in the $75 range these days.

-Mike
That's great news. Is it directly connected, through a switch, dvi->hdmi, ?

That's great news. Is it directly connected, through a switch, dvi->hdmi, ?

Directly, DVI -> HDMI adapter, HDMI to HDMI cable.

-Mike

What you are seeing as the white outlines around objects in the image is edge enhancement put there during the DVD authoring . Hard to eliminate that. Also, get a decent DVD player and HDMI cable and that should help your images.

I am going HDMI and have a Denon DVD 1730 does that count?

?? I thought it was 10cm (~4")?
i believe you are correct, also the optoma flush mount seems to place it right around 4
' as well...

?? I thought it was 10cm (~4")?

It does state that as a warning when using other mounts, but if you look at the minimums for their mount it states a minimum of 205.5mm, which is 8.05". I should have clarified that point initially.

This is my first post here in ages. :)

I just moved to a new house and found that I can't use my NEC HT1000 because a beam in the ceiling is in the way and the lens shift is too steep. I'm considering the Optoma HD72i as a replacement. The only thing that has bothered me with my NEC HT1000 is that the colorwheel doesn't change speed to suit the refresh rate when used with a HTPC, so I have to run 60Hz with PAL DVD's. Does the Optoma change the colorwheel speed to sync with the refresh rate from a HTPC?

On the upside the acoustics are much better in my new nouse. ;)

He got that value by assuming that the optoma flush mount is being used, which places the projector 4" from the ceiling.


Optoma recommends that a ceiling mount be 4" away for cooling - heat rises and needs to escape. The 2" is the lens center to the bottom of the unit.

You can change it to whatever you like in the spreadsheet.

It does state that as a warning when using other mounts, but if you look at the minimums for their mount it states a minimum of 205.5mm, which is 8.05". I should have clarified that point initially.
Roger that.

The reason that caught my eye is that I fabricated my own mount and did so with the 4" minimum clearance in mind.

I have an NVidia 6600 series (not the GT) and it works fine. Should be able to get one in the $75 range these days.
...
Directly, DVI -> HDMI adapter, HDMI to HDMI cable.

-Mike

Well, I wasn't able to get the nVidia 6600 based video card because Fry's didn't have any, so I tried a 6200 based card and, although it would work, it didn't appear to work reliably. I attributed that unreliability to its cost (final, after discount, rebate, etc. = $30.) I'm now rethinking that assumption based on what came next...

So, I went back to Fry's and moved up to an ATI Radeon X700 Pro ($120 - my knowledgeable sales associate Justin guaranteed it would work.) It works, but if I switch HDMI inputs (at the switch) between Cox Cable and then back to the PC the PJ loses 'sync' with the PC input, and the only way to get it back is to power-cycle the PJ. And, when I say 'loses sync', I mean that it behaves the way the original (nVidia 4200) and replacement (nVidia 6200) cards behaved: You can see the computer's desktop well enough to navigate, but the colors are oscillating wildly. I've tried the 'resync' button on the projector; changing all manner of projector-based settings; restarting the PC; ctrl-alt-f8 (I've seen that elsewhere on the forum... does it actually do anything?); unplugging/replugging cables (all variations); powering off/on the HDMI switch; directly connecting the PC to the projector (with 1- a DVI -> DVI cable, 2- a DVI -> HDMI cable, and 3- a DVI -> HDMI adaptor -> HDMI cable);

As I alluded to above, the nVidia 6200 card might have been doing the same exact thing as the ATI card, but I didn't go through any experiments to completely understand its behavior like I did with the ATI card. I just threw up my hands the first time it lost sync and headed back to Fry's.

So, anyway, its beginning to look like the PC-Video card is not the problem. I don't want to have to cycle the PJ every time I use the PC. What to do?

Hello from Spain

Sorry but my inglish is not ver good

I'm interesting in the optoma H72m but I have one questions

The distance in meters to the projector to the d-lite is 3 m....

Do yo think is a good distance? or short¿¿

How many " can I get??

Thanks

http://www.projectorcentral.com/Optoma-HD72-projection-calculator-pro.htm

Maximum picture diagonal at 3m = 208cm (~82")

I give up: How does one check the firmware revision on an HD72?

p.s. The reason I want to know this is because I'm looking in my manual at the
Setup menu and it shows a 'Signal' selection... My projector doesn't have that
selection. What's up with that?

Thanks Swest

I give up: How does one check the firmware revision on an HD72?

AFAIK, there's nowhere it tells you an actual version. So far, only clues have been spotted, such as the projector orientation icon not working properly in the original firmware.

p.s. The reason I want to know this is because I'm looking in my manual at the
Setup menu and it shows a 'Signal' selection... My projector doesn't have that
selection. What's up with that?

I don't know what 'signal' thingy you mean, but is it perchance something that only appears for certain inputs? I don't have my manual handy... or, come to think of it, I think it may have been "tidied" away. Hmm.

Chris.

Hi,

I just got my HD72 and started watching my first movie (Chronicles of Narnia). I noticed that there are a couple of horizontal scanning lines that streams from the bottom up. It's fairly slow, around 1 scan every 30 seconds.

I also noticed a humming sound comming out of the speakers. The PJ and the receiver are not plugged-in to the same circuit (at least I don't think so).

Has anyone else experienced this!

thanks,
J

Hi,

I just got my HD72 and started watching my first movie (Chronicles of Narnia). I noticed that there are a couple of horizontal scanning lines that streams from the bottom up. It's fairly slow, around 1 scan every 30 seconds.

I also noticed a humming sound comming out of the speakers. The PJ and the receiver are not plugged-in to the same circuit (at least I don't think so).

Has anyone else experienced this!

thanks,
J

Sounds like something is not grounded. Probably your cable/direct tv connection. Disconnect that and see if it makes any difference. If its not that, check the wires to your speakers. good luck..

g

I pulled the trigger on Monday for the Optoma HD72 with a free extra bulb and $300 rebate from an AVS Forum Alliance Member. It arrives Thursday. Guess we'll see how much of an upgrade it is against the InFocus 4805.

I have just received my new HD72i following an upgrade from an H31. I must say I am very happy with the improvements I have seen thus far even with the out of the box settings. These have been primarily in the area of improved brightness, less image noise, no screen door and better blacks. The one area I am battling with at the moment is setting the colours correctly so as to achieve natural colours closer to the D65k level.

I have bought the DVE calibration disc but am still struggling a bit with the colour tests. Would appreciate if anyone can help on this issue maybe with some settings they have found to work well after calibration.

I am running a DVI connection and use the projector primarily for movies. Any help would be much appreciated.

I finally broke down and ordered mine yesterday...should be here on Thursday also. Got it from one of the AVS alliance members after a $300 rebate and free replacement bulb and a really great price...make sure ya ask! Thanks for all the previous threads that helped with my decision. It was kind of a no brainer with me right now with the incentives! :) Chris

I pulled the trigger on Monday for the Optoma HD72 with a free extra bulb and $300 rebate from an AVS Forum Alliance Member. It arrives Thursday. Guess we'll see how much of an upgrade it is against the InFocus 4805.

For the price you paid I think you'll find the difference is staggering especially using a true 1080i source. Simply stunning PQ.

Standard DVD source even using the OPPO H71 is like looking through a dirty window compared to true HD.

Congrats.

Question...has anyone here had experience with the Pioneer 1015 VSX1015Tx with their HD72? I am thinking of getting one, but have heard there is a lip sync issue due to no delay setting on the reciever. Anyone know if the HD72 has this behavior?

