"You neglected to add that the Silverstar MSRPs for $3000 and the Carada for $1000 in a 122"D size."

133" Dalite HP electric MSRP is $1200, retails fior significantly less; less for a pulldown.

"Personally, I'd rather have no gain. I think you'd get a better picture. "

I think you should actually compare before drawing conclusions.

"You neglected to add that the Silverstar MSRPs for $3000 and the Carada for $1000 in a 122"D size."

133" Dalite HP electric MSRP is $1200, retails fior significantly less; less for a pulldown.

"Personally, I'd rather have no gain. I think you'd get a better picture. "

I think you should actually compare before drawing conclusions.


Well said Noah. I went with the 119" Model C pulldown HP with the idea that I would cut the material and mount it tight on a wood frame. But it looks so good hanging from the ceiling that I left it there for now. I may still cut it and built a fixed-wall screen out of it but for now I am OK.

Oh the cost: I paid exactly $450 for it delivered! Less than 1/2 the Carada and many multiples less than the price of high end screens such as Firehawk.

It sure is. You neglected to add that the Silverstar MSRPs for $3000 and the Carada for $1000 in a 122"D size. The SilverStar does not have an MSRP and the 120" with deluxe frame can be had for under 2k.


The Silverstar is not as color neutral as the Carada either. So it is not really the perfect solution that you have implied, now is it?
Says who?

Anyone know where I can find a replacement lamp for this projector?
Can't find one anywhere...

This may be a dumb question, but how critical is it to perfectly center the Samsung H710AE projector to the screen? This will be ceiling mounted, and I'm not sure if being off an inch or two is going to be an issue?

I have no idea if the lenses shifts left or right. I know it does a bit up and down, so I can align just within the top edge. But it's the left/right action that concerns me. The lenses is offset a bit. I need to know because my wiring is going in either at the end of this week or early next week. I still won't have the projector. But I need to know where to have the wires and outlet.

It's 15" wide on the spec sheet, but I don't know the lenses offset. I downloaded the .pdf instructions for the unit but that had no useful info at all.

Can any 710 owners point me in the correct direction? I'd appreciate it!

If more details help- ceiling mount, upside down from mount (that's how the Sammy looks to mount?), dead center of the ceiling is 74-1/2" from either side wall. Screen will be centered on the front wall.

Thanks!

Fred

(full disclosure- I did start a thread on this but didn't really get responses, so I figured I'd edit it for clarity and add it to a full Samsung thread, here. Thanks)

Fred,
The 710 does not have left/right (horizontal lense shift), only vertical as you pointed out. You want to center the 710 LENS to the center of your screen (ignore the case of the PJ). Measuring the walls is an ok start, but you probably need to play with it side-to-side a little bit via the mount to get it perfect. Twisting the PJ on the mount to make it centered will cause horizontal keystoning. How much keystoning depends on how far you off from center. If you order though AVS with the mount, it's very easy to use the spider legs of the mount to adjust the PJ side-to-side.

I use a rotary laser level to find the center on the screen and the laser rotates around the ceiling to the back of the room where I need to place the lens, a craftsman rotary laser is what I use, works every time

I was watching a DVD over the DVI I/P and noticed some grainy texture to the picture. Not sure what this was and wanted to run it past other folks to see whether ya'll have been notciing anything similar ?

Basically what I see is - on a scene that has an extensive white (or a pale/light color to it) background to it - I can clearly see a grainy texture on the screen (using a Dalite HCCV). These portions of the screens are clearly not displaying a smooth image. Scenes with bright colors are very crisp and sharp and I dont notice any issues there.

Anybody notice anything similar ? Is this a pj issue (mounting, keystoning etc). or is this an artifact of a DVD/ DVD player (using the samsung hidef dvd player). I dont think it can be a connection issue - since digitial is either a complete picture or nothing at all.

This sounds more like the screen than the source, unless I've misunderstood what you are trying to describe.

The HCCV has a very, very fine-grained reflective coating on it. It can give some colors a 'dirty,' or grainy appearance. Whites and lighter tones are prone to show this screen artifact more than dark colors. It's particularly noticable in bright sky scenes, and obviously anything white.

This sounds more like the screen than the source, unless I've misunderstood what you are trying to describe.

The HCCV has a very, very fine-grained reflective coating on it. It can give some colors a 'dirty,' or grainy appearance. Whites and lighter tones are prone to show this screen artifact more than dark colors. It's particularly noticable in bright sky scenes, and obviously anything white.

I think that is what I might be seeing. I do get a grainy/dirty picture on bright scenes. Any recommendations on how to address this ? Was my screen material choice incorrect ? I was motivated to go with the HCCV, since I had to address some issues with ambient lighting in the room (light colored walls/ceiling)

Any recommedations from dealing with a similiar issue would be appreciated.

I've learned to live with it on my HCCV screen.

You'll see this screen artifact on virtually any coated screen material, with some being worse than others. The only way to avoid it would be to go with an uncoated screen material.

I think that is what I might be seeing. I do get a grainy/dirty picture on bright scenes. Any recommendations on how to address this ? Was my screen material choice incorrect ? I was motivated to go with the HCCV, since I had to address some issues with ambient lighting in the room (light colored walls/ceiling)

Any recommedations from dealing with a similiar issue would be appreciated.

I have similar complaints about most screens. I have spoken with Da-Lite and Stewart people about a screen that improves the resolution. There are only 2 manufactured screens that work better than my own smooth sanded screen wall.

Da-Lite High Power, 2.8 gain with 25 degree half gain and retroreflective so it's very limited applications. This is an ultra smooth screen and has very good resolution but too high of gain.

Da-Lite Pearlescent, 1.5 gain with 40 degree half gain but with ceiling mounted PJ it tends to lower a bit.

The key is a very smooth screen surface with large half gain. Pearlescent from Da-Lite is the best I have found of 14 screens. This includes Studio Tek 130 and Ultramatte 150.

k

133" Dalite HP electric MSRP is $1200, retails for significantly less; less for a pulldown.

The HP is a great screen bargain, and a great screen for the right setup. However, the setup I am working on requires a ceiling mount PJ and wide seating (35 or 40 degrees off to the sides depending on the screen size). So unfortunately the HP isn't a good fit.

I would consider the Silverstar, but it is beyond the project's budget. The cheapest price I found by doing a standard Search was $2860 delivered for the 3.5" velvet framed model. Which is the frame that the $1000 Carada comes with.

I did find the thinner painted frame model for slightly under $2000. In Carada the thinner painted frame model is about $700.

Glenn

Da-Lite High Power, 2.8 gain with 25 degree half gain and retroreflective so it's very limited applications. This is an ultra smooth screen and has very good resolution but too high of gain.

I don't understand what you mean by "it's very limited applications". There seem to be a great number of people who rave about the HighPower.

I would consider the Silverstar, but it is beyond the project's budget. The cheapest price I found by doing a standard Search was $2860 delivered for the 3.5" velvet framed model. Which is the frame that the $1000 Carada comes with.

I did find the thinner painted frame model for slightly under $2000. In Carada the thinner painted frame model is about $700.

Glenn


Sounds like your mind is set on the carada even though you know that the Silverstar is the best screen for you. But believe me after you buy the carada you might find asking yourself what if ... I'd bought the silverstar. This HT business never ends ...

I don't mean to imply that the carada is not a good screen, just that it doesn't have the gain to compete with the Silverstar. And with every passing hour that bulb will be getting dimmer and dimmer ...

I was wondering if anyone knew if this projector has Sealed Optics, is end-user firmware upgradable, how it handles 1080i signal ( either downconvert to 540p and then upconvert to 720p or upconvet to 1080p and then downconvert to 720p), and what is the bulb part# so I can find out how much bulbs cost. If any of this has already been asked.... sorry :) Point me in the right direction please. Thanks

I don't mean to imply that the carada is not a good screen, just that it doesn't have the gain to compete with the Silverstar. And with every passing hour that bulb will be getting dimmer and dimmer ...


Have you personally tried the Carada BW with the 710? I have and can say on a 100" screen it's so bright you would need to adjust the brightness/contrast to get a accurate picture. The seen that comes to mind is The Skeleton Key where the old lady is out with the flashlight. The flashlight appears so bright you'd think it was real. Not to say all other content isn't bright because it is but the BW is bright enough to go beyond what is needed. I'm not in a dedicated theater so the light reflection is somewhat of a issue. I can't see you needing anymore gain then what it offers unless ambient light is really a issue.

Have you personally tried the Carada BW with the 710? I have and can say on a 100" screen it's so bright you would need to adjust the brightness/contrast to get a accurate picture. The seen that comes to mind is The Skeleton Key where the old lady is out with the flashlight. The flashlight appears so bright you'd think it was real. Not to say all other content isn't bright because it is but the BW is bright enough to go beyond what is needed. I'm not in a dedicated theater so the light reflection is somewhat of a issue. I can't see you needing anymore gain then what it offers unless ambient light is really a issue.

Can't say I have but I wouldn't call 100" a really big screen and that's probably why you are happy with its brightness. I am just a little larger at 119" and can tell you that my room lights up when the HP screen gets illuminated. (Ceiling is black and walls are dark burgundy.) The screen image simply pops right out at you. My wife said the other night as we were watching Chocolat "this is so much better than the movie theater it feels like you are really in the scene".

I am not implying the Carada is not bright enough and good enough for the Sammy/100" combo, just that for those who love high gain and lotsa lumens there are better options. I am willing to bet that if you were to pair up the Sammy with 133" or much larger screen, the Carada will not be bright enough.

John

This may be a dumb question, but how critical is it to perfectly center the Samsung H710AE projector to the screen? This will be ceiling mounted, and I'm not sure if being off an inch or two is going to be an issue?

I have no idea if the lenses shifts left or right. I know it does a bit up and down, so I can align just within the top edge. But it's the left/right action that concerns me. The lenses is offset a bit. I need to know because my wiring is going in either at the end of this week or early next week. I still won't have the projector. But I need to know where to have the wires and outlet.

It's 15" wide on the spec sheet, but I don't know the lenses offset. I downloaded the .pdf instructions for the unit but that had no useful info at all.

Can any 710 owners point me in the correct direction? I'd appreciate it!

If more details help- ceiling mount, upside down from mount (that's how the Sammy looks to mount?), dead center of the ceiling is 74-1/2" from either side wall. Screen will be centered on the front wall.

Thanks!

Fred

(full disclosure- I did start a thread on this but didn't really get responses, so I figured I'd edit it for clarity and add it to a full Samsung thread, here. Thanks)

I'm in the same boat, and will be mounting the projector after the drywall is complete and the room is painted (perhaps only another week!). I am trying to center the screen below a tray ceiling, so would prefer not to be off by much. The AVS spider mount does allow some play. Insulation happened today and drywall will begin tomorrow, so I wanted to pull the prewiring through the ceiling last night.

Doing some basic centering using a laser and a ladder, I drilled a hole for the mount just over 3" left of the midline of my tray. I believe that will leave me enough room for error. Note that I didn't fire the projector up to test the location, but eyeballed where the lens center was when I was holding it on a ladder, and estimated the distance off center.

I would have been more precise but I was alone and terrified of dropping the projector from a 6' height while playing with it. If there's anyone else who has mounted the PJ who measured the exact distance from center, I would also appreciate that info.

I would have been more precise but I was alone and terrified of dropping the projector from a 6' height while playing with it. If there's anyone else who has mounted the PJ who measured the exact distance from center, I would also appreciate that info.

That's exact what I need. If someone who has a 710 could measure the center of the projector to the center of the lenses, that will give me an idea of where the mount and projector body will go.

My concern is that the electricians will be running cable soon, and I need to know WHERE the body of the projector is in relation to the hole in the ceiling. I don't want to have to string 3 feet of cable sideways on the ceiling :) WAF is low to begin with, let me tell you....

As the projector is, according to specs,

Size (inches) (HxWxD) : 6.9 x 15.1 x 16.7

I can assume that the hole has in the ceiling has to be at LEAST 8-1/2" back. Preferable more than that, to give some room for play. If the joists are 16" on center, that gives me 14-1/2", minus 8-1/2"= 6"

Actually, looking at what I just typed, I will just have them use the next joist back as the spot to pull cable from. Sheesh.

Still, I don't know WHERE on the width of the room to have that hole placed.

So, in a roundabout way, if someone could measure their projector's front with the lenses center distance to projector front center, or even just take a picture with a tape measure across the front, I'd be very appreciative! :D

what is the bulb part# so I can find out how much bulbs cost.

The lamp is listed on www.samsungparts.com as the SP-H700 lamp - it's the same part number as the H710 lamp

The lamp is listed on www.samsungparts.com as the SP-H700 lamp - it's the same part number as the H710 lamp

thanks... found it! Now if someone could tell me if it has Sealed Optics, is end-user firmware upgradable, and how it handles 1080i signal ( either downconvert to 540p and then upconvert to 720p or upconvet to 1080p and then downconvert to 720p).

thanks... found it! Now if someone could tell me if it has Sealed Optics, is end-user firmware upgradable, and how it handles 1080i signal ( either downconvert to 540p and then upconvert to 720p or upconvet to 1080p and then downconvert to 720p).

Sorry nate I can't answer any of your questions but I will add one more to the mix:

How do you guys get the 2.35 aspect ratio to work? No matter what I do to the PJ or my Oppo DVD player I can't seem to get the super-Widescreen format to show on my screen. All I get is either the 16:9 or the nearly square 4:3. Do I need a special lens for the wider AR? Is that what I am missing?

Sounds like your mind is set on the carada even though you know that the Silverstar is the best screen for you. But believe me after you buy the carada you might find asking yourself what if ... I'd bought the silverstar. This HT business never ends ...

I don't mean to imply that the carada is not a good screen, just that it doesn't have the gain to compete with the Silverstar. And with every passing hour that bulb will be getting dimmer and dimmer ...

