lovingdvd
If what you have discovered is typical for cermax xenons I hope that Compact power light , CPL, a higher powered development of UHP will come to rescue. This since UHP seems more color stable over time at least. Both cermac xenon and uhp lose brightness faster than what any owner would want them to.

I have one :)
How come my GAIN and BIAS settings are from -30 to +30 ?

Are you in the service menu under #42? I belive it is #42.

I have one :)
How come my GAIN and BIAS settings are from -30 to +30 ?

It sounds like you are looking at these settings in the user menu. I can't say for sure because I've never looked at those settings in there and can't recall how that's set up because I do my work in the service menu.

Typically a -30 to +30 range can be helpful for minor tweaking and perhaps changing things by eye a bit without instrumentation. However for true calibration work you typically need to be in the service menu because it gives you great flexibility in moving things exactly where they need to be.

Are you in the service menu under #42? I belive it is #42.

I believe by #42 you are referring to a setting in the factor menu which is not where the gains/bias settings are. Those settings are in the service menu (also enabled when factory menu is open).

It sounds like you are looking at these settings in the user menu. I can't say for sure because I've never looked at those settings in there and can't recall how that's set up because I do my work in the service menu.

Typically a -30 to +30 range can be helpful for minor tweaking and perhaps changing things by eye a bit without instrumentation. However for true calibration work you typically need to be in the service menu because it gives you great flexibility in moving things exactly where they need to be.
I was indeed talking about the user menu.
I will check the gain and bias settings in the service menu tonight, thx ! ;)

Thanks for clearing that up for him. When I first saw those numbers this morning before my third cup of coffee I was like.....:eek:!!!!!!!!! What did he do to his Ruby to get them that LOW!!!!

Does anybody have some adjustments that were done at about 50 hours?

how do you enter the service menu? I know its here, but I don't want to have to look thru 3000 posts to find it. Thank you.

Does anybody have some adjustments that were done at about 50 hours?

If you look back as some of my original posts in this very thread I think you will find what you are looking for. IIRC I posted my calibration results after about 20 hours, again at about 200 hours, and now again at 425.

how do you enter the service menu? I know its here, but I don't want to have to look thru 3000 posts to find it. Thank you.

To enter the service mode: On the remote hit enter, enter, left, enter, up.

_____
Axel

Does anybody have some adjustments that were done at about 50 hours?

I had them a couple days ago, but I just wiped them out with my new ~90 hour calibration and I didn't write the old ones down this time, sorry:(

I thought that was for the Factory menu?

I usually use ENTER, ENTER, UP, DOWN, ENTER, then UP to confirm. Then I go do that procedure you mention to get into the factory menu from there.

Can you directly access the Factory Menu, which includes the service menu, without going into service first? If so, I never realized that, so thanks for the tip:)

I thought that was for the Factory menu?

I usually use ENTER, ENTER, UP, DOWN, ENTER, then UP to confirm. Then I go do that procedure you mention to get into the factory menu from there.

Can you directly access the Factory Menu, which includes the service menu, without going into service first? If so, I never realized that, so thanks for the tip:)

Actually, I was simply referring to Alan's post # 4 :):
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=7415337&&#post7415337

So he deserves the credit, not me.
____
Axel

Yes, what he's referring to in those posts appear to be Factory Menu settings. The Greyscale info is located in the Service Menu which is one level up from the Factory Menu.

I'm sure you can access the Factory Menu directly, which includes the service changes too, but I guess I just never thought to do it that way for some reason....Duh:rolleyes:

I'll try it here.

I'm trying to go into the service menu, but when i hit up on the last input, it says "not applicable" Am I missing something?

I'm thinking maybe you're hitting UP twice at the end. It only needs to be done once.

ENTER, ENTER, UP, DOWN, ENTER, then UP to confirm

You won't see a menu or anything that confirms you are in. If you hit the MENU button then what you'll see is an extra item at the bottom called W/B (White Balance meaning greyscale). If you then hit ENTER, ENTER, LEFT, ENTER and UP to confirm you will enter the Factory Menu where there are additional adjustments.

I'm trying to go into the service menu, but when i hit up on the last input, it says "not applicable" Am I missing something?

As Dave Harper indicated but after the last 'enter and before the up, you should get a prompt window at the bottom of the screen; something on the order- do you want to enter service menu- up arrow is the 'yes' button.

You may have to repeat this carefully several times before you get that prompt window.

And as Dave said, you will have 2 new menu items at the bottom of the normal, regular items.
Also, when you are in the service menu, your test patterns will stay on screen much longer or until you exit it, unlike in normal menu mode, a few seconds.

How do you get the ruby to save your rgb setting in advanced mode? Every time I turn it off it erases them. I tried the save to memory and it still erased them.

How do you get the ruby to save your rgb setting in advanced mode? Every time I turn it off it erases them. I tried the save to memory and it still erased them.


That, I don't know beyond pressing 'enter' after any settings. I have rechecked some factory setting modifications, pressed 'enter' and seems to stay in place. Not sure what is going on with your methods or the pj. Maybe others can help more :D

can someone help please? I need to know how to save settings after adjusting in the advanced menus. thanks

can someone help please? I need to know how to save settings after adjusting in the advanced menus. thanks

I can't recall the exact text in the menu, but there's something labeled as "save" or something like that under the custom 1/2/3 in the menu (IIRC). You must choose that before turning the pj off or exiting the service menu or all changes will revert.

well there is custom 1,2,3 and then save below. I hit the save button and it did not save. Do I have to hit save and then pick custom 1,2, or 3? Just need to get it saved :) I can't believe nobody has a definitive answer with all the guru's in here lol

No, all you should need to do is highlight Save and select it. Then there is some confirmation on the screen like "saved!" or "Ok!" or something like that. That's it. If its not saving beyond that I'm not sure what is going on. Oh, just make sure that you are checking the same input when you come back in as you saved. For example if you have input 1 selected and save, but come back in to the service menu with input 2 selected you will be looking at input 2. This may not be what is happening in your case but its the only thing I can think of that could explain why you're not seeing saved #s.

I agree with the DVD lover. If you're hitting save and it's not, I can't think of why that's so:confused:?

OK here are my updated numbers. See my postings earlier in this thread for details on all other settings not specifically mentioned here:

Auto-iris: ON
Brightness: 50
Contrast: 80
Bulb hours: 425

Gain:
Red 86 (97)
Green 109 (110)
Blue 131 (128)

Bias:
Red 128 (129)
Green 124 (124)
Blue 124 (126)

Note that the numbers in parens are the OLD values I had (for comparison purposes) previously at 200 hours. The numbers listed before the numbers in parens are the new numbers.

This resulted in D65 with dE between 1-3 from 10-100 IRE and a dE of 5 at 5 IRE.

Let me know if you have any questions.

I'm at about 100 hours I think, I need to check the bulb timer. Are Ruby's all fairly similar in the sense that I would probably get very close to your picture using your numbers? (much more so than sticking with factory settings?) I haven't touched this projector out of the box yet and have done nothing. I only have DVE and the disc that came with the Ruby. Should I buy Avia? I think I sold Avia when DVE came out, but perhaps that was a mistake. Anything I should buy for good calibration?

I'll try to read thru this thread. Perhaps I will just use your 200 hour settings since they wil likely get me closer to a good picture than whatver the factory setting are that came with it. The Bulb quality/life is depressing, I wish they could make the bulbs better.

Also, is not 80/50 the default contrast/brightness?

Another thought... If you get another set of data the next time you calibrate, we could plot the data and make a graph of bulb hours vs settings and extrapolate settings for any given bulb life. It would be neat to see the data plotted out and helpful as well...

Others have reported good success with my numbers at similar bulb hours vs. the factory defaults. However I can't emphasize enough that you should be failry close in bulb hours to my posted bulb hours for the calibration for the best results. For instance the difference between my calibration at 200 hrs vs. 400 hrs was quite significant. If you read back through all my posts in this thread you can find posted calibration results at 20 hours, 200 hours and 400 hours IIRC.

Hmmmm.... I will take a look. I'm not sure what software I have on my computer, but I would like to make a graph of the settings vs time...

Would be interested in hearing settings from someone with a Da-Lite High Power screen. I like this screen a lot, but felt I had to cut back brightness and contrast a lot from the levels people are using with other screens.

I never took screen type/gain into consideration, does that matter much? I'm using a Stewart studiotek...

I never took screen type/gain into consideration, does that matter much? I'm using a Stewart studiotek...

If you are asking whether that matters as it relates to my calibration #s, the answer is 'No, it does not'. I am taking my readings directly from the light coming out of the pj, not off the screen.

To expand on that, it does indeed matter if you're taking the screen into account when doing the calibration, which you should. Luckily the ST130 material is pretty close to true and doesn't shift much like some other screens can.

Luckily the ST130 material is pretty close to true and doesn't shift much like some other screens can.

I'd say more than close. I've measured a bunch of ST130's over the years, made a point of it for a while, and they all measured the same as the incident signal to 3 decimal places.

Now that my Ruby has 225 hour on it...

Iris: AUTO
Gain: 97, 110, 128 (R,G,B)
Bias: 129,124,126

Iris: OFF
Gain: 97,111,127
Bias: 130,126,130

For those without instrumentation you may want to try these numbers and see how it looks on your unit.


I don't think using the numbers from one projector to "calibrate" another one is a good idea, but I've held off posting until I had some data. Here are the numbers from another VW100 with 233 hours on the lamp. As you can see, they are significantly different from lovingdvd's.

Settings for HDMI input:

Iris: AUTO
Gain: 93,111,128 (R,G,B)
Bias: 132,127,128

Iris: OFF
Gain: 93,112,128
Bias: 132,128,128

For DVI input:

Iris: AUTO
Gain: 94,111,128 (R,G,B)
Bias: 132,128,127

Iris: OFF
Gain: 94,110.128
Bias: 132,128,127

Calibration was done with a colorimeter (Prog labs CA6) referenced to a Gretag Lightspex, which is checked monthly with a reference light source.

William

OK here are my updated numbers. See my postings earlier in this thread for details on all other settings not specifically mentioned here:

Auto-iris: ON
Brightness: 50
Contrast: 80
Bulb hours: 425

Gain:
Red 86 (97)
Green 109 (110)
Blue 131 (128)

Bias:
Red 128 (129)
Green 124 (124)
Blue 124 (126)


Let me know if you have any questions.

Hi all,

I am new in the forum and in the projector business so excuse me if I my questions are too obvious. I am looking for a front projector and reading these forums everybody seems to agree that the Ruby is clearly the way to go in its price range. My problem is that my dealer works with Runco and is recommending me the CL420, which here is sold in the same price range.

I understand that the difference should be obvious towards the Ruby, but I have been playing with it (I have a demo unit) trying the factory prepared modes and the different color temperatures and such, but aside from the resolution which is obviously better, in terms of brightness and color quality I am not able to tweak the Ruby and achieve even near the quality of the CL420. It always seems very dim and washed out (110'' diagonal screen from 14' in a totally dark room), and the colors too redish. I am no expert so I am talking just from my "eyesight" impressions.

Finally I have entered the service menu and tested these exacts settings from lonvingdvd: the colors seem now more natural but the image is totally dim, it looks much worse than the bright vivid image from CL420.

So, my question is, am I doing something wrong or is it possible that for some people like me the CL420 gives much better image than the Ruby?. Does it make any sense to get a CL420 for almost the same price than a Ruby? The only explanation that I find is that I am testing a 530 hour Ruby bulb against a brand new CL420, but I cannot beleive that the image degrades so quickly.

Please help!! I don't want to waste my hard-saved money with a bad choice, but here there are no local dealers from Sony so I have to do the tweaking myself and I am failing miserably :(. Is there any "magic button" that I am missing?

Thx

Hi all,

I am new in the forum and in the projector business so excuse me if I my questions are too obvious. I am looking for a front projector and reading these forums everybody seems to agree that the Ruby is clearly the way to go in its price range. My problem is that my dealer works with Runco and is recommending me the CL420, which here is sold in the same price range.

I understand that the difference should be obvious towards the Ruby, but I have been playing with it (I have a demo unit) trying the factory prepared modes and the different color temperatures and such, but aside from the resolution which is obviously better, in terms of brightness and color quality I am not able to tweak the Ruby and achieve even near the quality of the CL420. It always seems very dim and washed out (110'' diagonal screen from 14' in a totally dark room), and the colors too redish. I am no expert so I am talking just from my "eyesight" impressions.

Finally I have entered the service menu and tested these exacts settings from lonvingdvd: the colors seem now more natural but the image is totally dim, it looks much worse than the bright vivid image from CL420.

So, my question is, am I doing something wrong or is it possible that for some people like me the CL420 gives much better image than the Ruby?. Does it make any sense to get a CL420 for almost the same price than a Ruby? The only explanation that I find is that I am testing a 530 hour Ruby bulb against a brand new CL420, but I cannot beleive that the image degrades so quickly.

Please help!! I don't want to waste my hard-saved money with a bad choice, but here there are no local dealers from Sony so I have to do the tweaking myself and I am failing miserably :(. Is there any "magic button" that I am missing?