I have the Pioneer VSX1015Tx now using an Infocus X1 with no problems. Thanks to your pm I have ordered the HD72 for delivery Friday. After this weekend I can let you know if there is a lip sync delay. This is a great receiver for my needs.

thanks...that would be great if you could let me know...is the receiver all they say it is? And what type speakers do you have with it, and do you love them? lol

Question...has anyone here had experience with the Pioneer 1015 VSX1015Tx with their HD72? I am thinking of getting one, but have heard there is a lip sync issue due to no delay setting on the reciever. Anyone know if the HD72 has this behavior?


I have the HD72 and the Pioneer 1015 and have no lip sync issues. This is my 1st projector purchase and I am very satisfied!

Bob

For the price you paid I think you'll find the difference is staggering especially using a true 1080i source. Simply stunning PQ.

Standard DVD source even using the OPPO H71 is like looking through a dirty window compared to true HD.

Congrats.

MUCHO,

Oui. I hope the difference is staggering too! Over the past year, about 95% of the viewing time on the 4805 is HD material from either my HDTV Comcast STB, movies and shows off my 1.0TB RAID-5 server through my Zensonic Z500 and an HDMI to DVI adapter to the 4805, or my Xbox360 via components.

I told myself early last year if 720p DLP PJ's were less than $2K on the street, I'd upgrade. With the rebate and the free-bulb promotion, I think it was finally time to upgrade and figure out what to do with the 4805 now. I didn't expect 720p DLP PJ's, let alone a DarkChip version, to hit below $2K street within' virtually 12 months. :)

After reading all posts in this thread... I have some HIGH expectations now. :D

Thanks to everyone's help!

Cheers,
Kermee

thanks a lot Bob...I am going to go ahead and get one then...what kind of speakers are you running with it? Chris

...
So, anyway, its beginning to look like the PC-Video card is not the problem. I don't want to have to cycle the PJ every time I use the PC. What to do?
The latest on my little saga is that the nice people at Optoma have been trying to figure out what my unit's problem is, and it's now beginning to look like they will be replacing it.

thanks a lot Bob...I am going to go ahead and get one then...what kind of speakers are you running with it? Chris

Chris,

I have the Harmon Karden HKTS 14 and the sound is great!

You will be very satisfied with the HD72!

Good luck

Bob

Quick question...

I currently have a DaLite 92" PermWall HCCV for my InFocus 4805. It works fairly well. I'm thinking of moving up to a 106" screen and Carada has been mentioned several times. I've been extremely pleased with the DaLite HCCV material and I do have a bit of issue with ambient light during the day with the 4805 and HCCV but still very watchable. Once the sun goes down the image is absolutely gorgeous.

I was wondering if I should stick to the DaLite HCCV or go Carada when I move to 106"? Also, anyone have any recommendations for a vendor that sponsors AVSForum?

Thanks!

EDIT: I just found out Carada is a direct-model. Maybe a good place to order the DaLite 106" HCCV PermWall then?

Quick question...

I currently have a DaLite 92" PermWall HCCV for my InFocus 4805. It works fairly well. I'm thinking of moving up to a 106" screen and Carada has been mentioned several times. I've been extremely pleased with the DaLite HCCV material and I do have a bit of issue with ambient light during the day with the 4805 and HCCV but still very watchable. Once the sun goes down the image is absolutely gorgeous.

I was wondering if I should stick to the DaLite HCCV or go Carada when I move to 106"? Also, anyone have any recommendations for a vendor that sponsors AVSForum?

Thanks!

EDIT: I just found out Carada is a direct-model. Maybe a good place to order the DaLite 106" HCCV PermWall then?

So why bring your question to this thread??? Try taking it to a 4805 thread or a screen thread.

digital_dilemma,

How did your cal go with the Spyder sensor? I've got a Spyder Express on the way...

Mike

digital_dilemma,

How did your cal go with the Spyder sensor? I've got a Spyder Express on the way...

Mike

Can that (Spyder Express) be used with a front projector?

So why bring your question to this thread??? Try taking it to a 4805 thread or a screen thread.

I pulled the trigger on Monday for the Optoma HD72 with a free extra bulb and $300 rebate from an AVS Forum Alliance Member. It arrives Thursday. Guess we'll see how much of an upgrade it is against the InFocus 4805.

I apologize. My Optoma H72 is arriving today to replace the 4805 and was wondering what most people were using with their H72. I'll head over to the Screen section.

Can that (Spyder Express) be used with a front projector?

Yes, it's the same sensor as SpyderTV and SpyderPRO with a very basic SW package. I plan on getting the CalMAN software, so I really just wanted the sensor...

Anyone upgraded from H31 to H72? Is it a worth upgrade? Can the H72 fit in the same ceiling location and screen position as the H31, without any re positioning?

I apologize. My Optoma H72 is arriving today to replace the 4805 and was wondering what most people were using with their H72. I'll head over to the Screen section.

I'm using a Carada BW, but it's a large 120" 2.35:1 screen so I went for slight gain. I would have been OK with matte white or gray most likley. I'm at 375 hours with the HD72 and it's still super bright.

Mike

I'm using a Carada BW, but it's a large 120" 2.35:1 screen so I went for slight gain. I would have been OK with matte white or gray most likley. I'm at 375 hours with the HD72 and it's still super bright.

Mike

Hi Mike,

Excellent. Thank you!

This "Spyder Express" stuff you've been talking about is very interesting. I found the SpyderTV Review (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=572098) and have been going through it. Looks like maybe something I should invest in since I have multiple displays in the home now.

I'm using a Carada BW, but it's a large 120" 2.35:1 screen so I went for slight gain. I would have been OK with matte white or gray most likley. I'm at 375 hours with the HD72 and it's still super bright.

Mike
What lens did you pair with the Optoma for your 2.35:1?

I pulled the trigger on Monday for the Optoma HD72 with a free extra bulb and $300 rebate from an AVS Forum Alliance Member. It arrives Thursday. Guess we'll see how much of an upgrade it is against the InFocus 4805.

Holy SMOKES. I had to move my ceiling mount forward and right about 5" in each direction from where my InFocus 4805 was. After that and a bit of tweaking, I had a GORGEOUS picture without having to move the 92" DaLite HCCV.

WOW. Time to tweak the settings!

digital_dilemma,

How did your cal go with the Spyder sensor? I've got a Spyder Express on the way...

Mike

Have not done it yet. I've only put four hours on it so far. I'm in the process of rebuilding certain portions of the theater room (have young kids so it's going to be a Disney movies theme and we're still getting all the components together and taking our time to make it fun) so everything is down. Ordered new Pure AV cables and power conditioner so I'm waiting on everything to come together first. Patience is a virtue. I've got the SpyderPro. Post your success (or not) using the express version.

I apologize. My Optoma H72 is arriving today to replace the 4805 and was wondering what most people were using with their H72. I'll head over to the Screen section.

no sweat. glad you left the dark side.

I am amazed how bright this PJ is. I can watch TV/Movies with a fairly bright overhead light on with no problem. Obviously I am losing a lot of contrast but its extremely watchable.

