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The Offical Epson 8350 Owners Thread - Page 262

post #7831 of 8103
2/20/13 at 11:21pm
Agreed vladmyr! I too spent about six months reviewing tons of threads and knew what I was getting into. In the end, I still think I made the best choice for the money.
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post #7832 of 8103
2/21/13 at 10:58am
So my first replacement projector developed the Auto Iris error in a matter of months. The panel alignment was nearly perfect on it but to clear the iris error it required 2 power off/ons. Also, these occured every couple of days in a week, which I consider to be more serious. I was sent a replacement last Friday and it arrived on Tuesday. I mounted the replacement and threw up the pattern to align it to the screen and noticed a narrow yellowing along the right side of the image. I threw in the Spears & Munsil disc and found the sharpness patttern and there was a serious panel alignment issue. I waited on hold for 30 mins and was sent up to Level 2 support and after a power cycle was told that a replacement would be shipped. They asked me to send the projector with the iris error and to use the proj with the panel issue until the 3rd replacement arrived. I'm glad it's a 2 year warranty and they are very quick to take your call. I'm hoping the 3rd replacement is QC'd better than this last one.rolleyes.gif
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post #7833 of 8103
2/21/13 at 8:53pm
Well the third one looks really nice! Good convergence, the lens focuses/zooms easily
, the shift mechanism mostly stays where I put it, etc. I have it projected on a DIY 105" blackout cloth screen from about 9 feet. The blacks are not amazing but they aren't too bad. Motion looks good. And it is bright enough to watch in a lit room although the image obviously suffers.

I cannot quite get the projected image perfectly square to the screen but that could very well be my screen.

So it took a couple tries but I am happy!
Salem
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post #7834 of 8103
2/22/13 at 5:54am
LoL,

I'm in the same boat. I can't get it to fit quite right on my Blackout screen. My first projector i had no problems getting it "square on the screen". But I was totally baffled for about 48 hours. "Why can't i get this right!?" I laugh only because i remember i threw that screen together in my garage in no more than 30 mins. I'm pretty sure my screen isn't totally square and doesn't lay flush to the wall on all four corners. I built the screen as a temp screen untill my multi-format arrives from Monoprice so it'll work for me till then.

Enjoy your projector!
Vlad
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post #7835 of 8103
2/22/13 at 10:49am
With the 8350 and the lens shift you have to make sure that the projector is PERFECTLY perpendicular to your screen's X and Z... IE if your screen is perfectly plum and level the projector needs to be perfectly plum and level.. Don't skew it in any way to point at the screen, up-down left or right.. Then use the lens shift to get it on there.
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post #7836 of 8103
2/22/13 at 2:13pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by F12Bwth View Post

With the 8350 and the lens shift you have to make sure that the projector is PERFECTLY perpendicular to your screen's X and Z... IE if your screen is perfectly plum and level the projector needs to be perfectly plum and level.. Don't skew it in any way to point at the screen, up-down left or right.. Then use the lens shift to get it on there.

This was my problem. The projector was not perfectly square with the screen. The screen is turned out to be pretty square smile.gif.
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post #7837 of 8103
2/22/13 at 2:20pm
Hey guys,

Got a weird problem with my 8350 I hope is an easy fix (and not worthy of a separate thread):

I have my projector hooked up to a receiver, with the receiver outputting a single hdmi line to the 8350. My problem comes to the way the projector is displaying the various input sources: The cable box, PS3, etc all look great with the image filling my 16x9 screen. However, the dedicated computer I have hooked up to it displays the image a bit smaller, with a consistent black border all the way around.

This isn't an aspect problem, as the image is still a crisp 16x9. It's just like the projector decides to display the computer hdmi image source a little bit smaller than any other hdmi source. Any ideas?

I realize it may be a video card issue, but was trying to go with the easiest fix and work backwards. Thanks for the help either way!

