Dan
Right now the best my cable provider offers is digital cable and the trouble with that is the way its set up here is channels 1thru 69 come thru as SD so you can run the cable to any TV you have. The cable box converts the higher stuff and the picture is great. then when I get up in the HBO stuff its perfect as good as DVD’s I would say. I added a amp to the feed coming in and it improved the SD some to the point it’s watch-able. I don’t know if the rest of the country is set up like this or not.
I just got a flyer yesterday I’m told that they are going HD so I guess I’ll have to go home and read that and see what they now offer.
As long as we are on the topic. And not knowing much about HD I’m told that some HD is better than others. Or more so some things transferred into HD are just that some older format just converted to HD and not really all that much better.

As long as we are on the topic. And not knowing much about HD I’m told that some HD is better than others. Or more so some things transferred into HD are just that some older format just converted to HD and not really all that much better.

Well yeah, again like I touched on above, video based HD.. where they actually use HD cameras to capture the action is where HD truly shines.

When it comes to movies/film where a conversion is going on, all kinds of factors come into play as to how it "looks". Not the least of which can even be just the Directors intent in how he tells the story. Taking you to a diferent place and time. As opposed to making all movies seem like you're just looking out the window at the peope. ;)

But when it comes to nature and sports the idea *is* to make it seem like you're looking out the window.. or in the stands at the ballgame or talking a stroll in the garden.

Not saying movies in HD arent great as a whole but in my opinion if is was up to film based content to carry the load of HD, HD would've never taken off.

But anyways, yeah.. get that freakin HD box as soon as you can. Because if you're happy with the pj now....

I purchased one of these from Costco about 4 1/2 months and always experienced a problem with the edges of the picture being out of focus. The odd thing was that the focus problem followed the aspect ratio of the image, but it didn't do it on the menu screen. This led me to believe that my image processor was faulty so I returned the item to Costco (without a receipt) and they gave me a new one no questions asked.

I brought it home and immediately saw a huge difference; it's almost as if I upgraded projectors rather than do an even swap out. Anyway, if any of you are experience some focus issues on the edges of the image you have a faulty model and should try to get a new one.

Bud - To add onto the excellent posts that Dan made above...I would probably liken the difference between 480p and HD on this projector, to the difference I've seen from 480i to 480p...depending on the source material of course. It might not be *quite* the difference in improvement, but it's pretty darn close.

IOW, you've got a lot to look forward to when your cable company makes the jump to HD.

Then, the next step will be to get yourself an HD-DVR. ;)

XR10 fed 1080i from my Zenith DVD player is as good as Directv HD feed for most part. No 480i here.

Caspian - How are you getting 1080i from your DVD player? Do you mean 480p?

Zenith is an upscaling DVD player that let you run it at 480p, 720p or 1080i thru component with good results.

Zenith is an upscaling DVD player that let you run it at 480p, 720p or 1080i thru component with good results.

Okay, but the source is still just DVD, not HD-DVD/Blu-Ray though, right?

No HD source just upscale the screen resolution and the result is HD like image. Surprizing but it works.

I've seen those claims on DVD players, but never figured it could actually work. Source material is source material afterall (GIGO).

How does your player connect? Via component? I guess so, if you're using this same PJ, huh.

I would be surprized if you say the same thing after actually doing some experiment with an upscaling player. 480p looks crappy with XR10. There are some good upscaling players out there cheap. Use your PC to see the difference but that is limited to your graphic board. My CRT FP totally blows the Sharp with the same DVD player running at 1080i. This subject has been discussed and most agree that is the way to go.

Hi all. I'm very interested in this projector. With any luck, I'll be buying this one in the fall after I get into my new place. My guess is that this isn't a 'true' HD projector, but should should display a very good 'HD like' image from the upcoming HD-DVD's (compared to the regular DVD's that are currently available). I also like the fact that it's a 4:3 ratio, for those old classic films. I'd simply use a masking system for the wide screen movies.

Anyway, enough of my rambling. Here's my question. My viewing distance to screen will be about 11 feet. I'd say that the lense to screen distance will be about 10.5 feet. I'd like to project approx. an 80" image onto my 4:3 screen. Is this possible with the situation I've just described? Any comments are appreciated. Thanks.

-Mike

p.s. Is this the same as the XR-20X?

1) Yup. I have my Sharp mounted about 10.5-11' back from a 80" diag screen and I am able to fill it with zoom to spare.

2) The XR20X is NOT the same. The XR20X has more lumens (and more expensive replacement bulbs), automatic keystoning adjustment and has a significantly higher retail price than the XR10X.

Great! Thanks for the info. Somewhere, maybe in this thread, I thought I read that there was the Sharp model (with a different model #) that was the same as the XR10. It may have been sold through Costco. Thanks.

-Mike

Yes, you're thinking of the XR-11C, sold by Costco...several have said it's identical.

FWIW, there is also a XR-11XC sold by another retailer. I cannot seem to confirm whether this one is identical as well, but it seems like a possibility.

Thanks! Now I know what to be on the lookout for.

-Mike

Anybody get eye strain with this projector?

I've done some reading of other threads here at AVS and see where eye strain can occur on a "lower end" DLP PJ like the XR-10 due to the rainbow-effect, but I'm not sure if that's what I'm experiencing or not.

I don't consciously see the rainbows, but the last few times my wife and I have watched movies on my PJ, my eyes have tired out pretty quickly, even tearing up at some point (and no, not at the content of the movie :D ). I've tried raising the light levels in the room and that didn't seem to make a difference.

The strange thing is that I only notice this condition on DVDs...after the movie last night, I switched over to HDTV and the difference in how my eyes felt was very significant.

Now, I'm wondering if this is related to the rainbow-effect, or just the lower-res of DVDs, or something else altogether.

FWIW, I've watched movies/TV on my 57" HDTV for 3+ years now and have never had this problem before.

Just curious to hear any other thoughts from you guys.

IrmoGamecoq; Did you ever get the ND2 filter for the projector? I am thinking that if you are watching in complete darkness, you need to lower the brightness level of the projector... I got the same effect watching a Sony HS10 LCD projector in complete darkness when first evaluating projectors so the effect is not really DLP versus LCD, but watching movies in the dark at too bright a level.... Think of it as staring into headlights in the dark.... The ND2 filter should be able to reduce the light output of the projector by 50% which should really help your black level, and reduce your headaches/eye strain....

Irmo

I haven’t noticed any eye strain at all and haven’t seen any rainbows except the one I posted above about. In fact I find watching this much less strain than my computer monitor at work or my 31 CRT. I do like a few lights on just soft down in the viewer end of the room. I also ran that calibration program and after that the darks held some improved contrast. I have at times found myself watching “to hard” kind of a habit from developing the gray screen paint. Without a ND2 filter or a gray screen I could see where the picture could be too bright and that could be a problem. I do think mine was even easier on the eyes before I did the top coat to my screen.

I just watched King Kong with 9 others last night and that was a sitting marathon but no one mentioned any eye strain but I did get several comments on sore backsides, and also how great the picture looked.

IrmoGamecoq; Did you ever get the ND2 filter for the projector? I am thinking that if you are watching in complete darkness, you need to lower the brightness level of the projector... I got the same effect watching a Sony HS10 LCD projector in complete darkness when first evaluating projectors so the effect is not really DLP versus LCD, but watching movies in the dark at too bright a level.... Think of it as staring into headlights in the dark.... The ND2 filter should be able to reduce the light output of the projector by 50% which should really help your black level, and reduce your headaches/eye strain....

Don't have the ND2 yet, but I have toned down the brightness to "eco-quiet" level and I'm using "movie" mode which tones it all down a great deal. My "screen" (wall actually) is a grey paint, so my black levels are good and dark already.

I've also been watching with the side sconces on, but dimmed down to probably around 25-33% power.

I'm hoping that this is just a temporary thing, but I've noticed my eyes have felt "tired" even into the day after we've watched movies now the last few times.

Like Bud, I used to get this feeling from staring at a CRT monitor too long and fixed that by consciously remembering to blink more often. Maybe it's the same thing here and I just need to get used to it. I was watching the clock during last night's 124 min "Pride and Prejudice" viewing, and I can't imagine how it'll be when I opt for the LotR or Star Wars marathon. :D

I also ran that calibration program and after that the darks held some improved contrast.

Which one is that?

I haven't yet run Digital Video Essentials on this PJ, so maybe that will help. As I posted above, I was just going with the stock "movie" settings.

Im aboput to use this Sharp 10x with the Doable board with 10" cut off. How far back should the front of the projector be from the screen?

My plan is for 13.3...is that too close?

Irmo

All I ran was the freebie that comes included with some DVD’s I think its called thk optimizer it was on the DVD “the village” it lets you set contrast and color and also black level I really thought I was tweaked pretty good to my eye before but was surprised I wasn’t seeing as much detail in the black end as I could. I didn’t say anything to anyone and my nephew said something right off like “did you adjust something I’m seeing more detail in the night shots.” So give that a try.

Scrapdiggs

Go to the sharp web page and download the throw distance calculator it will tell you everything you need to know. Are you planning on painting the Doable board? Or using as is? I haven’t shot to it yet so if you do let us know what happens. Are you making a 16:9 screen?

Irmo

All I ran was the freebie that comes included with some DVD’s I think its called thk optimizer it was on the DVD “the village” it lets you set contrast and color and also black level I really thought I was tweaked pretty good to my eye before but was surprised I wasn’t seeing as much detail in the black end as I could. I didn’t say anything to anyone and my nephew said something right off like “did you adjust something I’m seeing more detail in the night shots.” So give that a try.


Bud - I used the THX optimizer from the Star Wars Ep III disc and was discouraged because I couldn't get the "contrasting squares" to show up no matter what I changed in the settings. It all just looked like a big white square to me. I figured I'd give my Digital Video Essentials disc a try as there was obviously something about my setup that the THX optimizer didn't like. Maybe it's my grey screen/wall.

Scrapdiggs

Go to the sharp web page and download the throw distance calculator it will tell you everything you need to know. Are you planning on painting the Doable board? Or using as is? I haven’t shot to it yet so if you do let us know what happens. Are you making a 16:9 screen?

Planning on using it as is...I am making it 16:9 indeed. I went ahead and put it at 13.3ft and it looks great!

Irmo
Let us know what you find with the DVE disc. When I put the THK on mine the first screen it gave was the reverse gradient white to black and black to white bars. With that test I was off almost one full bar on the black end. And I had plenty of adjustment to bring it in. combining what you are telling us about this and the eye strain I’m just wondering if maybe you are way to high on the screen gain. I did all that work over on the DIY screen forum with getting the gray level right for this projector and I have had several others use my same mix without the topcoat and get the same results I did with a XR10X. I forget now what size you are shooting too. And do you have the color mix you are using?
99% of the world is trying to nurse a few more lumens out of their projectors and here us XR boys are wearing sunglasses.

Scrapdiggs
So I guess what you are saying is the image is good on the “Doable” to bad that stuff don’t come wider so you could use it for a big 4:3

Irmo
Let us know what you find with the DVE disc. When I put the THK on mine the first screen it gave was the reverse gradient white to black and black to white bars. With that test I was off almost one full bar on the black end. And I had plenty of adjustment to bring it in. combining what you are telling us about this and the eye strain I’m just wondering if maybe you are way to high on the screen gain. I did all that work over on the DIY screen forum with getting the gray level right for this projector and I have had several others use my same mix without the topcoat and get the same results I did with a XR10X. I forget now what size you are shooting too. And do you have the color mix you are using?
99% of the world is trying to nurse a few more lumens out of their projectors and here us XR boys are wearing sunglasses.


Bud - I'm using Sherwin Williams "Proper Gray" which is slightly darker than the Lowes/HD "silverscreen" that's en vogue around here.

I'm shooting onto a 108" screen, sitting about 14' back.

The first test on my THX disc was the big block/square that was composed of 4 different squares. You change your brightness/contrast until the 4 squares are completely distinct. No matter how I changed my brightness or contrast, I couldn't get the squares to show up. I didn't spend a lot of time tinkering with it (I figured I was going to use my DVE anyway), but I've gone through that same THX test with my 57" RPTV and had no trouble discerning the 4 blocks.

Irmo

The “proper gray” looks like it should be more than dark enough. I’m shooting to 120 on a paint called “silver leaf “ that I modified to be a neutral gray. The lamp black in that is roughly half of what’s in “silver screen” if you account for the effect of all the other color pigments in SS. When you said 108 is that your 16:9 or 4:3 measurement? I’m assuming 4:3 that would only make you maybe 20% brighter due to less screen area. And without knowing the pigment in proper gray just looking at on line paint chip and the fact you said you felt it darker than SS I’m befuddled. The only question I think I haven’t asked you is what luster did you buy the proper gray in. is it flat/ matte?

Bud - Yeah, it's a flat finish, but the "premium" grade of Sherwin Williams paint that allows easy cleanability. I'm not getting a lot of gain from the finish, I know.

The 108" is not a diagonal measurement, it's straight horizontal width...so it wouldn't matter whether it's 4:3 or 16:9...the width of the image is still the same.

Using my old HS math skills, and the good ol' pythagorean theorem, I can get the diagonal size of the screen for both 4:3 and 16:9 aspect ratios:

4:3 - 108"w x 81"h yields a 135" diagonal
16:9 - 108"w x 60.75"h yields a 123.9" diagonal

Anyway, I still haven't had a chance to run DVE on my system (having a 5mo old at home is tough) so that might make all the difference.

Irmo

Wow now I’m really totally perplexed. Your screen is 15% bigger than mine and you are that much darker gray. I started with flat white and with testing stopped at a mix of 22/48 oz lampblack per gallon of white base feeling that was the point I saw the white end of the spectrum start to give up and blacks didn’t improve all that much. My guess is you are about twice that black level and still white end high.

I’m certain that in the movie mode the white or clear section of the color wheel is shut off. Or at least I think it is. Maybe someone else has a clue to some setting on the projector you can change.

I might have to throw a couple test screens in the truck in a couple months when I’m down south and drop them off on your front porch for you. :D

Oh yeah I'd definitely try 'em out. :D I'm still not entirely sold on going screenless yet, I just figured I'd see how we like it just projecting onto the wall at first.

Caspian, I took your great idea and modified it a little bit... I went to the camera store where they were selling old camera lens masks for $1.50/so... I bought two sizes; 62mm and 67mm to try them out... I inversed them so the mask hangs backwards instead of how they would mounted over a camera lens. They slide over, but don't touch the ND2 filter so no worries about scratching the lens with it. I taped black electrical tape on the top to test and after a little tweaking trying to get the tape in the right position; I can now top mask for the 2:22/1 movies now with ease... All I do is just put it over the lens and remove it without any velcro or anything... It just stays there until I remove it for full-screen viewing! I am going to buy a few more for 1:87/movies next..... Even my wife was impressed... I will try to take some digital pics soon of what it looks like including my setup with the Sharp XR10X....

Here is a picture of what it looks like... Actually it is straighter than it looks when really using it. I just threw it up there for the picture. I take it off and put the lens cover on after each time I use it.

I see you only masked the lens on the top and let go the bottom.
I have done pretty much the same with the exception of no ND and I used velcro rather that electric tape because velcro stays flat and no need for backing like in this shot you filter is the backing. What is that sponge on the top of the pj? Is that for blocking light spill? If so I am using a piece of black lace (actually it is speaker cloth that I had left from my HT build). Keepup the tweak projects. No one still has no idea what the service code is?

I see you only masked the lens on the top and let go the bottom.
I have done pretty much the same with the exception of no ND and I used velcro rather that electric tape because velcro stays flat and no need for backing like in this shot you filter is the backing. What is that sponge on the top of the pj? Is that for blocking light spill? If so I am using a piece of black lace (actually it is speaker cloth that I had left from my HT build). Keepup the tweak projects. No one still has no idea what the service code is?


I don't need to bottom mask, since I have an electric screen and a painted black wall behind the electric screen. In the dark with the camera mask; the top masking now looks just like the bottom no where there is no screen....

The sponge is what I needed to get the projector aligned just "perfect".... Unfortunately, my set-up with the mount had all sorts of problems getting the picture straight. Putting that sponge in fixed the problem instantly.... You don't really see the sponge, except in that picture.... It's pretty dark; It probably helps with the light spill as well.....

Actually, I am running out of ideas on how to further tweak this projector... I still can't believe just how much of an impact this made to my movie watching :)

edwardr132, I'm curious as to whether you have an HD source feeding your projector. If so, are you impressed with HD on the XR10? Of course, I'm also curious to hear from other XR10 owners watching HD on their projectors especially those of you with HD-DVD (I know, a bit too soon on that one) Cheers.

-Mike

For me, HD (from my cable provider) is absolutely amazing.
It is many many levels better looking than SDTV and DVD.
I have watched a couple "superbit" DVD's that bridge the gap a little more than normal DVD"s, but yes...HD looks amazing on the xr10. :)

HD looks amazing... I have the SA 8300 DVR hooked up and the Channel 11 Nova series and SoundStage look outstanding!!!!! The Leno show looks incredible as well... I also have HD clips on my HTPC and they look fantastic.. I am really, really glad I upgraded from my Infocus X1 to the Sharp XR-10X.

