The Official Acer H9500BD Thread - Page 104

There's really more to 3D than just processing. If it's done correctly, the film is shot with 3D in mind (see Hugo). The thing about the real time conversion is that it makes certain assumptions (or appears to). For example, there seems to be an assumption that the lower on the screen something is, the closer it is to you. When that's true, it looks fine, but when it isn't, well it doesn't.....there was this one scene I brought up on this thread earlier. This woman was standing such that the bottom of her arms were at the bottom of the screen. It looked like she had these weird spider arms sort of growing out towards you.

I think 3D, as we know it know, is pretty much here to stay. Passive 3D will come down in price over the next few years and be more affordable for home use. No glasses 3D may also start to develop. Just my opinion.

I had a fridge experience a couple of weeks ago. They replaced the compressor and it cost me 5+ benjis.....working on those things is really a pain in the @$$. I do every kind of repair imaginable at my house, but wouldn't go near one of those with a 10 foot pole.
Edited by InCali - 6/20/12 at 12:03pm

Speaking of getting my PJ back, I was on the phone with Acer support again and, I have to say, it seems like I get a different story every time I talk to someone.

This is going to be a bit nuanced, but here goes.....Today, I was told by corporate customer care that there is no "official" firmware update for the Acer (that was after someone in level 2 confirmed that the firmware update addressed the 3D (ceiling mount) tearing issue. The corporate customer care rep told me that, while there was no firmware update that he could confirm, each projector is looked at individually and may receive a firmware update (the existence of which can't officially be confirmed) based on the particular problem which it exhibited. Further I was told that firmware updates (which don't officially exist) may or may not need other hardware to function properly. Now, since the firmware updates don't officially exist, of course they can't tell me what issues they might address if they did exist (Makes sense to me......).

As for the repair of my projector, they can't confirm that the firmware is being updated because it doesn't officially exist. They can, however, confirm that they are waiting on a cable because it does officially exist and I evidently need one of those (cables, by the way, don't go "bad" very often unless you officially tugged on them or otherwise officially mistreated them). I was also told that they didn't currently have an estimated repair date of 6/25 (which I was given yesterday), but that it might be that he just didn't see it because I have a very long file.

So, we have a manager from Acer who said the HDMI blurring can be fixed by a firmware update which was being developed, a level 2 support person who confirmed the firmware update which addresses the tearing problem, a corporate customer care person who can't confirm that firmware updates exist, and a customer who has no clue WTF is really happening.

Maybe I should just call tomorrow and see what else I can find out.
Edited by InCali - 6/20/12 at 3:32pm

Sir, we have just shipped your unit via xxx, here's the tracking number.. y$%678fgr@#$%61sd

Have a nice day and enjoy your (blurry) PJ with a (blu ray)..

Thank your for your business...

you forgot the complimentary hipster "white" 3D glasses for his trouble *


*do not wear outside your home theater, does not protect from UV or stares from strangers.

A device that gives an added dimension to Fox News?

I think even Steve Jobs would be impressed, wherever he is.

I came here to read up on acer 9500 firmware updates and I wind up laughing out loud and looking forward to tomorrows updates and jokes.

A true delight to read!

I sent the optoma back so didn't have a chance to test the hdmi sharpness. Sorry!

This is all amusing content while we wait for Acer to do whatever they are going to do. Tonight something dawned on me, well not really because I knew it all along, while watching my Samsung LED DLP TV which is several years old I realized, again, that LED lighting is the way to go. Perhaps laser engines are better but I cannot comment on that. All I can say is my 61" TV is still kicking azz. While that old school lamp system has to go, I am not sure anyone is doing it right right now with PJs. Just some random thoughts here because I turn my TV on and off at will without worry for bulb strike or hours. I did disassemble the unit for some cleaning about a year ago and it is more than I could ask for. Anyways, some things to think about while we await Acer's fix with that silly bulb that we are all stuck with. I mean really, let's move beyond the bulb but that is what we have so fix it. I now have over 10K hours on my TV which BTW for curious folks is a DLP projector.

It's a possibility, but, if I had to guess, I think the HDMI blurring issue has a good chance of being fixed because other sources indicate so. As I've said before, I tend to take an optimistic outlook on things. We shall see. I think this is a case of Acer's right hand not knowing what the left is doing and confusion over company "policy"....such as it exists. Plus, I will say, I don't consider my PJ blurry, but I only use it for movies, sports, and stuff like that. If I was doing gaming, I'd probably have a different perspective. It's a big step up from my last PJ (which I liked fine).

Time will tell and I'm glad at least a couple of people enjoyed my post.

Fox 3D News; bringing you next week's new today and last week's news next week......

Take care folks.

