I just wanted every one to know my review of the 4900. I had a px200u and a hd7100 and I would easily pick the 4900 over the other two. I absolutely love it.

:)

It seems this forum is used mostly for those who are unhappy with their pj.
Nice to see a positive review.
Can any others post reviews or do the ones who are happy with it stop going to the forum?

It would be interesting to know the percentage of those who like the 4900 to those who dont!

Thanks Servingko,
had two dust blobs after 80 hours. did your shop vac trick today and the dust blobs are gone. Actualy, I vacumed the filter, held the fan with a paperclip and vacumed the other side. I've got a 5.5 hp shop vac.

I don't have dust blobs...yet. BUT, pardon my lack of understanding, what do you mean you vacuumed the filter and the other side? How is this different than Servingko's method and could you go into more detail on the steps you performed.
Thanks

I woke up this morning all bleary eyed and thought to to myself, "Was it a dream or was it real? Did I really open up my brand new HC4900, accidentally snap off a locking bar from the LCD ribbon cable connector (oops, there goes the warranty), jury rig some wires to keep the fan running while the motherboard was flipped to the side, all so I could adjust the polarization elements?"

Apparently, yes... I did.

It took from 7pm to nearly 11 just to reach the point where I could start adjusting the polarizers. If anyone is interested, I'll post details and pics, otherwise I'll just cut to the chase.

This is a really painstaking process. After more than an hour, I had fiddled with all six (!!!) of the polarizers but didn't end up with anything convincingly darker than when I started. It's far easier to make it worse than to get each one just right.

Maybe my unit was already well-calibrated and couldn't be improved on. Or maybe I just need to play with it a lot more. More info as it comes...

I just wanted every one to know my review of the 4900. I had a px200u and a hd7100 and I would easily pick the 4900 over the other two. I absolutely love it.



Thanks. I read this thread every day and get depressed about my projector. Then I go watch the projector and it lifts my spirirts. This projector is without a doubt the best projector you can get for $1,400 today. If you want a 1080P projector with better blacks, count on spending $500 to $1k more (at least).

Oh, and netflix is telling me I'll have 2 more Blu Ray's to watch tonight and one more tomorrow. :)

Can any others post reviews or do the ones who are happy with it stop going to the forum?Some of us who are (deliriously!) happy with our 4900s are enjoying them, versus hanging around here and getting wound-up by the naysayers. :p

This is a really painstaking process. After more than an hour, I had fiddled with all six (!!!) of the polarizers but didn't end up with anything convincingly darker than when I started. It's far easier to make it worse than to get each one just right.

Maybe my unit was already well-calibrated and couldn't be improved on. Or maybe I just need to play with it a lot more. More info as it comes...Thanks PB for your efforts and your comments, and I look forward to your continued adventures. I'd love to do all that stuff myself, the tweaks/filters/RS232 but just don't have the time I'd like.

If I could get another rebate I'd love to buy a 2nd pj to play with--but that makes no sense to even consider, as I'm sure my wife would kill me dead for it! :eek:

:)

It seems this forum is used mostly for those who are unhappy with their pj.
Nice to see a positive review.
Can any others post reviews or do the ones who are happy with it stop going to the forum?

It would be interesting to know the percentage of those who like the 4900 to those who dont!

I'm in the same boat as Laser, this forum is GREAT for information and opinions, but the best thing to do after you get your info is not come back :)
It will make you spend money and doubt your purchase. I was reading the 1080ub forum and someone said its picture was very nice but not a night and day difference from some other PJ. Even with that pj someone with an over 3k PJ will make you start doubting your purchase.

Long story short, I'm enjoying mine constantly, its a stellar PJ for the $ and everyone is floored by it. Really most of us never have 10 projectors side by side to see every ones flaws and this PJ as most have said throws up a great picture. I'm too busy enjoying mine and the money I saved. Yes there are better, but think of what else you can upgrade with the difference in your HT :D.

I woke up this morning all bleary eyed and thought to to myself, "Was it a dream or was it real? Did I really open up my brand new HC4900, accidentally snap off a locking bar from the LCD ribbon cable connector (oops, there goes the warranty), jury rig some wires to keep the fan running while the motherboard was flipped to the side, all so I could adjust the polarization elements?"

Apparently, yes... I did.

It took from 7pm to nearly 11 just to reach the point where I could start adjusting the polarizers. If anyone is interested, I'll post details and pics, otherwise I'll just cut to the chase.

This is a really painstaking process. After more than an hour, I had fiddled with all six (!!!) of the polarizers but didn't end up with anything convincingly darker than when I started. It's far easier to make it worse than to get each one just right.

Maybe my unit was already well-calibrated and couldn't be improved on. Or maybe I just need to play with it a lot more. More info as it comes...

Wow, you've got some big stones. Love to see some visuals.

...this PJ as most have said throws up a great picture. I'm too busy enjoying mine and the money I saved. Yes there are better, but think of what else you can upgrade with the difference in your HT :D.You've said a mouthful bayn! I'd been prepared, and had convinced the wife, that despite that we had/still have a 60" HDTV that's gorgeous, I was gonna spend $3500-4000 on a PJ and then another $2K on a 2.35:1 electric screen; I'd braced her for upwards of $7K total when done. Instead I spent ~$1700 for the 4900 and a 54x120" gatorfoam board (excellent screen btw) and it's just a jaw-dropping setup, as you're experiencing yourself.

My wife is SO impressed with this "the new HT", and happy as a lark for the $$$ we've saved, that in a few years when I want to get another, latest/greatest pj, or ultimate next-gen highest-tech rolldown screen, she will not hesitate I believe to say "yes" to me again. :)

:deliriously happy:

Mits' Online throw Calc (I prefer the one you download though):

http://global.mitsubishielectric.com/bu/projectors/products/home/hc4900.html

Scroll down to the bottom of the page...

I woke up this morning all bleary eyed and thought to to myself, "Was it a dream or was it real? Did I really open up my brand new HC4900, accidentally snap off a locking bar from the LCD ribbon cable connector (oops, there goes the warranty), jury rig some wires to keep the fan running while the motherboard was flipped to the side, all so I could adjust the polarization elements?"

Apparently, yes... I did.

It took from 7pm to nearly 11 just to reach the point where I could start adjusting the polarizers. If anyone is interested, I'll post details and pics, otherwise I'll just cut to the chase.

This is a really painstaking process. After more than an hour, I had fiddled with all six (!!!) of the polarizers but didn't end up with anything convincingly darker than when I started. It's far easier to make it worse than to get each one just right.

Maybe my unit was already well-calibrated and couldn't be improved on. Or maybe I just need to play with it a lot more. More info as it comes...

:eek:

Yes, please post more info and pics. If you are going to post this in the 4900 tweak and calibration thread, please let this thread know. :D

:eek:

Well I received my HC4900 today but I need to exchange it for another one :rolleyes:. Convergence is totally off and focus issues at the sides...great, just what I needed!

So how did it look compared to my previous DT-500? I was surprised that the resolution jump wasn't as dramatic as I thought it would be in terms of sharpness from 10ft away. Going by memory, it just lookes smoother, no slight pixel structure on bright scenes. Perhaps the misconvergence had something to do with it, but that remains to be seen. Contrast/Black level...DT500 on top easily. Only on bright/sunlight scenes the 4900 came alive. It would definitely need the Iris mod + filter tweak for me to keep it since I watch lots of dark content. Being my 1st LCD projector, I now learned what they call "haze" :(.

I'll give another one a shot and see how it goes. BTW, those who had to exchange, did u have to ship yours first or after receiving replacement? How long did it take?

"Convergence is totally off"
How far off (and which colors)? Can you post a pic (and for the focus issues at the sides)?

"resolution jump wasn't as dramatic"
What was your source material?

"I now learned what they call haze"
:o

Count me in the "love my 4900" crowd. Thankfully I got lucky and my convergence is great (I think, maybe, the green is less than a half pixel off to the left, but it's imperceptable in normal viewing conditions), and my focus is perfect for all corners.

And to echo Laserfan - I spent $1400 on the PJ and about $60 on my Do-Able board screen (inc. mounts, frame, velvet). What I'm getting for < $1500 is simply astounding.

I can't help but chuckle to myself anytime I walk through a store and see 50" LCD TV's for > $2000.

:)

It seems this forum is used mostly for those who are unhappy with their pj.
Nice to see a positive review.
Can any others post reviews or do the ones who are happy with it stop going to the forum?

It would be interesting to know the percentage of those who like the 4900 to those who dont!
Welcome to AVS.. You'll find a lot of good information here.

I think the 4900 thread is pretty representative of almost every other projector thread I've seen here for the last ~4 years. I've definitely seen some threads where the percentage of posts complaining about something with the unit was much higher than this one. In a forum/message board/information exchange like this- you'll only hear from a very small percentage of the happy owners, but you'll hear from most all of the owners who are having an issue of some type. This is not a bad thing! When you have an issue with your projector- it's great to be able to bounce your concerns off other users to verify if it is indeed a problem with the unit or perhaps you have unrealistic expectations, etc... The downside of that is when someone such as yourself stops by to check things out- they get the impression that most users are unhappy and that is definitely not the case.

After the good feedback in this thread and everyone's observations- I have been able to determine the strengths and weaknesses of my individual unit. I have it pretty good compared to some that are experiencing focus issues, convergence issues, etc. But there are others who have units with better black level performance than mine. All in all- I'm satisfied.

Cheers!

I woke up this morning all bleary eyed and thought to to myself, "Was it a dream or was it real? Did I really open up my brand new HC4900, accidentally snap off a locking bar from the LCD ribbon cable connector (oops, there goes the warranty), jury rig some wires to keep the fan running while the motherboard was flipped to the side, all so I could adjust the polarization elements?"

Apparently, yes... I did.

It took from 7pm to nearly 11 just to reach the point where I could start adjusting the polarizers. If anyone is interested, I'll post details and pics, otherwise I'll just cut to the chase.

This is a really painstaking process. After more than an hour, I had fiddled with all six (!!!) of the polarizers but didn't end up with anything convincingly darker than when I started. It's far easier to make it worse than to get each one just right.

Maybe my unit was already well-calibrated and couldn't be improved on. Or maybe I just need to play with it a lot more. More info as it comes...

This is no dream my brave experimental friend. You have now gone down a path from which there is no return! :D

Seriously though, nice work attempting to duplicate this tweak, PB. I would love to see some pictures and details of your work. My projector should be here in a couple of days and I have a feeling that I'll eventually be trying this too.

On a related note, are there any European owners here who have sent in or are consdering sending in their projector to Cine4home?

Ok. I am new to this. I am planning on buying the HC4900 and a 100" diagonal screen. I can place the projector on the ceiling anywhere at a distance of 12 feet to 14.5 feet. So, which is best? closer or farther away. I am confused by the throw distance. it tells me that I can place the projector between 10.2 feet and 16.5 feet distance from the screen. But I am not sure at what distance would be the best quality.

Thanks.

This is no dream my brave experimental friend. You have now gone down a path from which there is no return! :D

Seriously though, nice work attempting to duplicate this tweak, PB. I would love to see some pictures and details of your work. My projector should be here in a couple of days and I have a feeling that I'll eventually be trying this too.

On a related note, are there any European owners here who have sent in or are consdering sending in their projector to Cine4home?

Cipher, I might. On my way out of the land of coupons and coming back to Poland. My 3rd unit is on the way and if it's not good I'll keep the 1st one (corner focus and not too good black level) with a potential of fixing it over the border in Deutschland.

I forgot the price, was it a few hundred Euro or so?

Ok. I am new to this. I am planning on buying the HC4900 and a 100" diagonal screen. I can place the projector on the ceiling anywhere at a distance of 12 feet to 14.5 feet. So, which is best? closer or farther away. I am confused by the throw distance. it tells me that I can place the projector between 10.2 feet and 16.5 feet distance from the screen. But I am not sure at what distance would be the best quality.

Thanks.

This is preference. It is brighter at min throw / max zoom, it has better contrast / black level at max throw / min zoom.

I usually set them up as close as they will go.

Ok. I am new to this. I am planning on buying the HC4900 and a 100" diagonal screen. I can place the projector on the ceiling anywhere at a distance of 12 feet to 14.5 feet. So, which is best? closer or farther away. I am confused by the throw distance. it tells me that I can place the projector between 10.2 feet and 16.5 feet distance from the screen. But I am not sure at what distance would be the best quality.

Thanks.

I have mine on the top shelf of my equipment rack at the back of the room, 100" diagonal screen. As you say, this is 16.5' throw distance (I actually had to pull the rack a few inches off the wall), and I'm essentially at the minimum zoom. I never tried using it closer for comparison, but I feel it's plenty bright at that distance/size, and this is in low lamp mode (never tried anything else).

So I would say place it where it works best in your room.

Thanks for the info, guyz.

HELP!!!! IMHO my projectors black levels are good, convergence is perfect, no dead pixels, focus is great, no dust blobs BUT BUT...now my lamp isn't always lighting on the first try. I feel I'm living Curttard's life. Sometimes it takes up to six tries. [edit: but at least it's always turned on, at least for now; but who knows next week, next month??] Called PP and tech support said it might be a defective bulb.

PP's technician, Chris, emailed Mits and I received a phone call from Andrea. I was gone but called (949-465-6408) when I came home.
Andrea said it might be the projector and had me call and talk to Tim (888-307-309) at their projector support line. He said he considers it DOA and gave me a case # to have PP send me a new unit.

AHH, BUT HERE's the rub: Since this projector is perfect except the lamp issue, I asked if I could have it sent for repair. Tim said he'd prefer I get a new pj. But, I'm afraid the new one could not possibly be better out of the box than this one. Tim says not to worry that all their projectors are factory calibrated to the same standards. But from reading the posts, that doesn't seem to be the case at all. HOWEVER, if I send it to MITs for repair, I'm also afraid it could come back more screwed up (dirt etc).
I have nowhere to go with this and I'd desperately appreciate any opinions on this. This is my 6th projector in 15 years and I've never had a problem (edit: sorry, I forgot; but strange that my 8 year-old Mits vl2000 developed this issue after a couple of years but it still eventually lights up after a few tries.). The 4900 does have a two year warranty and I don't know whether to wait it out or not. Of course, then I'd probably have to pay for shipping. It's even more confusing because I haven't sent in the Rebate yet and now it's over. Have no idea how PP handle stuff like this.

Are you going to be able to keep it until the replacement arrives? If so, then you can compare the output of the two before surrendering your current PJ. If there's a clear reduction in quality of the picture, then you can initiate a dialog before you send the first one back.

Ok. I am new to this. I am planning on buying the HC4900 and a 100" diagonal screen. I can place the projector on the ceiling anywhere at a distance of 12 feet to 14.5 feet. So, which is best? closer or farther away. I am confused by the throw distance. it tells me that I can place the projector between 10.2 feet and 16.5 feet distance from the screen. But I am not sure at what distance would be the best quality.

Thanks.

I try to set the projector as far away from me as possible. That usually means it is closer to the screen.

Tocaje,
My take? Keep it. Wait it out. It DOES sound like a bulb and it WILL be covered under warranty. From what I've seen you have less than 50% chance of getting a projector with all the qualities you mentioned. So unless you spend a lot of time in a casino, odds are in favor of staying with the chips you've got.

Cipher, I might. On my way out of the land of coupons and coming back to Poland. My 3rd unit is on the way and if it's not good I'll keep the 1st one (corner focus and not too good black level) with a potential of fixing it over the border in Deutschland.

I forgot the price, was it a few hundred Euro or so?

AlexP, I'm not too sure but I think someone mentioned $200-300 Euro earlier in the thread. Does anyone have confirmation on the cost for this work?

It would be nice to have at least one AVS member report on the improvements they see with these updates and to help identify the type of colour filter that is used.

HELP...my lamp isn't always lighting on the first try....tech support said it might be a defective bulb....HOWEVER, if I send it to MITs for repair, I'm also afraid it could come back more screwed up (dirt etc).I completely understand & agree w/your concern that you don't WANT to send it back. What *I* would do in your circumstance is REPLACE THE LAMP. If the new lamp fixes the problem, great, you're done (except that you will want to negotiate for getting a free lamp in exchange for the bad one). If it doesn't, well, save the new lamp for your replaced pj i.e. as a spare.

I completely understand & agree w/your concern that you don't WANT to send it back. What *I* would do in your circumstance is REPLACE THE LAMP. If the new lamp fixes the problem, great, you're done (except that you will want to negotiate for getting a free lamp in exchange for the bad one). If it doesn't, well, save the new lamp for your replaced pj i.e. as a spare.

If you get the new projector while you still have your current one, AND the new one looks worse, you could always swap the lamps between the two and see if that solves things...

I agree, this is a fantastic projector. The picture is excellent...people only a couple years a go would be paying through the nose for this quality, and really I bought this as a long term projector, it will look just as good in 3 years *perhaps with better blacks because of the aged bulb* as it does now so why would I need to change it, I am happy with it now...I don't need any more. It can't get sharper for me, I have an excellent unit in terms of out of the box calibration. I don't have upgrade lust like many do....but then again I don't feel the need to chase after "better" performance for big bucks. In 3 years, the differences will be significant enough to justify a new projector. Hell even by then I might wait. But I am happy with this unit......soooo very happy.


The only negative to having a unit as sharp and revealing as this is that garbage in garbage out is soo true. HD Sat really doesn't look half as good as HD DVD.....oh well.....it looked really good on my 34" 16:9 before this though :)

HD Sat really doesn't look half as good as HD DVD.....oh well.....it looked really good on my 34" 16:9 before this though :)I was dismayed when I went from a 41" CRT-based (SD) RPTV to a 60" LCD HD RPTV and my laserdiscs, which I THOUGHT used to look just great, alluva sudden looked like heck--I guess analog sources prefer analog displays; certainly SMALLER displays. I'm gonna try my LD player again w/the 4900 but I think the very smallest I can make my picture is about 100" diagonal! Hope it's at least watchable... :zero confidence:

I agree, this is a fantastic projector. The picture is excellent...people only a couple years a go would be paying through the nose for this quality, and really I bought this as a long term projector, it will look just as good in 3 years *perhaps with better blacks because of the aged bulb* as it does now so why would I need to change it, I am happy with it now...I don't need any more. It can't get sharper for me, I have an excellent unit in terms of out of the box calibration. I don't have upgrade lust like many do....but then again I don't feel the need to chase after "better" performance for big bucks. In 3 years, the differences will be significant enough to justify a new projector. Hell even by then I might wait. But I am happy with this unit......soooo very happy.


The only negative to having a unit as sharp and revealing as this is that garbage in garbage out is soo true. HD Sat really doesn't look half as good as HD DVD.....oh well.....it looked really good on my 34" 16:9 before this though :)

I'm with you on this post, brother! I'm loving mine as well.

This week I got Charter HD service added to it and it looks amazing so far. I've only watched a couple things in HD so far (Lost and part of movies on the HD premiums), but I'm blown away even comparing to the picture from an HD-DVD. I'm sure I will eventually see some poor HD broadcasts, but so far, it's great. Watching Lost is a new experience now! And I just *happened* to get the HD service in time for the game on Sunday.... :)

HELP!!!! IMHO my projectors black levels are good, convergence is perfect, no dead pixels, focus is great, no dust blobs BUT BUT...now my lamp isn't always lighting on the first try. I feel I'm living Curttard's life. Sometimes it takes up to six tries. [edit: but at least it's always turned on, at least for now; but who knows next week, next month??] Called PP and tech support said it might be a defective bulb.