Movienutt brought up a good point. I'm interested in hear how HD-DVD looks on this projector.

Now, it's probably likely that a person that opts for the XR-10X as his/her projector is *probably* not the same person that will early-adopt the HD-DVD platform, but maybe there's someone out there that's tried. Looking forward to hearing how it looks.

I agree with the above posters...HDTV looks awesome.

I also have a Xbox360 hooked up, and at 720p it too looks really, really good.

Oh, and IrmoGamecoq...you might be suprised. I've read posts from more than one "budget" projector owner who's considered getting the Toshiba HD-DVD player. If I had a better idea of the success of the format down the road from now I would seriously consider a player myself...~$500 really isn't all that much all things considered.

"Normal" DVD's still look really good, however.

Movienutt brought up a good point. I'm interested in hear how HD-DVD looks on this projector.

Now, it's probably likely that a person that opts for the XR-10X as his/her projector is *probably* not the same person that will early-adopt the HD-DVD platform, but maybe there's someone out there that's tried. Looking forward to hearing how it looks.


It is funny I read all kinds of negative posts and reviewes of low $$$ high lumen bussiness projectors by people that have never owned one. It’s almost like if it didn’t cost 10 grand it can’t be any good. Matched to the right screen IMO those lumens really rock. I’m still waiting for someone to say something like you have a nice picture but it don’t look as good like my friends XYZ does, when they come over. Instead I get wow they have really came a long way with these things and man this is so bright compared to so and so’s in that dark room, it’s like the room is lit up and the picture is still so sharp. And this me without HD wowing them with 480p DVD’s. I may just have uneducated friends with poor ability to see good. But I know who the fussy ones are and they aren’t easily impressed.

If I knew I could get reasonably priced HD DVD’s and I knew the format wouldn’t change on me I would spend the 500 to a 1000 right now and hook it up also.

Oh, I didn't meant to offend, guys...heck, I'm a XR-10X owner too...

I guess what I was really trying to say is *not* that we're "cheap" to own this projector, but that we're maybe a little smarter with our $$ than the average "big budget" HT owner, and therefore less likely to early-adopt a new technology like HD-DVD. Especially one with a format-war rival attached to it.

Just my 2 cents worth but I have both the xr-11 (costco) and the panasonic ae-900u (also costco) and the 900u is well worth the price difference.

Dave

I watch OTA HDTV through an old Voom Box at 1080i. I have a friend with a ISF calibrated 42" Panasonic Plasma and we both agree (much to his disappointment) that my PJ looks better than his TV with HD. If you haven't seen it, CSI Miami looks INCREDIBLE in HD on this PJ (92" 16:9 screen).

Irmo
None taken. I totally agree with you. And I’m sure there are better projectors out there but I still think bang for the buck this is the projector to pick.

I would say if you were using the XR10 and the 900u both with the same screen you would see a big difference one way or the other.

Bottom line there are a lot of very good projectors out there. What is the bottom of the line specs today was the dream machine 5 years ago.

I have seen the Panny and all it does better is pixel visibilty that helps smoothout the image. It also has better black level but ansi contrast Sharp is better in my opinion. I also think that DLP offers a bolder pix.
Yes you will get improvements with any upgrade when you spend more. But to get this much performance for less than a grand is what makes this pj fun.

Just out of curiosity, has anyone else noticed these drying up at some of the warehouse clubs? I know of two that have none in stock, haven't in weeks, and have no idea what is going on.

Just out of curiosity, has anyone else noticed these drying up at some of the warehouse clubs? I know of two that have none in stock, haven't in weeks, and have no idea what is going on.


My Sams Club has been out for over a month now. They still have the PJ on display, but none to sell.

My Sams Club has been out for over a month now. They still have the PJ on display, but none to sell.
My Costco is out also, except one open box. I tried it and it had problems so I had to return it. Now they only have the display.

My local Sam's club no longer has it available or on display. I might have purchased the last one.

That seems to be the nature of these stores. Its almost like they do this to get people off the fence and buying. I have heard a lot of people in the store saying we better get it you never know if they will be gone next time. when my friend saw my XR10 he wanted one and I told him the same thing and he went down and picked it up. Just in case. Last time I was at the store they still had the display out (poorly displayed I might add) and I didn’t see any around so who knows they could be out as well.

My local Sam's club seems to be out of them as well..... I wonder what would happen if I needed to exchange it for another one if I had problems with it (which I don't)....

Unfortunately for me, I wasn't on the fence as much as I was waiting for the budgetary flexibility. Oh well. In any case, now that I know of one store that no longer has its display model up, I'll be swinging by this weekend to investigate...maybe the electronics manager will know more this time.

That seems to be the nature of these stores. Its almost like they do this to get people off the fence and buying. I have heard a lot of people in the store saying we better get it you never know if they will be gone next time. when my friend saw my XR10 he wanted one and I told him the same thing and he went down and picked it up. Just in case. Last time I was at the store they still had the display out (poorly displayed I might add) and I didn’t see any around so who knows they could be out as well.

The problem is that I checked the dispay at my Costco and it had 1700 hours on the lamp. Anyone know if they will reduce the price for displays?

FWIW, refurbs are all over E-bay with a one-year warranty from Sharp for about $150 less than the Costco price.

Ive owned my xr-10x for barely a month with most time spent watching DVD's and am pretty satisfied however I really havnt taken time-out to really PLAY w/picture settings. Does anyone have any Picture Quality setting adjustment specs they'd like to share. I have a short throw at 9'5" on a white screen 86" diag 1.0 gain using ECO mode in a pitch dark-basement room. I do mean to use my THX optimizer but havnt yet. I know beauty's in the eye of the beholder but I'll welcome any tips.

rob b

If you are in a pitch dark-basement room; I think a 62mm ND2 filter is a must. Mine is a Tiffen brand. Also using a camera mask is a good idea... I personally think the colors are pretty close to spot on in my opinion after running a few DVD calibration programs with the 62mm ND2 filter.

If you are in a pitch dark-basement room; I think a 62mm ND2 filter is a must. Mine is a Hoya brand. Also using a camera mask is a good idea... I personally think the colors are pretty close to spot on in my opinion after running a few DVD calibration programs with the 62mm ND2 filter.

I'm already using an ND2 filter with good results. Just curious, I assume you use the camera mask to control light spill. Is that correct? Also how do you attach it?

For anyone interested, there is an XR10 calibration thread.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=641333&highlight=xr10

I use the camera filter for top masking wide-screen movies since the projector is 4:3. It works perfect! It just slides over the lens and is removed each night when the lens cap is put on. I couldn't be happier with it. It only cost me a couple of bucks used at a local pro camera shop. I don't know how much they go for new... I bought two of them for different height levels.

I am really glad to hear that you are getting good results with your ND2 filter. By the way; my 62mm ND2 filter is a Tiffen... I mistakenly thought it was a Hoya before...

Ive owned my xr-10x for barely a month with most time spent watching DVD's and am pretty satisfied however I really havnt taken time-out to really PLAY w/picture settings. Does anyone have any Picture Quality setting adjustment specs they'd like to share. I have a short throw at 9'5" on a white screen 86" diag 1.0 gain using ECO mode in a pitch dark-basement room. I do mean to use my THX optimizer but havnt yet. I know beauty's in the eye of the beholder but I'll welcome any tips.

rob b
Here is my set up which I think might be very different from others but it works well with my Stewart 1.3 gaing screen, 96" wide 1.78 AR.

Mode Movie
Contrat -20
Brightness -12
Color -5
Hue 0
Sharpness -10
Color temp 5500

Lamp setting eco
Fan high

Yours might turn out different.

Edit: last night rechecked every thing and I made some changes as above. There would be some ringinging if "Sharpness" is left as factory default. The red of this projector is oversaturated and without going to service menu there is no way to change the primeries. The green is also desaturated a bit. I am surprised no one knows the service code!

robbob - I ran DVE on my XR-10X this weekend and found that "movie" mode was almost spot on perfect for me (projecting on a "proper gray" wall in a finished walk-out basement). The only tweak I made to "movie" mode was scaling back the color to -8.

I need to look into an ND2 filter to top/bottom mask my pic though...that's a good idea.

OBTW, guys...the eye strain problem seems to be a thing of the past...

I don't know if it was a matter of getting accustomed to watching it, or if it was some other factor altogether...but we watched 4 movies this weekend and my eyes didn't feel tired/dried-out at any point.

Same here!
After a couple weeks of owning the PJ, I "learned" how to watch it.
No eye strain, and rainbows of any type have gone away too.
The brain is a wonderful thing!

Agreed!

I need to look into a top/bottom mask via the Nd2 filter though. The top/bottom borders are starting to bug me.

Same here!
After a couple weeks of owning the PJ, I "learned" how to watch it.
No eye strain, and rainbows of any type have gone away too.
The brain is a wonderful thing!

But that does not help the casual friend or family member that may come over to watch a movie or sporting event with you that may have problems with DLP.

I've had 10+ people cycle through my still-unfinished HT and haven't heard a complaint yet.

Still wondering if my problem was another case of hypochondria.

For those that are having problems finding this projector...

The Benq PE7800 seems to have been forgotten about.

It's a 1024x576 16x9 DLP with 5x 6-segment color wheel. Has DVI, component, and RGBHV inputs. MSRP was $5495 two years ago. Today's pricing is very similar to the XR-10X at the big box stores.

One of the main appeals of this projector was the "generous" return/exchange policies at the big box stores in case of any issues such as premature bulb failure... At All other projector places, you are basically "screwed" if a bulb dies after the warranty; say in a year or so before its rated hours....

Since it came up again, I figured I'd chime in with what I found out this weekend....

I went to the local warehouse club determined to get some definitive answers, while realizing I was ultimately at the mercy of the staff. Thankfully, I did get a much more knowledgeable sales guy this time.

After I told him how I had been there many times over the past 4 weeks, and all I ever saw was the display model, I asked if they were ever going to be getting them in again. He replied that they actually HAD been getting units in stock--multiple times in fact--they were just always very small shipments (1-2 units) and selling out quickly as a result. He then went and checked the current status, and the units were in fact at the distributor, expected at the store on Monday (yesterday). I called yesterday, but no sign of them yet.

So, long story short: these shortages seem to be the result of demand, not necessarily a stoppage in production. It's quite possible more are in fact on the way.

Birdman71: Another advantage of this unit over other 1024x576 units is the extra 192 vertical pixels provide image shift...which happens to be an absolute necessity for me.

-dave

ORPhD;

That makes a lot of sense..... If you find one; Pick one up :)

I’ll weigh in also on a couple of the current issues.

First the eye strain I have watched a fair share of front projection home theaters and 40 years of going to movie theaters and I don’t really see any difference in the XR10X than any other form of viewing a bright image in a dark room. I don’t really see any special conditioning you have to go thru in order to jump in and watch the XR10X. I remember as a kid going to the Warner Theater and watching a double feature and then leaving and going out into the bright sun light and feeling like I was blind for a few minutes from just being in the dark that long. In fact I believe projectors like this that are a little on the bright side afford the user some controlled ambient lighting down at the seating end of the room. I find this little extra light helps me with eye strain without sacrificing any or very little picture quality.

As for the box stores. Mine hasn’t had a unit on the floor other than the display from day one. The guy told me they are a high theft item. (I have no idea how you get one out under your jacket.) When I went to get mine the computer showed 6 in stock and it took him 20 minutes to find them on the top rack in the tire section of the store. These stores are not set up well for helping with technical questions. And the displays are so poor. It’s hard to say how many they would sell if they had a darken area with a good size screen you could walk into and view. I didn’t know much about the XR10X when I first saw it at the store. I wrote down the info and went home and started doing some web searching on it liked the specs and the return policy etc and thought give it a try.

IMO other than the weight of the projector I haven’t found any real faults with this projector. And in my case weight was a non issue once I got it hanging from the ceiling. Its always hard to compare two items of different price based on both performance and price together. But I still say it ranks very high on the “projector per buck” scale.

I’ll weigh in also on a couple of the current issues.

First the eye strain I have watched a fair share of front projection home theaters and 40 years of going to movie theaters and I don’t really see any difference in the XR10X than any other form of viewing a bright image in a dark room. I don’t really see any special conditioning you have to go thru in order to jump in and watch the XR10X. I remember as a kid going to the Warner Theater and watching a double feature and then leaving and going out into the bright sun light and feeling like I was blind for a few minutes from just being in the dark that long. In fact I believe projectors like this that are a little on the bright side afford the user some controlled ambient lighting down at the seating end of the room. I find this little extra light helps me with eye strain without sacrificing any or very little picture quality.

I had pretty much the same thoughts. I can recall coming out of the theatre many times and had that initial "shock" from the daylight outside. But, this "eye strain" I experienced was different from that, and more akin to the "tired eyes" I used to get from sitting in front of a computer monitor for too long a time. That's probably a more appropriate analogy too, just comparing a monitor to a projector.

In any event, it's gone away. I agree with the ambient light thing too. I have sconces in my HT that I always keep on now when we're watching TV down there. Muted and dimmed, but they're on.


As for the box stores. Mine hasn’t had a unit on the floor other than the display from day one. The guy told me they are a high theft item. (I have no idea how you get one out under your jacket.)

I've found it works much better under a hat. Particularly those big "ten-gallon" ones. I wonder if they have more XR-10X thefts in the Lone Star state?

ORPhD;

That makes a lot of sense..... If you find one; Pick one up :)

Done and done. :D

The weekend salesguy knew what he was talking about, and yesterday I finally hit paydirt. My purchase depleted their stock on hand by 50%...so I'll be curious to see if the other one sells by the next time I'm over there.

I was disappointed to have the sales guy tell me that the extended service plan wouldn't cover bulbs, even though the brochure did not say specifically one way or the other, and in fact, seemed to contradict itself on the matter. So I didn't buy one, but he did tell me that if I ran into problems, it is returnable for quite some time.

Of course, I could still end up ultimately returning it in the near term anyway. It will all come down to whether I can get it to work with my room geometry. It will certainly be fun weekend trying though.

-dave

Congrats Dave

And I would be willing to put money on it staying. I can see it now half your furniture will be out in the garage windows painted black and the XR10X proudly displayed.

If you need some help getting it setup just post we’ll help you out.

I was told by at least 2 people that my bulb is covered. So I’m ether going to get a bulb or a refund of the extended warranty when the time comes.

Irmo

Not many 10 gallon hats in Pennsylvania so that’s why I didn’t think of that. But them Amish we have to keep a eye on even without electric.

Yeah Bud, you can load a lot of XR-10's in the back of a horse-drawn wagon.

On Topic: Lost looked great last night in all its HD glory. I love this PJ.

I had a fellow over a week or so ago that has a Sony HS-51 720p that he has put 2400 hours on. His opinion was that there was very little difference in the pictures with an HDTV source. He shoots onto a 92" diagonal 1.1 gain grey screen and I shoot onto a 116" diagonal matte white. He just put in a new lamp. He felt the black levels he gets were a little better, that the brightness was about the same (my screen is 44% larger in area) and that he saw a little more pixelization in mine. My seating is very close though, for a picture that size. I just found I didn't mind a little pixelization, mostly seen on computer generated whites, to gain the immersive experience. He felt his picture with a dvd source was superior. He has some Pioneer Elite dvd player and I was using a LG3510A upsampled to 1080i. In the past I had used a component switch box so that I could use my Pioneer DV-563A as the dvd source, while retaining the LG for HDTV because I thought the output of the Pioneer was superior. In other words, it could be primarily a source difference.

Just thought I would pass the comparison along.

Michael

The ND2 filter came off my Sharp XR-10X today... The image seemed a little dim; took it off; now it feels like the original picture with the ND2 filter when bought new... I checked the bulb life; it says 88% used! How can that be; It shows I only have about 488/so hours left of life on the bulb..... Even when the bulb is 88% used; the picture (now without the ND2 filter is incredible.....

edwardr132: To get up to 88%, how many hours have you used it? Is the bulb life performing up to expectations.

Meanwhile, since HD no longer carries .5" plexiglass, I'm currently stuck in mount purgatory. As such, I haven't even had the chance to turn on my new purchase yet :( (ceiling mounting is the ONLY option with a 22 month old roaming free). I am more encouraged about the room geometry though, as long as I can still find a way to construct a mount with a minimum of 15" of clearance from the ceiling. And the weekend wasn't a total loss, as I accomplished quite a bit in running my speaker wire through the crawl space.

bud16415: Did you get the pieces for your mount at HD? If so, what section were such parts in? I'm thinking something slightly similar is going to be my best bet, but I'm the type who can spend an hour in HD and never what I need. So any direction at all would be appreciated.

