Sound like a bad fan. I had a pj a while back that did this, but it was a loose connection. My advice, since this is a simple and inexpensive troubleshoot, is to pull the fan and replace, making certain to get one with the same specs. I'd imagine they should be readily available at any computer store. Please keep in mind that I'm merely suggesting a cheap shot at repair, and not stating that this will resolve the issue for certain.

Okay, I'll try to do that. I think Onion replaced his once upon a time with some luck. Originally, I had contacted Infocus about this and they referred to the problem as due to a defective "optical engine", whatever that means. :o

I'll try to update this thread with whatever results in case someone else in the future comes across this same problem.

My light tube finally went, lol. For about a year I could barely notice the yellowish hue at the very edge, but the other day I turned it on and now I have about 6 inches of shadow and then 2-3 inches of orange/yellow hue.

Good thing I bought it new so it has a 2 year warranty, I have 4 months left. Looks like I'm in luck too, the service centre is right here in Vancouver and only 10 minutes away. I hope they use an improved adhesive for the repairs, lol.

I've heard they replace the entire optical engine and not just the light tube? Can anyone confirm this? Thanks.

Have 4,330 hours on my 4805.

Have 4,330 hours on my 4805.
Just curious. How do you rack up that many hours in 20 months? Are you on your first or second lamp? Are you doing anything special to prolong the life of the bulb?

cavu & spyder, do you guys let the PJ cool off in standby or do you do the hard shut off?

Just curious. How do you rack up that many hours in 20 months? Are you on your first or second lamp? Are you doing anything special to prolong the life of the bulb?

In direct contrast to cavu, we have never let the PJ cool down by its fan in standby.

I know that it's pretty odd to read that some can get 4000+ hours, while others can get as little as 400, or that people can get similar results by using different means. There is no definitive pattern, so it would seem bulb life is heavily reliant upon luck and little else. In a forum where cleaning and maintenence is posted, all things should be fairly equal. One thing that I would lay money on is that those that achieve high hours are those that strike the bulb less often.

Let's assume that high-use persons like cavu and myself average 'just' 10 hours per day, reaching the estimated 3000 hours in just 300 days and 300 strikes. If striking the bulb = 2 hours per strike, we're at around 3600 hours on the bulb.

Let us compare that to a low-use case, say someone that watches 3 hours per day. 3000/3 = 1000 days or strikes. That same bulb, though having as many watched hours, would now have 5000 actual hours on it.

There are about a billion factors that can come into play here though. Maybe the bulb-machine was 0.00000001% off spec the day they made yours. One was checked by Ted and the other by Fred. One got shipped UPS and the other by FedEx. Maybe you have kids or pets. Maybe you cook with oil. Maybe your wife uses Carpet Fresh and it gets in. Maybe....

Personally, I don't clean the bulb as often as I should (ever 500 hours or so), we smoke around the PJ, and our house is fairly dusty. However, the fan isn't working as an air filter 24/7, our bedroom is usually around 65 degrees, and I was very careful in cleaning lamp and color wheel.

I certainly feel the pain of those that have bulbs die early, despite religious cleaning and pampering. I'm sure it annoys them that someone like myself can get away with the "abuse" as mentioned above and still be at 2800 hours. My best advice is to do what you can to ensure the longevity of the unit, but without sacrificing so much time, energy, convenience, and thought over it that it consumes you. That, and wish for a bit of luck as well. :D

Just curious. How do you rack up that many hours in 20 months? Are you on your first or second lamp? Are you doing anything special to prolong the life of the bulb?

I pulled my first lamp at 3570 hours and it still works fine. I will put it back in the 4805 and keep my new lamp at home when I drop it at the service depot tomorrow.

The hours are from hockey games and my xbox 360 as well as DVD movies and all my divx downloads.

I just got my sp4805 replaced under warranty and the new unit is about twice as bright as my old one. It is simply amazing how much better it looks now. I even question whether my original unit was EVER this bright, but that may just be because I've become so used to how an aging lamp looks, I just don't know for sure.

My question is, is it normal for older lamps to lose a ton of brightness when they are only at half of their rated life? My old lamp was at about 1500 hours, and it was no where near as bright as my new lamp.

IMO it would be a pretty terrible deal if you just had to live with 1/2 brightness after only 700 hours of use (Which is what I was unknowingly doing with my first unit) I am hoping I just got a bad lamp the first time around.

usage info:
I always used soft power off and let the fan cool down the lamp. I rarely ever used the hard power off switch. Usually my daily routine consistend of firing it up once when i got home for about 30 min, then soft power off, then firing it up for another 2-3 hours later in the evening. I cleaned the unit for dust about twice in its lifetime.

foof,

Did you buy it new or was it a refurb? My lamp has the aformentioned 2800 hours and it's still pretty damn bright. I always use hard power off. Did you ever do a color wheel cleaning? When I cleaned my wheel, I thought something ws wrong with it. All the segments were so dark and/or hazed, I'm amazed any light was getting through.

foof,

Did you buy it new or was it a refurb? My lamp has the aformentioned 2800 hours and it's still pretty damn bright. I always use hard power off. Did you ever do a color wheel cleaning? When I cleaned my wheel, I thought something ws wrong with it. All the segments were so dark and/or hazed, I'm amazed any light was getting through.


I bought it new from the store. A dirty color wheel would make perfect sense though. The whole reason I sent the old projector back was because of a loud metallic noise that it was making and I think a dirty color wheel was probably the cause. I did not know until after I replaced it that you needed to (or even could) clean the color wheel.

foof,

IF probably replaced your bulb. If you had 1500 hours, and turned it on/off twice daily, and also had a 3-hour average as you described, it would mean that you have had the PJ for about 500 days and the lamp has been struck around 1000 times.* Since each strike is equal to 2 hours of lamp life, your old lamp actually had more like 3500 hours on it.**

* [(.5 hours X 500 days = 250 hours) + (2.5 hours X 500 days = 1250 hours)] = 1500 hours.

** [1500 hours + (500 strikes X 2 stikes/day X 2 hours/strike)] = 3500 hours.

Add in the fact that your color wheel was likely dirty, and it's no wonder your bulb was dim.

What I hope everyone understands is that the 3000-hour mark is actually the HALF-LIFE of the bulb, as opposed to the absolute usage rating.

1400 lamp hours here. I have cleaned the color wheel twice before and I don't think you will reduce the sound regarding the BUZZZ SAWWW noise some of the owners have been experiencing. The immediate effect after cleaning is that you can see both the light output and colors are brighter.

If you are hearing this noise send it to Infocus quick! before the warranty expires.

I'm not getting the equations being thrown around here about lamp strikes adding to hours used.

I strike my bulb twice a day sometimes, but I leave my projector on for at LEAST two hours after each strike. I always thought that it was suggested that you use the projector for at least two hours after a strike because those two hours were gone no matter what, not that it was two hours gone in addition to however long you use it.

Are you suggesting that JUST striking the lamp sucks two hours of life off of the lamp and THEN the two hours following that would add up to actually be four hours used?

EDIT: Also, if I put it in standby mode by leaving it on for twenty minutes with no input, when it turns on again, is it restriking the bulb? If so, wouldn't it be better to just turn the projector off all together and just save myself those twenty minutes?

I'm not getting the equations being thrown around here about lamp strikes adding to hours used.

I strike my bulb twice a day sometimes, but I leave my projector on for at LEAST two hours after each strike. I always thought that it was suggested that you use the projector for at least two hours after a strike because those two hours were gone no matter what, not that it was two hours gone in addition to however long you use it.

Are you suggesting that JUST striking the lamp sucks two hours of life off of the lamp and THEN the two hours following that would add up to actually be four hours used?

EDIT: Also, if I put it in standby mode by leaving it on for twenty minutes with no input, when it turns on again, is it restriking the bulb? If so, wouldn't it be better to just turn the projector off all together and just save myself those twenty minutes?

scitek,

Of course it's a cumulative effect. Let us refer to the equations I used above:

[(.5 hours X 500 days = 250 hours) + (2.5 hours X 500 days = 1250 hours)] = 1500 hours.

[1500 hours + (500 strikes X 2 stikes/day X 2 hours/strike)] = 3500 hours.

Now, using those same equations, let's say that for some crazy reason and for the exaggerated purpose of illustration only, that you watch 5 minutes of TV 12 times per day for a total of 1 hour usage daily. You would get:

[(0.0833 hours X 12 = 1 hour) + (12 strikes X 2 hours/strike = 24 hours)] = 25 hours/day.

At that rate, your bulb should only last 120 days before it reaches its half-life.*

*(3000 hours/25 hours/day) = 120 days.

If you didn't account for the strikes in such an equation, I dont think there's any way that the bulb would last 3000 days (or about 8 years) being used at a rate of 1 hour per day in such a manner.

On the other hand, I would highly predict that if I put a sp4805 in a temperate clean-room and simply left it on 24/7, that the bulb would go far beyond 3000 hours. Granted, it would be pretty dim, having easily reached its "true" half-life, but I'm guessing a bulb used in that way would reach 6-12K hours before its death.

In regard to the PJ being in standby with no input, you'd be far worse off by turning the PJ off and then back on, as it would cost you 2 hours to restrike the bulb, rather than 20 minutes of lamp life. Best solution is just to leave it ON completely and walk away for those 20 minutes.

I NEED HELP!!

My 4805 barely has 400 hours and is now experiencing this problem. I've done a search and did not find anyone with anything similiar. Basically, I turn on the pj and I can hear (some kind of) fan come on for 2-3 seconds, then it turns off! The bulb turns on and projects a picture with on to the wall, without the normal fan noise going. After about a minute I suddenly hear an intermittant sound pattern (1, 0, 1, 0, 1, 0, 1, 0, 1, 0). It's not a beep or grind but sounds like something mechanical. All this with the projection picture still up on the wall!

Too afraid that without the familiar fan (noise) the bulb will explode, I quickly turn off the pj. I've turned the projector on 2 times after on seperate days and I get the same problem.

So I take the projector down from my ceiling mount, and remove the bulb. Looks okay, filter is a little dusty. Cleaned it out, reinstalled the bulb and same bad noise and no familiar fan activity.

I take the bulb out and turn on the projector while examining the color wheel and fans. Inside fan (closer to the color wheel) remains on while the pj is on. The fan closest to the bulb never cycles. Color wheel is intact. So as before, after about 1 minute, I hear the intermittant noise. The fan also looks like it wants to cycle but doesn't make any full revolution. The intermittant noise is consistant with the outside (to the bulb) fan jerking in what looks like an attempt to spin.

Help! Thanks in advance!


We had similar problem with our projector, it started do to some beep like you describe when listening to a movie... and the bulb blowed out (we doesnt't know witch one append first... i wasn't here when it append) !

After lot of disagnosis we found that the fan (big one right to the lamp) wasn't working anymore... Obviously we have done our test with the lamp cover switch pushed.

I tryed the fan and was working fine even on 6v but the infocus wasn't giving it power.

The only way we found to fix the issues, (no money to take it to infocus)
was to externaly powered the fan.

It work fine... the projector and external power supply is on the same plug and in our setup the breakers panel is closer so we switch it off to close the projector...

This solution is little more noisy because the fan will blow at constant speed.

Hope it help.

I hope you guys all know that you can purchase the extended warranty at anytime during the original warranty period. With mine off to be repaired I' m going to purchase an extra year before my last four months expires in case the parts they put in in the repair fail. It's only $149 for an extra year which is good insurance against a $500 repair!

Unless InFocus has drastically changed the way they determine lamp life, the lamp spec takes into account the fact that the projector will be turned on and off frequently. From the archives, per Bob Williams:
http://archive.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?postid=2248621#post2248621

Since the testing assumes a viewing session of 2 hours on, and then 15 minutes off, I think it would be a mistake to assume that the 3000 hr spec cannot be achieved by someone only watching their projector for a few hours a day, or turning it on twice a day. There's absolutely no reason to try to calculate your lamp strikes and subtract some arbitrary number like (2 hours * number of strikes) from the spec total.

Also, I would respectully disagree with the assessment that the lamp spec represents a "half-life". It represents the point at which the average bulb will be 50% of its original brightness:
http://archive.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?postid=3025369#post3025369

That does not necessarily equate with the bulb being at 50% of its life span. Bulbs don't linearly decrease to 0 output - they die before that.

I do agree however, that the less lamp strikes the better and you're better off leaving the PJ on if you plan to return to it in a reasonable timeframe.

:)

Sorry if this has been discussed recently, but it's kind of hard to search for. I want to buy a new bulb. Should I buy it from IF, or is there a company that supports this board that sells them?

-Dan

Just curious, I know if you start the PJ from a cold boot that that is considered a strike on the lamp. Does it counts as a strike if you start the PJ from standby?

There's absolutely no reason to try to calculate your lamp strikes and subtract some arbitrary number like (2 hours * number of strikes) from the spec total.

Also, I would respectully disagree with the assessment that the lamp spec represents a "half-life". It represents the point at which the average bulb will be 50% of its original brightness)

The 2-hours per strike has been confirmed by Bob as well, so it's not an arbitrary number.

Sorry, the term "half-life" in regard to bulbs is in no way correllated to its usual meaning. I assumed that would be understood. I should have been more specific.

Side Note: Considering the way that the bulbs are tested, it's shouldn't be unheard of to get 3000 hours that way (2 hours on, then 15 mins off). As I said before, there are a million factors that can come into play on bulb life. Labs are typically 60-70 degrees F, there aren't contaminants such as dust, dander, or other airborne items like a normal home, the bulbs are cleaned at proper intervals, and on and on...in other words there are no variables that can cause the discrepancies we see as consumers. Another issue to consider is the fact that the bulbs are hand-made, thus there is a degree of human error that should be factored into the equation as well.

I strike my bulb twice a day sometimes, but I leave my projector on for at LEAST two hours after each strike. I always thought that it was suggested that you use the projector for at least two hours after a strike because those two hours were gone no matter what, not that it was two hours gone in addition to however long you use it.

There are no free hours... striking the bulb eats life instantly, then any more use takes it's normal toll.

1 strike pus 1 hour of use = 3 hours of use.

1 strike plus 2 hours of use = 4 hours of use.

1 strike plus 10 hours of use = 12 hours of use.

