I think I may have something wrong with my HD72. Twice now it has done a full reset by itself. Both times I powered it down when it was working perfectly fine, and then when I turned it on again the next day all the settings were reset back to default. I thought that maybe it was because of a temporary power outage so I tried unplugging the power to the HD72 (when the bulb was cool of course) and when I powered it back up all the settings were still fine. So, I've confirmed that it's not because of a temporary power loss. Any other ideas or should I call Optoma? Their tech support is not great so I figured I may get more help from you guys. It's not the end of the world, but it's annoying to have to re-enter all my settings, and the lamp hours indicator gets reset too so I don't know how many hours are on the bulb now, other than estimating based on the last time I checked.

You're not alone, mine has reset about 4 times. I put in a call with the engineer but he's going to Taiwan this week. I'm supposed to mention any bugs I see. Maybe they'll read this info here. One other thing is how the overscan works, it's seems not to blow up the image, it's more like cropping the image. I wanted his take on this. Couldnt find anything else.

You're not alone, mine has reset about 4 times. I put in a call with the engineer but he's going to Taiwan this week. I'm supposed to mention any bugs I see. Maybe they'll read this info here. One other thing is how the overscan works, it's seems not to blow up the image, it's more like cropping the image. I wanted his take on this. Couldnt find anything else.
Mine's up to 3 times now that it's done a full reset for no apparent reason. Tom, do you know if the HD72 could be updated by us if new firmware is released that fixes this, or would we have to send it back to Optoma?

Put me down for another weird reset (my lamp life even went back to zero from about 280). But, not all settings went away. RGB/Gain/Bias stayed. But things like Ceiling mount, menu location, image shift, etc. was reset.

I have an idea - let's make this fun! First one to 10 random resets wins! :)

I'll see if they'll do hot swaps since the PJ was just issued. Hot swap means they'll immediately send out a new one. They hold a credit card as deposit, once you receive the new one you send the old one back. After they receive it they'll credit the card, I'll try for return ship fee's also.

Art...... Tom....... or TzungLIn.......

Do I understand it correctly that the HD72 only remembers one set of settings for each input?

So there is no memory 1, memory 2, memory 3.... type buttons or saves?

That sort of shoots a few holes in my desire to only run a single HDMI cable to the projector... :-(

I was hoping to have a receiver with HDMI switching (or someday an outboard scaler) and only run a single cable to the projector...., but if I am using the receiver or scaler to transcode/convert/whatever the component from the x-box, dvi from my Oppo, & HDMI from the HD-Tivo..... then I wind up with just one set of brightness/contrast/rgb gains etc... !!

Do I understand this correctly?

I understand the HD72 does have two digital as well as an analog component in, but it sounds like the whole single cable concept ain't going to work to well unless I have missed something.........

The resetting of settings doesn't sound good, guys :( I can imagine it'll be something and nothing and can be sorted easily enough, however.

Sorry - I meant to measure it when you originally posted but I blanked. The diameter of the outer lens "housing", which is also the focus ring, is 3 1/8" in diameter. The lens itself is about 1 5/16" in diameter, although it's harder to measure since it's recessed into the projector a bit. Is that what you needed?Thanks myapplebuddy. Sounds like a 77mm would fit snuggly around the outside with just a bit of bluetack to keep it in place :)

Stef

check out Art's review of the HD72 on www.projectorreviews.com he has comparisons to both the BenQ 7700 and the HS-51a (not the 60 though... I do not think the 60 was ever brought to the US... at least not officially).


Thanks for your attention. But I have re-read Art's reviews after seeing your reply and his opinion about black levels and shadow details, versus HD2+ machines, remains unclear to me. Art says that the HD72 shadow details do not match those seen on more expensive DLPs...that black level is very good for its price range...that the blacks are a bit brown versus neutral with sony....

But what about how black levels and shadow details compare to the older HD2+ machines, PE7700 and the likes. Does the HD72 and its new chip yield better results there? That's what I'm trying to find out...

Hi CTR,


If it is still too bright then look at getting a ND filter or gray screen.

Regards,
Mike

...a bigger image. Who would have thought we would ever be bitch'in about our HT projectors being TOO bright?
You know you always wanted a 120 to 130" image. Now you can have it. And, stop bellyaching.

Thanks for your attention. But I have re-read Art's reviews after seeing your reply and his opinion about black levels and shadow details, versus HD2+ machines, remains unclear to me. Art says that the HD72 shadow details do not match those seen on more expensive DLPs...that black level is very good for its price range...that the blacks are a bit brown versus neutral with sony....

But what about how black levels and shadow details compare to the older HD2+ machines, PE7700 and the likes. Does the HD72 and its new chip yield better results there? That's what I'm trying to find out...

Black level compares but you have to be on top of the exact point where the brightness/black setting should be. Just one number too high above dithering point can spoil the blacks. Once right the blacks and detail (lack of haze) are dimminshed.

I'm looking at DVD/720 over DVI from a Pany S97, the Pany is set to video brightness level which is called Normal. Enchanced is PC brightness so you know. Oppo users setting their machine to brightness -3 are also at video brightness level.

What I get for the Cinema setting is -

Contrast 30
Brightness -23
Color 0
Tint 0
Sharpness -10

Advanced Film gamma
Brilliant Color 3
TrueVivid 0
Color Temp 1
AI off

RGB/gain/bias
R contrast 8
G contrast 6
B contrast 2
R bias -12
G bias -13
B bias -10

See if these help anybody.

Just thought I'd point out one thing you might be overlooking with the S97, Tom. You'll need to set it's own brightness to +1 and contrast to -1 to see above white and below black on the full video scale. It's been pointed out in the Panny's own thread in the DVD players section as well as by Kris Deering who does the Secrets... reviews. Thing is, DVE will show you that but Avia won't...

Contrast at +30 on the HD72, though? That's...high.

Contrast at +30 on the HD72, though? That's...high.

Tom has a gray screen. Settings will vary according to your screen type and size.

I also have the HD72 ceiling mounted + graywolf combo. I had to turn up the contrast to get correct white levels with the gray screen compared to my matte white screen.

Tom has a gray screen. Settings will vary according to your screen type and size.

I also have the HD72 ceiling mounted + graywolf combo. I had to turn up the contrast to get correct white levels with the gray screen compared to my matte white screen.Thanks Uatatoka, good point. As much as we appreciate a little basis to go on, that's the thing with posting settings however. They can vary wildly from one person to the next based on sceen type, wall colour/shade in viewing room, ambient light etc. I'll be using matt white at only 80" diagonal, so an ND2 filter will be partnering mine. So, obviously my settings will be massively diffferent from anyone's, at least of those yet posted...

After reading about the H79 bulb problems I wonder what this means for the current crop of Optoma projectors. Is the HD72 going to have decent bulb life or will we face the horror stories from the other thread? Sure hope not! Also I would like for some of you with this projector to comment on the reset problem, is this constantly occuring, can it be fixed via firmware, or is it a flaw in the projector? I am on the cusp of buying this projector, and before I pull the trigger, I want to make sure this is not going to be a terminal issue.

Guitarman I read in the other thread that you measured the brightness loss of the bulb, what are your current numbers?

I currently have an X1 at 2100 hours and going strong. I love the HD72 from what Ive read, but my biggest concern is bulb-life. If anyone can retort it would be greatly appreciated.

After reading about the H79 bulb problems I wonder what this means for the current crop of Optoma projectors. Is the HD72 going to have decent bulb life or will we face the horror stories from the other thread? Sure hope not! Also I would like for some of you with this projector to comment on the reset problem, is this constantly occuring, can it be fixed via firmware, or is it a flaw in the projector? I am on the cusp of buying this projector, and before I pull the trigger, I want to make sure this is not going to be a terminal issue.

Guitarman I read in the other thread that you measured the brightness loss of the bulb, what are your current numbers?

I currently have an X1 at 2100 hours and going strong. I love the HD72 from what Ive read, but my biggest concern is bulb-life. If anyone can retort it would be greatly appreciated.To be fair, the issue is isolated to the H79 only, and to a few H79 users at that. The H77, H31, H27 and Movie Time have shown no common lamp longevity problems whatsoever.

To be fair, the issue is isolated to the H79 only, and to a few H79 users at that. The H77, H31, H27 and Movie Time have shown no common lamp longevity problems whatsoever.

Not true. The H78DC3 also shares the same problem. But, that's basically the same thing, just not hand picked parts.

There is nothing in common between the H78/H79 and HD72 lamp and lamp cooling designs. The HD72 will not be affected by *that* bulb life issue.

It's a calculated risk however. There's no guarantee that the HD72 won't have any lamp issues of it's own. You'll have to wait a year or two to get 100% assurance, but by that time you'll be looking at the next best projector.

I have not had any lamp issues in my < 2 weeks of ownership if that helps...:)

There is nothing in common between the H78/H79 and HD72 lamp and lamp cooling designs. The HD72 will not be affected by *that* bulb life issue.

It's a calculated risk however. There's no guarantee that the HD72 won't have any lamp issues of it's own. You'll have to wait a year or two to get 100% assurance, but by that time you'll be looking at the next best projector.

I have not had any lamp issues in my < 2 weeks of ownership if that helps...:)

Here is Guitarman's quote from another thread about HD2 bulb:


The HD72 measures 20.45ftc when brand new. I tested it this morning at 100hrs and it measured 17.25ftc. Lumens for these numbers are about 850 vs 750 so it dropped 100lumens in 100hrs. I understand at more mid point hour level the brightness drops at a slower rate. But I'd expect the HD72 to be under 500lumens at 600hrs. These are bright mode measurments, knock off 200lumens when using econo.


Mike, did you have any reset issues with HD72 as reported by other owners ?

Thanks, Davie.

Not true. The H78DC3 also shares the same problem. But, that's basically the same thing, just not hand picked parts.Well, I personally believe the H79 and H78DC3 are essentially, if not exactly, the same machine. Optoma will even admit it one day ;)

Mike, did you have any reset issues with HD72 as reported by other owners ?
Thanks, Davie.

Davie,

I'm not Mike but I can chime in on this....

So far I haven't had any reset issues....

However I finally mounted by PJ on the ceiling and it's all dialed in now. (just waiting on some 25ft cables I ordered to finish the install off)

Point is I only have about 6hrs on the lamp right now with no resets in sights, hopefully that stays true...

Mike, did you have any reset issues with HD72 as reported by other owners ?

Thanks, Davie.

Hi Davie,

I've not had any reset issues with my projector. I can't imagine I have a newer firmware version so it wouldn't surprise me if it does occur. I'll chime in if it does.

Mike

Another question I have is regarding the DMD chip. So if I understand it correctly the HD72 will basically be like the X1 in that it will be operating in 16:9 with lightspill on the top and bottom. That kinda sucks, basically the biggest thing I wanted to accomplish was having no lightspill or loss of light output and having a true 16:9 chip. I may be overamping so please ignore my ignorance if I am incorrect about this. Can anyone help clarify this for me, as much as I have read the more I am confused. What is the difference between, X1-16:9,4:3 and HD72-16:9,16:10.

To explain the 4:3, 16:9/10 light overspill, I'll use my setup as an example (I had an x1, z4 and now a hd72 is coming this week). The x1 is 800x600 native which is 4:3. So if you display a 16:9 picture, it only uses 800x450 pixels. With my 92"x52" screen, there was 8.7" of light overspill top and bottom.

with the x1 :
450pixels in 16:9 mode/ 52inches of screen = 8.654 pixels per inch on my screen

600pixels total-450pixels in 16:9=150pixels overspilled or 75 pixels top and bottom

75pixels overspilled / 8.654 pixels per inch = 8.7 inches of light overspill top and bottom

with the hd72
720 pixels in 16:9 mode/ 52 inches of screen = 13.85 pixels per inch on my screen

768pixels total- 720pixels in 16:9= 48 pixels overspilled or 24 pixels top and bottom

24 pixels overspilled / 13.83 pixels per inch = 1.73 inches of overspill

my screen has a 2" black border, so all of the overspill will be inside the border and shouldn't be a problem.

Thanks, from what I read it kinda sounded like a 4:3 chip just using the 16:9 area that is what confounded me. So basically hardly any lightspill.

I had a reset occur on my HD72 over-night last night. I had about 200 hours on the lamp, and when I turned it on this morning all my settings returned to default, inluding the lamp timer. Hopefullly, Tom can give us an update on a solution as soon as his rep gets back.

TzungILin,

Any word from the Optoma engineers on a firmware update for the resets? This seems to be common from most of the early owners...I feel like mine must be on the brink for it's first one.

This is fairly serious considering how much time we take to calibrate each input. Resetting the lamp hours is also bad.

Best regards,
Mike

Just thought I'd point out one thing you might be overlooking with the S97, Tom. You'll need to set it's own brightness to +1 and contrast to -1 to see above white and below black on the full video scale. It's been pointed out in the Panny's own thread in the DVD players section as well as by Kris Deering who does the Secrets... reviews. Thing is, DVE will show you that but Avia won't...

Contrast at +30 on the HD72, though? That's...high.

Thanks, but I've had no problem with crushing blacks or whites and when using video/normal or PC/enhanced. That's using the Accupel, Sound & Vision, DVE & Avia. I prefer not to use a players control if I can avoid it. I wonder what secrets guys were getting at? Because if you can see the moving bars and set correct that's all you need. Whether you mess with players controls or get there with the displays controls.

Well guys, I 'll be gone on vacation for a few weeks so I won't be posting. Maybe by the time I'm back we'll have a solution to the random resets problem. I wonder who's ahead in the race to 10 resets - I'm up to 5 now! Everything is more enjoyable when you make it into a game. :p

TzungILin,

Any word from the Optoma engineers on a firmware update for the resets? This seems to be common from most of the early owners...I feel like mine must be on the brink for it's first one.

This is fairly serious considering how much time we take to calibrate each input. Resetting the lamp hours is also bad.

Best regards,
Mike
I have my settings memorized so I can get my HD72 back to calibrated within a minute or so after a reset. It's obviously something that will need to be remedied, but at the same time it doesn't actually affect the projector's performance either, as long as you wrote down your settings after calibrating it. It's more of an annoyance. In a way I think we're lucky that such a "minor" problem is the only one that's come up so far. I hope Optoma will do a "hot swap" as Tom mentioned so that we don't have to be without our precious HD72's for any length of time.

They definetly do that within the first month of ownership, maybe they'll stretch it further also. I'll talk to the product mgr this week. The HD72 starts looking better after 100hrs or more. Really 850lumens for HT is kind of high. :)

[QUOTE=HiHoStevo]Art...... Tom....... or TzungLIn.......

Do I understand it correctly that the HD72 only remembers one set of settings for each input?

So there is no memory 1, memory 2, memory 3.... type buttons or saves? 〔/QUOTE]

Hi HiHoStevo

According I know each image mode(Cinema,Bright ,TV,sRGB,User) can save and own different setting space for different video timing .
Eample
(1)analoge 480P signal have different setting space from digital 480P(include DVI-I).
(2) analoge 480p have different setting space from analoge 720P.
........etc use different space to save by image mode and I/O and timing

Beside (1) HDMI and DVI-D
use different space for save by Image mode and timing (don't by I/O between HDMI and DVI)
(2) all analoge RGB (computer ) use different space by image mode only .
(3) all digital RGB (computer ) use different space by image mode only .

Hi myapplebuddy,bluesboyjr .....

I found same reset issue when I press the power off tiwce .
But turn off the main power switch (or unplug the power code ) directly---> no waiting cooling process is finished .
Then it will happen , if I had waited 5 ~ 10 sec at last or waited the cooling process is finish ,this issue don't be found .
Could I ask : Do you happen in same condition or you get an electric power cut suddenly ?

Hi myapplebuddy,bluesboyjr .....

I found same reset issue when I press the power off tiwce .
But turn off the main power switch (or unplug the power code ) directly---> no waiting cooling process is finished .
Then it will happen , if I had waited 5 ~ 10 sec at last or waited the cooling process is finish ,this issue don't be found .
Could I ask : Do you happen in same condition or you get an electric power cut suddenly ?

I have always turned the projector off in the same manner, by hitting the power button on the remote twice. This is not a power loss issue, because none of my clocks or electronics in the house had to be reset, and if I remember correctly, someone tested their HD72 by unplugging it, and it remembered all the settings.

I have always turned the projector off in the same manner, by hitting the power button on the remote twice. This is not a power loss issue, because none of my clocks or electronics in the house had to be reset, and if I remember correctly, someone tested their HD72 by unplugging it, and it remembered all the settings.
It was me that tested it. I have unplugged the power to the HD72 to see if when I turned it back on it would be reset. It wasn't. The HD72 keeps the settings stored without power, so it's definitely a bug we're dealing with. 4 different "early adaptors" of the HD72 are experiencing the same thing so logic would tell you that it's certainly a glitch. OK, so this is definitely my last post for a few weeks. Tom, see if Optoma will extend the hot swap through the end of March so I can still get mine switched out when I return! :)

Is it possible to update the HD72's firmware via the usb port, like some other manufacturers do? I'll be getting mine tomorrow and I'd hate to be sending it back already.

I'll talk to the product mgr this week.


Thanks Tom,

I imagine it might take some time to fix this one given it's infrequency, but it would be good to know any status or progress. Luckily it's just an inconvenience more than a showstopper until it gets fixed.

On another note, my anamorphic lens is on the way for an ultra wide 2.35:1 screen and constant height setup. The HD72 does all the vertical scaling for this without the need for an external scaler. This saved me big bucks and certainly gives the HD72 a leg up on the Mits HC3000. I'll post a couple screen shots after I'm done. :)

Mike

Hi, I've been researching and getting ready to buy my first front projector. I've about got it down to the HD72, but man these things seem hard to find.

Has anyone seen it compared to the Mitsu HC3000? The 3000 is on sale at Best Buy right now, much easier to find. Both are Darkchip-2 DLP's, but I can't seem to find anything about comparing the two.

Thanks!
-Boomer

[QUOTE=soliogundam][QUOTE=HiHoStevo]Art...... Tom....... or TzungLIn.......

Do I understand it correctly that the HD72 only remembers one set of settings for each input?

So there is no memory 1, memory 2, memory 3.... type buttons or saves? 〔/QUOTE]

Hi HiHoStevo

According I know each image mode(Cinema,Bright ,TV,sRGB,User) can save and own different setting space for different video timing .
Eample
(1)analoge 480P signal have different setting space from digital 480P(include DVI-I).
(2) analoge 480p have different setting space from analoge 720P.
........etc use different space to save by image mode and I/O and timing

Beside (1) HDMI and DVI-D
use different space for save by Image mode and timing (don't by I/O between HDMI and DVI)
(2) all analoge RGB (computer ) use different space by image mode only .
(3) all digital RGB (computer ) use different space by image mode only .

QUOTE]

Okay........ thank you for this explanation... If I understand your explanation correctly.......

In my situation where I want to send my x-box, dvd, HD-Tivo & HTPC signals over a single HDMI cable... then I would calibrate each seperate source to a different image mode?? So X-box=Bright, HD-Tivo = TV for SDTV and User for HDTV, HTPC = sRGB, & DVD = Cinema???

Is this what you had in mind?

Hi there. The HD72i will be on sale in the UK from the end of this week so I am looking at getting one. The question is, however, will it suit my HC room? Maths was never my strong point (to put it mildly!) though so I'm wondering if someone can help me with calculations. I have a 90" diagonal fixed screen which at the top is 9" from my 89" high ceiling and at the bottom is 36" from the floor. I currently have my PJ sitting on a TV shelf at the back of the room. There is some play here (give or take a couple of inches either way) but I guess I am looking to project from 12'. The shelf is currently 56.5" from the floor. So will the HD72i work for me?

Thanks for your help.

Jules

Jules,

I don't think shelf mounting the projector is going to work.

If however you were able to ceiling mount, your setup would go something like this... projecting 12' from a ceiling mount with the lens about 6" from the ceiling would give a total offset of 6"+16.45" = 22.45". This means your 90" diagonal screen would have to be mounted 22.45" from the ceiling. This would then mean the bottom of your screen, (which has a 44" high) would be 22.55" from the floor. While this is a little lower than the ideal, it may be acceptable.

So if you can ceiling mount and drop your fixed screen to 22.45" this may work. Hopefully others will chime in if my math is off (I'm also a little math challenged :)

Good luck.

