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I went out to Now Audio Video one evening to look at progressive scan DVD players, thinking maybe I'd find something I liked. So, I rolled in the store right at 8:00 PM, thinking I had 1 hour to look. I didn't know 9 months ago they changed their store hours to close at 8! GRRR. They did unlock the door for me to look. But the computers were down, so I wasn't able to buy anyway.
So, a little ticked off after telling the guy about how the service guy there let me down on setting up a time to come to look at my RPTV, I left. Oh, he said he'd have Nick the service guy contact me. Still waiting.
I thought after I left, well, I'm out here, so I can go out to BB while out. Why not. So, I cruised out there, checked out DVD players, and low and behold, they had 3 projectors. Well, after just talking on here to people saying I needed a point of reference to select a PJ, I thought why not give them a serious look.
So, I looked at them, the X1, the ViewSonic PJ501, and one other one, a Sony I think. With my fairly large room, and some ambient light, I decided to give the one a try with the highest lumens value. That's the 501. It also accepted RCA component video, I liked that too. 800 X 600, it supported all the formats, 480P, 720P, 1080i. I really suspected this would just be a 14 day rental.
As in getting my money back within the return period. So, I put it on my CC, not even thinking twice.
Now to the projector, the ViewSonic PJ501, a toy right? I mean who is ViewSonic?
Factory Specifications:
LCD Type 3-panel 0.7" TFT active matrix LCD
Resolution SVGA 800x600, compressed to 1024x768
Pixel Format 800 Horizontal x 600 Vertical
Lens Manual zoom/focus (manual x 1.2)
DISPLAY Size 30"– 300" (measured diagonally)
Throw Distance .7m-.9m (2.3"-29.5") That doesn't make sense really...
Lamp 150W UHB Compact, 4,000 hour rating**
Brightness 1,500 Lumens
Contrast Ratio 400:1
Keystone Correction ±10 degrees
Aspect Ratio 4:3, 16:9
AUDIO Speakers 1W monospeaker
INPUT SIGNAL Video RGB analog, NTSC, NTSC 4.43, PAL, PAL-M, PAL-N, PAL60, SECAM, 480i, 480p, 575i, 720p, 1080i
Sync Separated and Composite
Frequency Fh:15-78kHz; Fv:56-120Hz
COMPATIBILITY PC From VGA up to XGA
Mac® Up to XGA (may require Mac Adapter)
CONNECTOR RGB Input 15-pin HD, D-sub (x1)
Composite Video RCA (x1)
Component Video RCA (x3)
S-Video Mini-Din 4 pin (x1)
Audio In RCA (x1)
POWER Voltage 100–120 V AC / 220–240 V AC, 50–60Hz (universal)
Consumption 210W (typ), 130W (whisper-mode)
USER CONTROLS Basic Standby on/off, menu (left, right, up, down), input, reset, mute, indicator (lamp, power, temp)
Remote Standby on/off, video, RGB,menu, keystone, position, menu select (left, right, up, down), reset, freeze, magnify (+, -, off), volume (up, down), mute, timer, auto, blank
OnView® Brightness, contrast, V. position, H. position, H. phase, H. size, color balance (red), color balance (blue), aspect ratio, auto, RGB, keystone, blank, mirror, start up, volume, menu color, timer, language, auto off, Sync on green
OPERATING CONDITION Temperature 32º F – 95º F (0º C – 35º C)
Humidity 10% – 85% (non-condensing)
DIMENSIONS Physical 277mm (W) x 211mm (D) x 61mm (H)
(10.9" x 8.3" x 2.4")
WEIGHT Net 5.4 lbs (2.50 kgs)
Gross 14.86 lbs (6.74 kgs)
REGULATIONS UL, FCC-B, c-UL, CE, TUV/GS, CB Report, PCT
WARRANTY Three-year limited warranty on parts and labor, first year Express Exchange service, one year warranty on lamp. *
OTHER Mirror reverse image, upside down image, digital keystone correction, DDC 1/2B
Offering EDTV and HDTV capability, 1024x768 optimum resolution, and standard (4:3) and wide-screen (16:9) aspect ratios. Also accepts VGA from computer source, as well as standard 3 RCA component video.
