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Couple of questions...

652 Views 10 Replies 6 Participants Last post by GreggPenn, Jan 26, 2004

GoldenTiger

Discussion Starter · Jan 23, 2004

1) Do LCD projectors suffer from "burn-in" issues?

2) Does the Sony HS20 suffer from dust spot issues like I read about the Sanyo Z2?

3) Is the HS20 a good projector (it is from what I've read... PLEASE any owners feel free to add your thoughts about it to this thread

)?

4) An HS20 puts out good enough blacks that it isn't obviously a gray, right?

Please don't post "Where to buy". It's against forum policy.

Thanks,

Kysersose

7) How does 480i DirecTV standard definition broadcast content look on a 96-106" screen like I would have with such a projector? Are compression artifacts going to be so large that it ruins the experience for normal TV? From your personal experience, did you find yourself only wanting to watch HD and DVD content?

8) If I am trying to watch a 1080i broadcast, will it just be scaled down on a 720p projector such as the HS20, or can I plain not watch the higher-res content on an LCD projector? It just scales down as far as I have read, is that correct?

9) From what I've read, a Stewart Firehawk screen 1.3 gain would be best for me. Owners of HS20: What screens do you use? I want to order a screen at the same time as my projector if possible, though I do understand that's not always the wisest choice and thus might not do so. Here's my room's rough (note: may be bigger in the length department, I'm just in the rough planning stages of the room still) details:

Completely light-controlled (I have absolutely no ambient light).

Approximately 15-16ft wide.

Approximately 20-22ft long.

Undecided on wall color; probably white, but I may be able to swing a dark gray.

I want a permanently wall-mounted screen.

Devices to be hooked up: SD DirecTiVo, HD DirecTiVo (once it comes out), Xbox, Progressive Scan DVD player, possibly a PC.

10) If I want a 106" diagonal 16:9 screen, what must the WxH dimensions of the screen be? The HS20 in "low lamp Cinema Black" mode is bright enough to handle this from what I have read, right? Also, what would be the needed throw distance? Can I let the projector sit on a few foot high coffee table, or does it *have* to be ceiling mounted?

11) What brand and model of Progressive Scan DVD player should I get? Also, what is the resolution of a DVD? 480P or 720P?

12) What kind of cabling should I get? Any brands and models you would recommend for each connection the HS20 has?

13) For regular 4:3 content, the projector just puts black bars on the sides of the image and it shows up normally without requiring some sort of adjustment every time I switch between 16:9 and 4:3 content, right?

Thanks for your patience with these newbie questions! I know parts of the answers, but I just want to fill in the rest while checking my own answers to make sure they are correct

. To any and all who reply, thanks in advance!

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buns

· #2 · Jan 23, 2004

wow thats alot of questions!

1) yes...... bulb needs time to get to its optimum..... give it 100 hours

2) none ive read about

4) no current lcd will get away from obvious grey, it depends how critical you are.

others will need to help with the other questions

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jayw

· #3 · Jan 23, 2004

I'll take a shot on a few of these. I'm an X1 owner but some of these questions are generic.
Quote:

Originally posted by GoldenTiger
1) Do LCD projectors suffer from "burn-in" issues?

7) How does 480i DirecTV standard definition broadcast content look on a 96-106" screen like I would have with such a projector? Are compression artifacts going to be so large that it ruins the experience for normal TV? From your personal experience, did you find yourself only wanting to watch HD and DVD content?

8) If I am trying to watch a 1080i broadcast, will it just be scaled down on a 720p projector such as the HS20, or can I plain not watch the higher-res content on an LCD projector? It just scales down as far as I have read, is that correct?

10) If I want a 106" diagonal 16:9 screen, what must the WxH dimensions of the screen be?

12) What kind of cabling should I get? Any brands and models you would recommend for each connection the HS20 has?

1) I believe you mean does the image burn in and the answer is no. LCD and DLP are not suceptible to burn in. This issue steered me away from Plasma panels BTW.

7) Well my screen is 90 inches diagonal and we do about 70% of our viewing of DirecTivo SD content. Most of the time it looks pretty darn good. SciFi channel can almost look like a DVD some times. CNN looks particularly bad. Fox News is sort of in the middle. It depends upon how much DTV compresses each channel. One of the DC area local channels, channel 4, looks great. Channel 9 looks awful. Go figure. Anyway, it was the limitaton of DTV that forced me to keep the size of my screen smallish. I will probably go bigger once most of my content is HD, ED, or DVD. My X1 is our main TV in that level of the house.

8) It would be scaled to fit your native LCD panels' resolution.

10) 51.967 inches high by 92.387 inches wide. Source: Infocus Projection Calculator

12) Many of us have used bluejeanscable.com and have been very happy with the quality, speed, and customer service. a2zcables.com gets a lot of positive comments as well. Longer lengthcables can be hard to come by in brick and mortar (B&M) outlets.

