just a follow up my new unit starts everytime and very fast. none of the old ones work as well as the new unit . 3months and no miss fires etc . keeping my fingers crossed :)

Steve,

Does your projector's number serial start with C7?

yes it does start with a c7 . why do you ask . you know it figures i started it up last night and i got my first problem witch i have not come across yet it started light but no picture so i hit the osd and it came on upside down and purple than it shut down and restarted and worked fine . it was like a software glitch ? has anyone else noticed they started selling the 7100 agian? and the 7300 is only 2500 .i saw it on visual apex.

yes it does start with a c7 . why do you ask . you know it figures i started it up last night and i got my first problem witch i have not come across yet it started light but no picture so i hit the osd and it came on upside down and purple than it shut down and restarted and worked fine . it was like a software glitch ? has anyone else noticed they started selling the 7100 agian? and the 7300 is only 2500 .i saw it on visual apex.

There is a wealth of info in this entire thread.

I posted a while back that the 7100 in canada has been discontinued.

yes it does start with a c7 . why do you ask . you know it figures i started it up last night and i got my first problem witch i have not come across yet it started light but no picture so i hit the osd and it came on upside down and purple than it shut down and restarted and worked fine . it was like a software glitch ? has anyone else noticed they started selling the 7100 agian? and the 7300 is only 2500 .i saw it on visual apex.

My 7100 has been relatively problem free and wanted to compare my build w/ yours since your comments on how well the pj has worked.

Costco Canada still carries the 7100 on line and in the US there are lots of sources offering the 7100. A quick Froogle search on HD7100 will produce a long list of sources.

We called 6 dealers here in canada, and they all say it was discontinued.

i know visual apex took it off there site for a while . i was just commenting on the fact that i see it is back on the market. im not complaining yet one problem so far i can live with that .

i know visual apex took it off there site for a while . i was just commenting on the fact that i see it is back on the market. im not complaining yet one problem so far i can live with that .

My set had hardcore problems in the problems in the start. but past 250 hours and 1 dead bulb. it has no more flickering or false starts.

Check it out..........

http://www.costco.ca/en-CA/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=10295806&whse=BCCA&topnav=&browse=

Big Price Drop.... I can smell a new projector in the air, HD80 anyone

http://blog.ultimateavmag.com/he2007/051007OBS/

I saw that and thought about it, but I'd rather see the Sharp available at the Canadian warehouse ...

I haven't posted in the thread in ages because my third 7100 has been performing so well. Today I had my first lamp misfire. I am now at 1573 hours and the bulb didn't light with the first turn on today. I shut it down, waited about five minutes, tried again and all is well, again.

What ceiling mount are you using for the 7100, and where can I find one (reasonable:) ) in Canada?
Thanks!!!

I built my own using an old speaker bracket that I had sitting around here (actually I had two), a sheet of plexiglas and some 4mm threaded rod. This nice thing about this setup is that I can remove the projector without having to worry about rethreading the black pipe type mount that I had been using in the past. The speaker mount is two pieces that simply slide together. Makes for an easy removal and remount of the projector.

Nice Job!
I'm not too handy :rolleyes: , was looking for something plug n play that would get the 'wife' approval :o

Well, it appears that my third HD7100 is now sick. The last time I turned it on the bulb fired, but I got no image, so, naturally, I tried to switch to the proper source input and nothing happened, even though I could see that the bulb was on. I kept pushing the proper source selection and never got an image. On about the third press the bulb shut down. I turned off the projector and then back on. It came up on the proper input this time and is working correctly now, but I am afraid to turn it off now. Great projector, when it works.

Well, it appears that my third HD7100 is now sick. The last time I turned it on the bulb fired, but I got no image, so, naturally, I tried to switch to the proper source input and nothing happened, even though I could see that the bulb was on. I kept pushing the proper source selection and never got an image. On about the third press the bulb shut down. I turned off the projector and then back on. It came up on the proper input this time and is working correctly now, but I am afraid to turn it off now. Great projector, when it works.

rking,

were you able to see the projector menu? or the source status message in the bottom right corner when you were switching inputs? sometimes, for me the menus will all work, but i get no picture from the source. this happens frequently with hdmi and when i switch components. like you, the only way i got a picture was to recycle the projector.

db

Wasn't able to see anything. I have had to restart the projector several times in the last few days. It doesn't look good for this thing (again). If I had it to do over again, and knew what I know now, I would buy something else, picture quality aside. It's not worth it wondering if it is going to start. I would look for something reliable.

Well, it appears that my third HD7100 is now sick. The last time I turned it on the bulb fired, but I got no image, so, naturally, I tried to switch to the proper source input and nothing happened, even though I could see that the bulb was on. I kept pushing the proper source selection and never got an image. On about the third press the bulb shut down. I turned off the projector and then back on. It came up on the proper input this time and is working correctly now, but I am afraid to turn it off now. Great projector, when it works.

That's like a pre light condition not a full on bulb. Mine was doing that when it wouldn't fire up. Never found a clear format to avoid this, I know the PJ looks for DVI on fire up how about have the DVI device going before you start?

I'm not using DVI. I use component.

I mean intentionally have a DVI device on when trying to fire up the PJ/bulb. See if it starts up better.

That's worth a try you know. I've learned to always have my Monoprice switcher set to input #4 or #5 which is for me the HTPC and Toshiba HD DVD player A2 respectively. I do have a misfire or non start maybe once every twenty starts or so which I don't consider too much of a problem since I only fire it up a few times on the weekend. Sometimes it'll just boom an image onto the screen after toggling through the inputs on the HD7100 remote. Other times I have to shut 'er down and re-start. It always comes on when I re-start it. Small price to pay for such a glorious image in my opinion.

Try the DVI route and see if it doesn't work out for you a bit better. You've got nothing to lose. :)

Wayne

rking,
There is another possibility that you may wish to consider: have a second source ready and when you get the "no picture" event when there is light in the lense, switch sources and see what happens.
Presently, I have 2 dvd players connected to my HD7100: one through DVI and the other through component. A couple of days ago I had what looked to me like the same experience you just had: I could see the light inside the lens of the pj but absolutely no picture. I switched to the other source on component and the pj detected it immediatly and and showed the player's logo on the screen. Then, back to DVI and still no picture. Then I knew something was wrong with the DVI feed. Since the dvd player feeding the DVI signal is the temperamental Bravo D1, I powered it off and on for about 3 complete power cycles until the picture from the DVI signal finally came onto the screen. I always connect the pj to the component signal when I go through the process of switching on and off the other player. I also have these sources turned on prior to powering the pj up.The projector is always on manual source selection mode. In this way, I have run the pj for about 500 hours w/o a single misfire. It may all be a coincidence, but there is nothing to be lost by trying.
Corollary: Some apparent misfires may be player induced.
Good luck.
Fermin

I have a DVI source dedicated switched to PS3, and HD DVR, it sometimes does that.

it is a software issue. cuz the bulb fires then it shuts itself off after no image and it's unresponsive.

I mean intentionally have a DVI device on when trying to fire up the PJ/bulb. See if it starts up better.
I don't have a DVI cable hooked up to the device.

My main use is for a Dish 942 satellite receiver, a Dish 508 receiver and a dvd player. The 942 and dvd player go through my Harmon Kardon AVR7200 receiver before going to the PJ through the component outputs. The 508 goes out S-Video into the AVR7200 where it is forwarded to the PJ through the S-Video output.

This morning it took FOUR resets (power off at the projector then back on) to get a picture. The bulb always fires but puts no image or on screen display on the screen. The projector refuses to change sources to the component 2 input, which is the one I use. If I keep pressing the component2 input button on the remote the bulb eventually shuts down rather than change sources. I then have to reboot the projector AT the projector. When I shut it off I have to hold the power button (AT the projector) down for a few seconds and it powers all the way off with no fan. If I press the power button again it immediately fires and sometimes will be responsive but often won't.

rk, it ustu do that fairly regularly for me....:( now I solely use DVI and it doesn't do it at all. maybe 1 time in 100 hours.

perhaps it is time to jump onto HD DVD or Blu Ray? ;) eh?

can't really go wrong there. anyways SD Sux. even if you have a million dollar scaler and the worlds best upscailing dvd player.

perhaps it is time to jump onto HD DVD or Blu Ray?:D

The crazy thing is that all had been going very well with this thing for many, many months and it just started acting up the past few days. I can think of no reason why this would suddenly start.

I just sent a message to Optoma requesting an RA for repair. I'll let you guys know what happens. It missfires more than not now.

Got a telephone call from Optoma this afternoon. They are going to send me an RA# to send it in for service. The suspicion is that the ballast is going south. Being that I am in Florida it must be heading to Key West.

It's very sad having to watch television on a 19" computer monitor when you are used to a 98" screen. :( I shipped it off this morning. I'll probably be without it for at least 2 weeks considering transit time. :(

Too bad Optoma doesn't provide a hot swap for this projector. The 3 year warranty is looking better all the time for us, bad for Optoma. So far no problems with my HD7100. Watched the Cleveland/Detroit game last night on my 118" Carada, it was heaven.

It's very sad having to watch television on a 19" computer monitor when you are used to a 98" screen. :( I shipped it off this morning. I'll probably be without it for at least 2 weeks considering transit time. :(


that's why I have 2 Pj's.. My 576p, sp5700 kicks ass. it has a better color wheel than the 7100, but less CR, and less good DMD.


better than my 15" laptop screen.

My replacement has been shipped. It should arrive tomorrow. :D This will be number 4.

that's why I have 2 Pj's.. My 576p, sp5700 kicks ass. it has a better color wheel than the 7100, but less CR, and less good DMD.


better than my 15" laptop screen.Gee, I have two paint sprayers, one to use and one for the shop to be repairing. :D Maybe I need two projectors for the same reason. :p

SO....
rk..

how is it???

any probs?

my friend got his hd7100 3 months ago. he has no probs.

I had one.. but it was my fault damn...

I accidently hit the power bar when it was in full lamp heat mode
and cut the power eeeewwch.

luckily the red light went off and it still works


gotta wonder how much life that took off of it eh?

For good bulb health when a PJ is turned off don't restart it again until 2hrs pasted. That's why if you're going to hit the deli for some beer you leave the PJ on.

I am looking for the service manual of the HD7100 and would appreciate any proven leads as to where to find it.
Guitarman or anybody, please??

I just recently purchased a HD7100, love it so far.... (so far so good as far as defects...) My question is, would I see any real benefit with an upconverting DVD player? Obviously it depends on the DVD brand/ model/ scaler etc... but I'm wondering how the Optoma on board scaler compares to getting the DVD player to handle the scaling/ upconverting....

I think that the HD7100 does a pretty good job on it's own but I've compared that to the upscaling on my Toshiba HD-A2 both doing 1080i and I prefer the Toshiba to do it. You could always 'borrow' :) a good upscaling player to do the comparison yourself.

Wayne

So far so good on the new one. I get the Optomo logo each time at start up, which was very rare with the old one. My bulb counter on the new one was at zero upon arrival, of course that doesn't mean it's a new bulb, however, I suspect it is. The box was sealed and had no evidence that it had been opened, which I suspect they would have to do to swap bulbs.

I just recently purchased a HD7100, love it so far.... (so far so good as far as defects...) My question is, would I see any real benefit with an upconverting DVD player? Obviously it depends on the DVD brand/ model/ scaler etc... but I'm wondering how the Optoma on board scaler compares to getting the DVD player to handle the scaling/ upconverting....

I purchased a Sony NS75-H upconverting player and run an HDMI-DVI cable to the 7100. Best $99 I ever spent.

I just recently purchased a HD7100, love it so far.... (so far so good as far as defects...) My question is, would I see any real benefit with an upconverting DVD player? Obviously it depends on the DVD brand/ model/ scaler etc... but I'm wondering how the Optoma on board scaler compares to getting the DVD player to handle the scaling/ upconverting....

No, Get an HD player.

Jebuz.

If you want the Best Possible Picture for the least ammount of money...

The cheapest HD player is better than the most expensive upscaler.

Or you could save $250 by getting the upconverting player now, waiting a year or so for the Blue Ray vs. HD-DVD wars to play out, and then get an HD player a lot cheaper and better than they are today.

or get both, and enjoy as much HD as you can.

I gave away all my SD movies after I got my HD players.

If your cheap. your in the wrong game. if you can wait. then cool.

I wouldn't waste 1 second of bulb on SD. HDDVR/PS3/HDA1 only.






by the time it has settled the new thing will be out.

Hd players are like 300 bux for an A1/A2 if you shop around.

cowboy, you obviously haven't seen BD/HD DVD on a 7100 today.

because it looks KickAss!

'Planet Earth' from my HD A2 to HD7100 makes me feel as if I could reach out and touch the mountains. :)

Wayne

'Planet Earth' from my HD A2 to HD7100 makes me feel as if I could reach out and touch the mountains. :)

Wayne

I know I just set my new SXRD upstairs. it kicks ass. Was just watching Seasonal Forests.

OMG.