Greetings,

The Silverstar is definitely brighter, but I have had a chance to view it several times (including Vutec's setups at trade shows). My only critical concern is viewing angle.

At just less than 45 degrees off angle, it seemed like the gain drops all the way back down to about 1. That means if you are sitting fairly close - about 1.2 x screen width, and you are sitting about a foot outside the right (or left) edge of the screen, it the side you are closer to appears significantly brighter. This can get annoying quickly. (The left side of the football field is darker than the right, the sky in a movie is darker on the left than the right (assuming you are sitting even with the right edge or beyond.
The Silverstar is definitely a screen for sitting straight back from the center, or at least close to that, certainly inside the outer edges. By comparison, the Carada BW (which I use in my testing room) has virtually no roll off at all.

Still, those extra lumens are nice to have.

BTW I do believe the Carada less expensive frame (the Precision) still comes with their "Black Hole" (someone over there has been partying too much), velvet material (not paint), it's just a thinner width frame than the 3.5+ inch wide Criterion.

BTW, as glenned pointed out, he doesn't have the budget for the Silverstar, so cut him a little slack... Also that roughly $2000 difference is enough to allow most people to replace their lamps at half the hours they would have for many years, thus maintaining a bright image, and spreading the cost over time, and not having the rolloff of brightness to the sides issue.

As a sidenote:

Now, if you really want a big bucks screen, and the room issue is more of some ambient light, rather than just screen size; for about $4K you can get a Visage' from Screen Innovations. Gain is only 2.0 (claimed) but that sucker rejects ambient light like nothing else. I've played with one doing a decent job on a movie with some daylight pouring in a side window, and by comparison, my Firehawk, which is decent at rejecting ambient light, was unusable with that much light. Color balance is pretty good too - almost identical to my Firehawk. But I digress. -a

RUMOR: Not true. Samsung is not doing any changes to the SP-H710AE. Just wanted to clear that.

That's exact what I need. If someone who has a 710 could measure the center of the projector to the center of the lenses, that will give me an idea of where the mount and projector body will go.
:D

Just over 2", maybe 2 1/8"

That means if you are sitting fairly close - about 1.2 x screen width, and you are sitting about a foot outside the right (or left) edge of the screen, it the side you are closer to appears significantly brighter. This can get annoying quickly. (The left side of the football field is darker than the right, the sky in a movie is darker on the left than the right (assuming you are sitting even with the right edge or beyond.
...
for about $4K you can get a Visage' from Screen Innovations. Gain is only 2.0 (claimed) but that sucker rejects ambient light like nothing else.If that is the same as the DNP Supernova, then that issue you mentioned above (basically hotspotting) would be very pronounced with it. At about 1.4x sitting in a position much like you described I measured one side of the screen as 3x as bright as the other side. If the ambient light was from a large vertical angle (like the floor below or the ceiling above) it did do an awesome job of rejecting that light though. Ambient light from near the projector basically gets the same gain as the projector though (as would be expected).

--Darin

How do you guys get the 2.35 aspect ratio to work?

Answering my own question it looks like it's impossible to get the ultrawide aspect ratio (2.35) without spending some additional bucks. I quote from jason's review of the sammy H710:

"For those who want to do a 2.35:1 setup, you'll need an outboard scaler."

Sounds like your mind is set on the carada even though you know that the Silverstar is the best screen for you.

This project is not for me. It is for someone else. I am trying to get the best result possible for their budget.

I am not trying to get the brightest image possible. I am trying to hit at least 12fL at White, (and preferrably 14fL to allow for bulb aging) with the PJ set to Theater (low bulb), and for all seats in the theater. I was hoping to use a 122" screen. I don't want the image to be significantly brighter, because I don't want Black to be significantly brighter. Hence, there is such a thing as too much gain, IMO. The Silverstar has to much gain for some setups.

Based on the measurements I took of one ceiling mounted H710, I would need a screen gain of about 2.0 to hit my target at that screen size. At that screen gain I start to have problems with the side seats receiving a much dimmer image due to hotspotting.

The better solution would be to go with an Infocus SP7210 and Carada screen, but that is also above budget.

Another option that I am considering is to use a 105"D Carada BW screen and move all the seats closer than originally planned.

For those of you asking about 120"D screens. I figured that the H710 would create 8.6fL at White at best in low bulb with a Carada BW screen. Someone might be satisfied with 8.6fL in a light controlled theater, but when the bulb dimms with age, probably not. The reason that I say at best is that some of my equipment is in for repair and I wasn't able to calibrate the H710 before measuring it. Even without equipment, I could tell that it was close to D65 out of the box.

I bumped the Contrast up to 63. At a Contrast setting of 65, 98 IRE was crushed into White. (Stock is 50.) With the Contrast set to 63, I could not detect a greyscale error at White by looking at a greyscale test pattern, but that is a difficult thing to do. There still may have been an error that would require lowering the Contrast to fix. That in turn directly lowers the lumens output of the PJ.

High Bulb setting increased the light output by 31%, which is much higher than what one typically sees in other PJs.

Glenn

At just less than 45 degrees off angle, it seemed like the gain drops all the way back down to about 1.

Apologies if I came out a bit strong, but I simply can't understand those who try to optimize their HT for the seats at 45-degree angle with the screen. My goal was to optimize viewing for those seats inside a 15-degree angle from the screen and let those outside that envelope get whatever lumens they get. That's becasue most of the time (at least in my room) the outside seats are empty and the few family members watching occupy the "middle" seats. That's why I went with the ultra cheap and ultra bright dalite HP. The other thing about the HP is that it rejects ambient light very well provided it comes from the sides of the screen and not from the PJ-screen path.

John

When mounted on the ceiling, I measure the width of the projector at 14" so the center is at 7". The middle of the lens is then 3" offset to the right (looking towards the screen) from the center of the projector.
Correct. But the mounting screwholes are also offset from center. For the person above who is wondering where to put the mount, it should be just over 2", perhaps 2 1/8", to the left of the center of the lens.

Kabillyhop is exactly right about the mount being offset from the center of the projector and the lens being 2" to 2 1/8" inches from the center of the mount. Sorry about the confusion.

Greetings,

The Silverstar is definitely brighter, but I have had a chance to view it several times (including Vutec's setups at trade shows). My only critical concern is viewing angle.

At just less than 45 degrees off angle, it seemed like the gain drops all the way back down to about 1. That means if you are sitting fairly close - about 1.2 x screen width, and you are sitting about a foot outside the right (or left) edge of the screen, it the side you are closer to appears significantly brighter. This can get annoying quickly. (The left side of the football field is darker than the right, the sky in a movie is darker on the left than the right (assuming you are sitting even with the right edge or beyond.
The Silverstar is definitely a screen for sitting straight back from the center, or at least close to that, certainly inside the outer edges. By comparison, the Carada BW (which I use in my testing room) has virtually no roll off at all.
After having owned a 120" SS for over a year now, I must strongly disagree with your recollections.

I have 2 extra seats along the right wall of my HT room which sit almost 3' outside of the screen frame. I'd esimate the viewing angle from those seats around 45 and 60 degrees with the closest seat at 0.75 x screen width. When sitting in either of those seats, the left side of the screen looks just as bright as the right side. The brightness of the image looks just as even across the whole screen as it does when I'm sitting dead center in the front row the room. There is absolutely no hotspotting that I or any of my guests that I've asked have ever been able to see.

I was wondering if anyone knew if this projector has Sealed Optics, is end-user firmware upgradable, how it handles 1080i signal ( either downconvert to 540p and then upconvert to 720p or upconvet to 1080p and then downconvert to 720p), and what is the bulb part# so I can find out how much bulbs cost. If any of this has already been asked.... sorry :) Point me in the right direction please. Thanks

I saw the bulb mentioned in another post, so I won't repeat that.

From talking with various Samsung people at events, I can tell you that the 710AE doesn't have sealed optics, but the design is such that any dust that does get into the mix won't be focus-able, so you'll never see it.

There is an RS232C port for command and control, it is listed as a service port but according to Samsung there is no need for field end-user firmware upgrades, in other words they don't want the headaches that would entail.

As in just about every HD2+ DMD-based projector I know of, 1080i signal gets downconverted to 540p then upconverted to 720p.

Hope that helps. It is a tremendous product, the class of its class.

Just over 2", maybe 2 1/8"

Thank you!

Kabillyhop is exactly right about the mount being offset from the center of the projector and the lens being 2" to 2 1/8" inches from the center of the mount. Sorry about the confusion.

Great. I think I can work with that :) Thank you Kevin & Kabillyhop!

Kevin and kabillyhop,

How much lateral tolerance is there with the AVS-supplied Premiere "spider" mount? In other words, since I didn't account for the offset in the mount screwholes, will I be OK? I'm probably around an inch of the correct location, but wanted to know how much tolerance there is in lateral motion from this ideal mounting position.

After having owned a 120" SS for over a year now, I must strongly disagree with your recollections.

I have 2 extra seats along the right wall of my HT room which sit almost 3' outside of the screen frame. I'd esimate the viewing angle from those seats around 45 and 60 degrees with the closest seat at 0.75 x screen width. When sitting in either of those seats, the left side of the screen looks just as bright as the right side. The brightness of the image looks just as even across the whole screen as it does when I'm sitting dead center in the front row the room. There is absolutely no hotspotting that I or any of my guests that I've asked have ever been able to see.

Fair enough! Although I'm surprised. I do remember walking back and forth in front of the screen just for that purpose. In fact one time it was their ScreenStar setup with a 1 gain matte screen attached on one side, and I think a Greyhawk material on the other side, where they were demoing how bright their screen was. And I recall noting that as I moved to the side, ultimately the SS image became no brighter than the matte screen. I'll assume then, that the angle that it took to do that was greater than my recollection.

I would be curious to here what you see, with something like a solid blue screen up, in terms of rolloff of brightness. (I shouldn't have used the term hot spot, but rather roll off, earlier. -art

I'll get another look at it next month at Infocomm.

[QUOTE=presenter]Fair enough! Although I'm surprised. I do remember walking back and forth in front of the screen just for that purpose. In fact one time it was their ScreenStar setup with a 1 gain matte screen attached on one side, and I think a Greyhawk material on the other side, where they were demoing how bright their screen was. And I recall noting that as I moved to the side, ultimately the SS image became no brighter than the matte screen. I'll assume then, that the angle that it took to do that was greater than my recollection. I haven't heard of a ScreenStar before. Do you mean that there is a SilverStar in the middle section and a different screen on the right third of the frame and a different screen on the left third?

I would be curious to here what you see, with something like a solid blue screen up, in terms of rolloff of brightness. (I shouldn't have used the term hot spot, but rather roll off, earlier. -art

I'll get another look at it next month at Infocomm. I have done this with the blank blue screen from my Infocus and I honestly see no drop off in brightness when walking around my room.

Now I'm sure that there is some drop off in brightness when moving outside of the frame that can be measured with proper test equipment, but the only instruments I have available are my own eyes and whatever drop off in brightness there is, it's imperceptible to me.

I've read on quite a few different occasions that because the SilverStar is angular reflective instead of retro reflective, it has one of the widest viewing cones available when it comes to the high gain screens and that is why it doesn't do as well as some of them under certain types of ambient lighting. Maybe darinp2 can shed some light on the matter.

My apologies for going so far off topic.

Can someone recommend a good inexpensive DVD play ? Does the Oppo work well or will it not do 2.35:1?

I saw the bulb mentioned in another post, so I won't repeat that.

From talking with various Samsung people at events, I can tell you that the 710AE doesn't have sealed optics, but the design is such that any dust that does get into the mix won't be focus-able, so you'll never see it.

There is an RS232C port for command and control, it is listed as a service port but according to Samsung there is no need for field end-user firmware upgrades, in other words they don't want the headaches that would entail.

As in just about every HD2+ DMD-based projector I know of, 1080i signal gets downconverted to 540p then upconverted to 720p.

Hope that helps. It is a tremendous product, the class of its class.

Thank you for the reply... do you know if there is a filter that needs to be cleaned?
I'm having a hard time deciding between the In76 and the Sammy.

anybody test this projector with the HQV disc? Hows the video processing? I can't stand jaggies!

Thank you for the reply... do you know if there is a filter that needs to be cleaned?
I'm having a hard time deciding between the In76 and the Sammy.

I dont think there is a filter ? at least not that I read or saw in the manual and looking at the pj ?

also one thought on the In76 or the H710
from every review and stuff I read on the In76 I think its more geared to go up against projectors like the Mits HC3000 and a few others and then they are all close.

having had a Mits HC3000 I can say the H710 is so so so much better than the Mits that it is really a huge jump above it and is more than worth the extra $ at least to me it was :) and now having the H710 to compare to it I would have even paid retail for it ! so to me the Sammy is that much better than the others in its price range and I can see why it was a 10K price range PJ before

I dont think there is a filter ? at least not that I read or saw in the manual and looking at the pj ?

also one thought on the In76 or the H710
from every review and stuff I read on the In76 I think its more geared to go up against projectors like the Mits HC3000 and a few others and then they are all close.

having had a Mits HC3000 I can say the H710 is so so so much better than the Mits that it is really a huge jump above it and is more than worth the extra $ at least to me it was :) and now having the H710 to compare to it I would have even paid retail for it ! so to me the Sammy is that much better than the others in its price range and I can see why it was a 10K price range PJ before

Well I can say that I've seen the Mits HC3000 and I saw so many crazy rainbows that there's no way I would get or recomend it. This projector is actually for my brother and he says he doesn't see RBE. I want him to get this projector so I can see for myself if 5X is the trick for me. I'm going to check around Columbus, OH at hometheater stores and see if I can veiw either the IN76 or H710ae. My brother is pretty much sold on H710ae and got the go-ahead to buy it from his girlfriend. So I'm also looking for the best price. First Stop... AVS:) I'm a deal shopper.

