[craige17]

I'm shopping around for my first PJ and thought I'd settled on DLP as the backbone technology, but as I've been checking out projectors at dealers I've been getting a tremendous amount of eye strain. I don't see any rainbows (or at least have not notice I see them), but even 15 minutes of viewing makes me feel really wonky.


If you have this problem with one DLP PJ, will you have it with all of them? Or are there any DLP projectors that cause less or more eye fatigue than others?


And if DLP is out, am I consigned to the CRTs, or are there other good options? Not sure I'm an LCD kinda guy because screendoor is quite noticeable to me, and I don't have a good handle on DILA yet. But I'm really not looking forward to CRT land...


c


EDIT: Is there anyway to change the "q" in the subject to a "g" to aid future searchers? I thought I'd corrected that, but it seems to have reappeared.

 

[JohnnyK]

I auditioned the Sharp 9000 and after about 10 minutes I felt like my eyes were being sucked out of my head. Plus, I developed a headache. I hope that this problem is not endemic to all DLP projectors.

 

[Tryg]

D-ILA or Hitachi 5500.


There will be more LCOS projectors hitting the market shortly

 

[Dawn]

If you haven't seen an LCD with MLA, don't rule out the PLV-70. There IS a difference...

I'm not saying it is as smooth as D-ILA or LCOS, but just don't rule it out until you've seen it...

 

[Daniel Hutnicki]

craige17


Welcome to the eye strain club. Between the rainbows I see and the eyestrain I used to get, I had to move over to Dila. The Dilas are getting very friendly in regards to noise and heat with their new X21 coming out in February (God willing)

 

[MrWigggles]

craige17,


The projectors with faster color wheel should hopefully produce less eye strain and it is possible that projectors with SHP bulbs might produce less eyestrain than UHP or NSH bulbs as well (the later is a hypothesis on my part).


Personally, I've never had eyestrain issues with casual viewing. The only eyestrain I've had has come after LONG sessions of intense video gaming on DLP and sometimes CRT monitors.


I hope that helps


-Mr. Wigggles

 

[Kimmo Jaskari]

Personally I think (obviously have no proof and it is opinion only) the problem is inherent in the design of 1-chip DLP. You have the rotating color wheel which should induce a strobe-like effect to the whole image. We may not see it consciously but that doesn't mean we cannot detect it over a matter of time due to fatigue etc.


You are already aware of the issues with LCD (more visible screen door and blacks that are not black but dark grey) but they do have three LCD panels and thus no strobe effect. I've watched my Epson for the better part of a day in one stretch and had no eye fatigue whatsoever - and the image quality on it and any other machine in its class is IMHO superb. Of course, it depends a lot on personal taste and what demands you place on your PJ.


Personally, a non-fatiguing image goes right up there on the top of the list which pretty much rules out DLP for me until they stop with this one-chip-crap and get decently priced three chippers out the door, after that it will no doubt be bye bye LCD.

 

[mintakaX]

Well, unfortunetly I'm in the same club--I'd rather buy a DLP because IMHO the picture quality is more to my taste, however, they give me headaches. I also do not see rainbows. My eyestrain seems to increase when there is a lot of motion on the screen such as sweeping camera pans, etc. My problem is that I want to buy a projector soon, not wait for some promised future technology. I also dont ant to mess with HTPCs or separate scalers, etc. I'm finding it difficult, via reviews, to determine what the best LCD PJ is.

Right now I'm leaning towards the PLV70 or the Sony 12HT, but it appears that I will have to buy one sight unseen since no local dealers carry them.



Dan

 

[Dawn]

Dan, take a look at Steve Smallcombe's review of the PLV-70 in the Smart 70 thread. http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/volum...0-12-2002.html

 

[Ed Rogers]

I was getting headaches from my LT-150. I replaced it with a G15 D-ILA and my head thanks me for it

 

[bb1987]

Quote:

Originally posted by JohnnyK I auditioned the Sharp 9000 and after about 10 minutes I felt like my eyes were being sucked out of my head. Plus, I developed a headache. I hope that this problem is not endemic to all DLP projectors.

