Viewsonic PLED-W500 LED 1280x800 - Page 8

I almost dropped on this as it was a great price. Went for a price match from NCIX as they had free shipping, and dang, the price went up by $100 @ Tiger. If anyone knows of the $470 price in Canada, please post.

PS- why does this projector get so little love. Lots of 3D talk (which is of no interest to %99 of us) yet no real in depth talk about this projector, while the other 3 or 4 compatible projectors have been put through the ringer. Why? View-sonic not respected or what?

Tried creating custom resolution of 1280 X 720 @ 120Hz on the PC with nvidia GeForce 9600GT (could not create this custom resolution with ATI HD5450) and got hdmi out of range at the projector. So now the problem seems to point to the timing. Maybe the pled uses some non-standard timing? I have the ability to manually change timings. Any suggestions?

hmm...I'm not sure

What makes this puzzling is that the Viewsonic VP3D1 processor supposedly outputs a 720p 120hz that the PLED-W500 LED projector will sync to.

Thanks to your testing we know it's not a signal timeout issue because a pc will output a constant signal.

Like you said it seems like the only possibility left are custom timings. If that doesn't work it makes me wonder if the VP3D1 processor is really outputting 1024x768 @ 120 instead of 720p @ 120hz.

If you feel comfortable adjusting timings you can try downloading Powerstrip:
http://entechtaiwan.com/util/ps.shtm

It's free for 30 days but if you find timings that work you can use them with Nvidia's custom resolutions.

In the Advanced Timing Options you can adjust timings in real time. I'm not familiar with the Nvidia control panel, maybe it has this option as well?

Just make sure you write down the keyboard reset keys on some scrap paper for Powerstrip to revert back to stable timings should the screen lose sync. I speak from experience. It's not a big deal but it's better than having to boot into safe mode just to change your resolution.

Let us know if you have any luck!

Eureka! It worked. I now have 1280 X 720 @ 120Hz progressive signal from the nVidia GeForce 9600GT to the PLED W500. Thank you Sisyphus for your tips. Creating custom resolution was the key. Creating the keyboard shortcut helped zero in on the issue. Last night when I tried it I think I had accidently changed the timing to one of the presets available in the nVidia panel. Everything went dark and hdmi out of range error displayed on projector output and I could not get back. Also I believe that the nVidia panel had crashed. Today armed with a keyboard shortcut to reset resolution I tried again with the following settings:

Horizontal pixels: 1280
Vertical lines: 720
Refresh rate (Hz): 120
Color depth (bpp): 32
Scan type: Progressive
Timing->Standard: Automatic


and voila it worked.

To create custom resolution for nVidia graphics cards go to
nVidia Control Panel -> Display -> Change resolution

Then click on the 'Customize' button and then click on 'Create Custom Resolution' button.

Then enter the settings from above and click the 'Test' button.

Hope this helps someone...

Awesome! You are the first person to confirm the Viewsonic will do 720p @ 120hz. Nice job!

Does the Nvidia control panel list specific timings like front porch, back porch, sync width, etc? If you could post your settings that would be awesome.

If Nvidia doesn't list them, and you are willing...you can install powerstrip. After it's installed it displays a menu of options. Unless you want to run powerstrip all the time, I would uncheck load with windows option and uncheck restore settings on startup, and write down on paper the hot keys for restoring default settings. Then click ok to exit the menu and right click the powerstrip icon on your taskbar, and select display profiles_configure, then select the Advanced timing options.

Be careful not to change any settings. But if you're willing to write down the settings from this page, or just hit printscreen on your keyboard, then paste the image in paint and post it here or on http://imageshack.us/ I will write everything down and post it here. Whatever is easiest for you.

Thanks again!

I am travelling now...Will be back in a month...will try it out when I get back...

Sounds good. Thanks for sharing with us. Have a nice trip.

Guys!! Ordered the Projector on the 7th Awaiting Delivery.

I Currently Have a LG HS201 and am a big fan of the LED Projectors!!
Great to see 3D working. Awesome.!!

How bad are other peoples focus drift? I know this is an issue with these LED projectors. I'm wondering if it's mostly across the board like the CA or variable. From all the reading it seems like some people will have no problem and some will. Mine feels pretty bad. I'd say it takes about 30 min to settle and from cold to warmed up there is a large difference in focus. I tried tonight to start it where it was adjusted once it had warmed up but the blur was too bad to not adjust it.

Am I stuck having to decide between a different type of projector that doesn't have the drift if this isn't acceptable or should I try another of the same model and see if it has the same issues to the same extent?

Again, I know the focus drift has been a major issue with these, but some people seem like they don't have it, and I would like to not have it also.

