Help with Projector...

[KingDeezie]

Supposedly this "authorized dealer" that I got off of my projector manufacturer's website is finally getting my projector in today...

My issue is is that I am setting it up myself, have all the cables run, but have never actually experianced using a projector before...

My question is if anybody on here knows a good way for me to accurately setup the projector? Meaning is there any particular way, using maybe a screen on a Bluray or something, that will help me precisely set up the image on the screen in terms of framing and focusing??


I know enough not to break it, but on the same token, I don't want to have missed framed or focused it and be horrible dissapointed with the picture.

I could always pay someone to do it, but I like to venture into things my self...

Any help would be greatly appreciated...

[ra1024]

If you're talking about hanging it from the ceiling, you might be better off hiring someone. As far as cable hookups and focusing, it's not hard and the manual should be able to talk you through it. I recently bought my first projector and I had it up in running in a few minutes. Except for focusing, it wasn't any different from setting up a tv. The main thing is to place the projector as close to the center of the screen as you can.

[Coltboy]

Take into consideration the size of your screen, size of your room, if it is a large screen, place it in the back to 3/4 back of your room. Are you mounting it on the ceiling? if you are don't mount it till you play around with location first to get the best picture. Also you can manully adjust the clarity of the picture by turning the lense left or right. hope this helps, good luck and congrads on your purchase

[Texitura]

I don't think there's any great trick to setting up a projector. You want to be sure the pj is level and square to the screen, otherwise you will get "keystoning". If you don't have a screen yet, you can experiment with image placement and size to get the setup you prefer. Good luck -- my projector has been the most enjoyable piece of home entertainment equipment I've ever bought, by far.

[KingDeezie]

Thanks for all of the replies so far...

I am shelf mounting the projector in the back of the room because of the size of the room and the size and the size of the screen...

I already have the screen set up and the cables all run. I understand how to set up all of the cables and everything...

My concern was just getting the sharpest focus and most suitable framing done as possible. I just wasn't sure how to get the projector properly focused, was really my main concern. I have an SLR digital Canon camera, and while I am fairly decent with the manual focusing, sometimes I miss calculate and the picture comes out poor. I know the lenses are quite different, but I figured focusing with a lens was pretty much the same principal...

Anyways, if it does come in today like I hope, I'll give it my best shot. Thanks again!

[Blue]

Unless you are getting a 3 beam CRT, Set the projector within the specifications adjust the zoom and focus. There are tricks with the colour etc but that will get you going. Just remember to use HDMI to connect the Blu-ray player (I assume that's what you are using as the source)

[rmatt]

Go to www.projectorcentral.com , they have a calculator pro where you type in your projector model and the size of your screen and it will tell you how far you need to place your projector.

[DavePS3]

All projo's have a preferred throw distance for a certain size screen. To get proper focus as well as contrast, projectors usually reccomend certain types of screens like a FireHawk for older Faroudja projo's etc. Because most projo's have a zoom lens ratio, the specs will usually tell you something like placing the projector within say, 10 to 12 feet away from a 100" screen. Once you know that distance and install within those parameters, turn it on and it will usually give you a logo. If not, go into the menu but don't adjust anything yet. What you want to do initially is make sure the projo has been set for ceiling mount because many will come out of the box for a table mount and in that instance, your picture will be upside down. The menu will correct that IF you need to do it. Then, get the focus right and the menu is a good source for that. The focus might be on the remote or on the lens itself but once you get that done, feed it your best source. If you have Blu-Ray, or an upconverting DVD player, make sure the resolution on the projector's input (HDMI for example) is correct for your source - 1080i or 1080p... put up your best looking movie and tweak the picture from that.

Remember, don't overblow colors. Skin tones should NOT be bright orange. A good ruls of thumb in tweaking picture quality, is Contrast first. If your white on black credits on a movie are blooming, or fuzzy, you've got the contrast up too high - despite how bright you want it to be. Take the contrast (or picture control) down all the way to 0 then bring it up until those credits start to bloom again... then back it down a few notches.