Unfortunately, I am not sure.... I do remember when I hit about 500 hours... I thought that seemed pretty quick... You go through it pretty quick... Still, I think the bulb should last longer.... I believe I bought the Projector around November, 2005; So I have only owned it about 7 months/so..... How is everyone else clocking up on bulb life... I believe we are using the projector about 1-3 hours a night on average; after the kids go to bed.... Sometimes more during weekends....

Pro mounts only go for about a $100/so if you look around.... I believe mine is a Peerless mount... I would do that over some "pexiglass experiment" unless you are totally not in a hurry.... They also work then on any future projector as well....

ORPhd - Check back in this thread. I got a mount on ebay that has been fine for my needs.

Edward - 88% of lamp life in 7 months? Wow!

I've had mine since 3/2 and have put 77 hours on it. I'd say that most of those hours have been in the last 30-45 days though. We didn't use it much in the first 2 weeks.

Edward- Isn't it saying 88% left or used. Sharp always displays the remaining life.

ORPhd,

If you decide not to go with a premade mount from ebay and still plan on building yours...I suggest using white plastic cutting board, the dishwasher-safe kind you see at any kitchen store.

I got a free universal mount with my Sharp, but the standard three-point assembly that it used wouldn't work with the four-point square pattern on the Sharp. I picked up a 1" thick cutting board from the local Gordon's Foods; it was easy enough to measure and cut the square I needed with a circular saw and then drill the four holes. The material is soft enough to work with tools, but rigid enough to give strong support, plus the dishwasher-safe aspect of it means it's resistant to heat.

Works great. Just my $.02.

Thanks for all the input on mounts.

Currently, I basically have two issues I'm dealing with. The first (and why most manufactured mounts won't work for me) is that I actually will not be attaching the mount to a ceiling, but instead to a 4" wide beam. At least if I make the mount myself, I can either be certain all the screw holes will fit on the beam from the bottom or actually attach it to the sides of the beam (the more likely option). This is why I think a variation on Bud's mount will work well for me. The second issue I'm facing is an almost complete lack of power tools...at least if I buy at a home improvement store, I can get them to make any cuts (and hopefully holes) that I need.

I mounted my Sharp by a mount that is designed for LCD computer wall mount. It was cheap and what I like about is has a quick release to dismount the pj in a snap. It also has tilt and swing feature. Hight is fixed but I built a platform out of veneer faced plywood and stained it. The platform was build to bring the projector to the proper offset in my room. The mount I bought is available at Office Depot for about $50. RE:89205600048 wl mount,tilt, blk

I don't think it works if you have more than 8' hight.

Will this PJ do?



What's driving my purchase is having a skookum display system for image sales - bring client into relaxed environment, get their feet up, put on some music, do slide show of photo session displaying large, very high quality digital display on wall. As you can imagine, it's easier to sell small prints from a big display than selling a big print from a small display. So crisp image with accurate color is key.

A side benefit for us will be the ability to use this projector for home theatre, too

ORPhd

I have the opposite problem that you have I have at my disposal a large tool and die facility and also a larger sheet metal fabricating shop. Along with a well equipped home shop. The fact that its sometime easy for me to make stuff doesn’t lend itself well to some DIY projects. My mount I just bent up out of 1/8 thk aluminum sheet stock I had left over as scrap.
I will put my thinking cap on today as to how best to attach your XR10 to a beam woth a minimum of tools and still make it a good looking install. And actually the cutting board suggestion above is a great way to get smaller pieces of poly material at not much cost. Lets see what we can figure out for you as a group.

Trratz

You wont regret using this projector for just what you wanted to do. When I store photos 1 to 5 meg in size to cd’s and play them thru the XR10 or directly from the pc is even better the images are breath taking. You will see detail you didn’t think was in the picture. 4:3 aspect ratio works great with all sizes of cropped photos and you will love it as a home theater projector also.

I suggest carefully matching the screen to this projector and below in my signature are some links to how I made my screen suited for this projector.

Hmmmm....I don't know why I didn't see that there was a new post yesterday in my user control panel, but thanks for the info, Bud. At least it solves one of the great mysteries I was contemplating (where you got those pieces)...even if the answer doesn't solve my problem :)

Thankfully, I administered my last final today, so I have a few days to concentrate on a solution for this.

I guess I'll describe the situation as much as I can, in case I have left out any details. The ceiling is vaulted, with a 4" wide beam running down the middle. So the beam is going to be the only option. Additionally, there is a ceiling fan hanging from that same beam that I'm going to have to shoot the image around. This is possible, as long as the mount hangs sufficiently far from the beam (I'm thinking about 18" ought to work...and I might be able to get away with a bit less if I image shift to the lower extreme).

Any thoughts anyone has would be greatly appreciated.

I notice the XR-20x is now coming down to around $1000, very close to the rapidly-disappearing XR-10x.

Does anyone know if the XR-20x is prone to the same image-bowing that plagues the XR-10x? I ended up having to give up on the XR-10x because I got a bowed image on 3 of 3 units purchased. But I sure did love the performance otherwise.

Orphd

So what I believe you have is your screen will be mounted on one of the vaulted walls and the projector will hang below the beam and shot down the length of it. and the ceiling fan will be between the projector and the screen but above the line of sight/light of the projector.

Where I would start is by downloading the throw length and drop height calculator from the sharp web page homepage. I would then try and decide how low or high you want the screen and the screen size. Apply the info you get from the calculator and see exactly where the projector has to be mounted. IMO the closer you get the drop height and the closer you stay in the center of the focal length on the zoom the better off you will be. I have mine set such that my keystone is set to zero. I have no idea if that helps with the slight bowing some are seeing or not but I think the image has to be better if you don’t get into shifting rows of pixels unless you have to.

The beam could be a good place to hide the cables. My suggestion for the top most point would be to go to the builder center and by what they call a pipe flange mount. They are used with regular steel pipe to make things like railings etc. they have 4 mounting holes for large wood screws or lag screws. You could ether mount one to the bottom surface of your beam and then send down a drop pipe or to the side of the beam and then turn the corner with a street elbow and then the drop pipe. That would give you a secure mounting point and something to start building the rest of your mount from. At that point you might be able to adapt one of the store bought mounts that have been talked about before in this thread or build your own double plate type mount. The one Irmo used and showed pictures of looked pretty nice and I would think could be adapted to the pipe flange and longer drop pipe idea. A couple coats of spray paint on the flange and pipe before its installed will make it look pro.

Edward - Did you ever find out if the 88% was "used" or "left?"

Using that many hours in 7 months or so does seem like a lot.

Edward - Did you ever find out if the 88% was "used" or "left?"

Using that many hours in 7 months or so does seem like a lot.

I have 100 hour on the Sharp and it says 97% remains. Go figure!!
I think he is looking for a reason to swap with a new one :) .

I'm around the same range as you are, Caspian. Maybe a little less.

Based on your number, each percentage point must represent around 33 hours of viewing.

If Edward was at 88% used, and using that figure, he would have used 2,904 hours so far.

That's 414 hours a month since November. Roughly 14 hours a day.

I already posted that % represents ramaining not used.

For me 1 percentage point has always equaled 40 hours cause I've always been on pace for 4000 hours before it would read 0 in eco-mode.

Right now I'm about 990 hours and it reads 75% (been counting down from 100% obviously). It'll stay that way til I reach 1000, then it'll drop a point.

[QUOTE=IrmoGamecoq]Edward - Did you ever find out if the 88% was "used" or "left?"

Using that many hours in 7 months or so does seem like a lot.[/QUOTE

I will take a closer look tonight and tell you for sure... The bulb did dim though necessitating the need for me to take the ND2 filter off which is why I think it switched to "88% used" as opposed to the former....

I do remember when it hit "88% remaining" and that was almost when I got the projector new.... say around 5 months ago....

I just wanted to give a quick update.

Bud, thanks to your many helpful suggestions, it gave me the confidence to go back into HD and look for parts (again). This time I FINALLY found what I was looking for...and actually found the piece of plexiglass I needed to boot. It has taken 3 total trips to 2 different stores and consumed just about my entire day, but I do have all of the parts now, and have very little assembling left. It's highly likely the PJ will be mounted sometime tomorrow.

Again, thanks for all the suggestions, everyone.

EDIT: I did realize I still had a question. What screws do I need to put into the beam to make certain this thing will stay there? I bought a package of #10 x 1" wood screws...will these suffice? I'm planning to screw the flange into the bottom of the beam (preferably with only two screws).

I just wanted to give a quick update.

Bud, thanks to your many helpful suggestions, it gave me the confidence to go back into HD and look for parts (again). This time I FINALLY found what I was looking for...and actually found the piece of plexiglass I needed to boot. It has taken 3 total trips to 2 different stores and consumed just about my entire day, but I do have all of the parts now, and have very little assembling left. It's highly likely the PJ will be mounted sometime tomorrow.

Again, thanks for all the suggestions, everyone.

EDIT: I did realize I still had a question. What screws do I need to put into the beam to make certain this thing will stay there? I bought a package of #10 x 1" wood screws...will these suffice? I'm planning to screw the flange into the bottom of the beam (preferably with only two screws).

You should be able to get 4 screws in if you turn the flange 45 degrees. The projector is heavy but not that heavy the number 10 screws should be fine. Try and get the flat head screws that closest fit the counter sunk holes in the flange would be what I would recommend.

Hope you post some pictures when you get her up.

Was hoping to make the jump up from SDTV to Hi-Def DISH TV or DIRECT TV this month and wouldnt ya know it....with the Spring Growth Spurt, my neighbor's trees have blocked out my signal. Never in 10 years has it been a problem. I CAN move the dish....put one on a Pole mount elsewhere in the yard...but's its just not as advantageous as current install location. On a whim I contacted CHARTER CABLE and for $10 cheaper a month I can get BASIC and MANY MOVIE channels with 2 or 3 (HBO-SHOWTIME-CINEMAX) in Hi-Def PLUS Locals (except ABC?) in Hi-Def. No out of pocket upfront cost like there would be with DIRECT HD RECIEVER. ***QUESTION***...am I gonna tell a BIG difference w/my SHARP XR-10X whether its HD SATELLITE or HD CABLE? As big a difference 'tween SDTV and HDTV Picture Quality? Curious minds wanna know? Im gonna check AVS SAT Forum as well but was hopin to hear from a XR-10 perspective as well! Let me hear from yoose guys!!!

[QUOTE=edwardr132][QUOTE=IrmoGamecoq]Edward - Did you ever find out if the 88% was "used" or "left?"

It is definitely how many hours are left.... I am thinking I am only going to get 2,000 hours out of the bulb or maybe less.... It switched from remaining to around 500 hours or so left....

[QUOTE=edwardr132][QUOTE=IrmoGamecoq]Edward - Did you ever find out if the 88% was "used" or "left?"

It is definitely how many hours are left.... I am thinking I am only going to get 2,000 hours out of the bulb or maybe less.... It switched from remaining to around 500 hours or so left....


I am getting confused.. LEFT and REMAINING are the same. Hence 88% left is a good news. :)

Yeah, I read that the same way, Caspian.

I may have been a little hasty regarding a premature bulb failure... I recorded the number yesterday and the bulb counter showed 449 hours and today it is recording 455 with 88% life.

I am relieved... The bulb did dim noticably though where there is now no need for the ND2 filter when before it was too bright..... (Is that normal?) I just hope it doesn't dim anymore....

Sorry about the worries regarding bulb life.... mates...

No prob, glad to hear that you've still got a lot of bulb life left...

Troubled a little by the image dimming though. Anybody else seen this?

On that note...maybe related, maybe not...my PJ will dim/change a little about 5 minutes or so after being turned on. I always figured that first 5 minutes was a warm up period and it was "set" after that period. Thoughts?

I was about to post myself that my PJ is also showing 89% left...about 449 hours...but I haven't noticed any dimming of the bulb. Of course, it could have been so subtle that I didn't detect it. In any event, it hasn't diminished the image quality that I can tell. I'm sitting 8-10' from a 84" diagonal grey screen.

As for the dimming...do you have your Sharp bulb set to "economy"? I do, and when first powering up the bulb is at full brightness and the fan is at full power. After warming up for a few the bulb dims down to "econo mode" and the fan drops to quiet speed.

The only thing is that I don't think it takes a full 5 minutes to get to that state, but I'm guessing you were estimating a time. :D Do you hear the fan drop in pitch?

Lamp dimming to 50% in 500 hrs is said to be the norm.
I run my lamp in Eco but run the fan in hi. That should reduce heat related premature failure.

As for the dimming...do you have your Sharp bulb set to "economy"? I do, and when first powering up the bulb is at full brightness and the fan is at full power. After warming up for a few the bulb dims down to "econo mode" and the fan drops to quiet speed.

The only thing is that I don't think it takes a full 5 minutes to get to that state, but I'm guessing you were estimating a time. :D Do you hear the fan drop in pitch?

Yeah, that's exactly what's happening. I was going to post that I thought it was related to running in "econo" mode, but forgot.

And yep, completely estimating the time range. :D

So after alot of headaches, setup, trips to Home Depot, and an ill-timed out of town trip, I have finally had the chance to enjoy a couple movies over the last couple nights.

Overall, WOW.

Unfortunately, I am not without questions. First off, without re-reading the whole thread (again), I was hoping to get some confirmation on the bowing issues (which I seem to definitely be seeing, though I'm holding out hope I can tweak it out). My recollection was that people were seeing bowing on the sides, is this correct? I am definitely seeing it on the bottom (and maybe the top...it's a little harder to tell), so I find that a bit odd.

My second question was with regards to calibration. After using Video Essentials last night (NOT Digital Video Essentials, but the older one), I was surprised to find my contrast was maxed out, and my brightness was at -18. Is anyone else seeing numbers this extreme in their setup? I thought the general comments were "well calibrated out of the box" so this concerns me. Even though I don't have an ND2 filter yet, I can't imagine that changing these settings. I am wondering though if my non-Digital version of VE is the culprit.

Anyway, I'm sure to have more questions later, but I'll just ask these for now.

Thanks for all the help. I'll get some pics up at some point.

So after alot of headaches, setup, trips to Home Depot, and an ill-timed out of town trip, I have finally had the chance to enjoy a couple movies over the last couple nights.

Overall, WOW.

Unfortunately, I am not without questions. First off, without re-reading the whole thread (again), I was hoping to get some confirmation on the bowing issues (which I seem to definitely be seeing, though I'm holding out hope I can tweak it out). My recollection was that people were seeing bowing on the sides, is this correct? I am definitely seeing it on the bottom (and maybe the top...it's a little harder to tell), so I find that a bit odd.

My second question was with regards to calibration. After using Video Essentials last night (NOT Digital Video Essentials, but the older one), I was surprised to find my contrast was maxed out, and my brightness was at -18. Is anyone else seeing numbers this extreme in their setup? I thought the general comments were "well calibrated out of the box" so this concerns me. Even though I don't have an ND2 filter yet, I can't imagine that changing these settings. I am wondering though if my non-Digital version of VE is the culprit.

Anyway, I'm sure to have more questions later, but I'll just ask these for now.

Thanks for all the help. I'll get some pics up at some point.


Dave

What size screen? And what type/ color gain etc?

Mine was spot on all Zeros after my first experimental gray paint scheme. I then added a higher gain top coat partly as a small improvement and also to put my picture in the right place to combat bulb dimming when it happens.

Just a guess but I’m thinking you are shooting to a white screen.

Bud

So after alot of headaches, setup, trips to Home Depot, and an ill-timed out of town trip, I have finally had the chance to enjoy a couple movies over the last couple nights.

Overall, WOW.

Unfortunately, I am not without questions. First off, without re-reading the whole thread (again), I was hoping to get some confirmation on the bowing issues (which I seem to definitely be seeing, though I'm holding out hope I can tweak it out). My recollection was that people were seeing bowing on the sides, is this correct? I am definitely seeing it on the bottom (and maybe the top...it's a little harder to tell), so I find that a bit odd.

My second question was with regards to calibration. After using Video Essentials last night (NOT Digital Video Essentials, but the older one), I was surprised to find my contrast was maxed out, and my brightness was at -18. Is anyone else seeing numbers this extreme in their setup? I thought the general comments were "well calibrated out of the box" so this concerns me. Even though I don't have an ND2 filter yet, I can't imagine that changing these settings. I am wondering though if my non-Digital version of VE is the culprit.

Anyway, I'm sure to have more questions later, but I'll just ask these for now.

Thanks for all the help. I'll get some pics up at some point.

Contrast maxed out should not be. Unless you have meter to do gray scale and then go for a targeted FTL if bright enough, contrast is somewhat what you wish in this case. I even found cont at 0 is way too bright and washes out my ansi contrast. I think brightness of this sharp is set right at -16 is correct though. I set my contrast at -10~0 but my bulb has 100 hour on it and my screen has a unity gain at about 100" wide 16x9.

My slight bowing is top/bottom. I set brightness with an Avia disk and it called for -15 on my 100" diaganol 16x9 white screen when I first set it up (eco mode). Now that I've hit 1000 hours, the other day I bumped it up to like -13, "just because".

