[ceemarun23]

i came across costco's deal for a 4800 and screen today and picked it up, knowing i couldnt lose w/ their loose return policy. i strapped it up and images looked fantastic. now i have buyer's remorse, and am doing research here to see if the X1 is all that different than the 4800. after reading for the last 3 hrs and coming across some great posts, im still as confused as i was 3 hrs ago.


i understand the X1 and 4800 use almost the same identical hardware. i am a 100% DVD viewer w/ this pj, and i know for sure i'd have a peeve about seeing widescreen movies with a native 4:3. those bars will bug me.


is the rebates and deals for the X1 make it that much of a better buy than the 4800? remember, i got a free, pretty darn good quality screen with this as well. i understand i can upgrade the firmware to the 4800s as well with the X1.


in the end, my question is: will i get exactly the same PQ from the X1 (whether with or w/o 4800's firmware) as i do from the 4800? if so, i'd love to save a few hundred bucks.


thanks for all the time.

 

[madpoet]

I believe it is EXACTLY the same other than firmware.


-MP

 

[edwardr132]

With some work involved including knowing how to load firmware onto a projector safely, you could convert an X1 to a 4800. You have to ask your self if that risk is worth it or not. Are you comfortable flashing firmware on projectors or not to save a few bucks... Remember, you would need to A) purchase a 4800 remote and B) the adaptors. The cost is around $50-75/so. How much is it worth to you having a real screen versus using a wall or DIY screen? If you are thinking about the bars, both projectors show the same bars in the same way..... That is the nature of 4:3 projectors. That is why many people use masking. If the projector you have works, I personally would keep it. Many people find that after returning one and purchasing another to save a few bucks that they should have "kept" the first one. The second one always seems to have more problems... I don't know why that seems to be the case. Having a projector that works at the get-go itself is valuable in time and money....



These are just my thoughts on the matter.....

 

[ceemarun23]

thanks for the replies. ive done some HW, read the FAQ, and am still confused on some things.


1- since the 4800 is a native 16:9 and the X1 a 4:3, does this mean that when, lets say viewing a 16:9 image, there will be projected black bars outside of my 16:9 screen? i ask this because i have a 16:9 screen, and when watching a 1.85:1 or a 2.40:1 movie, i'd want the black bars to be inside the screen. i dont want anything projected outside of the screen.


2- will the X1 have the same image size as the 4800 in 16:9 mode from the same distance-- since one is 4:3, the other 16:9? (i am forced to project from a 9.7ft distance, but want the biggest picture)


3- does the X1 faroudja feature work only with 480i or 480p? i have an upconverting dvd player that i want to take advantage of the faroudja.


thanks for all the help!

 

[technut Canada]

1. They are the same projector, they are both 4:3 projectors. The SP4800 is no more a 16:9 projector than the X1 is. It is simply an aspect mode setting in the menu that you can turn on and off on either projector. If you want a true 16:9 projector I suggest you consider the SP4805 that will be coming out in the next few weeks.


2. Yes, exact same projector, so same image sizes.


3. The Faroudja is a deinterlacer, which is only needed for interlaced signals, so it only works with 480i. Its job is to convert interlaced signals like 480i into progressive signals like 480p.


If you want the performance of the SP4800 at a lower price, buy the X1. You don't even need to load the SP4800 firmware on it, the X1 firmware will do everything the SP4800 does.

 

[ceemarun23]

mike, thanks for all the help. i was confused about the aspect ratio's because the infocus website said the native for the 4800 was 16:9 and the X1 was 4:3.


thanks for all the help, everybody.

 

[colinsm]

Quote:

Originally posted by technut Canada If you want the performance of the SP4800 at a lower price, buy the X1. You don't even need to load the SP4800 firmware on it, the X1 firmware will do everything the SP4800 does.

Including Gamma correction?

 

[technut Canada]

Quote:

Originally posted by colinsm Including Gamma correction?

Neither of them has any kind of adjustable gamma "correction".


They were rumoured to be using slightly different gamma curves a few firmware releases ago. I have no idea if that is still the case. Once they are both calibrated there seems to be little if any difference (depends who you ask about it). I've tried both firmware versions and they look equally good to me.

 

[Ste-lar7]

Are there any real enhancements in the latest firmware?

 

[edwardr132]

One advantage to flashing is that the Spreenplay has a much nicer remote! I purchased it from Infocus, but haven't flashed my X1 to a 4800 yet due to nervousness.

 

[sonick182]

Just to clarify, the 4800 is a 4:3 projector, not a 16:9. The hardware in the 4800 itself on the projector is THE SAME as the X1...

 

[sipester]

Ceemarun - I know this is the projector forum, but since you got the screen with the projector, can you comment on the quality of the screen that came with the package? Do you have any idea how much a comparable screen would cost?


I saw the same package in the local Costco and just wondered how good of a deal it was for the screen and 4800 for $1,199.

 

[ceemarun23]

the screen is a pull-down screen. this is my first experience w/ a screen, as i am in the process of building one right now w/ gatorboard, but i'd much prefer the gatorboard screen i have compared to the infocus one.


the infocus on, IMO, is pretty nice. however, one peeve i have with it is that it wrinkles easy. the screen material is flimsy, but i am not sure if that's the case with all pull-downs. mine wrinkled and bent a bit. i found an X1 for a great deal after rebate, made a gatorboard for $50 w/ ME, and saved me a few hundred bucks.