Im in the process of finishing a dedicated theater in my attic and I was wondering if I could get some opinions on the placement of my HD7100 per the following specs.
-First row of seats viewing distance will be approx. 10.5 feet from screen
- Second row will be on an 8" riser with an approx. viewing distance of 15.5 feet
-Screen size is 100" diagnal , white with a 1.2 gain
- Bottom of the Screen will be 32" from the the floor
-Projector will be ceiling mounted approx 10.6' from screen
-Room will have no ambient light with flat black ceiling, screen wall. Side walls will be dark grey.
Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.
Scott

That all looks pretty good, assuming that the screen is angular reflective.

Mike

Im in the process of finishing a dedicated theater in my attic and I was wondering if I could get some opinions on the placement of my HD7100 per the following specs.
-First row of seats viewing distance will be approx. 10.5 feet from screen
- Second row will be on an 8" riser with an approx. viewing distance of 15.5 feet
-Screen size is 100" diagnal , white with a 1.2 gain
- Bottom of the Screen will be 32" from the the floor
-Projector will be ceiling mounted approx 10.6' from screen
-Room will have no ambient light with flat black ceiling, screen wall. Side walls will be dark grey.
Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.
Scott

I just installed my new HD7100 yesterday, after returning a defective HD72 that had the bulb die at 600 hours. The image is dramatically better than the HD72's - I expected it to be somewhat better, but the difference is amazing. This is a far superior projector.

Now, on to your question - you describe my theater setup almost exactly. I have a 12 x 20 dedicated theater with a 92 x52 screen with a gain of 1.0. My seats are 11' back from the screen in the front, and I have a 12" riser in the back for a second row. My projector is about 11' back from the screen as well.

The projector will easily fill my screen from that distance. There was still a fair bit of zoom left had I needed it. So that's no problem. The biggest problem for me is that the projector has to sit so low, because the drop from the center of the lens to the top of the screen from that distance is only 4" at maximum lens shift, or 0" with no lens shift. So your screen top is something liike 82" from the ground, correct? That means you will have to lower your projector by that amount from the ceiling, minus four inches. I have 9' ceilings, and I had to hang my projector so the center of the lens was 23" from the ceiling, putting the bottom of the projector at about 26" from the ceiling. The old HD72 was easily 8" higher. The HD7100 is also a little noisier, and now that it's that much closer to my ears it sounds a bit louder still. So I notice the fan going a lot more than I did with the HD72. Nothing's perfect, I guess.

I'm really hoping this projector hangs in there and I'm one of the lucky ones who doesn't have a problem, because reliability aside, this is a fantastic projector, especially for the money.

DHanson, I appreciate the input. Im really looking forward to completing my room. Right now Im in the process of having the drywall spackled. I've done everything from design, electrical and construction by myself but when it comes to finishing the drywall for paint Ill leave that to a pro. Hopefully it will be ready for paint sometime next week.
Scott

I was wondering if anyone here has gone from a Panasonic AE900 to the HD7100 and could offer up some comparison?

Also, I see that Costco.ca has this unit bundled with a screen. Does anyone know if they sell it without the screen?

I think visualapex.com has them.

Can the HD7100 sync to 1280x720 60Hz over VGA?

Sorry if this has been asked before. Searched but didn't find.

Unfortunately the HD7100 doesn`t have a VGA input. :(

Wayne

That HD15 thingy labelled "PC" isn't a VGA input? Darn. :)

Tom,

:o :D

Hey, what do I know? I only own the thing. :) I got the remote input confused with the PC. I haven't tried it obviously. Only HDMI to DVI here.

Thanks for clearing that up.

Wayne

Now that I've helped Wayne, can anyone help me? 720P over VGA? I'm thinking of buying one, and this would make a big difference.

projectorpeople.com has a downloadable owner's manual for the 7300. Should be the same as the 7100 plus the scaler so the info might be there.

http://projectorpeople.com/projectors/projdtls.asp?itemid=21354&itmname=Optoma%20HD7300&tab=downloads

Yes, the 7100 does 1280x720 @ 60Hz over the VGA input. (Would've been kinda dumb not too.)

Even cooler than that, though, is it'll do 1280x720 @ 48Hz, and it'll throttle the color wheel up a notch to 5x when in that mode. This is great for those that use a HTPC for watching DVDs.

Mike

CowboyCurtis:

I have the pdf of the HD7100 manual. Your reply prompted me to look at it again. It clearly states on page 61 that 720P/60 is supported on the VGA input. I'm sorry I missed that. Apologies.

Hey Guys,

I realized I started the "official" 7100 and abandoned it when I sent mine back. As a result, the opening post does not have FAQ items and updates. If you'd like to "elect" someone to send me the info, I'd be hapy to post it.

jeff

So far so good on the new one. I get the Optomo logo each time at start up, which was very rare with the old one. My bulb counter on the new one was at zero upon arrival, of course that doesn't mean it's a new bulb, however, I suspect it is. The box was sealed and had no evidence that it had been opened, which I suspect they would have to do to swap bulbs.

It's been a while since I reported in, but now unit #4 is acting up (actually, it's been acting up for a little while). Same old thing with the bulb appearing to fire, but never getting to the logo display then shutting down and restarting (sometimes multiple times). When it is in this "mode" of operation it is totally unresponsive to commands from the remote until it has gone through at least one full cycle. After one cycle I can shut it down, wait for the blue light to stop flashing and restart it, usually with good luck. Of course, I don't know if it would have simply fired properly with the next cycle through whatever it is doing anyway. It was doing this about 1/3 of the time for a while, then ran about 8-10 times just fine, now it's back and doing it even more often. I am now going into the DVI input, so, apparently that makes no difference. This has been a very frustrating experience.

It isn't supposed to be this way. I know of a well known ex-Optoma dealer who decided not to carry any of their projectors anymore because of problems like this. I'm sure that there are many others. In fact, I can remember reading about at least one other also.

It's too bad because this is probably the best 720p projector image wise in it's price class. So much going for it with lens shift and sharp lens etc..., yet what good is all that if you're constantly on pins and needles every time you start the thing up!?

Mine occasionally fails to fire but it has been good that way for the most part. I guess I'm one of the lucky ones. This may be my last Optoma projector though. Who needs the worry and hassle?

Wayne

Hey everyone. I finally installed my HD7100 on Sat. Ive been working on my attic home theater for 8months after work and on weekends when the kids didnt have soccer or baseball/softball games. I was so pump to install the HD7100 and it looked awsome for around 5 hours then nothing. The bulb wont fire and it will not shut down. I can f*&@'n believe it. After all my hard work this is the payoff, a room thats 90% finished and a projector that doesn't work. Penn State plays Notre Dame this Sat. and I have to watch on my 50in toshiba, what a kick in the balls. I contacted Optoma's customer service and the tech seems like a nice guy and he promised to help me a.s.a.p. I hope he is a man of his word. Well I guess I should look on the bright side now I can finish the last 10% of the room with no distractions. ;{

Hello,

Without reading this whole thread I need help from my forum friends. I see that this projector has start up problems. The close out pricing is very good on this projector. I am not a gambler but think I might gamble and buy one of these 7100 or 7300. My projector will need to be directly over my seating is it really that loud for this install? I will be using either a Stewart 130 or Firehawk 100 inch screen I have both screen materials. Also is Optoma service any good? I see on the website it is email only. What do my forum friends think?

I appreciate your help,

rmlowz

I also would like some clarification on what signals the 7100 will accept before I go out and buy a HD DVD or Blu-ray reader. I only see reference to 1080i signals in the owners manual, will it process 1080p? Also, will it take 24 fps?

I have about 1000 hours on my 7100, and do have the start up problem, which bugs me, but have had no terminal problems yet, thank God. And the picture is soooooo great!

Hello,

I just pulled the trigger on the 7300. Forum sponser VisualApex has this for a deal I could not refuse. This should be good enough for my movie watching. I only put 91 hours in 13 months on my last projector unfortunatley I do not watch movies like I want. What is the trick to get it back on. It sounds like you know the trick because you have 1000 hours on the 7100.

Thanks for you help,

rmlowz

Patience. The bulb fires, but no image comes up. After a few minutes the PJ shuts down with the blower running, then after about 5 minutes it starts up again, and almost always comes up properly on the second try. Nothing you can really do, as the buttons and remote won't function. A couple of times it took three tries, but that is very rare. Mine will usually go for 6-8 weeks now with out failing, then once or twice a week for a while.

Mine does the EXACT same thing, but on a daily basis. The most that I have had success recently is about 8-9 good fires in a row, but that was obviously a fluke. I think that was just luck as it is back to doing it every 2-3 times now. I am considering selling it now and going with something that works (with a different name tag on it). The problem is that I am an honest person and can't sell this without telling the buyer of the potential problems, meaning I will probably not be able to ever sell it.

It will be time to get a 1080 PJ soon, but I couldn't pass mine off to some unsuspecting buyer either. Will probably end up giving it away.

Hello afcooper,

I was wondering how long have you owned your projector and where did you buy it from?

Thanks,

rmlowz

rmlowz- I got mine from VisualApex.com in November '06. Checked prices on the 7100 and they are half what they were then. What a deal.

Hello afcooper,

Thanks for your reply. I just could not turn down the VisualApex deal that they are offering. There are forum friends that are using the HD3000 that comes with the 7300 with other projectors with great results. I guess if the projector fails and gets to costly to keep shipping it to Optoma. I still have the scaler to play with. This is a hobby for me that takes a lot of money to keep going never happy with what I have. Some days I think I should find a different hobby. My friend just spent 60k for a lifetime membership to a country club here in town. I thinks he is crazy as he thinks I am crazy spending money like I do with A/V gear. Sometime's I think his hobby costs less. Just my two cents.

rmlowz

And I thought I was getting a great deal on my 7100 1 year ago when Projectorpeople offered it at $2200, down from an original $4K or so. The 7300 was almost twice as much as the 7100 alone. It's tempting to pick up a new 7300. I'd get a spare bulb, a scaler, and an extra projector, quite an array of equipment. I notice the warranty has shrunk from 3 years to 1 year.

I'm still happy with my original 7100. It misfires occasionally but throws up an excellent image with the Dark Chip 3 and good optics. I have a 118" Carrada screen and sit just beneath the pj. I notice the fan during quiet scenes if I bother to think about , but seldom do. Not a problem.

Hello CowboyCurtis,

I actually called Optoma and talked to them about some questions I had. One of the questions was warranty It is three years(VisualApex site also states three years). If it fails within the first 90 days you get a brand new unit after that refurbs. Where are you seeing 1 year warranty?

Thanks,

rmlowz

My mistake, rm. I was reading the line about the 1 year GE warranty. The 7100 still has the 3 year warranty that should eleviate some of the dependability concerns surrounding this model.

Is the 7300 the exact same projector as the 7100 except that it comes with the scaler? If it is not the same projector, does it have the bulb firing problem too?

Thanks,
Mike

Hello,

I am new to this projector HD 7300. I confirmed with Optoma it is the same as 7100 but is called the HD7300 with the HD3000 scaler. Although I found out today that the HD3000 will only output 720p. It is not like the stand alone HD3000. As far as the bulb firing problem time will tell mine will be here Thursday.

rmlowz

Hello,

I am new to this projector HD 7300. I confirmed with Optoma it is the same as 7100 but is called the HD7300 with the HD3000 scaler. Although I found out today that the HD3000 will only output 720p. It is not like the stand alone HD3000. As far as the bulb firing problem time will tell mine will be here Thursday.

rmlowz


Ok, thanks for the info. I think I am going to pass on the 7100/7300. I don't have enough faith in it starting up every time.

Mike

mbw...

So what are you going to go with?

I've been eyeing the 7100 as I need a new projector soon and it's at a great price. You see other comparable projectors out there at these prices???

I need help...going crazy with this....

thanks.!

kosta

Get the 7100 or better yet, the 7300. Darkchip 3 DLP, great optics, flexible placement, 3 yr. warranty, built like a tank. If you don't like it, ship it back. The cheap 720p offerings are good but do not stack up well against this one.

I'm really thinking about biting the bullet and getting the HD7300 package. If this bulb issue is the only problem people are having I think it might prove to be a better option then say a Benq W500 or Epson 400 (the others I was looking at)

This bulb issue doesn't make the projector un-operational...right? --- just a pain in the butt.

And the warranty seems good....

Does optoma work with its customers on warranty claims or do they make it difficult? I know they aren't as good as Epson but will they fix it if it's broke?

Thanks everyone....

give me some last words!

I've only had a very mild form of the bulb firing, so it's not an issue with me. Other's, especially rking, have had serious bulb firing problems. I can't remember complaints about the image on this thread, only raves. I can't speak to Optoma's tech and warranty support since I haven't had to use it.

Getting the 7300 over the 7100 is an excellent choice. The MSRP (not street price)for the 7300 was $8K 18 months ago.

Hello,

I got my HD7300 package today from forum sponser VisualApex. Very good service delivered as promised. I will be installing it this weekend. It looks impressive video processor and all. I will let my forum friends know my results soon.

rmlowz

Looking forward to it, Rich.

Thanks for all of your work for me, brother, and you know what Im talking about. 8)

rmlowz....

please post some news ASAP!!!

I'm really looking forward to it!

THANKS!!!!!!!!

I know everyone has a different setup, lighting, etc. but I think it would be helpful if people posted their setup and display/calibration settings for others to tweak around with. I know there has been posts but they are several months old. Surely, there have been some better results since then. I really think it would be beneficial to see those settings that would apply to Blu-Ray (like the PS3) or an HD-DVD player.

