Any Mitsubishi HD1000U owners out there? - Page 4

So they say. Odd that it does in fact support a digital vertical shift though. Even with all cropping/overscan off it seems to shave a few lines off the image.

I'm not an HD1000U owner yet....

But I will be tomorrow when the UPS guy gets here

Hi
I to own a 4805 and i have been getting a urge to upgrade.I now have hd satellite and thats one of the reasons why i'm thinking of upgrading the second is for hd dvd;s and for xbox 360.

So if i understand you properly the hd1000 will be a big inprovement over all.I'm hoping that it's worth the extra money and the right time to upgrade.

thanks

I had a 4805 and replaced it with the 1000. The 1000's brightness will be the first improvement you notice over the 4805. The second thing you'll notice after you get past the difference in brightness is that the 1000 is MUCH quieter than the 4805. Toward the end of my 4805's bulb life, I cranked it up to the high setting and the noise from the fan was intolerable.

I didn't have the HD-DVD player I have now when I had the 4805. The 1000 with HD-DVD looks very good. I watched "The Searchers" last week, and it had a depth that I'd never seen with the 4805. Another great tranfer is "Grand Prix."

Whether the blacks are better than the 4805 is a close call. I do notice an annoying 'fog' with the 1000 in dark scenes, but that is the cost of brightness. Someday, maybe there will be projectors that are brighter and darker in the sub-$3k category.

At the same cost of the HD70, which I have seen in action, the 1000 is a no-brainer. BTW, the 1000 throws, IMO, a much better pic than the HD70.

Re upping from a 4805- If you have hi-def signal content it's a total no brainer upgrade. For strictly SD content, well, I think I would still have been glad to do it but it would be a tad harder to justify vs. just buying a new bulb. The 4805 is a darn good little projector!!!

But if you're thinking HD-DVD or HD cable by all means get the Mits.

Oh, and Poseidon is right about how quiet it is. My fridge in the kitchen is louder. As far as black level goes, if you want the best there you have to spring for a 3000/3100. I came from the CRT world so I'm sensitive to digital's lack of blacks, but to me the HD1000 is no worse than the black level at an actual movie theater!!

I will be upgadeing every two years or so,especially if prices keep falling and technology keeps changing this quick.

The secret for me is just to keep buying the 999.00 deals every two years,Hopefully 1080p will be 999.00 in january 2009.Usaually you can still get about 500,00 for your two year old pj.Thats 500.00 to own a new pj for two years and never have to pay for bulbs.

Thanks

Add me to the list of proud owner of HD1000U as it came today via UPS in a clearly labeled Mits HD1000 box--thankfully not stolen by UPS or my neighbor. Mits (package was drop-shipped straight from Mits) should double box it to hide the content and improve durability of shipping. It's supposed to be my Xmas present but while my wife was away, I cranked it up to make sure the PJ is perfect so that I can 1) send in the rebate for the bulb (once my invoice get here from Spinitar in few days as the PJ was dropped shipped directly from Mits), 2) take advantage of the 72h return policy of Spinitar without restocking fee--luckily mine is perfect so no need for return.

