[plissken99]

Very soon I'll be ready to a pj, my first. So far it looks like the Barco 801 is the best as far as price/performance. First a couple of questions regarding the specs(as CRT specs are difficult to find online):


1. Can it do 16:9?


2. Does it have the 5BNC inputs?


Ok, now mounting questions:


1. What ceiling mount should I get? These are the only ones I've found: http://www.crtprojectors.co.uk/cm100.pdf for over $300 and http://216.239.57.100/search?q=cache...hl=en&ie=UTF-8 for $440, scroll down until you see the 808.


Is there not a cheaper mount?


2. Does anyone know how far the Barco 801 must be from the screen to project a 120in diagonal image?


Thanks

 

[scottatl]

1. Can it do 16:9? Yes


2. Does it have the 5BNC inputs? Yes



Is there not a cheaper mount? Do a search for "Unistrut"

 

[plissken99]

Unistrut is too big a job. This is only a rent house, and I just want something to bolt to the ceiling.

 

[cpurvis]

chances are you will need some unistrut anyway, unless your ceiling is made of solid planks or you have joists positioned precisely right. Throw distance on a CRT is fixed - you don't really have any flexibility in where you mount the projector so unless you have ceiling joists that align precisely where the bolt holes in a pre-made mount are at the correct distance (unlikely) you need some way to span the joists securely so you can mount the projector at the correct distance from the screen.


Unistrut is the easiest and safest way to do this...

 

[plissken99]

I don't know, the more I read the deeper it gets. I'll post this here, since I don't want to start another topic.


Price wise, I am looking at $1,600 for a Barco 801. I was already planning to use an HTPC with whatever I get, however since it won't have internal scaling, I'll have to add a Halograph3D card to the PC to handle scaling, which is another $1,000. So add whatever the cost of the Unistrut thing is, and it will be up to around $2,700.


I was dreading installing a digital projector, but after researching installing CRTs, it should be a snap.


So that, vs the $2700 I was planning on the Sony HS10, plus a $150 mount and Smart III calibration software for $300. So, $3,150 vs $2,700. Thats only price, installing and setting up an HS10 is child's play. Where setting up a CRT requires me find a couple of guys to help get it up to the ceiling.


I attached a couple of screenshots of the HS10 at it's best one depicting black level and the other showing color, tell me, can CRT really get much better than that?


I don't know, what would you do in my situation, as a person looking into his first projector, living a rent house(only for another year, then I get a perminent place) with perfect light control, and money for either solution?


Thanks

 

[plissken99]

.

 

[cpurvis]

Hey, you know a Unistrut mount is around $30 - $40. For everything. You don't need additional mounting hardware to attach the projector to the ceiling this way. As suggested above, do a slow search of this forum for Unistrut - you will find numerous how-to guides, several of which I'm sure feature Barco's as the subject projector.


Also, why do you think you need a Holo3D card? have you ever been to http://www.dscaler.org ? dScaler is free, by the way.


to use it all you need is something like this:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...&s=electronics


and I don't mean to sound rude, but that first screenshot has a big grey border around it that with a CRT would be as black as the surrounding background, not to mention the elements of the image itself that should be black...

 

[plissken99]

Well the Halo3D card would be for watching soarces other than DVD, it scales things from compnent and s-video.


But are you saying that TV tuner card plus the dscaler would do just as good? If so, then cool!


I didn't mean to be rude, I just had a panic attack from looking at all the work that needs to be done to install a CRT. . Until yesterday I was thinking digital, and nothing else.


Does anyone know how far the Barco lens must be from the screen to create a 120in daig image? Curtis's FAQ says the average CRT must be 1.5x screen width from the screen, ya think that is true to the Barco?


Thanks, I'm ok now.

 

[sdumas]

I have a Barco 801s. To get a 120" picture your throw distance should be 118 inches from the screen (to the mount bracket).


You room should be pitch black if you want that big of a screen with an 801. My screen size was 122", I reduced my screen size to 100". That gave me a much much brighter picture. And Yes!, the blacks are TRULY black. You will NOT have a screendoor effect, you will NOT have rainbows, just a stunning picture.


I can't stand those WAY too bright images totally full of gray. I can't stand to see the screendoor effect. You will not get these with a CRT. Just true colors. The Dscaler program will give you a scaler that will be as good as the HOLO3D card minus $900 (you do have to spend $100 on a Tuner card...)


Yes it is more work. But once you got the hang of it (it will take a little while) it's not that big of a deal.


The Unistrut is definitely the way to go. I purchased a 10' section which I had cut in two sections of 3 feet and two sections of 2 feet. The Unistrut with the special nuts cost me $40 CDN. I now have the flexibility to move the projector side to side and front to back if I need to.


Good luck


Sylvain Dumas

 

[plissken99]

I can go down to a 110in without noticing to much difference(I do like to have a light on occasionally). Whats the throw ratio with 110in?


How do Hi power screens work with CRT? I figure they can't wash out the blacks like they do with digital, since CRT projects black with a lack of light.

 

[cpurvis]

You don't scale DVD with anything on a HTPC - the playback software simply uses the desktop resolution you have set as the playback resolution. Want 1280x720? set your desktop to 1280x720 (at whatever refresh rate you want, too). Want 1440x960? change the desktop again.


dScaler has nothing to do with DVD playback in a HTPC unless you are using an external player. dScaler takes whatever you put into the capture card (composite, sVideo, cable) and deinterlaces it for you as well as scaling it to your desktop resolution. It has numerous ways to adjust the way it does this to get the optimum picture depending on the nature of the source.

 

[plissken99]

Quote:

Originally posted by cpurvis You don't scale DVD with anything on a HTPC - the playback software simply uses the desktop resolution you have set as the playback resolution. Want 1280x720? set your desktop to 1280x720 (at whatever refresh rate you want, too). Want 1440x960? change the desktop again. dScaler has nothing to do with DVD playback in a HTPC unless you are using an external player. dScaler takes whatever you put into the capture card (composite, sVideo, cable) and deinterlaces it for you as well as scaling it to your desktop resolution. It has numerous ways to adjust the way it does this to get the optimum picture depending on the nature of the source.

That much i know, I was just under the impression that the Halo3D card had to be used for the best result. Thanks for pointing out the better alternative.


As for mouting this thing(using Unistrut), I'll run a few 2x6 boards across the studs in the ceiling, and use long bolts, thus spreading the weight across several beams. Is this an acceptable method?

 

[mrowley]

Warning!!


You will not be able to watch your CRT with a light on.


To do so will seriously compromise the picture.


Mark

 

[plissken99]

Only a very low reading type light(so when I eat something a complicated as chips and hot sauce, most the hot cuace won't end up on me).


I'll ask again. How do Hi Power screens do with CRT pjs? Has anyone tried this? I can't see why it should only work with digital pjs.

 

[wireburn]

Yes, I have used the High Power with CRT. Nice, punchy image, even when ceiling-mounted. Drawbacks are vignetting (color-shift) and off-axis fall-off. If you stay within a 20 deg. cone it's great. BTW, I sold that HP screen for a 1.5 gain and I'm now looking to go to 1.3.


-Mike

 

[plissken99]

Did the Hi Power wash out blacks like it does with digital images?