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Viewsonic Pro8200 -- it exists.

165K views 1K replies 172 participants last post by  plplplpl 
#1 ·
I had a thread about a month ago asking about whether the Viewsonic Pro8200 was real or not. Well, in the interim I bought a BenQ W1000+ from PP and had problems with the first unit (and the replacement) displaying an HDMI image. Those problems are documented in the W1000 thread, so you can look that up if you wish. Ultimately, both BenQ projectors went back to PP and I found that the Viewsonic Pro8200 was shipping, so I got one.


I have about 30 minutes of viewing and here's a quick rundown:

Good

MUCH better colors / picture than the BenQ. I don't have all the technical terms to describe the difference, but it's a much more dynamic picture, brighter colors and it seems "faster" in its handling of action scenes.


Also much better fleshtones, the BenQ always looked posterized.

Bad

It's a bit louder than the BenQ. Actually, louder may be wrong, it's got a two-note noise to it. The fan is a little bit lower in frequency, but you can also hear the color wheel spin. The BenQ had a higher frequency fan-only noise. Neither one is noticeable at any time other than paused / no sound situations, though.


It doesn't seem to have a perfect 16:9 image. The BenQ and my previous InFocus IN72 both filled my DIY 120" 16:9 screen to within 1/4" of the edges, they were that close to perfect. The Pro8200 has a total of about 3" on the top/bottom parts of the screen that are not hit when the image is touching the left/right borders.


The lighted remote is a joke. Yes, the perimeter of the buttons light up, great... however, the button labels are not lit at all, so you have to operate by feel, anyway. Not a big issue, I'll program my URC to handle the projector anyway, I was just surprised at how bad a design that was.


Also on the design note -- the lens cover is nice, but both the front ViewSonic label and the name on the lens cover are upside down when the unit is ceiling mounted. It just looks bad.


So I'm off to get this thing more dialed in, overall I'm absolutely happy that the BenQs didn't work out, this looks like a much better projector with a better picture, can't ask for more than that!
 
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#52 ·
mgkdragn, do you own this unit? I'm not sure if you're talking from experience with this Viewsonic model or just commenting as a general rule. Your comment on watching sports material is particularly of interest because if you don't have this unit it carries a different weight, at least for me. Kind Regards.
 
#53 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by spankle /forum/post/19776817


mgkdragn, do you own this unit? I'm not sure if you're talking from experience with this Viewsonic model or just commenting as a general rule. Your comment on watching sports material is particularly of interest because if you don't have this unit it carries a different weight, at least for me. Kind Regards.

I spent 4 hours with one using various sources as well as sports .. I was not happy with the contrast as well as fast motion .. BD looked pretty good .. not the best black levels, but passable .. CATV DVR as well as HD was pretty bad on sports fast motion scenes .. I was considering this unit for a secondary PJ ..


The Epson 8350 did a much better job for not a whole lot more money ..
 
#58 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by DrNegative /forum/post/19777581


Seems that Art was happy with it while watching sports.

We all have our own opinions .. my main projector was 5K when new, so perhaps I am a bit spoiled ..
 
#60 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by armless /forum/post/19737610


I can confirm this problem. If you call viewsonic, keep us updated.
Quote:
Originally Posted by morpheus256 /forum/post/19724659


Could those that have it test something for me.


It seems that when I set quick power off - off (from the default on) all the settings revert back to factory defaults.


I had mine set to dark room which put it in econo mode, auto source scan - off, quick power on - off, and as soon as i would set quick power off - off everything got reset.


I'd like to confirm this is a firmware issue before i call up viewsonic.


Hi guys, my first post/reply.

Morpheus, have you had any news on this issue from Viewsonic? I picked up one of these projectors and seem to be having similar issues. Viewsonic thinks it may be caused from my sat receiver doing it's nightly updates(I doubt it). I am in the process of testing different combos of my gear and the proj's setting to troubleshoot before I contact Viewsonic tech support again.
 
#61 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by GodzillaTheHunn /forum/post/19823633


Hi guys, my first post/reply.

Morpheus, have you had any news on this issue from Viewsonic? I picked up one of these projectors and seem to be having similar issues. Viewsonic thinks it may be caused from my sat receiver doing it's nightly updates(I doubt it). I am in the process of testing different combos of my gear and the proj's setting to troubleshoot before I contact Viewsonic tech support again.

Yeah, that sounds like a firmware issue. I haven't tried it directly, but I know that the unit reset to factory specs after a family member tried to turn it off one night. I don't know exactly what they did, but knowing the person, it was nothing CLOSE to anything that should initiate a reset.
 
#62 ·
My Viewsonic PRO8200 resets to factory defaults too. I bought in mid-December and started noticing its annoying habit of losing its' memory. I have just started an email dialog with their support department. So far, they have asked that I manually reset the device to factory defaults. I did, and the behavior still continues. I will let you know what I find out.



Regards,

Jason
 
#63 ·
After much discussion with them I've finally managed to get some information, I'm not at home right now, and wont be able to test it until tonight, but apparently it has something to do with the Dynamic Contrast Ratio (DCR) setting being turned "ON" in the "other" menu, inside the "Option tab" turning it off will allow the settings to be saved.

