hahn

All I can say is - HOLY SHIT!!! I was expecting it to be good, but not THIS good! And that's without any mods yet. Plus, I've only been projecting it onto a vinyl window blind because my screen is en route. I've been demoing Two Towers to everyone who comes over and the reaction is always the same - speechless, jaw on the ground, and drool coming out.

$900 at BestBuy (after $100 digital coupon). There's not a single good reason I can think of to get a big screen TV and spend up to 3 times as much. Screen was $200 (57x77 with CSR). Bulbs are $300 for ~3000 hours.

And for all of you who think it won't work if you can't get a completely black room, think again. My room isn't perfectly black and it works JUST FINE. In fact, I prefer a little dim lighting in the room to prevent eyestrain. During the daytime, it's slightly washed out, of course, but still very watchable. And I do all my movie watching at night anyhow.

To any of you thinking of a big screen TV or plasma TV, I HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend looking into projector systems.

The other thing is that if you've been thinking about the X1, do it soon. They're about to come out with an X2, which strong rumors suggest will be about the same specs, only slightly better contrast, and they will remove the Faroudja de-interlacer to save money. And there's no guarantee the X2 will have the same price point.

gotapex

Congrats on your move to front projection.

MikeMay

Have rainbows been an issue for you or your friends? I've been on the fence about the X1 for a while.

What screen are you waiting on?

Joshic

I've played Soul Calibur 2 on Xbox in 720p HD on my friend's X1 projector. In a dark room. He has a screen for it too. I've also played the game in 720p HD on my Sony 34xbr800 direct-view HDTV.

To me, there is a HUGE difference in picture quality between the two. The game looks much, much, much better on my TV than on the X1 projector. The image is much crisper and detailed and the colors are not as washed out.

For people who want really good picture quality, a large screen rear projection DLP TV or plasma TV is better than a X1 projector. Or they should buy a more expensive, higher quality projector. Then again, some people can't tell the difference in pic quality, just like some people can't hear the difference between a 128kbps MP3 and 256kbps MP3.

But I definitely agree that the X1 is a fantastic projector for the price, and an incredible value. And it makes for a huge display, which is always nice.

hahn

Nope, no rainbows for me. Sometimes, when I'm tired, and I'm blinking I see something that I guess you could call rainbows. But at that point I'm falling asleep and probably shouldn't be watching the movie anyhow. Also I use a ND filter on it, which reportedly reduces rainbows, though I don't really see them without the filter either.

hahn

I'm not a total HT fanatic, but I am picky about picture quality and do research the specs. On specs alone, the X1 is the equal if not better of plasma screens (resolution), and on contrast/brightness. Yes, there are large HDTV rear projection sets that are better resolution wise (after all, they were designed for HDTV resolution), but then again, you've got a 500 lb gigantic room hog vs a 5 lb small box. Plus, the rear projections top out at 60+ inches.

Some thoughts about your friend's setup: What size screen is your friend displaying it on? I've been watching the equivalent of about 75". I've noticed that if I move the projector back and zoom out the image to about 90", there is a noticeable decrease in pic "quality". The colors start to get washed out and the contrast noticeably drops. Which all makes sense of course because you have equal # of pixels taking up a much larger space. And a fixed amount of lumens spread out over a much larger space. Plus, it will depend on how close you sit. Ideally, you should be sitting 2x the width of the screen, away from it.

Plus, I use a 2x ND filter which drops the black levels which are already pretty good. Also, does your friend have the image masked with a really black border? This is kind of an optical illusion, but a neat one because it actually works. It's based on the optical illusion with the cylinder on a black and white checker board that casts a shadow. I can't find it right now and I have to head out, but you've probably seen it. Anyhow, some suggestions for your friend in case he hasn't really looked into doing anything past a "stock" setup.

gotapex

Actually, basic 42" plasma screens are 852x480 resolution (just enough to fully resolve DVD). Your X1 is 800x600, which cannot support the full resolution of DVD video. It's close, but not quite.

Plasmas are also way WAY brighter than front projection, unless your screen is like 40" or so, and even then, ambient light will still wash out the picture much more than it will with plasma. My last 3 projectors were 3500 ANSI lumens, 3300 ANSI lumens, and 3000 ANSI lumens (Epson PowerLite 7800p, Infocus LP790HB, Proxima DP8000), and they could not compete with plasma displays in terms of brightness.

In terms of contrast, it depends. The better plasmas tend to have better contrast than projectors in real world terms, even when comparing the latest mustang (TI DLP HD2 chip) based projectors.