I know many people have set theirs will professional equipment or with a DVD like DVE or AVIA, which is why I think it's important to see the differences.

Unfortunately, I'm at work now so I can't post mine until later, but I have a dedicated theatre room with controlled lighting, a 92" grey screen, a DirecTV HD DVR (HR20), a PS3, and a Denon AVR-2807. Everything is hooked up via HDMI.

I'll post my settings later...I've gone through the DVE setup a couple of times and just haven't been really happy with the results. The blacks aren't black enough and the color isn't as vibrant.

rmlowz....

post some news about your setup so far....surely you have it running by now..

just take a 5 minute break and come on here and post your findings...how you have it hooked up....your screen size/type.....brightness...your impressions, etc....

THANKS!!!! THANKS!!! :)

I know everyone has a different setup, lighting, etc. but I think it would be helpful if people posted their setup and display/calibration settings for others to tweak around with. I know there has been posts but they are several months old. Surely, there have been some better results since then. I really think it would be beneficial to see those settings that would apply to Blu-Ray (like the PS3) or an HD-DVD player.

I know many people have set theirs will professional equipment or with a DVD like DVE or AVIA, which is why I think it's important to see the differences.

Unfortunately, I'm at work now so I can't post mine until later, but I have a dedicated theatre room with controlled lighting, a 92" grey screen, a DirecTV HD DVR (HR20), a PS3, and a Denon AVR-2807. Everything is hooked up via HDMI.

I'll post my settings later...I've gone through the DVE setup a couple of times and just haven't been really happy with the results. The blacks aren't black enough and the color isn't as vibrant.

Here's some settings that may help.......

From Guitarman

I have some colorfacts numbers for the HD7100.

I used the Accupel to reference tune it. DVI 720p showed video level brightness crushed out so I tuned PC level brightness. Here's what I got.

Brightness -11
Contrast 18
Sharpness Normal
Gamma 2.2
Color temp 6500k

White balance
R Gain 1
G Gain 0
B Gain1
R Bias 0
G Bias 0
B Bias 0

Not much on the white balance was needed because OTB 6500k 2.2gamma tracked extremely well.

From FGM...........

Thanks, it works!!
So, basically we just have 2 memory positions at our disposal, Custom 1 and 2. However, I find it peculiar that settings under Normal and the ISFs can't be saved. Since we are all different and our installations are different as well, how would Optoma figure that Normal, ISF Night, etc could be of use to us w/o the capability of saving our specific settings. Go figure
I project from about 10' onto a 92" GrayWolf in a room w/o lights but with clear walls ceiling and floor and use the following setting (still tweaking with Sound and Vision disc):
Brightness: -18
Contrast: +6
Colour: -9
Tint: -3
Sharpness: softest
Colour temp: 6500
Gamma: 2.2
Green Gain: -1
Green Offset: -2
Mode: econo
I found that the settings posted by other members helped me a lot to arrive to these settings under Custom1.
It may be just me, but I still find that the same settings under ISF Night give a different, better balanced picture.
Have you guys tried playing a bit with ISF Night? What are your settings?

From upnorth

Calibrated using Colorfacts

96" Goo Systems Digital Grey Screen
Oppo DVD player upconverting to 1080i over a 30' Better Cables DVI to HDMI cord.
Ambient light nil in darkend room, flat painted walls
Projected from 10 feet using about 1/4 vertical lens shift and slight horizontal lens shift.

These are the final settings and results achieved by using the Spyder Pro2 light meter facing the projector versus the screen. I used the Avia disk for my IRE test patterns and to check contrast ratios and foot lamberts post calibration. I also verified my results with the Get Grey disk.

I turned the light meter around to face the projector and got much more accurate results. This method also allowed recording of the lower light levels at 10IREand 20IRE without giving me an out of range error. I still had to raise the red gain up to +18 to achieve accurate results of 6507K at 80IRE. I adjusted the x value by +1 at 6500K and left the y value alone as it was near perfect at .329 which resulted in about 0.31265 for x.

Custom 1 Setting[u]
Brightness = -4
Contrast = +14
Color Temp = 6500K
Sharpness = Sharp
Gamma = 2.2
Color Temp X value = +1 adjusted at 80IRE
Color Temp Y value = 0 adjusted at 80IRE
White Balance =
Red Gain +18, Green Gain -1, Blue Gain -1
Red Offset +4, Green Offset +6, Blue Offset +3
All color tracking from 30IRE to 80IRE within 15 points on 6500K with 10IRE off by about 200points and 20IRE off by about 75 points 90IRE off by about 500 points and 100IRE off by about 1400 points, due to Red running out.
Achieved Contrast ratio = 3,763:1
Foot Lamberts Achieved on100IRE window = 11.1

Still teaking and playing, and also trying to figure out the best settings for this projector. Have tried other settings and calibrating with some of the other color temps, but so far this is the best yet. I can achieve an over 4000:1 contrast ratio if I (a)move the light meter back further from the screen or (b)give up a more accurate color temp and grey scale. Tom recorded over 4:000:1 in his calibration of this projector. Other reviews I have read sighted contrast ratios anywhere from 3500:1 to 3700:1, so I feel I am there with my calibration.


__________________

Well.... more problems. I am still getting bulb misfires (bulb lights, no video, unit reboots and tries again). Now I am getting a no bulb fire or bulb fires, reboots then no bulb fire. I am currently trying to fire it up and it went through two reboot cycles then turned itself off. I just hit the power button again to try once more. Second try worked. I would NOT recommend this projector to ANYONE. It's a real shame because I have a friend who is building a home theater right now and if this piece of garbage worked it would be a steal at the current price. With it's fantastic picture it would be ideal for this project, however, I couldn't and won't recommend it to him with a clear conscience. I am tired of having to wait 10 minutes to get a picture that works. I can't sell it and get anything out of it. If I were independently wealthy I would just TRASH it and go buy something that works, but I am stuck with it. If I could get my money back and move on to something else I would JUMP at the chance.

There may be a picture at the end of the tunnel. When I first got mine it misfired every day or two. After a month or two it didn't do it so often. Now, it goes up to 4 or 5 weeks with out acting up, knock on wood. I have never sent it in or replaced the bulb. But you are right, when it is misfiring, it sure is frustrating! Be sure ALL your other equipment is turned OFF when you start up the 7100, and don't turn anything on till you get a picture. I can't prove it, but I think having other equipment turned on generates noise on the power line that can cause the misfires.

I have 2 issues with this Projector: ( I have the other issue as described already in the forum about the Alzheimer's on the settings )

1. The white areas of the picture are flickering and it is very annoying. HD8300PVR outputting 720P, the other colors on the screen do not flicker just the white areas. It appears to be a scanning or stepping of Horizontal lines...I tried 3 different sets of Component cables, all with the same result.

2. The Projector is centered on the screen but the picture is not symmetrical, meaning the distance from the left top to the left bottom is greater than the distance from the right top to the right bottom, I tried the keystoning and other adjustments but the problem remains, I'm hoping it's not an issue where I would have to venture into the "Service Menu".

Anyone experienced any of this....

Thanks in advance

I too am looking forward to rmlowz review/experience. Despite the lamp issues- I'm tempted to finally upgrade my 3+ year old Optoma H30 (800x600:)) to this 7300 combo. I'm thinking that the HD3000 scaler itself is worth the price that VA is selling the 7300 package for. It's almost like getting a free projector.

Interestingly enough- my H30 has performed flawlessly for 3+ years and probably has ~5,000 hours on it. I bought a new lamp for it directly from Optoma last Sept and have had three lamps go out within the warranty period. Optoma has been good about replacing them other than a 5 week delay due to no stock in January. I still had my old faithful, dim (3000+hour) backup lamp to use so no big deal. The third replacement lamp has been in the projector for five months now and every time I start it up- I get the lamp failure indicator. I go back to the utility room and unplug the projector for a minute, plug it back in and it starts every time on the second try. This is irritating and sounds vaguely familiar with what you guys are experiencing with your 7100's. I wonder if Optoma's lamp supplier is giving them sub-standard goods.

I guess the question for me is do I want to rid myself of a lamp challenged Optoma projector and upgrade to another potentially lamp challenged Optoma projector? :)

I also cannot find a thread here for the 7300 and have searched for it for probably an hour. Does anyone know if there was one or have a link?

What to do, what to do...

Cheers!

Hello,
I finally got my HD7300 installed and let me tell you, IMHO nothing is going to touch this projector for the deal that's going on right now. I really like the reds no orange colored reds here. The blues are also very nice. Granted it does not have the contrast that my Marantz 12S4 had. It is about 85% in performance than the Marantz. I am comparing it to this because this was my last projector. I have a Toshiba HDA2 HD DVD player outputting HDMI
1080i and the Oppo 970 HDMI out 480i into the HD3000 no problems. I realize that some forum friends have had problems with this projector. Reading almost all the threads I dont know if there is anybody that has not had problems. I took a gamble and bought because I will be lucky to put 100 hours on it in a year. I budgeted in 3 trips to Optoma. If it breaks more than that the third trip back it will go direct to Goodwill and I will have a very nice processor. Just my 2 cents

rmlowz

Who is VA?

Who is VA?

Visual Apex- A sponsor of this fine forum. Follow the link at the top of the page.

Cheers!

rmlowz...

have you watched any movies? Tell us more. Any problems yet?

Why did you get this if you already had a great Marantz projector?

TELL US MORE PLEASE!!!

THANKS!

Hello,


I sold the Marantz because I did not want that expensive of a projector with not using it. I do not get to go in the theater a lot. I have not watched any movies but I have certain DVDs that I run through the paces I am very pleased with what I have seen. I have a Stewart Studio Tek 130 screen and also have the Firehawk fabric as well. This projector is brighter than the Marantz. This weekend I am going to change out fabrics and use the Firehawk to see if I get even better blacks and contrast.

rmlowz

Have you had any issues yet with the projector starting up or picture issues?

What do you think about VA?

Thanks for your replies.

How does projector compare, especially in shadow detail to 3 chip LCDs like the Sony VLP-AW15 or VLP-HS51?


I have had DLP projectors in the past... has never seen the rainbow... even on my DLS8, with slow color wheel. I think I hate SDE more than the rainbow.

Check the reviews at projectorreviews and projectorcentral .com ===

Generally, DLP (especially this one) will be superior in blacks and shadow detail then comparable LCD units. I dont think there is a review out there comparing the units you listed though but would think the HD7100 would be superior.

If you didn't see rainbows on your DLS8 then you definitely won't see them on the 7100 (i believe the DLS8 is a 1x speed while 7100 is 4x)

Yes, the DLS8 has 1x color wheel.

I did check the reviews on ProjectorReviews.com

Thanks for responding... I am still a little concerned about bulb not firing up issue.

I did a quick search of the thread, but couldn't find any similar problem documented. Typically, after the projector heats up, there is a distinct rattle/vibration of the fan (more than the usual fan noise)...it seems like it is hitting something on the inside: when I press on sides of the projector, I can get it to disappear as long as I keep pressing. Has anyone encountered anything similar? Thanks.

CowboyCurtis...thanks for info. I think I've tried all of those at different times and I was hoping there would be some more up to date settings with some kind of highdef video source (blu-ray or hd-dvd).

I have a PS3 hooked up to the HD3000 processor and then run to the projector but CAN NOT get the processor to accept the signal from the PS3. (it is hdmi all the way) ---

The HDMI works with my Dish receiver and processes it but will not accept the PS3.

What am I doing wrong? Can anyone help me? Thank you.

-Kosta

What resolution are you outputting from the PS3?

Visual Apex has a group buy going on for HD7100s. They no longer have the 7300s.

http://www.visualapex.com/GroupBuy/4

Did anyone notice that this projector can be had for under $1000 after rebate (check froogle)

I have now got the PS3 to work. I unplugged and plugged the HDMI cable.

The connection is spotty though from the HD3000. Sometimes the screen will go just black from the PS3 and I have to unplug the HDMI output to the projector and plug it back in. This usually fixes it. It's something that shouldn't happen but does.

I like the B/W Extension setting on the HD3000. Also a little edge enhancement (level 2) and color vividness (level 1) is nice too! :)

Just tonight I noticed a flicker in the brightness while watching the PS3. It was pulsating...

Is this something to worry about?

How is everyone's experience going with this projector?

Thanks.

inspite of all the problems listed on the 7100 I still went ahead and took advantage of the deal on this projector, hoping my experience will be different. I tried for the 7300 but was 1 day late. The start up problem seems to be the main concern as well as bulb failures. I would think putting the projector on first is the logical step in the process since it is down stream from the other equipment in the chain. I would also think that hot plugging cables is a bad idea if the projector is on. Also when powering down the opposite sequence would be best, ie turning the feed equipment off first then powering down the projector.

I have yet to receive my projector and wonder how other people power sequence their
equipment.

Having a dedicated AC feed would be good in order to reduce surge problems.

All of these things would be helpful in determining any fundamental projector flaws(ie firmware).

Like mkoss I was a day late too for the HD7300.

mkoss, did you notice that HD7100 does not come with a bulb warranty, unlike the 7300, even though it says it is included, as you are checking out?

