The "Official" Optoma 3DXL Owner's thread - Page 4

That still sounds like a HDMI switch to me. They always taught me not to reinvent the wheel in my engineering classes...

Maybe it has something to do with the multi-box approach though. Is there any info on how the cabling is run to support dual projector passive? With only one output per box, it sounds like it would requre a 3rd piece of equipment to actually split the L/R signals, which I suppose a PC could easily manage... But a 3D-BR player would not... Does that mean it won't support dual projector passive on 3D-BR players?

rdjam already stated his player has dual outputs. I asked the same question earlier in the thread.

I'd like to see that, rdjam.

I'd also like to see a diagram of on the cheap and what's needed to make this all work at a bare minimum.

I'm torn and my delima is thus...

I have a 55 Sammy in my living room that I love. It replaced a 62 Mits that I loved too but it was only 720p and it blew up (infamous Mits cap problems). I was pissed off at Mits at the time so I bought the Sammy, 2 months before they released the 3D stuff. Story of my life.

Anyway, I want 3D but I don't want it as my main source. I want Bluray (PS3) and DTV sometimes and my preference is on the big screen. You see, I have an Epson 1080UB in the same room with a pull-down DaLite Hi-Power 106" screen for watching occasional games (sports) and Blurays. I'd love to drop it down to occasionally and watch 3D. Passive would be my preference but active would work if it worked reliably. I have a HT PC too with TMT5 but that wouldn't be my first choice of sources. I play with the HTPC but my family WATCHES the other sources. You know what I mean.

I almost pulled the trigger on the 73838 Mits last week. Then I saw the 63" Sammy 8000 bundle on sale at BB this weekend. Now I find myself in a holding pattern once again going, "Who am I fooling here. What I really want is BIG 3D. I'll be settling with anything else." So far, I'm glad I haven't pulled the trigger on either one but I only have a few more days on the Sammy deal at BB.

What to do. What to do...

Then, I run across this section (can't believe I haven't been here) and more importantly, this THREAD.

I source all my material to both the TV and the projector via a DVDO Duo so getting HDMI sources to both is no problem. I do have the challenge that a DLP projector will be a challenge in my environment because I have to mount it off-center so horizonal and vertical shift are almost mandatory, hence the reason I've stayed with LCD and the Epson to this point. The 1080UB Pro is a great projector and it's 3 years old now. I don't mind having two projectors and buying a 720p just for 3D if that's what it takes. I don't particularly want to have 3 over my head on the couch though. LOL Looks like you have to have two to do passive if I'm reading correctly?

Again, I'm looking a "part-time" projector solution for 3D only. I think you will agree that my 1080p normal viewing problems are under control but it sure would be nice to watch an occasional 3D production from the comfort of my couch.

How can I do this and what is the cheapest way out for me? This Optoma device has thrown a whole 'nother kink in all this for me. Looks like we can do this a lot cheaper now than I ever even dreamed. I'm way past the 720p v. 1080p thing when it comes to 3D. Again, this will be a part-time experience for me and I owned a 720p projector before the Epson. I know what to expect and I can live with it.

Still in a holding pattern. There's something important enough going on here to wait and see how it all unfolds before I do anything, it appears to me.

It's been my experience here at AVS that there's an incredible amount of tech going here all the time but what we are exceedingly bad about is stating in the end that you need "This, this, this and that to make this all work." That's what I'm trying to figure out in this thread and I suppose that it is still a work in progress in reality.

-bob

This box with an Acer H5360 projector is a really cheap solution. 720P makes no difference for 3D movies. I sit 7' from my 120" screen and it doesn't bother me at all. In 2D that changes and I notice the screen door effect, but for 3D it is amazing.

Passive? Active? Where does the emitter go or is it DLP enabled? Still confused. For a thousand bucks, I'm all over this. I was about to spend 2-3 times that for something smaller that I really didn't want to begin with.

Wilson-Flyer,

You are about perfect for getting a 720p DLP Link projector except that part about needing to mount it off center. If only you can find a way to mount it exactly where it wants to be, you could be in the wide screen 3D business on the cheap - under $1300 - much less if you already have a suitable HTPC. But if you really must have lens shift, you would almost certainly be better off rigging up a passive glasses 2 projector setup like rdjam or Blackshark.

If you might want to go that route, first thing is to check rdjam's list of projectors that have all three colors oriented together, polarization-wise. If your current projector is on that list, it could serve as one of the two you would need. If it is not, maybe that projector hasn't been tested yet, and you might want to follow the instructions to test it - its not very hard.

I advocate for big screen projection 3D whenever possible. Smaller screens are noticeably... smaller - especially in 3D.

I just thought of something. Optoma has a dLP Link projector pretty much made for moving to various places, setting it up, and gaming in 3D. It costs under $700 and you might just set it on an end table when you want to watch 3D. That way, mounting over your head would not be necessary. For occasional use, that might be fine. It is the 700 series.

Together with the 3DXL box or a suitable HTPC, great 3D would be thrown onto the big screen.

I can live with that. Even though I have the HTPC, my goal here is to keep it out of the equation. I don't want to have to deal with it. It's my toy but the family needs something simple. I just want to get my sources that already do 3D out in 3D if that makes sense.

