Wolfie, you have to clarify, some folks might think your Sanyo Z3 pj needs a new transmission :)

All,

I most interested in upgrading my PJ. Is there anywhere I can see a Pearl in action in or around 17601?
Thanks Dave

SOWK, I am looking forward to review and comments when you get your Pearl. The Pearl is currently at the top of my list, but the possible color uniformity problems have me concerned.

I was planning on getting a pearl and matching it with a 16x9 120'' 1.2 gain SMX Soundscreen. From my Calculations and the recent review of the unit, at:

700 Lumens = 20.9 FtL
580 Lumens = 17.3 FtL

Is this correct? I understand this is with a new bulb, but for the $300 price of a new one I figure I can replace it every year until I buy a new PJ so that is not an issue.

This is all asuming my calculations are correct ofcoarse.

Wow, if these numbers are accurate the Pearl is much brighter than my H79. It sounds like if I am happy with the brightness of my H79 on my ST130 120" diag screen, the pearl will be an improvement in the brightness (in additon to other areas).

Time to get back on the Pearl bandwagon :)

I have a torus screen that is 96x54 with a vultec 3.0 pearlbrite screen
can this be used with the pearl?
John

I was reassured twice that my calculations were correct. I dont understand why people are saying they wouldn't go above 106'' with the pearl, when you can go 120'' and get 20FtL on a 1.2 gain screen.

These same people are saying the optoma looked great on 170'' screen, but if it was calibrated and only putting out 800/900 Lumens then you are only getting about 11.9/13.4 FtL?

With the pearl at minimum throw {700 Lumens} you could get 15.4 FtL on a 1.2 gain 140'' Screen.

I was reassured twice that my calculations were correct. I dont understand why people are saying they wouldn't go above 106'' with the pearl, when you can go 120'' and get 20FtL on a 1.2 gain screen.

These same people are saying the optoma looked great on 170'' screen, but if it was calibrated and only putting out 800/900 Lumens then you are only getting about 11.9/13.4 FtL?

With the pearl at minimum throw {700 Lumens} you could get 15.4 FtL on a 1.2 gain 140'' Screen.

I think that with 20 ftL you have little 'headroom' when the lamp dims, as they all seem to do rather quickly, down to half their original brightness. (I'm sure plenty of you will correct me on this, but this is the rule of thumb that I hear most consistently!) So it would be best if you could start out with twice that value; you can always use the iris to reduce the brightness initially if it too much.

But everybody seems to have a very personal take on brightness (Tryg isn't happy with anything less than 30 ftL, etc.), so you of course have to decide this for yourself.

What do you guys think of the Pearl on a 106" Da-Lite HCCV screen at just about minimum throw (about 11')? Is that not going to look good?

Just in case people missed this post!

Everyone I get the Projector WED, as long as FED-EX leaves it, I will be at work.

1. I will check 1080i 60 (HD-DVD) input if it does proper 1080p 24
2. I will check for any color uniformity problems
3. I will check for any VBing
4. I will check absolute black levels compaired to a Tweaked 51A
5. I will check for 1:1 Pixel Mapping through VGA and HDMI
6. I will check for any Panel Driver issues


-SOWK

What do you guys think of the Pearl on a 106" Da-Lite HCCV screen at just about minimum throw (about 11')? Is that not going to look good?


I'd think it will look great. But maybe that's just wishful thinking from a fellow 106" screen owner. :) Mine is a high-power, and I also plan on projecting from close to the minimum throw distance.

Just in case people missed this post!

Everyone I get the Projector WED, as long as FED-EX leaves it, I will be at work.

1. I will check 1080i 60 (HD-DVD) input if it does proper 1080p 24
2. I will check for any color uniformity problems
3. I will check for any VBing
4. I will check absolute black levels compaired to a Tweaked 51A
5. I will check for 1:1 Pixel Mapping through VGA and HDMI
6. I will check for any Panel Driver issues


-SOWK


That would be awesome! Hey, if it's not too much trouble, could you snap some high resolution photos of your tests (where appropriate) and post them somewhere where we can view them in full rez?

Just in case people missed this post!

Everyone I get the Projector WED, as long as FED-EX leaves it, I will be at work.

1. I will check 1080i 60 (HD-DVD) input if it does proper 1080p 24
2. I will check for any color uniformity problems
3. I will check for any VBing
4. I will check absolute black levels compaired to a Tweaked 51A
5. I will check for 1:1 Pixel Mapping through VGA and HDMI
6. I will check for any Panel Driver issues


-SOWK

If possible add to the list panels convergence.

Thanks

I'd think it will look great. But maybe that's just wishful thinking from a fellow 106" screen owner. :) Mine is a high-power, and I also plan on projecting from close to the minimum throw distance.

You should be in great shape, especially if you can mount the pj not much about your head height. Let us hear how it goes!

So I guess there is No way in the world the Pearl can handle a 12' wide 2.35:1 screen with a 1.2 gain in a light controlled room. I guess some of these manufactures build these PJs for 100" screens. I was hoping to replace my Optoma H-79, I guess the JVC or the HD-81 is my next option?

Ruben
Does the H79 work for you on that screen? If it does then the Pearl may since based on the Cine4Home preview # they have similar light output.

For a lot of people 700 lumens is not enough for a 12' wide 2.35 screen!

I am currently using the sony HS10 with a 100" firehawk screen (1.3 gain in a light controlled theater room) and I am thinking about upgrading to the Sony Pearl. My question for those that have seen both the HS10 & Pearl is will I see a major improvement? I am looking for the wow factor with bright color pop over the HS10 not just some improvements in contast etc. To justify the $5000.00 msp upgrade price I need the wife to walk in the Room and say Wow that's amazing what did you do? So what do you guys think?
Thanks for your help - Rob:)

Hey Guys,

Sorry if I missed the info on the Pearls throw...I've got a 133" high-power and I was wondering if the Pearl will fit that size screen from a 17-18 foot throw distance?

Thanks in advance,
Ken

If possible add to the list panels convergence.

Thanks

Yes, I will!

SO...

1. I will check 1080i 60 (HD-DVD) input if it does proper 1080p 24
2. I will check for any color uniformity problems
3. I will check for any VBing
4. I will check absolute black levels compaired to a Tweaked 51A
5. I will check for 1:1 Pixel Mapping through VGA and HDMI
6. I will check for any Panel Driver issues
7. I will check for Panel Convergence

I'm running 2 HDMI cables, 1 component, and 1 S-Video. The HDMI's are for HD-DVD and Blu-Ray players, component is for all-region PAL/NTSC Denon 2900 player and the S-Video is for my on-screen display for my Outlaw pre-amp. Plus of course you need your power cable. I didn't want to use any switchers.
John,

Thanks for the input. I have purchased all the cables (50 feet each) and will fish them for the projector.

I was reassured twice that my calculations were correct. I dont understand why people are saying they wouldn't go above 106'' with the pearl, when you can go 120'' and get 20FtL on a 1.2 gain screen.

These same people are saying the optoma looked great on 170'' screen, but if it was calibrated and only putting out 800/900 Lumens then you are only getting about 11.9/13.4 FtL?

With the pearl at minimum throw {700 Lumens} you could get 15.4 FtL on a 1.2 gain 140'' Screen.

Because:
(1) we still want a vibrant image when the lamp dims and 50% is the conservative rule of thumb.
(2) we prefer a brighter image

Since the Optoma performed so well on a size that most people can't fit into their theaters, it gives us confidence that it will have plenty of brightness for smaller screens (smaller still being well over 120").

What do you guys think of the Pearl on a 106" Da-Lite HCCV screen at just about minimum throw (about 11')? Is that not going to look good?

I felt the CEDIA demo was a bit dim on a 100" 1.1 gain gray-base screen (same as HCCV) with a new lamp. I would go with High Power for 106".

Yes, I will!

SO...

1. I will check 1080i 60 (HD-DVD) input if it does proper 1080p 24
2. I will check for any color uniformity problems
3. I will check for any VBing
4. I will check absolute black levels compaired to a Tweaked 51A
5. I will check for 1:1 Pixel Mapping through VGA and HDMI
6. I will check for any Panel Driver issues
7. I will check for Panel Convergence

I'm not sure what #6 is, but if it doesn't include dead/stuck pixels you should add that too.

If you feel ambitious, I'd also like to know if it can 1:1 map 720p using only part of the panels and, if yes, is it possible to shift the image vertically.

Yes, I will!

SO...

1. I will check 1080i 60 (HD-DVD) input if it does proper 1080p 24
2. I will check for any color uniformity problems
3. I will check for any VBing
4. I will check absolute black levels compaired to a Tweaked 51A
5. I will check for 1:1 Pixel Mapping through VGA and HDMI
6. I will check for any Panel Driver issues
7. I will check for Panel Convergence

Just out of curiosity, do you have HD-DVD Test patterns that you can run through your HD-DVD player to ensure that Inverse Telecine is being applied appropriately, creating true 1080p frames?

If not, how will you test this?

Yes, I will!

SO...

1. I will check 1080i 60 (HD-DVD) input if it does proper 1080p 24
2. I will check for any color uniformity problems
3. I will check for any VBing
4. I will check absolute black levels compaired to a Tweaked 51A
5. I will check for 1:1 Pixel Mapping through VGA and HDMI
6. I will check for any Panel Driver issues
7. I will check for Panel Convergence

Another one if you don't mind, Chromatic aberration from the lens if you know how to detect them.

Thanks!

Is there a reason not to use a switcher?


Have i missed something the Pearl only has vertical lens shift.I would prefer when i upgrade to have the lens shift my ae900u has.Sure makes life easier/BUDDA

Have i missed something the Pearl only has vertical lens shift.It has also horizontal lens shift but it has to be adjusted with a screw driver. This feature must have been implemented in purpose to make the transition from crt to digital a little easier. :p

I felt the CEDIA demo was a bit dim on a 100" 1.1 gain gray-base screen (same as HCCV) with a new lamp. I would go with High Power for 106".

Wouldn't a screen with some solid gain like a Graywolf at 1.8 gain be good with the Pearl too? Of course we are looking at the quoted size of 106".
:confused:

Just in case people missed this post!

Everyone I get the Projector WED, as long as FED-EX leaves it, I will be at work.

1. I will check 1080i 60 (HD-DVD) input if it does proper 1080p 24
2. I will check for any color uniformity problems
3. I will check for any VBing
4. I will check absolute black levels compaired to a Tweaked 51A
5. I will check for 1:1 Pixel Mapping through VGA and HDMI
6. I will check for any Panel Driver issues


-SOWK

2. No problems on my unit
3. None. On pans there is some distortion, but I do not believe this is the projector.
4. I owned the HS51A before the Ruby and there is no comparison for black level using auto iris. I do not currently own the HS51A though.

Wouldn't a screen with some solid gain like a Graywolf at 1.8 gain be good with the Pearl too? Of course we are looking at the quoted size of 106".
:confused:

Only problem with the GW is the 'texture' of the screen that many people have commented on. I had a GW and did indeed like it; I didn't notice the 'texture' as first, but began to later (it was my first FP experience). I liked the combination of gain with a gray screen. The HP, on the other hand, has been noted to have an extremely artifact-free screen, no 'texture', no hotspotting, etc.; sounds very good for 1080p.

I'm not sure what #6 is, but if it doesn't include dead/stuck pixels you should add that too.

If you feel ambitious, I'd also like to know if it can 1:1 map 720p using only part of the panels and, if yes, is it possible to shift the image vertically.


Once round one of testing is complete, I will

1. check for 1:1 mapping of 720 or full streach only. And The ability to move the image with in the panel
2. check for CA

2. No problems on my unit
3. None. On pans there is some distortion, but I do not believe this is the projector.
4. I owned the HS51A before the Ruby and there is no comparison for black level using auto iris. I do not currently own the HS51A though.


