Brightness From Projectors

[dipset420]

Will this be the same as looking at a 56" rear projection DLP.

I want a projector (Optoma HD70) and my room is like 9' wide and about
10-11' long.

Now if i have a screen in the 80-90" range will my eyes hurt from the brightness?

because when i had the 56" tv it was unbareable and i would of went blind in days.

Now I'm under the impression that since the projector is behind me and projecting against the screen that it wont hurt my eyes any where near as much as a rear projection unit because its projecting the image from the back of the tv to the screen which is right in front of me, so am I correct on this.

I would be sitting about 9 feet away from the screen if I get it.

And I know one reason it was so bright in that distance was because my room isnt really wide so that brightness from the image wont spread out that much because in my living room i have a 56" rear projection sitting about 8 feet away and its no where near as bright as when i had the 56" in my room because my living room is wide enough for the image to spread out.

So would it be a bad idea to get a projector or will it not be as bright? I plan on getting the Optoma HD70 and using it in the lowest brightness level.

[Bluhorizon]

The brightness from a projector is much less than any other source. You will have no troble with your eyes, but because the theatre room needs to be completely dark you may fall asleep during many movies.

[xtop]

i've never heard of brightness being a problem

[Bluhorizon]

Also a word of warning: be prepared to keep paying a lot of money to replace the bulb in the projector every year or so, because the brightness levels drop off considerably as these age. In my case a new bulb is about US$1000 to replace.

[Downhere]

Originally Posted by Bluhorizon

Also a word of warning: be prepared to keep paying a lot of money to replace the bulb in the projector every year or so, because the brightness levels drop off considerably as these age. In my case a new bulb is about US$1000 to replace.

What do you have a 3-chipper? lol. Most of the mass market projector bulb's range from the 300-400 dollar range depending on the brand and model.

[Bluhorizon]

Originally Posted by Downhere

What do you have a 3-chipper? lol. Most of the mass market projector bulb's range from the 300-400 dollar range depending on the brand and model.

Yes, the VPL-VW100 is a 3-chipper. Even at $300-$400 a bulb, this is equivalent to a new PS3 for you guys every year!

[bassbone57]

Originally Posted by Downhere

What do you have a 3-chipper? lol. Most of the mass market projector bulb's range from the 300-400 dollar range depending on the brand and model.

The VPLVW100 has a pure Xenon lamp, that is why it is so expensive. I have a single chip Sharp DLP and it is about $450 per lamp. I got a 5 year warranty for $250 that covers unlimited lamp replacement over that time. NO BRAINER!!! Already used it once and I've had it a little over a year now.

-K

[Downhere]

Originally Posted by Bluhorizon

Yes, the VPL-VW100 is a 3-chipper. Even at $300-$400 a bulb, this is equivalent to a new PS3 for you guys every year!

Ah, that explains it. The Xenon bulb is costly. (Agh, didn't see your sig with your equipment listed)

Well, getting into the projection world is definitely not going to be cheap, bulb wise, but as bass said above they have warranty's you can buy for bulb replacements.

Nothing can beat the huge image you can throw with a projector though, so the costs seem worth it in my opinion.

[Banjo]

Originally Posted by Bluhorizon

Also a word of warning: be prepared to keep paying a lot of money to replace the bulb in the projector every year or so, because the brightness levels drop off considerably as these age. In my case a new bulb is about US$1000 to replace.

Every year or so? Even if you use it on a daily basis, it should last you at least 2 years. I have one projector that I've yet to replace the bulb and I got it like 5 years ago. Still look good.

[Bluhorizon]

Originally Posted by Banjo

Every year or so? Even if you use it on a daily basis, it should last you at least 2 years. I have one projector that I've yet to replace the bulb and I got it like 5 years ago. Still look good.

I've had the Sony for 1-year now and there is a noticeable dropoff in brightness at 1500 hrs, but even though I've purchased a new bulb, it has not yet been replaced. The picture is still fabulous through BR though.

[Deciazulado]

A bright image only hurts your eyes if it's small and you surround it with darkness. If the screen is big enough that it fills your field or view, or the screen is small but the background behind it that surrounds it has enough light (you can achieve this balance with a "bias light") it shouldn't cause eye strain.

When we are out in daylight our eyes see brightness that's thousands of times more than on a home or cinema theater screen with no problem.

[darinp2]

Originally Posted by dipset420

Now if i have a screen in the 80-90" range will my eyes hurt from the brightness?

because when i had the 56" tv it was unbareable and i would of went blind in days.

When I saw this thread I figured you were wondering if it would be bright enough (the usual issue). Too bright is easy to deal with for front projectors as long as you don't have other lights on or light coming in. Just get a neutral density filter (from bhphotovideo.com for instance) and put it over the lens. The only reason I mention the other lighting is because under those conditions dimming the projector down will hurt the contrast ratio. But, you could put the ND filter on when you watch without any other lighting and take it off when there will be lots of other light.