I don't mind putting another one above my head over the couch. It's hard to describe but the 1080UB is on a small shelf between two windows. It would be easy enough to simply pull a shelf all the way across the windows and then with a little vertical offset, I would be fine. I don't mind doing that. I guess what I was trying to convey is that as much as I'd like to have passive, which it sounds like I'd have to have two for, I'm not willing to have a pile up there so it starts looking junky. This is my living room, after all. LOL

I'm going to check and see if my 1080UB Pro is on the list. If it is, getting another and slightly lessor 1080 might be an option but I probably can't even find another 1080UB now and I suspect they work better if they are a matched set. That would be a double value because when watching non-3D stuff, I could essentially double my light output for daytime viewing.

Hmmm... Lots to consider. I'm just glad to find this thread. I think I'm finally headed in the right direction thanks to it and probably better for less than I had first thought. I ride the projector and display forums and have for years but they are amazingly quiet when it comes to 3D. It's a wonder I even found this part of the board, but I'm certainly glad I did.

I don't see a 700 series on Optoma's page. Maybe it's last year's model? If so, it would be even cheaper, probably. Maybe I'm just missing it in the HT section. Got a model number?

Do you have a link to rdjam's list of LCD projectors he's tested?

Thanks!

PS--> I didn't mean to "take over the thread" but I think most would agree that this is an important part of the discussion of this device too. If not, I'd be happy to start another thread.

WF- I believe he was talking about the gametime short throw projectors from optoma so I believe there is the gt700 and another with slightly higher c/r.

I found them under the game projectors. I also found a 720 refurb on fleabay for $600. Uh-oh! Trouble's a brewin'! LOL

This device's propaganda keeps referring to 720p projectors on the cheap.

I gotta ask the obvious question. Why wouldn't it be even better on a 120 1080 DLP? Surely they exist (I've aleays been an LCD projector guy but my bet would be that most 1080p DLPs are 120 by now anyway without doing any research.) and probably not that much more money.

What gives? Is this thing limited to 1080p in and 720p out and even if that's true, wouldn't a 1080p DLP projector upscale the projector's input to 1080p and make it even better?

What am I missing?

hdmi can't do 120Hz 1080p, hence no 120Hz input 1080 projectors at all. It would need a DVI or Displayport adapter. Any 1080p 3D projectors out, or on the horizon are hdmi 1.4 and don't need any funky adapter. They are a lot more money is all.

Duh! That makes sense. Thanks!

The funky thing is so far the only way to game at 1080p in 3D at more than 24fps is passive projection with DDD or iZ3D drivers and both projectors plugged directly into the htpc. nVidia won't support dual projectors for no reason but greed.

Yea. I've been reading about that, though I'm just not as into gaming as I use to be. I don't get it. Sometimes it seems like nVidia and ATI can't get out of their own way.

Where's all this? I can't find it.

Yes, or even from a single card with dual outputs. I used it that way for a while with a 9800gt. Yes, I go through a lot of video cards :P My first 3d setup was that 9800gt, iz3d driver, and a pair of ew1610 projectors through a set of cheap berezin plastic polarizer filters. I've switched things around about a gazillion times since then, but that setup stayed around for several months with much success.
In fact, dual outputs is one of the best modes I've personally experienced with iz3d.

@Wilson-Flyer
I just set up a temporary 3D solution. I bought an Optoma tw610st pj, it is short throw, means it puts out a 100" image at 3-4 feet. It is driven by a Radeon hd6950 card( any 5xxx ir 6xxx will do, but 6xxx are hdmi 1.4 ready for the future) I am using dlplink glasses. TMT5 is used to play the 3d SBS movies downloaded from the internet( and you get them all!). You could substitute GT720 pj if you want it even cheaper for a little less lumens ( 3100 vs 2500 lumens). TMT5 can also play 3d BDs directly.

I really need the lumens in my room but I was hoping for a cheaper solution. This is quickly turning into a $2k project and that's fine but it just requires some additional planning. I'm seriously considering going Real3D with the emmitter so that's going to add to the cost too.

Oh well... I guess I don't have to make any decisions until the 3DXL actually ships in the states. I may go ahead and get the projector, though. Has anybody heard a firm ship date yet? I know it's been asked before but not really responded to so I guess not.

That's pretty much best bang for the buck if I draw a $1k line in the sand for the projector? Everybody pretty much agree on that? I need lumens and and as much mounting flexability as I can get for my $. LOL

tw610t is 968 shipped . A 55xx card is about 150 ( assuming you already have the htpc setup) DLP link glasses are about 90 a pop

dual 1080p (needs lens shift for accurate alignment) two 3d-xl s polarizer and screen will be over 4000 ( i was thinking that route earlier)

You guys keep talking about HTPCs and cards and the like. I already have one well within specs but I must be missing something here. I thought the whole purpose of this black box that is the origin of this thread, was to get my sources to the projector in 3D format without having to deal with a PC. Am I missing something here I need to know?

There is no current 3D ready projector that has any placement flexibility. You can check the projection calculators on Projectorcentral. My Acer 5360 had to be 14 feet back from the screen and mounted upsidedown 8" above the screen.

How big is your screen? 14' back it must be huge!

120" screen. I happened to have a shelf on the rear wall that worked perfectly for it.
The optoma gt720 would need to be only 6'7", which would put it right over my head.
The optoma HD 66 is similar to my acer, but more offset. From projectorcentral: "you can fill a 120" screen with a 16:9 image from 13' 6" to 14' 10", depending on the position of the zoom lens. The fixed throw angle means that the bottom edge of this same image will appear almost 11" above the lens' centerline"
That would probably be better for ceiling mounting for most people.