Time for an upgrade!

[M.Roberts8]

I've had my Sanyo PLV-Z5 for just about 4 years now and it is still working fine but I feel it's time to go big really big. Well not really, really big but bigger and smaller at the same time. Let me explain.

I'll be ordering a PT-AE4000U tomorrow! So I need/want (is there a difference?) a 2.35:1 screen.

With the Panny's zooming feature I'll have a huge 2.35:1 picture but when I'm running standard 16:9 stuff I'll have a ~ 97" screen so a couple of inches smaller than my current 100". So a little smaller allot of times but quite a bit bigger sometimes .

I just pulled the trigger on a 120" 2.35:1 Carada Criterion Series screen to go with the PT-AE4000U I will be ordering tomorrow :T .
And yes I clicked the banner :T
Had to order the screen first after talking with Rex about lead times, need the screen to show up next week hopefully before Thurs. ( I'm on vacation next week). Actually I'll probably do more work at home doing this than I do at work!
Plus I mentioned the forum in the notes on the order and in my correspondence with Rex @ Carada.
Sorry if I sound like I'm bragging just really excited can't wait.

I'm planning on using the panny for blu-ray only and keeping the Z5 for general TV and Gaming.
Lex,
You are running a dual projector set-up in one of your rooms aren't you? Do you have them side by side ? I was thinking I would put the panny in the center and move the Z5 over a bit not sure where the panny's exhaust is though.

[Hdale85]

Hmm...I find there is more 2.35:1 material out there then 16:9. But maybe that's just me? seems like 60-70% of my BD movies are 2.35:1.

[M.Roberts8]

Hmm...I find there is more 2.35:1 material out there then 16:9. But maybe that's just me? seems like 60-70% of my BD movies are 2.35:1.

Your right most of my BD's are 2.35:1, but once I first got my projector we used mainly for movies then I started gaming on it and then TV(no HD yet) so it only takes me about 16-18 months and we have ~ 2600 hours on it. With the panny's bulb being more money than the Z5's I plan on using the Z5 to do most of the 16:9 stuff.
I'm hoping to get an anamorphic lens in a year or two. There just isn't enough money for it now.

[Chris D]

Congrats! :banana: I think you'll be very happy with the PT-AE 4000. I currently have the AE3000, which is my 2nd Panny PT projector, and I'm quite happy with it. Will buy the series again when it comes time for my next projector.

[Hdale85]

Yeah you'll definitely be happy! Anamorphic lenses are pricey for sure! Look into the aussiemorphic although the latest version is $$$$ but it's probably the nicest lens out there.

I'm probably going to end up with the new Epson 8350 for now. I have a lot to add to my HT still so I need to go for a more budget friendly projector for now so I can afford to add the rest of my HT speakers and a new receiver that does everything I want.

[George Bellefontaine]

Lex,
You are running a dual projector set-up in one of your rooms aren't you? Do you have them side by side ? I was thinking I would put the panny in the center and move the Z5 over a bit not sure where the panny's exhaust is though.

I use a dual set-up: a dlp and an lcd. I converted and painted ( black ) a microwave oven cart/stand. My dlp sits on the top and my lcd sits on the shelf below. Both PJs have lens shift control so this works great for me. The stand actually sits on a hand-made high base that has the lower PJ high enough not to interfere with seating.

[M.Roberts8]

George,
I forgot you were running a dual pj set up too. Mine are ceiling mounted though but I think I can park my Z5 next to the 4000 and use the lens shift to get it were it belongs. That is as long as the exhaust vents of the 4000 aren't in the way. If that's the case I'll just figure something out or just go with the 4000 all the time.

Tried to order tonight when I got home but I forgot the place I order from is on the east coast and they were closed. I'll have to order from work tomorrow.

[M.Roberts8]

Yeah you'll definitely be happy! Anamorphic lenses are pricey for sure! Look into the aussiemorphic although the latest version is $$$$ but it's probably the nicest lens out there.