An easier way to think about it might be pulling a heavy load. The energy it takes you to overcome momentum and get it moving might be very high, as much as it would take you to drage it 100 yards, but used up almost instantly just to get moving. Once you dragged it 100 yards from a dead stop you would have used the equivalent of 200 yards worth of normal dragging energy (100 yards worth of energy just to make it start moving, then 100 yards to actually drag it 100 yards).

A similar result for different reasons.

If they use ANSI standard to determine bulb life, and ANSI standard counts hours by turning it on for two hours, then off for fifteen min, then on for two hours, and so on, then striking the bulb IS NOT EQUAL TO TWO HOURS OF BULB LIFE.

If ANSI method of measurement is used and then they come to 3000 hours for average bulb life, then you can ignore how many times you "strike" the bulb as long as it's on for more than 2 hours average after each strike.

This is not that complex guys :)

Just curious, I know if you start the PJ from a cold boot that that is considered a strike on the lamp. Does it counts as a strike if you start the PJ from standby?

Yes, because the lamp is completely off and needs to be struck again when turned off. Standby mode keeps one of the fans running.

If they use ANSI standard to determine bulb life, and ANSI standard counts hours by turning it on for two hours, then off for fifteen min, then on for two hours, and so on, then striking the bulb IS NOT EQUAL TO TWO HOURS OF BULB LIFE.

If ANSI method of measurement is used and then they come to 3000 hours for average bulb life, then you can ignore how many times you "strike" the bulb as long as it's on for more than 2 hours average after each strike.

This is not that complex guys :)

foof interesting but I think not necessarily true...

Let's say they do achieve 3000 hours through 2 hrs on 15 minutes off... how does that make any difference as to whether strikes matter or not?

Now since I am not up to doing the math lets just say that the bulb, if left on all the time, would actually make 4000 hours before meeting the average fail mark. However if you do the ANSI method those strikes all add up and reduce the actual on time to before death 3000 hours (again math may be slightly off but the point is the method accounts for the bulb strikes).

Thus the striking "eats up" 1000 hours of life.

It could then be that if they had performed 1 hr on 15 minutes off for their cycles, they might have achieved only 2000 hrs as the additional strikes ate up even more life.

And thus strikes take on an equivalent time value of life.

No change in the number of hours or off time would give reason to think that strikes don't count UNLESS you had two studies in which the total number of strikes was different, yet bulb life was the same. But I don't think we do.

Now maybe you are interperating the 3000 hours as "3000 hours of total time from first on to final death, including the time it's off". In order to always be true, strikes would have to not count, true; but the order of proof goes the wrong way... and I don't think that really makes sense because by that logic if I struck the bulb, left it on for one hour, then waited 3000 hours with it off it would suddenly be dead...

This is all excluding the fact that Bob Williams (an IF engineer) has already stated that strikes do indeed count as about 2 hours of use, and that the very way a bulb works suggests that the a time of very high stress is encountered as it is powered on.

I would venture an assumption as to how Bob can say strikes = 2 hours is that they did indeed use 2 hr on 15 min off cycles to figure bulb life... doing so they reach 3000 hours.

However in other tests, the bulb was run continuously and lasted considerably longer. They subtracted the amount of time longer it lasted, divided by the number of strikes in used to read the 3000 hour mark and decided that each strike used approximately that much of the bulbs life. Quite possibly they did the test using many cycle lengths and found an average detriment to life factor for each strike. (This is all a guess).

Either way, it doesn't make sense that there would be any "free hours" ie that the strike uses 2 hours of life at strike, but for those two hours does not suffer any further degredations, only to start degrading again after 2 hours....

Basically, whatever cyclicle timing they used to measure the 3000 hours, it doesn't negate the possilbity of striking the bulb effecting it's life... and Bob and logic pretty much support it.

Maybe I missed exactly what you were getting at, but I don't see how ANSI standard or anything has any impact on whether bulb strikes count or not... so if I didn't cover it, could you please explain your theory as to why using the ANSI method changes whether or not bulb strikes count? I would like to properly understand your idea...

lets just say that the bulb, if left on all the time, would actually make 4000 hours before meeting the average fail mark. However if you do the ANSI method those strikes all add up and reduce the actual on time to 3000 hours (again math may be slightly off but the point is the method accounts for the bulb strikes).

I think that is probably correct. I will agree that more strikes = fewer actual hours of burntime.

The important bit to remember though is that the 3000 hour average figure was INCLUDING strikes with only 2 hour periods of use (assuming this info is correct).

So it seems wrong to me to say that 10 hours of use = 12 hours of bulb life because you have to add 2 for the bulb strike.

The quoted average life already includes the "penalty" from striking the bulb.


We would only have to add 2 hours for every bulb strike if the 3000 hour measurement was taken from a bulb burning constantly and only being struck once. (which would be an unfair way to rate bulbs because consumer could never expect to reach that length of burn time)

The key point here is that the 3000 hour lamp spec assumes frequent (or at least what I would consider to be frequent) on/off cycles of the lamp and projector. Saying that watching the projector for 3 hours really consumes 5 hours of lamp life (2 for the strike + 3 for usage) is not an accurate statement in the context of the 3000 hour lamp spec. It takes the strike into account (well, at least the first 1500 strikes!).

If you want to factor in the lamp strike in the hours used, than you need to up the lamp spec to 6000 hours, because in order to reach 3000 hrs in 2 hour increments, there would need to be 1500 lamp strikes. If each lamp strike represents 2 hours of usage, you would theoretically get 6000 hrs if you run continuously.

Anyway, on/off lamp cycles do affect lamp life, and the fewer the better, but this topic runs the risk of really confusing the hell out of people. I'm just picturing a bunch of confused new PJ owners adding an additional 2 hours to their lamp total every time they turn on their 4805, thinking they're that much closer to the 3000 hour mark! :eek:

I just got my sp4805 replaced under warranty and the new unit is about twice as bright as my old one. It is simply amazing how much better it looks now. I even question whether my original unit was EVER this bright, but that may just be because I've become so used to how an aging lamp looks, I just don't know for sure.

My question is, is it normal for older lamps to lose a ton of brightness when they are only at half of their rated life? My old lamp was at about 1500 hours, and it was no where near as bright as my new lamp.

IMO it would be a pretty terrible deal if you just had to live with 1/2 brightness after only 700 hours of use (Which is what I was unknowingly doing with my first unit) I am hoping I just got a bad lamp the first time around.

usage info:
I always used soft power off and let the fan cool down the lamp. I rarely ever used the hard power off switch. Usually my daily routine consistend of firing it up once when i got home for about 30 min, then soft power off, then firing it up for another 2-3 hours later in the evening. I cleaned the unit for dust about twice in its lifetime.

Going back to this post, I figured I need to redo my math. In all reality, there are no "free" hours, however, in some context there are. Since each strike = 2 hours, the first two hours are "free" in the sense that if you strike the bulb, and turn it off in 1 minute, you used 2 hours just by striking the bulb anyway.

Given the case of foof and his viewing habit of turning it on for .5 hours, then off, then on agian later for 2-3 hours in order to come to his 1500 hours, we can assume that he's had his 4805 for 500 days, as evidenced in my original equation that was correct. However, the actual hours on the bulb should have been configured by me in this way:

[(.5 hours = 2 hours for the strike X 500 strikes) + (2 hours for 2nd strike X 500) + (.5 hours use X 500)]

This totals out to be [(1000 hours) + (1000 hours) + (250 hours)] = 2250 actual hours.

It is safe to assume that after 1000 strikes and 2250 actual hours that one would see a dimming in the bulb, particularly if it was only cleaned every 750 hours, and, assuming by the lack of bulb cleaning, that the color wheel was not cleaned either.

In contrast, my bulb has 2800 hours showing, but has only been struck around 250 times, and I can't see any dimming. I think strikes play a great role in the life of the bulb. I remember reading that a high usage AVS member had stretched a 3000 hour bulb to over 7500 hours shown.

I just LOVE my 4805 with DarkChip2T technology. I am watching Monday night football on ESPNHD with the PJ setup for the DVI setup and Gamma set for CRT instead of Film. What a Picture, I almost feel like I'm down there in the ALLTEL Stadium. Just Stunning, GO JAX! :D

I duuno how a 720P can display a better picture! The black levels and shadow detail are just amazing!

I duuno how a 720P can display a better picture! The black levels and shadow detail are just amazing!

Wait till you get a quality
720p PJ. But still for the price its a great 480p PJ.

Imagine that great 4805 image at a higher res....heaven as long as its a DLP heaven (IMHO of course).

I think that is probably correct. I will agree that more strikes = fewer actual hours of burntime.

The important bit to remember though is that the 3000 hour average figure was INCLUDING strikes with only 2 hour periods of use (assuming this info is correct).

So it seems wrong to me to say that 10 hours of use = 12 hours of bulb life because you have to add 2 for the bulb strike.

The quoted average life already includes the "penalty" from striking the bulb.


We would only have to add 2 hours for every bulb strike if the 3000 hour measurement was taken from a bulb burning constantly and only being struck once. (which would be an unfair way to rate bulbs because consumer could never expect to reach that length of burn time)

I think I see what you are saying... lets say the bulb should burn 6000 hours continuously but only 3000 hours in 2 hr cycles (due to strike damage) then it's more accurate to say it's a 6000hr bulb and count (on hrs + 2) but saying 3000hr bulb means that when you say (on hrs + 2) is not correct because the 3000hr's already factors in the 2 hr strike penalty right?

I am not sure if we can be certain if the 3000hrs actually accounts for the 2hr cycles or not, but if it did, I suppose (assuming 3000hrs truly at 2hr cycles is accurate) we should be expecting people to hit 6000hrs using the formula sum(on hrs +2) for all viewing sessions.

Factoring out obviously faulty bulbs (sub 1000 hrs) I wonder how accurately this formula would represent real life performance....

Either way you still can't say that it doesn't matter how many times you strike as long as it's on for more than 2 hours a session... if you strike less, theoretically your bulb will last longer so it does matter. If your only goal is to achieve 3000hrs, then yes in theory it doesn't matter because you should achieve that at 2 hr cycles, but in the end, the longer you let it run per cycle, the longer you should get overall use up to a point, and thus it does matter.

The confusing part was arguing a "free" 2 hrs... it makes it sound like no damage occurs to the bulb for the first 2 hours after strike... it's only "free" if you are fixed on a 3000 hr limit on bulb life. I wouldln't want someone thinking that turning the pj on for 1 minute and turining it on for 1 hour havethe same overall effect on it's life as turning it on for 2 hours, as that's what "2 free hours per strike" sounds like to me, since in reality you would get much more actual on time if you go 2 hr blocks than if you go 1 minute or 1hr blocks.

I duuno how a 720P can display a better picture! The black levels and shadow detail are just amazing!

Don't think about it too much... if you do you will get bitten by the upgrade bug...

I know... I love my 4805 picture and I still find it stunning a year after getting it... and yet I am only barely holding back from buying an HD70...

I guess my environment must be dusty or something because when I take my bulb out to clean it, the inside of the 4805 looks very dusty (especially around fans and such). I would like to clean it all out (especially the fans as I suspect dirt on the blades is making them louder) but don't want to go shooting dust all over the light path getting dust blobs and stuff...

So are there any reconmendations on cleaning out the interior of the 4805? I am thinking along the lines of canned air but of course the swirling dust scares me.

I just LOVE my 4805 with DarkChip2T technology. I am watching Monday night football on ESPNHD with the PJ setup for the DVI setup and Gamma set for CRT instead of Film. What a Picture, I almost feel like I'm down there in the ALLTEL Stadium. Just Stunning, GO JAX! :D

I duuno how a 720P can display a better picture! The black levels and shadow detail are just amazing!


I have my HD cable box set up with component and set to Film, would you suggest using the CRT instead or is that just for DVI input? I agree that HD football on the 4805 is great. Im sure there is better setups out there but for the money I have in my theater it is way better than I ever thought it could be.

I just LOVE my 4805 with DarkChip2T technology. I am watching Monday night football on ESPNHD with the PJ setup for the DVI setup and Gamma set for CRT instead of Film. What a Picture, I almost feel like I'm down there in the ALLTEL Stadium. Just Stunning, GO JAX! :D

I duuno how a 720P can display a better picture! The black levels and shadow detail are just amazing!

This is the first week I have 4805. Not just Monday night football, even Saturday's college football looked wonderful. For some reason all sports telecasters have setup the equipment to generate very bright and "contrasty" pictures.

I guess my environment must be dusty or something because when I take my bulb out to clean it, the inside of the 4805 looks very dusty (especially around fans and such). I would like to clean it all out (especially the fans as I suspect dirt on the blades is making them louder) but don't want to go shooting dust all over the light path getting dust blobs and stuff...

So are there any reconmendations on cleaning out the interior of the 4805? I am thinking along the lines of canned air but of course the swirling dust scares me.

The ol' tried and true canned air in one end and vacuum out at the other end has been done by a number of people and has been reported to work well. I haven't done it myself though. I have 3 dust blobs that are very faint, so if they get any worse, I'll deal with it. As they are now, it's not a big deal unless it's a pitch-black scene and I really focus on them.

This is the first week I have 4805. Not just Monday night football, even Saturday's college football looked wonderful. For some reason all sports telecasters have setup the equipment to generate very bright and "contrasty" pictures.

Sports of often about flashy and high contrast... in real life as well as TV (notice that anything with big swatches of bright colors if often considered "sporty").

If you go to a football game you will often notice their jersies are very odd colors... this is because many colors look different on TV and they pander to the TV... thus the real live crowd who showed up gets odd colors, but those at home in couches get punchy sporty colors. Sports in general are good at catching the eye. :cool:

The ol' tried and true canned air in one end and vacuum out at the other end has been done by a number of people and has been reported to work well. I haven't done it myself though. I have 3 dust blobs that are very faint, so if they get any worse, I'll deal with it. As they are now, it's not a big deal unless it's a pitch-black scene and I really focus on them.

Yeah I actually sent m pj in to IF for cleaning as it came with a fair number of blobs, it came back pretty much perfect but has since gotten 2 or 3 minor blobs off picture.

The issue for me isn't blobs though, I just want the dust out... when I take the bulb out the inside looks like a PC that has been running 24/7 for 2 years in someones den...