Thanks very much for the calculations Derek - though I am hoping that there's a glitch in your math! Unfortunately I can't drop the screen as it's nailed into the wall - DIY job (a very nice DIY job though!). I really don't fancy pulling it all apart. What were Optoma thinking with such an offset?

Jules

Thanks very much for the calculations Derek - though I am hoping that there's a glitch in your math! Unfortunately I can't drop the screen as it's nailed into the wall - DIY job (a very nice DIY job though!). I really don't fancy pulling it all apart. What were Optoma thinking with such an offset?

Jules

Jules, there is a little glitch, but it's not going to help you much. Offset value for your screen at 12 feet (1.0 zoom) is going to be 14" (44" * 0.32). With PJ mounted 6" from ceiling top of your screen will be 20".

I am afraid HD72 is not going to work for your screen location -- this PJ is better suited for installations with flexible screen placement and high ceilings. I would suggest you look at PJ with flexible lens shift (h78DC3) or zero offset.

HTH, Davie.

Noooooo! I feel like Gollum watching his precious ring falling into the abyss! Thanks for the math update. BTW, what is the optimal height of a screen? One dealer I spoke to a few months ago told me that the bottom of the screen should be about knee height when the viewer is seated. Is that right? If it is then 20" down from the ceiling would be about right.

Noooooo! I feel like Gollum watching his precious ring falling into the abyss! Thanks for the math update. BTW, what is the optimal height of a screen? I dealer I spoke to months ago told me that the bottom of the screen should be about knee height when the viewer is seated. Is that right? If it is then 20" down from the ceiling would be about right.

Wow, "knee rule" is funny, what of you lie down, does the "rule" still apply ? :D

Let me try to save this precious ring.
The "rule" we go by is: eyes 33% from the bottom of the screen, which will be pretty good for your screen size (again depends how high you seat). I will use average eye level of 45" (we do like our recliners !). Bottom of you screen will be 25" from the floor, 33% of your screen will be about 40" from the floor.

So, depending on your eye level, you might be in very good shape :).

Another thing to remember is not to go by the "rule". Nobody knows where it came from -- it's nice to have it as a guideline, but the final judge of how to mount your screen is you.

HTH, Davie.

So basically, if I lower my screen somehow then I should be in business with this PJ and achieve a better viewing experience as well? I must admit that it is too high right now and I have to crank my neck a little to see the top of the screen. It may be that I'm just gonna have to bite the bullet and move the screen.

So basically, if I lower my screen somehow then I should be in business with this PJ and achieve a better viewing experience as well? I must admit that it is too high right now and I have to crank my neck a little to see the top of the screen. It may be that I'm just gonna have to bite the bullet and move the screen.


Jules, the HD72 will definitely work for you if you are willing to move your 90" screen down a little. It'll save your neck and the picture is worth the effort. It only starts to become an issue when you want a larger (110"+) screen with low ceilings and the image starts getting too close to the floor.

I have a 94" screen and 90" ceilings which is similar to yours. My screen is 20" down from the ceiling and 29" from the floor which is perfect position as my eyes fall within the bottom 1/3 of the screen. This is the same location I had it with my older LCD projector and variable lens shift.

Mike

Just did a quick check and it seems that my eyelevel is approx 43" from the floor which I think puts me in even better shape at the screen height that the HD72 will dictate :) ! Catches ring, clasps it to chest! My Precious! Now all I have to think about it moving the darned screen - which is easier said than done! Could this be my Mount Doom?

Jules

Just did a quick check and it seems that my eyelevel is approx 43" from the floor which I think puts me in even better shape at the screen height that the HD72 will dictate :) ! Catches ring, clasps it to chest! My Precious! Now all I have to think about it moving the darned screen - which is easier said than done! Could this be my Mount Doom?

Jules

Get PJ first then move the screen -- or get Optoma Graywolf 106" -- it is very affordable and appears to be a good match for HD72.

In my situation where I want to send my x-box, dvd, HD-Tivo & HTPC signals over a single HDMI cable... then I would calibrate each seperate source to a different image mode?? So X-box=Bright, HD-Tivo = TV for SDTV and User for HDTV, HTPC = sRGB, & DVD = Cinema???

Is this what you had in mind?
Dear HiHostevo
You are correct a part ,
Could I guess what kind of signal you send via HDMI for HD72 :
If your HTPC use 1280 x 768 RGB signal .
XBOX use 720p
DVD use 720p
HD -Tivo use analoge RGB (or 720p ?)
Then HD-Tivo have different image mode memeory form HTPC and 720P (XBOX and DVD).
ABout XBOX and DVD share same image mode meremory space : Cinema Bright,TV,sRGB and User
Maybe you can use Cinema mode to adjust for DVD and use Bright ,sRGB ,TV or User to adjsut for your XBOX .
Hope you can understand what I mean .


Dear bluesboyjr

Could I double check how many seconds that you waiting after press power tiwce ?
Do you leave 10 seconds at last then turn the main power switch Off or unplug the power -code ? (cooling process is finished or not )
I just want to clarify some thinking .
Hope you share this info for me .
I really nees you info and don't query you process .

Tom

Dear bluesboyjr

Could I double check how many seconds that you waiting after press power tiwce ?
Do you leave 10 seconds at last then turn the main power switch Off or unplug the power -code ? (cooling process is finished or not )
I just want to clarify some thinking .
Hope you share this info for me .
I really nees you info and don't query you process .

Tom

Tom,
I never shut off the main switch or pull the plug, unless I am leaving town for a few days. All I do, is turn off all my sources, press power twice, and go to bed. I've used this method for every projector I've owned and never had a problem until the HD72. And so far, it has only reset once, not a big deal except for the fact I never wrote down my settings and had to re-calibrate.

Originally Posted by TzungILin in the HC3000 thread:
HD72 has dual digital input, BC is 10-step, 2.35 constant height support, no light-leakage.

Tzung--I saw this in the HC3000 thread. Could you elaborate how the 2.35 constant height support works in the HD72? I assume that is it limits the verticle resolution to 545 lines and varies the horizontal resolution for the different source materials, but that is just a guess.... :confused:

Thanks.

Originally Posted by TzungILin in the HC3000 thread:


Tzung--I saw this in the HC3000 thread. Could you elaborate how the 2.35 constant height support works in the HD72? I assume that is it limits the verticle resolution to 545 lines and varies the horizontal resolution for the different source materials, but that is just a guess.... :confused:

Thanks.

If it's like the previous Optomas, it's just the ability to vertically stretch 2.35 material to fill the whole panel for use with an anamorphic lens.

If it's like the previous Optomas, it's just the ability to vertically stretch 2.35 material to fill the whole panel for use with an anamorphic lens.

OK, that makes sense. But I don't see how this makes for "constant height support". You would have better resolution for the 2.35 material--1280x squeezed 720 instead of 1280x545, but that makes for constant width support, not constant height. What am I missing?

OK, that makes sense. But I don't see how this makes for "constant height support". You would have better resolution for the 2.35 material--1280x squeezed 720 instead of 1280x545, but that makes for constant width support, not constant height. What am I missing?

Hi SCM,

After the material is stretched from 1280x545 to 1280x720 you'll need to stretch it optically in the horizontal direction to maintain the original aspect ratio with an anamorphic lens onto a wider 2.35:1 screen. With this setup all material will take up the same height, and non 2.35 material will have black bars on the side (16:9 and 4:3 material).

This link helps illustrate this.
http://www.prismasonic.com/english/intro.shtml

Mike

Hi SCM,

...you'll need to stretch it optically in the horizontal direction to maintain the original aspect ratio with an anamorphic lens onto a wider 2.35:1 screen.

OK, so you are using the anamorphic lense to stretch the image horizontally, not compress it vertically. So 2.35:1 material is a normal 720 lines high, but the 1280 pixal width is stretched out optically. I assume you would not use the anamorphic lense on 16:9 or 4:3 materials. So, with the HD72, you could have the following:

Source..........................Pixals used........................Anamorphic lense
4:3................................960x720.................. ................No
16:9............................1280x720.................... ..............No
2.35:1.........Stretched 1280x720.................................Yes

Am I now getting this?

OK, so you are using the anamorphic lense to stretch the image horizontally, not compress it vertically. So 2.35:1 material is a normal 720 lines high, but the 1280 pixal width is stretched out optically. I assume you would not use the anamorphic lense on 16:9 or 4:3 materials. So, with the HD72, you could have the following:

Source..........................Pixals used........................Anamorphic lense
4:3................................960x720.................. ................No
16:9............................1280x720.................... ..............No
2.35:1.........Stretched 1280x720.................................Yes

Am I now getting this?


Yes, now you got it. This is ideal as you're not throwing away resolution and brightness to create black bars on 2.35 material, and you're not losing anything on 16:9 or 4:3 material. I purchased the Prismasonic H-1200 which has a pass thru mode for 16:9 and 4:3 materials and stretch mode for 21:9 (2.35) material.

With my setup I am using a 120" 2.35 screen. In 16:9 mode this gives me an effective 96" screen with sidebars. Without this setup I would be watching a 96" 16:9 image full screen and an effective 90" 2.35 screen with black bars top and bottom.

This is a 43% larger screen area for 2.35 material in the constant height setup! It's also 33% better resolution and about 20% brighter since you're using you're full display panel.

Mike

NOTE: posted similar question in other HD72 (somewhat redundant) thread but
this thread seems to get more traffic, so I will post it here as well.

We are receiving conflicting information on the deinterlacing/scaling
method inside the HD72 relating to the chipsets used and algorithms
implemented. this may be due to a difference in the US vs. Euro models.

Does anyone know for sure if US model has a well-known
deinterlacing/scaling support method?
(Whether it's 3rd party Faroudja chipset or not)

Can't someone from Optoma comment on this?

NOTE: posted similar question in other HD72 (somewhat redundant) thread but
this thread seems to get more traffic, so I will post it here as well.

We are receiving conflicting information on the deinterlacing/scaling
method inside the HD72 relating to the chipsets used and algorithms
implemented. this may be due to a difference in the US vs. Euro models.

Does anyone know for sure if US model has a well-known
deinterlacing/scaling support method?
(Whether it's 3rd party Faroudja chipset or not)

Can't someone from Optoma comment on this?

Vince, earlier in the thread TzungILin specified that the HD72 certainly has a Faroudja DCDi chipset for deinterlacing and scaling. Is this what you were looking for?

Mike

I asked this earlier in the thread, but didn’t see a response. Maybe with more people owning the projector by now, someone will have tried this: With the short throw of this projector, has anyone tried using an add-on long-throw lens?

One dealer here in the UK tells me that the HD72i is indeed different to the US model and he quoted the Optoma rep (who he says is very trustworthy) to back this up. Apparently the rep told him that the 'i' stands for 'improved'. When I asked what was improved he said it was mainly the Faroujda thingy.

Jules

One dealer here in the UK tells me that the HD72i is indeed different to the US model and he quoted the Optoma rep (who he says is very trustworthy) to back this up. Apparently the rep told him that the 'i' stands for 'improved'. When I asked what was improved he said it was mainly the Faroujda thingy.

JulesJules, same thing heard here but direct from an Optoma UK rep. I'll try and dig for more elaboration, but I simply reckon it'll be on the 2:2 processing side for PAL sources. One thing I have noticed is that the HD72i UK manual shows a DCDi menu on the advanced video menu screens. Again, I think it'll probably just allow for 2:2 settings similar to the Panasonic Auto1 and Auto2 modes on their DCDi equipped DVD players. But could also include options for the Faroujda's TrueLife and CCS features I suppose...

Can anyone recommend a good but economically priced (i.e. cheap!) flush mount for use with the HD72?

Thanks

Jules

spend a few extra $ for the Chief RPA-U. it would be reusable w/ your next PJ and chance are the place you buy the PJ from will offer much discounted price from what you typically see.

Vince, earlier in the thread TzungILin specified that the HD72 certainly has a Faroudja DCDi chipset for deinterlacing and scaling. Is this what you were looking for?

Mike

(I feel like a ping-pong ball - bouncing between the two threads - they really should be merged somehow)

No, not exactly. Check out my post(s) in the other HD72 thread. Upon further review, I believe DCDi was dropped in the US model, but kept in the UK one.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=7228981&&#post7228981

Why is it doubted. All along the company stated is has the Faroudja chip. We talked about it a CES also. I tested 480i with the HQV reference video and it passed all the test with flying colors, or smooth colors. :)Vince, the US HD72 wouldn't pass all the HQV reference tests without the assistance of either Faroudja, Gennum VXP, Silicon Image or Silicon Optix. And it most certainly doesn't use chips from any of the latter three...

Vince, the US HD72 wouldn't pass all the HQV reference tests without the assistance of either Faroudja, Gennum VXP, Silicon Image or Silicon Optix. And it most certainly doesn't use chips from any of the latter three...

Interesting. Why would they not want to publish what they use? It seems that
they're losing some valuable marketing bullets...

... again sounds like lawyers... somebody did something to someone to tick them off.

Quick get Columbo :D

I'm sure that the true story why no fanfare if it is DCDi will come out.

(I feel like a ping-pong ball - bouncing between the two threads - they really should be merged somehow)

No, not exactly. Check out my post(s) in the other HD72 thread. Upon further review, I believe DCDi was dropped in the US model, but kept in the UK one.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=7228981&&#post7228981

I don't see why they would drop it. TzungILin and Guitarman have great insight into what is actually in the projector - certainly the best resource you're going to find. Speaking as an electrical design engineer - to fully support and implement a chipset and drop it at the last hour is not typical. A simple opening of the case may shed some more light on this however. But why? Most importantly it passes all the HQV video reference testing for deinterlacing and scaling 480i. What name appears on the chip is moot for me.

I don't see why they would drop it. TzungILin and Guitarman have great insight into what is actually in the projector - certainly the best resource you're going to find. Speaking as an electrical design engineer - to fully support and implement a chipset and drop it at the last hour is not typical. A simple opening of the case may shed some more light on this however. But why? Most importantly it passes all the HQV video reference testing for deinterlacing and scaling 480i. What name appears on the chip is moot for me.

True. The chipset name does not matter to me either. I am not that intimate with the
HQV test (fairly newbie, but a SW engineer so I understand enough to be dangerous :) ),
but since both TzungILinn and Guitarmann saying that a "pass is a pass"
then that's fine.

It's just that the idea of
a. putting DCDi stickers on all your propaganda last year for CES and for the
announcement
b. earlier this year pulling all glossy material with DCDi claim on it.
c. having UK model marketers claim "UK better than US" model for having DCDi

Optoma Headquarters should stop UK stores and marketing people from bad-mouthing US version.
example: http://www.royjowetthomecinema.co.uk/product/Themescene-HD72-Projector.html
Especially if it passes all the known HQV processing test like you guys said.

I am 99.9% sure this is the model for my HT but since the drywall is still wet,
I have time to sweat and overthink all the minute details....

Dear HiHostevo
You are correct a part ,
Could I guess what kind of signal you send via HDMI for HD72 :
If your HTPC use 1280 x 768 RGB signal .
XBOX use 720p
DVD use 720p
HD -Tivo use analoge RGB (or 720p ?)
Then HD-Tivo have different image mode memeory form HTPC and 720P (XBOX and DVD).
ABout XBOX and DVD share same image mode meremory space : Cinema Bright,TV,sRGB and User
Maybe you can use Cinema mode to adjust for DVD and use Bright ,sRGB ,TV or User to adjsut for your XBOX .
Hope you can understand what I mean .


Tom......

My HTPC outputs 1280x720 (running Media Center Edition of Windows) over DVI.

HD-Tivo outputs 480i/480p/720p/1080i from HDMI...(actually I have not tested the 480i output except from composite on a different TV).

Currently the Tivo via adapter (at 720p) is connected to a 4x1 Gefen DVI switch along with the Oppo (at 720p), and HTPC (also at 720p), then via DVI cable to the projector. The X-box (either 720p or 1080i ... I forget) runs through my Denon receiver and out over a component cable to my current projector.

However, my hope was to get something like the new Denon 4306 that has 3 HDMI inputs and will upconvet/transcode all of the analog signals so that everything can run from the receiver over a single HDMI cable to the projector.

I have a HTPC hooked up to the HD72 at 720p and it's working out well. I couldn't test 48hz my ATI card wouldn't let it happen. But knowing the Optomas 48hz would probably work. Anybody try it?

Interesting. Why would they not want to publish what they use? It seems that
they're losing some valuable marketing bullets...

... again sounds like lawyers... somebody did something to someone to tick them off.

Quick get Columbo :D

I'm sure that the true story why no fanfare if it is DCDi will come out.

Another possibility is that it uses the chipset, but that royalty payments might have been greater if the logos were in place. I believe the reason that this PJ is selling at this price is that unnecessary corners were probably cut to preserve margin. I can't imagine that this really matters to many people, especially in relation to picture/price ratio.

I don't see why they would drop it. TzungILin and Guitarman have great insight into what is actually in the projector - certainly the best resource you're going to find. Speaking as an electrical design engineer - to fully support and implement a chipset and drop it at the last hour is not typical. A simple opening of the case may shed some more light on this however. But why? Most importantly it passes all the HQV video reference testing for deinterlacing and scaling 480i. What name appears on the chip is moot for me.

If it passes all the tests deinterlacing & scaling 480i to 720p, that's great, and as you suggest, it matters less what name appears on the chip. But the question still remains for what it does to 1080i. We know that Faroudja bobs 1080i to 540 and then scales up to 720, resulting in a loss of resolution. If the HD72 is using this solution, it would be nice to know. If it's motion adaptively deinterlacing 1080i to 1080p and *then* scaling it to 720p, that would be the best-case scenario and I would hope they'd be marketing it. That there seems to be no definitive Optoma documentation one way or the other is puzzling.

Rick

I am torn between this projector and the HC3000. It bothers me that we do not know basic information about this projector and have not heard what Optoma thinks about the reset problem people have seen.

The Optoma rep, Joe Tranchilla, is in Dallas at Starpower off of Tollroad North, just north of Beltline. They're hosting an open house event, "HD Showcase" with various and different manufacturers present. I went there last night and viewed the HD72.

Let me just say this: it was unfortunate that he's not set up under optimal conditions. Plasmas flashing behind him, light from other areas straying in, and he had to set up with the projector in the lower middle of the screen, so with the offset, was having to tilt the projector. This setup problem had him using keystoning. He was using a WVHS HD player and content from the Olympics on NBC using component input at 1080i.

I saw a lot of aliasing and quite a bit of video noise. It was easy to discern that the contrast was incredible, even with the poor display setup. We shut off some plasmas behind him and moved the projector. Also, we set the keystoning to '0' to remove the aliasing.

There was still some stray light coming in, killing contrast, BUT......

WOW! After seeing the difference in the image after removing the keystoning I see why they have him set up in a room back away from all the other installed projectors. Natural fleshtones, punched-up colors, depth in the image, smooth images (can't see pixels at 1:1 distance), terrific blacks, yaddy-yadda.

I looked at all the projectors installed and operating there, such as the Sony VPL-VW100 SXRD, the VPL-HS51A and the Qualia. There was also a Marantz VP-8600 and a Marantz VP-12S4, so there were plenty of nice, well-reviewed and spec'd HT projectors there.

Based on what I saw, I doubt very seriously that you will be presented with this opportunity again. The HD72 absolutely smoked every projector in there. I conclude that the other projectors needed some tender loving care, or the cables suck, or the dealer just thinks he can sell on atmosphere alone and not make the adjustments necessary to get the projectors to really strut their stuff. So considering this, I have to ask the question, "Why would the dealer stick a $1,999 projector on the showroom that shows up his $30,000 Sony?" Well, the short answer is, they won't. Doesn't make economic sense, which is why I say...

.. if any of you in the Dallas/Ft. Worth and surrounding communities want to see this in action before making up your mind, here's your chance.

Oh, one thing though. He had the Optoma screen (can't remember the brand). I don't care for it. I use a Stewart Studiotek 130 so I'm a bit spoiled. I didn't like the sparkly effect coming off the screen. Other than that..WOW! :D

The Optoma rep, Joe Tranchilla, is in Dallas at Starpower off of Tollroad North, just north of Beltline. They're hosting an open house event, "HD Showcase" with various and different manufacturers present. I went there last night and viewed the HD72.