Contrast is somewhere around 0 as I recall.

To answer some of the questions, I'm shooting about a 120" screen right now. It's onto a matte off-white wall (currently my only option due to already using up all of my WAF points). However, this wall will be pure white (eventually), and I may end up mounting the projector a bit closer too (in fact, this is pretty likely once my 25' VGA cable gets here). I'm guessing my bowing is at least partially the result of being at the extreme edge of the zoom range (for now). Of course, with no real reference point for where the image should be (because of the uniformity of the wall), the bowing is actually pretty hard to notice. Of course, this lack of reference has also made alignment and setup particularly tricky (is it a perfect rectangle? is it keystoned?).

I did load up VE again last night for further tinkering. The color and tint test patterns didn't seem to apply (I guess...I'm not sure I was doing this right), and I did bring contrast down quite a bit. As it stands, I'm at a brightness of -21 and a contrast of 10. I'll cut it down to 0 for the next movie and see if I like the results better. I maybe need to upgrade to a better calibration disc.

Unfortunately, when we watched our first live action movie last night, I saw pretty many rainbows (primarily during lots of movement). Thankfully, they weren't really problematic for me, so hopefully it won't develop into a problem. Perhaps the ND2 filter will help as well.

Overall though, watching movies has been an amazing experience.

RBE is more with more contrast but I understand your screen is 10'. I think mine crushed black level with brightness at -21. -16 sounds correct with my pj.

IMO this projector will work best with a neutral gray screen. The range of that gray depending on two factors screen size and gain. It will tolerate a slight increase in gain above a matte surface and in doing so you can pick up just a little by darkening the gray. I’m shooting 120” diagonal in 4:3 and my neutral gray has been well documented in my signature links. When you go smaller in screen size you can find additional benefits in a darker gray also. But in all cases there is a gain limit and going above that it will hot spot. I personally adjusted my screen gain slightly higher than where I felt was perfect so I would leave myself places to go if my bulb dimmed recalibration being first and turning off eco mode second. IMO grays do the same thing as a ND filter but combat ambient light better.
If you absolutely have to stay with white then a ND filter or filters are the way to go. They can be added in pairs and by selecting the right values could give you 4 different light levels in each of the two modes.
Testing my XR10X against BOC and other white screen materials there was no comparison in the color and black level improvements the neutral gray provided. I have received several replies back from people that did a direct copy of my screen size and Gray paint with XR10’s and they all said it was a great improvement over a high matte white wall paint.
I don’t know a great deal about rainbows because I have only seen them one way while doing on calibration test but I did experiment a little with my test screens and that calibration program and I also personally think rainbows are lessened with the gray screen and or lowering the intensity of the light thru a filter. Brightness is not a shortfall with this projector. What you want to do if you can is use that brightness to your advantage.

hey everyone.. first post here at AVS.. looks like a great resource though so I'll probably become a somewhat regular member eventually :)

anyway, I'm seriously considering this projector since I've seen refurbs around the $650 price point and that's the cheapest I've seen anything in the XGA category, but just had a couple questions..

first off, would you recommend getting a refurb? it still has a 1 year sharp warranty. also, perhaps it's been asked already, but do current owners find the lack of a digital input frustrating? The big annoyance for me with analog input projectors has always been that they never match the source pixel-for-pixel with the panel of the unit itself, (even if your resolutions match) so you don't get perfectly sharp text or windows when a computer is hooked up.. my question basically is how good will a computer look through the component / vga input? if I get an HDTV card for my comp and hook up this projector to the computer then, would I want a normal VGA connection or component HDTV cables? can the projector do both?

basically if anyone uses this projector with an HTPC I'd like to hear your success / complaints :)

Just used this projector for the first time today, finally got everything all hooked up via Component (wish it had HDMI) and I must say, I was completely blown away by our maiden movie KING KONG, this projector is hands down the best bang for your $889 you will ever find. Thats the price I saw it for today at Costco by the way.

Sidenote I used the Doable Vinyl board from Home Depot for $14, we turned that sucker into the perfect screen and I had my brother in law over who has a $120,000 theater in his house and he agreed with me that the image was simply stellar. I fully endorse the Do Able boards.

Now if I could only figure out why my damn CEnter channel wont work!!

hey everyone.. first post here at AVS.. looks like a great resource though so I'll probably become a somewhat regular member eventually :)

anyway, I'm seriously considering this projector since I've seen refurbs around the $650 price point and that's the cheapest I've seen anything in the XGA category, but just had a couple questions..

first off, would you recommend getting a refurb? it still has a 1 year sharp warranty. also, perhaps it's been asked already, but do current owners find the lack of a digital input frustrating? The big annoyance for me with analog input projectors has always been that they never match the source pixel-for-pixel with the panel of the unit itself, (even if your resolutions match) so you don't get perfectly sharp text or windows when a computer is hooked up.. my question basically is how good will a computer look through the component / vga input? if I get an HDTV card for my comp and hook up this projector to the computer then, would I want a normal VGA connection or component HDTV cables? can the projector do both?

basically if anyone uses this projector with an HTPC I'd like to hear your success / complaints :)

Yes you cannot do 1:1 mapping but the internal scaler is doing it regardless with excellent results. There is no need for HDMI/DVI for this pj since it is not 1080i/720hp unit and 1080i will be available on component for sometime to come. I have used it with pc but I have a 1080i dvd player and satellite that outputs 1080i. If PC is in your agenda then set it for 1024x575 for DVD and 1080i for local HD and your set.

so you're saying I should change the resolution of the computer's output to 1024x575 each time I pop DVDs into the computer?

how does text / graphics / applications look on the projector?

If PC is in your agenda then set it for 1024x575 for DVD and 1080i for local HD and your set.

I'm just curious as to why you would give this resolution, as opposed to simple XGA (1024x768) output from the computer. Yes, the computer is outputting the black bars in my case, but is there a difference between that and allowing the projector to output the black bars? If I remember correctly, 1024x576 isn't even an option with my nVidia drivers.

FWIW, Tamale, although I am the newest of newbs with this PJ (up and running less than 1 week), I am driving it exclusively with an HTPC. I have used 1024x768, and have noticed no real issues (maybe one minor one), though I haven't tweaked extensively yet. If you have any HTPC-related questions, I'd be happy to take a stab at them.

well, for starters, i'd like to understand what the best way to connect a 4:3 projector to a computer that has an HDTV tuner card is...

if you use a standard vga out, you have to use a standard 4:3 res, right? if you use the actual HDTV-out functionality of a card like my 7800 GT, then the projector has to 'scale' the 720p or 1080i signal, right?

it's all very confusing to me tbh.. but i know that i'll use the projector just as much for playing games as watching dvds and hdtv, so i'm pretty sure i need a 4:3 projector.. perhaps i'm wrong though... ?

I'm just curious as to why you would give this resolution, as opposed to simple XGA (1024x768) output from the computer. Yes, the computer is outputting the black bars in my case, but is there a difference between that and allowing the projector to output the black bars? If I remember correctly, 1024x576 isn't even an option with my nVidia drivers.



THere are many ways to do DVD on PC with 10x. 1024x768 is 4x3 but DVD is 16x9. I guess it depends how you set up your display option. Either way, 10x will down resolution from 1024x768 to 1024x575 unless you run the PC anomorphic and your image looks stretched tall.

1-you can set up pc to run anomorphic (not original AR) but run it at 1024x575
or:
2-set up the pc to output original AR(wide screen) but run it at 1024x768.

Either way it works. In option one computer scale the image in option 2 the pj scale the image. Both ways you get 1024x575. I hope it helps.

Either way it works. In option one computer scale the image in option 2 the pj scale the image. Both ways you get 1024x575. I hope it helps.

Tamale, this is the crux of the issue for HDTV as well. Basically, because this projector is not going to show anything at its native resolution (not DVD, not 720p HDTV, not 1080i HDTV) the image is going to have to be scaled somewhere. From everything I have read, the rule of thumb most seem to use is that, under most circumstances, it is better to let the computer do the scaling than the projector.

With that being said, the more I think about it, I think CaspianM's method (outputting 1024x576) should produce (theoretically) identical results, since I think the projector won't actually scale anything...just map pixel for pixel. And the added benefit is that you then get access to image shift because you're using stretch mode. The drawback is having to switch resolutions for other applications (namely, games).


On another note I have noticed something bizarre happening. when a flat vertical object is moving side to side (like, say, a door opening) I'm noticing it seems like certain pixels along that vertical line aren't completely synchronized with the rest the whole time. I'm not sure if it's the HTPC or the PJ, but I need to try to figure out the solution. Anyone else seen this?

see, but I'm afraid even if I'm outputting 1024x768 the projector won't really match it pixel for pixel.. our benq pb6200 sure as hell doesn't. the mouse cursor in windows 'morphs' as it moves across the screen and certain pixels are interpolated over several dlp pixels while others aren't.. for me it's really cheap looking and I guess I just want to know if digital connections get rid of this kinda thing or if it's not even something I should worry about with the XR 10.

I experimented a little bit more tonight with resolutions...nothing real comprehensive, but here is what I noticed.

When I was in a non-native resolution, (I was squeezing 1024x768 to 1024x576) things (particularly text) were really bad looking, which certainly is to be expected. When I output native resolution, it's night and day, as things are crystal clear (with the exception of some video anomolies, which I am 99% sure are coming from the HTPC, not the projector...in any case, they aren't scaling related).

With that said, I MIGHT have noticed a scaling problem in one single instance when I fired up the PJ for the very first time. It appeared that as I dragged a window with text in it over a particular area of the screen (about 1/3 from the left) the text in that column (about a half letter wide) would appear to be slightly bolder than the rest. I wondered if this was a pixel mapping issue, but I only noticed that behavior that one time, and, for me, it was extremely minor and therefore completely tolerable. I will admit though that, due to running MediaPortal almost constantly, I don't see the Windows desktop that frequently (mostly just for configuring), so if I am in fact seeing scaling issues, you may find them to be more problematic given your usage patterns.

I certainly haven't seen any cursor morphing though.

well thanks for looking into it.. maybe I'm a fool for even thinking I'd be on the windows desktop that much.. I'm sure if I got used to using it I'd find a comfortable configuration though.. I think I'm gonna grab this thing unless anyone strongly objects to the idea of buying a refurb...

Ok, along with tamale I am also looking into a projector purchase. I will need it for both business and entertainment. The sr10-x seems to get alot of attention for its 3x color wheel and price. I'm wondering how many people are aware of the Benq MP720P. Like the Sharp it has a 3x color wheel and is brighter with a longer bulb life. It also sports a DVI input. However info on it is sparse. It can be found online for around the same price as the sr10-x.

What do you guys think?

on that note, how do they compare to the mp620?

Ok, along with tamale I am also looking into a projector purchase. I will need it for both business and entertainment. The sr10-x seems to get alot of attention for its 3x color wheel and price. I'm wondering how many people are aware of the Benq MP720P. Like the Sharp it has a 3x color wheel and is brighter with a longer bulb life. It also sports a DVI input. However info on it is sparse. It can be found online for around the same price as the sr10-x.

What do you guys think?

i don,t know about that , benq are notorious for their bulb faliures some not even reaching 50 hrs of play (do search for threads) just because the manuel says you should get x amount of hours does,nt mean you will i go by customer approval and the benq has more than its fair share of really pi$$ed customers if i were you i would go with the sharp IMHO...... :)

The biggest bummer about the 10x is no HDMI input...which really sucks. I have an HDMI reciever. Im just sporting the COmponent. Looks great still but I can imagine how much better it could look.

There was a survey done on different DVD players on in one of the magazines (Sound and Vision?) and most of them showed no difference in quality between HDMI and component in.... Only very, very expensive players slowed a slight difference....

I tested the 10x with some text from my pc and it had a very bad picture (characters were skewed/squeezed). Putting the keystone correction back to 0 brought back a crystal clear picture. Thought it might be due to the way the 10x does the keystone (digitally). Maybe this saves others timeconsuming tinkering with the PJ to find out it's so easy to get a sharp picture. :D

All digitals have to recale the image once the Keystone is activated. It is important that you scale the image by a good device or just go head and feed it native resolution and no KS. HAving said that it does a fantastic job with 1080i rescaled to 1024x575. DVD's are passable.

I have to get used to this digital world. So along those lines I have a different, yet similar question. When putting this projector to stretched mode, what happens to the resolution? Coming from the old TV-CRT-world, where a 16/9 switch would lower the vertical amplitude, thus making all lines available to the movie itself by squeezing the lines (assuming an anamorphic input). So in other words, does the 10x display the full 1024x768 resolution in stretch mode but just squeeze the lines together (lower the vertical distance between the lines)? Or does it do a rescaling and outputs only 576 lines? As this question is not so important for watching DVD's it is important for HD, because with squeezing instead of rescaling no line of a 720p picture would in theory be lost.

it displays 16:9 as 1024x576 in stretch mode
having seen the output next to a true 720p output, I must say, it looks pretty much the same IMO

it displays 16:9 as 1024x576 in stretch mode
having seen the output next to a true 720p output, I must say, it looks pretty much the same IMO

Agree no matter what resolution it will be 1024x575 if it is 16x9.
I have to say though HD looks much much better than anything else eventhough it is 1024x575. Over the air HD like DAvid letterman looks nearly stunning just one step behind my trusty Nec CRT in overall detail. Letterman show is nearly none moving pic and black level is not an issue. On other hand watching the NBA on ESPN HD was an awful experience loaded with motion artifacts etc. Overall this is a winner pj for the dollar and any one who think can do better with something else near the price point would be disappointed by comparison.

Quick question:

Does anyone know if the angle a projector is throwing has much to do with pic quality? I noticed that mine being ceiling mounted actually does'nt tilt down at all but rather is leaned slightly toward the ceiling. In other words its not flush with the ceiling but the lense area is actually closer to the ceiling.

The pic oes look great though! I think the projector mount I picked up for $20 on Ebay kinda sucks though.

The pj has to be squared relative to the screen. No tilting down/up or swang left and right. IF it needs one of the above your physical install is wrong. You can up/down the image if needed by picture shift in the menu if you are using the PJ in 16x9 fulltime.

The pj has to be squared relative to the screen. No tilting down/up or swang left and right. IF it needs one of the above your physical install is wrong. You can up/down the image if needed by picture shift in the menu if you are using the PJ in 16x9 fulltime.


Mine is tilted slightly UP, its slight but its up.

I installed mine to the information off the Sharp calculator download that you can get at the Sharp site. Some have said the drop distance shown in the information in the box was not correct. But when installing mine using the drop distance from the calculator my keystone is set to zero and the projector is slightly shooting up hill. I thought that slightly odd also but the picture is square and keystone on zero so I didn’t give it another thought. IMO its always better to take the time with the install and when all possible make the adjustments with the mount and not digitally in the projector. Right to left placement is also important and when people are off they compensate with some slight rotation or angle adjustment. The center of rotation on most mounts is not on the center line of the lens and that compounds the problem. If you look at the picture of my mount in the screen shot link in my signature you will see about how much mine is angled up.

I do agree you are not going to find a better projector at this price point out there.

I have been reading the thoughts on using the projector in stretch mode and altering the feed in from the DVD to make that work. Other than being able to use the digital shift of the image is there any other reason I would want to do this? Right now I run mine in 4:3 mode all the time DVD set at 4:3 and when I show wide screen it projects it right in the middle of my screen and to the full width. For me that’s the perfect location for viewing anyway. Just wondered if there was any other advantage to doing this?

When I’m viewing older VHS materials or poor quality SD even when upscale to 480p I use the border mode. Cutting the picture back from 72x96 makes it very easy to view.

CaspianM,

When you mention motion artifacts during sports, what exactly do these look like? Could they be construed (by a newbie) to be the rainbow effect?

I ask because I've now watched at least parts of about 8-10 movies on mine, and noticed a distince color separation problem on only one film (Pirates of the Caribbean). Additionally, this problem was almost exclusively during high motion (high contrast) scenes...hence I'm wondering if I was really seeing motion artifacts and not RBE.

Lastly, I'm very curious about a comment you made in another thread with regards to 720p DVD output being better than native resolution from your computer. How exactly did you test this (namely, was it the same DVD)? Perhaps more telling, did you try outputting 720p from the computer to see if it was actually your computer's DVD config as opposed to a scaling issue? I know weirder things have happened, but it's surprising to me that having an extra scaling (from 720p to 1024x576) improved the picture. In any case, next time I fire up my projector, I will definitely compare native res to 720p from my system.

bud16415,

I've been contemplating the stretch mode issue myself. For my circumstances (HTPC output only), image shift is the sole benefit I've been able to come up with, and, in my opinion, that's only a benefit if the number of times the image is being scaled doesn't increase as a result. Because my computer doesn't output 1024x576, I concluded it was best to simply output the native resolution.

