# A few Q's



## CompguyRG (May 19, 2008)

I'm looking to build a 2.35:1 screen and eventually install an anamorphic lens. I am not sure I'm handy enough to build one on my own, so I was looking at this one http://www.hometheaterbrothers.com/23901.html which I thought was a good deal considering the prices on some of the others out there. 

I'd love to hear about any other subsitutes, I just hate to spend that kinda coin. If I had a parts list and some _explicit_ design instructions I might be able to pull it off, but I am a novice carpenter at best. 

I'm going to be putting together the screen shortly and I'll be using either a panasonic ax200u or 
ae2000u depending on what the price does on the latter over the next few months. 

Do you all have any design instructions for the screens? I was going by this http://www.engadget.com/2006/08/29/how-to-make-a-custom-projector-screen/

Are there any other budget alternatives to the uber expensive lenses out there? (outside of the afformentioned and DIY)

Thanks for all the time and info put into this forum, it is greatly appreciated and truly helpful,

-Richard


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

CompguyRG said:


> I'm looking to build a 2.35:1 screen and eventually install an anamorphic lens. I am not sure I'm handy enough to build one on my own, so I was looking at this one http://www.hometheaterbrothers.com/23901.html which I thought was a good deal considering the prices on some of the others out there.


Richard..The HTB lens is a very good unit from all reports and you couldn't do any better for the price..
Marks Aussiemorphic lens ( the one I use) is also an excellent lens for about the same price, but then you would have additional shipping charges... 



> I'd love to hear about any other subsitutes, I just hate to spend that kinda coin. If I had a parts list and some _explicit_ design instructions I might be able to pull it off, but I am a novice carpenter at best.


If you've had a read through the "Making a DIY lens" thread in this forum and felt that you still can't make a lens yourself..then the HTB lens will fit the bill..



> Do you all have any design instructions for the screens? I was going by this http://www.engadget.com/2006/08/29/how-to-make-a-custom-projector-screen/


That shows it all pretty well..This is a site that I also have found handy when making a stretched cloth screen..This also shows the best order of stapling, to keep the cloth evenly stretched..
http://www.eldamar.net/house/ht/screenHowTo.html



> Are there any other budget alternatives to the uber expensive lenses out there? (outside of the afformentioned and DIY)


None that I'm aware of..

Thanks for the compliment..
Let us know if we can help you any further..


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## Mark Techer (Jan 17, 2008)

> Are there any other budget alternatives to the uber expensive lenses out there? (outside of the afformentioned and DIY)


Not really. Quality Optics cost money, pure and simple. The prisms, whilst they work, are not really optical grade as they can exhibit very small patches of non polished areas that, whilst invisible from the seating position, can and do prevent the true resolution of the fine detail of high definition video...

Mark


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## CompguyRG (May 19, 2008)

I finished up my screen! Yay! I decided just to get some really high end blackout cloth and give that a go first. For $75 total cost, I don't mind making a few screens should I not like this one. (Though mounting it was a large PITA)








Now, on to the the next question, which projector. I was looking into a few options and I am still having arguments in my head. 
Question 1
1080 vs 720 - I can get a nice pt-ax200u for $1250, but in the back of my head I'm wondering if buyers remorse is gonna get me for not spending the extra coin and getting 1080. The best deal I've found so far is a Benq W5000 for $1900. 

If I go 1080, which projector best suits my anamorphic screen? AE2000u? BenQW5000? 

I need some coaxing here, I've done a ton of research and I'm still not sure which way to go. I've heard that typically projector prices drop in the fall, so I'm not sure if I should wait either. Help lol:surrender:

BTW Mark, should you decide to continue selling the lenses, be sure to let me know. You can add me to a list of potential buyers (at least for now, I'll end up getting one over the next few months) Keep us updated


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## Mark Techer (Jan 17, 2008)

Go 1080 now as it is the current best standard. No need to buy a 720 now and then only have to upgrade to 1080 in 6 - 12 months time...

Mark


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

Richard,

My first choice would be the Benq W5000...and I'm sure Mark would agree with me since he has one...providing that you prefer DLP..
This is the projector I'm also planning to update to, having already owned a Benq for 2years..


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## basementjack (Sep 18, 2006)

awesome screen
as for your mounting woes, I used a french cleat and it was pretty easy to mount.
a french cleat is a 1x3, cut diagonally lengthwise.
so for your application, you'd use an 8 foot 1x3 and cut it into 2 pieces lengthwise.

this is a simple drawing... |=\ \=|

you mount one to the back of the screen, and the other to the wall.
if you do it backwards, the screen will fall right off the wall.
if you do it right, the weight of the screen pulls it towards the wall.