PS Love my 73" Mits 3D DLP. Especially for $1600 (which includes Tax, Delivery, and a 3 year in-home warranty from Paul's).
Edited by InCali - 6/20/12 at 9:10pm

I just saw some clips from Jon Stewart's show (not in 3D) regarding a recent change to immigration policy enforcement and the last minute or so reminded me of my, admittedly, somewhat sarcastic post. I don't like the fact that he has better writers than I do (meaning me) and promise to up my game in the future when I speak with customer support.

Cheers.

It is slowly happening, a lot of 720P LED projectors and rumors of affordable 1080P LED ones coming later this year maybe. Lumen output needs some uumph to get larger screens and 3D.

http://www.avsforum.com/t/1415604/panasonic-pt-rz470-full-hd-led-laser According to this post things may change fairly quickly.

Looks like BenQ is up to something as well http://www.projectorreviews.com/press-releases/?p=937 .
Edited by man4mopar - 6/21/12 at 11:16pm

I am about to pull the trigger, but am I make the right decision for this projector?

I did a lot of research and read every reviews about this projector, I’m also consider other popular ones like AE7000U, 3010, 5010, HD33 and W7000. The only thing come close to AE7000U with the feature sets I wanted is this one:

2D to 3D conversion
Dynamic IRIS for deeper back in both 2D and 3D
1:5 Zoom or more for ease placement
Lens shift
Frame Interpolation in both 2D and 3D

I know the issues it has: SBS tearing, 1:1 pixel mapping etc - but I don’t play video games.

Only major concern I have is - unable to adjust the gray scale – But how close is it?
ProjectorReviews ProjectorCentral said the best mode is the Dark Cinema mode, but still, one say the color is a little off and but other say is close?

I have a light controlled room, with hi-power 2.7 gain screen, only use it for movies.

So, Since you guys own it, what are your thoughts?
And is AE7000U worth a thousand $ more in comparison to H9500BD?

Thanks in Advance for help me decide.

Baja

The cost "is" the reason I didn't buy the Panasonic. I haven't heard a lot of complaints about the color and I think it looks good. It does have vertical and horizontal adjustments, but you should try to get it as close to the middle of the screen (horizontally) as possible. I have the center of my lens about 3 " above the top of the viewable area. Coderguy has a link at the bottom of his posts which is very helpful when mounting the projector. I used it to calculate the distance from the screen and it worked perfectly. If you look over the thread, you'll see that I've had some bunk projectors which had to be fixed. Most others haven't had the problems I've had. I "suspect" the pixel mapping issue will be fixed soon, but can't guarantee it. I only use a 1.1 gain screen and it is "plenty" bright. My guess is that you would need to back off on the brightness or would be able to have a fair amount of ambient light, but others know more about that than I do.

I rummaged through a bunch of broken down equipment and managed to build myself an APS 750XL UPS. It says it's a "Smart UPS", but how smart can something be that's 5 years old?? I don't know a lot about this particular model, but it has a trim and boost function. I'm guessing that they are pretty good surge suppressors as well as being a UPS. I'm definitely going to plug my projector into it when I get it back.

And.......speaking of getting my PJ back, I got a call from a very nice guy from Acer. After I gave him my long, sad story, he said he's going to find out exactly WTH is going on with my PJ and get back to me. I'm actually rather impressed that I would get this sort of call unsolicited, but am glad I did. I'm sure none of you will be shocked to know I was going to call again today and pester someone. Here's an interesting tidbit, Acer actually reads these threads (although PJs aren't their main business and they probably spend more time on the laptop/desktop threads). He managed to figure out from my post that "InCali" was me!!! How about that? I'd call that pretty responsible of Acer (though HiFi might disagree).

Maybe they'll put my picture on the box of the new model. I've always wanted to be a poster boy, but have a face that is ideally suited for radio.

So, the plot thickens. Stay tuned to this channel and we'll see what tomorrow brings on "All my Projectors".

That is funny, I think more likely you got your picture in their office and they drew a dartboard on it
I'm just kidding with you. When you go to the mall, you may be getting stopped, "I work at Acer, aren't you that guy...?"

There's also another review which you may find helpful. It says that Presentation mode with a few tweaks is pretty good.

http://www.digitalversus.com/video-projector/acer-h9500bd-p12814/test.html

Since 3D appears to be a content you wish to watch I would lean towards the H9500BD as it has no crosstalk/ghosting. Recommend reading the AE7000 official thread as 3D I believe is it's weak point. The others you listed do 3D very well. The DLP units W7000, HD33 and H9500BD all do 3D crosstalk free, the LCD units that score well are the Epson 3010 and 5010 you have listed. I believe the Epson 5010 will give the deepest blacks and perform 3Dvery well from your list. Few in here have owned both the 3010 and H9500BD and a few thought the H9500BD had better blacks.

How come the AVS Forum doesn't have the "rolling on the floor laughing" like Blu Ray Forum does??

Hey!!! AVS Forum guys!!!! Get on the program!!!!