I will look at the vacuum/canned air method but it just seems that there is no way a vacuum will pull as hard as the canned air so much of the dust will be left swirling around near the DMD...

I'd love to join all of you in watching HD content on my 4805. I just need the service OFFERED to me by my cable provider. :mad:

make sure they don't try to sell you HD through your S-video cable.

make sure they don't try to sell you HD through your S-video cable.

El oh-friggin' El, I know better than to fall for that! I just can't get any HD going in my place. My apartment is surrounded by trees so even OTA is out of the question. :(

I just got my sp4805 replaced under warranty and the new unit is about twice as bright as my old one. It is simply amazing how much better it looks now. I even question whether my original unit was EVER this bright, but that may just be because I've become so used to how an aging lamp looks, I just don't know for sure.

My question is, is it normal for older lamps to lose a ton of brightness when they are only at half of their rated life? My old lamp was at about 1500 hours, and it was no where near as bright as my new lamp.

IMO it would be a pretty terrible deal if you just had to live with 1/2 brightness after only 700 hours of use (Which is what I was unknowingly doing with my first unit) I am hoping I just got a bad lamp the first time around.

usage info:
I always used soft power off and let the fan cool down the lamp. I rarely ever used the hard power off switch. Usually my daily routine consistend of firing it up once when i got home for about 30 min, then soft power off, then firing it up for another 2-3 hours later in the evening. I cleaned the unit for dust about twice in its lifetime.

Yes you can get a rather dim bulb, even if it's brand new. At least one other member here and I got one of those. It looked really dim at first, but I got used to it rather quickly. I sure didn't understand the need for the ND filter discussed here back then. I even wondered if there was something wrong with my eyes! I guess I saved money on the filter. My 4805 is a little more than 2 years old with 2000 hours on the bulb. Brightness seems to be still about the same as the first day, which may be a benefit of getting a dim bulb.

As normal anything that has to do with PC is wrong. Its much closer to Hi Fis measurements and a very savy member here also measured it very close to spec.

I use a sima VS-502 to switch imputs so I can watch a DVD or us the DTV HD DVR to watch tv. When I watch tv or a dvd I get the searching for signal message, and the video has to set up again. What causes this or what do I need to do to fix this problem? Going nuts SIMA was no help, sent a new unit with same problem..... :( :confused: :mad: No fun watching a movie or sports with friends and the screen goes blank..

rhumline,

Try adjusting the "sync threshold" through the menu.

Kool, I will try that,, thanks. Is that on the 4805's onscreen menu?

Is that on the 4805's onscreen menu?

Yes it is.

Well ... after waiting for a warranty replacement projector for five months when it failed after one week of ownership ... we received the replacement unit on June 6.

The replacement unit supposedly had a 90 day warranty which expired two weeks ago.

One week ago the color wheel failed.

InFocus will not cover it.

Heavy sigh.

Well ... after waiting for a warranty replacement projector for five months when it failed after one week of ownership ... we received the replacement unit on June 6.

The replacement unit supposedly had a 90 day warranty which expired two weeks ago.

One week ago the color wheel failed.

InFocus will not cover it.

Heavy sigh.

Sorry to hear. More reason for all to move over to Optoma. I see some 4805 owners over there on the HD70 thread asking questions. Seems some experience over there rate the PQ better than the 4805. I'm hoping to see more reliable opinions since I am ruling out the IN76 due to the IF issues and low grade support.

cavu,

So, the one that just failed was a replacement for the first? Or the replacement was a replacement of the first (thus, making it the 3rd PJ, and 2nd replacement)?

Hey guys.

What would you estimate a Used 4805 with 2000 hours on the blb, and a warranty good for up to 3 bulbs through 2009 plus a cieling mount and a screen is worth?

hmmm, with 720p at $999, you may get $550-$700 IMHO depending on the buyer. Things have changed a little recently with these 720p prices dropping all the time.

Then again, SD DVD with a D1 would still command a 4805.

Hey guys.

What would you estimate a Used 4805 with 2000 hours on the blb, and a warranty good for up to 3 bulbs through 2009 plus a cieling mount and a screen is worth?

The same amount that I put on the InFocus 4805 (854x480) and Vinc. Bravo D1 Specific Thread. Again, are you saying you have the elw3 warantee? If so, who did you buy it through? Is it transferrable to the new owner?

What screen? 7.31246"? 120"? Da-Lite? DIY? Grandma's white sheets?

What mount? Universal? DIY? Milk crate on a wire hanger?

Even if the bulb is good and transferable until 2009, I'm just not sure that will make a differece since the PJ may not make it till then given the issues that are arising and some of which will need IF servicing.

More reason for all to move over to Optoma. I see some 4805 owners over there on the HD70 thread asking questions. Seems some experience over there rate the PQ better than the 4805.I reviewed that thread and all the noise is being made by one cheerleader who has had the HD70 for less than one day.

And remarks like "So my SD DVD watching will be upconverted to 720p for the HDMI 720p HD70 projector. Since I have seen these upconverting players in action, they are much better than watching SD DVDs on the 4805." don't build his credibility.

IAC, the 8-bit processing limitation is probably a show-stopper for me.

yes, that's why I am waiting for others to also gave some feedback, especially if they have had the 4805, IN72 or IN76 to give some reference.

what limitation does the 8-bit processing pose?

That is the deal killer for me as well :-(

what limitation does the 8-bit processing pose?
Read this review for an explanation: http://www.projectorcentral.com/optoma_hd70.htm

So, the one that just failed was a replacement for the first?Yes, it was the "warranty exchange" replacement for the original projector.

We got 1-week out of the first and 14 weeks out of the second.

Yes, it was the "warranty exchange" replacement for the original projector.

We got 1-week out of the first and 14 weeks out of the second.

I don't get it then. :confused:

If you had the original for 1 week, waited 5 months for the replacement, and then got another 14 weeks out of the last one, how are you not covered under the original warantee? I mean, I understand fefurbs are 90-day warantess, but say if the original dies in one day with a two-year warantee, then you should retain that original warantee for all subsequent PJs.

you should retain that original warantee for all subsequent PJs.The original projector was a refurb with only 90 days. BTW, all InFocus "warranty exchange" units have a 90 day warranty.

This projector was our second unit (we have two). Our other SP4805 was new and is still in its two-year warranty period.

Cavu, sorry to hear of your IF problems again! I am glad you are still enjoying your original 4805. I saw and have been reading those posts on the hd70 thread. After reading stuff like "I am a purist when it comes to resolution", to "I'm getting a 6 disk dvd HTIB changer with upconverting, etc., etc., etc." I couldn't take it anymore so I nicely commented that he must work at a Big retailer like BB or CC to have that much knowledge of PJ's.

But it looks like it went over their heads, they didn't get it. :(

I am looking to add a 720p PJ (like your IN76 prior to your problems), I probably will wait and get a HD72 or the HD6800 (10 bit, and native 720/768 support) when they add rebates, free bulbs and a 106" screen before the end of this year hopefully. Of couse there is the new HC1100 from Mits yet to check out. Just need to figure out how to mount 2 PJ's in the same place without the wife noticing. :)

i just got mine back from infocus for the banding problem Now It shuts off after a few minutes use I think it is over heating.The fan is making way more noise now than when I sent it in It sounds like the fan is running but terribly noisy Is there a fix for me or should I send it back again very frustrating It shuts off and the red lights flashes

Forklifter, call them, get an RMA and send it back. Also, talk to a manager and tell them about your experience. Maybe they will double check it to make sue it is fixed properly.

I just got my sp4805 replaced under warranty and the new unit is about twice as bright as my old one. It is simply amazing how much better it looks now. I even question whether my original unit was EVER this bright, but that may just be because I've become so used to how an aging lamp looks, I just don't know for sure.

My question is, is it normal for older lamps to lose a ton of brightness when they are only at half of their rated life? My old lamp was at about 1500 hours, and it was no where near as bright as my new lamp.

IMO it would be a pretty terrible deal if you just had to live with 1/2 brightness after only 700 hours of use (Which is what I was unknowingly doing with my first unit) I am hoping I just got a bad lamp the first time around.

usage info:
I always used soft power off and let the fan cool down the lamp. I rarely ever used the hard power off switch. Usually my daily routine consistend of firing it up once when i got home for about 30 min, then soft power off, then firing it up for another 2-3 hours later in the evening. I cleaned the unit for dust about twice in its lifetime.

Foof, I'm going to override Spyder's comments in that I think you simply had a bad bulb from the get-go. Although I was absolutely stunned at the overall PQ when compared to my old rear-projection, the picture seemed dim/soft to me, in which everyone on these forums thought I was nuts. There was a particular XBOX game (TimeSplitters:Future Perfect) with a mini-game that I could barely see (with the exception of bright colors), and I thought it was because the 4805 couldn't display certain grey levels very well.

At about 1100 hours, darker movies and games (E.g. Donnie Darko) almost became unbearable to watch/play, in which I was able to resolve somewhat by adjusting my gamma settings. Well, after 1300 hours, my bulb finally went "pop" and I was left sitting in a dark basement @ 2 in the morning. I immediately ordered a replacement bulb w/warranty, and once I installed the replacement bulb, I could finally see what everyone was talking about in regards to the 4805 being almost too bright. Just to make sure my eyes weren't playing tricks on me, I popped in the aformentioned XBOX game, and the difference was AMAZING!!!!

Unfortunately, I had no point of reference for comparison and again, thought this was simply a limitation of the 4805. If I had known that the bulb was bad out-of-box, I would have exchanged it immediately. :(

With my 2nd bulb at around 1700 hours now, it is still FAR brighter than my original was brand new. Believe me, I pop in my game now and then just to check!!! What's funny is that I also started inquiring about how to baby my lamp after the original blew.

So, for DVDs and Wii (480p) the SP 4805 is the best way to go?

I bought one of the refurbed 4805's last year on the Staples deal. The lamp just just went out on me at about 1500 hrs. I've ran it in the low lamp setting since I've had it, is it normal for the lamps to go out this soon on these? Also, my color wheel is making some noise now and then and I've tried cleaning it, but that didn't fix it. Is this a sign that it's going to go out soon?

I've contemplated upgrading the projector, but I don't want to spend more than $1000 for a new one.. Is there one that would be worth upgrading to in this price range? I like the 4805 a lot, but am I missing something by not going with a 720p projector? Or is the 480p Infocus IN-72 a good upgrade from the 4805?

For more info on my usage, I'm running a HTPC in a semi bright room. I mostly watch SD TV(Cable) and DVD's.

I'm sorry if this info has been talked about already, I'm at my wits end trying to figure out what to do.

KevH,

It's not an upgrade, but if you want something very similar to the 4805, you could try this from VisualApex:

http://www.visualapex.com/lcdprojectors/LCD_projectors_details.asp?chPartNumber=H31&MFR=Optoma

Or you can find it in the AVS Forum Alliance Members ads above.

$100 rebate right now, so it's only $599.

OR...you could go for a HD70, which seems to be popular right now @ <$1000.

So, for DVDs and Wii (480p) the SP 4805 is the best way to go?

I think so, and the 4805 looks great with HD sources as well, like the Xbox 360.

I think so, and the 4805 looks great with HD sources as well, like the Xbox 360.
Will downscaled 720p look better when the projector does it or when the 360 outputs non-natively?

I am projecting movies off of my Toshiba Laptop M45-S331. The image was cropped on the left side. So I upgraded the 4805 Bios, now the image is cropped both on the left and right. Is there a solution to this?

Tnx :mad:

Hi,
I have a Infocus Screenplay 4805. At 500 hrs on my lamp, i did a second screen cleaning and noticed my little glass piece my bulb has to shine through on the lamp frame has almost shattered? as like a rock that has hit a windshield of a car. I must have got a trace of grease or something on it from the first cleaning to make it do that. Infocus says this is replacable by having to purchase a whole new lamp!!! I was wondering if someone would sell me thier blown lamp and frame just so i could use that glass piece in mine. Any help would be great. I have PayPal. Please im me. Anybody else with this situation???
Thanks,
Cory

I bought one of the refurbed 4805's last year on the Staples deal. The lamp just just went out on me at about 1500 hrs. I've ran it in the low lamp setting since I've had it, is it normal for the lamps to go out this soon on these? Also, my color wheel is making some noise now and then and I've tried cleaning it, but that didn't fix it. Is this a sign that it's going to go out soon?

I've contemplated upgrading the projector, but I don't want to spend more than $1000 for a new one.. Is there one that would be worth upgrading to in this price range? I like the 4805 a lot, but am I missing something by not going with a 720p projector? Or is the 480p Infocus IN-72 a good upgrade from the 4805?

For more info on my usage, I'm running a HTPC in a semi bright room. I mostly watch SD TV(Cable) and DVD's.

I'm sorry if this info has been talked about already, I'm at my wits end trying to figure out what to do.
Very good projector review site. They have reviewed the Optoma H27 and Infous 4805 & IN72 in detail and have some screen shots too. Check it out.
http://www.projectorreviews.com/hometheaterprojectors.asp

I'm guessing this is why Optoma is bringing out the H73 so soon after the H72 since based on those reviews, the IN72 beat the H27 and the IN76 beat the H72.

HELP!
Has anyone any experience of the DVI signal going down on their SP4805?
I bought a new DVI cable plus M1 adaptor. All worked OK. Then....

No picture. :eek:

I have been able to get a vga signal through from my HTPC. From the DVI port with an adaptor, so the pc card appears ok. Unfortunately, I do not have another digital device to test the digital output.

Before I go and buy replacement cables at great expense, is it possible that the digital end of the SP4805 is not working but it will still ok with vga? S-video and component connections have tested OK

Thoughts / advice / experience would be gratefully received folks

Johnny,

there is a known problem with the 4805 m-1 digital input. It has done exactly what you're describing in many occasions.

My guess would be that the 4805 digital input is broken. Send it in or use component only.

Johnny,

there is a known problem with the 4805 m-1 digital input. It has done exactly what you're describing in many occasions.

My guess would be that the 4805 digital input is broken. Send it in or use component only.