Thanks

Here's what I do to overcome the focus drift issue. I initially setup my projector high up on a shelf, aligned it on the screen on the opposite wall across the room and then let it run for 15 minutes or 30 minutes or until the focus stabilizes, meaning that it doesn't drift anymore, which on my unit is about 15 minutes (I have an Acer K330, but very similar to the ViewSonic PLED-W500, and all the clone projectors).
THEN, after there is no more focus drift, adjust the focus just right and leave it there. From then on, turn on the projector 15 to 30 minutes (however long it takes) before you intend to watch it. It's a bit inconvenient yes, but it works.
I come home, turn on the projector right away, have a shower and change into comfortable clothes, make a sandwich and some tea, and then go into the theater room to watch my projector which by that time is now all warmed up and in focus.
The ~20,000 hour lifetime of the LED HD(720P) DLP projectors: (ViewSonic PLED-W500, Acer K330, Optoma ML500, and NEC L50W) is so great, the extra startup runtime isn't a big issue; just turn on your projector long enough to reach stable focus before you intend to sit down and use it. It's a reasonable compromise/workaround to get such an awesome picture from a $500 to $650 projector that lasts ~20,000 hours. The rich colors and deep blacks from these clones is better than I have seen from so many other regular lamp projectors that cost much more to purchase AND require regular replacement bulbs costing hundreds of dollars !
You'll go nuts fiddling with the focus all the time, so don't do that.
You have an awesome piece of tech at a very breakthrough price with the "clones", capable of providing HD 720P wide-screen, cinema-like viewing right in your home, so enjoy it after it warms up instead of stressing out. Anyone else doing this?

I don't know... in my case the focus issue is with uniformity, bottom very crisp and top of the image a little blurry. After a very "intense" adjust i think it looks perfect for me! I must say i love this pj, it looks nice, play 3d and can keep running forever! (What else can you ask for)

can someone please explain to me how you got 3d vision working with the projector?

I have it hooked from my laptop through VGA out to the VGA input in the projector

I can get it to do 1024x768 at 120hz. However when I go to the nvidia control panel and select 3d stereoscopic and set it to on, it only gives me the "3d discover" mode which is essentially just the cheap red and blue paper glasses.
I'm not able to get the nvidia to output the 3d image over vga. can someone give me some input please

Thanks,

Ed

what vid card do u have?

nvidia only works with all the nividia stuff ,emitter pluged in ect.

I recently bought this projector and am wondering if anyone has ever gotten it to work with the Optoma 3D-XL? I've read where others have gotten the VP3D1 to work. But I would like to use the RF glasses and that would require an emitter port on the converter, which the VP3D1 does not have. Also, it frequently loses sync on the HDMI port. Any suggestions?

One more thing, I too had a hard time uniformly focusing it. But now that I've remounted it perfectly level with no keystoning, it seems fine.

Does anyone else have an issue with the projector cutting out? Displays the viewsonic logo and stops for a couple seconds then displays again. Should I get a new one or is it normal?

Hey I was wondering if anyone knows how to open up the Pled W500. Mine has uneven focus and want to see if I could fix it the same way another member did with his Qumi.

Nvidia Geforce GT 425M, its a laptop.

It does 3d vision, i have the RF glasses and everything...

Hi Guys,

Received my PJ, i was using the LG HS201 before this. Compared to the LG the colours are completely off. Tried the service menu to do some calibration. The LED cannot be calibrated shows status as process first and then shows coms_error.
Has somebody successfully calibrated the colours on this PJ?
Is it my projector only which has this wonky colours? everything is really green to start with. Please help!!

me too.

1. too green (no matter how i calibrate)
2. not enough red on other mode(except brightest)

Same with me but mine never used to be like that. I went into the Service menu and I think the LED calibration got reset or something because it is now way to green and way to dim. When I start it with no input and go into LED calibration settings is show (221/239/221) but if I choose any source like VGA or HDMI is goes all funny the LED calibration then shows (90/166/94)?

Well i also did the same. and now do not enjoy the colours on this at all.
Is there a way to fix this?

Guys any help is welcome

I've read thru all of these forums before buying the PLED-W500. In either the ML500 or K330 forumn a poster used his computer to rewrite the LED calibrations.

You might contact Viewsonic to see if it's a known problem and/or ask them how to reset/reboot it?

I got mine re-calibrated, You need to go option but using the on board controls not with the remote. Then it will let you re-calibrate the leds. As far as getting them to your personal liking that needs to be done through a certain pc program.

Hi Buddy,

Tried the same option via remote aswell on the service menu.
Does not seem to work. Get the same comms_err.


Hi Brother,

Could you please point me to the post.
I have been searching extensively, but could not find a refernce.

I saw this

"Thanks so much 3DNewb! I think you saved my sanity. The link was from High Def Junkies [dot] com on the page you listed.
Pressing "the {POWER}, {LEFT}, {LEFT}, {MENU}" buttons in sequence did it for my ML500."

I can't find the post either, he was changing it to check power comsumption as I recall. But I think he was doing it in this service menu screen with his computer.

no you have to do it through the normal menu not service menu. So start it up let it warm up for a good 20 min then while connect via HDMI to a source press menu on the pj itself and go to settings which is all the way to the right and go down to LED calibration

I let the projector warmup and waited for about 30 mins but the option is greyed out on my PJ.

I Reset the data in there but the LED config is not tweakable from the service menu. I think i need the software to make change in PJ bios config..

I tried this and at first I was getting no results. So I just went down thru the list of timing options and when I tried CVT reduced blank, it worked and I was able to get 1280 x 720@120Hz. So now I can play games in 2D at that resolution/refresh over HDMI.

Sadly, the same isn't true for 3D, Nvidia gives me a red warning message overlay that ruins it, even though it's running perfectly in the background.

So I guess I'll have to stick to 3D gaming via VGA for now.

What I'd really like to do, is to get it to work with Arcsoft or Power DVD, for 3D Blu-ray playback over HDMI. Stupid HDCP is killing me. I know there is AnyDVDHD, but I have a feeling that it may not continue to work in the future.

I also was able to do 1920x1200 via VGA but unfortunatly not HDMI. It really seemed to help with text, or I may have been imaging the text was better.