The HS 10 is looking good

[George Bellefontaine]

Sony's new HS 10 is a widescreen XGA lcd projector thats starting to get a lot of attention , possibly because of its rumored low price of under $2500 US. I'm wondering if Sony is going to introduce this model at CEDIA this week, and if so, I look forward to the outcome.




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[George Bellefontaine]

Just read that Sony will indeed intro this PJ at CEDIA.




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[George Bellefontaine]

Looks like this baby will have a US price of $3000, so it'll be interesting to see where the street price comes in. I am also anxious to read some comments on this projector.




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[JonMarsh]

Yup, what I hear is that it's designed to be HTPC friendly; probably cut the investment in scaling chip technology, since the PC handles this so well.

I'll be very curious to see how it pans out. If you use a color enhancing filter with it, it should be possible to tweak the contrast up to a pretty reasonable range (drawback of UHP bulbs is weak output in red area of spectrum, leading to compromised contrast on D6500 settings).

Inputs includes DVI.

This may be the machine to get "on a budget" if you want high bang for the buck with an HTPC. If you have a standard set top DVD player, this may not be the way to go, from what I'm hearing.

One option might be to start with a standard low buck HTPC setup, and upgrade to the Immersive Tech scaler board if you want to use it with an external STB for ease of use.

Here's the link to their press release:

http://news.sel.sony.com/pressrelease/2738

-Jon




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[George Bellefontaine]

It's one certainly worth watching. Info is pretty scant. So far I haven't even seen the specs. Projector Central shows some of the specs, but not all.I am also curious how this pj would look with a good progressive scan dvd player feeding it a signal.




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[JonMarsh]

IT's just speculation, but I understand from those who saw it at CEDIA that the built in scaler/de-interlacer isn't too hot; it results in a soft image (better that than jaggies or pixelation, I guess).

If it does one to one pass through cleanly at wide XGA, then it should be able to deliver a stunning image with either an appropriate scaler (PC based (Immersive) or not), or with an HTPC.

Otherwise, an 11HT or 12HT would be better, though even those don't do all that well with a 480P signal in my experience- they do better with an HTPC running 1280X768. The scaled up 480P is a little block or pixelated looking. I think it's just a limitation of the Pixelworks chip. Considering how well HTPC's do that (especially with CRT outputs), it's disappointing. There have been substantial improvements in different generations of scaler chips; witness how much better my "cheapie" Sylvania 17" flat panel display does upscaling 800X 600 or XGA to 1280X1024 then my older 18" NEC LCD does.

Regards,

Jon




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[JonMarsh]

In case anyone is interested, here's what this puppy looks like....




Not quite as pretty as a 1XHT family! :LOL:

Best regards,




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[George Bellefontaine]

Definitely different in looks from the 10 to 12HT family. Thanks, Jon.




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[LarryB]

Jon:

If you have a standard set top DVD player, this may not be the way to go, from what I'm hearing.

Could you please explain this, using REALLY SIMPLE language?

I am interested in getting a FPTV as I'm tired of my RPTV screwing up my soundstage. I will use it predominantly with a DVD player (Ayre D1, to be exact), but never with a PC. I watch a little bit of cable TV, but not a whole lot.

I am also considering the InFocus Screenplay, and the Plus Piano 3200. I like the fact that the SONY can do HD, should I ever bring an HD signal into my house.

Which of these three would you recommend for me? Please note that I am not a videophile, and will probably be satisfied with the poicture qulaity of any of these models. What is of considerable importance is ease of operation, as I am technically challenged.

Thanks.

Larry

[Wireless]

I think what Jon is referring to is a set top interlaced DVD player. Since the deinterlacer in this pj is bare bones it probably won't do a very good job, lots of stairstepping artifacts. It may be ok with a progressive player where the projector only has to provide scaling. Scaling is much easier to perform than deinterlacing. A lot of FP users go with a scaler, or HTPC, that performs the neccessary function outside of the projector, producing a better image (excluding those with built in Faroudja processing but those are usually on the expensive side) so it makes a lot of sense to save money and buy a projector that is more bare bones.

As far as which pj there are two issues.

Some of the projectors won't display a true 720p or 1080i image. The Piano for example has a maximum vertical rez of 480 so everything is downcoverted to 480p. The Sony is the only one of the ones you mention that can do a true 720p. There are other HD1 DLPs (or the new HD2) that can do 720p natively but again on the high side.

The other issue is which of the technologies flaws you can live with. For DLP it's rainbows and dithering. For LCD it's low contrast and screendoor. If at all possible spend some time with each to see which one you prefer.




John
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[George Bellefontaine]

Good advice, John. I have only seen a demo of dlp once and I didn't get headaches ( or see rainbows unless I violently shook my head), but many report that they just can't watch dlp. Then again, others say they can't stand the screendoor of lcd. Larry will indeed be wise to demo every type he can, including D-ILA and LCOS pjs.




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[LarryB]

John and George:

Where eactly does one go to demo projectors? The high-end audio shops I frequent seem to have only very expensive CRT projectors. (BTW, I work in NYC).

Larry

[George Bellefontaine]

I feel your pain, Larry. There are only two home theater dealers close to me. And they are a two hour drive. Now I understand that some commercial av dealers are starting to get into home theater, so you might start there. Also check the websites of those projectors your are interested in. They usually offer a search for a dealer nearest you. Gosh, if you work in NYC, there has to be someone carrying these products there.
Regards,
George




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