HS20 owners will have pick up the rest of your questions! Enjoy your new Home Theater.

JayW

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GoldenTiger

Discussion Starter · #4 · Jan 23, 2004

Yes, that is what I meant by number one, jayw.

Thanks guys for the answers!

Keysersoze: I wasn't aware that it was against the rules, sorry.

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unefined

· #5 · Jan 23, 2004

Quote:

Originally posted by GoldenTiger

3) Is the HS20 a good projector (it is from what I've read... PLEASE any owners feel free to add your thoughts about it to this thread )?

Yes. The HS20 is a good projector. I own one, so my opinion is biased!

For what it is worth, the Panny AE500 and Sanyo Z2 are also very good projectors. I have no regrets in my purchase of the Sony, however.
Quote:

4) An HS20 puts out good enough blacks that it isn't obviously a gray, right?

There is no such thing as black when using an LCD or DLP projector. Just various shades of gray. If you are considering a digital projector, you should keep this in mind. I find that the black levels of the HS20 are acceptable. I would not, however, describe any digital projectors "black" as black. You will get used to it quickly, and if it bugs you there are always gray(er) screens you can purchase that will lower the black level to more acceptable levels. Look at some of the gray screens from Da-Lite, Stewart (pricey, but excellent), or paint a wall with Glidden "Misty Evening" paint available at Home Depot.

Quote:

7) How does 480i DirecTV standard definition broadcast content look on a 96-106" screen like I would have with such a projector? Are compression artifacts going to be so large that it ruins the experience for normal TV? From your personal experience, did you find yourself only wanting to watch HD and DVD content?

At 106" size I find it looks very good. I like it MUCH better than on my 51" RPTV, since I know that I am not going to burn in the black bars on the side. I also don't stretch the image, which I commonly do on the RPTV to prevent burnin. For what it is worth, I watch about 60% SDTV and the tests I've done with the projector are very promising. I do, however, find that I prefer HDTV - no matter what display device (RPTV, FP)!

Quote:

8) If I am trying to watch a 1080i broadcast, will it just be scaled down on a 720p projector such as the HS20, or can I plain not watch the higher-res content on an LCD projector? It just scales down as far as I have read, is that correct?

Your 1080i broadcast will be scaled. It will still look much better than DVD or SDTV.

Quote:

9) From what I've read, a Stewart Firehawk screen 1.3 gain would be best for me. Owners of HS20: What screens do you use? I want to order a screen at the same time as my projector if possible, though I do understand that's not always the wisest choice and thus might not do so. Here's my room's rough (note: may be bigger in the length department, I'm just in the rough planning stages of the room still) details:

Completely light-controlled (I have absolutely no ambient light).

Approximately 15-16ft wide.

Approximately 20-22ft long.

Undecided on wall color; probably white, but I may be able to swing a dark gray.

I want a permanently wall-mounted screen.

Devices to be hooked up: SD DirecTiVo, HD DirecTiVo (once it comes out), Xbox, Progressive Scan DVD player, possibly a PC.

You should join in the discussion on the screens for the HS20
"Quest for Ultimate Sony HS20 Screen"

Personally, I'm going to get the Da-Lite HCCV material and build a frame. Please read some of the other posts about screens for the HS20, it is very much an issue of personal preference.

Quote:

10) Can I let the projector sit on a few foot high coffee table, or does it *have* to be ceiling mounted?

You will want the projector lined up with either the top or bottom of the screen (top for ceiling mount, bottom for table mount).

Quote:

13) For regular 4:3 content, the projector just puts black bars on the sides of the image and it shows up normally without requiring some sort of adjustment every time I switch between 16:9 and 4:3 content, right?

Correct.

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GoldenTiger

Discussion Starter · #6 · Jan 24, 2004

Thanks a lot, unefined! Very nice thread you have there! From your thoughts, it looks like I'll probably go with a HCCV Dalite screen...

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GoldenTiger

Discussion Starter · #7 · Jan 25, 2004

14) I could make the room longer than the dimensions listed in my first post... would that be wise? Does it affect the acoustics if I give myself the extra room, which I would like to?

15) Are blacks on an LCD projector black like an LCD monitor, where it's nearly black but you can tell it's still gray, or are they worse? Is that a similar comparison to what an LCD projector's blacks would look like?

16) What kind of frame should I get with a Dalite screen? I want something black that makes it look like a giant plasma, preferably with some kind of metal for the frame. I see several on the merchant I am looking at.

17) Is it possible to get the screen material pre-attached to the frame, or must it be snapped on once I receive it? I'm not very handy, so I hope it comes pre-attached

!