Let me just say this: it was unfortunate that he's not set up under optimal conditions. Plasmas flashing behind him, light from other areas straying in, and he had to set up with the projector in the lower middle of the screen, so with the offset, was having to tilt the projector. This setup problem had him using keystoning. He was using a WVHS HD player and content from the Olympics on NBC using component input at 1080i.

I saw a lot of aliasing and quite a bit of video noise. It was easy to discern that the contrast was incredible, even with the poor display setup. We shut off some plasmas behind him and moved the projector. Also, we set the keystoning to '0' to remove the aliasing.

There was still some stray light coming in, killing contrast, BUT......

WOW! After seeing the difference in the image after removing the keystoning I see why they have him set up in a room back away from all the other installed projectors. Natural fleshtones, punched-up colors, depth in the image, smooth images (can't see pixels at 1:1 distance), terrific blacks, yaddy-yadda.

I looked at all the projectors installed and operating there, such as the Sony VPL-VW100 SXRD, the VPL-HS51A and the Qualia. There was also a Marantz VP-8600 and a Marantz VP-12S4, so there were plenty of nice, well-reviewed and spec'd HT projectors there.

Based on what I saw, I doubt very seriously that you will be presented with this opportunity again. The HD72 absolutely smoked every projector in there. I conclude that the other projectors needed some tender loving care, or the cables suck, or the dealer just thinks he can sell on atmosphere alone and not make the adjustments necessary to get the projectors to really strut their stuff. So considering this, I have to ask the question, "Why would the dealer stick a $1,999 projector on the showroom that shows up his $30,000 Sony?" Well, the short answer is, they won't. Doesn't make economic sense, which is why I say...

.. if any of you in the Dallas/Ft. Worth and surrounding communities want to see this in action before making up your mind, here's your chance.

Oh, one thing though. He had the Optoma screen (can't remember the brand). I don't care for it. I use a Stewart Studiotek 130 so I'm a bit spoiled. I didn't like the sparkly effect coming off the screen. Other than that..WOW! :D

I have never been impressed with Starpower. Their demos are mostly poorly set up and the sales staff remind me of car salesmen and I do not mean that in a good way!! I was in there yesterday and it was chaotic with very few customers. The reps from the different manufactures were all entertaining themselves with very little attention to the few customers that were there.

If you want to see some well set up demos in Dallas area, go to the new Stereo East store in Frisco. They have a competent sales staff and 4 very well done home theater rooms along with all the plasmas etc. I was surprised to see the Vutec Silverstar in one of the rooms. The SS is the real deal.

I am purchasing an HD72. I am pre-construction and will installing in-wall LCR speakers. I am going to get pre-construction brackets to make the install easier for me, and my builder will frame them out to make sure there is no stud cutting later. I need to know where (e.g., how high) to mount the center channel speaker. I am planning on placement below the screen, so I need to know how high off of the floor the bottom of the screen will be; I obviously don’t want it too close to the floor or behind where the future screen will be. I have read up and looked at projector calculators, but am new to this and do not fully get it, and I want an informed opinion.

To assist… Main seating is couch 13’ back, but closer seating about 10’ (side love seat viewing distance and chair I will move in front of couch for movies). There is no rear wall; it opens to a larger rec. room. The projector wall is 12’8” wide; side walls about 14’; ceiling will be suspension and about 8’ 2” when finished.

I have not purchased a screen yet either, but I would like at least 100” and maybe up to 106”diagonal (if I can do so without squeezing the LR’s to close to the side walls). Will likely purchase Carada BW. If anyone has any other suggestions for screen for the HD72 in my basement HT environment I am all ears (controlled/dimmers make dark for movies, some ambient about 15+ feet back for TV/sports).

I know the info. is probably in a thread somewhere, but I am getting close to crunch time and need advice as soon as possible! Have to get the frames in soon. Thanks!

How about Severtson? I understand their high contrast screen is quite good and reasonably priced.

Since I can't post a link use Google and enter "projector packages severtson screens.

I am purchasing an HD72. I am pre-construction and will installing in-wall LCR speakers. I am going to get pre-construction brackets to make the install easier for me, and my builder will frame them out to make sure there is no stud cutting later. I need to know where (e.g., how high) to mount the center channel speaker. I am planning on placement below the screen, so I need to know how high off of the floor the bottom of the screen will be; I obviously don’t want it too close to the floor or behind where the future screen will be. I have read up and looked at projector calculators, but am new to this and do not fully get it, and I want an informed opinion.

To assist… Main seating is couch 13’ back, but closer seating about 10’ (side love seat viewing distance and chair I will move in front of couch for movies). There is no rear wall; it opens to a larger rec. room. The projector wall is 12’8” wide; side walls about 14’; ceiling will be suspension and about 8’ 2” when finished.

I have not purchased a screen yet either, but I would like at least 100” and maybe up to 106”diagonal (if I can do so without squeezing the LR’s to close to the side walls). Will likely purchase Carada BW. If anyone has any other suggestions for screen for the HD72 in my basement HT environment I am all ears (controlled/dimmers make dark for movies, some ambient about 15+ feet back for TV/sports).

I know the info. is probably in a thread somewhere, but I am getting close to crunch time and need advice as soon as possible! Have to get the frames in soon. Thanks!

Funny, I'm at the same stage (a little farther along - drywall in but no floors or
paint). I have a very similar plan it mind as well with the open back (14' wide
x 20' deep x just under 8' ceiling).

I have been looking (with help from a part-time HT planner friend) at the Vutec
Vueasy 103" inch Greydove. A little less pricey that some others but still
pretty good performance.

The HD72's lack of lens shift wiil cause the top of the screen to be about 21 to
22" from the ceiling and with the 50" screen height only about 22" from the
ground. I will have about a 12.5 ' throw to only have to have a slight zoom on
(under 1.1). You may be able to flush mount the projector with the drop ceiling
(I have drywall and will lose 6" to the mount) and thus you can raise your screen
that amount (getting back up to about 16" below the ceiling).

For me the drop needed may not be ideal, but with the placement the screen will
be nearly "centered" on the front wall. I will have only one row of seating.

You have tworow so a low placement may be a problem for the back row people...

(put the in-laws there :D )

Good luck.

Hi people ! I went out yesterday and bought my self the HD72 Projector. all seems good untill I noticed it doesnt have any type of lens shift.

I no this is 100% my falut and I should look in to these things more B4 I buy but I really did fall in love with it when I went for a demo with my dad, and he offerd to pay half as it was my birthday comming up so I said YES !!.

any way I cant play round with my projector at the minute as the mrs isnt happy with it so I have to wait till she goes back to work on tuesday... But as you can imagine I am pulling my hair out wondering if I have bought the wrong projector for my room ......... Please if there is a lord out there let me be lucky just this once !!!

I was hopeing if I was to give you some measurments of my room and were I plan to fit everything you can point me int he right direction whether it will look ok or I am the thickest person on this planet !!!

First off I havet orderd my screen yet as I was unsure what size would fit in my bay window - free screen offer thou when I bought it so I have the option of 77" or 92".


ok the size of my front room is

13 feet = vertical

10 feet = horizontal

7 feet = Ceiling Height




I was hopeing to place the HD72 on my wall just above my head on my coach or maybe if desperate neck hight so me and the mrs are sitting iver side of it.

It would need to be "adleast" 3 Feet from the floor but 4 or 5 feet would be much better.

the distance from were I would want to put the PJ to my screen can be between 11-13 feet

The screen I will be using will be 16.9

as another idea I might be able to put the PJ just under my coach with the lens just popping out but that would cut the distnace down to about 9-10 feet.. if that would work better, but wouldnt be the best thing as I have 2 cats who would no dout try to make love to it or somethen.

as you can see I am up to any changes or new ideas..

is there any way I can make this work ?????

possible to tilt the PJ downwards and use this keystone trick ?

thanks to any one who takes the time out to translate all this mombo jumbo and point me in the right direction...

cant thank you anuff !

jamie

If it passes all the tests deinterlacing & scaling 480i to 720p, that's great, and as you suggest, it matters less what name appears on the chip. But the question still remains for what it does to 1080i. We know that Faroudja bobs 1080i to 540 and then scales up to 720, resulting in a loss of resolution. If the HD72 is using this solution, it would be nice to know. If it's motion adaptively deinterlacing 1080i to 1080p and *then* scaling it to 720p, that would be the best-case scenario and I would hope they'd be marketing it. That there seems to be no definitive Optoma documentation one way or the other is puzzling.

Rick


Taking a good look at the projector for any sign of a DCDI logo, on the bottom of the PJ there's a sticker with a TV Icon which says DCI, wonder what that is?

How about Severtson? I understand their high contrast screen is quite good and reasonably priced.

Thanks Fremont Rich, I was looking at Severtson too, though I wasn’t sure if I needed the high def. grey with the HD72 in my environment, and was hesitant with a gain below 1. Also not sure I can go to the full 106” or not, and their standard screen sizes jump from 92” to 106” diagonal.

Vueasy 103" inch Greydove. A little less pricey that some others but still
pretty good performance.

Thanks Vince. The Vutec VuEasy was recommended to me too. Just not sure because couldn’t find any info. on it, only the Silverstars.

The HD72's lack of lens shift

So, (using the dimensions of your 103” Vutec including frame) I’d have about 22” from floor to bottom of screen with a standard/regular mount, or +6” to 28” max with a flush mount? Haven’t gotten to the point of looking at mounts, are you referring to a suspended ceiling kit, or do you mean I have to MacGuyver it?

The speakers are about 15” wide (tall on side mount). I’m thinking better off going above the screen with a regular mount, but could go below with a flush mount, putting the bottom of the speaker about a foot off of the floor. Sound about right?

You have tworow so a low placement may be a problem for the back row people...

Yeah, bad idea. I'll leave the chair to the side.

I have a HTPC hooked up to the HD72 at 720p and it's working out well. I couldn't test 48hz my ATI card wouldn't let it happen. But knowing the Optomas 48hz would probably work. Anybody try it?

Yes, I got 720p and 768p at 48Hz and 72Hz refresh rates working fine using powerstrip. The HD72 synced up fine to these refresh rates - very stable image.

Mike

jamieuk23,

Sounds like a normal ceiling mount install should work, especially with the 77" screen....

Fleaman

jamieuk23,

Sounds like a normal ceiling mount install should work, especially with the 77" screen....

Fleaman

can some one please explain to me how a ceiling mount will work best as it doesnt make sence to me..

I thought the main aim with this PJ is to keep it as low as possible. If I was to fit it with a ceiling mount about 5 feet in the air then the PJ will progect the image even higher wont it ???

or do I turn the HD72 upside down then fit it to the ceiling mount ??

very confused !!! :)

really love this PJ but I feel if things downt look a bit better by monday I am going to have to send it back and buy a LCD projector with lens shift like the TX200 or Z4.

any help guys is most apreciated !

can some one please explain to me how a ceiling mount will work best as it doesnt make sence to me..

I thought the main aim with this PJ is to keep it as low as possible. If I was to fit it with a ceiling mount about 5 feet in the air then the PJ will progect the image even higher wont it ???

or do I turn the HD72 upside down then fit it to the ceiling mount ??

very confused !!! :)

really love this PJ but I feel if things downt look a bit better by monday I am going to have to send it back and buy a LCD projector with lens shift like the TX200 or Z4.

any help guys is most apreciated !

Yes, the projector is upside down when ceiling mounted (all projectors are). The image is projected downward and the top of your screen would be a few inches below your projector lens.

On the projector menu you choose the ceiling mount option and it flips the image upside down.

Fleaman

can some one please explain to me how a ceiling mount will work best as it doesnt make sence to me..

I thought the main aim with this PJ is to keep it as low as possible. If I was to fit it with a ceiling mount about 5 feet in the air then the PJ will progect the image even higher wont it ???

or do I turn the HD72 upside down then fit it to the ceiling mount ??

very confused !!! :)

really love this PJ but I feel if things downt look a bit better by monday I am going to have to send it back and buy a LCD projector with lens shift like the TX200 or Z4.

any help guys is most apreciated !

The HD72 would connect to a ceiling mount upside down. There is a setting in the menu to invert the image in this configuration. It will be about 5" from the ceiling. This is probably the most common installation method.

What is your room dimensions, ceiling height and desired screen size? With 8ft ceilings images up tp 106" diagonal (16:9) are obtainable. With higher ceilings you can go even bigger.

Not to mention that most (including myself) would rather have a projector with offset (like the HD72) so that when ceiling mounted, it is up far and out of the way from view, and hearing it run.

If you got a PJ like the Z4 and lens shifted it so that you could mount it at ear level (etc.), then the fan noise would be very noticeable and irritating (to me).

Fleaman

I am finaly starting to get some were ! I might not have to send this thing back after all.

Ok my dimensions are this



13 feet = vertical

10 feet = horizontal

7 feet = Ceiling Height


I have just measuerd the back wall were the Pj will sit in a wall mount like you guys have mentioned and the distance to were my screen can be is 11-12 feet.



I can vision the Pj in a wall mount now inverted downwards. but wont that make the picture all wonky ???

or will I need to use keystone to straighten it all out ??

sorry for being so thick guys !! I am trying to read as much as possible B4 asking for help.

most apreciated ! :)

Yes, I got 720p and 768p at 48Hz and 72Hz refresh rates working fine using powerstrip. The HD72 synced up fine to these refresh rates - very stable image.

Mike

Mike, what video card are you using in your setup ? What port are you using to connect PC to HD72 ?

Any other details will be useful here if you have time :)

Thanks, Davie.

I am finaly starting to get some were ! I might not have to send this thing back after all.

Ok my dimensions are this



13 feet = vertical

10 feet = horizontal

7 feet = Ceiling Height


I have just measuerd the back wall were the Pj will sit in a wall mount like you guys have mentioned and the distance to were my screen can be is 11-12 feet.



I can vision the Pj in a wall mount now inverted downwards. but wont that make the picture all wonky ???

or will I need to use keystone to straighten it all out ??

sorry for being so thick guys !! I am trying to read as much as possible B4 asking for help.

most apreciated ! :)

No....you ceiling mount with the projector upside down, but level. The projected image is projected downward. The top of your screen will be a few inches below your lens center.

No keystoning will be needed.

Fleaman

Mike, what video card are you using in your setup ? What port are you using to connect PC to HD72 ?

Any other details will be useful here if you have time :)

Thanks, Davie.


I have an ATI 9200 connected to the HD72 DVI input through a gefen switch. I did notice an issue when going from component input (HD-TIVO) to DVI input if the PC was selected by the gefen switch. The HD72 couldn't see it. If I switched from component to DVI with my Oppo as the active input it connects fine. I then can switch to the HTPC on the gefen. Very odd...must be missing a required handshake on the HTPC with the EDID data.

I wish my HD Tivo HDMI's output worked, then this would be a non-issue.

It also connected at 1080p 24Hz and 60Hz with a stable image, but it did not scale it down properly. I wonder if my settings are off a little compared to a true 1080p video source. 1080i did the same thing as 1080p via the HTPC, but 1080i from my HD-TIVO is scaled properly over the component input so I'm not too worried about this workly properly with a true 1080p video source.

Did I answer your question Davie?!

Mike

The top of your screen will be a few inches below your lens center.

No keystoning will be needed.

Fleaman

To clarify here, at 11 or 12 feet throw distance the top of the projected image will be roughly 20" to 22" from the ceiling if you ceiling mount it - which you want to do over wall mounting it. This includes a 5" estimate for the distance of the projector from the celing.

Is the confusion clearing jamieUK23?

is there any rule I should follwo when mounting the PJ so it works well with my screen ????

ie >>> have PJ set at the same hight as at the top of the screen ?

thanks

I have an ATI 9200 connected to the HD72 DVI input through a gefen switch. I did notice an issue when going from component input (HD-TIVO) to DVI input if the PC was selected by the gefen switch. The HD72 couldn't see it. If I switched from component to DVI with my Oppo as the active input it connects fine. I then can switch to the HTPC on the gefen. Very odd...must be missing a required handshake on the HTPC with the EDID data.

I wish my HD Tivo HDMI's output worked, then this would be a non-issue.

It also connected at 1080p 24Hz and 60Hz with a stable image, but it did not scale it down properly. I wonder if my settings are off a little compared to a true 1080p video source. 1080i did the same thing as 1080p via the HTPC, but 1080i from my HD-TIVO is scaled properly over the component input so I'm not too worried about this workly properly with a true 1080p video source.

Did I answer your question Davie?!

Mike

Yes thanks, just curious since both OPPO and PC are connected through Gefen you must be using same settings for both ? Or are you feeding different resolutions allowing HD72 to remember individual settings. Also curious if you tried to compare DVD playback quality between OPPO and HTPC.

I am building my new HTPC and want to move most functions in HTPC solution (gaming [no xbox here-I value my upgrade options] and DVD playback). I'll leave HDTV & DVR to Comcast since HTPC just can't compare at this time.

Thanks, Davie.

To clarify here, at 11 or 12 feet throw distance the top of the projected image will be roughly 20" to 22" from the ceiling if you ceiling mount it - which you want to do over wall mounting it. This includes a 5" estimate for the distance of the projector from the celing.

Is the confusion clearing jamieUK23?

Yes mate it is.

what confused me was the guy I bought it from told me there was no way it could be wall mounted as the image would be far to high.

But I understand now that when the PJ is fitted with a wall mount upside down there is a option on the settings which will flip the image the other way.

so rarther than the offset pointing the image up it is now pointing it odwn.

is this right ???

will be using a 77" screen diagnal. which will be 10-11 feet a way which I think is about right...... Hopefully the zoom with sought it out if its a bit off.

would you agree things are looking better for me ??

1 hour a go I was about to buy another PJ

is there any rule I should follwo when mounting the PJ so it works well with my screen ????

ie >>> have PJ set at the same hight as at the top of the screen ?

thanks

Read page 16 of your manual. It details how the projector install works. This calculator will help as well:

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

Yes mate it is.

what confused me was the guy I bought it from told me there was no way it could be wall mounted as the image would be far to high.

But I understand now that when the PJ is fitted with a wall mount upside down there is a option on the settings which will flip the image the other way.

so rarther than the offset pointing the image up it is now pointing it odwn.

is this right ???

will be using a 77" screen diagnal. which will be 10-11 feet a way which I think is about right...... Hopefully the zoom with sought it out if its a bit off.

would you agree things are looking better for me ??

1 hour a go I was about to buy another PJ

The offset is always pointing in the same direction. When table mounted (right side up), the built in offset is pointing up. When you turn the projector upside down, now the image is pointing down...offset has not changed, only thing that changed is you turning the projector upside down. Now of course the whole picture image is upside down, but in the projector menus you flip that image (ceiling mount mode) and now it's right side up even though the projector is now upside down.

Offset is the same and now that the projector is upside down handing from a ceiling mount, the image is projected downwards...no keystoning needed.

Get it?

Either way, sounds like you will need to brew a cuppa Typhoo and read your manual.

As Uatatoka mentioned, around pg 16 is a good diagram of how this works...

Good Luck.

Fleaman

To assist… Main seating is couch 13’ back, but closer seating about 10’ (side love seat viewing distance and chair I will move in front of couch for movies). There is no rear wall; it opens to a larger rec. room. The projector wall is 12’8” wide; side walls about 14’; ceiling will be suspension and about 8’ 2” when finished.

I have not purchased a screen yet either, but I would like at least 100” and maybe up to 106”diagonal (if I can do so without squeezing the LR’s to close to the side walls). Will likely purchase Carada BW. If anyone has any other suggestions for screen for the HD72 in my basement HT environment I am all ears (controlled/dimmers make dark for movies, some ambient about 15+ feet back for TV/sports).

Why not try a perforated screen so you can have the center speaker in-wall behind the screen, positioned to project sound directly at the right listening level. An in-wall mount at ~12" centerline above the floor/below the screen will result in sound projecting directly at your shins, and leave your 2nd row out in the cold, unless you're purchasing speakers whose angles can be changed to point in different directions, above the screen or behind it sound like the two best options.

Rick

Yes thanks, just curious since both OPPO and PC are connected through Gefen you must be using same settings for both ? Or are you feeding different resolutions allowing HD72 to remember individual settings. Also curious if you tried to compare DVD playback quality between OPPO and HTPC.