PP's technician, Chris, emailed Mits and I received a phone call from Andrea. I was gone but called (949-465-6408) when I came home.
Andrea said it might be the projector and had me call and talk to Tim (888-307-309) at their projector support line. He said he considers it DOA and gave me a case # to have PP send me a new unit.

AHH, BUT HERE's the rub: Since this projector is perfect except the lamp issue, I asked if I could have it sent for repair. Tim said he'd prefer I get a new pj. But, I'm afraid the new one could not possibly be better out of the box than this one. Tim says not to worry that all their projectors are factory calibrated to the same standards. But from reading the posts, that doesn't seem to be the case at all. HOWEVER, if I send it to MITs for repair, I'm also afraid it could come back more screwed up (dirt etc).
I have nowhere to go with this and I'd desperately appreciate any opinions on this. This is my 6th projector in 15 years and I've never had a problem (edit: sorry, I forgot; but strange that my 8 year-old Mits vl2000 developed this issue after a couple of years but it still eventually lights up after a few tries.). The 4900 does have a two year warranty and I don't know whether to wait it out or not. Of course, then I'd probably have to pay for shipping. It's even more confusing because I haven't sent in the Rebate yet and now it's over. Have no idea how PP handle stuff like this.
My projector was doing the same thing.. At the same time I found out about the rebates, and that people on projectorpeople were getting it for 1000 less than I payed, so I just took it back. There was a couple other people experiencing similar issues in the first 10 pages of this thread, but I don't know if they ever came up with a resolution for the lamp lighting issue. I suppose I could've RMA'd it.. but problems a month after buying it doesn't look good. I'm still considering getting another one of these projectors though would like to see some other models drop as drastically in price.

I agree, this is a fantastic projector. The picture is excellent...people only a couple years a go would be paying through the nose for this quality, and really I bought this as a long term projector, it will look just as good in 3 years *perhaps with better blacks because of the aged bulb* as it does now so why would I need to change it, I am happy with it now...I don't need any more. It can't get sharper for me, I have an excellent unit in terms of out of the box calibration. I don't have upgrade lust like many do....but then again I don't feel the need to chase after "better" performance for big bucks. In 3 years, the differences will be significant enough to justify a new projector. Hell even by then I might wait. But I am happy with this unit......soooo very happy.


The only negative to having a unit as sharp and revealing as this is that garbage in garbage out is soo true. HD Sat really doesn't look half as good as HD DVD.....oh well.....it looked really good on my 34" 16:9 before this though :)


I was watching it again last night, and I think that it has gotten better. I am very happy with this projector and glad that I have standardized on 1080p for every component (37" LCD, HD-DVD, HTPC, Projector). I am figuring that this could last me 10 years (5,000 hours is a long time).

I got my new sound system hooked up last night as well. The neighbors may not be too happy, but it sounds good.

I also tested HD-DVD on my 1080p 37" LCD display, and I will say that the HC4900 does a better job. There was a little noise in certain colors, and the 120" screen can show the fine details better. Actually, I have been looking at the LCD/DLP HDTV sets at Best Buy & Circuit City and they don't look all that good compared to the picture quality I get with the HC4900. Maybe they aren't setup right or don't have a good signal, but watching the penguins in Planet Earth in the store and then at home was like night and day how much better the picture on the HC4900 was. Unless they were just showing a SD-DVD, but I don't think they were.

I can't wait to get my HTPC setup so I can download some 1080p trailers to see what the 3D animation movies look like. I am blown away at how the Blu-ray ones look at the store. And I haven't seen a HD-DVD one yet to see if it is similar.

I am also going to throw some money at a lens or two today (light red / ND) to experiment.

Anyone else using bell Sat HD service from Canada? I am finding some HD very soft while some of the better things such as CSI Chuck etc. look much better. None of it looking as nice as HD-DVD, not a surprise considering the compression HD signals undergo to save on bandwidth. you can really see it's effects on a revealing projector

Regarding noise or grain. I think what you are often seeing in HD DVD's is that when shooting with film or digital darker scenes will have more grain....for digitally shot scenes that relates to the gain used to improve low light shooting and film sorta the same thing...but not really....anyhow the point is that I can see with this projector where some dark scenes where pushed really hard to get detail out of them which = more noise/grain.

I guess I am saying that not all noise you see on the screen is typical noise related to a projector/processing etc....but rather in the original source material itself.


yeah...ok just thought I would put that out there!

I was dismayed when I went from a 41" CRT-based (SD) RPTV to a 60" LCD HD RPTV and my laserdiscs, which I THOUGHT used to look just great, alluva sudden looked like heck--I guess analog sources prefer analog displays; certainly SMALLER displays. I'm gonna try my LD player again w/the 4900 but I think the very smallest I can make my picture is about 100" diagonal! Hope it's at least watchable... :zero confidence:

Man I remember when Laser Disc was cutting edge, my buddy had one I so so jelous!!!

Yeah I have found that smaller TV's no matter what HD Rez they are will do better with SD sources....so if you hated your 60" you are really gonna hate the Projector....(100+ inches sure opens sources up for scrutiny)but still....it would be sooo great to load up an old laserdisc and sit back and enjoy.....them where the days.... :D:cool:

You have to be extra careful what HD projector you are going to use if you want your LD's to still be watchable. Boy did I learn that the hard way.

I'd still rank the lowly Panasonic AE1000U and the Sony Pearl / VW50 the best in that area. Ultra sharp projectors like the HC4900 are not the ticket there. :)

What's a Laser Disc? :D

Is ther a iris setting in the menu somewhere or do you need the remote to change the Iris?

I finally broke down and purchased this pj today--I am upgrading from Sanyo Z2 which is still fantastic.

I bought it from a forum sponsor and I am hoping to be satisfied completely ( I don't have very high expectations, really). Even my old Z2 blows me away--I watched 'Departed' on my PS3 (blu-ray), and had a great experience today.

I need a few suggestions: are there any basic tests I should do to make sure that my pj is working well in my 4 hour 'trial'? Nothing exotic!

Or maybe if it looks good to me, I should be done and not look for faults---"Maybe, what I don't know can't hurt me"

I have a 100" Elite SilverFrame 1.8 gain and will be ceiling mounting. I have complete light control.

I also bought a 3 yr Bulb Warranty (2 free relacements) for $150. What do you think? I am still on my original lamp with my Z2 after 4 years (about 1200hrs), but intend to do more with the new pj.

Thanks for this thread--I have learned a lot about stuff.

gasdoc

I finally broke down and purchased this pj today--I am upgrading from Sanyo Z2 which is still fantastic.

I bought it from a forum sponsor and I am hoping to be satisfied completely ( I don't have very high expectations, really). Even my old Z2 blows me away--I watched 'Departed' on my PS3 (blu-ray), and had a great experience today.

I need a few suggestions: are there any basic tests I should do to make sure that my pj is working well in my 4 hour 'trial'? Nothing exotic!

Or maybe if it looks good to me, I should be done and not look for faults---"Maybe, what I don't know can't hurt me"

I have a 100" Elite SilverFrame 1.8 gain and will be ceiling mounting. I have complete light control.

I also bought a 3 yr Bulb Warranty (2 free relacements) for $150. What do you think? I am still on my original lamp with my Z2 after 4 years (about 1200hrs), but intend to do more with the new pj.

Thanks for this thread--I have learned a lot about stuff.

gasdoc

A greyscale test would be good.

I had a large laser disc collection years ago. Laser discs were much better than pre-recorded VHS tape, but when DVD's came along, they were so superior to the Laser Disc, that I immediately started converting my favorite titles to DVD and started selling off my Laser Discs.

Now, I feel exactly the same way as I did before when I compare standard DVD's to either HD-DVD or Blu-Ray discs. Once again I am replacing my favorite titles with a far superior format.

Blowing up your Laser Discs just let you see how bad they really are. Just as blowing up photo's can show how soft the image was in the first place. As computer types like to say, "Garbage In, Garbage out."

Have you tried raising both RGB Brightness/Contrast in the color temperature menu with the filter on to balance the color? Does it improve anything? I'm almost at the 4 hour mark, can't play with it anymore.

I had a large laser disc collection years ago. Laser discs were much better than pre-recorded VHS tape, but when DVD's came along, they were so superior to the Laser Disc, that I immediately started converting my favorite titles to DVD and started selling off my Laser Discs.

Now, I feel exactly the same way as I did before when I compare standard DVD's to either HD-DVD or Blu-Ray discs. Once again I am replacing my favorite titles with a far superior format.

Blowing up your Laser Discs just let you see how bad they really are. Just as blowing up photo's can show how soft the image was in the first place. As computer types like to say, "Garbage In, Garbage out."


Yes it is a shame we spend so much on one format then have to re-buy our collections all over again. But Im always after the best image quality even if the process is costly!

With 1080p, I am happy and I think it will be a long time before some disk/download/broadcast that beats it by so much that I will need it.

HELP!!!! IMHO my projectors black levels are good, convergence is perfect, no dead pixels, focus is great, no dust blobs BUT BUT...now my lamp isn't always lighting on the first try. I feel I'm living Curttard's life. Sometimes it takes up to six tries. [edit: but at least it's always turned on, at least for now; but who knows next week, next month??] Called PP and tech support said it might be a defective bulb.

PP's technician, Chris, emailed Mits and I received a phone call from Andrea. I was gone but called (949-465-6408) when I came home.
Andrea said it might be the projector and had me call and talk to Tim (888-307-309) at their projector support line. He said he considers it DOA and gave me a case # to have PP send me a new unit.

AHH, BUT HERE's the rub: Since this projector is perfect except the lamp issue, I asked if I could have it sent for repair. Tim said he'd prefer I get a new pj. But, I'm afraid the new one could not possibly be better out of the box than this one. Tim says not to worry that all their projectors are factory calibrated to the same standards. But from reading the posts, that doesn't seem to be the case at all. HOWEVER, if I send it to MITs for repair, I'm also afraid it could come back more screwed up (dirt etc).
I have nowhere to go with this and I'd desperately appreciate any opinions on this. This is my 6th projector in 15 years and I've never had a problem (edit: sorry, I forgot; but strange that my 8 year-old Mits vl2000 developed this issue after a couple of years but it still eventually lights up after a few tries.). The 4900 does have a two year warranty and I don't know whether to wait it out or not. Of course, then I'd probably have to pay for shipping. It's even more confusing because I haven't sent in the Rebate yet and now it's over. Have no idea how PP handle stuff like this.

you dont have to worry about the rebate, they extended it to feb29

i had this lamp strike issue with my first one, i sent it back, got a second one which flickered. i just got my thrid one. with 3 hours on it so far, it looks great. no complaints. i'd probably try to get a new one if i were you though. the lamp strike thing would kill me.

edit: the first and third ones put out a great picture. the second one had major problems.

I need a few suggestions: are there any basic tests I should do to make sure that my pj is working well in my 4 hour 'trial'?Not really. Your best bet is to read the manual cover-to-cover (it's online, you don't have to wait for the pj), then get it aimed & tilted & zoomed & focussed correctly, and then plug-in your source/DVD player securely and (at a minimum) find a disc with the THX test screens on them and at least get the black level adjusted. Do not fail to do this first!!! Then spend your next couple hours looking at a movie or...what-have-you. When you power-down, take note that the fan has been running and continues to run for several minutes after you shut-down. Do NOT unplug the pj when it's hot!

A couple hours fiddling, a couple hours on a movie--it will either work or it won't. There aren't any torture tests for a pj that I know of... good luck! :)

Not really. Your best bet is to read the manual cover-to-cover (it's online, you don't have to wait for the pj), then get it aimed & tilted & zoomed & focussed correctly, and then plug-in your source/DVD player securely and (at a minimum) find a disc with the THX test screens on them and at least get the black level adjusted. Do not fail to do this first!!! Then spend your next couple hours looking at a movie or...what-have-you. When you power-down, take note that the fan has been running and continues to run for several minutes after you shut-down. Do NOT unplug the pj when it's hot!

A couple hours fiddling, a couple hours on a movie--it will either work or it won't. There aren't any torture tests for a pj that I know of... good luck! :)

Thanks. I can't wait to get it--in the meantime I will watch the Superbowl on my my old workhorse Sanyo Z2 with some buddies.

My current configuration has a HDMI out from my Yamaha receiver (being fed by PS3 and a Comcast HD box) to my pj which only has DVI in. Should I stick with this Monoprice cable that has been working without any problems to my Mits DVI or should I change it to use the HDMI on the Mits?

I guess my question is if there is a difference in the DVI vs HDMI(1.2) input on the 4900? I am glad this pj offers both inputs!

Also, was the bulb warranty that I purchased (3yr with 2 free replacements for $150) a total waste of money?

Thanks in advance,
gasdoc

Did anyone that return it had a bit over 4Hrs on the bulb? Did you get charged the 15% restocking fee? I'm @ 4Hrs 30mins.

Add me to the "dust blob" club!:mad:
Never had a problem with Panny's but got one noticeable one on my 4900 with 8 hours.....
Arghhhhh, going to try the shop vac trick later.
Best,
Chris`

Welcome to the club! :)
...I guess my question is if there is a difference in the DVI vs HDMI(1.2) input on the 4900? I am glad this pj offers both inputs!
No difference between the two digital inputs that I am aware of. There may be some HDCP crap down the road that limits DVI but I am not sure. I decided if I was re-snaking through ceilings and cutting open front walls to hide cables- that was going to run the most current cables. I ran two Monoprice HDMI 22ga cables rather than one HDMI and one DVI. The ferrels on that DVI cable were really large and would have made it a pain. I then use Monoprice DVI-HDMI converters at either end of one of the HDMI cables so that it connects the DVI port of my HTPC to the DVI port on the 4900. Before I decided on that- I ran straight DVI from HTPC to 4900 and then also the HDMI with the two HDMI converters, switching back and forth extensively and could not spot a difference not matter how hard I looked. [/QUOTE]

...Also, was the bulb warranty that I purchased (3yr with 2 free replacements for $150) a total waste of money?
We shall see... I sprung for this too. You may have been on your original lamp after 4 years and 1200 hours, but I was on my 5th lamp (two I had to pay for) in ~5,000 hours in three years on my Optoma. I thought it was worth a shot considering my past experience.

Cheers!

Add me to the "dust blob" club!:mad:
Never had a problem with Panny's but got one noticeable one on my 4900 with 8 hours.....
Arghhhhh, going to try the shop vac trick later.
Best,
Chris`
Please report back your experience with that trick. Sorry for your troubles.

I am finishing up the construction of my new AT screen today so then the 4900 will be in full "production". :) I plan to be running it a lot more going forward. Tomorrow will be about 10-12 guests for Superbowl and I have every intention of lighting a big old fire in the fireplace that is within 12' of the projector. I would think I am going to be a prime candidate for blob problems. I plan to try that hepa filter paper only trick that RobZ tried a few weeks ago and see how that works. I thought I would leave the existing filter in there and put the flatenned filter paper on the outside of it. If I recall- he said he was getting fan mode of ~20 as opposed to 50 with the whole filter there. That sounds like a good compromise to me...

Cheers!

Originally Posted by tocaje
HELP!!!! IMHO my projectors black levels are good, convergence is perfect, no dead pixels, focus is great, no dust blobs BUT BUT...now my lamp isn't always lighting on the first try. I feel I'm living Curttard's life. Sometimes it takes up to six tries. [edit: but at least it's always turned on, at least for now; but who knows next week, next month??] Called PP and tech support said it might be a defective bulb.

PP's technician, Chris, emailed Mits and I received a phone call from Andrea. I was gone but called (949-465-6408) when I came home.
Andrea said it might be the projector and had me call and talk to Tim (888-307-309) at their projector support line. He said he considers it DOA and gave me a case # to have PP send me a new unit.

AHH, BUT HERE's the rub: Since this projector is perfect except the lamp issue, I asked if I could have it sent for repair. Tim said he'd prefer I get a new pj. But, I'm afraid the new one could not possibly be better out of the box than this one. Tim says not to worry that all their projectors are factory calibrated to the same standards. But from reading the posts, that doesn't seem to be the case at all. HOWEVER, if I send it to MITs for repair, I'm also afraid it could come back more screwed up (dirt etc).
I have nowhere to go with this and I'd desperately appreciate any opinions on this. This is my 6th projector in 15 years and I've never had a problem (edit: sorry, I forgot; but strange that my 8 year-old Mits vl2000 developed this issue after a couple of years but it still eventually lights up after a few tries.). The 4900 does have a two year warranty and I don't know whether to wait it out or not. Of course, then I'd probably have to pay for shipping. It's even more confusing because I haven't sent in the Rebate yet and now it's over. Have no idea how PP handle stuff like this.

you dont have to worry about the rebate, they extended it to feb29

i had this lamp strike issue with my first one, i sent it back, got a second one which flickered. i just got my thrid one. with 3 hours on it so far, it looks great. no complaints. i'd probably try to get a new one if i were you though. the lamp strike thing would kill me.

edit: the first and third ones put out a great picture. the second one had major problems.

Thanks to all of you who replied in response to my previous post. Talked to Chris at PP yesterday and he said a new lamp is coming overnight from Mits. Funny, when I talked to Andrea at the Mits factory she said they no longer do that; the old lamp has to be sent to them first. She said they would send a Fedex shipper to me.
I was glad Chris knew who to talk to and was able to circumvent the beaurocracy. He said there would be a shipper label to send the old bulb back to Mits.
BUT here's a new rub: Since I know a new bulb is on the way I've been turning my projector off and on about every hour and the lamp has never failed to light first time every time. Now I don't know what to do. I've never replaced a bulb in a projector. Should I put in the new bulb or return it? Can new bulbs produce new problems, different colors, uneven illumination, focus issues?
P.S. (Laserfan, I'm knocking on wood and almost afraid to write it, but I'm now at 20 hours with my filters sprayed with the WEB Filter Charger and still no dust blobs. Maybe I'm lucky after all. But as Harrison Ford said in Star Wars, "Don't get cocky, kid".)

I got a letter from mitsu today saying they audited my claim.. It was approved though and I should get my check within 20 days.. Looks like they just did this to slow down the process..

Welcome to the club! :)

No difference between the two digital inputs that I am aware of. There may be some HDCP crap down the road that limits DVI but I am not sure. I decided if I was re-snaking through ceilings and cutting open front walls to hide cables- that was going to run the most current cables. I ran two Monoprice HDMI 22ga cables rather than one HDMI and one DVI. The ferrels on that DVI cable were really large and would have made it a pain. I then use Monoprice DVI-HDMI converters at either end of one of the HDMI cables so that it connects the DVI port of my HTPC to the DVI port on the 4900. Before I decided on that- I ran straight DVI from HTPC to 4900 and then also the HDMI with the two HDMI converters, switching back and forth extensively and could not spot a difference not matter how hard I looked.


We shall see... I sprung for this too. You may have been on your original lamp after 4 years and 1200 hours, but I was on my 5th lamp (two I had to pay for) in ~5,000 hours in three years on my Optoma. I thought it was worth a shot considering my past experience.