18) Does the center of the projector's lense have to be EXACTLY lined up with the bottom of the screen, or is it OK to be off by a little bit?

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unefined

· #8 · Jan 25, 2004

Quote:

Originally posted by GoldenTiger
Thanks a lot, unefined! Very nice thread you have there! I was strongly considering the Firehawk as my screen, and now am reaffirmed that it would probably be the right choice for me.

Are blacks on an LCD projector black like an LCD monitor, where it's nearly black but you can tell it's still gray, or are they worse?

Blacks are a relative thing with digital (LCD) projectors. Black is going to look like a shade of gray. What shade depends on the projector and the screen material (hence the use of high contrast gray screens).

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GreggPenn

· #9 · Jan 25, 2004

Quote:

Originally posted by GoldenTiger
14) I could make the room longer than the dimensions listed in my first post... would that be wise? Does it affect the acoustics if I give myself the extra room, which I would like to?

15) Are blacks on an LCD projector black like an LCD monitor, where it's nearly black but you can tell it's still gray, or are they worse? Is that a similar comparison to what an LCD projector's blacks would look like?

16) What kind of frame should I get with a Dalite screen? I want something black that makes it look like a giant plasma, preferably with some kind of metal for the frame. I see several on the merchant I am looking at.

17) Is it possible to get the screen material pre-attached to the frame, or must it be snapped on once I receive it? I'm not very handy, so I hope it comes pre-attached !

18) Does the center of the projector's lense have to be EXACTLY lined up with the bottom of the screen, or is it OK to be off by a little bit?

14) The further you sit back from a speaker and/or the longer the room, the easier it will be for you to hear low frequencies. Also, know that your projector will have to be mounted within a certain range of the screen -- depending on screen size. If you make the room longer, I assume you're only asking about adding seating further back and the audio changes. btw: if you have a good HT receiver, there should be an adjustment for surround sound timing.

15) In a word, no. But they are satisfying. If you go with white walls as you indicated in your first post, you probably will want to go with the HCCV or Firehawk screen. Grey screens will darker blacks to near monitor levels but white rooms will try to wash some of that out. OTOH, if you want a "plasma" look, you might want to go with a Dalite high power, Vutec SilverStar, or read the CMRA/MM Superplex thread in the screens forum. This DIY screen has been described as "plasma-like". But if snaps scare you.... never mind.

16) Having a black border is the main thing. Visual preference after that.

17) ?? Less risk if shipped rolled but I doubt it is difficult to snap on. (I hope you aren't scared of remotes -- because you'll have 3 or 4 of them by the time you're done).

Sorry, couldn't resist.

18) The projector can be off a little or a lot. A funtion called keystoning is present in any good HT projector. It will square the image if you are shooting from any reasonable (non-perpendicular) angle (to the side, up or down). However, this function usually softens the picture somewhat. "Videophiles" try to avoid the use of this function.

P.S.

Though it's not likely to burn in an LCD, I still think you could do it -- if you try hard enough.

The HS20 can get dust blobs, but they don't sound particularly common.

Make sure you read the first impressions threads on the HS20. Start from the end and back up a few pages. There will be more and better reviews toward the end. This thread will help you determine if you want the HS20.

Also, look at ProjectorCentral.com for many different projector reviews.

DVD is normally stored as 720x480 pixel frames. (And, I was thinking it is stored as 480i, but now that I think about it, I wonder why 960 resolution isn't possible if odd, then even lined frames were stored. I guess I need to re-read a DVD primer). Digital projectors have progressive displays. That means either the PJ or the DVD player must de-interlace a DVD image. Then it needs to be scaled to the panel size (resolution of the projector). Don't worry, newer projectors will scale any material commonly found on TV or DVD.

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JGL

· #10 · Jan 25, 2004

There are a number of ratios that give you the optimum room dimensions for best acoustics. They are meant to reduce the amount of standing waves and flatten the response of the room.

Here are a few I've found:

1.0(Width) X 1.55(Depth) X .67(Height)

1.0(Width) X 1.61(Depth) X .61(Height)

If you want to work it out from your ceiling height a little easier:

1.0(Height) X 1.14(Width) X 1.39(Depth)

1.0(Height) X 1.28(Width) X 1.54(Depth)

1.0(Height) X 1.60(Width) X 2.33(Depth)

There are other ratios out there, too. You can do a Google search for 'golden ratio' or 'golden mean' and you should be able to find out more.

These should give you a pretty good start, tho.

JGL

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GreggPenn

· #11 · Jan 26, 2004

I have done some speaker building in the past. And, I remember there being a "golden" ratio for cabinet building (which was also designed to reduce internal standing waves).

Makes sense that this applies to rooms as well. Is the ratio the same?

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