I'm probably going to end up with the new Epson 8350 for now. I have a lot to add to my HT still so I need to go for a more budget friendly projector for now so I can afford to add the rest of my HT speakers and a new receiver that does everything I want.

I know what you mean. I have heard of the aussiemorphic lens but it looks like they have a new one in the works that looks like an ISCO III.

I did come across one from Sonarc anyone ever hear of them? There from Austria It's right around a grand, still not cheap but if you pull full resolution from your projector all the time it would be great.
Just need to win the lottery I guess.

[Hdale85]

Well the latest Aussiemorphic I'm not sure there is anything out there on the same scale but it's like 5k or something? But it has all the latest technology with astig correction and all that it really is pretty much THE best you can get, if I ever can I will definitely lay down 5k on it for one thing it'll always be that good no matter what you don't upgrade it. Of course they are coming out with 2.35:1 projectors now....so maybe I'll just get one of those instead? 2538 x 1080 is a nicer option then using a lens anyways

[Chris D]

If it helps, the best price (and service) I've found for projectors, especially the Panasonic PT series, has been the Projector People in Florida. Let me know if you need a reference for a specific dealer to hook you up.

[M.Roberts8]

5K !! :gah: Well I won't be picking that up anytime soon. Like you said it's a one time purchase you shouldn't have to upgrade it.

[M.Roberts8]

If it helps, the best price (and service) I've found for projectors, especially the Panasonic PT series, has been the Projector People in Florida. Let me know if you need a reference for a specific dealer to hook you up.

I've ordered from visual apex in the past and they were excellent to deal with as well. I'll probably go through them again. Right now they are dead even on price & shipping. Thanks though I've bookmarked the projector people and will definitely check them both out for my future needs.
Thanks ! :T

[Chris D]

Yeah, a guy I deal with there usually throws in some extras like a calibration DVD, free shipping, and/or extended warranty, depending on promotions going on.

[M.Roberts8]

Ordered the AE4000U today. I was just going to do the free shipping but it was only $29.00 for 2 day. Scheduled to be here Friday! My screen(Carada 2.35:1) according to Rex@carada should get here by next Wed or next Fri at the latest. I'm getting really excited. My fiance said " you know you better re-rent the LoTR on Blu-ray so we can break in the new screen".
She acts like I'm the nutcase :roll:

[Hdale85]

I was disappointed with LOTR BD, a lot of people were. Hopefully they get it right with the extended.

[Chris D]

You always gotta pick a favorite to inaugurate a new theater!

[M.Roberts8]

It's Here!

It (4000U) arrived today! She got here at 2 PM, just got done hanging it. I'll post pics probably tomorrow night or Sunday going to see HP 7 pt. 1 tomorrow first thing. Off to watch something first uncalibrated impression WOW! Way brighter and more vibrant than the Z5. Only watching upscaled Sat. so far off to watch something else.
Screen isn't here yet but it's shipped. Little worried though the manual says for 120" 2.35:1 minimum throw is 12' 5" for using both 16:9 and 2.35:1 on a 2.35:1 screen. Right now I'm at 11' 7". Might have to buy a mount with a pole and move her back behind the beam in my room. The fixed frame is going to gain me 2-3" too.

I was disappointed with LOTR BD, a lot of people were. Hopefully they get it right with the extended.

That's why I'll have to rent them no way was I buying the theatrical version after being used to watching the Ext. Editions.

[Hdale85]

Well they really screwed up the PQ, it was a bit sharper but the image "enhancements" they did made everything look like clay. Why I said hopefully they get the extended editions right.

Glad to hear you're enjoying the new PJ though!

