[JamesE]

In about six months I am going to be buying a projector. Up to this point I have never considered a CRT because of the high cost and associated noise from the fan.


What are the downsides to buying a used CRT? The high end of my budget would be $6,000. What are some recommended projectors at this price point?


After how many hours do the tubes have to be replaced? I assume the tubes are the light bulbs. What other maintenance problems am I looking at?


Will a hush box take care of the noise? How much does it cost to put quiet fans in them?


I will be sitting 10 to 12 feet from the screen. The largest screen I have considered is 110 in. dia. Should I be looking at a projector with 7-8 or 9 inch lenses?


Who are some reputable used projector dealers?


What other things should I be looking at?

 

[WanMan]

Dear god, you can get quite a bit with that kind of moola! Try an XG135LC for instance!

BUT, keep in mind that a CRT is going to need a scaler/deinterlacer unless the DVD player and or HD-STB is capable of this aspect (Momitsu v880 scales to 720P/1080i via analog DVI, and many HD-STB have RGB output). Then, unless you have some time and patience, maybe hiring a professional to do the setup would be a nice consideration.


Curt, Terry (Chuchuf), etc. on this forum are some of the most trustworthy dealers I can think of. I've bought two CRT's from Terry and had the budget been there I'd buy two more from him!


Terry, should I expect that check sooner or later?

 

[Chuchuf]

Later.....or maybe sooner....depends on what JamesE does......lol


Terry

 

[RobertV]

In addition to Terry:

Check with Curt Palme [email protected]

Check with Tim Martin www.etechvideo.com

I have dealt with both, and you will find that all three come very highly recommended.

 

[draganm]

The downsides are that they are not plug-n-play, they are complicated to set-up and at 150 pounds+, difficult to hang from a ceiling. But then again nothing worth having is easy. A fresh set of tubes will last at least 10,000 hours, even longer in a light controled room where brightness is not cranked up too high. Certain brands like Barcos and Electrohomes are not very noisy at all, a hush box will make these units totaly quiet. If thats 110" diaganol on a 16:9 ratio screen size I would get a unit with 9 inch tubes. Make sure you see one in action before you decide they're too much trouble, the pic. quality is worth ALL the hassle.

 

[Niles Overly]

I second Robert's recommendation of Tim Martin at ETech..He can give you the entire lowdown and a very honest opinion...Niles

 

[formerly HTbuph]

$6K will get you a very nice CRT and scaler. Do not forget the scaler because they are pretty much a necessity. You might want to consider $5K at the most for the CRT, with the remainder for the scaler. As far as CRTs to consider; NEC, Barco, Electrohome. My CRT, an NEC 6pg+ ($1200 from AVS forum), when coupled with my scaler (Crystal Image VS4, $1500) gave me beautifully smooth picture on a 6.5' wide screen. That was a total of $2700. A very nice 8" CRT and quality scaler can be had for $6K that will give you a picture that will blow you away if properly set-up. A 9 incher might be stretching your budget a bit when you include a good scaler.


A cost to consider, unless you want to learn all yourself and set it up yourself, is paying somebody to come in and set it up for you. That is not cheap for a quality tech.

 

[echow87]

Quote:

Originally posted by formerly HTbuph A cost to consider, unless you want to learn all yourself and set it up yourself, is paying somebody to come in and set it up for you. That is not cheap for a quality tech.

Or he can get someone from AVS Forum and go to his house to set it up. Also, he might be able to get a 9" crt projector for less than $3k. Most projectors on Ebay don't even go up to $2.5k but for those Barco ones, you are better off to stay away from them since those goes up to well over $6k.

 

[formerly HTbuph]

Quote:

Originally posted by echow87 Or Most projectors on Ebay don't even go up to $2.5k but for those Barco ones, you are better off to stay away from them since those goes up to well over $6k.

James,


Be aware that the condition of many CRTs that you see for sale on Ebay is uncertain. A few of the reputable guys on AVS forum actually sell their projectors on Ebay as well as direct, but the cost for their pjs are going to be the same whether you get it on Ebay or simply contact them directly. Either way you'll know you're getting a CRT in good-excellent condition. With anybody else on Ebay, you'll really be taking a chance and had better know what to look for. The first thing to consider is whether or not the CRT faces have signs of significant wear and burn. The CRTs are the expensive part of the pj and if they are not in good condition, you'd be starting off deep in a hole unless you get the pj dirt cheap, in which case you could pay for replacement tubes. The other things to consider are the electronics. Without getting the pj and trying to use it, you won't know their condition. Some of the reputable guys on this forum deal in used CRTs and, I believe, replace certain things as a matter of practice when they get them before resale because it is their experience that they need replacement.


Tim