Is spending 16k on a projector ridiculous?

[TABCON]

So far, the best projector I have seen is the fairly new Sim2 X3 Grand Cinema (not with the link). But, and a very big DAMN, it sounds like a hell of a lot of money, which is not a 'huge' problem but is there a less expensive projector out there that will wet my undies? Gross I know, but gosh darnit, it's a fine picture.

A friend of mine who owns a home theatre store is offering me an unbelieveable deal. Last years model Sim2 link which retailed for 18k with a Firehawk Stewart retractable 100" screen for 8k.
He's an authorized dealer, so my warranty starts when I buy it.

Tabcon

 

[MACCA350]

Sounds like a great deal....thats reason enough to get it isn't it?

Seriously your asking a bunch of audio/video nuts if spending exorborant amounts of cash on equipment is ridiculous....come on....its what we do So no its not ridiculous....it's perfectly normal(for us)

Go on.....do it.....we know you want to....lucky p**ck

cheers

 

[TABCON]

LOL!

This AV stuff is almost as bad as my Cuban cigar habit.

Tabcon

 

[mtrycrafts]

So far, the best projector I have seen is the fairly new Sim2 X3 Grand Cinema (not with the link). But, and a very big DAMN, it sounds like a hell of a lot of money, which is not a 'huge' problem but is there a less expensive projector out there that will wet my undies? Gross I know, but gosh darnit, it's a fine picture.

A friend of mine who owns a home theatre store is offering me an unbelieveable deal. Last years model Sim2 link which retailed for 18k with a Firehawk Stewart retractable 100" screen for 8k.
He's an authorized dealer, so my warranty starts when I buy it.

Tabcon

Well, my thought has not changed from before. Last years model may be 1 chip with a color wheel and most likely will not play the new HD type DVDs coming to market at 1080p, then you have an expensive new projector that is obsolete before you put it up.

That Sony Ruby is less than 1/2 of that new Sim2. Since so much is riding on these, see if you can take a trip to someone who has this set up and posts at AVS. A few hundred $$ for a trip may save you many $1000s.

 

[LEVESQUE]

So far, the best projector I have seen is the fairly new Sim2 X3 Grand Cinema (not with the link).

Yes, it's ridiculous for the price they ask for. I've seen all the good projectors out there, and the Sony Ruby VPL-VW100 will give you a better picture quality for 1/2 the price, and will take 1080i/p directly.

And it's a real native 1080 projector. With Blu-Ray players at 1080p, why downscale everything at 720p?

I have a Ruby since 4 months already, and I already use real 1080i sources and still can't believe how good that projector is.

3 chips, native 1080p, 15000:1 CR measured (not false advertizing...), can accept 1080p directly, 21 db (almost silent), motorized lens shift and focus...

For the price of the Sim2, go buy the Sony Ruby with an external video processor using the Realta HQV or Gennum VXP chips (for true inverse telecine and per-pixel motion adaptive de-interlacing...). And you will probably have some spare change left to buy another bulb for the Ruby... And the better picture quality will also be a "bonus"...

 

[TABCON]

Sounds very interesting.

How much are the scaler's you mentioned and which do you recommend?

Also, as I've mentioned before, I will be watching with some ambient light conditions occasionally and I've heard the Ruby has a problem with light.

Tabcon

 

[mnnc]

yea....that's just sick. Even if you 'can' afford it...the answer is yes, that's ridiculous!

 

[RLA]

So far, the best projector I have seen is the fairly new Sim2 X3 Grand Cinema

If you get a chance take a look at the Infocus 777 I think you will be equally impressed for alot less money.Higher resolution does not nessarly mean better performance. The difference between 720p and 1080p is small but the differace between 3 chip DLP and single chip DLP is subtantial. IMOHO I am not that impressed with Sony anything.This is just my opinion

 

[BMXTRIX]

IMO - Any projector bought today for more than a couple thousand dollars is wasted.

