modern equivelent to Screenplay 4805

[Needbass]

Hello i have begun research on a new projector for my home theater. I am currently using an Infocus X2, whicih in most reviews, is not optimum for home theater use. Almost all those reviews suggest (at the time) the Screenplay 4805. That seems to be no longer in production. I have looked around and cant really find any projectors that fit the Screenplay 4805's quality and economic bill. Does anyone have any ideas where i can find a comparable modern day projector? Same price range too: 1000-1500 dollars.

 

[BMXTRIX]

Hello i have begun research on a new projector for my home theater. I am currently using an Infocus X2, whicih in most reviews, is not optimum for home theater use. Almost all those reviews suggest (at the time) the Screenplay 4805. That seems to be no longer in production. I have looked around and cant really find any projectors that fit the Screenplay 4805's quality and economic bill. Does anyone have any ideas where i can find a comparable modern day projector? Same price range too: 1000-1500 dollars.

The InFocus SP4805 was an excellent projector of its time, but it has basically been blasted away by current DLP and LCD projectors for overall quality. Keep in mind, the 4805 also wasn't a HD projector, but was a 854x480 EDTV projector.

http://www.projectorcentral.com/InFocus_Home-ScreenPlay_4805.htm

750 lumens, 2,000:1 contrast ratio, no lens shift, severe lens offset, etc.

In comparison, the Epson 720 (reviewed here recently), and the Panasonic AX200U are both HD 720p projectors (1280x720) with better overall contrast, and far more brightness, as well as significant zoom range and lens shift for ease of setup in most any room.

Those both run under $1,200 or so, and you can even get into 1080p HD projection for a bit under $2,000 with the new Sanyo projector coming out.

Perhaps 'similarly' comparible to the InFocus would be the Optoma HD65...
http://www.projectorcentral.com/Optoma-HD65.htm

But, I'm not sure I would recommend it over the Panasonic or Epson.

In it's day, there's no doubt the InFocus was top class for the money, but that was 3-4 years ago... Any reviews you read about how 'great' it is are a bit out of date.

 

[Needbass]

Thank you very much for the information BMXTRIX.

A couple of notes about my setup:
I am using a 1080p blu ray player.
The room itself can be completely dark even during the day time so picture brightness isnt much of an issue.


I do have a fundamental questions
In theory, how does a $1000 1080i proj differ from a $1000 720p projector when using 1080p blu ray player.? I know there must be some variables, but I'm curious if there is a huge clarity difference.

I like the way my X2 looks with my blu ray player. Never had an issue with it. However, when the bulb goes, i plan on just upgrading to a better projector. I cant break the bank though.

 

[poutanen]

The last thing InFocus made (that I know of) that was similar to the SP4805 was the IN72. I had one for about 2 years, it's only a 480p (edtv) projector, but played HD material well onto a 76" high contrast da-lite screen.

For home theater use, my next choice would be the InFocus X10. It looks like a great deal for a full 1080p projector (I think it's just over $2000 at the moment, but may come down by the time you're ready)...

I've heard rumours of InFocus dropping off on quality lately, but as far as I know they're just rumours at the moment...

 

[Needbass]

hey - thank you for the info. So heres some irony for you. i switched my component cables from my HD DVD player to my Blu ray player last night. (The other end going into a M1 adapter to the projector). All i saw a black and white picture. I had the cables crossed so i fixed them and still got black and white. Unplugged everything and tried again and still black and white. Then this morning i tried it all again (both hddvd and bluray player) and all i get is a blue screen with checkboard rainbow patches.

so its not the players

do you think its the cable or did the connection mixup maybe trip a setting in my projector?

I'll try setting it to the defaults.

 

[Needbass]

The last thing InFocus made (that I know of) that was similar to the SP4805 was the IN72. I had one for about 2 years, it's only a 480p (edtv) projector, but played HD material well onto a 76" high contrast da-lite screen.

For home theater use, my next choice would be the InFocus X10. It looks like a great deal for a full 1080p projector (I think it's just over $2000 at the moment, but may come down by the time you're ready)...

I've heard rumours of InFocus dropping off on quality lately, but as far as I know they're just rumours at the moment...

on a basic funadamental level - there should be a noticable difference in image quality movie up from my X2 to a (insert $1500 modern projector here), correct?

