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Is Crt Worth The $

1701 Views 28 Replies 22 Participants Last post by Prehjan, May 15, 2006

Yogen

Discussion Starter · May 5, 2006

I have been dreaming of having a crt for a couple of years now. I have been to Curt's and seen these pj in action and new that they were the best in all aspects. Unfortunately when I do the math the numbers are so high I don't if I could ever afford one.

What I have in mind is the NEC 110LC (3500us or 4025cdn I am in canada) or the Sony G70 (3200us/3680cdn) matched with the Lumagin VisionHDP (1499us/1723.85cdn.) that adds up to 5000+ us. Now for some this is chump change but not for this joe.

Could anyone out there suggest an alternative or two. I love home theater and would like the best but can't afford it. Help!

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1 - 20 of 29 Posts

rajdude

· #2 · May 5, 2006

well, you are looking at the high end stuff here. The picture you will get out of this setup (especially the G70) is surely worth it.

But here is where CRT shines.... you can get cheaper ones. and you need not get the Lumagen. Most of us have a extra PC lying around, just use that to run DVDs. For cable / HDTV, you can get cheap transcoders (cheap = 200 USD) . The moome one will do.

All this may be around 1500 USD. That will give you a much better picture than a 5000 USD DLP!

IMHO of course.

HoustonHoyaFan

· #3 · May 5, 2006

The G70 with a Momitsu for ~ $200 will be fantastic.

The G70 supports component and the Momitsu will deliver 1080i and 720p over component!

JustGreg

· #4 · May 5, 2006

Admittedly it isn't an inexpensive proposition to build a home theater...regardless of what projector or projection technology you decide to go with. But I think $5000 is higher than you have to go for an entry level 8" EM machine.

I started out with a digital and had good fun with it until association with the HT community infected me with the CRT bug which led to my first CRT pj.

The costs associated with something that wasn't Set-it-and-forget-it (digital) were a bit staggering for my budget but I got a really nice Marquee 8500 with 8/9 tubes for about $1700 including shipping.

If you already own fairly decent audio equipment you're way ahead of the game. Decent progressive scan HDMI upconverting DVD player prices will be plummeting with the introduction of HD and BR players. That only leaves you with connectivity costs (cables, transcoder (depending on what pj you get) and a screen.

As for screens...you can spend a ton of cash or just go with a good paint option.

Visit www.curtpalme.com again and look at his recent offerings. I'm positive he has something for every budget. Even the latest light cannon offerings with 5000:1 contrast ration can't begin to touch the 15,000/25,000:1 of even an entry level crt pj for less money....and no expensive bulbs!!

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Yogen

Discussion Starter · #5 · May 5, 2006

I've thought about the htpc route but the wife did not like the idea, too complicated i guess. with video processors there is little set up in comparison with htpc and more user friendly for the family. mabe with some convincing she may change her mind.

Wilds

· #6 · May 5, 2006

Don't agonize about spending $2000-$3000 for a projector, check out some of the top end entry level projectors. I picked up a Barco Data 800 for $135 locally with vga to bnc cable included, upgraded my video card in my PC to a GeForce 6600GT for $80 (used,) painted a piece of drywall with behr ultra white paint $35 and started playing DVD's. Take the plunge and slowly build up a nicer setup if money is an issue. I am now upgrading my screen and piecing together speakers and other components. Good luck.

Curt Palme

· #7 · May 5, 2006

Just by comparision, I get calls all the time from digital owners switching to CRT due to costs. I guy from Tx called yesterday, he's on his 4th digital in 6 years. Two were upgrades due to crappy performance and improvements in the digital realm, two blew up out of warranty and weren't worth repairing. Pretty crappy odds if you ask me.

His friend bought a CRT 5 years ago with ZERO failures and upgrades. He's joining our 'team'.

Yogen

Discussion Starter · #8 · May 5, 2006

Can make my own cables and i have a nice audio set up wich helps. As for the screen that would be the paint on the wall route.

madpoet

· #9 · May 5, 2006

We have a team now? Cool! Let's go soccer fan on everyone!

