The pj, in the service menu, gives access to adjustments of color saturation, lightness and tint for the primary and secondary colors. This is available also when in DVI input.
However, I am not sure if you would need a colorimeter to adjust them.
:mad:

Thanks, FMG. Is the service menu you refer to the PICTURE menu off the SETUP menu? The AVIA disk gives a test pattern and instructions for setting the color and tint. This option is available for the component inputs(which I have adjusted), and the manual (such as it is) says it is available for DVI but not computer input. Mine however does not allow color and tint to be done on the DVI input. Prehaps this is something to do with the DVI/PC signals both coming in on the Input 4 plugs? Perhaps this is a mistake in the firmware?

UPDATE
I just talked to Optoma service who said that despite that the manual says the DVI input has the color and tint accessible for adjustment, that since the input is digital it should not need adjustment and is grayed out on the picture menu, and that is correct. So I guess I just stop worrying about it. Thanks FMG.

I also find the bulb strike problem most frustrating, and have tried all sorts of solutions none of which have helped a bit! Grin and bare it.

I also find the bulb strike problem most frustrating, and have tried all sorts of solutions none of which have helped a bit! Grin and bare it.
Do you turn off your pj by an external switcher or leave in standby?

I leave my 7100 on standby attached to a UPS that also filters the incoming power. I don't turn on the receiver or the blu ray reader until the PJ fires up.

This is a problem with this PJ but I have not had any issues since I eliminated the extension cable I was using. Even then it was not like every time I powere up the pj. Have you tried not using the battery back up for a test? Is it using dedicated power line?

As I sais earlier, this only fails to strike about once a month for a couple of days each time.
I dont have a dedicated power line, which is why I turn on the PJ before everything else. Will try with out the UPS.

Thanks, FMG. Is the service menu you refer to the PICTURE menu off the SETUP menu?


No, I refer to the service menu that normally is reserved to service people or advanced users. To access the service menu normally requires a code or special procedure.

As I sais earlier, this only fails to strike about once a month for a couple of days each time.
I dont have a dedicated power line, which is why I turn on the PJ before everything else. Will try with out the UPS.

Was the bulb strike problem there from the beginning when the bulb was new, or started occurring as the bulb aged?

It acted up more frequently when it was new, then settled down to once a month later.

Thanks for all the comments!

It acted up more frequently when it was new, then settled down to once a month later.

Without seeing a ballast schematic it's hard to surmise cause and effect. Since startup requires a much higher voltage for ignition, the initial strike voltage rise time or amplitude could be marginal for that lamp since both have to play together. Well you said you have lots of hours on the bulb so it would be interesting to see if and when you get a new bulb if the problem persist.

I just sent my HD7100 out for repair. There was a stuck pixel in the middle of the screen. Has anyone else had this problem ? If so what was the solution for repair? I have an extended warranty on it so theres no problem there.

The PJ don't like the 1080p, no even turning on after or before the prcsr
says:
no input .
if I use 1080i, all analog inputs all right.and change ok betwen them.
but if use HDMI (in 1,2 ) no way , if I send the BD hdmi direct to the PJ w/o prcsr ok.
some times the prcsr recognize the BD.
but takes time,
are any info on firmware or servicing something like this?
My dealer says is waiting for an frmwr upgrade!!
really thinking on change OPTOMA !!!
the hd72 twice a week stays in error condition at start,
are this comon in the brand errors ,bad service ,etc?
I'm less than a year with OPTOMA...

My HD7100 throws an awesome image... it has been a very rough road... you need a lot of patience with Optoma... I can't say I will buy another Optoma or recommend that someone else do without reservations.

My HD7100 throws an awesome image... it has been a very rough road... you need a lot of patience with Optoma... I can't say I will buy another Optoma or recommend that someone else do without reservations.

omg I would never recommend optoma to anyone I remotely care about with the troubles I've had and touchy HDMI the PJ has. The PJ throws a sharp image when it works but contrast has alot to be desired.

My HD7100 throws an awesome image... it has been a very rough road... you need a lot of patience with Optoma... I can't say I will buy another Optoma or recommend that someone else do without reservations.

Gireesh,

Just to let you know since there were a few power issues in my area late winter
I added a smart UPS( 3KW)to my system. It was given to me and all I needed was new batteries. It's true sine wave and has no switchover delay. I have had no problems using it to date.

I wired my main power feed to the projector from the power conditioner/surge protector to the receptical on the ceiling then I ran a nother feed from a moster cable ups backup to the other plug on the celing receptical that way I get clean power and if I loose power I simply switch the projector cord to the ups powered receptical. I had to use it once when the projector was running for a few hours. The power went out I jumped up on the chair switch the recepitcal and the fans came back on. Works great.

I have been having trouble with fan noise. I run the bulb in economy mode, and while it wasn't really quiet, it wasn't too bad even though it sits on an end table right next to my seat. However, last winter I noticed that if the room was over 63 degrees F, the fan would switch to high, which is one step higher than the turn off cool down fan speed, and is quite loud.

I have tried the vacuum cleaner on the air inlet and outlet, as well as carefully blowing out with compressed air, but the fan still runs on high.

I have thought about removing the lamp and trying to clean the air passage carefully. Has any one had this problem or cleaned the passages really well? Any suggestions?

Thanks

I have been having trouble with fan noise. I run the bulb in economy mode, and while it wasn't really quiet, it wasn't too bad even though it sits on an end table right next to my seat. However, last winter I noticed that if the room was over 63 degrees F, the fan would switch to high, which is one step higher than the turn off cool down fan speed, and is quite loud.

I have tried the vacuum cleaner on the air inlet and outlet, as well as carefully blowing out with compressed air, but the fan still runs on high.

I have thought about removing the lamp and trying to clean the air passage carefully. Has any one had this problem or cleaned the passages really well? Any suggestions?