A couple questions. Does the projector accept 480i & 1080p through the DVI input? Also, how does it handle a 1080i input? Does it bob to 540p then scale up to 720p? Or, does it properly de-interlace (weave for film) to 1080p then scale down to 720p?

I just got my 710 yesterday and happy so far. However, through the component input I have noticed quite a bit of blotchy red in the picture I have an HDMI cable coming, but this artifact is happening with both my DirecTV HD DVR as well as DVD signals. The look reminds of the old Y/C delay issue I would have with my Mits CRT RPTV. I have a 35ft (Beldon) run from the sources to the 710. Do you think this is a quality issue with the cables? Since both sources are experiencing this and I have tried running each directly the PJ, it's the only thing I can think of.
What does one generally experience with long component runs? I know to look for sparkles with HDMI, but how about Component? I have been using this cable with an H31, but never noticed this, probably because the reds did not have the punch of the 710. Any ideas?

David

I just got my 710 yesterday and happy so far.
David

Ah, you're one of the lucky ones, then. Supposedly there are none in the US for another week or two. Some of us are still waiting :(

I have a Sanyo Z4 and would like to know from folks who have either seen the Z4 or upgraded from the Z4 or comparable LCD projector (AE900 etc) to this Samsung, whether they feel this is truly a considerable upgrade?

Try not to focus on the LCD vs DLP debate, but just as your eyes see it.

Thanks.

Ah, you're one of the lucky ones, then. Supposedly there are none in the US for another week or two. Some of us are still waiting :(


Where did you hear that? I just ordered mine on Monday and I was told they should be in the warehouses this week. Do you know what is causing the delay?

I have also placed the order for this jewel! (Thanks to M. Daniel Hutnicki from AVS for its patience with my poor english ;) )

Hoping that it shipping as soon as possible! :D

Where did you hear that? I just ordered mine on Monday and I was told they should be in the warehouses this week. Do you know what is causing the delay?

It's a low volume product, and they are built in Korea. US supply is gone, and new units from Sasmung are due in around May 22. That's what my dealer told me. I asked around forums here and that seems to be close to what others are being told as well. Obviously I'm not the definitive answer, but I did also look at some ther sites that sell them and saw "Out of stock."

If I remembered correctly, some posts and reviews stated that 710AE has 2 year warranty. But the papers that came with the pj say only one year. Could anyone clarify that please. I hope I misread that. Thanks.

Simon

It's a low volume product, and they are built in Korea. US supply is gone, and new units from Sasmung are due in around May 22. That's what my dealer told me. I asked around forums here and that seems to be close to what others are being told as well. Obviously I'm not the definitive answer, but I did also look at some ther sites that sell them and saw "Out of stock."

For what it is worth, I am waiting to. Ordered mine week before last. Jason's been keeping me posted, but no definitive date yet I guess.

Has anyone had it go blank after warming up? About 2 minutes after i get a pic the light goes out . None of the buttons work the only thing to do is unplug it. I have about 240 hrs. on mine and this is the first problem. Can anyone give me a idea to try to get up and running?

Thanks,
Blake

Has anyone had it go blank after warming up? About 2 minutes after i get a pic the light goes out . None of the buttons work the only thing to do is unplug it. I have about 240 hrs. on mine and this is the first problem. Can anyone give me a idea to try to get up and running?

Thanks,
Blake

I read in one of the earlier posts that a problem that sounded similar to this can be fixed by a reset. Unfortunately, the information may have been in a link. Anyway, I think it was a fairly recent post... within the last few (less than 10) pages.

I don't have one of these yet, so I'm not a source with hands-on experience.

I have had some issues that I posted about earlier. When I start my 710 the screen flickers and the colors are off, sometimes it goes blank and then I have to shut it off and turn it back on. Seems to be getting worse. I have tried the reset, reseated the bulb etc. I have not messed with the wiring or connections yet. I am waiting for a replacement from Jason, I hope soon, because I don't think my 710 will last long.

Kabillyhop is exactly right about the mount being offset from the center of the projector and the lens being 2" to 2 1/8" inches from the center of the mount. Sorry about the confusion.

Here's a rough sketch I drew and uploaded


http://img66.imageshack.us/img66/1970/p10100264gb.th.jpg (http://img66.imageshack.us/my.php?image=p10100264gb.jpg)

The room si 156" wide. Based on what you said, if you are standing in the front of the room with the screen behind you, looking at the projector

-Starting from the RIGHT wall, there is a distance of 75-7/8" from the wall to the center of the MOUNT

-With the 2-1/8" offset from mount center to lenses center, this makes the center of the lenses 78" from the RIGHT wall

-Furthermore, then the lenses will be default to 78" from the LEFT wall as well


My electricians are coming on wednesday to run wires, that's why this is kind of critical. Don't want to have wires running willy-nilly across the ceiling.

One more question- I realize mount is offcenter from sides of PJ, how about front/back?

Thanks!

-With the 2-1/8" offset from mount center to lenses center...

Because my drywall guys started several days earlier than expected, I drilled a hole for the cable pass through in the ceiling plate we placed at framing. My current hole is an inch away from the ideal position (~ 3 1/4", rather than the above noted 2 1/8" from center) and wonder if there is enough lateral movement possible with the spider mount to make my current location fine. I realize that I could figure this all out later at mounting time, but if I drill a new hole now (if needed) the builder can patch the current opening when painting starts on Monday.

Any assistance regarding the lateral movement possible with the spider mount provided by AVS with this projector would be appreciated.

Plenty of movement in the mount, no worries...

I ordered this PJ 9 days ago and have started suffering a severe case of buyer remorse. Why-o-why didn't I order it 4 weeks ago? Please, Mr. Postman, deliver the new shipment to Jason soon.

Amen ! :)

Plenty of movement in the mount, no worries...

Thank you!!! Of course now the carpet and two custom doors are delayed, so my agonizing wait to see this thing in its full glory gets delayed further. Arggh....

anybody test this projector with the HQV disc? Hows the video processing? I can't stand jaggies!

I have tested the 710 with a HQV DVD and a Toshiba HD-A1 HD DVD player. It passed all tests except horizontal text crawl test. But when watching headline news or anything with text running horizontal I do not see any problems at all.

Dale

I just finish reading this entire thread (and boy are my eyes tired ...bah dum bah)

Where is the hidden negative no starter on this pj?
Surely it has an achilles heel! (??)
Is cw whine (apart from availability issues) the best the critical among you can come up with?

Lol ... I ask because I am in the market for an upgrade and I had not even HEARD of this projector ... my early considerations where SX-60, HD72 or some cheap WVGA to hold me over until 1080P DLP arrives affordably.

In my limited experience in projector selection (no doubt due to my lack of the ability to summon money!) the best filter is to look at the negatives of the candidates.

Usually there is something more of a dent in the armor than just cw whine ... like firmware, bulb issues, faulty circuitry, etc.

So who here has the most hours on their sammy?

If there is an honest question in my rambling, I guess it would be are their truly no major widespread hard/firm ware issues here?

thanks for any feedbacks

I will probably place my order for this projector today or tomorrow so I havnt researched many faults in this model and after talking to some people on the forum and also some dealers that have seen this guy in action Im convinced that this is the best fit for me. I wouldnt call this an achilles heal but my biggest gripe would have to be the fact that it takes a combination of multiple buttons to turn this projector off. I know that doesnt sound like such a big deal but if you have any experiance with home automation you know that it can be a problem to work with.

If you value image accuracy, this projector is unbeatable unless you want to spend 3 to 4 times as much.

In a perfect world, I would wish that it had the latest DLP chip and slightly better black levels, but as I have mentioned before, the gray scale accuracy at low luminance levels creates (IMO) the perception of greater black levels and contrast.

From an ergonomic aspect, I wish it had a DVI and BNC connections - but these are minor quibbles.

My only concern is whether the bulb will remain sufficiently bright to light up my 110" Carada BW screen. I have 60 hours and have not noticed any diminution in brightness, so my concern is not based on anything other than I love the picture right now and don't want it to change.

I've got the bulb set on the less-bright "Theater" mode, and the fan noise is not an issue -- even on quiet scenes. When you switch to "Bright" mode, the fan noise does increase to a level that, in the long haul, would probably be objectionable, but increased heat always accompanies increased brightness (at least until their is an LED bulb for front projectors), so it may be a compromise I could live with or work around with some noise dampening around the projector.

I've sold a couple of 1080p DLP RPTVs, and I've taken my Toshiba HD-DVD player to demo how good a 1080p set can look. However, in every instance (and this is after a full ISF calibration to the 1080p sets), I've found the image from the Samsung H710 to have greater resolution and color detail than the 1080p RP sets, and that is saying a lot!

This is the most satisfying projector I've owned, and it has really curbed my desire to purchase a first-generation 1080p front projector.

Kevin,
Have you seen the Optoma 7100 and Infocus 7210? I'm leaning towards the 710 but keep second guessing myself.

I've not seen the Optoma 7100, but I'm very familiar with the H31, H78, and H79. I think Optoma makes great projectors with saturated colors and good black levels. I'm also familiar with the InFocus 7210, which is a very bright projector and calibrates to a very flat D65. Most people would be very happy with either of these projectors because they are big, bright, and colorful.

Where the H710 distinguishes itself is in the ability to calibrate the primary colors to the appropriate NTSC and ATSC standard. Almost all other projectors (until you get above $10,000) have color gamut triangles that fall both inside and outside the standard, which either limits the spectrum the projector can produce or allows it to produce "illegal" colors that are not included in the standard.

The H710 also has the ability to keep an accurate D65 gray scale at low luminance levels (e.g., below 30 IRE) which prevents the more common color shift in shadow detail (dark scenes take on a blue, green or red tint).

Finally, the gamma table appears to be the most accurate I've seen. When properly calibrated, I'm able to distinguish the difference between full black and a 1% increase in the luminance level (e.g., I can see the difference between 0 IRE and a 1 IRE window pattern generated by the Accupel). This means you are seeing more detail in shadows and because the gray scale remains accurate, you can actually see more color detail in the shadows.

Add these all together, and I really think if you compared the H710 to any other similarly-priced 720p projector, you would find the picture to sharper, with more detail and resolution, and with a more film-like appearance. It may not have the "sizzle" of other projectors (super bright and super saturated), but in the long run, it will be a more satisfying and accurate viewing experience.

Also, the Infocus 7210 is much louder and costs more. I have only sold and set up one 7210. A colleague of mine has sold and installed many Infocus projectors. He has sworn never to sell another. Every single one he sold has had problems, either in or out of warranty. Most problems have been with color wheels.

The downside to the 710 is that it's been on backorder for several weeks now

Kevin, you stated that you wished that the Sammy had slightly better black levels. How would compare the black levels of the Sammy to the black levels of the Optoma H7* projectors?

Kevin,

Have you seen and/or played with teh BenQ 8720 and if so how do you think it stacks up against the 710. I know it is a little mroe money. But I have heard from several people that have seen both that they think the 8720 has the edge, not a large advantage, but some. I will be viewing an 8720 later this month, but I do not have anywhere near me to see the Sammy. I am just trying to get several pojts of view.

My room is light controlled, but during sports, I will have a little light on. I will be using a 114" screen.

Thanks

This is just my impression because I've not been able to compare them head-to-head, and it may be due to a number of variable factors such as the use of a gray screens in some installation and a totally black room (I'm talking black cloth on the walls and ceiling) on another, but I would give the Optoma a slight edge in that department. However, as I've stated before, I think the color accuracy, especially at low light levels and the excellent shadow detail, give the Samsung a more compelling picture.

I was essentially ready to order the BenQ 8720 when I heard about the price on the H710. I saw the Samsung demoed by Joe Kane on the Home Theater cruise in Oct. (along with many other, much more expensive projectors), and I just couldn't get the quality of the image out of my mind. The predecessor to the H710 was around $12,000 so when I saw the H710 at its current price, it was just a no brainer for me, but then color accuracy is high on my list of priorities.

That being said, I'm a big fan of BenQ. My impression is that the BenQ may have a better processor (not an issue if you use a scaler, have a quality DVD player, or primarily watch HDTV), perhaps better optics and maybe brighter but this is really an unscientific opinion (to do this right, we would put them in the same room, calibrate them to max, and simultaneously view the same test patterns and source material). I think the 8720 throws an amazing image in all respects except I just don't think it is, or can be calibrated to be, as accurate as the H710.

In summary, from a perspective of compliance with applicable imaging standards, the H710 is the "better" projector; is it better based on what you think is the "right" look for a projector (some may find the image of the H710 a little tame), only you can decide.

The downside to the 710 is that it's been on backorder for several weeks now

What is AVS telling new interested parties on this? Is there a waiting list? How long of a wait are we talking here? etc.

I am quite late to the party it appears, but I am ready to buy this projector depending on the delay.

BTW, a huge thanks for the immediate responses to my calling for any and all negatives ... great mind at ease stuff :D

What is AVS telling new interested parties on this? Is there a waiting list? How long of a wait are we talking here? etc.

I am quite late to the party it appears, but I am ready to buy this projector depending on the delay.

BTW, a huge thanks for the immediate responses to my calling for any and all negatives ... great mind at ease stuff :D


No word yet. The expectation is any day now. But that has been the case for a few weeks now.

I was essentially ready to order the BenQ 8720 when I heard about the price on the H710. I saw the Samsung demoed by Joe Kane on the Home Theater cruise in Oct. (along with many other, much more expensive projectors), and I just couldn't get the quality of the image out of my mind. The predecessor to the H710 was around $12,000 so when I saw the H710 at its current price, it was just a no brainer for me, but then color accuracy is high on my list of priorities.

That being said, I'm a big fan of BenQ. My impression is that the BenQ may have a better processor (not an issue if you use a scaler, have a quality DVD player, or primarily watch HDTV), perhaps better optics and maybe brighter but this is really an unscientific opinion (to do this right, we would put them in the same room, calibrate them to max, and simultaneously view the same test patterns and source material). I think the 8720 throws an amazing image in all respects except I just don't think it is, or can be calibrated to be, as accurate as the H710.

