NEC HT1000 Screen Set Up Question

Last week I watched a couple of DVD's with the PJ set to 4:3, using 3D Reform to force the picture into a 16:9 format and thought the picture was pretty good. It improved dramatically once I got the projector set right for 16:9. Colors are much richer and the picture is very bright, even with the lens stopped down.


I've been using a Sony 1272 CRT for the last couple of years and though I wanted to get rid of the monster hanging from the ceiling, until I saw the HT1000 I never saw a digital projector I thought I'd enjoy watching. I had a chance to watch the HT1000 for an hour or so at the CEDIA show before deciding on it, though I understand it's been hard for most people to get a look at this projector due to limited distribution at this point. Dealers selling the $10-12,000 digital projectors may be hesitant to stock this model, since many people are going to wonder why they should spend more than the $5500 list price of the HT1000. In watching about 10 hours of DVD movies so far, I've only seen one scene where I thought more resolution was needed. This involved some fine horizontal detail on a car, which seemed to shimmer a bit; it appeared the detail was too fine for the PJ to resolve. This scene lasted about 10 seconds and didn't bother me much anyway.


Unless you are particularly sensitive to rainbows (never seen one myself), I don't think you can go wrong with the HT1000.


MIKE

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3D Reform does not sqeeze the panel. It sqeezes the image on the panel. So you end up using a few number of pixels to present the image.


As far as sqeezing the image for increased resolution, using a panamorph or anamorphic lens is the way to go.


I also received an email today that Prismasonic is coming out with some new lens designs.


RJ

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Mike,


No, I'm pretty sure you are not viewing 4:3 in the full 1024 x 768 resolution when screen is set to 16:9. You are viewing approximately 768 x 576, thus the same vertical resolution as your 16:9 image. Depending on what you plan on viewing that is 4:3, this may work fine. If you plan to cruise the internet via htpc or other computer work you may want to try the following option.


1. Set the projector up so that the zoom is all the way in (largest picture possible from a given distance) for 16:9 material/16:9 screen setting.


2. When viewing 4:3 switch the screen mode to 4:3 & then use the manual zoom to shrink the 4:3 image as small as it will get, thus utilizing all of the panel's resolution.


I don't have my permanent screen up, but I have played with this type of configuration enough that I am pretty sure the zoomed out image of the 4:3 will not fit on a standard 16:9 screen that is properly filled when in 16:9 mode. Because I plan to use masking anyway for 2.35:1, I may make the screen tall enough to accomodate the full panel 4:3 configuration.


Just so you know, I don't plan on watching a lot of 4:3 material & I probably will just go with a standard size 16:9 screen. If I decide to use my computer & output to the projector then I would probably want (need) the added resolution for 4:3 computing.


I hope some of this helps.


Cliff

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The HT1000 works as follows...


1) Normal presentation

2) Zoom - which stretches both horizonal and verticle

3) Cinema - Compresses the verticle, which works well if you leave DVD player set up in 16:9 mode.

4) Verticle stretch - This mode would be great to use with 16:9 material and either a panamorph or anamophic lens, but then 4:3 material would be distorted.


If you were using an external scaler with the available adjustments to sqeeze the image on the verticle, that would be a solution.


With the HT1000 and a DVD player alone, set up your DVD player to display 16:9. This will give you an image that is stretched on the verticle. Use a lens to stretch the horizonal or squeeze the verticle for a proper display aspect. Then when playing a 4:3 format, use 3D Reform to sqeeze in the left and right sides of the image.


RJ

>>Would love to hear your comparison of your Sony 1272 CRT and >>HT1000, especially wrt blacks and contrast and screen door.


I really wanted to compare the 2 directly, but that proved impossible since the 1272 (and its hushbox) took up so much room I couldn't find a place to even temporarily place the HT1000.


From 11 foot back from the screen and greater and I can't see pixels under any conditions (usual viewing distance is 14 feet). The HT1000 image is dramatically brighter and sharper than the 1272, and I mean dramatically. Colors look different with the different technologies, and I'm hard pressed to say which I prefer. Given the higher brightness, contrast subjectively looks better on the NEC. I haven't really watched a darkly filmed DVD yet, so I can't really comment on black level detail.


I went to 2 CEDIA shows looking for a small digital PJ to replace the CRT monster. Of all the digital units I've seen, and I've probably seen most that aim at the HT market, the HT1000 was the first I've seen that I thought I could live with. Most have (to me, anyway) a flat artificial looking image. With a good DVD, the NEC is the first digital PJ that produced an image that appeared to have depth. I don't regret the change.


MIKE

RJ,


"Then when playing a 4:3 format, use 3D Reform to sqeeze in the left and right sides of the image."


That's exactly what I wanted to know if it was possible. So it is - great!


Just to be sure, have you actually tried it - have you gotten a full height 4:3 image, pillarboxed, with tall skinny people?


Thanks again

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I have not tried it with a lens, but I was able to make a similar adjustment on the verticle. I set the DVD player to 16:9 presentation. The HT1000 then shows the image stretched on the verticle. I then used 3D Reform to sqeeze the image on the verticle until the aspect looks correct.


3D reform has the same level of compression on the horizonal, so I do not see why it would not work.


I think the important fact to establish, what anamorphic or panamorph lens will work with the HT1000. The HT1000 have a zoom range of 1.2 to 1.52. The 1.52 range is just on the edge of 1.5 suggested by some lens makers. Then there is the consideration of how much room a lens takes up on the front of the projector, as there is an exhaust vent to the right of the lens assembly.


So far from the pictures and required specs of some lenses, the HT1000 looks it might just squeak by. As I noted in another thred, Primasonic is coming out with two new lenses to replace their current model II lens. One of the lenses will squeeze on the verticle and the other will stretch on the horizonal. I'm not sure which method is inherently better. But it sounds like you could make a choise based on your optimum throw distance. For a shot throw you get the lens that stretches the horizonal, and for the long throw the lens that squeezes the verticle.


RJ

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