Runco is the Ferrari of projection.
I think you are dead right - Ferraris also should be shipped with mechanics because every time you take them out the door, you often need to have a complete tune up when you get home to keep the car running for a week.
Most people don't want to have to fix their projector every other week because it was so shoddely engineered and built that it needs to be fixed or repaired. In my experience (not opinion) I've seen about a 75% failure rate from Runco products, and they have been incredibly slow to respond, often losing sync when simply changing channels on the TV.
Each projector is hand built right here in the US.
Unfortunately, this doesn't spell out quality for the end user, but most definitely increases the price.
Let's stop right there - because your projector should NOT have broken at all. As a high priced piece of electronics, it should have been built rock solid without need for repair except in a very unusual circumstance. Your experience is typical of the Runco owner I have seen.
...they sent me an advance replacement so I would not have to wait for a repair.
BenQ offers this on their projectors as well - and will save you thousands of dollars for excellent performance.
There is a reason why Robb Report called them the "Best of the Best".
Why don't we instead look at actual review sites instead of 'Glam and Glitter' magazines? What happened when Runco put their projector up on Home Theater Magazine? How about S&V? Projector Central? Projector Reviews?
Wait! Runco doesn't actually allow reviews of their products by unbiased review sites which would put their projector head to head with the other models which are currently out on the market at 1/10th the price, because they know their projectors will look nearly identical, yet cost thousands of dollars more.
So If you really want performance and "BLACK LEVEL" from a company that built their reputation on performance and Service, then Runco is the only choice.
Pair it with your Mosnter Cables and your Bose sound system and you will truly have a better system through quality marketing instead of a system that leaves you enough cash to pair it up with some decent audio, and perhaps a new car in the garage.
The real test of any projector though is on watching regular Lo Def cable TV. They all look pretty good on Blu Ray, but on regular college basketball, The Runco even makes that look good.
As shown in which reviews?
The
real test of a any projector is how it actually stands up to the competition. That's how it works in the real world. Runco doesn't exist in a vacuum and the lack of competition it saw in the 80's and early 90's has been supplanted with top shelf products at a fraction of the price including things like Optoma's HD81 with external top shelf processing for SDTV, or JVC's much hearalded RS-1 and RS-2 LCoS projectors.
When Runco stops hiding behind its name, stops delivering product that breaks, and is willing to actually deliver test product to significant testing locations with a good name, then - and only then - will I be happy to recommend their product again.
But, your lines mimic those of a Runco sales person instead of a consumer that should actually care about the real quality of the product they are purchasing.
Finally "Boutiques" exist because they make better products than mass market where only 1 out of 100 is even tested.
Boutiques exist to ensure that a system actually works and meets the needs of the client that is in front of them by recommending quality product at fair prices with professional installation. Not for slamming every Robb Report product down their throats because they cost the most and have no serious reviews made of them whatsoever.
Ferrari? Heck, Ferrari will go head to head with Toyota any day of the week... Meanwhile Runco is running scared because they know that the 'Toyota' projector products on the market will have 98%+ the performance of the Runco products.
If they think this isn't true, then they should step up to the plate and back their words with actions... Which they have not done to this point and everyone deserves to know that.
