The official Epson 8700UB thread - Page 81

WOW.... I just got my bulb today. They sent no email or anything and I thought I was just out of luck because I sent the rebate in late but Epson came through.

My refurb 8700ub shipped today. I just ordered a Panny 220 BD player. Can someone tell me how to test my PJ for quality/irregularities? Do I need a test disk? If so, please recommend one. All I have is the Digital Video Essentials DVD. Thank you.

Finally got my 8700ub. SO glad the Acer H9500BD has limited placement options.

When I turned on the 8700ub, it didn't look so great. Then I make a few adjustments (Theater Black 2, color temp, super white, etc), and wow, it POPPED! So clear, so vivid, my wife noticed it too and was in awe. She was saying it was leaps and bounds over our old Panny AE-1000u. My wife was raving about the blacks and dark scenes. It was so difficult to watch dark scenes on the Panny, but not this beast. Sports looked awesome, even my wife was asking to see how certain sports she doesn't care about look.

Then I turned on Frame Interpolation to high and we both almost shed a tear (in joy!). We FINALLY feel like we got what we wanted in a PJ: a PJ to give us a picture like that of our Samsung LED TV, but on a larger scale.

Very, VERY happy so far.

No bulb for me. I was a few days late(i.e., a few days after the 30 day post purchase date) sending in the rebate forms, etc. Got a reply from Epson that I was out of luck. Not at all pleased but I guess I didn't read the fine print and thought everything needed to just be in by the end of March.

Just hooked up the accell 1 x4 powered splitter from my amp to a Samsung 55" TV and the 8700UB. Turned everything off when I went to bed. The next morning, all the lights on the splitter are blinking and the HDMI ports for the 8700UB are no longer working.

There was an earlier post about this that was never resolved. I tried connecting directly to the projectors HDMI 1 and 2 port from an XBox and the receiver after removing the splitter. They still don't work. I just get a "no signal" message on the bottom left hand side of the screen.

I also tried resetting and unplugging the projector (then plugging it back in), but that didn't help either.

I'm using a 35' Monster cable so it can't be that. The splitter was plugged into a backup battery with a power surge protector so it shouldn't have received a power spike. I have no idea what's going on.

I can't image the splitter having anything to do with it. But since the splitter does not appear to be working anymore, I have to assume that's the issue.

Has anyone seen or heard of this issue before? I'll be calling Epson in the morning to see if they have an idea.

Thanks in advance for any help I can get.

Hello!

Ive seen splitters go bad before, in many different forms, USB, network hubs/switches. They just do. I would check your cables, they can be the culprit as well. I would get a cheap new hdmi to test directly to your 8700 and remove the splitter from the equation. Let me know what happens...

Also...just hooked my 8700 in my house, waiting on my jamestown 130" screen. So me and the wife just wanted to test out, hooked it up about 15-16 feet away on a table, projecting to a BLUE painted wall(no other option) and WOW, my wife was super impressed, as was I. With out changing any settings except Theater Black 1/2 we watched Enemy at the Gates Blu-ray and were both super impressed!! And it was running on eco! Cant wait to get my screen and share some pics!

Also, got the GI Joe DVD set and watched it too, awesome!

good to hear. Enjoy it. Check it out on a all white wall or screen though ( before your 30 day return time). Look for discoloring on the edges. Much easier to see on all white background using on all white image.

Guys, any recommendations on a mount? And if it should be flush vs. hang down (how much hang?) I have 9 foot ceilings. REad some posts that recommend the Chief but also see a cheap one made just for the 8700 on amazon. Any thoughts?

Kev, go with Chief. Excellent mount.

Just turned on my new 8700ub for the first time this evening. Well, it's a refurb, but it looks absolutely brand new. The picture isn't parallel with my screen edges, it's narrower at the top, I forget what they call that. Is there an adjustment I can make to get it parallel?

I removed the splitter, changed HDMI cables, tried everything. No luck. I'm now thinking it was the splitter because the splitter is no longer working as well. Strange.

I actually got a replacement 8700ub today and it works fine through the existing HDMI. But I had another issue with it. The focus ring was completely locked. It wouldn't budge in either direction. So I returned that one today.

Man, I'm having a tough time.

I kept my original 8700 with the HDMI problem. It's still not working no matter what I try so I guess I'm out of luck until the 2nd replacement arrives on Monday.

I should say, I think the powered splitter somehow fried the HDMI ports in the projector. I have no idea how, but it's just too much of coincidence to have my HDMI ports on the 8700 stop working the same day I added the splitter, which is now fried as well.