I must admit I got to the "pay for us to collect the projector" page of the InFocus web site and chickened out because they want 40 Euros to collect - Call me mean if you wish! But I was saved by the thought of asking you Guy first.
So many thanks Gushy, Just my luck! I only watched about 10movies before this happened. I will miss pixel mapping for awhile now :rolleyes:

Now I will go and spend 40euros a "" HAPPY"" Man :p

I did a separate post with this question but someone suggested that it be combined with this thread. So here it is....I hope you can help.

While watching a movie the InFocus 4805 stopped working. The bulb looks good - it only has 50 hours on it. The manual suggests checking connections and making sure the bulb door is shut properly (green light flashing once).

I've checked all that and made sure that the filter is clean.

Any suggestions?

Any reply is greatly appreciated

P.S - why does this always happen on a Saturday night?

Watching the Monday night football game in New Orleans on ESPNHD, I just want to tell you that it is awesome! I am recording and want to take a few screen shots, but I am starting to have second thoughts about getting an additional 720P PJ to use for HD content only. If HD on a 720P PJ is any better than what I am viewing now on the 4805, I probably will give up sex.
Or at least move that time to early morning. :)

I just can't seem to pull myself from the HT room to go to bed until 4 AM anymore. :D

And with my D1 fixed, I am watching all my 125+ DVD's all over again.

This PJ Rocks, it's just a shame some never knew how with their limited knowledge to properly set up the 4805 correctly and moved on to other inferior PJ's. Pixels rule, NOT!!!!!

If HD on a 720P PJ is any better than what I am viewing now on the 4805, I probably will give up sex.Well, depending on your setup and which 720p unit you get, I doubt very much that it will be better enough to give up sex!! ;)

When I initially got my IN76, I was anxious to compare it to my SP4805. Don't get me wrong - the IN76 is a very nice projector - but from my seating distance (2x) on my 92" screen, with HDTV, the PQ was damn close to my SP4805. However, the IN76 couldn't hold a candle to the 854x480 72Hz 1:1 pixel-mapped DVD performance of the SP4805!

I got rid of the IN76.

I got rid of the IN76.

And a 4805 as well, but not by any choice of your own. :(

So, you have (had, I should say) two of the 4805s? And I'm STILL WAITING on the pictures of that kitchen setup, cavu. ;)

I'm not SURE if this should go here or in the calibration forum, but I'll try here since it's specific to MY 4805. I'm trying to calibrate my display with my new lamp for my Xbox and PS2, and I'm using DVE. The colors are off a bit, but they're both running through component input which means that there's no general COLOR option, and I have to tune it by the RGB OFFSET and GAIN controls. How do I go about doing this correctly?

Does anyone know what the css setting in the picture settings menu is for and what it does?

thanks

Does anyone know what the css setting in the picture settings menu is for and what it does?

thanks

Page 35 of the manual.

Watching the Monday night football game in New Orleans on ESPNHD, I just want to tell you that it is awesome! I am recording and want to take a few screen shots, but I am starting to have second thoughts about getting an additional 720P PJ to use for HD content only. If HD on a 720P PJ is any better than what I am viewing now on the 4805, I probably will give up sex.
Or at least move that time to early morning. :)

I just can't seem to pull myself from the HT room to go to bed until 4 AM anymore. :D

And with my D1 fixed, I am watching all my 125+ DVD's all over again.

This PJ Rocks, it's just a shame some never knew how with their limited knowledge to properly set up the 4805 correctly and moved on to other inferior PJ's. Pixels rule, NOT!!!!!
Funny post :-)
Good to hear you love the 4805 as much as I do. I normally use my htpc for dvd's then some HD programming (love inhd PQ) and after that some Soldier Of Fortune 2 gaming ...then back to htpc all without leaving the room. can you see a divorce coming up for me? lol

Well, depending on your setup and which 720p unit you get, I doubt very much that it will be better enough to give up sex!! ;)

When I initially got my IN76, I was anxious to compare it to my SP4805. Don't get me wrong - the IN76 is a very nice projector - but from my seating distance (2x) on my 92" screen, with HDTV, the PQ was damn close to my SP4805. However, the IN76 couldn't hold a candle to the 854x480 72Hz 1:1 pixel-mapped DVD performance of the SP4805!

I got rid of the IN76.

Well, I too have a 92" screen (draper luma 1.0 scr) and my seating is 2.5X (16.5 ft). The image is excellent with either HD or DVD using the Bravo D1. Again, I just do not think that a newer 720P PJ is going to make a dramatic improvement. Now if I was playing games or using it as a PC gaming machine than moving to a Native dual 768/720 mode PJ might make sense.

I don't know, I think I will do what you did and just bite the bullet and buy the one I want and do some testing. But I have also been thinking of upgrading my screen to either a 106" or preferably a 120" diagonal. I think the 4805 would be able to handle the 106 quite well. Heck, I might as well order the screen for testing too.
The screen is just as important. Now, MW or HCMW. (Draper or da-lite) Hmmm, anyone using one of these in 106" diagonal?

Luis Gabriel Gerena, heck it was because of your screen shots that I started looking at the HTPC 1:1, just couldn't justify the add'l cost. Then the Bravo D1 came along, strated looking at those threads and when it fell below 50 I jumped on it. The hell with upconverting DVD players. Well at least they make a good backup, or better yet I could sell it and get another D1. I like that idea.
Yes, I love the 4805 as much as much as everyone else that has it setup correctly. Knock on wood, no problemo's here. :)

About the screensize...yesterday I was watching the contender in HD and I wasnt even sitting 1.5 x width from the screen and I was still awe by the impressive IQ but for dvds I need to sit a little bit farther so at least for me, the source is what determines how close to sit from my screen. With my proccessed dvds 1.6-1.7 and for HD 1.5 or even less its still safe (no distracting sde or other artifacts).


PS I am a vegetarian, dont smoke, dont drink, been practicing martial arts for years...that means my health is great and so are my EYES :)

Agreed. I sit about 1.5X and have no issues, closer is OK for HD, DVD says get back. Of course, I eat every cow I can find, I used to drink, I still smoke, and I can only do marital arts, not martial...but my eyes are still good. :)

Luis,

Didn't you used to live in Layton? Or was that someone else?

All right, finally got all the info.

What would you say this SP4805 package is worth?

4805 + small ceiling mount (2000 hours on bulb, Circuit City advantage warranty voering lamps and projectors)

I gave the advantage program a call and asked about what lamps are covered. She said that unless it was dropped and broken or stolen any burnout lamp is covered (mentoned it must be dead though) she also noted that it says it covers 3 lamps, but they'll replace as many as needed through the warranty period (ends in 2009)

What do you think that is worth, shipped?

(And do you think I'd be better off getting a 4805 with 300 hours and no warranty for $500 shipped?)

I'm starting to have an issue with my 4805, hopefully someone here can relate.

Starting last night, anytime I attempted to watch/play (cable HD box or xbox 360) that was HD over component cables, the image is extremelly messed up and really is just a bunch of random colors flickering.

The only way to fix it is to do a factory reset and it will then display the picture flawlessly, but when I change the channel or switch to my xbox, the image gets messed up again.

Like I said, the projector worked fine until last night, and I didnt change a thing about my setup.

Thanks

All right, finally got all the info.

What would you say this SP4805 package is worth?

4805 + small ceiling mount (2000 hours on bulb, Circuit City advantage warranty voering lamps and projectors)

I gave the advantage program a call and asked about what lamps are covered. She said that unless it was dropped and broken or stolen any burnout lamp is covered (mentoned it must be dead though) she also noted that it says it covers 3 lamps, but they'll replace as many as needed through the warranty period (ends in 2009)

What do you think that is worth, shipped?

(And do you think I'd be better off getting a 4805 with 300 hours and no warranty for $500 shipped?)

I think it would be worth more if you keep the whole setup, charge people $100 to have them send you their burned out bulbs and get them replaced under warranty... :rolleyes:

All right, finally got all the info.

What would you say this SP4805 package is worth?

4805 + small ceiling mount (2000 hours on bulb, Circuit City advantage warranty voering lamps and projectors)

I gave the advantage program a call and asked about what lamps are covered. She said that unless it was dropped and broken or stolen any burnout lamp is covered (mentoned it must be dead though) she also noted that it says it covers 3 lamps, but they'll replace as many as needed through the warranty period (ends in 2009)

What do you think that is worth, shipped?

(And do you think I'd be better off getting a 4805 with 300 hours and no warranty for $500 shipped?)

Well a new lamp will cost around $350 when it goes, and it would depend on how much you use it over time. I like piece of mind though, so the first sounded good to me becuase it not only covered the bulb life but the PJ in general (Color wheel, light tube, etc.), but cost would be a factor. It is your decision

I do not remember the Faroudja chip model of the 4805. Is the FLI 2310? Does it make the scaling and the deinterlacing? Does it have other job?

All right, finally got all the info.

What would you say this SP4805 package is worth?

4805 + small ceiling mount (2000 hours on bulb, Circuit City advantage warranty voering lamps and projectors)

I gave the advantage program a call and asked about what lamps are covered. She said that unless it was dropped and broken or stolen any burnout lamp is covered (mentoned it must be dead though) she also noted that it says it covers 3 lamps, but they'll replace as many as needed through the warranty period (ends in 2009)

What do you think that is worth, shipped?

(And do you think I'd be better off getting a 4805 with 300 hours and no warranty for $500 shipped?)

Neither. Go to VisualApex in the link above and get the H31 for $100 more. I'm not saying that the H31 is a better machine, but it is BRAND NEW so you're not wondering if the 300 hours is really 3000, or if the CC warantee covers the PJ, is tranferable, or....

Well I've spoken with the Advantage Policy people and they explicitly told me it coevers everything except accdental damage and theft and that I need to call them to transfer the warranty.

Hmmm. Who would you be buying this CC-covered PJ from? (I know this would affect my acceptable price.)

One thing to consider is that the bulb will typically be really dim before it finally dies completely. So, you have the potential peace of mind that once it goes, there will be another...but, you also will have to watch a dim display for a while. (Unless, of course, you can figure a way to make the bulb kick off completely once it starts getting dim without it being obvious.)

Hmmm. Who would you be buying this CC-covered PJ from? (I know this would affect my acceptable price.)

One thing to consider is that the bulb will typically be really dim before it finally dies completely. So, you have the potential peace of mind that once it goes, there will be another...but, you also will have to watch a dim display for a while. (Unless, of course, you can figure a way to make the bulb kick off completely once it starts getting dim without it being obvious.)
Well, it's a member on Anandtech. Seems legit enough, though. And while the bulb does have to be entirely dead, isn't it fairly "killable" repeatedly turning on and off the projector or running it in high-mode non stop? Things like that I suppose

About when would you say it gets dim?

About when would you say it gets dim?

Hard to say, depends a great deal on your viewing habits. I'm currently at over 2800 hours and haven't noticed a big difference. Cavu is at about 3700 hours on his original bulb, and I would expect he wouldn't watch it if it were too dim. That said, we both are high usage owners, and the hours come in significant chunks, not 2 on/2 off.

Gartseff,

I'm not sure I'd pay $800 for that deal though, unless you plan on averaging 10+ hrs/day.

You should look at this as well. It's only 3 pages long.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=490083

Gartseff,

I'm not sure I'd pay $800 for that deal though, unless you plan on averaging 10+ hrs/day.

You should look at this as well. It's only 3 pages long.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=490083

Well, it'd be more $638 for the one with warranty and mount.

I am finding it hard to think I could possibly use it enough to capitialize on the warranty. 2000 more hours on the current bulb is almost 6 months of 12 hour a day viewing; something near impossible to do, I think.

It'd probabbly increase the resale value, though.

On the other hand, I could get just an InFocus 4805 with 230 hours on the bulb for $500 (Maybe less if they'll negotiate) leaving me a solid 3770 hours give or take on the bulb, or, about 2 years watching 5 hours a day (Not sureif even that is possible)

So, what do you think a fair price for either is?

Well, it'd be more $638 for the one with warranty and mount.

I am finding it hard to think I could possibly use it enough to capitialize on the warranty. 2000 more hours on the current bulb is almost 6 months of 12 hour a day viewing; something near impossible to do, I think.

It'd probabbly increase the resale value, though.

On the other hand, I could get just an InFocus 4805 with 230 hours on the bulb for $500 (Maybe less if they'll negotiate) leaving me a solid 3770 hours give or take on the bulb, or, about 2 years watching 5 hours a day (Not sureif even that is possible)

So, what do you think a fair price for either is?
Think, piece of mind. For $138 dollars you get a bulb warranty until 2009. Hell, I paid $899 and bought a new spare bulb through a member here for $250. And I used the Amex card so I get a 3 yr warranty on the PJ. Like I said it is your call, but just a lamp is $350 and they ALL do not last 4000+ hours. I've seen them post on here going after 500, 700, 800, 1000 hours!

Am I wrong?

Can't say that the peace of mind is a bad thing to have.

So, do you think that priceis fair, or should i try to talk them down a little bit more?

Cavu is at about 3700 hours on his original bulb, and I would expect he wouldn't watch it if it were too dim.4096 and counting. Have taken off the ND2 filter. Guessing I'm still over 12ftL.

Can't say that the peace of mind is a bad thing to have.

So, do you think that priceis fair, or should i try to talk them down a little bit more?

Hell, if it is my money NO price is fair. If u can talk them down a lil more go for it, but be serious! :)

4096 and counting. Have taken off the ND2 filter. Guessing I'm still over 12ftL.

I'm never going to catch you now, since it looks like I'll be getting a new PJ very soon. ;)

I decided that rather than fork out $330 for a new bulb, I'd try out the Optoma H31 this time for another $270. I wouldn't mind the IN72, but $600 is my max limit at this point. About the time the H31 bulb gets to 3000 hours (no more than 10 months), I figure the IN72 will be well within my budget. :D

I'm starting to have an issue with my 4805, hopefully someone here can relate.

Starting last night, anytime I attempted to watch/play (cable HD box or xbox 360) that was HD over component cables, the image is extremelly messed up and really is just a bunch of random colors flickering.

The only way to fix it is to do a factory reset and it will then display the picture flawlessly, but when I change the channel or switch to my xbox, the image gets messed up again.

Like I said, the projector worked fine until last night, and I didnt change a thing about my setup.

Thanks


Anyone?