I have the same reaction to any one chip dlp projector including the sharp 9000.


That's one reason I got the Sanyo 70


bb

 

[jallenhood]

a Yamaha DPX-1

a Seleco-250

and a Piano HT3200


Started with the Piano, watched about 30 minutes of Attack of the Clones, switched to the Seleco (same dealer, same room A/B switch) and watched the same 30 minutes. Then we watched about 20 minutes of the Patriots Superbowl DVD, then 30 minutes of Tomorrow Never Dies. We switched back and forth often. No fatigue/headaches

A five minute drive up the road took us to anither dealer where we watched Pearl Harbor on the Yamaha for about an hour. Then about 15 minutes of HDNet and other DSS channels. When we walked out the door, my eyes were beat down, and I had a headache. My friend also had the same reaction as I.

My question is this, could it be a cummulative effect? Or was it the Yamaha that was solely responsible? Either way, I am having second thoughts about DLP right now. Problem is that nobody around my neck of the woods has any other kind of projector to view.

 

[dubmaster]

Seems like we have only negative reports there. It could be possible, but it's not a rule of thumb. DLP is a great technology, and millions of user around the world are enjoying it. If it were a common problem i think TI had already reacted.


bye

2500 hours of XGA DLP in 2 years...

 

[J.Mike Ferrara]

dubmaster:

3 chip DLP is great technology, I'll agree.

1 chip DLP with a rotating color wheel incorporates 60 year old technology that didn't work then, and as the negative posts attest, still doesn't work for some folks.

 

[Ericbres]

As was mentioned in an earlier post ... LCOS may be for you.

I wouldn't bother with the Hitachi 5500 with the 5600 coming out soon.

I just received some specs on the unit which sound nice. Nice disclamer on the bottom of the spec sheet too

 

[the bomber]

I'm not sure any technology works for everyone. As some one indicated, there are millions of happy headache free DLP viewers out there. LCD, D-ILA, LCOS, CRT, etc, etc all have downsides that preclude them for being the pancea for the HT addiction.


I could start a post why CRT isn't for me and it will draw more negative comments than positive. You kinda have to accept some of the trade-offs that each technology has (noise, low light output, motion artifacts, frequent calibration, need for outboard equipment, 4:3 format only, price, low contrast, etc).



MHO,



Bomber

 

[Kimmo Jaskari]

Daniel, that's about the most pointless post I've seen here yet. Not only is it completely unconstructive, it's not even mildly amusing.


Can I point to this thread as the definition when somebody asks me how to define the concept of a "thread fart"?

 

[Scott Farrell]

Geez Kimmo, take a pill or something. Daniel is entitled to his own brand of humor, obscure that it might be.


By the way, your signature quote is wrong. The quote comes from the first two sentances of The Restaurant At The End Of The Universe, by Douglas Adams, not from The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy. I happen to have a copy of both sitting here in my bookcase.


Have a great day. I hope the pills work out for you.

 

[JimP]

Has anyone noticed a difference in eye strain when using bias or other relief lighting?


I have a friend that uses a 20" CRT in a totally blacked out room. Talk about hard on the eyes.


Perhaps some of this eye strain, fatigue, headaches is a result of a fairly bright image in a very black room. Seems that in a totally black room, the pupils of your eyes would be constantly at work. After a couple of hours of this, your eyes should be tired.


Would a little lighting strategically placed to keep light off of the screen yet present in the room help?

 

[JohnnyK]

You may be correct about having a low light behind the screen. Last night I saw a Marantz S1 on a high gain screen in a dark room. After only 5 minutes I developed a headach next to my eyes. I was going to place an order for the HT1000 today, but now I am wondering if I should wait for the JVC?