Thx

According to your post "there are no local dealers from Sony so I have to do the tweaking myself." So where did you get a $10,000 demo Ruby if there are no local dealers? Since you are in the "projector business" seems kind of strange that you don't have any contacts that can help you out with the Ruby. Do you work for Runco?

According to your post "there are no local dealers from Sony so I have to do the tweaking myself." So where did you get a $10,000 demo Ruby if there are no local dealers? Since you are in the "projector business" seems kind of strange that you don't have any contacts that can help you out with the Ruby. Do you work for Runco?
It is a very odd post. Taken at face value a 530 hr Ruby in iris on could be putting out as little as 160 lumens, in auto or off as little as 300 lumens. A brand new 420 will output 460 d65 calibrated lumens according to Runco. Of course at 530 hours it will likely have fallen to as little as 280 lumens. :) :)

If you quickly A/B 460 lumens vs 160 lumens, 460 will always look more impressive, especially if one does not have a very critical eye.

Hi,

Thanks for your answers, I think the lamp issue is in fact my problem. Firstable, I do not work for Runco at all, nor I am in the projector business, I meant that I decided just a couple of months ago to buy a projector for my home cinema installation and I am just getting the hang of the available options.

About the demo Ruby and the local dealers, here you can buy a Sony unit but you just get the box, there are no professional services available for callibration; that is what I meant by not having Sony dealers (may be it is not the proper word, again sorry for my English). However I have found a specialized company that provides this kind of services and they are the ones recommending Runco. I am not naive and I know it is possible that they have good margins on those or simply they are fond of them because they are used to work with them, so I cannot expect them to be totally objective, that is why I am also asking you.

It seems that the key issue here is the lamp. I did not expect such difference in lamp brightness with the use, so I guess HoustonHoyaFan and Bob are right, and I was comparing a 460 lumens Runco with a 160 lumens Sony, that is what impressed me as a big difference towards the Runco. That and the fact that Ruby colors were badly callibrated from factory settings; now with lovingdvd settings they look much better.

The bad news for me is to find out that the dimness is something normal to be expected after 500 hours with any projector. For me it is shocking and very disappointing. Supposedly lamps have 2500 hours, but at least with a 110'' screen after 500 hours the Ruby looks worse than my old CRT tube (this is my overall and of course very personal impression). So know I feel a little depressed, I don't know whether to wait for brighter 1080p projectors or just forget it all and go for a Pioneer plasma :(

I was hoping to have a 110'' cinema-like experience at home but it seems to me a little unrealistic at this time, at least within $10k budget. Any encouragement or ideas from people with my "dimness problem" would be appreciated.

Regards

I was hoping to have a 110'' cinema-like experience at home but it seems to me a little unrealistic at this time, at least within $10k budget. Any encouragement or ideas from people with my "dimness problem" would be appreciated.

Regards
1) Run the Ruby in iris auto or iris off instead of iris on. That will effectively double the light output.
2) Get a high gain screen, A dalite hi-power or Vutec Silverstar are two popular models. Either will efectively triple the light output.
3) Enjoy!

I was hoping to have a 110'' cinema-like experience at home but it seems to me a little unrealistic at this time, at least within $10k budget.

I am using a 130 inch diagonal (10' wide, 2.35) screen, and the Ruby is very bright, and this is with only a 1.3 gain Studiotek. I an using factory settings right now and will try to use Loving DVD's settings tonight.

My image is very bright! I use the shortest throw distance possible, maybe that is helping a lot? I checked the bulb timer... I only have 60 hours, I thought I had more than that... Maybe it will dim a lot more, but right now there is plenty of brightness. Maybe the curved screen also effectively raises the gain?

I highly recommend my setup since I believe everything is working synergystically

1) ISCO III lens: Allows you to use the SHORTEST throw on the Ruby, increasing light output while also allowing you to use the CONSTANT HEIGHT method which fully uses the full SXRD panel in 2.35 movies

2) Curved screen: probably increases the relative gain of the Studiotek material from 1.3 to around 1.5 (rough estimate), but with the naturalness of the Studiotek material. Corrects for the slight pincushioning of the ISCO III.

In this case I'm using 130 inch diagonal and only 1.3 gain, yet I have a VERY bright picture. Consider the above factors as well. I'm looking forward to Loving DVD's settings tonight... I'll probably use the 100 hour settings since I can 'age' the projector right into those settings.... I have to dig thru the posts again. Actually, I think the 100 hour settings are those in the parenthesis... So after I use those settings, I assume I also have to usethe service menu to apply the other tweaks on sharpness, etc... I am also anxiuos to see Alan's? light cannon tweak...

Health Nut, you raised precisely the topic I am investigating right now: anamorphic lenses with the Ruby. From what I have read it seems clear that the Isco III lens, or even cheaper options like Prismasonic of Panamorph should boost the brightness and resolution with 2.35:1 material in my 110'' 16x9 screen, but if you are in a tight budget like me, do you think it is worth it considering the overall experience or is it better to spend the extra $$ in a better screen or sound system?
Besides, as I usually watch movies with subtitles and I think they usually go in the letterbox, I am not sure if this is a good option for me... then again may be there are DVD players that can adjust the subtitles position.

My analysis for external lenses right now is balancing:

*Plus side: brightness, resolution
*Minus side: image artifacts, subtitle placement, price (is it really worth it?)

What is your experience? May be I am aiming for a too professional installation considering my budget. This projection world is far more complicated that I thought!

Please feel free to ignore me if this is off topic here

Please go to the 2.35 Constant Height section of the forum. I mearly wanted to address other methods which significantly increase light output, particularly in a synergystic manner. Suffice it to say, only the ISCO III allows you to use the shortest throw distance of the Ruby: shorter throw = more light output

(Prismasonic cannot do this. About throw distance/screen width: ISCO III can go down to 1.3 ratio while Prismasonic only about 1.8... you need about 1.4 for the shortest throw on the Ruby.) Last thing about lenses: Is the new Panamorph lens as good as the ISCO III? I heard that Panamorph is coming out with a lens in the $2,000 range... We can discuss this on the 2.35 section of the forum.

Since this is now the official sticky thread apparently replacing Alan's tweak thread, can the owner create a FAQ/GUIDE as post #1. That would be most helpful.

I am very happy to SEE there are still people posting useful tips in this thread... :)

Me too! I'd just love to see the latest settings, tweaks, etc. at the top for quick reference, that's all...

For those with JVC 5U HDMI DVHS players, I need to confess that since I set up my Ruby last December, I have been watching 720p, even with DTheater 1080i tapes, without realizing it.
I mistakenly believed that the JVC only output 1080i when playing tapes encoded as such. I never bothered checking the signal input as per the Sony Ruby. (Note I had been using the HS 20 and HS 50 projectors previously, and I also use a Gefen HDMI switch). I finally checked it two nights ago, noticed that the signal was 720p, and searched for a cure, which I found.

WOW!

The 3D effect and sharp edges/detail on the HD Video concert of YES, is the best I've seen (including HD DVD, though I haven't watched all the movies out yet). I now have about 60 Dtheater titles to watch again.
The trick is on the JVC to press the HDMI button on the front panel, right side, so the HDMI light goes out. This forces the player to select the output.
Hopefully none of you are as ignorant as me, but you might check to see what you are really watching if you haven't checked for this.

Paul

I haven't had a chance yet to check for any Y/C Delay errors in the Ruby, but plan to shortly.

Just thinking ahead - should I see any errors that need correcting - what controls (likely in the service menu I suppose) would be used to make the necessary adjustments?

What inputs are you using? This should only effect S-Video and Component YPbPr.

I'm using the DVI input only. I thought the same (as you wrote), but I recently got a Sony SXRD RPTV (KDS-50A2000) and it definately had some Y/C delay error on the HDMI input with 1080i (which was easily correctable via its service menu).

After that experience I want to check my Y/C on the Ruby next chance I get, so in the meantime I wanted to find out what service menu settings on the Ruby I'd use to correct this in case I find any issue there.

That may not have technically been Y/C delay. It could have been a convergence issue. Maybe they've added a way to shift/overlap RGB like we've been asking for on the Ruby? Wouldn't that be nice:)?

That may not have technically been Y/C delay. It could have been a convergence issue. Maybe they've added a way to shift/overlap RGB like we've been asking for on the Ruby? Wouldn't that be nice:)?

No I'm pretty sure it was Y/C delay. The Y/C pattern shows the issue, and the xxx_ycc service menu item is used to correct it. At any rate if anyone knows what the service menu option is in the Ruby for adjusting Y/C (if even needed) please post.

If there is, I wonder if it can be used to slightly adjust some of the convergence issues with the Ruby??? I know they're separate things, but maybe it can compensate for it a little?

I am using the Y/C delay adjustment on my Lumagen HDQ to mitigate most of the blue mis-convergence on my projector (720p). Not perfect, but it helped significantly. Interesting that the Lumagen has two different y/c delay adjustments – one for blue and one for red.

Thanks. What I'm looking for those is specifically the service menu adjustments on the Ruby that will take care of this.

...Interesting that the Lumagen has two different y/c delay adjustments – one for blue and one for red.

That's the way it's supposed to be, especially for component video since each color (R,B) is carried by separate channels/cables.

I am using the Y/C delay adjustment on my Lumagen HDQ to mitigate most of the blue mis-convergence on my projector (720p). Not perfect, but it helped significantly. Interesting that the Lumagen has two different y/c delay adjustments – one for blue and one for red.VERY interesting !

By the way, is there a guide to RCP ?

Well folks, some interesting news here. Googer reported in this thread http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=8389631&&#post8389631 that the Sony A2000 RPTV has service menu adjustments that can be used to improve convergence by shifting the panels - in this case Red. I have an A2000 but haven't played with this yet.

Although we all seem fairly sure there is no such adjustment in the Ruby, perhaps Sony is all the wiser now when it comes to SXRD and convergence, and will ship newer SXRD front pjs (aka Pearl) with such controls. One can hope, at least.

Are we 100% sure there is nothing about this in the service menu of the Ruby ?

Although we all seem fairly sure there is no such adjustment in the Ruby

A french calibrator said on a french forum that there was also the same controls for MC in the Ruby.

If you read french you can read it here:

http://www.homecinema-fr.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=170089986#170089986

The question was: "Il y a une manip pour décaler l'image sur une matrice pour le Ruby Si oui laquelle????"

And the answer was:"oui, il y a une manip qui le permet mais elle est dans le menu usine du ruby et donc réservée à un service technique agréé... "

A french calibrator said on a french forum that there was also the same controls for MC in the Ruby.

If you read french you can read it here:

http://www.homecinema-fr.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=170089986#170089986

The question was: "Il y a une manip pour décaler l'image sur une matrice pour le Ruby Si oui laquelle????"

And the answer was:"oui, il y a une manip qui le permet mais elle est dans le menu usine du ruby et donc réservée à un service technique agréé... "

That answer translates to "yes, there is a manipulation which allows it but it is in the menu machines ruby and thus reserved for an approved engineering department". So perhaps they are referring to a menu other than the factor or service menu.

All I know is that there's been a lot of Ruby owners that have hunted for such an adjustment, and no one has discovered one as of yet and others are reporting its not possible...

I know. But he also said somewhere else that he could easily do it and fix under 1 pixel of MC. He's the french equivalent of William Phelps there. He's not working for Sony. He's a calibrator.

But since people are paying him in Europe for a calibration (just like William), he don't want to post the way he's doing it with the Ruby. Just like William won't tell us all his "tricks", or else he wouldn't do any calibration and couldn't charge for it...

Maybe they could list it on a site where we could pay them for the info:D?

Hello
Was wondering if anyone else seen this with the internal tet pattern!

The thin lines of light besides the Vertical line in the test pattern:

Its only visible when There is no other machine connected to the ruby!

They dissapear if i connect another machine to the Ruby but then i cant Focus the Cross pattern as good! I know it sounds strange!

I will se if i See it in some test pattern from DVE 1080i D-Vhs version!

As for now i havent seen it in Movies ( i think), only when i use the internal test pattern.

I think its strange that its there even if it only appears on the internal test pattern.

It must be some sort of overshoot or ringing, possibly caused by the lack of ground connection when a signal's plugged in?

It must be some sort of overshoot or ringing, possibly caused by the lack of ground connection when a signal's plugged in?


The Funny thing is that this is the Second Ruby i have seen with this issue!

Mine thats in Service and the projector they loaned during service time!

With almost 180 hours on my Ruby I figured it's about time I calibrate it a bit. Coming from a Z2 I was blown away by the blacks and overall color - right out of the box. Although the sharpness did not blow me away, I never really worried about it because the overall experience was so much richer. Now it's time to be more critical...

Because of all the talk on these forums about convergence issues, as well as my initial mental note that sharpness did not seem to be quite as good as I had hoped, I decided to test that first. Here's a picture of the "Lens Focus" characters which are displayed when you push the LENS button:

http://www.gabys.com/webimages/focus.jpg

I'm no expert but it looks like at least 1 pixel off to me. Perhaps 1.5 pixels off? There is also a "ghost" of green 2 or three pixels to the left of each black line. This didn't make me happy but it was not as worrisome as what I discovered next.