Your projector is pitched downward in the front, so it is not level and that is making the top of the lens closer to the wall than the bottom is. It doesn't take much tilt to equate to a noticeably trapezoidal image. (...the same applies to "side to side" issues...) So level it out and then adjust the lens shift.

I'm wondering why the sides of the image were perfectly parallel with the sides of my screen when using my Sanyo PLV-Z2. I remember now, the "distortion" is called the keystone effect. Maybe the Sanyo has a correction feature. The 8700ub doesn't? I haven't finished setting up the 8700ub position, going to make the shelf extension more secure, more level, and I assume I can get the up/down tilt adjusted using the screw in/out feet. I did extend them to the max yesterday before watching my first full movie and the distortion was almost gone. Still a little to do.

Most projectors have electronic keystone correction but using it degrades the image somewhat so it is not recommended unless you have absolutely no way to square up the projector to the screen. In your case, keep at it with the physical adjustments instead of using keystone. If you absolutely can't get it 100% perfect but get really close, zoom the image just slightly past the edge of the screen (assuming you have a black border).

Watching DVDs and Streamed content presents no problems, however various TV Broadcasts do. No 8350 I have seen has ever manifested such, so I'm wondering if it may have something to do related to the image processing Chip?

Is there a way to turn off the up-conversion engine, or limit it to "Native". any other known solution?

I'll be going on a year now with mine and it's still amazing me. We watched Bonnie and Clyde (BD) last night, and my wife said the PQ looked better than when we'd first seen it at the movie theater. I love this projector.

Gosh.

Does anyone recall a time when stating this "My projected Image looks 'better'n a Plasma!" would have elicited some very abusive, if not almost obscene comments?

You don't mention the Screen your using...but it's properties and performance are probably combining with the 8700's to make things all the more better.

I know that the DIY Screens we advocate have a lot to do with it, being almost infinitely adjustable to the end user's needs. But even with that...without a really splendid Display source...it's not gonna happen via a screen surface alone.

Even with the Lip Sync issue I mentioned above, as long as 8700s are still available...they will remain at or near the top of my list as far as being among the most desirable of PJs for the money.

Yes, I agree that a proper screen can do wonders for achieving the best possible image quality. I'm using a 120" Stewart Firehawk screen, which is giving amazing results.

This Epson projector has finally given me the theatrical look I'd been trying to achieve since the mid 1980s. I've been disappointed by some of the best up until now; Runco, Seleco...

People just getting into this hobby have no idea how lucky they are. The major breakthroughs in image quality are only a few years old. My first projector cost twelve-thousand dollars (after shopping for the best price) and it couldn't come close to what I'm seeing now in my theater room.

As far as Plasma TVs; that's just what they are, TVs. My 60" Panny displays a fantastic image, but it still reminds me of a TV. The Epson gives me the film-like quality that's needed to achieve a true movie experience.

I also should add that the introduction of Anamorphic DVDs, HD-DVD and BD has also greatly added to the results we are now seeing.

My screen is pointing downward to some extent, but this can be easily adjusted. The projector sits about 2 feet above my head on a shelf. The screen is angled down so that its center points approximately at my head. I can, if I choose, tilt the screen somewhat less downward so that it points at the projector's lens. This should, I expect, in accordance with your instructions, eliminate the keystone problem. However, then I will not be viewing the screen from the exact center perspective. I suppose that's preferable to using electronic keystone correction. Obviously the viewers head and the projector's lens cannot be in the same place! Please comment. Thank you!

I received my refurb 8700ub Thursday, now 5 days ago. Looks in every respect new to me, haven't tested it yet, and the only adjustments I've made are to go to Eco mode and have turned down the brightness by about 18 digital detents (Bright white screen, short throw of 9.5 feet, close to maximum flare with the zoom adjustment). Have watched a couple of movies, about 7 hours of HDTV. It seems to me that this leaves little to be desired. However, I've never seen what the expensive projectors can do, so I guess I'd be stupid to say I won't want to upgrade some day, plus they keep getting better. Maybe I'll want 3D, who knows? However, this is very pleasing, the blacks are blowing me away. I've been intending to paint the ceiling and at least some walls a darker shade to lower or effectively eliminate reflection into the dark areas of the screen from the walls/ceiling, which hurts the otherwise excellent contrast. Now that I have a projector with great, great contrast, I have that much more motivation to move ahead with the painting project in the near future.