-Mike
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post #7838 of 8103
2/22/13 at 2:21pm
I tried out the Epson 8345 and I really liked it but noticed that it's not great with motion, esp. When watching some sports and with some movies as well.
How does the 8350 stand up to fast motion?
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post #7839 of 8103
2/23/13 at 6:10am
Mike check your video card driver options. I know AMD provides an "overscan" setting. Increasing this will remove the black.
I am also curious what your resolution your computer is sending and what the 8350 is seeing.
Salem
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post #7840 of 8103
2/24/13 at 1:41pm
To me, I am just about a coin flip away after reading so many mixed reviews. The local Best Buy has an open box 8350 that I was really considering picking up but I just feel like an exchange is almost a gurantee with these things especially seeing as some are on their 5th or 6th unit, that is INSANE! I really don't know what to do but with a room that is 19ft deep and only has 6.5' ceilings, the lens shift and flexibility of this projector are almost perfect for me...what to do, what to do...
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post #7841 of 8103
2/24/13 at 2:05pm
If you can exchange it til you get a good one, or just unwind the deal at Best Buy and get your money back, why not give it a try? I can tell you it is easy to set up and re-pack if you need to, so you should be able to evaluate it without wasting a lot of time.

EVERY piece of gear with a lot of users has a lot of horror stories. At some point, you have to pick an option.

Good luck!
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post #7842 of 8103
2/24/13 at 5:19pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by horseflesh View Post

If you can exchange it til you get a good one, or just unwind the deal at Best Buy and get your money back, why not give it a try? I can tell you it is easy to set up and re-pack if you need to, so you should be able to evaluate it without wasting a lot of time.

EVERY piece of gear with a lot of users has a lot of horror stories. At some point, you have to pick an option.

Good luck!

Well I went ahead and bought the open item for 899. I also jumped on the ps3 sale they had so now I have the 8350 and new ps3 for less than a brand new 8350! Since my screen wont be ready for 3 weeks, what is the best way to test the convergence and everything to see if this unit has issues right off the bat? Sorry if that is a dumb question but I want to look into this right away.
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post #7843 of 8103
2/24/13 at 6:05pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by tshepp View Post

Well I went ahead and bought the open item for 899. I also jumped on the ps3 sale they had so now I have the 8350 and new ps3 for less than a brand new 8350! Since my screen wont be ready for 3 weeks, what is the best way to test the convergence and everything to see if this unit has issues right off the bat? Sorry if that is a dumb question but I want to look into this right away.

Shine it on a light colored wall and hook a laptop up to it at 1080 resolution. The text should be clear and easy to read. You can do more detailed tests too but this will show any serious convergence issue.
Salem
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post #7844 of 8103
2/24/13 at 6:13pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by tshepp View Post

Well I went ahead and bought the open item for 899. I also jumped on the ps3 sale they had so now I have the 8350 and new ps3 for less than a brand new 8350! Since my screen wont be ready for 3 weeks, what is the best way to test the convergence and everything to see if this unit has issues right off the bat? Sorry if that is a dumb question but I want to look into this right away.

Yes, hooking up a computer is the way to go. Make sure all parts of the screen can get razor sharp at the same time. I've had a couple of units that I had to send back that would focus most of the screen just find but a corner was blurry.
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post #7845 of 8103
2/24/13 at 11:51pm
Ok wife and I have had the 8350 for about a year and love it! While we've had pj's before this is miles ahead of anything previous BUT we do some daytime watching and light control can be an issue. Wife and I were starting to think about going to a flat screen but with so many choices, technologies, pros an cons, price points, etc it makes my head hurt and I don't want to be left thinking, "damn, I shouldn't have sold my Epson for a flatscreen".

So I started thinking. I know there are screens that can improve a pj's performance so maybe this is a solution? What we have now is an old Sanyo/Draper (came bundled with an old Sanyo pj), pull down 92" 16:9. What can be recommended that won't break the bank?
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post #7846 of 8103
2/24/13 at 11:52pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by frogpond1 View Post

Ok wife and I have had the 8350 for about a year and love it! While we've had pj's before this is miles ahead of anything previous BUT we do some daytime watching and light control can be an issue. Wife and I were starting to think about going to a flat screen but with so many choices, technologies, pros an cons, price points, etc it makes my head hurt and I don't want to be left thinking, "damn, I shouldn't have sold my Epson for a flatscreen".

