# Just installed NEW Projector - HTPC setup - TEXT FUZZY! - MUST resolve this!



## LordX (Jan 12, 2012)

Hey all.

I just received and setup my new Panasonic PT-AE4000U last night.

I was able to easily use the zoom - horizontal and vertical shifts to get the picture lined up perfectly with my 120" screen. (NO Keystoning used)

I have an HTPC setup - and the machine recognized the new projector immediately (Windows 7/GeForce GTS 450). It autoed to 1080i/39HZ - I set it to 1080p/60HZ.

My only issue is trying to get the TEXT to look good. It looks really FUZZY. I spent 30 mins playing with the FOCUS and I just CANT get the text to look good.

I even tried messing with the sharpness settings on the projector - to no avail... I ended up leaving sharpness at +1....

The Desktop background looks great (A 1080p wallpaper). I watched a movie on it, and I think it looks great... (However, I am upgrading from a cheap 720p projector - so anything would look better).

I cant help thinking that if the TEXT looks fuzzy/out of focus - then my movies aren't going to look as good as they can either...

ANY help is GREATLY appreciated... I just spent $2000 on this - and my wife is going to KILL me if I cant even get the TEXT to look as good as the 720p projector did!!!!


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## TypeA (Aug 14, 2010)

This sounds more like a setting on the htpc and not a focus issue, what other resolutions and refresh rates have you tried?


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## LordX (Jan 12, 2012)

None. The projector should work at 1080p/60Hz. But it def may be some setting on the HTPC.... that is what I am trying to figure out.


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## kadijk (Jan 23, 2011)

I'm no computer guy, but I have the same pj, and an older dell pc with onboard video, running win 7 and use xbmc for media. I had to play with the display settings a bit, like setting the pj as the main instead of the monitor, and I think I clone the displays rather than the other settings available. Not sure if that helps, but my 130" screen looks like a 130" monitor. It's great... And yes the focus on the Panasonic is tricky to get bang on, but it's achievable.


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## TypeA (Aug 14, 2010)

My mitsubishi hc3000 projector looks terrible being sent its native resolution from a htpc, which you would think would look best (1-1 pixel mapping kinda thing). Try resolutions slightly lower than native and see how they look. Ironically enough a htpc is the best source for determining focus accuracy as the text is so small it makes it easy to get the focus perfect, once you get the resolution the projector likes it will make getting your focus exactly right much easier.


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## LordX (Jan 12, 2012)

I appreciate the suggestions of trying different resolutions and HZ ratings - and I may try that to see if it makes a difference.

But at the end of the Day - a $2000 projector should work at 1080p at 60Hz and look good doing it.

I just cant see myself running a 1080p projector at any resolution lower than that... If that is what I wanted to do, I would have gotten a cheaper 1080p projector - or stick with 720p.


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

How are you connected to the projector? HDMI is the best way DVI can cause issues and I wonder if your pc is somehow scaling the picture before it leaves. I should be 1920x1080


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## LordX (Jan 12, 2012)

The cable connection is a DVI->HDMI cable. (DVI out from HTPC to HDMI in on PJ).

Others are talking about scaling on a different forum as well.. When I get back to the home later, I will look at the settings in the NVidia control panel and see if there are any scaling options set.

Does anyone know if scaling is AUTOMATICALLY on?


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## mechman (Feb 8, 2007)

Just to verify, you did adjust the focus ring?


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## LordX (Jan 12, 2012)

Adjust the focus ring? I thought this PJ was button push focused.


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

One of two things is happening here, either because your PC is connected to the projector via DVI your not truly getting 1920x1080 or the projector like most HDTV displays is not able to apply smoothing to the fonts. I just tried my PC connected to my 40" Panasonic LCD monitor and the fonts do look rough sort of like you describe (out of focus). I think it may be because the displays are so large they still spread out the image to far and that gives you that "look" ? Remember HDTV video/movies are not the same as a PC desktop and there may be some other things involved as well. Ive read somewhere that PC displays use square pixels and TVs use round have no idea if that is the case.


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## HT nut (Aug 31, 2011)

LordX said:


> Adjust the focus ring? I thought this PJ was button push focused.


u gotta manual focus using the ring


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## mechman (Feb 8, 2007)

I merged the two threads.

It does in fact have an electronic focus.


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## LordX (Jan 12, 2012)

First: Thanks to everyone on every forum for your ideas and insights!

I applied the following changes:

Played with the Focus more.

Turned off any Scaling or Oversizing. I was hoping for something dramatic with this - but didn't get it.

There was a Video Mode setting on the video card that was set to Auto (it described itself as what it told the display was going to be done most). The options were Desktop/text and Video Mode (and auto of course). I set it to Video Mode because that is what I am going to be doing mostly. I noticed the Brightness of the screen go up a little bit when set to this mode.

I ran the Clear-text Wizard - It helped a little bit.

I increased the DPI/Font size in windows - this helped a LOT - as in, this was the most noticeable change.

So what does that show? Is it possible that the Matte on my screen was making the smaller text less clear? Or I guess the combination of all the things I did?


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## NegativeEntropy (Apr 22, 2009)

LordX, I'll just chime in to say that the text on my AE4000 is not crystal clear either. My assumption is that it's the subtle misconvergence one gets with any 3LCD projector (e.g. 1/3 to 1/2 a pixel off). Was your 720p projector a single chip DLP? They are known for their superior sharpness precisely because they do not have issues with misconvergence.

I should also note that it appeared to be more sharp when I had it temporarily mounted on a stand before ceiling mounting it. I did no scientific study of it so it could be entirely a perception error on my part, but I thought I noticed a change for the worse (more lens shift?).


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## Twin_Rotor (Jan 1, 2012)

Its the native windows font. Try a different theme and see if it helps. The stock Aero theme font is horrible.

I usually just jack up the DPI and run the clear text wizard untill I obtain somthing I can read. Really depends on the screen/projector as well. My LCD looks worse than my buddies, simply because its a better TV.

1080i will ruin windows font as well.


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