What I found out about HD1000U compared to my trusty 3-y/o, modded (clear segment opacification and Hoya FL-D photographic filter in a DIY hushbox) is that it's a substantial upgrade. This is because of 1) 1280X720 native--no more black bars on 16:9 movies, 2) very quiet even in bright mode compared to LT150--on low lamp mode I have to lean near it to see if it's even on, 3) HDMI (works great with my HTPC using Radeon 8500 and Monoprice DVI->HDMI cable at 1280X720X60Hz and Zenith DVB612 at 1080i), 4) dedicated component input along with VGA which also accepts component if using VGA->3RCA breakout cable which means no more switching video at receiver level, 5) front exhaust means very difficult to put in hushbox--no need as PJ is very quiet (it's fan is quieter than my MDF-hush-boxed LT150 using a single Panaflo 80 mm fan), 6) much larger PJ lens make mounting my 62 mm Hoya filter easier (lens itself has no thread so must use insulation foam strip to wedge it into the lens socket of HD1000u), 7) 16:9 anamorphic squeeze is available even on VGA input (LT150 does not have this)--moot point since the PJ is already 16:9 mode but cool nevertheless, 8) less RainBowEffect (4X color wheel speed vs. 2X color wheel speed--I don't see any with LT150 anyways), 9) nicer remote (backlit orange compared to nonbacklit, credit card/chicklet style of LT150 (must use universal learning remote) with much greater range (bounce off screen easily where as the LT150's remote must be pointed straight at the IR sensor to work), 10) much brighter means better image, allows more ambient light, and better dark details, 11) better contrast means better dark details), 12) better scaling (480i via component looks almost as good as HDMI 720p/1080i). so SDTV is great (LT150's scaler is horrible--needs HTPC/upconverting DVD players/external scaler), 13) better colors out of box means easier to tweak for newbies, 14) better grayscale out of box means easier to use for newbies, 15) longer rated bulb life (2000/3000h vs. 1000h of LT150, so they claim but as we all know this is a toss up) for slightly cheaper bulb (LT150 bulb is usually over $300 and HD1000U bulb can be found easily for $300), 16) Offset is steeper than LT150--had to drop the PJ on a table mount a few inches to match the 16:9 screen being used for LT150, 17) Video Spectra at 1.5 gain works well for HD1000U also, 18) Zoom lens makes installation a lot easier to fit the screen, 19) DC2 means smaller gaps between the pixel/mirror and less SDE (mostly because of higher resolution than XGA), 20) no dead pixel (my LT150 had a peripheral stuck open mirror--luckily near the edge which can be hidden with screen masking).

On the other hand, modded LT150 has darker blacks (due to lower lumen output)--contrast is not as good though so dark detail suffers on LT150, and syncs to sources much faster than HD1000u. LT150 is of course smaller and lighter (3# and tiny). LT150's durability is proven for me (3 years modded without issues). It will be my backup PJ (bulb life is less than 100 hours left).

Overall, I'm very happy with the Mits so far. I had to box it up after a couple of hours until Xmas

Hi

What size is your screen and what kind is it?

Thanks

Great review. Very helpful for those of us on the fence. I'm trying to get that extra push to upgrade from my Sanyo Z2 to the Mitsubishi. It will require me to really re-work my home theater or use. . . dare I say. . . digital keystone correction

Somebody just push me.

HD1000U has great keystone without much ill effect on video. On computer text it's noticeable but not bad at all. Don't let keystone worry you.

I also love HD1000u test pattern (cross hatch grid) to assist in focusing and alignment of image on screen.

This PJ is an awesome deal for sub-$1K. I paid over $2K for my LT150 3 years ago on sale from Dell.

Huey, thanks for the keystone info. How much keystone did you use? When using keystone, does the image "allegedly" get worse the more you use? Or is it the same whether you use 1 click or 10 clicks? Anybody?

I am seriously considering purchasing an HD1000U today but I am afraid of the offset. Will I be able to use a 106"or 110" screen in a room that is 15X11 with 8 foot ceilings? My math is probably way off but from what I calculated it seems like my screen would only hang a little over a foot off the ground. That seems very low to me. Anyone able to shed some light on the issue?

Also, is having a low screen common? Where should my eyeline be on a normal projection screen? I would guess middle of the screen but maybe im wrong?

I'm in the same situation as you are,i would like to upsize my next screen to 102"but i have a salamander style stand witch stands about 20" from the floor.

Can someone tell me, with an eight foot ceiling, and a roof mounted hd1000 ,would i have a problem getting the picture about 25"off the ground.

Thanks

I think your math is a little off. A 110" diagonal 16:9 screen is ~54" tall. So offset would be 35% of that or ~19". So, total distance from lens to bottom of screen would be 54+19 or 73". If you mount the projector with the lens 6" from the ceiling, the top of the image would be 6+19 or 25" from the ceiling, and therefore the bottom of the image would be 25+54 or 79" from the ceiling. With an 8' (96") ceiling, the bottom of the image would be 96-79 or 17" from the ground.