What lens did you pair with the Optoma for your 2.35:1?
It's a prismasonic h1200m. About $1200 or so through the DIY specials every now and then on AVS. I couldn't be happier with it either. I just demo'd a Runco 3-chip DLP with their 'cinewide' option (built in ISCO lens) with the same size screen. It was a notch better in quality for sure, but certainly not worth 10x the cost difference ($3200 vs $32k!!) unless you have some seriously deep pockets. And now the HD72 is even cheaper! :eek:

Mike

Have not done it yet. I've only put four hours on it so far. I'm in the process of rebuilding certain portions of the theater room (have young kids so it's going to be a Disney movies theme and we're still getting all the components together and taking our time to make it fun) so everything is down. Ordered new Pure AV cables and power conditioner so I'm waiting on everything to come together first. Patience is a virtue. I've got the SpyderPro. Post your success (or not) using the express version.


Sounds like a cool theater! Just be sure to keep the crayons away from the screen ;)

I'll be calibrating this weekend as long as I can figure out a way to suspend this sensor in front of the projector w/o the tripod mount...

I built a 135" Screen with 1.3 gain material. The HD72 handles this very well with plenty of light to spare and excellent uniformity.

I built a 135" Screen with 1.3 gain material. The HD72 handles this very well with plenty of light to spare and excellent uniformity.

Okay.. so? Why not go to the DIY screen area and tell your story about how you did it, what materials you used, yaddy-yadda?

OK.

Purchased screen material from B_A Deals on Ebay. I've used their screen material before and it works well...no noticable light cone effect with the 1.3 gain. Bought 10' 1.5" poplar from Lowes and built the frame with directions supplied by B_A. Lowes will custom cut the wood for you at no extra cost. Therefore go there with your measurements ahead of time. You'll need 5 x 10' pieces for a 120"-135" diagonal screen (mine is 10' wide by about 52" high for 2.35 aspect ratio for dvds). I also built a second screen which is precisely suited to 1.85 dvd material. I switch between the two screens since I don't want any "bars". Also, I used black felt, obtained at a fabrics store which I stapled to the ENTIRE wall. Total cost for the black felt material, lumber, hardward and screen material was $125.

Hope this is useful to others thinking of doing the same thing.

Hi All,

Just want to say Thank You to all of you, specially the HD72 thread, for enlightning me and giving me all the information I needed to select the right projector - HD72. I just took delivery of this unit a week ago, along with an electric screen, and I couldn't be happier. :)

This is my very first projector and I've never even heard of the Optoma before joining this forum. I went to local shops (in Houston) and no one stocks this unit. Needless to say, I purchased this unit sight unseen.

I hope that someday, I can be enough of an expert to contribute to this forum.

thanks,
Joven

Hi Stiltz...

Your PM box is full so I'll reply to you here in the thread since it's relavant to the HD72.

The upgrade to the HD72 is fantastic. Definitely more contrast and a lot more light is being thrown by the HD72 and the black levels are phenominal. The increased resolution with HDTV content is night-and-day.

The offset is pretty close to the 4805, but two things:

1. Lens is on the opposite side of the machine versus the 4805 (left vs. right).
2. On my 92" screen with the zoom at minimum throw, I had to move the projector up by about 6".

In the end, I had to move my projector about 4" left/right direction and about 6" forward.

I haven't checked SD on it yet as I found the S-Video connector isn't going in all the way on the Optoma (it's an S-Video cabling terminating issue, the 4805 was more forgiving). I'll try to fix that tonight and see what happens. I feed it S-Video from a DISH Network 508 PVR which looked fantastic on the 4805 probably due to the native 480p resolution with the Faroudja doubler.

I still haven't fired up my Xbox360 but my Shuttle HTPC is now running 1:1 1280x720 over DVI to the HD72. 1280x768 is an option too but I have a 16:9 screen and not a 16:10 screen.

It also looks like the HD72 suffers from the "HDMI purple" bug with the Zensonic Z500. Right now I'm running component out of the Z500 to the HD72 until it's fixed.

OK.

Hope this is useful to others thinking of doing the same thing.

Again, this is the HD72 thread. Why don't you repost your experience to the DO IT YOURSELF screen forum where people go to read about DIY screens? :rolleyes:

Again, this is the HD72 thread. Why don't you repost your experience to the DO IT YOURSELF screen forum where people go to read about DIY screens? :rolleyes:

Because while this is the Optoma HD72 thread, questions and comments about screen's being used with the Optoma HD72 are considered relevant. This has been normal for many of the other "Official" and "Unofficial" threads for any particular make and model of projectors in the over and under $3500 USD MSRP forums as long as I've been here.

Many people's decision to buy a projector, especially the ones who are new to front-projection, will always have questions about screens, calculators, etc. While this may add what some people would consider to be "noise" into this thread, I don't find it offensive or off-topic by any means.

Have not done it yet. I've only put four hours on it so far. I'm in the process of rebuilding certain portions of the theater room (have young kids so it's going to be a Disney movies theme and we're still getting all the components together and taking our time to make it fun) so everything is down. Ordered new Pure AV cables and power conditioner so I'm waiting on everything to come together first. Patience is a virtue. I've got the SpyderPro. Post your success (or not) using the express version.

Again, this is the HD72 thread. Why don't you repost your experience to the DO IT YOURSELF screen forum where people go to read about DIY screens? :rolleyes:

Just curious, groth posts a very helpful post on his experience with a screen material that he is using with his HD72 and is somehow considered off topic? Yet, you post about your home theater, cables, and a sensor without even mentioning the HD72 and you consider that on topic? Anyone else see the hypocrisy here?

If anything groth should keep his helpful posts within the thread, and you should look at taking talk of your theater to PMs. They just clutter up the thread.

Groth, thanks for posting your experiences with your screen. It was very helpful and I wish more would do the same.

Groth, thanks for posting your experiences with your screen. It was very helpful and I wish more would do the same.

Absolutely!

On this note, I just hooked up my HD72 to my new Crystalio II and watched the opening few minutes of Las Vegas just now in HD. "Wow" pretty much covers it. :)

Chris.

Hi. I just received my HD72 today. Ordered it from COSTCO in Canada. Having owned an H78DC3 for a few months recently, I found it to bee much too dim, though the contrast was impressive. If the H72 proves to be clearly brighter while still maintaining a good contrast, I will be greatly pleased. I will post my comments as soon as I find the time to try my new toy...

Stef,

I would be very interested in your comparison as I just recently bought the H78 from Costco. So far so good for me. I have a High Power screen which helps with the brightness.

Wayne

Just curious, groth posts a very helpful post on his experience with a screen material that he is using with his HD72 and is somehow considered off topic? Yet, you post about your home theater, cables, and a sensor without even mentioning the HD72 and you consider that on topic? Anyone else see the hypocrisy here?

If anything groth should keep his helpful posts within the thread, and you should look at taking talk of your theater to PMs. They just clutter up the thread.

Groth, thanks for posting your experiences with your screen. It was very helpful and I wish more would do the same.

Another example of not being able to read inflection in someone's email. I think his example is good and should be posted where it can be of most benefit to all. Not everybody reads this thread and for those looking to perform a DIY screen where would you naturally look for info? In the HD72 projector thread? No. You'd look in the projection screen forum. Duh!

As for the info on my HT, I was asked a specific question in the forum, not by PM and I filled in the blanks. My bad. Do you feel better now?

Another example of not being able to read inflection in someone's email. I think his example is good and should be posted where it can be of most benefit to all. Not everybody reads this thread and for those looking to perform a DIY screen where would you naturally look for info? In the HD72 projector thread? No. You'd look in the projection screen forum. Duh!

As for the info on my HT, I was asked a specific question in the forum, not by PM and I filled in the blanks. My bad. Do you feel better now?