-------------------------------------------

as for your projector choice...
1080 is the only way to go.
you don't say how big your screen is, but it looks pretty big.
you want to get as bright a projector as is reasonable for a few reasons.
#1 the bigger the screen the dimmer the image - kind of like a flashlight- focus all the light at the center+ it's very bright - spread it out and it's dim.
#2 you're thinking of going with an anamorphic lens - the extra glass is going to rob you of some brightness.

as for specific models, I probably can't help much as I haven't seen much.
A friend of mine has the Mitsubishi 4900 and it looked fantastic on his relatively small screen (88" diagonal 16x9) however, the mistubishi isn't the brightest, and I don't know how it would do with a larger screen size.

also I didn't see in this post but you didn't mention how far from the screen you intend to mount the PJ.

Generally closer is better, but not always.

Some projectors feature vertical scaling for anamorphic lenses so look for that...

one last thought, 
if you get a projector with a decent zoom lens and lens shift, you may be able to zoom the projector in such a way that you can either fill a 16x9 area with all 1080x1920 pixels, or zoom out so that you use something like 800x1920 for wide screen.
The black bars will 'spill over' onto your border and part of your wall - this is definitely the 'poor mans' way of doing this, but it could be used as an interim solution. Might also be a way to afford the 1080 now, then add the lens later.

as bad as this sounds, I do just that with my 720p projector on my 120x50" screen and the results are stunning. I sit just far enough away that I don't see pixels. The huge image in that nice 2.4:1 ratio really draws you in - the beginning of Harry Potter 5 has a WB logo that appears to float off the screen in 3d as it comes closer to you.

- Jack


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## Mark Techer (Jan 17, 2008)

When using an anamorphic lens, you need to be sure that the TR is longer than shorter for a couple of reasons - 
1. The longer the TR, the better the end result - less pincushion etc and 
2. The less chance of vignetting (clipping the beam).

Also, if you were to zoom, you might find that you need to have the projector at the smallest image size for 16:9 so that you can have enough range to zoom the image.

Longer TRs give a better contrast where shorter throws will be slightly brighter, but at the expense of contrast...

Mark


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## CompguyRG (May 19, 2008)

OK, so here is the design layout of the room and current pics. The throw can be anything in between, I can even put the projector against the far wall if need be. Suggestions as to ideal placement with a lens?
Here is the construction thread and current layout pics and design. The screen is 44in tall by 104in wide.

Screen to front row viewers eyes 16'
Screen to back row viewers eyes 19'


http://www.hometheatershack.com/forums/home-theater-design-construction/11145-first-timer-looking-suggestions-3.html


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## CompguyRG (May 19, 2008)

Another quick question for you all, what do you think of the Sanyo PLV-Z2000? It has a $600 rebate and is 1080p with the anamorphic stretch. Total cost is $1550 after rebate, free shipping. I dunno if I can pass it up, lol.

*edit*
/sniff just saw it doesn't support anamorphic... oh well.


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## Mark Techer (Jan 17, 2008)

LCD? Price is certainly good, and if does the scaling for CIH, then I'd say go for it 

Mark


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

CompguyRG said:


> OK, so here is the design layout of the room and current pics. The throw can be anything in between, I can even put the projector against the far wall if need be. Suggestions as to ideal placement with a lens?
> Here is the construction thread and current layout pics and design. The screen is 44in tall by 104in wide.
> 
> Screen to front row viewers eyes 16'
> Screen to back row viewers eyes 19'


Firstly, 16' back for the first row is a long way back for a 104" wide Scope screen!..
At 1.5 times the width (which is about the ideal ratio) you would be at 13' from the screen..and this would give you a more immersive affect..But perhaps you prefer to be further away than that..

The position of the projector needs to be determined with no lens zooming and projecting a 1.78:1 image on the screen..prior to fitting the lens..
This will then give you the TR for what ever projector you decide to get..
Using the calculator at projectorcentral will show how far back the projector needs to be mounted..


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## CompguyRG (May 19, 2008)

You're right prof, I did some more measurements and for some reason I put the old ones. The front row viewers eyes will be 12' and the back row is 16'-17'.

Have you all played with the Mitsubishi HC5500 at all? It supposed to have and I quote:

Anamorphic lens compatibility. The HC5500 has a versatile scaling package that allows the user to install an anamorphic lens and leave it permanently in place no matter what aspect ratio the subject matter is in. This saves the cost of a motorized track, which can be substantial, or it eliminates the need to manually move the lens when one switches from 2.35 to non-2.35 material. Either way, it provides a friendlier solution for those interested in super-widescreen 2.35 installations.

I'm curious how this function would work when switching between formats. For example, going from blu-ray to standard 4:3 and then to a 16:9 dvd. Surely there would have to be some type of adjustment. Any thoughts? It's about $2050, similar to the W5000, and with an auto anamorphic in there it may be worth it.