Thanks

I run my pj in eco mode all the time in a room well over 63F and never noticed the pj switching to high fan speed. I have over 1400 hrs on the bulb.
Why don´t you talk to Optoma support and see what they have to say? Is your pj still under warranty?
I wish you good luck in resolving the problem. Pls. let us know how you do.

The evening after I posted my fan question, the pj flashed the searching for DVI input, then turned black. After a minute the lamp went out, and cycled through this same procedure two more times, when it turned it's power off. The unit is now on it's way to Optoma for repairs. Hope they will do something about the fan and failure to strike problem I have too. Thanks for your reply.

how do you unlock the hd3000?????

how do you unlock the hd3000?????

What do you mean by unlock?

how do you unlock the hd3000?????

If he has a scaler set to 720p it requires a factory firmware modification to output other resolutions(unlock). Optoma does not offer this anymore, I believe.

well what i would like to do is change the frequency of 1920 to 1080 p 48 hz to 24 hz

there must be some way of doing it

well what i would like to do is change the frequency of 1920 to 1080 p 48 hz to 24 hz

there must be some way of doing it

mkoss is correct. Optoma can do it. Call them and ask if they would do it.

Optoma service

Got my 7100 back from Optoma, and they did fixed it so it displays images again and the fan stays on low at normal temperatures. Looks and sounds good again. Only time will tell if they fixed the periodic strike problem. They did want to replace the lamp. At 2400 hours it is getting a little dim, but it seems quite bright enough to me in my fairly dark room. Any way, you can get just a bulb installed in the carrier for only $170 on ebay, a lot less than they wanted.

well what i would like to do is change the frequency of 1920 to 1080 p 48 hz to 24 hz

there must be some way of doing it

I believe to get 24 hz requires not only a firmware change but also hardware, if I'm not mistaken when I talked to them some time ago

My HD3000 did not require a hardware modification. I don't use it that much, so if anyone wants it PM me with an offer :)

My HD3000 did not require a hardware modification. I don't use it that much, so if anyone wants it PM me with an offer :)

I will check mine if I have that option next time I use it. The manual states 1080p at 48hz Are you referring to 3 to 2 pull down?

I will check mine if I have that option next time I use it. The manual states 1080p at 48hz Are you referring to 3 to 2 pull down?

Would it not be better to have the HD3000 output at 1080p 48Hz rather than at 24Hz?
I believe at 48Hz slow movement would be smoother/less jerky as compared to 24Hz.
Bypassing the HD3000, I can feed the HD7100 with the direct 1080p/24Hz signal from the BD player but, depending on the BD, the pj creates a certain amount of picture splitting which can become bothersome. I think this is because the pj accepts 24Hz as borderline to its specified vertical frequency minimum of 25Hz.
With an input signal to the pj at 720p/48Hz or 72Hz I have never observed any picture splitting :)

I've been running lately without the scaler in the loop and although the picture is still very good, without playing around with adjustments, I find the sharpness with the scaler in the loop to be a tad better. I've been playing around with a DLP LED pico projector (9 lumens) and took it out of the loop looking at screen alternatives for best brightness. Getting a descent 35 inch diagonal image with reasonable brightness using my Kloss Novabeam Torus. Boy I would love to be able to build a miniature Torus as well as large 16:9 version if I could only find construction details and what materials were used.

Would it not be better to have the HD3000 output at 1080p 48Hz rather than at 24Hz?
I believe at 48Hz slow movement would be smoother/less jerky as compared to 24Hz.
Bypassing the HD3000, I can feed the HD7100 with the direct 1080p/24Hz signal from the BD player but, depending on the BD, the pj creates a certain amount of picture splitting which can become bothersome. I think this is because the pj accepts 24Hz as borderline to its specified vertical frequency minimum of 25Hz.
With an input signal to the pj at 720p/48Hz or 72Hz I have never observed any picture splitting :)

I didn't think HD7100 accepted 1080p/24Hz. Are you sure? Does your player say it is outputting 24Hz?

I didn't think HD7100 accepted 1080p/24Hz. Are you sure? Does your player say it is outputting 24Hz?

Yes, my Sony bd player has the option (source direct) of outputting a 1080p/24Hz signal out of bds that are mastered that way (most of them now a days) and the HD7100 very graciously takes it and does its thing with it and puts out a glorious picture most of the time; however, depending on the bd, there may be more or less picture splitting to the point that may become bothersome. Also, the pj reports 1280x720 at 24Hz:)
Other members have confirmed that their pjs accept 1080p/24; pls see post#2706 of this thread on pg. 91.
Since I can't have the HD3000 accept the 1080p/24Hz signal, and since I like the effect of the HD3000 adjustments on the picture quality, most of the time I just use the 1080p/60Hz instead and pass it through the HD3000. In this way, the slow pans are jerkier but I don't have to put up with whatever picture splitting that may result AND with the complaints from my wife due to the picture splitting.:D

Lamp unit with burnt out bulb wanted

Does someone have a Lamp unit with burnt out bulb that they will part with cheap? I would like to try just replacing the bulb ( available for $170 or so), and the dealer will install the bulb in the carrier if I send him an old one. My bulb is still watchable, and I hate to send it off for the replacement, since my 7100 would then be down for 1-2 weeks. I would install the bulb myself but I have found no instructions for doing it. If anyone has done this, I would appreciate the benefit of your experience.

If anyone takes pity on me, you can reach me at scottielover@spinn.net

Thanks
Ray C

Lamp unit with burnt out bulb wanted

Does someone have a Lamp unit with burnt out bulb that they will part with cheap? I would like to try just replacing the bulb ( available for $170 or so), and the dealer will install the bulb in the carrier if I send him an old one. My bulb is still watchable, and I hate to send it off for the replacement, since my 7100 would then be down for 1-2 weeks. I would install the bulb myself but I have found no instructions for doing it. If anyone has done this, I would appreciate the benefit of your experience.