For those outputting from HD set top boxes (whether HD receivers or upscaling DVD players), the image is going to get scaled once anyway (since neither will output the 10x's native resolution), so one can gain image shift without paying a penalty. Of course, if you're using either of these, I'm guessing you are using stretch mode anyway.

On the other hand, I'm pretty certain for non-upconverting DVD players, outputting in 16:9 mode and using stretch WILL show a benefit here. Basically, when a non-upconverting DVD player outputs in 4:3 mode, it is combining 4 lines of vertical resolution into 3 in order to eliminate the distortion resulting from supporting two aspect ratio outputs on a single disc. So if you are outputting in 4:3 you ARE losing resolution. If you output 16:9 and use stretch mode, the image will still be scaled only once, but with a 33% increase in the vertical resolution the scaler has to work with.

I hope this helps.

Dave,
I think what you refer to as color separation is RBE. You would reproduce that on a stationary image with hi/low contrast when you move you eyes horizontally.
AFA motion artifact it is documented produced by all DLP's more and less.

I said previously that my Zenith produces better picture either at 720p or 1080i than my pc at the same resolution on this PJ. Having said that running the pc at 960p and my Nec CRT is another story. Panning is smooth with CRT very very film like not any thing like DLP. I love CRT.

Bud,
You really have to do an experiment (4x3 vs 16x9) with your DVD to find the best set up. My guess would be 16x9 will produce a better pix.

Bud,
You really have to do an experiment (4x3 vs 16x9) with your DVD to find the best set up. My guess would be 16x9 will produce a better pix.

Ok I’ll give it a try. This scenario had never really crossed my mind to do it this way.

So just so I get it straight I will want to set the XR10 to stretch mode and then go into the settings of the DVD player/burner and select what? I’m assuming there is an output that is 16:9 that I will select. Is that correct? I would have to unselect it when viewing cable etc as I’m using the burner also as a hub to scale and also select my sources from at this time.

I know it will allow me to move the picture up and down but I’m all in favor if it can improve it some how also. Although I’m really happy with what I’m viewing now. :D

Just go to your DVD player initial set up menu which allows you to choose the TV type.
select 16x9 and the sharp will go to stretch on its own once sensing 16x9 signal.

I recently just purchased the sharp 10x but unfortunately my eyes feel strained and I see rainbows and Im looking into getting a ND2 filter. My question is where can i get a cheap one? and How does it mount on the lense?

Thanks
Ramon820

I will echo ramon820's questions, as I too am curious about ND2 filters (although the wife seems to be slowly relenting on a gray painted wall).

Bud, any update on the 16:9 vs 4:3 situation?

You guys use a Do Able screen and ou wont need any ND filters.

My most imprtant question is there a surefire way to adjust focus???

I recently just purchased the sharp 10x but unfortunately my eyes feel strained and I see rainbows and Im looking into getting a ND2 filter. My question is where can i get a cheap one? and How does it mount on the lense?
I haven't received it yet but I just ordered a Tiffen model on ebay for under $20 shipped. Do a search for: neutral 62mm tiffen
The seller lists it as a .3 or 2X Neutral Denisity filter (hopefully, that's the right one).

I just replaced my X1 with a refurb 10X (from ebay) and after some preliminary viewing, I'm very happy with it. I've ordered an ND2 filter and will calibrate once I've received it. I'm just wondering if I should get a grey screen in addition to the ND2 filter or if I'd want to use one or the other. Also, does anyone use economy mode with the ND2?

I wonder why a low contrast setting cannot substitute the ND if eye strain is a concern?
Using an ND will bring the lumen down but it should improve on/off contrast as well. But also putting any glass in front of any lens has its own pitfalls like lower overall ansi contrast, increase abberations, lower focus and distortion if not line up 100% parallel to the lens plane.

I use a grey painted screen (Behr Silverscreen), eco-mode, and an ND2 filter.
It gives a great picture, even in a dimly lit room!
If the bulb ever dims, I'll just remove the filter. :)

Any of you guys care to share your in Projector settings?? ARe you guys just leaving them default?

I am kinda confused on the 720p via Component. My DVD player makes me choose either HD 720p, HD 1080i or COmponent. Since the 10x only has component I have to select that but then im only playing my DVDs in 420p like the projector says, correct? How do I get around this since ive got an upconverting DVD player??

IS it normal that when you are using a 16:9 screen and you click your screen size on the projector to NORMAL it goes off the screen? Just checking. Thats what mine does and thats probably a dumb question.

NORMAL im assuming means a standard 4:3 screen?

Yes, normal will go off the 16:9 screen because it's going from 1024x576 pixels to 1024x768 pixels.
You have to use border mode to get the 4:3 scale inside the 16:9 screen.

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

Also, I just set up my LG DVB418 upconverting player, installed the new firmware that allows 720p and 1080i over component, and loaded up the test scenes I use from a few movies.
Now, I know some people have said that a 480p DVD isn't going to look better upscaled, but I and everyone who saw it tonight thinks it looked spectacular. MUCH better than my Sony 480p DVD player looked!
The moment my wife walked in she said "it looks so 3-D now" and "the colors look better".
I gotta say, I agree with her. This DVD player with this PJ is an awesome low budget combo. It's amazing how close the DVD image looks to my cable company's HD channels.
A highly suggested purchase for anyone with this PJ who doesn't have plans on getting an HD-DVD or blu-ray player for a year or more.
:D

I just replaced my X1 with a refurb 10X (from ebay) and after some preliminary viewing, I'm very happy with it. I've ordered an ND2 filter and will calibrate once I've received it. I'm just wondering if I should get a grey screen in addition to the ND2 filter or if I'd want to use one or the other. Also, does anyone use economy mode with the ND2?

IMO anyone viewing on a screen in the 100 to 150 inch diagonal should have no problems running in eco-mode. If anything eco-mode might be more foot-lamberts than you need. Keep in mind a ND2 filter cuts the light passing thru in half. There are some advantages to a neutral gray screen the ND2 doesn’t have. When killing half the light at the projector those lumens are lost from the ambient light equation. When you go to a gray screen the extra light is killed at the screen along with some of the ambient light striking the screen. The image you see is a balance between projected light and ambient light competing to be reflected back to your eyes. The down side to this method is some of the ambient light is made by the projector not outside sources. The light striking the screen and not entering your eyes (most of it) is bouncing around the room. When you run with more light it is then more important to consider things like wall and ceiling colors etc to trap the reflected projected light. I have also found while going to a darker neutral gray the screen surface can have a slightly higher gain in the process. This allows the projector to show bright colors and whites (high lumens) and the darker gray under lower lumens produces rich dark colors and blacks.

The thing that most surprised me when doing the experimenting in neutral gray screens and gain adjustment was just how low of a gray level was required to really change the way I perceived color pop and contrast in the image. When people think of a gray they think of a dark battle ship gray. The gray I ended up with was such a slightly tinted gray that under room lights looks more silver than gray.

For those asking for settings each room, screen size, and screen will require different settings but here is an interesting thing I found.
Running in eco-mode projecting to bright white BOC I had my brightness turned up when I went to the neutral gray with a slight gain adjustment I had to turn the brightness setting down. So a darker screen to the eye required less light. The screen shots I have in the link below show several interesting comparisons all with the XR10 projector. The cloth hanging partially over the screen in some of the pictures is BOC.

Screen paints like Behr Silver screen etc are gray but not neutral grays and may require some tweaking to correct for colors etc.

Thanks for your thoughts on filters and grey screens. So, grey screens are especially useful if you've got ambient light then? I know you'll have some coming from the projector itself but I generally project in total darkness so maybe I'll hold off on painting my BOC screen for now. At least until I see things with the ND2 installed.

Quick question though. I'm working on adjusting the ceiling mount of my Sharp and I'm wondering if the lens should be level with the top of the screen. I downloaded the Sharp Lens Selector program and it doesn't say that outright but the lens looks level with the screen top in the diagram.

Thanks for your thoughts on filters and grey screens. So, grey screens are especially useful if you've got ambient light then? I know you'll have some coming from the projector itself but I generally project in total darkness so maybe I'll hold off on painting my BOC screen for now. At least until I see things with the ND2 installed.

Quick question though. I'm working on adjusting the ceiling mount of my Sharp and I'm wondering if the lens should be level with the top of the screen. I downloaded the Sharp Lens Selector program and it doesn't say that outright but the lens looks level with the screen top in the diagram.

James

If you look at the pictures in the link in my signature below and on page 3 and 4 of the photo link I have side by side comparisons of the XR10X projecting to 4 different grays with different gain levels and also BOC in a totally and I mean totally light controlled room. I also compared the screens and BOC under room light and then under the flash on my cameras light. the brightness of the projector is close to the effect the flash has on reflective screen surfaces. I think the photos point out the shortfalls of BOC pretty well.

You don’t want the projector mounted level with the top of the screen the picture it prints out isn’t real clear at first but there is a drop dimension. I think its (h) but I cant remember right now and that is to the lens. I followed these dimensions and I didn’t have any keystone corrections. There is also a good thread over in the screen forum on how to best get the projector in the correct location right to left etc with some great tips.

One funny aspect of the XR10X is when the projector is mounted in the right location most have reported that the projector angles upward slightly. Just so you know that’s normal

One funny aspect of the XR10X is when the projector is mounted in the right location most have reported that the projector angles upward slightly. Just so you know that’s normal


Yup. Mine does this.

What settings are you guys using? I see so many of you talking about needing a ND filter but mine just is'nt that bright at all! I use ECono mode usually.

The only issue ive had with this projector is focusing it. Is there an easy way?

Also finding a solid bracket has yet to happen for me.

One funny aspect of the XR10X is when the projector is mounted in the right location most have reported that the projector angles upward slightly. Just so you know that’s normal

Definitely, mine does this as well.

I guess I'm one of those with a lot of ambient light in my room too because I see no need for the ND2 filter for my PJ.

What is your seating distance from your screen?

Im 13ft from my 100" screen... projector is at 13.6" roughly

James

If you look at the pictures in the link in my signature below and on page 3 and 4 of the photo link I have side by side comparisons of the XR10X projecting to 4 different grays with different gain levels and also BOC in a totally and I mean totally light controlled room. I also compared the screens and BOC under room light and then under the flash on my cameras light. the brightness of the projector is close to the effect the flash has on reflective screen surfaces. I think the photos point out the shortfalls of BOC pretty well.

Oh yeah, I was going to ask you about your pictures Bud. Did you use the fabric side of the BOC or the more rubbery side of it? I guess it won't matter that much in the end and I think I'll paint my screen in the coming weeks. Thanks for sharing your photos with us btw. It really gives us a good idea of what to expect.

James

Im a professionaly Photographer and use the Sharp 10x to play slideshows alot. I foudn the Do Able vinyl board reproduces my Spyder calibrated monitor screen pretty much flawlessly.

YOu really do NOT need to spend more than $16 to get a perfect image out of the Sharp 10x.

What is your seating distance from your screen?

Im 13ft from my 100" screen... projector is at 13.6" roughly
Thanks for your help, you guys.

Okay, we have similar setups. My projector is about 13.33' away from a 96" diagonal 16:9 screen. The sharp calculator indicates a min vertical offset of ~14" and a max of ~16". So, I'd want the center of the lens to be 14-16" above the top of the screen then?

Thanks for your help, you guys.

Okay, we have similar setups. My projector is about 13.33' away from a 96" diagonal 16:9 screen. The sharp calculator indicates a min vertical offset of ~14" and a max of ~16". So, I'd want the center of the lens to be 14-16" above the top of the screen then?

sounds right. i think my projector is about 8" too close to my screen but its too lte to do anything for me since its all already built in.

Im a professionaly Photographer and use the Sharp 10x to play slideshows alot. I foudn the Do Able vinyl board reproduces my Spyder calibrated monitor screen pretty much flawlessly.

YOu really do NOT need to spend more than $16 to get a perfect image out of the Sharp 10x.
I've read a little about the Doable boards in the screen forum. So, are using it as is or did you paint it?

BTW, here's the mod I did to the Mandarax X1 ceiling mount (that's 1/8" aluminum that I cut with a dremel):

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v383/hanginout/proj.jpg

im using my Do Able as is. Looks perfect.

sounds right. i think my projector is about 8" too close to my screen but its too lte to do anything for me since its all already built in.
Ah, okay, thanks! Like Bud said, the Sharp diagram does not accurately depict the placement of the projector in terms of height.

im using my Do Able as is. Looks perfect.
I'll pick some up. It sounds like painting BOC is a PITA so if $16 DoAble does the trick, I'm all for it!

I have tried both sides of the BOC and they are a little different but not a lot the shiny side has a little more gain but the cloth side gives you a little softer look to the image. Both sides are not really all that good when it comes to the extreme ends of the color spectrums (lights and darks) in the middle with this projector you wont see much difference in colors between BOC and a neutral gray screen. Until you compare screen surfaces side by side it’s easy to like the image you see off any number of surfaces of different colors. That’s why I would never advise anyone to not try BOC because for many that image is fully acceptable just like some use a wall painted flat white and love it. With all the playing around I did and experimentation I would have to say any improvement I saw was in the 10% range over the really simple stuff. For me that 10% was worth the effort. And in passing along the information to someone that’s going to go buy some paint its really no more effort for them to get these improvements.

James I ran the calculator on the numbers you posted and it sounds like you are at the right drop height as others have told you.

I’m a little surprised that so many are using a 16:9 screen I guess with the XR10X. I personally watch a lot of regular TV and sports etc in 4:3 and like to take advantage of the full width. Not to mention the guys that play games on it.
The main reason I ruled out the solid sheet good DIY solutions was I wanted a 72x96 screen.

It’s a little late to start an official poll on this thread but I’ll ask the question and if anyone wants to answer, What aspect screen do you shoot to with your XR10X?
Mine is 4:3

If I remember right I think Irmo is shooting to a gray painted surface also. I suspect that’s why you don’t see a need for a ND2 filter. From what I have been able to figure out most of the guys wanting a ND2 filter are using the higher gain surfaces. Not super high but in the 1.3 range and white. Also some materials that are translucent and let some of the light pass thru seem to work with this projector. When I first got mine I made a temp screen from a bed sheet I used for about a month. With the wall behind it painted flat black the image was quite good. IMO enough of the extra brightness passed thru and what reflected from the bright white surface was about right.

As usual, Bud, you're spot on. I have a gray-painted-sheetrock "screen" and I'm sure that's why I don't need to dim this PJ's output. Good point.

I have to admit though, I'm a little intrigued by the Do-able talk here. At $16, it might be worth a try. If anything, I could temporarily hang the board for those times when I'm watching sports and it's daylight outside. Sounds like it would brighten up my image to offset the ambient light coming in through the (shaded) windows. I was thinking I could even rig up some hanging device from my drop-ceiling that would allow me to take down the board when not in use.

This stuff is stocked by Home Depot, I take it? I'm assuming it comes in 4'x8' sections?

On another subject, can anyone recommend an upconverting DVD player for use with this PJ? Obviously, it would have to be one that upconverts via Component, since we don't have an HDMI input to use. Discussion on this is much appreciated.

Doable board and spinrg loaded mirror mounts from IKEA...works awesome

From what I understand, Home Depot stores east of the Rockies do not carry these boards. So I'm guessing others who would like to try this solution will be in the same boat as me: out of luck.

Bud, I'm still in the setup phase, but it's looking more and more likely I will be projecting 16x9 because it's unlikely I'll be able to shoot around my ceiling fan. In fact, knowing how difficult this would be in advance, I bought the PJ assuming 4x3 would not be an option.

Also, I have a question for everyone. I'm trying to narrow down whether my HTPC or the 10x is creating a border around my image. For example, when you project, is there an inch or two border of "black" also being projected along with the image? I realize this could be normal for a projector, but since this is my first, I don't really have a point of reference. Also, I realize some may not see this because of their frame's border. For me, it's very visible because I'm currently projecting onto a white wall with no border.

I have to admit though, I'm a little intrigued by the Do-able talk here. At $16, it might be worth a try. If anything, I could temporarily hang the board for those times when I'm watching sports and it's daylight outside. Sounds like it would brighten up my image to offset the ambient light coming in through the (shaded) windows. I was thinking I could even rig up some hanging device from my drop-ceiling that would allow me to take down the board when not in use.


