Recommendations for Projection Monitors & Screens

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Robin

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Their has been some discussion here recently on recommended Projection Monitors Panisonic 900, Infocus electronics etc. Different types of screens from roll screens to descending screens or just a wall painted white. :)
I am very curious about just what projection monitor with screen you would recommended for say under $7,000.00 (USD)?
 
Robin, Good day, You would be able to put together a "killer" system easily for 7k or under. I suggest you check out the following site www.projectorcentral.com There is all kinds of good advise, info, etc to be found .
 
Are we thinking about going front projection Robin?

Projector central is a good site but in my opinion and most of the AVSforums there reviews and shootouts can be a little biased. But thay are a very helpful site, I espeshaly like there projector calculator.

The AVSforum is also a grate resource or asking questions and gathering opinion's.
 
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Front Projection with wall screen...

Dave,

The Projection Central is a excellent site, Thank you. :D


Joe,

Well, I tell ya my Pioneer Plasma is projected to last at least ten years of regular usage, unfortunately my Plasma is "on" almost all the time as my son watches it, in an opposite schedule as I because he works the noc shift. Anyway, at this rate of usage my Plasma has about five years left I think... :eek: I figure, I'll have a huge HT room in about five years, when I retire, which will be great for a front projection with a stationary or roll down screen or a wall painted white... :)
Plus you like them, so I must like them, just kidding... :D If I could acquire a front projector in about five years, which is as clear and as sharp as my Pioneer Plasma HDTV, I would be very happy indeed. Which brands / models have been tickling your fancy lately? Better yet... Hypothetically, Joe, what would you buy, if I gave you $7,000.00 and said buy yourself a front projector and a screen, for your current HT room, which is something as clear and as sharp as my Pioneer Plasma HDTV, what would you buy, right now?
 
Robin said:
Dave,

The Projection Central is a excellent site, Thank you. :D


Joe,

Well, I tell ya my Pioneer Plasma is projected to last at least ten years of regular usage, unfortunately my Plasma is "on" almost all the time as my son watches it, in an opposite schedule as I because he works the noc shift. Anyway, at this rate of usage my Plasma has about five years left I think... :eek: I figure, I'll have a huge HT room in about five years, when I retire, which will be great for a front projection with a stationary or roll down screen or a wall painted white... :)
Plus you like them, so I must like them, just kidding... :D If I could acquire a front projector in about five years, which is as clear and as sharp as my Pioneer Plasma HDTV, I would be very happy indeed. Which brands / models have been tickling your fancy lately? Better yet... Hypothetically, Joe, what would you buy, if I gave you $7,000.00 and said buy yourself a front projector and a screen, for your current HT room, which is something as clear and as sharp as my Pioneer Plasma HDTV, what would you buy, right now?

Keep in mind that your screen is just as important the projector you choose. Just like picking the right amp to compliment your new speakers, you need to find the right screen that fits your watching environment, and let me tell you there are a lot of options. You need to pick a screen with the right gain for your situation, and the right color white, silver, light gray, dark gray and black fabrics are available for different situations.

Well I guess I can let the cat out of the bag and tell you I have a new front projector coming next Tuesday. If I had the money to burn I would have gone for Sony’s SXRD ruby VPL-VW100. It has a MSRP of $9,999.00 but can be had for around $8,000.00. It is considered to be the best front projector out right now at any price point. It is a native 1080P projector with a contrast ratio of 15,000:1 that is setting the industry on fire right now and had Texas Instruments shacking in their boats. The biggest drawback of this projector to me is the lamp has a life expectancy of around 3,000 hours and coats $999.00 to replace.

But back to the real world, I decided to go with Sony’s new re-release of the VPL-HS51A, this is a $3,500.00 LCD front projector with a 720P native resolution, 10,000:1 contrast ratio (thanks to a new black plate inside it). The last release of the HS51 hade a problem with a blanking issue on 720P material that Sony tried to correct by starching the image to fit, but in doing so the HS51 could no longer do 1:1 pixel mapping. So feeding a 720P single from an external video scalier was now useless. This re-release of the HS51A fixes all that, it can do 1:1 pixel mapping, has a better contrast ratio then the HS51 and has a slightly longer lamp expectancy life, all for the same MSRP that the HS51 carried.

So until SXRD and other 1080P front projectors come down in price, the VPL-HS51A is my pick to get me by until 1080P becomes much more feasible.
 