Cheers![/QUOTE]I just placed an order with PP, but I didn't see any bulb warranty. Did you guys order from someone else, or do I need glasses?

Since I know a new bulb is on the way I've been turning my projector off and on about every hour and the lamp has never failed to light first time every time. Now I don't know what to do.Don't be doing this!!!??!! Leave it off (heck, you gotta sleep some time, right? ;)) and treat your pj "normally" until the lamp arrives.

Maybe your existing lamp has been "seasoned" in some way but I dunno--while it makes some sense to me that the pj's power supply might have to "see the right kind of load" in order to start the lamp properly I'm just guessing at this.

Even if it doesn't fail again, I'd be inclined to replace the lamp and send the original one back.

Use the heck out of it--tonight, Lawrence of Arabia, the Godfather Trilogy, LOTR extended editions, do 'em all! :D Tomorrow you got all the pre- present- post-Big Game nonsense. Burn that lamp, but don't fail to let it cool afterwards for sure.

Remember to reset the counter after you've done it... good luck!

We shall see... I sprung for this too. You may have been on your original lamp after 4 years and 1200 hours, but I was on my 5th lamp (two I had to pay for) in ~5,000 hours in three years on my Optoma. I thought it was worth a shot considering my past experience.

Cheers!I just placed an order with PP, but I didn't see any bulb warranty. Did you guys order from someone else, or do I need glasses?[/QUOTE]

Nope, got it from PP --the bulb warranty is there.
I am somewhat having buyer remorse re: the bulb warranty, but gottahavapj's experience gives me some solace. Like he says "we shall see..."

Please provide a link to an image in a 16:9 1920X1080 resolution that I can download and store on my PS3 that I could use to calibrate my pj once it arrives. I have tried search function here without succcess. I will also try to do an internet search or Photoshop one of my own images.
Thanks in advance,
gasdoc
p.s I have a 'universal pj mount'--I use it with my Z2. I wonder if it will work with my soon to arrive Mits

I found this link/image that I will load on my ps3 and take pictures with both the Sanyo Z2 and the 4900 once it arrives.

http://img187.imageshack.us/img187/2184/testpatternoriginalli5.jpg

Other links are also welcome.. I guess there is a whole calibration section in the forum. i am going blind...
gasdoc

My current configuration has a HDMI out from my Yamaha receiver (being fed by PS3 and a Comcast HD box) to my pj which only has DVI in. Should I stick with this Monoprice cable that has been working without any problems to my Mits DVI or should I change it to use the HDMI on the Mits?

I guess my question is if there is a difference in the DVI vs HDMI(1.2) input on the 4900? I am glad this pj offers both inputs!



I would rather use the HDMI connection any day over DVI if I was buying a new cable, but if all is working fine for you on DVI just save your money for now, I dont think anyone could ever tell the differance even if the specs differ.

I got a letter from mitsu today saying they audited my claim.. It was approved though and I should get my check within 20 days.. Looks like they just did this to slow down the process..

I just got this as well. It's bizarre. At first I didn't know WTF to make of it. Usually an audit is not a good thing. The form is not user-friendly, especially, with words like audited, claim, reduced, and denied being prominent. The word rebate appears once in the smallest print on the page.

It would save customers a moment of anxiety simply to see "Rebate Approved" in a prominent place.

Anyway, as noted before, we should allow 20 days from the date audited for the check to arrive and have about a week after that to check payment status, make any claims, or file any disputes.

I just placed an order with PP, but I didn't see any bulb warranty. Did you guys order from someone else, or do I need glasses?

Nope, got it from PP --the bulb warranty is there.
I am somewhat having buyer remorse re: the bulb warranty, but gottahavapj's experience gives me some solace. Like he says "we shall see..."[/QUOTE]I just sent my rep an email asking for it, I hope it won't be a big deal to add it to my invoice.

I think you can get over your buyers remorse. Mitsubishi only gives you 90 days, or 300 hours on the bulb. The first bulb on my last projector (AE700u) went after 1000 hours, even though it too was rated for 5000 hours. Many others had theirs go before that. With for price for a new bulb currently at $400 for the HC4900, I'll pay the $150 now.

Is it normal for the focus/zoom/lens shift to be so LOUD every thing else is almost slilent so I was wondering if those functions are loud or did they forget to lubricate the gears? (by the way the iris is very quiet)

My zoom is loud also

Nope, got it from PP --the bulb warranty is there.
I am somewhat having buyer remorse re: the bulb warranty, but gottahavapj's experience gives me some solace. Like he says "we shall see..."I just sent my rep an email asking for it, I hope it won't be a big deal to add it to my invoice.

I think you can get over your buyers remorse. Mitsubishi only gives you 90 days, or 300 hours on the bulb. The first bulb on my last projector (AE700u) went after 1000 hours, even though it too was rated for 5000 hours. Many others had theirs go before that. With for price for a new bulb currently at $400 for the HC4900, I'll pay the $150 now.[/QUOTE]

*****************************
Response from Tocaje:
I just did a Google and rechecked my Favorites button and you can buy a new bulb for $312 delivered. Couldn't find anyone just selling the lamp only without the housing. That's the least expensive form...I paid $160 for my Sony kds60a2000 rptv lamp that way versus $350 for the whole shebang.

I didn't buy a lamp warranty for the 4900. Based on my usage, IF the bulb lasts half of 5k hours I will get about four to five years use (usually 1 movie on Fri,Sat,&Sun nights). For me, I'd rather spend the money and have a spare bulb on hand. I'm somewhat (ok, very) paranoid about this, since bulbs for my Mits VL2000 from August 2000 have not been available for several years.

NOW my problem is whether to buy the extra bulb or not. I'm so grateful for having finally found a projector with the kind of picture quality I've dreamed about all these years. I would be content with this level of performance for the rest of my life (56 years old)...BUT will this projector actually go the distance and WILL the technology/prices/projector panels/polarizers last/ or whatever??? (Oh yes, and the iris. People complain about the spinning dlp wheel not lasting; well how about that mechanical motorized two-pronged iris beast constantly moving back and forth. How long before that Rube Goldberg design peters out?)

Even though my VL2000 is still running it really isn't much to look at...poor contrast, dim picture, probably bad polarizers, tons of dust bunnies, etc. Who would want to buy this PJ now? Of course, if I had bought the $450 bulb (1300 hour rated life)when available, I could now offer a new bulb and possibly sell it for; oh wow, maybe $200. (Hey, anybody out there willing to pay $200 and shipping? Ha ha. Well, actually a non-working model went recently on Ebay for around $20 plus $46 shipping AND Mits would give me a trade in of around $30 but I had to pay shipping. Man, how I could I ever pass that one up?)

At the time of purchasing the 2000, ($10,000 list but I bought a demo on the really cheap) there were few projectors out there coming close to equaling the VL2000 (XGA 2 million plus pixels, anamorphic and so on). But will the 4900 be any better a few years down the road?

Besides; who knows, maybe like inkjet printers, all the projector companies will start giving away projectors just to keep us on the lamp leash.

I really don't mean to sound cynical and apologize if my sick sense of humor comes off that way. I really love watching movies on a big screen and I really do like front projectors (have had 5 or 6 over the years) and really do appreciate the companies who have persevered and made them available for the masses.

OK, now I must pause and humbly and respectfully submit to my mentor: Laserfan, if you're lurking; oh excuse me; if you're watching, should I buy a spare lamp or not? Of course, as good as Laserfan is, anyone else is welcome to submit their opinion too.
Thanks

I occasionally have the "lamp-strike" issue, but so far it has always started by the third or fourth try. Otherwise, I love this PJ.

I can live with it, but I'm wondering if it gets to the point where the lamp won't light, am I covered by the PJ warranty or just the 90 day bulb warranty?

If I could make a suggestion.. I would not buy a spare lamp yet due to these ridiculously short lamp warranties. I don't think it is best to have those two lamp warranties overlapping while one of them sits in a box on the shelf. If you buy a spare and put it on the shelf, take it out in two to three years when it's needed, pop it in and it's DOA- well you just threw $350 smackers out the window my friend. How about waiting for ~four months? That way the original lamp in the projector is at least a month past it's 90 day warranty. I've seen where people's lamps have blown on day ~118 and the manufacturers have honored it for good customer service relations. Buy a spare after four months- then put it in the projector and store the original away until it's needed. This way you took full advantage of both 90 day warranties.

My $0.02 anyway. Cheers!!

Does anyone know if the convergence changes with extreme lens shift. I have mine shifted all the way up, plus some additional vertical adjustment. I noticed a 2 pixel red shift up and 1 pixel blue shift right and it seems like a 1 pixel green left shift.
Is this normal, or should I exchange it?
I like the picture it throws (would be nice if it was a bit brighter I am happy with the darks after changing some of the settings) I only have 10 min. left on the bulb to exchange.
Can some one tell me what else to look for? I do not have vertical banding but I did notice some moire (sp) on the screen :eek: never noticed it with my X1 but it is the screen and not the projector.

OK, now I must pause and humbly and respectfully submit to my mentor: Laserfan, if you're lurking; oh excuse me; if you're watching, should I buy a spare lamp or not?Geez, tocaje, you really know how to put pressure on a guy! ;)

In this modern age of overnight shipping, I see NO reason WHATsoever to buy a spare lamp "just in case". The warranty can expire while it sits on your shelf and then as gottahavapj hinted you are SOL. Would you really go into Delirium Tremors if you were out the use of your pj for a day or two?!

I have a Sony 60XBR RPTV that's four years old and going strong w/o any new lamps needed. When it fails I'll find the best price (on a lamp-only) and pay for whatever shipping I feel is appropriate to the need at that time.

Another thought: maybe by the time my 4900 needs a new lamp there WILL BE a lamp-only solution available--that fancy housing no doubt drives the ~$320 price.

I occasionally have the "lamp-strike" issue, but so far it has always started by the third or fourth try. Otherwise, I love this PJ.

I can live with it, but I'm wondering if it gets to the point where the lamp won't light, am I covered by the PJ warranty or just the 90 day bulb warranty?I don't think I'd "live with" a brand-new pj that didn't start properly. As you as likely within the first 90 days of ownership, I'd try to get it resolved NOW, just in case it's NOT just a bad lamp but instead a power supply problem.

My guess would be that if it failed completely after 90 days, and you sent it-in to Mits for service and the lamp IS at fault, that they would charge you full retail for a new lamp, and you'd also be out at least your ship-to costs.

...a new bulb is on the way...BTW tocaje when you get this lamp assembly, whether you actually install it or not, will you please inspect it carefully to see if you can determine whether the lamp itself can be separately replaced, and whether it has any markings that we can determine what type/manufacturer it is.

I'm sure they make the entire assembly so that it's easy for "all thumbs" consumers to replace, but maybe the lamp itself can be done for cheaper...

Why are you buying the Bulb Warranty from PP?

Save $$ and buy a Mack Bulb Warranty from Tapeworks Texas.

$100, just email Brian as they do not list the Bulb only Warranty.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/vbclassified.php?do=ad&id=1256

Displaying a white image, does 4900 owner see something similar to the pic below (slight red tint lower left)? Other colors including black appear uniform.

I see a similar slight tint there and have projected onto the wall, moved the projector both physically and with the shift.

This pic was taken from a 1080 UB issue thread. I read some posts that this may be normal for 3 LCD's... ??


http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa4/ChuckvB/IMG_0390.jpg

Another thought: maybe by the time my 4900 needs a new lamp there WILL BE a lamp-only solution available--that fancy housing no doubt drives the ~$320 price.


By that time prices on other 1080P PJ's may make this a tough choice...:cool:


Shaun

I just got this as well. It's bizarre. At first I didn't know WTF to make of it. Usually an audit is not a good thing. The form is not user-friendly, especially, with words like audited, claim, reduced, and denied being prominent. The word rebate appears once in the smallest print on the page.

It would save customers a moment of anxiety simply to see "Rebate Approved" in a prominent place.

Anyway, as noted before, we should allow 20 days from the date audited for the check to arrive and have about a week after that to check payment status, make any claims, or file any disputes.

Well, after writing all this, I went to the mailbox yesterday and there was the rebate check from Mitsubishi. :rolleyes: So the time from submission to receipt was less than a month. Thanks, Mitsubishi.

where is everyone getting there Red Filters? What type? and has anyone used a tool to raise the reds in the high bright mode?

Filecat13,

I also received my $500 rebate check yesterday. I sent in for my rebate on Dec. 31,
got my letter saying it was approved on Jan 31, and received my check on Feb. 2nd! Not too bad, right? Good job, Mitsubishi!

Easier way to change from 16 x 9 to 2.35? Love the projector but.... it takes 5 minutes to change my 16 x 9 screen for 2.35 movies. Heres what I am doing:
16 x 9 screen

Step one, I zoom in 100% (I mounted my projector intentionaly at this distance for this reason) and a 2.35 movie now fits the top and bottom of my 120" 16 x 9 screen (although not perfectly aligned. see step 3)

Step 2, since the 2. 35 movie is now projecting off of the screen (left and right), I go into MENU, SIGNAL, USER and adjust both left and right shutter to 41 to mask.

Step 3, I go into MENU, IMAGE, ADVANCED MENU, VERTICAL LOCATION and set it to level 9, in order to move the picture to the top of the screen.

Finally I am watching the 2.35 movie on 100% of my 16 x 9 screen (with the sides clipped).

This was a 1 step, 10 second process on mmy other projector (Optoma H79). Is there any easier way to accomplish this versus what I am doing? And to make it worse, I have to reverse this process to go back to my 16 x 9 programming!!! I cant find any way to save these settings. Thanks for anyones help and direction.

Currently using a 10-year old Sharp XV-S96U, LCD, 4:3, NO HD of any sort, on a home-brew ceiling mount platform. To do this, the Sharp has to be inverted; but, it has feet on the top, and it electrically inverts and reverses the image.

So, the question in the subject: I HAVE to ceiling mount, so is the Mits inverted if it is ceiling mounted?

Next question: the Sharp has power zoom, focus, and vertical lens shift. From what I read, the Mits does as well. Have I read that correctly? (That feature is VERY important to me.) And, are these power functions done with the remote?

Finally, the Sharp is mounted about 14.5 feet back to throw an 83" diagonal picture in 4:3 non-zoomed mode. Is that within the range of the Mits 4900? (I know: the mfg. link allows one to download a pdf image of the specs, but I couldn't really make heads or tails of those tables!)

Many thanks for your help.

Lakeside

Currently using a 10-year old Sharp XV-S96U, LCD, 4:3, NO HD of any sort, on a home-brew ceiling mount platform. To do this, the Sharp has to be inverted; but, it has feet on the top, and it electrically inverts and reverses the image.

So, the question in the subject: I HAVE to ceiling mount, so is the Mits inverted if it is ceiling mounted?

Yes


Next question: the Sharp has power zoom, focus, and vertical lens shift. From what I read, the Mits does as well. Have I read that correctly? (That feature is VERY important to me.) And, are these power functions done with the remote?

Yes


Finally, the Sharp is mounted about 14.5 feet back to throw an 83" diagonal picture in 4:3 non-zoomed mode. Is that within the range of the Mits 4900? (I know: the mfg. link allows one to download a pdf image of the specs, but I couldn't really make heads or tails of those tables!)


Check here
http://www.projectorcentral.com/Mitsubishi-HC4900-projection-calculator-pro.htm

Good luck

Does anyone know if the convergence changes with extreme lens shift. I have mine shifted all the way up, plus some additional vertical adjustment. I noticed a 2 pixel red shift up and 1 pixel blue shift right and it seems like a 1 pixel green left shift.
Is this normal, or should I exchange it?
I like the picture it throws (would be nice if it was a bit brighter I am happy with the darks after changing some of the settings) I only have 10 min. left on the bulb to exchange.
Can some one tell me what else to look for? I do not have vertical banding but I did notice some moire (sp) on the screen :eek: never noticed it with my X1 but it is the screen and not the projector.

I was also wondering if there was a dimensional drawing of the mounting hole pattern for the projector?

Here is my third review.

This projector is absolutely perfect. It now scores an 11 out of 10.

I fixed the issue I had with my screen by placing it up 18" from where it used to be. Now it is about 8 or 10 inches above the top line of the screen. It did reduce the gain, unless you are standing up, but even then the screen material and horizontal bands weren't very noticeable. And they are all gone now when I'm sitting down. :) This also made the blacks get considerably darker. I won't have to do anything to the projector until I see what it looks like when I have curtains and a black velvet border. (the black bars on 2.35:1 movies still put out a lot of light into the room, if it is stopped at the screen with black velvet, it will make the rest of the picture look better.)

I also got my Mythbuntu HD DVR setup today, it works very well, and will work better once I tweak a few things. But the Super Bowl looked great, and the FBR open golf looked great too.

The only problem now is that the over-the-air broadcasters need to all switch to HD. Even bad 16:9 HD is better than good 4:3 SD.

The detail while watching Planet Earth at 1080p is amazing. Like, OMG, look at the detail amazing. I feel like I am there, amazing.

What's even better is that I can sit 7 feet away from my 10 foot screen and it is just Wow. The screen now makes it look like a smooth photograph or like you are looking out a window.

I think I will be keeping this for a long time. I'd better send in my rebate tomorrow.

Easier way to change from 16 x 9 to 2.35? Love the projector but.... it takes 5 minutes to change my 16 x 9 screen for 2.35 movies. Heres what I am doing:
16 x 9 screen

Step one, I zoom in 100% (I mounted my projector intentionaly at this distance for this reason) and a 2.35 movie now fits the top and bottom of my 120" 16 x 9 screen (although not perfectly aligned. see step 3)

Step 2, since the 2. 35 movie is now projecting off of the screen (left and right), I go into MENU, SIGNAL, USER and adjust both left and right shutter to 41 to mask.

Step 3, I go into MENU, IMAGE, ADVANCED MENU, VERTICAL LOCATION and set it to level 9, in order to move the picture to the top of the screen.

Finally I am watching the 2.35 movie on 100% of my 16 x 9 screen (with the sides clipped).

This was a 1 step, 10 second process on mmy other projector (Optoma H79). Is there any easier way to accomplish this versus what I am doing? And to make it worse, I have to reverse this process to go back to my 16 x 9 programming!!! I cant find any way to save these settings. Thanks for anyones help and direction.

Excuse my ignorance... but of what possible use is this technique?

Yes you have filled the screen vertically, but to do so you lost all the image on the left and right.....??

This is the same as watching a movie shot in 16:9 on a 4:3 TV in zoom mode rather than letterbox...

I am sorry I just do not see any possible benefit to this technique.

The benefit is that I utilize the entire 16 x 9 screen and have a larger picture (no black bars at screen top and bottom), at the sacrifice of missing some footage to the left and right.

This is not uncommon as many manufacturers (such as Optoma) have a one touch solution for this situation. All comments welcome.

Easier way to change from 16 x 9 to 2.35?If projecting SD use one of the Aspect modes e.g. Zoom2. For HD you have only two options AFAIK: your method or PC/RS232 control using turbe's app(s).

The benefit is that I utilize the entire 16 x 9 screen and have a larger picture (no black bars at screen top and bottom), at the sacrifice of missing some footage to the left and right.