My next step was to create a 1920x1080 pixel grid pattern and display it full screen from my HTPC. I took three images. The first was at left center, then center center, and finally at right center. I've combined a portion of these three images into one image so that you can see the progression from left to right:

http://www.gabys.com/webimages/focus2.jpg

As you can see the left side of the screen is much more clear. The convergence seems to get worse as you move to the right but I'm not sure if that is fully to blame for the drop in detail as you move across. Anyone have a guess?

I should mention that the screen is perfectly centered on the far wall of a rectangular room and that the projector is also perfectly centered. The projector is also pointed directly at the center of the screen. My first thought was that my projector was simply not pointing directly at the center and that I had used lens shift to correct this. This would have caused my focus to soften toward the left and right edges assuming I critically focused based on the center of the screen. This was not the case unfortunately.

From what I've read the convergence issue is something only Sony can fix. Do you guys think this is also causing my shifting clarity issues? Is there something else I can try myself?

Jeanyes

I am using a Lumagen processor with the Ruby. I am feeding the DVI input on the Ruby with the DVI output of the HDQ. Is there any advantage to using the HDMI over the DVI. I thought I read something about a "difference" on this thread or another?
By the By this bulb has around 270 hours on it. It seems like the brightness compression is worse than I remember it. With the Contrast at 70 live in studio programming found on HDnet for example seem "crushed" Darker movies look great. I can turn down the contrast for an improvement,but of course that decrease max contrast ratio. I did not notice this during the earlier stages of bulb life?
Any input would be appreciated.

I saw a very significant difference in detail between DVI and HDMI inputs - HDMI was noticeably sharper. Use a DVI-HDMI adapter and switch to the DVI input, I bet you see it too.

Your 3 images above show a difference in the pixel grid itself - notice? Could be due to the camera's focus, or the Ruby's optics.

I saw a very significant difference in detail between DVI and HDMI inputs - HDMI was noticeably sharper. Use a DVI-HDMI adapter and switch to the DVI input, I bet you see it too.

Your 3 images above show a difference in the pixel grid itself - notice? Could be due to the camera's focus, or the Ruby's optics.


Did you mean "Switch to the HDMI input"? Thanks.

Did you mean "Switch to the HDMI input"? Thanks.

Yes that threw me off to. Seems like he meant to say switch to HDMI, but hopefully he'll confirm that.

I saw a very significant difference in detail between DVI and HDMI inputs - HDMI was noticeably sharper. Use a DVI-HDMI adapter and switch to the DVI input, I bet you see it too.

Your 3 images above show a difference in the pixel grid itself - notice? Could be due to the camera's focus, or the Ruby's optics.

Interesting observation! This is the first I've heard someone say this. My biggest (and only really) complaint about the Ruby is that it is a bit too soft. I'll have to give this a try and see.

Has anyone else noticed this?

Logically though I'm trying to understand how the HDMI input could wind up producing a sharper picture? What type of internal different in the pj/processing between the DVI vs. HDMI input could account for this?

WM,

I actually do have my computer hooked up using the HDMI port on the Ruby. I have a receiver with three hdmi inputs and am using a HDMI to DVI cable to hook up the computer to input 3.

I can't rule out the optics of the Ruby being the culprit but I can rule out the camera. Not only did I repeat my shots three times each - checking focus carefully each time... but what you see in the photographs can also be seen with the naked eye before the shots are taken. There is a definite increasing in softness as you move from left to right.

All,
Based on what you guys see, is it worth my time trying to send this unit in for tweaking or does all of this sort of fall under normal for this projector? Once you back away 5 or 6 feet none of this is obvious to my eyes other than a feeling that things could be slightly sharper overall. I guess I could go back to my dealer and preview their demo unit again now that I've lived with my Ruby for a while now. I've been considering hiring a professional calibrator to come out now that my bulb has a bit of life on it but want to wait until Sony has worked on it if I'm going to go in that direction first...

Jeanyes

Well, you're in the same state as their service center (Laredo, TX) so it shouldn't be as long a turnaround time if you had to add 3-5 days shipping on each end. My advice then would be to go for getting it checked out by Sony.

That convergence is not very good compared to a lot of the Ruby's I've seen, setup and calibrated.

Dave,

Thanks for your input. I was waiting for someone to respond that had seen a few Rubies and would know if mine was out of the ordinary. As you mentioned, returning it should not be too painful for me. I should even be able to get a loaner from my local dealer while it is being serviced.

Jeanyes

I saw a very significant difference in detail between DVI and HDMI inputs - HDMI was noticeably sharper. Use a DVI-HDMI adapter and switch to the DVI input, I bet you see it too.

Your 3 images above show a difference in the pixel grid itself - notice? Could be due to the camera's focus, or the Ruby's optics.
We switched the Lumagen to the HDMI input and Voila! sharper and cleaner image. What the heck is going on there? It must have different circuitry or at least the path is different. Thanks for the great tip William!!

What would be the difficuties in stacking Rubys or Pearls. We have a client with a 11 foot wide perfed screen that really needs a high output device. He has been reluctant to spend the dough on a Qualia 004. I imagine getting both to accept the same DVI or Hdmi feed would be troublesome,especially considering it is troublesome connecting HDCP products to one projector at a time.
Any input would be appreciated. Thanks Dallas

We switched the Lumagen to the HDMI input and Voila! sharper and cleaner image. What the heck is going on there? It must have different circuitry or at least the path is different. Thanks for the great tip William!!

Wow, I'm going to have to try this... just need to pick up a DVI to HDMI adapter.

Does the improvement really seem like night and day? Otherwise it may be difficult to notice the different in A/B testing because by the time I switch the cable/adapter I'd lose most of the frame of reference...

If only HDMI would take 1080p@ 48Hz

Wow, I'm going to have to try this... just need to pick up a DVI to HDMI adapter.

Does the improvement really seem like night and day? Otherwise it may be difficult to notice the different in A/B testing because by the time I switch the cable/adapter I'd lose most of the frame of reference...

Not night and day,but enough to notice.I did however have to adjust the black level higher with the HDMI input. Who knows?

I'm confused, last I checked the Lumagen HDQ only has DVI inputs and outputs... Oh... I'm tired.... You must mean the DVI on the Lumagen to the HDMI on the Ruby.... Hmmm I have my computer hooked to the HDMI directly and the Lumagen hooked to the SDI input... Maybe I should switch them and see....

Anybody getting the Radiance? I haven't checked the forums for the Radiance info, I'll go look in the Video Processor section. I think I'll wait for the HDMI 1.3 version at this point.

If only HDMI would take 1080p@ 48Hz
Exactly. I would love to see a firmware update for this along with some means to correct misconvergence.

Steve,

And the new Iris algorithms would be great. I mean how hard could it be to release one for Ruby owners if the Pearl is essentially the same pj.

Steve,

And the new Iris algorithms would be great. I mean how hard could it be to release one for Ruby owners if the Pearl is essentially the same pj.

I'll second that request. Inexpensive way for Sony to keep owners happy...

Hi All:

I have read and searched this thread for info on Ruby Convergence.

Is there NO SERVICE menu that will allow at least some adjustment of Convergence. Mine is not BAD - but there is room for improvement. I find it hard to believe that a high-end PJ like this does not have some electronic way of shifting the dots around. After 10 years of converging CRT PJs - I would hope there is at least someway to tweak things versus sending it back to SONY.

Hi All:

I have read and searched this thread for info on Ruby Convergence.

Is there NO SERVICE menu that will allow at least some adjustment of Convergence. Mine is not BAD - but there is room for improvement. I find it hard to believe that a high-end PJ like this does not have some electronic way of shifting the dots around. After 10 years of converging CRT PJs - I would hope there is at least someway to tweak things versus sending it back to SONY.
There is no way to adjust the convergence in the service menu.

There is no way to adjust the convergence in the service menu.

THANKS - I was afraid that was the answer.

Has anyone found a point where the Ruby's bulb has leveled off for calibration purposes? IE, how many bulb hours before one calibration will last the rest of the bulb's life? From reading this (and other) threads I figure that has to be at least 300 hours, probably more.

Thanks to all who have posted their settings and hours. They've been very useful to keep us happy as we've been watching the bulb hours increase. We're just about to break 300 now and thus my question.

I just compared HDMI picture sharpness vs. DVI. HDMI produces a decidedly sharper picture in my setup. Last night I happened to be watching material sourced from video, so no judder problem. As much as I hate judder I will try leaving it that way to watch film material. The picture does indeed look a lot better over HDMI, maybe enough so that I'll just put up with the judder. Now, if only Sony would provide an update to support 1080p24 or 1080p48. The Pearl supports 1080p24 so that should be a very simple update for the Ruby.

I just compared HDMI picture sharpness vs. DVI. HDMI produces a decidedly sharper picture in my setup. Last night I happened to be watching material sourced from video, so no judder problem. As much as I hate judder I will try leaving it that way to watch film material. The picture does indeed look a lot better over HDMI, maybe enough so that I'll just put up with the judder. Now, if only Sony would provide an update to support 1080p24 or 1080p48. The Pearl supports 1080p24 so that should be a very simple update for the Ruby.

I agree 100% - it would be nice if Sony could provide an update for 1080p24 with the Ruby - BUT IT CAN BE a HARDWARE issue and not just some software update.

ONLY SONY knows for sure.

An update would be nice. Especially for those that invested more with their purchase of a ruby. Maybe we should start contacting sony with inquiries..

I agree 100% - it would be nice if Sony could provide an update for 1080p24 with the Ruby - BUT IT CAN BE a HARDWARE issue and not just some software update.

ONLY SONY knows for sure.

I his review last fall of the Ruby Greg Rogers guessed that it was possible to upgrade the Ruby to 1080p24 over HDMI as it is already capable of accepting 1080p24 as an input via component. Even if it is a hardware upgrade it would be nice to have the choice.

I his review last fall of the Ruby Greg Rogers guessed that it was possible to upgrade the Ruby to 1080p24 over HDMI as it is already capable of accepting 1080p24 as an input via component. Even if it is a hardware upgrade it would be nice to have the choice.

OK - We all SUPPORT whoever is going to BUG Sony.

Who will take on the daunting task?

Has anyone found a point where the Ruby's bulb has leveled off for calibration purposes? IE, how many bulb hours before one calibration will last the rest of the bulb's life? From reading this (and other) threads I figure that has to be at least 300 hours, probably more.
300 hours would be a great point for a "final" calibration. My Ruby lamp has leveled off and been very stable since about 250 hours, so 300 hours would be even better.

Everyone should ask their dealers to talk the their Sony reps. We should all log a call to Sony support as well.

I'm not wishing badly that I had a Pearl. Yeah it fixes some of the shortcoming of the Ruby but all in all the Ruby is awesome. There is nothing out there (IMO) that is worlds better within a reasonable budget. The one thing if given choice to fix/add to the Ruby is 1080p24. Some of the BC adjustments in the Pearl would be nice too but I can live without that.

That said has anyone out there opened up a Pearl side by side with a Ruby? Darin? It would be interesting to see how different internally they are. Maybe there is a chance to order a Pearl board or chipset that will upgrade the Ruby?

I sent the following email to Sony service rep last month. I received the reply below that she'd check, but haven't heard anything more.

I just fired off an email requesting an update.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sent: Saturday, October 07, 2006 12:49 AM
To: Jimenez, Adriana
Subject: RE: Sony Repair Center

Any chance that there will be a software/firmware update for the VPL-VW100 (Ruby) that will allow it to accept 1080p48 over HDMI. I understand that it accepts 48Hz over DVI, but I would like this ability over HDMI. It produces a sharper image than DVI and eliminates any need for a HDMI-DVI adapter. I’m interested in using the DVDO VP50 as a video processor and sending all signals to the Ruby at 1080p48 to eliminate judder.

Please let me know if anything like this is in the works and/or how I can go about requesting this as a future firmware update.

Thanks,
Steve

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Greetings Steve,

Let me obtain this information and we will provide an update.

Best regards,
Laredo Customer Satisfaction Center
Adriana Jimenez
Customer Service Supervisor
Phone (956)728-2137
Fax (956)728-2132
adriana.jimenez@am.sony.com

I sent the following email to Sony service rep last month. I received the reply below that she'd check, but haven't heard anything more.

I just fired off an email requesting an update.


Keep up the good work Steve and Thanks for the contact info.

If you do not hear anything - more of us can bombard [GRIN] your Sony Contact!

Keep up the good work Steve and Thanks for the contact info.

If you do not hear anything - more of us can bombard [GRIN] your Sony Contact!

Here's the timely response that I just received. I'll let you all know what the VPL specialist says....

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

You will be contact by one of our VPL special team.
in regards to your concerns.

Thank you so much!!!!

Laredo Customer Satisfaction Center
Adriana Jimenez
Customer Service Supervisor
Phone (956)728-2137
Fax (956)728-2132
adriana.jimenez@am.sony.com

Here's the timely response that I just received. I'll let you all know what the VPL specialist says....


Talk about a TEASE [GRIN]!