If anyone takes pity on me, you can reach me at scottielover@spinn.net

Thanks
Ray C

Ray,
What exactly is the configuration of the bulb that you can get for about $170? Is it in installed in its reflector or just the bare bulb?
Thkns

It is the bulb only. If you send them the whole removable unit, they will install the new bulb in it ready to reinstall, or will send just the bulb for you to install in the reflector unit. My terminology is not accurate, but I hope you get my meaning.

It is the bulb only. If you send them the whole removable unit, they will install the new bulb in it ready to reinstall, or will send just the bulb for you to install in the reflector unit. My terminology is not accurate, but I hope you get my meaning.

Ray,
I did not mean to suggest your description was not clear, it is just that English is for me a second language.
I do not have an immediate need for a replacement lamp but I have taken some interest in the subject and I have come across this site that may be of interest to you and other HD7100 users: http://www.replacementlightbulbs.com/lampoptomahd7100.html

Personally, even if I had a burnt out bulb, for the little price difference, if any, I would rather take a brand new one already assembled by the manufacture instead of accepting the risk of having a shop install a bear bulb in a used reflector.
Good luck with your search.
Pls tell us how you have done.
Fermin

Fermin, I looked at the site you included, and the bulb and reflector shown there is the same unit I have been talking about. All the places that sell the bulbs alone have the reflector built on to it. What you usually get is the whole lamp/reflector/carrier unit, at prices around $450. Optoma wanted to replace it for ~$650 when they had my unit last month. They said it was way below the brightness spec. However, after 2400 hours, it still looks plenty bright to me. I do have a fairly dark room, though.

While the 7100 has served me well, and still throws a beautiful picture, and is still under factory warranty, technology has moved on a lot in the last three years, and I don't want to invest any more than I have too in an obsolete projector that I will end up giving away in the next 6 months. 1080p and inky blacks beckon!

Thanks for your comments!

Fermin, where are you from From?..

Fermin, where are you from From?..

José, you have got PM.:)
Fermín

I haven't been on this forum for a while. So, is there no way to get rid of the white lines on the top or even sometimes on the bottom without using the scaler to mask? I don't have a perfect screen that I can move it up or down a bit or zoom to go over a black mask. I tried the vertical positioning which gets rid of it on some channels but not others. I find it even happens on HD channels when they switch to some camera views, or some commercials. Very annoying. On the HD channels I can move it up a bit with vertical masking but then a white line appears on the bottom.

Just checking if there was ever a firmware to fix this or allow overscan adjustment on the 7300. I had it set up with the scaler before, but have had that out of the mix for a while, and it is nice not to have the hdmi connection problems because I am just using component through my receiver doing the switching for now. It has saved me a lot of calls from my adult children saying why can't I get the projector to work and needing to remember which particular component needs to go on first.

I haven't been on this forum for a while. So, is there no way to get rid of the white lines on the top or even sometimes on the bottom without using the scaler to mask? I don't have a perfect screen that I can move it up or down a bit or zoom to go over a black mask. I tried the vertical positioning which gets rid of it on some channels but not others. I find it even happens on HD channels when they switch to some camera views, or some commercials. Very annoying. On the HD channels I can move it up a bit with vertical masking but then a white line appears on the bottom.

Just checking if there was ever a firmware to fix this or allow overscan adjustment on the 7300. I had it set up with the scaler before, but have had that out of the mix for a while, and it is nice not to have the hdmi connection problems because I am just using component through my receiver doing the switching for now. It has saved me a lot of calls from my adult children saying why can't I get the projector to work and needing to remember which particular component needs to go on first.

I have used this projector for over 1.5 years and I have never seen the "white lines" you are talking about. This seems to be a source issue.

As far as the overscan, the projector has 1:1 pixel mapping (even a button for it on the remote). There is no reason not to use the scaler--if you only use the DVI input on the PJ (which you can do it you use the scaler) and always turn the PJ on first, you have very few issues. In fact, doing that, I've had no issues in over 1.5 years of use.

For TV station video noise, 16.9 choice might add enough overscan. I think the scaler has more options like masking and maybe a better digital vertical shift or even overscan.

We all get the TV station noise, first I try D-vertical shift the picture is sharper this way. If no go I'll use edge mask, last up 16.9 if it has overscan.

This budget buddy Im testing has, Overscan, Edge mask, V image shift, 16.9 and native have no over scan on this one.

Having used my 7100 for three months now after having Optoma look at my periodic mis strike problem (2-3 failures to fire the lamp, about once a month), I am pleased to say that I have not had that problem again!!!! However, it has now developed a noise problem with the front fan, and I will probably have to send it back again. It sounds like the rotor is hitting something inside the housing, but goes away after 10 minutes. Will pull the lamp holder and see if I can find what is rubbing.

Replacing the bulb in the lamp unit

With 2500 hours on my lamp, I decided to replace it although the picture really wasn't noticeably dim in a dark room. I had been kicking around the idea of replacing just the bulb instead of the whole carrier unit, since it is about half the cost. But I was reluctant since I have never handled such a touchy and expensive bulb before. I finally decided to give it a try, and bought a new bulb from an eBay merchant for $180 total with a 6 month warranty. I took the lamp unit out according to directions in the manual, and was pleased to find that the unit is well engineered, constructed, and designed to make the bulb replacement easy. The wired power plug is held to the top of the unit by two screws. Remove them and slide the plug down inside the unit. The bulb itself is held in with two spring clips-just push them back and work the reflector out, and push the new unit in after running the wired power plug to its holder on the top of the unit. Be sure the plug, wires, and reflector are all in the same orientation as the originals, and wear latex gloves during the whole operation to keep the bulb/reflector CLEAN. Total time less than 30 minutes. The projector is working great, and the noise I mentioned above is gone, having been caused by a loose mounting screw on the carrier. I am now ready for the forth year on my unit.