This is not uncommon as many manufacturers (such as Optoma) have a one touch solution for this situation. All comments welcome.

but it's not just "some" footage, it's a lot. You're defeating the entire purpose of the widescreen format.

Now, if you add more screen to the sides so that you display all that extra picture, you've got a nice CIH setup and many people use that method to achieve that.

The benefit is that I utilize the entire 16 x 9 screen and have a larger picture (no black bars at screen top and bottom), at the sacrifice of missing some footage to the left and right.

This is not uncommon as many manufacturers (such as Optoma) have a one touch solution for this situation. All comments welcome.

Wouldn't it just be better to use a larger 16:9 screen? I couldn't do this if I wanted to because my projector is zoomed out all the way right now. (120" at 12.5 ft.)

Wouldn't it just be better to use a larger 16:9 screen? I couldn't do this if I wanted to because my projector is zoomed out all the way right now. (120" at 12.5 ft.)

by doing that you're getting back to the original problem a lot of people have, wasted space above and below the picture on 2.35:1 movies.

I know buying a 2.35:1 screen is a bit more difficult than just getting a 16x9. I think DIYer's have a much easier time making the conversion since they make the frame/screen themselves and can make whatever size they want without having to change their mass production techniques. Screen companies aren't so flexible.

I'm in the process of converting from 16x9 to 2.35:1 CIH and I'm planning on replacing my current 16x9 Wilsonart DW laminate with a bigger piece of Wilsonart DW laminate. The screen is almost an afterthought for me whereas it should be something in the forefront for people who don't want to go the DIY route.

You could always use a 16x9 screen and mask the top and bottom of the screen for 2.35:1 content if it makes you feel better that the pic fills the "entire" screen, though I ultimately found that less satisfying since my 16x9 image was always bigger.

When I decided that I wanted to try constant image height in my system, I cut my screen (a 92" 16/9 Elite Screen if I remember correctly) off of its roller and thumb-tacked it to my wall. Then I figured out what the height should be for a 2.40:1 ratio, based on the available screen width which is a hair over 82" wide. This turned out to be 34 1/4" high. Then, I used the original top and bottom black borders from the pull-down screen to outline my "new" 2.40:1 screen. This worked perfectly for my Panasonic 900 projector, but the 4900 projector's zoom is a little less, so now my 2.40:1 image is a hair less wide than before. It still works well for me though.

The manual states that extreme lens shift may cause the colors to "separate." I would interpret this as causing some convergence problems due to the optical limitations imposed by physics. That said, I have noticed a slightly greater shift with 60 hours of use then I did initially, which doesn't surprise me based on many years of experience with three gun CRT projectors. Going through the heating/cooling cycle will shift things slightly but to put it into perspective, 1 pixel height is approximately 0.00068" on the LCD panel - which is relatively easy to control at the source. However, when even a very slight physical misconvergence at the source (LCD panels) is projected over a distance of 8 to 16 feet and the result is one pixel height - that is pretty amazing. Throw in the distortion introduced by using extreme lens shift, and to be within 1 pixel of convergence is quite a remarkable engineering feat.

Unfortunately this information doesn't help a great deal when you are standing in front of the screen and can see that - in my case - RED is shifted 1 pixel high in the lower right hand and 1 pixel low in the upper left hand and GREEN is 1/2 to 1 pixel to the right across the entire screen. Blue may or may not be off, but since the human eye isn't as sensitive to BLUE I can't really tell. This is most noticeable with white text or at the edges of white images when the white portion of the image has a border that is horizontal or vertical.

Fortunately, this doesn't occur a great deal in program material, but it is a little annoying just knowing that it is there. When I center the lens putting optics at their best, I am able to reduce misconvergence by some 50%, still not perfect but better. I don't think 1 pixel +/- is worth returning a projector for as you may get something worse. 2 pixels or more and I would most likely be speaking with Mitsubishi about a remedy. Having the ability to correct this as a consumer either electronically or physically would be nice but I know from past experience that I was never happy with the convergence on any of my CRT projectors and would spend many hours late into the night tyring to get it perfect - only to find that when I fired it up again, I was off slightly due to temp, mechanical vibrations from the floor above, or who knows what.

I must admit that my convergence seems to have migrated a bit more since I installed a better filter and caused the "int temp" to climb from 26c to 32c. On the plus side, the lamp temp dropped from 69c to 66c due to the more aggressive fan mode that has gone up from 6-7 to 15-16. This is after 3 hours of use and I have noticed that the temps pretty much stabilize after 40 minutes or so. I am still pursuing other filtering options and will test the WEB filter charger on the simple stock filter and monitor temps and dust "blobs." I have been using a piece of filter medium that is nearly HEPA (95%) used in conjunction with the stock filter and placed in front of the foam.

Finally, I too noticed that on a white screen or with a white or off-white screen image, I have a RED "glow" that is in the lower right-hand corner of my screen in my ceiling mounted configuration. Post 2069 referenced this and I had read that some felt this was a fairly common condition for LCD projectors, but I didn't notice it until after some 15-20 hours of use but it may have been there from the start. This is only noticeable on 16:9 material and I have dealt with it by setting the lower shutter value to "2". I have decided to spend some time with the projector for a while before I decide if I will pursue any type of warranty claim for any things I feel are "off." I didn't want to send it in for one thing only to have something else show up a few weeks later.

Overall I am very happy with the HC4900 and the performance and would purchase again - perhaps 3 just so I could pick the "best" one and send the other 2 back. Each time I have purchased a projector I go into it with the expectation that I will live with the decision for many years. My wife knows better and seriously doubts if I will ever wear a lamp out in a LYCOS, LCD, DLP, or some other new technology since I will upgrade long before I ever approach the 3000 - 5000 hours on current technology. My extended family appreciates this as they tend to be the benefactors of "trickle down" upgrading when I come to grips with what I am not going to get on resale and simply give it away.

Easier way to change from 16 x 9 to 2.35? Love the projector but.... it takes 5 minutes to change my 16 x 9 screen for 2.35 movies. Heres what I am doing:
16 x 9 screen

Step one, I zoom in 100% (I mounted my projector intentionaly at this distance for this reason) and a 2.35 movie now fits the top and bottom of my 120" 16 x 9 screen (although not perfectly aligned. see step 3)

Step 2, since the 2. 35 movie is now projecting off of the screen (left and right), I go into MENU, SIGNAL, USER and adjust both left and right shutter to 41 to mask.

Step 3, I go into MENU, IMAGE, ADVANCED MENU, VERTICAL LOCATION and set it to level 9, in order to move the picture to the top of the screen.

Finally I am watching the 2.35 movie on 100% of my 16 x 9 screen (with the sides clipped).

This was a 1 step, 10 second process on mmy other projector (Optoma H79). Is there any easier way to accomplish this versus what I am doing? And to make it worse, I have to reverse this process to go back to my 16 x 9 programming!!! I cant find any way to save these settings. Thanks for anyones help and direction.

I'm not really sure why you would do this since you lose 25% (:eek:) of the image in so doing. If you are shooting for CIH, this really isn't what most ppl refer to when using that term. Is having the image filll the screen from top to bottom more important to you than seeing the entire frame? How did you accomplish this so easily with your last PJ?

by doing that you're getting back to the original problem a lot of people have, wasted space above and below the picture on 2.35:1 movies.


I guess I watch TV and 16:9 movies quite a bit, so I would feel like I wasted space if I had a smaller picture, but could fill in the sides on 2.35:1 movies.

Oh well. I have figured out how to automate my black velvet bars for use with my motorized screen. It should be perfect.

I know buying a 2.35:1 screen is a bit more difficult than just getting a 16x9. I think DIYer's have a much easier time making the conversion since they make the frame/screen themselves and can make whatever size they want without having to change their mass production techniques. Screen companies aren't so flexible.


I disagree. Virtually any screen company will make you a 2.35 screen and frame - no DIY involved. Now, you may have trouble finding a 2.35 screen readily available from a VENDOR, but even then, if you call the vendor, they can probably special order the screen to your specs. I ordered my 2.35 screen and frame a few years ago through AVS and it shipped directly from DaLite - AVS is just the vendor in this case.

I disagree. Virtually any screen company will make you a 2.35 screen and frame - no DIY involved. Now, you may have trouble finding a 2.35 screen readily available from a VENDOR, but even then, if you call the vendor, they can probably special order the screen to your specs. I ordered my 2.35 screen and frame a few years ago through AVS and it shipped directly from DaLite - AVS is just the vendor in this case.

well, I'm speaking from a position of relative ingorance on this as I haven't even tried to price manufactured 2.35:1 screens. I didn't mean to intimate that they would be impossible to find, only that you would have to do what you describe, have a special order done which I would imagine increases the cost. I'm not sure how much it increases it, but increasing it is increasing it.

For the DIYer, I don't think it's as much of a roadblock. Like I said, no special orders, no need to get something done that the company doesn't already do for its mass production.

I guess I watch TV and 16:9 movies quite a bit, so I would feel like I wasted space if I had a smaller picture, but could fill in the sides on 2.35:1 movies.

Oh well. I have figured out how to automate my black velvet bars for use with my motorized screen. It should be perfect.

With a CIH setup you aren't having a smaller picture for your 16x9 or 4x3 use. You're just getting a wider screen for your 2.35:1 use. You could use the same size 16x9 image you're currently using just displayed on a wider screen (and use masking/curtains to cover the wider parts of the screen when not in use for 2.35:1).

Agreed. Unfortunately I have two side walls that do not agree with a 2.35 setup :)

Agreed. Unfortunately I have two side walls that do not agree with a 2.35 setup :)

and that's the nail in the proverbial coffin, unless you're willing to take a smaller 16x9 screen. With the rise of HDTV, I'd tend to agree with you; if you can't get a satisfactory 16x9 size and plan to watch a great deal of HDTV, leave the CIH out of it and get the biggest 16x9 you can.

I am limited in moving into a larger screen as I projecting on about an 8ft wall (with 2 side walls), so I wont change the 120" screen. I could just keep watching 2.4 movies on the 16 x 9 screen with the top and bottom masked out or I can zoom the picture to fit the top of the screen ad give up left and right viewing. I prefer the latter.

My question is not centered around which format is better. Both formats have their benefits...

My previous Optoma had a function in the menu that changed a 2.40 movie to entirely fit a 16 x 9 screen (minus the 25% left and right) with the push of a button.

With a CIH setup you aren't having a smaller picture for your 16x9 or 4x3 use. You're just getting a wider screen for your 2.35:1 use. You could use the same size 16x9 image you're currently using just displayed on a wider screen (and use masking/curtains to cover the wider parts of the screen when not in use for 2.35:1).

I see what you are saying, but my problem is that the zoom won't make my picture any bigger than it is right now. Mitzu would need to make a projector that could do more than 120" from 12.5' away.

I don't know. Maybe for this price you could get two projectors and have one always setup for 2.35:1 and another for 1.78:1. :)

Heres what I am doing:
16 x 9 screen

Step one, I zoom in 100% (I mounted my projector intentionaly at this distance for this reason) and a 2.35 movie now fits the top and bottom of my 120" 16 x 9 screen (although not perfectly aligned. see step 3)

Step 2, since the 2. 35 movie is now projecting off of the screen (left and right), I go into MENU, SIGNAL, USER and adjust both left and right shutter to 41 to mask.

Step 3, I go into MENU, IMAGE, ADVANCED MENU, VERTICAL LOCATION and set it to level 9, in order to move the picture to the top of the screen.


First, I'll echo the other comments about chopping off part of the movie. But if that's what you want to do...

You can collapse steps 2 and 3 into one button push by using the AV Memory features. The AV memory features don't control the Zoom / lens shift, but they do control everything you can do from the regular menu. Put the image where you want it for 16x9, and then go into the menu to the "AV Memory Save". I'm at work so I can't tell you offhand the exact menu item it's under, but I'm pretty sure it's the bottom choice on one of the menus. Save that setting as AV Memory 1. Do all the stuff you do when you're watching 2.35:1, and save that as AV Memory 2. You can switch between them by simply using the AV Memory 1 and 2 buttons on the remote. This will switch the shutters and vertical location instantly.

I use a similar setup for switching between 16x9 and 2.35:1 content on my 2.35:1 screen. All I have to do is zoom out and then hit the AV memory button - takes only 10-15 seconds.

You can switch between them by simply using the AV Memory 1 and 2 buttons on the remote. This will switch the shutters and vertical location instantly.Hmmm, if this works for you, it's a miracle!!???!! The shutters are not in the Image area where the AV Memories are, only Vertical Location. Can anyone else try this? I'm travelling atm myself. :confused:

You can collapse steps 2 and 3 into one button push by using the AV Memory features. The AV memory features don't control the Zoom / lens shift, but they do control everything you can do from the regular menu. Put the image where you want it for 16x9, and then go into the menu to the "AV Memory Save". I'm at work so I can't tell you offhand the exact menu item it's under, but I'm pretty sure it's the bottom choice on one of the menus. Save that setting as AV Memory 1. Do all the stuff you do when you're watching 2.35:1, and save that as AV Memory 2. You can switch between them by simply using the AV Memory 1 and 2 buttons on the remote. This will switch the shutters and vertical location instantly.

I use a similar setup for switching between 16x9 and 2.35:1 content on my 2.35:1 screen. All I have to do is zoom out and then hit the AV memory button - takes only 10-15 seconds.

This is only partially true,,,

1. You can set up one setting say 16.9 and save it to Memory 1
2. You can set up the second setting for 2.35 with the vertical location saved on Memory 2 and then zoom the image up from the remote when you need it. The image will move in the direction while zooming to your scope screen.

N.B.

You can not save zoom, focus, lenshift on memory.

You can save only ONE shutter setting so thats no use!
If you save a shutter setting on MEMORY 2 you are stuck with that same setting on MEMORY 1. So trying to use the shutters on two memories is just no use for 16.9 & 2.35. For the shutters to work you would need to save two settings and it wont do that!

Newbie question.

When I went through the menu under SIGNAL, the vertical and horizontal options were grayed out (I could not access them. They were unavailable). Does anyone know why?

Never mind. In the manual it says if you use HDMI, this is not available. Not sure why but it's not.

Acceptable? You be d judge ;). All patterns are 1 pixel WHITE lines/dots except the text. No difference with lens shift at any position. No wonder picture is not "really sharp".

Icon (http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i83/Skr-faze/ICON.jpg)
Text (http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i83/Skr-faze/WHITETEXT2.jpg)
Text 2 (http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i83/Skr-faze/WHITETEXT.jpg)
Text 3 (http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i83/Skr-faze/BLACKTEXT.jpg)
Single Dot (http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i83/Skr-faze/SINGLEDOT.jpg) Is my screen on fire...??
Dot Matrix (http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i83/Skr-faze/DOT_MATRIX2.jpg)
Horizontal Lines (http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i83/Skr-faze/HORIZONTALLINES.jpg)
Diagonal Lines (http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i83/Skr-faze/DIAGONALS.jpg)
Side focus/convergence (http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i83/Skr-faze/SIDEFOCUS_CONVERGENCE.jpg)
Center focus/convergence (http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i83/Skr-faze/FOCUS.jpg)

My measured contrast:
(100" about 1 gain, 10'4" throw, white ceiling)

Facing projector
Native On/Off = 540:1
ANSI = 198:1
ANSI = 198:1 (Black fabric on ceiling above screen)

Facing Screen
Native On/Off = forgot to measure :D...may update some time
ANSI = 43:1
ANSI = 57:1 (Black fabric on ceiling above screen)

My previous DT500 did (facing projector) On/Off = 1800:1, ANSI = 240:1

Acceptable? You be d judge ;). All patterns are 1 pixel WHITE lines/dots except the text. No difference with lens shift at any position. No wonder picture is not "really sharp".

Icon (http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i83/Skr-faze/ICON.jpg)
Text (http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i83/Skr-faze/WHITETEXT2.jpg)
Text 2 (http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i83/Skr-faze/WHITETEXT.jpg)
Text 3 (http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i83/Skr-faze/BLACKTEXT.jpg)
Single Dot (http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i83/Skr-faze/SINGLEDOT.jpg) Is my screen on fire...??
Dot Matrix (http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i83/Skr-faze/DOT_MATRIX2.jpg)
Horizontal Lines (http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i83/Skr-faze/HORIZONTALLINES.jpg)
Diagonal Lines (http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i83/Skr-faze/DIAGONALS.jpg)
Side focus/convergence (http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i83/Skr-faze/SIDEFOCUS_CONVERGENCE.jpg)
Center focus/convergence (http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i83/Skr-faze/FOCUS.jpg)

My measured contrast:
(100" about 1 gain, 10'4" throw, white ceiling)

Facing projector
Native On/Off = 540:1
ANSI = 198:1
ANSI = 198:1 (Black fabric on ceiling above screen)

Facing Screen
Native On/Off = forgot to measure :D...may update some time
ANSI = 43:1
ANSI = 57:1 (Black fabric on ceiling above screen)

My previous DT500 did (facing projector) On/Off = 1800:1, ANSI = 240:1

ouch..

What app are you using to get those patterns (specifically the last one)?

DisplayMate. You could create something with Photoshop too.

Newbie question.

When I went through the menu under SIGNAL, the vertical and horizontal options were grayed out (I could not access them. They were unavailable). Does anyone know why?

Never mind. In the manual it says if you use HDMI, this is not available. Not sure why but it's not.

Thats correct on HDMI but there is another setting for moving the image up and down that does work on HDMI and can be saved, see post above.

Hmmm, if this works for you, it's a miracle!!???!! The shutters are not in the Image area where the AV Memories are, only Vertical Location. Can anyone else try this? I'm travelling atm myself. :confused:

You are correct. Only the vertical holds. Shutters do not hold as I just tried this.

This is only partially true,,,

1. You can set up one setting say 16.9 and save it to Memory 1
2. You can set up the second setting for 2.35 with the vertical location saved on Memory 2 and then zoom the image up from the remote when you need it. The image will move in the direction while zooming to your scope screen.

N.B.

You can not save zoom, focus, lenshift on memory.

You can save only ONE shutter setting so thats no use!
If you save a shutter setting on MEMORY 2 you are stuck with that same setting on MEMORY 1. So trying to use the shutters on two memories is just no use for 16.9 & 2.35. For the shutters to work you would need to save two settings and it wont do that!


Confirmed. Any alternative way to save shutter settings that are unique to each other?

You are correct. Only the vertical holds. Shutters do not hold as I just tried this.

Confirmed. Any alternative way to save shutter settings that are unique to each other?

I can add Shutter Preset options within Zoombo if requested....

I can add Shutter Preset options within Zoombo if requested....

That would be nice. You have a PM.

That would be nice. You have a PM.

I am working on the finishing touches to the SSPC v1.3 (actually, the name is changing :D ) now. Once released, I'll update Zoombo with Shutter Support.



Links to my programs are available below.

Confirmed. Any alternative way to save shutter settings that are unique to each other?

No if there was I would have told you.

I can add Shutter Preset options within Zoombo if requested....

Sorry what do you mean by that?
Are you saying that you can save two different shutter settings for the 4900?
As the projector stands, you can only save "ONE" shutter setting, which is no good if you want to change between two screen ratio's.