So I started thinking. I know there are screens that can improve a pj's performance so maybe this is a solution? What we have now is an old Sanyo/Draper (came bundled with an old Sanyo pj), pull down 92" 16:9. What can be recommended that won't break the bank?

Yeah the 8350 is awful in any lighting. try to cover up your windows with a material that doesn't allow light to pass.
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post #7847 of 8103
2/25/13 at 12:03am
Quote:
Originally Posted by umairsemail View Post

Yeah the 8350 is awful in any lighting. try to cover up your windows with a material that doesn't allow light to pass.

Its better than anything we've ever had before thats for sure. I guess I could turn up the brightness during the day at the risk of burning through more bulbs which equals more money.
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post #7848 of 8103
2/25/13 at 12:05am
From my own experience, the clarity is much worse even when turned on full brightness in daytime as compared to the setting used in the dark/almost dark.
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post #7849 of 8103
2/25/13 at 4:48am
From what I have read, getting a gray or higher gain screen will help with ambient lighting. A screen innovations black diamond would be great but that may be out of your range...do a little reading on higher gain screens.
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post #7850 of 8103
2/25/13 at 4:49am
Quote:
Originally Posted by umairsemail View Post

From my own experience, the clarity is much worse even when turned on full brightness in daytime as compared to the setting used in the dark/almost dark.

Each situation is unique though, screen can make a huge difference.
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post #7851 of 8103
2/25/13 at 7:08am
Quote:
Originally Posted by frogpond1 View Post

Ok wife and I have had the 8350 for about a year and love it! While we've had pj's before this is miles ahead of anything previous BUT we do some daytime watching and light control can be an issue. Wife and I were starting to think about going to a flat screen but with so many choices, technologies, pros an cons, price points, etc it makes my head hurt and I don't want to be left thinking, "damn, I shouldn't have sold my Epson for a flatscreen".

So I started thinking. I know there are screens that can improve a pj's performance so maybe this is a solution? What we have now is an old Sanyo/Draper (came bundled with an old Sanyo pj), pull down 92" 16:9. What can be recommended that won't break the bank?

Have an 8350 that I really like. Using a Draper Targa 119" screen with a Matt White XT1000E surface (gain of 1). At night all is wonderful and in bright light viewing is OK.

However I also have a LCD 50" TV in the same room. The Draper Targa 16 x 9 screen lacks 'pop' in comparison to the LCD. Is this just a fact of life or will another screen surface allow the 8350 image to gain the 'pop' of a LCD TV while retaining the fine resolution?

Thanks.

Terry
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post #7852 of 8103
2/25/13 at 11:05am
This Guy spent a ton on this screen but the results are dramatic. He is running an 8350 and the screen cost twice as much.
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post #7853 of 8103
2/25/13 at 4:44pm
My 2 cents on the screen: you can save a bunch of money if you have a completely dark space to use it. I have a dedicated basement theater room with no exterior windows and made my own screen using the bulk fabric available on ebay. Made a quick wooden frame, used a staple gun to stretch the fabric onto the frame, then hid the staples with 2" felt tape all the way around. Looks great and you'd never know it wasn't professional grade unless you got about 6 inches away and took a good hard look.

Just throwing it out there if budget is a concern and you have the right space for it...

Oh and back to my original question, eyekode was exactly correct. It was an overscan setting. Everything is perfect now.
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post #7854 of 8103
2/25/13 at 5:23pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by F12Bwth View Post

This Guy spent a ton on this screen but the results are dramatic. He is running an 8350 and the screen cost twice as much.

They do sell 90" LCD's which is about the size of your screen but they cost 9k or so. The 80" ones can be picked up for ~3.3k. This is in the same ballpark as the black diamond and supernova screens.