Projectorcentral reports the output (in low, or theater) mode for the BenQ8720 to be 260 Lumens, and the Sammy 710 to be 465 L. That's a pretty major difference isn't it? Or are pjcentral's number not meaningfu?

Projectorcentral reports the output (in low, or theater) mode for the BenQ8720 to be 260 Lumens, and the Sammy 710 to be 465 L. That's a pretty major difference isn't it? Or are pjcentral's number not meaningfu?


Jason Turk, of AV Science, had different numbers:

Theater Mode: 612 Lumens
Bright Mode: 808 Lumens

http://www.avscience.com/reviews/projector_samsung_sph710ae.htm

Jason Turk, of AV Science, had different numbers:

Theater Mode: 612 Lumens
Bright Mode: 808 Lumens

http://www.avscience.com/reviews/projector_samsung_sph710ae.htm

Yes, I've seen this review, which is of course very useful. However Jason always adds a qualifier, something to the effect that 'my room is not a testing facility, etc.', so I really don't know how to reconcile his numbers with PJC. Also, I was assuming that since PJC measured both the Sammy and the BenQ, even though their numbers might not be absolute, that the relative values would be meaningful. I, of course, don't know that this actually makes sense or not. What's a person to do?

BTW, a huge thanks for the immediate responses to my calling for any and all negatives ... great mind at ease stuff :D

There's a thread running in here about banding issues on the 710. I've seen them as well on select scenes. I'm not sure if it's due to the DVI 8-bit piece (I think that's what was explained as the root of the problem) or what is really causing the issue (beyond my knowledge level). Doesn't really matter the point being is they are apperant in some situations. I really wish it had come with a HDMI port instead. Outside of that I have no complaints with 80+ hours of viewing time on it. It's just a great projector overall for the price point.

Jeff

Yes, I've seen this review, which is of course very useful. However Jason always adds a qualifier, something to the effect that 'my room is not a testing facility, etc.', so I really don't know how to reconcile his numbers with PJC. Also, I was assuming that since PJC measured both the Sammy and the BenQ, even though their numbers might not be absolute, that the relative values would be meaningful. I, of course, don't know that this actually makes sense or not. What's a person to do?

Bill:

I think I've pretty much made up my mind that I'll purchase the Samsung and pair it up with a DaLite 92" High Power screen when the Samsung is available. I read in the "Screen" forum that the High Power screen is quite a sight to behold and to enhance the black levels I can turn down the iris of the projector since the High Power is so bright. I've been waffling around for the past three months and I'm getting antsy and tired of waiting.

Rich

Bill:

I think I've pretty much made up my mind that I'll purchase the Samsung and pair it up with a DaLite 92" High Power screen when the Samsung is available. I read in the "Screen" forum that the High Power screen is quite a sight to behold and to enhance the black levels I can turn down the iris of the projector since the High Power is so bright. I've been waffling around for the past three months and I'm getting antsy and tired of waiting.

Rich

Sounds like a great choice. If I were making a move at the present, I think this is exactly the pair I would choose (except that I would go for the 119" HP; with Jason's value of 612 Lumens in theater mode, this still amounts to 41 ftL, which should make for a very bright pic). Good luck with it.

I think I've pretty much made up my mind that I'll purchase the Samsung and pair it up with a DaLite 92" High Power screen when the Samsung is available. I read in the "Screen" forum that the High Power screen is quite a sight to behold and to enhance the black levels I can turn down the iris of the projector since the High Power is so bright. Unfortunately, the Samsung doesn't have an adjustable iris feature.

--Darin

Unfortunately, the Samsung doesn't have an adjustable iris feature.

--Darin

Oh, what to do? May be I will pick my second choice for a screen - DaLite High Contrast Matte White. Costco sells the electric version at a reasonable price.

You could use a different screen, or you could use an ND filter.

A different screen might be preferred over an ND filter, because it would be more resiliant to ambient light (if you were to use it that way for some viewing) and would reject room reflections better.

However, an ND filter and a high power may be preferred for other ambient light situations depending on where your light sources are. You could watch in a darkened space with the ND filter, then for other viewing (say sports), you could remove the ND filter and have a brighter image with ease, and if the lights were away from the projector and not in the gain cone, then that may be the way to go.

250 hours on the 710 lamp in theatre mode and still bright! No bulb issues!

There's a thread running in here about banding issues on the 710. I've seen them as well on select scenes. I'm not sure if it's due to the DVI 8-bit piece (I think that's what was explained as the root of the problem) or what is really causing the issue (beyond my knowledge level). Doesn't really matter the point being is they are apperant in some situations. I really wish it had come with a HDMI port instead. Outside of that I have no complaints with 80+ hours of viewing time on it. It's just a great projector overall for the price point.

Jeff

Thanks Jeff ...

I think this is the thread:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=658941&page=1&pp=30&highlight=banding+710

I have read about that for previous projectors and there are always a handful of contradictory explanations ... I myself have never seen banding issues using HTPC DVI at native resolution ... so my own contradictory explanation is that either outboard scalars or DVD players with issues are introducing this (its not the projector). The thread starter later said it was his OPPO DVD causing it ... no worries.

By chance, what source do you use to feed your 710AE on scenes where you see banding?

Its funny, but in that thread (that I linked above) folks are saying they have seen Joe Kane demo w/ PC and never saw banding, yet later Joe Kane (vicariously through Ken) says banding is the result of all single chip DLP (color wheel).

PS Another interesting aspect of banding was brought up by Mr. Wiggles (re: all banding pics are with digital camera w/ 8 bits per primary so why don't shots of component show banding if its an 8 bit thing). That thread is a good read, I just wish someone would wrap one of those discussions up with a definitive answer in layman's terms. Until that happens, I will foolishly believe this phenomenon is the result of some source issue.

Its funny, but in that thread (that I linked above) folks are saying they have seen Joe Kane demo w/ PC and never saw banding, yet later Joe Kane (vicariously through Ken) says banding is the result of all single chip DLP (color wheel).

That part of it is nonsense with regards to the images posted in that thread. 8-bit is sufficient for most uses but is not *really* enough to be completely banding free, especially with HDR displays. However, a 1-code difference will really only be visible with very unrealistic transitions (on LDR displays), and so regular video should be pretty much banding free. Bit-starved content or content that in other ways may have been encoded with banding problems or bit-depth limitations may show banding, which makes some reports of banding difficult because it could be content banding and not the display chain at all.

Until that happens, I will foolishly believe this phenomenon is the result of some source issue.

I would agree, at least in regards to the severe banding in the screenshots in that thread. The only way to truly test is to use inherently banding-free patterns with step width that is identical, such as the Deep Ramps patterns on Avia pro. Those should appear completely smooth with no "chunkiness" at all in the ramp. If they don't, you have a system limitation somewhere.

Thanks Jeff ...

I think this is the thread:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=658941&page=1&pp=30&highlight=banding+710

I have read about that for previous projectors and there are always a handful of contradictory explanations ... I myself have never seen banding issues using HTPC DVI at native resolution ... so my own contradictory explanation is that either outboard scalars or DVD players with issues are introducing this (its not the projector). The thread starter later said it was his OPPO DVD causing it ... no worries.

By chance, what source do you use to feed your 710AE on scenes where you see banding?

Its funny, but in that thread (that I linked above) folks are saying they have seen Joe Kane demo w/ PC and never saw banding, yet later Joe Kane (vicariously through Ken) says banding is the result of all single chip DLP (color wheel).

PS Another interesting aspect of banding was brought up by Mr. Wiggles (re: all banding pics are with digital camera w/ 8 bits per primary so why don't shots of component show banding if its an 8 bit thing). That thread is a good read, I just wish someone would wrap one of those discussions up with a definitive answer in layman's terms. Until that happens, I will foolishly believe this phenomenon is the result of some source issue.

That is in fact the thread I was refering too. I feed the Samsung 710 via two options both of which have exibited the problem. One is a older Sony DVD with analog out, not a great player but convienent for the family to use and figure out. The other is a HTPC using DVI out of the video card (Nvidia 6800GT). In both cases they are piped into a VP30 for scaling (native 720p out) via HDMI. I suppose it could be the scaler causing the issue but I highly doubt it or the problem would be wildly reported as most of those scaler owners are much more of a videophile then I'll ever be. It's strange in that banding doesn't occur in some scenes that would/should provoke the issue but has in others which would lead me to think a bandwidth issue more then color wheel problem. That said, I know just enough to be dangerous so take that last comment with a grain of salt. :)

Jeff

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=678135

FYI

Thanks Jason !

250 hours on the 710 lamp in theatre mode and still bright! No bulb issues!

Good news ! now go spend some time in the sunlight.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=678135

FYI

Good news. Wiring is going in tomorrow, screen due friday, Hsu sub due friday, plasma component table due friday.

Of course, scheduled like that means it's a house of cards and it will all collapse.

Well, glass half full and whatnot :) Hopefully will have projector by wednesday of next week- wife works thursday and friday and we are travelling immediately after work friday for holiday weekend....no one can sign for delivery!

Hmmm..maybe have it sent to work?

Maybe have it sent to a friend's house for the weekend instead. Got any friends nearby that would be willing to sign for it and keep an eye on it all weekend? Perhaps a friend with a screen installed that could test it out for you to make sure it's all working properly, so that you have peace-of-mind whilst on vacation? I volunteer my services if you have no other options. :)

Yeah, I'll be out of town all next week. Figures ;)
Looking forward to returning home to a nice treat though.

Where is the hidden negative no starter on this pj?
Surely it has an achilles heel! (??)
Is cw whine (apart from availability issues) the best the critical among you can come up with?



So far, the biggest 2 negatives are the banding issue and a color wheel out of synch at startup issue (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=669765).

I don't see too many in this thread comparing to the BenQ PE8720.
Of those who own the Samsung, and were considering the BenQ ... what in the end made you decide to buy the Samsung?

How are the BenQ and Samsung in the same price range. Last time a checked (about 2 weeks ago) the BenQ was considerably more.

How are the BenQ and Samsung in the same price range. Last time a checked (about 2 weeks ago) the BenQ was considerably more.


The BenQ 8720 has been selling for at least grand more than the Samsung.

I have tested the 710 with a HQV DVD and a Toshiba HD-A1 HD DVD player. It passed all tests except horizontal text crawl test. But when watching headline news or anything with text running horizontal I do not see any problems at all.

Dale

thanks, that's good to know.

I want to install ceiling mount for the Samsung while waiting of the delivery of the projector.

Is this preferable with this projector to install it at the distance minimum (zoom max) or at the maximum distance (zoom min) of the screen?

I want to install ceiling mount for the Samsung while waiting of the delivery of the projector.

Is this preferable with this projector to install it at the distance minimum (zoom max) or at the maximum distance (zoom min) of the screen?

I wanted to do the same thing and realized it's a BAD idea after asking around a lot.

1)Get projector
2)Test throw with ladder/tall friend
3)Double check throw, and side to side
4)Attach mount to projector
5)Check drop and throw again
6)Mount projector
7)Check the whole shebang AGAIN
8)Hang screen
9)Realize "whoops"

:)

A couple questions. Does the projector accept 480i & 1080p through the DVI input? Also, how does it handle a 1080i input? Does it bob to 540p then scale up to 720p? Or, does it properly de-interlace (weave for film) to 1080p then scale down to 720p?

It's DVI-D. Doesn't accept 1080p. Does 1080i like other HD2+ pjs, down to 540p, up to 720p. If you want a 1080p-to-720p downconvert, I suggest an external processor, e.g., Lumagen or DVDO.

It's DVI-D. Doesn't accept 1080p. Does 1080i like other HD2+ pjs, down to 540p, up to 720p. If you want a 1080p-to-720p downconvert, I suggest an external processor, e.g., Lumagen or DVDO.

Thanks Mountaineer. I'm trying to decide between the Samsung and the Infocus IN76. The latter does do proper 1080i to 1080p de-interlacing, and then scales to 720p. However, I'm not sure how much of a real-world difference this makes.

If I remembered correctly, some posts and reviews stated that 710AE has 2 year warranty. But the papers that came with the pj say only one year. Could anyone clarify that please. I hope I misread that. Thanks.

SimonGo to Samsung's Service Policy/warranty (http://product.samsung.com/cgi-bin/nabc/support/cybersup/b2c_cyber_warranty.jsp) page, enter SP-H710AE and it will show :

Warranty Information for SP-H710AE (Model Code: SPH710AEMX/XAA) Parts: 2 years Labor: 2 years


If you go to Samsungs Service Location (http://product.samsung.com/cgi-bin/nabc/support/asc/b2c_asc_group_index.jsp?eUser=) page then SP-H710AE shows up as "No results found". You have to enter model SP-H700AE then select SP-H710AE from the pop-up menu

Brent

Go to Samsung's Service Policy/warranty (http://product.samsung.com/cgi-bin/nabc/support/cybersup/b2c_cyber_warranty.jsp) page, enter SP-H710AE and it will show :

Warranty Information for SP-H710AE (Model Code: SPH710AEMX/XAA) Parts: 2 years Labor: 2 years

If you go to Samsungs Service Location (http://product.samsung.com/cgi-bin/nabc/support/asc/b2c_asc_group_index.jsp?eUser=) page then SP-H710AE shows up as "No results found". You have to enter model SP-H700AE then select SP-H710AE from the pop-up menu

Brent

Thanks Brent for looking for this info.

Simon

I am new to Samsung products. I have been meesing around with the DNI function on my 710 with mixed results. I this a function Joe Kane Production endorses or is this a mainstay function with all Sammy products?

David

This is a Samsung "mainstay" but I am also curious about the JKP view related to its utility.

KK

Hello all,

I've been shopping for my first ever projector for about a month, reading everything I could find on the internet and this forum. I've narrowed it down to the H710AE, mainly on the advise of Daniel at AVS and reading this entire thread. He also recommends I get a 106" wide Firehawk G2 screen based on my room size and the ambient light and lite colors in the room.