Sorry what do you mean by that?
Are you saying that you can save two different shutter settings for the 4900?
As the projector stands, you can only save "ONE" shutter setting, which is no good if you want to change between two screen ratio's.

I can save as many presets as I wanted to program into Zoombo.. :D

Currently, Zoombo v1.0 has two Presets which you can use for Zoom Control (i.e. 16:9 <--> 2.35:1?).

I will add the ability use all four Shutter Values (locations/level) with each Preset. You can use them with the Zoom controls or leave the Zoom Values unchanged and only change the Shutter Values (or leave the Shutter Values at 0 in each Preset and only use Zoombo for Zoom).

I can save as many presets as I wanted to program into Zoombo.. :D

Currently, Zoombo v1.0 has two Presets which you can use for Zoom Control (i.e. 16:9 <--> 2.35:1?).

I will add the ability use all four Shutter Values (locations/level) with each Preset. You can use them with the Zoom controls or leave the Zoom Values unchanged and only change the Shutter Values (or leave the Shutter Values at 0 in each Preset and only use Zoombo for Zoom).

What is Zoombo?
I would like to know more about what you are doing please to save these presets?

I dont want to do what the other guy wants, but I would like to save some other settings for using two motorised screens, 2.35 & 16.9.

What is Zoombo?
I would like to know more about what you are doing please to save these presets?

I dont want to do what the other guy wants, but I would like to save some other settings for using two motorised screens, 2.35 & 16.9.

Well, you can click on the Link in my Signature below my Forum Posts (look at the bottom of this message/post). :D

Zoombo is my Windows Application that runs on a PC and communicates with the Projector via the Serial/RS232 Port.

You may also want to check out SSPC, which makes calibrating your 4900 easy.


Shuttle Control will be very easy to add. Zoombo v1.1 will have that support. BTW, the Shutters can be directly set via RS232.

If you have other requests, feel free to post those in my Zoombo Forum Thread.

JUST IN CASE YOU HAVE SIGNATURE DISPLAY DISABLED, HERE ARE THE LINKS:

Zoombo - Click Here (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=985807)

SSPC - Click Here (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=977617)

-Shawn

I'm getting ready to mount my 4900 (as soon as I finally pick out the screen), and I'm stuck on a few points.


First issue... Does anyone know how much horizontal clearance is needed to vertically shift the image downward? This pic is an example of what I need to figure out how to handle...

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2383/2243803356_05697732fc.jpg?v=0

My ceiling is low, only 7'10". To make matters worse, I have several steel beams that are 11" in height that dip down, and the projector will have to shoot past them. I can't just drop the projector completely below the height of the beams because it would drop the projector down into the 6' range and interfere with seating. Before I commit to this I want to make sure there is a way to put the projector between the two beams and shoot past it... I'm assuming that rotating the projector downward will help a little too...


Second, trying to determine the optimal throw distance for a 106" screen... When I use the projector central calculator, it recommends 11 - 14 feet. Assuming I go with a HC gray screen (to enhance the black levels), is it smarter to get further away, or stay closer?

well, I'm speaking from a position of relative ingorance on this as I haven't even tried to price manufactured 2.35:1 screens. I didn't mean to intimate that they would be impossible to find, only that you would have to do what you describe, have a special order done which I would imagine increases the cost. I'm not sure how much it increases it, but increasing it is increasing it.

For the DIYer, I don't think it's as much of a roadblock. Like I said, no special orders, no need to get something done that the company doesn't already do for its mass production.

The cost difference was not significant if you look at it on a price per square inch basis since a 2.35 screen of equal height contains more material.

BTW tocaje when you get this lamp assembly, whether you actually install it or not, will you please inspect it carefully to see if you can determine whether the lamp itself can be separately replaced, and whether it has any markingstocaje I see that your post and mine from yesterday were lost in the Forum server crash. Can you post your numbers again? I recall one was a NSH160..something which I believe might be the Holy Grail wrt the 160watt lamp/bulb we're looking for. :(

Acceptable? You be d judge ;). All patterns are 1 pixel WHITE lines/dots except the text. No difference with lens shift at any position. No wonder picture is not "really sharp".

Icon (http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i83/Skr-faze/ICON.jpg)
Text (http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i83/Skr-faze/WHITETEXT2.jpg)
Text 2 (http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i83/Skr-faze/WHITETEXT.jpg)
Text 3 (http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i83/Skr-faze/BLACKTEXT.jpg)
Single Dot (http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i83/Skr-faze/SINGLEDOT.jpg) Is my screen on fire...??
Dot Matrix (http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i83/Skr-faze/DOT_MATRIX2.jpg)
Horizontal Lines (http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i83/Skr-faze/HORIZONTALLINES.jpg)
Diagonal Lines (http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i83/Skr-faze/DIAGONALS.jpg)
Side focus/convergence (http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i83/Skr-faze/SIDEFOCUS_CONVERGENCE.jpg)
Center focus/convergence (http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i83/Skr-faze/FOCUS.jpg)

My measured contrast:
(100" about 1 gain, 10'4" throw, white ceiling)

Facing projector
Native On/Off = 540:1
ANSI = 198:1
ANSI = 198:1 (Black fabric on ceiling above screen)

Facing Screen
Native On/Off = forgot to measure :D...may update some time
ANSI = 43:1
ANSI = 57:1 (Black fabric on ceiling above screen)

My previous DT500 did (facing projector) On/Off = 1800:1, ANSI = 240:1

Is there a way to adjust convergence?

What is Zoombo?
I would like to know more about what you are doing please to save these presets?

I dont want to do what the other guy wants, but I would like to save some other settings for using two motorised screens, 2.35 & 16.9.

Zoombo v1.1 Now Released with MS Vista Support and Shutter Control for each PRESET.

Move the Zoom (16:9 <--> 2.35:1?) and/or Set the Shutter Positions to Your Presets using a PC and the Serial Connection!

Supported Projectors: Mitsubishi HC4900, HC5000 HC6000.

CLICK HERE FOR THE Zoombo FORUM THREAD (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=985807)


v1.1 - 02/05/2008
+MS Vista Now Supported.
+Changed Zconfig.txt to Zconfig.cfg.
+Added Shutter Control for each PRESET (Set in Zconfig.cfg).
+Several Internal Code Optimizations.
+Fixed Xon/Xoff Flow Control Bug.
+Added 'Donate' Menu Option (Donate via PayPal for Zoomba's Development). :D


-Shawn

What are people using to UPCONVERT there regular DVD collection with this projector?

I'm torn between:

Sony 77H--1080P output...only $89. (love my 75h at 720p on my RPLCD upstairs)
Oppo 980 $169---Is this worth the double price tag over the sony
Oppo981 $226---Is this worth the increase over the 980.

Or do I get a Toshiba A35 HDDVD....or a PS3....

I'm FLAT BROKE right now...so money is an issue!

Projector, Screen, Building Materials, Carpet, Furniture....All this has my money accounts BONE DRY!

I currently 'am running a Mits 1500 using a Panny BD 30K Blu-Ray player. Is the 4900 that much better than the 1500 ? Is it worth the upgrade from 720P to 1080P ??? could someone please help me ?? thanks !!!

Has anyone attempted to mount the HC4900 with the Elite Ez Mount (A56-E25B)?

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1643374&Sku=E110-1078&SRCCODE=CNETFEED&CMP=OTC-CNETFEED

Elite is offering them for free after rebate (plus overpriced shipping) with a purchase of a screen, and I like that it has a lot of articulation. I was ready to pull the trigger on an Elite screen, so if the mount works... seems like the cheapest solution.

What are people using to UPCONVERT there regular DVD collection with this projector?

...

Projector, Screen, Building Materials, Carpet, Furniture....All this has my money accounts BONE DRY!

Same boat, I barely convinced the wife to allow the projector purchase. Went with Do-Able screen to save money there. So as a means of getting upconversion on my DVDs as well as a high-def source to actually use all my beautiful pixels, I ended up getting a good compromise: a Toshiba HD-D3 for $130 at the warehouse store that shall not be named. Sure, it's only 1080i (or 720p, I'm still experimenting which I like better - so far the former), but at least I can now get HD-DVDs from Netflix and they look great.

Someday as the format war settles down (or flares up?) and prices on players drop, I'll get a 1080p player, probably Blu-Ray.

I was all set to get a Chief RPAU for around $150 and then I found this on ebay ...
Go to ebay and do a search on "CEILING MOUNT fits MITSUBISHI LVP-HC4900 Projector"

The mount is 1/3 as much. Was wondering if anyone has any experience with this product ?

Thanks for listening!

Acceptable? You be d judge ;). All patterns are 1 pixel WHITE lines/dots except the text. No difference with lens shift at any position. No wonder picture is not "really sharp".

Icon (http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i83/Skr-faze/ICON.jpg)
Text (http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i83/Skr-faze/WHITETEXT2.jpg)
Text 2 (http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i83/Skr-faze/WHITETEXT.jpg)
Text 3 (http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i83/Skr-faze/BLACKTEXT.jpg)
Single Dot (http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i83/Skr-faze/SINGLEDOT.jpg) Is my screen on fire...??
Dot Matrix (http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i83/Skr-faze/DOT_MATRIX2.jpg)
Horizontal Lines (http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i83/Skr-faze/HORIZONTALLINES.jpg)
Diagonal Lines (http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i83/Skr-faze/DIAGONALS.jpg)
Side focus/convergence (http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i83/Skr-faze/SIDEFOCUS_CONVERGENCE.jpg)
Center focus/convergence (http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i83/Skr-faze/FOCUS.jpg)

My measured contrast:
(100" about 1 gain, 10'4" throw, white ceiling)

Facing projector
Native On/Off = 540:1
ANSI = 198:1
ANSI = 198:1 (Black fabric on ceiling above screen)

Facing Screen
Native On/Off = forgot to measure :D...may update some time
ANSI = 43:1
ANSI = 57:1 (Black fabric on ceiling above screen)

My previous DT500 did (facing projector) On/Off = 1800:1, ANSI = 240:1


Can you provide a link to those test paterns? or did you use a test disk?
I would like to see how my projector looks. Do you know how to display a 1080 bitmap at 1:1 resoulution? When I open the jpg I have the window bars and see a moire (sp) in the lines.

Can you provide a link to those test paterns? or did you use a test disk?
I would like to see how my projector looks. Do you know how to display a 1080 bitmap at 1:1 resoulution? When I open the jpg I have the window bars and see a moire (sp) in the lines.


Earlier, he posted he is using DisplayMate..

That post is gone as the system crashed...

tocaje I see that your post and mine from yesterday were lost in the Forum server crash. Can you post your numbers again? I recall one was a NSH160..something which I believe might be the Holy Grail wrt the 160watt lamp/bulb we're looking for. :(

Ok, here goes. The lamp certainly looks like it can be removed from the housing without any difficulty.
The first time around I posted the lamp numbers/letters from the original lamp installed in the projector. I assumed the replacement lamp would be the same. But I just opened it and there are some slight differences. Still hard to tell if a zero is the number zero or the letter O.

There are three rows of printing and original lamp had the following information:
1st row: KE0447
2nd row: NSH160MD
3rd row: 253P200A10

The replacement lamp has this:
1st row: KB0025
2nd row: NSH160MD1 That second number 1, the one after the D, has been stamped on the lamp and looks like it was added later since the ink is darker and a slightly different font.
3rd row: 253P200A20 I can easily tell the third number two, that is the last number 2, was originally a 1 but a 2 has been stamped on top of it. It also looks darker and a different font, maybe like it was also added later.

I don't know what's up with all these little changes, but maybe these are just lot numbers or maybe there's been an undate to the bulbs.
Good luck and let us know what you or anyone else finds out.

Has anyone attempted to mount the HC4900 with the Elite Ez Mount (A56-E25B)?

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1643374&Sku=E110-1078&SRCCODE=CNETFEED&CMP=OTC-CNETFEED

Elite is offering them for free after rebate (plus overpriced shipping) with a purchase of a screen, and I like that it has a lot of articulation. I was ready to pull the trigger on an Elite screen, so if the mount works... seems like the cheapest solution.

Looks like the same one I got on EBAY I think it was MOUNTDIRECT or something like that.I bought about a year ago used for my PE7700. When I bought HC4900 all I had to do was just reajust arms around and use the shorter brackets that came with it. It was fortunate that I saved all the hardware.

Anyway it worked great you won"t have any problems.

mark

Do you know how to display a 1080 bitmap at 1:1 resoulution? When I open the jpg I have the window bars and see a moire (sp) in the lines.
Display it as a slideshow with windows picture viewer, just pause if using more than 1 image. I would not use jpeg as it is a compressed format and can introduce artifacts. Use tiff or bitmap.

I need some advice::confused:

I've been wanting to get the HC-4900 after reading up on it. The thing is I've had a Sony LCD 50" for the past 6 years and have loved the quality of the image at 1080i but its time to upgrade!
I've been hot for the HC-4900 until I went to the local best buy and saw a demonstration for a Sony Model three times the cost and left with a bad taste in my mouth that PJ's suck. the room was 90% dark and the picture looked very dim and washed out.:(

My Questions are:
1) Is there a wow factor with a projector ?
2) Is the images as good as an LCD or will I be disappointed with the PJ's performance

Clouser - Did you find an answer to your mounting question regarding the beams? I have a similar situation, though not as severe with low ceilings and a beam I have to shoot under.

Clouser - Did you find an answer to your mounting question regarding the beams? I have a similar situation, though not as severe with low ceilings and a beam I have to shoot under.

What I ended up doing was getting on a chair and holding the projector up against the ceiling right in front of the first beam, and had my wife operate the vertical lens shift. I was able to keep the projector completely horizontal and still shift the image below the second beam. Considering my beams are 11" deep, I'm pretty happy. My beams are about 10 feet apart I beleive.

SSPC IS NOW CalBOY. CLICK HERE FOR THE CalBOY/SSPC FORUM THREAD! (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=977617)

CalBoy v1.3 has been Released!

v1.3 - 02/06/2008
+Name Changed to CalBOY.
+MS Vista Now Supported.
+Several Internal Code Optimizations.
+Fixed Xon/Xoff Flow Control Bug.
+Added 'Donate' Menu Option (Donate via PayPal for CalBOY's Development). :D

Just shootin ya a thanks for the work Turbe, once I get my stuff setup this is going to be a GREAT help!

I need some advice::confused:

I've been wanting to get the HC-4900 after reading up on it. The thing is I've had a Sony LCD 50" for the past 6 years and have loved the quality of the image at 1080i but its time to upgrade!
I've been hot for the HC-4900 until I went to the local best buy and saw a demonstration for a Sony Model three times the cost and left with a bad taste in my mouth that PJ's suck. the room was 90% dark and the picture looked very dim and washed out.:(

My Questions are:
1) Is there a wow factor with a projector ?
2) Is the images as good as an LCD or will I be disappointed with the PJ's performance
I would not worry about a setup you saw at Best Buy, those guys do not know how to setup a display - expecially for a front projector. if you get the 4900 projector you will love it, the picture is amazing!

I would not worry about a setup you saw at Best Buy, those guys do not know how to setup a display - expecially for a front projector. if you get the 4900 projector you will love it, the picture is amazing!

Agreed. Just be sure to know the return policy where you buy the HC4900, stay under that usage limit, and send it back if you don't like the picture. You will know in short order if the potential is there to please you or if there's no chance you'll like it.

I need some advice::confused:

I've been wanting to get the HC-4900 after reading up on it. The thing is I've had a Sony LCD 50" for the past 6 years and have loved the quality of the image at 1080i but its time to upgrade!
I've been hot for the HC-4900 until I went to the local best buy and saw a demonstration for a Sony Model three times the cost and left with a bad taste in my mouth that PJ's suck. the room was 90% dark and the picture looked very dim and washed out.:(

My Questions are:
1) Is there a wow factor with a projector ?
2) Is the images as good as an LCD or will I be disappointed with the PJ's performance

Dont worry about it.
I'm new to PJ setup's also and let me tell you with the lights off and a little setup you can have a picture that has as much punch as a TV but 4x's the size. PJ's really do need the lights off but when you do that its like looking through a window. You want to get up and walk through the frame sometimes.
Dont judge anything by what you see or hear at any of those box stores. They dont have the time or knowhow to setup a PJ/Speakers/Recievers or anything else. I went to Frys once and they had a Pearl on the smallest screen I've ever seen and the picture was so washed out computer monitors looked better.

Look through the "Screenshot war" thread and see if a few of those shots don't drop your jaw :D

What is the best angle for this PJ to get the best image?
Ceiling mount or straight ahead?
Does it make a difference?
Also a thank you for those who responded to my last response!
I felt like a young bride on her wedding day wondering if I made the right commitment...
so: THANK YOU!!!!:)

The lamp certainly looks like it can be removed from the housing without any difficulty...Still hard to tell if a zero is the number zero or the letter O.

There are three rows of printing and original lamp had the following information:
1st row: KE0447
2nd row: NSH160MD
3rd row: 253P200A10

The replacement lamp has this:
1st row: KB0025
2nd row: NSH160MD1 That second number 1, the one after the D, has been stamped on the lamp and looks like it was added later since the ink is darker and a slightly different font.
3rd row: 253P200A20 I can easily tell the third number two, that is the last number 2, was originally a 1 but a 2 has been stamped on top of it...Thanks for re-posting, and the new info. I think the 2nd number (with the 160 wattage) might be key, but... If we get everyone here looking for the lamp itself, I'm hopeful one of us will find it by the tiime we want to replace it! :)

You friggin guys here, are being christened by my wife as officially the worst people I hang out with.

I rarely post, I have no knowledge to offer you guys, only to bother you with questions, I don't know any of you, and my wife, hates that I hang with you.

After 2 days of mulling, I pulled the trigger on this thing from the forum sponsor.

I was mulling a 50inch LED DLP Sammy deal on Big River, but I would have had to make major modifications to my entertainment center, and would have actually ended up spending more on that, then the projector and screen.

I plan on using this puppy mostly at night time, with HD-DVD, HD-DVR, and Blu Ray as the source.

A "movie night" type deal, with the wife, friends, and especially, the kids.

I got a Da-Lite regular White Matte Pulldown, I know a lot of people opted for Grey, does anyone see an issue with this screen for what I am going to use it for? The guy from PP.com said I should be perfectly fine.

Again, thanks to all you "Pushers" for, again, making me drop a few grand more on AV stuff.

You guys continue to kick all sorts of a$$.

A "movie night" type dealHey Doug, you wouldn't happen to be from Minnesota originally, would you? :D Doncha know, there. Then.

Congratulations on your decision, you are going to be amazed that somehow a Front Projector changes your HT into a THEATER with a whole different (and wonderful) feel to it! :)

Regular white screen will work. I have a bright white Gatorfoam board and I'm having trouble finding reasons why I should "enhance" it in any way.

Is there a way to adjust convergence on the HC4900?

You friggin guys here, are being christened by my wife as officially the worst people I hang out with.

I rarely post, I have no knowledge to offer you guys, only to bother you with questions, I don't know any of you, and my wife, hates that I hang with you...
We get that a lot and don't really take offense to it.... :D

Enjoy!

I have a bit of an update on my setup.

