I hate to beat a dead horse but here's my imminent choice:

Do I get a used Pearl and a used video scaler (probably a VP50), or a brand new RS-1? What's the better value? My main fear is getting into a Pearl, then having major upgrade-itis about a year from now, and having Pearl resale values hit the floor. My desires are for 1080p, 24p input, bright enough for a 12' wide 2.35:1 hi-power screen, and fantastic black levels. Thoughts?

I think you need a scaler to do vertical stretch on the RS1; did you figure that into your pricing?

This thought has crossed my mind as well. I'm in the third prebuy wave, and I'm doing a 10' wide 2.35:1.

The RS1 consumes my whole budget. Having followed the RS1 posts from the beginning, I'm liking the contrast & lumens, but worried about the color, disappointed how the Gennum seems to be implemented. Would also have to just use the zoom for 2.35. Seems that most people that tweak it to where they are happy with it have an external vp or something like Anthem AVM50 or above. Will I be happy with the RS1 and it's shortcomings without a vp.

Then there's the low pricing on the Pearl, and adding a VP50 would only put the package about $400 or so above the RS1 price. The Pearl is no slouch...

I'm also looking into the new Epson 1080p now priced <$3000 retail

I guess the cost is a factor: as someone previously mentioned, the Pearl is no slouch. Simply put, I think the Pearl has a gorgeous picture...the "filmlike" quality people refer to is that the Pearl's colors are a little more muted, more on the cooler side, whereas the RS/1 has a warmer, more saturated palette. Depending on taste, one typically sees images from both projector and chooses one over the other.

However, the COST is what really gets me: I got the pearl for roughly $3400. The RS/1 cost somewhere of $8000-$9000 right? I mean, that's almost 3x as much. And is it 3x as good? HELLLLLLLLLL No. Haha I mean, sure if you've got the money, take a look at both and go with the RS/1, but honestly, the value of the Pearl is unbelievable. I consider the picture quality of both of these PJs comprable...sure, the color saturation is more robust on the RS/1, but both optomized with great screens, set-ups, etc., look wonderful.

I personally think it's insane to pay over $5,000 more for the RS1. I mean, I just don't think its that much better. And ANYONE who pays upwards of $10,000+ for the BenQs and the Marantzs, etc. just does not get it haha...I mean, even if one concedes these projectors to being better than the Pearl (which, again, in most instances I think the picture is comprable, and if better, only SLIGHTLY), they cannot claim in all honesty and truth that the picture is so much better as to warrant 4x the price. I mean, it's just simply not THAT much better.


For the price of the RS/1, I was able to get the Pearl, the best receiver on the market, and one of the best upscaling DVD players out there. It's your call.

RS1 lists for ~$6200, but sells for much less.

There is a brand new unopened RS1 for sale in AVS marketplace for $4799.

My main fear is getting into a Pearl, then having major upgrade-itis about a year from now, and having Pearl resale values hit the floor.
Any projector you buy now is going to have a dismal resale value in a year, the RS1 included.

A used Pearl and a used VP50 would come out to around the same price as a new RS-1 from a reasonable reseller. If I got the RS-1 I would simply have to delay the scaler and do constant height via the trusty ol' zoom method.

I know a lot of people have said that the Pearl is surprisingly close to the RS-1, but that the latter is worth the extra money. I guess I just wish I knew, objectively, that the RS-1 was say 20% better, since generally it's priced nearly 40% higher than what a used Pearl would be.

I've bought and sold enough projectors to know about resale... my concern is seeing slightly used Pearls go for under $3k regularly now, and if Sony pulls out a new low-end SXRD model we could see Pearl resale drop another $1k easily. That means selling the Pearl and getting say, something at the RS-1's current price point (or even an RS-1) means a big $2500 investment on top of the old machine's proceeds. Ouch. I'd rather just spend the extra money now in that case.

But I know nobody here is psychic, so who really knows. I wish the Epson was a possible play, but with panel native contrast still loitering under 1000:1, that's just not very comfortable for me at this time. I know from my last big ($4.5k) purchase that I want this thing to last for a couple years at least. Maybe that's the real answer then, eh?