Replacing the bulb in the lamp unit

With 2500 hours on my lamp, I decided to replace it although the picture really wasn't noticeably dim in a dark room.

Thanks for posting your lamp changing experience!
Is the picture much brighter now?
How do you go about calibrating for PQ?
I am at 1500 hrs with mine and wondering if I should put in a new bulb or just re-calibrate it and keep it for another 1000 hours:D. Opinions on this, anybody, pls.

Make sure you clean the reflector and it is free from cracks and deterioration.

I am not sure what you mean by calibrating for picture quality. How bright you want is mostly personal preference and usage habits. The picture was brighter after the bulb change, but I only watch in a dark room, so the dimmer bulb was not objectionable to me. Remember, like sound, light has a logarithmic response, a light must be 10 times stronger for the eye to perceive it as twice as bright, so you could loose half your lumens to usage, and not seem very much dimmer.

One other thing, my not striking problem is back with the new bulb!

It's been a long time since I've been in this thread, and everything is going fine with my 7100 still... I thought that I would have upgraded to 1080p by now, but to be honest, there really isn't much compelling me to have 1080p. I thought the video game consoles would push me to want 1080p, but true 1080p games on the PS3 and Xbox 360 have been few and far between. It would be nice to have 1080p for Blu Ray movies, but I honestly don't watch that many BD's, and I'm perfectly happy with the 720p.

Having said all of that, I'm thinking that the life in my bulb could be limited and I'm wondering what my strategy should be if the bulb eventually craps out on me (knocks on wood). Should I try the bare bulb approach, which I think is around $200 ish (maybe $180 ?), or should I get the whole bulb casing thing ($300? $400? ), or simply upgrade to a real deal 1080p projector?

What is the logical upgrade from the 7100? I need a projector with the same kind of lens shift, because I want to do the 2:35:1 poor man's zoom, and this projector is working perfectly for that. I also would like to stay in the DLP camp. Just wondering if there was an obvious upgrade path, or would I be better served getting another bulb and forgetting about 1080p until new video game systems are released that force my hand. Microsoft and Sony aren't going to be releasing replacements for the Xbox 360 and PS3 anytime in the near future, so I might be able to hold out until 2012 or even 2013!

It's been a long time since I've been in this thread, and everything is going fine with my 7100 still... I thought that I would have upgraded to 1080p by now, but to be honest, there really isn't much compelling me to have 1080p. I thought the video game consoles would push me to want 1080p, but true 1080p games on the PS3 and Xbox 360 have been few and far between. It would be nice to have 1080p for Blu Ray movies, but I honestly don't watch that many BD's, and I'm perfectly happy with the 720p.

Having said all of that, I'm thinking that the life in my bulb could be limited and I'm wondering what my strategy should be if the bulb eventually craps out on me (knocks on wood). Should I try the bare bulb approach, which I think is around $200 ish (maybe $180 ?), or should I get the whole bulb casing thing ($300? $400? ), or simply upgrade to a real deal 1080p projector?

What is the logical upgrade from the 7100? I need a projector with the same kind of lens shift, because I want to do the 2:35:1 poor man's zoom, and this projector is working perfectly for that. I also would like to stay in the DLP camp. Just wondering if there was an obvious upgrade path, or would I be better served getting another bulb and forgetting about 1080p until new video game systems are released that force my hand. Microsoft and Sony aren't going to be releasing replacements for the Xbox 360 and PS3 anytime in the near future, so I might be able to hold out until 2012 or even 2013!

Whatever you end of with keep the Optoma as a back up or something.
I had the RS2 for a while and it surely was an improvment in every aspect while 7100 held its own. Optoma however was a bit brighter even after 600 hrs.

Anthony1
I also have the same ambivalence about changing over to 1080p as you, but the new LCD projectors with really great blacks are very tempting. The Panasonic AE4000 are just reaching consumers now, and they are saying that you can hardly tell the black borders from the screen frames! It has lots of other tempting advantages over the 7100 too. And only $2k. It is going to be hard not to get one.

Hallo,

Unfortunately I have just discovered your threads about the problems with the HD7300 - when we have already purchased it in Australia.

We are having all the same problems that you are including the blown globes and the erratic way of getting it to turn on. I have just emailed Optoma in Canada, the US and Australia - it will be interesting to see if we get a reply.

In the meantime has anyone thought about putting a resistor into the circuit to reduce the voltage and the current. In Australia we have 240volt power and we are wondering if it can only handle 220 volts. Maybe that might help with the globes not blowing as it would reduce the turn on shock. I would be interested if anyone has done anything like this.

Out of interest we have a Maytag washing machine that was the subject of a class action in the US a few years ago - has anything been done about this projector in the same way?

Thanks

Hallo,

Unfortunately I have just discovered your threads about the problems with the HD7300 - when we have already purchased it in Australia.

We are having all the same problems that you are including the blown globes and the erratic way of getting it to turn on. I have just emailed Optoma in Canada, the US and Australia - it will be interesting to see if we get a reply.

In the meantime has anyone thought about putting a resistor into the circuit to reduce the voltage and the current. In Australia we have 240volt power and we are wondering if it can only handle 220 volts. Maybe that might help with the globes not blowing as it would reduce the turn on shock. I would be interested if anyone has done anything like this.

Out of interest we have a Maytag washing machine that was the subject of a class action in the US a few years ago - has anything been done about this projector in the same way?