I noticed the extended warranty wasn't included but called them and got them to include it. I told them I was reading reviews at the avs forum and that was a concern.

I got an e-mail late friday saying they had problems with verifying my credit card billing address. They were closed yesterday. I hope this does not fall through although I've been having second thoughts about this projectors
reliability with bulbs.

I wish there was some way to find out how extensive bulb failures are based on total useage.

Don't mention me but if you already ordered talk to them that you thought it
was included since it was mentioned as part of the check out.

The 7300 was a great deal. for just 200 dollars extra you got a lot more for your money. I was disappointed to say the least I was busy reading the forum to the end and should not have hesitated so long.

I own a hitachi XJ-100 and was considering getting the XJ-200 where I think it was guitarman jumped ship to the 7100 and I started reading these 7100threads and decided why have 2 of the same basically.

I noticed the extended warranty wasn't included but called them and got them to include it. I told them I was reading reviews at the avs forum and that was a concern.

I got an e-mail late friday saying they had problems with verifying my credit card billing address. They were closed yesterday. I hope this does not fall through although I've been having second thoughts about this projectors
reliability with bulbs.

I wish there was some way to find out how extensive bulb failures are based on total useage.

Don't mention me but if you already ordered talk to them that you thought it
was included since it was mentioned as part of the check out.

The 7300 was a great deal. for just 200 dollars extra you got a lot more for your money. I was disappointed to say the least I was busy reading the forum to the end and should not have hesitated so long.

I own a hitachi XJ-100 and was considering getting the XJ-200 where I think it was guitarman jumped ship to the 7100 and I started reading these 7100threads and decided why have 2 of the same basically.

it was upnorth not guitarman who jumped ship on the hitachi xj-200.

I had to sell my Sony on eBay before I could place the order... by the time I sold it, HD7300 were all gone :D

The 7300 was a great deal. for just 200 dollars extra you got a lot more for your money.

By my count, HD7300 is $500 more ($1500) than the HD7100 ($1000).

By my count, HD7300 is $500 more ($1500) than the HD7100 ($1000).
I thought I remembered seeing the $200 rebate on VA's site for the 7300 as well, thus the $200 difference. I could have been wrong though. Doesn't make any difference now since the 7300 is gone, from VA anyway.

You are correct, they both have a $200 Mail In Rebate, from Optoma.

7300 also came with a 2 yr GE and Bulb Warranty, $198 value, making price of both projectors the same.

You are correct, they both have a $200 Mail In Rebate, from Optoma.

7300 also came with a 2 yr GE and Bulb Warranty, $198 value, making price of both projectors the same.

As I stated before you can talk to them about extending the GE warranty to the 7100. In the checkout it looks as if it's included but the next step doesn't have it, which is kind of bate and switch although I don't think they me:rolleyes:ant it to be that way.

The VA site now shows the $200 mail in rebate to be through 10/31. If I remember correctly it said through 9/30 the other day. A quick glance at the promotions page (http://www.optomausa.com/promotion_rebates.asp)on the Optoma website still shows the mail in rebate on the 7100 and 7300 as applying to purchases between 9/1 and 9/30. If the $200 rebate is a critical piece of your buying decision- I would verify the rebate extension with VA or Optoma.

Cheers!

HD7300 has not been extended...


HD7100...



http://marketing.optomausa.com/PDFs/rebates/Optoma_HD7100_Rebate.pdf

As I stated before you can talk to them about extending the GE warranty to the 7100. In the checkout it looks as if it's included but the next step doesn't have it, which is kind of bate and switch although I don't think they me:rolleyes:ant it to be that way.

Called them today... the two year warranty is included, I was not charged for the 3yr warranty that I added to the cart.

Hopefully, I won't get a lemon :D


Just finished reading this whole thread...

Unlike other AVSForum projector threads, most of this thread deals with one problem... bulb mis-firings. Isn't there anyone here who has not had problems with this projector?

Based on the symptoms, it seems like the bulb fires up and then turns off because an input source is not detected. While it sounds like a firmware issue, I am wondering if that is the case, why hasn't Optoma fixed it? Is it with just some batches that they have this problem... there is no reference to this issue outside of this forum.

Gireesh

Called them today... the two year warranty is included, I was not charged for the 3yr warranty that I added to the cart.

Hopefully, I won't get a lemon :D


Just finished reading this whole thread...

Unlike other AVSForum projector threads, most of this thread deals with one problem... bulb mis-firings. Isn't there anyone here who has not had problems with this projector?

Based on the symptoms, it seems like the bulb fires up and then turns off because an input source is not detected. While it sounds like a firmware issue, I am wondering if that is the case, why hasn't Optoma fixed it? Is it with just some batches that they have this problem... there is no reference to this issue outside of this forum.

Gireesh

Lack of a source should not turn it off. From what I would think is required is to turn on the projector before powering the source, let the bulb come up to power, then input a source.
Their manual is not clear regarding having inputs powered before the projector is on, only to have it connected. My xj-100 has better instructions. also has a master AC toggle switch. In standby mode I would thing the some circuitry is powered which to me is not good if there are long periods one is not using the projector.

I think I will give optoma a call to get better instruction prior to using it the first time.

inspite of all the problems listed on the 7100 I still went ahead and took advantage of the deal on this projector, hoping my experience will be different. I tried for the 7300 but was 1 day late. The start up problem seems to be the main concern as well as bulb failures. I would think putting the projector on first is the logical step in the process since it is down stream from the other equipment in the chain. I would also think that hot plugging cables is a bad idea if the projector is on. Also when powering down the opposite sequence would be best, ie turning the feed equipment off first then powering down the projector.

I have yet to receive my projector and wonder how other people power sequence their
equipment.

Having a dedicated AC feed would be good in order to reduce surge problems.

All of these things would be helpful in determining any fundamental projector flaws(ie firmware).

I always power the source first, then the projector and turn them off in the reverse order, the projector first and then the the source and finally cut power to everything.
I have not had bulb/firing failure since (about 700 hours later). But, all this may just be coincidence.
By the way, this projector looks first for a DVI source and that is what I feed mine with; but I never had any problem changing sources manually.
Enjoy your projector.

Well, I ordered an 900W UPS with an Automatic Voltage Regulator, and a 20' power cord using which I will connect the projector mounted on the ceiling to the UPS. I decided to do this after reading a review about an UPS by a guy in rural Florida who was having all kinds of issues with AV Equipment... http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16842102054&Tpk=CP1500AVRT

I am waiting for the projector.

I am running my 7100 off a UPS, and it doesn't seem to make any difference, I still get infrequent bulb misfires. I always let the projector power up fully before turning any other equipment on.

I am running my 7100 off a UPS, and it doesn't seem to make any difference, I still get infrequent bulb misfires. I always let the projector power up fully before turning any other equipment on.

Could you describe in detail what constitutes a bulb misfire and what is a proper powerup sequence?

It seems to me that the bulb should be brought up to full power along with the fan gradually and not a hard turn.If nothing is on the inputs(signalwise) it should display some logo and not turn off. One then should be able to cycle through automatically or manually until 1 of the inputs is satisfied.

These projectors should be designed to be tolerant of turn on sequence since most people are not technically inclined. Only cutting the power with the bulb hot is a real possibility do to mistakes or a power outage which the UPS helps
with providing it's not a cheapy that has switchover time greater than the holdup of the projector power supply.

More than 1 person here should call the tech line and pick their brain about proper power sequencing along with does and don'ts

mkoss,

I am still deliberating whether I should cancel my order and get a different projector based on the reviews here...

How widespread is the problem? I have not been able to locate comments about bulb misfires anywhere but here.

The bulb misfires are as follows:

Power on the PJ.
The PJ strikes the bulb. (You can hear it do this.)
Gradually, the bulb lights up, but there is no image on the PJ.
After a minute or two the PJ gives up and restarts the bulb strike sequence.
The PJ generally works just fine after the second attempt.

At least that's how it has happened for me.
I've been averaging about 200-300 hours of use per misfire.

Mike

What does stand out about this thread is there have been no complaints, only praise, re the picture quality of the HD7100. Read other pj threads and you may not pick up any complaints about bulb misfires, but numerous complaints about various aspects of PQ including brightness, convergence, dust blobs, softness of image, and on.

I'd roll the dice......I actually did. The 3 year warranty takes a lot of worry away but I haven't had to think about using it.

The bulb misfires are as follows:

Power on the PJ.
The PJ strikes the bulb. (You can hear it do this.)
Gradually, the bulb lights up, but there is no image on the PJ.
After a minute or two the PJ gives up and restarts the bulb strike sequence.
The PJ generally works just fine after the second attempt.

At least that's how it has happened for me.
I've been averaging about 200-300 hours of use per misfire.

Mike
Was your source on or off and what input did you use when this occurs?

What does stand out about this thread is there have been no complaints, only praise, re the picture quality of the HD7100. Read other pj threads and you may not pick up any complaints about bulb misfires, but numerous complaints about various aspects of PQ including brightness, convergence, dust blobs, softness of image, and on.

I'd roll the dice......I actually did. The 3 year warranty takes a lot of worry away but I haven't had to think about using it.

I agree. Also I got the 2 year extended bulb warranty which makes me feel better.

Giresh,

It's your decision but what I'm trying to do here is find out what minimizes bulb misfires and not to panic people in the process. If there's a condition that causes it to occur more often we should try to find out by exchanging
information.

I had an infocus sp4805 that never had a problem starting but was not bright enough for me in the long run, had long throw, no lense shift. Took it back
to a company that used to have a good return policy.

Ended up buying the XJ-100 which I still have and have not used a lot to date
but want to use this for general viewing. Almost got the XJ-200 but came upon the 7100.

Decided will use this more for watching hi-def movies as opposed to tv.

What does stand out about this thread is there have been no complaints, only praise, re the picture quality of the HD7100. Read other pj threads and you may not pick up any complaints about bulb misfires, but numerous complaints about various aspects of PQ including brightness, convergence, dust blobs, softness of image, and on.

I'd roll the dice......I actually did. The 3 year warranty takes a lot of worry away but I haven't had to think about using it.

I put over 600hrs on the demo I had, it had a few times where it didn't fire up at first try. I would just wait and it would fire up automatic by itself on a second try. Anyway when it was going the picture quality was excellent. I got some of the highest readings out of the 7100. Pretty near 5800.1 CR which is the highest I ever got on Optoma DLP's. The lens on the machine is of very high quality, pictures are sharp as a tack, with no CA. Like I said when you're viewing the machine you're one happy camper. What is that $200 off the the MAP I'm seeing going around? If so that's unreal for a solid machine like this.

There is a $200 Factory Rebate, and VA gives you a free extended warranty. I was contemplating on canceling the order and getting an Sharp XV-Z12000 Mark II for about 50% more.

The projector shipped from Optoma today, so I not going to cancel the order. VA/Optoma has taken their sweet time to ship the projector, it was supposed to ship on Monday, it shipped yesterday.

Tom, have you seen the Sharp 12KMK2 in action? How do the pictures compare?

Thanks
Gireesh

There is a $200 Factory Rebate, and VA gives you a free extended warranty...
The free extended warranty on the projector and lamp has now disappeared off the 7100 page when it was there the other day. That was an important piece of the pie for me given the problems some of you have had. I think I'm out of the running now. I wish I had jumped on a 7300 at $200 more a few weeks ago. Arghh... darn sensible banker wife. "It won't be the last good deal out there" :rolleyes: :)

I put over 600hrs on the demo I had, it had a few times where it didn't fire up at first try. I would just wait and it would fire up automatic by itself on a second try. Anyway when it was going the picture quality was excellent. I got some of the highest readings out of the 7100. Pretty near 5800.1 CR which is the highest I ever got on Optoma DLP's. The lens on the machine is of very high quality, pictures are sharp as a tack, with no CA. Like I said when you're viewing the machine you're one happy camper. What is that $200 off the the MAP I'm seeing going around? If so that's unreal for a solid machine like this.

What source were you using? When it mifired did you do any thing different regarding source connectivity? Did you have the 3000 in the loop?

Called them today... the two year warranty is included, I was not charged for the 3yr warranty that I added to the cart.

Hopefully, I won't get a lemon :DI've been emailing Visual Apex and trying to get them to include the extended PJ/bulb warranty with no luck so far, even citing this thread.

They also won't price match, which I don't blame them for if they'd just offer the warranty which other retailers aren't doing. No way I'd consider this model without getting a bulb warranty (free or not).

What sales people have you guys been dealing with to get the warranty included?

What source were you using? When it mifired did you do any thing different regarding source connectivity? Did you have the 3000 in the loop?


I didn't do much on protocal I just fired it up. I didn't have the scaler. If I had it now I'd try starting with DVI, I'd put the DVI device on first figuring the PJ with scaler would start first with the scaler device then the PJ turning on.

About the Sharp Z12000 MKII, I bought one from Magnolia at $3,000 tried it for a week and took it back. I didn't think it was that much better for the money than the Optoma machines I had at the time. Lucky I did because of the Cosco deal. The HD7100 is sharper because of the lens, best lens quality I ever saw and has higher contrast. The Sharp is no slouch though it has good menu choices for gamma and Iris etc, colors out of box look very pleasant. It's a nice PJ but not for double the money back when. If the price was the same I'd probably swing towards the Sharp. Just because it was so expensive and the company status.