I have been one of the users/posters that has been rather critical of the black level performance of my 4900. Last weekend I finished building my 91" diagonal DIY AT screen and put it in service. I was using an old 4:3 BO cloth screen that gave effectively a 71" 16:9 image. If I calculated correctly- this increased my image size (in sq inches) almost 40%!

I think that the increased image size along with perhaps my lamp "settling" in a bit after almost 100 hours- has made the black levels a bit more in line with what I expected. That in conjunction with very sharp focus over the entire screen, basically no misconvergence, no hint of color shift or "tint" anywhere when displaying a white image, along with no startup problems makes me feel like one lucky boy and a satisfied owner. Let's hope the dust bunnies stay away and I'll continue to be a happy camper. :)

Cheers!

We get that a lot and don't really take offense to it.... :D

Enjoy!

As a matter of fact, we look for it!
We feel like we rescued you and set you free :D

I have a bit of an update on my setup.

I have been one of the users/posters that has been rather critical of the black level performance of my 4900. Last weekend I finished building my 91" diagonal DIY AT screen and put it in service. I was using an old 4:3 BO cloth screen that gave effectively a 71" 16:9 image. If I calculated correctly- this increased my image size (in sq inches) almost 40%!

I think that the increased image size along with perhaps my lamp "settling" in a bit after almost 100 hours- has made the black levels a bit more in line with what I expected. That in conjunction with very sharp focus over the entire screen, basically no misconvergence, no hint of color shift or "tint" anywhere when displaying a white image, along with no startup problems makes me feel like one lucky boy and a satisfied owner. Let's hope the dust bunnies stay away and I'll continue to be a happy camper. :)

Cheers!

We accept your apology and welcome you back into the fold! :D lol
Dont suppose you have a before/after picture to illustrate the difference?

Is there a way to adjust convergence on the HC4900?


Not easily or via the Menu that we know of.

I've been pretty satisfied with the black levels and sharpness of the 2nd 4900 I received. There's just one niggling thing that I keep keying in on when watching the image. I have what I can best describe as a green tint that starts very lightly in the lower left corner, arcs up and toward the middle in a darker shade, then is hardly noticeable as it comes back down in another arc, and ends on the middle right edge of the image in a little darker shade again. The part of this that is most noticeable on screens of solid color(sky scenes, etc.) is the area in the middle of the left half of the image that arcs up. It's just dark enough to notice and irritate me when I'm watching a movie. Of course, it's made worse by my knowing it's there. But, if it were a little bit lighter, it probably wouldn't bother me. And, in fact, the green tint on the right side may not actually be a continuation of an arc. I may just be seeing what "looks" like the beginning and the end of an arc and filling in the rest with what I think may be green tint. I'm sorry, if this sounds like the ranting of a delusional madman, but it's difficult to describe.

What I'd like to know, is if this green tint isn't a lens flare cast by the green tint of the bulb going through the optics, or something to that effect, is it possible that I'm seeing dust blobs on the green panel that I could possibly clean out with Servingko's vacuum procedure? Do dust blobs show up on bright images or only on really dark screens or black screens? This green tint isn't very evident, at all, on dark or black scenes.

Vikes, are you using a lot of lens shift? Maybe that's causing it.

Vikes, are you using a lot of lens shift? Maybe that's causing it.
I wondered that, as well, but when I set the lens at dead center H&V from extreme lens shift, it was still there. And worrying that it might be something that I can't fix, like a lens flare or reflection inside the optics, I tried to see if the tint would change position on the screen, because the image would be shining through more of the center of the lens, instead of the upper part of the lens. After moving the lens, the tint seemed to move up higher in the image, but I can't really be certain. I'm really hoping that this is just a dust blob that can be sucked out and not a smudge or other permanent problem.

I have a greent tinted dust blob in the center of the screen that is visible when the screen is completely black.

Does anyone have a tutorial (with photos :o) of how to use a vacuum to suck out the dust blob?

No tutorial available unless Servingko would be good enough to provide a little more detail regarding the procedure (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=12895570#post12895570) he used to remove the dreaded blob.

A "movie night" type deal, with the wife, friends, and especially, the kids.

I got a Da-Lite regular White Matte Pulldown, I know a lot of people opted for Grey, does anyone see an issue with this screen for what I am going to use it for? The guy from PP.com said I should be perfectly fine.

Again, thanks to all you "Pushers" for, again, making me drop a few grand more on AV stuff.

You guys continue to kick all sorts of a$$.

Hello Doug from another Doug. We have dinner and a movie nights, and everyone raves about the unusual cinema choices (usually foreign or independent films) and the sound and picture.

I have a Da-Lite Model B matte white screen, and it seems a perfect complement to me. I have a completely light controlled room. The PJ works well in low lamp mode in this environment, and I have the brightness down to -3.

A question: I know the 4900 is rated at 2k hours in standard mode and 5k hours in low mode. But are these numbers for the life of the bulb shortened if you turn up the contrast and brightness, or set the color temperature to cool versus warm; or use the sports gamma mode or other bright modes?
Thanks

Another question or three: What are the chances of running the 4900 in the low mode and having the bulb last 5k hours? Does anyone think the brightness will still be adequate? Or are we really looking at 3k hours as a more realistic goal? And, will the LCD panels still be up to the task for a second bulb?
Thanks for any response.

Another question or four: I am using a Toshiba HD-A2 and have an HDMI cable going to the 4900. When viewing HD discs or SD dvd's, I can't change the aspect ratio. I know the Mits manual just says "some modes are not available with certain signals". When watching some older non-anamorphic dvds it would be nice to zoom or stretch the image. Is there any way around this without having to resort to a computer or outboard scaler?
Thanks

I have a Da-Lite Model B High Contrast Matte White and I am seeing what looks like moire that is driving me crazy. Thin, regular vertical bands across the screen that warp then disappear as I rotate my screen. I have never seen such a thing outside of woven materials. Any ideas?

What are the chances of running the 4900 in the low mode and having the bulb last 5k hours? Does anyone think the brightness will still be adequate? Or are we really looking at 3k hours as a more realistic goal? And, will the LCD panels still be up to the task for a second bulb?tocaje you're full of er, ah, questions this morning! :D

My take: after you choose Standard or you choose Low the lamp in the 4900 burns at whatever brightness it can muster given the power supply input. While this will degrade over time, the lamp is not affected by your picture settings at all, which modify the signals to the LCD panels and iris etc. only, not the lamp.

I use Low mode exclusively and I think it's great; as some reviewers have said, I occasionally (rarely) wish for more "pop" but I prefer this mode for these reasons:

1. Picture is great; as bright as any commercial theater for sure
2. Low mode burns (slightly) cooler than Standard, maybe long-term will help to not burn-up internals e.g. polarizing filters
3. The lamp will last longer in Low mode

How much longer? Someone else will have to guess how long yours will last--not me! It may depend for example on how many On/Off cycles you put your pj thru on a daily basis--these can shorten lamp life especially if you have kids turning it on/off all day long.

Dunno about your Aspect problems. I'm use HDMI but haven't had occasion to try to change these.

Agree with Laser on all points. I kicked the lamp up to standard mode for the superbowl party because I had the can lights up a bit higher than normal so people weren't tripping all over the place. Otherwise- it's plenty bright in low mode.

I noticed the aspect thing too. Haven't had much need or time to play with it though...

Cheers!

I just got my HC4900, Set it up last night to test. Right now nothing fancy I used a Cheap Ikea Shower Curtain liner !! to project onto , connected my HTPC via DVI and boy the picture right out of the box was Popping.
It even wowed the Wife. I had recorded the Super Bowl on HD and replayed it back. We compared it to what we had seen in my friends house and this PJ's picture blows it away. 4' from the ground, 12 feet from wall and 74" diagonal picture. Can't complain. The PJ is a little bit big but for a Multipurpose family room what do you guys suggest - celing or shelf. The distance would be 17.8 feet to the wall that I will be projecting onto but the wall itself is 8 feet wide.
Any feedback or suggestions would be welcome.
BTW I intend to paint the screen using Behr - SS

Thanks

I have a Da-Lite Model B High Contrast Matte White and I am seeing what looks like moire that is driving me crazy. Thin, regular vertical bands across the screen that warp then disappear as I rotate my screen. I have never seen such a thing outside of woven materials. Any ideas?
Sorry for your problems... sounds like the moire I was experiencing when I just setup my AT, woven material screen a week ago.

Does this remain consistent no matter the source or input connection? Do you see it when the projector starts and you just have the big white "Mitsubishi Electric" logo and no signal being introduced?

Just an update- I've run my 4900 for 200 hours now and thought I'd post.

I've stuck with the settings that Jason reccomended for the 5000 that were posted on the first or second page of this thread- Any reccos on improving upon this would be appreciated.

The Highlights:

1) I live in a Manhattan apt. that is a nothing short of a dust magnet- the line of apartments I live in are notorious for being dust bowls - I've been absolutely shocked and amazed that there has not been a trace of dust on the filter- My last PJ, an Epson 400, caught a dust blob after two weeks of operation (maybe 20 hours). I did buy an IQAIR purifier recently which likely helped but I had two Oreck purifiers before this while I had the Epson.

2) I have been able to keep the lamp in low mode despite having less than perfect light control and the noticeable but not pronounced dimming helped black levels some.

The Lowlights-

1) Shelf-mounting 6" above top of screen produces trapezoidal effect and need for keystoning (which it does not have)- The reason may be that the shoddy build quality of the feet have made it impossible to perfectly level the projector.

2) SD content on cable can really suck- even newer material, e.g. HBO in demand series and for whatever reason other pj's have done a better job with this although "garbage in, garbage out," does apply. Maybe there is a way to improve this although I've yet to find one.

Lastly, the non-linear zoom can be a bit of a pain but that is just a personal preference. The black levels could be better but that is beaten to death thing and I'm not complaining. My biggest concern was sustained brightness and dust and it has handled this far better than I would have imagined.

If I knew anyone in NYC that would calibrate this for 200 or less, I'd probably do it just to see how much it could improve.

Cheers,

Dino

Just got a 4900 from Projector people, we set it up in our completely dark and soon to be renovated "theater room" just out of the box. The picture was great, both with Transformers and using the Xbox. The problem was that after about 20 mins we started to notice a flicker in the stability of brightness. Called PP and they said to reset the bulb and see if maybe it loosened during shipping. Anyone have any experience with this problem?

Forgot to add that this only happens in Low mode, switch to standard and no problem

Just posted this to the Screenshot War thread but here is a very bad shot of my 4900 on my wall for now, finally getting my room together a bit at a time. Its from a trailer and I didn't have a tripod or the right white balance set but so few 4900 shots I figured I'd show it. You can tell its blurry as the "pause" icon looks like a solid white square.
Its a 2.35:1 screen and you can barely see the "bars" against the wall, also it doesnt show the sharpness well either unfortunately.

**edit** thats set to the iris being opened and minor tweaking no calibration disk yet.


http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg242/bayn2/DSC_0045Medium.jpg

...here is a very bad shot of my 4900 on my wall...Hmmm, I wonder in what way that's "very bad" bayn!!!!?!! "WOW"! ;) :D

1) Shelf-mounting 6" above top of screen produces trapezoidal effect and need for keystoning (which it does not have)- The reason may be that the shoddy build quality of the feet have made it impossible to perfectly level the projector.

I agree that the feet are rather scary when the hair-trigger "push" buttons can easily get hit and drop the projector hard on the counter. However, you should be able to adjust projector pretty well by turning them instead of using the push button. I've been able to perfectly level mine, although my circumstances may be different.

Sorry for your problems... sounds like the moire I was experiencing when I just setup my AT, woven material screen a week ago.

Does this remain consistent no matter the source or input connection? Do you see it when the projector starts and you just have the big white "Mitsubishi Electric" logo and no signal being introduced?

Yes, it is there during startup and on every input that I have tested(DVI, HDMI, and component) along with the blue background. I will take a pic tonight if there is any interest. I admit it was a cheap screen, but my last pj didn't have any visible reaction to it. It was a Sharp DT-500 though, so the pixel structure was obviously very different.

Hmmm, I wonder in what way that's "very bad" bayn!!!!?!! "WOW"! ;) :D

Well I must say thats the 4900 doing the work, not my picture taking :D
As we have all said, for the price, man that projector is sick. And thats not an HD picture! Well its the Resident Evil trailer but I've seen better from real movies as far as sharpness :D

I wondered that, as well, but when I set the lens at dead center H&V from extreme lens shift, it was still there. And worrying that it might be something that I can't fix, like a lens flare or reflection inside the optics, I tried to see if the tint would change position on the screen, because the image would be shining through more of the center of the lens, instead of the upper part of the lens. After moving the lens, the tint seemed to move up higher in the image, but I can't really be certain. I'm really hoping that this is just a dust blob that can be sucked out and not a smudge or other permanent problem.
Well, no luck with the vacuum trick and removing the green tint from the image. I used Servingko's method and also covered all of the other vents, except the one for the filter, hoping it would increase air flow with my home vacuum.
I was hoping that the green tint was a large, irregular dust blob, but the way it's shaped, it must be a smudge on maybe the green polarizer or, even more likely, a half visible lens flare emphasizing the greenish tint of the bulb's light. I guess I'm going to have to live with it. It's unfortunate, too, because I'm satisfied with the black levels, the shadow detail, the brightness, the convergence, the overall sharpness(though it could be better in the top corners), the complete absence of any vertical banding, and the silent operation. I'm just going to have to try not to key in on the green tint and watch the show. Thankfully, the "high brightness" mode virtually eliminates the green tint enough to where it's not distracting using s-video(the only good connection for my DirecTivo). And, the green tint isn't as noticeable during best modes on the component, HDMI and vga inputs. It really is a great projector for an excellent price.

On a side note, it's possible that the vacuum procedure, or at least the way I did it by covering all but the intake vent, may have caused some dust particles to land on the panels giving me more actual dust blobs than I had before the procedure. Luckily, they're really hard to see, even on a dark/black image. It's also possible that those particles ended up there in-between the time I first checked for them when I got the projector and the point I checked for them post-vacuum. My home vacuum may not have been powerful enough either. In other words, the vacuum trick may give you more or different dust blobs than before.

I've just added some screenshots to the screenshot war topic. I love this PJ. It's sharp like hell.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=13059768#post13059768

Nice!!!!

check this out. I just came from Target and picked a vacuum cleaner bag that has a panel that does filtration. They are made for hoover and are made my honeywell. You can cut out the filtration panel and cut it to fit in your 4900. Says is stops 99.7% of dust. We will see how well it works with the projector. Looks better than a filter taped on the outside. You should be able to get several filters out of one bag. Let me know what you think.

bighifi-

Can you provide a make/model# for this filtration bag or perhaps a pic? It would be great to get a fan mode reading from the service info menu (or whatever it's called) before and after install of this.

Thanks! Cheers...

Not sure why the Aussies always seem to have more advanced & technical websites than ours, but here's a nice link (http://www.mitsubishielectric.com.au/PRODUCTS/PROJ/HC4900.htm) for the HC4900 that I discovered today, which shows the mounting hole information that I've never seen anywhere.

Also, if you put into the URL "HC5000" instead, you'll get a lot of nice feature descriptions & pictures about elements that are shared with the 4900.

I will check out the fan mode info tonight, the bags are Hoover type A's but they also have them for Y type and others. The model I choose was H23217 FilterPower bags. I will get a pic and post it ASAP

Just got a 4900 from Projector people, we set it up in our completely dark and soon to be renovated "theater room" just out of the box. The picture was great, both with Transformers and using the Xbox. The problem was that after about 20 mins we started to notice a flicker in the stability of brightness. Called PP and they said to reset the bulb and see if maybe it loosened during shipping. Anyone have any experience with this problem?

your projector's iris is set in the (auto1-3 mode). Switch it to open and your problems will be solved. The iris on this projector is pretty slow IMHO, and I noticed it alot until I set this feature to open.

Well, no luck with the vacuum trick and removing the green tint from the image. I used Servingko's method and also covered all of the other vents, except the one for the filter, hoping it would increase air flow with my home vacuum.
I was hoping that the green tint was a large, irregular dust blob, but the way it's shaped, it must be a smudge on maybe the green polarizer or, even more likely, a half visible lens flare emphasizing the greenish tint of the bulb's light. I guess I'm going to have to live with it. It's unfortunate, too, because I'm satisfied with the black levels, the shadow detail, the brightness, the convergence, the overall sharpness(though it could be better in the top corners), the complete absence of any vertical banding, and the silent operation. I'm just going to have to try not to key in on the green tint and watch the show. Thankfully, the "high brightness" mode virtually eliminates the green tint enough to where it's not distracting using s-video(the only good connection for my DirecTivo). And, the green tint isn't as noticeable during best modes on the component, HDMI and vga inputs. It really is a great projector for an excellent price.

On a side note, it's possible that the vacuum procedure, or at least the way I did it by covering all but the intake vent, may have caused some dust particles to land on the panels giving me more actual dust blobs than I had before the procedure. Luckily, they're really hard to see, even on a dark/black image. It's also possible that those particles ended up there in-between the time I first checked for them when I got the projector and the point I checked for them post-vacuum. My home vacuum may not have been powerful enough either. In other words, the vacuum trick may give you more or different dust blobs than before.

Just a thought but why not send to Mitsubishi and get repaired? You pay shipping one way they fix in 72 hrs the most. And they pay for over night shipping.

mark

Becareful with dust filters on your PJ's vents as they can lower air flow and increase risks for heat damage of your LCD panels. A better thing to do is to have a "silent" air cleaner like the Sharper Image fanless ionizer near your PJ's intake vents.

I received my 4900 from PP (ordered it last Fri evening and received it Wed afternoon). Excellent service during purchase.

I set it up today (Sat 2-09). I am glad that my universal mount that i was using with my Sanyo Z2 worked quite well. I needed to go up to the attic to look for the hardware that came with the mount as the thread size from the Z2 is very different from the 4900. The 4900 is much larger than the Z2 and heavier too yet it uses very thin bolts to hold up the pj to the mount--It had me freaking out worrying about stripping and the pj dropping to the floor. The locations for the bolts are also in somewhat weird position, but I am sure the Mits engineers know what they are doing.

Initially, I moved the pj around on its axis to throw an image onto the screen---big mistake as this pj does not have keystone correction. I finally used a small level to get the pj perfectly leveled (there is a flat 'hump' right in line with the lamp which worked perfectly). Somebody on this thread had mentioned to do this---Thanks, excellent advice. No kestone needed once you level the pj. Then, I used the lens shift, zoom, and focus to get it perfect.

My advice in terms of ceiling mounting: Before you ceiling mount your 4900, project it onto your screen, focus it, and then do the mirror inverse thing. This will save you some time and a lot of cursing. And then ceiling mount. 2 people needed to mount it.

The Remote Control for the pj has a "Stress Monitor" built in: The more stressed you are, the less likely the remote will work. My mounting experience was quite stressful and the remote would work very randomly. Once the mounting was done, proper zooming and focusing, and I RELAXED, the remote started working properly. I bounce it off the screen. No need to point it at the projector.

I have had my beloved Sanyo Z2 for the last 4 years, and I have tweaked the pq to my satisfaction. I am writing this 'review' about the 4900 after having seen the pq for about 1 hr without any calibration. On 1080P source (PS3), the 4900 is much better. On other stuff, the 4900 is also better incrementally.