Thanks

Welcome to the forum.
The power in Canada and the US is 120V. The manual specifies power input as 100-240VAC, 3.5 amps,50/60Hz. I don't think nominal power input of 240V is a problem to this projector unless it oscillates substantially.
The problem of erratic switch on operation is more of a nuisance than anything else since it does not appear to affect the performance/durability of the pj in any substantial way.
All and all I think you have purchased a great pj. Enjoy it:)

I have found the turn on sequence of this projector to be different from my hitachi but consistent. I have had very few issues with its performance. 2 times it didn't see the DVI input but I believe that was due to the HDMI switcher in the loop malfunctioning due to my forgetting to unplug a cable when using my TV and no power to the HDMI switcher.

I bought bulb warranties I don't think I will ever use and still have one pj still in the box that I don't know when I will ever get to use since the 1st is still going very strong.

Also putting a resistor in line is a bad idea. Most units should have some safety margin above and below the specification limits they are tested to.

On changing lamps, Mack Camera shipped me the bare lamp, bulb&reflector. It is very easy to un-mount the burnt bulb and mount the new one in the lamp assembly. Rest of the lamp assembly are purely mechanical and have no optical properties that would cause wear over time.

gireesh,

how did you prove the old bulb failed in order to get the new bulb?

recently I changed over to Fios for my services. With the new cable box(72161) I noticed the unit only goes to standby and doesn't shutdown. This could be a problem for those practicing a turn on/turn off sequence for the 7100. This could explain intermittent behavior in the DVI signal recognition. Just food for thought. I disconnect my HDMI feed from the set top box when powering down and don't reconnect it until the pj is powered on.
A pain I know.

Hello anyone use this projector with OPPO BDP-83 ?
I have a "brother" of this projector the mine is Chilin Metavision cht 726.
I've Buy an LG bd-390 Blue ray player but when I connect the player with Projector using HDMI to DVI cable I always get a black screen due to problem with HDCP - EEDID detect.
Before I've no problem with my oppo 981h Dvd Player, so I'am plannyng to buy an OPPO Bluray player and I would like If someone use it without problems.
Thanks in advance to who want to answer me.
Domenico Ricci from Italy

Hello anyone use this projector with OPPO BDP-83 ?
I have a "brother" of this projector the mine is Chilin Metavision cht 726.
I've Buy an LG bd-390 Blue ray player but when I connect the player with Projector using HDMI to DVI cable I always get a black screen due to problem with HDCP - EEDID detect.
Before I've no problem with my oppo 981h Dvd Player, so I'am plannyng to buy an OPPO Bluray player and I would like If someone use it without problems.
Thanks in advance to who want to answer me.
Domenico Ricci from Italy

Domenico,
What resolution/s are you trying from BD to pj?
The HD7100/7300 can't accept the standard BD resolution of 1080p at 60Hz.
If 1080p/60 is your output resolution setting on the LG, it is likely that the EDID of your pj does not list that resolution.

I had to place the hd3000 scaler between the PJ and Fios box to get my DVI to accept a useable signal again. From my previous post disconnecting the Fios box did not help. Prior to placing the 3000 in the loop I was running into a HDMI switcher from the Fios box to the pj. The previous 2 nights I had to use the component input. I got a message the digital input has been compromised please use the component input. There seems to be interface issues of varying degrees with the different equipment. When using the comcast box I had 2 incidents of the DVI not being recognized but things returned to normal on subsequent viewings. I need to investigate whether somehow the video resolution changed out of the Fios box causing my problem.

For a couple of days the Blue light stopped showing when the projector shut down. Then the last time it was turned on, no light, and it wouldn't shut down at all. I had to unplug it. Now it won't power up at all. I went to OptomaUSA web site and posted a support ticket but that was 4 days ago and no one has responded.

I have an RMA# now from Optoma, but they say I need to send in the scaler along with the projector, even though the issue is with the projector not powering on. I am not even using the scaler. It is still in the box from well over a year ago when I sent it to them and they did an update to it.

It sounds like they won't even cover the projector under warranty if I don't have the scaler. Lucky I didn't sell the scaler!

Remark Single unit return for repair. ****PLEASE NOTE: BOTH THE PROJECTOR AND SCALER MUST BE
RETURNED. THEY ARE A MATCHED PAIR*****. pm


So now, I need to pay for extra shipping charges to ship it all back to them including the scaler.

I have an RMA# now from Optoma, but they say I need to send in the scaler along with the projector, even though the issue is with the projector not powering on. I am not even using the scaler. It is still in the box from well over a year ago when I sent it to them and they did an update to it.

It sounds like they won't even cover the projector under warranty if I don't have the scaler. Lucky I didn't sell the scaler!

Remark Single unit return for repair. ****PLEASE NOTE: BOTH THE PROJECTOR AND SCALER MUST BE
RETURNED. THEY ARE A MATCHED PAIR*****. pm


So now, I need to pay for extra shipping charges to ship it all back to them including the scaler.

That's absurd. The only thing the scaler helps with is fine tuning the video and solves DVI interface problems. I still need to use it with my FIOS box which I did not need to do when I had Comcast. I don't think any listed here a problem with projector turning on because the scaler wasn't being used.

I have an RMA# now from Optoma, but they say I need to send in the scaler along with the projector, even though the issue is with the projector not powering on. I am not even using the scaler. It is still in the box from well over a year ago when I sent it to them and they did an update to it.

It sounds like they won't even cover the projector under warranty if I don't have the scaler. Lucky I didn't sell the scaler!

Remark Single unit return for repair. ****PLEASE NOTE: BOTH THE PROJECTOR AND SCALER MUST BE
RETURNED. THEY ARE A MATCHED PAIR*****. pm


So now, I need to pay for extra shipping charges to ship it all back to them including the scaler.