Any projector you buy now is going to have a dismal resale value in a year, the RS1 included.

Say what?

Damn, and I bought mine as an investment! :eek:



;)

I've seen both projectors side by side and this is my simple, uneducated theory in my decision: If you plan to watch HD or SD movies and want to feel like you're at the movies go with the Pearl. If you plan on watching HD programming and HD sports mainly than go with the RS1.

I've seen both projectors side by side and this is my simple, uneducated theory in my decision: If you plan to watch HD or SD movies and want to feel like you're at the movies go with the Pearl. If you plan on watching HD programming and HD sports mainly than go with the RS1.
:confused:

I thought that connecting overly saturated sources with lots of green (grass) in them were a weak point of the RS1. And that the image of the RS1 is very 'Cinema like'.

However, the COST is what really gets me: I got the pearl for roughly $3400. The RS/1 cost somewhere of $8000-$9000 right? I mean, that's almost 3x as much. And is it 3x as good? HELLLLLLLLLL No.

Not that it will make a difference to you, but the VAST majority of people posting about the RS1 paid just about a kilobuck more for it than what you paid for your Pearl...not 5x as much, not 3x as much....Also, according to most posting throughout the forum, it can be obtained for only a bit more at this time...

Just info in the interest of accuracy.

You know in terms of Pearl vs. RS-1: I took a look at Art's review on the RS-1 (projectorreviews) and where he has some screen shots of the RS-1 vs. Pearl on Phantom of the Opera, I thought the RS-1 picture looked way out of whack, almost damaged in comparison. The RS-1 picture was very oversaturated, and in other shots the Pearl looked like it had better color overall. Is this the oversaturation issue people are complaining about, or are the screenshots not a good comparison to use? The black level comparison on the other hand, was very interesting.

I decided to go RS-1 anyway. I don't think I'll regret the decision a year from now, unless it really does have cartoon colors. :cool:

You know in terms of Pearl vs. RS-1: I took a look at Art's review on the RS-1 (projectorreviews) and where he has some screen shots of the RS-1 vs. Pearl on Phantom of the Opera, I thought the RS-1 picture looked way out of whack, almost damaged in comparison. The RS-1 picture was very oversaturated, and in other shots the Pearl looked like it had better color overall. Is this the oversaturation issue people are complaining about, or are the screenshots not a good comparison to use? The black level comparison on the other hand, was very interesting.



I didn't notice any whacked out colors in any of the screenshots, but the example that really drove home a difference to me between the two pjs- was the shot of one of the performers in a white wig and, iirc, white or light blue costuming...and similarly dressed performers behind her. The picture overall looked much more dynamic and pleasing on the RS1 with whites that were vibrant. The Pearl in comparision looked duller and somewhat veiled.
That said, this is something that is more likely to be noticeable only when you have a side by side comparision going, which is something very, very few people are ever going to do. Otherwise with the Pearl, everything would be relative within its own picture-in other words, owing the Pearl, I can say honestly that there have been very few times where I have ever felt that whites were being compromised and duller than they should have been...and even then it wasn't an absolute 'certainty'.
The Pearl definitley has a cinema-like picture. I don't think I've ever been to a theater that looked like a huge plasma screen going. but that has never once prevented me from enjoying a film. All my pjs have been purchased to try to recreate a theatrical experience at home- no sports, no tv, etc...and on that count the Pearls succeeds wonderfully. It sounds like the RS1 would serve better on the whole if Sports and broadcast material was more in someones mix.

To address the OPs original question- I'm not sure why he thinks he needs a scaler right away with the Pearl and not with the RS1? I'm sure a scaler would improve the look of my Pearl, but for some basic things it seems indispensible for the JVC.