I can't wait till I start the tweaking process. I will take some pictures soon. I will do another review comparing the Z2 to the 4900 soon. I am quite sure I am keeping the 4900.

gotta go tweaking,
gasdoc

I've had my 4900 for a few days now, but I'm having trouble setting it up with my computer. My old projectoer was set up where the image on my Dell laptop would be identical to the image being projected. I thought it would be a simple matter of unplugging the vga cable from the old projector and plugging it into the 4900. I have gone into the display panel of the laptop and tried numerous configs with the screen resolution. I wind up with an image that looks perfect on the laptop but stretched slightly on the screen. Faces look like they are about 15 lbs. heavier.
I have called the projector people's tech support once, tried a few of their suggestions, but to no avail. I've tried a few of their suggestions and have come close to resolving the issue, but I may have to call them again for more help.
In the interim, can someone explain in detail what I need to do to get the image that looks great on my laptop to look the same as the projected image?
BTW, since I did buy it from the Projector People, I have up to 6 hours ( it was 4 but I talked to the rep and he extended it to 6 ) to figure this out. I already logge close to 4 hours already, so there's a little bit of pressure to get this baby up and running. I really don't want to have to shell out the 15% restocking fee if I go over 6 hours.
Thanks!
Jim

I've had my 4900 for a few days now, but I'm having trouble setting it up with my computer. My old projectoer was set up where the image on my Dell laptop would be identical to the image being projected. I thought it would be a simple matter of unplugging the vga cable from the old projector and plugging it into the 4900. I have gone into the display panel of the laptop and tried numerous configs with the screen resolution. I wind up with an image that looks perfect on the laptop but stretched slightly on the screen. Faces look like they are about 15 lbs. heavier.
I have called the projector people's tech support once, tried a few of their suggestions, but to no avail. I've tried a few of their suggestions and have come close to resolving the issue, but I may have to call them again for more help.
In the interim, can someone explain in detail what I need to do to get the image that looks great on my laptop to look the same as the projected image?
BTW, since I did buy it from the Projector People, I have up to 6 hours ( it was 4 but I talked to the rep and he extended it to 6 ) to figure this out. I already logge close to 4 hours already, so there's a little bit of pressure to get this baby up and running. I really don't want to have to shell out the 15% restocking fee if I go over 6 hours.
Thanks!
Jim

First find out what kind of display hardware you have in that laptop, then determine whether or not it will output 1920x1080. The configuration is different depending on whether you have an ATI, NVIDIA, or Intel graphics chipset in there. You may need to update your drivers, the newer versions have more user friendly controls and may be easier for you to configure.

If your laptop is not a 16:9 panel, which is quite likely, the image projected will not be identical. It will either be stretched on the pj, which is what it sounds like right now, or it will be compressed on the laptop. Newer NVIDIA chipsets allow you to have two independent resolutions, but then you will likely have some UI issues to deal with.

I'm starrting to suspect my display hardware as well. Thanks for the input. I'll check the drivers and the hardware specs.

Thank you for the suggestion about Auto Iris. I tried this and it seems that the room has to be pitch black for the flicker to go away. Then, after we worked with the auto iris and got the flicker to go away, we turned the over head light back on and it came back and wouldn't go away again.

...we turned the over head light back on and it came back and wouldn't go away again.What kind of fixture is "the over head light"???? Sounds like you have dirty power perhaps?

I just set up my 4900 and cannot figure out how to get rid of triangulation--wider at bottom than it narrows at the top. Lens shift>>>does not fix this.--What am I missing?

I just set up my 4900 and cannot figure out how to get rid of triangulation--wider at bottom than it narrows at the top. Lens shift>>>does not fix this.--What am I missing?

The PJ has to be square to the screen. What you are describing means it is pointing down. You need to raise the front of the PJ relative to the back until the keystoning goes away, then lens shift the image back onto the screen.

I just set up my 4900 and cannot figure out how to get rid of triangulation--wider at bottom than it narrows at the top. Lens shift>>>does not fix this.--What am I missing?
The projector has to be level and perfectly perpendicular to the screen. This was my biggest challenge so far! Someone suggested squaring up the top and adjacent (left) side - concentrating on those 2 sides worked for me, then just used lens shift and zoom to perfectly fill the screen. It's a pain, but it will square up.... eventually :)

The overhead light is a poorly installed florescent light. The room is about to be demoed and "done right" but we wanted to try out the pj to make sure we wanted to keep it and also to see what size screen we wanted, how far back to put seats, how hight for risers, etc.... The power source was one of our concerns. The next step will be to set up the pj in our bedroom closet (10x15 room with no outside lights) and see if the power upstairs was better than below.

Well after having this projector on for only 2 hours, I have a dust blobs. Even with another filter. I think the filter was working fine, but I took it off to check the fan speed with out the filter. When I put the filter back on, I have a dust blob. I will not keep a projector that collects dust this badly. I can not see a way to get rid of them with out causing more dust blobs. So I guess the hunt begins again. I am bummed, great projector for a great price, but Mits had better get the dust blob problem under control.

I've been pretty satisfied with the black levels and sharpness of the 2nd 4900 I received. There's just one niggling thing that I keep keying in on when watching the image. I have what I can best describe as a green tint that starts very lightly in the lower left corner, arcs up and toward the middle in a darker shade, then is hardly noticeable as it comes back down in another arc, and ends on the middle right edge of the image in a little darker shade again. The part of this that is most noticeable on screens of solid color(sky scenes, etc.) is the area in the middle of the left half of the image that arcs up. It's just dark enough to notice and irritate me when I'm watching a movie. Of course, it's made worse by my knowing it's there. But, if it were a little bit lighter, it probably wouldn't bother me. And, in fact, the green tint on the right side may not actually be a continuation of an arc. I may just be seeing what "looks" like the beginning and the end of an arc and filling in the rest with what I think may be green tint. I'm sorry, if this sounds like the ranting of a delusional madman, but it's difficult to describe.

What I'd like to know, is if this green tint isn't a lens flare cast by the green tint of the bulb going through the optics, or something to that effect, is it possible that I'm seeing dust blobs on the green panel that I could possibly clean out with Servingko's vacuum procedure? Do dust blobs show up on bright images or only on really dark screens or black screens? This green tint isn't very evident, at all, on dark or black scenes.

Vikes, welcome to the club (again)!

For those who followed my story, I finally settled on the 3rd projector I got: it has a fair corner focus (7/10 - the others were 8 and 4), convergence (8/10 vs 8 and 6), black level (7/10 vs 4 and 10) and black shade (the 1st unit's black was quite green and very bright :confused:) and no dust blobs (or at least I couldn't discover any).
Silence, sharpness etc. are regular for this model, which is great! :)

However, after setting it up in it's final (hopefully) destination and blowing up the screen to the prescribed 110'', I noticed that on a white screen, the color of the white varies as you look left to right - magenta to green.
It's a slight tint and the actual positioning is:

--------------------
|m.............g;;g|
|.............g;;gg|
|.............g;;gg|
|g............g;;gg|
|g............g;ggg|
--------------------

, where '.' is ok, g is a green tint, m is magenta/pink, ';' is progress of tint and the # of g's indicate the strength of the coloring. Overall it's not extremely intrusive and visible only on solid light/white background. I see them a lot though since the pj is hooked up to HTPC.

I think I can live with it, especially since I took the pj with me overseas and the warranty doesn't extend here. However if there is any way to fix it with a DIY approach or confirm the bulb's fault I could give it a shot (fix or replace the bulb).

What do you think fellows?

Well after having this projector on for only 2 hours, I have a dust blobs. Even with another filter.bighifi I wonder if your cure perhaps was worse than the disease? That maybe the Hoover bag you cut & replaced the Mits filter with is not a "dust and lint-free bag", and actually INTRODUCED lint to the pj? Had to ask...

Anyone watch Elizabeth: The Golden Age HD-DVD on their HC-4900 yet? It seemed like the black levels weren't deep enough on my setup. I used the setup 3.75% setting on the projector and it compensated for the gray blacks on this film. I had to turn it back off after the movie, since this setting ususally crushes blacks if the black levels on the film are right. Watched good luck chuck and the black levels were fine in that. I find that I have to switch on this settings on a lot of HDnet movies to. I'd say 95% of the films I watch I switch off this feature.

I wonder the same thing regarding the dust problems... A few people have made mention of that there are several "openings" in the case that should be sealed better. If you put a fairly restrictive additional filter over or in place of the stock filter- does the air just come into the projector from another "unfiltered" opening? If the fan has to work harder to maintain the prescribed internal temp it's going to get the air from somewhere, most likely the path of least resistance.

Cheers!

Does anybody know if you can focus adjust the 4900 with a picture on the screen instead of the grid? I've read the manual and searched but can't find a method to do this? Thanks for any ideas.

only the grid

I have finally got my 4900 up and running. All I can say is WOW!!!! This thing is great (to my eyes). I have no problems with the black levels, they seem good and dark to me. This is my first projector and I'm sorry I waited so long.

Set up is as follows:

HC 4900
Denon 3806 receiver
Samsung HD850 DVD
Carada 96" Cinema White Screen
Paradigm Espirit fronts
Paradigm sub
Axiom QS4 surrounds

Soon to be added:

PS3 (gaming and 1080P in one package, how do you go wrong)
HD STB

Thanks to all who contributed to this thread. You all helped make what now appears a no brainer decision.

Does anyone know what the "fine" adjustment is... it comes up when you press the directional pad left or right when not in the menu system?

bighifi I wonder if your cure perhaps was worse than the disease? That maybe the Hoover bag you cut & replaced the Mits filter with is not a "dust and lint-free bag", and actually INTRODUCED lint to the pj? Had to ask...

No everything was great with the filter. I think the problem was when I took the filter off. The fan was still running and must have pulled some dust into the unit. I should have waited for the fan to stop. I tried the shop vac trick but can not seem to get enough suction. I will try and blow some air into the unit today and see what I can com up with.

I think the filter was working fine, but I took it off to check the fan speed with out the filter. When I put the filter back on, I have a dust blob. I will not keep a projector that collects dust this badly.
This is hardly Mitsubishi's fault if you leave the projector (and thus the fan) running without a filter, even for a second.

I purchased the 4900 about 2weeks ago and I am seeing the green blob today :mad:

I received my 4900 from PP (ordered it last Fri evening and received it Wed afternoon). Excellent service during purchase.

I can't wait till I start the tweaking process. I will take some pictures soon. I will do another review comparing the Z2 to the 4900 soon. I am quite sure I am keeping the 4900.

gotta go tweaking,
gasdoc

I have taken some pictures and added them to my picassa web site at the link below.

http://picasaweb.google.com/imuesmail/Mits4900PXS?authkey=MwfjsNigG8w


This pj is not going back. I can't seem to make the remote work all the time--it takes several clicks for it to do so. Other than that, I love it. My family also agrees that the PQ is substantially better than my Sanyo Z2. I have a very nice 65"RPTV that is DLP based (also a Mits). This pj approaches that already and I have not done any color calibrations yet. I have a picture in the link that shows my settings.
Gasdoc

Here is my final review:
I have only made minimal adjustments to my 4900 (see pic with superimposed pj menu in the above link). I have not made any specific color adjustments yet.

My screen is a 16:9, Elite SilverFrame, High Gain 1.8 screen, and the projector is paired up with a PS3 and Comcast HDDVR via Yamaha 661 receiver. I am using the DVI input into the pj (its the cable I used with my old Sanyo Z2).

I think that this pj will certainly bring several years of entertainment. I like the low lamp mode as it is already much brighter than my Z2 without the fan noise. I hear my PS3 which is about 7 ft to my right, but I can't hear this pj which is just above my sweet spot sitting position.

My Z2 was 720P resolution. It was very nice with my PS3 when watching Blu-ray, but the Mits is just incredible. In the above link I have taken some close ups which really show the benefits of 1080P from any viewing distance on a 100" diag screen.

When I pause my PS3 or the HDDVR there is a small jitter which then shows up in my pictures. The pq is excellent in real time. This is not the pj's fault.

I can't wait to place "Finding Nemo" in the PS3 and seeing what I can achieve with some more tweaking. I tried using the THX OPTIMIZER but did not like what it did to my pq. There is one aquarium scene in Nemo that I like using to calibrate the colors as it has all the fish together with all colors represented.

If anybody has a Z2 and is wondering if the Mits is a decent upgrade, the answer is a definite yes. I think any newer pj, especially a 1080P pj would be better. I only hope that the 4900 is also a workhorse that the Z2 was. Time will tell.

This is hardly Mitsubishi's fault if you leave the projector (and thus the fan) running without a filter, even for a second.

Well the dust problem is not just being experienced by me, besides that filter would hardley keep out any dust. It would be nice if Mits would make it easier to get the dust out of the machine.

Just got a 4900 from Projector people, we set it up in our completely dark and soon to be renovated "theater room" just out of the box. The picture was great, both with Transformers and using the Xbox. The problem was that after about 20 mins we started to notice a flicker in the stability of brightness. Called PP and they said to reset the bulb and see if maybe it loosened during shipping. Anyone have any experience with this problem?

i had this problem too with my 2nd 4900. i got another one which is working out great. so it might not be your power source. but, checking it in another room would be a good idea.

Just a thought but why not send to Mitsubishi and get repaired? You pay shipping one way they fix in 72 hrs the most. And they pay for over night shipping.

mark

What I'm skittish about with doing that is that everything else about the projector is pretty good. So, by sending it in to get repaired, I worry that I'd be putting it up for them to inadvertently change something that was fine with the projector, like the black levels or the focus or something. Not to mention, that they probably wouldn't handle it as well as I would, so there would probably be scratches on the case, etc. Also, if they end up saying that they fixed it and I still see the problem, then I just put the projector through more abuse by shipping it to and from, their taking it apart, etc.

Re: lollywolf's flicker:

i had this problem too with my 2nd 4900. i got another one which is working out great. so it might not be your power source. but, checking it in another room would be a good idea.Maybe you missed it, but lollywolf also said the flicker only occurred with his overhead light turned on:
The overhead light is a poorly installed florescent light... The next step will be to set up the pj in our bedroom closet (10x15 room with no outside lights) and see if the power upstairs was better than below.A crappy fluorescent light can wreak all sorts of power havoc. I'll wager that's the problem right there.

I just signed a contract to get a home theater built and decided on the HC4900 as the centerpiece. IMO, PP is dong me a great deal including the Elite EZFrame CineGray 106" screen and the Sanus VMPR1 mount with the Mits.

Before I pull the trigger, any of you experienced owners see any issue with this combination?

The Panasonic BD30K Blue Ray and Onkyo TX-SR605 will also be part of the setup. I am still totally clueless at to what speakers to do, but I want to do 7.1.

Thanks,

Mike

I think I can live with it, especially since I took the pj with me overseas and the warranty doesn't extend here. However if there is any way to fix it with a DIY approach or confirm the bulb's fault I could give it a shot (fix or replace the bulb).

What do you think fellows?
Well, you can strike down the bulb option, at least, as far as the green tint is concerned. I swapped bulbs between the two 4900s I had when I was comparing focus, because I noticed differences in pink and green from pj to pj also. So, I picked the bulb that looked like it showed the least amount of pink on the image. However, the green tint on the 4900 with the good focus stayed the same from bulb to bulb. I had no green tint on the 4900 with bad focus. I only really thought to do this, because swapping bulbs worked for the Epsons I had in the past, as well. They had really bad pink issues from their "E-Torl" bulbs, depending upon luck of the draw.

My question to all: If I'm pretty much satisfied with everything else on this projector, except the green tint, do you think I should try to get the green tint fixed by Mitsubishi and risk something else getting thrown out of whack by the techs, or UPS for that matter?

Well, count me in.

I have an Infocus SP 4805 that is starting to run out of life, and I decided to jump on this deal. I'm hoping that this projector is as good as everyone says. I'm prepared to be wowed by 1080P.

In fact, I was wavering on whether or not to actually pull the trigger on this. Finally my wife tells me to go ahead and order it already... She is really excited to see Lost in full HD glory. She went from thinking the theatre room was a big waste of money to "When are you going to finally buy an HD projector??" Gotta love her.

The nice thing is with my low ceiling, I had to actually tilt the SP 4805 up a little and use keystoning to adjust so that the image was a decent level above the floor. Looks like I will have no problem with the HC4900.

Just a side note, the SP4805 was (And still is) an awesome entry level projector. I got 3.5 years out of mine and have 2200 hours on the bulb. It was a great bargain at the time, just like this 4900, and I hope it is just as satisfying :) I DID have to fix the light tunnel and replace a fan (Both my fault for ruining.... Needed to clean the filter more often, and let the thing cool down before messing with it)

Can't wait to play Xbox 360 on the new screen.... COD4 here I come :)

Vikes4ever
Well, it's a crap shoot either way.

The green tint could wear on you over time, then you'll be stuck regretting that you never addressed it.

OTOH, if you send it in and it comes back with a worse problem, then you'll be stuck regretting that you sent it in.

For me, the green tint would eventually drive me nuts, so I'd take the chance. if the PJ came back with another problem, then I'd send it back.

What I'm skittish about with doing that is that everything else about the projector is pretty good. So, by sending it in to get repaired, I worry that I'd be putting it up for them to inadvertently change something that was fine with the projector, like the black levels or the focus or something. Not to mention, that they probably wouldn't handle it as well as I would, so there would probably be scratches on the case, etc. Also, if they end up saying that they fixed it and I still see the problem, then I just put the projector through more abuse by shipping it to and from, their taking it apart, etc.

Well i'll let you you know how it goes. My 1st 4900 I noticed had dust blob the 1st 4 hrs. sent back to PP. The second took 33 hrs. so have no choice but have repaired. Its real annoying to have 5in. dust blob in center of 100 in. screen. PP offered to clean but thought Mit. would be better. I'm hoping third times a charm.

Tried the vacuum (dyson) and canned air didn't work but didn't add dust blobs either.


mark

Don't know about everyone else, but my 1st 4900 had 2 dust blobs (2 different occasions) on power-up. I just let it do its thing and the dust blobs disappeared in a few minutes, most likely got sucked out by the fans.

Well i'll let you you know how it goes. My 1st 4900 I noticed had dust blob the 1st 4 hrs. sent back to PP. The second took 33 hrs. so have no choice but have repaired. Its real annoying to have 5in. dust blob in center of 100 in. screen. PP offered to clean but thought Mit. would be better. I'm hoping third times a charm.

Tried the vacuum (dyson) and canned air didn't work but didn't add dust blobs either.


mark


Sparky,
Were you using any filters in addition to the standard one that came with the 4900? Just curious if you had an additional HEPA filter and still got the blobs.

Thanks in advance,
Mike

Sparky,
Were you using any filters in addition to the standard one that came with the 4900? Just curious if you had an additional HEPA filter and still got the blobs.

Thanks in advance,
Mike

Yes I did at first on second pj Bissell style 8. But it looked so ugly I took it off. I'll leave it on next time. :o

mark

For those of you that have dust blobs, I have successfully cleaned the blobs by basically following the directions posted by Blippy2005 in the HC5000 forum:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showpost.php?p=12117792&postcount=1800

While it is not for the faint of heart (as you have to remove approximately 20+ screws), anyone who has worked inside or upgraded their computer should have no problem. It took me about 2 hours to do this the first time but only about an hour the second time.