1500 lumens of light with 2000 hour bulb life in standard mode, but upped to ~4000 hours of lamp life in whisper mode.
The projector has backlit buttons on the top back side of the projector for power on from standby, input selection, keystone, reset, and menu 4 way button, all backlit. Only the standby/on button is lit during standby.
It has a drop down elevator rod to change projector height, and an adjustable screw leg on the left side. Not real sure why the right side doesn't have one, but it doesn't. Maybe that's fairly standard on PJs.
The menu system is easy to use, and very straightforward. a big plus. All the normal adjustments, brightness, contrast, color, etc... also there's the format mode selection for widescreen 16:9 or 4:3 standard aspect ratios. The PJ is a native 4:3 projector. Seen as a negative to many DVD viewers, but for me, with this as my normal television for now, 4:3 is nice because it increases my screen size for TV viewing. Within each mode, you can resize the image to 3 different sizes.
Focus is manual, zoom is 1 button zoom. Remote is small, but fairly easy to recall where important buttons are by feel. That's a good thing since it's not backlit.
NOISE: What noise? This projector just hums along ever so quitely. In fact, my dual CPU computer running in the same room is more noisy than the projector. It's super quite in whisper mode and not really bad at all in regular mode. I'd say it's a quite 26-28 dB without a sign of annoying whine. In fact, sitting 8 feet behind it, I can't hardly hear it running at all during a movie.
retail price is 1299. Warranty advertised on www.viewsonic.com is 3 full years, with 1 year exchange for repair and 1 year on the bulb. That's pretty darn impressive too, maybe the best warranty in the business.
Best Buy said the warranty was 1 year. But I think they are wrong according to ViewSonic.
The bulbs are pricey at 500 retail each. Ouch. But with almost 4000 hours expected in whisper mode, that may not amount to more than 1 every 1.5 years to 2 years. (maybe more in my case, using the PJ for television viewing as well as movies.)
Image quality: It's a little unfair for me to truly rate the image quality of my PJ at this point because I don't have a screen yet. I think any fair critique should mean proper setup.
However, I will tell you this:
1. On cable source, the image is soft, I'll admit. It's not great.
2. On directv source, the quality improves greatly. Lucky for me, I get my local channels on DirecTV now. I keep cable for when it's pouring rain, and as part of my cable modem package. I mean for 8 bucks a month, who wouldn't keep basic cable?
3. On DVD non-progressive, the quality is better still yet than DirecTV, I think. Not bad at all.
4. On DVD Progressive 480P, ahhh, now this is where things get interesting. The projector is capable of big, beautiful images and colors, with gobs of detail and clarity. Ok, so reds can be a little washed. It's still not bad!
I watched the Superbit edition of 5th Element the other night, and my jaw truly dropped to the floor, seeing what this little 1299 projector was capable of. It was truly awesome, even projected on the wall.
I can't wait to get a screen and see what this thing is really capable of. I've adjusted my component locations such that I'm up to a pretty large screen size. (measurement coming)
You know guys, as much as I really wanted to get into a more expensive projector, thinking I'd get so much more, I'll admit, the enjoyment from this PJ is enough that I think it's a fantastic entry level PJ and beyond. I think I can be happy with this for a good while. Maybe 2 years anyway. By then, perhaps the dollars and cents will make more sense to move up the food chain. Can you say bedroom projector or backup PJ?
So, today, I went back to Best Buy, and converted my credit card purchase to the Best Buy card. I got 6 months same as cash, paid 10 bucks for a rewards program that will get me 55.00 in merchandise credits,(can you say DVDs?) and found out not only am I getting a 100.00 rebate on the PJ, which I knew about, but also getting a View Sonic TV card for a computer, lol. I love it. A great deal, AND free stuff. :B
Oh and as for cables:, I initially had to patch together one componet cable I built for my other LCD projection TV I bought, and 3 other spare 75 ohm cables I had. Well, last night I built myself an 8 meter Tigress component video but with Cardas rhodium connectors. I'm running an 8 meter Quadcat S-video from my Lexicon MC-12, so it's good for TiVo Directv and cable sources, and my w 301 disc DVD changers.
