Back to the DVD Player. Is there any point going with the a-30 vs the A-3 being this is a 720p projector Thanks

A-30 will output 1080p@24Hz, good if you upgrade in the next couple of years, and cheapest you can get an a-3 is around 200, for less than 20% more you get a third generation player.

I already wrote and complained, but keep getting canned e-mails. I don't feel like calling and listening to a parrot.

I am going to leave my order until after CES and then I will probably buy the BenQ. I want to see what CES does to prices as I will have no time during xmas to setup this stuff. =)

Interestingly enough, there was one Mark II on ebay that went for $1490 including shipping :D

item=350005421795

Someone who was bidding retracted the bid... my guess is they got one from buy :D

It hought the same about the orders being filled first to people who paid the higher price. I will wait unless someone has one that I can buy.

I feel for anyone who has been waiting for this beast. Mine was sitting in a closet for months waiting to get installed. Last night I pulled my old Panny 900 down and installed the 12000. After adding more support in the attic and hoping that the ceiling didn't fall in I powered up and set the projector. After a couple of quick setting changes (tweak time is tonight!) popped in Transformers into the A3 and WOW. This projector is just in a different league. I'm thinking about hiring an IFS calibrator just to see how good this can get. If you can get one of these, do it. No regrets, and I always have some buyers remorse. My only regret is that I waited this long to install it!

I suspect it goes to those who paid the higher price and possibly higher shipping, two good points already mentioned.

On 10/23 I paid: $1,261.99
With Shipping: $1,288.18

I guess I was foolish to cancel the order but the cluelessness of the customer service and their policies was the ultimate factor on an open ended wait. I suspect even if I had kept that order it would have not been filled to this day.
I also ordered on the 23rd at that price. After multiple calls and letters (not that they helped), my unit shipped on 10/31. Very nice picture, and a noticeable upgrade from a low hours Infocus 4805-D1 combo. A big thanks to BobL for his knowledgeable advice on the Sharp Z12000mkII!

Craig

Thanks Stiltz! Looks like mine is on it's way to me today =).

Hey guys, anyone know online where the user manual is? or is it the same as the 12000, trying to figure out how much I gotta drop this baby from the ceiling.

It is the same as 12000U... go to SharpUSA.com and Front Projectors, you can download it there.

thanks!

Hey guys,
Just to give a little back, i made a spreedsheet that does all the calculations based on a given screen diagnol for min/max and projector height, if anyone needs it, please pm me and i'll be more then happy to send it to you.

Hello, I called Da lite, and was told that the high power screen with a gain of 2.8 would not be a good choice due to it's retro reflective quality. My room is light controlled, flat dark blue paint on the ceiling, a view box around the screen three feet deep with angled side walls painted the same. The room is 17' wide by 21' deep. I would like a 110" diagonal screen. The dalite rep recomended either the cinema vision with a gain of 1.3 or the pearlescent with a gain of 1.5. Everyone seems to be going with the HP gain 2.8.
I will build this myself. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks Mike

If I were you, I would try to get more specific info from Da-lite on why HPwould not be a good screen for you. In general, HP is well matched to 12K because the projector is not very bright. Key question is where you will have the projector relative to the screen. You should have it as close to your eye level as possible. Use the calculators in the HP thread to see what the gain would be with your setup. I have HP with 12K lens set about 20" above our heads, and think it is a great match. Ceiling or coffee table mount wouldn't be as good with HP. Maybe making your own frame is problem or putting it in a box (though HP would be better than most, it seems to me, in that configuration because it funnels light back to viewer). I wouldn't dismiss HP without investigating more.

I have a chance to pu a Vutec SS 103" at a good price. Anyone using with this projector?

Thanks for the info. I will hang the projector from the ceiling about 6.5 to 7 feet above the ground which will be at the top of the screen.
According to some calculations given by projector reviewer the foot lamberts are as follows A screen with a 1.3 gain = 16 foot lamberts
1.5 gain = 19 foot lamberts
2.8 gain = 35 foot lamberts

There is no specific mention of the mode- light intensity from the bulb economy, med , or high.
THe above information is based on a 110" diadonal screen with a 16x9 ratio, if I wanted the same width screen of 96" in a 4x3 ratio this would make it a 120" screen "which would be nice for many of the sd dvd's which are 4x3 ratio " the foot lambert s on the 1.5 gain screen would drop to 11 foot lamberts. I am not sure what is meant by retro reflective, and if it would affect this projector in this situation. Looking at the numbers the pearlescent with a 1.5 gain would be minimal,and the hp might be too much. but numbers arent always the same as reality.
any input would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks Mike

Hi guys, this is my first post over here - finally switching out my crt for a bulb. I picked up a 12k on e* for 1350 and shipping, which would have worked out better if the guy had not erroneously posted CA as his location. I ask for 3 day shipping to which he doesn't respond but sends an invoice with $98 shipping. Ok, I pay it so it will get here by this weekend since I have time to work on it. The next day he ships it, and I ask for a tracking number. The day after that he sends the tracking info, and, wait for it, he's shipping from Miami. Now everyone who does any bulk of shipping knows that FL->GA is two days ground, but UPS takes three days, sending it to KY in the meantime, and I'm watching agonizingly as the pj goes trucking all over hell and back and won't be here till Mon.

So basically I paid 5x too much shipping to not get the pj for three more days :rolleyes:. I only repeat this sad tale in case anyone else buys one of the buy it nows off e* so they will know it ships from FL and the dude is not the sharpest and takes a day to return email every time.

The great thing is that I can mount it on my back wall and by moving the screen out a few inches get the thing off my ceiling. I think I can use an HP screen too, as the pj will shoot just over our heads, and if the noise is a bother it will be easy to hush it. Not sure how to interpret the various noise comments except that it's safe to say it is much quieter than the G70 over my head now, which is borderline hovercraft.

I just bought one of these off Ebay to replace my old NEC 6pg xtra. Audible noise wise the Sharp z12000 is way quieter than the NEC. Once the movie is playing it doesn't disturb at all. I was kind of surprised how dim the projector is in high contrast mode. I'm shooting onto a 92" diagonal 1.3 gain cinemavision screen. In contrast to my CRT which is mounted very close for full phosphor utilization, the sharp is dimmer in medium and high contrast iris positions. The sharp should have another iris position between full open and medium as I find full open too bright and lacking contrast. Ultimately, the best thing would be a dynamic iris like the LCD's use, which would maximize bright and dark scenes.

I'm shelf mounting so I will pursue a Dalite Hipower Model C to help out with the low lumen output.

Wow, dim compared to a crt? That's not to say crt is dim but I run mine pretty low contrast and use a torus so it could be alot brighter but the tubes are doing really well so I can't complain. Sounds like the HP is a must.

Mike,

The Da-lite rep might be correct for your situation. When you use a retroreflective screen like the high power it sends the light back towards the PJ. The HP is about 3.0 gain if your eyes are at the same exact height as the projectors lens, 2.8 is the figure they use for most presentation applications for which this screen is designed. The further the distance between the height of your eyes and the height of the PJ the less the screen gain of the HP will be. If you mount your screen and PJ a little lower the HP might be a better solution. FYI, I am figuring your eye height at ~36-40" when seated as this is pretty good average but may vary depending on the type of seating you have. You will have to measure.

Hope this helps.

Bob

Bob,
Thanks for the info, let me see if I understand this correctly. If I ceiling mount the projector I want it as close in height to the level of my eyes as possible with an hp screen. The bottom of my screen will be about 2 feet above the ground and the top of the screen will be about 6.5 feet from the ground. The screen position can be moved up by 6"s in height at most.
The room has alot of projector placement flexibility. What do you feel would be an ideal projector position in height, and distance from the screen. Using a 110" 16x9 diagonal screen, totally light controlled. And which type of dalite screen?
Thanks again Mike

Can you lower the PJ or shelf mount it on a back wall? The projector needs to be as close as possible to your eye level for best PQ. If your seated eye height is ~38" then the bottom of your screen should be between 11"-20" of the floor for one row of seating. For two rows 20"-28" would be better depending on seating and riser height. If your seated eye height is more or less than you can add/ subtract the inches to these recomendations.

If you are using a HP screen the further back the PJ is the better. For a 110" screen I'd look for a 2.0 gain screen if you plan on using that PJ in its best mode and still have a respectable picture as the bulb ages. Depending on the difference between eye height and PJ height than I might consider and angular reflective screen instead of the retroreflective of the HP. Within 2' height difference you will be good, between 2-3' just OK, greater than 3' not so good and you will notice a big difference between sitting and standing. These are approximate guidelines.

Hope this helps.

Bob

Bob thanks again,
By what you are saying I should mount the projector about 5' from the ground.
I just measured my room and it is 18'1' deep, the projector is 20" deep, so the projector all the way back would mean the front of the lens would sit about 16'5" from the screen.
Do you feel this would be an ideal set up with the 110" hp screen, or should I change the size of the screen,gain,and or projector position. Thanks again.
BTW I appreciate your being so helpful. Mike

If you want a 110" screen than at least a 2.0 gain is needed for that PJ in its best mode. If you use other modes than a lesser gain screen. You won't see the best performance out of the PJ in the other modes but it will still be good. Going with a smaller screen doesn't require a screen with as much gain.

Either way I prefer the PJ as far back as possible but you do lose a little brightness but gain copntrast compared to being as close as possible. The larger the zoom range the more noticeable this effect is. The zoom range is not that large on this PJ.

Picking a screen size has other factors besides just size and lumens. I try to consider acoustics as well. Getting a screen so large that your sound is going to suffer by putting your speakers near corners, floor, or ceiling is not a tradeoff I would recommend. But, I see it all the time.

Here is a response I wrote a while ago about screen size being too big.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=11728788#post11728788

If you can mount the PJ 5' from the ground the HP will be a good solution at 110" not accounting for other factors of course.

Hope this helps.

Bob

Thanks

The sharp arrived on the 24th, the box was pretty beat up but the projector seems to be in in great shape. I did not try it yet, maybe in a couple of days . I will let you know how nice it looks. The box did not seem like it was opened, It did not come with an hdmi adapter, thats no big deal.

Hi guys, this is my first post over here - finally switching out my crt for a bulb. I picked up a 12k on e* for 1350 and shipping, which would have worked out better if the guy had not erroneously posted CA as his location. I ask for 3 day shipping to which he doesn't respond but sends an invoice with $98 shipping. Ok, I pay it so it will get here by this weekend since I have time to work on it. The next day he ships it, and I ask for a tracking number. The day after that he sends the tracking info, and, wait for it, he's shipping from Miami. Now everyone who does any bulk of shipping knows that FL->GA is two days ground, but UPS takes three days, sending it to KY in the meantime, and I'm watching agonizingly as the pj goes trucking all over hell and back and won't be here till Mon.

So basically I paid 5x too much shipping to not get the pj for three more days :rolleyes:. I only repeat this sad tale in case anyone else buys one of the buy it nows off e* so they will know it ships from FL and the dude is not the sharpest and takes a day to return email every time.

The great thing is that I can mount it on my back wall and by moving the screen out a few inches get the thing off my ceiling. I think I can use an HP screen too, as the pj will shoot just over our heads, and if the noise is a bother it will be easy to hush it. Not sure how to interpret the various noise comments except that it's safe to say it is much quieter than the G70 over my head now, which is borderline hovercraft.
Did you get your Sharp yet and how do you like it??

For those that pm'd me for the spreedsheet, I pm'd you back asking for email addresss, sorry, can't send an excel sheet thru pm. =(

It came in Monday, box in good condition, factory seal appeared intact under extra tape added by the shipper. It's not a mark II though, and don't know if it's dc2+ or dc3. It looks so good that it doesn't matter. Bright, punchy, pretty good color out of the box, and nice sharp focus. The sharp menus are pretty cool, lots of tweaking can be done and this is where I like an old premium product over a new budget one, lots of quality and options. The ability to put it on the back wall is great, it's going to solve alot of problems in my room, and as a bonus my wife is happy about the whole thing. Here's my take on a few of the topics that have been discussed, just a quick rundown...

Blacks - The dark grey bugged me a little until I realized a couple of things, one is that even crt halos some and with the digital you are more aware of the grey because it has a nice hard edge. I was ready to give this one to the CRT but watching 2001 I noticed that on a starfield the digital is better due to no halos, and the apparent image is better.

Brightness - I guess the dim comments come after the bulb dims a bit, but even then I wonder. In max contrast/economy, pearlbrite torus screen, it is almost too bright, that's at a gain of maybe 2.0. I guess I could see a HP when the bulb dims a bit but this is not an issue to me, I like darkened room viewing on the pj anyway, so I don't see brightness being an issue at all.

Noise - I see the loud comments if you were comparing to a very quiet pc or projector, but it is a low tone and not bad at all. It's six feet behind us and at this point a box would be more about exhausting hot air than noise. This is really a matter of personal viewpoint, having had a hovercraft overhead for the last 4 years this is very, very quiet in comparison. Also I think the build quality is more likely to stay quiet after reading some of the color wheel whine threads.

Rainbows - I can see them anytime I want (never saw them before owning one) but they don't bother me. Generally they pop up when moving around the room or when not really focusing on the screen. I would not give up the contrast to go to an lcd for this.

Screen door - again, not an issue on this pj for me. The last digital I looked at a few years ago was so much worse it wasn't funny. This is really only noticeable within a screen width and then only when I'm looking for it.