With Number 4...

In favor of the Pearl or Sony HS51A?

Does the Pearl have the service menu IRIS tweaks like the Ruby?

Shawn

:confused: I can't decide weather or not to go with a FP like the Pearl of RPTV like 70xbr2.
How well does the Pearl handle ambient light. I cant control light very well during the daytime.
I have a 13ft throw distance. will I be able to do a 100' screen or stay at 92'?

:confused: I can't decide weather or not to go with a FP like the Pearl of RPTV like 70xbr2.
How well does the Pearl handle ambient light. I cant control light very well during the daytime.
I have a 13ft throw distance. will I be able to do a 100' screen or stay at 92'?

If you want to have the highest quality image during the day and you don't have excellent light control, front projection is seldom the best choice.

For me, I've got good but not perfect light control and still don't like to watch anything on the projector when it's daylight out.

I had a chance to see this new PJ.

I was not entirely impressed.:( For whatever reason, it looked washed out.

In one of the demo section, it looked much better. Without question their choice of source material was less than ideal. The proof to me that there was a source material issue was that at least some materal that looked a lot better. Still not even close to beautiful.

I pulled aside the Sony rep to ask him why the colors looked washed out. He said that the PJ setting were "optimized" for both a dark and light room conditions. I suppose he should know.

I tried to have him apply a percentage of how close the Pearl was to the Ruby. After thinking about it, he said "very close". I said, "pull a percentage out of your head". He said 98% of the Ruby.

I saw it on Thursday. I asked the opinion of another person next to me and asked if it was just me or were the colors all washed out. He agreed. Potentially it was fixed later in the show.

Did anyone else see this "washedout" colors??? SOmething must have been wrong with the settings or source material because the picture was not acceptable to my eye. The Sony guy agreed as he blamed it on the settings. That very well may be true especially if it really is 98% of the Ruby.I saw it on day 2 of CEDIA and when I saw it again the next day wondered if they had changed the bulb because it looked brighter to me. They said they hadn't done that or changed the setting of the bulb.

What was really clear was going around looking at all those new SXRD RPTVs and Bravia LCD panel sets and then immediately stepping into the Pearl demo theater made it look pretty dim. Once I stook there for a while and adjusted, things improved. I think this would be the same for just about any pj except 3 chip DLP or other light cannon behemoths.

Dan

If you want to have the highest quality image during the day and you don't have excellent light control, front projection is seldom the best choice.

For me, I've got good but not perfect light control and still don't like to watch anything on the projector when it's daylight out.
Aren't there special screen materials that can be used to enhance daytime viewing? If so, do they compromise night time viewing?

dc

That's why it's probably good advice (from many) to use a HighPower screen with the Pearl. If I decide to go with a Pearl, it's certainly what I will do. Even with a 120" screen, if one can set the pj up ideally for the HP (just above and behind your heads--also makes for a short throw and most brightness from the Pearl), one should have a very striking picture. At least that's what I am hoping.

PS If the pj does deliver 700 lumens, the above set-up would yield ~47 ftL. And the HP does help with modest levels of ambient light (esp from the sides).

Do these HP screans help that much with ambent light? Why would you NOT want a HighPower screen?

HP is short for HiPower by Dalite . I have owned two of them and with my lowley Sony HS-10 mounted just above the viewers the picture is more than bright enough. Johnathan

Do these HP screans help that much with ambent light? Why would you NOT want a HighPower screen?

Because they require the projector to be mounted in a very specific way to take advantage of the benefits that the screen offers. Many people (including me) cannot mount the pj in this position. Also, it has a narrow viewing cone, that may not work well for certain setups.

Rob has it right on (as usual!). You need to mount the pj in the right location, and the viewers need to be not much beyond the left and right edges of the screen.

Give me some opinions guys....I am trying to decide between a high power screen and a ST130 for the Pearl. My screen size will be 92" diag in a fully light controlled room. With my viewing angles, I will get aprox 1.8 gain at my main view position with the HP and aprox 1.3 at the worst spot on the couch. Obviously the ST130 would be 1.3 at all spots on the couch.

Pearl will be mounted at 11.5 feet which is closer to the min throw of 9' while the max throw is 16', so it is toward the brighter end of the throw.

What ftL can I expect at my main view position (1.8 gain) with the HP and would this be too bright considering my small screen?

What ftL can I expect with the ST 130?

I am stuggling on which screen to get if I end up going with this unit.

By the way, I have a 900 Panny right now with a .95 Severtsen HC grey screen that has been compared verry favorable to the firehawk and I find the image a bit dim for my taste and want a bit more punch, but dont want to overdo either.


What to do....

Give me some opinions guys....I am trying to decide between a high power screen and a ST130 for the Pearl. My screen size will be 92" diag in a fully light controlled room. With my viewing angles, I will get aprox 1.8 gain at my main view position with the HP and aprox 1.3 at the worst spot on the couch. Obviously the ST130 would be 1.3 at all spots on the couch.

Pearl will be mounted at 11.5 feet which is closer to the min throw of 9' while the max throw is 16', so it is toward the brighter end of the throw.

What ftL can I expect at my main view position (1.8 gain) with the HP and would this be too bright considering my small screen?

What ftL can I expect with the ST 130?

I am stuggling on which screen to get if I end up going with this unit.

By the way, I have a 900 Panny right now with a .95 Severtsen HC grey screen that has been compared verry favorable to the firehawk and I find the image a bit dim for my taste and want a bit more punch, but dont want to overdo either.


What to do....

I believe the equation for calculating ft-L is:

(Lumens x Screen gain)/area of screen in sq. ft.

If I get the Pearl, I'm going to pair it with a Carada Brilliant White 92 inch diagonal screen, with the pearl mounted near max throw. Based on the calculations I did shortly after the Cine4Home measurements, I think it will work out fine. The Carada BW screen has an advertised gain of 1.4, but in reality is closer to 1.2

I like my black levels dark, as long as the image is bright enough. My opinion is that you'll be fine on the ST130.

Give me some opinions guys....I am trying to decide between a high power screen and a ST130 for the Pearl. My screen size will be 92" diag in a fully light controlled room. With my viewing angles, I will get aprox 1.8 gain at my main view position with the HP and aprox 1.3 at the worst spot on the couch. Obviously the ST130 would be 1.3 at all spots on the couch.

Pearl will be mounted at 11.5 feet which is closer to the min throw of 9' while the max throw is 16', so it is toward the brighter end of the throw.

What ftL can I expect at my main view position (1.8 gain) with the HP and would this be too bright considering my small screen?

What ftL can I expect with the ST 130?

I am stuggling on which screen to get if I end up going with this unit.

By the way, I have a 900 Panny right now with a .95 Severtsen HC grey screen that has been compared verry favorable to the firehawk and I find the image a bit dim for my taste and want a bit more punch, but dont want to overdo either.


What to do....


I will let someone else do the ftL calculations, but based on that screen size and being at the short range of throw, I would certainly think that you would be fine with the ST 130, and I would personally go with that screen.

Give me some opinions guys....I am trying to decide between a high power screen and a ST130 for the Pearl. My screen size will be 92" diag in a fully light controlled room. With my viewing angles, I will get aprox 1.8 gain at my main view position with the HP and aprox 1.3 at the worst spot on the couch. Obviously the ST130 would be 1.3 at all spots on the couch.

Pearl will be mounted at 11.5 feet which is closer to the min throw of 9' while the max throw is 16', so it is toward the brighter end of the throw.

What ftL can I expect at my main view position (1.8 gain) with the HP and would this be too bright considering my small screen?

What ftL can I expect with the ST 130?

I am stuggling on which screen to get if I end up going with this unit.

By the way, I have a 900 Panny right now with a .95 Severtsen HC grey screen that has been compared verry favorable to the firehawk and I find the image a bit dim for my taste and want a bit more punch, but dont want to overdo either.


What to do....

A 92" diag screen is rather small, 25.1 ft^2, so if the Pearl produces 700 lumens, the HP (with 1.8 gain location) yields 50 ftL, and the ST130 36 ftL. So I again with Rob, the ST130 should be plenty bright. I think it is only the 120" diag screens (42.7 ft^2) , etc., that really need the HP.

:confused: Is a shorter throw distance what you want for a brighter picture? I am just trying to understand the process of how to choose a screen, what size and how to understand if my room will work.
I was at a nice Home theater store and the rep said at a 13-14 foot throw distance he would not recommend a bigger screen size than 92'.
Does this make sence?
Bigger is better? Right??? LOL

I believe the equation for calculating ft-L is:

(Lumens x Screen gain)/area of screen in sq. ft.

If I get the Pearl, I'm going to pair it with a Carada Brilliant White 92 inch diagonal screen, with the pearl mounted near max throw. Based on the calculations I did shortly after the Cine4Home measurements, I think it will work out fine. The Carada BW screen has an advertised gain of 1.4, but in reality is closer to 1.2

I like my black levels dark, as long as the image is bright enough. My opinion is that you'll be fine on the ST130.


I'm deciding between the Carada classic white and BW white 88'' diagnoal screen..if the throw distance is close to min do you think I should get classic white instead? Thanks.

:confused: Is a shorter throw distance what you want for a brighter picture? I am just trying to understand the process of how to choose a screen, what size and how to understand if my room will work.
I was at a nice Home theater store and the rep said at a 13-14 foot throw distance he would not recommend a bigger screen size than 92'.
Does this make sence?
Bigger is better? Right??? LOL

With the Pearl, yes, closer is brighter. You need to read this thread more to anwer some of your questions. Remember, foot-Lumens == ftL = (projector lumens)x(screen gain)/(screen area, in ft^2). And you probably want to have ~20 ftL minimum, and more would be better.

I believe the equation for calculating ft-L is:

(Lumens x Screen gain)/area of screen in sq. ft.

If I get the Pearl, I'm going to pair it with a Carada Brilliant White 92 inch diagonal screen, with the pearl mounted near max throw. Based on the calculations I did shortly after the Cine4Home measurements, I think it will work out fine. The Carada BW screen has an advertised gain of 1.4, but in reality is closer to 1.2

I like my black levels dark, as long as the image is bright enough. My opinion is that you'll be fine on the ST130.

The Carada is an excellent choice for the Pearl.

I'm deciding between the Carada classic white and BW white 88'' diagnoal screen..if the throw distance is close to min do you think I should get classic white instead? Thanks.

My personal opinion is that I would stay away from the classic white. It is a very thin screen that lets a lot of light through, meaning less light gets reflected back to you. A review on projector central measured the gain on that screen at an extremely low .65; to be honest, I doubt the accuracy of that review. But even so, it is clear to see in screen shots that the gain is low, and probably less than one. If the BW has a real gain of 1.2, the classic white is well below that.

The classic white is a good match for projectors with poor black levels and plenty of brightness -- not Pearl.

These are the reasons that I am getting the Brilliant White instead. The Brilliant White is just a tad dimmer than the ST130 in real world tests and has comparable color accuracy.

Would the Vutec SilverStar be a good match for the Pearl? I can't decide between that screen or the Carada BW.

Holy buckets people!!!! :eek:


Can we get back on topic for the Pearl. Not just screens. I'm sure there is an entire 20 pages about this in the ruby thread. It should read the same.

But good news is that I get mine today (I flipin better)

And I will have answers to the questions posted tonight.

-SOWK

Would the Vutec SilverStar be a good match for the Pearl? I can't decide between that screen or the Carada BW.
Hi, you just beat to asking this question!

I wanted to know how well a Vutec Silverstar (6.0 gain), 100" or 110", with the projector ceiling mounted 4-4.5M away from the screen in a NON-light controlled room would work?