I am building my new HTPC and want to move most functions in HTPC solution (gaming [no xbox here-I value my upgrade options] and DVD playback). I'll leave HDTV & DVR to Comcast since HTPC just can't compare at this time.

Thanks, Davie.

Only the RGB gain/bias settings are fixed to one setting per input.

Over DVI and HDMI (digital RGB) the HD72 will not let you save unique settings by resolution. This only works on the analog component RGB input, but the RGB gain/bias setting is still shared here.

There are 5 image modes (cinema, bright, TV, sRGB, user) which are all user adjustable that you can use to assign unique contrast, brightness, brilliant color, degamma (etc.) settings to for each different source you have switched in to that input. If you *must* have a unique RGB gain/bias setting for one of your digital sources you can purchase another HDMI or DVI cable to use the other digital input. All modes could be set equal if you wanted, although the TV mode does introduce some overscan (4-5 pixel crop at the edges) to eliminate artifacts around the edges common to TV inputs.

The lamp mode is fixed meaning going into bright mode does not kick the lamp into the high setting if it is set low. By default it has Brilliant color maxed out to increase brightness. According to TI whitepapers this alone generates up to 50% greater lumen output and increased color gamut for the same lamp setting.

Setting the aspect ratio scaling (16:9, 4:3, LBX, Native) also does not affect lamp mode or image mode.

I must add I love the adjustable brilliant color settings and it's increased color gamut. I noticed this most with more accurate yellows. Optoma really nailed this implemenation by offering adjustablity with this, as the colors can get artificial if too much brilliant color is used.

I prefer the Oppo over my HTPC. I've tried theatertek+ffdshow and PowerDVD, but the oppo still beats it, but only in the deinterlacing dept. Theatertek+ffdshow can do cool things like unsharp mask and custom aspect ratios, but the deinteracing artifacts and computer crashes during heavy ffdshow bothered me most. I mostly use my HTPC for photo slideshows now, it beats the oppo hands down there.

I'm at 53 hours and have seen no resets. It must like me!

Sorry to be so long winded, but I thought I'd throw it all out there just in case it's beneficial...this projector is generating a lot of interest and there is bound to be unanswered questions out there.

Why not try a perforated screen
Hey Rick,
Thanks for responding. I thought about it at first, then ruled it out because perf. costs $$$, and my seating is fairly close and I don't want to be looking at holes. However, I get your point and considering what I'm spending on the speakers (Triads), it might be worth it. Plus, it probably gives me wiggle room for screen height. Once those holes are in the wall... What is your experience with the best perf. for the money? I'll peruse the screen forums.

[QUOTE=r5d4] "Thanks Fremont Rich, I was looking at Severtson too, though I wasn’t sure if I needed the high def. grey with the HD72 in my environment, and was hesitant with a gain below 1. Also not sure I can go to the full 106” or not, and their standard screen sizes jump from 92” to 106” diagonal."

If your walls and ceilings are light colored you might still want to have a grey high contrast screen to minimize reflections from your screen.

Hey Rick,
Thanks for responding. I thought about it at first, then ruled it out because perf. costs $$$, and my seating is fairly close and I don't want to be looking at holes. However, I get your point and considering what I'm spending on the speakers (Triads), it might be worth it. Plus, it probably gives me wiggle room for screen height. Once those holes are in the wall... What is your experience with the best perf. for the money? I'll peruse the screen forums.

Check this thread:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=7134030&&#post7134030

You might find a perf screen for much less than you thought ;)

I have never been impressed with Starpower. Their demos are mostly poorly set up and the sales staff remind me of car salesmen and I do not mean that in a good way!! I was in there yesterday and it was chaotic with very few customers. The reps from the different manufactures were all entertaining themselves with very little attention to the few customers that were there.


I agree with your opinion of Starpower. One salesperson had the audacity to offer me a great deal on an Optoma H77 for $7500, when everyone else had the item at the $3K. When I told him and showed him online prices he just walked away.. :)

You might find a perf screen for much less than you thought ;)[/QUOTE]

Appreciate the link :) , and for the good of the group I don't want to get off the HD72 on screens so much :mad: , but I'm not a DIY screen guy and that is a 30 page thread :eek: . What's the consensus on the best affordable perf. you're suggesting?

Taking a good look at the projector for any sign of a DCDI logo, on the bottom of the PJ there's a sticker with a TV Icon which says DCI, wonder what that is?

Trying to understand the "DCI" - I did some googling and saw is this may be
an industry standard logo.

DCI (Digital Cinema Initiative)

see http://www.dcimovies.com/

Hey Rick,
Thanks for responding. I thought about it at first, then ruled it out because perf. costs $$$, and my seating is fairly close and I don't want to be looking at holes. However, I get your point and considering what I'm spending on the speakers (Triads), it might be worth it. Plus, it probably gives me wiggle room for screen height. Once those holes are in the wall... What is your experience with the best perf. for the money? I'll peruse the screen forums.

Yes, $$$ always ruins everything doesn't it?? ;)

I like the Stewart Studiotek 130 with CinePerf. They also have THX Certified MicroPerf as well, though I haven't seen it. I agree though, the closer you sit... screen door + screen perfs = yuck.

Perhaps above the screen and somehow angled downward towards the listeners (provided the installers can accomplish this with the Triad's in-wall cabinet) would be the best compromise for you?

Rick

Hi again !!

I have taken some pictures of my roont room were I plan to setup the HD72i.

Just to give you more of a idea. and hopefull you will not spot any probelms.


1. This is a front view of were I would like to put my screen.. I am selling my plasma to my dad to make room for the HD72. I plan on moving the curtains a little higher and the fancy curtains at the side I will tighten up and move them over more.

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c27/jamieuk23/fullfront.jpg


2. Ok this is were we will be sitting.

Height of the ceiling = 8 feet

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c27/jamieuk23/sittingarea.jpg


3. Picture of the celing were I hope to mount the PJ.. will be moving picture of the wall etc.

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c27/jamieuk23/PJ.jpg

4. I have roled the front curtians up here.... As you will see there is a another celing underneath the main celing which measures 7 feet. If I was able to fit my screen under here it would give me a extra 2 feet in lengh from my back wall were I want to mount the PJ to the screen. which should let me use a 92" screen rarther than 77" which I will dout have to use if I put it directly under the curtains.

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c27/jamieuk23/curtainsup.jpg

For me to able to use a 92" screen the screen cant go any lower than were the black line is drawn as you will notice were the red is the wall comes out under the window.

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c27/jamieuk23/fullfrontpencil.jpg

so what do you think ?? is this possbile ??

If you need me to take any more measurments just let me no.

celing height = 8 feet

celing height were windows are = 7 feet


distance from back seating wall just below the curtains = 11 feet.

Full distance from back wall to windows = 13 feet

thanks for any help !!

I'm planning to upgrade to the HD72 from my Panny AE700U. Would appreciate help from you guys as well. My ceiling is 7ft high. Distance from seating to 106" Graywolf screen is 13.5ft. Based on the attached Projector Central calculations using my 13.5ft throw, it appears I should be fine. The question is the offset. I have a false ceiling, so I could mount the HD72 as high as 6.5ft or as low as under a coffee table. Might the HD72 work for me?

At 13.5 feet throw I calculate the HD72 with an 18.5" offset (based on the specs in the manual, bottom of screen is offset 6.52 degrees), which means if floor mounted, the bottom of the screen will start 18.5" above the lens centerline. If ceiling mounted, the top of the screen will be 18.5" down from the lens.

A 106" diagonal screen is 52" tall.

You can do the rest of the calculations based on how high, or how low you can mount it.

Here's an example. If you mount it almost on the floor, with the lens 6" off the floor, your screen would start 24.5" from the floor, and end 76.5" high, or 7.5" from the ceiling. If mounted 6" from the ceiling, reverse those numbers. It would be nearly on the floor.

Those are both pretty extreme locations, except I like the screen high, since I use recliners. Another option is to ceiling mount it, tilt it up to get the screen where you want it, and tilt the top of the screen out a little to compensate for the keystone.

If you're willing to tilt the top of the screen out a little, you can basically put the screen however high you want it without needing keystone correction.

Here's another option for you with low ceilings, but want a larger screen with the HD72. For reference I have 7.5ft ceilings.

Here's the assembled anamorphic lens in front of the HD72:
http://i47.imagethrust.com/t/305770/img8341.jpg (http://i47.imagethrust.com/images/1hxM/movies-and-television/installed.html)

2.35 material with 96" 16:9 screen size (2.35 material is 84" x 35.7" here with black bars top and bottom):
http://i47.imagethrust.com/t/305772/img8369.jpg (http://i47.imagethrust.com/images/1hxO/movies-and-television/no-lens.html)

2.35 material stretched on 96" 16:9 screen size. The HD72 has built in support for this scaling without the need for an external scaler:
http://i48.imagethrust.com/t/305773/img8371.jpg (http://i48.imagethrust.com/images/1hxP/movies-and-television/no-lens-stretched.html)

2.35 material with anamorphic lens on 120" 2.35 screen size (110.5" x 47"):
http://i47.imagethrust.com/t/305774/img8376.jpg (http://i47.imagethrust.com/images/1hxQ/movies-and-television/anamorphic-lens-used.html)
I would need a 128" 16:9 screen to get this big without the anamorphic lens. 16:9 material is still 96" though.

The screen with cheap black out cloth to test for ideal screen size:
http://i47.imagethrust.com/t/305771/img8355.jpg (http://i47.imagethrust.com/images/1hxN/movies-and-television/test-bo-screen.html)

With the anamorphic lens in pass mode, HDTV is unaffected:
http://i48.imagethrust.com/t/305775/img8342.jpg (http://i48.imagethrust.com/images/1hxR/movies-and-television/hdtv-not-affected.html)

The leeloo comparo shots where all taken with the same camera lens zoom length to give size perspective. The oscar shot was zoomed in to show more detail. My camera still does not capture the shots very accurately. It's got a little too much constrast and colors are a little off. The real image is much more balanced with more detail.

As you can tell I'm still in progress. I just need a real screen now....probably a Carada 2.35 120" :)

Mike

Thanks guys. This PJ isn't going to work for me given it's extreme offset and lack of lens shift. Hopefully, the next batch of affordable DLP PJs will have placement ease features I've come to take for granted in LCD.

What am i doing wrong ?.when i set the AI mode i get a kind of flashing on the picture ,the picture goes light then dark ,not much but enough to be annoying.
The bulb sounds as if it surging ,going brighter then duller .it does not do it in a set pattern ,one minute its ok then it goes dull then comes back up again ,it only does it when in A I mode when i take it off the picture stays one level .
thanks Shaun

What am i doing wrong ?.when i set the AI mode i get a kind of flashing on the picture ,the picture goes light then dark ,not much but enough to be annoying.
The bulb sounds as if it surging ,going brighter then duller .it does not do it in a set pattern ,one minute its ok then it goes dull then comes back up again ,it only does it when in A I mode when i take it off the picture stays one level .
thanks Shaun


Hi Shaun,

I don't think you're doing anything wrong. Mine did the same thing hunting for the right setting sometimes. It was annoying, as was the fan changing speeds, so I disabled it. The contrast is great without this feature and I didn't see too much an improvement anyway so it wasn't a big loss.

Mike

Here's another option for you with low ceilings, but want a larger screen with the HD72. For reference I have 7.5ft ceilings.


Mike, very nice setup, this anamorphic lens is pretty pricy though. :(
I am curious when you watch 16:9 how are you going to deal with masking of black bars on the right and left ?

Also, suppose my PJ is mounted at 1.0 zoom -- if I zoom in for 1:2.35 source, I should be able to achieve an image very close to yours -- it will kind of shift down due to variable lens shift, but at least I should be able to get rid of bottom black bar and make image almost fill about 1:2.1 screen with black bar staying on top.
Unless I am missing something obvious :eek: .

Did you experiment with something like that ?

Thanks, Davie.

Thanks Mike.
Iwill do the same just watched Gladiator in superbit ,great picture i am very pleased with the 72
Shaun

Mike, very nice setup

Thanks Davie - yes, this forum is not good for my bank account! There's too many nice things to spend more money on. The HD72 is definitely nice enough to keep me happy until 1080p 3 chip machines become affordable in 3-5 years.

Prismasonic does have a cheaper H-600d as well. If you're at 1.0 zoom this one should work just as well. Since this projector kicks out such a nice bright image I really wanted to take advantage of that and go bigger.

Yes, zooming in optically will fill out the screen more but you're still wasting 33% of you're DMD panel to create black bars (losing brightness & resolution). Granted you'll still fully resolving DVD resolutions with the black bars, it does help the fill factor and SDE reduction when utilizing the full 720p panel. Not to mention the hassle of zooming and re-focusing every time you did this.

Right now I don't have or plan for a masking system for the sidebars. Since the black bars are true black in a light controlled room (not created by the projector), I don't notice them.

Mike

Here's another option for you with low ceilings, but want a larger screen with the HD72. For reference I have 7.5ft ceilings.

2.35 material with anamorphic lens on 120" 2.35 screen size (110.5" x 47")

OK, you got me really interested now :) You can throw 120" diag/ 47" high image with 7.5 ft ceiling ? :eek:

I am guessing that in 16:9 you project 96" image, and this anamorphic lens allows you to simply pass it through. But for 1:2.35 you stretch it vertically (supported by HD72) to get rid of top and bottom bars, then you flip your AL on and it does horizontal stretching to display 120" ? Nice. :D

Do you see any loss in quality, brightness, etc ?

OK, you got me really interested now :) You can throw 120" diag/ 47" high image with 7.5 ft ceiling ? :eek:

I am guessing that in 16:9 you project 96" image, and this anamorphic lens allows you to simply pass it through. But for 1:2.35 you stretch it vertically (supported by HD72) to get rid of top and bottom bars, then you flip your AL on and it does horizontal stretching to display 120" ? Nice. :D

Do you see any loss in quality, brightness, etc ?


Exactly! :) :) :) There's rotary dials on the lens to go between "pass" mode and "stretch" mode. There's also an option for a remote control upgrade to add a motor controlled switching capability for the anamorphic lens as well.

You're losing some brightness by simply spreading your lumens over a larger area, but you're also gaining brightness by using your full panel. I think you could easily go even bigger. The HD72 has lumens to spare.

It's tricky to get aligned perfectly in front of the projector, but once you do you're golden. I couldn't be happier now. It is quite an immersive experience with such a large wide screen. Now I'm on the lookout for all the 2.35 material I can find!

Mike

Exactly! :) :) :) There's rotary dials on the lens to go between "pass" mode and "stretch" mode. There's also an option for a remote control upgrade to add a motor controlled switching capability for the anamorphic lens as well.

You're losing some brightness by simply spreading your lumens over a larger area, but you're also gaining brightness by using your full panel. I think you could easily go even bigger. The HD72 has lumens to spare.

It's tricky to get aligned perfectly in front of the projector, but once you do you're golden. I couldn't be happier now. It is quite an immersive experience with such a large wide screen. Now I'm on the lookout for all the 2.35 material I can find!

Mike

Sweet :) -- I just realized that I can go to 133" (1:2.35) diag screen with this gizmo and still have 110" for 16:9. I can see my credit card company laughing already :D .

If there is lens to stretch image horizontally, does anybody know if there is similar type of lens to stretch image both horizontally and vertically maintaining image proportions ? It sure can come handy for people with low ceilings -- this way one can throw a smaller image (to limit offset) and then use this filter to increase image size -- and it better be cheap :)

Hello to everyone :)

I've been following some posts in this Under $3500 section for the past couple weeks, attempting to gather as much opinion as possible as to which projector would give me what I'm looking for and at a good price.

I'm about 98% sure that the Optoma HD72 will be the one. I at first was considering the H31 because of a tight budget, but after gathering loads of information here I've decided that it will be worth it to go with a 720p projector.

One of the fundamental reasons I've decided on the HD72 is the brightness everyone seems to mention. I'd like as much brightness as possible as I plan on having at least a 200" screen - hopefully even bigger as the driving reason I've chosen to use this money for a projector rather than anything else is it would be a shame to not make the most out of having an 18' tall x 25' wide completely blank white wall in my loft.

http://www.nucleicoutfit.com/loft.jpg

Ideally i'd want to fill the entire 258" diagonal (is that right?) space... I realize the image will lose a lot of its fidelity and brightness, but if the picture isn't utterly dilluted I don't see why not. My computer is on the opposite side of the room and it would be incredible to use that whole wall as my screen.

I don't plan on ceiling mounting the projector for obvious reasons...

Also I have 25' of space from that wall to the opposite wall in which to place the projector. According to the projection calculator on PCentral this isn't enough space to achieve a full-wall image.

And I have decent lighting control; although my windows are very tall and along the entire left wall of the loft, I have a dark tarp covering all but one of them, so at night it's fairly close to pitch black.

Any advice, suggestions, or comments would be great.

~ pete

Edited... READ THE FORUM RULES!

I'd like as much brightness as possible as I plan on having at least a 200" screen - hopefully even bigger


Be careful. You can have a screen that is actually too big. You want a screen that is big enough to give that immersive experience, but not so big that the eyes are strained having constantly move from side to side of the screen. A 200" inch screen would require seating at about 25 feet from the screen to be comfortable. Also, you would needlessly loose brightness and increase pixalation if you go that big. Rule of thumb, seating distance should be 1.5x the width of the screen. So if your seating distance is 12 feet, your max screen size is 96".

Hey Everyone!

I am not sure where to post this so if this is the wrong place I appologize in advance.

Mike please don't post street prices or dealers here -- it is against AVS policy:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=596891

Mods can delete this thread for this and lots of good info will be lost -- pls edit part of your post that mentions the price.

In your leisure time you might want to check this link FYI:

http://www.resellerratings.com/seller1995-p2-s1-d1.html#reviews

Looks like lots of fraud there.

Be careful. You can have a screen that is actually too big. You want a screen that is big enough to give that immersive experience, but not so big that the eyes are strained having constantly move from side to side of the screen. A 200" inch screen would require seating at about 25 feet from the screen to be comfortable. Also, you would needlessly loose brightness and increase pixalation if you go that big. Rule of thumb, seating distance should be 1.5x the width of the screen. So if your seating distance is 12 feet, your max screen size is 96".

Ah yeah, good point. Well another reason I think it would be cool to cover the entire wall (if I can) is displaying one of those PlasmaScape DVDs... have some scenery loops running.

Could anyone recommend any 'screen paint' of good value? I can't spend too much 'cus this projector is eating all my money. Would painting the wall make much of a difference?

Thanks :)

Are you guys still having problems with the projector resetting itself? I was all about getting one of these, but now I kind of want to see what is going on with this issue. Any word from Optoma about it?

Ah yeah, good point. Well another reason I think it would be cool to cover the entire wall (if I can) is displaying one of those PlasmaScape DVDs... have some scenery loops running.

Could anyone recommend any 'screen paint' of good value? I can't spend too much 'cus this projector is eating all my money. Would painting the wall make much of a difference?

Thanks :)

Hi Pete,

It would be cool to see that! Your wall is a nice piece of real estate. However, you would probably want to look at a more commercial-grade projector with a lot more light output than the HD72 (the newly reviewed Sanyo PLV-80 from ProjectorCentral comes to mind).

Even if the HD72 actually measures in at 1300 lumens during your normal use, at 200" diagonal (16x9), it would be only ~11ftL of brightness. Since the HD72 probably won't really get you 1300 lumens, and will age and dim rapidly, you can probably count on that being under 10ftL very quickly.

Screen Goo makes wall paint they design for use in home theaters, to be used on walls or even DIY screens. Its biggest benefit would probably be color uniformity. Since you need more light at that size, not less, you wouldn't want to go with a gray wall. Here is a link to their review on projectorcentral.com. http://www.projectorcentral.com/goo_systems_projector_screens.htm

Rick

Here's another option for you with low ceilings, but want a larger screen with the HD72. For reference I have 7.5ft ceilings.

