Hank at Studio Experience let me try out the Studio Experience Cinema 13HD, which is a native 16:9 XGA LCD projector. It is rated at 1200 lumens and 700:1 contrast ratio. It is an updated version of the Sanyo PLV-60, improved to Studio Experience's requirements regarding processing capabilities. It has the new high contrast technology that Sanyo is now famous for.
The following comments are the result of viewing progressive DVD input from Toshiba 6200 (viewing the V/E test patterns and Video Montage, Fifth Element, Jurassic Park, Austin Powers):
Overall: a beautiful picture right out of the box.
It has a much, much better scaler than 21N/38t, which I just couldn’t watch on the 21N/38t with the 6200 feeding it directly. Very good, dare I say excellent, quality and quite usable, which makes for extremely easy set-up. The test patterns caused me to cut the sharpness to the minimum. Just because of my preferences on the 21N/38t, I also boosted the gamma to 10 to 12 of 15 where 8 is the default. The color balance needed very minor tweaking in my room according to V/E, but it was close enough that I didn't see any pressing need to do it right away.
As compared to 21N/38t (my frame of reference and the finest picture I or my friends have ever seen):
What’s better: 16:9 native chip (no black bars and really wide picture), remotely controlled lens shift for easier set up, the scaler (no outboard processor necessary with progressive component DVD player through component inputs or DTC-100 through VGA input), black level is darker and presence of gamma adjustment (which brightens the middle of the gray scale range for allowing what I consider
enhanced details).
What’s the same: contrast and color (which is incredible on both projectors).
What’s worse: screen door (because no MLA “micro lens array,†though still not visible at two times the screen width) and available lumens (though I like the brighter projector, many think the 21N/38t is too bright, so this
may be a matter of taste, though I haven't tried to watch sports in the daytime).
As to "solarization", Dan Houck linked me to another forum for an explanation of what it is and what to look for. So I performed the infamous "Diva's Belly Test" on the 5th Element. There is no hint of anything screwy there. Not a trace of an artifact effect. Whatever glitch the PLV-60 had is adios in this machine.
I really hate to admit this but I couldn't get the Toshiba 6200 to output an NTSC signal through S-Video input. I think I tried everything, but I'm stumped.
The picture was extremely pleasing. Big big grins. My eagle eyed son even approves. The only thing that diminished the experience for me is that I was already blown away by my 21N/38t, and have now gotten used to it, so I wasn't shocked by the quality of the picture, because they are so similar. I think anyone used to a DLP who saw this picture would be astounded by the colors, contrast ratio, shadow detail and black levels. It's quite a bit brighter than my LP350 was, and the gamma adjustments can make this difference even more pronounced. It's like a giant wide screen format tube.
As to the "giant" aspect, after two nights of committed watching, I (unfortunately) got very accustomed to the scale of the picture. At about the same throw distance (15 to 16 feet) it made a picture that was the same height as my screen (60") but 110" wide (being 125" diagonal) on 16:9 sources and (because it maintains height) on 4:3 material it filled my 100" diagonal 4:3 screen perfectly. On 16:9 material the picture is so wide that you can't really take it all in without moving your eyes around to follow the action and see everything, like at the theater. So with this projector, your not losing anything on 4:3 but gaining about 2 1/2 feet of width on 16:9. When I went back to my 38t, the 2.35:1 5th Element seemed a little mail slotty for a while, until I (thankfully) became reaclimated and began appreciating the moderate boost in brightness. I would literally have to move a door to fit a 110" wide screen in my space, so I'm stuck.
Now, HD on the DTC-100. YES. If you buy it, you will like it. Plus a bonus, always before when watching NTSC channels through the HD tuner, the quality seemed pretty low. But for some reason, when viewed on this projector, through the VGA feed, and switching between HD channels and NTSC channels, I was surprised with how good the NTSC channels looked. I suppose it is because you are using all of the pixel available vertically to make the picture, rather than a small square in the middle. Plus, I'm sure all that contrast and color really helps brings out the detail. In that mode, you can alway watch DSS in the 16:9 aspect ratio, and have very good quality.
My final word on the screen door. If you sit where the projector is (like under it) you won't be able to see it at all (and I had my glasses cleaned and on).
I tested it on a 1.3 gain Da-Lite screen from about a 16 foot throw distance.
Go to studioexperience.com for a data sheet of the spec's.
------------------
Joe
My current idea of the best value:
Boxlight 38t
Quadscan Elite
Panasonic RP91
RCA DTC-100
Da-Lite 100" 4:3 1.3gain
Studio Experience SE616's
and some other stuff.