After reading Tryg's ( I hope I got that right?) excellent thread on screens, including the silverstar, it looks like the way to go for me.

I don't think there are ANY retailers with these units on show in Australia, so it's pretty much a case of having to buy sight-unseen.

i think with a little careful planning i can lick the verticle placement restrictions, but now I'm concerned about these color uniformity issues.
I haven't been following the Ruby threads, so I was unaware of this or to what extent it is a problem.

what is the skinny on this- is it primarily a Sony/SXRD issue or is it inherent to LCoS?
Does it usually mainifest over a long time or is it visible right out of the box?
Is it a degenerative problem or is it stable?
and last- is this something that will be considered 'in spec'?
I'm glad I'm looking to get this from AVS as hopefully they will have some clout to get this rectified if it indeed proves to be a problem with a significant % of new projectors.

I haven't been following the Ruby threads, so I was unaware of this or to what extent it is a problem.

From what I have read in other threads, this is apparently not a problem with the Ruby, but rather with the RPTV's. Aren't the panels in Pearl the same as those in the Ruby? I would think that if the Ruby is free of color uniformity problems, so would the Pearl.

According to cine4home reviews the ruby is affected by shading(color uniformity problems) and misconvergences.
in the review of the Pearl(sample) shading and misconvergences were non existant.
It's quite annoying to read those first reports on AVS(color uniformity problems).
phil;quite impatient to read SOWK review ;)

I say it was the guys camera, and eyes!'

The shots he posted on the site are compressed majorly. They are like 16 bit color, and don't show me anything, that a poor capture wouldn't show.

If you are reading this post the unaltered uncompressed image of the white background

It's quite annoying to read those first reports on AVS(color uniformity problems).Please keep posting all problems regarding the Pearl so I can convince myself in getting the cheaper HC5000 and save some money! ;)

philfrance
What constitutes an actual real life problem is a very subjective. One Ruby is not a valid statistical sample. We know shading can vary and that some people offer shading services.

If anyone is very much concerned about any quality detail I suggest they buy from a dealer that is ready to help and perhaps does not have the rock bottom price of the product.

Please keep posting all problems regarding the Pearl so I can convince myself in getting the cheaper HC5000 and save some money! ;)
;)
Pearl is my first choice too
actually it's not a problem.We're all waiting reports
phil

Please keep posting all problems regarding the Pearl so I can convince myself in getting the cheaper HC5000 and save some money! ;)

No - Not cool man... :( I really don't want to be unhappy with my $$$ Pearl.

But it looks like I have a little people interested in my first mini review!

1. I will check for 1080i 60 (HD-DVD) input if it does proper 1080p 24
2. I will check for any color uniformity problems
3. I will check for any VBing
4. I will check for absolute black levels compared to a Tweaked 51A
5. I will check for 1:1 Pixel Mapping through VGA and HDMI
6. I will check for any Panel Driver issues
7. I will check for Panel Convergence
8. I will check for Dead Pixels (Better not be there)
9. I will check for 1080i 60 (video/test patterns) input if it does proper 1080p Per Pixel - or just Bob's

I don't have the hardware for HD Diagonal Deinterlacing so I can't check for that.

If someone want to give me a free DVDO VP50 I'll check that out too! lol



Review... LATER TONIGHT! WOO HOO

philfrance
What constitutes an actual real life problem is a very subjective. One Ruby is not a valid statistical sample. We know shading can vary and that some people offer shading services.

If anyone is very much concerned about any quality detail I suggest they buy from a dealer that is ready to help and perhaps does not have the rock bottom price of the product.
Ohlson;
projectors are not a real life problem for me ;)
But you're comments are right; I agree with you
regards
phil

I am currently using the sony HS10 with a 100" firehawk screen (1.3 gain in a light controlled theater room) and I am thinking about upgrading to the Sony Pearl. My question for those that have seen both the HS10 & Pearl is will I see a major improvement? I am looking for the wow factor with bright color pop over the HS10 not just some improvements in contast etc. To justify the $5000.00 msp upgrade price I need the wife to walk in the Room and say Wow that's amazing what did you do? So what do you guys think?
Thanks for your help - Rob:)

Yes, with the increased resolution, better fill-ratio, better panels in general etc. the difference will definitely be major!

Panel Driver issues - Only on digitals (possibly only on LCD)

With the Sony VPL-HS51 and VPL-HS51a if I were to bring up a 1:1 mapping test pattern of alternating lines Horizontally you can see some flicker in the lines. Correctible via Service Menu.

Hi SOWK,

At some point you mentioned you have a HS60 or 51A, n I also have this unit now. Cannot wait to hear your comparison between the two, since I am thinking my next upgrade to a Pearl or the new JVC.

Thanks.




No - Not cool man... :( I really don't want to be unhappy with my $$$ Pearl.

But it looks like I have a little people interested in my first mini review!

1. I will check for 1080i 60 (HD-DVD) input if it does proper 1080p 24
2. I will check for any color uniformity problems
3. I will check for any VBing
4. I will check for absolute black levels compared to a Tweaked 51A
5. I will check for 1:1 Pixel Mapping through VGA and HDMI
6. I will check for any Panel Driver issues
7. I will check for Panel Convergence
8. I will check for Dead Pixels (Better not be there)
9. I will check for 1080i 60 (video/test patterns) input if it does proper 1080p Per Pixel - or just Bob's

I don't have the hardware for HD Diagonal Deinterlacing so I can't check for that.

If someone want to give me a free DVDO VP50 I'll check that out too! lol



Review... LATER TONIGHT! WOO HOO

For those members of avs that get this... :)

I will have a better Sony VW50 then everyone as I am going to use...

Nordost Valhalla power cords with the projector! There will be no better projector for 100 years.

I think I may open the unit up and rip all of the unpure copper leads out on the mainboards, and do a bad soldering job of Nordost Valhalla Hyper Uber Ultra Pure Copper instead. My picture will pull in into the movie, action movies with bullets wizzing by so 3 dimensional that my brain will actually think I got hit with it. oops sorry folks!

Just poking a little fun at one of our "special" AVS members.

From what I have read in other threads, this is apparently not a problem with the Ruby, but rather with the RPTV's. Aren't the panels in Pearl the same as those in the Ruby? I would think that if the Ruby is free of color uniformity problems, so would the Pearl.

I believe it's the same panels in the Ruby, the Pearl, and the RPTVs. I don't know for sure, but I don't think the problem in the XBR1 RPTVs is the panels themselves but rather some other element of construction.

SOWK
I will be surprised if the projector passes the VGA test.
I assume you will do a basic calibartion before testing.
Will you hook up a modern video processor to Pearl to see the full potential of the projector?
Try to learn if you can move the green primary with the RCP controls.

SOWK
I will be surprised if the projector passes the VGA test.
I assume you will do a basic calibartion before testing.
Will you hook up a modern video processor to Pearl to see the full potential of the projector?
Try to learn if you can move the green primary with the RCP controls.


(I will be surprised if the projector passes the VGA test.)

VGA as in 1:1 mapping?

(I assume you will do a basic calibartion before testing.)

I do full calibrations first using AVIA for SD, HDNET Calibration for HD and a Lumagen HDP

(Will you hook up a modern video processor to Pearl to see the full potential of the projector?)

YES - Lumagen HDP

SOWK: I'm very much looking forward to your test results as I'm upgrading from a HS50. I also have a Lumagen HDP so it will be very interesting to see how you compare the quality of deinterlacing/scaling in the Pearl vs the HDP.

How is fan noise in bright mode?

What about compatibility with 1080p48 input?

Any image geometry issues when zooming max or min?

Updated!

1. I will check for 1080i 60 (HD-DVD) input if it does proper 1080p 24
2. I will check for any color uniformity problems
3. I will check for any VBing
4. I will check for absolute black levels compared to a Tweaked 51A
5. I will check for 1:1 Pixel Mapping through VGA and HDMI
6. I will check for any Panel Driver issues
7. I will check for Panel Convergence (my original HS51 was almost perfect. I hope I am luck again)
8. I will check for Dead Pixels (Better not be there)
9. I will check for 1080i 60 (video/test patterns) input if it does proper 1080p Per Pixel - or just Bob's
10. I will check fan noise level in high mode
11. I will check for input compatibility for 1080p 48 and 72

With the Pearl, is it necessary to run an external scaler, such as the DVDO VP50? Does this make a huge improvement in picture quality?

Hey SOWK! Looking forward to your review! I hope you will give a lot of info without the external video processor as alot of people will not be able to afford one of these and are more interested in what the Pearl can do on its own.

Thanks for the screen help by the way guys. Sounds like I should be great with the ST130 :)

:confused: I can't decide weather or not to go with a FP like the Pearl of RPTV like 70xbr2.
How well does the Pearl handle ambient light. I cant control light very well during the daytime.
I have a 13ft throw distance. will I be able to do a 100' screen or stay at 92'?

First try to borough a projector for a week end and project directly on the wall or on white piece of fabric. This will help you decide if FP is for you.

Aren't there special screen materials that can be used to enhance daytime viewing? If so, do they compromise night time viewing?

dc

You need gray material with low gain such as the Da-Lite HCCV. Furthermore you will need high lumen output from your projector to compensate for the lack of lighting control. A projector such as the Pearl doesn't meet those criteria. In fact none of the LCOS based projector will you better look at DLP solution.

According to cine4home reviews the ruby is affected by shading(color uniformity problems) and misconvergences.
in the review of the Pearl(sample) shading and misconvergences were non existant.
It's quite annoying to read those first reports on AVS(color uniformity problems).
phil;quite impatient to read SOWK review ;)

Cine4home only did a preview of the pearl not a review because they only had a pre-production unit. These units use cherry picked parts and tend to perform better than final product. This is why we are waiting SOWK feedback on the performance of his Pearl to see if production unit performance are in line with the pre-production unit evaluated by cine4home.

Please keep posting all problems regarding the Pearl so I can convince myself in getting the cheaper HC5000 and save some money! ;)


It is not a problem until it is identified as being one. All projector have issues.

If someone want to give me a free DVDO VP50 I'll check that out too! lol




No but soon I will be able to tell you I good it is :D

SOWK:

A good scene to torture the dynamic iris and ANSI contrast has been said to be the opening of the movie Adaptation. The screen is all black, with the credits in white fading in and out. Check if the black part of the picture stays black when the title comes in.

Another one (for highlight and shadow detail) is in Schindler's List, around 99':

http://img374.imageshack.us/img374/2731/schindlerslist00qb.jpg

Check if you can see the outline of the lightbulb and the bricks and mortar on the right, and Liam Neeson's left eye.

The use of this picture was discussed a while ago on this thread (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=610013).

For those members of avs that get this... :)

I will have a better Sony VW50 then everyone as I am going to use...

Nordost Valhalla power cords with the projector! There will be no better projector for 100 years.

I think I may open the unit up and rip all of the unpure copper leads out on the mainboards, and do a bad soldering job of Nordost Valhalla Hyper Uber Ultra Pure Copper instead. My picture will pull in into the movie, action movies with bullets wizzing by so 3 dimensional that my brain will actually think I got hit with it. oops sorry folks!

Just poking a little fun at one of our "special" AVS members.

Are you using a different power cord? I ask because I will need to purchase a longer power cord (not one of those *special* ones ;) ) and I still have no idea what to look for or where to find it. Can anybody help me with this dilema? I've looked for longer PC power cords, but I have no idea what type of connection, power rating etc, I need. Thanks in advance!!

Couple problems...

1. Don't have the Movie
2. HD A1 2.0 firmware crushes blacks for SD! ALOT!
3. I have no dought the Pearl could do that. My Sony HS51 or 51A could. But I'll check a scene like it in a HD movie.

