Official Optoma HD7100, HD7300 + HD3000 Scaler thread. - Page 3

great thread on the hd7100 and the scaler that we all will probably be buying in a month...

http://aving.hankooki.com/news/defau...16105&BTE_num=

phisch,

There are lots of PJs that work fine on elevation -- I use Sharp Z2000 and have no problems -- I am afraid that one can't make a conclusion on how well HD7100 works on elevation based on a completely different PJ, even if it comes from the same manufacturer.

Davie.

There is a $300 rebate on the 7100 until 6/30!
What to do?!?!

Like I have mentioned, I have given up on this one and am ordering either the Mitsubishi WD2000U or the BenQ 8720. I will be ordering tomorrow. After two failed 7100 units I am looking elsewhere. It's really a shame because I loved the picture quality. I hope which ever one I end up with compares closely. I can't help but think that they are doing the rebate because word is out on the reliability and problems.

I am in the same boat...got a 7100 and love the picture....BUT I notice a variance between the left and right side screen brightness, had failure (twice so far) for ignition of the lamp on power up (had to pull the cord to correct), and I have seen some rainbows that I normally don't see with my current benq 8700. I have also noticed a weird flickering in a DVI connection to my HTPC which may or may not be a problem with the projector (I haven't noticed it with my 8700+ so I suspect the PJ).

It is really too bad that this projector has these problems. When the projector is working correctly...especially with an HD signal, the view is stunning. Dark blacks, vibrant color, sharp as a tack, and very bright (even in low mode on a 118" screen). It exceeds the darkchip 2, 8700+ in picture quality by a good third to a half (IMHO).

Why can't companies like Optoma and Samsung (with the 710) fix these deal killers? This is such a good projector when it is working correctly. Is there a curse with the 710x model #'s?

I am considering a Benq 8720. My other benq has been super reliable and I hear great things about this model.

-Alex-

Hmmm, interesting. I have not heard word out there that this projector is having problems. Not much word on the thread or others of problems. Just you two. Are there others?

You are correct that two bad experiences don't necessarily indicate a endemic fault in the projector model. I could have gotten a lemon.

I would be very interested in hearing more opinions on the 7100. The price for the image is unbeliveable. I would love it if the build quality and reliability is of the same caliber.

Since it is generally agreed that the image quality is excellent, lets hear from some owners on the lamp strike, reliability and other features of the projector.

-Alex-

Actually, I have had two of two units fail on me, so, between the two of us we have three failures. I agree on the picture quality. I hate to let it go, but I want something reliable.

I've been watching mine with no problems, heading up to the 400hr level. Deadwood tonight, very CRT like.

I am a little unnerved to read about the reliability problems given that I'm wondering about the HD7100 after having been scared off by the problems so many have reported with the Samsung SP-H710AE.

Has anyone measured the accuracy of the HD7100's primaries and secondaries, using ColorFacts or equivalent? One of the aspects of the Samsung 710 that had interested me was its automated service menu calibration procedure. And on my NEC HT1000 I use the "Color Correction" adjustments to get each of RGBCYM to be as close to their ideal coordinates as I can manage (I've found this most especially helpful for yellow with the HT1000). I don't see any adjustments like this in the HD7100's online manual (although I haven't read anything about its service menu?). So, I'm wondering if anyone has measured how accurate the HD7100's RGBCYM are out of the box (or rather after its grayscale has been optimized).

-- Peter

Guitarman, any idea why they are doing the rebate since this PJ is already way cheaper than the competition or even the HD78 or 79?
And what will happen after 6/30? Price drop? Free lamp or another rebate?

d

I assume that this will look considerably better than the IN76, yes?

I've never seen any numbers, but I suspect that this projector does not sell very well for Optoma - hence the rebates and continued price reductions. Not nearly as many people talk about this projector as they did about the H77-79 pj's.

Which is odd since this is clearly a better projector. Are the other lower cost DLPs (IN76, HD72,) selling well? Could slower sales be indicating that there is saturation in the projector market?

Rking401 could you be having power problems that are causing the lamps to misfire? What projector did you have in there originally?

This was an upgrade from the InFocus X1 which I never had a problem with. There was someone else who had a similar problem who posted in a thread that was deleted a while back. I wish that person would show up and post here also.