Other reasons to like this projector compared to my over 8 years old Sanyo PLV-Z2 are the fact that it's somewhat quieter, starts up quicker (the Sanyo has a 30 second countdown before you see any image), and it shuts off way faster (the Sanyo always has the fan on for around a minute or more after you shut it down).

I love Epson service. The lamp on my 8700 failed prematurely(went very dim after 1 year) so I called Epson Service yesterday and a new lamp arrived this morning! I think I spoke to someone in the Philippines, it was shipped from Indiana, and I live in BC, Canada. No hassle, just a 5minute phone call.
I have owned a 1080, 6500, and now an 8700, and I admit I've had issues with each of them. However, in each case Epson has resolved the issue with prompt replacements shipped to my door, with a pre paid FedEx return. I live about 3 hours from the nearest projector dealer and the thought of driving to the city, dropping off the projector, waiting for service/ repair, driving back to get it, etc, was a key concern when I went with Epson.
Of course, the outstanding price/performance was also a major factor.

I got my refurb 8700ub 5 days ago, no extra lamp included, I believe that rebate ended end of March. My HT is very small, I don't need high illumination. What settings can I use to minimize bulb wear (i.e. make it more likely that my lamp will not fail for a long time)? I already set it to Eco mode and turned down the brightness 18 detents. Is there anything else I can do?

Eco mode will extend lamp life. Not sure about reducing brightness by the menu. The lamps are rated at 4000 hrs in eco mode and IIRC 3000 at normal.... it may be 4000 at either. In any case, unless the lamp fails early like mine, that's a long life. After investing in your home theatre, why not set up your calibration for the best viewing experience? A dimmer picture is just not as enjoyable. Estimate your annual viewing time and see if the extra lamp life is worth a potentially less enjoyable experience.
I like THX which uses normal lamp mode and I'm happy to replace the bulb a bit earlier if needed.

If you have light ceiling/walls, one of the best improvements is to darken them. If the room is a dedicated theater, go for darkness. I have deep burgundy walls and had the ceiling white when it was built. I soon changed the ceiling to a deep gray, with great results. Do not put it off and procrastinate!

My annual viewing time is around 500 hours.

I'm wondering if using THX will be too bright in my environment, or can you turn down the brightness and still enjoy and advantages of THX? My throw distance is 9' 6" and the screen is currently bright white. I may paint it with Misty Evening, which will darken it some. I have the paint, haven't gotten around to painting the screen. I hope the paint is still good, it's been a long time!

Thanks in considerable part to your "do not put it off and procrastinate" admonition, I went out this afternoon and bought a gallon of pretty good almost-black flat paint and a decent brush. I have rollers, etc. Will paint the room shortly, the ceiling and adjacent walls. The room is not a dedicated home theater exactly. It has my desktop, but the desktop has been serving more and more as an HTPC in recent years since I've got a few laptops now. Anyway, I feel good about optimizing things for home theater service.

Guys,

I just purchased a refurb 8700 for $1450 and got a Da-Lite 90271V Cinema Contour HDTV Format 106” Diag. (52” x 92”) HC Cinema Vision screen. I had a question on throw and seating distance. I am finishing my basement so i can put the seating anywhere from 10 to around 14.5 feet..maybe 15. It will be a sectional, not theater seating. My question is....

I went to this site....http://www.projectorcentral.com/Epso...o.htm?add=5911

I put in my screen size and it came back that Epson (?) recommends a throw of 11.1 with seating from 11-17 feet. I guess my question is what is the "right' seating distance with this projector and screen? I will mostly have control of light. There is one window in the room that I will have blinds or black out shade on. I dont think I will be able to get away with painting the ceiling black but hoping to at least do it a color that is not white. Same with back wall where screen will be.

Any thoughts or recommendations? Thank you.

how often do you guys clean your filter. I hesitate just because with my luck, I'll open it up and get a dust blob

I have the same question...and does anyone have tips to avoid dust contamination while cleaning the filter?

The THX setting is not overly bright...it's set up to meet THX spec's and was recommended in initial reviews I read by Art on the Projector Reviews site. The out-of-the box performance was very good and I have not gotten around to calibrating yet. I used to use Theatre Black with my 6500UB but prefer THX now, with a DaLite white screen. I can't imagine you would find it too bright, but you can always try Eco mode if you do.
Good for you on the paint! You will notice a difference, with much less light reflected off the ceiling, which only serves to wash out the picture. For daytime use, just beef up the task lighting if it feels a bit too cave like.

Where did you get this refurb 8700 for $1450?