Are you using a different power cord? I ask because I will need to purchase a longer power cord (not one of those *special* ones ;) ) and I still have no idea what to look for or where to find it. Can anybody help me with this dilema? I've looked for longer PC power cords, but I have no idea what type of connection, power rating etc, I need. Thanks in advance!!


Yes actually I do have a good power cable for my Projector

from

http://www.signalcable.com/

MagicPower Video Reference

I needed one that was 15' long

-SOWK

Thanks for the quick reply!! That looks like a good site. I have a couple of easy questions still:

What type of connector (projector end of the cord) do I need to order?

Also, is there any reason an extension cord wouldn't work?
Agan, thank you so much for you assistance!

Thanks for the quick reply!! That looks like a good site. I have a couple of easy questions still:

What type of connector (projector end of the cord) do I need to order?

Also, is there any reason an extension cord wouldn't work?
Agan, thank you so much for you assistance!


http://signalcable.com/videopower.html

The end thats in the picture is what you need.

An extension cord would work, but if you just spent nearly ~5000.00 on a Pearl don't cheap out, and add yet another connection to the loop.

I'm a believer in upgraded cords. I can hear and see a difference. For video, I've had good experience with the cheapest PS Audio Cords - I think they are called "power punch." I use one on my DVDO box and can see a cleaner, less noisy image. 1m was less than $50. If I get a Pearl, this is the cable I'll use.

Your milage may vary and I think the same cords sound awful on audio gear.

If anyone cares! Here is the HT in that my Pearl will stay!
http://img502.imageshack.us/img502/4632/hometheaterfrontsmall7xi.jpg

http://signalcable.com/videopower.html

The end thats in the picture is what you need.

An extension cord would work, but if you just spent nearly ~5000.00 on a Pearl don't cheap out, and add yet another connection to the loop.


Definitely some benefit in having a cord fit the length of your needs. I've used Signal Cable for many applications over the last several years. Very good products with a difference in quality at great prices. Frank is excellent to work with on what you need.

There was a fire in a building near me and when you see the damage, you think about avoiding extension cords wherever possible, but especially with heavy electrical drawing equipment like projectors.

Thank you all very much!
What a great learning resource this place is!

If anyone cares! Here is the HT in that my Pearl will stay!


Are those Vandersteen speakers? If so, how long have you had them? Happy with them?

What size is your screen?

Just don't ask me about Speaker cables! ;) lol

Are those Vandersteen speakers? If so, how long have you had them? Happy with them?

What size is your screen?

You may want to edit your post and take my picture out!

Yes they are Vandersteen's

Vandersteen 2CE Sigs Fronts
Vandersteen VCC 5 Ref Center Channel
Vandersteen 1C Rears

Absolutely LOVE!!! Them.

But they are better for music then Movies, they are way to accurate.

Most movies 85% are amazing with the clarity, and impact.

I still would need lower bass extension down to about 14hz to really apprciate them for action movies.

They go down to about 26hz then roll off from there.

Action moves would sound better on other more "movie" based Speakers.
The Definitive 7000 super towers come to mind.

Screen Size is 100" Diagonal

-SOWK

SOWK
Do you have a dark ceiling?
It is good to know the room characteristics when reading a review.

No... but on top of the screen not in the picture I have Red drapes as well that are farther out then the actual screen, so it helps minimize any light bounce from the ceiling. Thanks for asking.

I will say this when the image is on the room is still dark. still hard to see your hands in front of you.

SOWK, you are feeling sleepy, sleepy. You don't feel well. Must go home early and rest.
Fedex: Pearl on truck for delivery.

http://www.soundandvisionmag.com/fe...hts-part-1.html

For example, Sony debuted its VPL-VW50 projector, a sleek SXRD-based model with 1080p resolution. The company actually drew cheers from the audience when it announced the price: $5,000. It joins Sony's two existing 1080p SXRD front projectors, the Qualia 004R1 and the VPL-VW100. The VPL-VW50 boasts a new single-chip video processing engine, enabling the use of an all-digital chassis, which the company says eliminates signal noise caused by analog-to-digital or digital-to-analog conversion. It also sports dual HDMI inputs with 1080p support at both 60 and 24 frames per second.

Trust me I haven't slept in 3 days, because of issues trying to get this damn thing.

Paypal SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Lets leave it at that.

It is on fed-ex truck for about 3:00 pm Delivery

I won't get home till 6:00

I just got the Pearl today, still can't go over I actually have one of these!! Can't wait to see this thing perform.

Why do you have to seal my steam? j/k

SOWK


Nice theater. I see that HD DVD player to the left. That should look sweat. Let us know when you get this thing and what you think of it. Im grabbing one also but you will have yours first.

Thanks again Alan!

SOWK, you are feeling sleepy, sleepy. You don't feel well. Must go home early and rest.
Fedex: Pearl on truck for delivery.

My fedx driver will not leave packages unless someone is home to sign,Couple months ago i was waiting on the Tosh HD-A DVD PLAYER/I got home at 3:15 he was their at 3pm and just left a note.It was a friday and i had to wait intill monday to get it.I was steaming.Hope you get it though.BUDDA :D

My fedx driver will not leave packages unless someone is home to sign,Couple months ago i was waiting on the Tosh HD-A DVD PLAYER/I got home at 3:15 he was their at 3pm and just left a note.It was a friday and i had to wait intill monday to get it.I was steaming.Hope you get it though.BUDDA :D

The nice thing about FedEx, is that if you miss your package, you can actually go to the FexEx Center and pick up your package after 6:30 PM the same day. FedEx does advertise this much, but I do it all of the time.

SOWK,

Do you have the Sony HS51 or 51A?

Thanks,

Thanks again Alan!

SOWK, I also found your HT picture very interesting, esp the rack or stand you have for having the AVR and dvd player (?) underneath the screen. Good food for thought on reconfiguring for FP!

My fedx driver will not leave packages unless someone is home to sign,Couple months ago i was waiting on the Tosh HD-A DVD PLAYER/I got home at 3:15 he was their at 3pm and just left a note.It was a friday and i had to wait intill monday to get it.I was steaming.Hope you get it though.BUDDA :D


No the jerk DIDN'T

I'm going to try to pick it up in about 1 hour!

SOWK,

Do you have the Sony HS51 or 51A?

Thanks,


51A now.

51 sold 2 months ago

SOWK, I also found your HT picture very interesting, esp the rack or stand you have for having the AVR and dvd player (?) underneath the screen. Good food for thought on reconfiguring for FP!

I need short Speaker lengths for my mains, as I am a huge 2 channel audio guy as well!

So everything had to be up front!

If he dropped my Pearl in any way! AHHHHHHH hes going to get punched right in the kisser! lol

You may want to edit your post and take my picture out!

Yes they are Vandersteen's

Vandersteen 2CE Sigs Fronts
Vandersteen VCC 5 Ref Center Channel
Vandersteen 1C Rears

Absolutely LOVE!!! Them.

But they are better for music then Movies, they are way to accurate.

Most movies 85% are amazing with the clarity, and impact.

I still would need lower bass extension down to about 14hz to really apprciate them for action movies.

They go down to about 26hz then roll off from there.

Action moves would sound better on other more "movie" based Speakers.
The Definitive 7000 super towers come to mind.

Screen Size is 100" Diagonal

-SOWK

Nice speakers SOWK.My cousin Tommy has a pair of the 2CE with a Anthem stereo prepro and amp and cd player.The sound is so open and you never get fatigued listening to them.I bet a 5 channel setup really sounds great.BUDDA

I just ordered one.

I am going to pull the trigger too.
Sorting out the screen choice. I think I am going to go with the Stewart G3.
What is the consensus? is this the best choice?

With only a few folks reporting on their new toy, I don't know what kind of consensus there is?

I guess SWOK's in route to FedEx right now to get his Pearl. Should be interesting tonight...

I do appreciate these lucky folks sharing their experiences with all of us waiting in line. :D

Unless we start getting a trend indicating problems (and my only worry now is color discontinuity) I'm pretty sure I'm going to go with the Pearl. Then again, there is that BenQ 10000....

Dan

Mine left the west coast yesterday. Should make a Monday delivery.

Gonna be a long weekend, and not in the good way. ;)

Well, it is not the Ruby, but its close. If I did not previously own the Ruby I would have gladly spent $5,999-$6,999 for the picture that this projector throws. At the price these can be had for it is a steal.

But it looks like I have a little people interested in my first mini review!

1. I will check for 1080i 60 (HD-DVD) input if it does proper 1080p 24
2. I will check for any color uniformity problems
3. I will check for any VBing
4. I will check for absolute black levels compared to a Tweaked 51A
5. I will check for 1:1 Pixel Mapping through VGA and HDMI
6. I will check for any Panel Driver issues
7. I will check for Panel Convergence
8. I will check for Dead Pixels (Better not be there)
9. I will check for 1080i 60 (video/test patterns) input if it does proper 1080p Per Pixel - or just Bob's
Anxiously awaiting feedback on these...

Well, it is not the Ruby, but its close.I want to know how close...now. 85%? 93%?

Dan

I have a feeling if SWOK's new Pearls' convergence is off - or shading is present - it might be the first Pearl to take flying lessons (through a window) !

Well, it is not the Ruby, but its close.
In what way is the Ruby better?
In what way is the Pearl better?

I just finished hanging my Pearl a few hours ago. I started a month ago (when my movie room was finished) with the Optoma HD7100 and the BenQ8720. Both were major let downs. The Pearl is AWESOME!! Not even close in comparison. The picture quality is insane, crystal clear. I'm running on a 110" ST130 and the zens is about 14-14.5 feet back from the screen. Brightness on my screen is not an issue at all, awesome bunch. But, my room does have complete light control with no windows, so I'm sure that helps a little. The Optoma or BenQ previous had about the same brightness if that helps.

Does anyone know if an external scaler is needed with this projector? Not sure how much better this can really get though. If so, which one would you recommend? Thinks.

In what way is the Ruby better?
In what way is the Pearl better?

Ruby +
Colors are more pleasing
Casing
DRC

Pearl +
Size
80-90% of picture quality for 50% of price
2 HDMI
Less light spill

First couple thoughts.

1. I will check for 1080i 60 (HD-DVD) input if it does proper 1080p 24

GOOD: It does IVTC 1080i to 1080P deinterlacing

2. I will check for any color uniformity problems

BAD: Very small green shift near the left center. Not noticable on anything but Pure white

3. I will check for any VBing

GOOD: No vertical Banding at all

4. I will check for absolute black levels compared to a Tweaked 51A

OK: Not quite as good as my HS51A or Previous HS51

5. I will check for 1:1 Pixel Mapping through VGA and HDMI

GOOD: HDMI is a Humbs up! (havent tried VGA yet)

6. I will check for any Panel Driver issues

GOOD: No flickering of alternating horizontal lines

7. I will check for Panel Convergence (my original HS51 was almost perfect. I hope I am luck again)

BAD: Red is sometimes off a full pixel, plus blue and green are 1/4 a pixel off each other. (one thing I did notice is lens position, and focus points can change convergance.) I don't have my Pearl Mounted yet in the final location so I will recomment on this when that is done.

8. I will check for Dead Pixels (Better not be there)

GOOD: No Dead or Stuck Pixels

9. I will check for 1080i 60 (video/test patterns) input if it does proper 1080p Per Pixel - or just Bob's

OK: Does per pixel deinterlacing, no Diagnal deinterlacing

10. I will check fan noise level in high mode

OK: Louder then my HS51A in low and High Fan mode

11. I will check for input compatibility for 1080p 48 and 72[/QUOTE]

BAD: Will not sync with 72 / 48 syncs up to 50 Hz. So once I get pat to output the Lumagen at 24hz I will check that input!

I didn't know what Light spill was untill this Pearl, I don't like the light spill. Why the heck would they design it this way.