My room is very large, 19' by 40' with a ceiling that vaults to 14'
We will be sitting about 13' 6" from the screen and we'd like the projector to be behind us. The screen will pull down in front of a Plasma display. I'm a total newbie and right now my head is spinning trying to understand throw distance and vertical positioning.

I've attached a diagram of my room layout. Notice that there are 2 ceiling fans. It appears that the projector will have to hang down between the 2 of them. The ceiling is 11' where the fans hang down and they are 7' (84") from the ground. So my projector would have to hang down 4' from the ceiling (my wife is going to love this) in order to clear the front fan.

If the projector is approximately 16' from the screen and the top of the screen is at 81", will this work?

Can anyone here give me a better plan than this?

Doright,

Looks like in theory it should work just fine as long as that fan is not in the path of the projector. Also looks like you have some huge ambient light issues, so will probably onyl getr the most out of this setup at night. Something else to consider is that with the viewing cone on that firehawk your seating on the left side will not get that great of a picture.

Doright,

Looks like in theory it should work just fine as long as that fan is not in the path of the projector. Also looks like you have some huge ambient light issues, so will probably onyl getr the most out of this setup at night. Something else to consider is that with the viewing cone on that firehawk your seating on the left side will not get that great of a picture.


Petrucci,

Daniel at AVS is really quite adamant about this screen. I know that with a 1.25 gain the side seats will not be ideal, but he insists that this is the best screen for my setup (by the way, he owns one himself so he may be slightly biased).

I am working now to really reduce the ambient light in our room, we are getting quotes on new shades and I'll be putting in a new pocket door to the Living Room. Frankly those seats on the sides are not used much (but with this new projector, we may suddenly find ourselves with more company).

David Abrahms, who works with Joe Kane wrote this: "Currently JKP only endorses the Stewart Studiotek 130 and the Stewart Grayhawk RS screen materials".

He went on to say that "Technically a room with any ambient light would be considered a compromise".

I sent these quotes to Daniel and his reply was "I'd still go with the Firehawk"

Can anyone else see any reason why I should (or should not) go with the Firehawk?

^^^I'm no expert on this stuff, but you've got a BIG screen (122" diagonal) and some ambient light issues. If you go with a white screen (StudioTek 130), it may be bright enough, but it will do nothing to compensate for the ambient light. If you get a grey screen (GreyHawk) it may help with the ambient light, but it will not be bright enough because of the size of the screen!

The FireHawk splits the difference. It gives you the gain of the white screen and the grey, ambient light rejection of the grey screen. Unless you are willing to pay almost double the price for one of the "black" screens, I certainly don't know of any other screen that would be better.

Those "black" screens only come in fixed frame form though, as far as I know and you said that you need a pull down screen so that you can have the plasma behind it. I know that Stewart has their Luxus Communicator manual pull down screen and a few different electric roll down screens, so getting the FireHawk in a pull/roll down screen is no problem.

Add it all up and the FireHawk certainly seems like the best screen choice for that room.

Just my thoughts :o

Jon

Doright,

There is a balance achievable in your setup. The room is problematic. You will have to set imaging priorities and settle for substantial compromise somewhere in the mix. With light colored room surfaces you will never realize complete image fidelity with a front projection system. You will have to settle for a contaminated image as long as your room is not dark. Blocking the windows only handles part of the problem. I agree that the FireHawk is probably your best choice, under the current circumstances.

Unless you have poor eyesight, or don't mind textured sky, etc., your screen is probably too large for the seating distance in your floor plan. The average person will see constant pixel structure in the image at such a viewing distance from a 720p single chip DLP.

Before you buy a screen, I suggest that you sit in front of a similar projected image for at least 30 minutes to determine what viewing angle suits your eyesight. Try different seating distances. Measure the width of the screen being viewed, then the location where you no longer see pixels in bright areas. Do the math and you'll know how large your screen should be at your preferred seating distance.

The standard viewing distance calculator most folks consult uses film industry formulas. Film has finer grain than even a 1080p DLP. My professional experience has proven repeatedly that most customers can see constant pixel structure at even a 30 degree viewing angle. They may not notice at first but as they become accustomed to their system the pixel structure becomes more apparent.

Joe Kane's recommendations assume that image fidelity is the top priority. Multi-purpose viewing environments typically have inherently conflicting priorities. You will have to sort out all the variables in your application. If I was brought in to consult, I would insist on seeing the room first hand and an interview with the primary users of the room and the system. It's very difficult to advise on a completely integrated solution without all the necessary data.

Best regards and beautiful pictures,
G. Alan Brown, President
CinemaQuest, Inc.

"Advancing the art and science of electronic imaging"

Bad focus!!!!

I can't get a perfect focus on the right side of the screen.

The left side I can focus perfectly until I see the sharp grid pattern of the space between the mirrors, but the right side is slightly out of focus. (meaning the grid pattern of fine black lines is softer than the left side)

Can anyone check thiers and see if this is an issue? You have to be right up against the screen to see the focus issue.

Sorry if i have missed this info in the other posts, but is the samsung h710 not sold in Canada. I was told this by my local audio visual retailer

I can't get a perfect focus on the right side of the screen.


Are you able to focus the right side if the left goes out of focus? If so, you may not have the image centered on your screen. If not, then I don't know.

emailists,

suppose you got the left side in focus:

if you now hold a sheet of paper on right side of the screen and move it slowly into direction of the PJ, does the focus on the paper change to the better? Can you get the image in focus on the right side at all, or no matter what? I know of at least one Optoma H78 owner who had a similar problem, AFAIK the imager (DMD) or the prism infront of it was not correctly seated, that is tilted. Tilting can and will cause uneven focus...

No matter what I can't get the right side in focus. I will try the paper thing just in case, but it does seem like something is misadjusted.

Does anyone have a contact # for the correct department of Samsung. I seem to recall reading here that no department in Samsung is familiar with this product.

No matter what I can't get the right side in focus. I will try the paper thing just in case, but it does seem like something is misadjusted.

Does anyone have a contact # for the correct department of Samsung. I seem to recall reading here that no department in Samsung is familiar with this product.

Could your lens be smudged or something ?? does it look like one big out of focus thumb on the right side of your screen :)

This is the thread I mentioned above:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&postid=5634921#post5634921

Could you provide a screenshot of say a Windows-Desktop or similar, so that we can evalute the problem in more detail?

Sorry if i have missed this info in the other posts, but is the samsung h710 not sold in Canada. I was told this by my local audio visual retailer

I don't see why your retailer couldn't get the product from the U.S. distributor.

Samsung is apparently not prepared to support it in Canada and therefore there will be no CDN warranty. Thus Samsung Canada would probably not bring it in for individuals. This is according to a local dealer that sells boatloads of Samsung TVs.

Samsung is apparently not prepared to support it in Canada and therefore there will be no CDN warranty. Thus Samsung Canada would probably not bring it in for individuals. This is according to a local dealer that sells boatloads of Samsung TVs.

I am in Canada and own an H710AE which I purchased in the US. Despite what your dealer has said, here is a direct quote from an insert in the box entitled "Samsung Electronics North American Limited Warranty Statement".

"SAMSUNG will additionally provide Warranty repair in the United States on SAMSUNG products purchased in Canada, and in Canada on SAMSUNG products purchased in the United States..."

This insert is in both official languages. In addition, the projector came with a complete French Canadian manual, an expense that Samsung would hardly have incurred if what your dealer says is correct.

My agonizing wait from projector purchase to theater completion is finally over. Our dedicated theater is now finished, and I've had a chance to evaluate this PJ in greater depth using sources including HD TiVo and Sony NS75H DVD player switched through a Denon 2807 acting as pre/pro and a Mac Mini dedicated for HT use (connected directly to the PC input via DVI-PC adapter). Our setup is a 16.5x20 light-controlled room (medium blue gray walls, midnight blue ceiling, no windows and multizone lighting). The PJ is mounted below the top of the screen height with an image projected on a Carada 110" BW screen. First row seating position (eyeball distance) is 11.5-12' with the second row at ~18'. The bottom of the screen is at 27" to provide optimal viewing for both first row and second row (on a 12" riser) viewing.

My initial impressions confirmed my perceptions earlier projected on my flat white garage wall--the color fidelity is superb out of the box, as reported elsewhere. My wife and I can both see SDE when sitting on the ground at ~10', but this vanishes right at our usual seating position. Neither of us have seen any significant rainbows. Blacks are not perfectly black, but shadow detail is excellent, as evidenced by the closing campfire scenes of the Lost finale last night via HD TiVo. There is some slight PJ noise, but neither of us found this to be an issue. Graphic ouput via the Mac Mini (e.g., using FrontRow to interface with a music library ripped using a lossless codec) was phenomenal--just like a massive LCD monitor.

All in all, this projector has surpassed my expectations, and that is no small matter as this forum raised my hopes considerably. While I, too, was thinking about cheaper 1080p projector prices falling, I would honestly doubt that I'll feel that anything is lacking in my HT for many years to come. I do believe that there will be better pictures available at this price in a year or two, but this picture is so amazingly good right now that I don't think that I'll care.

I'm just keeping my fingers crossed related to the startup and image flipping issues that some have reported, and hoping that lightning (figuratively speaking) won't strike my projector. I don't think I could bear to go back to CRT viewing of movies after experiencing a great home theater!

Blacks are not perfectly black

kktx, can you comment a little further on this. Does this mean that you are displeased with the blacks on the H710?

kktx, can you comment a little further on this. Does this mean that you are displeased with the blacks on the H710?

We've been waiting quite a while to upgrade our main TV, which is a 36" Sony XBR CRT that was purchased in 2000. That set, properly calibrated, has excellent color fidelity and (of course, being a CRT) perfect blacks. Moving to any FP from the first time means compromising black levels, and my impressions during my shopping were that the DC3 projectors (Optoma 7100, for example) might be a bit better at producing more true blacks, perhaps at the expense of some sacrifice in shadow detail and with less accurate color rendition.

I am completely satisified with the picture on this set. Dark scenes, even with some ambient light (as with the zone lighting scene we've created in the room for our toddlers' viewing) are certainly black enough. Shadow detail, as others have suggested may be superior to the Optoma 7100 and others, is really excellent. To elaborate a bit more on my prior post, the closing scene of Lost had a shot that opened on a starry sky and then panned downward to a campfire-lit beach scene. The whole scene was beautiful, and was convincingly black. FWIW, Sound and Vision's recent PJ comparison (which placed the 710 on top) came to a similar conclusion, and Jason Turk's impressions are also consistent with mine.

Thanks for the additional info kktx. I didn't read your original post well enough. I thought your were upgrading from a previous projector, and that was your point of reference.

I will add to the chorus of voices who are delighted by the picture quality of the 710. I received mine from AVS earlier this week after waiting 3 weeks for new units to arrive from Samsung. I've watched two movies on it so far, both HD-DVD using my Toshiba XA1, and the picture quality (color accuracy, contrast, shadow detail, lack of motion artifacts, etc.) has been entirely beyond reproach. For a projector in its price class (and a great deal through AVS), I'm very satisfied.

Could it be better? Sure. I would like to see: (1) HDMI input and (2) ventilation moved to the back from its current position in the front. I have encountered no operational or startup problems so I cannot comment on that.

Now let's hope Toshiba brings on a firmware update for the XA1.

Does 1080i like other HD2+ pjs, down to 540p, up to 720p.FWIW, this is contradicted by this statement in the May 2005 Guide to Hometheater review of the H700 (http://www.guidetohometheater.com/videoprojectors/505samsung/index.html), ie:

all other input signals bypass DCDi and are processed by the Genesis chipset only. This includes 1080i inputs, which are first deinterlaced to 1080p and then downconverted to 720p.
The review, written by Scott Wilkinson, seems pretty authoritative.

Brent

I am in Canada and own an H710AE which I purchased in the US. Despite what your dealer has said, here is a direct quote from an insert in the box entitled "Samsung Electronics North American Limited Warranty Statement".

"SAMSUNG will additionally provide Warranty repair in the United States on SAMSUNG products purchased in Canada, and in Canada on SAMSUNG products purchased in the United States..."

This insert is in both official languages. In addition, the projector came with a complete French Canadian manual, an expense that Samsung would hardly have incurred if what your dealer says is correct.

Kabillyhop

It would be helpful for potential Cdn purchasers for you to imform Samsung Canada of that guarantee. They seem to have no knowledge of the 710 and no intention of supporting it. Maybe Samsung World needs to talk to them.

Cheers
Peter

FWIW, this is contradicted by this statement in the May 2005 Guide to Hometheater review of the H700 (http://www.guidetohometheater.com/videoprojectors/505samsung/index.html), ie:


The review, written by Scott Wilkinson, seems pretty authoritative.

Brent

Yes Wilkinson's review does seem authoritative.

My question is if it works that way, then seems to me it should also be able to accept 1080p input, and it doesn't say that anywhere.

I have asked some Samsungers if they can shed light on this.

My question is if it works that way, then seems to me it should also be able to accept 1080p input, and it doesn't say that anywhere.

I have asked some Samsungers if they can shed light on this.

There are plenty of displays that properly deinterlace 1080i but don't accept 1080p inputs. One isn't related to the other.

Any of you guys still waiting for your Sammy to ship ??

Any of you guys still waiting for your Sammy to ship ??

Yes !

Any of you guys still waiting for your Sammy to ship ??


Roger that!

Ordered from AVS April 27th...

Roger that!

Ordered from AVS April 27th...

Ouch! I ordered mine several weeks after you. I guess I will be waiting it out longer than I thought.

Ordered mine may 10th :(

Ordered mine on May 9 from Jason at AVS.

Yes. Can't remember when I ordered mine. About 3 weeks ago?

Roger that!

Ordered from AVS April 27th...