Here's the assembled anamorphic lens in front of the HD72:
http://i47.imagethrust.com/t/305770/img8341.jpg (http://i47.imagethrust.com/images/1hxM/movies-and-television/installed.html)

2.35 material with 96" 16:9 screen size (2.35 material is 84" x 35.7" here with black bars top and bottom):
http://i47.imagethrust.com/t/305772/img8369.jpg (http://i47.imagethrust.com/images/1hxO/movies-and-television/no-lens.html)

2.35 material stretched on 96" 16:9 screen size. The HD72 has built in support for this scaling without the need for an external scaler:
http://i48.imagethrust.com/t/305773/img8371.jpg (http://i48.imagethrust.com/images/1hxP/movies-and-television/no-lens-stretched.html)

2.35 material with anamorphic lens on 120" 2.35 screen size (110.5" x 47"):
http://i47.imagethrust.com/t/305774/img8376.jpg (http://i47.imagethrust.com/images/1hxQ/movies-and-television/anamorphic-lens-used.html)

With the anamorphic lens in pass mode, HDTV is unaffected:
http://i48.imagethrust.com/t/305775/img8342.jpg (http://i48.imagethrust.com/images/1hxR/movies-and-television/hdtv-not-affected.html)

As you can tell I'm still in progress. I just need a real screen now....probably a Carada 2.35 120" :)

Mike

Dear Mike,

Great job! I envy your setup. I'm glad to know that HD72 works well with Prismsonic, as that is the lens I'm thinking of to see how it will look like with HD81 1080p.

So, during the pass-thru mode, the image (brightness, sharpness) is not affected by the lens?

You should share your experiences in the 2.35:1 Constant Height Chat forum, it's a dedicated forum for people like you who uses 16x9 lens.

Dear Mike,

Great job! I envy your setup. I'm glad to know that HD72 works well with Prismsonic, as that is the lens I'm thinking of to see how it will look like with HD81 1080p.

So, during the pass-thru mode, the image (brightness, sharpness) is not affected by the lens?

You should share your experiences in the 2.35:1 Constant Height Chat forum, it's a dedicated forum for people like you who uses 16x9 lens.

I'm sure it will look even better with the HD81. If you want to send me one I can evaluate for you! ;)

As with any lens there is some *slight* loss of light through the lens but almost unnoticeable. In stretch mode you'll notice it more primarly because you're spreading your lumens over a greater area. The HD72 has brightness to spare so no worries there! Sharpness is near perfect. There is ever so slight geometric distortion with the lens when not using a curved screen, but it is also not bad. Maybe 1/2" bow over 9ft screen width. With good black velvet screen trim that absorbs light this will disappear. Certainly not worth the hassle of building a curved screen to correct.

It's the best movie experience I've had. Seriously. It is completely immersive.

BTW I tried to get a better cheetah shot for you but my camera was not cooperating (I didn't forget :)) I'll post my findings on the 2.35 forum too. I'm sure they'd like to see the results.

Regards,
Mike

Are you guys still having problems with the projector resetting itself? I was all about getting one of these, but now I kind of want to see what is going on with this issue. Any word from Optoma about it?

I'm up to four now. For me it's not a huge deal, definately not a deal breaker, but I would atleast like to hear if Optoma plans on doing anything about it.

Any word from your camp, yet, Guitarman?

Dear Mike,

Great job! I envy your setup. I'm glad to know that HD72 works well with Prismsonic, as that is the lens I'm thinking of to see how it will look like with HD81 1080p.

So, during the pass-thru mode, the image (brightness, sharpness) is not affected by the lens?

You should share your experiences in the 2.35:1 Constant Height Chat forum, it's a dedicated forum for people like you who uses 16x9 lens.

TzungIlLin, can't wait to hear your results with the Prismasonic / HD81.

Mike, looks really nice. Great screen shots. Thanks

Are you guys still having problems with the projector resetting itself? I was all about getting one of these, but now I kind of want to see what is going on with this issue. Any word from Optoma about it?


I'm up to four now. For me it's not a huge deal, definately not a deal breaker, but I would atleast like to hear if Optoma plans on doing anything about it.

Any word from your camp, yet, Guitarman?

So far so good for me....

I've only put a little over 20 hours on the HD72 so far, no reset yet (knock on wood).

Robert

I have this friend, a squirrel actually. And this squirrel has been storing away nuts he's collected and he now has 2050 nuts. He has an opportunity to trade less than half of his collected nuts for an AE900 with 25 hours on it. He also has an opportunity to trade 83% of his nuts for a brand new Optoma HD72. He's having a hard time deciding. Which one would he be nuts not to do? :D

You guys who are expieriencing the resets with the hd72, should seriously look into returning them for an quick exchange if possible. This way Optoma hears about it from their resellers/distributors, and hopefully addresses the problem. Another thing is ,it will zero out your hours and possibly lead to serious over running of the bulb hours. Bulbs can explode and damage the DMD.

Which one would he be nuts not to do? :D
You'd be better off trading more of your CASHews for the dlp. :p

Well, my HD72 arrived today from PP, and so far so good.

I've watched a little HDTV on it, but mostly progressive-scan DVD via component video (480p, no upscaling in the DVD player). No screen yet, viewing on a pure-white (flat), lightly-textured wall. I can't make out the texture at all when viewing.

All my walls are white right now, so far from optimum in that regard. The whole room lights up pretty good, but not too bad. Blacks don't wash out much at all.

I can't really say there is anything I don't like about it, except possibly SDE? I didn't think DLP's had SDE, but I can easily make it out quite often sitting at 1.5x screen width, on medium to bright areas. I can even see it at 1.8 screen width. When I bring up the menu I can see the individual pixels.

I tried a 100" wide screen viewed at 150", and also at 180 inches, and I see SDE pretty often.

Is this normal? If I get really close to the screen, a pixel structure is plainly evident, with about 1/4mm (or something small) between distinct , very clear pixels. I had custom LASIK about 3 months ago, and I think my eyesight is better than 20/20, could this be the reason I can see this at 1.5 and greater screen width?

I can sit back further, but you lose the immersion effect.

I will also say I am a projector newbie. My only experience prior is borrowing a buddie's Panny AE700 for a weekend, which I never saw SDE at all, it seemed smoother than my DLP. My DLP has superior contrast ratio, however. Since we use DLP projectors extensively where I work, I knew I wasn't susceptible to RBE. I've seen none at all, nor do I get tired or get headaches.

So is this normal, to have a TINY black area between each pixel, or should there be no pixels visible at all on DLP?

Well, my HD72 arrived today from PP, and so far so good.

I've watched a little HDTV on it, but mostly progressive-scan DVD via component video (480p, no upscaling in the DVD player). No screen yet, viewing on a pure-white (flat), lightly-textured wall. I can't make out the texture at all when viewing.

All my walls are white right now, so far from optimum in that regard. The whole room lights up pretty good, but not too bad. Blacks don't wash out much at all.

I can't really say there is anything I don't like about it, except possibly SDE? I didn't think DLP's had SDE, but I can easily make it out quite often sitting at 1.5x screen width, on medium to bright areas. I can even see it at 1.8 screen width. When I bring up the menu I can see the individual pixels.

I tried a 100" wide screen viewed at 150", and also at 180 inches, and I see SDE pretty often.

Is this normal? If I get really close to the screen, a pixel structure is plainly evident, with about 1/4mm (or something small) between distinct , very clear pixels. I had custom LASIK about 3 months ago, and I think my eyesight is better than 20/20, could this be the reason I can see this at 1.5 and greater screen width?

I can sit back further, but you lose the immersion effect.

I will also say I am a projector newbie. My only experience prior is borrowing a buddie's Panny AE700 for a weekend, which I never saw SDE at all, it seemed smoother than my DLP. My DLP has superior contrast ratio, however. Since we use DLP projectors extensively where I work, I knew I wasn't susceptible to RBE. I've seen none at all, nor do I get tired or get headaches.

So is this normal, to have a TINY black area between each pixel, or should there be no pixels visible at all on DLP?

No, you are not normal. You got freaky sharp eyesight. What are you, like 5/5 eyesight (instead of normal 20/20)?I saw the HD72 on this past friday evening and at 1:1 saw no screen door effect at all.

ZBoomer,

Have you tried calibrating your projector yet? Especially with regard to color temperature, gamma, white level, and black level? If one or more of those settings are too high, the pixel structure will be more obvious in bright areas of the image.

So I've been looking at receivers to pair with an HD72, and have sort of settled on the Pioneer VSX 1015. The only complaint is that some people complain of a lip sync issue that's not apparently uncommon with projection style displays.
I called Pioneer and the guy said that it's caused by 'extra processing' in the projector, and disabling this extra processing would allow the video to 'catch up' to the audio and sync.
Anybody heard of this idea? I really like the Pioneer receiver, and want it to be able to work, but if doing so will compromise the picture, it's out!
So... question is: can I turn off some sort of 'extra' processing on the HD 72 and is it a good idea?

Lol, I wouldn't say I have 20/5 vision, heh. That would be what, like a bald eagle? I think it's around 20/15 after wavefront guided LASIK.

Tom, no I haven't calibrated it yet. To be honest I thought it looked damn good out of the box! I bought AVIA with it however, and I will give it a try. I was going to do that anyway but haven't yet. Thanks for the suggestion.

I just basically want to know, is my projector normal? On DLP are there separately discernible pixels, or should they all meld together with NO black between?

I just basically want to know, is my projector normal? On DLP are there separately discernible pixels, or should they all meld together with NO black between?


Yes, DLP projectors have "separately discernable pixels." The gridlines between pixels on DLP PJ's are thinner and less noticeable than they are on LCD projectors (DLP is said to have a higher "fill factor" than LCD) -- but they are still there. How visible they are is a function of image size, viewing distance and visual acuity. The larger you blow up the image the larger each individual pixel becomes and the wider the lines between them become. At normal image sizes and viewing distances, for people with normal vision, the pixels blend together and form a solid smooth image. If you get too close you will see individual pixels, just like you'll see scanlines if you watch a 27" CRT TV from two feet away.

Thanks Bigsmith, appreciate it. I think I'll calibrate this thing, and just enjoy it. I have very high visual acuity, but fortunately don't see RBE at all. Once I stop looking for the SDE I won't even notice it. First night with the projector I was studying the screen, not enjoying it!

Hmm, just stopped by Best Buy at lunch, and had a very close look at some DLP RPTV's. I saw zero pixel structure at all, no black between pixels whatsoever on any. Conversely, a few LCD RPTV's there had definite pixel structure and SDE. I'd say mine seems between the two.

Maybe because it was a 60" screen, and not 100+? Don't know, but I'm going to setup my HD72 with a 60" screen and see.

Edit: Now that I think about it, the DLP RPTV's in the store were likely 1080p units. Putting 1080p into only 60" diagonal, I would expect way less visible pixels.

I'm glad to know that HD72 works well with Prismsonic, as that is the lens I'm thinking of to see how it will look like with HD81 1080p.

TzungILin,

I just read the throw ratio of the HD81 is between 1.8-2.2. This bodes well for the Prismasonic lens + HD81 as the pincushioning and chromatic aberation goes down with longer throws.

I was using it at a throw of 1.78 which is near the lower end of the recommended throw distance. You could use either the H-600 or H-1200 with the HD81 and get stellar results.

Mike

ZBoomer,

I'm surprised you can see SDE with this projector. I also have better than 20/20 vision and I have to get within 3-4ft of my 8ft screen before I even start to see it.

You can also try defocusing the image until SDE is eliminated yet still keep a fairly sharp image.

Mike

If you have to get that close to see it, something is wrong with mine for sure. Either that or it focuses sharper than most? At 3-4 feet I could count the pixels if I wanted.

I set it to an 80-inch diagonal screen today, and could still see SDE pretty easily. I did basic calibrations with AVIA, and not much difference. In fact I had to turn UP the contrast (white level), so if anything that would increase the effect.

Now I'm worried. I don't like to defocus.

As I said earlier, the DLP RPTV's I saw at Best Buy had NO visible lines between pixels at all, period. It was one continuous image. Mine definitely does. I wonder if I can find any place locally that sells them, so I can compare? (Austin, TX)

I hate to make anything of it if it's normal, but if it's not I'd like to find out.

I see absolutely no screen door effect with my hd72 but unfortunately I see a lot of rainbows. The picture quality from this projector is so incredible that I will put up with the rainbows instead of go back to an lcd projector. I have only had the projector for a week so hopefully I won't be bothered by the rainbows as much after more time goes by.

Sometimes we spend more time analyzing a product rather than enjoying it. If you look for problems they will appear! When you think about something so much it will consume you until you cannot enjoy the product you have. If it where me I would watch it for a week or so and try to put SDE outta my mind. I currently have an X1 with a much greater pixel structure and SDE is not a problem from 11 feet with a 84 inch screen. Remember also that the bulb is extremely bright when knew. Give it time, don't give up on her yet she may suprise you.

If you have to get that close to see it, something is wrong with mine for sure. Either that or it focuses sharper than most? At 3-4 feet I could count the pixels if I wanted.

I set it to an 80-inch diagonal screen today, and could still see SDE pretty easily. I did basic calibrations with AVIA, and not much difference. In fact I had to turn UP the contrast (white level), so if anything that would increase the effect.

Now I'm worried. I don't like to defocus.

As I said earlier, the DLP RPTV's I saw at Best Buy had NO visible lines between pixels at all, period. It was one continuous image. Mine definitely does. I wonder if I can find any place locally that sells them, so I can compare? (Austin, TX)

I hate to make anything of it if it's normal, but if it's not I'd like to find out.

Try Data Projections, CCS Presentations, Visual Innovations, Ford A/V. Look in the phone book. If they don't have the H72 they'll have others to compare it to. Then you'll see if it's your crazy eyes or the projector.

Thanks for all the advice, and advance apologies for anything ridiculous I say, I am a relative newbie to HT projectors.

I moved my DTV HD-DVR upstairs to my fledgling home theatre, and set it up last night. Wife watched some 4-hour movie on WE network, then I watched "Invasion" recorded from off-air HD. After watching the SD DTV feed for a while, I almost got used to it and started to accept it as OK. Then I played Invasion in HD, holy crap. Awesome.

Only maybe once or twice did I notice SDE, most notably when a woman was standing in a white lab coat, I could see it from 1.8x. I think as time goes on, I'll ignore it, it will lessen as the bulb dims, etc.

Now that I think about it, when we do a presentation at work with our 1024x768 DLP (Dell 4100), I can see the individual pixels as well from 2x or even more, so I guess it's normal.

Update. Stopped by CC and Fry's today at lunch, and looked at some 720p DLP RPTV's. The pixel display looked about identical to mine, so I think it's fine.

So it seems to me:

LCD = minimal to bad SDE, depending on technology (Panasonic has very minimal)
1280x720 DLP = minimal SDE
1920x1080 DLP or SXRD = zero SDE

I'm laying my SDE issue to rest.

Bought a VGA to DVI cable also, so I can play around with my PC on the proj.

Wow, thread gone silent. I guess everyone's just enjoying their HD72, heh.

Well, I think I had my first official "reset" yesterday. Turned on the proj after it had been sitting all-night in standby mode, and all the settings were back to default, lamp hours at zero. Apparently somehow it reset itself overnight, while in standby mode.

I'm not too cool on that...

how many hours do people have on the bulb now? I guess it's hard to know since they keep reseting.

how many hours do people have on the bulb now? I guess it's hard to know since they keep reseting.

30 hours for me and counting....

No resets so far....

I have this friend, a squirrel actually. And this squirrel has been storing away nuts he's collected and he now has 2050 nuts. He has an opportunity to trade less than half of his collected nuts for an AE900 with 25 hours on it. He also has an opportunity to trade 83% of his nuts for a brand new Optoma HD72. He's having a hard time deciding. Which one would he be nuts not to do? :D

Don't touch that squirrel's nuts!

EDIT: NOW WITH 100% MORE PICTURES

Brightness:

The HD72 is bright, even in “low” lamp mode. What is “bright” you may ask, with no light meter handy? Well kids, in this context it means “subjectively, the HD72 appeared brighter than the other two projectors after calibrating by eye using consumer level tools in a light controlled room.” Put that in your pipe and smoke it. The HD72 is so bright I could easily see it on a 1.0 gain screen with the lights half-turned up in my room.


Great review Ix!
I got my HD72 yesterday and tried it out at a friends place on Da-lite screen with 1.0 gain. Some of the scenes looked really bright... wondering if I should get a negative gain screen... any suggestions?

If you have to get that close to see it, something is wrong with mine for sure. Either that or it focuses sharper than most? At 3-4 feet I could count the pixels if I wanted.

I set it to an 80-inch diagonal screen today, and could still see SDE pretty easily. I did basic calibrations with AVIA, and not much difference. In fact I had to turn UP the contrast (white level), so if anything that would increase the effect.

Now I'm worried. I don't like to defocus.

As I said earlier, the DLP RPTV's I saw at Best Buy had NO visible lines between pixels at all, period. It was one continuous image. Mine definitely does. I wonder if I can find any place locally that sells them, so I can compare? (Austin, TX)

I hate to make anything of it if it's normal, but if it's not I'd like to find out.

When I read posts like these (there are lots) I just wonder how anyone ever watched SDTV on a regular TV. If you get within 3 to 4 feet of a 20" display all you see is aperture grill. At six feet you can still see scan lines.
Nobody ever complained before when they sat 10 feet back from a 20 inch CRT.
Give it a couple of extra feet, will ya?
BTW, nothing personal Zboomer. Just want to remind folks how much better we have it now.

I agree, and hate to complain because you're right, we have it good! No one else in the house says anything, but I can very clearly see SDE as far back as I can get in my room (it's 18.5" feet room). I had been lead to believe based on what I read here that DLP has no SDE, but to be blunt, that's total BS. It's considerably worse than my buddy's Panny AX700, a last-generation LCD (albiet with "smooth screen" technology).

Am I supposed to just act like it's not there? Sorta like the Emperor's new Clothes, if you ask me. When I read posts that guys see no SDE from 3-4 feet away, it makes me wonder if something is wrong with mine, for obvious reasons. At 3-4 feet it's horrible for me, so I am much more senstive to it, or my proj is different. I'm just trying to figure out which so I can get past it.

Upon further viewing, I think the reason it's bugging me though is the fact I am still displaying on a lightly-textured pure-white wall. The minimal DLP SDE combines with the texture, which is roughly the same "size" as the pixels, to give a roughness to the image, that you notice when a light portion of a movie moves across the scree. The SDE and Texture combined do not move, so you see them stationary while the image is moving.

I am thinking now that once I get a smoother screen, what I'm seeing will not bug me at all.

Anyway, sorry to appear to be a pain about this. It just didn't match what I thought it would based on my research here regarding DLP. I just want to be sure my Proj is normal, that's all.

I agree, and hate to complain because you're right, we have it good! No one else in the house says anything, but I can very clearly see SDE as far back as I can get in my room (it's 18.5" feet room). I had been lead to believe based on what I read here that DLP has no SDE, but to be blunt, that's total BS. It's considerably worse than my buddy's Panny AX700, a last-generation LCD (albiet with "smooth screen" technology).

Am I supposed to just act like it's not there? Sorta like the Emperor's new Clothes, if you ask me. When I read posts that guys see no SDE from 3-4 feet away, it makes me wonder if something is wrong with mine, for obvious reasons. At 3-4 feet it's horrible for me, so I am much more senstive to it, or my proj is different. I'm just trying to figure out which so I can get past it.

Upon further viewing, I think the reason it's bugging me though is the fact I am still displaying on a lightly-textured pure-white wall. The minimal DLP SDE combines with the texture, which is roughly the same "size" as the pixels, to give a roughness to the image, that you notice when a light portion of a movie moves across the scree. The SDE and Texture combined do not move, so you see them stationary while the image is moving.

I am thinking now that once I get a smoother screen, what I'm seeing will not bug me at all.

Anyway, sorry to appear to be a pain about this. It just didn't match what I thought it would based on my research here regarding DLP. I just want to be sure my Proj is normal, that's all.

Seeing is believing. Only your eyes have to be pleased. If you're not, sell it and purchase something else. Otherwise, if it bothers you as much as all these posts you've put up about it seem to indicate, you will continuously be second guessing your decision to keep it and never be happy. And please... wait to post about this issue again until you get a quality screen to match up with the projector. Speaking for myself, and I've been in the AV business since '91, I saw an HD72 last weekend and it had no SDE at normal viewing distance and barely discernible SDE at 3-4', but, of course, that was on a high quality screen, not a wall.

this will probably be the next projector I buy.

ZBoomer-

I am extremely susceptible to SDE as well, but I believe that once you move to a real screen, you will be far less bothered.