Nice Steve, get good news and you're an instant hero :)

Well, the specialist was very quick to reply which alas is not a good thing. :( :mad: Here's his reply:

---------------------
Adriana,

The status for this request is unfortunately still the same, and not likely to change. It is a request for a firmware update to somehow compensate for radical hardware and circuit changes. In other words, the VW50 is re-engineered in many different ways from the VW100. What is being requested cannot be updated. It will require a new model. Just because the lens and SXRD panel are the same does not mean that the rest of the design is interchangeable.

The new Sony 1080P24 algorithm is designed around a different chipset, among other differences. Technology is advancing rapidly right now, especially with regard to SXRD. The new VW50 is a design triumph, but newer products with better performance will probably follow close behind.

Rob McDonough
SONY Home Products Division
Western Technical Support Engineer
Santa Monica, CA 90405
askCIS@am.sony.com
www.sony.com/support
800-299-3485
310-450-2676
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

While this is great initially for the new owner, they're going to take it up the poop-shoot with something following close behind. ;) Just look at Sony's track history with 1080 SXRD front PJs: Qualia ($30K) --> Ruby ($10K) --> Pearl ($5K) -->?

Putting out significantly less expensive projectors of comparable quality in a short amount of time is great for driving down prices across the industry. However, without continued improvement/upgrades to existing products, Sony alienates their existing customer base. Buying a Sony PJ has been a sure fire way to lose a lot of money in depreciation in a very short time. This is a clear case where engineering is way ahead of marketing.

I know that I'm going to be very careful and concerned before I buy another Sony product again.

The only solution is a trade-in/upgrade or lease program....

While this is great initially for the new owner, they're going to take it up the poop-shoot with something following close behind. ;) Just look at Sony's track history with 1080 SXRD front PJs: Qualia ($30K) --> Ruby ($10K) --> Pearl ($5K) -->?


While I agree with you 100% - It is also the price we all pay for being on the bleeding edge of technology. There is not a manufacturer on the planet that does not do this.

It was about 1 year between each of the three generations. That is NORMAL.

Thanks for getting the answer for us.

We can STOP Hoping now!

Wow, I'm really dissapointed. I was hoping to take the 1080p24 HDMI output of the PS3 and the Toshiba XA2 and send it to the Lumagen Radiance for conversion to 1080p48 then to the HDMI input of the Ruby.... There goes that scenario.... Well, I guess I'll have to do what I said above but send it to the DVI input of the Ruby.

...oh well, looks like I'll probably give the Ruby to my father next year sometime. I'll either get a 3 Chip DLP this time next year or more likely, the new upcoming projector from Sony that will replace both the Ruby and the Pearl, having the strengths of both, but with a more powerful bulb than either, more new updates/features, etc...

I agree that almost all technological manufacturers do this, but I don't believe that any company has produced three front projectors in under three years that have come down in price like Sony's SXRD line.

I could be wrong, but would love to see an example of someone using DLP chips that showed similar depreciation. As far as I can tell, companies like SIMM, Marantz, etc. have come out with new models every year with a darker, 2, 3, +, whatever new TI chip, but the price is usually very similar to the previous year's model. Show me one DLP, LCOS, or LCED line that has dropped every year at nearly a 1/3 or 1/2 the price of the previous model with improvements too.

I agree that almost all technological manufacturers do this, but I don't believe that any company has produced three front projectors in under three years that have come down in price like Sony's SXRD line.

I could be wrong, but would love to see an example of someone using DLP chips that showed similar depreciation. As far as I can tell, companies like SIMM, Marantz, etc. have come out with new models every year with a darker, 2, 3, +, whatever new TI chip, but the price is usually very similar to the previous year's model. Show me one DLP, LCOS, or LCED line that has dropped every year at nearly a 1/3 or 1/2 the price of the previous model with improvements too.

I agree - but I translate that into giving SONY a big pat on the back for coming down from $30,000 to $5,000 in three years. As you said NONE of the others have come down that price curve as fast.

WHY?

Because SONY Owns their Intellectual Property and others depend on a 3rd party. He who owns his Intellectual Property Always WINS.

For that we should be thankful.

Well, the specialist was very quick to reply which alas is not a good thing. :( :mad: Here's his reply:

---------------------
Adriana,

The status for this request is unfortunately still the same, and not likely to change. It is a request for a firmware update to somehow compensate for radical hardware and circuit changes. In other words, the VW50 is re-engineered in many different ways from the VW100. What is being requested cannot be updated. It will require a new model. Just because the lens and SXRD panel are the same does not mean that the rest of the design is interchangeable.

The new Sony 1080P24 algorithm is designed around a different chipset, among other differences. Technology is advancing rapidly right now, especially with regard to SXRD. The new VW50 is a design triumph, but newer products with better performance will probably follow close behind.

Rob McDonough
SONY Home Products Division
Western Technical Support Engineer
Santa Monica, CA 90405
askCIS@am.sony.com
www.sony.com/support
800-299-3485
310-450-2676
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

While this is great initially for the new owner, they're going to take it up the poop-shoot with something following close behind. ;) Just look at Sony's track history with 1080 SXRD front PJs: Qualia ($30K) --> Ruby ($10K) --> Pearl ($5K) -->?

Putting out significantly less expensive projectors of comparable quality in a short amount of time is great for driving down prices across the industry. However, without continued improvement/upgrades to existing products, Sony alienates their existing customer base. Buying a Sony PJ has been a sure fire way to lose a lot of money in depreciation in a very short time. This is a clear case where engineering is way ahead of marketing.

I know that I'm going to be very careful and concerned before I buy another Sony product again.

Well after reading this and Greg R's VPL-50 review, I'm left wondering if there's any real point in me keeping the VPL-100 I've had for 8 months. Hmmm, a very familiar Sony proj feeling indeed for me. After trading out of the Qualia for 2 VPL-100's (sold one to a friend), I'm wondering if I should be trading my way out the Ruby for a Pearl. A cash adjustment and I may be able to get 2 Pearls for my very low lamp hour Ruby. I was ironically so keen on the cheapness of the Pearl I was going to put one in my farmhouse just for fun. But now I'm wondering if I'd end up enjoying it more than the Ruby...

Yeah, it's REALLY sad news for me since I just bought my Ruby at the end of July and it was away for service for weeks and finally replaced with a new one. I have less than 100 hours on it. I contemplated selling the replacement unopened, but would take about $1000 loss. I also got the Mack warranty so I guess I'm in for the long haul on this one. It's does put out a beautiful picture, so I can't complain too much. I could have bought a Qualia and really lost some serious cash compared to a Ruby to Pearl price difference. Then again, Sony has at least provided an upgrade for that FP to handle 1080p24.

I guess I'll just have to live with the judder over HDMI. Since I haven't bought a VP50 or like product yet, I'll hold off that purchase. I figure that when I finally upgrade from the Ruby, judder won't be an issue with future FPs. They'll handle 72 or 120Hz and will have the better chip too. Spending $3K for a processor to get rid of judder while sending the signal to a less sharp DVI input doesn't make much sense at this point. I've lived with judder for years, I guess a few more won't matter. :(

I guess it would be hard to stack two Pearls? I assume it would be too hard to converge 2 pearls? How does the lumens of a pearl compare with the lumens of the Ruby?

Yeah, it's REALLY sad news for me since I just bought my Ruby at the end of July and it was away for service for weeks and finally replaced with a new one. I have less than 100 hours on it. I contemplated selling the replacement unopened, but would take about $1000 loss. I also got the Mack warranty so I guess I'm in for the long haul on this one. It's does put out a beautiful picture, so I can't complain too much. I could have bought a Qualia and really lost some serious cash compared to a Ruby to Pearl price difference. Then again, Sony has at least provided an upgrade for that FP to handle 1080p24.

I guess I'll just have to live with the judder over HDMI. Since I haven't bought a VP50 or like product yet, I'll hold off that purchase. I figure that when I finally upgrade from the Ruby, judder won't be an issue with future FPs. They'll handle 72 or 120Hz and will have the better chip too. Spending $3K for a processor to get rid of judder while sending the signal to a less sharp DVI input doesn't make much sense at this point. I've lived with judder for years, I guess a few more won't matter. :(

Hi Steve:

I just BOUGHT my Ruby in September. I could have bought the Pearl at the same time. I choose the Ruby over the Pearl because of a brighter picture. I have a 12 ft. screen - so every lumen counts. I think we both agree at the time we bought our Ruby - the price we paid - we believed was what it was WORTH to us - or we would not have bought it.

I do have a VP50 and I can tell you the picture at 1080p60 is unbelievable. So Maybe Santa will put a VP50 under your tree and then you will say this RUBY is a KEEPER for a LONG TIME.

This is no different than buying a brand new car and driving it off the dealer's lot.

We just LOST $5,000 in value.

Well, using your analogy, it's more like buying last year's model car for more money than this year's similar model that has some new features that you wish you had, but the dealer tells you that you're SOL and to buy the following year's model. If car makers did that, they'd never sell their left over inventory for sure. Heck, they may not sell this year's either if customers know that they can get a better car for less in under a year.

When I ordered the Pearl wasn't out yet and I had no way to really compare the two. I thought at the time that the Ruby would be worth the extra price. I still haven't seen a Pearl, but am pretty sure that the difference might NOT be worth it based on reviews. Fortunately, the street price difference was closer to $3K, so it's not enough to give me buyers remorse. I have a 123" diagonal HiPower and am happy with the Ruby. I'm just NOT happy with Sony's response, not giving us 1080p24/48 over HDMI. That sucks because it just leaves the DVI to eliminate judder and it's not as good as HDMI.

Regarding the VP50, it sounds like you're sending a 1080p60 signal via HDMI and consider it a big improvement. Can you elaborate on what's better since you're still getting judder at 60Hz. Have you tried using 48Hz via DVI? If so, what are your impressions and why didn't you stick with that set up to get rid of judder?

Loving DVD, I have enjoyed your posts and find them to be straight forward and highly educational. I hope you don't mind me asking the questions below but it appears that you are using equipment that I would like to purchase.

What brand and model of equipment do you use to measure IRE, color, light on your projector/screen? How do you like it? Would you get a different model and brand given what you know now; if so for what reason?

When I ordered the Pearl wasn't out yet and I had no way to really compare the two. I thought at the time that the Ruby would be worth the extra price. I still haven't seen a Pearl, but am pretty sure that the difference might NOT be worth it based on reviews. Fortunately, the street price difference was closer to $3K, so it's not enough to give me buyers remorse. I have a 123" diagonal HiPower and am happy with the Ruby. I'm just NOT happy with Sony's response, not giving us 1080p24/48 over HDMI. That sucks because it just leaves the DVI to eliminate judder and it's not as good as HDMI.

Regarding the VP50, it sounds like you're sending a 1080p60 signal via HDMI and consider it a big improvement. Can you elaborate on what's better since you're still getting judder at 60Hz. Have you tried using 48Hz via DVI? If so, what are your impressions and why didn't you stick with that set up to get rid of judder?

I'm in the SAME Boat with AVR's. I want to update my AVR to have HDMI switching -- ONLY so I can take the Lossless audio from High-Def DVD players and decode it with PCM over HDMI. I have been a LONG TIME Lexicon User. What I tried to do as a lower cost interim [aka planned Obsolescence] is buy a Denon 2307CI. Fantastic Box for the money. I considered it as DISPOSABLE. I figured I needed to wait until CES in January to see if Lexicon announces a new AVR Pre-Pro that has all the features I want. They cost even more than a RUBY - So I will not buy until I know it will last a number of years. But after using the Denon for a MONTH - I sold it yesterday. Even the PCM over HDMI audio was not as good as my DTS audio from High-Def DVD to current Lexicon. I can't buy the current Lexicon MC-12HD - because their HDMI ports do not support 1080p. So I just have to wait.

As for now with the Ruby - I take my 1080i sources and the VP50 scales them to 1080p. I watched 1080i into the Ruby for a month before the VP50 showed up. I didn't expect that much improvement going from 1080i to 1080p - but IT WAS AWESOME.

As for Judder. It must be there - because to get to 1080p/60 - they have to be doing a 3:2 pulldown. BUT I HAVE YET TO SEE IT with my EYES. I do have 1080p/24 sources coming. DVDO will support 1080p/24 to 1080p/48 in their next upgrade of FW. Until I get my 1080p24 source and until I get a DVDO FW upgrade - I can not tell you if it is better than what I already have. SO FAR I CAN'T SEE JUDDER - unless of course I use the DVDO test disk which forces a judder scene on the screen.

Loving DVD, I have enjoyed your posts and find them to be straight forward and highly educational. I hope you don't mind me asking the questions below but it appears that you are using equipment that I would like to purchase.

What brand and model of equipment do you use to measure IRE, color, light on your projector/screen? How do you like it? Would you get a different model and brand given what you know now; if so for what reason?

Thanks for the compliment. I use ColorFacts 6.0 with the EyeOne beamer and SpyderTV meters. I use the EyeOne to "train" the SpyderTV meter. Then use the SpyderTV meter for all measurements.

