[neonflx]

Have 3200.00 for a projector,


Would like to connect computer via DVI,

Room has lots of light from windows and glass door, i could control the windows with shades but the glass door evn tho it has a curtain still gets a lot of light.

it will be ceiling mounted will be primarly for DVD viewing, PS2 Gaming and ocasional direct tv watching. thank you in advance for any suggestions.

 

[nigel_ht]

step 1: Spend whatever part of the $3200 is required to control the light from the door. I don't have perfect light control but I also have trees around my windows and only small scatterings of sunlight with the blinds pulled.


With anything much more than that and I'm washed out with 1900 lumens and a 1.5 gain screen. Its not a cave but its not bright either.


You could a 2600+ lumens projector (LT260 or many of the LCD light cannons) and a decent gain screen. Though the LT260 and the brigher LCDs will take much of your $3K budget...that pretty much only leaves the High Power as a screen option.


You could try to find a Firehawk and a 2000 lumens projector (about 2-2.5K)and see if that works. The Firehawk is reputed to work very well in some ambient. A bit on the pricey side.


Anyway, your viewing environment and screen is part of your total package. I wouldn't really want to try ambient and completely skimp on a screen. Its hard to DIY a screen with gain and uniformity (though you can try ScreenGoo).


Regards,


Nigel


PS I find that any gun games don't seem to work with anything but a fairly vanilla TV. YMMV.

 

[gmshoemaker]

Quote:

Originally posted by neonflx Have 3200.00 for a projector, Would like to connect computer via DVI, Room has lots of light from windows and glass door, i could control the windows with shades but the glass door evn tho it has a curtain still gets a lot of light. it will be ceiling mounted will be primarly for DVD viewing, PS2 Gaming and ocasional direct tv watching. thank you in advance for any suggestions.

Direct light on the screen is a killer. I designed my A/V room for a RPTV, so I get no direct light on the screen and the area around the screen is fairly dark in the daytime even though the rest of the great room is well lighted.


I think you first have to determine if you can put the screen somewhere where there is no direct light, then determine how much reflected light you are going to have hitting the screen. (This varies at different times of the day.) Then look into how you can minimize this reflected light. (dark drapes or dark paint on walls, eliminate reflective surfaces like glass table tops, etc.)


We have recessed lights and hanging globes in our multi-purpose great room. The recessed lights only effect the image a small amount. Just one of those globe lights will wash out the screen.


Just some thoughts. Sorry, I can't recommend any projectors without more information about your ambient lighting situation. Nigel's recommendations may work well or may be overkill depending on how much light and where it is in your room.


Gary

 

[gmshoemaker]

Neonflx,

Here is a picture of my great room with projector on a sunny day.


Notice dispite the direct light to the left of the screen (it is behind the screen and does not produce much reflected light into the room) and the well lited area outside of the A/V area, the picture is still watchable in the daytime. All of my windows are tinted, but there are no drapes anywhere in the house.


The screen is a Firehawk. I selected it because of its higher gain and ambient light rejecting qualities.


Gary

 

[Ursa]

Gary - If you can remember tonight, can you post an evening and a night photo so that neonflx can see what the difference is going from light to dark? It would also be a good demonstration of what the Sony looks like going from light uncontrolled (ii.e.what a lot of folks see in the store) to a light controlled environment.


Bill

 

[gmshoemaker]

Quote:

Originally posted by Ursa Gary - If you can remember tonight, can you post an evening and a night photo so that neonflx can see what the difference is going from light to dark? It would also be a good demonstration of what the Sony looks like going from light uncontrolled (ii.e.what a lot of folks see in the store) to a light controlled environment. Bill

I would be glad to try this. This subject of ambient light is very difficult to deal with in words. When I was trying to get answers to questions such as; "how much is too much ambient light with projector 'x'?" I never seemed to get any satisfactory answers.


I haven't had much luck getting a night-time picture that looks realistic. Anyone have any tips on how best to take a screen shot in low light condition using a digital cameral like the Canon Elf?


I can only do DVD on my Bravo, what type of scene, movie would you like?


Gary

 

[Ursa]

Gary - can you play with the film speed/f-stop on the Elf? The camera I'm getting my mother has 4 different film speeds (50, 100, 200, 400) that I think are a simpler way of changing the f-stop on a digital (having both doesn't really make sense on a digital where the CCD doesn't change...). You may also try a tripod or some other surface to make sure that movement doesn't impact the image with the change in expsoure time...


As for source material, is the concert on the other picture a HD-PBS show, or is that a DVD? IF it's a DVD, that would be a good frame of reference to also show the increase in contrast/black level for the rest of the hall.


Bill

 

[gmshoemaker]

Quote:

Originally posted by Ursa As for source material, is the concert on the other picture a HD-PBS show, or is that a DVD? IF it's a DVD, that would be a good frame of reference to also show the increase in contrast/black level for the rest of the hall. Bill

The camera doesn't seem to be settable. It is pretty much a point and shoot camera. I do have a tripod. I tried a couple of shots of Chicago and almost all of the pictures came out blurry. I might have to just pause on a picture to see if that helps.


Ok, I will go with the Moody Blues DVD that I used in the other shot. It isn't the best source for picture quality, but we are looking for relative differences caused by different types of lighting.


Gary

 

[Ursa]

Thanks! That should be pretty illustrative.


Neonflx - I don't know if you can stretch your budget any, but you may want to consider the NEC HT-1000 for about $300 more (though that doesn't get you a screen...). Folks around here are raving about it...


Bill

 

[Mash]

You are darn close in price to an HT1000. They have come down quite a bit in cost.

 

[gmshoemaker]

Quote:

Originally posted by Ursa Gary - If you can remember tonight, can you post an evening and a night photo so that neonflx can see what the difference is going from light to dark?

Ok, Bill, here is the early evening photo. This was taken just before sunset. The picture is a little darker than the view my eyeballs took.

click here.


Gary

 

[gmshoemaker]

My next picture will show the same view with as much light control as I can get in a night-time situation. (white walls and ceiling, some cabinet accent lights on and reflections from windows opposite the screen.) This will give folks a chance to see similar screen shots with a range of lighting conditions (Daytime, Evening, and Night).


I will also post a picture of the normal night-time viewing environment. Normal means my wife working in the kitchen and kitchen lights on, but dimmed.


Gary

 

[gmshoemaker]

The following pictures are presented to illustrate different ambient and reflected light conditions at different times of the day and how it effects the picture from my HS10. The DVD is a Moody Blues Concert. The stage was dark with most scenes having filtered blue lighting.


A bright sunny day. Click here.


Evening before sunset.
Click here.


After dark with some lights on.
Click here.


A closeup with very limited lighting.
Click here.