All in all, I'm very pleased. I think this will tide me over until three chip 1080p dlp that list for $30k are $1500 :p

What a beautiful picture.I am temporarily using the matt white backside of a glass bead screen. I do not know the gain of the back of the screen, I am guessing around 1.0 gain.
I ordered an hp screen Dalite pulldown with 2.8 gain. It should be coming soon. I don't know if I am going to hang it, Or make a frame for it. It's size is 92x72 viewable size.
If anyone has any suggestions on an easy way to make a frame and place the screen material it would be appreciated. 9x16 or 3x4 ?
I am using the projector in a light controlled room, and I know that high contrast low lamp mode is the best, but because of the screen I am using high lamp mode, And all I can say is WOW, what a great projector. WOW

WOW No rainbows, no sde, WOW.
When the new screen, the hd dvd player,the hdmi cable are all set up I will try Orwellflash's settings from around post #1253 unless there are newer and better settings. I will not use the computer software,I dont have the knowhow, or equipment.
If any one has any suggestions please
BTW did I say WOW. Mike

Yeah I am happy that I am not able to pick up the rainbow effect. I think most of the folks on AVS are just never happy and want a perfect setup. I am also one of the few who thinks this thing is too bright. I don't know about a high gain screen unless you are planning on pushing your screen up to 150 inches or more.

Yes it is difficult to make decisions sight unseen, especially with all the variables.Since it seems that a high gain screen seemed to be such a coomon choice on this forum, that is why I went with the 2.8 gain for a 110" to a 120" diagonal screen knowing I can decrease the brightness.
I was debating between a 1.5 gain or the 2.8 gain screen.Knowing I can turn down the brightness with probably less side effects than increasing the brightness at the price of contrast. But again I do not know the reality of the result for either screen.

Well at last I have my first post. I have been reading for so long and cant imagine how many discussions, posts, or threads I've read. I have learned all I know through all the valuable information contained in this site; Muchas Gracias! I have been considering jumping into the projector realm for quite some time now but very hesitant to pull the trigger. I guess my patience paid off because I just picked up a 56hr used 12k MkII for an incredible deal. I was seriously considering the Pannny AX200U and came to a click away from buying a refurb. Optoma HD7100; but I just happened to stumble across someone selling the Sharp for hundreds less than the AX200U. I couldnt help but to jump on that.
After reading this thread, it just makes me very excited to know that I now have coming to me one of the best DLP projectors out there. My honeydoo list maker was in shock when I told her the original retail and quality of this projector vs our purchase price. Convincing her only took a matter of seconds as she has been just dreaming of playing her Wii in a 100"+ screen. I want to thank this wonderful site and everyone's contributions as they helped me understand the projector business and selection.

Peter

Can someone PM me a seller name for this pj...all the normal outlets are sold out. Much appreciated.

I think there are all gone. Some places online (I had posted a link to a GPS place) may have some. The best bet seems to be to pre-order with Buy.com and hope you get one or try and call sharp to get a list of distributors and give them a call.

I got mine from a forum member ,who went 1080p and never turned it on =). Paid a little more then buy.com, but we'll see if it's work it as soon as I get parts to fix my stupid electric screen.

Dieing to fire this baby up!

I’m in a quandary as to the best way to connect my new HD-DVD player (Toshiba A-35). I have a Sharp 12000MK2 as well as HD cable box and Denon 3930 DVD with a Lumagen HDP. Before getting the Toshiba, I ran 480p from the DVD and native rate from the cable and let the Lumagen scale everything to 720p for output to the projector (except 1080i HDTV which was deinterlaced as well.) Those connections used HDMI/DVI. I do have a Denon 3806 which has HDMI switching. With the addition of the HD-DVD, should I still use the HDP? Should I bypass it entirely and run 720p direct to the projector from the A-35. The HDP doesn’t accept 1080p60 so you’d need to output 1080p24 from the A-35 (or 720p or 1080i), but my Sharp still needs the signal at 1080i60 or 720p60.

Way too many options and combinations for me to try them all. I was hoping someone else has gone through this already and might shed some light.

Note: Since both the HDP and Denon only have 2 DVI/HDMI inputs, I was forced to use component connections from the HD cable box in order to support all 3 sources at once. To be honest, I didn’t see a big difference making that trade-off.

I’m going to post this in the HD-DVD and projector forum as well as I don’t know where the best place will be to acquire these insights.

Can someone PM me a seller name for this pj...all the normal outlets are sold out. Much appreciated.

I have seen some on broadwayphoto.com. Not sure if its the MkII. I cant say anything about them either as I have never done business with them.

Anyone else watch the BCS game last night and saw all the artifacts when the Sharp tried to display confetti? It struggled with all those different colors for a few seconds and then caught up.

Well, it's finally happened and I nearly shed a tear when it did, I got up my sharp last night, and boy is it georgous, I just love the picture, very bright and extremely high detailed. I played assassins creed for hours!

Thanks to everyone in this thread for all their good information it reallly helped out a lot when I was buying blind so to speak.

Thanks again! This was my first projector and I am quite certain it will last me a long long time.

Anyone with experience of HD-DVD or BRD into this unit yet?

it looks great with both of my bluray and hd dvd movies. you will enjoy it.

I keep getting emails from buy.com stating that they are trying diligently to secure this projector for me... :D

My HD7300 came back last night, I do have something to play with.

I'm considering swapping mine out for a Panny AE-1000 or AE-2000. I've been very happy with the 12000, but want to go bigger than my 92" screen and pushing the Sharp bigger at my seating distance starts to show pixel structure.

You should get the Panny AE-1000 ;)

I think you'll have better lucking getting a good one.

I think I know someone selling one soon in your area!

I know there is a separate forum for this, but I'd like input from a Sharp 12k owner. I have a Mac Mini but I'm not able to get a widescreen display.
It only allows lower res 4:3 formats. I have SwitchResX but it is daunting.
Any one have settings for that, or suggestions?

Thanks

Maybe your integrated video card on the mini is not able to drive the higher resolution? I have a mini as well and the video is just marginal because of the card.
David

The mini will do full 1080 16:9 no problem at all. I do this on my Panny plasma. What it will not do is 3D stuff at high res. The Mini looks at each monitor and uses a code to figure out what each monitor is capable of displaying. The code to this projector is obviously wrong, or it doesn't exist and it is guessing. SwitchResX can fix this, but if you don't punch in the right combination of numbers (W x H x two different offsets) you get nothing.

I'm considering swapping mine out for a Panny AE-1000 or AE-2000.

Sadly, my 12000 recently died and I was forced to get a new PJ (on the bright side, the retailer whose name we do not speak gave me a full refund even though I bought it 9 months ago!).

So I bought a Mitsubishi HC4900 which seems comparable to the AE2000 you're considering. While the 4900 is visibly sharper and wayyyyy brighter, the overall picture quality just is not as enjoyable as that of the 12000. I'm not that good with the descriptive PJ terms, but that's it in a nutshell.

Three days later I was back at that retailer's store to see if I could buy back my broken 12000 with the intention of sending to sharp for repairs. Unfortunatley, they had already shipped it off to who-knows-where. :(

This is by no means a knock against the the 4900 which is a really good quality projector and a great deal at $1300 (after a $500 rebate) but rather a testament to just how amazing this sharp is, even when it's "only" 720p.

Just my 2 cents, of course.

The saga ends:


Thank you for shopping at Buy.com.

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prices on earth. However, sometimes circumstances beyond our control affect our selection.

We were recently informed that the item listed below from order #3706XXXX
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Sorry man! I am sure their will be another deal like this, keep watching the Benq PE 8720, I bet it's price will be in the range of this projector this year. ~1300, its down to 2k now, so keep your fingers crossed.

The egg that had the 8720 around 2K no longer has them it would appear.

Anyone looking for an absolute Mint Sharp 12K MKII, Theres one up one the forums used section from a good friend that I know in Wisconsin. It has under 60 Hours on the Unit and Lamp, (shoot it still smells like new.)

Hes selling the unit at a great price, and this unit has superb sharpness, even focus across the screen, no uniformity problems, no CA. Has better shadow detail then any 720P projector I have seen, and about the best Absolute black level I have seen from any 720P unit.

-SOWK

He wants $300 more than the previous deal talked about in this thread.

Well, I know he paid over $2000.00, and the $1300.00 deal is now gone. So for anyone that wants basically a new unit for still a great price its avail.

-SOWK

I would say it is the best 720P Projector avail if it works with your throw distance.

Guys I'm going to be pulling the trigger pretty soon on an ISCO II wide lens. I was just wondering if anyone has used a 2.35:1 lens on their 12k's and what was their impression in doing so?

I may go for the Aussiemorph or the HTB but currently the ISCO II is the front runner. Any advice would be much appreciated :)

I have no experience with ISCO II, but I am using Panamorph UH380 and 2.35:1 is spectacular with the 12K. I would never go back. I got a UH380 slightly used from a an AVS forum member. How much is the ISCO II lens?

I have no experience with ISCO II, but I am using Panamorph UH380 and 2.35:1 is spectacular with the 12K. I would never go back. I got a UH380 slightly used from a an AVS forum member. How much is the ISCO II lens?

Great to hear of your good experience using an anamorphic lens. I read over at AVforums that the last few sold for £450-650 in their classifieds.

I was just going to buy the Aussiemorph but it has been out of stock for a while and after reading up a bit these ISCO's seem pretty good for the money and they're supposed to be better from what I have read so far.

I just don't want there to be many trade off's especially in image sharpness in going with a 2.35:1 setup.

Any XV-Z12000 MKII owners in here watching the trends for when a 1080 unit that kills it comes along?

I've been out of it for a bit and am just curious what's developed over the year or so it's been since I picked it up.

Last I checked there were the 1080 LCDs around the 2000-3000 price range starting to look good. Any serious contenders or rumors of things upcomming to tempt a Sharp owner away any time soon? I'm so satisfied with the picture that it's been hard to bother keeping track...but I would like to get away from my setup constraints (HP screen, no ceiling mount, size, etc) at some point and also move up from 720 to a 1080 resolution for gaming purposes (where resolution really is a key factor).

I'm suprised to still see a clamor for these units, but I guess I shouldn't be too shocked...the picture really is phenominal if it can be worked into your setup. And for what they're going for...yeah it's insane to me considering I spent like a grand on my Infocus X1 when getting started with all this (only barely passed on the Panny AE100 which really was the one to start making this all a reality for us buget-constrained slobs).

So, did anybody upgrade yet? Upgrading now? Planning to upgrade when _____ ?

Or by constrast, anybody well in to their second lamp? I'm gonna have to think about one before long.

Thanks!

Any XV-Z12000 MKII owners in here watching the trends for when a 1080 unit that kills it comes along?

I've been out of it for a bit and am just curious what's developed over the year or so it's been since I picked it up.

Last I checked there were the 1080 LCDs around the 2000-3000 price range starting to look good. Any serious contenders or rumors of things upcomming to tempt a Sharp owner away any time soon? I'm so satisfied with the picture that it's been hard to bother keeping track...but I would like to get away from my setup constraints (HP screen, no ceiling mount, size, etc) at some point and also move up from 720 to a 1080 resolution for gaming purposes (where resolution really is a key factor).

I'm suprised to still see a clamor for these units, but I guess I shouldn't be too shocked...the picture really is phenominal if it can be worked into your setup. And for what they're going for...yeah it's insane to me considering I spent like a grand on my Infocus X1 when getting started with all this (only barely passed on the Panny AE100 which really was the one to start making this all a reality for us buget-constrained slobs).

So, did anybody upgrade yet? Upgrading now? Planning to upgrade when _____ ?

Or by constrast, anybody well in to their second lamp? I'm gonna have to think about one before long.

Thanks!

I have been on the fence for last 3 months over this Sharp or the Infocus 7210.Right now I am projecting on to a 120 " HP from 17 feet back in a lightcontrolled room.I have a Mitsubishi 3000 and although I am very happy with it, I feel the need to upgrade. What size HP are you using and from what distance ?
Thanks

I found an open box 12kII for $1499 but it was the display/demo for the an HT room for about a year so not sure if it's worth the $$$ . I have seen 2 of these before and know how fantastic the PQ is but I can't justify $1500 for a used one with who knows how many hours on it plus some scratches on the case (and missing the remote) . If it were new in the box it would have been mine in about 2 seconds ;) .

--- Jason

I have a samsung bd-p1400 going to my projector and when I go through the video setup of the samsung and set it to 24Hz it just gives me a blank screen. I have it connected from the hdmi of the blue ray to the dvi of the projector, could that be the problem? It is seeing a problem with that and needs to be component? Any thoughts at all would be great, thank you.
Matt

I have similar problems with my Toshiba A2 but I wasn't outputting at 24Hz. Try outputting at another Hz. It could be the HDMI handshaking problem. I found that powering the player up after I had switched the Sharp to Input 5 solved the problem without fail.

Jack

I can output to 60 no problem but was wanting to do 24. I will try making sure it is on before the player and see if it does anything. I am thinking it is the hdmi handshake though.

Come on guys, we can do 70 pages . . . :p

I have been on the fence for last 3 months over this Sharp or the Infocus 7210.Right now I am projecting on to a 120 " HP from 17 feet back in a lightcontrolled room.I have a Mitsubishi 3000 and although I am very happy with it, I feel the need to upgrade. What size HP are you using and from what distance ?
Thanks

120" might be just plain too big for the Sharp. Others will disagree (and have, check through some of the earlier posts in this thread), so YMMV.

However, a long throw against a HP screen (and as close to eye-level as possible) is definitely the perfect setup for the Sharp. The long throw gives a big viewing cone off the HP screen, which is good. The HP material corrects nicely for the Sharps lack of sheer light-output headroom. I think there's kind of a sweet spot there to attain, which tells you what screen size you can get...but then everybody's subjective expectations and satisfaction will be just slightly different.