I don’t know for sure Irmo but I’m guessing it might just have the opposite effect with ambient light you are looking for. Being higher gain it may reflect more image back to you but also more around the room. Being a white the reflected ambient combined with the ambient sneaking in the cracks will illuminate the black areas in the image more and the screen being white will lower your perceived dark end contrast. As hard as it is to conceive what my experimenting shows is you can go to a darker gray and preferably a neutral gray then adjust the screen gain thru a topcoat that makes the screen slightly more directional in how it reflects back the image and at the same time more directional as to how it discards the stray ambient light coming from the side at a slight angle. The combined effect of the darker gray with a higher gain brightens the colors brightens the whites and when partial re-illumination of a area on the screen happens that is supposed to be dark or black the darker gray is what we see thus improving the contrast. Some of the screen shots I posted tend to prove this out especially the ones that show the test panels with projector off under room light and then flash. The darkest panel under room light is the whitest under flash. This may be off topic some but seeing there is a large interest with the XR10X users in DIY screens and the shade of neutral grays I was working in were tailored specifically towards this projector I think it’s worth noting here. Anyone wishing to know more about this approach that hasn’t already can take a look at the 4 links below in my signature. And post to them. I don’t want to turn this thread into a DIY screen thread. Nor do I want to put down anyone else’s screen choices. Every set of eyes and every room have special characteristics. If it works for someone then I say stick with it. after all the bottom line is “Enjoying”

There is also a good thread over in the screen forum on how to best get the projector in the correct location right to left etc with some great tips.


Bud,

Do you happen to have a link for this? I searched through several forums and nothing jumped out at me as being "The One." I'm still trying to figure out how to ensure I am not shooting a trapezoid on my frameless/borderless white wall. I'm hoping that thread may help.

Also, you may have missed my question from a previous post, but did you come to a conclusion on outputting 16:9 vs 4:3 from your DVD player? I'm sure some here would benefit from that information, and, although my setup precludes me, I am interested to hear the results.

after all the bottom line is “Enjoying”

Exactly.

According the post above though, it's a moot point as I won't be able to find DoAble board round these parts anyway.

ORPhD - Yes, my projected image has at least an inch of "black space" around it. It's not noticeable from where I sit 10-14' back, but I can see it up close.

All this happy chatter got the best of me. Besides, I needed a 4x3 PJ for anamorphic testing.
Making a long story short, I have a notevision "in the house". Only tested it so far on component DVD and am pleasantly surprised. Could this be the AVS 'sleeper ' of the year? Imagine, all this projector for the cost of a Ruby replacement lamp.
HDTV, HTPC testing coming up.

All this happy chatter got the best of me. Besides, I needed a 4x3 PJ for anamorphic testing.
Making a long story short, I have a notevision "in the house". Only tested it so far on component DVD and am pleasantly surprised. Could this be the AVS 'sleeper ' of the year? Imagine, all this projector for the cost of a Ruby replacement lamp.
HDTV, HTPC testing coming up.

Congrats. You made a smart investment other than buying a CD. :)
No seriously, I come from CRT land and my CRT blows this guy. But putting it in proper perspective, it is a good little side kick for me.

I’m a little surprised that so many are using a 16:9 screen I guess with the XR10X. I personally watch a lot of regular TV and sports etc in 4:3 and like to take advantage of the full width. Not to mention the guys that play games on it.
Yeah, it's a little strange using a 4:3 projector on a 16:9 screen but 95% of what I watch with the projector is 16:9 so it made sense for me. I like the shape better too!

Bud, you're not using an ND2 filter, right?

Is there a picture mode (standard, movie, etc) that's recommended on this projector?

Congrats. You made a smart investment other than buying a CD. :)
No seriously, I come from CRT land and my CRT blows this guy. But putting it in proper perspective, it is a good little side kick for me.

It's suppose to, this is a presentation PJ. Wait till you get your hands on a 10PG.
Now, if I could figure out what CD means?

ORPhD
The thread below is the one I remembered but some of the good links are listed within this one so if you read down thru this thread on aligning a screen and projector it will take you to the other older discussions.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=656739

I will be trying the 16:9 setting out of the DVD today and will post back what I think. Sounds like a good plan and thanks for the help.

CMRA
Welcome to the club. I will be interesting to hear your inputs on the “sleeper of the year” and I do think it’s important for people to keep things in perspective. Like the analogy to the cost of a replacement bulb. There are a lot of people out there that this projector might be their max price point and I think its great to find a quality product that’s in the grasp of the first time hobbyist and really projection TV becomes a bit of a hobby still. It’s becoming more mainstream but I still think it attracts a certain type person that’s not afraid to do things on their own. And with most hobbies (at least in my house) there is a price tag. That whole hobby idea is no more prevalent than in the DIY screen forum. That’s why I spent so much time working out a usable DIY screen for a projector like this. In all reality my home theater came in at just over a $1200. The projector being the most and with a DIY screen and forgoing the surround sound and all the fancy furniture. And just recycling a old 2 channel stereo and old speakers everyone I know has laying around. Sure I plan on more and better at some point and I could have afforded more to start with but sometimes less is more.

JamesC

Everyone has a different usage for their projector and if all your content is mostly 16:9 no reason not to have a 16:9 screen I say. For me its about 50/50 still.

I don’t use a ND2 filter like Irmo we both are projecting to gray screens his is a wall and mine a canvas painted screen. And the grays we are using are each well suited to the environments we are viewing in. mine I think is slightly more light controlled and a slightly lighter shade of neutral gray. I have viewed at different times the different canned settings on the XR10 and mostly use the movie one for movies. If as you go thru them you will see that they are just adjusting contrast etc. different movies or games might look better in one mode than another. Once I got my screen where I wanted as to gray and gain I really haven’t been in the menus very much. The projector seems to just look realistic no matter what feed I put into it.

To All
Thanks for keeping this thread going and always on topic. And as far as AVS goes this is the thread I always look at each morning. I can’t recall reading one negative thing between frequent posters on this thread. I have received more useful tips on how to maximize the potential of my setup here. And would like to thank anyone I might have missed thanking along the way.

Now, if I could figure out what CD means?
I presume that's Certificate of Deposit (referring to a smart investment).

Bud makes some excellent points in his last post. This forum has been an incredible source of information for me over the last six or seven years. I went from a Davis DL450 clone to an Infocus X1 to the Sharp XR10 during that time. I learned about all of them through the excellent reporting of the members here. I also learned how to set up my first HTPC and build my first and current DIY screen using information I learned here. So, many thanks to the forum owners and contributors for all the great advice over the years.

Back to the topic for a moment... I received the Tiffen ND2 filter today and tried it out on a film tonight. It doesn't screw into place unfortunately so I had to hold it in place with a piece of scotch tape. I think it gives a definite improvement over no filter. In the near future, I'll be constructing another screen that I'll paint light grey to see how it stacks up to my BOC. I have no doubt it'll be an improvement as my design is many years old and things have certainly evolved since I built it. I'll try to take some screen shots of both screens so I can provide more data to other XR10 owners.

Thanks again for all the answers guys!

I cant for the life of me figure out what exactly you guys are needing the ND filter for. Can someone share? Maybe your bulbs are just way brighter than mine but my 10x looks best when its just set to RESET with contrast bumped up +5 and color +2. Nothing else needs to be changed.

I cant for the life of me figure out what exactly you guys are needing the ND filter for. Can someone share? Maybe your bulbs are just way brighter than mine but my 10x looks best when its just set to RESET with contrast bumped up +5 and color +2. Nothing else needs to be changed.

Are you in a FULLY light controlled (BLACK {not color, but light}) room?

ORPhD

CMRA
Welcome to the club. I will be interesting to hear your inputs on the “sleeper of the year” and I do think it’s important for people to keep things in perspective. Like the analogy to the cost of a replacement bulb. There are a lot of people out there that this projector might be their max price point and I think its great to find a quality product that’s in the grasp of the first time hobbyist and really projection TV becomes a bit of a hobby still. It’s becoming more mainstream but I still think it attracts a certain type person that’s not afraid to do things on their own. And with most hobbies (at least in my house) there is a price tag. That whole hobby idea is no more prevalent than in the DIY screen forum. That’s why I spent so much time working out a usable DIY screen for a projector like this. In all reality my home theater came in at just over a $1200. The projector being the most and with a DIY screen and forgoing the surround sound and all the fancy furniture. And just recycling a old 2 channel stereo and old speakers everyone I know has laying around. Sure I plan on more and better at some point and I could have afforded more to start with but sometimes less is more.

.

But, is it a keeper?
You may recall Caspian's comment. No doubt he was referring to the black levels.
Liking a PJ vs loving one...that is the question. And tying up almost a grand that could be used towards a 'dream' machine.
I have to admit those lumens are nice, however. Acceptable viewing in ambient light, no to mention Nemo never looked this bright and colorful before.
The jury is still out for me. I'll keep you posted.

Jawhn

IMO It’s about 40% your screen color and gain, 30% screen size, 20% level of light control,10% your personal preferences on how bright is too bright. I’m just guessing at these percents but in my case size and screen surface are the two biggies. Pretty much it’s a given that the room has to be semi dark for a projector to work no matter how expensive or sophisticated they become.
You are like me insomuch that you find the out of the box settings pretty good. When I first made my neutral gray screen and had not yet done the gain improvement to it every single setting on my XR10X was set to zero and any adjustments I made always lead me back to zero. I found that with raising the screen gain a little there was a even richer color balance to be had and some describe it as “plasma like” or “color pop” and I liked that look personally and went with that improvement. The side effect of the higher gain was a slightly diminished viewing cone and I really mean slightly. Maybe went from 170 degrees to 150. nothing that even effected my seating in the least. And it along with brightening the colors that bit allowed me to turn the brightness down some even in eco-mode on a gray screen. I liked that as it gave me some leeway if and when the bulb brightness diminishes.

JamesC

As you progressed thru your projectors and CR and lumens have improved I think your newest projector is the point where you left your screen behind. The pictures I took I included BOC in as kind of a standard. Its pretty clear in the pictures how it doesn’t hold up under the higher lumens. I think you will be really amazed when you build that new screen how much more you will pick up.

ORPhD

Last night I switched the output of my Panasonic DVD recorder/player over to 16:9/ 480p
And fired up the XR10X and set it to stretch mode. The switch is easy to do and being able to digitally adjust the picture location up and down was nice. The picture was very good. I didn’t take the time to go back and forth between the 2 ways to output a 16:9 image but at first look it seemed to be about the same quality image.
I know you thought I might see some improvement in the image between the 2 and I may very well be seeing it and haven’t recognized it yet. But if you could explain where the improvements would be coming from by running in this mode.
Even though I thought having the image in the middle of my 4:3 screen was perfect for me I did notice that some of my side seats could see it easier when raising it a couple clicks. So I most likely will do this when showing wide screen movies. Thanks for the tip.

But, is it a keeper?
You may recall Caspian's comment. No doubt he was referring to the black levels.
Liking a PJ vs loving one...that is the question. And tying up almost a grand that could be used towards a 'dream' machine.
I have to admit those lumens are nice, however. Acceptable viewing in ambient light, no to mention Nemo never looked this bright and colorful before.
The jury is still out for me. I'll keep you posted.

If black level in on/off (black level in low APL) is your priority, this PJ is not a contender. But for those who recall I originally bought two IF 4805's which is said to have hi on/of. I ended up returning those for hi SDE which Sharp is much better with that regard. While there was a difference in black level it was marginal at best. Unless you spend a good amount of hard earned money to buy a Sony Ruby or 51a or Optoma 79 you will likely be better off sticking with this one as the overall picture quality of 10x is what makes this pj a stand out IMO.
Choosing a low gain screen is another solution (at least 8' wide) should help black level also.

Using DVE my brightness level sinks into -15 range. At default the on/off sucks but once calibrated it is passable/OK. Having said that the ANSI contrast (when there are both dark and bright exist at the same time) of this PJ is really nice. If you have bright walls your black level suffers as well due hi lumen of this PJ. Make sure you change your white shirt with a dark one when watching! :D

Are you in a FULLY light controlled (BLACK {not color, but light}) room?

I have a dedicated theater that is completely BLACK, ive posted pics of the construction in the past, now that its done ill try and take more.

I cant for the life of me figure out what exactly you guys are needing the ND filter for. Can someone share? Maybe your bulbs are just way brighter than mine but my 10x looks best when its just set to RESET with contrast bumped up +5 and color +2. Nothing else needs to be changed.

Have you considered setting your pj up with a disk such as DVE or Avia or even THX optimizer? That should help you a bit. I just wonder how you can distinguish between contrast at 0 and +5. The increments are real small. I watch mine with contrast down to -10 sometimes depending on materials. Not all of them are alike but brightness is at -15 all the time without any black crush whatsoever. For anything the color should be left at zero. When I got mine it was high but now it seems flatten out after 120 hrs.
It is nice to have a dedicated HT.

Have you considered setting your pj up with a disk such as DVE or Avia or even THX optimizer? That should help you a bit. I just wonder how you can distinguish between contrast at 0 and +5. The increments are real small. I watch mine with contrast down to -10 sometimes depending on materials. Not all of them are alike but brightness is at -15 all the time without any black crush whatsoever. For anything the color should be left at zero. When I got mine it was high but now it seems flatten out after 120 hrs.
It is nice to have a dedicated HT.

-15 for brightness is real dull on mine.

Are you running econo mode, progressive 3d or film? etc etc....

Share your Setting guys!!

-15 for brightness is real dull on mine.

Are you running econo mode, progressive 3d or film? etc etc....

Share your Setting guys!!
That is brightness level set up by Avia not eye.
I would be surprized to see any variations from unit to unit but screen size and DVD player might a little have some effect on this.

When calibrating the 10x one has to consider that 10x default settings are meant for presentation purposes. By that I mean this unit is meant to be run in a room with lights on hence the black level and contrast even color are set elevated to compensate for ambient light.
Even when you force this unit to movie mode the only things that change are RGB level gain and Gamma. So assuming that default factory setting are correct for a light control environment might be invalid. Best run a calibrating software with patterns to find out.

It's interesting this discussion has turned to black levels, as that is precisely what was on my mind last night as I watched this projector "again...for the first time." I'll explain.

My previous setup had a couple issues with it that necessitated remounting the unit about 20" closer to the screen. While I was undertaking that project (which took a while due to other responsibilities), my wife (and sometimes myself as well) was simultaneously painting our red brick fireplace and adjacent dark brown bookcase with a white semi gloss (not my choice for the semigloss, but too late for that). As we watched Toy Story 2 last night, I must say, I was not nearly as blown away with the picture as I had been. I'm not sure if it was the increase in ftL by moving the PJ closer (I think that's the correct unit of measurement), or if the fireplace's new color drastically increased the ambient light, but I held out hope that once I had a moment (post TS2) to recalibrate, things would be alot better. When I broke out Video Essentials, it was interesting to note that my brightness setting now needed to be quite a bit higher (-21 before, -6 after). We watched a different movie after that (Lemony Snicket's) and it seemed better, though still somewhat washed out and rather unsatisfying with the black levels. During the whole night CMRA's comment ("Liking a PJ vs loving one...that is the question") was running through my head.

Thankfully, within a month or so, this room (with the exception of the fireplace and bookcase) will be a much darker color, and I seem to have somehow managed to earn back enough WAF points to at least be discussing hanging a big gray screen (I'm thinking of something about halfway between Silver Screen and Pewter Mug, either paint or fabric). Hopefully, that will at least get me back to where I was before the recent changes...and I'm guessing it will in fact make things much better. I'm really not one obsessed with the black level, but I do feel it needs to at least be "acceptable" (fully realizing that's a highly subjective term).

In any case, I do have a few questions that I would love feedback on. First, any ideas on which factor (the closer mounting or the increase in ambient light) would necessitate my need for increasing the brightness fairly dramatically? Second, if I use VE and config the projector's brightness and contrast as best as it goes, is there a way to perhaps further improve this using the PC's color controls (maybe gamma)?

CMRA: Welcome aboard...for however long your voyage lasts. If you do ultimately stay for the long haul, I'll be interested to hear what you discover with the anamorphic lenses.

bud16415: My (somewhat uninformed) guess would be that you would see an increase in vertical clarity, although this might be difficult to discern without doing an A/B comparison. I was thinking I couldn't test this myself since I'm using only an HTPC, but I think testing with my anamorphic vs. non-anamorphic copies of A Bug's Life, I can somewhat mimic what you would see outputting 16:9 vs 4:3 (source resolution is being consumed by black bars in one case and not the other for both of us). And this will be much easier for me to A/B than in your situation. Someone can correct me if I am wrong.

"My previous setup had a couple issues with it that necessitated remounting the unit about 20" closer to the screen."

Putting a PJ with good black level (ansi contrast not on/off) in a room with light walls will produce almost the same result as a pj which has average or poor black in a room with none reflective walls.

Lowering you throw distance should result in more ftl. Brightness should not have changed drastically. Ansi contrast is not low level black so even if your room is washing out your image that should only occur during mixed scenes not with low APL's. Perhaps you were running the lamp in hi.

On my unity gain 96" wide 16xi9 screen with contrast set at -15 this pj should produce about 13 ftl which is plenty to watch movies in light controlled room. That low contrast setting and low lamp should give you excellent ansi contrast without wash out if your room color is mid tone or darker.

"CMRA: Welcome aboard...for however long your voyage lasts. If you do ultimately stay for the long haul, I'll be interested to hear what you discover with the anamorphic lenses."