It may also be something you need to "forget about". I still have the H30, and I rarely/never really "notice" the screen door. No one has ever complained about it- and believe me- I do ask!

You'll be fine- just give it time and a new screen.

Ryan

Hmm...Has anyone done a direct comparison of SDE for the HD72 and H31? I thought SDE would be and should be substantially less than the H31/H27/h30 480 models. 90% of the time I don't notice it on my H31 and I'm about 1.75X screen width.

"Upon further viewing, I think the reason it's bugging me though is the fact I am still displaying on a lightly-textured pure-white wall. The minimal DLP SDE combines with the texture, which is roughly the same "size" as the pixels, to give a roughness to the image, that you notice when a light portion of a movie moves across the scree. The SDE and Texture combined do not move, so you see them stationary while the image is moving.

I am thinking now that once I get a smoother screen, what I'm seeing will not bug me at all." ZBOOMER

If you insist on calling your wall a screen , than what variables are involved ?
You've started a little panic here, especially among "newbie's" who may not know any better.. If you not sure if thre hd72 is the culprit , don't post ; period !
Too many people jump to conclusions because of uncalibrated equiptment, or lack of knowledge. Get a REAL screen. Properly calibrate. Then if you still see SDE , have others check it out and confirm for you. Maybe you really do have a defective dmd panel . Otherwise , you have been blaming Optoma ,because of your own negligence.

Nice post. Thanks for the help!

Not.

Again, there are people here saying the HD72 has no SD from as close as 3-4 feet. At 3-4 feet I could easily count pixels indivually and see the black space between them, so something is WRONG with my machine, or my freaking eyes resolve better than most.

Zboomer,

No worries about your posts. You had a valid question.

I was the one who said I couldn't see it until 3-4 ft, which is different than *not* seeing it 3-4 ft. At 3-4ft I could also see it clearly, was able to count pixels and the grid was defined with a bright image. This was at 0.5x seating distance. If I focused hard enough I could still see slight SDE effect at 0.8x-1.0x, but this is where perception takes over and your brain tells you it's a continuous image. At normal distances (>1.0x) I perceive zero SDE even though my eyesight is better than 20/20.

Most 720p LCDs will be noticeably worse with the exception being the Panasonic ae700 and ae900 with the "smoothscreen" technology. I'm not sure how they do this but it is at the sacrifice of a little sharpness (so I hear). The brightness and black levels are also not as good with the the ae900, although the ae900 is still going to give you decent black levels for LCD with a great price to boot.

It sounds to me like you have a normal machine and you're especially sensitive to SDE. The ae900 or a forthcoming 1080p might be a better choice for you given this. You're definitely not the norm in this area however. Sue your lasic surgeon for making you buy 1080p! :)

Mike

Mike, thanks man. You pretty much have me convinced my proj is OK, it's just a combination of me being very perceptive of SDE, and my non-perfectly-smooth "screen" surface. I really appreciate the input, and sorry for starting any "panic." The good news is I see no RBE, which would really suck, hah.

The more I use the SD72, the more I love it. It really has gorgeous PQ! I am quickly noticing that not all HD or DVD's are equal. Some look spectacular, but some have lots of noise and "sparklies" in the bright areas, as if over-driven. It seems most CBS HD shows look awesome, whereas FOX seems to have a very noisy source.

It's apparent the more I watch, most if not all defects I see are in the SOURCE not the projector. It just shows what you put in, garbage in...

I am VERY happy with the dynamic colors, contrast, and blacks. When I messed with all the Avia test patterns, it's stunning how good the display is - colors, contrast, geometry, etc. Makes my old CRT look totally archaic.

Now I am anxious to get a smoother screen, because I think it will lessen the SDE I see. I really only notice it in bright areas now, and am learning to not pay attention to it. It doesn't degrade from the overall greatness of this proj. I am even impressed how well it does with good old standard-def TV. Yes, it looks very low-res and horrible compared to HD or DVD, and you see compression artifacts from DTV, but not as bad as I'd expected. I don't see a lot of color banding. It's basically what I'd expect blowing up a low-res image so large.

I attached my laptop to the proj earlier this week and that too looked awesome. I even tried plain-old composite video, and it was decent.

This week my ceiling mount comes in, and now my dogs and cats won't be "staring" in every movie I watch, which they are with the projector 12" off the floor, lol.

ZBoomer..........

If you want to try a simple (and cheap) test find a fabric store that sells "Blackout" cloth. This stuff comes in a roll and is a maximum of 60" wide. You could cut a piece of this fabric and thumb-tack it to your wall. This would allow you to project a 110"x 60" image which is about 123" diag I believe.

The blackout cloth has a very smooth rubber-like texture and works very well as an inexpensive screen. It should definately allow you to remove the wall texture as a consideration. Oh yeah, and it only costs about $15!

Thanks to all the great info on this board, I just received the HD 72 from PP, and it is GREAT. Before Christmas, I bought the EP-719 at Best Buy and was content with it, but not happy with the color resolution. Thanks to the information I received here, I decided to return the EP-719 and wait for the HD-72 and let me tell you, the difference was profound!

I have a 120" diagonal DIY screen, and the projector looks great. I do get a minor SDE from 3 feet away, but why on Earth would I choose to sit so close? The contrast and color saturation is superb!

Currently, I am using component cables and have no complaints. I will wait until they get the HDMI switching bugs worked out before I buy a new receiver. I defnintely need some decent front speakers, however, and a powerful sub.

Today, the ceiling mount arrives. Based on the number of posts regarding installation, I am already terrified!

Question: How do most of you do the wires? Use wire covers on the ceiling or cut into the drywall?

Wow, what a money pit! Alas, it is a labor of love, I suppose. Selah!! :D

Hey Uatatoka,

What throw ratio are you using with your Prismasonic? What's the lowest throw ratio you could go, do you think you could get away with maximum zoom with out cutting off or distorting the image? Am I right in assuming you have the DIY version?

Thanks
Mike

Hey Uatatoka,

What throw ratio are you using with your Prismasonic? What's the lowest throw ratio you could go, do you think you could get away with maximum zoom with out cutting off or distorting the image? Am I right in assuming you have the DIY version?

Thanks
Mike

I'm using it a throw ratio of 1.8, at no zoom the throw is 1.9. The picture looks great. I would try to avoid shorter throws if at all possible. I have the DIY version.

I'm using it a throw ratio of 1.8, at no zoom the throw is 1.9. The picture looks great. I would try to avoid shorter throws if at all possible. I have the DIY version.

Hmm,

I was thinking I would be able to get away with 1.65, I think that is the minimum for the panamorph. Now I don't know if it will pay for me to do it at all. 1.8 throw ratio would give me only a 80" 16x9 screen, if I go max zoom in my room I can do 92", If I were to do 1.65 I would get 88"...

Hmm,

I was thinking I would be able to get away with 1.65, I think that is the minimum for the panamorph. Now I don't know if it will pay for me to do it at all. 1.8 throw ratio would give me only a 80" 16x9 screen, if I go max zoom in my room I can do 92", If I were to do 1.65 I would get 88"...


You can do it, you'll just need decent masking to absorb the light spill of any geometric distortion - or build a curved screen (bigger hassle). I don't know how much it will distort though, on a smaller screen this should be less of an issue. At 1.8 throw I only see <0.5" of non-linearity over a 9ft screen width. It will increase with zoom (shorter throw) though.

Hi there, everybody!

I've been saving for years for the moment I could afford a DLP projector and the addition of HiDef in my price range is a real blessing.

I went in to a home cinema studio to check out a number of projectors, keeping an open mind as far as LCDs were concerned, having read some very positive reports of the results from the newer generation of panels. I had no particular preference as to brand, although I had excluded the BenQ projectors from the start - not because of image quality, but sue to the apparent problems people are reporting with the short lamp life.

I started off checking out the Optoma HD72i, which was a bit above my original budget at 2199 Euros over here in Europe, and was initially very impressed - sharp, film-like pictures with good depth of field. I then checked out a black and white DVD source (Citizen Kane) to see how it handled 4:3 and black and white images (I'm a film buff and was looking for something to cope with all kinds of film images). This is where my first qualm set in - the AI. The film cuts rapidly from scene to scene, often with rapid changes in brightness which set the AI working overtime - and unfortunately very obviously. I asked the dealer to switch off the AI; he claimed it had been switched off throughout, hmmm. Maybe something to keep an eye on when testing the Optoma, because it really bothered me.

I then checked out a couple of LCDs and compared the images with the Optima running on a screen placed diagonally opposite. First up was the Sanyo Z4, which was fairly OK but paled in comparison with the DLP projection. I then went on the the Epson TW600 (sold in the US as a Cinema 800, I think?), which impressed me more, but was still not a patch on the Optoma. Last of all, I tried out the Panasonic PT A900E. I'd read a lot of good reviews on this PJ, some of them almost hysterically so, as I recall - and I was VERY disappointed with the image it produced. I'm not just talking unfocussed, that's a problem most people know about due to the deliberate pixel blurring. I'm actually referring to the colours the Panasonic was producing - best described as "old lady with a blue rinse". Anyone interested in this machine should definitely check it out carefully first.

Back to the DLP, which the Optoma's image quality had confirmed as the technology for me. The AI issue was worrying me, so I asked the dealer to show me a model which I hadn't even taken into consideration until then: the Mitsubishi PC3000. This were compared side by side, switching from one to th other in pause mode to highlight the differences in picture quality. To my eyes, these were pretty significant. In darker scenes, the Mitsubishi was less prone to dithering (though the Optoma kept the phenomenon to an acceptable level, too). More importantly, the level of detail discernable in less colour and light-rich scenes was much higher for the Mitubishi. The slightly overbearing whites marred good depths in the Optoma and led to more rainbow effects in dark scenes with fast-moving white highlights (sci fi being a point in case). The Mitsubishi delivered stunning images throughout, leaving the Optoma looking decidedly muddy by comparison.

Moving on to the colours: both projectors are strong on colour and I was unable to see much difference in outdoor scenes with plenty of sunlight and sky. The Optoma's colours were in some cases a little too rich for my liking (grass wasn't so much green as GREEN!!!), but that may well be a question of taste.

These are just a few impressions from someone who set out with the Optoma in mind and swapped to favouring the Mitsubishi even though the PJ hadn"t even figured on my list of preferences initially. The Optoma delivered good pictures, but I was so impressed by the difference that I've chosen to spend the extra 400 Euros on an HC3000 instead.

I've had my first reset to factory settings today :(

Any updates on this?

Moogh,

Interesting post.

It is always good to get some real world side by side comparisons reported. The problem, and this is not a criticism of your post, is the calibration of the projectors. Do you know whether they had all been configured with their optimum settings? I know by reading the Z4 thread that it requires extensive 'tweaking' to deliver the best results. I'm sure that is the same to a greater and lesser degree with all the projectors.

Nevertheless it is a useful post that certainly got me thinking!

Thanks

Brit

Hey, Brit,

I think you're right on the calibration - every time I asked the dealer whether he'd set the PJs to 65k etc. to enable a balanced comparison, he just told me that either a) the colours were pretty good out of the box and just needed a little tweaking or b) he had calibrated a couple of settings based on the whites. Hmmm, I thought - suspecting a bloke might have got a more serious answer. Plus I was comparing an Optoma with only a couple of hours on the clock against a Mitsu with significantly more which I'm sure has a couple of side effects.

What swayed it for me were the contrast levels in the Mitsu in darker scenes, particularly when coupled with busy shots (rapid pans, highlights, points of light moving at speed). These for me were issues which a good calibration wouldn't necessarily iron out. In fact, in the case of the overly garish whites in the Optoma, I'm guessing that you'd have to resort to playing around with filters quite a bit.

I'm pretty fussy on things like moving images. Although I'm not particularly susceptible to rainbows unless I look away from the screen, I pay a lot of attention to how smoothly an image pans (one reason I was never tempted to invest in an early plasma TV screen or watch DVDs on a non-HD computer screen) and I saw less problems with the Mitsubishi than the Optoma.

Obviously, once I've won the lottery, I shall be investing in some really decadent piece of technology and custom building a dedicated HT in each of my luxury abodes. But at the moment, the Mitsubishi looks like fulfilling my immediate needs absolutely adequately.

I can report back once the PJ arrives and I get the set-up sorted to my satisfaction.

I've read through this entire post for the past week and I believe that I need to go with the HD72 vs the H78. If someone could lend a hand, I'd greatly appreciate it.

I am planning on using a 123" diagonal (107" x 60") Stewart Firehawk due to ambient light conditions, and based on that, together with the fact that I don't have 100% light control is why I put the nod towards the HD72 for light output.

My problem is the offset. For the life of me, I tried calculating the optimum mounting height for the PJ based on the user manual I downloaded. Now I find that this may not be correct. Here are the particulars:

Projector to screen distance = 15'
Bottom of the visible portion of the screen will be at 27"
The height of the visible portion will be 60" above that for a total of 87" high.
I can only mount the PJ to the ceiling which is at 9'.

My question to you experts is this: will the projector with its infamous fixed offset work? I don't know how to put in the zoom factor and calculate the offset needed for me to find out and I would be very gracious to someone who could assist.

When I use the H' = L*Tan(6.52) I get an offset = 20.57". I have no idea what zoom that incorporates, but to me it sure sounds like it's saying that I need to mount the lense 20.57" above the viewable screen area (20.57" + 87") = 107.57"?

Is the above correct? Thus, I'd need one slim mount ceiling mount?

I've had my HD72 for about a week. It was reset to factory (most of the settings, including bulb hours, could be all of them...) today when I started it up. I'm going to contact customer support about it and see what they say.

What swayed it for me were the contrast levels in the Mitsu in darker scenes, particularly when coupled with busy shots (rapid pans, highlights, points of light moving at speed). These for me were issues which a good calibration wouldn't necessarily iron out. In fact, in the case of the overly garish whites in the Optoma, I'm guessing that you'd have to resort to playing around with filters quite a bit.



Unfortunately a thorough calibration makes a big difference with contrast/shadow detail...and overblown whites.

In fact, just doing a basic brightness/contrast adjustment with a THX optimizer (found in pixar DVD's like the Incredibles) will help a lot. It's a quick way to get 2 projectors close in the contrast calibration area.

The wrong brightness/contrast settings can make even a HD72 lose shadow detail over a Z4 :eek:

Fleaman

What swayed it for me were the contrast levels in the Mitsu in darker scenes, particularly when coupled with busy shots (rapid pans, highlights, points of light moving at speed). These for me were issues which a good calibration wouldn't necessarily iron out. In fact, in the case of the overly garish whites in the Optoma, I'm guessing that you'd have to resort to playing around with filters quite a bit.

Calibration makes a HUGE difference!

I had a similar reaction (see my early screenshots) until I bothered to dig out my AVIA disk and calibrate it. It took me <30 min with the basic AVIA disk to fine tune contrast and brightness. No 'overly garish whites', superb contrast and black level detail, no motion artifacts whatsoever.

Sounds like you're working with a not-so-helpful dealer.

I hate saying it, but "Me too!".

I received my HD72 today. Fired it up for 10 minutes on top a big stack of large boxes to get the positioning sorted, keyed in some initial settings (flip the image, etc) and then mounted it. All was well. Powered up again, still happy. Good good.

I was especially chuffed because I have a difficult room - a 20ft ceiling. The upstairs has a balcony thing going on and the projector is mounted on the face of that (about 9ft off the floor). It's 16 feet from the wall onto which it projects (and which will, in due course, receive an actual screen). By an odd quirk, the extreme offset of the HD72 works out quite well!

Then, maybe half an hour later, the "reset" many have mentioned - not an hour on the unit!

I'll report to Optoma tomorrow I guess, but I add to the pleas for information: Does anyone have anything to report on this issue?

Otherwise, I am pretty happy with the HD72 - a big big step up from my old Mitsubishi LCD unit that's at least 6 or 7 years old. Compared to that thing, the HD72 is bright, dark, light, quiet and tiny!

Good call on the HD72 for that big a screen + ambient light. You'll be lovin life.

You also have digital lens shift to work with here (+/- 1.8"). Looks like you have about 2.23" of clearance, which essentially means flush to the ceiling. Not a lot of room to play with (87" + 20.57" fixed offset - 1.8" shift + 4-5" ceiling to lens w/ flush mount = 110.77 or 2-3" over 108" floor to ceiling height). Zooming will add a little extra offset (0-2") also.

You may have to move the screen down 4-5" depending on your mount and zoom (no zoom = smallest offset).

I've read through this entire post for the past week and I believe that I need to go with the HD72 vs the H78. If someone could lend a hand, I'd greatly appreciate it.

I am planning on using a 123" diagonal (107" x 60") Stewart Firehawk due to ambient light conditions, and based on that, together with the fact that I don't have 100% light control is why I put the nod towards the HD72 for light output.

My problem is the offset. For the life of me, I tried calculating the optimum mounting height for the PJ based on the user manual I downloaded. Now I find that this may not be correct. Here are the particulars:

Projector to screen distance = 15'
Bottom of the visible portion of the screen will be at 27"
The height of the visible portion will be 60" above that for a total of 87" high.
I can only mount the PJ to the ceiling which is at 9'.

My question to you experts is this: will the projector with its infamous fixed offset work? I don't know how to put in the zoom factor and calculate the offset needed for me to find out and I would be very gracious to someone who could assist.

When I use the H' = L*Tan(6.52) I get an offset = 20.57". I have no idea what zoom that incorporates, but to me it sure sounds like it's saying that I need to mount the lense 20.57" above the viewable screen area (20.57" + 87") = 107.57"?

Is the above correct? Thus, I'd need one slim mount ceiling mount?

Good call on the HD72 for that big a screen + ambient light. You'll be lovin life.

You also have digital lens shift to work with here (+/- 1.8"). Looks like you have about 2.23" of clearance, which essentially means flush to the ceiling. Not a lot of room to play with (87" + 20.57" fixed offset - 1.8" shift + 4-5" ceiling to lens w/ flush mount = 110.77 or 2-3" over 108" floor to ceiling height). Zooming will add a little extra offset (0-2") also.

You may have to move the screen down 4-5" depending on your mount and zoom (no zoom = smallest offset).

ah, so I did do the calculations right! Or did I? Please check because this has been keeping me up for a week!

I have three options as far as throw distance that I can use due to my room. I can use:

L1=174", L2 = 180", or at most i could use L3= 186".

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

L1 results in a zoom of 1.09x, L2 results in a zoom of 1.13x, and L3 results in 1.17x.

H1' = 21.26", H2' = 20.57", or H3' = 19.89" which shows that the difference between 1 ft further away only makes a difference of ~1.37" in offset. Man oh man is this going to be tight. Problem is that I cannot lower my screen any more as it butts up against a window shelf.

Ceiling height = 108" - 5" for ceiling mount = 103" floor to center of lense.

Top of screen is at: 87" (22" from floor to shelf, + 5" of black drop/frame for Lexus Model A electriscreen (guessing here), + 60" of vertical screen = 87".

103" - 87" = 16" and I need 20". I haven't even taken into account the zoom yet. Not even sure how to do that actually. I think I'm out of luck by a few inches?

You're really close. I can't say for sure, but I do know it's good to allow for a little wiggle room. You could always tilt a little to get that extra inch and either let your masking absorb the extra spill or shim out the top of the screen to compensate. Or it could work fine! The calculations in the manual are for 768p 16:10 panel and assuming no offset change for zoom. Most installs are 720p and zoom affects offset so it's difficult when you're this close.

The safe bet is going with lens shift, but the brightness is a real bonus here with a nice large screen like that and ambient light. Probably worth trying. If you're not happy with the result then return and settle for the dimmer projectors w/ lens shift :)

You're really close. I can't say for sure, but I do know it's good to allow for a little wiggle room. You could always tilt a little to get that extra inch and either let your masking absorb the extra spill or shim out the top of the screen to compensate. Or it could work fine! The calculations in the manual are for 768p 16:10 panel and assuming no offset change for zoom. Most installs are 720p and zoom affects offset so it's difficult when you're this close.

The safe bet is going with lens shift, but the brightness is a real bonus here with a nice large screen like that and ambient light. Probably worth trying. If you're not happy with the result then return and settle for the dimmer projectors w/ lens shift :)

well, I'll give it a try and make sure I have the option of sending it back.