 

[Needbass]

hey - thank you for the info. So heres some irony for you. i switched my component cables from my HD DVD player to my Blu ray player last night. (The other end going into a M1 adapter to the projector). All i saw a black and white picture. I had the cables crossed so i fixed them and still got black and white. Unplugged everything and tried again and still black and white. Then this morning i tried it all again (both hddvd and bluray player) and all i get is a blue screen with checkboard rainbow patches.

so its not the players

do you think its the cable or did the connection mixup maybe trip a setting in my projector?

I'll try setting it to the defaults.

all set on this - defaults fixed it

 

[poutanen]

on a basic funadamental level - there should be a noticable difference in image quality movie up from my X2 to a (insert $1500 modern projector here), correct?

Short answer... absolultely yes.

Long answer...

The X2 is not designed to be a home theater projector, that means it's likely brighter and has less contrast than a home theater projector. Also, it's only got a native 800x600 chip in it. Any decent budget projector nowadays is at least 720p (1280x720). The InFocus X10 is a home theater designed projector, with a native resolution of 1920x1080.

What this means to you is, on top of the much better contrast and colours, the X10 (or other 1080p projector) will have 1/4 the size pixels displayed on the same screen as your old X2.



To put this into perspective, my 76" screen is 45" (1125 mm) in height.

Using your X2, you take 1125 mm / 600 lines of resolution, and you get a pixel size of 1.9 mm x 1.9 mm. I could see pixels from my IN72 at around 6 ft away from the screen.

Using an X10, you take 1125 mm / 1080 lines of resolution, and you get a pixel size of 1.0 x 1.0 mm.

Next time you are using your projector, walk up to the screen and look at the pixels, imagine them 1/4 the size and that should give you a rough idea of the better resolution of an HD projector.

 

[BMXTRIX]

I do have a fundamental questions
In theory, how does a $1000 1080i proj differ from a $1000 720p projector when using 1080p blu ray player.? I know there must be some variables, but I'm curious if there is a huge clarity difference.

First off, there are no 1080i digital projectors. By their nature, digital display devices, such as plasmas, lcd displays, and digital projectors (LCD, DLP, LCoS) are all progressive scan displays.

So, their native resolution is the resolution they show and it is a PROGRESSIVE display.

So, if you see a 1920x1080 display, then it is 1080p native resolution.
If you see a 1280x720 display, then it is 720p native resoltuion.

You currently own a 800x600 display - which is SVGA, and is progressive native as well.

There is a difference between 720p and 1080p projectors, and it amounts to about a 100% increase in resolution. This adds dimensionality to your projection experience, and allows you to sit at THX recommended viewing distances without seeing visible pixel structure. Is it a HUGE difference? No, I would not call the difference between 720p and 1080p the most important thing... It is not as important as contrast ratio, color accuracy, and image processing. But, a good 1080p display fed a good 1080p source, such as Blu-ray, will show a solid improvement vs. a good 720p display.

 

[BMXTRIX]

on a basic funadamental level - there should be a noticable difference in image quality movie up from my X2 to a (insert $1500 modern projector here), correct?

While this is true, when the time comes to replace your projector, you don't want to just do it without thought. You should check the reviews on this site, on ProjectorCentral.com and ProjectorReviews.com and then ask some questions to make your decision.

Since you are going from a 4:3 setup to a 16:9 setup, it may be time to replace your screen as well. Likewise, you may find that your screen is a bit small for your seating distance with the new higher quality projector (maybe not).

The real plus at this time, unlike when you got the X2, is that there are a ton more lesser expensive options out there which are just excellent. The Panasonic AX200U is one of the industry leading 720p projectors, and deservedly so. On the other hand, the new Sanyo is going to hit the ground running about $1,800 street, and we likely will see other projectors drop below $2,000 within the next year.

http://www.projectorcentral.com/Sanyo-PLV-Z700.htm

Worth doing some more homework I would say.

 

[Needbass]

wow - i really thought I had a handle on my own setup but I have just learned a lot from you guys. Thank you for making it clear for me.

So if i have a 800 x 600 projector and a 1080p blu ray player hooked up with with component cables, I still am only seeing a 600 resolution. Is this correct?