This is ridiculous. The projector works as an independent unit and so it is guaranteed. Take a close look at the terms of the warranty. I don't know what kind of games Optoma is playing here but Optoma is not being transparent at all.

Optoma didn't respond to my email regarding not wanting to send in the scaler, but I called and got through to someone who told me I don't need to send in the scaler. He said something to the affect that other units are matched pairs in that they don't work without each other so they put that message on the RMA, but that I wouldn't need to do this for the 7300. I sent it in without scaler.

Optoma didn't respond to my email regarding not wanting to send in the scaler, but I called and got through to someone who told me I don't need to send in the scaler. He said something to the affect that other units are matched pairs in that they don't work without each other so they put that message on the RMA, but that I wouldn't need to do this for the 7300. I sent it in without scaler.

Well done!!

Hey guys,

Haven't been on the forums in a long time. I am having an issue with my hd7100. What happens is the lamp will fire up and stay on for a few mins then turns off. Anyone have an Idea what this can be ? Does the bulb need to be replaced ? it is going on... I have 2625 hours on the bulb

Hey guys,

Haven't been on the forums in a long time. I am having an issue with my hd7100. What happens is the lamp will fire up and stay on for a few mins then turns off. Anyone have an Idea what this can be ? Does the bulb need to be replaced ? it is going on... I have 2625 hours on the bulb

Well right now I was able to get it on and I turned off Bright Mode and White Peaking, and so far it's been on for 20 mins, Im going to let it run to see if it stays on..

could this be an overheating issue when in bright mode ? does it have a function that shuts down the lamp when it gets too hot ?

I'm finally having some issues with my 7100. The projector does not show the PS3 menu but it will boot up and play a Blu-Ray movie after a couple of tries. Another problem that has cropped up (before the menu problem) is horizontal tearing a third and two thirds of the way down the screen during motion scenes. I tried a shorter HDMI/DVI cable to no avail. It's not an issue with the PS3 because it performs perfectly on my plasma and I switched in a friend's PS3 with no luck.

Any ideas before I call Optoma? The PJ has 1175 hours logged with no other problems. It still throws up a great picture.

Just got a factory refurbed HD7300 on ebay for $600! Arrived yesterday and I set it up (without the HD3000 scaler yet), and it looks really good. This weekend I'll make all the fine-tune adjustments and hook up the scaler. But right out of the box, the picture is very nice. Love the lens shift. Hope I don't have too many bulb strike problems, but heck, for $600, even if it does have problems it's still a darn good deal. I always wait about 2 years after a projector has been introduced, then buy it refurbed...you save a ton of money and can get some really high quality projectors that way!:)

Evening all, my HD7100 is just projecting a "checkerboard" screen. i have tried different inputs, all to the same avail. It's not even showing the opening Optoma logo screen- it goes right to the "checkerboard". I have inspected the lamp and the colour wheel, both are operational. I am thinking it would possibly have to be the input controller???? Any thoughts? If I have posted this in the wrong forum area- please advise.

Thanks

I'm not having the checkerboard problem but I am having a couple of issues with my HD7100.

1. I get horizontal tearing lines all the way across the image whenever there is anything more than a moderate amount of motion or panning.
2. I run BluRay movies thru a PS3 to the PJ. The HD7100 refuses to display the PS3 menu. If I reinsert the DVD a couple of times the movie will come up after a considerable wait. I've tried shorter cables, nothing. I know the fault is not with the PS3, I've tried on it my Panny plasma and it displays everthing faultlessly.

The HD7100 is 4 years old now and has been a great machine. Eventually it will fail dramatically and then I have to think about either having it fixed at what will probably be considerable expense plus the lamp will be close to needing replacement. At that point I may reluctantly decide to replace it. I like DLP and I notice there is a new Mits HC4000 replacing the the HC3800 and at a very attractive price. The biggest upgrade with the new Mits is a DC3 chip, same as the 7100. Anyone think this is a good replacement or should I pour money into the 720p HD7100?

Hey guys,

Haven't been on the forums in a long time. I am having an issue with my hd7100. What happens is the lamp will fire up and stay on for a few mins then turns off. Anyone have an Idea what this can be ? Does the bulb need to be replaced ? it is going on... I have 2625 hours on the bulb

2625 on the clock is just as bad as having 3000 hours... Congratulations you may be the only one with an HD7100 to actually reach full lamp life without any other problems....NOw heres where it gets interesting. If this is your 1st replacement you are more then likely to start to experiance a lot of wounderfully frustrating new thigns about your 7100.00 You may need to read these posts from end to beging to see what your in for.

anyone know where I can download the firmware for the hd7100 and or flashing instructions?

trisdog,

HD7100/HD3000 firmware updates can only be done by the Optoma service center, as far as I know... you have to send it in to get it updated, and they charged a premium to unlock the scaler to output anything other than 720p.

gireesh,

how did you prove the old bulb failed in order to get the new bulb?

Mike, I just called them when the bulb went dark and they send me a form to fill out and that was it... I had to call a couple to times to follow up to make sure that they shipped the lamp. I saved the shipping box so that I know where to go if my bulb goes out after the warranty expires.

Gireesh

If any of you guys with an OPTOMA HD7100 / 7300 need a lamp let me know. I have a customer that has a brand new lamp for this projector and no longer has the projector. It died before he ever used this spare lamp and bought a new Mitsubishi 1080p machine.

Let me know...Thanks and Happy New Year All

In September I posted this.....

I'm not having the checkerboard problem but I am having a couple of issues with my HD7100.

1. I get horizontal tearing lines all the way across the image whenever there is anything more than a moderate amount of motion or panning.
2. I run BluRay movies thru a PS3 to the PJ. The HD7100 refuses to display the PS3 menu. If I reinsert the DVD a couple of times the movie will come up after a considerable wait. I've tried shorter cables, nothing. I know the fault is not with the PS3, I've tried on it my Panny plasma and it displays everthing faultlessly.

