What projector + video CinemaScope processor 4k budget

Hello Amb1s1! There are a lot of choices in PJ's....but without knowing your room measurements, I would one thing you may want to look at when choosing the PJ is "lens shift". I run a large screen and I found out the hard way that I needed it. Just something to think about. Also, JVC and Panasonic are the only PJ's in your budget that I know of that can do the 16:9\2:35 zooming. OR...you can buy a $1500 video processor and use just about any projector and do the zooming via the VP.

I don't think there are any projectors that do that. The JVC can do the vertical stretch scaling for 2.35:1 which you then need an A Lens to optically stretch the width for correct geometry. With the lens it can't stretch 16:9 to 2.35:1 (and neither can the Panasonic).

Many projectors can zoom the image larger so that the black bars on 2.35:1 go off the top and bottom of the screen (if you have a 2.35:1 screen) and can be zoomed back smaller for 16:9 content (which leaves side bars on a 2.35:1 screen). The JVC and Panasonic projectors can store these zoom settings so that they can recalled at the push of a button, other projectors would require you to do this adjustment yourself (or using the remote if they have remote controlled zoom and focus).

Check out this VP...the lumagen mini-3d:

Aspect Ratio Management Videos (16:9-to-2:35) Videos:

Video 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwF7nYe-YzM
Video 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9Stq_2lWYM

No, the Edge can do vertical stretch and horizontal squeeze, but these are both features that require an anamorphic lens as well, not just from zooming or otherwise.

Something to be aware of regarding using the Lumagen to shrink for 16:9 content:

All of the viewing shown in the first video clip means that the projector is first zoomed so that a 2.35:1 image fills the 2.35:1 screen with the black bars being over spilt top and bottom. What this means is that you only have 1920 x 810 (approx) pixels on the screen. When the 16:9 button is pressed this reduces the image width to approx 1440 pixels and again the same 810 pixels height, so it is not at the full resolution on the disc, ie it is downscaled to 1440 x 810 for 16:9. I've done this myself (before I bought my A Lens) and for menus, trailers and upscaled DVDs it works well enough, but for BluRays just be aware that you are downscaling and therefore losing resolution.

I won't say anymore about the 16:9 NLS function as I can clearly see how fat the man on the sides of the scene in Avatar looks, which is also typically how most TVs look when they stretch 4:3 to fill 16:9. Sure it fills the screen that you've paid for but not in a nice way IMHO. If you really have to fill your 2.35:1 screen with 16:9 content, I'd suggest that you set up a spare memory that can crop the 16:9 down to fill on the 2.35:1 screen, but of course you'll probably have some heads cut off occasionally and lose text at the bottom of the screen (like when locations are shown, or subtitles). I've done similar accidently by watching a 16:9 film with my A Lens in place and vertical stretch enabled and I didn't notice until after the film that it wasn't a 2.35:1 film.

I really like my Lumagen, but I just felt that the side effects of doing this should be pointed out. Personally I'd only use the shrink function for menus and trailers and rezoom (or use a lens memory) to watch a whole 16:9 film at full resolution.

My room is very close to the same dimensions. With narrow front speakers the widest scope screen I could fit was 115” wide, 125” diagonal. I’m curious how you are fitting a screen that large in your room. Even with front right and left speakers above, below or behind the screen, after adding the Stewart frame, I would be right at 12 feet wide.

I use a JVC DLA RS-55 with lens memory to zoom between 16:9 and 2.35:1 and while I had considered adding an anamorphic lens, once I put the RS-55 in place, have been more than satisfied with the zoomed image and my front row of seats is pretty close. I do use a 3D mini processer but for the auto calibration capability, not to change the aspect ratio.

GeorgeHolland: It still might be worth you setting up the Lumagen to perform the 16:9 shrink for use on disc menus and trailers as it is an instant change and will save un necessary zooming on the lens mechanism on the X55. As said above I would still recommend using the zoom to watch 16:9 films at full resolution, which you can continue to do using the lens memory.

I use the lens memory on my X35 despite having a lens because when I'm not using my lens I have to zoom a little bit to fill the screen height for 1.85:1 content, so I set up two lens memories, one for 1.85:1 no lens use and another for 2.35:1 with the lens. I find that it is very consistent too.

I don't want to hijack the thread and will leave it alone after this but I assume you are referring to Radiance Tech Tip 16? I had planned on testing the various options but never got around to it and haven't felt I was missing anything. I'll give it another read and try it out. Thanks.

I think that's the one. If only to save lots of zooming when watching a 2.35:1 film with the 16:9 menus and trailers. No harm in trying it anyway, only takes a few minutes to set up.

Kelvin,

I believe you also have the RS4810, at least you post in that thread. Are you using you ALens with your 4810 or are you using the A Mode? Reason I ask is I just got my 4810 and have and 2.35:1 screen and cannot get the zoom feature with the A mode to fill the screen properly. I am shooting from 14.5' to a 103" Elite curve screen. Any ideas?

No I have the X35 (RS46), I just posted on the RS4810 thread sometimes.

I don't know why you are using the anamorphic 'A' setting if zooming as this is only for use with an A Lens. If you mean that you are using an A Lens and still can't fill the screen then I'm not sure what to suggest as it doesn't sound like you're over the zoom limits, I'd have thought you could fill a 103" wide screen from 14' as I'm at the minimum zoom to fill 112" wide from 19' with lens. Of course if you haven't got an A Lens then perhaps the throw is just too short for the screen.