The image looks prety good to me, alot better than standard def movies. I am excited to find out that there will be a significant upgrade in picture quality when I upgrade. It will make spending the money easier to swallow.

I am still a year or two away (hopefully if the bulb doesnt go) so prices should go down even further.

 

[poutanen]

wow - i really thought I had a handle on my own setup but I have just learned a lot from you guys. Thank you for making it clear for me.

So if i have a 800 x 600 projector and a 1080p blu ray player hooked up with with component cables, I still am only seeing a 600 resolution. Is this correct?

The image looks prety good to me, alot better than standard def movies. I am excited to find out that there will be a significant upgrade in picture quality when I upgrade. It will make spending the money easier to swallow.

I am still a year or two away (hopefully if the bulb doesnt go) so prices should go down even further.

I noticed a big difference in brightness when watching HD material vs SD material on my old 720x480 projector, but no real difference from DVD to Blu-Ray.

Good luck on your purchase and research! You're way ahead by starting to research now!

 

[BMXTRIX]

So if i have a 800 x 600 projector and a 1080p blu ray player hooked up with with component cables, I still am only seeing a 600 resolution. Is this correct?

If you are seeing your screen filled, then the most you will ever see is 800x600 pixels (SVGA). If you aren't filling the height of the screen, then you are using less than 600 pixels. In fact, with 2.35 films with black bars above/below the image, you are seeing about 800x340 pixels! That's about 272,000 pixels. In comparison, a 1080p projector will deliver about 1,500,000 pixels. That's about six times the resolution of what you are getting right now. But, the real jump will be in the focus of the projector for home theater use in color and motion handling.

The image looks prety good to me, alot better than standard def movies. I am excited to find out that there will be a significant upgrade in picture quality when I upgrade. It will make spending the money easier to swallow.

Some people never quite get it... HDTV isn't just a resolution jump. You have less (or better) compression of the video, so you get an image that is actually better across the board. It's less blurry, has better color, has more detail, handles motion better, and has better audio. Even if your TV can't do a ton with the extra resolution, the lower compression of things like Blu-ray, will show reduced artifacts on ALL displays, the colors will be better, and everything should be more film like, while sounding better. So, you aren't imagining things when you say they do look better... they really do!

I am still a year or two away (hopefully if the bulb doesnt go) so prices should go down even further.

If you are more than a few months out, it is worth just getting your head in the game, but you are a long (LONG!) ways from being anywhere close to being able to make any decision at all. I would expect that by next year at this time, about $1,500 for a 1080p HD projector won't be an unreasonable expectation. In two years, you likely will have several options, and some will be better than some of the best that are out today.

 

[poutanen]

But, the real jump will be in the focus of the projector for home theater use in color and motion handling.

+1, my old InFocus IN72 (720x480) projector looked better than any higher res office projector I've ever seen.

The contrast, brightness, colour, etc. are all designed for use in a low light home theater setup.

OP, can you get to a local store to demo a few units so you can see the difference for yourself? I'm partial to the InFocus stuff myself, and the X10 looks like an excellent entry level 1080p DLP projector, but it wouldn't hurt to get an idea of what you're looking for in a projector.

 

[Needbass]

To be honest, when I got my X2 three years ago, the reason why I wanted to go with the projector is for the size. Image quality wasn’t too much of an issue for me. Then on a spur of the moment type of thing I bought the Toshiba HD A2 and was thrown into the world of high def. I slowly upgraded my theater in a box setup to an onkyo 605 and separate speakers and a huge sub. I have the sound, now I need the picture to match. I have a panny bmd30 player and now want to take full advantage of it. (this hobby is a slippery slope once you realize the quaity you can achieve)

After learning what I have over the last year, I am better educated in what to look for in a projector. I really cant justify (to my girlfriend at least) spending 2 grand on another projector right now. Hopefully some of my stocks will hit and it will all pay for itself.

 

[Needbass]

thanks guys for all the info

I will probably ressurect this thread in a couple of months after tax season with more questions, but I just have one last simple question.

playing a standard definition dvd (480) on a 1080p Bluray player to a 1080p proj through a component cable. what will it upscale it to, 720?

okay one more question - say i get a 1080p proj that has hdmi and component inputs. Will i see a big difference in video quality between using an hdmi cable or component?