Then work on brightness. You want blacks to be black but not so dark that you lose detail in someone's black suit. After that's done, work on the the color. Again, skin tones should not be overblown and your reds, like the lights on a police car, should not bloom. Be conservative on color - it'll pay off. That done, adjust your tint if necessary.

What it really comes down to though, is how you like the picture quality. You can buy test discs up the arse but they're one guys opinion of how your picture should look. Tweak for your eyes... what's too dark to one guy is too light to another so keep all that in mind.

[KingDeezie]

Thanks a lot for the help everyone!!!

I think yet again however, that the fregging store I bought it from has screwed me over AGAIN, and I'll have to wait god knows how much longer for this projector to come...

Hopefully they'll still call at some point today and let me know its ready for pickup, but I am not too hopeful...

Thanks again everyone.

[altarpm]

Originally Posted by KingDeezie

Thanks a lot for the help everyone!!!

I think yet again however, that the fregging store I bought it from has screwed me over AGAIN, and I'll have to wait god knows how much longer for this projector to come...

Hopefully they'll still call at some point today and let me know its ready for pickup, but I am not too hopeful...

Thanks again everyone.

Hey KingDeezie, what projector are you getting? I got the Panasonic 1000U (my first projector), shelf mounted it and had no problems zooming and focusing it. I think once you get out of the box and hooked up you won't have any problems.

[KingDeezie]

I bought the Epson Pro Cinema 1080, I was definetely thinking of getting that Panny you bought...

I saw the projector you got in action, and was very interested in buying it, however, once calibrated, the lumen output of the projector was pretty dim...

Its supposed to give you an awesome picture at like 110 inches or lower with good lighting control...

I decided I wanted something larger then that and went with a 140 inch screen instead, and needed the extra horsepower that the Epson gives you even when calibrated....

Its great to hear that it was easily setup for you once you got it. I am still awaiting mine to arrive, there apprently was a problem with the company I bought it from so I have been pretty pissy these last few days. But, its supposed to be here on Monday, so here is hoping.

[gandley]

For the distance from screen etc use this calculater

http://www.projectorcentral.com/Epso...ulator-pro.htm


get yourself a copy of DVE or AVIA, so you can calibrate brightness and contrast.

remember that brightness effects black level and contrast effects white level.

Use a pluge pattern to adjust brightness. AVIA has a test pattern for digital projectors to correctly adjust contrast as the bloom method does not effect digital projection. some THX dvd titles have the test patterns on them as well but these are optimised for the movie on disc only.

And finaly when it arrives, enjoy your movies. Front projection can not be beat. I have the JVC HD1 (RS1 in USA) and movies are just so amazing at a proper size. You will now see the true benefit of Blu Ray over DVD.

[KingDeezie]

Thanks for your help gandley...

That projector you have is awesome, I really wanted to get that one, but in the states here its running for something like 6500 dollars...

With a baby on the way I couldn't bring myself to try and swing it...
i got my projector for about half that, so sometimes you gotta prioritize...

This Epson should be decent enough for now though, and give me atleast one huge picture, if not anywhere near the nicest one...

[Deciazulado]

mmm.. for focusing you could use the monoscope (resolution) pattern that comes with all Sony BDs. If the projector has manual zoom you could have someone help you by standing near the screen as you focus manually, otherwise you stand up close to the screen (stand closer than you'll watch) and focus with the remote. To align the screen (before focusing) you can zoom it out a little so the square borders of the image are smaller than the screen and see if they're keystoning/not parallel to the screen's edges. After you have everything squared , you zoom in till the image just fills the screen, and then focus. If you have a 2.40 wide Scope screen, you might have to refocus slightly when you zoom in or out from 1.8 widescreen to 2.4 widescreen (depends on the lens)

[KingDeezie]

I have a standard 16x9 screen. I harbored delusions of trying to set up a nice constant height setup using a cinemascope lens on a 2.35:1 screen, but quickly decided that price as well as practicality were an issue...

As well as watching movies, I am going to be using the projector to play video games and watch HDTV as well. I figured I would of had to spend a lot more money getting everything properly masked in order to be able to go from watching a 2.35:1 movie to playing MGS 4 in a quick and well set up manner...maybe when I have a bigger house with a true designated room for all this stuff...