-SOWK

2. I will check for any color uniformity problems

BAD: Very small green shift near the left center. Not noticable on anything but Pure whiteMan, you are fast. This is like real time. Excellent work.

Data point taken re: color uniformity. Look for any change with use. Also, sorry for not following what your setup will be but are you going to mount this upright? I ask because one thought I had about the CEDIA Pearl's uniformity problem was that it was ceiling mounted and therefore turned upside down. I know it's a small chance that the engineers didn't account for heat dissipation differences with mounting differences, but it might be worth noting if there's any correlation between setup and occurrence of the issue. Don't forget to note your lamp mode, and altitude...well, maybe we're starting to ask for too much data.

Dan

Edit: Just saw your note of light spill. Uh-oh. Andrew does say it is "less" than the Ruby.

I have mine mounted on a 9ft ceiling, with a row of seats below it, and I cannot hear it at all. If the sound is silent, I can hear a slight whisper, but you really have to listen for it to even hear it. Very nice.

going to eat, then "play" with the girlfriend, will test a little more later!

What is exactly light spill? I don't see this on mine, but not sure exaclty where the light spill would occur or where I should be looking?

What is exactly light spill? I don't see this on mine, but not sure exaclty where the light spill would occur or where I should be looking?

Light spill means any light from the projector that goes outside the border of the screen.

For my Firehawk screen I have 1" velvet border. The Ruby light spill is about 1.5" past my border. The Pearl is about .5"past my border and much less noticeable. If you have a screen with a thicker border then this is not a problem otherwise you will se exactly what I mean if you have a light controlled room.

What is exactly light spill? I don't see this on mine, but not sure exaclty where the light spill would occur or where I should be looking?

It is definitely there. You either have a 1.5" or thicker border for your screen, your room is not completely light controlled, or you have not seen the projector show an all black screen (this is when it is most noticeable).

Light spill means any light from the projector that goes outside the border of the screen.

For my Firehawk screen I have 1" velvet border. The Ruby light spill is about 1.5" past my border. The Pearl is about .5"past my border and much less noticeable. If you have a screen with a thicker border then this is not a problem otherwise you will se exactly what I mean if you have a light controlled room.


OK, thanks. That's what I figured. I believe my ST130 has a 3'' border, guess that's why it's not an issue. Can see that be annoying if your border wasn't large enough to cover.

Ruby +
Colors are more pleasing
Casing
DRC
Thanks, Andrew!

As far as the colors are concerned, I think I can dial them in by adjusting the primaries and secondaries using the RCP. If I am correct, then there should be no visible differences once both are properly calibrated.

I can't do anything to make the Pearl's casing as pretty as the Ruby's...:p

7. I will check for Panel Convergence (my original HS51 was almost perfect. I hope I am luck again)

BAD: Red is sometimes off a full pixel, plus blue and green are 1/4 a pixel off each other. (one thing I did notice is lens position, and focus points can change convergance.) I don't have my Pearl Mounted yet in the final location so I will recomment on this when that is done.


Thanks for the quick feedback.

How is the lens quality? Any chromatic aberrations? Could that phenomenon be caused by a mixture of both chromatic aberration and misconvergence?

Is there a manual online for download???

Is there a manual online for download???


I tried and could not find one.

How is the lens quality? Any chromatic aberrations? Could that phenomenon be caused by a mixture of both chromatic aberration and misconvergence?

In my setup, my projector is placed only a few inches below the center of the screen. Very little lens shift is used. This is one of the factors I feel contributes to my HS51A looking noticably better in my room than in other installations I have seen with the projector in a ceiling mount. I brought home a Ruby a couple of weeks ago to get a sense of how the Pearl might look in my room. It also looked sharper with less color fringing than in the ceiling mount I took it down from. I will be very curious to see how the Pearl fares in my room.

I have a Stewart Videomatte 200 120" diagonal screen I use with my Runco 991 Ultra CRT right now. I want to replace this with the Pearl but I am worried that my screen will not work will with the projector. What should I be looking at to make this determination.

I saw the Pearl and Ruby at CEDIA and both looked pretty amazing there but they were using that special Stewart + Sony screen design.

The screen's gain is 1.8 and the half gain is at 26deg if this is helpful.

I can make my room almost completely black, but I can't seem to convince the wife to keep the lights all the way off when watching. :(

Thanks!!

I saw the Pearl and Ruby at CEDIA and both looked pretty amazing there but they were using that special Stewart + Sony screen design.

The screen's gain is 1.8 and the half gain is at 26deg if this is helpful.

1.8 gain? Are you sure about this? I thought this special Stewart Firehawk only had a gain of 1.1, i.e., less than the usual Firehawk. If it were 1.8, tha would be very interesing.

Sorry for the confusion, its my Steward Videomatte 200 that has those specs of 1.8 gain at 26deg.

Thanks for the quick feedback.

How is the lens quality? Any chromatic aberrations? Could that phenomenon be caused by a mixture of both chromatic aberration and misconvergence?


Lens is the same of the ruby, so very good! Very little to no Chromatic aberrations

First couple thoughts.

4. I will check for absolute black levels compared to a Tweaked 51A

OK: Not quite as good as my HS51A or Previous HS51

10. I will check fan noise level in high mode

OK: Louder then my HS51A in low and High Fan mode



Do you mean to say that the Pearl is louder in high mode than the HS51A in high? And is the 51A just as loud as the HS51 in high mode? My HS51 is much louder in high mode than in low mode and is far from silent as most people have described the Pearl.

You also are telling me that the HS51 produced better black levels than the Pearl? So LCD produces better black level than SXRD LCOS? I guess I can make my HS51 produce good blacks by setting enhanced black to high and iris to auto; however, in dark scenes you loose all shadow detail and the scene is so dim you can't see anything.

So do you like the Pearl better than your HS51A and is it worth the upgrade? If so what qualities make it worth the $5K. Your first thoughts as you compare it to your HS51 just doesn't sound good....hmm. ....

Is there a manual online for download???

Guys, I have it but I can't remember the Sony link where I downloaded it from.
Where can I upload it?

Guys, I have it but I can't remember the Sony link where I downloaded it from.
Where can I upload it?

www.rapidshare.de

Hs51a with old bulb= dim
Pearl with new bulb= rather bright, is brightness perfectly set?

If you compare a black frame Hs511 goes to a very deep black.
The question is what you see with video content.

Bob Sorel
Perhaps you can briefly descibe how RCP is used with priamries and secondaries.

Thanks, Andrew!

As far as the colors are concerned, I think I can dial them in by adjusting the primaries and secondaries using the RCP. If I am correct, then there should be no visible differences once both are properly calibrated.

I can't do anything to make the Pearl's casing as pretty as the Ruby's...:p

Im not sure if you can dial this in or not. It may have something to do with the Xenon bulb. When you get yours please report back and let me know.

Per the Cine4home reviews the color gamut of Ruby is clearly bigger.
For Pearl the green is most off but perhaps red is more important to fine tune for skin tone.

Do you mean to say that the Pearl is louder in high mode than the HS51A in high? And is the 51A just as loud as the HS51 in high mode? My HS51 is much louder in high mode than in low mode and is far from silent as most people have described the Pearl.

You also are telling me that the HS51 produced better black levels than the Pearl? So LCD produces better black level than SXRD LCOS? I guess I can make my HS51 produce good blacks by setting enhanced black to high and iris to auto; however, in dark scenes you loose all shadow detail and the scene is so dim you can't see anything.

So do you like the Pearl better than your HS51A and is it worth the upgrade? If so what qualities make it worth the $5K. Your first thoughts as you compare it to your HS51 just doesn't sound good....hmm. ....

I'm not trying to scare anyone off, just telling it like it is.

At full or close to black the HS51 or 51a will be darker with what should be no Corner brightness.

But...

The pearl may not go as pure black, but has alot more shadow detail.

About the nosie level. The Pearl is about the same decible rating where it is on high or low alltitude. just makes a different sound. it is about as loud as the HS51a on high mode.

What makes this worth $5000.00

1. 1080P
2. Contrast with in dark sences - I previously through the HS51a was very good, now I would say the 51a is just ok.
3. MOTERIZED Lens! I use to focus, and adj the stupid lens before every movie because I would put the cap on the HS51after every use.
4. No Vertical Banding

Whats no so good

Only 3 main issues

1. Light Leakage out side the panels ~ 2 inches on the left, right and top. ~ 12 inches on the bottem. (aka celing mounted)

2. Brighter corners on near to full black

3. Some minor color Uniformity issues. Nothing as bad as the HS51a.

The pearl is worth the money, just be carful that you know the problems are too.

I'm not trying to scare anyone off, just telling it like it is.

At full or close to black the HS51 or 51a will be darker with what should be no Corner brightness.

But...

The pearl may not go as pure black, but has alot more shadow detail.

About the nosie level. The Pearl is about the same decible rating where it is on high or low alltitude. just makes a different sound. it is about as loud as the HS51a on high mode.

What makes this worth $5000.00

1. 1080P
2. Contrast with in dark sences - I previously through the HS51a was very good, now I would say the 51a is just ok.
3. MOTERIZED Lens! I use to focus, and adj the stupid lens before every movie because I would put the cap on the HS51after every use.
4. No Vertical Banding

Whats no so good

Only 3 main issues

1. Light Leakage out side the panels ~ 2 inches on the left, right and top. ~ 12 inches on the bottem. (aka celing mounted)

2. Brighter corners on near to full black

3. Some minor color Uniformity issues. Nothing as bad as the HS51a.

The pearl is worth the money, just be carful that you know the problems are too.
Plus the possible misconvergence to be confirmed.

This is a good summary.

Its great reading all the tech specs from the people that are lucky enough to have a Pearl in their hands but I have a question on the performance that really doesn't focus on tech specs but more on real world.

For those that have the Pearl when you put your favorite movie in and hit play did it put a smile on your face and you found yourself fighting the urge to call everyone you know and invite them over for a movie marathon of the greatest movies ever made for a projector and a large screen.

I know some people live for test patterns and true white and black screens and color sensors and that is great, but I know that one of the final decisions for me comes from a person that could care less about these things, all she is worried about is when i hit play does she get WOWed.

The WOW is a powerful thing it has allowed me to to increase the budjet for my dedicated media :D and that was just from the audio portion.

Okay, this should work. Here it is:

http://rapidshare.de/files/33910347/VPLVW100.pdf

Is that for the Pearl (VW50) or the Ruby (VW100)?

Good point Friguy. In the same regard, will the Pearl give me the wow factor over my AE900?

Its great reading all the tech specs from the people that are lucky enough to have a Pearl in their hands but I have a question on the performance that really doesn't focus on tech specs but more on real world.

For those that have the Pearl when you put your favorite movie in and hit play did it put a smile on your face and you found yourself fighting the urge to call everyone you know and invite them over for a movie marathon of the greatest movies ever made for a projector and a large screen.

I know some people live for test patterns and true white and black screens and color sensors and that is great, but I know that one of the final decisions for me comes from a person that could care less about these things, all she is worried about is when i hit play does she get WOWed.

The WOW is a powerful thing it has allowed me to to increase the budjet for my dedicated media :D and that was just from the audio portion.


I was WOWED this morning, with a SD DVD! And no video processor involved.

The Incredibles, was well Incredible.

I have to do more testing but I may actually not need the Lumagen any more.

Direct connection to the Pearl is amazing.

SOWK...when you say light leakage on the left, right, top, and bottom do you mean from the actual unit itself? So if the Pearl were out of view, this would be a non-issue, correct?

12" of light leakage at the bottom seems extreme. If so - it would fully illuminate my center speaker under my screen (not good)

SOWK...when you say light leakage on the left, right, top, and bottom do you mean from the actual unit itself? So if the Pearl were out of view, this would be a non-issue, correct?