I also ordered on April 27, from another vendor (didn't know AVS dealt them at the time). UPS has a scheduled delivery for today. Unfortunately, I'm at work and the wife is at work. No one there to sign for it, so I assume UPS won't leave it. Ah well, I'm golfing after work anyway. Don't tell my wife ;)

I will probably redirect the package tonight to deliver to me at work. I usually do that- no idea why I did not do that this time. Oh well.

Waiting sucks, eh?

guys,

i heard that this is a great projector and i'm gonna buy it. but just one problem, if i want to get an adaptor so i can connect my hdmi upconverting denon avr2807, what does the connector look like?

like this?

#1 (http://images.monoprice.com/productlargeimages/23961.jpg)

or like this?

#2 (http://images.monoprice.com/productlargeimages/20291.jpg)

please help?

The best way to make the connection is not to use a adaptor but using a HDMI-DVI cable like these:

http://www.monoprice.com/products/subdepartment.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10231&style=

avsm;

You need adapter #1. I use one and it works fine.

ARGHHH! Mine was supposed to be delivered yesterday. Shipping disaster. My projector ended up in Henrietta NY due to distributor screwing up the zip code. Monday or Tuesday hopefully.

ARGHHH! Mine was supposed to be delivered yesterday. Shipping disaster. My projector ended up in Henrietta NY due to distributor screwing up the zip code. Monday or Tuesday hopefully.

Well, I got mine yesterday. Thankfully UPS was late and wife was home.

Hooked it up, took forever. That mount that came with the order wasn't a perfect match for projector. I have to use a serrated knife to shave down the front two mounts on PJ a 1/4" each. Then the screws could reach.

Leveled PJ, and installed. The offet lenses made it WAY off balance, and it weighs a ton. Had to almost strip the pitch/yaw scres to get it level, then had to adjust spider legs again.

Would have been a lot easier with another set of hands, but it was midnight :)

At any rate, got it mounted, and seem to be perfectly centered on the screen.

WOW- what a picture. Batman Begins was the first test video. Great blacks, great shadow detail. Then the Incredibles- colors just popped off the screen and detail was fantastic. Running in Theater (low light) mode with 1.4 gain screen.

I'll need another week or so to tweak and mess around, but, out of the box, very happy.

FYI- build date sticker says May 2006. This was one of the new batch.

It is that ! Turn the knife in the wound ! :rolleyes: :D

There are plenty of displays that properly deinterlace 1080i but don't accept 1080p inputs. One isn't related to the other.

Yes you are right and sorry for the bad info. Both the 710AE and 800BE use the Genesis chipset and it deinterlaces a 1080i signal to a 1080p frame before downconverting to the 720p output. Neither pj accepts 1080p input.

Any of you guys still waiting for your Sammy to ship ??

Oh yes and i begin to be impatient. :mad: Ordered mine may 10 whit Dominicsimard. :D

Well, I got mine yesterday. Thankfully UPS was late and wife was home.

Hooked it up, took forever. That mount that came with the order wasn't a perfect match for projector. I have to use a serrated knife to shave down the front two mounts on PJ a 1/4" each. Then the screws could reach.

Leveled PJ, and installed. The offet lenses made it WAY off balance, and it weighs a ton. Had to almost strip the pitch/yaw scres to get it level, then had to adjust spider legs again.

Would have been a lot easier with another set of hands, but it was midnight :)

At any rate, got it mounted, and seem to be perfectly centered on the screen.

WOW- what a picture. Batman Begins was the first test video. Great blacks, great shadow detail. Then the Incredibles- colors just popped off the screen and detail was fantastic. Running in Theater (low light) mode with 1.4 gain screen.

I'll need another week or so to tweak and mess around, but, out of the box, very happy.

FYI- build date sticker says May 2006. This was one of the new batch.

Count yourself lucky. I fired mine up yesterday evening and.... nothing. It does not work. All I get is the delay light flashing, followed by the temp and lamp light flashing. Won't turn on. Nothing. I am bummed.

ralphjb have you tried to reseat the lamp yet? If not you should try it before sending it back.

Dale

ralphjb have you tried to reseat the lamp yet? If not you should try it before sending it back.

Dale

By reseat, what do you mean? Pull it out and put it back in again?

Yes that what I meant. Sometimes that all it takes to get it up and running I had that problem on a couple of mine before.

Yes that what I meant. Sometimes that all it takes to get it up and running I had that problem on a couple of mine before.

May 2006.

I was wondering what DVD player people are using with this projector. I'm looking at either:
Oppo OPDV971H
Panasonic DVD-S77
Sony DVP-NS75H
Samsung DVD-HD960
Bravo D1 (I know I know old right)

Until I got the Toshiba HD-DVD player connected to the H710, I used the Bravo D1 via DVI and upconverted to 720p, and I was very pleased with the results. I tried the Denon 2910, but had macro-blocking problems.

I'm using my rusty trusty Denon 1600. It hasn't steered me wrong so I figure why upgrade to something else.

I'm looking to keep everything digital... that's why I picked DVD players with either DVI or HDMI. I really have only had personal experience with the Oppo and Bravo D1... as for the others... I was just see if anyone with this projector has tried them or knows of a better player under $250.

I like the Oppo except for the sound sync problems.
I also like the Bravo, but have not tried it on 720p projectors. I have it hooked up to my humble 4805 that I can not get to right now to test.

The more I read I'm leaning towards the new Oppo OPDV970H.

I like the Oppo except for the sound sync problems.I was able to correct for audio sync in the Oppo setup menu.


Ken Whitcomb

The better news I have saved for last. Joe is planning to demonstrate his new Samsung PS-H900A DLP projector at CEDIA EXPO in Denver this September. Yes, it will be 1080p. He is hoping it will become available to the public by the end of this year. That's all I know about it.

Best regards and beautiful pictures,
G. Alan Brown, President
CinemaQuest, Inc."

Any more recent rumors/reports re the Sammy 900, the 1080p sucessor to the 710?

But will it start? Seriously though I'c be so hestitant to buy a projector from Samsung after me experience with their slow and uninformed customer service.

I'm using the Toshiba HD x model DVD player, plus my old Denon 3800 and Panasonic DVD recorder. All I can say is "wow!" to any HD and SD on the Toshiba and excellent with the other players. Although it is not a fair comparison with the Toshiba so far ahead with its HD and Up-converting capabilities, but life is not fair all the time. And the blacks? Like ink. The opening space battle in Star Wars III and my HD DVR HD copy of Starship Troopers (space battles) look fantastic. The Samsung is just an incredible purchase.

Does anyone know the precise H-Freq and V-Freq for theatreTek software. I'm trying to fine tune the computer to the 710.

But will it start? Seriously though I'c be so hestitant to buy a projector from Samsung after me experience with their slow and uninformed customer service.

You do realize that Samsung is the one of the biggest electronic companies in the world- this projector is a teeny, tiny part of a much, much bigger picture. Your average customer service guy doesn't even know wht a projector is.

The sole reason Samsung went the boutique projector route is because it's a nice demo at the shows, and because Sony has boutique projectors.

If they sell a few after the marketing and R&D, they're happy to recoupe some of the cost.

As a customer, there's a bit of a risk, but the reward is a fantastic piece of hardware at a great price point.

Caveat emptor.

Which mount did you get? My 710 is supposed to ship any day. I ordered 2 1/2 weeks ago with a Chief mount and a 106" Stewart Studiotek 130.

Samsung left me a message that they can't get me a replacment 710 so they have decided to refund my money.

Does this company have any idea what they are doing?

When I pressed them about getting a replacement as opposed to a refund, They offered me a refurb unit, which I am hesitant to take. He also claimed the bub warrentee was 2 years (since I mentioned the refurb may not have a new bulb) Has anyone heard about the bulb warrentee?

When I pressed them about getting a replacement as opposed to a refund, They offered me a refurb unit, which I am hesitant to take. He also claimed the bub warrentee was 2 years (since I mentioned the refurb may not have a new bulb) Has anyone heard about the bulb warrentee?

I'm pretty sure that the lamp warranty is 90 days, it's two years overall. They did offer you the full warranty on the potential refurb, didn't they?

Measured my H710 yesterday with a Photo Research PR-650, and the grayscale tracking was exceptional in default Movie1 mode. Very close to .313/.329 across the entire grayscale. This is without doing any calibrations in either service or user menus. There is a small room for improvement, but it's marginal. I can see that this may change as the bulb ages, but for now it's very impressive.

Interesting report Carl. Did you get a chance to check the accuracy the primaries for the NTSC and ATSC color standard. Using the CA-6X and Accupel signal generator, I found them to be right on, but I wonder if you saw anything different with the PR-650.

It has been REALLY quiet on the 710 front! I guess everyone is spending time enjoying their projector. In fact, there probably is not going to be a big "tweak" thread because I don't know if there is anything that needs to be tweaked. I know I enjoy the quality and accuracy this thing puts out.

I do have a question. I had a PLV-60 using a Grayhawk screen (non RS). I switched to the 710 but I am still using the Grayhawk. Of course I lost some brightness making the projector move. I was wondering if I switched to the StudioTek 130 would the enhanced brightness be worth the change? I am concerned I would compromise black levels too much if I switched.

Robert

It has been REALLY quiet on the 710 front! I guess everyone is spending time enjoying their projector. In fact, there probably is not going to be a big "tweak" thread because I don't know if there is anything that needs to be tweaked. I know I enjoy the quality and accuracy this thing puts out.

I do have a question. I had a PLV-60 using a Grayhawk screen (non RS). I switched to the 710 but I am still using the Grayhawk. Of course I lost some brightness making the projector move. I was wondering if I switched to the StudioTek 130 would the enhanced brightness be worth the change? I am concerned I would compromise black levels too much if I switched.

Robert

Robert,

From what I understand the 710 was designed to be projected on either a greyhawk or a studiotek depending on screen size. The grayhawk should be used on screens smaller than 92" and anything larger than that is recommened to use the studiotek.

When I purchased my Samsung from Jason Turk about 5 weeks, ago he recommended the StudioTek after I told him I wanted to go with a106" screen. Alan Brown from CinemaQuest (Denver) recommended the grayhawk. I believe he said Joe Kane liked the grayhawk with the 710 also.
I bought the StudioTek 130,which is getting lonely waiting for my 710 that's delivery keeps getting pushed out a week.

This thread has gotten very quiet over the past few weeks.

When I purchased my Samsung from Jason Turk about 5 weeks, ago he recommended the StudioTek after I told him I wanted to go with a106" screen. Alan Brown from CinemaQuest (Denver) recommended the grayhawk. I believe he said Joe Kane liked the grayhawk with the 710 also.
I bought the StudioTek 130,which is getting lonely waiting for my 710 that's delivery keeps getting pushed out a week.

This thread has gotten very quiet over the past few weeks.


I'm also interested in the Samsung and I'm curious what is the issue over the delay you are experiencing regarding the shipment of your Samsung.

I'm considering one of these also. Does anyone know what the serial numbers start at for the Revised units? Or any way to tell one from the other by markings on the outside of the box?

Glenn

just an update; Dealing with Samsung is like water torture. I have never dealt with a more pathetic, unorganized, red tape hampered company, so pray you have no problems.

It has taken them 2 weeks to even get the paperwork approved to get me a refurbished unit - add to that the weeks I waited while they tried to get me the replacement they promised then didn't have. My retailer has one in stock for me now, so hopefully I can just get my money from Samsung. I would be hard pressed to ever buy anything from Samsung again, even though I am going to buy the 710. I just wish Joe Kane worked with a another pj manufacturer, instead of these Bozo's.

Have any of you fellas with test equipment been able to test lumen output with a new unit and then compare it to a unit with several hundred hours on it yet ??

Emailists,

I agree 100% with you.

I am now going on week 3 with a bad projector. I have been waiting 2 weeks for sometype of return info from either Samsung or the company I purchased this from.

Anyone with suggestions on a good projector with the same/similiar throw that is reliable? I am so close to washing my hands of this projector/company.

I just returned my 710 to Samsung for refund. I switched to the Mitsubishi WD2000U and I'm very happy. It has powered zoom, lens shift, and focus. It is a high lumen unit and I don't think I'll ever go back to a low lumen PJ. The picture is very nice, low noise, low dithering, good contrast, and no intensity banding like the 710 had. It comes standard with a 3 year overnight replacement warranty. :)

I have enjoyed my Samsung for 15 hours over the past two months between the delivery process and now the RMA process. Unfortunately, my experience with this projector and purchasing through AVScience has not been a very positive one. Nothing but regrets right now.
Anyhow, hope to have some positive stuff to say about this projector in a few weeks when (hopefully) a fixed projector will arrive (after about a month since reporting it to avs to be problematic).

I was hoping Jason might update his sticky thread on the samsung - but alas its been very quite which doesn't paint a bright picture...

I've been waiting for the QC issues to be remedied and was hoping more people might give updates and hours their new QC 710 has been fully operational - but still seems many are waiting still for replacements...

I just returned my 710 to Samsung for refund. I switched to the Mitsubishi WD2000U and I'm very happy. It has powered zoom, lens shift, and focus. It is a high lumen unit and I don't think I'll ever go back to a low lumen PJ. The picture is very nice, low noise, low dithering, good contrast, and no intensity banding like the 710 had. It comes standard with a 3 year overnight replacement warranty. :)

Tim, I just sent you a PM asking about more info about your set-up. You can reply here in the forum if you think it is of general interest. Bill

I have enjoyed my Samsung for 15 hours over the past two months between the delivery process and now the RMA process. Unfortunately, my experience with this projector and purchasing through AVScience has not been a very positive one. Nothing but regrets right now.

Anyhow, hope to have some positive stuff to say about this projector in a few weeks when (hopefully) a fixed projector will arrive (after about a month since reporting it to avs to be problematic).


I'm trying to read between the lines of what you posted. Are you saying that AVS hasn't treated you right? From all indications the people at AVS have been very supportive of their customers and they have gone the extra mile to make things right for their customers.