[This message has been edited by JHouse (edited 08-21-2001).]
The following comments are the result of viewing progressive DVD input from Toshiba 6200 (viewing the V/E test patterns and Video Montage, Fifth Element, Jurassic Park, Austin Powers):
Overall: a beautiful picture right out of the box.
It has a much, much better scaler than 21N/38t, which I just couldn’t watch on the 21N/38t with the 6200 feeding it directly. Very good, dare I say excellent, quality and quite usable, which makes for extremely easy set-up. The test patterns caused me to cut the sharpness to the minimum. Just because of my preferences on the 21N/38t, I also boosted the gamma to 10 to 12 of 15 where 8 is the default. The color balance needed very minor tweaking in my room according to V/E, but it was close enough that I didn't see any pressing need to do it right away.
As compared to 21N/38t (my frame of reference and the finest picture I or my friends have ever seen):
What’s better: 16:9 native chip (no black bars and really wide picture), remotely controlled lens shift for easier set up, the scaler (no outboard processor necessary with progressive component DVD player through component inputs or DTC-100 through VGA input), black level is darker and presence of gamma adjustment (which brightens the middle of the gray scale range for allowing what I consider
enhanced details).
What’s the same: contrast and color (which is incredible on both projectors).
What’s worse: screen door (because no MLA “micro lens array,†though still not visible at two times the screen width) and available lumens (though I like the brighter projector, many think the 21N/38t is too bright, so this
may be a matter of taste, though I haven't tried to watch sports in the daytime).
As to "solarization", Dan Houck linked me to another forum for an explanation of what it is and what to look for. So I performed the infamous "Diva's Belly Test" on the 5th Element. There is no hint of anything screwy there. Not a trace of an artifact effect. Whatever glitch the PLV-60 had is adios in this machine.
I really hate to admit this but I couldn't get the Toshiba 6200 to output an NTSC signal through S-Video input. I think I tried everything, but I'm stumped.
The picture was extremely pleasing. Big big grins. My eagle eyed son even approves. The only thing that diminished the experience for me is that I was already blown away by my 21N/38t, and have now gotten used to it, so I wasn't shocked by the quality of the picture, because they are so similar. I think anyone used to a DLP who saw this picture would be astounded by the colors, contrast ratio, shadow detail and black levels. It's quite a bit brighter than my LP350 was, and the gamma adjustments can make this difference even more pronounced. It's like a giant wide screen format tube.
As to the "giant" aspect, after two nights of committed watching, I (unfortunately) got very accustomed to the scale of the picture. At about the same throw distance (15 to 16 feet) it made a picture that was the same height as my screen (60") but 110" wide (being 125" diagonal) on 16:9 sources and (because it maintains height) on 4:3 material it filled my 100" diagonal 4:3 screen perfectly. On 16:9 material the picture is so wide that you can't really take it all in without moving your eyes around to follow the action and see everything, like at the theater. So with this projector, your not losing anything on 4:3 but gaining about 2 1/2 feet of width on 16:9. When I went back to my 38t, the 2.35:1 5th Element seemed a little mail slotty for a while, until I (thankfully) became reaclimated and began appreciating the moderate boost in brightness. I would literally have to move a door to fit a 110" wide screen in my space, so I'm stuck.
Now, HD on the DTC-100. YES. If you buy it, you will like it. Plus a bonus, always before when watching NTSC channels through the HD tuner, the quality seemed pretty low. But for some reason, when viewed on this projector, through the VGA feed, and switching between HD channels and NTSC channels, I was surprised with how good the NTSC channels looked. I suppose it is because you are using all of the pixel available vertically to make the picture, rather than a small square in the middle. Plus, I'm sure all that contrast and color really helps brings out the detail. In that mode, you can alway watch DSS in the 16:9 aspect ratio, and have very good quality.
My final word on the screen door. If you sit where the projector is (like under it) you won't be able to see it at all (and I had my glasses cleaned and on).
I tested it on a 1.3 gain Da-Lite screen from about a 16 foot throw distance.
Go to studioexperience.com for a data sheet of the spec's.
------------------
Joe
My current idea of the best value:
Boxlight 38t
Quadscan Elite
Panasonic RP91
RCA DTC-100
Da-Lite 100" 4:3 1.3gain
Studio Experience SE616's
and some other stuff.
[This message has been edited by JHouse (edited 08-21-2001).]