4096 and counting. Have taken off the ND2 filter. Guessing I'm still over 12ftL.And both of you always do a hard power down? :confused:

And both of you always do a hard power down? :confused:Negative. Never.

But I never shutdown at all for periods of less than an hour. Our system often runs for 12-15 hours at a time.

Our system often runs for 12-15 hours at a time.Me too. But how do you shut down after 15 hours? I do hard power down based on my interpretation of everything I've read on this forum.

I'm always open to suggestions, especially from you.

But how do you shut down after 15 hours?Always with the remote. It's only ever been hard powered down to clean the filters or when out of the country for a month.

That sucks, mine was received on 8/31, and I just got it back yesterday! Light tube, color wheel, and dust blobs have been fixed!!!

Weird thing though, is that I had readjust my ceiling mount, because the picture was 5" below what I originally had it. Does anyone know why horizontal and vertical settings are at various numbers (like 67 and 53), even after performing a factory reset? I noticed this before I sent it away (don't know if the numbers were the same, but they definitely weren't 50/50), but is this because of setting the pj to "ceiling". Anyway, I just left them at what they were after a reset, and adjusted my ceiling mount accordingly.

Also, I thought my bulb had suddenly gone bad because the menu drop down is now a darker grey (still readable), so I assume that this is because of a firmware upgrade.

In addition, my lamp hours now say 490, when they were @ 1600!?!

UPDATE:
On 9/15 I sent them an email asking what was up and got a reply that they were waiting on parts and it would be several more weeks. They gave me the option of taking a "WARRANTY EXCHANGE" projector. I accepted and when it arrived it was in better condition than my old projector and as a Bonus, it had a brand new lamp!!! YES!!!. :eek:
Needless to say, I'm a happy camper... :D

Me too. But how do you shut down after 15 hours? I do hard power down based on my interpretation of everything I've read on this forum.

I'm always open to suggestions, especially from you.

Awww, what about me? ;)

Cavu always uses the remote only. I always use hard power off only.

Cavu has more hours than I, but I'm gaining fast. :)

I'd like to see if I can catch him, if for nothing else than to give people an idea of what method gives the most hours. HOWEVER, the gf is worried that if the bulb finally dies, that we will be without anything decent to view TV with. I'm not ready to commit to a new bulb due to the "chance" of a light tunnel incident. No flamethrowers, please.

All that said, if an AVS member wanted to sell me their old, high-hour bulb at a good price just for a backup/gf's peace of mind, I'd certainly be willing to run with the current bulb and continue posting the hours for all to see at regular intervals. :D Anyone interested can PM me.

Awww, what about me? ;)Sorry I left you out, Spyder. Hey, I did follow your advice on the OFA 8910 :cool:

I have a one year old screenplay 4805 with 1300 hours. Lately I've noticed the it's not picking up the full height of the frame. Sometimes the tops of actor's heads are cut off. I've tried different aspect ratios and flipped through the menu but nothing made a difference. Is this a common problem? could it be the dvd player? What's going on. Can someone advise me?

Always with the remote. It's only ever been hard powered down to clean the filters or when out of the country for a month.
I am sure you know Bob Williams has said doing a hard shutdown extends bulb life. He said naturally cooling the bulb down is better than forced air cool down. What is your reason for using soft power down with the remote instead of a hard power down?

Just passed 2000 hrs on the original bulb (2 Years). I always use the remote to power down. The one thing I have noticed on the occasions that I hard power off the PJ is that I get a color wheel wine for a short time when powering back up, I never hear this with the soft power off/on. I do think it is time for a new bulb since I am shooting a 128" 2.35:1 image and it does seem to be getting a bit dim.

What is your reason for using soft power down with the remote instead of a hard power down?The dedicated ceiling mount circuit is not switched and we use a master remote (http://www.remotecentral.com/av3000/photo01.jpg).

I understand that when given the chance, input an interlaced signal to allow the Faroudja to proccess it. Should my STB be set to pass-through for everything, or should I force it to convert 720p to 1080i? (and I guess 480p -> 480i as well for that matter)

The dedicated ceiling mount circuit is not switched and we use a master remote (http://www.remotecentral.com/av3000/photo01.jpg).
Cool, I see. My PJ is on for 2 sometimes 3 hours everyday of the week. I do a hard shutdown every single night per Bob williams recommendation. I hope I am doing the right thing to extend the life of the blub.

Does anyone have the actual timings & resolution necessary for DVI to completely bypass the internal scaling & deinterlacing of the SP4805? I’m hooking this up to a DVDO iScan VP30, and so far I have it set for 854x480, but I want to make sure I’m not using the projector’s scaler. Reason being is I know that some TV’s like Fujitsu, have to be fed different resolutions to completely bypass the scaler. So far the picture results are AWESOME, I’ve gotten a 72 Hz refresh rate for movies and the picture is STUNNING…but I just want to make sure I’m doing everything I can to max out the picture!

Does anyone have the actual timings & resolution necessary for DVI to completely bypass the internal scaling & deinterlacing of the SP4805? I’m hooking this up to a DVDO iScan VP30, and so far I have it set for 854x480, but I want to make sure I’m not using the projector’s scaler. Reason being is I know that some TV’s like Fujitsu, have to be fed different resolutions to completely bypass the scaler. So far the picture results are AWESOME, I’ve gotten a 72 Hz refresh rate for movies and the picture is STUNNING…but I just want to make sure I’m doing everything I can to max out the picture!

Do you have the 4805 set to native mode? The other thing to look at is the checkerboard test pattern on the iScan. I have a HD+ and I assume the VP30 has this test also. If looking at the screen from a distance with the checkerboard pattern up it should look uniformly gray all the way across. If it does then it is 1:1 mapped, and you are using the VP30 for deinterlacing. If you want to see what it looks like if the 4805 is also doing some processing then try applying a lot of keystoning on the 4805 and you will see how it messes up the checkerboard pattern.

A couple of other things to verify on the 4805:
1. Brightness and contrast set to 50.
2. All three gain settings set to 58.
3. All three offsets set to 28.5
4. With a test DVD in your player check contrast and brightness. Use the iScan brightness and contrast controls to adjust. This adjusts that input port.
5. On the iScan check to see if the output setup is set to DVI Video.

I’ve tried everything but native, so I will defiantly have to try that. Do you know WillyGib if there was a difference in picture when you went from 16:9 to native on your SP4805? I am getting the checkerboard pattern OK, and I don’t see any banding, but I will try out the keystoning to make a picture difference.

I’ve tried everything but native, so I will defiantly have to try that. Do you know WillyGib if there was a difference in picture when you went from 16:9 to native on your SP4805? I am getting the checkerboard pattern OK, and I don’t see any banding, but I will try out the keystoning to make a picture difference.

I hadn't tried 16 X 9 so I just did, I didn't see any difference. :confused:

HOWEVER, the gf is worried that if the bulb finally dies, that we will be without anything decent to view TV with.
I was really starting to worry about this possibility also. We have a 12" (I think) TV in the kitchen, and that's all, so if the PJ goes, we're screwed.

So I was thinking about buying a new bulb. However, I have a CC warranty that supposedly covers the bulb, so spending the money on a bulb seemed extravagant. I also wondered if I might decide to replace the projector some time before the bulb goes -- just a thought, I'm perfectly happy right now.

I finally decided it was worth $350 for peace of mind. So I bought a new bulb, and even though IF said it was backordered, it came right away. Now all I have to do is make sure I remember where I put it! :p

I'm not ready to commit to a new bulb due to the "chance" of a light tunnel incident.
Well, I *had* peace of mind until I read this! :eek: :rolleyes:

-Dan

I have a CC warranty that supposedly covers the bulbFYI: Someone posted this and I saved it for when my bulb goes (I have the CC warranty, too).

"The first number I called was the 'Part Order Center' (which the Circuit City website recommended), and the rep told me it was not covered. After my brief tirade, he transferred me to the CityAdvantage Warranty department. That rep told me that he thought it was covered, but that I had to call their computer tech support number. So then I called (800) 555-4615 and eventually got through to a person. He told me it was covered and generally acted like this was something he had dealt with before. He quickly got all my information (make sure you have your serial number, and the 'ticket number' from your receipt helps too), confirmed with me that it definitely was the lamp that had gone out, and said I should get the replacement within 10 working days. He said usually they need the old lamp sent back to them within 30 days, but that if I didn't get a return authorization with the new lamp I should just throw it away.

"So the outlook is good, and since they're shipping a lamp directly to me, I didn't even have to bring the projector in to the store to get it shipped off to a repair center."

I'm starting to have an issue with my 4805, hopefully someone here can relate.

Starting last night, anytime I attempted to watch/play (cable HD box or xbox 360) that was HD over component cables, the image is extremelly messed up and really is just a bunch of random colors flickering.

The only way to fix it is to do a factory reset and it will then display the picture flawlessly, but when I change the channel or switch to my xbox, the image gets messed up again.

Like I said, the projector worked fine until last night, and I didnt change a thing about my setup.

Thanks


Sorry to ask, still have no idea why its doing this.

Anyone?

I do not remember the Faroudja chip model of the 4805. Is the FLI 2310? Does it make the scaling and the deinterlacing? Does it have other job?

any help?
About scaling: When the scaling is done on the player and when on the projector?

any help?
About scaling: When the scaling is done on the player and when on the projector?

The Faroudja chip will do the deinterlacing on signals coming into the s-video, composite and component inputs. If sending a progressive signal over component the dvd player is doing the deinterlacing.

If your sending a digital signal with a resolution of around 854x480 and using the native setting on the projector, the projector does not do the scaling. If you send the projector a 480i or 480p signal, the projector will not do any vertical scaling.

If you are using component output from the dvd player and want to avoid upscaling and downscaling again in the projector use either ther 480i or 480p settings, turning on or off progressive setting on the dvd player will decide if the projectors Faroudja chip does the deinterlacing.


I am sure you know Bob Williams has said doing a hard shutdown extends bulb life. He said naturally cooling the bulb down is better than forced air cool down.

Presumably there's a sharp rise in temperature around the bulb and bulb casing when the fan is switched off suddenly with the lamp, because the bulb will still be close to operating temp for some seconds with no air flow. Even though it seems a hard reset is fine, I still feel happier using the remote to shut down and after the fan slows switch the projector off at the plug ,so I don't have to listen to the power supply fan.

Presumably there's a sharp rise in temperature around the bulb and bulb casing when the fan is switched off suddenly with the lamp, because the bulb will still be close to operating temp for some seconds with no air flow.

While this makes some sense, much like if you had a fan blowing on you during a hot day outside and then turned it off suddenly, one should consider the other alternative...if you leave the fan on and turn the bulb off by remote, there will be a sharp drop in temperature, much like if you stepped into some shade on a hot day.

Just to add another consideration to the cool down theories is the condition of the electronics in the unit. I just had a commercial presentation projector in the shop and the manual said the cool down period was to keep the circuit boards from getting too hot due to the sudden rise of temperature if the fan stopped immediately at turnoff, nothing about it affecting the life of the lamp.

Sorry to ask, still have no idea why its doing this.

Anyone?

Not sure. Does pressing the auto-image button help? Are you using the latest firmware?

Whether you cool down with a fan or naturally, it really is insignificant. What matters most is how you are powering on your projector. Is the bulb cool enough to get a successful strike of the bulb? What you want is to prevent the projector from getting an unsuccessful strike because the bulb is too hot. This is what would take away a good deal of bulb life. I believe Bob has stated that the projector only needs a few minutes (3-5) from a hard shut down before it is cool enough to be powered on again.

Just passed 2000 hrs on the original bulb (2 Years). I always use the remote to power down. The one thing I have noticed on the occasions that I hard power off the PJ is that I get a color wheel wine for a short time when powering back up, I never hear this with the soft power off/on. I do think it is time for a new bulb since I am shooting a 128" 2.35:1 image and it does seem to be getting a bit dim.

My 4805 is one year old, and I have 700 hrs on the bulb. Like you, I use the remote to power down. And like you, when I would do a hard power down, I would get the color wheel grind for a few minutes after I powered back up. Eventually that color wheel grind occured everytime I powered up (regardless of method). I cleaned my color wheel for the first time about a week ago. So far, the color wheel grind has not returned. If you haven't done so yet, you might want to try cleaning the color wheel.

Whether you cool down with a fan or naturally, it really is insignificant. What matters most is how you are powering on your projector. Is the bulb cool enough to get a successful strike of the bulb? What you want is to prevent the projector from getting an unsuccessful strike because the bulb is too hot. This is what would take away a good deal of bulb life. I believe Bob has stated that the projector only needs a few minutes (3-5) from a hard shut down before it is cool enough to be powered on again.
I always wait at least 15 min to before powering the PJ on whether it is in standby mode or have been hard shut down expect for occasional power outages that last only a few seconds or minutes.

[QUOTE=eolhc]The Faroudja chip will do the deinterlacing on signals coming into the s-video, composite and component inputs. If sending a progressive signal over component the dvd player is doing the deinterlacing.

If your sending a digital signal with a resolution of around 854x480 and using the native setting on the projector, the projector does not do the scaling. If you send the projector a 480i or 480p signal, the projector will not do any vertical scaling.

If you are using component output from the dvd player and want to avoid upscaling and downscaling again in the projector use either ther 480i or 480p settings, turning on or off progressive setting on the dvd player will decide if the projectors Faroudja chip does the deinterlacing.



thanks

My 4805 is one year old, and I have 700 hrs on the bulb. Like you, I use the remote to power down. And like you, when I would do a hard power down, I would get the color wheel grind for a few minutes after I powered back up. Eventually that color wheel grind occured everytime I powered up (regardless of method). I cleaned my color wheel for the first time about a week ago. So far, the color wheel grind has not returned. If you haven't done so yet, you might want to try cleaning the color wheel.


Skywalking,
why do you decided to clean the color wheel with 700 hs only? I have 680 hs 2 years of use (only on weekends for dvds) and do not think its time for a cleaning.

About powering off: I soft power off with the remote, let the fan works for 20 min to cool down and then hard power off. Infocus recomended it to me with a mail (not necessary 20 min, just when the fan calms down)....