I'm trying to read between the lines of what you posted. Are you saying that AVS hasn't treated you right? From all indications the people at AVS have been very supportive of their customers and they have gone the extra mile to make things right for their customers.

Yeah, I would have said the same thing a month ago. I am sure avs has a lot of satisfied customers (which is why I ordered from them in the first place). The biggest problem, of course, is the projector which AVS has no control over. That aid, I don't think AVS has treated me right in this affair. I will soon be a month into the process of getting a new projector since I first reported an issue with my old. A good piece of that time was waiting to hear something from AVS. In the end, the information I got was not entirely accurate. Perhaps I am being a bit picky...

That all said, there are some things I enjoy about AVS as well - I wish I could say the good outweighs the negative so far. In the end, all I hope to get is a product in my home that works. In the meantime, I am kind of left wondering why this process worked the way it did.

I've only dealt directly with Samsung and not AVS, but I was initially told that I would get a shipping label in the mail that I would use to swap for a new unit. Ten days passed without a label and then I got a phone call saying they were out of stock on new units and I was offered a refurbished unit, which I accepted. On Tuesday, UPS picked up my broken unit and I will let you know how long it takes to get the refurbished unit back.

Since AVS is offering new projectors and since new projectors are hard to come by, this may be why AVS has been unable to get you taken care of as quickly as you would like.

I love the picture on this projector, but I'm starting to wish I had asked for a refund and put the money towards the Optoma H81 1080p projector.

I've only dealt directly with Samsung and not AVS, but I was initially told that I would get a shipping label in the mail that I would use to swap for a new unit. Ten days passed without a label and then I got a phone call saying they were out of stock on new units and I was offered a refurbished unit, which I accepted. On Tuesday, UPS picked up my broken unit and I will let you know how long it takes to get the refurbished unit back.

Since AVS is offering new projectors and since new projectors are hard to come by, this may be why AVS has been unable to get you taken care of as quickly as you would like.

I love the picture on this projector, but I'm starting to wish I had asked for a refund and put the money towards the Optoma H81 1080p projector.

Kevin:

Did Samsung indicate when or whether new units will be arriving or have they given up on the 710?

They were noncommittal about when new projectors would be available (which is not surprising for a big company) -- something along the lines of "it could be a couple of more weeks." My sense was not that they were giving up on the H-710 but more that they were surprised at how many they sold once they lowered to the price to the $3,500 range.

Samsung told me that dealers will get them well before customer service has access to any to replace for customers. They said it only made business sense to sell new ones... OF course I followed up with" you mean instead of taking care of exisiting customers..... which is terrible of Samsung."

You can easily see by the way Samsung has been treating us, taking weeks and months to complete steps to satisfy customers with problematic units. They simply don't care to move quickly to rectify problems.

It took them over 2 weeks just to internally order me a refurbished unit. Luckily, before they got one sent to me, I found my dealer had a new updated unit he could sell me.

I have also been waiting on a replacement unit from AVS for several weeks. They may be running into supply issues trying to get the replacements which would explain the delays. From what I have seen with AVS in the past, if they have the stock - they will take care of their customers. It would be nice to hear an update from Jason or AVS on this so everyone understands what is happening.

My 710 just reached the 50 hour mark and I have no signs of any of the startup issues that have been described in this thread. My specific problem is unique in that there is a very loud rattling noise when the projector begins on cold start and then, once warmed up, the noise almost disappears. Something is definitely wrong with it.

...however, I am still blown away by the picture this thing puts out. What is really cool is the HD picture the Xbox 360 throws on this thing. I can sit 8' back from an 8' screen and get REALLY immersed into the games. :)

Hi Everyone

I just sent this in a PM and will post it in public for everyone.

Jason will be back to work on Weds along with the rest of us. I will point him to this so he can respond.
I have to say I am not up to date or in the loop of this but I do know we were told a batch was shipping but there was some delay from the factory. Because I am not up on the situation I could be entirely wrong so i do not like commenting on something which could cause people to get upset for no reason. I promise once Jason is back this will be addressed ASAP.

Thank you.

Have a great 4th :)

my from dealings with Samsung - I can see why AVS and other dealers have problems with them, and shouldn't be a reflection of the kind of excellent service they customarily offer.

I have a question and propose a survey of 710 owners. Given that it's best to install a projector at the middle of the throw range to minimize optical distortion how many of you actually do that? If not, then how far off the middle is your projector installed?

I'm considering one of these also. Does anyone know what the serial numbers start at for the Revised units? Or any way to tell one from the other by markings on the outside of the box?

Glenn


This is a good question. I just received mine and was wondering if there was some way to tell either by the S/N or the manufactured date. Anyone?

This is a good question. I just received mine and was wondering if there was some way to tell either by the S/N or the manufactured date. Anyone?

If you call Samsung tech support and give them your serial number, they can tell you the date of manufacture.

Glenn

Glenn did you ever get your projector mess sorted out?

Dale

If you call Samsung tech support and give them your serial number, they can tell you the date of manufacture.

Glenn

Thanks. I know the date of manufacture, it says right on it 5/2006. I'm just wondering what the cut of date for the "defective" ones are and if I'm okay or not.

Glenn did you ever get your projector mess sorted out?

Dale
I returned it for a refund.

Just a quick FYI, In mid June I sent my 710 back to Samsung for replacement and was offered a refund. I declined the refund and asked to wait for a new unit. They said they had no ETA but would place an order for me. Well, two days ago I received a new unit with a July 2006 build date. So far, no problems. I assume this means that new inventory is arriving.... -Francis

I understand the upcoming issue of The Perfect Vision will have a review of the H710. It will be interesting to see if they have any information on the QC issues.

Well, two days ago I received a new unit with a July 2006 build date. So far, no problems. I assume this means that new inventory is arriving.... -Francis

Thanks Francis- those incompetant liars at Samsung "customer service" told me there were none that come in as of Friday. But they have trouble even even getting my broken unit picked up - requiring several calls.

I'll try them again today and say people have gotten thier replacemnts from Samsung directly (just like I am waiting for)

Thanks Francis- those incompetant liars at Samsung "customer service" told me there were none that come in as of Friday. But they have trouble even even getting my broken unit picked up - requiring several calls.

I'll try them again today and say people have gotten thier replacemnts from Samsung directly (just like I am waiting for)
You should let go some of that anger. You've been holding it for quite a long time...

Avojoe - Agreed - see what projector deprivation for a few months can do?

In complete contrast - I bought some JL cooper controllers used on ebay - they didn't work correctly and send them back. I sent them the items on a tuesday (or wednesday) and by Saturday I had them back, fully overhauled at no charge.

I'm not expecting that level of exemplary service, but I also don't expect the level of disorganization and broken promises Samsung offers.

Just a quick question about how HD-DVD or Blu-ray looks on this projector. Im thinking of investing in one by the end of the month, and also buy a hi-def dvd player in the near future. Thanks for your input guys.

Just a quick question about how HD-DVD or Blu-ray looks on this projector. Im thinking of investing in one by the end of the month, and also buy a hi-def dvd player in the near future. Thanks for your input guys.
HD, whether from HD-DVD or some other source, looks as much better than SD on the H710 as it does on other 720P DLP PJs. It is the same amount of improvement on this PJ as it is with similar PJs.

I think the quality of the processor in the H710 that downconverts the 1080i output of the HD-DVD player to 720p, coupled with its color accuracy and sharpness, give the H710 a distinct advantage over other 720p projectors in the same price range.

In other words, HD-DVDs on the H710 are about as good as it gets short of moving up to a 1080p projector.

Kevin,

Are you still enthralled by the 710, even with the rigamarole for getting the projector sent back? Have you seen the Panasonic 900? The 710 and 900 are the two projectors on my short list, but I've only been able to see the 900.

Yes, I'm still enthralled by the picture but I admit to being very nervous and reserving judgment about whether the projector has been fixed such that I can expect 1,200 to 1,500 hours on the bulb. If I have another problem, I will be asking for a refund. As much as I love the picture, it takes all the fun out of a home theater if you worry the bulb will pop every time you turn it on.

I purchased a Samsung rear projector DLP more than 3 years that had the color wheel give out within the first 10 days. Samsung sent me a replacement, and it has worked great ever since (still on the original bulb), so I'm hoping for a similar result with the H710.

I have calibrated two Panasonic 900s. I think they are very good projectors for the price, but I found the images to be somewhat flat and uninvolving compared to DLPs in general and the H710 specifically (this is really more of an LCD vs DLP issue).

how do you guys feel about the Screen innovations Reference 1.3 screen. It has a gain of 1.3 and a viewing angle of 170. Im thinking of going with a 119' retractable. And i have a well controled room (in terms of light).

thanks

Thanks, Kevin. I have heard that the 710 produces a very 3D, film-like picture, especially relative to the LCD projectors. Luckily, I will not be buying anything for a few months. So, I should know more by then about the 710's faults, if any show up in that time period. Unfortunately, some other projector may come up in that time period, especially since Cedia is around the corner.

Kevin,

Are you still enthralled by the 710, even with the rigamarole for getting the projector sent back? Have you seen the Panasonic 900? The 710 and 900 are the two projectors on my short list, but I've only been able to see the 900.

I have the Samsung, and watch it on a 100" Carada Brilliant White Screen (1.4 gain).

My friend has the Sanyo Z4 and watches on a 100" Stewart Studiotek 1.3 gain.

I have compared the projectors. No doubt the Sanyo is a nice unit, especially at the price. But, in my opinion, the picture doesn't really compare to the Samsung. There is a definite screen door on the Sanyo. Colors pop on the Samsung, and there is no screen door. The blacks and shadow detail are MUCH better on the Samsung.

Neither projector has been professionally calibrated. He has used AVIA to try and tune his up. I have not used AVIA or DVE as of yet. I only have about 60-70 hours on the bulb, and am going to let it run a bit more before doing DIYing.

I guess the biggest impression I got in my comparison was that the Sanyo, to me, mae me sort of think was that I was definitely watching a digital projector- kind of that effect you got a few years ago watching compressed video on PC monitor (not as bad, of course). The Samsung gives the impression of a much smoother, clean, film-like image. Granted, I paid about $1200 more than he did, but, there you go.

I've also seen Sharp's new projector (about $4000-5000) at a local high-end A/V shop, in a dedicated room with light control. Nowhere near the Samsung's performance, in my opinion. Dark scene in the Aviator had the blacks COMPLETELY crushed. Couldn't see a thing. It was bad. Don't know if the projector was wonky, or settings screwed up, or what, but, it looked awful. I can't remember the model number but it's relatively new, according to the sales guy.

Hey, your mileage will vary on whatever you buy. Room size, shape, color, and ambinent light, as well as throw all play in. And your screen.

Caveat emptor, but, at the risk of jinxing myself, I'm ecstatic with my Samsung Projector, and haven't had any problems (build date May 2006).

I think the quality of the processor in the H710 that downconverts the 1080i output of the HD-DVD player to 720p, coupled with its color accuracy and sharpness, give the H710 a distinct advantage over other 720p projectors in the same price range.

In other words, HD-DVDs on the H710 are about as good as it gets short of moving up to a 1080p projector.

That would be the Faroudja processing that is used in most PJs and DVD players these days, including my three year old Infocus SP7200? Though decent, it is hardly state of the art and does Bob deinterlacing from 1080i to 720P. Its real strength is in its quality upscaling of 480i to 720P/1080i, which is hard to beat, IMO.

To my way of thinking the only processing solutions that stand out in converting 1080i to 720p are those that do true 1080P deinterlacing as part of the scaling, such as the processing in the Marantz S4 and Yamaha 1300. That's about as good as it gets without moving up to 1080 native resolution.

I thought the H710 did as good at job downscaling 1080i to 720P as the many other 720P DLPs that use that same or equally good processing. IMO, it doesn't stand out in this regard.

I think that it does stand out in other areas, though, and is the best bang for the buck in its price range. For one thing, some of the other PJs that I have calibrated in its price range can not be made to have as accurate a grey scale. They tend to crush Black and/or White. They are dim. And their on/off CRs are greatly inflated, (one by a magnitude of 5).

Glenn

Interesting information Glenn.

I was perhaps giving too much credit to the Samsung based on the lack of artifacts I saw on HD-DVDs.

Both the 710AE and 800BE use the Genesis chipset and it deinterlaces a 1080i signal to a 1080p frame before downconverting to the 720p output.

This is from an earlier post in this thread.

This what the 700 had (and it's likely the same for the 710):

"The Film Mode is available only for analog inputs. Analog 480i and 576i signals are deinterlaced by Faroudja's DCDi chipset and then upconverted to 720p by a Genesis chipset; all other input signals bypass DCDi and are processed by the Genesis chipset only. This includes 1080i inputs, which are first deinterlaced to 1080p and then downconverted to 720p."

From: http://www.ultimateavmag.com/videoprojectors/505samsung/

Avojoe - Agreed - see what projector deprivation for a few months can do?

In complete contrast - I bought some JL cooper controllers used on ebay - they didn't work correctly and send them back. I sent them the items on a tuesday (or wednesday) and by Saturday I had them back, fully overhauled at no charge.

I'm not expecting that level of exemplary service, but I also don't expect the level of disorganization and broken promises Samsung offers.
I agree on the deprivation anxiety. I'm expecting to receive my new 710 in a day or two. That together with my new StudioTek 130 and anew HT room will make for an exciting much anticipated event once it's operationable. I now need theater seating and have been toying with the Berkline 090 manual. Costco has a set of (3) automatics for $2000, that I'm toying with.

This what the 700 had (and it's likely the same for the 710):

"The Film Mode is available only for analog inputs. Analog 480i and 576i signals are deinterlaced by Faroudja's DCDi chipset and then upconverted to 720p by a Genesis chipset; all other input signals bypass DCDi and are processed by the Genesis chipset only. This includes 1080i inputs, which are first deinterlaced to 1080p and then downconverted to 720p."