Eye level position is a personal preference, but bottom 1/3 is generally normal. With a standard eye level of 36", that would put your line of sight at 19" from the bottom of the image or 35% from the bottom, which is almost perfect. To project a 110" image, the projector can be as close as 13.1 feet or as far as 15.9 feet. I'll attach an image to illustrate.

Duo, with a 102" diag image, you'd be 22.5" off the ground. You'd have to make the image 98" diag in order to accomplish this, or somehow mount the projector lens only 3" off of the ceiling, which may be possible?

Got my HD1000 mounted last night. My screen isn't as big as what some of you are looking for, only about 91". It is mounted about 5-6 inches from ceiling. With a pretty good tilt on the projector, and a keystone of 5, my screen is only about 3 inches from the top of the ceiling. The projector is 13+ feet back. But it is working and looks good.

Jeremie

Jeremy, that is a pretty intense keystone. If you can live with any less keystone I'd highly recommend it. Keystoning absolutely destroys the clarity and sharpness of the projected image.

Russell

Purchased the HD1000U to replace an aging X1 and the difference is night and day. The HD1000U is quiet, bright & the colors are awesome.

FYI to those in Canada. I purchased mine from an online retailer in US and after paying FedEx air + GST + PST + DUTY & 24 hours later, I was in possession of the projector for less than it would of cost if I had bought it locally in Ontario.

Bite the bullet and enjoy

Huey,
Thank you for your comments/comparisons between the LT150 and HD1000. I bought my lt150 after reading your posts years ago through the Dell deal. LT150 was a fantastic PJ and provided 100's of hours of enjoyment for me and my family. I upgraded to a LT240k awhile back and loved it as well. I recently sold my house (and theater with it) and bought a new house. I'm building a new theater - is the HD1000 a decent upgrade from the lt240k? Would like to keep my budget under $3,000 with screen so the HD1000 sounds like a great deal. And at this price point I can always upgrade again in a year or 2 to 1080 PJ. I appreciate any recommendations. Thanks.


Herm

Oops, guess I didn't know that. I will move the image down a bit and see if I can't get that Keystone down. At 0 keystone and a square image, the picture is just to close to the floor.

Jeremie

Guys,
I've had my 1000 for about three weeks now - check out my review in the thread "HD1000 vs. HC3000". I have them both.

As far as keystoning goes, let me re-iterate to those who are just outside of the normal mounting parameters dur to low ceilings -

You can tilt the projector slightly and move the image 6-10 inches up or down with VERY little noticable affect on the picture. If you have a screen with a border, the slight keystoning caused by the imperfect angle can be buried in the border and not seen. I have mine tilted to raise the image about 7 inches - too lazy to move my screen down , and the difference between the width of the top of the projected image compared to the width of the bottom is about 1/2 inch...that means about a quater inch on each side.

in other words, almost unnotciable even if you DIDN'T bury the sides in the border.
IMHO, this is a MUCH better solution than keystoning. If you put up the grid test patterns from Avia (the one with the moving circle in it), and then use digital keystone, you can very easily see the moire' distortion introduced to the picture. It's not as noticable in real world images, but can be seen and degrades the picture.

This is not a factor in just the HD1000 - $10,000 projectors will do this also if digital correction is used.

All that being said - you're not going to be able to bring you image height up flush with the lens (0% offset) - the image would probably be too trapezoidal at that point, and people would have either noticably outsized heads or feet

However, if your talking about the difference between, say for example, the recommended 18" in a given situation and the available 13" - don't sweat it!

Ordered my HD1000u today. Should ship today and be here next week.

Now to pick a screen. I have a few samples from Elite and Carada on the way.

Thanks for the help with the screen size questions. I ordered my Mits today and should see it on Tuesday.

