[luvmytivo]

Yeeeehaw!!!

Pulled the sucker out of the bag, plugged it in to my HTPC, set gamma to Natural1, and fired up Face Off. Wow! This thing is even better than I had expected - I'm projecting on a $20 home depot dropp cloth, in a poorly light controlled room, and the picture is outstanding! Much better color than I ever hoped for, and this is before running it through Avia...

My only (very minor) gripe is that the previous owner lost the remote... Oh well, small price to pay for what I saved.


------------------

Darren Rogers


Please stop reading my signature....

NOW!!!

I really mean it, you're starting to get on my nerves!

Listen, I'm not kidding here, if you keep reading, you're gonna regret it!

Look into my eyes, and do not doubt my reslove - if you persist, you will be taught a lesson you will not forget!

 

[Gary McCoy]

Silly question, I know - did you look in the little nook on the rear left corner where the remote storage is?


Assuming it is missing, the remote for the original VT540 is the RM-366, and the remote for the newer VT540K is the RM-369 (it has the added button "Aspect Ratio"). They can be had for less than $40 here:
http://www.sparco.com/cgi-bin/wfind2?spn=A667748


Enjoy it!


Gary

(another satisfied VT540 owner)

 

[JP]

Congrats! Just a little suggestion here. I would take it off of Natural 1 if I were you. If you really want to tweak it so grey scale is set right simply choose no gamma and turn contrast on the Green down about 1/3 of the way. If you are using a 2mx or Radeon video card I bet you will be extremely happy....I know I am!!


JP (another happy vt540 owner)

 

[luvmytivo]

Gary - Thanks, do you know if the 369 can be used with a non 'K' model?


JP - Hmm, that looks great on DVD meterial, but my TiVo running thru Dscaler is a little too bright and washed out. However, dropping down to eco-mode while watching Dscaler does a fairly decent job of fixing that, while giving me a longer lamp life... Of course, my current vid cap card only has a composite input, who know what it will okk like when I get my cybertainment card and go S-Video...


Anyone else have any useful tips?


------------------

Darren Rogers


Please stop reading my signature....

NOW!!!

I really mean it, you're starting to get on my nerves!

Listen, I'm not kidding here, if you keep reading, you're gonna regret it!

Look into my eyes, and do not doubt my reslove - if you persist, you will be taught a lesson you will not forget!

 

[JP]

Quote:

Originally posted by luvmytivo: JP - Hmm, that looks great on DVD meterial, but my TiVo running thru Dscaler is a little too bright and washed out. However, dropping down to eco-mode while watching Dscaler does a fairly decent job of fixing that, while giving me a longer lamp life... Of course, my current vid cap card only has a composite input, who know what it will okk like when I get my cybertainment card and go S-Video...

When I get some more time I will try to hunt down all the other posts on this forum about the vt540. There is a consensus about a number of things. First, only use eco-mode. It isn't necessary to use full brightness because eco will give you a plenty and an extra 1000 hours of lamp life to boot. Leave brightness at default (or close to it) and pump up contrast dependent to what your viewing situation is (screen gain, etc.). What looks good for dvd WILL NOT look good for dscaler set at the default. I have my brightness, contrast, and color all way down in dscaler to get it right.


Again, I will try to write more as soon as I get to some internet access again. Right now I have to catch a plane http://www.avsforum.com/ubb/smile.gif

 

[Man E]

I used to use eco mode, but no longer believe it to be preferable. I was having some trouble with my VT540 and when I switched to bright mode the problems went away and I got used to watching it that way. It isn't that much brighter than eco, but the colors and contrast are much improved. I am just finishing up my warranty swap with NEC this week and have a new 540 (not K). I will be running it in bright mode, despite the 50% increase in operating cost.



------------------

The button is labeled "Play", not "Pay". STOP the MPAA!

Our Silent Angels

Please visit The Manny Page!

 

[Man E]

Quote:

Originally posted by Gary McCoy: I suspect the new remote is compatible with the old. Whether the extra button labelled "Aspect Ratio" will work, depends on whether the firmware is updated to the newer version - my own VT540 is the original version but has the updated firmware, same as the VT540K - but the old remote, so I can't confirm the extra button. Since "Aspect Ratio" is only of use with the Composite and S-Video inputs, and my primary use is DVD over the RGB input, I don't really care.

Where did you get the new firmware? I can't find it on NEC's site. The AR functionality also works for the component input. I can confirm that the AR button does not work with the 540, but all other buttons do work (well I hit most of them anyway). If I had the new firmware I could test for 540 compatibility with the 540K AR button. The 540K is leaving this station soon though...



------------------

The button is labeled "Play", not "Pay". STOP the MPAA!

Our Silent Angels

Please visit The Manny Page!