Actually the free bulb promo passed by already and the rebate has just started. The free bulb was probably a better deal. My guess is the bulb is expensive, it comes from Germany not Phillips this time. Anyway at least there's a $300 cash rebate, started to speed up sales.

The HD7100 looks extremely good next to the HD72 HD2+ chip, isn't that model similar to the IN76? I was able to compare these many times. Twice the contrast, twice the black level, way better optics clarity. The 7100 is a DC3 and a darn good one at that. I was able to test out a much higher CR on the HD7100 than the HD72 (2000.1), H77 (2300.1), H79 (2900.1), HD7100 (4300.1).

The 4300.1 measurement is the highest CR any projector ever tested at in my home. The CR, blacks and this Lens I keep talking about is the reason I asked to buy the projector for myself. The 30day trial was running out and after comparing it to what I had (HT1000 & HD72) I just didn't want to go back down.

I'm hoping this 720p machine can keep me from spending six or seven thousand on a 1080p machine.

As far as track record, I bet we can do some searching on the HD2 model this platform used over in Europe. Maybe we can find out how well the machine performed reliability wise. For sure the bulb should be better.

Thought you would like to know. I just tested the light output at 370hrs. I got 18.00ftc in bright mode and 14.50ftc in econo. Pretty sure when it was new I got 18.50ftc in bright mode so the bulb is holding up very good.

I wonder how much more performance you'd be getting from a HD7300 when this HD7100 already surpasses the H79.

But then, for a couple of thousands more you can own either a HD81 or any other 1080p in competition.

I'm still deciding wether to spend an under 2.5K pj upgrade soon or just wait towards the end of the year for a 6K 1080p.

Tom, isn't 1 ftc = 1 ftL for a 1.0 gain screen, or is there a factor I'm leaving out? If not, this seems like a pretty dim pic.

Thanks for the info. Tom.
What to do?!?!?
(well, until someone buys my old PJ, I can't do squat!)

My screen a 92"X52" 106" diag.
18.50ftc X 33.222221 (33.222221 is my screens sqft) = 615.6 lumens

This is wierd I can't get the HDA1 not to work with the HD7100 and Scaler combo. Everything I throw at it today works. That's the HDA1's HDMI out to the Scaler by a 6' HDMI cable, the player's set at 1080i, 1080i is converted to 720p and sent to the PJ via 25' HDMI cable w/HDMI to DVI adaptor. Trying to figure what changed.

1. I start up the projector.
2. I power up the Gennum scaler
3. I power up the Tosh HDA1
No problems at all today, but can it last.

Thanks, Tom. So with a 119" Highpower I calculate 616 Lumens x 2.8 (gain)/42 ft^2 = 41 ftL, or 32ftL in low power mode. Should be nice and bright!

You'll have ft-lamberts to spare.

Ok the scaler does have control over RGBCYM. In the Advanced menu's under Color Vividness User there's 15 steps of control over RGBCYM, a color like Magenta can be controled in 15 steps under Saturation and Hue, each with 15 steps.

This thread REALLY needs to be moved to the >$3500 forum now as the MSRP has dropped to $3499 and it's streeting for under $3K.

I think you really mean <$3500.

Whoops! Yes. duh

Finally good news, I posted earlier that the HD-A1 would not work with the Optoma HD7100, no matter what I did I could not get the two to work together with the HDMI hookup, not knowing whether it was the Toshiba or the Optoma I bought a Samsung Blu-Ray player tonight and it worked perfect with the Optoma the first time without any problems. So Blu-Ray works, HD-DVD don't.

Interesting-- but you know of no such controls on the HD7100 itself? (I would be using a different scaler, DVDO VP30.) And if the scaler->projector link is 8-bit RGB, I would think that I would rather make such corrections on the projector side.

So have you happened to measure the accuracy of the HD7100's native RGBCYM colors with ColorFacts (compared to the SMPTE-C standard)?

-- Peter

Have you had a chance to play around with this any? If it works as advertised, this promises virtually perfect color decoding for any display the scaler is feeding. Sounds nice.

There are a lot of projectors that have their MSRP dropped (in fact it happens to most projectors) but I haven't seen a lot of threads moved to the other forum. Any particular reason why these threads REALLY need to be moved?