[videohot]

a quick answer is to go to www.dilard.com, download a trial version and give it a try!


The null modem cable should run about 10 bucks is all to see what it can do. You're better off trying to get that at a computer shop rather than a Best Buy or a big chain.


In my case, I'd be lost without it.


I don't belive the liscence is transferable. But if you run across someone who has it you might as Mark about transferability.


Larry


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Join Electronic Freedom Foundation http://www.eff.org/


[This message has been edited by videohot (edited 08-16-2001).]

 

[Bernd]

Has your DILA been professionally calibrated by any of the folks who do this as a paid for service? If so, the trial (free) version of Dilard may be all you need. Here is the reason. The full version is needed if you are going to use Dilard to make improvements to your DILA's picture quality. The free version supports the other important feature which is projector automation via the PC.


If you have a Pronto, you will notice that getting it to learn certain of the DILA codes is hard. The most vexing one for me was on/off. The reason is that you have to hold the on/off button down for a few seconds on the projector remote. This is hard to get the Pronto to capture.


Solution: Use something like an Airboard in conjunction with Dilard and your Pronto. Give Projector On a key, and then teach your Pronto to associate that key with an Projector ON Button. Pronto sends keystroke to the Airboard reciever, Airboard sends keystroke to Dilard, Dilard tells projector to turn on via RS-232 cable. Wife acceptance factor for the theater goes up since it is now possible for her to hit an "All On" button and use the thing.


Cheers,


Bernd

 

[raugustyn]

It realy depends on your setup and intended use.


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robert

 

[CCLAY]

Yes, you need to have Dilard but for gosh sakes DON'T sell the pup. http://www.avsforum.com/ubb/smile.gif


The list is long of what Dilard can do in addition to what Larry and Bernd have said.


The macros are my personal favorite and very impressive on movie night with your freinds. Thet're also very spousal factor friendly.


The biggest reason of all, IMO, is the soon to be released gamma wizard. The final(?) piece of the puzzle, so to speak, that will complete the circle of the ultimate goal I believe Mark Hunter had in mind when he started Dilard.


Calibration of your DILA should surely be near the top of your list. There's a couple of members of this forum who are doing calibrations to DILAs right now and with great success and very positive feedback.


Others, myself included, are waiting(and drooling) for the gamma wizard, as it's expected to do a calibrating process in the comfort of our own homes that should make a lot of people very, very happy. http://www.avsforum.com/ubb/biggrin.gif


Besides, get Dilard right now while Mark is still one of us. His popularity is rapidly growing and before long he'll be hobnobbin' with the big dogs and may not want to be here with us little guys. http://www.avsforum.com/ubb/wink.gif


Go for it.


Chris

 

[kevin gilmore]

Actually the auto gamma wizard is the second to last

piece of the puzzle. There is still the shading wizard.

How mark turns this into a usable wonder will be fun

to watch.


And after that, scaler tweeks...

 

[RobertWood]

True, Kevin, but when is it going to be able to cook my breakfast?


Bob


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~ The Sultan of Cheap ~


[This message has been edited by RobertWood (edited 08-16-2001).]

 

[brian_vh]

As Chris and others stated above, I think dilard is a must have for your DILA. The transformation your projector will take once fully calibrated (soon with gamma wizard), will allow you to really appreciate how awesome the D-ILA technology is.


I have another friend with a D-ILA without dilard, he too is working on the wife factor. Save your pennies and get it - it allows full control over a very powerful projector. Unfortunately, the most powerful features won't work without a license, get it on order.


Have fun, Brian




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Our Home Theater - http://www.fatbulldog.com

Last updated 6/1/01

 

[AudioFileZ]

My budget is stretched to the limit and my wife is running out of patience with me. So my question is directed for those who have D-iLA's and have used Dilard: Is it such a big difference that someone like my wife, who is not technical at all, could easily see it and realize it is worth the effort and cost. Also I have some pc knowledge but have never hooked a null modem cable to a unrelated peripheral for tweaking. How difficult is it and is it intuitive the way so many pc things are once you get connected properly? Last, if you guys tell me I need Dilard I'll sell the dog if I have to in order to get "just a little more" in order to buy it, but if there is anyone who no longer has their projector, but did not sell Dilard, would you sell it cheaper (if it's transferable as to the upgrades only)? If that last question is not cool I'm not being intentionally that way, just needing to know.