If someone asks you a question in a thread, it doesn't stop you from replying in PM. I don't mind off topic posts, but ripping others for doing it when you are in fact doing it yourself is wrong. Using your own example, it's safer to say that someone clicking on this thread would be more interested in hearing about the HD72's performance on a DIY screen that they would like to hear about say... Digital's progress on his home theater and his new sensor. I suppose your ego won't let you see this, but clearly others have. I'll leave it at that.

Please keep comments about your theater to PM, and let this thread be about people's experience with their HD72 and items that directly to relate to it's performance, such as DIY screens. Thanks.

Another example of not being able to read inflection in someone's email. I think his example is good and should be posted where it can be of most benefit to all. Not everybody reads this thread and for those looking to perform a DIY screen where would you naturally look for info? In the HD72 projector thread? No. You'd look in the projection screen forum. Duh!

As for the info on my HT, I was asked a specific question in the forum, not by PM and I filled in the blanks. My bad. Do you feel better now?
that was a very nice apology... yadda-yadda

O.K.. . . .how does the Optoma HD72 DLP Projector compare to the HD71?? Which is the better buy for HifDef football, xbox 360 & DVD viewing. I just started building my roo (Total light control w/ no windows) and I want the best bang for the buck. Seems like the two projectors are the same but the Optoma HD72 DLP Projector is cheeper. I'm new so please help.


-Alan :D

O.K.. . . .how does the Optoma HD72 DLP Projector compare to the HD71?? Which is the better buy for HifDef football, xbox 360 & DVD viewing. I just started building my roo (Total light control w/ no windows) and I want the best bang for the buck. Seems like the two projectors are the same but the Optoma HD72 DLP Projector is cheeper. I'm new so please help.

Alan - the HD71 is a Darkchip 3 projector while the HD72 is a Darkchip 2 projector. That means a couple things. First, in dark scenes the HD71 will be able to reveal more detail. In a light controlled room this difference will be minor. Second, the HD71 will have a slight edge in picture quality overall. Again, minor.

What is a bigger difference for average Joe Blow is the zoom and lens shift capability of the HD71 making it signifigantly easier to place.

If you can make the HD72 work for your room I would personally save the money.

You should also take a look at the Infocus 76 and Mitsubishi 3000 which are also excellent DLP.

You said best bang for the buck - hands down the HD72 wins in this catagory.

the hd7100 has the dc3 and aparently better contrast and shadow detail... it's supposed to be a little louder and has a shorter throw ratio. I think the throw makes it more dificult for some, just as the offset makes the hd72 dificult for others. the 72 is a little brighter from al i've read which might make it better for daytime football. i was really considering the 7100 but fan noise scared me off. i think it would need to be table or shelf mounted ,due to the smaller offset. hope this was helpful,chris

Hi. I just received my HD72 today. Ordered it from COSTCO in Canada. Having owned an H78DC3 for a few months recently, I found it to bee much too dim, though the contrast was impressive. If the H72 proves to be clearly brighter while still maintaining a good contrast, I will be greatly pleased. I will post my comments as soon as I find the time to try my new toy...

Brightness is it's forte compliments of the white segment. It's just good they added brilliant color to keep saturation high. The difference in brightness vs the DC3 is 20.50ftc on the HD72, 15.85ftc on the DC3. So a 33% higher brightness.

The big difference with the HD7100-DC3 is the contrast, I tested 4400.1 vs 2000.1 on the HD72 and 2900.1 on the H79-DC3

Alan - the HD71 is a Darkchip 3 projector while the HD72 is a Darkchip 2 projector. That means a couple things. First, in dark scenes the HD71 will be able to reveal more detail. In a light controlled room this difference will be minor. Second, the HD71 will have a slight edge in picture quality overall. Again, minor.

What is a bigger difference for average Joe Blow is the zoom and lens shift capability of the HD71 making it signifigantly easier to place.

If you can make the HD72 work for your room I would personally save the money.

You should also take a look at the Infocus 76 and Mitsubishi 3000 which are also excellent DLP.

You said best bang for the buck - hands down the HD72 wins in this catagory.



Thank you for your help

Hi. I just received my HD72 today. Ordered it from COSTCO in Canada. Having owned an H78DC3 for a few months recently, I found it to bee much too dim, though the contrast was impressive. If the H72 proves to be clearly brighter while still maintaining a good contrast, I will be greatly pleased. I will post my comments as soon as I find the time to try my new toy...


Which store did you find this in? I looked at their web site and it's not listed there, although there are many other Optoma models.

I have only had my projector a few weeks and it has reset 3 times. I turn it on and all the settings are totally reset to factory settings. Very frustrating. Anyone else have this problem?

Thanks,
JDV

sorry to hear that. this sounds like the old firmware issue that they said they had fixed. read back a couple of months in this thread an you will see.

Here's the HD72 ceiling mounted finally. You can see where the RPA use to be for my InFocus 4805. Luckily I didn't have to move it too much. I'll clean up the cables and holes a bit later.

http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/6872/img2143smwl3.jpg

http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/2241/img2145smrr1.jpg

I have only had my projector a few weeks and it has reset 3 times. I turn it on and all the settings are totally reset to factory settings. Very frustrating. Anyone else have this problem?

Thanks,
JDV

A few people with early models had this problem. You need to get the firmware updated, which unfortunately requires the PJ be sent back to Optoma for service. I would assume all new models would have the latest firmware, you must have gotten really old stock despite buying it only a few weeks ago.

Anyone have their calibrated picture settings (Avia or otherwise) as a starting point? I realize each projector will be slightly different but that would be a great start!

Search for the Review thread by GuitarMan to get some settings.

Here's the HD72 ceiling mounted finally. You can see where the RPA use to be for my InFocus 4805. Luckily I didn't have to move it too much. I'll clean up the cables and holes a bit later.

http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/6872/img2143smwl3.jpg

http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/2241/img2145smrr1.jpg


I'm new the the projector world so please don't laugh. I noticed the wires on back of your projector don't look like nor component wires. what are they and are they better then component cables?

-Alan

I'm new the the projector world so please don't laugh. I noticed the wires on back of your projector don't look like nor component wires. what are they and are they better then component cables?

-Alan

There's DVI, components and S-Video. I was stupid in not running HDMI when the house was built last year but there's a 1 1/2" blue smurf tubing which runs in the ceiling/wall so I'll do a run of HDMI later.

The wires look different because all of them are "bulk" cabling and were manually terminated (Even the DVI cable) after they finished trimming the home.

Cheers,
Kermee

There's DVI, components and S-Video. I was stupid in not running HDMI when the house was built last year but there's a 1 1/2" blue smurf tubing which runs in the ceiling/wall so I'll do a run of HDMI later.

The wires look different because all of them are "bulk" cabling and were manually terminated (Even the DVI cable) after they finished trimming the home.

Cheers,
Kermee

Thanks brother. . . . What cables should I run for my DVD, Xbox360, & Dish network to the projector?


-Alan

Thanks brother. . . . What cables should I run for my DVD, Xbox360, & Dish network to the projector?


-Alan

Hi Alan,

If I had a chance to start from scratch again, I'd probably run two HDMI cables, one set of components and an S-Video cable. HDMI you can always use DVI<->HDMI adapters on the ends since DVI-D is signal compatible over HDMI. Components with the Xbox360 and S-Video with Dish unless you have a HDTV STB in which you can use the remaining HDMI cable.