The HD7100 is 4 years old now and has been a great machine. Eventually it will fail dramatically and then I have to think about either having it fixed at what will probably be considerable expense plus the lamp will be close to needing replacement. At that point I may reluctantly decide to replace it. I like DLP and I notice there is a new Mits HC4000 replacing the the HC3800 and at a very attractive price. The biggest upgrade with the new Mits is a DC3 chip, same as the 7100. Anyone think this is a good replacement or should I pour money into the 720p HD7100?

Vic C, I have only 1300 hours on my 7100 but would be interested to know what your friend is asking for his 7100 lamp. What Mits did he purchase? I was considering a Mits HC4000 until I worked the fix and am wondering if he selected the 4000 and if so, how does it compare to the 7100.

Oops, for some reason this was left out.......

I solved the problems with the 7100 by replacing the PS3 with an inexpensive Panasonic Blu-Ray. The PS3 was moved to the Panasonic Plasma in the bedroom, everything is working great.

Domenico,
What resolution/s are you trying from BD to pj?
The HD7100/7300 can't accept the standard BD resolution of 1080p at 60Hz.
If 1080p/60 is your output resolution setting on the LG, it is likely that the EDID of your pj does not list that resolution.
I don't remember the resolutions for shure i try also 1280*720,
can somehone with 7100 tell me the name of his blu ray player .
Thanks in advance

\Domenico

Oops, for some reason this was left out.......

I solved the problems with the 7100 by replacing the PS3 with an inexpensive Panasonic Blu-Ray. The PS3 was moved to the Panasonic Plasma in the bedroom, everything is working great.

Could you please tell me the "inexpensive" model
thanks in advance

Sorry to revive a 2 month old thread.

My HD7300 just recently started failing to fire. When powering on the projector, I can hear the clicking/sparking noise of the lamp attempting to light. After it is unable, it continues to try until shutting back down.

The lamp light does not blink. I carefully removed the bulb to inspect it and it looks in like-new condition. I am unconvinced its a bulb failure as I have been using it recently and have seen nothing to make me believe the lamp was going to fail...and it most likely would not fail while turned off obviously.

Have any other HD7100/HD7300 owners experienced this and what was the solution?

The bulb currently has less than 600 hours.

Thank you so much!

Sorry to revive a 2 month old thread.

My HD7300 just recently started failing to fire. When powering on the projector, I can hear the clicking/sparking noise of the lamp attempting to light. After it is unable, it continues to try until shutting back down.

The lamp light does not blink. I carefully removed the bulb to inspect it and it looks in like-new condition. I am unconvinced its a bulb failure as I have been using it recently and have seen nothing to make me believe the lamp was going to fail...and it most likely would not fail while turned off obviously.

Have any other HD7100/HD7300 owners experienced this and what was the solution?

The bulb currently has less than 600 hours.

Thank you so much!

This is one of the two common problems with this PJ much talked about in this thread (search this thread). Throws a great picture, has many problems is the deal with this PJ!

I did have this exact issue. I ended up buying mine at the end of this projectors production run for a really good deal and it came with a 3 year warranty so I figured I would be safe and I would just deal with the issue if/when it arose. Well, it did arise, I had the exact same issue you. I sent it into Optoma for service under warranty and they took their sweet time repairing it, but when I finally got it back it was fine and, I've been using it for about 2 years without problems.

If you are out of warrranty it might not be worth the price of repair to you. For me, I still find the image from this PJ, when tweaked well, to be more pleasing that any 1080p LCD and it still looks very good on my 9.5' wide CIH screen depite some visible pixels on text--thus, I have not been able to bring myself to upgrade yet. If mine did go boom now, I probably would end up upgrading though.

For a couple of days the Blue light stopped showing when the projector shut down. Then the last time it was turned on, no light, and it wouldn't shut down at all. I had to unplug it. Now it won't power up at all. I went to OptomaUSA web site and posted a support ticket but that was 4 days ago and no one has responded.

Projector was RMA'd from this problem last year. Now the same problem came up again. It was stuck on blue light and wouldn't turn on. I unplugged it, plugged it back in and now the blue light won't even come on at all. Out of warranty now, so I guess I am out of luck using this anymore.

Projector was RMA'd from this problem last year. Now the same problem came up again. It was stuck on blue light and wouldn't turn on. I unplugged it, plugged it back in and now the blue light won't even come on at all. Out of warranty now, so I guess I am out of luck using this anymore.

Fortunately though my unit was 4 months out of warranty, Optoma said they would make an exception and cover it this one time. (Probably because it is the same issue they dealt with a year ago.) Yeah! I think. I am wondering if the bulb will last the transit.

It seems like such a waste, but next time this unit goes plunk or even the lamp goes out, it may be time to go in the trash bin. I never even bothered to use the scaler with the unit. I tried it a few times and could see no difference to my eyes, and it just caused more headaches with people trying to get the right synch sequence. I am also not much of a tweaker.

I have a like new refurb Sharp12K I picked up for $400 last year as a backup when the 7300 went in for repairs. It looks great as well, though the unit is huge and I can't have it mounted in the same place, so wires are cluttered and cross the floor etc.

I need short throw with 100' at about 9.6', so I was looking at replacing the 7300 with maybe an Epson 8350. It is hard to find lens shift and short throw in a low cost DLP.

I am wondering if the bulb will last the transit.

I had no problem and they frequently replace the bulb when repair it, so you might get lucky!

It seems like such a waste, but next time this unit goes plunk or even the lamp goes out, it may be time to go in the trash bin.

When this happens, please take it to an electronics recycler in your area.

I never even bothered to use the scaler with the unit. I tried it a few times and could see no difference to my eyes, and it just caused more headaches with people trying to get the right synch sequence. I am also not much of a tweaker.