 

[Phil Olson]

Scaler tweaks? Now that would be way too cool. http://www.avsforum.com/ubb/wink.gif


One other thing that no one mentioned was the geometry wizard. It allows you to move a letterboxed image to the top of the panels so that you can have a wide screen.


Of course for those of us with ISCO or Panamorph lenses it is an absolute must.


The instructions are easy enough but the fact that you can change values in real time makes it practically fool proof.


I also can't wait for the gamma wizard, (drool, drool).


As for the shading wizard, I know Mark will figure someting clever out. Look what he did on the 8 bar!


I definitely recommend buying it. Remember, every time you change a lamp you'll likely have to do some tweaking. Why keep paying someone else when you can buy the software once?


Enjoy,

Phil

 

[propeller_beach]

I truly recommend Mark Hunter's Dilard software package! It does wonders to aid in getting the most from your DILA projector.


Admittedly, I was not one of the first people to buy Dilard. It was just a personal choice of mine. I finally caved in because Mark had day after day established himself as such a super nice guy. Needless to say, I have since been enjoying a new level of "projection magic" because of Dilard.


A funny thing happened not too long ago. A good friend of mine, Andrew C., bought Dilard for his recently acquired DILA. I had forgotten how great this software is, until he called me one day on the phone and told me how much improved his image was after just going through all the easy to follow wizards in Dilard. He said it was like a night and day difference. And of course I trusted his judgment fully. I have known Andrew really well since last September.


Dilard makes it all the more satisfying to own because Mark is such a good fellow to boot! Always willing to lend a hand to those who need it. In my book, anyone who goes out of his way and takes time off his schedule to help others, sure is a friend of mine!


Cheers,

Luca


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PICTURES OF MY THEATER
albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=1659592&a=12715694&f=0


[This message has been edited by propeller_beach (edited 08-17-2001).]

 

[kevin gilmore]

It already cooks breakfast.


Hang two strips of raw bacon a couple inches from the

output fan of the lamp. Put a plate on the floor under

the bacon. Watch a movie. Bacon should be ready for eating.

 

[RobertWood]

Ha,ha never thought of that. You know the scary thing is that it is hot enough to actually work. http://www.avsforum.com/ubb/smile.gif http://www.avsforum.com/ubb/smile.gif


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~ The Sultan of Cheap ~

 

[kenliles]

AudioFileZ-

In my opinion, Dilard should be included as part of every HT DILA projector, which of course would render your question a non-issue.


I use Dilard to accomplish precisely what you describe. The automation capabilities extend beyond projector control, which in turn justifies the projector itself.


For example, using Dilard macros, the wife now simply inserts the DVD into my HTPC and watches the movie! With a single press of 'Theater-Off' on my Pronto, Dilard macros shut down the entire Theater. This kind of functionality makes the investment we made for the HT a non-issue.


Of course, what I personally like best are the tools (scaling, calibration, communication, etc. etc.) that let me control, define, and tweak everything possible out of the projector for my particular setup.


For me, if Dilard just controlled and calibrated the projector, it would be worth the price; it's the macro and extendibility Mark built in that makes it non-dispensible for me.


Frankly, I'm surprised JVC and other DILA manufacturers haven't picked up on it as a differentiator. It has the potential to create market for these folks where it doesn't exist without it.


My 2 cents...


Ken

 

[Phil Olson]

Daniel,


When you have a non HTPC source, you can't use the HTPC to fix the geometry. One such source is HDTV. I have a Dish 6000 satellite that gives me an awesome HDTV feed.