Cheers,
Kermee

Hi Alan,

If I had a chance to start from scratch again, I'd probably run two HDMI cables, one set of components and an S-Video cable. HDMI you can always use DVI<->HDMI adapters on the ends since DVI-D is signal compatible over HDMI. Components with the Xbox360 and S-Video with Dish unless you have a HDTV STB in which you can use the remaining HDMI cable.

Cheers,
Kermee


Thanks for the help Kermee!!!!!

-alan

kermee -

I am ready to upgrade from my 4805 to either the IN76 or the Optoma 72. Was the upgrade to the optoma worth it? I am very curious if HDTV is better, if DVDs are better, and do you have the HD-DVD player? I need to know before football season starts!!

kermee -

I am ready to upgrade from my 4805 to either the IN76 or the Optoma 72. Was the upgrade to the optoma worth it? I am very curious if HDTV is better, if DVDs are better, and do you have the HD-DVD player? I need to know before football season starts!!

Hi waddisme,

Note that about 95% of my viewing is HD sourced materials. DVD's are only marginally better but HD looks several times better. I have some clips recorded off of FOX 720p during the last season and those were MANY times better on the HD72 than on the 4805. For HD, you can expect a very decent improvement. For SD/480p materials, it won't be as big.

Hope this helps!

Cheers,
Kermee

Why did you choose the 72 over the In76? Seems the logical thing to do, but I hear too many good things about the Optoma.

Why did you choose the 72 over the In76? Seems the logical thing to do, but I hear too many good things about the Optoma.

Offset, price, $300 rebate, and free extra lamp.

Cheers,
Kermee

I think that settles it for me, I am off to get mine!

Good luck finding one with that kind of deal. The free lamp was limited to a few lamps and dealers and the rebate expired yesterday. Don't know what they may or may not offer soon, but with Cedia around the corner they may wait until after then to generate buzz. Wait and see.

Good luck finding one with that kind of deal. The free lamp was limited to a few lamps and dealers and the rebate expired yesterday. Don't know what they may or may not offer soon, but with Cedia around the corner they may wait until after then to generate buzz. Wait and see.


I don't know... My HD72 that I bought two weeks ago is for sale and includes the free bulb and you don't even have to wait for a rebate. PM me if interested.


Tom

Rebate extended through end of august.

Rebate extended through end of august.

Have only looked at the AVS Forum sponsors and none are indicating an extended rebate on their web sites, at least, none yet.

http://www.visualapex.com/LCDprojectors/LCD_projectors_details.asp?chPartNumber=HD72&MFR=Optoma

No offense but you missed one....

$300 Off!!! - Mail-In Rebate Thru 8/31/06

Cool. :) I checked all the sites on the 1st and nobody was showing it. Just saw that PP is now offering it, too. Anybody still offering the free lamp along with the rebate? That was the nail in the coffin for me.

Anybody still offering the free lamp along with the rebate?

Yes, there is.

What brand ceiling mount is everyone using??

I'm using the Chief Manufacturing RPA-U mount. (As an interesting note, they were out of the white I'd ordered, so I wound up taking a silver one, which actually matches the base of the projector).

Because the bottom of the projector that you hang it from is plastic, it flexes a little bit. You want to be able to have a mount that is able to roll side to side to compensate for this which this one does.

You can check out how I used the mount (I flipped the feet to get a lower profile and to be able to use all 4 legs), check out my install page (http://www.fast351.com/ht/ProjectorInstall/).

Pic:

http://www.fast351.com/ht/ProjectorInstall/images/img_1715.jpg

Yes, there is.

What brand ceiling mount is everyone using??

+1 on the RPA-U.

Cheers,
Kermee

So I just bought the costco version, the HD6800, and was pretty ecstatic about it over the past couple days.

But last night I noticed that in completely black screens or even during dark content, there are 2 smudges on the left middle of the screen that looked like, well, two fingerprints. I made sure it wasn't the screen (appears on a wall, too) and made sure it wasn't on the outside of the lens (cleaned the outside of the lens till it was completely spotless).

So now what?

It might be on the inside of the lens. Or some other piece of optic along the path.

Arrrrgggggg. I always get the bad stuff.

Either that or Optoma QC is simply a mess. Just see the GrayWolf thread.

I am not a happy camper. I really don't feel like returning this to costco and waiting another 2 weeks for a new set. The 2 week wait is unbearable.

Do you guys know any way to safely remove the outer lens for cleaning?

Thanks!

Sam

P.S. Posted here and not in the HD6800 thread cause I figured not all the HD72 guys read the other thread.

Interesting.. sounds like someone touched the lens during manufacturing. You could also call Optoma and get them to overnight a new projector to you. They do put a hold on your credit card though.

I finished calibrating my display with the Spyder2 colorimeter and CalMAN software with great results. Using other settings helps (Art's at projectorreviews.com for the HD72 was the closest for me), but using a sensor yields the best results as my settings were unique to any I've seen posted.

The out-of-box settings are way off...more than I expected. Around 8500K color temperature across the grayscale! I'm now at D65 and the picture is accurate, finally. Highly recommended to get the most out of your HD72.

Mike

Mike,

Can someone like myself who only has experience with AVIA do what you did without too much difficulty? Or is it mainly for people who are technically inclined.

Also, how much does it cost for everything you need?

Wayne

Sam,

I feel bad for you. :( I think you have dust blobs. I've had them and you will never be able to watch anything in peace while these nuisances are evident. You'll be searching for them all of the time.

I agree with EEBuckeye and you should contact Optoma and get them to hot swap you out a brand new unit.

Whatever you do, don't try to open up the lens assembly. It'll void your warranty and they can tell if you've monkeyed around.

Also, tell Optoma that you do not wish to be without a projector so you will send this one in to them as soon as the new unit arrives. After all, even a slightly defective projector is better than no projector at all. ;)

Good luck and let us know what transpires.

Wayne

Sam,

I feel bad for you. :( I think you have dust blobs. I've had them and you will never be able to watch anything in peace while these nuisances are evident. You'll be searching for them all of the time.

I agree with EEBuckeye and you should contact Optoma and get them to hot swap you out a brand new unit.

Whatever you do, don't try to open up the lens assembly. It'll void your warranty and they can tell if you've monkeyed around.

Also, tell Optoma that you do not wish to be without a projector so you will send this one in to them as soon as the new unit arrives. After all, even a slightly defective projector is better than no projector at all. ;)

Good luck and let us know what transpires.

Wayne

Thanks for the support, Wayne.

I called Optoma and spoke to Mike this morning and he told me he would hot swap the PJ for me since they have it in stock. He sent me a couple forms to fill out but I noticed that they want the customer to pay for one way shipping. They'll pay for shipping the new PJ to you, but YOU pay to ship the old one back.

I think this is completely unfair. Why should I pay for THEIR mistake in manufacturing? Every single manufacturer I've dealt with whether it be ipods or laptops has paid for return shipping.

I called back to try and speak to him but he was off on lunch. Then I had to run errands so I couldn't try again. I've sent him a polite email asking to see if he can waive the shipping return charges.

If they refuse, I'll have to do it through costco and that is annoying. Another 2 weeks.

I guess I could just buy a new one from costco and wait till it arrives before returning my bum one.

Then I could also get a new screen which hopefully doesn't have a bent case and basically just hand-pick the parts I want.

Optoma design may be world-class, but their QC is anything but.