I have decided to go for a mixed approach. I am keeping my 50" plasma for daylight viewing and setting up a 105"+ screen for movie night. Does the projector have the same black level as my plasma? No but the plasma has nowhere near the "wow" of a 100" screen!
Good luck!
Salem
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post #7855 of 8103
2/25/13 at 6:25pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by F12Bwth View Post

This Guy spent a ton on this screen but the results are dramatic. He is running an 8350 and the screen cost twice as much.

Try 3x as much. Even at the smallish size shown. At that size, and with adequate lumen delivered from a optimal throw, one cannot deny the end results, so don't anyone think I'm dissing the DNP in that regard

Have you seen the results we get from the DIY "Paint" application called Silver Fire? Under that circumstance, the various images shown below comes from a 8350, and the screens all cost 12x less than the DNP and 6x less than the PJ.

Which is more "livable"?

A few assorted examples:

98" diagonal circa 2009



ZERO Edge-style 110"er w/LCD Edge lighting / Epson 9350 circa 2010



110"er w/8350 :Note the color of the exposed Screen around the edges of the image:



92" diagonal w/8350


110"er w/8350


110"er w/8350 circa 2006



110"er w/8350 circa 2007



BTW, every screen shown is larger by a stretch than the DNP shown in the link.

OK...ok...I couldn't resist. redface.gif I have utilized the 8350 over 25 times, with almost no issues at all, and virtually ever case was in rooms designed not optimally, but "ergonomically" to fit the living demands of the Viewer. As such, the use of a surface that could be both a contrast enhancing surface and retain gain was called for, a Silver Fire delivers.

Now absolutely, the DNP Supernova is the Cream of the Crop. A Black diamond isn't in the same league, let alone running in the pack. That is why when any comparisons between Silver Fire are made to a Mfg Screen, the BD products get shouldered aside. Once again, not in the same League.

I say this because neither of the aforementioned Mfg screens represent the "performance for a value" characteristics of a Silver Fire screen. Yes, you can buy into the performance of a DNP, and as far as a Mfg Screen, get what you pay for. The BD? not so very much. However at the price a DNP costs, really only a relative few will spend $3K+ for a Screen to match up with a $1195.00 PJ.

On the AVS DIY Screen Forum, http://www.avsforum.com/f/110/diy-screen-section we do a great job of reversing that equation. Judicious and common sense use of lighting, and a affordable PJ of a minimal requirement of performance levels can use a Silver Fire application and get spectacular results...for under $250.. including the Electric HVLP Gun needed to spray such a high performance coating. Everything else needed is also in there. Substrate (Drywall Wall or White Board or Mirror), 3/4 gallon of Silver Fire, Screen Trim w/Velvet (or not for a Zero Edge effect) and all the needed supplies. And you just know we are gonna help out any deserving DIY'er and make sure he nails is the first time around.

Right? wink.gif

Put another way, why pay enough to have something that should come with an ignition key and you can drive to the store when you can accomplish the same thing on a "Skateboard" budget.
Edited by MississippiMan - 2/25/13 at 6:30pm
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post #7856 of 8103
2/25/13 at 8:33pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by eyekode View Post

Shine it on a light colored wall and hook a laptop up to it at 1080 resolution. The text should be clear and easy to read. You can do more detailed tests too but this will show any serious convergence issue.
Salem

So, I got home, opened it up, and pointed it at the basement wall. For a textured and taupe colored wall I was pretty damn impressed out of the box. I made no adjustments other than focus. I used the test pattern that comes built into the unit and could see only a very slight issue with convergence (pictures below). I am assuming that not many come completely perfect but I'm just curious what the tolerance is? I am going to be building a Wilsonart laminate screen in the next month or so and then I will really be able to calibrate it. The red seems to be off about a pixel or two horizontal (above the letters) and the blue is off a pixel or two (below the letters)

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post #7857 of 8103
2/26/13 at 4:55am
Quote:
Originally Posted by tshepp View Post