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Wow, way Cool, Joe...

Zip3kx07 said:
Keep in mind that your screen is just as important the projector you choose. Just like picking the right amp to compliment your new speakers, you need to find the right screen that fits your watching environment, and let me tell you there are a lot of options. You need to pick a screen with the right gain for your situation, and the right color white, silver, light gray, dark gray and black fabrics are available for different situations.

Well I guess I can let the cat out of the bag and tell you I have a new front projector coming next Tuesday. If I had the money to burn I would have gone for Sony’s SXRD ruby VPL-VW100. It has a MSRP of $9,999.00 but can be had for around $8,000.00. It is considered to be the best front projector out right now at any price point. It is a native 1080P projector with a contrast ratio of 15,000:1 that is setting the industry on fire right now and had Texas Instruments shacking in their boats. The biggest drawback of this projector to me is the lamp has a life expectancy of around 3,000 hours and coats $999.00 to replace.

But back to the real world, I decided to go with Sony’s new re-release of the VPL-HS51A, this is a $3,500.00 LCD front projector with a 720P native resolution, 10,000:1 contrast ratio thanks to a new black plait. The last release of the HS51 hade a problem with a blanking issue on 720P material that Sony tried to correct by starching the image to fit, but in doing so the HS51 could no longer do 1:1 pixel mapping so feeding a 720P single from an external scalier was useless. This re-release the HS51A fixes all that, it can do 1:1 pixel mapping, has a better contrast ratio then the HS51 and has a slightly longer lamp expectancy life all for the same MSRP that the HS51 carried.

So until SXRD and other 1080P front projectors come down in price, the VPL-HS51A is my pick to get me by until 1080P becomes much more feasible.
Joe,

Hey great news and way cool too... :D I hope you are willing to do a complete review for us on the ML Club of your new Sony VPL-HS51A when it comes in, I for one would love to know just how it performs in your system... :D

So will your new Sony front projection set-up come with it's own, "new black plait wall screen" or will you have to purchase the screen based on what Sony recommends for the VPL-HS51A? How much would a new screen for your new Sony cost?

Sounds like a truly fantastic system, Joe, congratulations! You must be very excited by now just waiting for your new system to arrive so you can set it all up... :D You and Joey are soooo lucky just waiting for fantastic gear to come in and enjoy. I am a bit envious of you, but in a good way, really.

Congratulations again, Joe.. :D
 
In your place I would stretch the budget just a bit, and could go for the Sony VPL-VW100, nicknamed the "Ruby," which Zip has mentioned. It's a 3-chip 1920x1080p LCOS (SXRD) front projector. You'll find a whole bunch of folks drooling over this at avs. The Perfect Vision says it beats out a high-end CRT in many ways. Over at Widescreen Review they measured its contrast ratio at greater than 15,000:1. Closest thing to universal acclaim for reviewers and users alike.

Then mate it with a DaLite Hi-Power screen, also the preferred high-gain screen of many, and a good value. You could have a manual pull-down one for a few hundred bucks.

That combination would give you the brightness of a 100-inch (or more) plasma with the depth, natural colors, and smooth, film-like picture of a CRT.
 
Robin said:
Joe,

Hey great news and way cool too... :D I hope you are willing to do a complete review for us on the ML Club of your new Sony VPL-HS51A when it comes in, I for one would love to know just how it performs in your system... :D

So will your new Sony front projection set-up come with it's own, "new black plait wall screen" or will you have to purchase the screen based on what Sony recommends for the VPL-HS51A? How much would a new screen for your new Sony cost?

Sounds like a truly fantastic system, Joe, congratulations! You must be very excited by now just waiting for your new system to arrive so you can set it all up... :D You and Joey are soooo lucky just waiting for fantastic gear to come in and enjoy. I am a bit envious of you, but in a good way, really.

Congratulations again, Joe.. :D


Well I broke the bank getting the projector so the screen will have to come later.

I think I will go with Da-lite’s cinema contour (fixed frame screen) with the Hi-Power material. It’s a sliver material with a hi gain of around 2.6, so light control will be a must. I thought about going with a gray screen because they are better for rooms with ambient light but the gray screens can give you blacker blacks but at the same time can crush black level detail, and this is one of the best features of this projector is it’s ability to produce black looking blacks.