Was your source on or off and what input did you use when this occurs?

It didn't matter what source or whether it was on or off.

Mike

i have had mine for almost a year no other projector i could afford will through a 120 inch screen with 7' 3" ceilings at 13' from the screen and has lense shift . you can not beat this projector period at the price point.i got it from visual appex and it came with 3 yr from optoma plus 1 yr from GE and a 500 mail in which at the time was awsome .now the first projector lasted 3 days before the start up trouble and i sent it in they shipped it back and said it was fixed . still would miss fire but i said screw it and at 100 hrs it blew the bulb trying to start . i was very worried they would not stand behind the bulb but they did they where very nice and hot swaped the projector with a new one . the new one has not miss fired but once it came up with a purple screen upside down . reset it and has not faulted sense. my set up is a dedicated power source with protection and have 2 comp and 1 dvi hooked up i always power on the source first and than the projector it always goes to dvi and always fires i love this projector and as long as your patient and can live with the possibility of a problem than dont sweat it especially at the current price.my highest recommendation is BUY THE BULB WARRANTY for peice of mind and hook up a dvi source.if you dont jump in you will always be waiting for the next best thing and will never buy.:D

The free extended warranty on the projector and lamp has now disappeared off the 7100 page when it was there the other day. That was an important piece of the pie for me given the problems some of you have had. I think I'm out of the running now. I wish I had jumped on a 7300 at $200 more a few weeks ago. Arghh... darn sensible banker wife. "It won't be the last good deal out there" :rolleyes: :)

You are correct, they have taken that as well as the three year bulb warranty for $125... you can get a 3 Yr MACK bulb warranty for under $100... check the VP4001 thread.

i have had mine for almost a year no other projector i could afford will through a 120 inch screen with 7' 3" ceilings at 13' from the screen and has lense shift . you can not beat this projector period at the price point.i got it from visual appex and it came with 3 yr from optoma plus 1 yr from GE and a 500 mail in which at the time was awsome .now the first projector lasted 3 days before the start up trouble and i sent it in they shipped it back and said it was fixed . still would miss fire but i said screw it and at 100 hrs it blew the bulb trying to start . i was very worried they would not stand behind the bulb but they did they where very nice and hot swaped the projector with a new one . the new one has not miss fired but once it came up with a purple screen upside down . reset it and has not faulted sense. my set up is a dedicated power source with protection and have 2 comp and 1 dvi hooked up i always power on the source first and than the projector it always goes to dvi and always fires i love this projector and as long as your patient and can live with the possibility of a problem than dont sweat it especially at the current price.my highest recommendation is BUY THE BULB WARRANTY for peice of mind and hook up a dvi source.if you dont jump in you will always be waiting for the next best thing and will never buy.:D
Is your projector in standby or is power to it totally removed in this sequence
of powering the source first?

no it is not unpluged or anything like that if thats what your asking . i just turn the projector on last . and when im done whatching it i turn it off first.

Reporting back in.....
I thought I was going to be able to report good news. It has started just fine for the past week or so... until right now when I turned it on and it had the normal startup problem. I had been running one bad start in every three or so starts up until about a week ago. I am on my 4th projector, two having gone back to the seller, the third back to Optoma. I am, by the way, hooked through a Monster power conditioner and have been since day one. The implied question that others have been asking is "If you knew of the problems would you buy this projector for $1,000?" For $1,000.00 or so, YES, I would do it. For the $3,000 that I paid, not a chance in the world.

The implied question that others have been asking is "If you knew of the problems would you buy this projector for $1,000?" For $1,000.00 or so, YES, I would do it.Hi rking,

Yes, that is the very question I've been wrestling with. I'm surprised by your response, given what I've read of your troubles. This PJ must be every bit as good as I've heard when its on and working.

I'm a pretty low-hours viewer, but I'd predict that to change if I made an upgrade to something like an HD7100. I have a 30" CRT HDTV for casual viewing but would rather shift many casual hours on the CRT into fewer quality hours on a better projector.

I'm not sure I want to take the chance on getting a bad HD7100. I haven't read many reports of problem-free units. For me, the process of dealing with warranty service, shipping both ways, etc., might be more trouble than its worth. Maybe if just the bulbs end up going...that I could deal with (under extended warranty), but I don't know if I want buy myself this much frustration. Not to mention, some such warranties have a limit on the number of replacement bulbs. I think I may have to leave the HD7100 to braver souls, for now.

How many of you have either initially or through warranty service arrived at a solid unit?

Mine's great! It's starts up without a hitch regularly. Once in a while it may take it's time like Guitarman (Tom) says but I guess I'm one of the lucky ones.

The price that this pj goes for now basically makes it a 'throwaway'. It's now as cheap as my old Infocus X1 which was my first pj. When you think how much this unit was selling for when it was introduced it's mind boggling at how much projector you can get for so little money.

And to get a lens this sharp, an image this clear, and lens shift to boot on a DLP model this cheaply is crazy!

One other thing is that I've owned five projectors now since the Spring of '03 and this is by far the best. I've had the X1, Optoma models H31, H57 and H78DC3 prior to the HD7100. This is also the easiest to calibrate. It needed very little adjustment and comes out of the box very close to perfect. I use SpyderTVPro as well as Avia and the Monster ISF disc.

I don't even use my HTPC anymore. The Toshiba HD-A2 upscales so well and the HD7100 lens is so sharp that it is very unforgiving and I can't match the HD DVD player's quality with TheaterTek and ffdshow anymore.

Wayne

Mine's great! It's starts up without a hitch regularly. Once in a while it may take it's time like Guitarman (Tom) says but I guess I'm one of the lucky ones.

The price that this pj goes for now basically makes it a 'throwaway'. It's now as cheap as my old Infocus X1 which was my first pj. When you think how much this unit was selling for when it was introduced it's mind boggling at how much projector you can get for so little money.

And to get a lens this sharp, an image this clear, and lens shift to boot on a DLP model this cheaply is crazy!

One other thing is that I've owned five projectors now since the Spring of '03 and this is by far the best. I've had the X1, Optoma models H31, H57 and H78DC3 prior to the HD7100. This is also the easiest to calibrate. It needed very little adjustment and comes out of the box very close to perfect. I use SpyderTVPro as well as Avia and the Monster ISF disc.

I don't even use my HTPC anymore. The Toshiba HD-A2 upscales so well and the HD7100 lens is so sharp that it is very unforgiving and I can't match the HD DVD player's quality with TheaterTek and ffdshow anymore.

Wayne
What's your start up sequence?

I've found that I need to turn on the projector last otherwise it's already looking for a live input that isn't activated yet. So it searches but doesn't find it. When the projector is started up after the other devices, the video signal is already there for the taking so to speak and my HD7100 detects the signal. I turn off the projector prior to doing the same with any other device. It seems to work best this way for me. When I turned the unit off before other components, the projector seemed to have difficulty starting up properly the next time.

Wayne

I've found that I need to turn on the projector last otherwise it's already looking for a live input that isn't activated yet. So it searches but doesn't find it. When the projector is started up after the other devices, the video signal is already there for the taking so to speak and my HD7100 detects the signal. I turn off the projector prior to doing the same with any other device. It seems to work best this way for me. When I turned the unit off before other components, the projector seemed to have difficulty starting up properly the next time.

Wayne
I understand your power up sequence but am confused by your power down sequence. Also is the projector power totally off or in standby during your sequncing?

Hi rking,

Yes, that is the very question I've been wrestling with. I'm surprised by your response, given what I've read of your troubles. This PJ must be every bit as good as I've heard when its on and working.

I'm a pretty low-hours viewer, but I'd predict that to change if I made an upgrade to something like an HD7100. I have a 30" CRT HDTV for casual viewing but would rather shift many casual hours on the CRT into fewer quality hours on a better projector.

I'm not sure I want to take the chance on getting a bad HD7100. I haven't read many reports of problem-free units. For me, the process of dealing with warranty service, shipping both ways, etc., might be more trouble than its worth. Maybe if just the bulbs end up going...that I could deal with (under extended warranty), but I don't know if I want buy myself this much frustration. Not to mention, some such warranties have a limit on the number of replacement bulbs. I think I may have to leave the HD7100 to braver souls, for now.

How many of you have either initially or through warranty service arrived at a solid unit?

My unit has been great for the longest time of its near 800 hours of use. At the beginning I was concerned with the bulb firing up/or not syndrome. But I now just enjoy the terrific projector this is even if at over 3 times the price it can be obtained for now.
Those in search of a great projector at a great price need look no longer, in my opinion.
Just find and keep the firing up/turning off sequence that work best for you.

Hi. So i was all ready to buy a 7100 a few days ago, after i sold my ae900u, and thats why i am writing to you all. I loved the way the h79 looked at a demo i saw 2 years ago, but it was 6k back then and instead opted for the panny.

Now i'm having second thoughts about buying the "h79 replacement" (the hd7100) b/c i keep reading about the Marantz 4001(a little better than the sharp3000), and the new ax200 panny being soooo good (same price ranges). Can someone please talk me into pulling the trigger for the optoma vs these other two pj's? the 7100 is the cheapest at 1k, then panny 1.3k, then marantz 1.5k. I dont have any placement issues/dont care about lens shift. I have a 106" greywolf screen (fixed mounted myself).

Has anyone seen the 4001/ax200 that has a 7100? Are the differences in pq that great?

Thanks

mkoss,

I just reverse the startup procedure in order to shut 'er down. I turn the pj off first and then the other components. I always use the remote as opposed to the buttons on the pj and the HD7100 rests in standby mode when it's off. I'd have to unplug it from the outlet to really turn it off and I never do that.

tubaprde,

Don't buy the H79. It will put out a phenomenal image for a short while and then you'll start having bulb issues. Optoma has had a ton of problems with it's H77, H78 and H79 projectors due to premature bulb failure at typically only a few hundred hours. My H78 lasted between 600 and 700 hours before the bulb died and that was with an elaborate cooling system of fans that I rigged up in order to cool it down. Besides, the HD7100 is far, far superior to the H78 that I had and it was a terrific projector other than the bulb problem.

Who knows? You may get lucky but I'd stay away from any of the Optoma H7xx series projectors, especially if it's used.

Wayne

The Marantz is $500 more (50%). Does it have a DLP DarkChip3 like the Optoma HD7100? I didn't find it in the Marantz specs so I don't think it does.

mkoss,

I just reverse the startup procedure in order to shut 'er down. I turn the pj off first and then the other components. I always use the remote as opposed to the buttons on the pj and the HD7100 rests in standby mode when it's off. I'd have to unplug it from the outlet to really turn it off and I never do that.

tubaprde,

Don't buy the H79. It will put out a phenomenal image for a short while and then you'll start having bulb issues. Optoma has had a ton of problems with it's H77, H78 and H79 projectors due to premature bulb failure at typically only a few hundred hours. My H78 lasted between 600 and 700 hours before the bulb died and that was with an elaborate cooling system of fans that I rigged up in order to cool it down. Besides, the HD7100 is far, far superior to the H78 that I had and it was a terrific projector other than the bulb problem.

Who knows? You may get lucky but I'd stay away from any of the Optoma H7xx series projectors, especially if it's used.

Wayne


Thanks Wayne! Its great to hear that the best pj image i've ever seen has been surpassed by a pj that cost 1k!!

The Marantz is $500 more (50%). Does it have a DLP DarkChip3 like the Optoma HD7100? I didn't find it in the Marantz specs so I don't think it does.

You've brought up a very intersting point. That is, yes the Marantz vp4001 is a dc2, but: both projector central and projector reviews have said the image on the Sharp XV-Z3000 is superior to that of the hd7100--and the Sharp XV-Z3000 is the same as the Marantz vp4001, except that the marantz has better optics!

pr: "Of the projectors out there selling for under $3000 this Sharp is definitely one of my favorites. It's ability to produce black levels rivalling other DLP projectors that use the Darkchip3 processor instead of its Darkchip2, plus excellent color out of the box, and lots and lots of usable lumens, make it one of my two favorite projectors in the price range. The other, would be Optoma's HD7100, which uses the Darkchip3. I should note that I believe the Sharp outperforms the Optoma at both black levels and shadow detail. The Optoma, has, going for it, lens shift, so it is a far, far more flexible projector in terms of placement, but if that wasn't an issue, I would favor the Sharp. "

pc: "The Sharp Z3000 and Optoma HD7100 are close to the same resolution and in the same same price bracket of roughly $3000.
The HD7100 maxes out at 552 ANSI lumens when properly set up for home theater use. Contrast is rated at 5000:1, and the DarkChip3 makes for some truly impressive black levels and shadow detail. The Z3000 can reach 1143 ANSI lumens at its brightest setting. At more reasonable home theater settings (low lamp mode and medium iris), it still pumps out 506 ANSI lumens. It is also rated at 6500:1 contrast, in part due to the iris system. In head-to-head testing, it became clear that the Z3000 was capable of higher lumen output than the HD7100 as well as better contrast, though reaching those two levels simultaneously is nigh impossible. However, when we matched the lumen output of the Z3000 to that of the HD7100, the Z3000 showed definite higher contrast and deeper black level.