Sam,

I think that since your projector is so new, you would not be amiss to ask to have the shipping cost waived. All you need is their UPS account number. This is what happened to me last year when I bought the H31. It was only a couple of weeks old when I noticed that it wouldn't sync properly with my HTPC and it also exhibited tearing in the image. They sent me out a brand new one and I sent them the one I bought and they provided their account number and offered to pay shipping both ways. They were very new to Canada at that point and perhaps willing to really go the extra mile.

I've dealt with them several times and have found them to be very helpful. In case you have to send the projector in on your dime, don't use a courier. They're way too expensive. You can just send it to them using Canada Post and be sure to insure it for it's full value. It's just as fast as a courier by the way. It shouldn't cost you more than about $14.00 if I remember correctly. UPS would cost about $90.00. Big difference.

Good luck!

Wayne

Thanks for the support, Wayne.

I called Optoma and spoke to Mike this morning and he told me he would hot swap the PJ for me since they have it in stock. He sent me a couple forms to fill out but I noticed that they want the customer to pay for one way shipping. They'll pay for shipping the new PJ to you, but YOU pay to ship the old one back.

I think this is completely unfair. Why should I pay for THEIR mistake in manufacturing? Every single manufacturer I've dealt with whether it be ipods or laptops has paid for return shipping.

I called back to try and speak to him but he was off on lunch. Then I had to run errands so I couldn't try again. I've sent him a polite email asking to see if he can waive the shipping return charges.

If they refuse, I'll have to do it through costco and that is annoying. Another 2 weeks.

I guess I could just buy a new one from costco and wait till it arrives before returning my bum one.

Then I could also get a new screen which hopefully doesn't have a bent case and basically just hand-pick the parts I want.

Optoma design may be world-class, but their QC is anything but.

Honestly now, they are sending out a projector right away and you slam them? Hmmm? Most all electronics manufacturers require you to be responsible for shipping to them. For example:

This is a quote from the Sharp warranty for their projectors when returned for warranty issues, "The purchaser will be responsible for any removal, reinstallation, transportation and insurance costs incurred."

This is from InFocus: "For Warranty service, the purchaser will be advised to return or deliver the defective Product freight and all fees prepaid, to an InFocus Service Center or to a service facility authorized by InFocus."

There are probably examples on each side of the issue, but I personally think Optoma did you pretty good getting one out to you right away. Just my two cents.

I just got mine today and was able to adapt it to my DIY ceiling mount within 30 minutes. I must say, the colors are sooooo much better than my sharp pgm20x I had. I didn't realize how bad the reds were until I saw this HD72. :) My DIY screen is a little small for the placement, I have it zoomed all the way in and its still about 3-4" too big on each side. Oh-well... I've been wanting to get an electric wall mount anyway. Either that or I'll be building another screen. Its hot outside and the middle of summer, but my lil girl is watching santa vs snowman right now. :) It looks supurb. I'll check back in later.

Mike,

Can someone like myself who only has experience with AVIA do what you did without too much difficulty? Or is it mainly for people who are technically inclined.

Also, how much does it cost for everything you need?

Wayne

Hi Wayne,

It's hard to say as each has their own comfort zone, but I think it's probably better suited to the technically inclined at this stage of development (for CalMAN). That will change as it matures however.

SpyderTV is more user friendly as it walks you through the process much like Avia. You could try SpyderTV first, then get CalMAN if you want a more advanced tool.

Here (http://www.colorvision.com/profis/profis_view.jsp?id=402) is the website with pricing for the sensor and different SW packages. CalMAN is found here (www.calman.tv). The sensor is not as accurate as the ISF calibrators use, but is accurate enough for home use for considerably less.

Of course the easiest option is to get an ISF calibration or mail in calibration (guitarman does this).

Mike

The latest on my little saga is that the nice people at Optoma have been trying to figure out what my unit's problem is, and it's now beginning to look like they will be replacing it.

Got the new HD72 on Monday, and got it back in to service tonight... Same problem. Although, this time we hooked up my son's new laptop (Dell Inspiron with an nVidia-based video card w/DVI out) and as long as we switched between the two of them, there was no problem. But as soon as we switched over to one of the other sources going through the HDMI switch, and then tried to go back to one of the PCs - bam! Bad video.

Given this, it now seems to me that the problem lies in the HD72's automatic changing of the color space from RGB (PC) to yCbCr (DVD player, Scientific Atlanta 8300 DVR) and then back to RGB. When it goes back, things are out of whack...

Has anyone seen this problem? Robert w/Optoma seemed very sure that replacing my 'defective' unit with a new one would solve the problem. It looks like I either got another defective unit, or something else is wrong.

Empirically speaking, since I've now tried this with 4 different video cards, two different computers , 3 different cables, with/without an HDMI switch, HDMI vs. DVI, and now two different HD72s, there really aren't many other variations to explore... What's a PC weenie to do?

Anyone?

Got the new HD72 on Monday, and got it back in to service tonight... Same problem. Although, this time we hooked up my son's new laptop (Dell Inspiron with an nVidia-based video card w/DVI out) and as long as we switched between the two of them, there was no problem. But as soon as we switched over to one of the other sources going through the HDMI switch, and then tried to go back to one of the PCs - bam! Bad video.

Anyone?

When I switch to the PC directly from the component input this happens to me too. If I set my HDMI switch to the Oppo first, then switch the HD72 component to DVI input w/ Oppo, and last set my HDMI switch to the PC it works fine. For some reason switching from YPbPr component to digital RGB on the Oppo always works, but never with the PC. I'd always assume it was something with my video card DVI output.

Never quite sure what causes this, but that was my work around. It's been this way for both of my HD72's (initial and latest firmware).

When I switch to the PC directly from the component input this happens to me too. If I set my HDMI switch to the Oppo first, then switch the HD72 component to DVI input w/ Oppo, and last set my HDMI switch to the PC it works fine. For some reason switching from YPbPr component to digital RGB on the Oppo always works, but never with the PC. I'd always assume it was something with my video card DVI output.

Never quite sure what causes this, but that was my work around. It's been this way for both of my HD72's (initial and latest firmware).

Thank you so much for responding. I felt so ... alone.

All my, non-PC, HDMI devices report a YPbPr colorspace when selected for the projector... Is that something I should (or can) change?

I seem to recall testing some colorspace changes on my 79AVI. No matter what I set it to, however, I don't recall it inducing a change to the colorspace setting on the projector when selecting that input. I'll go back and look at that again.

And, just to be clear, my setup is:




PioElite DV-79AVI -> HDMI cable -> HDMI switch input 1
Scientific Atlanta 8300 -> HDMI cable -> HDMI switch input 2
PC (ATI Radeon x700) -> DVI-HDMI cable -> HDMI switch input 3

HDMI switch -> HDMI cable -> PJ


Although, as I have mentioned, I experience the same problem if I connect the PC directly to the PJ via a DVI-DVI cable...

Hi Wayne,

It's hard to say as each has their own comfort zone, but I think it's probably better suited to the technically inclined at this stage of development (for CalMAN). That will change as it matures however.

SpyderTV is more user friendly as it walks you through the process much like Avia. You could try SpyderTV first, then get CalMAN if you want a more advanced tool.

Here (http://www.colorvision.com/profis/profis_view.jsp?id=402) is the website with pricing for the sensor and different SW packages. CalMAN is found here (www.calman.tv). The sensor is not as accurate as the ISF calibrators use, but is accurate enough for home use for considerably less.

Of course the easiest option is to get an ISF calibration or mail in calibration (guitarman does this).

Mike

Thanks Mike! :)

I'll look into this. Looks very interesting.