Strange, I do not have this problem with my Ruby at all.

Is that for the Pearl (VW50) or the Ruby (VW100)?

Yipes that is the wrong file. Sorry, my bad. :(

I'm not trying to scare anyone off, just telling it like it is.

At full or close to black the HS51 or 51a will be darker with what should be no Corner brightness.

But...

The pearl may not go as pure black, but has alot more shadow detail.

About the nosie level. The Pearl is about the same decible rating where it is on high or low alltitude. just makes a different sound. it is about as loud as the HS51a on high mode.

What makes this worth $5000.00

1. 1080P
2. Contrast with in dark sences - I previously through the HS51a was very good, now I would say the 51a is just ok.
3. MOTERIZED Lens! I use to focus, and adj the stupid lens before every movie because I would put the cap on the HS51after every use.
4. No Vertical Banding

Whats no so good

Only 3 main issues

1. Light Leakage out side the panels ~ 2 inches on the left, right and top. ~ 12 inches on the bottem. (aka celing mounted)

2. Brighter corners on near to full black

3. Some minor color Uniformity issues. Nothing as bad as the HS51a.

The pearl is worth the money, just be carful that you know the problems are too.


What about convergence issues?

There is light leakage with all Ruby's and id assume Pearl's (as my Pearl and Ruby exhibits this) but 12" is not the norm. I believe it is about 1-2" at most. If your screen border is 1-2" most will never notice this. If SOWK's is truly 12" there is something defective with his unit.

What about convergence issues?

Its not perfect, but still ok. When the Pixels are this small even if they are off 1/2 pixel you would not notice it.

There is light leakage with all Ruby's and id assume Pearl's (as my Pearl and Ruby exhibits this) but 12" is not the norm. I believe it is about 1-2" at most. If your screen border is 1-2" most will never notice this. If SOWK's is truly 12" there is something defective with his unit.

Only in the downward direction!

I'll take a picture tonight

You have 1 foot of light leakage? This does not sound right at all. I would love to see a picture. My Ruby and Pearl do not exhibit this.

its enough light that I can make shadow figures in!

I was WOWED this morning, with a SD DVD! And no video processor involved.

The Incredibles, was well Incredible.

I have to do more testing but I may actually not need the Lumagen any more.

Direct connection to the Pearl is amazing.

SOWK,

So are you happy w/ your convergence? Seems well within the 2 pixel
spec.

SOWK,

So are you happy w/ your convergence? Seems well within the 2 pixel
spec.

its, ok, I would not say I'm happy with it.

and yes it is very much under 2 pixels off!

Thanks for the review SOWK. I'm not familiar with this light leakage issue that seems to be a problem with the Sonys, so a picture that illistrates the effect would be great.

Perhaps you can briefly descibe how RCP is used with priamries and secondaries.
Hi guys,

The RCP (Real Color Processing) is a very powerful tool that allows you to place the primary and secondary CIE color space points. When the primaries are off in most projectors, normally you just have to accept the inaccuracies as the primaries are not movable. You can still get white to be a D65, but you will not necessarily have all of your primaries and secondaries spot on. Not so using the RCP! With this tool, you can move the color points until they are dead on target, allowing you to get perfectly calibrated primaries and secondaries, as well as attaining perfect D65 and 6500 tracking.

To accomplish this you will need good calibration tools like a Gretag Macbeth EyeOne Pro Spectroradiometer (my tool of choice) and calibration software like Colorfacts (I use UMR's i1 Pro DCS). Without the proper tools to measure and plot the coordinates on a CIE color chart you will be basically flying blind, but if you see obvious color errors in normal viewing chances are that you can make improvements.

Once you open the RCP you will see a menu that will allow you to switch to any of the primary (red, blue, green) or secondary colors (yellow, magenta, cyan) and then adjust them individually. The controls for adjusting are:

position
range
RCP color
RCP hue

I have not had the need to use all of the controls, but just the RCP color and RCP hue were all that I needed to get the job done. The RCP color moves the color point under control along one axis while the hue control moves the color point along the other axis. My assumption is that the range control would expand or contract the range of adjustment possible (which I have not needed with the Ruby) and the position control is an alternative method of moving the color point in space using a single control, but since I have not needed nor used these controls, it is just speculation on my part.

For example, when my Ruby was first calibrated, the colors were all overly saturated, and I could change them all at the same time by using the "color" control in the main picture menu. IIRC the default value was 50 and the correct measured value was 34. This pulled in all three color points at the same time and made my primaries virtually perfect. I could have accomplished the same thing by going into the RCP, choosing red and then bringing the RCP color control down until I accomplished the same thing. Then I would have done the same for blue, and then the same for green, but using the main color control was a shortcut because all three primaries needed saturation reduction, and by the same amount.

Then once my primaries were spot on target, then I could see that two of my secondaries hues were off (remember, the error will be on the other axis from the color [or saturation] axis). I don't remember which two secondaries were off (I'd have to turn my projector on and check my adjustments) but by trial and error I could see that I either made the hue worse or better, so after a couple of tries I was able to pull the secondaries right on target.

To make an already long story short, with the proper instrumentation and a little trial and error, I was able to move all six colors to be right on target - not close, but rather PERFECT! The Sony is the only projector I have ever worked on that allows this kind of flexibility and adjustability. Now, I am no expert, but I am pretty sure that if the primaries and secondaries are perfectly on target, then color reproduction is also perfect, and there would be no reason to believe that there would be ANY difference between a perfectly calibrated Ruby (Xenon lamp) and perfectly calibrated Pearl (UHP lamp). The differences you are seeing right now are simply due to lack of proper calibration.
Per the Cine4home reviews the color gamut of Ruby is clearly bigger.
For Pearl the green is most off but perhaps red is more important to fine tune for skin tone.
Not the way I read the CIE chart that they provided. In their chart I could see that the color gamuts did not match, but the Pearl's gamut had color to spare, so it was just a matter of pulling the color points back to where they belong. Cine4Home also mentioned that they did not have time to play with the RCP, so they might not even be aware of its capabilities and the huge potential it provides

RCP ?

Are you sure adjusting the RCP is global ?
In other words do you have proof adjusting the primaries and secondaries really changes the results at all luminance values other than the IRE (probably 100) you corrected them at ?

hi
questions:

1. how bright it is with say, 3000:1 CR on a 3meters 16/9 screen ?
600ansi ? (at 6500-7500, i dont ask D65)

2. can it do 3m at 6.5m throw ?

3. dead pixels possible ? Sony isnt very understanding generally when pixels issue arises...

thanks a lot
:)

Are you sure adjusting the RCP is global ?
In other words do you have proof adjusting the primaries and secondaries really changes the results at all luminance values other than the IRE (probably 100) you corrected them at ?
No, I have no proof other than the charted results of my calibration. Since I am certainly no expert when it comes to calibration, maybe you can answer a couple of questions for me - When the calibration software plots the primaries and secondaries on the 1931 CIE color chart, what luminance value does it use to determine those points? And how would I check to see that the color points have changed at all other percent stimulus values (I don't use the term "IRE" as it applies to analog signals only)?

I receive my Pearl tomorrow (Thanks, Craig & Jason!). This is my first experience with front projection (after 15+ years of rear projection). I don't have a screen yet, does anyone know the deal with the announced Firehawk specially made for the Pearl (availability, etc.)?

Thanks.

No, I have no proof other than the charted results of my calibration. Since I am certainly no expert when it comes to calibration, maybe you can answer a couple of questions for me - When the calibration software plots the primaries and secondaries on the 1931 CIE color chart, what luminance value does it use to determine those points? And how would I check to see that the color points have changed at all other percent stimulus values (I don't use the term "IRE" as it applies to analog signals only)?
:) I'm certainly not an "expert" Bob.

I'd think I'd be safe assuming 100 IRE is used for all chart plotting including 1931 .
As far as checking your idea try really screwing up all the primaries using RCP, throw them as far off of where they should be as possible. Then do a Grey run and look at some program material. If your gain and cuts are calibrated correctly (they are global controls) and if your idea works you should see some god awful results..

I was WOWED this morning, with a SD DVD! And no video processor involved.

The Incredibles, was well Incredible.

I have to do more testing but I may actually not need the Lumagen any more.

Direct connection to the Pearl is amazing.

Wow, that's pretty impresive. I've got a question to add. You say that the Pearl can do correct inverse telecine with 24p material. Have you been able to tell if it actually displays the picture at 24p or a multiple thereof, or does it just display it at 60p with a 2-3-2-3 cadence and motion judder. This certainly isn't a show stopper for me, I just curious.

Thanks for the work that you've done. I'm looking at picking one of these up sometime next month.

If your gain and cuts are calibrated correctly (they are global controls) and if your idea works you should see some god awful results..
Hi Jimmy,

I already tried that when I was first experimenting, and yes, I saw some really horrendous colors! :p

A nice feature of the RCP is that when you work on one color the video is still going on in the background and everything is in "black and white" except for the color you are working on, so you can actually see how you are affecting each color as you adjust it. Pretty neat, actually.

Edit: Ah, now I understand your point (light goes on :) ). If the RCP were only adjusting one particular luminance value, like 100%, then when I threw the values way off in the RCP then I would only see the very brightest whites get affected, but if the control is global (which I now believe it is), then the colors would be affected all all luminance values - hence the psychedelic colors. Good thinking!

I receive my Pearl tomorrow (Thanks, Craig & Jason!). This is my first experience with front projection (after 15+ years of rear projection). I don't have a screen yet, does anyone know the deal with the announced Firehawk specially made for the Pearl (availability, etc.)? Thanks.

You may want to think carefully about whether or not you want the FH screen. A number of people at CEDIA reported that they thought the FH made the Pearl's pic too dim, and that they thought it would have been better on a Dalite HighPower screen. This will also depend on where you set up the pj. So it would be wise to read up on this.

PS Jason, of course, can give you excellent advice on this, and is also a great person to buy the screen from (he sells both)!

Regarding the Firehawk SST. First it costs $2000 for the 100" version per

http://reviews.cnet.com/4531-10921_7-6637686.html

although I don't think the one on display at CEDIA was 100" wide but diagonal and they kept saying "The screen costs $2000."

Also see:

http://www.aeanet.org/prnw/200609131900CLW536

I saw it and it was said to have a gain of 1.1. It looked very good (edit: although I did think it was dim on the first day I saw it and thought a higher gain screen would have been better) but I'm not prepared to say that was in large part because they were using this screen. A Firehawk is good for ambient light rejection, but if you're image size is diagonally around 100" and you have good light control you'll find many other screens in the 1 to 1.3 gain range for less than 2 grand.

If you plan to go bigger and can put the pj shelf mounted (although there's a possibility you might have to have it turned upside down on the shelf if it's a bit above center screen, because it has no down lens shift - is this right or no?) immediately above and behind you, strongly consider the much less expensive Da-Lite High Power that you can get for a great price through AVS.

Dan

will it have enough punch on a 171" scope screen 1.4 gain (ISCO II based), black room ?

Right, color overlay.
Sounds like your at the pj. So your saying with the RCP settings screwed up any and all colors at any luminance value now looks bad ?

Sounds like your at the pj. So your saying with the RCP settings screwed up any and all colors at any luminance value now looks bad ?
No, I am not at the projector, but yes, any and all colors looked bad.

No, I am not at the projector, but yes, any and all colors looked bad.
If thats the case your up for some sort of Nobel prize for your discovery :).

If thats the case your up for some sort of Nobel prize for this discovery
I can't take credit for the discovery. UMR (a very experienced and adept calibrator) performed the first calibration on my Ruby and at the same time taught me everything I needed to know to calibrate it myself. He introduced me to the RCP, demonstrated its potential, and taught me how to adjust it during the calibration procedure, so the discovery goes to him!

