[Stornn]

Wow, TheaterWall is like a dream come true for me. A simple Rear Projection set using an Front Projector that is only 36" deep - and for sale in all in one with mirrors screen and even projector. The question is, has anyone seen or heard anything about it? It sounds very promising to me - being able to have an FP sized image with the lights on would be much more practical for my non-dedicated-room situation where we may have to have a daytime display and the PJ for night.


So, anyone heard of this thing?

 

[jslepicka]

At 3 ft. deep, why not just install a RPTV behind the wall? That's essentially what this is anyway. We've done this in my office and it looks, well, pretty much like the picture on their site.


Of course, this is bigger than any RPTV (I think so at least... haven't looked in a while), but if you're considering putting a FP screen in front of it, then that's not too big of a deal.

 

[Mit07]

What's the price?

 

[paulgas]

Well this looks like an elegant solution for some people who desire a large screen in a lit room. Will absolutely be cheaper than large format plasma. I think we will see more people coming up with easy rear pj versions that allow for high resolution/contrast applications of Dlp or Lcos in ambient light. And It will likely cost no more that front pj. I hope they get screens up to 122.5 diagonal. Then I would be interested.

Paul

 

[AustinTexas]

Quote:

And It will likely cost no more that front pj.

Well considering it is an FP with the added cost of an RP screen, added electronics, hardware, and a box - it will certainly cost more than an equivalent FP.


As pointed out by jslepicka, custom installers have been installing RPTVs like this for years, often creating a false wall in a room where the RPTV can be installed in such a way that the screen is flush with the false wall.


Most CRT RPTVs have very deep cabinets (+/- 3 feet) which is why false walls were needed, but now that FPDs have reached the RPTV market, cabinet sizes have and will continue to shrink. Case in point, InFocus' new 60" DLP RPTV is practically as thin as a Plasma:

http://gallery.avsforum.com/data/509...080031-med.JPG


I have also seen custom installations where a standard FP with a very short throw was used behind a 6' deep false wall so that it was projecting on a 96" RP screen. This is not an ideal solution (and considerably more expensive than a standard FP set-up), but for those that want additional ambient lighting, like for watching sports, having an RP set-up works great.

 

[mpjohnst]

Quote:

Originally posted by Mit07 What's the price?

I second that, what's the cost of this sucker? If anyone decides to call, see if you can use any PJ or if the system is tied to a make and model?

 

[AnthonyP]

I agree with the rest, nothing revolutionary there.

 

[Steve*Moore]

Quote:

Originally posted by mpjohnst I second that, what's the cost of this sucker? If anyone decides to call, see if you can use any PJ or if the system is tied to a make and model?

Theaterwall is a package. Projector, mirrors, frame, 84" screen are all part of the system. Retail is in the $20,000 range with custom wall frames available.


Steve

 

[scoby]

Doesn't Mitsubishi make a 84" 1080P LCOS RPTV for that sort of money? Why not just use one of those? A RP setup with mirrors/screen for a projector would be interesting at a lower price point. However, I don't see any point at 20 grand.

 

[Stornn]

$20 grand? Oh my god, jeez, wow, expensive. Too expensive.


I think $10k would be reasonable - budgeting 6k for projector, 2k for screen, and 2 for the rest of the stuff.

 

[larryep]

one thing great about front projection is it takes up little space. With this rear projection setup your using up house space. Rear projection screen can drive up the cost of the project. i have also seen mirrors used for creating large image with little space. If this route is your answer here is a site that sells raw screen material for rear projection.

http://www.shopcousinsvideo.com/dalmatwhitsc.html


good luck.

 

[Michael Grant]

Hey, if you can do it for $10K, do it for $10K. Yourself. But $20K is not a bad price for a turnkey system for the custom install market. Having said that, building custom cabinetry around a standard RPTV is not that hard either. My cabinetry maker does it quite often (though not for me, I went for a front projector).


Done right, rear projection has the advantage of being much more friendly to ambient light is more forgiving of light-colored walls and ceilings.

 

[egcarter]

Saw it at CEDIA Expo...nice idea, pic didn't look that great. A bit pricey, but that's the way we Custom Installation Folks like it! :->



Eric

 

[Brandon B]

The weird little NEC is perfect for this:

http://www.necd.de/productdetail.php/id/701


Given it's specs, I suspect it is very similar to the HT1000. Grab this thing for $6K or whatever its going price is, get a really nice Stewart black RP screen, and I bet you can trash the theaterwall setup in performance for less $.


BB

 

[scoby]

Sadly, the WT600 is a presentation projector. If it had a HT color wheel, it would be fantastic. However, I doubt it would work well with a normal RP screen because of the steep angles at which the light hits the screen in the corners. It works best with matte FP screens. However, I imagine you could design a RP screen specifically for it. The rumor is that the Infocus ultra-shallow DLP RPTV uses something similar.

 

[Brandon B]

Hmm. We have one on loan somewhere at our company. I should probably go look at it. Wouldn't the contrast be crappier than the 3000:1 stated if they had a different color wheel in it?


BB

 

[rogo]

" The rumor is that the Infocus ultra-shallow DLP RPTV uses something similar."


I'm not sure how much that's rumor... I pretty much got the TI folks to say that the approaches were essentially the same. It involves very clever mirror shaping.


Mark

 

[Stornn]

I was thinking about the WT600 but the lack of HDCP and an HT colorwheel, and the high hotspotting ruled it out.

 

[Dan Miller]

I saw it at EH Expo. Pretty neat, but the version they were showing had a 20 some odd thousand dollar DNP screen. Amazing screen, but the retail for the package was 38k.


At the end of the show they let me try the VP-12S3 instead of the PJ they were using. Now we're talking blacks! Even with the short throw of the VP-12, I could only fill about half of the screen though... They worked up a CAD drawing for me the next week, and it would take about 52" to yield an 84" diagonal screen. Nice concept.


DM

 

[scoby]

Rogo, the only reason I'm still saying rumor is that I couldn't nail down the TI guys. I mentioned the WT600 specifically, and I got blank stares. If true, then it's really cool. I think the WT600 will represent a huge step forward in front projection, if it ever gets applied to HT. Granted, the fixed screen size is a minor bummer, but the ultra short throws would make FP possible in a lot of spaces it doesn't work so well now. Also, it would simplify cabling and the components and projector could be built into the same cabinet. I don't know if NEC realizes the potential gold mine they are sitting on, but a WT1000 (WT600 with a HT wheel) would be a killer product and it would be even sweeter with a HD2+ chip. They could have interchangable mirror assemblies for different throws. The only downside is that the extreme angles all but require a 1.0 gain matte screen in order to avoid hotspotting. Of course, you can get up without worrying about casting a shadow on the screen. And no need to ultra expensive long DVI cables. RP will always be a niche, but ultra short throw FP could be huge. I think custom installers would love to have that product.