Projector central review here: http://www.projectorcentral.com/mitsubishi_hc5500_review.htm


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

I'm not familiar with that model..
.
I don't see how they could change from 2.35:1 to 4:3 and leaving the lens in place, without making some internal adjustment!..:scratch:
Normally, when you set up the projector and lens with a 1.78:1 AR, and then electronically vertically stretch it..and optically widen it with the lens, the image then fills the screen..
Then if you play a 4:3 movie with the lens in place, the image will overspill the top and the bottom of the screen by a considerable amount..

The only way I could see that being possible is that the projector is somehow able to re-format the 4:3 image to then fit it within the screen perimeter..:dontknow:

If it does as they claim, then it sounds like a very good projector to have for anamorphic projection..


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## tbase1 (Nov 10, 2006)

great job shackster....scope is truely the way to go. I hate to see bars. checkout my pic.'s but please forgive my lack of picture taking.


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## Mark Techer (Jan 17, 2008)

Players like the Samsung can do both a vertical stretch and a horizontal squeeze, so 4:3 would be compressed from (when upscaled to 1080i) 1440 x 1080 to 960 x 1080, then optically expaned to be the same shape as the original 1440 x 1080.
The 16:9 image gets the same treatment going from 1920 x 1080 back to 1440 x 1080, then optically expanded, and of course vertical stretch does the full 1920 x 1080 conversion to 2.37 or what would otherwize require 2560 x 1080 (if such a chipset could be made).

Denon had an upscaler that would HS 4 x 3 material, but did not off VS, and some AVRs from the likes of Yamaha also offer a HS for non 16:9 program. 

It is the not the complete CIH solution, but it is a start none the less...

Mark


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## CompguyRG (May 19, 2008)

I just demo'ed a Benq w10000, wow! I think that all but settled it for me. The 10000 is just like the 5000 except everything is motorized. Now I just need to see what kind of deal I can find for one! :bigsmile:


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

Mark Techer said:


> Players like the Samsung can do both a vertical stretch and a horizontal squeeze


That facility must be only available on your US player Mark..
My Aussie Samsung doesn't have horizontal squeeze..


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

CompguyRG said:


> I just demo'ed a Benq w10000, wow! I think that all but settled it for me. The 10000 is just like the 5000 except everything is motorized. Now I just need to see what kind of deal I can find for one! :bigsmile:


Projectorcentral state, that model is out of production, so you should be able to pick one up for a good price..
It would be a good choice, but it does have a long throw lens.. so just check that it will fit your projection distance and screen size..


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## Mark Techer (Jan 17, 2008)

Prof said:


> That facility must be only available on your US player Mark..
> My Aussie Samsung doesn't have horizontal squeeze..


OK, so how many options does yours have? When I push EZView, I get a ZOOM that simply zooms the image in, a Vertical Stretch and a Horizontal Squeeze. I am sure that on a 4 x 3 display or mode, that using the HS mode at the same, will allow the use of a 2x stretch lens as well...

Mark


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## CompguyRG (May 19, 2008)

Prof, I know you said you may upgrade to a W5000, so I thought you'd be interested to know that Benq canada is offering a $500 rebate on it through October. 
*edit* The company I previously mentioned sells the projector without the lamp, hence the low price. 

Panasonic AE2000u - $2500
Mitsubishi HC5500 - $1750
Benq w5000 - $2050 or so

Of those the Benq is the only one with DLP, which is nice. I trust it a little more than the HC5500, though I never got to see one. I did take a look at the 4900 and the Benq dominated it. 

I ordered one myself so I'll let you all know how the service is. (Switched order to $2045 version)


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

CompguyRG said:


> Prof, I know you said you may upgrade to a W5000, so I thought you'd be interested to know that Benq canada is offering a $500 rebate on it through October.


It's still awhile before I'll be getting my projector...It's going to be part of my fees for designing a DLP Theatre, for a new luxury Apartment Complex down here..
BTW..What voltage does your equipment run on there? Is it the same as the US?



> *edit* The company I previously mentioned sells the projector without the lamp, hence the low price.


Why would they do that? What's the point of buying a projector without a lamp!!!?.:coocoo: 




> I ordered one myself so I'll let you all know how the service is. (Switched order to $2045 version)


Well done..:T I'm sure you'll be very happy with it..


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

Mark Techer said:


> OK, so how many options does yours have? When I push EZView, I get a ZOOM that simply zooms the image in, a Vertical Stretch and a Horizontal Squeeze. I am sure that on a 4 x 3 display or mode, that using the HS mode at the same, will allow the use of a 2x stretch lens as well...
> 
> Mark


My Samsung has three settings on EZView..
WIDE..which gives a full width stretched image with 2.35:1 movies (lens in place) but with black bars top and bottom..
SCREEN FIT..which is the VS setting..and ZOOM..No HS setting..


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