If I recall corrcetly, I think I'm throwing about a 102" - 106" picture from about that distance. Been a while since I thought about screen calculations...man I used to live and breathe this stuff...the Sharp really made me just settle down and watch it. Kinda stopped chasing the perfect picture after I dialed this thing in. It's just really...pleasing. It's not one single factor, either. The whole thing just comes together for a very watchable experience. I can watch it for hours and hours and not start to nitpick it apart, stare at imperfections, or become fatigued. It's satisfying enough that I decided to live with the non-ceiling placement and the need for an HP screen, etc. There's nothing digital feeling about it and it is excellent for a "critical viewing" of your favorite movies. Maybe lacks a little lumens oomph for gaming, but the contrast ratio makes up for it by a mile.

It's not a perfect projector - a few definite limitations especially with setup, but I've never owned a projector before that gave me the kind of feeling I just described. I guess I kind of "finished" tinkering the picture once I set this up. At least for the time being.

Anyway, good luck with the decision. We seem to be in a transition.

Oh, and BTW: 70 pages!

(Edit: awww, I thought for sure I'd get it!)

The Z12000 only supports 50/60Hz input. See page E-88 in the manual.

Thanks Samurai Jack for the input.

hello all
My 12000 mkii is set up. I have a couple of questions if anyone can help that would be nice. I am using a 106" hp screen
(1) running component video cables red blue green with out calibration looks great, Running an HDMI cable looks poor, using Orwell flash's calibration improves the picture , but it still looks washed out, and there seems to be a lot of artifacts such as a moving haze in darker scenes kind of a purplish color. Any sugestions
(2) I am using a Denon 4802 receiver no hdmi inputs, a high end reciever 2002 model year,a toshiba hd-a35. HDMI to the projector,5.1 analog inputs from the toshiba to the ext in on the denon. I want to use all 7.1 speakers, but I am not getting any sound out of the back two. No matter how I set up the surround parameters I can not get the back two speakers to work.
If I use an optical cable I do get all 7 speakers to work. I do realize that the back two are matrixed from the side speakers
I would like to take advantage of the better sound from the analogs and be able to use all seven speakers. Any suggestions would be helpful. Thanks Mike

Does any one get a purple cloudlike haze. See #2069?
Thanks Mike

Hello all

just trying to resurrect this great thread on the sharp z12000. Unlike most of you, I have the original z12000u, not the mark II. I am going on my fourth year and love this pj. I recently added a panny bd30 blu ray player connected via hdmi to dvi converter to the pj. I used the calibrations recommended by orwellflash and the quality looks great! I just had to tweak the contrast and brightness controls to suit my batcave of a home theater. I was wondering if anyone (orwellflash included) have calibration numbers for this pj mated with the panny blu ray player. Also i am using d.video rgb as signal type and dot by dot as the image size for the 720p input. The signal info is showing 720p under "options" "signal info". Is this the best resolution as opposed to setting the signal type to d.pc rgb which would not allow dot by dot (only "normal" for screen size) and signal info as 1290x720 )?

I don't have a panny player, so can't help you there. I am using the "d video rgb" setting on my projector going to a Toshiba XA2 using a dvi to hdmi cable. (My Sony BDP300 blu-ray player is hooked up via component). The XA2 allows me to do a video signal level setup. I can't say I saw a difference between the "normal" screen sizing and "dot for dot", but I feel better having it set that way. Glad to hear that my settings worked for you. I should point out, however, that I am not recommending those for everyone--just reporting what my calibration produced. Other 12K owners have ended up with considerably different settings from their calibrations.

i wonder if people are still trying to find these things.

Not sure, but I must admit I love mine. I cannot see moving up to anything until this dies, such a great picture on my 106" screen. If I did not have one it would definitely be worth it to keep searching for it.

Good luck to those of you that are, because it really is a fantastic projector.

I agree with Mastiff, mine throws such a good picture on my 106" screen that I've lost all signs of upgradeitis that I've had though the years. I've compared mine to a 3-Chip Sim2 and I think its really close. Paid $1700 for the Sharp and it holds its own with $15000 projectors, looks unbelieveable with Blu Ray or betamax (oops I mean HD-DVD)

Remember our poor little sharp use to be a 10,000 projector, we just benefit from closeout pricing, I paid $1600, and would do it again in a heart beat.

You guys are lucky. There are still plenty of us looking for this great pj out there but the pickings are slim.

Moe

You guys are lucky. There are still plenty of us looking for this great pj out there but the pickings are slim.

Moe

I just sold my house with projector intact. :( Been combing e-bay, they usually show up there for around $1500 plus shipping. Trying to decide if I go back with what I know or go for a new 1080p model. I agree, this one is a great projector.

I have a MKI.

Truth is there really is only a small difference. TI changed the DC2+ process to make the dimple hinge slightly less apparent. This results in slightly better contrast and slightly better light output. Hence there is a slight spec change. I wouldn't get too hung up on it. Other than the chip, the projectors are identical.

Pennstater will assuredly post later about whether he left in the second foam insert and whether he can now use lens shift properly.

Is the mkI the vx-Z12000?

Yes.

picked up a z12000 for a lot less than folks mentioned here. It didn't say MKII on it but the seller claims it is. I need to search back for date code mentioned in these threads. Can now compare to my hd7100.

I was wondering if the z12000 if compared to a similar dlp 1080p pj would show much of a difference. I am projecting mine on a 120 inch carada screen and using a panny bd30 blu ray player. I don't know anyone who has a 1080p pj set up under similar circumstances. Don't get me wrong, the 720p blu ray picture looks great, but I always have it in the back of my mind that a 1080p would look much better......anyone out there witnessed a side by side comparison?

I saw a Sharp 12000 (it may have been a demo version) at Fry's for well under a grand. What a steal!

Personally I just picked up a used Marantz S4 and love the picture. People are fire-selling 720p projectors and the high-end models are going so cheap right now, it's crazy. People don't seem to realize that the differnece between 720 and 1080 is small and with some program material many won't even see it).

Things like lens quality, contrast, black level and color rendition are FAR more important to a good picture, and the high end 720 models are just as good - if not better - than a lot of the 1080 models and at half the price. Or less!

If you can't find the Sharp, I suggest the Marantz S4 and the BenQ 8720 - they are both DLP and have nearly identical long-throw lenses like the Sharp (which means if the SHarp works in your setup, the Marantz and BenQ probably will too).

All three of these projectors are in the same league and all are very well respected.

You can find the 8720 refurbed on the BenQ website right now for a very good price... I only found out about it today and if I had known I might have gone for that instead of the Marantz (almost a grand cheaper).

I highly recommend that anyone pick up any of these projectors, they are KEEPERS.

Save your 1080 money for when we can get either an LED or laser model (in other words, wait until projector technology takes a leap forward).

I lucked out and found a MKII from a fellow forum member back in January at a very good price. I have been completely satisfied and know that I cant find a better picture without spending 10K-15K plus in a new one. This Sharp is definitely something to keep.

While I did just a few hours of viewing with this projector and didn't do any tweeking my initial response is wow, I can't believe how I lucked out with this deal.

Does anyone have the Sharp connected via HDMI to a HDMI 1.3a compliant receiver and has both video and audio working? I tried to upgrade my HK DPR-2005 to a Sony STR-DA3300ES and could not get my audio to work. I suspect it has something to do with the DVI input on the projector; but what doesn't make sense to me is that the Sharp is video only it has nothing to do with processing the audio. My source is a Motorola HD/DVR and no sound via HDMI input. If I use the optical input it works fine but defeats the purpose of using one cable for both audio and video. Also, no advanced audio codecs with optical.

I have heard there may be issues with the Sony STR-DA5300es receivers where DVI at the end of the video chain prevents audio from the receiver. Went to the Sony site and researched the suggested connections module they speciifcally state that if your TV has only a DVI input you can use a HDMI to DVI convertor. Wouldn't this only apply to TV's that have audio?

Once u switch to dvi you lose audio. But I do have the Sony 5200 es reciever and I also cannot get sound over HDMI.

I currently have my projector connected with an hdmi cable and a dvi-adapter on the end at the projector. If you figure out how to get the sound to work over HDMi, I would love for you to report back here, because it's driving me nuts.

I wonder if this is a Sony specific issue or would this occur with any HDMI 1.3a receiver? I know in the STR-DA5300es thread, folks have been able to work around this issue by using this HDMI to DVI converter: http://www.copperbox.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=1312&click=2

I'd hate to spend another $200 though on something that is only an issue with Sony Receivers...

They way I worked around it that sucks, is to go to component video and optical out =(. I can't belive for $1500 I cant have hdmi audio, its killing me.

They way I worked around it that sucks, is to go to component video and optical out =(. I can't belive for $1500 I cant have hdmi audio, its killing me.

That is unacceptable for Sony's Premium line of receivers "Elevated Standard". I think I will discover that this problem is exclusive to Sony...

I am going to try my luck with the Yamaha RX-V1800 Receiver next. Anyone using this receiver with the Sharp?

i have a pioneer vsx92thx i use a hdmi cable with a dvi adaptor i pluthe dvi in the projector and the hdmi into the hdmi out in the receiver and my hd-a30 and my bdp95 bluray player and cable in the three hdmi ins and i get perfect video and audio withe all the audio formats

I just purchased an XV-Z12000 Mark II at a super good price and I'm upgrading from an Mitsubishi HD1000U. My screen is a 106" 1.3 gain matte white in a totally light controlled room with very dark gray walls and ceiling. I'll be using full zoom at about 14' throw. (About the same mounting location as the Mits)

For those that own this projector, will I be satisfied with the light output? It doesn't need to be as bright as the HD1000U but I don't want something that is so dim that it's unwatchable.

Any opinions? Should I be planning on changing screen material to a higher gain?

...Any opinions? Should I be planning on changing screen material to a higher gain?

I think if you read through the history of this thread, the overwhelming majority use the Da-Lite High Power with great results as long as you don't go too big. I'm using a simple Model B 106" that I purchased used on the 'Gon for $100 and am extremely happy with the PQ.

I think if you read through the history of this thread, the overwhelming majority use the Da-Lite High Power with great results as long as you don't go too big. I'm using a simple Model B 106" that I purchased used on the 'Gon for $100 and am extremely happy with the PQ.

What would be too big ? I have a High Power 120". Is that too big ? It is in a light controlled room from 17 feet back,ceiling mounted.
Thanks

What would be too big ? I have a High Power 120". Is that too big ? It is in a light controlled room from 17 feet back,ceiling mounted.
Thanks

I think you would be fine with that setup, especially in a light controlled room. You'll lose some of the gain because it's ceiling mounted, but it should still work for you...enjoy it!

P.S. Post back once you've set it up and tried it out...let us know the results.

i have a pioneer vsx92thx i use a hdmi cable with a dvi adaptor i pluthe dvi in the projector and the hdmi into the hdmi out in the receiver and my hd-a30 and my bdp95 bluray player and cable in the three hdmi ins and i get perfect video and audio withe all the audio formats

Thanks for your feedback. I decided not to go with the Yamaha RX-V1800 due to issues with WTW/BTB in their respective thread. Based on your experience, I've got a VSX-92THX on order. Thanks!

polyscroll,

Preferred brightness is very subjective. I know that a lot of people think you NEED a high gain screen with this pj, but personally, I disagree. I have a 110", DIY, light gray screen, with a 19" throw. That should give me significantly less brightness than you will have. Most of the time, I am completely satisfied with the brightness levels. Occasionally, I am not and will probably repaint my screen bright white, which I think will be plenty to remedy the occasional perceived dimness. That would still give me less brightness than you will have. I know most people wouldn't dream of watching a picture in the neighborhood of 5 ft lamberts, but it looks good to me. YMMV.

Rob

polyscroll,

Preferred brightness is very subjective....

Rob

Thanks Rob. I know that my current HD1000U can be pretty blinding during "snow scene" shots and I would not necessarily call that a desirable quality. I really don't expect this thing to have the brightness of say a modern LCD TV but I would like something that looks more natural, where it counts.

Number one priorities for me are color accuracy, black levels, and perceived contrast. Overall brightness isn't that important to me and having a little dimmer picture will be fine as long as the 3D effect is still there.

Thanks for the encouraging words.

I'll see how it goes.

One last thing, is this projector really "THAT GOOD" compared to low end units ? Is the difference really noticeable ?

I know, I know...another question that may only be able to be answered subjectively. In the end though, our subjective opinions is really what matters more than any spec numbers on a sheet of paper.

I have around 250 hrs on this pj with a 106" diagonal high power and wouldn't want it any less bright that it is now. I use the pj in high contrast iris and low bulb modes. I also shelf mount just inches above viewing height, so I'm getting a good amount of the gain.

As to how good this pj is, I've also had a Benq pe7700, Sony vpl-hs60 and a Sharp DT-500. The contrast for this pj is a lot better than those other pj's, in the mode I run it in. The Benq left a lot to be desired when it came to dark scenes, while the Sharp does a pretty good job. Not crt good, but good enough.

The ansi is especially impressive, though the last pj I had was the Sony lcd, so of a course a dlp will destroy an lcd in ansi.

I'm not that sensitive to color inaccuracy unless it's way off, but I know this pj can be tweaked quite a bit with the CMS.

I'd say with your priorities, you'd regret not getting the MKII if you have the chance to. The budget units will disappoint in the areas of your concern, especially contrast/black level.

I think you would be fine with that setup, especially in a light controlled room. You'll lose some of the gain because it's ceiling mounted, but it should still work for you...enjoy it!

P.S. Post back once you've set it up and tried it out...let us know the results.