This works out great because then I get the color accuracy of the EyeOne but the low level light readings and repeatability that the SpyderTV provides. Plus it is sooo much faster doing calibration without having to stop and take dark readings.

This has enabled me to get accurate grayscale measurements down all the way at just 5 IRE, and typically I've been able to calibrate the Ruby at 5 IRE D65 with a dE of about 8 while having a dE of 0-3 from 10-100. Pretty sweet.

My only complaint - and it is a major one - is that I simply cannot get accurate measurements when measuing primaries and secondaries. My CIE chart always has green way short.

Despite numerous postings on the subject over the past three years, and others saying they use this same equipment to measure accurate primaries, I still cannot figure out what why I cannot get valid measurements in this area. And I know its not the pj as my Sharp 10K measured the same way. And I know its not the screen because measurements I take directly from the pj are the same way...

Would I do it again? Well I bought CF at a time when it was MUCH cheaper and it turned out to be a great investment. I tweak and tune frequently and it wouldn't be priactical (or nearly as much fun!) to have someone else coming out to calibrate the unit. That being said, I probably would have hesitation if I had to pay a few grand for these tools today. HTH.

I am not regretting getting a ruby in May. I have it paired with a crystalio II and with this combo I have a DLP looking picture (sharp and vivid)... I still love my ruby and would not trade it in for a pearl or anything else at the moment... ;)

Joe

I am pairing the Crystallio 3800 with the ruby as well. What a picture.
I know the Pearl has devalued our Ruby but the best way to get your moneys worth is keep the Ruby. The picture it puts out is still first class and i do not regret the purchase.

I am not regretting getting a ruby in May. I have it paired with a crystalio II and with this combo I have a DLP looking picture (sharp and vivid)... I still love my ruby and would not trade it in for a pearl or anything else at the moment... ;)

Joe

I am pairing the Crystallio 3800 with the ruby as well. What a picture.
I know the Pearl has devalued our Ruby but the best way to get your moneys worth is keep the Ruby. The picture it puts out is still first class and i do not regret the purchase.

Steve - I agree with Joe and Alan
- I don't think it matters what VP you use with your Ruby
- but using any GOOD VP will make your LOVE YOUR Ruby MORE!

Thanks for the compliment. I use ColorFacts 6.0 with the EyeOne beamer and SpyderTV meters. I use the EyeOne to "train" the SpyderTV meter. Then use the SpyderTV meter for all measurements.

This works out great because then I get the color accuracy of the EyeOne but the low level light readings and repeatability that the SpyderTV provides. Plus it is sooo much faster doing calibration without having to stop and take dark readings.

This has enabled me to get accurate grayscale measurements down all the way at just 5 IRE, and typically I've been able to calibrate the Ruby at 5 IRE D65 with a dE of about 8 while having a dE of 0-3 from 10-100. Pretty sweet.

My only complaint - and it is a major one - is that I simply cannot get accurate measurements when measuing primaries and secondaries. My CIE chart always has green way short.

Despite numerous postings on the subject over the past three years, and others saying they use this same equipment to measure accurate primaries, I still cannot figure out what why I cannot get valid measurements in this area. And I know its not the pj as my Sharp 10K measured the same way. And I know its not the screen because measurements I take directly from the pj are the same way...

Would I do it again? Well I bought CF at a time when it was MUCH cheaper and it turned out to be a great investment. I tweak and tune frequently and it wouldn't be priactical (or nearly as much fun!) to have someone else coming out to calibrate the unit. That being said, I probably would have hesitation if I had to pay a few grand for these tools today. HTH.


How valuable is the ColorFacts? Worth the money? It is much more expensive that just the SpiderTV package.

Yes Alan, I think the crystalio II has helped produce the absolute BEST picture I have seen on my ruby. If it's not broke don't fix it! I won't change a thing for a long time! ;)

Steve - I agree with Joe and Alan
- I don't think it matters what VP you use with your Ruby
- but using any GOOD VP will make your LOVE YOUR Ruby MORE!

Yeah, but I was only looking to spend the extra money on a VP if it removed the judder. I'm sure that the 1080i to 1080p60 provides some improvement, but not sure if it's worth the expense. If I could eliminate that judder on horizontal pans, then it would be worth it. I wish I could test drive one before buying.

As for the Ruby, I do love the picture and plan to keep it for a long time. I have peace of mind with the 6 years of warranty and 3 year bulb warranty too. With my setup and screen, it's plenty bright. I find that it's sharp and vivid enough for my taste and old eyes. I don't really have any complaints except for lack of 24/48 support over HDMI.

As for the audio side, I have a Lexicon MC-1 and love Logic7. I'm not really missing TrueHD or other lossless audio. At some point, I'll upgrade my audio processer for audio over HDMI. Until then, I'm happy with my old Lexicon. It was on the expensive side when new, but has certainly been a great purchase and worth every penny spent for years of enjoyment. I think that I'll be able to say the say thing for the Ruby in years to come.

For what its worth I have spent a lot of time with the Lumagen set to 48 with the Ruby. I just cannot see it or at least enough to make it worth while. Even with BD and HD DVD it jumps track once in a while and you have to stop and restart the source to get it back in sync. For me its not worth the aggravation. I think once we get native 108024 from BD and HD DVD hopefully it will be far more stable. Running 60hz looks great to me.

Yeah, but I was only looking to spend the extra money on a VP if it removed the judder. I'm sure that the 1080i to 1080p60 provides some improvement, but not sure if it's worth the expense. If I could eliminate that judder on horizontal pans, then it would be worth it. I wish I could test drive one before buying.

As for the Ruby, I do love the picture and plan to keep it for a long time. I have peace of mind with the 6 years of warranty and 3 year bulb warranty too. With my setup and screen, it's plenty bright. I find that it's sharp and vivid enough for my taste and old eyes. I don't really have any complaints except for lack of 24/48 support over HDMI.

As for the audio side, I have a Lexicon MC-1 and love Logic7. I'm not really missing TrueHD or other lossless audio. At some point, I'll upgrade my audio processer for audio over HDMI. Until then, I'm happy with my old Lexicon. It was on the expensive side when new, but has certainly been a great purchase and worth every penny spent for years of enjoyment. I think that I'll be able to say the say thing for the Ruby in years to come.

I could be wrong - but I BELIEVE - DVDO has a 30 day SATISFACTION Guarantee. You can buy it and return it for full credit within the 30 days. That is the best drive-one option I think there is. You could talk to DVDO and ask them about upcoming FW updates that can help us Ruby Owners. They MIGHT TELL you what is coming down the road.

I have the same Lexicon and I thought the DENON would open a door for me without waiting for Lexicon's NEXT MC-12HD Version 2.x???

But the DENON could not keep up with the old buy Lexicon. I sold it - only cost me $100 to try it [GRIN]!

Hi Steve:

I just BOUGHT my Ruby in September. I could have bought the Pearl at the same time. I choose the Ruby over the Pearl because of a brighter picture.

{SNIP}



You felt the Ruby would be BRIGHTER than the Pearl, despite having a higher lumen rating?

Have I missed a review somewhere that indicates that is the case post-calibration or something?

Well, using your analogy, it's more like buying last year's model car for more money than this year's similar model that has some new features that you wish you had, but the dealer tells you that you're SOL and to buy the following year's model. If car makers did that, they'd never sell their left over inventory for sure. Heck, they may not sell this year's either if customers know that they can get a better car for less in under a year.

When I ordered the Pearl wasn't out yet and I had no way to really compare the two. I thought at the time that the Ruby would be worth the extra price. I still haven't seen a Pearl, but am pretty sure that the difference might NOT be worth it based on reviews. Fortunately, the street price difference was closer to $3K, so it's not enough to give me buyers remorse. I have a 123" diagonal HiPower and am happy with the Ruby. I'm just NOT happy with Sony's response, not giving us 1080p24/48 over HDMI. That sucks because it just leaves the DVI to eliminate judder and it's not as good as HDMI.

Regarding the VP50, it sounds like you're sending a 1080p60 signal via HDMI and consider it a big improvement. Can you elaborate on what's better since you're still getting judder at 60Hz. Have you tried using 48Hz via DVI? If so, what are your impressions and why didn't you stick with that set up to get rid of judder?

The car analogy is nice, but consumer electronics are a beast unto themselves.

One had to only watch Sony release the Ruby after teh $30K Qualia to realize that ordering something that you feel would be "worth the extra price" without seeing the latest/greatest/cheaper new model is a risk.

That having been said, I'm glad you are enjoying your Ruby. I think it's a fantastic unit.

You felt the Ruby would be BRIGHTER than the Pearl, despite having a higher lumen rating?

Have I missed a review somewhere that indicates that is the case post-calibration or something?

I don't remember what I was looking at for data at the time.

But it is hard to understand how a 200 watt bulb can be brighter than a 400 watt bulb.

But now it doesn't matter - because I'm not changing out my Ruby.

How can DVI look worse? They're both digital inputs. Does the Ruby do extra processing on the HDMI signal to make it look better (and doesn't do it for DVI)?

I also saw a difference in detail when moving from HDMI to DVI, but figured it was because I hadn't set my Lumagen up properly. The DVI input looks fuzzy on the 1 pixel wide test patterns, almost as if it's going through a AD / DA conversion. Could it be a timing problem?

I have been using DVI with no trouble. Last night I switched to HDMI and visually could not see a difference. Ill have to throw up some test patterns once we the get the Joe Kane test discs this coming week on Hi Def. Interesting.

I have been using DVI with no trouble. Last night I switched to HDMI and visually could not see a difference. Ill have to throw up some test patterns once we the get the Joe Kane test discs this coming week on Hi Def. Interesting.

Alan - are you getting the Joe Kane disc ahead of everyone else [GRIN]?

Way to go!

Guys, still no news on how to correct the convergence of the panels on the Ruby ?

Guys, still no news on how to correct the convergence of the panels on the Ruby ?

I asked the question awhile back and got the answer ---

No Way Jose!

Joe

I am pairing the Crystallio 3800 with the ruby as well. What a picture.
I know the Pearl has devalued our Ruby but the best way to get your moneys worth is keep the Ruby. The picture it puts out is still first class and i do not regret the purchase.

Alan,
It looks like UPS lost my Ruby. I really loved the smooth "non-digital" look that I got from the Ruby so I'm assuming that a 3 chip DLP would not be for me. What would your recommendation be for a replacement, another Ruby or a Pearl?

Dave

I asked the question awhile back and got the answer ---

No Way Jose!
It can be done... it is in the service menu, the question is where...

It can be done... it is in the service menu, the question is where...

I hope you are 100% RIGHT and I am 100% WRONG.

I think that is ONLY TRUE for the Pearl!

How do you even get to the SERVICE Menu on a Ruby?

Alan,
It looks like UPS lost my Ruby. I really loved the smooth "non-digital" look that I got from the Ruby so I'm assuming that a 3 chip DLP would not be for me. What would your recommendation be for a replacement, another Ruby or a Pearl?

Dave


I hope you are covered by insurance.

If I had to make a choice right now it would most likely go to the Pearl. I would have a hard time justifying the price difference. The JVC should be hitting soon as well and would be another solid contender to consider.

I hope you are 100% RIGHT and I am 100% WRONG.

I think that is ONLY TRUE for the Pearl!

How do you even get to the SERVICE Menu on a Ruby?
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=6608790&&#post6608790

left left up enter

Well Thank You for that Tidbit [GRIN]!

If it is like my SONY DHG-HDD500 DVR - Then you have to enter a 6 or 7 digit code.

We need to buy some beers for a service Tech at a Sony Repair Facility.

I agree with Alan, I have not been able to see a difference betweeen the DVI and HDMI input. I will have to do some testing as well. And stevenjw, I could not watch my ruby without my crystalio II now. It does make that big enough difference. All the adjustments I can do to the picture make it well worth it. And as far as 48hz versus 60hz, I agree with Alan again and found it hard to tell that much difference in the picture both with the VP50 and Lumagen HDQ... ;)

I don't remember what I was looking at for data at the time.

But it is hard to understand how a 200 watt bulb can be brighter than a 400 watt bulb.

But now it doesn't matter - because I'm not changing out my Ruby.

Different bulb chemistries:

Ruby = 400W Xenon = 800 lumens

Pearl = 200W UHP = 900 lumens

Did you even compare specs?

Most would agree the Xenon lamp helps produce the best color though... I still would not trade my ruby out over 100 lumens... But that's just me... :)

It can be done... it is in the service menu, the question is where...
No it can't be done in the service menu.

I think that is ONLY TRUE for the Pearl!

No, it isn't true for the Pearl either.

Let's splain what weze said over and over. It can't be adjusted. The 3 chips are not physically adjustable let alone electronically adjustable. At best, it would be possible to shift on a per grid line basis but that, even if such an adjustment was possible, wouldn't result in perfect convergence though it might make misalignment less.

If you want to obtain very good convegence, buy a high quality CRT front projector. One can electrically (by various forms of magnetism etc), adjust an electron beam. A light beam is quite another story.

No way-Jose.