Color wheel cleaning could "need" to be done at as little as 200 hours. SuperGoop posted his cleaning at the 200 hours mark and his CW looked not that bad, but also none too great. Apparently, the bulb emits a slight residue when new until broken in, creating a slight film. When I did mine at around 1500 hours because of a brief grind, I thought something was horribly wrong. All the segments looked milky white. After a quick cleaning, that residue was gone and sure enough, there was the colors underneath. Did it make a big difference? Not really as far as the PQ, but it was an easy job and gave me satisfaction knowing it was done. As a bonus, I've only had one brief grind in the 1300 hours since. 3 minutes on high power and it was gone.

Hi all.My dvd player is coming to the end of its life and I was thinking of buying
a HDMI (1080i) DVD player to connect to my 4805,like Sony's new DVP-NS76H
Just wondering would I get a better picture with a HDMI dvd player?

Hi all.My dvd player is coming to the end of its life and I was thinking of buying a HDMI (1080i) DVD player to connect to my 4805,like Sony's new DVP-NS76H
Just wondering would I get a better picture with a HDMI dvd player?

Hunker down and read here, fellow 4805 owner:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=660701

Hunker down and read here, fellow 4805 ownerHere's the Cliff Notes version of that answer.

You buy a Bravo D1 and DVI to M1 cable, all for less than $100. You hook it up to your 4805, follow the straightforward set-up directions in the forum, and then enjoy DVD performance that will blow you away. And if you have any problems, the forum is full of people who will help you along.

How can you beat that? :cool:

Apparently, the bulb emits a slight residue when new until broken in, creating a slight film.
It was said in the old thread that the residue is actually from the plastic parts of the pj that are in close proximity to the bulb. Many plastics, when heated to extremes will often give off gasseous vapors(outgassing). I gave mine a cleaning at 500 hours and their really wasn't much residue on the wheel. I'm around 1200 hours now and might give it another go at 1500.

Yep, that's what it was, smithfarmer. Thanks for reminding me. I'm wiped out today, so I wasn't prepared to go look for the info. I'm actually surprised that my old brain retrieved the info at all. ;)

Here's the Cliff Notes version of that answer.

You buy a Bravo D1 and DVI to M1 cable, all for less than $100. You hook it up to your 4805, follow the straightforward set-up directions in the forum, and then enjoy DVD performance that will blow you away. And if you have any problems, the forum is full of people who will help you along.

How can you beat that? :cool:


Thanks for the info.I'm in Europe and unfortunately you can't get Bravo D1 players
over here.You can however get OPPO dvd players,would an OPPO player be a
good alternative?

I'm in Europe and unfortunately you can't get Bravo D1 players over here.There are two dealers with current D1 listings on eBay available to Europe, both in the $50 range.

All that is the D1, the great cavu has the answer.

By my estimations, Vizio owes him about a cool mil in commissions alone. :)

I've had my Bravo D1 for about a month now and it's still working fine on the original cap. I'm probably going to change it out on Tuesday when I'm off. I have to say, though, that my DVD collection has increased significantly since receiving the D1. There's a local store that sells all kinds of used DVDs for good prices, and I have yet to open a DVD purchased from them that even has a blemish on the disc. I got the original Star Wars trilogy the other day for 30 bucks, and it looks excellent, and I've also tried out Gladiator among a few other recommendations, but the best-looking disc so far has been, surprisingly, Once Upon A Time in Mexico. I'm not lying when I say it almost looks like HD quality with its incredible level of detail. It makes me wonder what some of Robert Rodriguez's other DVDs look like, namely Sin City. Anyway, thanks to you guys for being here to recommend the D1, it's a hell of an awesome combo with the 4805.

Color wheel cleaning could "need" to be done at as little as 200 hours. SuperGoop posted his cleaning at the 200 hours mark and his CW looked not that bad, but also none too great. Apparently, the bulb emits a slight residue when new until broken in, creating a slight film. When I did mine at around 1500 hours because of a brief grind, I thought something was horribly wrong. All the segments looked milky white. After a quick cleaning, that residue was gone and sure enough, there was the colors underneath. Did it make a big difference? Not really as far as the PQ, but it was an easy job and gave me satisfaction knowing it was done. As a bonus, I've only had one brief grind in the 1300 hours since. 3 minutes on high power and it was gone.

hi spyder,
what product did you use for the cleaning?. could you spin the wheel to clean all the surface?
I add the link posted by SuperGoop
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=581503

hi spyder,
what product did you use for the cleaning?. could you spin the wheel to clean all the surface?
I add the link posted by SuperGoop
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=581503

Oh, I used a product that is nearly impossible to find...ordinary tap water! ;) All I did was take regular Q-Tips, put the tap to a slow drip, let one drop fall on each end, and gave it a shake. After that, I brushed the color wheel LIGHTLY from the edge of the hub toward the outer rim at about a 5-degree angle, which automatically spins the CW on its own. :cool:

I probably did about 40 revolutions, round and round, changing the tip about every 5 full turns. I used one last tip that was completely dry to polish it off a bit. I did 2 full 4805 units in under 30 minutes total combined time. It's incredibly easy. Just remember to "press" very, very lightly as you go. (You're not really pressing, more like just guiding the Q-Tip) The SuperGoop link is an easy read and has better instructions, so there's not much to it. :)

Oh, I used a product that is nearly impossible to find...ordinary tap water! ;) All I did was take regular Q-Tips, put the tap to a slow drip, let one drop fall on each end, and gave it a shake. After that, I brushed the color wheel LIGHTLY from the edge of the hub toward the outer rim at about a 5-degree angle, which automatically spins the CW on its own. :cool:

I probably did about 40 revolutions, round and round, changing the tip about every 5 full turns. I used one last tip that was completely dry to polish it off a bit. I did 2 full 4805 units in under 30 minutes total combined time. It's incredibly easy. Just remember to "press" very, very lightly as you go. (You're not really pressing, more like just guiding the Q-Tip) The SuperGoop link is an easy read and has better instructions, so there's not much to it. :)

So you're saying we should use a pen-knife and press nearly as hard as we can in order to clean the color wheel? :confused:

There are two dealers with current D1 listings on eBay available to Europe, both in the $50 range.

Interesting that it is available, but the shipping to europe is around the $100 dollar mark

So you're saying we should use a pen-knife and press nearly as hard as we can in order to clean the color wheel? :confused:

If the pen knife won't work, I suppose a sledgehammer and a railraod spike might. ;)

shipping to europe is around the $100 dollar markAnd the alternative costs .... ??

And the alternative costs .... ??

If you want the d1 I guess you don't have much alternative, just a bummer to pay twice the cost of the the player on shipping.

Also if the d1 voltage is fixed at 110v/60hz a transformer may be needed for europe

All - I have a green back ground noise - looks almost like white noise., when I use the M1/DVI port. I have swapped cables and sources - so I have elminated those possible issues.

The projector is pretty much unwatchable ... Any thoughts??

Also if anyone has has a cheap 4805 send me a PM - The bulb doesn't have to work. Mine has really low hours

just a bummer to pay twice the cost of the the player on shipping.Still not bad for a player that sold for US$199. Although the units being sold now are new, they are being sold as surplus by the OEM manufacturer.if the d1 voltage is fixed at 110v/60hz a transformer may be needed for europeThe D1 power supply is fixed at 110V. You would need a 25W, 220v-110v transformer.

Has any concensus been reached as to what resolution setting on the 360 would be a best "match" with a 4805?

I just got the 360 and it looks great with whatever resolution I use, but is it better to have the projector downscale 720p or accept the native 480p? I'm assuming it's the latter, but I wanted to make sure.

Regardless, I just got the 360 for a good deal with a few games and it is just amazing with the 4805. COD2 is really something else with a 90" screen. Anything less will feel small at this point. And with a 7.1 system, this really is a gaming/movie heaven.

Possibly the best 770 bucks I've spent. Though, I'm sure I'll be using bulb hours like crazy now. The debate will be whether to buy a new bulb or toss this thing on eBay and replace it altogether once it runs out, though I have some time for that to happen still (though I should clean the bulb since I've gone past 250 hours).

Keep the 360 at 720p because that's the native resolution for its games. Running it at 480p eliminates the hi-def aspect of the console altogether.

Skywalking,
why do you decided to clean the color wheel with 700 hs only? I have 680 hs 2 years of use (only on weekends for dvds) and do not think its time for a cleaning.

About powering off: I soft power off with the remote, let the fan works for 20 min to cool down and then hard power off. Infocus recomended it to me with a mail (not necessary 20 min, just when the fan calms down)....

My 4805 fell victim to the dreaded color wheel grind ... the buzz saw sound you've probably read about on this thread. It got to the point where the buzz saw sound was always there. It was recommended in this forum to try cleaning the color wheel. So far, the buzz saw sound has not returned since I cleaned the color wheel.

FYI: Someone posted this and I saved it for when my bulb goes (I have the CC warranty, too).
Thanks for the post! I definately will save this!

-Dan

Has any concensus been reached as to what resolution setting on the 360 would be a best "match" with a 4805?

I just got the 360 and it looks great with whatever resolution I use, but is it better to have the projector downscale 720p or accept the native 480p? I'm assuming it's the latter, but I wanted to make sure.

Regardless, I just got the 360 for a good deal with a few games and it is just amazing with the 4805. COD2 is really something else with a 90" screen. Anything less will feel small at this point. And with a 7.1 system, this really is a gaming/movie heaven.

Possibly the best 770 bucks I've spent. Though, I'm sure I'll be using bulb hours like crazy now. The debate will be whether to buy a new bulb or toss this thing on eBay and replace it altogether once it runs out, though I have some time for that to happen still (though I should clean the bulb since I've gone past 250 hours).

What many people do not realize is that there is a difference between downconverting at the source vs. display when it comes to HDTV. The difference is in color resolution and colorspace.

HD and SD colorspace are different - you get more vivid colors with HD. Even though the SP4805 is a DVD projector it will decode HD colors - it just does not display them as vivid as they should be - but it is still more vivid than DVD.

The difference with HD color resolution is that DVD has a color resolution of 360x240 while HD has a color resolution of 640x360. That is right - all component video media subsamples the color to save space and bandwidth! The theory is your eye cannot see the difference - but they never tested that theory on a 92" screen!

So always send your projector native HD rate with native HD sources which includes the XBOX360.

Everything I just said is not true for upsampling DVD - which more than likely makes things worse not better.

does anyone know where i can find a longer dvi/svga cable than the one that comes w/ the projector? i need it to be 25 ft to be able to go through the attic and the wall to connect my laptop the projector which is mounted on teh ceiling...
i can use any help possible...


thanks in advance...

For cables look here. (http://www.monoprice.com)

I'd say try Blue Jeans Cable first and then look into the Monoprice cables. I've been very happy with my 25' DVI cable from them.

i've already tried monoprice the one they don't have doesn't have the same type of connectors on teh dvi side...

the cable that came w/ the projector has a vba connection on one end and a dvi on the other...and i can't use just a rgular dvi cable b/c my laptop doesn't have a dvi connection. so i need something exactly like teh one that came w/ the projector only longer...

but monoprice is great for the other cables...

thanks for the quick reply!!

Anyone reccomend a good component video splitter and DVI splitter (need to plug two of each into a 4805)

i've already tried monoprice the one they don't have doesn't have the same type of connectors on teh dvi side...Try RAM Electronics (click at the top of the forum page). If they don't have the cable, they'll have an adapter.

i've already tried monoprice the one they don't have doesn't have the same type of connectors on teh dvi side...You didn't look very hard.

Monoprice VGA to M1-A(P&D) 28AWG cable - 25ft $14.61 (http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10238&cs_id=1023804&p_id=2695&seq=1&format=2&style=)

They also have 6, 10 and 15ft versions for less money.

So always send your projector native HD rate with native HD sources which includes the XBOX360.

Everything I just said is not true for upsampling DVD - which more than likely makes things worse not better.

Kras, Are you saying is worthless to use the upsampling for SD DVDs?

You didn't look very hard.

Monoprice VGA to M1-A(P&D) 28AWG cable - 25ft $14.61 (http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10238&cs_id=1023804&p_id=2695&seq=1&format=2&style=)

They also have 6, 10 and 15ft versions for less money.


SWEEEET!!! thanks a lot man...i would have never found it. i didn't even know what the wire is called.

Hi,
I have a Infocus Screenplay 4805. At 500 hrs on my lamp, i did a second screen cleaning and noticed my little glass piece my bulb has to shine through on the lamp frame has almost shattered? as like a rock that has hit a windshield of a car. I must have got a trace of grease or something on it from the first cleaning to make it do that. Infocus says this is replacable by having to purchase a whole new lamp!!! I was wondering if someone would sell me thier blown lamp and frame just so i could use that glass piece in mine. Any help would be great. I have PayPal. Please im me. Anybody else with this situation????
Thanks,
Cory
Please help, anybody?

Kras, Are you saying is worthless to use the upsampling for SD DVDs?

I just went out and got the VGA cable for the 360 yesterday to see if there was a difference between the standard 480p and the upscaled 720p and I noticed a difference right off the bat.

I even tried to use the 854x480 resolution that the VGA cable allows you to use but the 720p still looked crisper.

My screen size is 100in.

I just went out and got the VGA cable for the 360 yesterday to see if there was a difference between the standard 480p and the upscaled 720p and I noticed a difference right off the bat.

I even tried to use the 854x480 resolution that the VGA cable allows you to use but the 720p still looked crisper.

My screen size is 100in.

I'll betcha a 1:1 pixel-mapped picture looks better than that 720p one, though. :p

EDIT: And were you testing the 720p against the 360's 480p, or were you running the 360 at 480i and allowing the projector to do the de-interlacing? Try the latter and see which you like better.

I believe the 360 VGA cable has a 852x480 setting...unfortunately, the 4805 does not accept this via vga, only via dvi.

This talk of which resolutions to input to the pj brings me back to my question from a few pages ago: Tell my Time Warner box to send 480i for SD or 1080i? I get the benefit of the Faroudja on 480i? Is this why the picture is alot more dim? I also have to wait for the image to sync when switching for HD to SD that way.

This talk of which resolutions to input to the pj brings me back to my question from a few pages ago: Tell my Time Warner box to send 480i for SD or 1080i? I get the benefit of the Faroudja on 480i? Is this why the picture is alot more dim? I also have to wait for the image to sync when switching for HD to SD that way.