Also, a dark screen works and doesn't have the issue with the other lighting (since the dark screen helps kill that too), but there are only so many screens available (other than Do-It-Yourself).

Some projectors have variable irises or other things where you can use a dimmer mode for movies with the lights off and a much brighter mode for when their will be lights on (or just for watching sports, etc.). The Panasonic AX200U is an example of one like this (a color filter moves into the light path inside the projector for certain modes and the mode can be selected with the remote control).

--Darin

[dipset420]

See this is my concern about brightness. https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=8088&page=16

When you look at yellowblankets first post on his projector where it shows the WB logo it doesnt look bright, like there isnt any light from the picture on the wlls around it.

but when you look at the second post from him on the wii its sooo bright that the walls around him are completely lit up. now i cant see that not hurting his eyes

[edgebsl]

I'd like to reinforce some of the things already said here.

You do need to only use the projector for movies. You do this and your bulb will last for years. Use it for watching tv all the time, leaving it on all day etc. you are asking for it.

You do need light control, but a high gain screen will help you watch with a moderate amount of light.

You want to note that you dont want a pj to be as bright as a normal tv because it is a much bigger surface. If you had the same brightness per sq inch as a plasma say, it would give you quite the headache.

When I first got into pj I was obsessed with high gain screens. I wanted it to look like a giant plazma. Nowadays I just tend to want to feel like I'm in a top notch 35mm projection theater.

That Optoma will pop. I think you'll be in for a pleasant suprise if this is your first pj.

[edgebsl]

Oh duh! You were concerned it be too bright!

Well that's easy. You can always use low lamp mode and tweak to tame it.

Ht pjs are dsigned for HT. You'll find it suits your needs well.

[AlaskaDon]

Here's something very interesting for the projector people here. I know everybody gets concerned about bulb replacement costs. I was very happy to find out that if you buy your pj from Best Buy, and get the 4 year extended warranty, It covers bulb replacement. I know Best Buy is not usually the best price you can find, but for those that buy from them the warranty most definitly pays for itself

To the OP: My theater room is pretty close to the same dimensions as yours. I originally purchased an Optoma HD80 but found that in order to use it in that small of a room I was going to be severely limited in screen size, about 70" if I remember right. I returned it for a Sony VPL-VW50 which had more zoom and I was able to squeeze out a 100" screen in that same room. Watch the zoom available on the projectors you consider. Over at projectorcentral.com they have a nice calculator that you can use on-line to compare different models.

[dipset420]

Originally Posted by AlaskaDon

Here's something very interesting for the projector people here. I know everybody gets concerned about bulb replacement costs. I was very happy to find out that if you buy your pj from Best Buy, and get the 4 year extended warranty, It covers bulb replacement. I know Best Buy is not usually the best price you can find, but for those that buy from them the warranty most definitly pays for itself

To the OP: My theater room is pretty close to the same dimensions as yours. I originally purchased an Optoma HD80 but found that in order to use it in that small of a room I was going to be severely limited in screen size, about 70" if I remember right. I returned it for a Sony VPL-VW50 which had more zoom and I was able to squeeze out a 100" screen in that same room. Watch the zoom available on the projectors you consider. Over at projectorcentral.com they have a nice calculator that you can use on-line to compare different models.

Are you sure about the warranty on bulb replacements from BB? Because when I was on their website it only had an option for a service plan an did not mention anything on bulb replacements.

Maybe you can check it out again and see if I am wrong, I live in new york so maybe their is differnet terms because they make you pick which state you live in before you can see what the plan offers

[AlaskaDon]

Originally Posted by dipset420

Are you sure about the warranty on bulb replacements from BB? Because when I was on their website it only had an option for a service plan an did not mention anything on bulb replacements.

Maybe you can check it out again and see if I am wrong, I live in new york so maybe their is differnet terms because they make you pick which state you live in before you can see what the plan offers

Yup, I'm sure. I was going by what the salesman told me, but then I looked into it and didn't see it listed (like you did) so I called and verified it. I also checked back with the salesman again and he verified that he's used the service himself with no problems. He has the same pj that I do. He said that when his Sony told him that it was due for a new bulb, he just called the service number, gave them the info and they sent him a new bulb. The only down side was that he had to wait on the replacement bulb. I think the way to go is to buy the first bulb out of pocket, then order the replacement and put it aside as a spare. That's what I plan on doing anyway.

[syncguy]

What is the criterion for the bulb replacement under a service plan. Is it total failure or reduction in brightness. If it is reduction in brightness, how is it measured?

[syncguy]

I have seen that lot of people replace the lamp prior to total failure or the projector displaying a message to change the lamp. They cannot tolerate the reduction in brightness.

Need to rethink about the value of this aspect of the plans if the criterion is total failure or the message to replace. It is worthwhile to find this out …..