What I am afraid of is if I go with a gray screen I wont be able to see the stars in a sci-fi space movie but the black will be a dark inky black. If I go with a silver or white screen I may not get as dark of a black as I would with a gray screen but I wile be able to see all that detail like the tiny starts in StarWars when the intro rolls, and buttons on black fabric.
 
Sound Great...

Zip3kx07 said:
Well I broke the bank getting the projector so the screen will have to come later.

I think I will go with Da-lite’s cinema contour (fixed frame screen) with the Hi-Power material. It’s a sliver material with a hi gain of around 2.6, so light control will be a must. I thought about going with a gray screen because they are better for rooms with ambient light but the gray screens can give you blacker blacks but at the same time can crush black level detail, and this is one of the best features of this projector is it’s ability to produce black looking blacks.

What I am afraid of is if I go with a gray screen I wont be able to see the stars in a sci-fi space movie but the black will be a dark inky black. If I go with a silver or white screen I may not get as dark of a black as I would with a gray screen but I wile be able to see all that detail like the tiny starts in StarWars when the intro rolls, and buttons on black fabric.
Joe,

So it will be "Wall Painted White" screen for at least awhile. :p It won't be too inconvenient, you will get your proper "Da lite Cinema Contour" screen soon enough. Awesome set-up, Joe... :D
 
Robin said:
Joe,

So it will be "Wall Painted White" screen for at least awhile. :p It won't be too inconvenient, you will get your proper "Da lite Cinema Contour" screen soon enough. Awesome set-up, Joe... :D

Yep,

My walls are white right now so I will just project the image on a bear wall until I can get a screen, I may go down to Lowe’s and get some cheep crown molding, make a 16:9 frame and paint it flat black to get me by. I am looking forward to getting the big box out from between my speakers and not to mention that big audio rack. I never wanted to put the Theater center below the TV in the stand; it was just the best place for it. Now I can get it up higher and facing the listener.

So like I said in my member system "say tuned, a lot will be changing". :D
 
Zip3kx07 said:
Yep,

My walls are white right now so I will just project the image on a bear wall until I can get a screen, I may go down to Lowe’s and get some cheep crown molding, make a 16:9 frame and paint it flat black to get me by. I am looking forward to getting the big box out from between my speakers and not to mention that big audio rack. I never wanted to put the Theater center below the TV in the stand; it was just the best place for it. Now I can get it up higher and facing the listener.

So like I said in my member system "say tuned, a lot will be changing". :D
Zippy, Congrats on the new "real" HT, youre gonna love it !!

Twitchy
 
Zip3kx07 said:
Yep,

My walls are white right now so I will just project the image on a bear wall until I can get a screen, I may go down to Lowe’s and get some cheep crown molding, make a 16:9 frame and paint it flat black to get me by. I am looking forward to getting the big box out from between my speakers and not to mention that big audio rack. I never wanted to put the Theater center below the TV in the stand; it was just the best place for it. Now I can get it up higher and facing the listener.

So like I said in my member system "say tuned, a lot will be changing". :D
Joe, FWIW, when you make your screen discission, wall treatments, drapes, curtains, etc. will make a huge difference in your theatre. The dark colors will absorb the spurious light from the projector as well as allowing you to crop, etc for the various aspect ratios of the movies your watching. My screen(76") like most inexspensive ones is based on a 16x9 aspect ratio(1.85x1) whereas the majority of motion pictures are set in 2.35x1. The wife made up valince material, same as the drapes to help create the true theatre effect.

looking forward to the pics once youre set up and running !!

"twitchy"
 
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twich54 said:
Zippy, Congrats on the new "real" HT, youre gonna love it !!

Twitchy

Thank Ya, Twich,

I have been waiting about three years now to make the jump to front projection and I am relieved to say that day is finally here. I am unfortunately not in the most Ideal room for it but I will get by, this room is only a temporary situation any way.

Thanks again.
 
Wondeful HT plans...

Joe,

I agree with Twitchy and Dave, photo's will be great once you have everything and it's all set up. Congradulations! :D
 
Today Audioholics posted the first real review of the Sony VPL-HS51A. I know Audioholics can be a hard reviewing site that will hammer a product when they don’t like it, but damn they gave the HS51A a 4.75 out of 5! The HDMI port is apparently perfect unlike the HS51's that I believe had some over scan and no 1:1 pixel mapping. The only real complaint they had with the HS51A was the remote was good but not grate and there is 5% over scan on the component video input.