Let's face it, there's plenty to like about these sub $1k machines. Yeah, I wish it had HDMI and CRT blacks too.
The brightness of this pup adds a new dimension in viewing I wasn't accustomed to before. Much to like, and little to fuss about. The best compliment I can award it is to say it gives the 4805 and H31 a run for the money. All three offer an image that exceeds their price.
Should I keep this, (highly probable), I'll give my 'complete' review down the road.

ORPhD
I really don’t think you changed the ambient level of the room much with the painting you did.
My thoughts are that you could have during the move reset it off of the eco-mode thus boosting the light level, also moving it closer would cause a increase. Keep in mind the distance a light source is away changes the light intensity by the square of the distance or logarithmically.
Also I see a big difference between DVD’s some are just a lot better than others.
As for a neutral gray shade I would highly recommend the silver leaf if you are shooting around 96 wide. I have had great results with that shade and I have replies from at least 2 others that copied my screen color and were very happy with the result. And those people didn’t do a gain adjustment to the paint just out of the “canned” it.

I watched (Frequency) tonight in the 16:9 mode and it was a excellent. I then switched to HBO and went into border mode as what you would have to do if you had a 16:9 screen and wanted to watch some 4:3 material. The picture was really bad the compression or something gave the image a blocky look. I then switched the source back to 4:3 and the picture was very clear from the same HBO feed. Not sure what caused that.

For any of you who have these units hooked up to a computer, could you try something for me. Could you post results of changing the computer's resolution to 1280x720.

Yesterday, I wanted to try giving the unit a 720p signal instead of native res just to see how well it scaled (and since there would be some other advantages for using this method for me if it scaled effectively). So I plugged in my CRT monitor, and set the resolution to 1280x720, then swapped to the projector and turned the PJ on. I know people said when fed 720p, the unit would automatically recognize it as 16x9 and set the unit into stretch mode automatically, disabling normal and border modes. Mine didn't do this, as it set it to normal. But here's where it got troublesome: stretch and border modes were now disabled. So sending the unit a 720p signal from my computer displayed distortion, and there seems to be no way to fix this. Now I realize I didn't try rebooting the computer, but I'm failing to see how this would change anything, as it simply was displaying a constant resolution the whole time; the projector is what decided how to handle that res. I'm almost wondering if I have a defective unit. Who knows if this would extend to other 720p sources (like set top units), but I'm suspecting it would.

Black levels seemed much better last night, but maybe I'm imagining things since nothing changed (except the movie...which maybe is the sole issue). Like many here, my first thought was also that eco mode got disabled when I remounted, and while this was true, it was immediately noticed and fixed. So I've been in eco mode pretty much the whole time. In any case, maybe someday I'll be able to once again just enjoy the movie and not be worrying about the PQ. :rolleyes:

For those of you using the Sharp XR10 with computer input, is the text (10-12 pt font) clear and easily readable from 10-20' away?

I need a PJ for viewing foreign films (w/subtitles) and PC input (text exercises) in a high school classroom.

For those of you using the Sharp XR10 with computer input, is the text (10-12 pt font) clear and easily readable from 10-20' away?

I need a PJ for viewing foreign films (w/subtitles) and PC input (text exercises) in a high school classroom.
What you are suggesting using this for is actually what it was designed and built for. All of us using this as a home theater projector are really the exception to the rule and I believe the fact that it does a great job as a home theater projector is good recommendation as how it will work as the business machine it was designed as.

That said I personally haven’t used it enough driven off of a PC to be the one to tell you how good it will work. But from the number of game players and pc users that have posted to date I would say give it a try. And seeing as how you will be using it on both sides of the fence I would say it should be a very good choice for you.

It does have a built in speaker but I would seriously suggest for a classroom environment getting a small stereo amp and a couple bookshelf speakers and feed them off the pc unless u already have a good sound system with the pc.

Now you wont be taking this home for the weekends will you? :D

If you input this pj ONLY with 1024x768 resolution the clarity would be stunning. Any other resolution, it has to (like all other digital pj's) rescale it back to the native resolution which will result in some softening and lack of crispness and detail.

Dear Bud and Caspian,

Thank you so much for responding!

Currently, we have a Dell 2200MP in class (1700:1 contrast, 1200 lumens, SVGA) which has weak color, but it's still better than trying to watch films (with subtitles!) on a 25" monitor, so it's what we use. I bought the Dell with my own funds last year while waiting for something better. Last month I won a grant for $1000 for technology so now it's time to buy a better projector and screen. There's no money in the school budget for these items, so until this point, I've paid for all the equipment from my own pocket. It's worth it though b/c we have a ton of fun in class.

I have an inexpensive DVD player (Norcent... hey, it works and it's region free! ;) ), Altec Lansing 2.1 speakers (Staples special, quite loud), a stack of DVDs, and a Powerbook laptop that is native 1280X854, but with which I can easily switch to work at 1024X768 when hooked to a projector. The Dell will also work at 1280X854, but I have to enlarge the fonts quite a bit for them to be easily readable. (I'm sure having a real 100" screen instead of a white-painted cinderblock wall would also help).

As for taking the projector home on weekends, well, I have an Infocus X1 at home and it's quite fun to watch movies on (I only have maybe 175 hours on it, including when I used to use it at school!), but I can imagine that the Sharp is in an entirely different league from the X1.

You are welcome any time.
You are an honorable Educator to fund the equipment out of pocket. :)

I believe the Sharp is definitely better than X1 in every respect.
As far as subtitle have no worry even with DVD it is very crisp.
10x should also provide you with enough lumen to brighten your screen even with lights on.

Happy educating!

Hey...This probably seems like a stupid question. I have owned my 4805 for a year which has now died and it looks like I may be moving on to the XR11. I used the calculator on a website and it appears that my setup of throwing my 92in diaganol from 12ft will probably still work for me. Will I have to make any alterations in my screen? It is homemade, made the frame, stretched fairly cheap material around it and bordered it. I can do it again if I have to, would prefer not to if possible.

If I purchase this 4:3 projector, will it fill my current screen, I guess is what I'm asking. Will the picture only be as wide viewing 16:9 material as it is when viewing 4:3, and put black bars on the top/bottom? As opposed to my 4805 that would fill my 16:9 screen when watching HDTV and widescreen movies, and putting bars on the sides during SD viewing. Thanks in advance for help on my newbie questions.

"I have owned my 4805 for a year which has now died and it looks like I may be moving on to the XR11. "

Something does not seem right here. The 4805 should still be under warranty, right? Go that route first.
The throws of both are close. The Sharp also has vertical shift for 16x9. Nice feature.

It's a KEEPER!

Ok, this isn't the review. That's coming. It won't be long and drawn out either.
Just know, aside from a few niggles, (what Pj doesn't have them?) this PJ gets my 'best of the budget PJs' vote hands down. I've spent 20+ grueling hours putting her through my tests.
4805 and H31, you have met your match.

It's a KEEPER!

Ok, this isn't the review. That's coming. It won't be long and drawn out either.

Great to hear...now I just want confirmation that you're gonna report back on whether it handled a 1280x720 HTPC feed correctly (since no one else has done this for me yet) :)

It's a KEEPER!

Ok, this isn't the review. That's coming. It won't be long and drawn out either.
Just know, aside from a few niggles, (what Pj doesn't have them?) this PJ gets my 'best of the budget PJs' vote hands down. I've spent 20+ grueling hours putting her through my tests.
4805 and H31, you have met your match.


The Sharp is amazing for the price. Unless one has seen it in action, it is hard to believe the PQ that it produces.

It's a KEEPER!

Ok, this isn't the review. That's coming. It won't be long and drawn out either.
Just know, aside from a few niggles, (what Pj doesn't have them?) this PJ gets my 'best of the budget PJs' vote hands down. I've spent 20+ grueling hours putting her through my tests.
4805 and H31, you have met your match.

I can hardly wait to hear what you have to say the first time you don’t have to clean the filters……. Filters what are filters? :eek:

I would like to know what your setup is screen size, color, gain etc.? Ambient light?


I came into all this at a bit of a disadvantage or advantage as the case may be this was my first time entry projector. And not knowing any better and with the help from the guys here jumped right into screen design 101. What all the screen testing did for me was to show me how important it is to match a screen to a projector like this if your prime objective is to watch movies with it.

Good to hear you like it and will await the review.

Those of you who have or are using a ND2 filter, what size? I want to try one but don't know what size filter to buy. thanks

Pros VS Cons first:

Multimedia. Not limited to just HT anymore.
Step vertical shift. For precision alignment.
Sealed optical path. Not bad for a budget PJ.
Dual VGA inputs for RGB and Component.
RGB output. Comes in handy for testing or adding a monitor.
Built in audio and pass thru. handy when/where it counts.
(Hook-ups for RCA and PC jacks)
4x3 for Gaming. (Have not bought a game in awhile)
Quite operation. Yes, there's quieter.
Gorgeous flesh tones. (Like you didn't already know)
Very LOW SDE.
Exceptional brightness. (Compared to my other PJs)
Express warranty. (Better than Costco's?)
Lush color palette. (Methinks they hired an Optoma free agent)
Excellent image at 480p AND 720p.

Caveats.

Menus. Gotta fuss with the remote and menus just to make basic adjustments. Ugh. (Should have hired the other Optoma agent too)
Orangish reds. Not real bad, but noticeable. Had same issue with Optoma but HDMI cured the problem there. (Maybe the reason flesh tones look so good...you think?)
Slight bowing in 16x9 mode. Nothing masking and alignment can't overcome. No problem in 4x3 for text and gaming.
No DVI/HDMI. Very rare on 4x3 PJs anyway. No biggie now, but the future???
No handle. What the...? This is a Presentation machine for crying out loud.
Is that what they call a travel case? It's a dust cover with a zipper...and no strap!
And the BIGGIE...less than stellar black levels in dark scenes. Let's face it, the achilles heel in all things digital. But, what the heck, it's a presentation PJ right?
This is where my Optoma holds the edge. Of course, CRTs spank both...for now.

Summing up. This is alot of PJ for the dough. If you can 'bear' through those 'dark' scenes, you'll love this PJ. What it does, it does very well indeed. It's pretty much everything the H31/SP 4805 is and more. It's bright. It's clean. It has gorgeous colors. It plays almost everything very well.
It's really hard to justify spending the big bucks on fancy PJs when machines like this exist.

Great to hear...now I just want confirmation that you're gonna report back on whether it handled a 1280x720 HTPC feed correctly (since no one else has done this for me yet) :)

I gave that and the 768 setting a go. Nada. Sharp has a 16x9 scaler built in when set at 4x3 resolutions. (XGA and SXGA for my purposes). The Sharp simply turns off the 'resize' option when you elect video settings other than 4x3.
My upscaling component out DVD player has no scaling issues, however.

I gave that and the 768 setting a go. Nada. Sharp has a 16x9 scaler built in when set at 4x3 resolutions. (XGA and SXGA for my purposes). The Sharp simply turns off the 'resize' option when you elect video settings other than 4x3.
My upscaling component out DVD player has no scaling issues, however.

Thanks for trying...and if I read your post correctly, we are seeing the same (troubling) behavior. Namely, when feeding the unit an image of 1280x720 FROM AN HTPC, it a) fills the screen with a vertically stretched image but b) still blocks the resize function. In other words, it is NOT locked in stretch mode, as it should be, but rather locked in normal mode.

This is what confuses me: it seems people can feed it a 1280x720 image from, say, a set top box, and it recognizes it fine (disables resize, but displays in stretch mode). Feed an identical resolution from a computer, and it still disables resize, but now displays in normal mode. Huh??? To me, identical resolutions should be handled the same regardless of source (STB vs. HTPC).

Am I crazy for thinking this is some sort of bug/defect?

Am I crazy for thinking this is some sort of bug/defect?

You have to make sure that the resolution and refresh rates fed are supported as computer resolution.
I have no problem feeding the 10x 1280x720@60hz via component which gets displayed as 1028x576@60hz.

Look it up in the manual.

CMRA,

Your caveats... Orange red. My Nec XG that has red primary right on the target compares similar as far as color space platte of the Sharp. Having said that its green is toward yellow and blue more intense than the Nec.

Problem seems the amplitude of this colors rather it space coordinate. My color setting fell a few clicks short of center as well as hue. Once you set it up you might get a better result.

The bowing can get benefit from installing the unit at its shortest range (closest to screen)and max zoom which mine is at without really any bowing whatsoever.

Black level I agree. It is only the black associated with low level contrast (low APL) like nights, dark seen and so on but other than that it has excellent black level when the APL is somewhat elevated as well as mixed scenes. The PQ of this pj is a head and shoulder above the 4805 that I owned. Noise level is nonexistence with this PJ. Extremely clean pic which I believe its scaler should get the credit for.

You have to make sure that the resolution and refresh rates fed are supported as computer resolution.
I have no problem feeding the 10x 1280x720@60hz via component which gets displayed as 1028x576@60hz.

Look it up in the manual.

Question... on page 33 of the XR10 manual it says, "STRETCH is fixed when 540P, 720P, or 1080I signals are entered." Does this mean that you cannot feed this pj a 16:9 1080I signal AND anamorphically fit it into the 4:3 normal mode using all the pj's micromirrors?

I currently have a Zenith DVB318 and an Infocus X1 pj... I use the Zenith's vertical zoom to stretch 2.35 content to (roughly) fill the pj's 4:3 DLP panel. If I purchased the XR10, I would like to do this too, but at XGA rez... as I have a specially modded 1.9x anamorphic lens. Can I still do this with the Sharp, or do I need to find another pj?

And if so, any recommendations?

CMRA,

Your caveats... Orange red. My Nec XG that has red primary right on the target compares similar as far as color space platte of the Sharp. Having said that its green is toward yellow and blue more intense than the Nec.

Problem seems the amplitude of this colors rather it space coordinate. My color setting fell a few clicks short of center as well as hue. Once you set it up you might get a better result.

The bowing can get benefit from installing the unit at its shortest range (closest to screen)and max zoom which mine is at without really any bowing whatsoever.

Black level I agree. It is only the black associated with low level contrast (low APL) like nights, dark seen and so on but other than that it has excellent black level when the APL is somewhat elevated as well as mixed scenes. The PQ of this pj is a head and shoulder above the 4805 that I owned. Noise level is nonexistence with this PJ. Extremely clean pic which I believe its scaler should get the credit for.

Keep in mind, all these are niggles rather than deal killers. The only big issue rests in the low level contrast scenes as you pointed out. Since I tend to avoid 'dark' movies and have a CRT solution as a work around, this becomes a manageable issue. I've said it before, and will again, if and when digital matches the CR of CRT, it's game over. Sony Ruby owners insist it is already close. About the scaler, not sure I'd give it the same credit you did. (given my setup).
This really is a formidable entry level PJ, one of the best, or, maybe even the best.

CMRA
I asked in a post above and you may have missed the post. Or maybe I missed the answer ether way I’m curious as to what screen you are using and throw distance screen size etc?

I experimented for several months with screen paints and gain improvements specifically tailored to this projector. And in those tests I found several of the same color observations that you made along with the black level detail. In all cases they were greatly improved with the neutral gray screen I built and then and addition of a top coating to bump the screen gain up specific to my room setting. I have posted a couple times to the proponents of the ND2 filter to tame some of the lumens that I thought a better approach was to go gray. And the big benefits I saw were on the black end. The losses I saw on the bright end going gray were offset with the higher gain surface. The gray IMO also worked against the orange-reds etc and darkened them to truer reds along with some other color improvements.

To me using this projector in the 120 inch screen size requires a screen matched to the high lumens. And when done properly will even take the stellar review you stated a step more.

Thanks for trying...and if I read your post correctly, we are seeing the same (troubling) behavior. Namely, when feeding the unit an image of 1280x720 FROM AN HTPC, it a) fills the screen with a vertically stretched image but b) still blocks the resize function. In other words, it is NOT locked in stretch mode, as it should be, but rather locked in normal mode.

This is what confuses me: it seems people can feed it a 1280x720 image from, say, a set top box, and it recognizes it fine (disables resize, but displays in stretch mode). Feed an identical resolution from a computer, and it still disables resize, but now displays in normal mode. Huh??? To me, identical resolutions should be handled the same regardless of source (STB vs. HTPC).

Am I crazy for thinking this is some sort of bug/defect?

Correct. Obviously the Sharp engineers elected to go that route. With the resize option in 4x3 modes, I fail to see a problem. In the XGA default mode the image is as clear as any other 1024x768 machine I have seen.

I would like to know what your setup is screen size, color, gain etc.? Ambient light?


Good to hear you like it and will await the review.

I have a half a dozen DIY screen options. Currently I'm using my 'silver' solution. It's a 4x8' , comfortable for 16x9 and 2.35:1 viewing. Black masking above and below the screen for the obvious reason. Presently 4x3 viewing requires I move the PJ much closer to the screen.
I'm old school. Total light control. The Sharp does however work favorably in moderate ambient light just in case I host the next super bowl party.

silver screens:http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=57517

Correct. Obviously the Sharp engineers elected to go that route. With the resize option in 4x3 modes, I fail to see a problem. In the XGA default mode the image is as clear as any other 1024x768 machine I have seen.