I have a few more questions. The trigger for this thing. I just assumed and ran an 18AWG wire from where the projector will be to where the screen will be. Is this sufficient for the low voltage trigger wire?

Also, since you brought up the image shift I'm assuming you are talking about projecting a x720 image instead of 768? Meaning I'll be projecting 68 fewer vertical lines (34 top and bottom) which means I can digitally shift the image vertically by 34 lines? This does not cause any image robbing side effects like keystone adjustments (which I definitely don't want to do)?

As far as going with another projector, I was pretty set to go with an H78 but could not justify the extra $1,500. Especially since I'll be a fairly early adopter of the 1080p projectors and is the main reason I went with the screen that I did. Lower light output would not be good for my situation I don't think (grey screen).

How can it be that so many have posted about resets and as far as I can see, no one is reporting anything about what Optoma is saying or doing about this....If I had just spent 2g's and this started happening to me, I would certainly be posting about possible solutions, returns, warranty,etc.
It doesn't appear that these are isolated incidents and are frankly quite troubling for someone looking at spending this kind of $. I for one am awaiting the comparisons between the HD72 and IN76 before coming to some kind of decision. Who knows, maybe the IN76 will have some significant issues also (and yes, I consider resets very serious). I am personally wondering if the unit has some bad capacitor or something that is used to hold the info. in memory or something more like a battery...anyone know? This could be a simple update firmware issue or a more serious manufacturing defect.
I would have a hard time justifying 3g's for the IN76 if that remains the street price when the HD72 is a "g" less but not with spontaneous resets.
I also put out the plea for some info. from all of you who have had this issue and what is being done about it! Find it hard to believe that the people that this has happened to aren't doing anything about it.

Agreed.. I want this reset issue to be fixed before I buy one. I really do not want to have to send it back to Optoma if it needs shop repair.

I am in the same waiting game as the rest of you guys. My old first generation Plus UP1100 DLP projector has given me seven years of dependable service and is still going strong. But sounds like a vacuum cleaner.

Surely the new Optoma quality control is better than it appears. Or not. I want to upgrade and the Optoma H72 was a likely candidate, but not until the spontaneous reset problems are resolved.

mitch, is it possible to use extension brackets on the screen so that clear the window shelf? just a thought,hope it all works out. chris

I have an HD72 and have 30 hours with no resets. The projector has been left in standby and with the projector powered off with the hard switch and no problems.
-Darren

mitch, is it possible to use extension brackets on the screen so that clear the window shelf? just a thought,hope it all works out. chris

the shelf is about 22" deep so it would look a bit funny ;)

Calibration makes a HUGE difference!

I had a similar reaction (see my early screenshots) until I bothered to dig out my AVIA disk and calibrate it. It took me <30 min with the basic AVIA disk to fine tune contrast and brightness. No 'overly garish whites', superb contrast and black level detail, no motion artifacts whatsoever.

Sounds like you're working with a not-so-helpful dealer.

Panning? I tested the HD72 it passes the panning tests, not so the early H77's Sharp Z2000, HT1000 etc. The HD72 passed as well as the DC3 H79 can. Which is very good.
The key thing is setting whites and blacks, blacks being very important. A good tip for setting the black level with the Pluge pattern is to nose up to the screen and sense the absolute low when the left bar disappears or with Avia is just barely visible, surrounding dithering is stopped.

The reset problem on some reported machines (it's not all of them) is being worked on and a firmware is on the way.

IX,

Your shootout review was really a great and entertaining read. With all due respects to the technical experts out there, I loved your irreverent, real world man-on-the-street review and tone.

Keep up the good work.

Guitarman, your posts as always are greatly appreciated and I believe respected by most of us. I have read every post in this particular thread and I'm really struggling at this point in my decision making process.

I have the feeling that there are many out there in the same "boat" as I am with a 480p pj agonizing over the choices out there right now. On the one hand, I could take the wait and see aproach and after 6 months or more the new flock of pj's will have been well documented and the decision might be much easier to make.

On the other hand, it would be nice to get the new 720DLP at the decent price and be able to enjoy it for as long as possible until the next upgrade hits at around the same price (can anyone say 1080p at 2-3g's!) yeah, I know...wishful thinkin :rolleyes:

Can you elaborate anymore on the reset issue or is that really all the info. you have at this time....thanks in advance for the many of us on the fence trying to figure out what our 720p upgrade will end up as.

Not much, just a reset issue on some PJ's and that they'll hv a firmware to fix it.

I have the Avia dvd disc to calibrate my hd 72 with my htpc. I am wondering how I can calibrate the input for my comcast high definition cable box without having it done professionally.

Does the reset problem still exist in newer shipments of the HD72?

I was wondering how recently people have purchased these that are still experiencing the reset issue.

I have the Avia dvd disc to calibrate my hd 72 with my htpc. I am wondering how I can calibrate the input for my comcast high definition cable box without having it done professionally.

Saturday mornings at 7:00 am, INHD has 15 minutes of test patterns. I think it is called "Tune up".

Also my HD72, which was drop shipped from Optoma 11 days ago, had the reset problem. It has only happened once in 50 hours (yeah I watch it too much :) ) and I have my setting written down so it's not a big deal.

Not much, just a reset issue on some PJ's and that they'll hv a firmware to fix it.

I was at the factory today and they have the firmware fix for people with the problem. You'll need to send it in though. I mentioned it might be a good idea to train me on this firmware so I could apply it for members. I could do some pro tuning on HDTV and DVD at the same time, could take some of the sting out of having to send it in.

Though the OTB colors aren't bad. I have another HD72 now and I'll run some graphs on the before. It should show how close it is.

I'm wathcing the Lost TV series now. Can I say it again "this thing rocks" :). It's the brilliant color with the white segment. Reading about brilliant color I found it works off the white segment. So Optoma installing a slight peice of white glass in their color wheel is not a fluke. Extra punch for color and punch for brightness.

I got my HD72 in last Saturday. I've had no previous experience with HT projectors and haven't even seen one in use before, so I don't want to say "Yeah, get it" or otherwise... but it does look very impressive. I use it as my second monitor on my PC. Half-Life 2 looks incredible.

I had the reset problem during the first couple days. The lamp would always read 0 hours although I'd used it for at least 5 hours, and the color calibration settings would reset themselves. However it seems after the machine got broken in a bit over the next couple days this resetting problem has dissapeared and now everything seems to be working as it should. My lamp hours now read as 20 and my color settings stick.

Gman that seems odd to me....if it's just a firmware issue then why would you be required to send it in :confused: I thought this pj's firmware could be updated easily from home as new updates become available....am I mistaken?

Yeah, it entails having Ti's software. Pretty sure it's something they can't send around.

So we have to pay the shipping to send the machine back to Optoma to fix a firmware issue that can normally be fixed via one's own computer. Guess this will be the last Optoma product I buy.

I was at the factory today and they have the firmware fix for people with the problem. You'll need to send it in though. I mentioned it might be a good idea to train me on this firmware so I could apply it for members. I could do some pro tuning on HDTV and DVD at the same time, could take some of the sting out of having to send it in.

Though the OTB colors aren't bad. I have another HD72 now and I'll run some graphs on the before. It should show how close it is.

I'm wathcing the Lost TV series now. Can I say it again "this thing rocks" :). It's the brilliant color with the white segment. Reading about brilliant color I found it works off the white segment. So Optoma installing a slight peice of white glass in their color wheel is not a fluke. Extra punch for color and punch for brightness.

You were at what factory?

I was extremely enthusiastic about this PJ as a choice for the dedicated theater we're building, but two issues are really troubling me. The first is the reset issue--I will look forward to seeing how quickly the firmware update becomes available and whether the fix is complete. The second issue is the H78/H79 bulb issue. There seem to be plenty of irate individuals who shelled out big bucks for these two PJs, and some seem to be unable to replace their projectors or even get replacement bulbs. While it could easily be argued that the second problem is irrelevant to the H72, I have to wonder whether there is a systemic quality issue at work.

I'm now seriously considering two more expensive projectors (the Samsung H710AE and the Infocus IN76). I, for one, will be looking carefully at how those who have bought these projectors are having their quality issues addressed by Optoma before giving up on the H72. In fact, I hope my concerns are proved wrong!

Tom, what 'TV' setting do you have your Panny S97 on? I'm thinking the LCD/Projector might be the most suitable, but mine was still on Standard/Direct during my first test of the HD72i last night which I hoping was the reason I just couldn't get the combo to look right. I only spent an hour or 2 flipping between a few DVD's and some rough tweaking with DVE/Avia, but felt quite disappointed by the results. Just couldn't seem to dial the picture in properly at all to the point where I ended with a sinking feeling that I possibly even had a duff machine :( I was expecting to be taken back by extreme brightness and intense colours that'd have me reaching for the -/down buttons straight away. But, to be honest, all I could get was a murky looking image with distintively washed out blacks and misbalanced colours, and those infamous whites weren't nowhere as glaring as I'd anticipated. I thought I tried everything - all the various degamma's, colour temps, brilliant colour settings etc. but just couldn't settle on something that appeared quite right. It was the same gutting scenario I first had with my H31 when I was initially running the Oppo into it. Very murky image for lack of a better term, innaccurate colours, softness; then as soon as I switched to the Panny S97 everything fell immediately into place. I'm trying to remain optomistic, but maybe I was just expecting too much from the HD72? But...is a higher resolution H31 really asking too much? In all honesty, I did hope for a touch better contrast contrast and colour saturation than the latter, but the aforementioned predicament is something I would've gladly settled for if needs. Although it's been a few months since I offloaded my H31 and have been in the company of any FP viewing at all, all I have to do is roll down the screen and the punchy, contrasty, richly saturated images of the H31 come back right away. From what I was able to (un)achieve with the HD72 last night, it just couldn't compare in anything but resolution :( What was most concerning was that it was immediately obvious with the first image the HD72 showed me - the all too familiar sight of the blue S97 splash screen. The H31 used to render it near idenically to my 36" direct view 16:9 CRT telly, but the HD72 representation looked just plain wrong. I couldn't get the DVD letters to look so much blue, but a murky grey/turquoise at best, which was what got me questioning the unthinkable - perhaps I even had a duff machine... I don't know, maybe I just need to find that something to make it click and everything will into place from there. Though I'm sure I covered almost all main boundaries in my brief play about yesterday, I won't be giving up just yet. I'll start from scratch again today anyway, and try component in from another DVD deck to see if that yields any major differences off the bat. Fingers crossed yesterday was nothing but a false start...

On another note, can confirm that the UK model does indeed have the DCDi logo on the front and there's quite a few tweaks available for it including the option to have it on/off which I presume would hand over duties to the TI chip. DCDi options are auto or video deinterlacing, noise reduction, and V/H edge enhancement tweaking of the Faraoudja's TrueLife feature.

Okay, phew...panic stations over. Spent another couple of hours with it today and all is looking much brighter now. In fact, could swear it's a different projector from the one I switched on yesterday but anyway...:)

Started off with a side by side against my direct view CRT and a few episodes of Lost. Firstly, I think I've been spoiled by becoming accustomed to the CRT image over the past few months. Although there's obviously no comparison it terms of size and spectacle, good direct view CRT's are still unmatchable when it comes to pretty much any area of picture quality. Depth of contrast, colour saturation, blacks, whites are all nigh on perfect when properly tuned. I can still see it taking a little while to become re-accustomed to dark grey blacks again, but after a good hour or so of tweaking I even began to favour the image of the HD72 in a few departments. Skin tones were far more natuaral looking for one. Anyhow, once I'd finally brought a smile to my face, the CRT went into standby.

One thing that seemed to kick off the reversal in my initial disappoinment was some adjusting of the RGB gains and bias's in co-op with the colour temp. OTB, niether of the 3 colour temps were quite right for me. 0 looked too red, 1 looked too green and 2 appeared too blue. Out of the three, 1 did look most neutral so I stuck with that and went on to tweak the RGB settings from there using skin tones and grey scales as reference. All it really took to bring things into line was to knock a few notches of green bias back and red and blue forward. I then increased the RGB gains in equal measure and immediately noticed a positive increase in overall colour saturation and white level. Ended up settling on +11 for each which definitely added some general zip to the overall image. Colour is on +8 and tint on -1 after using the DVE colour filters on Avia. The blue flashing boxes were perfect and reds very, very close too. Settled on 4 for Brilliant Color, but loved the effect so much I could easily see me ramping it up even further for anime viewing and games at some stage. Can see why folks are finally coming round to liking it's implementation :) One thing I'm certainly not noticing is the 'hot' whites as I'd expected. In fact, whites are remarkably controlled and natural. They actually made my CRT's whites look too vivid in comparison, and the HD72 exhibited subtle hints of colour in certain bright areas that the CRT rendered as pure white. Good stuff.

Another factor that also hugely contributed to finally getting things right was the Panasonic S97 settings. It's commonly known that the S97 only passes below black and above white when it's own brightness and contrast settings are altered before attempting to calibrate any of the displays settings. For some reason, the S97 didn't seem to be needing any altering on last nights first attempt, instead coming off as very washed out and murky. Which definitely led me to believe something was up as adjustments had always been needed before on 2 other projectors and my CRT telly. Anyhow, ater finding a suitable colour balance on the HD72, +2 on the brightness and -1 on the contrast to pass BTB and WTW in DVE was required as it had been on my H31. Brightness and contrast setings on the HD72 ended up being -16 and +10 respectively. Might mention that I've got an ND filter on its way as I was thoroughly expecting to need it after reading initial reports. But after finally dialling things in nicely, don't know whether I'll end up bothering with it afterall. As mentioned, am very happy with the whites and low level dither is all but eliminated when set properly in DVE. Anyhoo, settings I ended up with are below if it helps anyone else get off on the right step. Screen is matt white and light control is 100% with dark surrounding walls. Obviously they're set to change with the lamp only having 5 or so hours on it now, but if nothing else, I'll keep them here safe in case the thing yet decides to reset itself ;)

Contrast = +10
Brightness = -16
Colour = +8
Tint = -1
Degamma = Film (though swapping between those will be the next step of fiddling. A couple of the others looked like they could prove more than handy)
Brilliant Color = 4
Colour Temp = 1
Red Gain = +11
Green Gain = +9
Blue Gain = +10
Red Bias = +6
Green Bias = -5
Blue Bias = +4


Panasonic S97 settings :-

Brightness = +2
Contrast = -1
Colour Space = 4:4:4
HDMI 720p

Finally got my HD72i! Boy, was it a pain to ceiling mount - had to drop my fixed screen too. Now it's all done I have to say this machine is a great improvement on my old Sony HS50. Contrast is better even with AI off, and it is much brighter. Much less visible screendoor - I can only see a tiny amount of pixel structure on white scenes from my 1.1 screenwidth seating position. This is my first DLP so didn't know what to expect in terms of rainbows, and while I do see them it is something I can live with. In fact in the 24 hours I've had the machine I think I can say that I am already getting used to it and am seeing fewer rainbows than I did yesterday.

Some questions though: I'm connecting my HD72i to my HTPC via DVI. What res is it best to set my desktop to? 1280 x 720 or 1280 x 768? Also should I select the 'PC' option or 'Film'? in the menu? Has anyone over these 40 pages posted RGB gain and bias settings? And one more for the moment - whatever my contrast or brightness settings I only ever see one moving band on the white section when using Avia to set contrast. Always on my HS10 and HS50 I saw two and the instructions on Avia say to set contrast to a level where both bands are just about visible. Am I doing something wrong?

Thanks

Jules

You must have just posted before me Omen because I see you have answered my query about gain and bias settings. Thanks

Jules

What res is it best to set my desktop to? 1280 x 720 or 1280 x 768?

I guess it depends on your screen. I have 16:9 screen so I use 1280x720 on my htpc (I hate grey bars), but if you have a 16:10 screen or are projecting on a wall then you get a slight increase in resolution with 1280x768. Also I use the "PC" setting because it looks better to me. It is just a matter of opinion so play around and find the setting you like.

Tom has a few different settings in this thread:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=643075

Cheers, it's a 16:9 screen but I don't mind seeing grey bars if it brings an increase in resolution - however slight. Thanks for the link.

I just got an email back from Optoma about the reset issue.

They didn't give any details, just that the unit needs to be RMAed to be fixed (firmware upgrade) and that they will organise shipping.

No word on how long it'll be gone for! eek!

It's a shame they don't seem willing to allow these to be field upgradeable.

Chris.

Well, I honestly am very disappointed with the reset issue. This sounds from all accounts I've read (and I've tried to read everything I could find on it) like a very good if not outstanding pj at this price point. It's hard for me to swallow that this reset issue would not have reared its ugly head before shipping.....It just seems so odd.

Maybe I'm wrong but I believe most of the fine people in this forum have had the reset at least once. I know that it's not really that big a deal to just put your settings back to what they were (provided you wrote them down and boy do we know now how that should be standard practice for all of us) but I really am having a difficult time figuring out in my own mind how this could have happened.

I mean, did they do some final tweak to it just before "going gold" and having the factory pump them out and immediately start shipping? Is it a TI problem with some command that they specified or is it optomas tweaking problem. If it has something to do with optoma then it's hard to believe they can't just put out a firmware over the net to fix. If it is something poprietary to TI then that's a different matter.

Optoma at this point should have some kind of official statement on their website or something I would think as it sure appears reading back through this forum that everyone has or will have this bug pop up at some point.

This issue showed itself very early on in the game and unfortunately makes people who bought them start second guessing their purchase and those of us who are waiting for some comparisons to a couple other units very wary. Infocus had major issues with their bearings in some of their entry level units but that didn't surface until at least 1000 hours on the units.

I would suggest that when you all call them that you keep mentioning this forum and that they should read through all these posts for themselves. I want Optoma to prove they care about their product! I really DON'T want to write them off yet.

Things like this happening gives a good company an opportunity to shine.

I want Optoma to prove they care about their product!


I think you're overreacting here. It was a FW bug not caught in development, it was caught within a month or two of release and they already have a fix for it. All future shipments will have it and within a few months it will be forgotten.

Optoma has a great product here and I'm impressed with how quickly they resolved the issue. The nature of the bug makes it tough to identify, and even tougher to fix given how infrequently it occurs. I've had one reset in 100+ hours of use, and I knew I was taking a risk being one of the earlier adopters. I plan on sending it back (Optoma is paying for shipping both ways), but only after the NCAA tourney is over because it is not a huge deal.

I've never second guessed my purchase. I'd buy it again in a heartbeat.

Now let's go Huskies! (Washington, that is)

Is there some place on the HD-72 machine menus where the firmware version shows up? I have one of these units on order and shipping to me in about two weeks and want to at least know what firmware version I end up with. And then we need to know what firmware versions had the problem...

Uatatoka,
Optoma will pay shipping both ways? Have you spoken with them to confirm this? Thanks.

So we have to pay the shipping to send the machine back to Optoma to fix a firmware issue that can normally be fixed via one's own computer. Guess this will be the last Optoma product I buy.

I wonder why Infocus can offer firmware upgrades through a cable they include, but Optoma cannot. My HD72 is coming in a few days, I'm coming from a 4805. I loved the easy firmware upgrades on the Infocus, I think it's rediculous having to send a PJ in to the factory for a simple firmware fix, but, it's the best option out there right now for the money.

can anyone with the UK version help me? The manual shows an option to set DCDi on or off but I can't find it. Is it source dependant, in which case am I not finding it because I'm using DVI in?

Jules, the DCDi menu only shows up when you feed the projector a 480i or 576i interlaced signal. If you're using a HTPC via. DVI you'll be sending it a progressive 'p' signal which'll have been deinterlaced from interlaced to progressive at the source.

Re. the white bars in Avia issue - if you're only seeing one whte bar, then you're not passing above white information and will be 'crushing' whites and losing detail at the high end. This is usually referred to as PC or 'enhanced' video levels on standalone DVD decks. If you're not resolving above white info, chances are you're also not resolving below black info either. The black level setting in Avia doesn't test for below black, but DVE does if you're got that as well. You want to change the output level to RGB or 'standard' video levels on your PC software somehow. Can't help you there though, I'm afraid. Probably best to ask in the specific HTPC forum.