I have not had "sync sequence" problems because the only port my PJ is ever on is DVI. I have the HD7100 so I don't have the scaler. I instead use a Lumagen scaler which I like. The Lumagen does a few things for me:
1) Converts 1080p/24 from blu rays to 720p/48 for the projector.

2) Applies the vertical stretch to 2.39:1 content for my anamorphic lens (Optoma can do it, but the Lumgen has great scaling and it takes the 817 or so active vertical pixels in a scope blu ray down to 720 nearly flawlessly).

3) Dials in a very good gamma curve.

4) Since the PJ is calibrated to the bd source, the lumagen adjusts and allows calibration of my cable and D-VHS sources.

5) Acts as a video switcher to allow single input use on the PJ--thus eleminating the "sync issues"

I'm not sure which of the above you can do with your scaler even if you pay to have it "unlocked" but you should really consider looking into this.

I have a like new refurb Sharp12K I picked up for $400 last year as a backup when the 7300 went in for repairs.

They are not bad, but I find the Optoma (though not really an Optoma, but we'll call them that) you have clearly superior in almost every respect, which is why I have an HD7100 not a 12K. :)

I need short throw with 100' at about 9.6', so I was looking at replacing the 7300 with maybe an Epson 8350. It is hard to find lens shift and short throw in a low cost DLP.

Yeah, I have to fight the "upgrade-itis" but this PJ has made me quite happy. It was the first reasonably priced digital that met all of my needs and got me to migrate off of a CRT PJ.

I have had a number of 1080p LCDs in my theater (con friends to bring them over vefore they install them) the last couple years including the Epson before the 8350. IMO, none of them looks as good the Optoma. They have better black levels and theoretically better resolution but in every other respect the Optoma looks better.

Even though I watch 2.39:1 content from 1.16x screen width, 720p is rarely an issue (BTW, there was a great thread from a Greek HT group here that set up a Marantz 720p and the then just released 1080p version with the same processing and chassis, fed them from the same source, they covered the labels, and had one project the top half of the image and one the bottom half--from a typical viewing distances a group of something like 25 people could not tell the difference between them).

So, I'm hoping my PJ lasts me a bit longer because I don't really want to down-grade to a 1080p LCD and I don't really want to spend the over $4000 it would take for a worth while upgrade.

Good luck with the repair and I hope if lasts a wee bit longer for you. These have issues, but they really are still darn good projectors.

If only we can make this thing do 3D :)

If only we can make this thing do 3D :)

Why? Even my 8 year old daughter has enough sense to believe that current 3D is a poorly executed gimick.

trisdog,
HD7100/HD3000 firmware updates can only be done by the Optoma service center, as far as I know... you have to send it in to get it updated, and they charged a premium to unlock the scaler to output anything other than 720p.

Hello,

This will no longer be the case - thanks to forum member, Fudoh, and Shmups System 11 member, Konsolkongen.

I recently purchased a HD3000P, without foreknowledge of the forced limitations by Optoma. After reading the posts here regarding the $314 firmware upgrade charge, I was infuriated, as so many others before me.

Fortunately, Konsolkongen managed to acquire firmware and passed it on to me. Fully expecting it to fail, I tried it this evening and it worked flawlessly. My HD3000P can now output ANY resolution.

Its horrendous that people had to pay $300 (plus shipping) for something that literally took under 30 minutes to do. Optoma should be ashamed of themselves. I'm shocked no class-action lawsuit was brought against them for false advertising.

Pictures are included at the end of this post as proof. After some further testing, I will make this firmware available to anyone requiring it.

Best Regards

http://img64.imageshack.us/img64/8659/16384717.jpg


http://img42.imageshack.us/img42/6256/13694664.jpg


http://img256.imageshack.us/img256/382/40211817.jpg


http://img72.imageshack.us/img72/5707/55693028.jpg

Hello. I also still have the locked version of this scaler. I was under the impresion
the firmware update cannot be done by a home user and the unit had to be sent
to Optoma and also hardware modification had to be applied. If this is not the case and 1080p is only a matter of firmware upgrade, then this would be great news. Please, be kind enough to further share your findings.

That is great news. Can the firmware be flashed via the RS-232 port or do you have to physically remove an EEPROM to program it?

In case this hasn't been answered via PM yet: the update does NOT require to open up the machine. Although an internal RS232 port is present in addition to the external one, the external RS232 port can be used. The update software has trouble with USB-RS232 converters, so a real, physical RS232 port on a PC or notebook should be used.

Anyone with a locked machine can PM Phil or me for the FW update.

After several months of absence from this thread, when I came back to it a few weeks ago, I was thrilled to see posts here announcing the availability of FW for the HD3000 that would open up all its resolutions and timings w/o having to fiddle with any hardware parts and w/of having to send the unit back to Optoma. These were great news; however, I was surprised at the apparent little interest from members to implement this fix.
Since there were still open offers for the updater from members Fudoh and philexile I decided to give a try.
Well, member Fudoh kindly and promptly responded with a copy of the firmware updater which I have implemented with great success. This update is done through the RS 232 port of the HD3000, so you need to use a computer with such port. Good thing that I still have an old laptop which has been good for the task. The update implementation was straightforward except maybe the part where we are asked to hold one of the HD3000 front panel control buttons and click next and unplug the mains connection to the unit.
So, if you still have one of these “locked” units and would like to unlock it pls. request a copy of the FW updater. Since the activity levels of the thread are pretty low, pls. do both, post your request on the thread AND send us a pm. That way you will optimize the response timing and possibly encourage other interested members to jump in.
The FW version that I have implemented is C04. It appears that there are newer versions available and I wonder if anybody could/would share a copy with us.:D
Good luck to all.