Wayne

I just tuned 720p HDTV for a members HD72. Stock grayscale was a little toward blue and light on red. It tuned up real easy. I was able to steady 65k across levels of gray and got a smoother gamma curve.

I forgot how bright the HD72 is, when I first turned it on I had to get my blinders on.

I just got my HD72 yesterday .. and WOW .. moving from 4805 to HD72 ..

I plug it to my Expressvu HD PRV with HDMI .. and the black and color so nice..

SpyderTV is more user friendly as it walks you through the process much like Avia. You could try SpyderTV first, then get CalMAN if you want a more advanced tool.

Here (http://www.colorvision.com/profis/profis_view.jsp?id=402) is the website with pricing for the sensor and different SW packages. CalMAN is found here (www.calman.tv). The sensor is not as accurate as the ISF calibrators use, but is accurate enough for home use for considerably less.


Do either of these perform grayscale calibration? Does it tell you what settings to change for adjustment?

Thanks!

You are making me wet!!! I just ordered mine, will be here Thursday, ordered a HDMI cable from bluejeanscable. Can't wait. Love the 4805, but I think for $1,000, it is a good step up. Anticipation . . . and reading thru this whole thread. Getting it from Guitarmann, who also did the color adj on it, so it should be ready to go.

Do either of these perform grayscale calibration? Does it tell you what settings to change for adjustment?

Thanks!
Hi EEBuckeye,

Yes and yes. Here's (http://www.calman.tv/html/screenshots.html) a good link to review.

The more I use it (calman) the easier it gets and the documentation is very detailed and helpful, but it still isn't hand holding like the Avia disk. To me it's preferable this way as I'm learning a lot more. There's a steeper learning curve but it's a powerful tool that you can use with many sensors and it's constantly undergoing improvements to add features and improve it. The latest is the calibration wizard that recommends what changes to make to each RGB gain and bias after each grayscale pass until you hone in on 6504k across the board (between 30 IRE and 80 IRE at least). I'll post some before and after screenshots in the calibration area when I get a chance.

And really, if your comfortable with Excel spreadsheets AND understand the concepts of grayscale calibration it's a breeze to use.

SpyderTV I believe does the same thing, just more automated and fool proof, but not as fully featured (I think SpyderTV is just grayscale - CalMAN is all this and more).

Mike

SpyderTV I believe does the same thing, just more automated and fool proof, but not as fully featured (I think SpyderTV is just grayscale - CalMAN is all this and more).

Mike

Sounds very promising.. Seems like CalMAN is $100 without the meter. What meter did you choose?
Thanks!

The Spyder2 colorimeter - it comes with the Spyder2Express, SpyderTV or Spyder2Pro packages. It is the same colorimeter for each but the different pricing for those depends on what software comes with it.

I got Spyder2Express for ~$65 which is pretty much just the meter and a very basic SW package. That's the minimum and cheapest way to go if you just want to use the calman SW.

Mike

Smudge! Reading about Coro's smudge made me realize I have a small smudge in the top right part of the projection area.

I tried to clean the lense - nope.

Tried to clean the screan - nope.

Smudge is coming from inside the projector somehow.

Now - the smudge is about 2 inches wide by 4 inches long (on my 92" screen) in the far upper right side. You can only see it if you're looking for it, and you can't see it on 2:35:1 dvd playback which is why I didn't see it until last night because I'm almost exclusively using it for DVD playback.

So - should I try to get Optoma to hot swap it or since its so small and out of the way just live with it.

I'm leaning towards hotswap.

[Edit] - Actually I just checked it out and realized another reason I didn't notice it until now. Most of the time the edges of the picture are slightly out of focus so you don't notice the small smudge.

does anyone else have to reboot their computer to get the HD72 to detect the DVI-D signal after powering the pj off and back on again? I'm asking here because I've not had to do this with any of my past pj's.

??????????????

I'll go back through the thread later this evening because I think this issue has been discussed and might shed some light on this issue with my HD72. I set it up last night (I'm remodeling, so not ready to ceiling install, yet), but was able to set on a small, short table. I was not using Image A.I. and I had the lamp set to the low setting. It was very quiet. But.. about halfway through the movie the projector started getting louder and louder in unequal sound increments, kindof sounding like it was breathing in and out. It seemed like the fan started getting louder then quieter (but not as quiet as it had been) then louder and then quieter. This continued for about 20 minutes then it went back to the quietest setting that it initially was operating at. Is this an issue that needs to be addressed via a firmware update or is it normal operation?

I'll go back through the thread later this evening because I think this issue has been discussed and might shed some light on this issue with my HD72. I set it up last night (I'm remodeling, so not ready to ceiling install, yet), but was able to set on a small, short table. I was not using Image A.I. and I had the lamp set to the low setting. It was very quiet. But.. about halfway through the movie the projector started getting louder and louder in unequal sound increments, kindof sounding like it was breathing in and out. It seemed like the fan started getting louder then quieter (but not as quiet as it had been) then louder and then quieter. This continued for about 20 minutes then it went back to the quietest setting that it initially was operating at. Is this an issue that needs to be addressed via a firmware update or is it normal operation?

Mine stays whisper silent the whole time, on low lamp mode.

I think it depends on the ambient temperature and ambient noise. In my theater room it is typically 85 degrees and the fan, even on low power, is far from being "silent". In AI mode the fan is quite noisy and it does seem to vary in speed. (I could never tolerate the noise from AI mode)

Also for people who have Air Conditioned rooms, the AC makes a din of about 35 to 40 dB. So anything sounds quiet while the AC or forced hot air heat is in operation. But if you have a very quiet room and there is no AC or outside noise, the HD72 can always be heard.



Tom

Wow.. I think the HD72 is silent (even with no external noise). I owned the IN76 which I would consider loud, however, there was a firmware update which supposedly made it less noisy. I doubt it is as quiet as the HD72.

On a side note, my first HD72 was louder than my replacement HD72.

The first one I saw was at a demo with the Optoma rep and I could barely hear it, so this recent development is quite disappointing. I've sent a message to Optoma support regarding the issue.

Today a symbol appeared in the upper right corner of screen while watching a dvd. The symbol is a projector and 1/2?

Anyone know what this means?

Thanks,

Bob

1/2 bulb life left? Check the hours...

1/2 bulb life left? Check the hours...

The projector is only 2 months old with under 200 hrs

Bob

Today a symbol appeared in the upper right corner of screen while watching a dvd. The symbol is a projector and 1/2?

Does this dvd movie have a second angle recorded ?
try to push "angle" buton on the remote of dvd player.

I think this is the correct answer!


Does this dvd movie have a second angle recorded ?
try to push "angle" buton on the remote of dvd player.

If I set my HDMI switch to the Oppo first, then switch the HD72 component to DVI input w/ Oppo, and last set my HDMI switch to the PC it works fine. For some reason switching from YPbPr component to digital RGB on the Oppo always works, but never with the PC. I'd always assume it was something with my video card DVI output...

As your post suggested, I now have a similar, and consistent, workaround for my situation: If my PC video goes bad (because, say, I turn on the Cox Box - SA 8300HD, set my HDMI switch to it and then go back to the PC), then I just turn on my DVD player (no DVD...), set the HDMI switch to it (until the PJ says 'Found 720p') and switch back to the PC. Then all is well.

Thanks!


does anyone else have to reboot their computer to get the HD72 to detect the DVI-D signal after powering the pj off and back on again? I'm asking here because I've not had to do this with any of my past pj's.