 

[poutanen]

thanks guys for all the info

I will probably ressurect this thread in a couple of months after tax season with more questions, but I just have one last simple question.

playing a standard definition dvd (480) on a 1080p Bluray player to a 1080p proj through a component cable. what will it upscale it to, 720?

okay one more question - say i get a 1080p proj that has hdmi and component inputs. Will i see a big difference in video quality between using an hdmi cable or component?

The upscale rate depends on the player, I would assume almost all upscalers would bring it up to 1080 at this point. Here's an article on the PS3's upscaling, as of mid 2007 (may be better with new firmware):

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-9722853-1.html

As far as the difference between HDMI and component, there's a bit of debate about that. I personally use component, as it will still pass full resolution images, and it doesn't have any of the handshake issues that *SOME* hdmi has... also my AVR doesn't have HDMI so that's another good reason! lol

There may be some difference, but it will be miniscule compared to the difference between an SD office setup, and an HD theater setup! I think it certainly wouldn't hurt to go with HDMI...

 

[BMXTRIX]

thanks guys for all the info

Don't forget to thank us at the bottom of the posts.

playing a standard definition dvd (480) on a 1080p Bluray player to a 1080p proj through a component cable. what will it upscale it to, 720?

No, in fact, no DVD player sold in the USA may upconvert video over component wiring. There are some that offer 'hacks' around this, but generally, you MUST use HDMI to get upconversion of DVDs. This is regardless of the display you are sending it to. But, if you go with HDMI, then almost every Blu-ray player on the market will perform upconversion to 1080p.

okay one more question - say i get a 1080p proj that has hdmi and component inputs. Will i see a big difference in video quality between using an hdmi cable or component?

HDMI vs. component is an entirely separate discussion. As I said above, you get DVD upconversion only using HDMI, which is worth noting.

As well, Blu-ray video can NOT be output at 1080p over component video, so you lose that capability.

Finally, component video is open to RF interference in a way that the digital connection of HDMI is not. So, if you run HDMI you can avoid many ground loops and RF noise issues. Since dimmers in theaters are common, RF interference can occur frequently over component. I strongly recommend using HDMI, but you can go to www.monoprice.com to pick up a high quality, very inexpensive cable if you need to.

 

[poutanen]

Don't forget to thank us at the bottom of the posts.

As well, Blu-ray video can NOT be output at 1080p over component video, so you lose that capability.

+1, the thank button is good! lol (if we actually helped of course!)

Here's a link to a good read about 1080p over component. I was about to call BMXTRIX a liar until I read that it's not a hardware issue, it's a content piracy issue. PS3 will output 1080p games over component cables all day long (I ran mine this way). But I guess I never noticed that the blu-ray vids were bumped down to 1080i...

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=675595

 

[Needbass]

Ahhhh…so that’s how to you “thank” people – I was wondering about that.

The reason I ask is because if I upgrade to a projector that has HDMI and Component inputs and I choose to run the 1080p blueray and 1080i hd dvd player’s video signal through my Onkyo 605 with hdmi, then a hdmi cable to the projector, I heard that receivers in general never do a great job of video pass-thru.

Here are some snippets from a cnet review about the onkyo 605’s video:

“The most disappointing aspect of the TX-SR605's video performance is that it either lacks or has poor 2:3 pull-down processing.”

“We also noticed that the TX-SR605 was softening the resolution of images that it deinterlaced; this was confirmed on the HQV test disc as well. . In areas where there should have been detail, there was just a solid color. On the other hand, the TX-SR605 did a very good job with several other tests on the HQV test suite, including tests with a rotating white line, three pivoting fingers, and footage of a waving flag.”

“While the video performance of the TX-SR605 was disappointing, in our experience subpar video processing by AV receivers is common. We've mentioned it in reviews of the Sony STR-DA5200ES, the Yamaha RX-V1700, and the Pioneer VSX-82TXS. The irony is that the more receivers take advantage of the single-cable HDMI convenience, the more important proper video processing becomes. For example, you can bypass much of the processing in the TX-SR605 by running a separate cable for component video and changing the input on the TV when using analog sources.”

Maybe the difference comes down to personal visual feeling and convenience (not unplugging/plugging component cables from different players all the time)