Thanks Skor for the feedback. I will let u know how it goes.

Number one priorities for me are color accuracy, black levels, and perceived contrast.

So far as I've seen, nothing for the money will do anything even close to the Sharp in those regards.

The only downside to the unit is lumens in the desirable High Contrast mode (brightness headroom). And placement if you must gain brightness in your setup by using a High Power retroreflective screen...depending on the size of your screen and your subjective needs, that may not even come up, but I think it will for most people at anything around 16x9 at 100" diagonal and up.

Any opinions? Should I be planning on changing screen material to a higher gain?

Get yourself an inexpensive DaLite High Power pulldown. I got mine for a song (I run around 106" 16x9 and it set me back less then $200 shipped). Look for a 4:3 pulldown that will do the same size (when not pulled down all the way) because for some wacky reason they tend to be way cheaper than "actual" 16x9 screens even though they contain MORE material. Uh. Yeah, I dunno.

Anyway, at least get a free High Power swatch from DaLite (call em, number on their site) and throw it up on your screen. I can almost gaurantee you'll like what you see.

For me the change was nothing short of dramatic. Blacks stayed nearly as black and whites and colors just LIT UP. Huuuuuge contrast. I had to have it after seeing the swatch.

Unless you're throwing like an 80-90" screen, if you haven't seen it on a High Power, you're not seeing what this PJ can really do. I was a little disappointed at first on my 1.0 gain screen, then I threw a smaller picture and went OOOOOOOOH, now I see...but I don't like the smaller size...so I switched to HP material...and, problem solved. I was getting at the large size what I was seeing at the small. The only sacrifice was a tiny little black level (and the original black level was so inky black that it had an acceptible margin to work within) and the fact that I had to get the projector positioned at eye-level to maximize the effect...so no convenient ceiling mount which I was used to.

But again, for the money, I can't imagine another way to get the effect I'm seeing. If you're into "critical viewing" of films where fine PQ is really your holy grail...I'd be floored to see this improved upon for what I spent.

If you can live with the HP and the PJ positioning, it's a fantastic steal. If not, I woulnd't begrudge anybody buying something more convenient...there's plenty of other setups I'd be happy to own that wouldn't be bad at all (would even be easier-to-own in some regards)...just wouldn't be this. I'm afriad even to try an "upgrade" to a 1080 unit until there's been a generation or two that makes the next similar amazing "steal" come along because I'm afraid I'd miss the Sharp. I don't think it's for everyone by any means...but if you can treat it like it needs to be...it'll treat you very well in return...just totally pleasurable to watch for extended viewing...I never tire of it or start picking apart flaws in the PQ.

Can any 12k mkII owner verify for me that all the factory remote functions can be controlled via a Harmony remote (are all the codes in place from Harmony) , is the IRIS control available via a Harmony remote since it is stated to not be available in the menu options ?

I am considering purchasing a 12k mkII with less than 50 hours on it for a steal but the remote is missing and I figured the cost of a new OE remote is somewhere around $70 so I might as well grab a Harmony (plus the Harmony can be picked up at the same time as the PJ and I don't have to wait around for an OE remote to show up from Sharp or another vendor) .

Thank You ,
-- Jason

I can confirm this, I use my harmony to control everything.. It was already on there website, I had no use for the factory remote that came in the box.

I can confirm this, I use my harmony to control everything.. It was already on there website, I had no use for the factory remote that came in the box.

I have the download from the Harmony website for the 12K but it does not have the IRIS function as far as I can tell , it does not show up anywhere on the remote and it is not in the listing if you try to customize the buttons . There are also many functions in there that are not even used on this PJ , the harmony file has functions for powered zoom and focus which the 12K does not even have . If anybody has figured out how to get the IRIS working from a Harmony I would luv to hear about it (thanks) .

-- Jason

Hmms, mine works fine, including iris control, I wonder if I programmed it with the remotes learning feature, I will look tonight for you, but I know for a fact it works.

mastiff34 ,

Thank You very much , I appreciate it :) .

-- Jason

Thanks Rob. I know that my current HD1000U can be pretty blinding during "snow scene" shots and I would not necessarily call that a desirable quality. I really don't expect this thing to have the brightness of say a modern LCD TV but I would like something that looks more natural, where it counts.

Number one priorities for me are color accuracy, black levels, and perceived contrast. Overall brightness isn't that important to me and having a little dimmer picture will be fine as long as the 3D effect is still there.

Thanks for the encouraging words.

I'll see how it goes.

One last thing, is this projector really "THAT GOOD" compared to low end units ? Is the difference really noticeable ?

I know, I know...another question that may only be able to be answered subjectively. In the end though, our subjective opinions is really what matters more than any spec numbers on a sheet of paper.

Well, I had initially decided to pass on this projector due to it's size and the loudness of the fan but after tweaking the grayscale and color controls, I have changed my mind. This projector's color accuracy and contrast are astounding! Even on my 1.3 gain matte white screen, the picture is plenty bright for me in High Contrast Mode.

What blows me away is the depth of the image when good source material is fed to it.

I can also say that the DC3 in this unit visibly yields less Screen Door Effect than my DC2 Mitsubitshi. The difference isn't great but it's definitely noticeable.

I can't imagine any 720p unit being any better.

If only it were a bit smaller and quieter...

What kind of general settings are people using. Is it better to set to 720 and try 1:1 pixel mapping? Any input would be fantastic! I know everyone's settings won't be perfect but I may get me a little closer.

Also what are people using for screens. Thinking of getting a Dalite HP pulldown and using the screen material for a DIY screen. Any thoughts? Thanks everyone! Chad

Also, are these still available. A friend saw mine and was wondering, I haven't seen any lately! Thanks. Chad

Ok i bought one off the web.It came today looks brand new. Well plug it in and it turns on fine the blue light blinks 2 times and the goes off but the bulb never turns on. any suggestions?

Ok i bought one off the web.It came today looks brand new. Well plug it in and it turns on fine the blue light blinks 2 times and the goes off but the bulb never turns on. any suggestions?

Oh, oh. Not good. Same thing happened to me 4 months after I purchased it from Costco and with less than 100 hours on the bulb. The behavior occurred after the original lamp had exploded and a new lamp was installed. Brought it to an authorized service center and it took them a month to figure out that the Ballast/Power Supply was faulty and it caused the lamp to explode. Fortunately it was under warranty and since they replaced it haven't had a problem since. I believe the same thing happened to another member in this thread, DaveInVA.

I would recommend you find your nearest authorized Sharp Service center from this link http://www.sharpusa.com/products/FunctionGetService/1,1286,16,00.html and call them to arrange service. Good Luck!

Could anybody compare the blacks and contrast with an Epson 1080UB Pro for instance?

I dont have the receipt for it. I wonder how much it will cost to fix it

I think it's worth it to have an authorized Sharp service center take a look at it...maybe you could work out a deal with the seller to help pay the costs. If you do have them give you an estimate, post back here what they found...I'm curious if the Ballast is the problem.

Mine did the same thing.Removed the lamp and put it back in and it worked
fine ever since.Simple and worth a try.

il keep you posted. UPS picked it up today. The top of the porjector was opened like it was dropped so a claim went to UPS.

Ok my new projector will be here on Friday. I have a Vutec SS 92" screen the projector will be mounted about 14' from the screen. I have a HD A3 and a DirtecTV HD box. I plan to hook the Direct box to the DVI and the HD A3 component. Any recommendation on settings for this setup?

Hook the A3 to DVI. Too many HD DVD's are copy protected on component.

Jack

What output setings do i use on my HD A3/D3 to feed my Sharp over hdmi-dvi using Orwellflash#1253 settings as a starting point? thanks for the help

Hi all-

I just picked up an xv-z12000mk2 as an open box special (former demo at Magnolia)- no remote or literature or anything else I might add, but for $825.00, I'll figure out the rest. When I got it home and fired it up, I realized it had 1200 hrs on it! The good news is that for $175 I got a 4 year warranty with bulb replacement:D.

I haven't had the opportunity to check it out with any source material yet because I need some different cables and a new projector mount.

I'm wondering what ceiling mount most of you are using. Does the one from monoprice work with this projector?

Has anyone got the iris feature to work from a Harmony remote?

Also, is there any concensus on the settings for this PJ for the best overall picture?

I see that many of you are using a dalite hipower. Is there any benefit to using a hi-power if the projector is ceiling mounted?

Yes , this projector is ideal with a HiPower screen since it really is not all that bright once at 6500k/D65 (should you decide to properly calibrate it) . The benefit here is the added brightness from shooting within the screen area so even when shooting from the top of the screen you are still getting close to a 2.0 gain ( down from the 2.8 you could get from shooting right where your head would be when watching which obviously nobody can truly do since your head would be blocking the light path ;) ) .

The 12k mkII has to be within the screen area even though it has lens shift . You can have it at the bottom , middle or top (and of course anywhere in between) but you cannot have it shooting from any more than a couple inches (at best) above or below the screen ( unless of course you don't mind using keystone correction , which I will never use as I know what it does to the image and I am somebody that can detect it , most people cannot see the difference however so YMMV ;) ) .

-- Jason

I have my 12K mkII now running close to a 2.4 Gamma , which is said to be more than it can do but it's doing it with no black crush or blown out whites (mids are fine as well) . The depth of image benefit from the roughly 2.4 gamma is pretty obvious when going from 2.2 . The 12K mkII does not appear to be at a perfect 2.2 Gamma out of the box so if you have the means to calibrate it be sure to see what it can/can't do ;) .

My 12k is also calibrated to about 6500:1 CR (6500k/D65/REC709) and this is not in a bat cave room as I still have white ceilings (all dark walls) and not 100% light control with some LEDs in the room (not aimed directly at the screen however) . So that's not too far off the marketed spec of 7000:1 and my room is not IDEAL , with even more room correction I have no doubt the 12k would do over its marketed spec .

-- Jason

Yes , this projector is ideal with a HiPower screen since it really is not all that bright once at 6500k/D65 (should you decide to properly calibrate it) . The benefit here is the added brightness from shooting within the screen area so even when shooting from the top of the screen you are still getting close to a 2.0 gain ( down from the 2.8 you could get from shooting right where your head would be when watching which obviously nobody can truly do since your head would be blocking the light path ;) ) .

The 12k mkII has to be within the screen area even though it has lens shift . You can have it at the bottom , middle or top (and of course anywhere in between) but you cannot have it shooting from any more than a couple inches (at best) above or below the screen ( unless of course you don't mind using keystone correction , which I will never use as I know what it does to the image and I am somebody that can detect it , most people cannot see the difference however so YMMV ;) ) .

-- Jason

Thanks Jason-

Where's a good place to get a hi-power. I actually wouln't mind making my own frame if I could find the material. Do you think about 106" max with this projector.

I currently still have my 4805 projecting on a DIY 96" screen.

It's cheaper to buy the HiPower pull down screens than to buy the material so you can always buy a pull down and cut the material off for a fixed frame . I have heard of people getting HP pull downs in the 92" to 96" region for a little over $200 but not sure where they bought them , give AVS a call or shoot them a PM ;) .

-- Jason

The high power with the MKII looks fantastic. A match made in heaven with the sharp in high contrast mode.

The black levels on the sharp compared to the 4805 is not even a close race. The sharp dt-510 which is more in line with the intended market for 4805 owners kicks it's butt.:D

The high power with the MKII looks fantastic. A match made in heaven with the sharp in high contrast mode.

The black levels on the sharp compared to the 4805 is not even a close race. The sharp dt-510 which is more in line with the intended market for 4805 owners kicks it's butt.:D


I just ordered a swatch of the hi-power from dalite to test out. I have really high expectations based upon the feedback on this forum. I have really enjoyed my 4805 for just over 4 years. I paid $1500 for it when they first hit the market. The MK2 came out about 1 1/2 years later at about $11,000. I'm thinking it might be incrementally better ;). I can't imagine I will be dissapointed with the upgrade. Especially at $825:D

I read on another thread from one user that they experienced better picture quality from the component input as opposed to the DVI input. Is there any truth to that?:confused:

I would say that it depends upon the source . I have better IQ with the PS3 using the DVI connection but due to the DVI 8 bit input you can notice more banding vs. the component . I have done pretty extensive comparisons and I prefer the over-all sharper and more detailed image from the DVI input but this might come down to personal preference . The 12k mkII has a great Component section (high end stuff) but short of having better processing (like the Marantz 12s4) there is only so much you can do , there is still banding with Component on some sources ( keep in mind that some of this can be source/media related and is not always the fault of the PJ ) . Be aware that you will probably see source/media flaws with such a high quality display that you never noticed before .

-- Jason

Thanks, I'll try them both. My sources are a PS3, an oppo dvd,and an hr20 directtv receiver.

I have room heat problems in any sessions with the MKII that last past an hour. It's great in the winter but is overwhelming in the hot days of summer. I have the projector ceiling mounted about 3-5 feet below a slanted ceiling and an exhaust fan high in the wall facing the exhaust port of the MKII. Unfortunately the exhaust fan isn't powerful enough to keep the room comfortable. Any fan that is more powerful becomes too loud.

I've thought about constructing some type of device that would bridge the gap(about 5 feet) between the exhaust port of the projector and the input area of the wall fan. The problem is in mating the two ends in a half way decent looking device.

Has anyone done anything like this with their Sharp and if so, could you share your experiences or ideas with me?

Jack

Well I finally got to take a look at this thing. When I first fired it up, I wasn't overwhelmed. Everything was washed out and the colors were way off. It seemed way too dim in the high contrast mode. With 1200 hrs I wasn't too surprised. I did a reset of the picture settings because this was a previous demo at Magnolia and they obviously had no idea of what they were doing. After an hour of tweaking with things that were out of my scope of comprehension, I believe I've achieved success...