SD should be at 480i, if you set it to 1080i, your cable box will do the deinterlacing/scaling of 480i to 1080i and then the 4805 will scale it back down to 854x480. At 480i, the 4805 will deinterlace and scale 480i to 854x480. If the picture is dim then it's because you need to adjust your brightness and contrast settings at 480i, which will vary at 1080i and other resolutions.

I have owned an X1 for just about 3 years and it just started to make the color wheel noise. It comes and goes but is is there more often than not. The bulb has about 3700 hours on it. I decided to upgrade about a month ago and got a Sharp XR10-X, which I am very happy with.
My daughter and son in law have an X1a which quit working with about 400 hours on the bulb. I let them borrow my bulb to try and see if their bulb was bad. Unfortunately it is, my bulb worked for them for about a week and then died. I check the forums everyday and one day awhile back someone posted a link to the diy forum about cheap replacement bulbs. I,ve read through many of the posts and think I know which bulb to get for my old trusty X1 so maybe I can use it at our camp or an outside movie night. I just wanted to ask has anyone tried replacing their bulb with one of these. It seams you can get one for a 4805 also. The price is about $73.00 shipped from China. The link is:

http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=59091

The last page is currently about someone trying one for an X1. I'll be checking on the status for awhile to see how it turns out. I thought some of you might be interested in this.

I'm new here so I'll try not to sound like too much of a noob. I bought a SP4805 a while ago and the lamp was new. I haven't looked at the life of the bulb but I use it almost every day. Today I was using it and the screen suddenly went blank and I heard what sounded like water boiling over a pot onto the burner. I opened the lamp housing and the bulb looked ok, but I don't know what its suppose to look like. The LED light began the blink red at that point. I hope all I need is a new lamp but would like to hear some experts thoughts.

Also, is there any routine maintenance that I need to be doing to make sure I get the full like out of my projector?

Thanks in advance....

Eliot

Some people have experienced a grinding noise from the color wheel, but I don't recall anyone mentioning anything that sounds as you described. Many 4805 owners clean their color wheels regularly. Good luck and welcome to the forum.

Eliot you should be cleaning the filters every 250 hrs or so , depending on how dusty the area is.

Eliot you should be cleaning the filters every 250 hrs or so , depending on how dusty the area is.

The little screen on either side of the lamp right? Well I did that now but thats not the problem. Should the lamp slowly go bad or just burn out like mine did (if it did)?
Would the color wheel cause it to not have any light shining at all, or do you think its strictly a lamp issue?

If you look in the 4805 manual, it will tell you what the blinking led lights mean... I don't remember off the top of my head what it means...

I'm new here so I'll try not to sound like too much of a noob. I bought a SP4805 a while ago and the lamp was new. I haven't looked at the life of the bulb but I use it almost every day. Today I was using it and the screen suddenly went blank and I heard what sounded like water boiling over a pot onto the burner. I opened the lamp housing and the bulb looked ok, but I don't know what its suppose to look like. The LED light began the blink red at that point. I hope all I need is a new lamp but would like to hear some experts thoughts.

Also, is there any routine maintenance that I need to be doing to make sure I get the full like out of my projector?

Thanks in advance....

Eliot

I don't know what that sound is. When my bulb blew it just stopped working and I got the blinking red LED immediately afterward. I turned it off and back on again, and every time I would, the LED would blink green. I think if you have the lamp door open the LED will blink red, so make sure you have it closed before turning it on.

I've tried in three different forums to figure out why a one year old screenplay 4805 with 1300 hours is not picking up the full height of the frame. Sometimes the tops of actor's heads are cut off. I've tried different aspect ratios and flipped through the menu but nothing made a difference. Is this a common problem? could it be the dvd player? What's going on. Can someone advise me?

Brian, I don't recall any posts with that issue. Is it the same with a cable box input? If so, then it's the 4805, if not, it could be the DVD player or something with that input on the 4805.

Hey all. I've been really pleased with the Infocus over the last 5 months, does a great job on both SD and HD input scaling. One problem I have been having though is that on quick bright flashes, or nearly all white screens, the projector will go black and loose the input momentarily, then return when it's found the signal again.

Why for?

This happens whether the input is coming from either my DVD player or computer Kona video card. The path is currently DVD to Yamaha AV amp, out of amp and into a powered component video splitter, with one output going to to the projector, and one to a 26" Sony Bravia LCD HDTV. I get no dropouts on the TV, only on the projector.

Any help sourcing the problem? I figure there must be a signal input that isn't being limited on the whites, overloading the projector. Anyone else ever have this problem?

thanks in advance.

I had this posted a while ago, but after several firmware updates, tweaks, and setting adjustments, I can't get my setup to work all together. I try going HDMI from Tosh to Panny SA-XR70, to Infocus 4805, and I get a sync error on HD-DVD, the player freezes when trying to play but shows the setup menu fine. I put the player to hdmi-pcm out and the receiver to pcm only on hdmi and nothing. Also tried the auto settings. Then I tried to adjust the sync threshold but I can't get it to pop up when I am on my hdmi input. The 4805 has an m1->hdmi adapter on it with a 25ft monoprice hdmi cable on it. The tosh works fine going straight to the projector, my Panny S-77 works fine going through the receiver to projector, any other tips? Also does adjusting the sync threshold prior to a signal on the computer input apply to any resolution signal sent afterwards?

When my bulb blew it just stopped working and I got the blinking red LED immediately afterward.

scitek,

Did you see any bulb dimming before it blew?

One problem I have been having though is that on quick bright flashes, or nearly all white screens, the projector will go black and loose the input momentarily, then return when it's found the signal again.


Try adjusting the sync threshold in the picture advanced settings menu. Setting to zero turns it off.

That might be it. Is there a down-side to setting the synch to zero?

There are two dealers with current D1 listings on eBay available to Europe, both in the $50 range.



Thanks for the info,really appreciate it.My brother is on holidays in New York at the moment so I'm going to try and persuade him to pick me up a Bravo D1.
Just two last questions;is the Bravo D1 multi region (all my dvds or R2 and R3) and
is the Bravo D2 as compatible with the 4805 as the Bravo D1?
Thanks a lot.

That might be it. Is there a down-side to setting the synch to zero?

I hope not, mine's been set there for almost a year. ;)

The little screen on either side of the lamp right? Well I did that now but thats not the problem. Should the lamp slowly go bad or just burn out like mine did (if it did)?
Would the color wheel cause it to not have any light shining at all, or do you think its strictly a lamp issue?

eliot1171, this is right from the Infocus manual ...

Problem: Lamp won't turn on, LED blinking red.
Solution: Make sure vents aren't blocked, turn off the projector and allow it to cool for one minute.

Problem: "Change Lamp" message appears at startup or lamp won't turn on and LED blinking red.
Solution: lamp must be replaced.

is the Bravo D1 multi region (all my dvds or R2 and R3)Yes, through a "secret menu" it can be set to "all region" or any region. PM me your email address and I'll forward all the instructions w/ latest firmware.is the Bravo D2 as compatible with the 4805 as the Bravo D1?Yes. But the D2 doesn't like long cable lengths, ie. 10m; with "regular" cables it works great.

I've tried in three different forums to figure out why a one year old screenplay 4805 with 1300 hours is not picking up the full height of the frame. Sometimes the tops of actor's heads are cut off. I've tried different aspect ratios and flipped through the menu but nothing made a difference. Is this a common problem? could it be the dvd player? What's going on. Can someone advise me?

How do you have your dvd player connected to the 4805? Have you had these problems or is it just now happening after using it for a year?

I had this posted a while ago, but after several firmware updates, tweaks, and setting adjustments, I can't get my setup to work all together. I try going HDMI from Tosh to Panny SA-XR70, to Infocus 4805, and I get a sync error on HD-DVD, the player freezes when trying to play but shows the setup menu fine. I put the player to hdmi-pcm out and the receiver to pcm only on hdmi and nothing. Also tried the auto settings. Then I tried to adjust the sync threshold but I can't get it to pop up when I am on my hdmi input. The 4805 has an m1->hdmi adapter on it with a 25ft monoprice hdmi cable on it. The tosh works fine going straight to the projector, my Panny S-77 works fine going through the receiver to projector, any other tips? Also does adjusting the sync threshold prior to a signal on the computer input apply to any resolution signal sent afterwards?

Can't say this is the solution but I'd try different combinations of turning on each piece of equipment. Maybe 4805 first with dvi/hdmi selected, then receiver, then hd-dvd.

Thank You JaPhule,

But I have already tried the powering on in different sequences and did just about all combinaitons I can think of, it plays standard dvd's fine all the way through, but locks up the player when trying to play HD-DVD's, also it starts up in 480p with the receiver in the chain, when I go direct to the 4805 its syncs up at 1080i from the getgo and plays just fine. Also do you see some jaggies in the image when playing 1080i HD discs on the 4805, I do and it bothers me somewhat but it could be attributed to the down scaling of the image.

Yes, through a "secret menu" it can be set to "all region" or any region. PM me your email address and I'll forward all the instructions w/ latest firmware.Yes. But the D2 doesn't like long cable lengths, ie. 10m; with "regular" cables it works great.


Thanks a lot JaPhul.I'll PM my email address when I get a D1.
There isn't any problem playing PAL dvds is there?

Thanks a lot JaPhul.I'll PM my email address when I get a D1.
There isn't any problem playing PAL dvds is there?

You're welcome, but you should be thanking cavu. :)

Oh yea sorry.Thanks a lot Cavo.
I'm having second thoughts about the D1 now as I just read the following about
RCE DVD's !!! :(
(I might go with the OPPO OPDV971H instead.)



Cons:
For those that are having issues with playing specific DVD's or complaining about load times I suggest that you do some reading and research to solve this. As you are aware this device allows you to play multiple regional DVDs due to being configured at the factory with REGION FREE settings. I highly recommend REGION 1. This is because even though REGION FREE setting will allow you to watch DVD's made for all regions, it will NOT allow you to watch the newer RCE (Region Code Enhanced) Region 1 DVD's. More information can be found here: http://www.dvdtalk.com/rce.ht ml If you do not specify the region and leave it in REGION FREE then you will not be able to view RCE DVD's !!! This RCE standard is becoming more and more popular. I am not happy with the support from V Inc. either and telling people to do research and read the instuctions is not an excuse for the bad support V Inc. is providing.

Well I UPS'd my Pj back to Infocus Netherlands on Thursday last week. Its back today sorted! WELL DONE INFOCUS! :)

And its my birthday.. best present so far.,,, Now to get back to that pixel mapping and HD this evening (plus beer) :D

From the report there was more wrong than I thought. Given it was new and only 627hrs on the first bulb:

I report DVI U/S They found:

Colour wheel grinding.
Dvi U/S
Image banding on white screen

They replaced the optical engine, Control board, cleaned it out.

Make you wonder just how fragile these things can be. I am soo careful with my theatre equipment.

Anyway thanks to you guys on this thread for the advice in the past. And a BIG thanks to Infocus for being so rapid in the repair.

ps To anyone sending in their PJ for repair (in Europe). I found the "check repair status" popup window at Infocus did not work for me despite having an RMA and Serial to enter. Hope it works for you 'cause i was getting a littttle worried when it said no record of your RMA!

I'm having second thoughts about the D1 now as I just read the following about RCE DVD'sIt's a complete non-issue. With a few keystrokes, the Bravo can be set to any region, including region 1, region 2, region 3, etc., or to "region-free". The Oppo is no different.

As I've said before, I haven't found anything yet that the D1 won't play.

I thought the cap replacement was supposed to eliminate skipping among other things. I was watching that movie about cave the other day, what was it called? Oh yeah The Cave. Anyway about half way through the movie it went blank. I thought it was a long layer change, but when it came back on it had skipped an entire chapter. I've replaced the cap and glued it back down. I'm still running the original loader. Should I replace the loader too?

Should I replace the loader too?No.

Is the error repeatable?

No. Why bother with all that hassle when you can just get a whole new unit for $45 shipped? While you watch your extra D1, you can continue testing and troubleshooting with the original with various other movies.

One really odd thing I've experienced lately is that any DVD from Hollywood video is prone to load poorly...even brand new ones. The easy fix is that I take the DVD, run it under the hottest water I can under the tap for a few seconds and wipe with a soft cloth. Works EVERY TIME.

As I've said before, I haven't found anything yet that the D1 won't play.


Unfortunately, I have.

HD-DVD and Blu-Ray. :(

Ah, but if it did, it certainly wouldn't be $45! ;)

Try adjusting the sync threshold in the picture advanced settings menu. Setting to zero turns it off.

Works like a charm! THANK YOU! It's been bothering me since i got the projector. Now I am totally happy with it!

I hope not, mine's been set there for almost a year. ;)

I always wondered what the magic number was for 480! component inputs, I never touched mine and it comes at 50 out of the box, I think.

Never had any issues though, all though would like to know if it makes any difference by changing that number or if there is a preferred setting?

No.

Is the error repeatable?

No, the second time I tried it played fine. I haven't had it since. Although I've never had a DVD player skip chapters before. I do still get the momentary picture freeze after an extended pause. Was the cap suppose to address that issue as well?

If you say I don't need to replace the loader then so be it. Its really not that bad of a problem I was just curious.

I do still get the momentary picture freeze after an extended pause. Was the cap suppose to address that issue as well?


No. The momentary picture freeze will still occur after cap mod as well as a loader swap. The best thing to do if you are going to do an extended pause is to press stop once, then play to resume and this should eliminate any picture freeze.

I always wondered what the magic number was for 480! component inputs, I never touched mine and it comes at 50 out of the box, I think.

Never had any issues though, all though would like to know if it makes any difference by changing that number or if there is a preferred setting?

"If it aint broke, don't fix it." Leave the magic to those willing to get mauled by tigers. ;)

My brother who lives in New York and my other brother who is visiting have gone to over 10 electronic stores in New York in the last two days and have been unable to find a Bravo D1 anywhere :( .I can't justify spending over $100 on post by buying it on ebay especially because I would also have to pay VAT when it arrives.They did come across the OPPO OPDV971H though in one shop,just wondering has anybody here got one of them connected to their 4805?