Write the lame duck Congress. Tell em you want them to change the laws of physics so that you can adjust convergence on the VPL-VW50 or VW100. Better yet get on a donkey and go attack a windmill with a spear. Just don't hurt yourself or the windmill. :)

Or if you really want perfect convergence, go with one of the new single chip 1080p DLPs :) As well all know there are trade offs with each technology. A 3 panel SXRD is NEVER going to be as razor sharp as a 1 chip DLP.

Or if you really want perfect convergence, go with one of the new single chip 1080p DLPs :) As well all know there are trade offs with each technology. A 3 panel SXRD is NEVER going to be as razor sharp as a 1 chip DLP.

depends a lot on the lenses too ! high quality lenses + LCOS vs lower quality (softer)lenses + 1DLP.. : the LCOS could really end up being sharper.

Different bulb chemistries:

Ruby = 400W Xenon = 800 lumens

Pearl = 200W UHP = 900 lumens

Did you even compare specs?

the 400W xenon doesnt output that lumens. the Pearl is brigther.
reason is the xenon in the ruby is (i think) driven less than it's full capacity and also for sound (dB) reasons. it ages quicker too (than say on a Qualia)

otherwise Xenon could be said to be the nirvana of colorimetry /light "naturalness"


the JVC is again postponed.

i think it'stime we see $10K 3DLP 1920x1080, with a good 700-800ansi brigthness :)

Or if you really want perfect convergence, go with one of the new single chip 1080p DLPs :) As well all know there are trade offs with each technology. A 3 panel SXRD is NEVER going to be as razor sharp as a 1 chip DLP.

Neither is a 3 chip DLP, so what's your point?

As for MC on the Ruby, if the PJ is new and it's not minor complain to your dealer and Sony. Mine was off when I received it, I sent it in for service, nothing was done and I was told it was within spec. I politely made a small stink with Sony on their satisfaction survey and got a new one with less MC that I'm happy with. There is no magic service menu option for MC.

Let's face it, aligning up over a million pixels on each panel X3 is never going to be perfect. However, Sony will fix or replace your Ruby if it's off by more than 2 pixels and maybe if its less than that. You probably can't even notice any MC during a movie, but if you see it on a test pattern, well you now know it's there and maybe affecting sharpness. If it's really bad, stop looking for a service menu tweak. It needs to be serviced. If you're not sure, post a picture. Do a search on Laredo service.

I agree with Alan, I have not been able to see a difference betweeen the DVI and HDMI input. I will have to do some testing as well. And stevenjw, I could not watch my ruby without my crystalio II now. It does make that big enough difference. All the adjustments I can do to the picture make it well worth it. And as far as 48hz versus 60hz, I agree with Alan again and found it hard to tell that much difference in the picture both with the VP50 and Lumagen HDQ... ;)

Sounds like a bunch of ringing endorsements for the Crystalio II or any VP for that matter coupled with the Ruby. I could have sworn that I read that the DVI was not as sharp as the HDMI. I'll keep watching for posts comparing the two inputs at 1080p60 and DVI p48 vs. HDMI p60.

That brings up another question, even though HD-DVD is stored at p24, can the Toshiba output anything but a 1080p60 signal? If not, then maybe that's were the problem lies if a VP doesn't improve judder into a Ruby's DVI at p48. Or am I missing something (which isn't that hard).

Well gregr, some tech guy in France assured me he has done it on multiple Rubys.
Of course, he would never tell me how, but if I remember well he told me it was in the service menu.
But then maybe all he was saying was ********...

drhankz, I edited my message concerning how to go in the service menu.

I was told awhile back from a good source that it could not be done in the service menu. That was before I even purchased my ruby though.

drhankz, I edited my message concerning how to go in the service menu.

Thanks for the URL

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=6608790&&#post6608790

Most would agree the Xenon lamp helps produce the best color though... I still would not trade my ruby out over 100 lumens... But that's just me... :)

Colorimitry meters DO NOT agree tho', and they tend to be a little less biased.

otherwise Xenon could be said to be the nirvana of colorimetry /light "naturalness"



For film projectors, perhaps. But certainly not for RGB digital projectors.

Say what you want by I am getting the best colors I have seen using my ruby with the xenon lamp...

Say what you want by I am getting the best colors I have seen using my ruby with the xenon lamp...


Well, it's not me saying what I want, it's what you said:

Most would agree the Xenon lamp helps produce the best color though...

First, how do you know "most" would agree? Secondly, does that discount objective instrument readings than demonstrate the color gamut of UHP projectors can be engineered/adjusted to match the correct color space, just as Xenon can?

I'm glad it the best colors YOU have seen. That doesn't preclude other devices being just as good.

So I guess MOST ruby owners aren't happy with their color? And if they are the Xenon lamp has nothing to do with it? :rolleyes:

I had both the Ruby and the Pearl side by side and there was a difference in color between the two. I preferred the color from my Ruby but in fairness I have spent hours tweaking my Ruby ( still do, it never ends ) to my taste and the Pearl was out of box. Its possible I could get the same response from the Pearl. I do not know if the difference I saw was caused from both machines using different bulb technologies or filtering or processing but there was a difference. Unless doing a direct A/B I do not think this is a concern.

The Ruby's manual states:

"The lamp used for the light source has a certain lifespan" :rolleyes:

Projector Central's chart for the Ruby has N/A for the lamp life with two asterisks.

Has anyone found out from Sony what the projected life span should be?

Would like to get a spare lamp, before the original one I have burns out, but was told to wait, because the warranty starts from the date of the purchase of the new bulb. :(

Paul

Paul how many hours are on your bulb. Im going on 900. I have n idea what the rated lamp life is but based on other xenon lamps Im going to say 1k to 1500 hours. Im going to run mine until it explodes :)

I am over 500 hours now and still going strong! Knock on wood of course. I would expect atleast 1500 but knowing me I will change it out before then. Usually around my Super Bowl party I get the itch. :)

Thanks Alan for your knowledgable estimate.

Currently I have 235 ours on the Ruby and I would really like to be prepared with a back up lamp, but because of the warranty factor and based on your practical estimate, I think I'll order a lamp around 900 hours and if nothing happens, change it at around 1000+ hours.

Don't think I want to find out the life span via an explosion :eek: , but I realize it can happen to anyone at anytime.

Paul

I am planning to order one around the 750-800 mark. I will probably let it hit the 1,000 mark then afterwards switch it out. I am very happy with the brightness now but I love fresh lamps. Of course having a vutec Silverstar helps with brightness. :)

Just wondering about this. Seems that the SpyderTV Pro software asks you to disable Auto Iris in calibration, but when I do so with the Ruby, it tells me that I should be using the High setting for Color Temp (warmed up the Ruby for 30+ minutes along with the Oppo player).

Has anyone found this to be close to ideal for this projector? I've not ventured into any of the service menus, so all I'm setting with the colorimeter from Datacolor via the software are the usual suspects (contrast, brightness, color, and tint).

I'm guessing my particular unit may really need a middleground between the High and Middle pre-sets but am unsure if I should venture into the service manual and menus to try and do so. And once there what means do I have at my disposal to properly measure and fix the levels (I've got the Avia disc).

I've seen various recommendations, both for and against using Auto Iris on when doing the SpyderTV calibration. I suspect much has to do with the software and its operation with the colorimeter.

I've also disabled the Gains/Bias inputs for the software since these are not readily apparent to me from the Ruby user menus. Am I missing something there as well?

All of this, of course, is predicated on the accuracy of the colorimeter :D

All thoughts are appreciated.

Just wondering about this. Seems that the SpyderTV Pro software asks you to disable Auto Iris in calibration, but when I do so with the Ruby, it tells me that I should be using the High setting for Color Temp (warmed up the Ruby for 30+ minutes along with the Oppo player).

.

I saw this thing at Fry's I had no idea that it would work with a projector, especially the ruby.
I thought I read the bulb needs to be replaced at the 2300 mark, could be wrong. FYI I just added a HD-DVD player HD-A1 to the ruby and I'm THRILLED with the picture image.

Just wondering about this. Seems that the SpyderTV Pro software asks you to disable Auto Iris in calibration, but when I do so with the Ruby, it tells me that I should be using the High setting for Color Temp (warmed up the Ruby for 30+ minutes along with the Oppo player).

Has anyone found this to be close to ideal for this projector? I've not ventured into any of the service menus, so all I'm setting with the colorimeter from Datacolor via the software are the usual suspects (contrast, brightness, color, and tint).

I'm guessing my particular unit may really need a middleground between the High and Middle pre-sets but am unsure if I should venture into the service manual and menus to try and do so. And once there what means do I have at my disposal to properly measure and fix the levels (I've got the Avia disc).

I've seen various recommendations, both for and against using Auto Iris on when doing the SpyderTV calibration. I suspect much has to do with the software and its operation with the colorimeter.

I've also disabled the Gains/Bias inputs for the software since these are not readily apparent to me from the Ruby user menus. Am I missing something there as well?

All of this, of course, is predicated on the accuracy of the colorimeter :D

All thoughts are appreciated.

sjschaff - I know from your PM you were looking for help on this topic, but unfortunately I don't have any info on this. All my posted measurements and tweaking is done manually using ColorFacts not the SpyderTV software (although I do use the SpyderTV meter).

sjschaff - I know from your PM you were looking for help on this topic, but unfortunately I don't have any info on this. All my posted measurements and tweaking is done manually using ColorFacts not the SpyderTV software (although I do use the SpyderTV meter).

I understand. Maybe someone else has been there....done that. Anyway, it seems the only options available in the software has to do with what they call Cuts/Gains or what I gather are otherwise called Bias and Gain adjustments. Where do these reside in the service menu for the Ruby? Are these easy to set and save?

Can someone post what the default factory menu settings are for #43 and #44 on the Ruby? I have mine at 140 and 700 per the iris tweaks which were a hot discussion many months ago, but now need to put it back to the defaults. Thanks.

Not exactly on topic but with all the Pearl hype wanted to comment....I watched "The Polar Express" on my Ruby last night for the first time and was amazed at the picture (OK movie). I have about 75 hours and use a 92" StudioTek 130 with the Sony NS9100ES player at about 11' viewing distance. I am just an average user but I don't see how it can get any better than this. If the Pearl is as good (hard to believe better) at a cheaper price that's great. Gives many more the chance to share my incredible viewing experience every time I turn it on. Thanks again to Alan and Jason for helping with this great setup (i'm the guy in Washington state who ended up with two Rubys by mistake :) ).

The Polar Express HD DVD does look incredible on the ruby. I use a crystalio II now and am even more thrilled with it. We plan to watch it Thanksgiving night with family and I am sure we won't bee dissapointed! :)

issue if sometimes weird actord faces solved: it was my Pioneer 868 ynr cnr filters. turned them off. no problem then. superb.
all these gizmos inside dvds generally do more harm than any good.
1080i in the Pio + ISCAN 1080P gives more details than 720p Pio + ISCAN 1080p

the PEARL is A LOT for the money ! :) ( and 700lumens @2500:1 (iris off, auto 1 you reach 8-9000:1) gives a kick in the Marantz and Sharp a.... )

Well guys I got a light meter recently and took some readings on my Ruby that has 525 hours. I was FLOORED to see I was only getting 193 lumens out of the thing. I say this because I would have bet it was at least 400. On my 106" Firehawk that works out to a measly 8 ftL.

However what is really unbelievable about this is that my picture actually looks very bright and punchy. I'm still not sure why as 8 ftL is quite low. I think it may have something to do with the super high contrast ration which I measured at 20,200:1. Note that this is with using Darin's iris tweak - with 43/44 at default settings black level was about twice as high and I was "only" getting about 10,000:1.

What was also interesting is that Bob reported he was getting 275 lumens out of his Ruby with about 100 more hours on the bulb. This didn't make sense but after discussing it he brought up the point that he was near MIN throw, and I was near MAX throw. As has been well publicized at this point, that can reduce the lamp output by 25-30% so that explained much of the difference.

Can someone post what the default factory menu settings are for #43 and #44 on the Ruby? I have mine at 140 and 700 per the iris tweaks which were a hot discussion many months ago, but now need to put it back to the defaults. Thanks.

My first Ruby had default settings of 289 for #43 and 576 for #44. Sony replaced this Ruby with another new one when they never fixed my MC sent into Laredo for service. My new one had default settings of 311 for #43 and 638 for #44.

I found it odd that the settings for #44 were nearly the same as Darin's recommendation of 650-700. I figured that maybe someone was reading AVS and taking his advice for better CR out of the box. I'm using 140 and 650.

BTW, any chance of posting your latest bulb hours, GAIN, and BIAS settings for middle c-temp?

My first Ruby had default settings of 289 for #43 and 576 for #44. Sony replaced this Ruby with another new one when they never fixed my MC sent into Laredo for service. My new one had default settings of 311 for #43 and 638 for #44.

I found it odd that the settings for #44 were nearly the same as Darin's recommendation of 650-700. I figured that maybe someone was reading AVS and taking his advice for better CR out of the box. I'm using 140 and 650.

BTW, any chance of posting your latest bulb hours, GAIN, and BIAS settings for middle c-temp?