Well, for me, there were two issues. First, another user (I think it was CaspianM) said he got a better image outputting 1280x720 than 1024x768. I wanted to test this for myself. Second, if/when I actually make or paint my 16x9 screen, I wanted to be able to fit my entire Windows desktop on it without AR distortion. But border mode will accomplish this as well, I suppose. (Ideally, the computer would output 1024x576, and the projector would handle this correctly at the refresh rate I desire).

In any case, I'm sure CaspianM's mention of the refresh rates is indeed the correct solution here. I didn't get a chance to fire up the projector last night to test, but I have little doubt that if I set the refresh rate to 60Hz, that would solve the problem. However, since I'd prefer to stick with my current 72Hz setup (which, although not mentioned in the manual, is supported in XGA), I doubt that using 60Hz would be a long term solution for me anyway.

But all of this is largely picking at nits (well, now that I know my projector isn't defective). Hulk looked absolutely amazing the other night, and that was without using ffdshow, which I finally setup yesterday.

Well, for me, there were two issues. First, another user (I think it was CaspianM) said he got a better image outputting 1280x720 than 1024x768. .

Did I really say that? :)
Can't recall that and I have not done any testing as which one is better so I don't know why I said that. :confused:

I've said it before, and will again, if and when digital matches the CR of CRT, it's game over. Sony Ruby owners insist it is already close. About the scaler, not sure I'd give it the same credit you did. (given my setup).
This really is a formidable entry level PJ, one of the best, or, maybe even the best.

Maybe one day. Until then digitals are what they are and no Ruby cannot do near a million CR. But digitals do some right. I really like CRT because it multiscan and no pixel and the black. There is nothing like fade to pitch black or near.

Did I really say that? :)
Can't recall that and I have not done any testing as which one is better so I don't know why I said that. :confused:

D'oh! :o

After looking back through the thread, I apparently remembered the exchange wrong. My apologies CaspianM.

In a way, though, this is good, since it removes one of the reasons I thought I had for running anything but native res. :)

welp, I just ordered a sharp xr-10x :)

will let you guys know how it works with my HTPC once I get it all setup. I think I'm actually going to try just projecting onto my new vertical blinds for the time being - they're remarkably flat and even when closed.. who knows, might be able to save a couple hundred $'s ;)

welp, I just ordered a sharp xr-10x :)

will let you guys know how it works with my HTPC once I get it all setup. I think I'm actually going to try just projecting onto my new vertical blinds for the time being - they're remarkably flat and even when closed.. who knows, might be able to save a couple hundred $'s ;)

You are in for a treat. However, I believe you bring an all new meaning to VB, 'vertical banding'.

You are in for a treat. However, I believe you bring an all new meaning to VB, 'vertical banding'.

that's kinda what I was thinking.. but my curiousity is definitely getting the best of me in this case.. I have to try it out and see how bad it is before dropping more cash on a screen.

If and when I do, you guys really think I should get a gray one or just a matte white? I'm kinda a fan of brightness over "true blacks", so I'm actually considering a high power too so I can leave some lights on.. whatcha think?

Tamale
Check out the pictures in my photo link below and know the actual pictures look about twice as good and more than bright enough. IMO by going gray and to a slight gain improvement you really get some color pop. Much more than white. And I also have a few pictures in there of what gray looks like under a bright light source. If you study them you will see what I’m saying. I also took some with a test screen in 4 shades of gray and referenced some BOC also for a white comparison. Along with different gain coatings.
It could be this projector is one of the few with the lumens to make this work. I don’t know because there is almost no following in the DIY world for “Neutral Gray’s” anymore.
Looking at the photos CMRA posted in response to my question about his screen color etc. under the room light he took that picture in it looks very close to mine under similar lighting. I haven’t studied the addition of silver to gray in great length. But it appears it does a quite similar thing that I found worked well and that’s using a method to increase the sheen of a screen and thus raising the gain without going to a brighter whiter screen.

There are a couple links below that also address that whole concept also so I wont go into that.
Each picture I posted was designed to show some aspect of the XR10X and the neutral gray screen interaction.

I can't do a permanent installation though.. the screen will go down over my windows.. (which is why I was considering using just the blinds)

what are some good manual roll-downs for the XR-10X?

With prices similar, should I go for:

XR-10X
XR-11C
XR-20S

??

Grazie!

With prices similar, should I go for:

XR-10X
XR-11C
XR-20S

??

Grazie!

Unless you are in an extremely bright environment, NOT the XR-20S. This has a little bit more brightness, but is only SVGA. So you trade about 40% of your resolution for a 15% increase in brightness.

The XR-10X and XR-11C are identical projectors; the XR-11C simply comes with a "travel case." However, according to CMRA's earlier review, that case is not that great.

Note that there is also a XR-11XC model sold by one or two of the brick and mortars. My theory is that the 11XC and 11C are the exact same thing, but with different model numbers since one is sold at a warehouse club (a common practice). No one seems to know for certain whether this is the case, though. The only reason I mention this is because the 11XC is actually the model that I have seen for the cheapest price brand new.

HTH

D'oh! :o

After looking back through the thread, I apparently remembered the exchange wrong. My apologies CaspianM.

In a way, though, this is good, since it removes one of the reasons I thought I had for running anything but native res. :)

No problem. Glad to hear I did not post such unverified info.

Well, we all have friends who insist on seeing their movies in your theater. Not my type of movie, for sure.
On the other hand, the transfer was very good (what I saw of it, the last 20 mins). Some EE but not too objectionable. But, the flesh tones in the faces and the daylight scenes...ubernice. For a 4 segment, 3x wheel, I just can't get over how wonderful faces look on this machine. I keep thinking in the back of my mind, could this be similar to what the Sammy 710 owners keep raving about?
Oh well, back to normal viewing: war, carnage, and 'old fashion' love affairs.

IT CAME!!!!!! :-D :-D

http://joshb.net/pics/random/projector/

yah, it's pretty obvious the image is on blinds, but man.. it sure isn't THAT bad. it's definitely usable until I know what screen I want to get!!! thanks a ton guys.. I can tell already this thing will be perfect for me.. I didn't need to adjust ANYTHING except placement, focus, and zoom.. and right now it's at the widest zoom and fits my space perfectly. thanks again... i love this thing.

IT CAME!!!!!! :-D :-D

... i love this thing.

Trust me, you'll love it alot MORE without those white walls. (Not to mention Albert) Enjoy, it's a fabulous machine.

Trust me, you'll love it alot MORE without those white walls. (Not to mention Albert) Enjoy, it's a fabulous machine.

i'm just a renter :[

it's hard enough convincing him to let me put in some holes to mount a screen.. there's no way I can paint the walls..

you think it'd help a lot though, huh? how bad do the blinds look? think i could get much better PQ with a real screen?

i'm just a renter :[


you think it'd help a lot though, huh? how bad do the blinds look? think i could get much better PQ with a real screen?

Firstly, I should NOT rain on your parade. Who am I to say you can't enjoy your PJ the way you want to?
On the other hand, this is an incredible PJ (for the money) and is capable of throwing a fantastic image...or not. The signal you send it and the environment it projects in will be determining factors.

For now, enjoy. You can become an annoying tweak-o-phile later and give a newcomer plenty of "advice" one day too.

Firstly, I should NOT rain on your parade. Who am I to say you can't enjoy your PJ the way you want to?
On the other hand, this is an incredible PJ (for the money) and is capable of throwing a fantastic image...or not. The signal you send it and the environment it projects in will be determining factors.

For now, enjoy. You can become an annoying tweak-o-phile later and give a newcomer plenty of "advice" one day too.

well, don't get me wrong.. I wouldn't take any advice as an attack.. of course I'd like to enjoy it to the fullest extent, but as a renter there's only so much I can do.

If a screen IS something I can do though, I'd sure want to make the best decision I could within my confines of not being able to repaint anything.

Tamale
I have been planning on painting my gloss white ceiling gray from the day I hung the XR10X and have been so busy watching the beautiful image it produces I haven’t had time. What I loved about your pictures, is they show to me the high level of tolerance this projector has for things like white wall some ambient light and not the perfect screen surface.
We all know you pulled it out of the box plugged it and started playing. That’s exactly the same thing I did. I brought mine in from the car in the winter and remember thinking its ice cold should I let it warm up before plugging it in. I also found a king size bed sheet to be a very good for close to a month.
I would say the size you are projecting to a DIY screen painted about the same shade neutral gray I used would be perfect for you. or if you go with a pull down something in the lower gain gray’s also.

You’re going to love this projector.

CMRA
You’re right on about the skin tones. I like to test against skin tones also as they are something the eye instinctively knows when its right. Trees water sky cars etc all also look fantastic but are harder for me to say they are absolutely correct. I watch a lot of digital still pictures I have taken on this projector in the 3 to 4 meg range. the image I get off of stills will really blow your socks off.

I have been reading some on the newer “Sharp” projectors. The cases buttons etc look very familiar. It will be interesting to see what’s next for them. But honestly for now I have no desire for more than this business class projector is giving me.

Will the blinds work? Yes
Will a screen give a better image? Yes

A pull down screen will only require 2 screws. A little spackle and some color matched paint and you'll never know it was there. I ended up getting a 92" 16:9 electric screen for $ 250 off *bay. Good luck, and enjoy! :D

I think Bud's idea of a bedsheet would be an improvement over the blinds. Those things would drive me crazy.

Congrats on your purchase Tamale! Welcome to the club.

Will the blinds work? Yes
Will a screen give a better image? Yes

A pull down screen will only require 2 screws. A little spackle and some color matched paint and you'll never know it was there. I ended up getting a 92" 16:9 electric screen for $ 250 off *bay. Good luck, and enjoy! :D

the only thing to mount into above the windows is cement.. ceiling is cement too... if i knew for sure i could hide cement holes i'd probably do it.. heh

I've had my projector up and running off and on for almost a month now. Unlike most (all?) here, I have run exclusively through a PC. As a first time HTPC user as well, this has certainly had its share of issues, but I finally feel I have gotten just about everything working right. As such, I figured I would post what were by far my two biggest issues in case someone else finds themself in the same boat. What probably made solution of these problems so difficult is that they are more limited to the XR-10X (or its 4:3 aspect ratio). I therefore felt it was more relevant to this thread than, say, the HTPC forum.

Problem #1: Weird artifacting, letters that don't seem uniform in appearance, other visual anomalies that just don't seem "right" (similar to sending it a non-native resolution)

Solution: Press auto sync on the remote, even if coming off a fresh reboot/connnecting the projector/etc. I don't know why, but my projector has had difficulty correctly synchronizing with the computer on its first attempt. This may be related to my use of a non-VESA standard refresh rate (72Hz), but I seem to remember it happened even with standard ones. Thankfully, it is easily correctable, and results in a perfect 1:1 pixel map (or at least seems to...I know I've heard some say this is impossible over VGA). This has simply gotten me in the habit of pressing auto sync every time the computer and projector finish booting up. There is a very noticeable improvement in picture quality once pressed.

Problem #2: Trying to get ffdshow's resize to output correctly, namely without some form of vertical stretch.

Solution: This one was a real pain for me, probably because just about every guide is targeted toward people with 16:9 displays. Anyway, I was finally able to get things looking correctly using Andy's popular SSE2 build from 2004. In the process, I ultimately decided not to use the popular guide settings on this because they created various problems and seemed overkill anyway.

I select Specify Size and enter in 1024x576. I then select "No aspect ratio correction" instead of "keep original aspect ratio" which is typically the suggested setting. Honestly, I'm still not sure why "keep original aspect ratio" is recommended so frequently since it (understandably) always displayed a distorted image for me. Anyway, this finally got ffdshow to output a correct, non-distorted image, while avoiding more scaling than necessary.

Note: I don't claim to be an ffdshow expert by any means, so there may be other ways to get this same effect. But there's an almost limitless number of combinations, and I wasn't going to test every one. This one works for me. If we have a resident ffdshow expert who wants to suggest something better, I'm all ears.

I hope I didn't take things too off topic with this, and I hope even more that someone finds this useful.

dave both the issues you brought up are of great concern to me.. thank you very much!

i will be using this projector from my computer almost exclusively, so i'd love to share issues and setup tips.

quick question - how loud is the fan in your guys' 10x's? Mine makes the usual 'hum', but there's also a distinctive hiss as well.. I'll try to put up a recording.. but in the meantime I was just wondering if anyone else notices their unit's fans very much?

if it was just the hum i don't think it'd be an issue at all, but the higher pictched noise is pretty distracting if you're within a couple feet of it.

quick question - how loud is the fan in your guys' 10x's? Mine makes the usual 'hum', but there's also a distinctive hiss as well.. I'll try to put a recording.. but in the meantime I was just wondering if anyone else notices their unit's fans very much?

if it was just the hum i don't think it'd be an issue at all, but the higher pictched noise is pretty distractiving if you're within a couple feet of it.

Mine is pretty quiet and in eco mode I don’t hear it at all and I sit with my ears 3 feet below it. When it starts up I hear the fan and when shutting down I do but during a movie I never notice it. The high-pitched noise I don’t think is normal. You are the first I have heard talk about that.

I run my XR10 in Econo mode and it's wisper quiet. Even on very quiet sceens it's not noticeable. What mode are you using?

ORPhD: regarding your HTPC-to-XR10x hookup, you'll get much better results if you feed it a modified 1024x768 parameter as opposed to trying direct 1024x576. Bear with me, and let me explain. Here are the steps you need follow:

1) Right-click Powerstrip icon in systray, choose Display Profiles > Configure > and select 1024x768 (also make sure refresh is set at 60Hz) > click Apply
2) Click Advanced Timing Options > Custom Resolutions
3) Select "Lock Total Geometry"
4) At the top, where it says "Active Pixels" replace 768 with 576 and then hit Tab
5) Click "Add New Resolution" then Restart
6) After rebooting, go back to Powerstrip Display Profiles > Configure > and select 1024x576

This should give you a perfectly pixel-mapped 1024x576 in the middle of your screen. You may have to hit Autosync to get it lined up the first time. Also note that you can move this 1024x576 field up and down using either Powerstrip or the XR-10x image shift function.

I've used this method to get 1024x576 on several different XGA projectors (including the XR-10x). It always works; try it for yourself!

I noticed two things last night that have me just a little curious. First, when getting into the dark grays, is it common to approximate that by "mixing" black and a lighter gray...a "flickering" of sorts which is unnoticeable at any reasonable distance, but obvious from a foot or so away? I've noticed this on BTB test patterns on VE, and now on Braveheart as well (had the movie paused, but only dark gray sections of the screen were not "frozen" at the pixel level). I'm guessing/hoping this is typical of digital displays. Can anyone confirm?

Second, I'm barely over 40 hours, and my bulb has already had a perceptible dimming. I had to bump brightness up about 4 notches to compensate. I hope it stays there. Otherwise, thank goodness I bought at a warehouse club.

Tamale: If I have just the projector on (no sound from the receiver), I too hear a hiss. Mine gets pretty easily drowned out though if I have any sound coming through the speakers at all. Normal fan mode is considerably louder though (I tried it once and did find it distracting)...so make sure you're in econo mode (this should be the default for the movie configuration anyway).

mbaxter: Thanks for the thoughts, but I'm 99% certain I'm already getting a perfectly pixel mapped 1024x576 image in the middle of my frame. In fact, I'm pretty sure that by doing nothing at all in MediaPortal or GotAllMedia, this occurs (courtesy of the video card's scaling). The problem I ran into was when I wanted to use ffdshow to perform my scaling. All of the guides I found for this were targeted at people with 16:9 displays, and (even worse) some of the primary ones have a pretty major error in them anyway. This is why I posted my comments...just in case someone else was trying to use ffdshow to perform the scaling (I know you don't).

Plus, like many now, I don't use Powerstrip, and I also like keeping my refresh rate at 72Hz...I get noticeably smoother pans that way (I watch 100% Hollywood DVDs).

Like with just about anything HTPC related, there's more than one way to skin a cat :)

In any case, I don't want to be the one to break this thread's on-topic streak. So if we have much more XR-10X/HTPC-related discussion, we might need to take it to another thread...especially if someone requests it.

When I had my Sharp a few feet from my seating position at eye level I could also hear the high pitch whine. Now that I mounted it up and back...I hear nothing in Econo mode.

I have about 115 hrs on the bulb...no perceiveable dimming. In fact...I was thinking last evening that it seems to be brighter ( prob just my distorted perception).

Continued to be amazed at the PQ. I finally came up with a way to mount a screen (92" Da-Lite) and the experience is wonderful.

I've never heard any "whine" from my projector, but it's been mounted on the ceiling since right after I got it.

All I hear is the fan every once in awhile but a VERY quiet scene has to be on in order to hear it.

there must be some dirt or something in one of my fans then, 'cause the noise is just as bad in eco as normal.

thanks guys, i'll take them out and try to clean 'em up to see if it helps :)