Why? Because 1080p is not a 5 year away dream, but a THIS YEAR reality. Forget the Sony Ruby - we will likely see more than half a dozen 1080p projectors from various players in the next 12 months. CEDIA should be more interesting this year than in several years with Blu-Ray and 1080p being a reality instead of pipe dream. Optoma, InFocus, Sim2, etc. should all have at least one 1080p model out. Not sure, but I would think that LCD will have to respond as well.

This means that 720p is about as close to dead as it can be on the high end. Buying top dollar 720p is like paying $20K for a Yugo. It's just a waste of money. In one or two years, you will be able to buy 1080p projectors for less than the Ruby that will put out more light than the Ruby and have replacement lamps that are $300 not $1,000. You will have true 1080p projectors that actually accept 1080p and do a killer job with it. You will also find that a year or two of real testing and use is over with and that the products are tried and true.

This means, that any 720p projector towards the high end will have depreciated by 80% or more. They will have been entirely outclassed by the new 1080p models.

If 720p is what you are looking at - think Z4, AE900, HD72, IN76... spending more is a great way to show you have money to waste. That is money that really should be 'wasted' on a serious audio upgrade or a gorgeous theater, or some new furniture or lighting.

How about keeping me in business? Go buy a Crestron remote!

 

[RLA]

This means that 720p is about as close to dead as it can be on the high end. Buying top dollar 720p is like paying $20K for a Yugo

Have to disagree
Buying an Infocus 3 chip 777 is like buying a 2005 Viper
Buying a single chip 1080p machine like the Optoma is like buying a 2006 Camaro Z-28 just because it has 1080p stamped on it does not make it better. You are comparing a 3-chip projector to a single chip projector. When there is a 1080p 3 chip projector out there then we can talk about the comparison.

 

[BMXTRIX]

When there is a 1080p 3 chip projector out there then we can talk about the comparison.

You mean - DLP... otherwise we have the Ruby.

Yes, I recognize 3DLP technology is definitely a cut above - but I really do believe that the chips aren't what will drive costs way up and that in 2 years we probably will see a 3DLP replacement at 1080p for the 777 at the same price, or less than the 777. So, getting by right now is the way I would recommend people to go.

I don't know if next years 1080p will be like the Z28, but I believe that in 1-2 years we will see Ferraris priced around that 2005 Viper - or less. So why spend the money on the Viper now unless you really do have that level of cash to spend?

 

[RLA]

unless you really do have that level of cash to spend?

Yes but many have the money and are enjoying the ride of their new Viper right now. In the mean time all of us are putting around in our
Mini vans. I hate it when they pull up next to me at a red light with the windows down and George Thorogood blasting away on their high end car audio system

 

[LEVESQUE]

The difference between 720p and 1080p is small

It's funny that people posting comments like that usually have never seen a real 1080p source with a real 1080p projector...

I was able to try a Blu-Ray player (pre-production) at 1080p on the Ruby and if you think that there is only a small difference with 720p, then you are totally wrong... We also had a 3 chip DLP in the same room at 720p and there was no contest...

BTW, have you ever seen a real 1080p source with a real 1080p projector? I have. And it's better then 720p, even with a DLP 3 chipper.

 

[RLA]

I was able to try a Blu-Ray player (pre-production) at 1080p on the Ruby and if you think that there is only a small difference with 720p, then you are totally wrong... We also had a 3 chip DLP in the same room at 720p and there was no contest...


You are saying at normal veiwng distances the Ruby @1080p just blew the 3 chipper @ 720p out of the water? no contest? What 3 chip DLP did you have in the same room? What was the screen size and how was the brightness level and contrast of the Ruby in compairison to the 3 chip?

 

[LEVESQUE]

You are saying at normal viewing distances the Ruby @1080p just blew the 3 chipper @ 720p out of the water? no contest? What 3 chip DLP did you have in the same room? What was the screen size

No. Not "normal" viewing distance for 480p DVDs. We are talking about a 1080p source here... Not upscaling to 1080p... Real 1080p. So why sit at 2X screen width? Those days are over. We were sitting in the first row at 0.8X-1X screen width. I prefer a total immersion experience and like to sit close to the screen, with the screen totally filling the field of view. IMHO, "normal" viewing distance for 1080p is 1X screen width (or less... .

