[cooltalkingfrog]

Hello,


I am looking for experienced users with Electrohome projectors used with HTPC sources.


I have an Electrohome 3100 that is in great shape.

I use an HTPC with a radeon 9000 as the graphic card.


The HTPC connects to an Extron 202xi via a VGA cable and from the Extron to the ECP via a good quality 5 bnc to bnc cable.


I use WinXP Pro and I am trying to find what is your experience with resolution and screen format?

I watch 99% dvds with this setup.


My screen width is about 80" and is right now a 4/3 format. I am at 1024 * 768 @ 60Hz.

I realize that I do not watch anything hardly anymore that is 4/3 ratio and I am going to rebuild a screen with a 16/9 ratio.


I would like to know what is the best resolution that I should be using for this setup/use?

I have Powerstrip and use TheaterTek to watch dvds.


I have read so many threads here that I am a little confused.

I watch dvds and would like to watch the new WMP9 format movies to come since they seem to be great in quality.


Thank you all for your help.


Arno

 

[jcmccorm]

Wow, you have my exact setup until I went with an MP-1 Radeon card and a 4500 (now a Marquee though).


You're pretty much set, HTPC, Extron box, 16:9 screen 80". This is what I had and I tried a lot of different resolutioms and ended up with 1440x600 with the 4500. You might be on the edge of the H sync capabilities of the 3100 so you might back down to 1280x600. At any rate, 600 lines seemed to be the most I could comfortably squeeze out of the 3100 without the lines overlapping.


Cary


PS. I use Powerstrip and Theatertek also. Gotta love them both...

 

[Chris_Holmes]

I'm pretty happy with 540x960 @72Hz and I watch DVD's 99% of the time. I also use Powerstrip......

 

[cooltalkingfrog]

Thanks for the replies.


I feel a little strange when I see that you both offer resolutions so much appart... (Or is it?)


I would think that 1280*600 or 540*960 (or is it 960*540?) are pretty different, but I am just a newbie here...


I actually have Powerstrip but never really used it before.

I was happy with what I had but realize that I can do much better.


I know that the PJ will not be too happy at 1280*1024, so I do not know if 1280*600 would work.


I am unclear weither I need to try the highest resolution that my PJ will take or try a lower resolution like 960*540.

Don't I want something that is a multiple of 720?

Since I use an HTPC, I really do not have too many limits other than the PJ.


Thanks for all the help.

It's kind of annoying to try different resolutions and having to redo all the convergence work every time only to find out that the result is not good...


Thanks,

Arno

 

[cooltalkingfrog]

On another note, Cary, were the results much better with the MP1 than with the radeon?

I understand that after spending hundreds of dollars, the first idea is to say that it was a FANTASTIC improvement, but in all honesty, was it?


Arno

 

[VideoGrabber]

Cary wrote:

> you might back down to 1280x600. I am unclear weither I need to try the highest resolution that my PJ will take or try a lower resolution like 960*540. Don't I want something that is a multiple of 720?

 

[VideoGrabber]

Arno had written:

> My screen width is about 80" and is right now a 4/3 format. I am at 1024 * 768 @ 60Hz.

 

[cooltalkingfrog]

VideoGrabber,


Thanks for the replies.

It will take me a few moments to understand everything I think.

What is banding by the way?


Thanks,

Arno

 

[Chris_Holmes]

Maybe one of you can clear something up for me.....Wouldn't you want a resolution that is 16:9 if you are using a 16:9 screen? That is why I used 540X960, however, Cary suggests 600X1280 which is not a 16:9 resolution. I guess you just size it to fit? Wouldn't this cause some distortion? I can see using 600x1080 as that is almost exactly a 16:9 resolution.....

 

[cooltalkingfrog]

Chris,


Thank you for asking this question.

I am myself confused and would like to hear the answer.


Thanks everybody for helping me getting better.


Arno

 

[cooltalkingfrog]

I am thinking that before I actually redo everything, I am going to change the capacitors on the beast.


It's from 1993 and I believe that the caps are original.


I will change all the caps first, then worry about resolution.

I might be able to go higher after I change the caps.


Arno