She mentioned that having it turned ON and ECO turned ON has some sort of conflict, which is why settings get reset... seems a little empty to me.

I tried to get them to admit that this is a firmware flaw, or a engineering oversight, but the best answer I could get was they admitted to the problem, and hope to possibly have a firmware update out sometime next month.
 
#64 ·
morpheus256, Interesting information. I dont use ECO mode. (not sure about DCR). My unit shipped with ECO Mode = Off, so when it resets to defaults, it stays that way. The only settings I change are:


Projector Position: Front Ceiling

Keystone: Default is +13. I change it to +16


Any insight into how firmware updates are applied? Hopefully it is just a software issue that can be fixed with a simple consumer-performed firmware update.



Regards,

Jason


Quote:
but apparently it has something to do with the Dynamic Contrast Ratio (DCR) setting being turned "ON" in the "other" menu, inside the "Option tab" turning it off will allow the settings to be saved.

She mentioned that having it turned ON and ECO turned ON has some sort of conflict, which is why settings get rese
 
#65 ·
Yesterday I finally had time to test my new 8200- first thoughts:


It does offer a good image quality (at least compared to my Panasonic AX200).

To be honest, I actually had higher expectations since the 8200 is 1080p (the Pana is 720p native), but playing around with a few blurays proved only a slight improvement in terms of image clarity (at least on my 80" diag screen and sitting at a normal distance)- the viewsonic does provide the sharpest image.


I did not find the 8200 inferior in any way compared to the AX200 (even with default modes)- My first impression is positive in terms of image attributes, but I do have a problem to report...


When watching an HDMI source, I can see four annoying white dots on the bottom part of the screen- like some sort of overly sized dead pixels.


I tried 3 different HDMI cables (even the included short one), and the problem persisted on both HDMI1 and HDMI2 inputs.


I then attempted using different sources; tried an upscaling Philips DVD, Samsung Bluray, PS3 and Macbook DVI to HDMI- problem continued.


After playing around with the remote I finally found a way of making the white dots disappear:


You have to FIRST select the PC 1 input and THEN switch to HDMI.


If I'm watching a video over the composite (yellow) input and then switch to HDMI, the dots are back!


I've come to the conclusion that this is most likely a firmware glitch (since I can easily make it go away via the remote)- If anybody is having a similar issue, please report.


P.S. I will have to turn the PJ later on to see if my user settings were saved or if they have been automatically reset to factory defaults


Any doubts, feel free to contact me.
 
#66 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by ro2207 /forum/post/19838742


When watching an HDMI source, I can see four annoying white dots on the bottom part of the screen- like some sort of overly sized dead pixels.

Not exactly the same as your issue, but I did have 4 green segments on the bottom part of the screen with my setup. See post here: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...=#post19790416


My problem ended up being the HDMI cable, I replaced it with a higher quality one and no more dots.
 
#67 ·
Thanks for the reply,

I'm also experiencing 4... They seem to appear equally spaced and at exactly the same place every time. Sometimes they are just 4 horizontal dots ( . . . . )

I've also seen this pattern:

. . . .

. . . .

. . . .


Here are some pics I took while watching a 2.35:1 aspect ratio bluray movie (the spots are visible in the bottom black bar).


If this is an HDMI cable quality related issue, why would it happen with the 6 foot "viewsonic" labeled HDMI cable that came with the projector?


The AX200 has always worked flawlessly with my Belkin PureAV v1.3 cables.

The fact that I can make the spots go away with the remote makes this even more suspicious. I will keep informing...






-The dots are green rather than white as I originally posted.
 
#69 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Verge2 /forum/post/19840339


Those definitely aren't from a cable or source. Is it stuck in service mode or something, the projo almost has to be displaying those.

Mine were from a cable. They went away when the projector was displaying its splash screen / test modes. The problem went away as soon as I replaced the cable.


This was a ~3 year old cable that had been working perfectly with 720p signal. Spots appeared within 2 weeks of sending a 1080p signal. I know that even the old HDMI cables are rated for at least 1080p, but my experience was that replacing the cable solved the problem.


ro2207's problem is interesting, though, because it is VERY similar to what I saw, in a similar location on the screen, but mine were horizontally lined up whereas his are vertical. Strange!
 
#70 ·
so I'm returning mine, buying an Epson 8350. here's my reasons:


Strike one:

Can't save settings, Viewsonic has been unable to resolve this.


Strike two:

The vertical drop required. i'm running 10 ticks keystone, I could live with it, but i also really dislike the light bleed on the ceiling from this, etc.


Strike Three

Mine has also experienced those dots from time to time.
 
#71 ·
"This was a ~3 year old cable that had been working perfectly with 720p signal."

Although 720p native, the AX200 accepts 1080 60/24p (that's what it has always seen through the HDMI port via my belkin cable for the past 2 years without a hiccup).


To rule out any cable fault, I've bought a brand new HDMI cat 2, 10.2gbps certified cable- same results regarding the dots - (mine are also lined up horizontally almost all the time, the other pattern from the pictures I took only appeard once or twice the first time I used the projector).