Thanks Steve. I think the 311/638 was about what I had originally. Latest bulb hours are 525 as mentioned in the last post. The results of my last calibration were posted a while ago and I haven't redone the calibration since. Although it drifts a little according to the meters I've found really no noticeable difference by eye typically after a retweaking to make the meter happy.

Can anyone recommend someone that can recalibrate my Ruby in the Chicago area. Basement flodded and I removed the projector during re-construction for about 2 months. After re-installing, for some reason looks quite different. I did have it calbibrate origially after 100 hours but was not really impressed.

Hi all.... I recently got a VPL-VW100 projector and I've tried to get into the service menus using the enter-enter-left-enter keystroke combination. I turn the projector on, hit ENTER and see a Not Applicable message in the lower left screen. Completing the sequence does not take me into the menu. Can someone tell me what I might be doing wrong?

Secondly, exactly how are you all using the Beamer to calibrate? Are you reading the values off a Mac or PC and then tweaking the projector until you get the correct values?

Thanks and sorry for such questions so late in this thread. Any help would be appreciated.

Just a guess, but I see the same "Not Applicable" messages whenever I try to adjust anything on my Pearl if there is no input signal.

Hi all.... I recently got a VPL-VW100 projector and I've tried to get into the service menus using the enter-enter-left-enter keystroke combination. I turn the projector on, hit ENTER and see a Not Applicable message in the lower left screen. Completing the sequence does not take me into the menu. Can someone tell me what I might be doing wrong?

Secondly, exactly how are you all using the Beamer to calibrate? Are you reading the values off a Mac or PC and then tweaking the projector until you get the correct values?

Thanks and sorry for such questions so late in this thread. Any help would be appreciated.

I don't know if you have the right sequence.

Enter - Enter - Up Arrow - Down Arrow - Enter - Up Arrow

I don't know if you have the right sequence.

Enter - Enter - Up Arrow - Down Arrow - Enter - Up Arrow

thanks usual suspects and drhankz... so, after that sequence, you then hit the menu button and there is an additional item at the bottom entitled WB with some Custom settings in it? i got that to happen once, but several other times, after keying in the enter-enter-up arrow-down arrow-enter-up arrow i got nothing, and then on hitting the menu button i got only the normal menu.

thanks usual suspects and drhankz... so, after that sequence, you then hit the menu button and there is an additional item at the bottom entitled WB with some Custom settings in it? i got that to happen once, but several other times, after keying in the enter-enter-up arrow-down arrow-enter-up arrow i got nothing, and then on hitting the menu button i got only the normal menu.

I know the sequence - but I have not played around with it.

I like it the way it is OUT OF THE BOX!

You have to do the sequence pretty quick. I never really had trouble with it. You know you got it right when you see a prompt that asks if you want to enter service (or factory, depending on the sequence you use) mode. Note that if you have the pj options set to not display messages I don't think you get that prompt.

You have to do the sequence pretty quick. I never really had trouble with it. You know you got it right when you see a prompt that asks if you want to enter service (or factory, depending on the sequence you use) mode. Note that if you have the pj options set to not display messages I don't think you get that prompt.

Hi LovingDVD.... thanks. I finally got into the service menu. I found a WB item at the bottom of the menu and that contains Gain and Bias adjustments for the High, Mid and Low settings and also for the Custom 1, 2 and 3 settings.

What exactly are these adjustments doing, relative to the values in the normal user config menu. Are they sort of an underlying certain point, e.g., Custom 1 would adjust the underlying "start point" for the user adjustable Custom 1 setting, Custom 2 would relate only to Custom 2, etc? Or do you pick one of these and it is the global starting point for all of the user adjustments?

Also, I expected there'd be a lot more stuff in the service menu than Bias and Gain adjustments. Aren't there also convergence and 3D gamma adjustments as well? And perhaps more?

thanks in advance for any help and clarification.... :-)

Aren't there also convergence and 3D gamma adjustments as well? And perhaps more?

thanks in advance for any help and clarification.... :-)

Convergence is not Adjustable.

The Ruby comes with a CD to adjust Gamma from your laptop
via the Ethernet connection to the Ruby!

thanks for the replies... :-)

Congrats on your Ruby! Enjoy!

If anyone knows how to access the pre-programmed display
memory locations and reprogram them - I would appreciate
your help.

You can PM me if you don't want this info PUBLICLY displayed.

I can understand that.

Thanks.

My Ruby lamp just expired. I don't know if it exploded or not (haven't cracked the case), but the web interface says "LAMP FAILURE'. I have 1131 hours on it.

Where do I go to get replacement lamps... I really want to watch the Seahawks trounce the Bears (ha!) this Sunday and it's now Friday night. I live in Bellevue, WA.

Thanks.

Since it is Friday (late) you may be out of luck (unlike your Seahawks last week when they were given a gift) gettng a new lamp by Sunday. I always suggest getting a new one when your factory is at 750. Then take that one out so you always have a spare on hand. Then when you get a new one and it expires put your spare in until you get another new one.

I really like this projector, but the fact that the bulb age quickly, bulbs are expensive, and the fact that the quick aging process requires constant calibration, I think I'll be anxious to get into a new projector. I'm afraid I won't get much for this projector, and I'm afraid to give it to my dad since I'll be dealing with the same problems having him use it. He would be watching a fair amount of TV on it, so I'm sure it would not be a good idea to give it to him... I also don't like the fact that I feel like I can't use this projector very much because of the bulb issues. I guess I'll hold on to the Ruby for another year or so then just toss it in the trash...

Yes the bulb did seem to age very quickly. I didn't have an initial measurement, but by all estimates I likely started with low 500s lumens and after 500 hours I was down to about 165 lumens. Anyone think that is a characteristic of the Xenon lamp? Hopefully UHP lamps like what I'll be getting with the RS1 age a bit more gracefully...

Until there is a pj that absolutely blows it away I am content. Like maybe a 3 chip 1080p DLP...

My Ruby lamp just expired. I don't know if it exploded or not (haven't cracked the case), but the web interface says "LAMP FAILURE'. I have 1131 hours on it.

Where do I go to get replacement lamps... I really want to watch the Seahawks trounce the Bears (ha!) this Sunday and it's now Friday night. I live in Bellevue, WA.

Thanks.

Check to see if there's a Sony Style Store near you and if not find a high end Sony Dealer that carries the Ruby and see if they have one. If not, maybe they'll let you borrow one from theirs for the weekend for a small deposit;)?

I guess I'll hold on to the Ruby for another year or so then just toss it in the trash...

I would be happy to be your trash man :D Seriously if you do ever want to get rid of it.... let me know!!

Hopefully UHP lamps like what I'll be getting with the RS1 age a bit more gracefully...

So you are getting rid of the Ruby and getting a RS1? What is an RS1?

Is SED technology going to make it into front projection and replace the need for Bulbs?

I SEE nothing worth replacing my Ruby over at this time. Maybe in a year or two it may be worth doing but as for now I am more than happy with my set up...

I SEE nothing worth replacing my Ruby over at this time. Maybe in a year or two it may be worth doing but as for now I am more than happy with my set up...

Be at CEDIA in Denver in September - I'll be there to SEE
the DIAMOND!

So you are getting rid of the Ruby and getting a RS1? What is an RS1?

Is SED technology going to make it into front projection and replace the need for Bulbs?

Do a search for RS1 or just browse through the threads and you'll find a ton of info. Its very hyped right now, but for a very good reason IMO. And by almost all user accounts for those that have seen it, it seems to be living up to the hype.

I agree with waiting to check out the Diamond this Fall! That might be my next pj...

I agree with waiting to check out the Diamond this Fall! That might be my next pj...

I'm thinking that might be my case as well!

That RS1 looks very interesting. I love my Ruby, but don't like the Iris trick they use to get the cont ratio they brag about, makes the image to dark, especially for a 120" screen. So if I get it right the RS1 will do the 15-1 cont but not loose it's brightness to do it?

My Ruby lamp just expired. I don't know if it exploded or not (haven't cracked the case), but the web interface says "LAMP FAILURE'. I have 1131 hours on it.

Where do I go to get replacement lamps... I really want to watch the Seahawks trounce the Bears (ha!) this Sunday and it's now Friday night. I live in Bellevue, WA.

Thanks.

I was able to source a replacement lamp from B&H Photo. It took them 2 days to verify my billing (I guess I shouldn't complain about anti-fraud), and it was shipped out on Friday. Got it today.

Installation was a snap. The only hitch was the four screws holding the lamp in place require a pretty long (and narrow) phillips screw driver. I had to dig around to find my long one.

QUESTION: I can't find any documentation on how to reset the lamp timer. The installation instructions tell you to press RESET, <--, --> ENTER on the remote after lamp installation but not why. I assumed that resets the lamp counter, but it didn't. Do I just have to remember the count when it failed and do the math myself?

It should have worked. It did for me recently when I changed my lamp. I would try it again. If not I bet in the service menu you can change it back to zero...

Just wondering for the folks that are changing lamps on the Ruby, how many hours are you guys getting out of the lamps. My Ruby is 8 months old and I have logged about 460 hours on the original lamp.

Just wondering for the folks that are changing lamps on the Ruby, how many hours are you guys getting out of the lamps. My Ruby is 8 months old and I have logged about 460 hours on the original lamp.

When I sold my Ruby a couple months ago I had about 525 hours on it and it was down to about 175 lumens IIRC. This was about 7.5ftL. Although this number sounds very low, I was surprised to see how bright 7.5ftL actually was in my HT.

If I was going to hold onto the unit I likely would have needed to replace the bulb in another 100-200 hours. So in summary for my tastes I'd say about 800 hours would be as far as I'd likely would have taken one bulb.

Of course each person mileage will vary depending on their tastes for desired ftL.

It should have worked. It did for me recently when I changed my lamp. I would try it again. If not I bet in the service menu you can change it back to zero...

If you can set it to zero in the service menu, I can't find it.

Anyone else?

I have over 1250 hours on my Ruby. The image on my 92 in. diagonal Studiotek 1.30 screen is bright and sharp. I am hardly aware of any dimming of the projector since the bulb was new. I am sure that it is dimmer, but it is just not noticeable. I still do my casual watching with a 50 watt lamp on in the rear of the home theater. For serious viewing of DVD's including Blu-ray and HD-DVD's, I turn off the lamp in the rear of the room. My Ruby has never failed once to start and has performed flawlessly in every respect since it was installed nearly one year ago. I could not be more pleased.

Tom

Has anyone tried finding/using the bare PE bulbs? The replacements for the JVC xenon bulbs were brighter, ran longer, and were 40% cheaper.

I have over 1250 hours on my Ruby. The image on my 92 in. diagonal Studiotek 1.30 screen is bright and sharp. I am hardly aware of any dimming of the projector since the bulb was new. I am sure that it is dimmer, but it is just not noticeable. I still do my casual watching with a 50 watt lamp on in the rear of the home theater. For serious viewing of DVD's including Blu-ray and HD-DVD's, I turn off the lamp in the rear of the room. My Ruby has never failed once to start and has performed flawlessly in every respect since it was installed nearly one year ago. I could not be more pleased.

Tom
In the past 9 months I've put 1360 hours on the original bulb and am still enjoying it. I installed a Blu-Ray player this week and the picture is awesome. Yes, the projector has slowly put out less light, but I'm near the minimum distance for projecting on a 72-inch screen and at my 10-foot seating position, enjoy a 30-degree field of view and apparently long life to the slowly dimming bulb. A spare bulb sits in the closet awaiting the day things go bad.

David,

I am in a very similar situation to you. My Ruby is mounted within 2-3 in. of the minium throw distance. I have a new spare bulb waiting in the closet, but I hope that it is some time before I need it. I will have had my Ruby a year the end of this coming February. I just installed a Toshiba HD-A2 HD-DVD player and a Sony BDP-S1 Blu-ray player in my system using the HDMI output to get the signal to my Pioneer 74TXi A/V receiver and then up to my Ruby's HDMI input. All of this has worked flawlessly. Not a single freeze or other problems with either HD player and a truly splendid picture on my 92 in. diagonal screen. We watched Mutiny on the Bounty last night on the HD-A2 and it was incredibly sharp and brilliant. Love this projector!

Tom

Yes, I still am in love with mine! :D I have plenty of people planning to come over for the Superbowl and with it being a Windy versus Indy game I may have to hire security! :eek:

How do you enter the service menu on the ruby?
Regards WRONG

The Ruby has been down since late July 2006 for a complete home theater make-over, (I'm doing it all myself). When it came down it had about 675 hours on it. Being a newbie in this glorious hobby, I grew into the knowledge that convergence was/is an issue with the Ruby and took the opportunity during it's downtime to send it to Sony for a convergence check and adjustment, which I thought was necessary based upon observed characteristics and comparison to other Rubys. I also thought I saw an artifact Inside the lens structure, this was from day one, but it didn't seem to affect the picture. Regardless, I thought I would mention this in the trouble list as well. My dealer footed the cost of shipping, (God Bless em).

Well it's back. The theater Still isn't done but I have seven days to test the projector, which I'll have to find a way to do. It's what was written on the ticket that interests me and which I have not been able to find mentioned anywhere on the web; Hard Start Mod Kit H600, (A1206459A). Anybody know what this is?