With the Z3000, you gain brightness and contrast, as well as image flexibility. The Z3000 can be a bright "Sunday afternoon" projector, or a high contrast home theater projector, depending on need. The HD7100 gives greater placement flexibility, at the expense of lumen output. Both offer excellent image quality around $3000 street, and certainly deliver the "wow" factor associated with high definition projection. "


Anyone have a take on this? What does this mean for the better optic marantz? Has anyone seen the xv-3000/vp4001 in action vs the 7100? Guitarman maybe?

p.s. the marantz refurb prices are 1k now...

Now the problems will really start.... I am at exactly 666 hours. ;)

My unit has been great for the longest time of its near 800 hours of use. At the beginning I was concerned with the bulb firing up/or not syndrome. But I now just enjoy the terrific projector this is even if at over 3 times the price it can be obtained for now.
Those in search of a great projector at a great price need look no longer, in my opinion.
Just find and keep the firing up/turning off sequence that work best for you.800 hours of reliability..that's encouraging.

I don't know. Lens shift would be handy and yet I'd rather not risk getting a dud or two. Really, I'm waiting for the sub-$1500 720p DLP with lens shift, 2x zoom, and enough light output flexibility to be usable with some ambient light. Basically, all the advantages of competing LCD models. The HD7100 gets about 1.5 of those 3 wish list features.

800 hours of reliability..that's encouraging.

I don't know. Lens shift would be handy and yet I'd rather not risk getting a dud or two. Really, I'm waiting for the sub-$1500 720p DLP with lens shift, 2x zoom, and enough light output flexibility to be usable with some ambient light. Basically, all the advantages of competing LCD models. The HD7100 gets about 1.5 of those 3 wish list features.

Huh,thats funny, i count more like 2.5/3, its very birght 900+actual lumens, has lens shift, has some zoom--i guess it could have 2x zoom, but that just takes away your brightness.

Incredibly fortunate to have a selection of projectors that throw great images on the screen, at these prices. The introduction of so many 1080P models has put pricing pressure on all 720P pjs. Funny thing is the 1080Ps costing several times more won't give much in the way of better PQ if any improvement at all over the Marantz/Sharp or Optoma. Plus the 720ps we've been discussing are probably putting out more lumens than most 1080Ps.

Tubaprde......thanks for the bits re the Marantz vp4001/Sharp Z3000 vs. the Optoma HD7100, excellent DD.

The Marantz is $500 more (50%)..
I know I'm not supposed to be doing this- but if you read the last ~4-5 pages of the Marantz thread, you can see how to narrow that margin by quite a bit with a coupon code.

We should now halt our discussion of street pricing before the hammer comes down. :)

Incredibly fortunate to have a selection of projectors that throw great images on the screen, at these prices. The introduction of so many 1080P models has put pricing pressure on all 720P pjs. Funny thing is the 1080Ps costing several times more won't give much in the way of better PQ if any improvement at all over the Marantz/Sharp or Optoma. Plus the 720ps we've been discussing are probably putting out more lumens than most 1080Ps.

Tubaprde......thanks for the bits re the Marantz vp4001/Sharp Z3000 vs. the Optoma HD7100, excellent DD.

Sure, np guys! Also, the Sharp was rated at twice the actual ansi lumens than the optoma on pr. ~1500 lumens for the sharp...mmmm, that is it big deal for me too b/c i want pj that i can whatch football on with some lights...and have great black levels for my semi-bat cave, ---having my cake and eating it too---harharhar

Does anyone start and remove total power from their 7100 each time they use it? If so do you experience bulb misfires if you follow your start up sequence the same?

The reason I ask this is because of mysteries success at his powering sequence.
His pj is always returned to standby and not totally powered off.

My projector arrived on Tuesday....

The image... what can I say... it is stunning. I fed it some 720p HD signals from an HTPC via HDMI DVI out with one to one pixel mapping... it takes your breath away. Guitarman was right... it puts out an awesome image.

So far I am extremely happy with the projector. Lens Shift is a real plus. I probably wont have to move the mount I used with the Sony HS51.

Thinking of getting a three a MACK warranty for under $100 as a second insurance.

mkoss, my power up sequence is source (DVI) followed by projector and projector followed by source on power down. After the fan turns off the blue light is solid, I turn off the power to all equipment, including the projector.


No misfires yet.


Got to go and watch stuff.

My projector arrived on Tuesday....

The image... what can I say... it is stunning. I fed it some 720p HD signals from an HTPC via HDMI DVI out with one to one pixel mapping... it takes your breath away. Guitarman was right... it puts out an awesome image.

So far I am extremely happy with the projector. Lens Shift is a real plus. I probably wont have to move the mount I used with the Sony HS51.

Thinking of getting a three a MACK warranty for under $100 as a second insurance.

mkoss, my power up sequence is source (DVI) followed by projector and projector followed by source on power down. After the fan turns off the blue light is solid, I turn off the power to all equipment, including the projector.


No misfires yet.


Got to go and watch stuff.

Just 1 clarification. The projector is in standby and not powered down when you turn on the source,correct?

My projector arrived on Tuesday....

The image... what can I say... it is stunning. I fed it some 720p HD signals from an HTPC via HDMI DVI out with one to one pixel mapping... it takes your breath away. Guitarman was right... it puts out an awesome image.

So far I am extremely happy with the projector. Lens Shift is a real plus. I probably wont have to move the mount I used with the Sony HS51.

Thinking of getting a three a MACK warranty for under $100 as a second insurance.

mkoss, my power up sequence is source (DVI) followed by projector and projector followed by source on power down. After the fan turns off the blue light is solid, I turn off the power to all equipment, including the projector.


No misfires yet.


Got to go and watch stuff.

Forgot to add.

What does the Mack Warranty buy you beyond the projector warranty and the GE 1 year and 3 year bulb warranty? Athough 1 thing comes to mind is that the 3 year bulb warranty only covers 1 bulb replacement I believe. So if it dies early then 2nd bulb is unwarrantied unless you have a second warranty.

What do you use as a HTPC?

I received my unit this week. I've been sorting through this thread just to give myself some assurance I won't have any problem in powering the unit. The boss(wife) doesn't know I have it so I will need to be cautious in getting to use it. This sucks I know.

I am new to all of this projector television talk.

We recently bought a home and the HD7100 came with it. Since we have moved in we have had to replace the lamps twice. The last one is actually being replaced by Optoma. I spoke to a repair person and he said it could be the ballast's need replaced.

Does anyone know where to get replacement balssast's?

Thanks,

Mort_ATO

I am new to all of this projector television talk.

We recently bought a home and the HD7100 came with it. Since we have moved in we have had to replace the lamps twice. The last one is actually being replaced by Optoma. I spoke to a repair person and he said it could be the ballast's need replaced.

Does anyone know where to get replacement balssast's?

Thanks,

Mort_ATO
You will need to go to the manufacturer. If it's under warranty they should replace it or the pj. They should be willing to exchange the projector hopefully. Read this thread about powering up and down. It's important.
To much information to relay unless you read others comments first.

Does anyone start and remove total power from their 7100 each time they use it? If so do you experience bulb misfires if you follow your start up sequence the same?

The reason I ask this is because of mysteries success at his powering sequence.
His pj is always returned to standby and not totally powered off.

Pls. see posts # 875 and 901. No more misfires for me.
Cheers.

I'm thinking about buying this projector since the price has gone down dramatically, but I don't have an upconverting DVD player yet. Does anyone know if this projector does any upconversion of standard DVDs over component cable? Thank you.

Pls. see posts # 875 and 901. No more misfires for me.
Cheers.
Going back at looking at my original post 875 I did not state things as clearly then about my logical sequence.

Putting the projector on is a 2 step process ie powering to stanby and then powering the bulb. Same thing powering down. powering down the bulb(allowing
cooling cycle to finish) then powering down the projector.

Those out there correct me if I'm wrong but powering the PJ to standby,then powering the source, and then then bulb is the correct startup sequence.
Likewise powering down requires letting the bulb go through it's cool down cycle first,then powering down the source or cutting power to both source and pj.

Since the 7100 is in standby with the ac chord attached some people are always starting in that mode and leaving it in standby when not in use,never
cutting power totally to the pj.

I'm thinking about buying this projector since the price has gone down dramatically, but I don't have an upconverting DVD player yet. Does anyone know if this projector does any upconversion of standard DVDs over component cable? Thank you.
The 7100 does not upconvert dvds. I have a Sony dvp s75h upconverting dvd player that does a remarkable job. I feed the dvd player and a DirecTv H20 high def box, each by an HDMI cable, into a Monoprice remote control switch box,. The switch box is hooked into the 7100 by a single HDMI/DVI cable. It works great and was inexpensive.

I'm thinking about buying this projector since the price has gone down dramatically, but I don't have an upconverting DVD player yet. Does anyone know if this projector does any upconversion of standard DVDs over component cable? Thank you.

The HD7100 converts the signal to its native resolution: 1200x720, and it does a pretty good job at it; however, some upconverting players could do better. You can certainly drive the HD7100 with a non upconverting dvd player in 480i or 480p.
In other words, you do not need to buy an upconverting dvd player to enjoy this projector or any digital projector for that matter.

Thank you cowboycurtis and FGM for your replies about my question of upconversion... so it seems like it does some upconversion, but perhaps not as good as an upconverting DVD player.

Hello Everyone,

I'm new to this forum. I have read the entire thread on the HD7100 and can't seem to find an answer to my issue. I used to own the Optoma HD72 and just upgraded to the HD7100 from Costco.ca at $1379 plus taxes. Great bargain!!:) I have the projector ceiling mounted and I am projecting to a Laminate Designer White 110" screen. The picture is stunning, however like someone else mentioned the left top to bottom of the picture is about 4" bigger than the right top to bottom picture. I am using lens shift, but have no keystone corrections at this time. I tried the keystone corrections also, but to no avail. Any help you can lend would be greatly appreciated.

Horizontal keystone means your lens isn't exactly shooting straight to the screen. Left sides bigger, your shooting off to the left.

at <$1,000 now retail price, this seems like kind of a no-brainer for my new HT setup.

This would be my first HD front projector. I'm coming from a 56" DLP Rear projection unit.
With those simplistic facts stated, why shouldn't I pick this unit up for $999?

*edit: from what I've read, the bulbs in these units seem to show a problematic trend. is this a somewhat widespread issue?

mkoss,

I just reverse the startup procedure in order to shut 'er down. I turn the pj off first and then the other components. I always use the remote as opposed to the buttons on the pj and the HD7100 rests in standby mode when it's off. I'd have to unplug it from the outlet to really turn it off and I never do that.

tubaprde,

Don't buy the H79. It will put out a phenomenal image for a short while and then you'll start having bulb issues. Optoma has had a ton of problems with it's H77, H78 and H79 projectors due to premature bulb failure at typically only a few hundred hours. My H78 lasted between 600 and 700 hours before the bulb died and that was with an elaborate cooling system of fans that I rigged up in order to cool it down. Besides, the HD7100 is far, far superior to the H78 that I had and it was a terrific projector other than the bulb problem.

Who knows? You may get lucky but I'd stay away from any of the Optoma H7xx series projectors, especially if it's used.

Wayne
i love posts like this. straight forward "do's and do not's". This is the kind of input that HT newbs need from those in the know.

dhoomdhoom,

Like Tom (Guitarman) said, it's just a simple matter of slightly adjusting your HD7100 so that it's evenly facing your screen. Right now you have it so that the side of the pj opposite the taller image is further away from your screen than the other side of the pj. Just turn your pj a bit towards the larger image side of the screen and you'll even things up.

bagwellfive,

Unfortunately there have been issues with some folks and their HD7100. I'm not one of them but I do feel for them that's for sure. Mainly due to this thread I was keenly aware that I was taking a chance by buying this projector but the descriptions of the sharp short throw lens, well calibrated out of the box images, great contrast ratio and horizontal and vertical image shift seduced me into taking the risk. I'm not sorry I did. Best pj I've owned in the 4.5 years I've been enjoying this hobby and I've owned 5 altogether.

Thanks for what you said about my post. I was once a newbie myself. :) This HD7100 is now cheaper than most flat panel displays and to me is the way to go until the still way too expensive 1080p projectors become as affordable.

What I especially love about the HD7100 is the excellent flesh tones straight out of the box. I had to work REALLY hard with my last projector, the Optoma H78DC3 to get faces right. Foreheads would be red and cheeks pink for instance. Drove me crazy! HD7100? Almost perfect as soon as I saw the first images and although I still calibrated it, very little adjustment was necessary and I could have just done nothing and enjoyed it.

Wayne

@mkoss,
My power up goes like this:
(1) UPS is turned on, this supplies power to the PC and the projector, both in standby mode
(2) PC is turned on, begins to boot, DVI port is active
(3) Projector is turned on, DVI signals are being fed to it already

Power Down Sequence:
(0) PC shutdown begins, emitting DVI signals
(1) The projector is switched off (Power, Enter), still receiving DVI Signals, goes to standby with a loud roar :D for the next few minutes
(2) PC completes shutdown sequence
(3) Projector enters standby, solid blue ring
(4) UPS is powered off

I am thinking of MACK 3yr warranty for two more bulbs, that is all.