News: The dots never appear when sending a 720p image (just with 1080/60 or 24p).


You can make them go away by pressing the PC button OR the Component button before pressing HDMI.


Once they no longer appear, they will not come back unless you press the VIDEO key or (probably) if auto detect source is set to ON.




These are 4 of the 5 HDMI cables I've tried (you can see the package of the brand new one). All of these display a 1080p image on a Sharp LCD and my older Panasonic projector without a problem.


tremor13, I was hopping a faulty cable could be the answer, but not in my case. Maybe you don't use the VIDEO input, but if you press that button and then switch to HDMI the dots might come back.. just a thought.
 
#72 ·
The trade-off: you will not be able to use the projector in ECO mode.

Quote:
Originally Posted by morpheus256 /forum/post/19828756


apparently it has something to do with the Dynamic Contrast Ratio (DCR) setting being turned "ON" in the "other" menu, inside the "Option tab" turning it off will allow the settings to be saved.


It's the other way around (at least in my case).

My projector has DCR set to OFF by default.


I set DCR to ON and apparently the projector does not reset anymore (I turned it off, waited an hour and then back on).


I immediately noticed it worked since I left the internal speaker volume all the way down to 0 and it stayed that way


I also left High altitude set to ON; it also remained that way.


By setting DCR to ON, you will no longer be able to enjoy eco mode.

I uploaded a video that demonstrates this erratic behavior:
http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/z...t=IMG_0002.mp4 (watch closely)


Basically you CAN select ECO mode on the screen, but the image will get dimmer for around 2 seconds and then resume to normal brigtness (even though you see ECO selected on the screen).


For the time being, this will let you save your settings if you are willing to wait for Viewsonic to release a better firmware.


Give it a try and let us know if it works for you...
 
#73 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by ro2207 /forum/post/19852748


For the time being, this will let you save your settings if you are willing to wait for Viewsonic to release a better firmware.

I'm sad to report the solution I posted only worked for a while...

I powered on the PJ yesterday, navigated through the menu in order to confirm that my settings were still there... out of the blue the device shut down (I did not change anything from the menu, just while observing the settings).


After a few minutes, I tried to turn the PJ back on, but it displayed an all black image (not even the menu appeared). Powered off and disconnected everything.


20 mins later I tried again... the projector started like it normally used to, but all my settings were once again gone.

My impression is that the PJ detected some sort of conflict and shut down (just like a PC would in some instances). I watched the TV for about an hour and shut it down like usual.


Does anybody have any news as to when this reset problem might be fixed?
 
#74 ·
Another new Pro8200 owner here & can report that it suffers from the same memory issues but not the spots.


I had to return my first one (which did suffer from the spots) due to faulty fan bearings making it sound rather like a small motorbike engine



I have resigned myself to resetting on start up until Viewsonic put a new firmware out, or some bright spark on the forum works out a fix!!


Can't find that DCR setting on the menu's - could anyone help a possibly slightly visually impaired guy out?


I've not owned a projector before so have no real experience to compare it, however I am more than happy with the picture quality over a 3.5m throw.
 
#75 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by deadcert01 /forum/post/19879163


Another new Pro8200 owner here & can report that it suffers from the same memory issues but not the spots.


I had to return my first one (which did suffer from the spots) due to faulty fan bearings making it sound rather like a small motorbike engine



I have resigned myself to resetting on start up until Viewsonic put a new firmware out, or some bright spark on the forum works out a fix!!


Can't find that DCR setting on the menu's - could anyone help a possibly slightly visually impaired guy out?


I've not owned a projector before so have no real experience to compare it, however I am more than happy with the picture quality over a 3.5m throw.

I'm in the same boat and have been given the run-around by Viewsonic tech support for close to a month now. Just curious, how many of you out there have contacted Viewsonic besides myself and Morpheus? My impression so far is that Viewsonic technical support has no interest in resolving this issue at all. I tested aprox 20-25 different combinations of the settings writing down the settings each time in an attempt to narrow down the cause and was unable to narrow it down, it appears to happen almost randomly. At this point Viewsonic's time is numbered for them to get this right or I'm with Morpheus and mine is going back to the retailer as well. There are just too many options out there to have to put up with this
 
#76 ·
I have also contacted technical support. My issue has been "escalated", but so far no one has attempted to troubleshoot the problem or offer any potential solutions. I emailed them for a status update after not hearing from them for 1 week now.


Quote:
Originally Posted by GodzillaTheHunn /forum/post/19894658


I'm in the same boat and have been given the run-around by Viewsonic tech support for close to a month now. Just curious, how many of you out there have contacted Viewsonic besides myself and Morpheus? My impression so far is that Viewsonic technical support has no interest in resolving this issue at all. I tested aprox 20-25 different combinations of the settings writing down the settings each time in an attempt to narrow down the cause and was unable to narrow it down, it appears to happen almost randomly. At this point Viewsonic's time is numbered for them to get this right or I'm with Morpheus and mine is going back to the retailer as well. There are just too many options out there to have to put up with this
 
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