Bottom line--- Now I'm impressed!! I got the brightness, colors, contrast and gamma where I like them (although I haven't calibrated it yet with any test discs). It has the 3-D pop I was hoping for and acceptable brightness in the high contrast mode even with my DIY screen. I'm going to get a hi-power screen in a month or two and I will do a proper calibration after it's installed.

More observations to follow after I hang it on the ceiling permanently.

Well I thought I was impressed in my last post, but after trying to calibrate using the HD-essentials disc, I realized there was something wrong. I couldn't get the black levels where the should be and had no idea why. Dark scenes seemed really washed out. The manual wasn't much help but I noticed that there was a setting in the options menu for the DVI #5 input that was changeable. The input was set to PC-RGB instead of video-RGB!!:eek:
After changing this setting, this projector is nothing short of amazing! Deep blacks, rich, beautiful colors.

Are many of you using the white emph turned on or off?

I have the PJ mounted on the ceiling about 3 ft. over my head. While it certainly isn't silent, it is MUCH quieter than my 4805 and noise is really a non-issue.

I am waiting for some samples from da-lite. I doubt that they will send a large enough sample for me to make a final decision. I'm looking forward to checking out the hi-power. It looks great on my DIY screen, but I'm looking forward to even greater improvements.

Hey Tom(Guitarman)-- do you want to bring your hi-power over to my house?:D

For anyone who is interested, I will be posting my 12kMark II in the AVS classified forum shortly. But before I do I wanted to give folks who visit this thread an opportunity to PM me if they are interested.

My 12K is a little over a year old and has approximately 770 hours on the bulb. I am selling it because I bought a Sharp 20K which if you really want to know is better but not that much better. Specifically the noticeable improvements are better contrast/black level,the 20k is a little bit brighter.and a tad quieter. Prior to my upgrade I never really thought that 1080P was that big of a deal and having lived with the 20k, pretty much confirms that just about anyone could/should be happy with a state of the art 720 PJ like the 12K Mark 2. I am asking $1200 for the Sharp.

mbroder ,

I am using PC RGB with the PS3 set to Full range and calibrated for 16-235 (HDMI to DVI) , stunning image on my HiPower screen :D .

-- Jason

mbroder ,

I am using PC RGB with the PS3 set to Full range and calibrated for 16-235 (HDMI to DVI) , stunning image on my HiPower screen :D .

-- Jason

I'm not sure what you mean by calibrated for 16-235. Could you please explain? Also, would those settings work only for the the ps3 or can I set up my HR20 directtv box to work as well?

I'm really looking forward to checking out the hipower- it sounds great!

I'm not sure what you mean by calibrated for 16-235. Could you please explain? Also, would those settings work only for the the ps3 or can I set up my HR20 directtv box to work as well?

I'm really looking forward to checking out the hipower- it sounds great!

By the way, I'm running all of my components through my Onkyo 805 receiver with one hdmi-dvi cable to input 5 of the mk2 if that helps explain my setup. I do have component cables running to my pj, but there not hooked up to it right now.

Hey Jason,

Do you have your PS3 set to output 720p or 1080i? I would assume the scaler in the Sharp might be better, but taking a 1080p signal, then down- rezzing it to 1080i then converting it to 720p in the pj is one more step in introducing artifacts. What do you think?

I guess there's not too many of you checking this thread anymore. I'm sure you're all just enjoying your projectors:).

Well check this out... I bought my mk2 as a demo from Magnolia 10 days ago with over 1200 hours on the bulb. I paid $175 for a 4 yr warranty with one bulb replacement, but because it was a demo, I still have the factory warranty for 1 year with a 90 day bulb warranty. I called Sharp and told them how many hours were on the bulb and said it looked a little dim because it's over 1/2 of its bulb life. They said that they are going to ship me a brand new bulb:eek:!!!

At first thought, I felt a little guilty like I was taking advantage of the situation. But the more I thought about it, I decided I was doing the right thing. The fact is that when you purchase a demo of most other kinds of electronic products, the life of the unit usually doesn't come into play.

So now, I'll have a new bulb now, and I'll still be able to get a replacement bulb through my extended warranty. :D

mbroder ,

Rather than going into details here on 16-235 / 0-255 I will give you a link that describes most of it in detail : http://www.ramelectronics.net/Video-calibration.ep .

I use 720p direct into the Sharp and I find it better than using the Sharp's internal processing/scaler .

Nice work on the lamp , nothing to feel bad about there IMO since you essentially got a unit with almost 2/3's of its lamp used up and it does not sound like you were demanding anything from Sharp , they simply offered it ;) .

-- Jason

Thanks for the info and the link, Jason. I just picked up the DVE HD basics blu-ray, I'll try it out this weekend along with the info in the link.

The CSR at Sharp was very helpful, although not that knowledgable. Maybe that's why they approved a new lamp.;)

Mark

Did you get the CSR's name ... lol ;)

-- Jason

Did you get the CSR's name ... lol ;)

-- Jason

LOL:D


One thing I've noticed about this PJ- There is no substitute for good content!! When I'm playing a good blu-ray or have it tuned to very few particular channels on directtv, it is stunning. But there are some channels that used to look okay on my 4805 that now look terrible. Too much detail that I didn't used to see. Definitely not the fault of the mk2, but hard to watch anyway...

I always thought that lower quality sources looked better on my 480p projectors I used to have. I still keep one around just for the dvd's that are almost unwatchable on a higher rez projector.

I always thought that lower quality sources looked better on my 480p projectors I used to have. I still keep one around just for the dvd's that are almost unwatchable on a higher rez projector.

I was mostly referring to different channels like TNT or TBS in HD almost always seem a little washed out to me. Channels like Discovery or most of my locals look great!

I haven't watched any standard def dvds on the mk2 yet. I have a huge collection, so I hope they look good on the new pj. Certainly HD will almost always look better, but with the colors this thing puts out, I can't imagine that I will be dissapointed with a good quality SD transfer. I have an oppo dvd player as well as the ps3. I'll see which one throws the better picture. I'm sure I'll have to experiment with the output resolutions to see which scales better.

Good SD dvds will look great on the MKII. I had a chance to watch some of the frame by frame restored indiana jones trilogy on the MKII I used to own before I got the 20000 and the image was fantastic.

Good SD dvds will look great on the MKII. I had a chance to watch some of the frame by frame restored indiana jones trilogy on the MKII I used to own before I got the 20000 and the image was fantastic.

I watched some scenes from The Island (SD DVD) last night and it looked outstanding. I also watched a little bit of CSI New York. My wife ( who has been telling me that she is perfectly happy with our 4805 and why do I feel the need to upgrade) commented on how much more 3 dimensional the images were compared to my 4805. That is music to my ears ;).

I can't wait until my birthday in September when she's going to buy me a dalite HP screen. She just doesn't know it yet :D!!

Well I'm really loving my new PJ. I'll be getting the new bulb this week. I think I'll go ahead and install it and save the old bulb with 1300 hours on it for emergencies..

Is anyone using a bias light (backlighting) behind their Hi-Power screen?

I was thinking it would really help out perceivable black levels to the eye, but was wondering if it would be annoying to have a slight glow coming from behind the screen.

I was thinking of building my own DIY frame with a channel at the back for rope light that can me used with a dimmer switch.

Any thoughts?

For those of you using a pull down HP, try putting a dim light behind it and let me know what you think.

Is anyone using a bias light (backlighting) behind their Hi-Power screen?

I was thinking it would really help out perceivable black levels to the eye...

How exactly would this help to increase perceived black levels? I understand how it works with an lcd display which is explained in this link: http://www.instructables.com/id/Bias-lighting-on-the-cheap/ but does it work the same way for FP? Is it the same concept using mood lighting (e.g. recessed canned lighting)?

The best solution for front projection is no other light source in the room ;) .

-- Jason

The best solution for front projection is no other light source in the room ;) .

-- Jason

I disagree...there are certain situations (like a pj that doesn't do black very well but is bright enough) where placing a backlight behind the screen will light up the room a little, improving perceived black levels because the aperature in your eye is closed slightly due to the increase room light...this assumes you can add the light to the room without any of it reflecting back to the screen, which is the trick... (I've seen this first hand with rear-pj, and it theoretically should work with any display, although less with a fp)

Certainly there are ways to 'trick' the eye but in the end that is exactly what you are doing and front projection contrast ratios are very dependent upon the room as even the smallest little LED can reduce CR . Front Projection does not operate in the same domain as a RPtv , CRT or a flat panel where I would agree that bias lighting can help 'perceived' black level . Now if back lighting a front projection screen could truly help then why do you suppose none of the high end theaters are doing it ... because the slight 'perceived' gain in black level is not worth the 'real' reduction in CR ;) .

-- Jason

How exactly would this help to increase perceived black levels?


I currently have a DIY screen with around 1.0 gain (maybe a little less). The black levels are outstanding in high contrast mode, but it's a little dim(probably due to having 1300 hrs on the bulb). I just got a huge:rolleyes: 6"x6" swatch of hi-power material from dalite. The brightness when seated in the right position is incredible. The potential problem that I see is that with my current screen, if I'm watching a widescreen movie with the black bars on top and bottom, the bars just dissappear and blend with the wall behind it. With the hi-power, the black levels are elevated slightly and I can see a difference against the wall. So I thought that if the wall behind was lit with a dim bias light, the black would seem more black, so-to-speak.

mbroder ,

If you could do it so that there is no light leaking from behind the screen (through the screen) and so that there are no reflections from the bias lighting bouncing back to the screen/lens then it could in theory provide you with lower 'perceived' black level . I would guess however that it would be somewhat difficult to do so and in the end the gain in 'perceived' black level might not be worth the real CR reduction . I have tried it before with a small screen and I did not go to great lengths to get it perfect but I was not happy with the over-all results and decided not to pursue it further .

But it sounds like a fun experiment and YMMV :D .

-- Jason

mbroder ,

If you could do it so that there is no light leaking from behind the screen (through the screen) and so that there are no reflections from the bias lighting bouncing back to the screen/lens then it could in theory provide you with lower 'perceived' black level . I would guess however that it would be somewhat difficult to do so and in the end the gain in 'perceived' black level might not be worth the real CR reduction . I have tried it before with a small screen and I did not go to great lengths to get it perfect but I was not happy with the over-all results and decided not to pursue it further .

But it sounds like a fun experiment and YMMV :D .

-- Jason

I see exactly what you're saying. I may experiment with it, but it probably won't be that big of an issue anyway. I think that when I recalibrate for the hi-power, maybe I can get the black levels where they need to be to blend anyway.

My only concern with the hi-power is for the occasional times that I have guests that are sitting much further off-axis than I would. My wife sits outside of the screen width for normal viewing. I still noticed a very slight bit of gain from her seating position with the swatch which would be fine. But if somone sits further down the end of the sofa, it actually appeared darker then my current screen.

I was thinking about calling Tom (guitarman) to see if he would want to part with his hi-power for a day for me to try it out :D. Probably not likely, but he's only 20 minutes from me, so you never know.:)

Why not pursue an inexpensive masking solution , it works !

Tom is a really nice guy but I know he luvs his HP screen as much as I luv mine and mine does not have permission to date others just yet :D . Maybe he would allow you to see your PJ in action on the full size HP vs. that HUGE swatch ;) .

-- Jason

Why not pursue an inexpensive masking solution , it works !

Tom is a really nice guy but I know he luvs his HP screen as much as I luv mine and mine does not have permission to date others just yet :D . Maybe he would allow you to see your PJ in action on the full size HP vs. that HUGE swatch ;) .

-- Jason

:DLOL

I just got a call that my new bulb is in at my local service center:). Unfortunately, I won't be able to pick it up until Friday:(.

Do you think I will notice a significant difference in brightness compared to my lamp with 1300 hrs?

Right now, it's difficult to watch in the high contrast and even on the medium iris setting with my current DIY screen. In the high brightness mode, it looks fantastic. I'm hoping that with the new bulb I will be able to be happy with the medium iris setting and then when I get the hi-power screen, I will switch to the desired high contrast setting.

There is a reason that the Hi-Power screen is so popular with this model.
It's nice to have made your own screen, but with a HP screen you will not need to change your bulb until you have to (2000 hrs). I have no issues running in high contrast mode. I'm not even tempted to bump it up. You can get a pull down HP cheap and wrap it around a frame if you like that type of set up.

There is a reason that the Hi-Power screen is so popular with this model.
It's nice to have made your own screen, but with a HP screen you will not need to change your bulb until you have to (2000 hrs). I have no issues running in high contrast mode. I'm not even tempted to bump it up. You can get a pull down HP cheap and wrap it around a frame if you like that type of set up.

I made my DIY screen 4 years ago to go with my 4805. It's worked very well, but it's definitely time to upgrade. I'll be getting a hi-power in September . I plan on doing exactly what you suggest- get a pull down, cut off the fabric, and mount it to a DIY fixed frame... can't wait:D:D

:D

I installed my new lamp on Friday and my jaw hit the floor:eek:.

There was a very large and notable difference in picture quality when I went from my 4805 to the mk2. But with 1300 hours on it, I really needed to watch in high brightness mode to really get some pop.

With the new lamp, it's about as bright in high contrast mode as it was in high brightness,and I get the added benefit of the deeper black levels. I almost need sunglasses in the high brightness mode now:cool:.