Can anyone recommend a calibrator in the (south) SF Bay Area who is adept with the RCP control? PM is fine, to keep this thread lean and on topic.

You may want to think carefully about whether or not you want the FH screen. A number of people at CEDIA reported that they thought the FH made the Pearl's pic too dim, and that they thought it would have been better on a Dalite HighPower screen. This will also depend on where you set up the pj. So it would be wise to read up on this.

PS Jason, of course, can give you excellent advice on this, and is also a great person to buy the screen from (he sells both)!

If you plan to go bigger and can put the pj shelf mounted (although there's a possibility you might have to have it turned upside down on the shelf if it's a bit above center screen, because it has no down lens shift - is this right or no?) immediately above and behind you, strongly consider the much less expensive Da-Lite High Power that you can get for a great price through AVS.


I was recommended the regular Firehawk (highly... actually), but I have read people's thoughts on the Dalite HP & was leaning towards that before the recommendation.

I plan on ceiling mounting (10 ft.) about 14-15' back on a 110" screen. My room is not light controlled yet, but it will be soon.

One can review the gamuts for the Ruby and Pearl here:

http://www.cine4home.com/reviews/projectors/SonyVPLVW50/VPLVW50Review.htm

I recall that UMR, noting oversaturated colors on the Ruby, simply reduced some overall color saturation control and due to the way the colors tracked, red and green came down nicely, without a deleterious effect on blue. I don't recall whether this was a subjective impression or the actual gamut was remeasured and showed corrected red and green points on the triangle. I seem to recall that Bob didn't want to reveal proprietory secrets but UMR pretty readily acknowledged or noted elsewhere this is what he'd done.

One wonders if the Pearl's green and red would similarly track and come down to close to the desired gamut with a relatively simple desaturation adjustment.

Dan

I was recommended the regular Firehawk (highly... actually), but I have read people's thoughts on the Dalite HP & was leaning towards that before the recommendation.

I plan on ceiling mounting (10 ft.) about 14-15' back on a 110" screen. My room is not light controlled yet, but it will be soon.With a ceiling mount that high the High Power won't provide much gain at the viewing position. Your viewers will likely be too far outside the viewing cone where meaningful gain can be had with the High Power. I'd go with a 1.3 gain white screen if ambient light won't be an issue (edit: unless you have light-colored walls, perhaps, in which case you'd benefit from ambient as in scattered light reflection suppression with a Firehawk.)

Dan

I can't take credit for the discovery. UMR (a very experienced and adept calibrator) performed the first calibration on my Ruby and at the same time taught me everything I needed to know to calibrate it myself. He introduced me to the RCP, demonstrated its potential, and taught me how to adjust it during the calibration procedure, so the discovery goes to him!

Michael Chen (MichaelTLV) did use the RCP controls to get the primaries and secondaries in line on the CIE chart while calibrating my Ruby. The exact same way UMR did it. It was back in february. So who was the first? Did UMR came calibrating your Ruby before february? :D

Does Sony have their projector calculator online for download? Any update on the Pearl manual available for download?

Wow, that's pretty impresive. I've got a question to add. You say that the Pearl can do correct inverse telecine with 24p material. Have you been able to tell if it actually displays the picture at 24p or a multiple thereof, or does it just display it at 60p with a 2-3-2-3 cadence and motion judder. This certainly isn't a show stopper for me, I just curious.

Thanks for the work that you've done. I'm looking at picking one of these up sometime next month.

Direct connection with 1080i60 go to 1080p 60

With a ceiling mount that high the High Power won't provide much gain at the viewing position. Your viewers will likely be too far outside the viewing cone where meaningful gain can be had with the High Power. I'd go with a 1.3 gain white screen if ambient light won't be an issue (edit: unless you have light-colored walls, perhaps, in which case you'd benefit from ambient as in scattered light reflection suppression with a Firehawk.)

Dan

My ceiling is 10'. I can drop the PJ down some if I need to. Seating will be 12' from the screen. Also, my ceiling is black and my walls are dark. Would you still recommend a 1.3g white screen?

The Firehawk is also good with a ceiling mounted pj, provided its bright enough for you.

My ceiling is 10'. I can drop the PJ down some if I need to. Seating will be 12' from the screen. Also, my ceiling is black and my walls are dark. Would you still recommend a 1.3g white screen?

I'd recommend getting samples of each, and seeing what you like. It sounds like there are 2 or 3 good candidates for your situation. Samples aren't perfect, but if your dealer doesn't have a demo room with the screen or screens you're considering, that is (or can be) set up the way your home theater is configured, samples are the next best thing...

...unless you can stomach buying more than one screen and selling whichever pleases you least.

My ceiling is 10'. I can drop the PJ down some if I need to. Seating will be 12' from the screen. Also, my ceiling is black and my walls are dark. Would you still recommend a 1.3g white screen?With a black ceiling and dark walls I don't see much point to the more expensive FH unless you plan to have some lights on in the room much of the time. With the new FH SST, I'm just not sure there's some specific, important synergy between it and the Pearl to warrant the expense.

If you want a really bright image and can put the Pearl fairly far down from the ceiling, say on a shelf on a wall not far behind you, the High Power would be very nice but it'd still mean you would have a limited viewing cone of around 2.5 ft. on each side of the central viewing position within which you'd have gain approaching 2 or more (assuming the pj is centrally installed behind.)

If you don't want to install the pj that far down from the ceiling you're back to a 1.3 gain white screen, IMO. That'd still be quite bright enough.

Dan

I haven't dealt with light leakage since the good ole days of the NEC LT150! That is quite disappointing.

With a black ceiling and dark walls I don't see much point to the more expensive FH unless you plan to have some lights on in the room much of the time. With the new FH SST, I'm just not sure there's some specific, important synergy between it and the Pearl to warrant the expense.

If you want a really bright image and can put the Pearl fairly far down from the ceiling, say on a shelf on a wall not far behind you, the High Power would be very nice but it'd still mean you would have a limited viewing cone of around 2.5 ft. on each side of the central viewing position within which you'd have gain approaching 2 or more (assuming the pj is centrally installed behind.)

If you don't want to install the pj that far down from the ceiling you're back to a 1.3 gain white screen, IMO. That'd still be quite bright enough.

Dan

Thanks a bunch, Dan!

I haven't dealt with light leakage since the good ole days of the NEC LT150! That is quite disappointing.

That is what I am upgrading from. :( I really wanted to lose that problem.

Oh well, there will probably be plenty to be happy about. :)

Best Regards,
Doug

Quick question: I am getting the Pearl with a 92" diagonal Firehawk SST, on Jason's recommendations. Can anyone help me with the projector distance from the screen to achieve max. brightness (I have some ambient light issues at certain moments in the day). This is for new construction, the framing is now open, and I will be mounting it tight to a 9' ceiling, so I need to locate plywood blocking for a future mount before the carpenter closes it in. My brain is misfiring with projection calculators for some reason (min/max throw confusion, etc.) so any help would be much appreciated.

Thx.

Andy

Quick question: I am getting the Pearl with a 92" diagonal Firehawk SST, on Jason's recommendations. Can anyone help me with the projector distance from the screen to achieve max. brightness (I have some ambient light issues at certain moments in the day). This is for new construction, the framing is now open, and I will be mounting it tight to a 9' ceiling, so I need to locate plywood blocking for a future mount before the carpenter closes it in. My brain is misfiring with projection calculators for some reason (min/max throw confusion, etc.) so any help would be much appreciated.

Thx.

Andy

I used a calculator here (http://www.projectorcentral.com/Sony-VPL-VW100-projection-calculator-pro.htm) for the Ruby. It found that the pj would have to be 9'2" from the screen. I would suggest putting the plywood from eight feet to 12 feet, since a standard sheet is 4 feet wide. If you want, you might have plywood put farther back, just in case you later change pj's. I know most builders would act like you were ripping out their appendix, but some migh just do it, if the lumber is laying around.

Best Regards,
Doug

Thanks, Doug. Should be easy enough to do at this point.

The biggest problem? The Pearl is ordered, and the house won't be done until December!

The biggest problem? The Pearl is ordered, and the house won't be done until December!Andy, that is quite a problem but I think I have a solution. I will, as a service to you a fellow AVSer, pay for the shipping of your Pearl back and forth from NYC to SLC and provide free calibration and assessment (and, naturally a new bulb as I might put a few hours on the pj, but that would help break in the electronics) prior to your formal installation in December. :D

Dan

Andy, that is quite a problem but I think I have a solution. I will, as a service to you a fellow AVSer, pay for the shipping of your Pearl back and forth from NYC to SLC and provide free calibration and assessment (and, naturally a new bulb as I might put a few hours on the pj, but that would help break in the electronics) prior to your formal installation in December. :D

Dan

Ha! The house may not be ready but my apartment in NYC is functional, the house under construction is an upstate weekend pad. And it has better ambient light control, too. I sense an agoraphobic October and November.

Ha! The house may not be ready but my apartment in NYC is functional, the house under construction is an upstate weekend pad. And it has better ambient light control, too. I sense an agoraphobic October and November.

Yeah, no kidding. With the number of HD DVD movies I should have saved up before the projector, screen and room are re-setup and calibrated, I may not get very much time outside for quite a long time. Conveninently, that's when the rainy season starts up here in the moldy northwest.

Michael Chen (MichaelTLV) did use the RCP controls to get the primaries and secondaries in line on the CIE chart while calibrating my Ruby. The exact same way UMR did it. It was back in february. So who was the first? Did UMR came calibrating your Ruby before february? :D

I helped Bob with his on March 1st. My first one was on January 13th in LA.

I am itching to get my hands on one of these. I really liked what I saw at CEDIA and from what I have heard it should calibrate very nicely.

Anyone have the discrete input remote codes???

Does Sony have their projector calculator online for download? Any update on the Pearl manual available for download?

Still no manual.

http://img61.imageshack.us/img61/1868/dsc01674ut9.jpg

Size comparison to the HS51a

http://img111.imageshack.us/img111/3365/dsc01680ps0.jpg

My first getto setup

http://img104.imageshack.us/img104/3960/dsc01697gp9.jpg

I made a DIY Mount!

http://img111.imageshack.us/img111/4530/dsc01698wj6.jpg


http://img61.imageshack.us/img61/5601/dsc01699dn3.jpg

http://img111.imageshack.us/img111/8279/dsc01700gf4.jpg

http://img61.imageshack.us/img61/4927/dsc01701zl2.jpg

MY room trashed, because of the **** I'm working on! :(

Those are some great pics SOWK. I like the DIY mount. It looks good.

Holy Crap do you ever sit close to your screen.........Just kidding.

Holy Crap do you ever sit close to your screen.........Just kidding.

How close are you to the screen, and how big is your screen? Looks very close.

Is this projector suitable for ceiling mounting? If i have a 92' scren (114cm in height) how much heigher above the top of the screen can i mount the projector. I cant work out the lens shift on it


thanks in advance

He couldn't possibly sit that close, he'll see pixels and miscovergence. Look at the footprints of the seating on the carpet toward the back.

Apologies if this is buried in this thread or another...

Are the Pearl SXRD panels/chips/arrays organic or inorganic? What about LCoS in general?

Holy Crap do you ever sit close to your screen.........Just kidding.

I would hazard a guess that the chairs are usually against the wall and SOWK moved them forward to install the projector more easily. ;)

How deep is the shelf the Pearl hangs from BTW? Is the back of the PJ physically touching the wall, or did you leave some spacing?

LOL, someone actually thought I sit that close. I moved the chairs to install the Projector.


I did sit there after I put up the projector, just to see how good the Pearl truly is, and I was very impressed, I wouldn't have seen any misconvergance from there, I was barley able to pick up on any Screen door to! :)

But I am putting the chairs back once I'm done, later tonight.