[M.Roberts8]

So FedEx was kind enough to leave my 900.00 unattended on the porch today thankfully I have neighbors that were home all day kind of keeping an eye on it. Well my fingers hurt like hell but I got it all together and the screen snapped in place.
I'm blown away with this set-up. I was last night with my old screen but the sheer quality of Carada's criterion series is unreal.
I do in fact need to move my projector back before I can use the zoom to fill the 2.35:1 screen properly. That's on the list for tomorrows duties.
I don't believe I have a stud to anchor into 12" behind where it is now plus I would need a new mount with a drop pipe. Here is a pic of my old Z5 using the same mount for my panny.


So this is what I am thinking:
So if I were to cut a length of 2x8 say 16-18" lay it flat on the underside of the beam (which is 3 or 4 2x8's thick) Lag bolt it on there and drill holes and use carriage bolts and lock nuts to hold the mount farther back on the board. I'd paint the board to match the ceiling of course.
Thoughts?

[Dean McManis]

Sounds like a good plan for the mount design.
Have you set up the projector back up?
How does the w-i-d-e screen image look?

I had played with the idea of getting a 2.35:1 screen, but it was so far away from the previous 4:3 computer media, old 1.37:1 movies, and pre-HD gaming that I had intended to watch along with the widescreen movies that I settled on a 16:9 screen as a middle-ground.

I had an ISCO I and later ISCO II lens that were superb, and I even still have a liquid-filled 2.35:1 Panamorph lens, but they were all for converting from 4:3 projectors.

I think that it's great seeing high contrast, 1080p projectors, with built-in 2.35:1 modes for such an affordable price. :T

[M.Roberts8]

Yeah I got it back up it's kind of ghetto but I don't mind when I'm looking at the screen
I'm really loving the 2.35:1 not having black bars and the extra real estate is awesome.
First movie I watched was HP & the half blood prince, that was on the old 16:9 screen I was floored. It looks even better now on the 120" 2.35:1 screen, it looks epic.
My brother has a 65" Mits Diamond series from years ago (big a$$ heavy) CRT and he said he was jealous after seeing a movie in 2.35:1. I'll post some pics but my room is a wreck right now. Moving dvd's and BD's in plus putting up the Christmas tree.

Well anyway here goes my custom ghetto mount. I drilled a series of 6 sets of mounting holes 1" apart. Not sure why after I thought about it I really only needed the set at the back because I needed a minimum throw of 12' 6". It didn't matter if I exceeded it.



Here is a shot of the screen itself, don't mind the slightly crooked look it's my house not the screen. Old house = not a dang thing close to square and a real PiTA when it comes to crown molding. Not doing that again in any other room in the house.

And here is a screen shot of Iron Man 2. This was taken with a crappy kodak point and shoot it doesn't look bad unless you compare it to what is actually on the screen.


Now the only problem I have is I keep wondering how much better it would look if I had a anamorphic lens. Man upgraditis is real b!tch with this hobby. :B

[Hdale85]

Well, the main thing you gain with the lens is brightness.... You do sort of get a bit extra resolution but that's hard to explain lol.

[Chris D]

That's awesome, dude. Must look great in real life.

[M.Roberts8]

Well, the main thing you gain with the lens is brightness.... You do sort of get a bit extra resolution but that's hard to explain lol.

Yeah I know something around 30% of both resolution and brightness they claim.
That's what gets me thinking. I mean I love it right now and it looks amazing right now but how much better could it look.

[M.Roberts8]

That's awesome, dude. Must look great in real life.

Thanks Chris ! It's like McDonalds, I'm loving it. :B

[Dean McManis]

When the room is dark, most projectors are already producing more than enough brightness even for a 120" screen, and your eyes are compensating for the light. So in a dark room you may not notice any improvement in brightness, but in a room with more ambient light I could see a slight improvement with my anamorphic lenses on a 180" screen.