I'll be honest. I see rainbows with these DLP's, but at this price point and that fast color wheel speed, I don't think it is going to be a factor if I decide to purchase this unit. I was all about LCD for this reason, but it seems like the new batch of LCD projectors have some issues that will drive me nuts. Plus, I'm hearing DLP may be slightly better for video gaming, but that's another topic. Like many of you, my room is fairly small (11.5 x 9.5) and it is my dad's house and he clearly won't let me ceiling mount it. My setup idea is this: I have a crappy standard 27" tv on a small cart at one end of the room for regular tv. The cart has a small shelf under where the tv sits (shelf is about 1.5 feet off the ground). My bed is on the other side of the room where I plan on mounting the screen over the bed. I will put my 2 recliners on each side of the tv cart with projector. I anticipate the throw distance to be about 10 feet from lens to screen with my viewing distance being about the same. I'm hoping to get about a 92" screen, but that may be pushing it. Would I see screen door at this seating distance? With the offset of this projector, will the screen be too high on the wall? I'm hoping for the screen to start at about 2.5-3 feet off the ground so it clears the bed, but is as low as possible. Thanks in advance and this pj looks great.

Just ordered my HD1000 yesterday. I was looking at an online manual and noticed this statement "When the projector is mounted on the ceiling, images
may appear darker than those projected in the case of tabletop mounting. This isn't a product malfunction". Can anyone explain this?

Well, I got my HD1000 yesterday. I had to modify my Optoma H31 mount to handle the HD1000. I took the idea of using a sheet of plexiglass from the DIY mount thread on the forums here. The plexi is just screwed between the pj and the mount bracket. Total cost about $7.00. I really should drop the screen a bit but that won't be for a little while. It was mounted a bit high even for H31.

I only played around a little bit last night with my Oppo, Xbox and OTA tuner but so far I am extremely pleased!

Remarkable price point that this projector is at. I really couldn't be happier.

This is a cya statement from Mits. Some screens (HP and other retroflective ones) will produce a darker picture with the ceiling mounting of any projector. This is not a Mits issue but an issue with the screen one may be using. Don't worry about it. Not a problem unless you have a retroflective screen.

I just wanted to reiterate what TSO stated above, I am using a SLIGHT tilt on my projector instead of keystone and with the included test pattern you can't even tell it's off. This is HIGHLY suggested instead of keystone. I have had my Hd1000U for about a week and have put 76 hours on it already!

My HD1000u lens is about 33" above the floor, and to get my 145" diagonal image from spilling onto the ceiling I have to signficantly tilt it downward by extending its rear feet. Yes, there probably is some keystoning present, but it sure isn't obvious to me, so I always leave the correction set to zero - agree with all the others, best not to use the keystone correction unless you absolutely have to.

Now that I think of it, maybe the fact that I am projecting onto a bare wall helps to "immunize" me against seeing the keystone effect, since there is no defined perfect rectangular screen area to detect it. Therefore, I will NEVER measure the image dimensions, otherwise I would be troubled by it...and if I ever paint a proper screen area I will use the actual illuminated area to define all the borders!

well, if you think about it, how many of us sit where our eyes are at the exact center of the screen so we have NO keystoning. (answer: 0). So we all live with a certain amount of keystoning even with a perfectly setup projector (or any TV for that matter).

Herman, HD1000u will be a great upgrade for HT from LT240k because 1) 1280X720, 2) quieter, 3) HDMI, 4) DarkChip2 instead of just 12 degrees DMD (less screen door due to smaller gaps between mirrors and less dimpling in center of mirrors), 5) better contrast, 6) better colors (7 segment instead of 4 segment of LT240k), 7) less rainbow effect (4X color wheel speed instead of 2x of LT240k).

LT240k is better for business and HT using HTPC due to better optics, brightness, and 4:3 XGA format (easier to sync to PC).

Both should have similar noise level which is substantially quieter than NEC LT150(z).

For 16:9 screen and HT though, HD1000u wins easily especially at $995 MSRP new which is same cost for LT240k new. Bulb of HD1000u is 2000/3000hrs like LT240k except $100 cheaper for HD1000u ($300 instead of $400 for bulb of LT240k).