Tony S

· #10 · May 5, 2006

Concerning the cost of supporting hardware:

What PC specs should one be considering for a HTPC? Presently I'm running a 2 gig Pent 4, 1 gig of ram and an Invidia TI 4-4000. (homebuild) Would this be adequate with a vid card upgrade?

Pretty much sitting on the same fence as Yogen.

draganm

· #11 · May 5, 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by madpoet
We have a team now? Cool! Let's go soccer fan on everyone!

mad your name suits you perfectly, LOL . Yes we are a team, well except for Raster, no ones sure what teams he's on?

JosephF

· #12 · May 5, 2006

Let's make it very clear that CRT does not have to be expensive.

I have a Sony 1270 that I bought locally with a PC1270 switcher with line doubler. I've since changed over to a Moome card and still have less than 5 bills invested in the video side.

Is the 1270 on par with a G70... heck no. But does it continue to blow me and everyone else who sees it away... absolutely!

If you can afford more projector, great. But there are much less expensive options that will make most people more than happy, at a cost below even the low end digitals.

xanatos

· #13 · May 5, 2006

great home theaters are not born all at once

they grow over time i started with a home made projector

went to a advent videobeam then went to a kloss novabeam.

i have just kept sharking my way up the crt food chain

if you cant buy a g70 now buy a nec 9 pg

XANATOS

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CaspianM

· #14 · May 5, 2006

THere is a Nec XG135 available (see For Sale Forum) for $2500.

You don't have to have a standalone scaler.

I use upconverting DVD player and Directv are all 1080i even ST TV with excellent results.

Getting into expensive scaler is a consideration that can be applied equally to both digital and CRT pj's for some hi end resolution such as 1080p .

dloftis

· #15 · May 5, 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yogen
Can make my own cables and i have a nice audio set up wich helps. As for the screen that would be the paint on the wall route.

Just my $0.02... if a screen isn't being considered in your budget, but a lumagen is... I think you'd be much happier the other way around. I think a "real" screen is going to be a bigger incremental performance gain than a scaler.

But that's my opinion - and you know what they say about opinions.

darinp2

· #16 · May 5, 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by CaspianM
Getting into expensive scaler is a consideration that can be applied equally to both digital and CRT pj's for some hi end resolution such as 1080p .

While it can apply to both, I wouldn't say that this applies equally when one comes without a scaler and one comes with an internal scaler (as pretty much all digitals do). For those who demand the highest end scaling an external scaler will generally be required since even the scaler in the Ruby was tested by Greg Rogers as worse than some of the best scalers just coming out, even though he reported that it did better for 1080i than the $6k Faroudja 1080p external scaler.

--Darin

bbfarmht

· #17 · May 6, 2006

crt never has to start out expensive!!! I started with (and still have) a Barco graphics 808s, run with a htpc with a 40 dollar home made screen. the projector i bought for 250 usd spent another 200 on shipping. start with a great base and work up don't settle with crap or you will get crap.

flyingvee

· #18 · May 6, 2006

Yogen - while you are looking at some great projectors, you can get probably 90% (?) of the picture quality with an NEC 9200 - 9PG extra; there have been several listed in the last few monthes around a grand. - listen to XANATOS -

Cheap enough that I feel bad about what I paid for mine (which I love.) DVDO scalers work (arguably) as well as Lumagen, the older HDs and HD+ can be found for less than the Lumagen. Or go the HTPC route suggested above (I don't like it, but many do) or go with the upconverting dvd player (which doesn't address the problem of watching HBO on your new toy.) $2500 will get you going fine - let you get your feet wet, by the time you feel the need to upgrade, maybe the pjs you are looking at now will be going for a grand less? - at least, for sure, the scaler will be less money or more scaler.

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bomrat

· #19 · May 6, 2006

its an upgrading adiction.... just cant stop upgrading when you start. the g70 is a giant step to take, thats what i started with

my friends have lcd's and dlp's and i shutter everytime i have to watch a movie through a screendoor.

Curt Palme

· #20 · May 6, 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by bomrat
..... and i shutter everytime .....

THat screendoor effect finally got to you, huh?

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