So, I got home, opened it up, and pointed it at the basement wall. For a textured and taupe colored wall I was pretty damn impressed out of the box. I made no adjustments other than focus. I used the test pattern that comes built into the unit and could see only a very slight issue with convergence (pictures below). I am assuming that not many come completely perfect but I'm just curious what the tolerance is? I am going to be building a Wilsonart laminate screen in the next month or so and then I will really be able to calibrate it. The red seems to be off about a pixel or two horizontal (above the letters) and the blue is off a pixel or two (below the letters)


Mine that I deemed defective was much worse. About 7 pixels off. Another thing you could test is to watch some animated movie. Where there is strong contrast like between a field of black and white. If the convergence is very bad it will be blurred and non distinct and probably have a strong green or purple shadow. I like this test because staring at test patterns you get stuck chasing flaws that you don't see in real use.

But If you want to quantify exactly the convergence error you can google for a test pattern. White grid lines on a black background works well.

I have heard all 3 panel projectors will have sone degree of misconvergence due to alignment errors between the panels. Only technologies like DLP will be perfect in this sense. But of course DLP suffers from other issues like RBE.

Good luck!
Salem
Edited by eyekode - 2/26/13 at 8:49am
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post #7858 of 8103
2/26/13 at 8:17am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Terry Mann View Post

Have an 8350 that I really like. Using a Draper Targa 119" screen with a Matt White XT1000E surface (gain of 1). At night all is wonderful and in bright light viewing is OK.

However I also have a LCD 50" TV in the same room. The Draper Targa 16 x 9 screen lacks 'pop' in comparison to the LCD. Is this just a fact of life or will another screen surface allow the 8350 image to gain the 'pop' of a LCD TV while retaining the fine resolution?

Thanks.

Terry

I'm very happy with how my screen looks with the lights all the way up, in fact I usually watch sports this way. I have a 8350 and a 124" screen with the masking panels in for 16:9, and 158" with the panels out for 2:35:1.

My screen is a painted wall. I've seen the 8350 on real screens and I prefer how mine looks in my room. I don't know if I'm in the sweet spot for throw distance or what, but it looks great.

My camera is crap, the image looks much sharper than in pictures.







Here is a close up with lights all the way up:




Here is lights off, obviously better but you might be surprised how good it looks with the lights on. Once again though, I've seen other rooms with 8350's that don't look as good with the lights on so I don't know if it' my throw distance, painted wall, or what. Maybe my lights are in a better spot too.


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post #7859 of 8103
2/26/13 at 11:36am
Epson is a great company, my bulb is going dark prematurely and they are doing a one time exception and sending me a replacement smile.gif had the projector for 12 months so it's well over the 90 day lamp warranty. I came close to ordering a cheap knockoff lamp replacement on amazon, but I'm glad I called epson now smile.gif
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post #7860 of 8103
2/26/13 at 12:13pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by eyekode View Post

Mine that I deemed defective was much worse. About 7 pixels off. Another thing you could test is to watch some animated movie. Where there is strong contrast like between a field of black and white. If the convergence is very bad it will be blurred and non distinct and probably have a strong green or purple shadow. I like this test because staring at test patterns you get stuck chasing flaws that you don't see in real use.

But If you want to quantify exactly the convergence error you can google for a test pattern. White grid lines on a black background works well.

I have heard all 3 panel projectors will have sone degree of misconvergence due to alignment errors between the panels. Only technologies like DLP will be perfect in this sense. But of course DLP suffers from other issues like RBE.

Good luck!
Salem

I do feel like I am looking for the flaw with this, of course it is shown that there is a pixel or two off but these pictures were taken at 6" from the wall. Unfortunately, I do not have a white screen yet so I am still shooting it at a Taupe painted wall but watching a few Youtube HD videos has been awesome. Tonight I am going to wire up the surround system and watch a few clips (it really sucks watching clips with no sound) Thanks for the feedback smile.gif
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