Sim2 C3X. 110" dia screen. Da-Lite Hi-Power.

With regular 720X480 DVDs and a Pio Elite 79AVi at 480i over HDMI to a Gennum VXP scaler (pre-production model), the C3x was giving us a really bright, punchy picture with some really good blacks. It was on par with the Ruby. After calibration, they were really near each other. Sitting at 2X screen width ("normal" viewing distance for regular SD DVDs...) was a tie. The C3X was brighter, but with some tweaking of the auto iris, the Ruby was also plenty bright.

But with a true 1080p source, and sitting at 1X screen width, the Ruby was clearly superior. Less noise, less artifacts, smoother picture. More details, no downscaling.

Both projectors were calibrated to D65 (with a dE of 4 or less from 10-100 IRE) and color corrected to Rec 709 primaries.

They are both outstanding projectors. The DLP was really bright and punchy. But with the 1080p source, the Ruby was simply better. 1080p is the future. 720p is the past.

I'm really anxious to try the upcoming 1080p DLP 3 chips. But for now, the Ruby is alone at the top of the performance/resolution/price ratio.

 

[westcott]

Every time I read an article, it seems that 1080p is in the DISTANT future for readily available material.

I agree with the others, get a nice 720p projector for the amount 1080p projectors will fall before content is readily available.

 

[TABCON]

So...when exactly will the 1080 3 chip dlps's be avaialable...this year?
Will the price for these units be prohibitive for a year or more?

If I have to spend 20k at the end of the year to own a 1080 3 chip dlp, then buying a cheap unit now makes no sense if I would have to wait a couple of years for the dlp prices to come down.

Sounds like the Sony for 7.5K is the way to go right now.

Tabcon

 

[BMXTRIX]

Every time I read an article, it seems that 1080p is in the DISTANT future for readily available material.

Yet, I don't consider next month the 'distant' future.

Maybe it's just me though.

More like 2 months... but 1080p content is not distant future at all, especially with front projection afficianados. Blu-Ray has it, the movies for Blu-Ray will mostly be mastered at 1080p, from even higher resolution masters. BROADCAST 1080p may never, ever occur, but 1080p movies will be on the street before or at the same time that 1080p DLP front projection hits the streets.

 

[westcott]

Yet, I don't consider next month the 'distant' future.

Maybe it's just me though.

More like 2 months... but 1080p content is not distant future at all, especially with front projection afficianados. Blu-Ray has it, the movies for Blu-Ray will mostly be mastered at 1080p, from even higher resolution masters. BROADCAST 1080p may never, ever occur, but 1080p movies will be on the street before or at the same time that 1080p DLP front projection hits the streets.

This is the last I have heard about release dates and HD DVD will not be released at 1080p. BlueRay is talking November and may not be 1080p either initially.

http://www.tgdaily.com/2006/03/20/toshiba_may_delay_hddvd_players_again/

Readily availble is further out than that considering the abysmal list of releases announced.

 

[BMXTRIX]

This is the last I have heard about release dates and HD DVD will not be released at 1080p. BlueRay is talking November and may not be 1080p either initially.

http://www.tgdaily.com/2006/03/20/toshiba_may_delay_hddvd_players_again/

Readily availble is further out than that considering the abysmal list of releases announced.

PS3 is talking November... Sony Blu-Ray available in July:
http://news.sel.sony.com/pressrelease/6582

Other players are expected sooner.

I'm not sure what you consider an abysmal list... I've seen some good titles currently on the list and I would expect the list to grow contunally stronger as time passes.

http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/

If someone wants to ignore this, spend over $10K on a 720p projector, then that's up to them. The sad part is that they will be the same ones complaining in 12 months when 1080p projectors are less money, 1080p HD disc players with discs are in Best Buy, and they don't have the extra cash to partake because they just got that killer 720p machine.

Just seems a waste right now for those watching their budget a bit more. Unlimited funds? Spend away! I won't recommend it right now though, I think the arguement is to good against it.