The screen is 140 inches, which dwarfs my old 56 inch DLP, which is now in the bedroom, so if I could live with the bars on the DLP, I can certainly do it on the projector screen.

[Deciazulado]

If your projector has a zoom lens you don't need an anamorphic lens..

[gandley]

Originally Posted by Deciazulado

If your projector has a zoom lens you don't need an anamorphic lens..

you do for proper 2.35 cinema scope. with the lens you can use the full resolution of the projector for the anamorphic image. your projector only need to be able to do a 2.35 stretch, then the lens returns the image back to how it should look but using all the pixels of your projector. if you just use Zoom you lose left and right info of the image.

2.35 provides a wonderfull image but is darn expensive as you need quality optics for it to be done correctly.

one day it will get cheaper i hope

[Deciazulado]

heh

As I said you don't need an anamorphic lens to project a 2.40 wide "Scope" BD 800 x 1920 pixel image onto a 2.40 wide screen. You just need a projector with a lens with a focal length that fills that screen. And if you want to do Constant height at the same time for the less wider ratios, it has to be a zoom so you can pull back the image and shrink the height so the 1.85-1.37 movies fit the 2.40 screen's height. Simple, effective, balance.


If your projector has a zoom lens, not a cent more expensive.

By the way, "Scope" hasn't been 2.35 in 35+ years.

[gandley]

perhaps were not talking the same thing but this is what i meant

http://www.panamorph.com/



but regardless your method is throwing away resolution, which is not the point and hence the need for the lense which infact will increase resolution. just getting the image size is half the problem.


Initially the aspect ratio of CinemaScope was 2.66 : 1 since the only camera change was the addition of the anamorphic lens with a two-times optical compression. The standard 1.33 : 1 aperture was retained (i.e. 2 x 1.33 = 2.66). Later, this ratio was reduced to 2.55 : 1 by the addition of MagOptical Stereophonic Sound, which slightly cut into the picture area on each side. Regular optical sound, and Perspecta Stereophonic Sound prints, retained the 2.66 : 1 shape. Soon the 1.33 : 1 aperture was replaced with a 1.18 : 1 aperture, and the resulting image was standardized in an aspect ratio of 2.35 : 1, regardless of sound-track format. All of this has lead to much confusion over the years as to the actual aspect ratio of CinemaScope, a debate further fueled by the fact that 16mm and 8mm 'Scope ratios are always given as 2.66 : 1. Actually, 16mm anamorphic is 2.75 : 1, and 8mm is 2.66 : 1, because of the difference in their camera apertures, 1.37 : 1 and 1.33 : 1 respectively. There was a difference in the ratio of some early 'Scope pictures, but standardization came very quickly. Twentieth Century-Fox also tampered with the perforations, reducing them in an attempt to make the magnetic-coated prints run more stably through projectors, but the smaller holes tended to tear easily and damage the MagOptical tracks, reducing print life substantially. (Perspecta stereo optical prints did not have this problem.)



As CinemaScope matured as a technology, the 2.35 : 1 aspect-ratio quickly became a well-recognized, international standard. CinemaScope, and all its derivatives, were 2.35 : 1 for many, many decades. So the popularity and longevity of format has meant the term "2.35", and "anamorphic", are used more less interchangeably, even today. But relatively recently, the official aspect ratio for 35mm anamorphic was changed to something just shy of 2.40 : 1. This was done for fairly obscure technical reasons, but the point is that the aspect-ratio of the 35mm anamorphic format is now officially (rounded off to) 2.40 : 1. This change however, represents an almost imperceptible difference from the audience's point of view.

[Deciazulado]

How is projecting a 800 x 1920 pixel image that's 800 x 1920 pixels through an spheric lens "throwing away resolution"?

Illuminate me with how many pixels of the image are thrown away.



Gandley the Scope ratio was changed to 2.40 in the 70's

(0.690" x 0.828" 2.40)

Then when the DTS control track was added in the mid 90's (about a decade and a half ago) the width was reduced to 0.825" 2.39, which happens to be the same width as Academy ratio movies and standard (flat/spheric lens) Widescreen movies.