 

[Gary McCoy]

Man E, if the firmware is user-downloadable, I don't know where to get it or how to install it. However, all the refurb units shipping now appear to have been updated by NEC during repair.


Wanting the new firmware is not enough IMHO to swap projectors, especially if you are happy with the LCD panel on your present unit. The "Aspect Ratio" button does not work with the RGB input, thus it is of limited usefullness if you only have one device (like my S-VHS) attached to the S-video input. I have no reason to even want the new remote although it can be prchased for $40.


Edit - I see upon re-reading you are using the component video and not the RGB option, so you have a legitimate reason to want newer firmware. I'm sorry I don't know how or where to get it. Updating firmware might require swapping PROMs (although that's a little old-fashioned).


Gary


[This message has been edited by Gary McCoy (edited 07-17-2001).]

 

[luvmytivo]

Well, after a whole 24 hours with my baby, I've learned a few things...

1) Native resolution doesn't 'stick' - whenever I change my htpc's resolution, it drops out of native mode - is this normal for other 540 owners?

2) Damn, but do I need a screen!

3) Watching DVDs in eco mode is perfectly acceptable, but I'll probably watch most movies in normal, and everything else in eco.

4) I need a bigger HD in my TiVo, because I definately have to start recording in a higher quality, dscaler and a big screen can really bring out the compression artifacts.

5) I took a trip to my local HT shop, and while I may be biased I prefer my rig to every RP HD setup they had there, and that's on a home depot 'drop screen'. Now, the FP setup they had was nice, but CRT isn't my thing.

6) I'm afraid.... I may never leave my houes! One thing that doesn't get much talk around here is gaming on these things... Anyone with an HTPC/FP setup really owes it to themselves to download a demo of serious sam, pod racer, or carmageddon... Wow, talk about immersive.


------------------

Darren Rogers


Please stop reading my signature....

NOW!!!

I really mean it, you're starting to get on my nerves!

Listen, I'm not kidding here, if you keep reading, you're gonna regret it!

Look into my eyes, and do not doubt my reslove - if you persist, you will be taught a lesson you will not forget!

 

[Man E]

Quote:

Originally posted by luvmytivo: 1) Native resolution doesn't 'stick' - whenever I change my htpc's resolution, it drops out of native mode - is this normal for other 540 owners?

I have noticed problems with that setting, but am not sure that that is exactly what I have seen. For instance, I have native mode enabled, my desktop is [email protected], and F1 2000 has an interface that defaults to SVGA but a playback set to XGA. The HTPC freely switches between these two settings as I tinker and drive without changing the Native Mode setting on the VT540. The XGA racing is full panel (very VERY immersive @ 7.1' wide!) while the SVGA menus are centered on the panel (and thus my 2:1 screen). I have seen the effect to which you refer, I'm just not positive what causes it.

Quote:

6) I'm afraid.... I may never leave my houes! One thing that doesn't get much talk around here is gaming on these things... Anyone with an HTPC/FP setup really owes it to themselves to download a demo of serious sam, pod racer, or carmageddon... Wow, talk about immersive.

Oh, yah!! Sports Car GT, F1 2000, NASCAR 4, and F1 Legends are also favorites in these here parts!!



------------------

The button is labeled "Play", not "Pay". STOP the MPAA!

Our Silent Angels

Please visit The Manny Page!

 

[Gary McCoy]

Darren, I suspect the new remote is compatible with the old. Whether the extra button labelled "Aspect Ratio" will work, depends on whether the firmware is updated to the newer version - my own VT540 is the original version but has the updated firmware, same as the VT540K - but the old remote, so I can't confirm the extra button. Since "Aspect Ratio" is only of use with the Composite and S-Video inputs, and my primary use is DVD over the RGB input, I don't really care.


FYI I messed up the remote model numbers. The old remote is RD-366 and the new is RD-369E. I'm also not certain which you get from the vendor I pointed you at - probably the new one.


Gary

 

[HTbuff]

If you have a Pronto remote, download my NEC remote files from remotecentral.com for the VT440 or VT540

Follow the links to NEC -> projectors -> vt440/vt540 remotes by Heath Edwards.

I have the card remote and the full size remote with laserpointer, both learned into CCF files for your remoting pleasure.


You can use the discrete codes to select the inputs. AKA - press "RGB" for HD15 input, press "S-video" for the S-video input.

There's even discrete ON and OFF, but you should enable the power off confirmation for the OFF to work.


The reason for this is that "out of the box" to turn the unit off, you have to hold down the "power" toggle or the "OFF" button for several seconds. This is hard to do in the Pronto remote, but simply changing the power off confirmation in the advanced menu allows for the following...

Press "OFF", then "ENTER" .... the units turns off.

This is easy to setup in the Pronto.