I've spent most of the weekend wondering why this is considered to be a dim projector. I have viewed quite a few projectors, including an hc3000, an in72, an optoma hd80, almost all of which were setup in less than ideal rooms I suppose. The mk2 is brighter than all of those pjs in my home. I realize that coming from a 4805 with nearly 4000 hrs, my eyes have probably gotten used to a dimmer picture on my screen. When I first brought the mk2 home, I was looking at a picture that I somewhat expected, but I was quite happy with it.

Now, I am just completely blown away by this thing!!! I spent the entire weekend with a huge grin on my face. My wife thinks I am a complete geek:o...but even she admits that it looks fantastic. Even with the lights on and the shades up it still very watchable in the high brightness mode.

The only reason I would now think about getting the high-power screen is that I know it will lose some of it's initial brightness soon. I truly hope that it's not as dim when I reach 1300 hours on this lamp. I get the feeling that it wasn't neccessarily well cared for as a demo unit and it may have affected the lamp life. I wouldn't be surprised if it was switched on and off many times throughout the day and that is bound to take an affect.

Anyone out there with over 1000 hrs that still thinks this pj puts out a 3D
image with lots of pop?

The bottom line is that this pj now FAR exceeds my expectations and I'm looking to keep it for at least the 4 year warranty period before looking to upgrade again. I do, of course get one more bulb replacement with my extended warranty:).

I have a little over 300 hours on my mkII and it looks just as bright as it did with zero hours ;) .

-- Jason

Hi everyone,

I have had my MKII since January; I bought it from a fellow AVS Forum member. I have to say that Im completely satisfied but I cannot seem to get an even focus across the screen. I always bring up the keystone grid only to focus but I can only get either the center, left or right sides of the screen completely focused, never the whole screen. Have any of you experience something like this?

Any help or advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

Peter

Peter ,

Sounds like you are not lined up perfectly with the screen , it can be difficult . Also using extreme lens shift will make it more difficult to get even focus .

-- Jason

I figured that much and I have tooled with placement with out any improvement. And I dont use much lens shift as well. I tried cleaning the lens too. I am not sure whats up. The difference throughout the screen is not much and almost cant notice it while viewing but I know its still there. Has anyone opened this unit up and tried dusting or cleaning the insides of some sort?

I figured that much and I have tooled with placement with out any improvement. And I dont use much lens shift as well. I tried cleaning the lens too. I am not sure whats up. The difference throughout the screen is not much and almost cant notice it while viewing but I know its still there. Has anyone opened this unit up and tried dusting or cleaning the insides of some sort?

Is your screen completely flat? If it is slightly concave or convex it may be the culprit. I'm pretty sure that the mk2 has sealed optics. I used the keystone grid to set my focus, as well. It is amazingly sharp at all areas of the screen. The mk2 has high end Konika/Minolta optics. You shouldn't have varied focus. If it's not a placement issue, you might want to have it checked out. Is it under warranty?

Mbroder:

What diagonal size screen are you using?

Mbroder:

What diagonal size screen are you using?

96" diagonal DIY screen. I am going to up it to a 106" dalite hi-power in September.

Can someone give me the name of the cheapest source for a replacement bulb.

Jack

This (http://www.projectorlampcenter.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=SHPXVZ12000MIIL) site seems pretty cheap

The least expensive new bulb I could find was $399. I think this is the price for a bulb with housing. I found this company that just replaces the bulb:

http://www.relampit.com/

The price is about $250. The difference is that you are without a lamp for the time it takes to send it back and for them to do the work and send it back to you. Looks like a good idea. Any thoughts?

Jack

Is your screen completely flat? If it is slightly concave or convex it may be the culprit. I'm pretty sure that the mk2 has sealed optics. I used the keystone grid to set my focus, as well. It is amazingly sharp at all areas of the screen. The mk2 has high end Konika/Minolta optics. You shouldn't have varied focus. If it's not a placement issue, you might want to have it checked out. Is it under warranty?

You may be right. I had checked my homemade screen and it does looks a little warped. Im gonna need to brace it better so it can be true all around. Hope that can fix the variable focus I am experiencing. Thanks for you advice.

Peter

You may be right. I had checked my homemade screen and it does looks a little warped. Im gonna need to brace it better so it can be true all around. Hope that can fix the variable focus I am experiencing. Thanks for you advice.

Peter

You should take your screen down and project directly on the wall to test it out (assuming your wall is flat). Just make sure the lens is perfectly perpendicular to the wall.

The least expensive new bulb I could find was $399. I think this is the price for a bulb with housing. I found this company that just replaces the bulb:

http://www.relampit.com/

The price is about $250. The difference is that you are without a lamp for the time it takes to send it back and for them to do the work and send it back to you. Looks like a good idea. Any thoughts?

Jack

Sounds interesting! You can be the guinea pig:p.

Thanks a lot!

Jack

I went back to using the D.PC RGB setting as opposed to the D.videoRGB. I made some adjustments and I think it's looking really good. I used the HD-Basics DVE blu ray. I've lowered my brightness to -16 and raised the contrast to +12. The blacks are better and it has a lot more pop. It's a lot different than the settings I used with the D.videoRGB setting. Does this sound right or did I screw up?

However, I am getting overscan lines on most of my DirectTV HD channels that are not showing HD programming. Using the resize button doesn't change anything. This wasn't a problem on the D.videoRGB setting. I have the HR20 set to output 720p w/ pillar box for non-HD channels.
Is there any workaround for this?

Anti up and I'll come over and tune that thing correctly for you. ;) D65k with a 2.2 gamma, light ups your life. :) (new found detail in the blacks) Takes allot of time but worth it in the end.

How's it going bud? And yeah get that high power screen. You know I'm using a Sharp projector, always liked their menu setup and colors. My budget DT-400 has the features and very high brightness to boot. I got my 400 to do D65 with 2.2 and it made a great difference.

"I am getting overscan lines on most of my DirectTV HD channels that are not showing HD programming"

Your Sharp should be like mine, look for vertical pos in the sync menu to fix jitter lines at the top of TV images. This is a better way to delete junk than overscan the picture stays sharp.

Anti up and I'll come over and tune that thing correctly for you. ;) D65k with a 2.2 gamma, light ups your life. :) (new found detail in the blacks) Takes allot of time but worth it in the end..


I'll probably take you up on that offer after I get my Hipower. No sense in doing it twice:p.


"I am getting overscan lines on most of my DirectTV HD channels that are not showing HD programming"

Your Sharp should be like mine, look for vertical pos in the sync menu to fix jitter lines at the top of TV images. This is a better way to delete junk than overscan the picture stays sharp..

Thanks, I'll try that tonight.

See ya soon

Mark

I'll probably take you up on that offer after I get my Hipower. No sense in doing it twice:p.




Thanks, I'll try that tonight.

See ya soon

Mark



Your Sharp should be like mine, look for vertical pos in the sync menu to fix jitter lines at the top of TV images. This is a better way to delete junk than overscan the picture stays sharp.

I tried using the fine sync menu, but the options for adjustments were unavailable. I assume it won't let you in if using DVI. I switched back to D.videoRGB which eliminates the jaggies on top of the picture, but there must be some other settings I can adjust. If anyone has any thoughts, please share.

mbroder ,

Television should be using Video levels anyway , you don't want to use 0-255 (PC) with broadcast tv ;) .

-- Jason

mbroder ,

Television should be using Video levels anyway , you don't want to use 0-255 (PC) with broadcast tv ;) .

-- Jason

Hey Jason,

I know you had mentioned that you use D.PC/RGB with your PS3, with your PS3 set to RGB full. Do you switch to D.video/RGB when watching TV?

We don't watch TV on the PJ ;) .

-- Jason

We don't watch TV on the PJ ;) .

-- Jason

Gottcha!

I think it would be a pain to switch back and forth(not really, but my wife would whine:rolleyes:). Any reason that you find D.PC/RGB better to use than D.video/RGB? Can't I still calibrate to 16-235 with the video setting? Also, do you get below black by setting the PS3 to RGB full instead of limited?

I went back to using the D.PC RGB setting as opposed to the D.videoRGB. I made some adjustments and I think it's looking really good. I used the HD-Basics DVE blu ray. I've lowered my brightness to -16 and raised the contrast to +12. The blacks are better and it has a lot more pop. It's a lot different than the settings I used with the D.videoRGB setting. Does this sound right or did I screw up?...The original 12K has a bug when processing Video RGB. This bug is present in some 12KII. It is present in the 2 that I have owned. gregr originally pointed it out in his WSR review The DVI-I connector is configured in a menu to accept analog YPbPr or RGB signals, digital YPbPr or RGB PC signals, or digital YPbPr or RGB video signals. Specifying PC or video signals determines what aspect ratio and scaling options are supported, but it doesn’t automatically adjust for the differing signal levels. The Brightness control must be lowered and the Contrast control increased for DVI-video signals that have black at digital code 16 and 100 IRE at code 235, rather than 0 and 255 respectively for PC signals

IMO you will get a slightly better picture by using Video RGB and setting the HDMI range to full (0-255) if your player alows it, than by adjusting brightness and contrast. You will loose some of the AR modes if you use PC RGB.

The original 12K has a bug when processing Video RGB. This bug is present in some 12KII. It is present in the 2 that I have owned. gregr originally pointed it out in his WSR review

IMO you will get a slightly better picture by using Video RGB and setting the HDMI range to full (0-255) if your player alows it, than by adjusting brightness and contrast. You will loose some of the AR modes if you use PC RGB.

Quote:
Originally Posted by WSR 12K Review
The DVI-I connector is configured in a menu to accept analog YPbPr or RGB signals, digital YPbPr or RGB PC signals, or digital YPbPr or RGB video signals. Specifying PC or video signals determines what aspect ratio and scaling options are supported, but it doesn’t automatically adjust for the differing signal levels. The Brightness control must be lowered and the Contrast control increased for DVI-video signals that have black at digital code 16 and 100 IRE at code 235, rather than 0 and 255 respectively for PC signals

Interesting...

I tried to see how YPbPr looked, both digital and analog, but it doesn't seem to go through the DVI input. I am running hdmi out of the PS3 to an Onkyo 805 and then out to the PJ. Would this affect that?

...I tried to see how YPbPr looked, both digital and analog, but it doesn't seem to go through the DVI input. ...I have no problems selecting D.Comp on the 12KII and YPbPr on the PS3, works fine directly connected.

I have no problems selecting D.Comp on the 12KII and YPbPr on the PS3, works fine directly connected.

Hmmm... When I switch, everything turns green:confused:. I'll try running the hdmi-DVI cable straight from the PS3 tonight to see if it's my Onkyo that's screwing things up. Do you find any benefit from this, or do you prefer RGB?

Hmmm... When I switch, everything turns green:confused:. I'll try running the hdmi-DVI cable straight from the PS3 tonight to see if it's my Onkyo that's screwing things up. Do you find any benefit from this, or do you prefer RGB?If yog go to the BD settings and switch to YPbPr the movie will correct, the PS3 menu system will continue to be green. I have seen no benefit to D.Comp over RGB, but I have not compared extensively.

If yog go to the BD settings and switch to YPbPr the movie will correct, the PS3 menu system will continue to be green. I have seen no benefit to D.Comp over RGB, but I have not compared extensively.

I did try switching in the ps3 menu to YPbPr but it still was green. I wanted to try the superwhite setting in the ps3 menu, but it's only available when outputting YPbPr.:confused:

AFAICT the PS3 menu level always outputs RGB.
If you go to the BD settings menu and select YPbPr and play a BD the picture will be purple unless you change the 12KII to D.Comp. If you change the 12KII to D.Comp but leave the PS3 BD settings to RGB the played BD will be green.

Hi,

If anyone can help, I have the MKII on a shelf right now. I would like to get it ceiling mounted. Can anyone help me select the right ceiling mount to get? My ceilings are 8ft high so I would like to get one that mounts the MKII as flush as possible to the ceiling. Thanks.

Peter

Hi,

If anyone can help, I have the MKII on a shelf right now. I would like to get it ceiling mounted. Can anyone help me select the right ceiling mount to get? My ceilings are 8ft high so I would like to get one that mounts the MKII as flush as possible to the ceiling. Thanks.

Peter

The mkII needs to be mounted within the screen area. Unless your screen is mounted nearly against the ceiling, you will need a mount with some amount of drop.

I'm using a cheap mount from monoprice rated at 44lbs. It's not the most attractive thing in the world, but it does the job (although it needs a slight modification to make it extra sturdy).

I bought a new Da-Lite Designer Contour manual screen for my 12000. It came in late Friday afternoon with a problem that I believe was caused by the freight company. If there is anyone with experience with this screen or a similar Da-Lite manual screen could you PM me. You would be doing me a big favor as I would like to get this thing up without waiting for the factory to open on Monday morning. My situation and questions are simple but beyond my scope of knowledge.

Jack

Is there any filters that need to be cleaned on this PJ? I didn't see anything in the manual other than vacuuming it on the outside vents. Is that all there is to it? That would be convenient...

Is there any filters that need to be cleaned on this PJ? I didn't see anything in the manual other than vacuuming it on the outside vents. Is that all there is to it? That would be convenient...

As far as I know all DLP's dmd, color wheel, and prizms are sealed so there should be no need for filter cleaning. Its one advantage of the technology. All I do is dust it externally and vacuum the intake and exhaust grills.

As far as I know all DLP's dmd, color wheel, and prizms are sealed so there should be no need for filter cleaning. Its one advantage of the technology. All I do is dust it externally and vacuum the intake and exhaust grills.

My last PJ (Infocus 4805) was a DLP but did not have sealed optics. I had to clean the filters every 250 hours.