Here is a link that shows pictures of the inside of the HC5000 (which basically has the same layout with a different motherboard):

http://www.cine4home.com/reviews/projectors/MitsuHC5000/HC5000Review.htm

The only difference to Blippy2005's procedure that I made was to have my wife hold the motherboard so that I only had to disconnect the two small data connectors on the left side of the projector (when viewed from the top) and not the 5+ on the right side (the cords for these connectors are fairly long and when the cord holders are released they give good flexibility for moving the board out of the way). Also, be careful to not strip any of the shield screws (they seem fairly easy to strip).

I like Blippy2005 take NO RESPONSIBILITY for your projector if you follow the above directions. DO SO AT YOUR OWN RISK.

Also, the location of the optical prism makes it nearly impossible to remove the dust blobs using a air can without following the above procedure. Also, I have a strong feeling that many of the dust blobs are dusts from manufacturing as it seems that dust would have to travel quite a long way to reach the optical prism.

Ok, 2 words people.

F*&$ing Fan

So, I need to lens shift to avoid hitting the ceiling fan.

So here is the question, does using the Lens Shift have any effect on Picture Quality?

Ok, 2 words people.

F*&$ing Fan

So, I need to lens shift to avoid hitting the ceiling fan.

So here is the question, does using the Lens Shift have any effect on Picture Quality?

At extreme lift shift settings most projectors will have more color separation (i.e. worse convergence) and some curvature to the top and bottom of the image.

"extreme"

Can we define that? I am using it right now, with the extention pole on the mount. I wanted to remove the pole, if I do, I will have to use more lens shift.

So, I want to avoid that? Keep the pole?

Thanks, Rapallo, for your answers to my questions re: ceiling mount of the 4900.

Getting closer to purchase, so I talked with ProjectorPeople rep today, asking more specifics about ceiling mount. In looking at the case, it doesn't appear to have any sort of feet on top so that I can set in on my platform, inverted, as I can my current Sharp. The PP rep said that there are buttons on the top of the projector that would most likely be pushed if I did that. He suggested using four 1" or so rubber washers to raise the projector, and set it upside down on my platform. Has anyone done that? Any problems?

The reason that concerns me is that the ceiling joists in my room run parallel to the projector image throw and, since they are on 16" centers, I don't have a lot of fine adjustment of lateral position with my current home made mount. Further, most of the available ceiling mounts seem to avoid discussing how much lateral adjustment they have.

I'm trying to avoid drilling too many holes in my ceiling as I hope to sell the house this spring and relocate.

All suggestions/answers GREATLY appreciated!

since it will only be a temporary setup then just mount a ceiling mount to a piece to 3/4 inch plywood and then screw that to the available joists.

oh no!!! I haven't been to this thread in a few weeks. I was one of the first to get an HC4900. I'm back because I wanted to see if others have had a dust blob problem. Now i'm mad/scared from what I see here! I have a very large one in the bottom left corner. I know its new. Only 70hrs. I'm running stock filter, in basement, high shelf mount. I've always wondered...does ceiling mount protect projector more from dust as there are no opening in the bottom? My intuition says yes.

So I guess this is a sign of things to come. I'm going to put my bets on a leg hose wrapped around the stock filter (was the solution for my Z2). Its funny that my Z4 had a great and easy way to clean the lens and I never had to use it. Now I need that feature and its absent...tis life.

Anyways, I am now scouring the forums for a solution. l think using a vacume would be dangerous as it would move more dust around in the projector and could make things worse!

So, I need to lens shift to avoid hitting the ceiling fan.Couple thoughts Doug:

1. Isn't the ceiling fan distracting anyway? Shadows & whatnot when running? Why not just get rid of the blankety-blank thing

2. Borrow someone's stepladder and try your pj at the higher position before you remove-or-cut pipe.

Just be careful not to kick that stepladder with your 4900 on top!!!! :eek:

Well, my lack of a screen right now is putting a damper on things. :)

But, I did have it higher up, flush mounted on the ceiling, I had to use a LOT of lens shift to get it where it needed to be.

I added the extension pipe, and I need to use lens shift, but not as much.

In this HUGE ass thread, someone said that the colors could separate, but I am wondering how bad.

Moving the fan, my wife would sh!t. :) I am happy she isnt POed about the projector being lower then I said it would be.

She is a good girl, but still a woman.

I just went to max lens shift after hanging the AT screen I just built. It did not affect convergence or focus for me, both are still spot on. I think I have a really good unit in this regard. I do now notice a slight (~1/4") upward bowing of the top of the image now that I went to the max shift. It falls on the black border so it is not noticeable.

Cheers!

Thanks! I am nowhere NEAR MAX with the pole, and close to it with the flush mounting.

How about colors separating? Anything there?

How about colors separating? Anything there?
In my book that is convergence, and mine is spot on. Others have reported a pixel or two off by one color or another no matter the lens shift setting. As with many things- it's the luck of the draw as to whether your unit is affected by it. Then it's a case of deciding whether the anomaly bothers you enough to send it in and risk getting a unit that may be worse in other areas.

In my book that is convergence, and mine is spot on. Others have reported a pixel or two off by one color or another no matter the lens shift setting. As with many things- it's the luck of the draw as to whether your unit is affected by it. Then it's a case of deciding whether the anomaly bothers you enough to send it in and risk getting a unit that may be worse in other areas.

your book would be a good one, I read it so fast, I missed that the first time.

I just got my screen in!! Very excited!!

For those of you that have dust blobs, I have successfully cleaned the blobs by basically following the directions posted by Blippy2005 in the HC5000 forum:



While it is not for the faint of heart (as you have to remove approximately 20+ screws), anyone who has worked inside or upgraded their computer should have no problem. It took me about 2 hours to do this the first time but only about an hour the second time.

Here is a link that shows pictures of the inside of the HC5000 (which basically has the same layout with a different motherboard):



The only difference to Blippy2005's procedure that I made was to have my wife hold the motherboard so that I only had to disconnect the two small data connectors on the left side of the projector (when viewed from the top) and not the 5+ on the right side (the cords for these connectors are fairly long and when the cord holders are released they give good flexibility for moving the board out of the way). Also, be careful to not strip any of the shield screws (they seem fairly easy to strip).

I like Blippy2005 take NO RESPONSIBILITY for your projector if you follow the above directions. DO SO AT YOUR OWN RISK.

Also, the location of the optical prism makes it nearly impossible to remove the dust blobs using a air can without following the above procedure. Also, I have a strong feeling that many of the dust blobs are dusts from manufacturing as it seems that dust would have to travel quite a long way to reach the optical prism.

You have already done this TWICE? How long have you owned this pj?

Wondering if anyone else had this problem.

I recently purchased the HC4900 and a Dragonfly HighContrast Gray 106" screen. Projector was a snap to setup out of the box and the image resolution is great, but I've got an annoying hotspot right in the center of the screen.

The setup:

Projector is Shelf Mounted 14ft away from screen.
The lens height is 8ft vertical up from ground.
The top of the screen is also at that same height.
I use the lens shift feature of the HC4900 to move the image down to the screen.

The couch is right under the projector and while sitting, there is a hot spot front and center. Esp bad with black and the blue setup screen. It's not severe, just a bit annoying. No green discoloration or anything, just slightly brighter.

I've tried many settings with the projector with little success, and the seller even arranged for Mits to send me another projector to make sure it wasn't a bad lens, lamp, etc. The replacement projector (which had 140 hours on it) created the same hot spot.

I'm wondering if:

a) this is just physics and the angle I'm sitting is getting the straight reflection from the lens and the screen given the "lens shift down"

b) the screen doesn't do a very good job of dispersing the light or is too reflective

I don't think it's a problem with the projector anymore given the identical results with 2 projectors with different times of use on the lamps.

I really don't want to replace the screen unless I have to as it was a pain to install. (fixed wall screen) and I might get the same results anyway.

Thanks in advance,

Tom

You have already done this TWICE? How long have you owned this pj?

I received my second one (the first was DOA'd for dust by Mitsubishi - it had about 7 dust blobs at 30 hours) around the January 17th (I have 100 hours on it). My first cleaning attempt (for 2 dust blobs that first appeared at around 4 hours) was unsuccessful as my air can ran out (it just moved the two blobs slightly). During my second cleaning I used a new air can and then followed it up with a compressed CO2 cleaner and it removed both blobs.

Well if it helps anyone I was projecting on a wall, figured i'd use this for a bit to decide on a screen size, watched plenty of shows last few days at this size. Pretty much set on a 118" and settled in for a bit of Ratchet and Clank on the PS3 since I was saving the game until my setup was "done", figured I'd order the screen in the morning.

I AM SO DIZZY RIGHT NOW... omg.
I don't know if the screen was too big or if its the game (its new to me) but I have to go lie down. Movies seem fine at this size... omg make it stop.

(Dont go too big off the bat! Try before you settle on a size!)

Does anyone know if the mod done overseas is done by anyone here? Cine4home talks about the Ultra Edition.

...I recently purchased the HC4900 and a Dragonfly HighContrast Gray 106" screen. Projector was a snap to setup out of the box and the image resolution is great, but I've got an annoying hotspot right in the center of the screen.

Welcome to the 4900 club.

That looks like a really nice screen. The only info I could find on the DragonFly screen was that it was 0.8 gain. That seems really odd for a negative gain screen to hot spot but I am no expert. Have you just tried shining the image on a white wall or maybe grab a strip of blackout cloth from a local fabric store and drape it over the middle of the screen? This should tell you for sure if it's the screen material or not.

Good luck...

have had the pj for over a month now (about 200 hours on it) and it's still great. my eyes are used to the blacks (which was really only a problem in indoor/night scenes for me, not in daylight scenes)

after a while (when i stopped browsing this forum) i started enjoying movies and stopped worrying about little things that this forum leads one to worry about. it's still as sharp and colorful as ever.

after a while (when i stopped browsing this forum) i started enjoying movies and stopped worrying about little things that this forum leads one to worry about. it's still as sharp and colorful as ever.

I had to laugh out loud on that one! :D I too really enjoy my 4900 when I'm watching it instead of reading about it here. Some posters have had some bad luck, and it tends to cast the shadow of bad luck for everyone, which of course isn't true.

My wish is that those with problems get them solved so they can enjoy this thing as much as I do. The joy my GF expresses over the unit is worth the price of admission by itself.

IF I don't have any more DUST BLOBS I'll be :D too.

mark

I received my second one (the first was DOA'd for dust by Mitsubishi - it had about 7 dust blobs at 30 hours) around the January 17th (I have 100 hours on it). My first cleaning attempt (for 2 dust blobs that first appeared at around 4 hours) was unsuccessful as my air can ran out (it just moved the two blobs slightly). During my second cleaning I used a new air can and then followed it up with a compressed CO2 cleaner and it removed both blobs.

Ok I'll probably wait a little bit before taking this thing apart.

Did you basically just blast this one area with the compressed air and then put it back together?

http://www.cine4home.com/reviews/projectors/MitsuHC5000/Pic10.jpg

Does anyone know if the mod done overseas is done by anyone here? Cine4home talks about the Ultra Edition.

I am working on the High Brightness mod/hack or whatever you want to call it.. :D

When and if I have a complete solution (HIGH BRIGHTNESS read to COLOR TEMP/USER write), I'll make an announcement and may create a "Lite" Version of ControlCAL to automate this...

ITS SETUP!!!

Got a 92 inch Da-Lite "B"

First off, let me say, with no tweeking, out of the box, f-ing GREAT picture!

Second, after all the hype about blacks and ****, I have to say, I was expecting absolute **** in the black area.

Seriously, if you are not a HT tech, you will not gie a **** about the blacks in this projector.

I know what to look for, I know the blacks arent BLACK BLACK, but I can honestly say, I don't really give a sh!t, the picture is great, the price is right, the lens shift saved my life, and I have been watching various inputs for about 2 hours, invited a neighbor over, and the WOW factor is here!

First thing I poped in was Ice Age 2 PS3 Blu Ray.

Insane

Second thing, was Star Wars III DVD, through Blu Ray.

DVD looked like a DVD. Little grain. But right after Ice Age 2 BD, well...you know

Third thing, XBox 360 streamed Porn from my computer in the bedroom.

:D I had to see a 4 feet tall v..... well, you know. Anyway, lots o grain, still a decent picture, good stuff.

Right now, watching Pirates 3 on BD. Flat out, Blu Ray's (or HD-DVD, which I have, and havnt tried out yet) are the way to go here.

If you are on the line, go for it, it isnt a let down at all, so far, I am very impressed, and if the blacks were "that bad" I was ready to send it back.

I am keeping it.

I'm wondering if:

a) this is just physics and the angle I'm sitting is getting the straight reflection from the lens and the screen given the "lens shift down"

b) the screen doesn't do a very good job of dispersing the light or is too reflective

I don't think it's a problem with the projector anymore given the identical results with 2 projectors with different times of use on the lamps.

I really don't want to replace the screen unless I have to as it was a pain to install. (fixed wall screen) and I might get the same results anyway.


What gain does your sceen have? Is it retro-reflective? I fixed theis brightness problem (and black level issue) by increasing the height of the projector to about 6"-12" above the top of the screen. It may be more or less in your case.

A simple way to test is to sit 30-45 degrees off from the center of the screen with the current setup and see if the hot spot goes away. If it does, it may be a matter of just changing the angle that the projector light hits the screen at.

:p:D at Dugout Doug's test. I do have some HD 'content' that I haven't tried yet. I need to get my network setup first.

Does anyone know what a 4900 or 5000 ultra edition unit costs. I can't find a price or get an answer from Ekkehart. If anyone has one, how does it perform?

I have been only able to find the Ultra Edition from overseas. The cost is about 3500 dollars US. You can get the Mod done for about 500 bucks. I do not know if anyone in the US does this mod.

I am working on the High Brightness mod/hack or whatever you want to call it.. :D

When and if I have a complete solution (HIGH BRIGHTNESS read to COLOR TEMP/USER write), I'll make an announcement and may create a "Lite" Version of ControlCAL to automate this...

Nice work, Turbe. Are you testing this change with a colour filter as well? If so, which one are you using?

Also, the second modification they made was to install a fixed aperture lens assembly. Do you know if it would be possible to use one of you apps to send a command to force the IRIS into a fixed position? If not, maybe we can all pressure Mits for a firmware upgrade? I'm not really sure why they didn't offer 2-3 fixed IRIS choices in the menu besides fully-open.

Thanks for the info bighifi. Do you know who does this mod for $500. You can get a 5000 for right around 2k in the us. I'm wondering if the 5000 will be competitive with the current generation of lcds once the mod is done.

Question for Direct TV people: Are you using component? DVI? HDMI? connecting to your 4900?

I'm running component....... wondering if I would see any difference running HDMI??

Ok I'll probably wait a little bit before taking this thing apart.

Did you basically just blast this one area with the compressed air and then put it back together?

http://www.cine4home.com/reviews/projectors/MitsuHC5000/Pic10.jpg

From Tocaje: I posted this over in the tweaks thread also. If it's a no-no to repeat let me know and I'll remove this.
I'm at 35 hours (edit: now 37) and thankfully no dust blobs...yet.
I am using the WEB Filter Charger spray on the original Mits filter (see my previous posts in another thread) and one of those WEB cheap electrostatic vent filters (like imuesmail) over the outside (also sprayed with sticky stuff). I did this before I ever turned on the projector. Used black electrical tape to hold it in place. Also covered a small hole on the bottom and at the rear. Haven't checked fan speed etc BUT I don't think this is adding any more material to restrict airflow than Mit's own 6000 filter.

I have added a small Surround Air ionizer next to the projector-one that doesn't blow air but uses natural convection. Didn't like the idea of a fan blowing things around BUT another AVSer posted a fan might be the solution. I think he said that blowing air from a HEPA air cleaner into the Mits filter would create a negative vacuum. Not sure if I have all that correct but don't have time to try and find the post right now.

It seems odd that people are having dust blob problems when supposedly Mits added some kind of dust protection to the lcd panels; at least I think the 5000 or 6000 has this. Anyway, that's what was on the cine4home review.

Good luck to all who dare to beat the technology. Again, I'm knocking on wood, praying (yes, I'm a believer but find it hard to believe God could care about this stuff), and hope I'm not being too cocky.

Ok I'll probably wait a little bit before taking this thing apart.

Did you basically just blast this one area with the compressed air and then put it back together?

http://www.cine4home.com/reviews/projectors/MitsuHC5000/Pic10.jpg

Yes. Along all 3 LCD panels.

From Tocaje: I posted this over in the tweaks thread also. If it's a no-no to repeat let me know and I'll remove this.
I'm at 35 hours (edit: now 37) and thankfully no dust blobs...yet.
I am using the WEB Filter Charger spray on the original Mits filter (see my previous posts in another thread) and one of those WEB cheap electrostatic vent filters (like imuesmail) over the outside (also sprayed with sticky stuff). I did this before I ever turned on the projector. Used black electrical tape to hold it in place. Also covered a small hole on the bottom and at the rear. Haven't checked fan speed etc BUT I don't think this is adding any more material to restrict airflow than Mit's own 6000 filter.

I have added a small Surround Air ionizer next to the projector-one that doesn't blow air but uses natural convection. Didn't like the idea of a fan blowing things around BUT another AVSer posted a fan might be the solution. I think he said that blowing air from a HEPA air cleaner into the Mits filter would create a negative vacuum. Not sure if I have all that correct but don't have time to try and find the post right now.

It seems odd that people are having dust blob problems when supposedly Mits added some kind of dust protection to the lcd panels; at least I think the 5000 or 6000 has this. Anyway, that's what was on the cine4home review.

Good luck to all who dare to beat the technology. Again, I'm knocking on wood, praying (yes, I'm a believer but find it hard to believe God could care about this stuff), and hope I'm not being too cocky.

I previously tried using a large 200 CADR true HEPA filter for the room (placed near the projector). While it seemed to reduce the dust particles in the air, it did not prevent dust blobs.

I have also noticed that the dust blobs are not visible at certain throws. I would imagine many of you who are not seeing dust blobs may have them but they are not visible due to your throw length.

I'm running component....... wondering if I would see any difference running HDMI??Yes, you'd see that the 4900 has an extra "handshake" on-screen glitch every time you switch back-in to HDMI mode! ;)

As for PQ, probably no change but "it depends".

Fellas, i expect delivery on my HC4900 any day now, and had a question about setup. I do not have a ceiling mount, and will be positioning the projector on a cabinet that is approximately 5' above the floor.

My screen is approximately 12 feet away, and if i aim it horizontally, with no upward or downward lens tilt, that will work for me, or at least i hope it will, as it worked for my old projector, a Sanyo Z3.

I am concerned that the HC4900 doesn't have keystone adjustment. The Z3 did, and i needed to use it.

Am i likely to face a keystone problem with this arrangement, and if so, what steps can be taken to eliminate the keystone problem if it arises?

Thanks!

With PJ's that have lens shift. You just get the image square then shift it onto the screen into the exact correct location.

easy as pie and your should work well enough,