I built my HTPC. It has following components if you are interested:

http://www.overclockersclub.com/reviews/giga_69g/
Corsair TWIN2X2048-6400 2GB Kit DDR2-800 XMS2-6400 Xtreme Performance Memory
AMD Opteron 1212 Dual-Core Processor
Microsoft X-Box 2 USB HD-DVD Drive
Twinhan 3250 ATSC Tuner Card

It serves as an up converting DVD player, HD Tuner, and scaler for legacy content.

Guitarman and Mystery,

Sorry for totally newbie question. Simple fix to the distorted image. Muchly appreciated. I will post some pictures once I have the projector up and running well.

Cheers!

No need to apologize. After all, this isn't like turning on a television and putting your feet up. Projectors aren't for everybody. They're a lot of work to set up and maintain but if you're the type of person who can appreciate the end results, it's all well worth it. It all can be kind of intimidating, especially at first. One time recently, I was fretting that something had gone wrong with my lens. The image all of a sudden was murky, blurry and dim. I thought oh no, what now? Turns out I'd forgotten to remove the lens cap!! LOL!! I was no newbie either when this happened. :o

Do post those pictures. I love screenshots! :)

Wayne

Thanks for the words of encouragement Wayne! I too am not a newbie and felt a little silly when I got the simple fix. I owned the HD72 for about a year now and it stopped working at about 700 hours. I loved it while it lasted, but I couldn't pass up the deal on the HD7100. I'll let you know my experiences with it when I have it running.

Thanks again,
Manj

It's a chubby little projector isn't it, gots some heft to it also? As long as you can get some good hours on it which you should. I'm not nervous

It's a nice design change from the boxy look that Optoma has used with several recent models.

Tom, did you paint your walls? What pj are you using these days? 1080p?

Wayne

@mkoss,



I am thinking of MACK 3yr warranty for two more bulbs, that is all.




I've been thinking about this 2. But the lowest price I could find was 179 out of canada which is half the price of a single bulb just missed the breakpoint of 139 for ,1200 by 49 dollars. Have you found anything lower?

It's a nice design change from the boxy look that Optoma has used with several recent models.

Tom, did you paint your walls? What pj are you using these days? 1080p?

Wayne

I have some old timers, a Mits/Optoma HC2000 HD2+ and a DC3 H79, oh a XGA Optoma H56 and a CRT Dwin HD500 :). I like to keep it interesting with changes.

@mkoss,

http://www.newworldvideodirect.com/productdetail.asp?ProductID=1035

@mkoss,

http://www.newworldvideodirect.com/productdetail.asp?ProductID=1035

I pulled the trigger and got the bulb warranty. Now the bulb won't burn out since I have essentially 4 bulb replacements, I hope.:rolleyes:

Ive got my theater up and running. I have a question about my remote set up. I just purchased a Harmony 880 remote and I was wonder what the best set up for the macro function would be. Should I turn the projector on then use the macro to turn on all the other equipment or should I turn everything on at once? I had my first miss fire last night and the projector wouldnt turn off so I had to unplug it. Worked fine when I re started it. Lets hope this does not continue. Ive already burned a bulb out in around 15hrs. I purchased a bulb warranty from visual apex for 99.00 when I purchased the unit. I also bought one on ebay for 150.00. So far the one i purchased on ebay has around 30hrs on and is working fine. I must admit the picture from the hd7100 is amazing for the money.

So I've read a lot about the bulb misfire and people being able to eventually get the projector to work again.

Since last monday, mine died and won't start again. It goes through the sequence people describe here, but never lights up and eventually completely shuts down. I tried everything: having source power up before the projector, or after, unplugging the projector, trying to start it several times in a row.. Luckily enough, it's only 1 week old and I bought it at Costco, so I just ordered a new one. But is it frequent that this model just dies like this, after 4-5 usages?

I don't want to go back to the HD70, this one, for the little price difference, outputs a way better picture. But, I'm very worried about reliability! And I don't want to upgrade to something a few hundreds bucks more expensive either!

This may be a stupid question but did you remove the bulb to check it? Mine did the same thing when the bulb blew. Just remove the side cover and pull the bulb out you will obvious if the bulb is blown.

mkoss did you just buy the warranty . no questions asked . all you did was click it pay 90.00 and thats that ? i tried to buy the bulb warranty from vs appex after i bought the projector and they said i could not because i already bought the projector.

If you went to nwvdirect, they will send you a certificate with the number. You have to call / go online on Mack site and register your warranty. Read their FAQs section...

At VA you have to buy GE Warranties with the projector and not later.

I'll check the bulb tonight then. It's possible I guess, since it won't light up, it's just surprising that the bulb would blow up after maybe 3-4 hours of usage max!

mkoss did you just buy the warranty . no questions asked . all you did was click it pay 90.00 and thats that ? i tried to buy the bulb warranty from vs appex after i bought the projector and they said i could not because i already bought the projector.

I had no problem buying it on line. I also called because I was worried I bought the wrong one and wanted to check about the date of purchase requirement. It needs to be purchased within 30 days of the projector and
registered within another 30 days. I just thought of 1 thing the GE warranty
is listed on my puchase form and hope this is not an issue when registering my
mack warranty.

I didn't see any thing though that excluded other warranties. Did anyone else?

I'm sure this may have been touched on before, but I couldn't find it.

I've had an infocus 4805 for 4 years now. The color wheel is making noise so it's time to upgrade. I've been very happy with it's picture quality, but have vowed that when it came time to upgrade that I wanted to find a much quieter projector.

I've read a couple reviews that describe the 7100 as loud in high lamp mode. Are we talking 4805 type loud? Do most of you use it in high or low lamp mode? I never used my 4805 in high lamp mode because it was like an airplane taking off!

I saw the current deal thats the 7100 is going for and I don't want to miss out on a great opportunity to get what I understand is aan outstanding picture. However, I can use some reassurance regarding the noise before I take the plunge. I know the retailer has a great return policy, but I would prefer to not have to deal with it.

I'm sure this may have been touched on before, but I couldn't find it.

I've had an infocus 4805 for 4 years now. The color wheel is making noise so it's time to upgrade. I've been very happy with it's picture quality, but have vowed that when it came time to upgrade that I wanted to find a much quieter projector.

I've read a couple reviews that describe the 7100 as loud in high lamp mode. Are we talking 4805 type loud? Do most of you use it in high or low lamp mode? I never used my 4805 in high lamp mode because it was like an airplane taking off!

I saw the current deal thats the 7100 is going for and I don't want to miss out on a great opportunity to get what I understand is aan outstanding picture. However, I can use some reassurance regarding the noise before I take the plunge. I know the retailer has a great return policy, but I would prefer to not have to deal with it.

I can't speak for the 4805, but I upgraded from a X1 and the HD7100 is noticebly quieter in low lamp mode which is the only I have ever used in both projectors.
The HD7100 is located on a shelf just above my ears and although I can hear it it I completely forget about it. I do not find its noise, in low lamp mode, distracting. I have never tried the high lamp mode.

I have never tried the high lamp mode.

I'm wondering about these lamp failures that keep cropping up. One piece of the puzzle is whether people are using high or low lamp mode when this occurs when powering up, besides start up sequence . FGM seems to have good luck and uses low lamp mode. I haven't gone back to research geographics and verify this but it seems more failures are occurring in Canada. Their line voltage is the same as US 120vac,60 hz.

Does anyone have a feel for what percent of 7100s develop problems that require a repair? It seems like a significant number based on this thread. However, it might also be that it is mostly owners that have problems with their PJs who are motivated to post about them. It does seem like Optoma has had significant lamp problems with several of their models in the past, also.

Is the HD7300 the same PJ as the HD 7100 minus the seperate Gennum processor?

Glenn

Yes.

How about any HD7300 owners chiming in on how they start up. Seems to me they would start perfectly every time having the scaler on DVI sending the start sequence. Anybody?

How about any HD7300 owners chiming in on how they start up. Seems to me they would start perfectly every time having the scaler on DVI sending the start sequence. Anybody?

I'm very interested in this as well. I can't imagine that it would be a cure for a lamp that won't strike but you never know. I've almost pulled the trigger on a HD7300 about 20 times in the past couple of days but the lamp issues are keeping me at bay.

Moe

Tom,

I don't remember you having any start up problems with the HD7300. As a matter of fact I recall you finding it impossible to sync with the Toshiba HD-A1 HD DVD player unless the HD3000 video processor was positioned in between the HD7100 and the A1.

That sounds like a pretty good endorsement all around to me.

Wayne

How about any HD7300 owners chiming in on how they start up. Seems to me they would start perfectly every time having the scaler on DVI sending the start sequence. Anybody?That's assuming the startup problems are signal/software related and not bulb/hardware related. From what I've read, the startup issues seem to correspond with bulb failures.

Why not use your contacts at Optoma to work on a real fix for the 7100/7300, guitarman?

I can see from pricing that they're basically abandoning these models, which is a shame considering their [working] performance.

I won't say PJ enthusiasts are the most brand-loyal customers, but I think most of us will remember a bad experience and consider it when making the next purchase.

Over the weekend, my projector and HTPC are not getting along. I have an HDMI port on the motherboard. I had a Sony HS51 attached there before I attached the HD7100. So, when I connected the HD7100, everything was fine. On Friday, I decided to add a HDMI switcher to the mix, so from HTPC and a dish receiver, HDMI cables to the PureAV HDMI switcher and from there to the projector. At first, the projector and the HTPC booted up fine, with the switcher in the loop. Then I switched to watch the Dish Network, picture was showing fine. On switching back to port 1, HTPC, things have gone nuts. Now, even after removing the switcher and connecting the projector directly to the PC via DVI to HDMI cable, the projector is not recognized by the HTPC at all.

My guess is that Optoma is not responding to EDID query correctly. I have to boot to another monitor, [which unfortunately does not support 720p] and do a hot swap of the cable for the projector to work with a DVI signal... I am really annoyed!!!

I'm very interested in this as well. I can't imagine that it would be a cure for a lamp that won't strike but you never know. I've almost pulled the trigger on a HD7300 about 20 times in the past couple of days but the lamp issues are keeping me at bay.

Moe

Where would you be buying it from? I still regret my hesitations when Visualapex had the HD7300 combo with 1 year bulb warranty on sale a couple weeks ago which I missed. Now, that was a terrific deal!

Where would you be buying it from? I still regret my hesitations when Visualapex had the HD7300 combo with 1 year bulb warranty on sale a couple weeks ago which I missed. Now, that was a terrific deal!

http://www.dbuys.com/product/?43106&hit_id=10815463&Campaign_id=7&cart_id=19190584

this is the lowest I found. Not as good as visual apex

Where would you be buying it from? I still regret my hesitations when Visualapex had the HD7300 combo with 1 year bulb warranty on sale a couple weeks ago which I missed. Now, that was a terrific deal!

I forgot to mention that based on some research at the forum here, that some members feel that getting the samsung bdp1200 for its scaler may be
a better option since your getting a hi def player as well. Certainly the past visual apex HD7300 offer was great but that is history.

As promised, here are some screenshots of my new projector on my DW screen. I used the PS3 to play the DVD. The pictures haven't been retouched. They are from my Panny LX2 16X9 camera. :) Thanks everyone for their help in making this project possible.

Regards,
Manj

Manj,

Nice screen shots! :) Thanks for doing this.

On my monitor your first shot has a purplish tinge to it. I don't know if it's supposed to be this way or not as I'm not familiar with the scene.

I'm seeing faces that are too red in shots three and four. Again, it could be my monitor but if not you probably need to back off a bit on your red brightness or contrast. If you're not using HDMI then you might be able to turn down the color control a tad to get those flesh tones more natural. Troy does seem to exhibit redder skin tones than other movies so you might be okay but I don't remember them being quite that deep in my setup.

Were you using the Blu-ray version of Troy or standard?

Wayne

Thanks Wayne!

The first one from Moulin Rouge (??spelling) did have a purple tinge to it and the pictures of Troy were with the Blu-ray version. I think it is probably my camera more than the actual image. They seem much more red on my monitor than they did on the actual screen. I have it hooked up via HDMI, so some of the color controls are not adjustable. I'll try tinkering a bit more and see what I come up with.

Cheers,
Manj

I spent quite a bit of time this morning with a tech from VA... there is one other thing left for me to try... that is, per his suggestion, turn on the projector first, select DVI input and then turn on the source, in my case, the HTPC. If that doesn't solve the problem, I don't know what I will do other than return the projector. The image through the VGA port is nothing to write home about.... but the image I saw when DVI feed was working is awesome... makes me want to keep the projector and keep trying to make it work.

Good luck with that. :(

I had the same problem. Everything was working fine through my HTPC and then inexplicably I lost the connection and it would only work through VGA which was way inferior after what I'd seen over DVI. I never did get it back.

I decided that my HD-A2 and BDP1000 Hi Def players were better than TheaterTek with ffdshow so it became a non issue but still there are times when one might like to show photos or a powerpoint presentation.

Wayne

Interesting... that is exactly what happened to me... it went out once I unplugged the DVI/HDMI cable once and never came back after that... that is so strange.