I just had my 12000MKII calibrated after using it for over a year. The bulb has over 1500 hours on it. I was going to buy a new bulb before calibration but that was another $400 on top of the $720 for the Sharp and a new Samsung HL67A750 that I just bought. David, who did the calibration, was able to breath new life into the old bulb via the calibration so that it now looks as bright and contrastee as it did when it was new and the colors and black depth are much better also. So if you haven't calibrated your 12000 and have relied on numbers given on this thread(I did), then I recommend you spend the money. PM me if you would like the name and contact info of my calibrator.

Jack

I just had my 12000MKII calibrated after using it for over a year. The bulb has over 1500 hours on it. I was going to buy a new bulb before calibration but that was another $400 on top of the $720 for the Sharp and a new Samsung HL67A750 that I just bought. David, who did the calibration, was able to breath new life into the old bulb via the calibration so that it now looks as bright and contrastee as it did when it was new and the colors and black depth are much better also. So if you haven't calibrated your 12000 and have relied on numbers given on this thread(I did), then I recommend you spend the money. PM me if you would like the name and contact info of my calibrator.

Jack


That's good to know.

I'm going to have mine calibrated as well, but I'm waiting until I get my high power screen first. I assume calibration would be very dependent on the screen.

By the way- did you get your screen issues worked out? Are you using the high power material?

Were my screen issue from an earlier post? I don't remember them but that's probably because I don't remember much these days. I do have two Da-Lite HP screens, a 100" 4x3 in the "Bat Cave", as my wife calls it, video room(where the Samsung now resides), and a 106" 16x9 in the LR where the sound is better with better audio and much bigger room. I've moved the Sharp to the LR and replaced it in the VR with my old NEC HT1000 for occasional use. It was interesting to find that because of the convenience, lack of heat, and better/brighter picture, we found ourselves watching the Samsung most of the time; even though it was substantially smaller in viewing area. I used to say "you can't substitute for cubic inches", but I'm not so sure anymore.

Jack

Is there anywhere that still offers this projector? Would it even be worth looking into?

Is there anywhere that still offers this projector? Would it even be worth looking into?

there were 2 in the classifieds. one for 1450? and the other for 1250.

Is there anywhere that still offers this projector? Would it even be worth looking into?

If you can find one at the right price and it will work in your room, there is nothing better ;)

Is there any difference between the lamp for the XV-Z12000 and the XV-Z12000 Mark II?

I'm looking to buy a new lamp and want to make sure I'm ordering the right thing.

Feel free to PM me! Thanks.

Is there any difference between the lamp for the XV-Z12000 and the XV-Z12000 Mark II?

I'm looking to buy a new lamp and want to make sure I'm ordering the right thing.

Feel free to PM me! Thanks.

Same part number, so it must be the same. Try http://www.projectorlampcenter.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=SHPXVZ12000MIIL. It seems like a real nice price.

I just hung my dalite hi power last night. It's now too bright with the iris open:cool:. I haven't recalibrated yet, but it looks pretty spectacular with the iris closed. I'll have more details after I have a chance to play with it this weekend.

Is there a guide to taking this projector apart to clean it? I'd like to ensure there is no dust or anything that could be hampering my focus and also to make sure it's cooling properly.

Is there a guide to taking this projector apart to clean it? I'd like to ensure there is no dust or anything that could be hampering my focus and also to make sure it's cooling properly.

It has sealed optics. No dust bunnies here:)

The manual says to just vacuum the outside vents once in a while. That's the only maintenence needed.

I have a Sharp XV-Z12000 MK2 with a brand new OEM lamp still in the package. I bought a JVC-RS1 to replace the Sharp. PM me if you are interested before I put it up for sale.

I just bought a used one of these to replace a HC3000 that I was using, I've been wanting one for ever, I just bought a LCD flat screen and it seemed like the blacks on the DLP so I wanted to grab one last killer machine that I wont sell, I'll just keep replacing the bulb when needed on this unit and hope it last a long time. I know this baby will throw some very nice PS3 Game images.

Can't get my PS3 to work for some reason, but will try harder tonight. I'm sadly very disappointed in the fan noise, according to the charts it should be decent but its louder than the IF 7210 in high it just like a jet engine ofr my liking I'm in a 10x15 room. MY Mits is DEAD SILENT in low and just hear able in high. I love and know the image should be killer once I get it set up, but I love my silence too, too bad the pS3 is giving me a hard time the PJ just won't detect the signal. I may end up ebaying it, unless the image is so staggering that it overrides the beauty of silence.

My PS3 was putting out the game at 24hz so I think that was the problem, I'm also noticing that the image is razor sharp on one said but not as focused on the other, I know the optics are supposed to be to notch so maybe I just need to tilt/turn the pj a little all though it looks perpendicular to the screen.

Can't get my PS3 to work for some reason, but will try harder tonight. I'm sadly very disappointed in the fan noise, according to the charts it should be decent but its louder than the IF 7210 in high it just like a jet engine ofr my liking I'm in a 10x15 room. MY Mits is DEAD SILENT in low and just hear able in high. I love and know the image should be killer once I get it set up, but I love my silence too, too bad the pS3 is giving me a hard time the PJ just won't detect the signal. I may end up ebaying it, unless the image is so staggering that it overrides the beauty of silence.

My PS3 was putting out the game at 24hz so I think that was the problem, I'm also noticing that the image is razor sharp on one said but not as focused on the other, I know the optics are supposed to be to notch so maybe I just need to tilt/turn the pj a little all though it looks perpendicular to the screen.

Hmmm... I know it's been written on this forum that some find the fan a bit obtrusive, but coming from an Infocus 4805, I think it's very quiet. When you first turn it on, it is always in high lamp mode. After about 2 minutes, it settles into low lamp mode (assuming you set it for low lamp in the options menu). I have mine mounted about 3 feet over my head and don't find it bothersome at all. I dofind it too loud in high lamp mode, but never feel the need for the extra brightness.

I have no problems with the PS3. I don't have it enabled for 24hz output. The mkII won't accept a 1080p signal via DVI. I have my PS3 set to output 720p as well as my DirectTv box. The picture is fantastic.

My optics are razor sharp. You should definitely check into it's positioning. If the image is perfectly squared up and you think it's fuzzier on one side of the screen, there may be a problem. That just doesn't sound right.

If you can get it dialed in right, you won't find a better picture from any other 720p projector, and many 1080p PJs as well:cool:.

I didn't know about the 1080P via DVI but I can set everything to 720P and thats how I'd want it anyway for 1:1 so no problem there at all. I'm glad you made the comment on the sharpness from edge to edge I know my old SP4805 was decent but not perfect, my Mits is the best I have seen so far regarding edge to edge focus but I'm going to play with the MKII I'm sure its something I'm not doing but it is setting straight in front of my screen and one side I can see the pixels the other side looks defocused a tad, I'll turn the PJ and see. As far as sound, boy I'm going to have to adjust from the Mits because you could here a pin drop in low and it was just noticeable in high. The Sharp is louder in low than the Mits in high but the Sharp has a nice even White noise to it so I think I can adjust I'll just have to see. I'm going to read every post in the thread so I know what I'm doing as far as the settings. We all love a beuatiful image and since this in known for that I can't wait to get it set up right since I have a blu-ray and HDTV Tuner to run through it.

And just a quick reconfirm the lens of the PJ needs to be any where inside the screen area and not above or below it, right? Ideally its at the top or bottom edge or is it in the middle of the screen?, I have a adjustable mount so I can get it prefect once I know what that is.

Absolutely no offense to anyone in this thread, but it seems this PJ is just to dim for me, even in High and iris open my Mits was much brighter, that along with the fan sound makes the less blacks on my Mit HC3000 acceptable over this one, I do really like the blacks on the MKII, but silence is golden, this PJ has 601 hours on the bulb and I'm going to Ebay it, I'm hopeing to get about $800 maybe more if I get lucky. If someone wants it, PM me.

rrholmes,

You didn't know it, but I'm the one who sold you the projector. Based on your uneven focus comments, I think I need to refund your money. Please send the projector back to me and when I receive it, I'll send your money back to you (less shipping costs).

I'm really missing that projector anyways. I'd love to have it back!

Thanks,
Eddie

Something sounds odd here ...

If you have an HC3000 that is significantly brighter than a 12k mkII then there is a problem somewhere as they are both capable of about 1000 lumens max . Once ISF level calibration is done and you reduce the lamp to low and close down the iris all the way then yes the 12k mkII has lower lumen output but opening the iris would get you right back to where the HC3000 is (unless you are running the HC3000 in torch mode) and the image quality is still superior on the 12k mkII . In other words the 12k mkII offers better native contrast with the iris open than the HC3000 offers with its iris closed . While it is certainly possible that you have shifted optics there is no doubt that the 12k's optics are far superior to that of the HC3000 , no comparison there as the HC3000 optics have a decent amount of CA no matter how tight you focus ( I went through 3 HC3000's ) . You cannot truly benefit from the superior contrast of the 12k mkII unless you have the proper room ( light controlled , dark walls , LED's not hitting the screen , etc. ) . I am not knocking the HC3000 here either , I owned one for about 2 years and truly enjoyed it , it's a great PJ but the 12k mkII is in a whole other league ;) .

- Jason

I think a lot of owners are using a HighPower screen mine is 1.0(flat) solid white. The only calibration I can do now is with blue filters and my disc. I'm putting the PJ in 6500K and the only other change is my contrast is at +4 everything else stays at 0. I use standard gamma(not Dynamic) and I think I use D PC RGB and the D Video RGB didn't seem any different. Runing the PJ in high iris open can't compare to my HC3000 in high iris open. I had to use numbers on the HC3000 from that thread to get a decent estimate on calibration but it looked great(not un-natural). Maybe I am doing something wrong with the Sharp MKII I waited for ever to buy one, and while the blacks seem better the POP off the screen just looks like the HC3000 in low. I'd love to dial it in and and reach the OHHHH OK now thats what I wanted moment, but its not blowing me away, it may be that with the white walls I just have to use the HC3000, and fan noise is much better on the HC3000. I do have white walls and that won't change, the image just seems like the HC3000 in low mode.

I just refunded rrholmes's money. I got the projector back last night and he's right, it's getting dim and overall focus is getting bad. I think the lamp is about to die, actually. I've seen performance like this just before another projector's lamp died. A quick decline in performance, followed by a "pop" a couple short weeks later.

But, I found a replacement bulb online for $308. So I'll buy one and get back to watching movies in all the Sharp's splending glory. :)
I'm glad I got this projector back! I wasn't able to find anything in it's price range that could beat it. :)

Hi,

Anybody out there who still has this CD ? My CD got lost and i want to do a re-calibration after a replacement of the lamp.

Thank you,
Toni

I just refunded rrholmes's money. I got the projector back last night and he's right, it's getting dim and overall focus is getting bad. I think the lamp is about to die, actually. I've seen performance like this just before another projector's lamp died. A quick decline in performance, followed by a "pop" a couple short weeks later.

But, I found a replacement bulb online for $308. So I'll buy one and get back to watching movies in all the Sharp's splending glory. :)
I'm glad I got this projector back! I wasn't able to find anything in it's price range that could beat it. :)

PM me the link to the bulb place please, thats about $100 cheaper then what I have found...

Well, I set up the projector properly late last night and had great
results with it! When I received it back, the adjustments were out of whack
for my mounting position, so I had to use keystone.

HUGE mistake. It seems the Sharp doesn't do keystone very well. :D

So I got it so I'm not using any keystone at all, and now all the text is sharp
again. Though after staring for a few moments up close, it does appear that
one side is not quite as sharp as the other. Impossible to tell the difference
from more than 1' away though. But using even just one click of keystone
throws the focus out of whack pretty badly (IMO).

I then set the projector to high contrast. Then set it to 6500 for color
temp. Gamma position went to Black Detail. I turned White Emphasis on.
Then set contrast to +5 and brightness to -14. And all is well in Sharp land
again. The picture looks fantastic on my high-power screen and I don't see
the need for a new bulb just yet.
I checked tint with a blue filter and it was spot-on and didn't need to be
touched.

The bulb I was referencing earlier for $308 is just the bulb itself. It does not
come with the large black plastic container. So there is more effort involved in the replacement.

EDIT 03/10/09: DO NOT BUY THIS CRAP BULB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here it is:
http://www.myprojectorlamps.com/projectorlamp/Sharp/BQC-XVZ100005.html

Here are four pages of reviews on the seller:
http://www.pcworld.com/shopping/merchantreviews/prtprdid,2660132-prtretid,4625/reviews.html

And the whois lookup came back as in business since 2005 out of Canada. But they apparently ship all over the world.
http://domains.whois.com/domain.php


And here are some pictures of a general cleaning it got.

The lamp housing on the side of the projector.
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a340/czeddie/audio-video/Sharp%20XV-Z12000%20MKII/IMG_0239.jpg

The lamp housing itself.
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a340/czeddie/audio-video/Sharp%20XV-Z12000%20MKII/IMG_0240.jpg

Internal guts of the projector.
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a340/czeddie/audio-video/Sharp%20XV-Z12000%20MKII/IMG_0248.jpg

Internals of the projector lid.
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a340/czeddie/audio-video/Sharp%20XV-Z12000%20MKII/IMG_0247.jpg

Turbine. I mean fan.
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a340/czeddie/audio-video/Sharp%20XV-Z12000%20MKII/IMG_0249.jpg

I dusted all the fans and vents pretty good, shortly after these pics were taken.
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a340/czeddie/audio-video/Sharp%20XV-Z12000%20MKII/IMG_0255.jpg

Am I correct in assuming that this projector will not accept a 1080P/24 HDMI signal?

