[chefwong]

Due to the amount of business I do with Dell, I'm able to get a decent price of stuff they carry.


However, it seems that they carry more *multimedia-presentation* labeled projects vs. HT grade. What are the differences. I did find a NEC HT-1100 which they carry which may be a good fit for my HT setup. Then again, I've heard that the new Sharp Lycos stuff that is to be released is killer.


I look forward to your advice & feedback.

 

[Morris Jones]

Presentation projectors are made for showing Powerpoint presentations in corporate meeting rooms. They're made to be bright, there's little concern about color accuracy, they really don't care much about blacks, and they're 4:3 aspect ratio.


That doesn't mean you can't have fun with one. I have a little Optoma projector that I made use of last year when my wife and I were living in a hotel room for a couple of months: Here are some pictures of our hotel-room theater.


A good HT projector will be native 16:9, not as bright so you can get better blacks, and more emphasis on contrast. Though nearly every projector when properly calibrated will drop in contrast ratio from the manufacturer's spec sheet.


I'm sure others will pipe in with more differences and corrections.


Mojo

 

[TheFerret]

I do not think there is any industry standard or agreed-upon definition of what a multimedia projector is. Infocus called their X1 a Screenplay product but also a multimedia projector. IIRC, the Screenplay products were their HT product offering, yet the X1 was euqally sold through their business division.

 

[LMDA1]

Quote:

Originally posted by Morris Jones A good HT projector will be native 16:9, ...

Careful there Morris, you don't want the HT1000 police on your case.

 

[pheroy]

Generally, you will find these items on the HT models and not on the presentation models (for DLP -- LCD HT projectors are cheaper so it's less of an issue):

• Faster color wheel with no clear segment
• Better deinterlacing & video processing
• More access to fine tuning settings
• Native 16:9 aspect ratio
• DVI or HDMI connections
• Lens shift and other placement/installation assisting options
• More refined package, less noise etc.

Now, if you can get a great price on the NEC HT1100, the main thing it's missing from above is a native 16:9 resolution. (Don't think it has lens shift either but that may not be a drawback, depending on your setup and how you use it.) You can add an anamorphic lens to convert it to a 16:9 native display, it has a mode to do that and center 4:3 content in the image.

 

[KoolKiwi]

Quote:

Originally posted by pheroy Now, if you can get a great price on the NEC HT1100, the main thing it's missing from above is a native 16:9 resolution. (Don't think it has lens shift either but that may not be a drawback, depending on your setup and how you use it.) You can add an anamorphic lens to convert it to a 16:9 native display, it has a mode to do that and center 4:3 content in the image.

Woohoo... just got my HT1100 about a week ago, as an upgrade to my X1. I can vouch for the HT1100 being an awesome projector for the price, for HT applications! 1080i and 720p HD images look superb, but also has full resolution for 4:3 SD viewing.


As relevant to this thread, the key differences (as I see them) between the HT1100 and my old X1 as it pertains to Home Theater is (aside from the obvious increased resolution etc.)...

- 5x speed, 6 segment RGBRGB color wheel (X1 had 2x RGBW - clear segment for presentation mode).

- Much improved color accuracy.

- Much improved ability to tweak settings for HT use.

- Much improved black level and high 3500:1 Contrast Ratio.

- Improved brightness for HT application (X1 lost significant brightness in Video mode - with white segment off).

- Also worth mentioning the DVI interface for DVI capable DVD Players / HTPC.


Bottom line was that the X1 is basically a presentation projector, but with the added DCDi chip and ability to turn off the white segment, to turn it into a dual function projector (ie: a very good for the price video / HT capable projector). If on a tight budget then the X1 was a great choice.

However there is a big difference on screen between the X1 in video mode and a true "designed for HT" projector like the HT1100.


A more relevant comparison than the X1 may be between NEC's HT1100, and their LT240K, which is their cheaper presentation designed projector.

Basically, the above comparisons would still apply.


Greg