From: http://www.ultimateavmag.com/videoprojectors/505samsung/

If ultimateavmag is correct, then Kevin is right and the H710 may do a better job with 1080i than most other 720P DLP's. However, I did not think that Genesis had a scaling solution that did that.

Glenn

I don't know one way or the other. I just thought the quote was interesting. I still have the Samsung on my list of projectors to possibly buy, so I'm interested in whatever info. there is (good and bad) on the projector.

OK, no response to these questions from before, so I will ask again (and throw in a bonus question :) )

- Anyone had success in displaying 48Hz (to avoid 3:2 judder) ?

- Is the lens threaded (to accept ND filters) ?

- Is it end-user firmware upgradable ?

TIA
Brent


I'll bite that, i noticed today in this review
http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/volume_13_3/samsung-sp-h710ae-projector-7-2006-part-3.html that they were successful with 48hz @ 1280x720 via DVI.

The projector was able to take a 1280x720 @ 48 Hz signal, and with the help of a set-up done by a friend, we were able to measure the color wheel speed at about 288 Hz for all three primary colors (this would be 144 rotations per second with 2 sets of each color). With normal 60 Hz input, the wheel spins at 300 Hz (5x), so this indicates that the projector is going to 6x in 48 Hz mode. Many DLPs cannot do 48 Hz correctly, and at least one other single chip DLP projector I've measured, which does slow its wheel down to a multiple of 48 Hz when being fed 48 Hz, stays with the 5x multiplier and so goes from 300 Hz with 60 Hz input to 240 Hz with 48 Hz input. Just being able to do a multiple of 48 Hz is a nice feature, but getting 6x with this Samsung is an extra bonus for those who are prone to being bothered by color separation (Rainbow) artifacts and want to run at 48 Hz for film material (24 Hz originals). Those who wish to feed a 48 Hz signal to this projector will likely need an external scaler or an HTPC. I did find that, although the projector worked for 1280x720 @ 48 Hz, the information screen in the menus indicates that the input is 50 Hz.

Now I just have to get my replacement so that i can give it a try :D

I'll bite that, i noticed today in this review
http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/volume_13_3/samsung-sp-h710ae-projector-7-2006-part-3.html that they were successful with 48hz @ 1280x720 via DVI.
I'm running mine in 48Hz for NTSC and 50Hz for PAL content (both scaled to 1280x720 naturally) and it works like a charm. No judder, no tearing, no problem.

Hi, i have a quick question about connecting a computer to the samsung 710ae....if any of you have done this...did u use the pc input, or just pass the video using the dvi cable you already run all ur other video from. Im using the new Pioneer 84 reciever with the HDMI output. I have to decide right now becuase if i have to run a pc monitor cable, i have to go out and buy on so my contractor can run it before they dry wall the room.

thankz

I have ran my computer through the DVI and its excellent have not even tried any other inputs with it ? as I do not have it hooked up full time ? but I might hook up my main HTPC to my PJ and then I will use the PC input

Is this thread gone?

Is this thread gone?No, I just think everyone is in either Samsung h710 startup issues (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=669765&page=1&pp=30) or Samsung H710--I don't believe they have a fix (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=704628) :(

Of course, I stand by my statement that a calibrated 710 is still the best projector anywhere near it's price!


Ken Whitcomb

I took delivery on one about a month ago. No startup issues and I am really impressed with the image. Highly recommended.

Anyone have problems with mounting this unit? I'm finding that some of the screws do not work. Any tips or advice appreciated. :(

Anyone have problems with mounting this unit? I'm finding that some of the screws do not work. Any tips or advice appreciated. :(

Buy longer screws at your local Home Depot or Lowes my man. Cost you $2, tops.

Buy longer screws at your local Home Depot or Lowes my man. Cost you $2, tops.


Will do! Thanks buddy! :cool:

How do I enter the Service meny ?

Trust me, you don't want to enter the service menu on this projector.

It was designed so that you can do a full calibration without getting into the service menu. The only values in the service menu that are not in the user menu are settings to adjust the primary colors, but you need a $12k photo spetrometer to do this right (see this link) (http://www.photoresearch.com/current/pr650.asp) . Even my $2,000 colorimeter is not accurate enough to do this correctly. Besides, the primaries are already more accurate than just about any other projector on the market.

I've been in the service menu, and in doing a full ISF calibration on this projector, there was nothing in there that would improve the picture that I couldn't do more easily and more safely in the user menu.

I have noticed that the sp-h800be is on the market now. Has anyone seen this projector in action ?

The sp-h800be is the DarkChip 3 model and it was on the market since oct 2005.

The last one is the SP-H710AE...this year no DC3 front projector released by Samsung.

I'm impatiently waiting 1080p Joe Kane projector ! If it will have the same PQ as the SP-H710AE, It will be a terrific projector !

You are proably right, but if I now want to get into the service meny.

The sp-h800be is the DarkChip 3 model and it was on the market since oct 2005.

The last one is the SP-H710AE...this year no DC3 front projector released by Samsung.

I'm impatiently waiting 1080p Joe Kane projector ! If it will have the same PQ as the SP-H710AE, It will be a terrific projector !

Yea, I realize it has been out for awhile but just recently I have been seeing them sold online. Do you think this is a great improvement over the 710?

I'm impatiently waiting 1080p Joe Kane projector ! If it will have the same PQ as the SP-H710AE, It will be a terrific projector !

Do you have any evidence about if, and when, this is actually going to happen? Might a proto be shown at the CES in Jan?

Do you have any evidence about if, and when, this is actually going to happen? Might a proto be shown at the CES in Jan?

(regarding a 1080p Joe Kane projector).

I haven't heard anything, but what may be of interest. Word has it BenQ is now working closely with Joel Silver's folks at ISF, regarding getting the BenQ W10000 set up properly...

That should certainly be interesting. The W10000 physically looks like the same basic box as their 8720, which means a really excellent lens...

BenQ was talking about a December release (at Cedia), but whether they are ready by year end? -art

Yea, I realize it has been out for awhile but just recently I have been seeing them sold online. Do you think this is a great improvement over the 710?

I haven't taken a good look at it (only at shows), but my only real complaint about the 710AE (besides brightness) is that it uses the Darkchip2, so, if priced right, the DC3 800 should be one fine projector.

Joe was expecting Samsung to bring a 1080p unit to CEDIA EXPO but they didn't have one ready. They had not sought his furthre input on it as of EXPO. He definitely wants to see them produce one. My expectation is that it will perform similarly to the previous models.

The model 800 is everything the 700 series was but with darker blacks and less dithering noise. TI's DC3 is a definite improvement over the previous chip in that projector.

Best regards and beautiful pictures,
G. Alan Brown, President
CinemaQuest, Inc.

"Advancing the art and science of electronic imaging"

I think the MSRP of the sp-h800be is 12k, which I think might be a bit steep given the current crop of 1080p projectors (eg, Pearl, Mitsubishi HC5000) at half that MSRP.

The MSRP has been reduced to $7k since this Summer. Resolution is only one component among many in evaluating image quality. There are very few projectors that can nail the color primaries for both analog and digital signals. This is the only one I know of near this price.

Most of the projectors claiming a color gamut larger than the standard, do not allow color management facilities which actually bring the primaries into proper alignment. If a display cannot do this, the color will always be wrong. Both the 710 and 800 Samsungs can deliver reference color for the proper video formats in use today. These displays are actually being used as reference, large format, post production monitors, by HD program producers.

Wow...

Quite a bitter dissapointment.

I will try hard to get someone local to come help calibrate the unit, so far, the image is really not acceptable.

There is simply no shade of dark... its just black for the most part where there should be some gradation.

(I have not spent much time fiddling with it, but I assume from peoples opinions there is much more there)

But worst of all is the horrible noise. I have no idea if mine is broken, or they all sound this way, but my recollection is that my G70 was tons better, and that was pretty loud!

Not yet a happy camper............

If there are any readers in the chicago area, west suburbs to be specific that have one of these Samsungs... drinks are on me, come listen, tell me if mine is broken or in need of repair! Its july 06 production.

Bonus tour of the BMW race car in the garage and the super rare BMW Z1 I have as well.......

I will probably have to eventually get Ken to come and tune the pj.....

Alex Lipowich

(if you're local, email me at xyobgyn@aol.com please)

Trying to get to the second hour of use... all I got was error codes for the fan. Wouldn't start up at all, despite multiple attempts at unplugging, trying over.

An old fashion "rap" or knock seemed to get the fan up and running again.

Have an idea that the noise is from the fan at least... Very upset that it would fail that easily and need to be "struck" even gently to get it jump started...

Anyone else with this?

Alex.

The MSRP has been reduced to $7k since this Summer. Resolution is only one component among many in evaluating image quality. There are very few projectors that can nail the color primaries for both analog and digital signals. This is the only one I know of near this price.

I agree with you there. I'm still using my Pioneer Elite RPTV, which was the cream of the crop RPTV when I purchased it, and the main reasons I purchased it were for the quality of image, ease of calibration (assuming you like messing around with the service menu), and quality of electronics, including excellent line doubling. It helps that it also produces a terrific picture. So, I agree with you. I just think that buying a projector entails deciding what you want to do with it, and even the reviewer at projector reviews said that he would not buy the Samsung 710 over the Benq 8720 or even the Mitsubishi HC5000 because he felt he needed a projector that had more capabilities in the non-movie arena. However, even he said that the Samsung is the best out-of-the box projector he's ever tested. It's this confusing scenario of excellent on movies but not so great with TV and sports that makes the process of picking a projector so hard. I'm going to decide whether I want a better movie projector or more all around projector. If the former, I'll put the 710 back on my list; if the latter, I'll probably go the Panasonic AX-100 just as a stopgap but versatile projector until some brighter 1080p projectors can be had.

AlexBen,

You surely have a bad unit. The noise level is definitely uncharacteristic. Black detail should simply be a matter of adjusting brightness and contrast.

Does the 710 support 1080p/24 ?

On www.projectorreviews.com it says so, but when I read the manual I can't find anything about it ?!

Anyone knows, tried ?

the reviewer at projector reviews said that he would not buy the Samsung 710 over the Benq 8720 or even the Mitsubishi HC5000 because he felt he needed a projector that had more capabilities in the non-movie arena. However, even he said that the Samsung is the best out-of-the box projector he's ever tested. It's this confusing scenario of excellent on movies but not so great with TV and sports that makes the process of picking a projector so hard.
That's an odd conclusion in my opinion. My pimary viewing is HD sports broadcasts, and I think this is what our Samsung does best. In fact all HD TV looks amazing on this projector. Movies are a noticable step down, which I attribute to the source.. we don't have an HD DVD player yet.

There was also mention of it not being bright enough.. I find it plenty bright but I must admit we have a totally light contolled room. That being said, we can turn on lights in the rear of the room when people are there without too much compromise to the picture. We have 200 something hours on it, so lamp is still nearly new.

How can it be good at one thing and not the other?

That reviewer seems to be clueless about the importance of image fidelity. Far too much of his commentary is centered around subjective judgements and comparisons to other products. How about imaging industry standards and practices? Any imaging characteristics which deviate from the calibrated monitor used in program production have to be considered distortion.

The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers sets production and performance standards and practices for both the film and television industries. Joe Kane is a stickler on display accuracy for the sake of preserving artistic integrity. As a co-founder of the Imaging Science Foundation, and respected authority in both the film and video industries, he knows what reference imaging is all about. For Samsung to offer a display designed for image accuracy, rather than "specification shoppers," is rare and wonderful. To imply that image fidelity is important for movies and not television programs only undermines the reviewer's credibility.

What is he using as a reference? I don't accept his anecdotal experience, personal preference, other products, opinion, or subjective analysis as a reference for image fidelity. Part of the problem may be his choice of screen. The Stewart FireHawk is not a reference imager. It helps with compensating for certain compromised viewing environment conditions, but introduces image distortions in the process.

If you want increased black level performance, the 2nd generation (model 800) Samsung has the dark chip 3 and retains all the precision and picture quality of the 710. Samsung has reduced the price substantially on the 800 as well. The MSRP has dropped from $12k to $7K. If you like distorted images, especially when watching television programs, this version may not be for you either.

Best regards and beautiful pictures,
G. Alan Brown, President
CinemaQuest, Inc.

"Advancing the art and science of electronic imaging"

I've got an Oppo 971 and the Samsung 710. I been trying to get Sling Blade (1:1.85) to display correctly. I set the Oppo to Wide and the Samsung to 16x9 but the image is squashed. When I set the Oppo to wide squeeze the aspect ratio is correct but there is a black box all around a shrunken image.

Can someone help me with this issue.

I've got an Oppo 971 and the Samsung 710. I been trying to get Sling Blade (1:1.85) to display correctly. I set the Oppo to Wide and the Samsung to 16x9 but the image is squashed. When I set the Oppo to wide squeeze the aspect ratio is correct but there is a black box all around a shrunken image.

Can someone help me with this issue.

Sounds like that dvd is not an anamorphic image. I dont think it will fill your 1.78:1 display without a zoom on your dvd player.

Well, I'm seriously considering the Samsung. It's currently priced at just over what the Panny AX-100 is, and I think the Samsung is a much better projector in terms of picture quality (though not in terms of lumens). The only negative I have is that I'll have to go with a smaller screen because of the lumen differences.

I ran the Samsung on a 110" Carada Brilliant White (1.4 gain), and found it to be plenty bright. How big a screen are you looking at?

I've calibrated the Panny -- it is not even in the same league as the Samsung (at least as to color accuracy and resolution and image depth).

Well, I'm seriously considering the Samsung. It's currently priced at just over what the Panny AX-100 is, and I think the Samsung is a much better projector in terms of picture quality (though not in terms of lumens). The only negative I have is that I'll have to go with a smaller screen because of the lumen differences.

Read the fine print !! I dont think you can find a brand new h710 for close to the same price as an AX100.