JackB ,

I have fed the Sharp 1080p but it does not scale properly , so no it will not .

- Jason

Another question. I am considering replacing my 12000MKII with the new Sony VPL-HW10. Has anyone on this thread done a comparison? The Sony is 1080P and I believe brighter and with better contrast and is quieter; at least the numbers seem to indicate this. I've been unable to find an actual test by a qualified reviewer under the same set of equipment circumstances.

Jack

I'm experiencing random loss of HDCP handshake/sync between my Verizon FIOS DVR (Motorola QIP 6416-2) and the 12000 via HDMI-DVI adapter. I am using Pioneer Elite VSX-92THX as HDMI switch between my HDMI sources. If I unplug the DVR and plug it back in then the HDCP handshake reinitializes. Any idea why this happens? Occurs randomly once or twice during late night Verizon FIOS HD viewing. Does not occur with other sources.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated...

Another question. I am considering replacing my 12000MKII with the new Sony VPL-HW10. Has anyone on this thread done a comparison? The Sony is 1080P and I believe brighter and with better contrast and is quieter; at least the numbers seem to indicate this. I've been unable to find an actual test by a qualified reviewer under the same set of equipment circumstances.

Jack

Unfortunately, if numbers were everything... then I could point you to some other projectors that would blow away the 12kMK2. But numbers are deceiving. So without seeing an HW10, nobody can tell you if it's better. But it sounds like a budget projector with great numbers. So I'll assume it's not as good for 720P picture quality.

edit: sorry, I confused the HS10 with the HW10. That HW10 projector looks pretty nice! :)

I'm experiencing random loss of HDCP handshake/sync between my Verizon FIOS DVR (Motorola QIP 6416-2) and the 12000 via HDMI-DVI adapter. I am using Pioneer Elite VSX-92THX as HDMI switch between my HDMI sources. If I unplug the DVR and plug it back in then the HDCP handshake reinitializes. Any idea why this happens? Occurs randomly once or twice during late night Verizon FIOS HD viewing. Does not occur with other sources.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated...


I'd probably skip the Pioneer and plug right into the DVR to see if you can eliminate the Pioneer as being part of the problem.

I am trying to get my PJ setup. I can get a solid connection from my DirecTV set top box only. When going through my Pioneer VSX81, I get nothing. When hooking direct to my PS3, I get nothing. Everything is running component right now, but would like to get it all running using HDMI cables to receiver and then use an HDMI to DVI adapter at projector. I know this is a common problem, but for those of you have been there, is there a recommended setup on the PS3 and anything I can do with the Pioneer Receiver? FYI, I have taken my PS3 back to factory defaults and still cannot get it to work with PJ.

Thanks

hdtheater ,

Make sure you are not set for RGB when using component (in the sharp menu) . Make sure you are not sending 1080p (you probably are not but just another thing to check) . HDMI to DVI works great on the 12kmkII and I would suggest that route for just about any source as the picture is sharper with less noise . I have had no problem running anything via component however so maybe you have a bad cable or a bad input on the 12k , have you tried both Component inputs and even a different set of component cables ?

- Jason

hdtheater ,

Make sure you are not set for RGB when using component (in the sharp menu) . Make sure you are not sending 1080p (you probably are not but just another thing to check) . HDMI to DVI works great on the 12kmkII and I would suggest that route for just about any source as the picture is sharper with less noise . I have had no problem running anything via component however so maybe you have a bad cable or a bad input on the 12k , have you tried both Component inputs and even a different set of component cables ?

- Jason
Jason,

Thanks for the quick reply.

I should have proof read my post earlier. Everything through component works perfectly.

When I try to run things through the DVI port is the issue. I can do a straight connection with my DirecTV box, but not my PS3. I cannot get DirecTV to work when going through my Pioneer VSX81.

Ah ,

Handhsake issues then , maybe ?

Sometimes just the turn-on sequence can get things working properly , try turning the display (12k) on first and then follow with the AVR then the PS3 .

Are you using the same cable/adapter with the PS3/AVR out as the working Dtv box ?

Are you sure the PS3 is set for 720p (480p should be ok as well to get things going) ?

Make sure the AVR is not trying to change the incoming signal (not sure if that AVR has upconversion) ?

PS3 should work directly to the 12k with no issues as long as you are NOT sending 480i or 1080p ( via HDMI -> DVI ) . I am not even sure if the PS3 will send 480i via HDMI so that might not be a concern (don't think it does but I have not checked) .

- Jason

Handhsake issues then , maybe ?

Sometimes just the turn-on sequence can get things working properly , try turning the display (12k) on first and then follow with the AVR then the PS3 .

Are you using the same cable/adapter with the PS3/AVR out as the working Dtv box ?

Using the same cable/ adapter

Are you sure the PS3 is set for 720p (480p should be ok as well to get things going) ?

I had the PS3 running off the composite cables to just get a picture and then when I tried to use the HDMI it never completed the handshake and just timed out. I did get audio to work over HDMI to my Pioneer. However, when I connected the Sharp, it would not complete the handshake.

Make sure the AVR is not trying to change the incoming signal (not sure if that AVR has upconversion) ?

I am going to haul my bedroom flat panel up there and get it to work, it is limited to 720p, but uses HDMI instead of DVI. Hoping to eliminate the AVR from my list of potential culprits. Maybe it will even solve my problem for me.

PS3 should work directly to the 12k with no issues as long as you are NOT sending 480i or 1080p ( via HDMI -> DVI ) . I am not even sure if the PS3 will send 480i via HDMI so that might not be a concern (don't think it does but I have not checked) .

Will post results when completed. Thanks again.

I had the same issue with my PS3. I had it output to 1080p and couldnt figure out why I didnt have any picture. I had to set the PS3 to output to 480p/720p/1080i only and voila, works just fine now.

I had a cascade of issues here to resolve.

First, my AVR was set to the wrong setting and stopping the handshake from working properly. Once I got that resolved, I was able to get D* to pass though the AVR and then to my 12k. I was pumped. Then the PS3 still would not work. I did straight through and never would work as a direct connection. I hauled my bedroom TV that is HDMI and limited to 720p/1080i up to the theater and after screwing with it for 30 minutes got the PS3 to work on that TV. I moved the HDMI cable to the back of my AVR and it worked!!!!

I guess the PS3 was stuck on 1080p and it would not perform a proper handshake to get the settings from the display.

I put in WALL-E and the Disney Blu-Ray clip just blew me away!!!

Thanks to DaGamePimp for his suggestions.

-HD

Awesome !

Glad to hear it :) .

- Jason

Does anyone know how to make this projector display 1024x768 or 1280x1024?
I've tried an ATI 2600XT and nVidia 9600GT video card so far. The ATI couldn't get any display on the 12k to display. The 9600GT looks great at 1280x720 on the 12k. But I can't get the 12k to sync to any 4:3 resolutions like 800x600, 1024x768 or 1280x1024.

I want to temporarily display 4:3 material on a 4:3 screen, but can't seem to make it work via the DVI or 5-RCA analog inputs.

Any ideas?

It will not map 1024x768 or 1280x1024 obviously so text at those resolutions will look bad anyway , 800x600 should work via the RGBHV connections as long as you have set for RGB in the 12K menu and are using the proper RGBHV cable/adapter . You may have to try different SYNC options (pos/neg) in the Video cards settings to get proper syncing with the 12K . I never tried 800x600 via HTPC (used 1280x720p) but I did get 640x480 when first getting things going so you might want to start there .

Best of Luck ,
- Jason

Thanks for the help, Jason!

I keep checking in here every so often to see if I should be thinking about replacing my Sharp 12k with the latest whizbang deal. I find it amazing that not only is the thread still alive and kicking, but there's posts in here about people who sold theirs buying it back and refurbing it, lol.

I guess I'm just going back into the basement for more happy viewing. I'm starting to wonder if I'm ever going to own a "modern" 1080 projector.

I keep checking in here every so often to see if I should be thinking about replacing my Sharp 12k with the latest whizbang deal. I find it amazing that not only is the thread still alive and kicking, but there's posts in here about people who sold theirs buying it back and refurbing it, lol.

I guess I'm just going back into the basement for more happy viewing. I'm starting to wonder if I'm ever going to own a "modern" 1080 projector.

I'm with you. I had one of these in my last theater and sold it with the house. WhenI went shopping for 1080p, I ended up coming back to the 12k. Who knows we may skip 1080p and go for the fabled 3D projectors.

OK, it is another one of those how should I hook up my computer questions.

I have the 12k hooked up via the DVI and component connections to my AVR. I am only using the DVI (input 5) connection right now. Component is only there as a backup if the DVI fails. The AVR has only 2 HDMI inputs and are being used by my D* receiver and my PS3. I want to hook up a computer to my system now.

I have a PC with only VGA output and I would like to connect it via component video. My AVR has three component inputs. My PC will support 1280x720 resolution.

Can I get a simple VGA to Component cable and run this through my current setup at 1280x720? I would hope the AVR will convert the component connections to the HDMI output on the back of the AVR, if not the component will serve as plan B.

Thanks,

-HD

What is everyone getting for Lamp Life? I am at 1200+ hours but always run in high contrast econo mode and use it maybe a few times per week and on the weekends. Just curious when to plan for bulb replacement...

hdtheater ,

Your Video card has to have Component support in order to use a simple VGA to Component adapter (if the card supports it then it should have come with the correct adapter) . Here are a couple of options if the card does not support component ...

1) A VGA to Component transcoder

2) The 12K supports RGBHV which is basically VGA (RGB) so with the proper cable (RGB-HV breakout cable) you can go directly into one of the Component/RGBHV inputs on the 12K .

However my suggestion for the best results would be to get a Video card with DVI out and get an inexpensive HDMI switch from monoprice to add some more inputs to the AVR ;) .

- Jason

skor,

I think most have reported getting the full lamp life (2K) from the Sharp , these units usually have very few issues regarding the lamps (or anything else for that matter) ;) .

- Jason

hdtheater ,

Your Video card has to have Component support in order to use a simple VGA to Component adapter (if the card supports it then it should have come with the correct adapter) . Here are a couple of options if the card does not support component ...

1) A VGA to Component transcoder

2) The 12K supports RGBHV which is basically VGA (RGB) so with the proper cable (RGB-HV breakout cable) you can go directly into one of the Component/RGBHV inputs on the 12K .

However my suggestion for the best results would be to get a Video card with DVI out and get an inexpensive HDMI switch from monoprice to add some more inputs to the AVR ;) .

- Jason

Thanks, I will have to see what is possible. I am just playing here, so I am trying to avoid spending any real money.

I hear ya' ;) , only way you'll get there with no additional spending is if the card supports Component out and you have the adapter . Otherwise the least expensive option would be to bypass the AVR and grab an RGB/HV breakout cable , I think these are pretty inexpensive at monoprice .

Here is an example of an RGB/HV breakout cable http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10203&cs_id=1020304&p_id=561&seq=1&format=2 .

Here is a 10' http://www.pccables.com/cgi-bin/orders6.cgi?action=Showitem&partno=02810&rsite=f.02810

and here is a 50' for $25 http://www.skycraftsurplus.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=1573

You'll need the BNC to RCA adapters (like shown in the second link) in order to connect to the 12K .

Best of Luck ,

- Jason

I hear ya' ;) , only way you'll get there with no additional spending is if the card supports Component out and you have the adapter . Otherwise the least expensive option would be to bypass the AVR and grab an RGB/HV breakout cable , I think these are pretty inexpensive at monoprice .

Here is an example of an RGB/HV breakout cable http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10203&cs_id=1020304&p_id=561&seq=1&format=2 .

Here is a 10' http://www.pccables.com/cgi-bin/orders6.cgi?action=Showitem&partno=02810&rsite=f.02810

and here is a 50' for $25 http://www.skycraftsurplus.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=1573

You'll need the BNC to RCA adapters (like shown in the second link) in order to connect to the 12K .

Best of Luck ,

- Jason

You know of any sites that list which video card chip sets will support component out or if there is something I can look at that will mean it will support component out? I have desktops and laptops to choose from.

Sorry I don't know of a site that lists which cards support it but you should be able to look up the Video Card and see if it does . Just because a particular chip set supports Component out via VGA does not mean that it is active on every variation of that chipset , sometimes it depends on what the manufacturer does with it . As an example I have two older Nvidia 6600 GT Video Cards from different manufacturers and one supports Component out while the other does not . I think many of the newer chipsets do support it and some can be enabled through the driver control panel .

- Jason

Sorry I don't know of a site that lists which cards support it but you should be able to look up the Video Card and see if it does . Just because a particular chip set supports Component out via VGA does not mean that it is active on every variation of that chipset , sometimes it depends on what the manufacturer does with it . As an example I have two older Nvidia 6600 GT Video Cards from different manufacturers and one supports Component out while the other does not . I think many of the newer chipsets do support it and some can be enabled through the driver control panel .

- Jason

I will have to browse all my home computers and see. I have two IBM, one HP, one Dell, and one Sony. Dell and Sony are desktops and the others are laptops. Sony is the only one I could swap cards out on. I know I am going to end up buying a new computer eventually, but want to test as much as I can before I buy.

skor,

I think most have reported getting the full lamp life (2K) from the Sharp , these units usually have very few issues regarding the lamps (or anything else for that matter) ;) .

- Jason

Just checking this thread to see what people had to say. Besides it is the closest thread to a Marantz VP-12S4 thread on here. I very much agree that the Sharp 12000 MK II and the Marantz 12S4 are very reliable projectors. I do not see myself moving to 1080p for a long time due to the build quality and image that these two projector throw. I would start a 12S4 thread, but I am afraid that I would be the only poster. :)