I will take a final picture of the completed setup

I would hazard a guess that the chairs are usually against the wall and SOWK moved them forward to install the projector more easily. ;)

How deep is the shelf the Pearl hangs from BTW? Is the back of the PJ physically touching the wall, or did you leave some spacing?

I wanted it to have good air flow - so it has some spacing.

http://img96.imageshack.us/img96/507/dsc01702cu2.jpg

is there any light spill from this projector? or is the light path completly cealed?.

I don't get why people spend almost 4 grand plus on a sony perl and couldn't get a better more efficient air conditioner is beyond me... It would also help cool down the room for your sony perl too and maybe make the lamp life last longer..

The guy sitting in the middle must be very careful not to head-butt the unit when he gets up.

Also, I thought the unit has enough lens shift for it to sit upright on top of the shelf. So, why border to install it upside down.

I don't get why people spend almost 4 grand plus on a sony perl and couldn't get a better more efficient air conditioner is beyond me... It would also help cool down the room for your sony perl too and maybe make the lamp life last longer..

Wow, making assumptions are we.

You know what that does right?

But skip the me part!

That air conditioner is built in to the apartment. I am not going to rip it out.

I have a 10,000 BTU portable air conditioner that if needed I roll in to cool off the room + the built in crappy one. If you like I can take a picture of the portable air conditioner too!

Plus I don't use the Projector that often.

I had the Sony HS51 since day 1, and sold it about a 2 month ago and I had just hit 550 hours on the first bulb. So I think almost 2 years, and I still was not through my first bulb.

The guy sitting in the middle must be very careful not to head-butt the unit when he gets up.

Also, I thought the unit has enough lens shift for it to sit upright on top of the shelf. So, why border to install it upside down.

I checked that before I made the mount, there is no way for you to stand up and hit your head on the pearl.


And NO, there is not enough lens shift to install right side up on the shelf.

If you look back into the thread, I made a big stink about that.

You can only shelf or desk mount if the center of the Pearl lens is under or exactly in the middle of your screen. There is no downward lens shift.

Wow, making assumptions are we.

You know what that does right?

But skip the me part!

That air conditioner is built in to the apartment. I am not going to rip it out.

I have a 10,000 BTU portable air conditioner that if needed I roll in to cool off the room + the built in crappy one. If you like I can take a picture of the portable air conditioner too!

Plus I don't use the Projector that often.

I had the Sony HS51 since day 1, and sold it about a 2 month ago and I had just hit 550 hours on the first bulb. So I think almost 2 years, and I still was not through my first bulb.
Ok that makes me feel better.. I wouldn't want such a awesome projector to overheat and go to waste...

Thats fine, and thank you for the comment anyhow

Because if I didn't know any better your right, that would have been a very good recommendation.

Actually what I usually end up doing is turning on the AC for like 1 hour before watching a movie to get the room cold. then I turn off the AC. and watch a movie. Is that good or is there a better way of doing it? I do want to protect my investment.

You meant the Pearl has no Vertical lens shift, like the one that HS51A has. If yes, that maybe the deal breaker for me.

Wonder how you compare the picture quality between the Pearl n 51A . Thanks.

SOWK,
Very nice set-up considering your space constraints (apartment)!
And the way you mounted the Pearl looks very cool. Good job.

You meant the Pearl has no Vertical lens shift, like the one that HS51A has. If yes, that maybe the deal breaker for me.

Wonder how you compare the picture quality between the Pearl n 51A . Thanks.

The Pearl has 65% vertical lens shift, which makes it very flexible. The catch, from what I have gathered, is that the lens shift is in the "up" direction only, which basically means that you have to mount it upside down if you're above a certain height.

Do you feel that this projector has as good as, or better picture quality than a Sony or JVC 70 rptv?

Please tell me those shelf brackets are screwed into studs.

I'm not trying to scare anyone off, just telling it like it is.

At full or close to black the HS51 or 51a will be darker with what should be no Corner brightness.

But...

The pearl may not go as pure black, but has alot more shadow detail.

About the nosie level. The Pearl is about the same decible rating where it is on high or low alltitude. just makes a different sound. it is about as loud as the HS51a on high mode.

What makes this worth $5000.00

1. 1080P
2. Contrast with in dark sences - I previously through the HS51a was very good, now I would say the 51a is just ok.
3. MOTERIZED Lens! I use to focus, and adj the stupid lens before every movie because I would put the cap on the HS51after every use.
4. No Vertical Banding

Whats no so good

Only 3 main issues

1. Light Leakage out side the panels ~ 2 inches on the left, right and top. ~ 12 inches on the bottem. (aka celing mounted)

2. Brighter corners on near to full black

3. Some minor color Uniformity issues. Nothing as bad as the HS51a.

The pearl is worth the money, just be carful that you know the problems are too.

Hold the phone.

The HS51 & 51a are both rated at 1200 lumens. The 51 rated at 6000:1 cotnrast, and the 51a at 10,000:1.

The Pearl is rated at 900 lumens at 15,000:1

Are you saying your 51a has better blacks? If so , Then there are either some calibartion issues here, or your 51a bulb as less than half it's original lumens.

What's the zoom on your Pearl setup?

You meant the Pearl has no Vertical lens shift, like the one that HS51A has. If yes, that maybe the deal breaker for me.

Wonder how you compare the picture quality between the Pearl n 51A . Thanks.

It does, but ony in the UP direction, It is not like the HS51 at all!

The HS51 can go one full length screen DOWN, and UP
Plus has the ability to do horizontal up to 65% screen length Left and Right.

The Pearl has about 2% Horizontal left and right

The Pearl has No downward lens shift, and only 65% UP

I had my HS51A tweaked/Calibrated more, and i have not had to much time with the Pearl yet. Was busy working on the mount, that I wish I didn't have to make.

Please tell me those shelf brackets are screwed into studs.

Yes. They are - Or I will find out the hard way when I get home! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

lol

Do you feel that this projector has as good as, or better picture quality than a Sony or JVC 70 rptv?

If you have light control, and a decent screen. It would be better then what you have mentioned.

Hold the phone.

The HS51 & 51a are both rated at 1200 lumens. The 51 rated at 6000:1 cotnrast, and the 51a at 10,000:1.

The Pearl is rated at 900 lumens at 15,000:1

Are you saying your 51a has better blacks? If so , Then there are either some calibartion issues here, or your 51a bulb as less than half it's original lumens.

What's the zoom on your Pearl setup?

I'm almost at min throw distance for my 100" screen

AKA, almost max zoom ~80%

My HS51A only has 45 hours on it - I only got it 2 months ago. Buy the way it is for SALE!

It has better near to absolute blacks, thats it. There is a lot more detail in the shadows with the Pearl.

The Pearl is also significantly brighter then the HS51A

Contrast ratio is the difference between the blackest black, and the whitest white.

It close to the HS51a in pure black out, but the HS51a and HS51 are still a little better for absolute black.

Not a big deal.

http://img61.imageshack.us/img61/4927/dsc01701zl2.jpg

MY room trashed, because of the **** I'm working on! :(

Can you hear the Sony over the sound of the vacuum cleaner?

your not being serious are you?

The answer is no! LOL

I wanted it to have good air flow - so it has some spacing.

http://img96.imageshack.us/img96/507/dsc01702cu2.jpg


How did you get it mounted to the moon?

How did you get it mounted to the moon?

ROFLMAO!!!

:D

SOWK: Great looking setup! I am in a similar position to you (appartment) an my completed setup will look close to yours.
That said, I have a request (and I doubt I'm alone):

Would you mind posting detailed instructions + parts list for your DIY mount?
I would I will be getting this PJ soon and I would like to have a DIY mount made in advance. Because we have similar setups (min throw distance, 100in screen) I would like to make a mount like yours.

Thank you in advance!

ROFLMAO!!!

:D


I must admit, at first I didn't understand the joke. I thought the moon reference might have had something to do with the term "spacing," but that seemed like an awfully lame joke. For bout half a second, I considered the possibility that this was actually an attempt to make a joke even more stupid than the one about vacuum cleaner. You know, some crazy kind of bad-joke one-upsmanship.

Then I looked at the wall in the photograph.

Then I laughed.

:D

I almost fell out of my chair on that one!...


That was good!

I will get the lists of parts this weekened for users that want to make a mount like mine.

I almost fell out of my chair on that one!...


That was good!

I will get the lists of parts this weekened for users that want to make a mount like mine.

Thanks a ton! I can't wait to get the mount set up in preparation for my Pearl!

I have one more (probably stupid) question: I understand that the Pearl has no downward vertical shift, but in your picture, the top of the screen is far above (below) the bottom of the projector. Is this because it naturally projects in a straight line (with some of the light going above the projector's mounted level, and some of the light going below) ? We just can't move the image any lower than it already goes, right?

Again, this is obviously my first PJ, and I apologize for my ignorance.

Thanks a ton! I can't wait to get the mount set up in preparation for my Pearl!

I have one more (probably stupid) question: I understand that the Pearl has no downward vertical shift, but in your picture, the top of the screen is far above (below) the bottom of the projector. Is this because it naturally projects in a straight line (with some of the light going above the projector's mounted level, and some of the light going below) ? We just can't move the image any lower than it already goes, right?

Again, this is obviously my first PJ, and I apologize for my ignorance.


No downward Lens shift means, if you mount right side up, your projectors lens would have to be directly inline with the center of the screen. any Higher and you have to mount upside down.

Gotcha! Thanks!

SOWK,
I am just curious, why did you not do a ceiling mount???

I am ready had the shelf, and the mount was only $2.00 to make! for parts

I just took delivery of my Pearl yesterday. So far, I'm very impressed. I'll post impressions after some more viewing. But one thing that strikes me right away: The size and limited lense shift mean my old method of putting my projector on the lower shelf of my coffee table and projecting upwards is no longer an option. The temporary solution is that I have put it on top of the coffee table -- but that's a hassle and looks ugly, and exposes the projector to things like getting knocked around, used as a resting place by the cats, or increases the likelihood of cords getting yanked. So I think a ceiling mount is in my future.

Any opinions about this mount (http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11071495&search=projector&Dx=mode+matchallpartial&Mo=34&cm_re=1-_-Top_Left_Nav-_-Top_search&Sp=S&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&Ns=P_Price|1||P_SignDesc1&N=0&whse=&ViewAll=35&Ntk=All&Dr=P_CatalogName:BC&Ne=4000000&D=projector&Ntt=projector&No=28&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&Nty=1&topnav=&s=1) at Costco dot com?

http://content.costco.com/Images/Content/Product/853578L.jpg

The Pearl has about 2% Horizontal left and right



Have you actually verified that? The specs said about 6.5%. Is that incorrect?

I have not verified that, but i will tonight, as I need to move the image over like 2 inches on my screen!


Anyone know if horizontal lens shift with the Pearl or Ruby, causes image distortion? Or degrade the picture in anyway?

Does anyone have experience with the DVDO® iScan™ VP50 with the Pearl, or maybe other scalers? Will this make a big difference with a HD picture feeding from an HDMI Motorola Comcast box? or not worth the price or not neccesary? Any help would be great. THanks.

sowk,

how long is your hdmi cable from the pj to your source?

SOWK,

So from your comments, are you saying that the VP in the Peal is eqaul to your stand alone VP? That is a big statement considering many are leaning towards the Mits because of its internal scaler.

Also, does the projector give a good 3D look? I'm still waiting for my PJ from a local guy here. Probably won't get it until next month.:(

How does the brightness of the Pearl compare to the Ruby in real world viewing?

If I recall, some of the "downsides" to the Ruby icluded the lack of brightness and expensive Xenon bulb replacements. I understand the Pearl has a 200w UHP lamp.