I use Dilard to set the geometry and tweak the picture through the lens to get the picture looking perfect on my setup.


For HTPC of course you want to get pixel perfection with the full panel and do all the geometry tweaking with yxy and the like. But you definitely don't want to scale HDTV particularly when that is the one thing the D-ILA scaler does well.


Hope this helps,

Phil


[This message has been edited by Phil Olson (edited 08-17-2001).]

 

[Daniel Hutnicki]

Question


Phil Olsen said that if you have the panny lens you realy need Dilard.


Why would that be true? If you have a scaler and you are using 1365x1024, wouldnt you being using the full panel and therefore positioning is not an issue.


Phil, why would you then need Dilard for the lens then? That is aside from calibrations and automation and all of the other goodies.


Not trying to be critical, just want to know for my own info



Daniel

 

[Hugomed]

Before Dilard

If you wanted to improve your picture you would have to send it to whoever for calibration that's shipping it and 500.00 dollars. And who knows when you would get it back.

This control will soon be in our hands.

With Dilard the future will be self calibration.

That is what Mark and others have work for.


The promise and hope of this feature alone was worth it to me.

Not being dependent on anyone to improve my picture and control of my projector.

The free upgrades is something also that has sold me.

It has been one of my best investments.

That's just my oppinion

Hugo

 

[AudioFileZ]

You guys have done a quite convincing job of the virtues of Dilard! I think now after reading this it's a non-issue as to do I or don't I. Thanks for the first hand experience testimonies.


Since my original post I now have another question... I have a decided greenish cast to my picture on my D-ila. It is very noticeable in low light scenes while hardly at all in daylight scenes. Another member posted that this means I need adjustments to the "Static Shading" or "1/4th Waveplates" or both. He also said only JVC factory softwear could do some of this. Does that mean my unit is so messed up that I will have to send it to JVC (or whoever you guys know is JVC authorized) to do this adjustment? Help! I need some hard facts, hopefully to calm me down. I just think that a $10K projector should come from the factory not needing to be sent right back!

 

[Phil Olson]

If the green shift is all over the screen, it's not a shading issue but a gamma issue. The Dilard gamma wizard will take care of that.


Shading is the difference in colors over various parts of the screen. For instance, the left bottom corner may appear green while the entire right side may appear pink. That would be a shading issue.


Dilard will also have a shading wizard to adjust that, (don't know the schedule for that one though).


Someone may want to correct me but the 1/4 wave plates will only adjust overall contrast, not shading. This is one adjustment that must be done at the factory as it requires literally opening up the unit and making physical changes to the innards.


I think that, using Dilard, you will be able to tell if you need this adjustment, but this adujstment is quite rare to my knowledge.


Hope this helps,

Phil

 

[CCLAY]

Excellent points Hugo. That's exactly the reasons I bought into Dilard. I have not a single regret. http://www.avsforum.com/ubb/smile.gif


I don't know much about the upcoming DILAs, but if they take a tendency towards HT, having the software factory installed has gotta be a must.


I can imagine the reviews by Widescreen Review or SGHT if they were given a DILA with the Dilard software.


Quote:

"When you have a non HTPC source, you can't use the HTPC to fix the geometry. One such source is HDTV."


Don't quite understand that, but......


I have a DTC100 and Dilard. In factory form, the DILA put my HD image in the center of the screen and exhibited the "tearing" that is known to be an issue with stock DILAs.

The other night I spent an hour or so tweaking the "HDTV on Comp2" setting to achieve a perfectly bottom aligned(table mount) image with no tearing.


Worth it's weight in gold....literally......considerig the price of gold and the weight of the Dilard disc. http://www.avsforum.com/ubb/biggrin.gif


Chris

 

[JSC]

There are many factors that determine the overall picture quality a projector can present. D-ila projectors have design compromises. Once you can overcome the noise, heat, and size of the projectors to attain the best digital picture available, why stop short on the final piece of the puzzle?


Dilard should be included with all D-ila projectors. Its value certainly outweighs its cost.


Jeff