UPDATE!!! If you'll remember, Art gave me a statement from a manager at Acer which I posted word for word as an official statement from Acer. This statement has been confirmed as true. There IS a firmware update in development specifically to address the HDMI blurring issue. It isn't ready yet, but as soon as it's released, I'm going to get a call from Acer. The release has been pushed back (probably) 2 or 3 weeks. In addition, it does have to be sent in to Acer because there is some additional hardware which will be needed to get the firmware to work.

They are going to overnight my PJ to me, pay shipping when the firmware update becomes available, and then overnight it to me again when it's finished. I guess that's what you get when you are without your PJ for a month.

Clarity!!!!

Hmm. That USB port on your PJ is not real. It's a mock-up.
They will install that actual USB port. That's the hardware they need...

I can never tell for sure when you're BSing me or not (I'll assume now is one of those times). I do know you're a sarcastic cynic.

And introducing my new and improved Avatar.

InCali, did they happen to mention whether the firmware would fix the SBS tearing issue? When I tried to let them about that problem, they acted like they had never heard of anyone having that problem.

I don't know that. But what I do know is I like to spread the giggle..

I didn't get confirmation of that today, but I was told by level 2 support that it was being addressed (and he wouldn't say the blurring issue was). That's the only confirmation I have.

Thank You InCali and man4mopar for your advice. I like the 9500 for what it offers, performance and of course the price.

HD33 is out of my list because it only has a 1.2 zoom, so it probably would be hard for placement.
3010 is out because it has low native contrast, no FI, and Dynamic Iris doesn't work in 3D, yes it's bright, but that's it.

So that leaves me with the other 3 which over $2000 projectors; and like everyone, if I'm going to spend that, I rather spend more and get the best out of the 5, I just want to pick the right projector and not feel regret later on. Once I got it, I won't return it or sell it; it will be with me for few years till the next upgrade.

The 9500 could have be a perfect projector for what I'm looking for under $1700 only if it has a better color management.

Wonder if any reviewer or anyone has a gray scale graph on its best mode and after they calibrated?

Thanks

With all these issues on this unit, why did Art at PJ Reviews give this a "Best-In-Class Award" for 2012? I was about to grab the HD33, but placement issues became a factor. So then, I'm ready to spend the extra cash for the Epson 5010 because of the Lens Shift, but alas... I read his "sparkling" review on this - and I'm about ready to push play - only to find nothing but complaints on Amazon, and mainly throughout the latter portion of this thread.

Man... being a first-time buyer has had me spending more time studying than in my school years, and my butt has splinters from the proverbial fence. My HT has everything set up in it but that one measly option called a projector.

Most of the reviewers missed the "undefeatable edge enhancement" on projectors as well as the ones that have a full 1:1 pixel mapping issue. At least one reviewer claims the Benq w1200 has an undefeatable edge enhancement, I have confirmed the Pro8200 also has an unwanted edge effect (1:1 mapping issue, maybe not as bad as some though). I have a feeling the Benq w1200 was a prototype model, and I'm assuming this was already addressed. The Mits hc4000 has a slight focus uniformity issue, but definitely does perfect 1:1 pixel mapping, same as the Optoma hd20 and hd33.

The pixel mapping issue is not very visible in most content, you will see it more depending on how close you to sit to the screen and if you use a PC for gaming, in lower res (720p) games, it is not that visible at all.

Every projector in this price range has trade-offs, well actually every projector in every price range has trade-offs, just a few more in this price range than others. The Benq is brighter but the blacks aren't as good, the Acer has darker blacks but the color accuracy isn't as good (no CMS), the Optoma hd8300 is far more expensive and has even darker blacks, but it's not that bright in 3D and not as placement flexible as the Benq.

If you are looking for the best 2d/3d combo projector, I'd raise the budget and look at the Epson 5010 or Sony hw30, or even a two projector solution. Otherwise wait and see what Acer does on the firmware fix, as it's still a good deal overall.

He gave it the award because the 9500 throws up a great image for the money and has features that other in its price range don't. The whole hdmi "blurring" issue has been completely blown out of proportion. Only one review site caught it (some german site) and the only people who noticed anything wrong here were people that were using the projection with their pc to view their desktop. Numerous owners here love the image that they see when watching bluray and tv, and most report that it is sharper than the other projectors they have compared it to. As I have said more than once, the more glaring problem with this projector is lack of cms and inage setting save slots.

If you buy this projector and only watch bluray and cable you will not notice any issue with sharpness, I guarantee it. If you go looking at single pixel tests and single pixel lines drawn by pc the yes you may notice a subtle blurring that could be fixed. The complaints on Amazon are mainly people trying to get Acer to fix the blurring problem.

Projector veterans can notice it on certain content (especially when A/B'n against another PJ), but others won't notice it as much. The reviewers miss all sorts of things, this isn't the first thing they've missed. They have a limited time with most of the projectors and are rushing to review many at once.