How's the ceiling mounting going, btw? I had to ditch that LMP universal as it was bloody useless with no extension arm. Offers absolutely no movement adjustments whatsoever, can't believe it retails for £90 :rolleyes:

Couple of DCDi related questions for TzungILin :-

Was wondering how the European versions of the HD72 implement DCDi...Firstly, when DCDi is enabled, is the Faroudja used for both scaling and deinterlacing? Or only deinterlacing and the TI chip still performs scaling duties? Hardly a major factor I know, but just curious nonetheless. If it's technically possible, just thought that it might matter when it comes to 1080i handling...The FLI2310 is proven to do 1080i>540>720, but the TI chip might be able to go 1080i>720.

A more worthy a query is does the HD72 accept 480i via. HDMI? There should be a few budget players arriving soon which will allow 480/576i out via. HDMI using the latest MTK chipset. Oppo have comfirmed that their next player will allow this and I'm hoping the Pioneer DV-490 will too based on their recognition for digital 480/576i out on their high-end players...

I wonder why Infocus can offer firmware upgrades through a cable they include, but Optoma cannot. My HD72 is coming in a few days, I'm coming from a 4805. I loved the easy firmware upgrades on the Infocus, I think it's rediculous having to send a PJ in to the factory for a simple firmware fix, but, it's the best option out there right now for the money.Can see your point, but I think Optoma are just playing safe and taking responsibility from the user. Afterall, who's shoulders the blame and shells out for the consequences when the user cocks up an attempted firmware upgrade? An unlikely occurance I know, but there's always a risk with firmware updates on anything. Even if the method is 99% fool-proof, a power outage during the process can still render a machine completely duff.

Thanks Omen. I think I understand half of what you said - Sunday morning effect I think! I'm running Theatertek and FFDShow - are there any options in these do you know to do the thing you suggest re RGB? I see in FFDShow there is the option under 'Output' to do 'High quality YV12 to RGB conversion'.

BTW, I eventually managed to sort out the LMP mount - but I had to phone DiscountTV several times and call LMP direct to work it out. Awful instructions! No diagrams and only unhelpful references to screw sizes. I removed the 35 mil tube because I wanted it was flush as possible. Still holding! Main problem though was that the LMP came with the wrong size screws - M4 - while the HD72 requires M3.

Jules

I don't believe that I am overreacting concerning this reset issue. As you can see by the recent posts, no one is looking forward to having to send in a brand new pj for a simple firmware update. Who can honestly say they want to be without thier brand new unit for at least a few days....I am just stating MY feelings on the issue. When I make my decision on my next purchase (not an issue of waiting for money but waiting for some shootouts) I have no intention of selling what I have now.

Absolutely DON'T want to start some kind of panic about this but poeple should know what they are getting into and that there's an issue that could be quite annoying that should be resolved. I would be embarassed to go to demo the unit and turn it on and all the settings are back to factory and have to explain the issue to a newbie.

Honestly, how many of us if we went to purchase a new 2g receiver and the salesman turns on the unit in his demo room and says "crud, it reset again....wait a minute, have to update all the settings back to where they were. Honestly, it's a good unit but it has this issue where it will randomly reset itself back to the factory settings every once in a while but there is an easy fix...just have to send it back to the factory." Most of us would be looking into an alternative at that point. It would be disconcerting no matter how highly the unit is rated.

What I did not know was that looking at what some of you have posted there's no consumer level way to update the firmware. I assumed (yeah, my bad) from my experience with a couple other manufacturers that firmware upgrades could be done on all pj's at this time. That was an honest mistake on my part (ignorance can be fixed).

Someone help me here. Do most manufacturers not have ways to update the firmware on their units at consumer level?

There's a couple ways to look at this from my perspective:

1. Don't need consumer level firmware updates because this could cause problems during the update or if the update is done wrong and the unit shouldn't need to be updated anyways (I would readily admit to being slightly apprehensive about performing numerous firmware updates on my pj since there's such a big warning about it in the manual stating that you can easily mess it up and then have to send it back or worse). Why should the unit need updates.... is it not a finished product.....did they rush it out the door to get market share....etc.

2. Firmware updates are necessary to implement possible upgrades for different signal inputs allowing more flexability to end user, built in upgradeability for things that aren't quite available yet in any pj but that might be soon, a way to change the splash screen to almost anything you want. You get the point.

Used to my electronic gear having the ability to update.

When I look through a mag. advertizing or reviewing stereo/home theatre equipment things, they always when it is available list upgradeability whether it is through a card swap or firmware as a feature and not some kind of detriment.

Anyways, not a big issue for some and big for others.

Infocus can provide updates via the M1 port because it is also a USB port as well. I don't believe you can update firmware with just a DVI or HDMI signal.

Lmuller1, I don't think you're over reacting on the issue as I agree that it is a major problem and needs to be addressed. But, Tom says that it has been sorted and Optoma have stated that it's only limited to a small percentage of the initial run and any bought from now won't suffer from ther issue. It's unfortunate that it can only be addressed by returning the unit, but if it's only for a few days then it's not that big a deal IMO. Plus, Optoma offer a hot swap option on the warranty, so they should loan another HD72 to the unlucky few who have to go through with it.

However, I don't think comparing the situation to a receiver losing its settings is anywhere near fair. AV amps feature a colossul amount of settings and would be a geniune nightmare to keep re-setting up. The HD72 doesn't feature all that many settings to be honest. It's quick and easy enough to jot them down or take a quick photo of each settings page. The biggest worry for me would be the lamp life resetting. Lamps run for over their lifespan can blow and wreak havoc on the innards of a PJ, so Optoma really need to get this in check before any current owners with the problem start reaching 100 hours plus. Once it's sorted though, I agree with Mike/Uatatoka that it'll be forgotten about soon enough.

Tom, what 'TV' setting do you have your Panny S97 on? I'm thinking the LCD/Projector might be the most suitable, but mine was still on Standard/Direct during my first test of the HD72i last night which I hoping was the reason I just couldn't get the combo to look right. I only spent an hour or 2 flipping between a few DVD's and some rough tweaking with DVE/Avia, but felt quite disappointed by the results. Just couldn't seem to dial the picture in properly at all to the point where I ended with a sinking feeling that I possibly even had a duff machine :( I was expecting to be taken back by extreme brightness and intense colours that'd have me reaching for the -/down buttons straight away. But, to be honest, all I could get was a murky looking image with distintively washed out blacks and misbalanced colours, and those infamous whites weren't nowhere as glaring as I'd anticipated. I thought I tried everything - all the various degamma's, colour temps, brilliant colour settings etc. but just couldn't settle on something that appeared quite right. It was the same gutting scenario I first had with my H31 when I was initially running the Oppo into it. Very murky image for lack of a better term, innaccurate colours, softness; then as soon as I switched to the Panny S97 everything fell immediately into place. I'm trying to remain optomistic, but maybe I was just expecting too much from the HD72? But...is a higher resolution H31 really asking too much? In all honesty, I did hope for a touch better contrast contrast and colour saturation than the latter, but the aforementioned predicament is something I would've gladly settled for if needs. Although it's been a few months since I offloaded my H31 and have been in the company of any FP viewing at all, all I have to do is roll down the screen and the punchy, contrasty, richly saturated images of the H31 come back right away. From what I was able to (un)achieve with the HD72 last night, it just couldn't compare in anything but resolution :( What was most concerning was that it was immediately obvious with the first image the HD72 showed me - the all too familiar sight of the blue S97 splash screen. The H31 used to render it near idenically to my 36" direct view 16:9 CRT telly, but the HD72 representation looked just plain wrong. I couldn't get the DVD letters to look so much blue, but a murky grey/turquoise at best, which was what got me questioning the unthinkable - perhaps I even had a duff machine... I don't know, maybe I just need to find that something to make it click and everything will into place from there. Though I'm sure I covered almost all main boundaries in my brief play about yesterday, I won't be giving up just yet. I'll start from scratch again today anyway, and try component in from another DVD deck to see if that yields any major differences off the bat. Fingers crossed yesterday was nothing but a false start...

On another note, can confirm that the UK model does indeed have the DCDi logo on the front and there's quite a few tweaks available for it including the option to have it on/off which I presume would hand over duties to the TI chip. DCDi options are auto or video deinterlacing, noise reduction, and V/H edge enhancement tweaking of the Faraoudja's TrueLife feature.

CRT/projector and make sure you select Enhanced vs Normal in the setup menu. Enchanced is a PC level brightness choice and creates a darker image, maybe that's all you need. I'll check again but pretty sure when I tested blacks I couldn't get blacks not to crush with the Normal setting which is video brightness level. This new machine I have here with the firmware :) has excellent tunings right out of the box. Tuning for HDMI DVD and component HDTV.

You were at what factory?

The factory in Milpitas California (Headquaters USA). There was another AVS member there in the Lobby picking up a replacement HD72 with the firmware. He didn't say anything at the factory but in a PM he said so that was you in the lobby picking up a couple of projectors. :)

The best way to handle the reset problem is to hot swap if you can stand having 2k held up on your CC for a little while. This way you view the PJ you have until to new one arrives, no down time.

Finally got my HD72i! Boy, was it a pain to ceiling mount - had to drop my fixed screen too. Now it's all done I have to say this machine is a great improvement on my old Sony HS50. Contrast is better even with AI off, and it is much brighter. Much less visible screendoor - I can only see a tiny amount of pixel structure on white scenes from my 1.1 screenwidth seating position. This is my first DLP so didn't know what to expect in terms of rainbows, and while I do see them it is something I can live with. In fact in the 24 hours I've had the machine I think I can say that I am already getting used to it and am seeing fewer rainbows than I did yesterday.

Some questions though: I'm connecting my HD72i to my HTPC via DVI. What res is it best to set my desktop to? 1280 x 720 or 1280 x 768? Also should I select the 'PC' option or 'Film'? in the menu? Has anyone over these 40 pages posted RGB gain and bias settings? And one more for the moment - whatever my contrast or brightness settings I only ever see one moving band on the white section when using Avia to set contrast. Always on my HS10 and HS50 I saw two and the instructions on Avia say to set contrast to a level where both bands are just about visible. Am I doing something wrong?

Thanks

Jules


If the white bars or black bars are crushing out with HTPC use the videocards control for contrast and brightness to bring back the moving bars. I had to tweak contrast and brightness a little on my HPTC. Same problem you saw at first, where'd them bars go? ;)

OmenII I was just using the receiver as my trane of thought on the issue and agree that a receiver would be much more of a pain...just using it as an example and maybe a poor one at that. Thanks for you and others for helping set me straight on some issues that I was ignorant of. I can't help it if I'm ignorant but it's my fault if I don't try to rectify being ignorant once I realize it! Ignorance can be fixed but stupid is forever:)

What I wanted to hear is what you mentioned about they are on it hard and the next lot coming out will allready have the fix implemented. If that is the case insert applause here. Good for you Optoma (and the rest of us)!

Guitarman, are you saying that the one you got was pretty well calibrated out of the box as far as D65 at least? Does that just happen to be because of your aplication/screen? Thanks


Also, I'm trying to read between the lines on this one. Are the issues with mounting a major pain because of trying to get it perfect to screen with no keystone? That's what I think I am hearing. Is this correct or is it more than that? I know about the offset issues so I am not referring to that or is that why it is so hard to get it "just right"

I feel I must reiterate this at least for my own conscience: I am NOT in ANY way meaning to bring anyone down or bash this product or Optoma! PLEASE don't any of you think this.

Those of you who have jumped in the water are helping the rest of us tremendously. I am at this point more of a wade in and see if the waters fine kind of person.

Pete

Isn't the GreyWolf designed as a retroreflective screen and not suitable for a ceiling mount projector? I am interested in getting the 72 because it sounds like a great PJ for the money. I would be ceiling mounting it from a 10 foot ceiling and the screen would be either 12 or 13 feet from the PJ (there is an arch that would neccesitate the PJ to be hung either in front or behind it). The GreyWolf sounds like a great screen for the money (any issues with rippling by the way?)
Where would that put the top of the screen in that set up? I am looking at a 92" diag. screen and the room is about 22 feet long. I am attaching a photo...and yes the room will be painted differently and the window will have major treatments done to it. Thanks.

"Guitarman, are you saying that the one you got was pretty well calibrated out of the box as far as D65 at least? Does that just happen to be because of your aplication/screen? Thanks"

The demo I had and the one I have now both were tuned nicely. If you look in the presets advanced area you'll see it already has configurations in the RGB- adjustments.

Graywolf screen, it has a 1.8 gain when PJ is table mounted and about half that when ceiling mounted. The dark gray material is excellent in cutting down room reflections, it keeps the contrast high and prevents washout even with lights on.

I just received my HD72 and want to ceiling mount it in the new house.

To you guys who have a ceiling mounted unit, what mount did you use and would you use it again?

Thanks,
Dan

I used the Chief RPA-U from Projector People. Super nice ceiling mount, but it did take me like a freaking hour to get all four arms to articulate in a way to mount all four mount bolts in the universal adapter to the projector, heh.

ZBoomer, as long as it worked I'll go that way. Chief is supposed to make a high quality mount and I was leaning that way but just wanted to make sure someone has used it and it does work.

Must be a "Rubick's Cube" though. I'll give myself an hour to make it work!

http://www.projectormountstore.com/index.php?cPath=32


I recommend the "designed for Optoma mount" as it is custom fit for your machine, or one of the two other universal ones for very reasonable prices. I was just informed that the custom Optoma HD-72 mount is being added to the product lineup on Monday.

The company has VERY friendly people to work with and the products are first rate. And a fraction of the cost of the name brand projector mount products! Ask for Andy!

Problem with crushing whites solved - I was adjusting contrast and brightness settings on the HD72 with my AVIA disc, but had forgotten to reset the Theatertek settings from my old HS50 set up! Just shows you though the difference between the HD72 and HS50 - I had had the contrast pretty cranked up on the HS50 and have had to really drop it on the HD72!

I have now joined the HD72 crowd. But, I have a problem....

I am connecting to an HTPC with a MSI geForce 6600 video card. I cannot get the DVI-D connection to consistantly recognize and sync the projector and computer. It takes several minutes and several tries to make a connection. I am using a 25' DVI cable from MonoPrice. Using a shorter cable is not an option to get to the projector. I posted on the HTPC forum and DaGamePimp said this was a common problem with the Optima H31 series. Anyone having this problem, or more importantly, does anyone have a good solution?

I have now joined the HD72 crowd. But, I have a problem....

I am connecting to an HTPC with a MSI geForce 6600 video card. I cannot get the DVI-D connection to consistantly recognize and sync the projector and computer. It takes several minutes and several tries to make a connection. I am using a 25' DVI cable from MonoPrice. Using a shorter cable is not an option to get to the projector. I posted on the HTPC forum and DaGamePimp said this was a common problem with the Optima H31 series. Anyone having this problem, or more importantly, does anyone have a good solution?

Welcome aboard SCM. I was having this issue initially, but lately is has been recognizing 1280x720 every time. I have an ATI card BTW. I use a long 7.5m DVI cable and a gefen 4x1 hdmi -> DVI switch. My OPPO DVD 720p output has always sync'd up no problem.

Not sure what I tweaked on my HTPC settings though, so I'm not much help except knowing that it is possible to sync consistently.

Uatatoka,
Optoma will pay shipping both ways? Have you spoken with them to confirm this? Thanks.
Yes, I spoke with Optoma about this. They will pay for shipping both ways if you need a FW upgrade. Just call or email them to arrange the RMA.

Mike

Yet another Optoma HD72 convert!!!

This is a beast of a projector for the price point. Color is amazing. Light output is amazing. Contrast is amazing....did I mention how amazing everything is.

I've attached 2 pics. One of the under construction screen wall showing $40 (Ebay) Dazian matte white screen material tacked up on the wall for testing purposes and the second pic is of the HD72 in action. If some were questioning the performance of this projector before, take a look at the action pic and keep in mind that the projector has not been calibrated yet and that the image is at approx 125" diag. Imagine when everything is done...

Sorry for the small pics but the forum didn't let me post larger pics for some reason.

@chucky

Take a look at this picture from monsters inc. (shown below)

Your HD72 shot looks blown out white. That shot I sent is from 3 years ago. I am hoping it is your camera. If not turn contrast down to negative numbers to see if that improves the situation.

k

Your HD72 shot looks blown out white.

k

He did say it was not calibrated yet. He'll probably need to tune down contrast once he gets the real screen.

Congrats on your HD72 purchase Chuck! After 100+ hours on my HD72 I'm still giddy over the picture quality I'm getting with it. You'll definitely want to grab an AVIA or DVE disk when you get a chance for black and white level tuning at minimum. It only gets better.

@chucky

Turn off your camera flash. Set your camera to AE. If you can set to ISO 100. If you can, set your camera on a stable surface in the center of the screen (not off angle) and use the timer for the shot.

Do this after setting contrast down on the HD72. I am nervous about the excess light seen on your shot, hoping it is not your HD72.

k

I have now joined the HD72 crowd. But, I have a problem....

I am connecting to an HTPC with a MSI geForce 6600 video card. I cannot get the DVI-D connection to consistantly recognize and sync the projector and computer. It takes several minutes and several tries to make a connection. I am using a 25' DVI cable from MonoPrice. Using a shorter cable is not an option to get to the projector. I posted on the HTPC forum and DaGamePimp said this was a common problem with the Optima H31 series. Anyone having this problem, or more importantly, does anyone have a good solution?

Acutally the HD72 draws more juice than my NEC HT1000. With the HT1000 I'll get sparlies with one DVI cable and it will work with a 25' Mono cables job. The HD72 works with both cables and zero sparlies so it draws more power. I have an ATI card and use Win DVD.

k,

Here is a pic from my HD72 where the whites are not washed out:

http://i47.imagethrust.com/t/305774/img8376.jpg (http://i47.imagethrust.com/images/1hxQ/movies-and-television/anamorphic-lens-used.html)


The HD72 when new and uncalibrated tends to have hot whites and too much contrast. It does throw off a lot of lumens which makes it more difficult to expose for as well. For example there is a little more detail you can see in this Fifth Element shot in leeloo's shadow, but there is less exposure time to pick it up with the bright areas in the rest of the shot.

I'm sure chuck's photo when cal'd will look great.

Mike

Guys...

Camera does suck and I didn't have the flash on. Sorry for the bad pics then. Trust me though...colors, brightness, and contrast are fantastic on this unit. Black really is black on this unit and there is very little SDE. Don't even see SDE from a little less than 8ft away. Also, please remember that the pic was only a test. When the theater is completed in about 3 months, that is when I'll calibrate with Avia. BTW, I received AVIA free from projectorpeople.com when I purchased the HD72.

. I have an ATI card and use Win DVD.

Tom,

Which ATI card are you using? Is it AGP or PCI-E?

It is good to hear you are getting the Optoma to respond on a Mono 25' cable. This should mean it is either the video card or the projector causing my problem.

Steve

I have a question about using an HD72 in a table mounted setup with a 106" Graywolf screen - I know the projector has an offset of about 1/3 screen height. I would be using the projector in the widest mode of its lens. From what I've read the projector will need to be about 17" below the screen, which puts it about 8-10" off the floor. This is pretty close to what I can accomodate.
My question is will the Graywolf be providing good gain at the normal viewing heights (sitting on a sofa)? I know the HD72 is fairly bright at this point, but as the bulb dims, I'd like to retain good brightness. Also I may want to use filters to dial in the picture I need. I'd really like good ambient light rejection from the Graywolf.
Any comments would be appreciated - thanks!

I'm going to be ordering an HD72 tomorrow and I was wondering about screen surfaces. I am currently considering the Da-Lite Cinema Vision, which has a 1.3 gain. I will be using this pj in my living room with some ambient light most of the time. Is 1.3 gain high enough, too high, etc? I'm not ordering the screen until next month after I move into my new house and measure how big a screen will fit based on the offset of the hd72. My estimate is 92" diagonal. The hd72 will be ceiling mounted.

If you're getting a fixed screen I'd take a look at a gray material or a mat white. The HD72 when new puts out 850lumens tuned. This is a hugh amount of light good for very large screens 130" or more. Really my new HD72 is searing my eyes on the graywolf and with the projector ceiling mounted.

SCM, it's an AGP. Did you ever run a deinterlacing tests on your HTPC. Using the HQV test DVD none of the cards my friend tried could pass any of the tests. ATI, Theater Tek and a couple of others which I don't know the names of. I think we're giving up the sellar deinterlacing for the picture quality we see with HTPC. Tuff choice