Lex
Cable Guy DVD Collection
So, a little ticked off after telling the guy about how the service guy there let me down on setting up a time to come to look at my RPTV, I left. Oh, he said he'd have Nick the service guy contact me. Still waiting.
I thought after I left, well, I'm out here, so I can go out to BB while out. Why not. So, I cruised out there, checked out DVD players, and low and behold, they had 3 projectors. Well, after just talking on here to people saying I needed a point of reference to select a PJ, I thought why not give them a serious look.
So, I looked at them, the X1, the ViewSonic PJ501, and one other one, a Sony I think. With my fairly large room, and some ambient light, I decided to give the one a try with the highest lumens value. That's the 501. It also accepted RCA component video, I liked that too. 800 X 600, it supported all the formats, 480P, 720P, 1080i. I really suspected this would just be a 14 day rental.
As in getting my money back within the return period. So, I put it on my CC, not even thinking twice.Now to the projector, the ViewSonic PJ501, a toy right? I mean who is ViewSonic?
Factory Specifications:
LCD Type 3-panel 0.7" TFT active matrix LCD
Resolution SVGA 800x600, compressed to 1024x768
Pixel Format 800 Horizontal x 600 Vertical
Lens Manual zoom/focus (manual x 1.2)
DISPLAY Size 30"– 300" (measured diagonally)
Throw Distance .7m-.9m (2.3"-29.5") That doesn't make sense really...
Lamp 150W UHB Compact, 4,000 hour rating**
Brightness 1,500 Lumens
Contrast Ratio 400:1
Keystone Correction ±10 degrees
Aspect Ratio 4:3, 16:9
AUDIO Speakers 1W monospeaker
INPUT SIGNAL Video RGB analog, NTSC, NTSC 4.43, PAL, PAL-M, PAL-N, PAL60, SECAM, 480i, 480p, 575i, 720p, 1080i
Sync Separated and Composite
Frequency Fh:15-78kHz; Fv:56-120Hz
COMPATIBILITY PC From VGA up to XGA
Mac® Up to XGA (may require Mac Adapter)
CONNECTOR RGB Input 15-pin HD, D-sub (x1)
Composite Video RCA (x1)
Component Video RCA (x3)
S-Video Mini-Din 4 pin (x1)
Audio In RCA (x1)
POWER Voltage 100–120 V AC / 220–240 V AC, 50–60Hz (universal)
Consumption 210W (typ), 130W (whisper-mode)
USER CONTROLS Basic Standby on/off, menu (left, right, up, down), input, reset, mute, indicator (lamp, power, temp)
Remote Standby on/off, video, RGB,menu, keystone, position, menu select (left, right, up, down), reset, freeze, magnify (+, -, off), volume (up, down), mute, timer, auto, blank
OnView® Brightness, contrast, V. position, H. position, H. phase, H. size, color balance (red), color balance (blue), aspect ratio, auto, RGB, keystone, blank, mirror, start up, volume, menu color, timer, language, auto off, Sync on green
OPERATING CONDITION Temperature 32º F – 95º F (0º C – 35º C)
Humidity 10% – 85% (non-condensing)
DIMENSIONS Physical 277mm (W) x 211mm (D) x 61mm (H)
(10.9" x 8.3" x 2.4")
WEIGHT Net 5.4 lbs (2.50 kgs)
Gross 14.86 lbs (6.74 kgs)
REGULATIONS UL, FCC-B, c-UL, CE, TUV/GS, CB Report, PCT
WARRANTY Three-year limited warranty on parts and labor, first year Express Exchange service, one year warranty on lamp. *
OTHER Mirror reverse image, upside down image, digital keystone correction, DDC 1/2B
Offering EDTV and HDTV capability, 1024x768 optimum resolution, and standard (4:3) and wide-screen (16:9) aspect ratios. Also accepts VGA from computer source, as well as standard 3 RCA component video.
1500 lumens of light with 2000 hour bulb life in standard mode, but upped to ~4000 hours of lamp life in whisper mode.