PWEI, can't say I remember what a Bravo looked like, but I do have the OPPO 971 with my 4805 and the results are excellent. It's in the top 2 or 3 of all the DVD players I've owned or seen, and I've owned at least a dozen players and seen many more.

My infocus is in repair they are waiting on the ECA controller What exactly is that?

My infocus is in repair they are waiting on the ECA controller What exactly is that?
It is a circuit board. You can see a similar one in this PDF service manual of the X1:
http://members.shaw.ca/netguy/x1serviceguide.pdf#search=%22projector%20eca%20controller%22

My brother who lives in New York and my other brother who is visiting have gone to over 10 electronic stores in New York in the last two days and have been unable to find a Bravo D1 anywhere :( .I can't justify spending over $100 on post by buying it on ebay especially because I would also have to pay VAT when it arrives.They did come across the OPPO OPDV971H though in one shop,just wondering has anybody here got one of them connected to their 4805?

HUH??? :confused: I don't get it. How do you NOT have to pay post or VAT on an Oppo, like you would on a D1? Did I totally miss something here?

My brother who lives in New York and my other brother who is visiting have gone to over 10 electronic stores in New York in the last two days and have been unable to find a Bravo D1 anywhere :( .I can't justify spending over $100 on post by buying it on ebay especially because I would also have to pay VAT when it arrives.They did come across the OPPO OPDV971H though in one shop,just wondering has anybody here got one of them connected to their 4805?

It´s a pitty your brother who lives in NY did not buy it on newegg before your other brother visited him.
I think D1 could be bought on the web only. Perhaps he could buy it and take the overnight delivery.
On the other hand, I was going to buy the D1, but finally I decided to go for the Oppo 970. I was afraid D1 brings me problems with the loader, and I am too far from the States. Why 970? Because I decided to keep my actual 50' component cables, thinking I will not see a lot of improvement using DVi or HDMI with a 480p projector, IMHO. (on the $150 price range you can not find a better player over component)
The consensus here is D1 is one of the best dvd for the 4805. But the Oppo's are close :o :o

One really odd thing I've experienced lately is that any DVD from Hollywood video is prone to load poorly...even brand new ones. The easy fix is that I take the DVD, run it under the hottest water I can under the tap for a few seconds and wipe with a soft cloth. Works EVERY TIME.

I second that. It happened for "Sentinel". Cleaned it, worked like charm.

Well I guess I spoke too soon.
Just got my 4805 back form repair and it keeps failing. :mad:

Has any one experienced this er issue?

The PJ works OK for a finite time. Then the lamp goes out and I get three flashes from the red LED. If I allow the lamp to coll properly it will re-strike and all is ok till it happens again.

The manual says:
Blinks Red (3), every 2 seconds - The lamp has failed. - Projector shuts down.

1.Reinstall lamp, making sure that it is properly seated.
2.Replace the lamp :eek: . When the projector starts up, make sure to run it long enough to make sure the problem is solved.
3.If the projector still does not work, take the projector to your dealer for repair, or contact InFocus Technical Support.


(Must admit I like the bit "repalce the lamp" - Like I have £200+ waiting to do something!!!) The lamp has less than 700 hrs anyway...

The PJ had the optical engine and control board replaced when serviced, so I am lost for words at the moment

Any thoughts out there?

Johnny English,

How long is this "finite time" you mentioned?

I was afraid D1 brings me problems with the loader, and I am too far from the States. Complete non-issue.

Johnny English,

How long is this "finite time" you mentioned?

Hi,spyder696969 thanks for picking this one up..

I get from a full movie to circa 20 to 40 minutes so its not fixed actually - sorry if finite was inaccurate.
I ran the PJ last night a few times and got this hiccup 3 times. Then it ran ok for a full movie (grrrrr) .....So I am unsure what might be doing this.

I have removed the bulb, re-installed it to make sure the connector is secure. Made sure there are no screensavers on, in either pj or HTPCand shecked the dvi connections to make sure they are secure...I guess I will have to run the PJ a few more times to see if this happens more often.

Please let me see the baseball world series lord god, I will be a good boy :D honest!

Hi,spyder696969 thanks for picking this one up..

I get from a full movie to circa 20 to 40 minutes so its not fixed actually - sorry if finite was inaccurate.
I ran the PJ last night a few times and got this hiccup 3 times. Then it ran ok for a full movie (grrrrr) .....So I am unsure what might be doing this.

I have removed the bulb, re-installed it to make sure the connector is secure. Made sure there are no screensavers on, in either pj or HTPCand shecked the dvi connections to make sure they are secure...I guess I will have to run the PJ a few more times to see if this happens more often.

Please let me see the baseball world series lord god, I will be a good boy :D honest!

It seems that the projector isn't getting enough cool air around it to keep the bulb cool. Where is the projector located and is it getting enough air around it to keep the bulb cool? The projector will shut down if it is getting too hot.

Agreed on the diagnosis, Ja Phule. That's why I asked how long it could go.

The easy fix is that I take the DVD, run it under the hottest water I can under the tap for a few seconds and wipe with a soft cloth. Works EVERY TIME.
I'm glad it works, but this sounds a little scary to me. I have a device designed for cleaning CDs and DVDs, and that's what I use. It's pretty inexpensive, and it just seems better to me than running it under hot water... :eek:

-Dan

What's more scary? Applying a bit of water and a KimWipe that's designed for use on the same equipment I use in a lab that costs hundreds of thousands of dollars...OR...using harsh chemicals with who knows what in them and a spinning scratcher? The Disc Doctor's bedside manner leaves much to be desired. :(

What's more scary? Applying a bit of water and a KimWipe that's designed for use on the same equipment I use in a lab that costs hundreds of thousands of dollars...OR...using harsh chemicals with who knows what in them and a spinning scratcher? The Disc Doctor's bedside manner leaves much to be desired. :(
I hate it when someone makes a good counterpoint. :( It's hard to argue with your logic. I stand corrected.

I guess it just reminds me of the days when I tried to clean vinyl records with water. That didn't work so well for me... :rolleyes:

-Dan

LOL. Yeah, vinyl doesn't like any liquid too much. Good thing DVDs don't have any tangible grooves. ;)

My 4805 has started making that chain saw sound at start up that lasts for a few seconds. I bought mine refurb form Staples with 2 year extended warranty that expires on 03/08. Should I send it for repair now or is this something that I can easily fix without voiding my warranty? I have 800 hours on it and I do regular bulb cleaning every 250 hours. Any help would be appreciated.

Alex,

Try running the unit on high power for 2-15 minutes. If that doesn't fix it, do the color wheel cleaning if you don't want to send it in. It's easy, and it only takes <20 minutes, tops. If that doesn't fix it, bite the bullet regarding downtime and send it in to IF.

Alex,

Try running the unit on high power for 2-15 minutes. If that doesn't fix it, do the color wheel cleaning if you don't want to send it in. It's easy, and it only takes <20 minutes, tops. If that doesn't fix it, bite the bullet regarding downtime and send it in to IF.
I checked the color wheel when I did the bulb cleaning @750 (i now have 800 hours on it) it looks just like new. It was not dirty and I don't see any haze or anything like it on it. I will try the high power fix and see if that fixes it.

As an outboard mechanic living on a lake... summer found me too busy to watch movies, play with my HTPC, or post here. Sorry.

I hope all are well and this thread still has some life in it?

I just snagged an Nvidia 6200 yesterday. I remember the buzz here was that the 6000 series could do 854x480 - right?

Can anyone who's actually succeded at this please post what Nvidia driver version, power-strip settings, etc they are using? So far I'm coming up empty.

Thanks!

-W

After doing some quick searches on the web, I found that Bravo D1 and Pioneer Receiver may end up using the same remote code. I have Pioneer 14xx receiver. Does this conflict with Bravo D1?

Also, are there any known issues about D1 playing DVD-R?

Thanks,
- Vikas

It seems that the projector isn't getting enough cool air around it to keep the bulb cool. Where is the projector located and is it getting enough air around it to keep the bulb cool? The projector will shut down if it is getting too hot.

Thankx Ja Phule & spyder696969

Sorry guys, I just checked, and my reply could not have posted for some reason (probably me not hitting 'post reply') :rolleyes:

I ran the PJ for about 6 hrs last night. Performed perfectly. So perhaps just re-installing the bulb after its journey back from the Netherlands repair did the trick. <Fingers crossed>

By the by

The error message was 3 blinks (bulb failed ) not 5 (overheating). My pj is ceiling mounted, has good 6 inch clearance all round. And has run in that spot since about Jan '06. So I'm not convinced its a heat problem - It never gets above 25c max., at the pj height in this room anyway....

...after all you can't see the installation to help with your diagnosis, but the help is very much appreciated and noted for future reference.

Now about the MLB world series....

My pj would not pick up any source when I turned it on today. I watched a movie last night over DVI and today turned it on to watch football but it would not pick up either component or DVI source. I turned off the pj and waited a few minutes before restarting and it is working fine now. Anyone else had this happen?

utopia, did you hear the "beep" sound when you first powered on the PJ and didn't get a source?

As an outboard mechanic living on a lake... summer found me too busy to watch movies, play with my HTPC, or post here. Sorry.

I hope all are well and this thread still has some life in it?

I just snagged an Nvidia 6200 yesterday. I remember the buzz here was that the 6000 series could do 854x480 - right?

Can anyone who's actually succeded at this please post what Nvidia driver version, power-strip settings, etc they are using? So far I'm coming up empty.

Thanks!

-W

I could achieve it with nVidia 6600. I used the nvidia 84.21 driver and set the resolution using NVidia advanced options. Used DaGamePimp's frequency nos found in Ja Phule's 4805 FAQ.

utopia, did you hear the "beep" sound when you first powered on the PJ and didn't get a source?
I didn't notice the beep but I did get the InFocus splash screen.

I could achieve it with nVidia 6600. I used the nvidia 84.21 driver and set the resolution using NVidia advanced options. Used DaGamePimp's frequency nos found in Ja Phule's 4805 FAQ.

I'm using a 6200 and the 77.77 drivers. I can't even GET the advanced timing button over DVI. And using powerstrip I just get strange behavior.

I'll try the 84.21 drivers and get back to you all. Thanks.

-W

Alex,

Try running the unit on high power for 2-15 minutes. If that doesn't fix it, do the color wheel cleaning if you don't want to send it in. It's easy, and it only takes <20 minutes, tops. If that doesn't fix it, bite the bullet regarding downtime and send it in to IF.

Spyder
why the cw cleaning will fix that sound? :confused:

I checked the color wheel when I did the bulb cleaning @750 (i now have 800 hours on it) it looks just like new. It was not dirty and I don't see any haze or anything like it on it. I will try the high power fix and see if that fixes it.

I did the CW cleaning today, having 650 hs on my pj. Like you, It seemed not dirty at a glance, but when I saw the Q-tip I realized I was wrong. It was black.
First, I used water but could not quit the haze. Then I added some alcohol, hazing decreased but not disappeared.. :(
I did not played the pj to see how it looks like...it's too late.

I did the CW cleaning today, having 650 hs on my pj. Like you, It seemed not dirty at a glance, but when I saw the Q-tip I realized I was wrong. It was black.
First, I used water but could not quit the haze. Then I added some alcohol, hazing decreased but not disappeared.. :(
I did not played the pj to see how it looks like...it's too late.

You're going too fast then. Just slow down, do the repeated 5-degree angle like I said, round and round, and it will go away. Remember that the last few Q-Tips should be nearly dry, but not 100% dry. Best way is to shake the hell out of a few tips and use those last, as the water will evapopate slightly while you clean the wheel with the others. :cool:

It's amazing how much crap can be on there, even if you don't see anything at all. :eek:

Lastly, use real Q-Tips, not cheap imitations. They're softer, absorb better, and they don't cost much. :)

How do you have your dvd player connected to the 4805? Have you had these problems or is it just now happening after using it for a year?

The dvd player is hooked up via component. I'll try the composite route and see if it fixes it.
It's a new problem, never did this before.

thanks.

You're going too fast then. Just slow down, do the repeated 5-degree angle like I said, round and round, and it will go away. Remember that the last few Q-Tips should be nearly dry, but not 100% dry. Best way is to shake the hell out of a few tips and use those last, as the water will evapopate slightly while you clean the wheel with the others. :cool:

It's amazing how much crap can be on there, even if you don't see anything at all. :eek:

Lastly, use real Q-Tips, not cheap imitations. They're softer, absorb better, and they don't cost much. :)

May be I was going too fast!!! :D
I will see how it looks. If it's ok, I will not touch anything and follow your tip step by step nextime.
I used the best 'Q-tip' I could find here, made by J&J. ;)

My pj would not pick up any source when I turned it on today. I watched a movie last night over DVI and today turned it on to watch football but it would not pick up either component or DVI source. I turned off the pj and waited a few minutes before restarting and it is working fine now. Anyone else had this happen?
I have a problem that happens quite frequently when I switch from HD to SD. Sometimes the PJ just won't sync. So I have to switch back to HD and back to SD again. It's a PITA, but it works.

I don't know if this is the same problem you're having or not, but I thought I'd post it anyway...

-Dan

Dan,
Are you using the latest firmware? Also, have you tried adjusting the sync threshold? I'm hoping my problem was just a one time fluke. Everything seems to be ok after powering down and back up.

Sync Threshold to ZERO.

Dan,
Are you using the latest firmware? Also, have you tried adjusting the sync threshold? I'm hoping my problem was just a one time fluke. Everything seems to be ok after powering down and back up.
I *was* using the latest firmware, but my sync problems were actually worse, so I went back to a prior version (don't remember which one, off the top of my head).

I tried messing with the Sync Threshold, but I never managed to get it the way I wanted. I'm not sure I every tried 0, so I may give that a shot.

-Dan

Can anyone recommend a DVI splitter that works well with the 4805 and Bravo D1? I want to be able to switch between sources ... Bravo D1 and HD cable box.

Can anyone recommend a DVI splitter that works well with the 4805 and Bravo D1? I want to be able to switch between sources ... Bravo D1 and HD cable box.

http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=101&cp_id=10110&cs_id=1011001&p_id=2786&seq=1&format=2&style=

Or the more expensive ones, if you want. All are excellent.