[Maxxarcade]

I can't get the vertical height down far enough on my BG800 for 16x9... Using 1280x720 on my PC for testing. Is there a mod I need to do?


Until then, 1024x768 looks good enough for me.


Also, before I start changing the color balance, does the BG800 save the color drive and cutoff settings for different resolutions? I don't want to mess up my 480P block since I'm just experimenting with the PC.


From what I have seen, I may be building an HTPC real soon. The increased resolution is making a big difference in PQ over the 480P iScan Ultra.

 

[Joshua Snyder]

Do you have your active picture aria all the way out ?


on my BG 800 I get 16x9 at about 7 for the height with the pic as wide as I can with out going over the edge of the tubes.

 

[Maxxarcade]

Active Picture area? You mean raster size? I thought there was only one control for that, besides the 2 pots in the back that only affect the red and blue.


It has been a long time since I made any adjustments in the back of the projector, I don't remember what pots are there.


Kal, if you're reading this, what res did you say you ran at when you had your Barco? I'm short of time otherwise I'd search out your older threads.

 

[Joshua Snyder]

I mean the hSize adjustment,

Random->Selected Source->Convergence&geometry->Green->Hsize


I think that's the sequence.

 

[Vibe]

Yes it saves the color balance info for each resolution.

 

[Maxxarcade]

H-size is all the way up and V-size all the way down, still too tall. I think I'm going to have to change some resistors in the V-size circuit.

 

[Joshua Snyder]

Did you follow the instructions on Curts sight about maximizing the raster? (as done in the install procedure as I remember)



From: http://www.curtpalme.com/Barco500.htm

"The final adjustment on this board is the master width control. While the Barco manual recommends a certain way to set this pot, I have had good results at all resolutions by going into the geometry menu and setting the width to 50%, and set the master width control so that the test pattern _just_ overshoots the face of the tube. The actual picture will then be within the tube face, and you’ll have plenty of width to play with at all resolutions within the geometry menu."

 

[Vibe]

I don't recall ever having a problem achieving a widescreen with any of the 800/801's I've tested, but like Josh said above I was pretty close to the end of V size. I am using a scaler though, not a PC. your PC porch settings might be enough that you can't make it without some black bars. With my scaler if the movie is in a wider format (like 2.35 for example) I have black bars and can't set the V size enough to get rid of them either. I don't know what software you're using but I'll bet its stretching the pic (what's that called? my brain froze, think my scaler just calls it 16:9 Enhanced Mode) so you don't see the bars, making it look too tall. That's why Powerstrip is generally needed with a HTPC.

 

[Vibe]

Josh,

He's not having a problem with width. It's the height.

 

[Joshua Snyder]

Vibe, if you cant get the width wide enough, then you cant get the height small enough... they are related.

 

[Vibe]

Josh,

Sorry, I don't follow. I have set up several PJ's (my own, I have a nice collection) But haven't experienced what you are saying. I am not an expert and would like to understand so please elaborate.

 

[Maxxarcade]

The width does fill the screen, and if I go any farther out I'll go past the phosphor edges. I've tried a few different resolutions, and I can't get the height down far enough on any of them.


Basically what I want to do, is run my iScan Ultra (480p) in 4x3 mode, tell the DVD player to stretch 16:9 to 4x3, then squeeze the height on the projector. This would allow me to use all 480 scanlines in the 16:9 image instead of wasting half of them on black bars above and below the image.

 

[Vibe]

If you stretch 16:9 to 4:3 you lose much of the picture. It will stretch the center of the image to fill 4:3 and crop the sides. If you then take that image and try stretching back to 16:9, it will be distorted. At least that's how I understand it.

 

[Maxxarcade]

Well, I've tried pretty much everything and still no dice on 16x9.


Looking at the vertical deflection board, Seems I would change R49 to change the green size. What I don't know is how much I should change it, and whether to go up or down in value.


The red and blue circuits have a 10K resistor too, but also have a 2K pot in series with that to change the size.


I have the phosphor usage maximised, so I can't increase the width any more without going off the edges of the tubes.


The vertical size is set to 25 and fills the screen. At about 70 it starts going off the top and bottom of the tubes. Decreasing the size to 0 won't get me to 16x9.


So basically I have enough range to make the screen rediculously tall, which I don't need to do. I need more range in the other direction. I want to fill the 4x3 screen at about a 50-65 setting, which would probably give me 16x9 at about 25.

 

[kal]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maxxarcade H-size is all the way up and V-size all the way down, still too tall. I think I'm going to have to change some resistors in the V-size circuit.

You must have an early 800 (like my old one). I had the same problem. Changing a resistor or two is one option, or you can just play with the v-hold pots on the vertical defl board. One handles vertical hold, the other vertical size (they're linked).


They fixed this on newer 800's. Older 800's can't do 16x9. Mine was from 1990.


I've got a thread about it from 5 years ago in the archives.... let me see if I can find it. UPDATE: Seems it's no longer there... I can't go back that far in the archives.


See this pic from Curt's site for location of the 2 controls:

http://www.curtpalme.com/images/Barc...dcontrols.gifp


Curt wrote:



The two vertical hold controls may be adjusted slightly if the symptom of the set is very slow image shift up or down after the set warms up. Unlike old TV sets, the image of the BArco sets will not roll unless these controls are far out of alignment, which usually indicates a problem with this board. Normally these controls will not require adjustment.


Kal

 

[Maxxarcade]

I just tried those controls and was able to get it down a bit farther, but still not enough.


The projector is from Oct. 1992, but the vertical deflection board is from an older projector, that's probably why I can't get 16x9. So I guess I'm going to try the resistor change. I'm just not sure what to change it to yet.

 

[Maxxarcade]

Ok, I just took some measurements. I need to take about 2" more off the top and bottom to get the right aspect ratio. This is with V. Size at 0.

 

[Maxxarcade]

Swapped out the V. Def board and this one was able to get 98% there... I think I'll give this a shot and see how it looks. Still going to change the resistors so I can have more range of adjustment though.