The projector has backlit buttons on the top back side of the projector for power on from standby, input selection, keystone, reset, and menu 4 way button, all backlit. Only the standby/on button is lit during standby.
It has a drop down elevator rod to change projector height, and an adjustable screw leg on the left side. Not real sure why the right side doesn't have one, but it doesn't. Maybe that's fairly standard on PJs.
The menu system is easy to use, and very straightforward. a big plus. All the normal adjustments, brightness, contrast, color, etc... also there's the format mode selection for widescreen 16:9 or 4:3 standard aspect ratios. The PJ is a native 4:3 projector. Seen as a negative to many DVD viewers, but for me, with this as my normal television for now, 4:3 is nice because it increases my screen size for TV viewing. Within each mode, you can resize the image to 3 different sizes.
Focus is manual, zoom is 1 button zoom. Remote is small, but fairly easy to recall where important buttons are by feel. That's a good thing since it's not backlit.
NOISE: What noise? This projector just hums along ever so quitely. In fact, my dual CPU computer running in the same room is more noisy than the projector. It's super quite in whisper mode and not really bad at all in regular mode. I'd say it's a quite 26-28 dB without a sign of annoying whine. In fact, sitting 8 feet behind it, I can't hardly hear it running at all during a movie.
retail price is 1299. Warranty advertised on www.viewsonic.com is 3 full years, with 1 year exchange for repair and 1 year on the bulb. That's pretty darn impressive too, maybe the best warranty in the business.
Best Buy said the warranty was 1 year. But I think they are wrong according to ViewSonic.
The bulbs are pricey at 500 retail each. Ouch. But with almost 4000 hours expected in whisper mode, that may not amount to more than 1 every 1.5 years to 2 years. (maybe more in my case, using the PJ for television viewing as well as movies.)
Image quality: It's a little unfair for me to truly rate the image quality of my PJ at this point because I don't have a screen yet. I think any fair critique should mean proper setup.
However, I will tell you this:
1. On cable source, the image is soft, I'll admit. It's not great.
2. On directv source, the quality improves greatly. Lucky for me, I get my local channels on DirecTV now. I keep cable for when it's pouring rain, and as part of my cable modem package. I mean for 8 bucks a month, who wouldn't keep basic cable?
3. On DVD non-progressive, the quality is better still yet than DirecTV, I think. Not bad at all.
4. On DVD Progressive 480P, ahhh, now this is where things get interesting. The projector is capable of big, beautiful images and colors, with gobs of detail and clarity. Ok, so reds can be a little washed. It's still not bad!
I watched the Superbit edition of 5th Element the other night, and my jaw truly dropped to the floor, seeing what this little 1299 projector was capable of. It was truly awesome, even projected on the wall.
I can't wait to get a screen and see what this thing is really capable of. I've adjusted my component locations such that I'm up to a pretty large screen size. (measurement coming)
You know guys, as much as I really wanted to get into a more expensive projector, thinking I'd get so much more, I'll admit, the enjoyment from this PJ is enough that I think it's a fantastic entry level PJ and beyond. I think I can be happy with this for a good while. Maybe 2 years anyway. By then, perhaps the dollars and cents will make more sense to move up the food chain. Can you say bedroom projector or backup PJ?
So, today, I went back to Best Buy, and converted my credit card purchase to the Best Buy card. I got 6 months same as cash, paid 10 bucks for a rewards program that will get me 55.00 in merchandise credits,(can you say DVDs?) and found out not only am I getting a 100.00 rebate on the PJ, which I knew about, but also getting a View Sonic TV card for a computer, lol. I love it. A great deal, AND free stuff. :B
Oh and as for cables:, I initially had to patch together one componet cable I built for my other LCD projection TV I bought, and 3 other spare 75 ohm cables I had. Well, last night I built myself an 8 meter Tigress component video but with Cardas rhodium connectors. I'm running an 8 meter Quadcat S-video from my Lexicon MC-12, so it's good for TiVo Directv and cable sources, and my w 301 disc DVD changers.
Lex
Cable Guy DVD Collection
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