So it looks like waiting for the 2nd release of the HS51 was the right thing to do. This will be perfect for me when I get my Anthem Statement D1 upgraded to D2 with the internal Gennum scalier, because I can hook all my components up to the D2, up convert all video to HDMI and send it over one cable to the projector.

You can read the review here if you interested.
http://www.audioholics.com/productreviews/avhardware/SonyCinezaVPLHS51Ap1.php


I made the phone call today and finalized the deal with Sony; my projector should be here Tuesday or Wednesday. I can't wait!
 
Sony HS51A Font Projector...

Zip3kx07 said:
Today Audioholics posted the first real review of the Sony VPL-HS51A. I know Audioholics can be a hard reviewing site that will hammer a product when they don’t like it, but damn they gave the HS51A a 4.75 out of 5! The HDMI port is apparently perfect unlike the HS51's that I believe had some over scan and no 1:1 pixel mapping. The only real complaint they had with the HS51A was the remote was good but not grate and there is 5% over scan on the component video input.

So it looks like waiting for the 2nd release of the HS51 was the right thing to do. This will be perfect for me when I get my Anthem Statement D1 upgraded to D2 with the internal Gennum scalier, because I can hook all my components up to the D2, up convert all video to HDMI and send it over one cable to the projector.

You can read the review here if you interested.
http://www.audioholics.com/productreviews/avhardware/SonyCinezaVPLHS51Ap1.php


I made the phone call today and finalized the deal with Sony; my projector should be here Tuesday or Wednesday. I can't wait!
Joe,

Congradulations on your deal to aquire the Sony HS51A front projector... :D

:D I know you are probably very blissfully consumed with setting-up your beautiful new Sony front projector unit, at the present time, but I was just wondering will you have to mail (ship) your Anthem D1 to the Anthem Canadian home electronics plant for the up-grade (your processor to a D2) or can Anthem accomidate your D1 to D2 up-grade at a So Cal authorized Anthem electronic repair shop? :confused:
 
Robin,
for $7000 - I would recommend a good DLP projector under $5000 and a fixed-mount screen. I have an InFocus screenplay 7205 (roughly 4K) + Stewart Firehawk (roughly 2.5K). With my Aeon i, Cinema i, vignettes this is just great for DVD & HD theater.
 
Robin said:
Joe,

Congradulations on your deal to aquire the Sony HS51A front projector... :D

:D I know you are probably very blissfully consumed with setting-up your beautiful new Sony front projector unit, at the present time, but I was just wondering will you have to mail (ship) your Anthem D1 to the Anthem Canadian home electronics plant for the up-grade (your processor to a D2) or can Anthem accomidate your D1 to D2 up-grade at a So Cal authorized Anthem electronic repair shop? :confused:
Yep,

I got my HS51A on Wednesday, but have not had much time to set it up; work has keep me very busy. I hope to spend Sunday and get it mounted. So far the picture looks fantastic! Much better then any single chip DLP I have seen, not that I am a fan of DLP (spinning color wheels and moving mirror’s are for the circus).:D

As far as upgrading the D1, I am still waiting for details. Production for the AVM-40/50 and D2 has just started, so I am told the upgrade should be about 60 days out.
 
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InFocus front projector...

Neo said:
Robin,
for $7000 - I would recommend a good DLP projector under $5000 and a fixed-mount screen. I have an InFocus screenplay 7205 (roughly 4K) + Stewart Firehawk (roughly 2.5K). With my Aeon i, Cinema i, vignettes this is just great for DVD & HD theater.
Neo,

"Welcome to the real world." I mean, the ML Club!

Sorry, I couldn't help myself, by quoting one of my favorite film triologies "The Matix". By-the-way, you have a cool screen name... :D

I have heard good things about InFocus front projector gear... :D Thanks for the recommendation. What kinds of electronics (amps, processor, cabling, power contditioning etc.) do you have with your system?

IMHO, you should consider posting your very cool ML system on our "Members Systems" section. I would love to see your HT set-up... :D
 
Robin -
I will certainly take some pictures soon and post.
B&K AVR507 S2 amp.
Belden 5000 series 10-gauge cable.
Denon dvd-2910 universal player
 

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