I spent another hour with the tech from VA... we tried several things. He thought it was the cable... I am finding that argument hard to buy, because the same cable and all my other equipment worked with Sony HS51 I had, as well as an LCD monitor I have. It is only Optoma HD7100 that seems to have a problem.

I read Projector Central review of HD7100. He states there that the unit he received had sync issues. Here is an excerpt from the review:

"We actually tested two HD7100s for this review. The first one we received was a pre-production unit that manifested some flakiness in synching with DVI sources. However, the second unit, a production sample, checked out well with no hint of difficulty in recognizing and synching on various sources"

I am wondering if we got one with the sync problem or the problem has come back.

You could always try a different computer or clean your hard drive but that's going to extremes. :) Even then, the situation might not improve.

I've always wondered if buying the DVI Doctor or DVI Detective might help with this problem?

Wayne

Cleaning up the hard drive etc. does not matter. The issue I have is that on power up, handshake between the projector and PC fails, causing the PC to not see the DVI/HDMI device and boot up on VGA port. Once booted up, I can't enable HDMI port in multiple monitor configuration, which really is something I don't want anyway, I don't want to leave the VGA cable hooked up to the PC. Also at this point, driver etc. becomes important.

The only way to get the HDMI output going to the projector is to plug another monitor in, boot up to that and then switch the cables to make the projector active, but even that is flaky, so is a feed from Dishnetwork receiver. Optoma thinks that it might a be a handshake problem.

I'm unclear on this. Is there any evidence that the 7300 has experienced fewer lamp problems than the 7100? If so, is it the scaler that makes the difference since the projectors are the same?

Under $1000 AR now with free shipping.

http://store.proviewdigital.com/HD7100.html

To any HD7300 owners. Is the scaler/processor included exactly the same as the Optoma HD3000 or does it have some features that are disabled? I remember reading somewhere that the included scaler doesn't allow for output of 1080. I'm thinking that it would be nice if I had a 7300 I could just take the processor with me when I upgrade to 1080p if it had this capability. Any thoughts?

Moe

To any HD7300 owners. Is the scaler/processor included exactly the same as the Optoma HD3000 or does it have some features that are disabled? I remember reading somewhere that the included scaler doesn't allow for output of 1080. I'm thinking that it would be nice if I had a 7300 I could just take the processor with me when I upgrade to 1080p if it had this capability. Any thoughts?

Moe

The unit bundled with the 7100 is only 720p Read the HD3000 thread

To any HD7300 owners. Is the scaler/processor included exactly the same as the Optoma HD3000 or does it have some features that are disabled? I remember reading somewhere that the included scaler doesn't allow for output of 1080. I'm thinking that it would be nice if I had a 7300 I could just take the processor with me when I upgrade to 1080p if it had this capability. Any thoughts?

Moe

An HD7300 owner pm'ed me and says the scaler will handle 1080p 60hz and scale it to 720p, image looks excellent. No 1080p to 24hz though. He has no delayed start ups also.

Here's an excerpt from the manual about resolution. Please note near the bottom where it states that the HD3000 will output 1920 x 1080p @ 48/50/60 Hz. Since 48 Hz is a multiple of 24 Hz it's my understanding that this will then handle 24 Hz just fine. Correct me if I'm wrong.

"Establishing Initial Output Resolution
From the factory, the HD3000 is shipped with the default output resolution of 1280x720,
progressive scan, commonly knows as 720p. This is a resolution format commonly supported
by many high definition digital displays.
If your display is not compatible with 720p resolution, the HD3000 offers an easy way to set
the correct output signals that match your display.
Prior to connecting the HD3000 to a display, please determine the resolution capabilities of
your Display.
The following are the resolutions and frequencies the HD3000 can output:
1280x720p 50/60/72 Hz (default 60Hz)
1024x768p 50/60/72 Hz (Native resolution for some 16x9 Plasma TVs)
1280x768p 50/60/72 Hz (Native resolution for LCD TV and plasma TV)
1366x768p 50/60 Hz (Native resolution for 16x9 plasma TV)
1920x1080p 48/50/60 Hz
If possible, select the native resolution of your display as the output resolution of the HD3000."

Wayne

So at $1100, should I consider the HD7300 with the outboard processor a better and safer bet then the HD7100 from another large retailer for $100 less?

Or is the HD7100 known to have better QC?

Thanks.

The HD7100 that I received from VA is recognized by the ATI drivers via VGA port as HD7300. My understanding is that the projectors are identical, but HD7300 adds the scaler to the package.

@bdbaba, just wondering what the basis of the QC question is... did you read somewhere that HD7100 has better QC?

It is possible that they shipped me a projector from HD7300 package, and that is why I am having sync issues on DVI port.

Optoma is sending me a brand new PJ... VA refused to take the broken one back, even though I was within the 15 day return period when I called.

If anyone is interested in buying the brand new one that Optoma sends me, please PM me.

The HD7100 that I received from VA is recognized by the ATI drivers via VGA port as HD7300. My understanding is that the projectors are identical, but HD7300 adds the scaler to the package.

@bdbaba, just wondering what the basis of the QC question is... did you read somewhere that HD7100 has better QC?

It is possible that they shipped me a projector from HD7300 package, and that is why I am having sync issues on DVI port.

Optoma is sending me a brand new PJ... VA refused to take the broken one back, even though I was within the 15 day return period when I called.

If anyone is interested in buying the brand new one that Optoma sends me, please PM me.

Hey G,

Sent you a PM.

Anyone that has one of these or that has seen both have any opinions?

thanks,

bdbaba

I spent quite a bit of time this morning with a tech from VA... there is one other thing left for me to try... that is, per his suggestion, turn on the projector first, select DVI input and then turn on the source, in my case, the HTPC. If that doesn't solve the problem, I don't know what I will do other than return the projector. The image through the VGA port is nothing to write home about.... but the image I saw when DVI feed was working is awesome... makes me want to keep the projector and keep trying to make it work.

Let me understand your problem. Prior to placing the HDMI switcher in the loop to pick up both your HTPC and your satellite box you had no problem viewing either device. After removing it, will not recognize either if connected unless you play connection games as you described previously. I'm wondering whether there
was a hardware failure or degraded input caused by the HDMI switcher. If you get the new projector I would not use the switcher unless your adventuresome is seeing if you get a repetition of the problem. It would be interesting to know the internals of the switcher.

Hi Again,

Don't mean to sidetrack, but I've been tinkering with the projector and have some new screenshots to share. These are on the PS3 using standard definition DVDs. These really show off the black levels that can be achieved with this projector. So far, no problems with my PJ....kind of worried as I read more posts on this forum regarding the HD7100 bulb and recognizing input issues. I'll keep my fingers crossed and enjoy it while it is still functioning and providing me with many hours of great movie watching!

I'm thinking of buying the HD7300 just for the scaler. Anybody interested in a HD7100 for a price $100 lower than that big famous warehouse store that rhymes with lostco. PM me.

Moe

Hi Again,

Don't mean to sidetrack, but I've been tinkering with the projector and have some new screenshots to share. These are on the PS3 using standard definition DVDs. These really show off the black levels that can be achieved with this projector. So far, no problems with my PJ....kind of worried as I read more posts on this forum regarding the HD7100 bulb and recognizing input issues. I'll keep my fingers crossed and enjoy it while it is still functioning and providing me with many hours of great movie watching!

Nice pictures. What are you using as your source?

http://www.dbuys.com/product/?43106&hit_id=10815463&Campaign_id=7&cart_id=19190584

this is the lowest I found. Not as good as visual apex

Newegg has it $200 cheaper and includes a replacement lamp.
(sorry, cannot post a link yet)

Newegg has it $200 cheaper and includes a replacement lamp.
(sorry, cannot post a link yet)

This is for the HD7300

This is for the HD7300
with a free lamp

(post #3)

http://www.dbuys.com/product/?43106&hit_id=10815463&Campaign_id=7&cart_id=19190584

this is the lowest I found. Not as good as visual apex

OK, now I can post a link... Newegg has the HD7300 for $200 less than dbuys and it includes a free lamp. Mine just arrived today.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824219047

OK, now I can post a link... Newegg has the HD7300 for $200 less than dbuys and it includes a free lamp. Mine just arrived today.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824219047

I see that they have one with the scaler for the same price, and one with a free lamp for the same price. Does the one with the free lamp actually have the scaler included as well?

stevereis,

You have a PM. Thanks.

bdbaba

I see that they have one with the scaler for the same price, and one with a free lamp for the same price. Does the one with the free lamp actually have the scaler included as well?
Just to confirm for everyone, that link (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824219047) is for the HD7300 (HD7100 PJ + HD3000 scaler + extra lamp:BLFP250A). I actually ordered from this link (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16889219002) with the HD7300 only listed , but mine arrived today and I confirm all items, including the extra lamp are there.

Are these boxed as usual?
I mean it comes in sealed optoma box?

So you should get a free lamp with both links, right ?

stevereis, let us know if find the projector noisy and if the pixel structure and rainbows are noticeable.

Here's a review of 7100 from Jason.
http://www.avscience.com/reviews/projector_optoma_hd7100.htm

Are these boxed as usual?
I mean it comes in sealed optoma box?
Not sure what "usual" is but yes, the PJ and scaler came in a big Optoma box. There were separate boxes for each inside this bigger box.
The lamp came in a separate box.
I got some PMs on this so I'll try to post pics so I don't have to keep answering this.


So you should get a free lamp with both links, right ?

let us know if find the projector noisy and if the pixel structure and rainbows are noticeable.

Yes, it appears you get the lamp either way. It's a specially labeled lamp box with the promo designation.
The image looked good but was sub-optimal as it was thrown up on a textured wall so I could check things out. The noise was a little loud to me at first but I found I could tune it out while watching a show.

For those that have asked for clarification, here are pictures of what I got.

#1 shows the big Optoma box for the HD7300 - this was shipped as you see, with the packing list attached
#2 shows the separate PJ and scaler boxes that were inside #1. There was also an HDMI-to-DVI cable inside #1.
#3 is the lamp - this was shipped in a separate box w/ lots of packing peanuts

QUESTION: which UPC do I use for the $200 rebate?

Nice pictures. What are you using as your source?

Thanks, I'm using my PS3 as my DVD player; it upconverts to 720p. I tried using my phillips standard 480p player, but it didn't produce as nice a picture as the upconverting PS3. Just as I was posting the pictures last night, my AV receiver blew up....literally fire and smoke came out of it. I turned everything off and will be returning it to the store I bought it from. So no more movie watching for a while...:mad::(

i just purchased this combo last night. i think the difference in the 3 for 1 offer is newegg doesnt offer their own warranty w it. manuf warranty only

lear

Thanks, I'm using my PS3 as my DVD player; it upconverts to 720p. I tried using my phillips standard 480p player, but it didn't produce as nice a picture as the upconverting PS3. Just as I was posting the pictures last night, my AV receiver blew up....literally fire and smoke came out of it. I turned everything off and will be returning it to the store I bought it from. So no more movie watching for a while...:mad::(

What make was it, if your allowed to say, so we can avoid the same outcome?
I went crazy last night after the newegg link and pulled the trigger on the 7300
even though I have the 7100 I just purchased. I was toying between the blue
ray Samsung,Toshiba and the PS3 for upscaling and decided there may be varying interface problems to the DVI input that can be avoided by using the
scaler in between since it is made for it. Since a bulb is worth 500, and a separate scaler is easily 1000 I decided I was getting the projector as a bonus,
which I may sell or keep. Also since the rebate is for the 7300 and not the 7100 I can get that as well, I hope.:D

i just purchased this combo last night. i think the difference in the 3 for 1 offer is newegg doesnt offer their own warranty w it. manuf warranty only

lear

So did you use the link that says free bulb, or the other one? And are you sure that the link with the free bulb actually includes the scaler?

So did you use the link that says free bulb, or the other one? And are you sure that the link with the free bulb actually includes the scaler?

My purchase order specifically calls out HD7300+BLFP250A Lamp. HD7300 is a combo of HD7100 + HD3000

My purchase order specifically calls out HD7300+BLFP250A Lamp. HD7300 is a combo of HD7100 + HD3000

So you used the free lamp link, right?

Just to be clear, it actually says on your purchase order email that it comes with the scaler?

Thanks again. I can still cancel the other order, which I will do just to be sure, even the the OP got the whole shebang with the link I used. I also guess he gets the 30 day return policy as well.

Thanks!

I used the link listed in post 984

I used the link listed in post 984

Thanks mkoss! Good luck with the purchase.

bdbaba

What make was it, if your allowed to say, so we can avoid the same outcome?
I went crazy last night after the newegg link and pulled the trigger on the 7300
even though I have the 7100 I just purchased. I was toying between the blue
ray Samsung,Toshiba and the PS3 for upscaling and decided there may be varying interface problems to the DVI input that can be avoided by using the
scaler in between since it is made for it. Since a bulb is worth 500, and a separate scaler is easily 1000 I decided I was getting the projector as a bonus,
which I may sell or keep. Also since the rebate is for the 7300 and not the 7100 I can get that as well, I hope.:D

mkoss, it was an HK AVR 245. I don't think this is a common problem with them, as I didn't see any bad reviews on the net. I was very happy with it; especially bang for the buck! Good luck with your HD7300 purchase. Cheers!