Oh yeah, I did get on the pre-buy list for the JVC which at the time was only $300 more than what I had just paid for the Pearl. I just cancelled the order a short time ago, because it seems that there is no imperative to get the JVC at a 'amazing' price just now, as its regular street price won't be that much more in the future anyway. If/when I do decide to swap out the Pearl for something else, I think now would have been the time I would have taken the biggest hit on it (on a cost per hour basis). A year from now...If the Pearl isn't worth more than $2K used, that will just mean that there is some other, new pj out there that has broken another price performance barrier. So six of one, 1/2 dozen of the other.

good luck on the RS1. Hopefully your unit will be free of the issues that are common to both of these pjs.

To address the OPs original question- I'm not sure why he thinks he needs a scaler right away with the Pearl and not with the RS1? I'm sure a scaler would improve the look of my Pearl, but for some basic things it seems indispensible for the JVC.
Well not that the scaler wouldn't serve either one well... in fact with either unit I would use a scaler. The point of my question was really, do the PQ benefits of the RS-1 outweigh the possible processing benefits that a Pearl and scaler would provide--namely better deinterlacing, scaling, and 24p display--taking into account the Pearl's less dynamic image. That's not entirely fair I know, but given that the price points are so similar, it's a valid question I think. Eventually I bet anyone who is hard-core about their display will add a scaler onto the RS-1 anyway, but then you're talking about a really big sack of cash up-front. It's doubly odd because you've basically got a nice scaler/processing chip in the JVC to start with.

Usually when you're talking about a 'next gen' projector model, you're paying 50-100% more to get a 20% better picture (and then everyone here jumps around like the hand of Zeus reached down and blessed their theater :p ). The RS-1 just seems to kind of break that assumption with it's native contrast rating, so I'm still confused as to whether that rule applies. Is the JVC 50% better than the Pearl, or does the Pearl's DI work well enough to make it a close call? But that's the question everyone here ends up asking about every projector, since you can't easily compare them directly.

Oh yeah, I did get on the pre-buy list for the JVC which at the time was only $300 more than what I had just paid for the Pearl. I just cancelled the order a short time ago, because it seems that there is no imperative to get the JVC at a 'amazing' price just now, as its regular street price won't be that much more in the future anyway.
Grrr.. you wasted your slot?? I wanted that! :) I didn't sign up because I was only maybe 60% sure I wanted to get one, so I tried to be nice. I guess the lesson is, don't pass up an AVS prebuy. I'm still kind of impressed at how low the pricing is on the RS-1, given their history (what did the HD10k cost anyway, about the same as a car?). If it weren't for the rabid dash to get these units (or just the manufacturing limits of JVC) they probably would be a pretty nice everyday deal.

If you get a chance go check them both out at Magnolia Hifi in Seattle (on Roosevelt) depending on where in the northwest your from. To me the Pearl looked nice, but dull compared to the RS-1. The RS-1 really jumped off the screen with its dynamic range. It also appeared much sharper as well.

This is something a scaler simply cannot fix as it is at the LCOS chip level and optics. IMO I would get the RS-1 and "get by" w/o a scaler until your pocketbook recovers. Or you could pick up the key digital $600 switch/scaler if all you need is vertical stretch support in the interim.

I figure I should update this. The RS-1 is really an amazing unit. It's bright enough for CIH via zoom (though manual zoom+focus makes this mildly annoying) on an 11' wide blackout cloth screen with no gain, at least for now. And it must be doing some kind of 3:2 pulldown internally when fed HD-DVD via HDMI, because I'm seeing very smooth motion. I'm not even sure I need a scaler now at all. Except for some troublesome SD discs, the Toshiba A2 does a good enough job on well-mastered SD DVDs that there isn't a problem with image quality at all.

The contrast is pretty amazing, but the black level of the unit still isn't going to make any CRT's cry out for mercy. I have no regrets at all, though this isn't the 'end-all-be-all' projector yet. It needs either another 15k:1 contrast or a DI to be killer, and maybe a little better fan setup. Moral of the story... RS-1 definately is a performer and I'm not feeling a fantastic need for a scaler at all, but I'll probably get one anyway just to be sure. I was getting worried with all the posts about broken deinterlacers and color spaces and oversaturation but this is a good unit.

I really have to say it's GREAT to finally get away from single chip DLP.