The only time I have to reboot my PC is if I bring it up without making sure that the PJ is on and the HDMI switch is set to the PC. Otherwise, it seems like the video card reverts to VGA (I guess... since I unhooked the VGA display after setting up the Digital display settings, so i can't be sure that's what's happening.)

I'll go back through the thread later this evening because I think this issue has been discussed and might shed some light on this issue with my HD72. I set it up last night (I'm remodeling, so not ready to ceiling install, yet), but was able to set on a small, short table. I was not using Image A.I. and I had the lamp set to the low setting. It was very quiet. But.. about halfway through the movie the projector started getting louder and louder in unequal sound increments, kindof sounding like it was breathing in and out. It seemed like the fan started getting louder then quieter (but not as quiet as it had been) then louder and then quieter. This continued for about 20 minutes then it went back to the quietest setting that it initially was operating at. Is this an issue that needs to be addressed via a firmware update or is it normal operation?


The ambient temperature probably got too warm too cool the projector at the quietest setting. I've owned my HD72 since February and it has remained quiet all the time during long usage until some recent heat waves where even my basement got hot. Only then does it do what you describe.

Mike

The ambient temperature probably got too warm too cool the projector at the quietest setting. I've owned my HD72 since February and it has remained quiet all the time during long usage until some recent heat waves where even my basement got hot. Only then does it do what you describe.

Mike

Maybe. We've only had daytime temps of 100 - 107 degrees every day for a month now.

You are making me wet!!! I just ordered mine, will be here Thursday, ordered a HDMI cable from bluejeanscable. Can't wait. Love the 4805, but I think for $1,000, it is a good step up. Anticipation . . . and reading thru this whole thread. Getting it from Guitarmann, who also did the color adj on it, so it should be ready to go.

I did forget how bright the HD72 is, plasma bright. Should be great for Xbox games, Ghost Recon or Oblivion which looks like HD. Or HD Football games, when does the season start?

Does this dvd movie have a second angle recorded ?
try to push "angle" buton on the remote of dvd player.

Thanks - you are correct. Glad it was not bulb!

Bob

Thinking of buying this unit, but I read in several reviews it is prone to video noise. Does the video noise bother people on this thread? Also, I'm coming from a 2000 lumen PJ, and the 700 lumen difference is pretty big I would think, Can the H72 be viewed in ambient light? Thanks, replies would be appreciated.

DLP in general seems to be very susceptible to the macroblocking background noise issue, especially in dark scenes. I've experienced it with DVD and am researching my options in purchasing a DVD player that has a chipset that eliminates this issue.

Probably not just DLP, I'd say any fixed pixel display is succeptible to this. CRTs do a good job of filtering this out because the image is more fuzzy.

I just purchased and received my new HD72 and am extremely impressed. Its brightness and the ability to display blacks is very impressive.

I do have one point of confusion. I have not totally completed my home theatre yet so the only source material I have watched has been with my Neo-Digits HD2085 DVD player connected via HDMI to the HD72. When viewing 16 x 9 material, I am getting two thin "letterbox" bars at the top and bottom of the screen. I know the DLP panel is 1280 x 768 and than the upconverting DVD player is sending a 1280 x 720 signal. Is that the problem?

i.e. The HDMI is digital so the HD72 is centering the image and making the remaining pixels at the top and bottom black?

I am building an HTPC and should be able to test sending a true 1280 x 768 image from the PC to the projector to see if that fixes it.

I assume that you were watching movies, not HDTV material. Films are usually either 1.85:1 or 2.35:1 aspect ratios, where 16x9 is actually 1.78:1, so it's normal to see small black stripes on the top and bottom when watching 1.85, and larger ones when watching 2.35. This doesn't have anything to do with the fact that the DMD is actually 1280x768 vs 1280x720, the pj automatically compensates for this when receiving a 720p signal ( 1280x720 ) signal by turning the extra 48 rows of pixels off.

Hope this helps,

Jonathan

DLP in general seems to be very susceptible to the macroblocking background noise issue, especially in dark scenes. I've experienced it with DVD and am researching my options in purchasing a DVD player that has a chipset that eliminates this issue.

I have the Sharp 10 XR and will be getting the HD72. The Sahrp has very little video noise. As i said, I've read the HD72 is really prone to video noise. Is this the case for people who own one? The video nosie issue would be a deal breaker for me. (I'll use it for TWC HD and my HD DVD player)

Films are usually either 1.85:1 or 2.35:1 aspect ratios, where 16x9 is actually 1.78:1

Thanks jrwhite for your reply. I thought the same thing so I tried some television series DVDs that I have like Alias, Lost, and 24 and I am still seeing the thin black bars. I believe all of these were 1.78. I am also getting a second HD DVR (HR10-250) in about a week so I will be able test with true HD material.

Also, I am pairing the HD72 with an anamorphic Prismasonic H600 lens and when I use the letter box function, I am still getting the thin black bars when it stretches the image which means I get little thin black bars when I do the horizontal expansion with the lens. (...which I was hoping to totally eliminate with 2.35 anamorphic lens :)

Hopefully this is being caused by Neo-Digits player.

Thanks jrwhite for your reply. I thought the same thing so I tried some television series DVDs that I have like Alias, Lost, and 24 and I am still seeing the thin black bars. I believe all of these were 1.78. I am also getting a second HD DVR (HR10-250) in about a week so I will be able test with true HD material.

Also, I am pairing the HD72 with an anamorphic Prismasonic H600 lens and when I use the letter box function, I am still getting the thin black bars when it stretches the image which means I get little thin black bars when I do the horizontal expansion with the lens. (...which I was hoping to totally eliminate with 2.35 anamorphic lens :)

Hopefully this is being caused by Neo-Digits player.

Are you in 16:9 mode or 15:9 mode?

Thanks jrwhite for your reply. I thought the same thing so I tried some television series DVDs that I have like Alias, Lost, and 24 and I am still seeing the thin black bars. I believe all of these were 1.78. I am also getting a second HD DVR (HR10-250) in about a week so I will be able test with true HD material.

Also, I am pairing the HD72 with an anamorphic Prismasonic H600 lens and when I use the letter box function, I am still getting the thin black bars when it stretches the image which means I get little thin black bars when I do the horizontal expansion with the lens. (...which I was hoping to totally eliminate with 2.35 anamorphic lens :)

Hopefully this is being caused by Neo-Digits player.

The HD72 is a 16:10 native projector (1280x768 instead of the typical 1280x720). When in 16:9 mode (default), there are 48 pixels not used which appear as thin black bars top and bottom. This is typically absorbed by screen border masking, and can also be use to digitally 'shift' the image up or down +/-24 pixels (typically +/- 1.5 inches for 100" screen) which helps with installation.

The HD72 is a 16:10 native projector (1280x768 instead of the typical 1280x720). When in 16:9 mode (default), there are 48 pixels not used which appear as thin black bars top and bottom. This is typically absorbed by screen border masking, and can also be use to digitally 'shift' the image up or down +/-24 pixels (typically +/- 1.5 inches for 100" screen) which helps with installation.



Ahhh-haaa. I do remember seeing 16:10 under one of the setup menus. I am hoping that means changing the menu from 16:9 to 16:10 mode will get rid of the black bars. However, I see how you can use these 48 pixes to help in masking. I actually have a slight curve on the bottom of the screen when I use the anamorphic lens for 2.35 material so I could even use these extra pixels to my advantage when framing my DIY screen.

Thanks Uatatoka. I did not realize that this is how a native 16:10 projector would behave.