Nothing can really match front projection's big screen experience though. There's simply no way (other than sit RIGHT IN FRONT of the TV) to get that immersive experience you get from a frong projection setup.

X

I don't understand this statement.

DVD is 720x480.

Josh Z

Congrats on the new toy.

Front projection is the only way to do true home theater. Anything else is just a TV.

gotapex

Very true. However, DVD is 720x480 in a 16:9 format. When you take DVD's native 720x480 resolution, and use it with a square pixel fixed pixel display, you need greater resolution.

480 x 16 / 9 = 853.333

Thus, you need 854 pixels for full resolution on a square pixel fixed pixel display. 852 is a close approximation, with just over 1 column not displayed. 848 is also commonly seen, with just a few more columns not displayed.

Because of this, 42" EDTV plasmas are 852x480 natively. TI's .7SVGA SDR chip is 848x600, to give you full resolution DVD.

http://www.dlp.com/dlp_technology/dl...ip_details.asp

nekobus

Try and see one for yourself at dealer, it's the only way to tell. I'm very sensitive to rainbows and can't handle watching the X1 even holding my head perfectly still.

If you don't have a problem with rainbows, then the X1 is a sweet buy.

gotapex

BTW, you have firmware 4.1 on your x1? It was released 8/29. Moves bulb counter to 4000 hours, from 3000.

DVDTalker002

I sent you a few emails.

broadwayblue

the X1 has been a very popular entry level front projector. it is really one of the first affordable models that give home theater quality images.

i'm about a month or two away from making my first fp purchase...will probably end up going with the sanyo Z2, Panny L500u, or Sony HS-20...any of which should be a good choice. the only reason i'm passing on the X1 is that my cable provider offers a good bit of HD programming and i made a decision to hold out for at least a native 720p unit.

Obey The D

I'm trying to decide between the X1 and the Boxlight Matinee 1HD(A Sanyo Z1 clone with a three year warranty). The only thing thats holding me back from picking up an X1 are the rainbow effects which seem to be an issue with alot of people.

DVDTalker002

Ok I got my X1 hooked up and I'm trying to watch a movie. These rainbows are making me crazy. Making me really dizzy. Someone told me eventually I wouldnt see them anymore so I'm gonna watch a few movies and see before I return it. I've noticed they are usally near white objects.

Josh Z

Calibrating the projector's brightness and contrast may help some. The brighter the picture the more likely you are to see rainbows. Also, the lamp needs some time to break in and that may affect things. However, depending on your retailer's return policy you may not have the option of putting too many hours on it.

In the end, some people are just extremely sensitive to rainbows, while most people hardly see them at all. If you are one of the sensitive minority, DLP is not for you.

broadwayblue

yeah, puddytay you might not ever get used to the rainbows. supposedly they do become less noticeable for most people over time...but if you are seeing them like crazy that might not happen for you. if it doesn't work out for you i would suggest taking a look at a DLP unit with a higher speed color wheel or going with an LCD unit (the Sanyo Z1 is very comparable to the X1, or you can hold out a few more weeks and take a look at the Z2.)

nekobus

Like you said, watch a few movies and then decide. However, don't expect the rainbows to go away. If the X1 is making you dizzy (it does me too), then return it and look into getting either an LCD projector or check out some higher end DLP units (with different chips and color wheel setups) to see just how sensitive you are to rainbows.

TheMadMonk

I tried out an X1 before buying, because I was worried like crazy that the rainbows would ruin my enjoyment or give me headaches. Well, they didn't. I could see them, off and on, but by my third movie, I didn't really notice them much anymore.

heavywear

hahn: "I've been watching the equivalent of about 75".

Just curious, I will have to place the X1 - if I get it - near the back of my room. probably 12-14 feet away from where the screen will be. Looking for optimal quality here, just wondering how far back from the screen yours is to get the 75" image size. I'm assuming that even if I have to set mine back farther than yours is I can "zoom out" to improve the quality. I also will be placing on a shelf behind the couch with a deep footprint. I realize this is probably a FAQ for projection, sorry. Thoughts? thanks...

Sonicflood

This will help you: Infocus Viewing Distance Calculator

Sonicflood

Tsar Chasm

InFocus is getting way way more returns on this product than they ever expected. They have outsourced their returns and repairs and are losing money hand over fist on this entry level product.

That said, I hope yours works out for you.

nekobus

Consider yourself fortunate. The rest of us who see rainbows like crazy have to have another, more projector solution.

Sonicflood

Could you provide your sources for this statement? I've not seen any of the unts offered as refurbished. I'm curious as to where you got this information.

Sonicflood