The resolution of native HD material is already fantastic, and the added resolution also might not be readily apparent, so the 30% improvement claim is not as great of a difference as the numbers imply. It's a similar difference as the contrast between 30000:1 or 50000:1 contrast, as both will look fantastic most all of the time. :B

One thing that I DID like with the anamorphic lenses is that the resulting image looked more filmic than digital, smoothing out some of the edgy quality and pixel gap of the picture when enlarged on the big screen. But this was an effect that I observed on older projectors, so it's likely that the higher resolution of 1080p-native projectors and improved optics might have already resolved.

Either way you might do well just enjoying the improvements of your new projector and screen for a while before wanting "more" because new and improved technologies/tweaks are always coming, promising superior quality.
But the reality is that what you are likely looking at is already 99% there. :T

[Hdale85]

Yeah I'd say that you likely wouldn't notice the improvement that much. I believe the money is probably better saved for a 2.35:1 native projector when they come down in price a bit. Also if you get a cheaper lens there is a possibility you could hurt the image some? More then likely not but you could get pin-cushion or something that you have to try and correct and so on.

[Hdale85]

Thanks Chris ! It's like McDonalds, I'm loving it. :B

I'm not sure this is the best analogy...lol McDonalds is :throwup:

[mjb]

I'd like some help, someones offered me a Panasonic PT-AE1000 for 800 euro, with about 250 hours on it. Would you buy it, or save up an extra grand for a new PT-AE4000??

[M.Roberts8]

I'd like some help, someones offered me a Panasonic PT-AE1000 for 800 euro, with about 250 hours on it. Would you buy it, or save up an extra grand for a new PT-AE4000??

Save for the 4000 it is amazing! I can't say for the 1000 though I have never seen it in person. I just replaced my Sanyo Z5 which I believe went up against the panny 900u and the 4000u is light years ahead in every aspect.

[M.Roberts8]

I'm not sure this is the best analogy...lol McDonalds is :throwup:

I know I'm not all that fond of McDonald's it just happens to be their slogan. I am loving the projector though.

[M.Roberts8]

When the room is dark, most projectors are already producing more than enough brightness even for a 120" screen, and your eyes are compensating for the light. So in a dark room you may not notice any improvement in brightness, but in a room with more ambient light I could see a slight improvement with my anamorphic lenses on a 180" screen.

The resolution of native HD material is already fantastic, and the added resolution also might not be readily apparent, so the 30% improvement claim is not as great of a difference as the numbers imply. It's a similar difference as the contrast between 30000:1 or 50000:1 contrast, as both will look fantastic most all of the time. :B

One thing that I DID like with the anamorphic lenses is that the resulting image looked more filmic than digital, smoothing out some of the edgy quality and pixel gap of the picture when enlarged on the big screen. But this was an effect that I observed on older projectors, so it's likely that the higher resolution of 1080p-native projectors and improved optics might have already resolved.

Either way you might do well just enjoying the improvements of your new projector and screen for a while before wanting "more" because new and improved technologies/tweaks are always coming, promising superior quality.
But the reality is that what you are likely looking at is already 99% there. :T

I have to agree with you it's not something I would rush out and do anytime soon. I'll probably keep it how it is for a good number of years. I am truly blown away with how it looks.

One unfortunate thing in my area at least is if I want to audition anything like this I have to go to Chicago ~90 miles away to do it. There were some A/V shops about 45 miles away but they have almost all disappeared.

So I have had to make leaps of faith based only on internet research and reviews from other HT nuts. Thankfully the community hasn't let me down so far!

[cbark]

Looks very nice! Thanks for sharing what you have done and where you have been.

I have to wait to finish my basement before I can project anything...damn. Got a long way to go too.

Hey, I don't live that far from Dixon, maybe I'll swing by and I'll even spring for some McD's!

[Dean McManis]

Yeah, thanks for the pictures.
It's always good to see how different people set up their home theaters, and 2.35:1 screens are definitely cool.
Enjoy!

[M.Roberts8]

Yeah, thanks for the pictures.
It's always good to see how different people set up their home theaters, and 2.35:1 screens are definitely cool.
Enjoy!