Oh, the lamp was replaced free of charge and no lens artifact was found. When the tech called, he said he had adjusted the convergence to below spec but did not mention the Hard Start Mod Kit. I only found out about it when I read the enclosed service ticket.

mark

Of course this is speculation but maybe they have improved the start up parts on the Ruby.

There have been quite a few of us that experienced trouble with the lamp starting and then failure of the power supply start mechanism. I agree with joerod that Sony has probably upgraded the start up section and is providing it as preventative maintenance.

Thks for the info Mark.


When the tech called, he said he had adjusted the convergence to below spec . .

I'd be very interested to know exactly what their procedure is for that. Whom can we bribe? ;)

i have been reading all of these posts and this may not be the place for it, but i wanted ot ask all of you ruby owners. I have the option to buy a ruby preowned (i assume the warranty conveys) for $4000 but the rs1 has gotten such good press. any thoughts?
total light controlled room.
studiotek 130 screen (122 inch diag)
dvdo vp30 feeding projector.

this may not be the place for it

Correct. Please help keep this thread focused strictly on calibration. The RS1 vs Ruby has been covered in a number of the RS1 threads and if you search I think there is also a thread about RS1 vs Pearl (which would apply almost the same to Ruby) and even RS1 vs Ruby already. Lots of good info there for your initial research plus a better captured audience for your questions.

Hey Dipac. I would take the Ruby for $4000. Mine has 550 hrs and is doing great on a Studiotek130. I have a HTPC and recently set up HDXA2 HDDVD. You won"t be disappointed I'm sure.
.

It is a bargain at 4,000! I still am very happy with it and can't wait to use DVE HD DVD to help me calibrate it even better. That is if it ever comes out. :)

I have a Ruby with approx 700Hrs on it. It is still adequate for me but I am planning to host a special event and want to put in a new bulb as part of the event will involve a calibration exersize and I would prefer to use a bulb with approx 100hrs.

Is it possible to change the bulb to a new one without destroying the old one? Will the old one be usable for a spare at some future date?

any advice would be very appreciated.........

Peter

That's exactly my gameplan. I put 750 hours on my factory lamp then took it out and placed a new one in. That way when I blow the second lamp (or it just casually dims) I will have a spare to put in while I get another new one. I had to wait almost a month just to get my new one. I can't imagine having a lamp go out and having to wait a month for a replacement. I prefer the spare plan! :)

That's exactly my gameplan. I put 750 hours on my factory lamp then took it out and placed a new one in. That way when I blow the second lamp (or it just casually dims) I will have a spare to put in while I get another new one. I had to wait almost a month just to get my new one. I can't imagine having a lamp go out and having to wait a month for a replacement. I prefer the spare plan! :)

Thank you very very much for that.........I will proceed to get the replacement.

1. Was the swap difficult?

2. I assume that the use of the old 'spare' would not recalibrate the "hours" correctly on re-insertion so some math might be required?

Peter

It was very easy to replace. Just make sure you have a longer shaft screwdriver. ;)

There have been quite a few of us that experienced trouble with the lamp starting and then failure of the power supply start mechanism. I agree with joerod that Sony has probably upgraded the start up section and is providing it as preventative maintenance.

I may be experiencing this. here's my symptoms:

Occssionally when I turn the projector instead of one "pop" and the bulb turns on I get "pop" "pop" "pop" and nothing happens. Then about 4-5 seconds later it trys again.

This normally seems to happen after the projector has been on for a while and then turned off and turned back on soon after. Leaving it off for a few hours allows it to start normally.

Tonight when I tried to turn it on (it was off since yesterday) it did this and it still won't start.

The current bulb has about 700 hours on it and the status does NOT indicate that the bulb has failed.

I guess I should take it in for service, eh?

-cek

I would at least unplug it first then try it again...

I suspect that a trip to Laredo is in your Ruby's future. Hopefully it will go smoother than my experience. Good luck....

Hopefully things have improved some...

I have hthis problem and am sending my Ruby in tomorrow. I talked to an engineer there and it is either the ballast or the lamp or both. We start watching whatever on a 20" flat panel I have in the theater. I keep the remote in hand and let the pj do it's click, click, click thing. Once the amber light goes solid I press the power button for the pj on the remote and it starts the click, click, click start up process again. it eventually fires up. Sometimes it takes 5 minutes and sometimes 30. Pain in the a$$. Once I get the projector fired up I turn off the flat panel.

I have a Ruby with approx 700Hrs on it. It is still adequate for me but I am planning to host a special event and want to put in a new bulb as part of the event will involve a calibration exersize and I would prefer to use a bulb with approx 100hrs.

Is it possible to change the bulb to a new one without destroying the old one? Will the old one be usable for a spare at some future date?

any advice would be very appreciated.........

Peter

Yes, just don't follow the instruction on the manual, don't let the xenon
gas out, I changed my bulb @ 360hs a while ago my current bulb has about 950hs and to be honest I don't see any difference yet.

Same here. I took out my first lamp at around 750. I decided to use it ias a full time spare. I now have 850 on the current one. When this one goes I will go back to the original and use it until I get a new one. The first one will always be my spare. Just remember, don't let the gas out!

jkmw,

Thanks for the info. Question - how long did it take to get your pj back once it was received at Laredo? Mine landed there yesterday. I'm eager to say the least. Also did they pay shipping back to you? Not cheap to send these monsters around the country.

I talked to an engineer at Laredo a while back and while he didn't mention the hard start kit by name he did say that it was standard practice to replace both when this problem occurs, I think it is what has been referred to here in the forums as the ballast which would be the high voltage starting device for these Xenon lamps if I'm not mistaken.

Did Sony monkey with your settings? Firmware?

thanks,

jkmw,

Thanks for the info. Question - how long did it take to get your pj back once it was received at Laredo? Mine landed there yesterday. I'm eager to say the least. Also did they pay shipping back to you? Not cheap to send these monsters around the country.

I talked to an engineer at Laredo a while back and while he didn't mention the hard start kit by name he did say that it was standard practice to replace both when this problem occurs, I think it is what has been referred to here in the forums as the ballast which would be the high voltage starting device for these Xenon lamps if I'm not mistaken.

Did Sony monkey with your settings? Firmware?

thanks,

Even though I OWN a Ruby - I have not needed to send it
in yet for any reason. HOWEVER - I have a lot of OTHER
SONY gear that needed to be repaired.

My Experience is SONY turns the BOXES around usually
within 48 hours. In one case they even sent me a brand
new box rather than fix my own. They also - as a rule
- update any FW that needs it.

That's good to know in case my Ruby ever needs serviced. :) I just ordered an extra lamp because approaching 900 hours is making me nervous... ;)

That's good to know in case my Ruby ever needs serviced. :) I just ordered an extra lamp because approaching 900 hours is making me nervous... ;)

The SONY Repair Facility in TX has been a VERY
POSITIVE experience for me. No One likes to send
their BOX out for repair - but Sony does a great
job in that department.

However - SONY might be the worst at helping
owners upgrade their FW or Features in their
products. Sony would rather release a new product
and make you BUY their new one.

The RUBY is a perfect example. I can GUARANTEE
you - Sony could change one single line of FW in
in the RUBY and make it handle 1080p/24 or
1080p/48 over HDMI - PERFECTLY.

BUT THEY WON'T :mad:

The RUBY is a perfect example. I can GUARANTEE
you - Sony could change one single line of FW in
in the RUBY and make it handle 1080p/24 or
1080p/48 over HDMI - PERFECTLY.

Very true... same with JVC, although JVC did make at least one change with the colors via firmware only after many complaints.

Yes, once Sony releases a product, they only fix a major problem. They don't care about improving their product. It is a shame about the Ruby and the fact that as you say, it would be very easily to make the existing processor do 1080p 24 or 1080p 48 over HDMI... If they would do that they would be more likely to earn my buisness in the future... I have no reason for brand loyalty...

I'm laughing my ass off about the VW-200... Sony is not going to sell any of those...

Can someone tell me what happens when the lamp breaks? I'm giving my father my Ruby with about 400 hours on it... Can he replace the bulb himself or is he going to have to send the projector in? By the way, the VW-200 has a 400W xenon bulb, same as Ruby but with a 2500 life expectancy... Joe, maybe you should return that bulb... I bet you could use the new improved VW-200 bulb... improved in terms of 2500 hours...

Guys, we need to figure out about the VW-200 bulb, it could be great for a Ruby bulb replacement... might work and last 2500 hours and age more gracefully..... Both are 400W xenons....

Yes, once Sony releases a product, they only fix a major problem. They don't care about improving their product. It is a shame about the Ruby and the fact that as you say, it would be very easily to make the existing processor do 1080p 24 or 1080p 48 over HDMI... If they would do that they would be more likely to earn my buisness in the future... I have no reason for brand loyalty...

I know two of the KEY Ruby Engineers.

I'm a EE and I have the complete schematics for
the Ruby. I confronted the two engineers with the
schematics and showed them the EXACT place and
signal name that is DISABLING the 1080p/24 function.

They choked on my knowledge and said they were
just following Sony's Policy.

I'm a EE and I have the complete schematics for the Ruby. I confronted the two engineers with the schematics and showed them the EXACT place and signal name that is DISABLING the 1080p/24 function.If a hardware hack is feasible, and does not require a FW update, why don't you publish it ?
You would have thousands of Ruby users greatful :D

I am working on modifying HDMI cables to help with the EDID issue that sometimes occurs. Hopefully I can crack this one... :D

I am working on modifying HDMI cables to help with the EDID issue that sometimes occurs. Hopefully I can crack this one... :D

Great! Please keep us posted!

I will. :) I am getting closer, I remove pin 15 and 16 (or attempt) and this should help with the EDID issue that some units have. I am also trying an easier route which is modifying a HDMI coupler... Should be easier to get access inside... :)

The RUBY is a perfect example. I can GUARANTEE
you - Sony could change one single line of FW in
in the RUBY and make it handle 1080p/24 or
1080p/48 over HDMI - PERFECTLY.

BUT THEY WON'T :mad:

This is really unfortunate. I'm happy with the Ruby overall but I'm disappointed that a $10k piece of equipment gets released and essentially disowned. No updates. Nothing. It's like it never existed.

I heard the Ruby had an upgrade and have the letter P at the end of the model number and they take 1080p 24. This is of course limited to buying a new one. I do not know anything about an upgrade for us previous owners.

I heard the Ruby had an upgrade and have the letter P at the end of the model number and they take 1080p 24. This is of course limited to buying a new one. I do not know anything about an upgrade for us previous owners.

Hmmm, if this is available and there is firmware enabling this, how can we get the factory firmware for the "p" model.

If this is the case I will purchase one and then send my old one back in the new box... Serisouly! :D

We need to rally together and start calling them. They need to offer this service to the loyal owners...

1) Agree with Joe, we need to draft some sort of group voice for this issue.

2) While we are at it, the VW-100 should be able to have the new 400W bulb replacement with 2500 hours instead of 1000. There should be absolutely no reason why we shouldn't be able to use the new 400W xenon bulb.

What's the best number to call? :)

A few things...

1.) Just because there's a new 400W bulb, doesn't mean it can replace the old 400W bulb. 400W is not always 400W, if you know what I mean. ;)
I really doubt the new bulbs will fit into the old projector, but feel free to prove me wrong. I didn't get my hands on a new bulb yet.

2.) Has anyone tried these "new" and "upgraded" versions of the Ruby? Does it really work with 1080p24 via HDMI? The latest shipments that I got my hands on did not work with that type of signal.

3.) I own a heavily modified version of the Ruby, that also runs a custom firmware and I really have no idea where to put that "single line of code" that would allow it to work with 1080p24 via HDMI. Feel free to enlighten me. If you know how it works and what to change, PM the necessary information to me and I'll take care of it. It might take a few weeks, since I have little to no time to play right now, but I'll look into it.

4.) Why does everyone want 1080p24 via HDMI? 1080p48 via DVI will give you the exact same results, nothing lost.

You make a good point. Some complain the picture is not as sharp using HDMI but when I use my crystalio II I can make it sharp!

So if 1080p/24 via HDMI is not working then there is no reason for us to make a fuss.

I did speak to Sony. I was elevated 3 times! Anyway, I called 1-800-222-7669. The final person I spoke to suggested writing a letter to: Sony electronics, 12451 Gateway Blvd., Fort Meyers, Florida, 33913... He also looked at their support and said it was interesting to see what they have added. I have not looked there so I will soon... That was located at sony.com/support. Then type in model number... If the reports are true and HDMI with 1080p/24 does not work then this may end up being a waste anyhow. And since 1080p/48 DVI will be the same (with a damn good VP) then there may not be a point going on a quest for it... :)

I think I'm interested in 1080 24 via HDMI just to compare it to the 1080 48 via DVI. Many have noted that the DVI input results in a softer picture while the HDMI input yields a sharper picture. For myself I run 1080/48 into DVI and am very happy. BUT if the option is there, then I'd like to have it.

Stephan,

Would you be able to tell us what your custom firmware has added to your Ruby?


Andy