No problem. Now I just need to clean my room up and get some lights in the front half. It's wired for a light I just haven't found one that I like yet. I would like some sort of multi directional lighting so I can have the lights shine on specific things.
Then I can post some pics with the lights on.

[M.Roberts8]

Looks very nice! Thanks for sharing what you have done and where you have been.

I have to wait to finish my basement before I can project anything...damn. Got a long way to go too.

Hey, I don't live that far from Dixon, maybe I'll swing by and I'll even spring for some McD's!

Ha too bad my house is a dump. I think my HT is worth more than the rest of the house. I would be embarrassed to have anyone over that isn't family.
My intentions were to buy this house live here for maybe 5 years and sell. Well it's been almost 10 years and my neighborhood is worse than ever and with the unemployment and housing markets the way they are I'll probably lose money just to get out of here.

[maseline_98]

I've had my Sanyo PLV-Z5 for just about 4 years now and it is still working fine but I feel it's time to go big really big. Well not really, really big but bigger and smaller at the same time. Let me explain.

I'll be ordering a PT-AE4000U tomorrow! So I need/want (is there a difference?) a 2.35:1 screen.

With the Panny's zooming feature I'll have a huge 2.35:1 picture but when I'm running standard 16:9 stuff I'll have a ~ 97" screen so a couple of inches smaller than my current 100". So a little smaller allot of times but quite a bit bigger sometimes .

I just pulled the trigger on a 120" 2.35:1 Carada Criterion Series screen to go with the PT-AE4000U I will be ordering tomorrow :T .
And yes I clicked the banner :T
Had to order the screen first after talking with Rex about lead times, need the screen to show up next week hopefully before Thurs. ( I'm on vacation next week). Actually I'll probably do more work at home doing this than I do at work!
Plus I mentioned the forum in the notes on the order and in my correspondence with Rex @ Carada.
Sorry if I sound like I'm bragging just really excited can't wait.

I'm planning on using the panny for blu-ray only and keeping the Z5 for general TV and Gaming.
Lex,
You are running a dual projector set-up in one of your rooms aren't you? Do you have them side by side ? I was thinking I would put the panny in the center and move the Z5 over a bit not sure where the panny's exhaust is though.

I'm curious. What is your viewing distance..? Also....since you got a 2.35 screen, does that mean you have black bars on the sides of 16x9 content? I've been thinking about getting a projector for several years now, but I don't really think I have the proper space for one...

[M.Roberts8]

I'm curious. What is your viewing distance..? Also....since you got a 2.35 screen, does that mean you have black bars on the sides of 16x9 content? I've been thinking about getting a projector for several years now, but I don't really think I have the proper space for one...

Sorry for the delay in answering been working allot of OT lately.

My normal spot is 18-19' away but I have sat as close as 12-13' without any issues.

Yes when displaying 16:9 material I have unused screen on both sides. Not black bars mind you, there isn't anything being projected on those areas. They are dark though.

I have a 120" picture with 2.35:1/2.40:1 material and roughly a 97" picture with 16:9 (1.78:1/1.85:1). I originally had a 100" 16:9. I used carada's masquerade page to get an idea of what my 16:9 area would be.

As for space my room is 22-23' long from front to back. The room was a living room which opened into a dinning room, my projector is hanging on the beam where the supporting wall was. The back half of the room is 14' wide whereas the front half is only 11' 6-8" wide. The projector is roughly 13' from the screen just barely over the minimum distance to throw a 120" 2.35:1 image.
How big is your room? I'm all for going projection. :T I'll never go back ever.

My goal is to make a false wall at the front of my room that supports my screen for a couple of reasons.

1. To add extra black area around the screen. I didn't realize how much of a difference that makes. My Carada has a 3 1/4" border, My old screen had about 1 1/2".

2. Hopefully I will be able to hang curtains on both sides to cover the unused portions of the screen when viewing 16:9 material.