[johna]

http://www.av-sales.com/html/special_offers.html

I'm interested in the above deal - what are your oppinions on this??

It consists of Sony VW10HT award winning, true 16:9 home cinema projector.

Gyrolock , ceiling and wall projector mount.

Bretford 2170M 178 X 178cm Electric projection screen.

Wireless remote for electric screen.

Cabling to projector for computer and video, 10m length.


Seems pretty Good to me!

Thanks
John

[Chris Frost]

John,
I won't comment on the price of the deal ('though I'm sure others will), but I am surprised at the screen choice offered, and even more surprised that you are considering it.

You plan to buy the only true 16:9 LCD projector currently available in the UK - a projector specifically designed for use with a 16:9 widescreen format projection screen. Yet the screen being offered is not 16:9 format, it's not even 4:3 video format - its square format (4:4 if you like).

Bretford make some nice screens, but this one is not a good partner for the Sony. If you buy this screen you'll get huge areas of blank screen above and below the image.

A proper masked 16:9 screen with extra black top masking would frame the image perfectly. It would also allow you to set the height of the picture so that you can look at it comfortably from a seated position. It will cost more in the short term, but you won't be buying a lemon.

Use the search facility to check out this newsgroup for screen suppliers. Owl supplies its dealers with motorised 16:9 screens that have extra black masking and come complete with wall brackets that retails for less than £600 inc VAT.

Good luck

[ 23-05-2001: Message edited by: Chris Frost ]

[johna]

Thanks for the reply.

True I'm surprised I missed that!!, I think I will plump for the projector though at £4040 inc vat I think that's quite reasonable price.

John.

[lmccauley]

John,

Have you seen the Sony in action?
The reason I ask is that another poster on this forum bought a Sim2 HT200 sight-unseen and wished he hadn't. Some people are happy with the black-levels of the Sony, some couldn't live with them.

Cheers,
Liam

[johna]

No not yet - but if I'm spending 4 grand I'll get a demo!!

I was thinking of taking Matrix, Bugs Life and Fith Element to see how the sony deals with them.

To spend that sort of money of the back of a few reviews, without a demo is crazy

[ROne]

I can't really comment on the shop (other than I know one person has used them) but here is a better price ...
http://www.avshopdirect.co.uk/shop1/..._vplvw10ht.htm

[Boris Blank]

JohnA,
I've sent you a private email re the purchase of a Sony.
Regards
Paul

[lmccauley]

Originally posted by johna:
<STRONG>No not yet - but if I'm spending 4 grand I'll get a demo!!

I was thinking of taking Matrix, Bugs Life and Fith Element to see how the sony deals with them.

To spend that sort of money of the back of a few reviews, without a demo is crazy</STRONG>

Try the opening scene in the Matrix (where Trinity is fleeing the agents at night). Prefereably also compare it with a HT200 or Sanyo PLV30. If you're happy enough with the low contrast of the Sony in that scene, then you're going to love the Sony; by which I mean that this is about the *worst* that the Sony picture will ever look - everything else you watch on it will look better.

Cheers,
Liam

P.S. have you considered waiting to see how the 11HT compares?

[Gary Palmer]

Johna,

Forget bugs life. It looks good on nearly all projectors (nice cartoony bright pictures). If you really want to use animation I would recommend Toy Story 2 (opening scene) or Dinosaur.

Fifth element is a good one. I would suggest Dark City, The Negotiator and Wild Things for dark, shadowy images which many projectors struggle with.

Gordon and Neil - any other suggestions ?

I'd also recommend trying it with any games machines you might have in mind (PC, PS2 etc..) to see how it handles that.

Have fun but make sure you really play with the projector before you part with your hard-earned cash.

Try to get a demo of some other projectors before hand so you have some idea of what to expect.

[johna]

Thanks for all your help.

I like the idea of taking the playstation along, luckily I work near Tottenham court road so I can pop in to any number of shops down here for a demo.

For daytime viewing is it best to kepp my current TV (sony kv32fx60) or would the sony be able to cope with that as well?

John

Johna - just some impartial info.

a) I've seen elsewhere on the site that one guy who bought the VPL10, "fixed" the not so black, blacks - by getting a grey screen. I've seen the Sony myself (as "reviewed" by myself and Slingshot, along with the Sanyo PLV30). The Sony is quiet, and there's no visible dots making the picture up. I can live with the dark greys / not blacks - and it's currently top of my list (SIM2 = rainbow effect -yuk - and needs a room the length of Sweeden to throw a decent size pic)

b) I'm thinking long and hard about my upcoming purchase of a projector (mainly cos the house extension that gave me the dedicated room cost £40k!!). I have been renting a 36" Panny for 18mths - great, but £57 is far too much a month considering i'm buying a projector eventually - and will only watch occasional half hour progs on TV -anything longer, and i'll fire up the projector. Anyway - i've just bought a Goodmans W322. Only 50Hz, only 32", apparently has a philips tube - but the picture's very good. Not as good as the Panny, but I don't care if Pauline Fowler has less worry lines showing, and is a bit smaller. Films will be BIG (81" diag actually!).

Anyway - that's sort of my opinion on a TV and Projector combo and the Sony. Hope it inspires some thought.

Cheers.

[jlcrawford]

Johna
If you decide to go with a sim200 I know a guy who deals in them and at a fantastic price email me direct if interested.

Jeff

[leon]

Im also looking for a 10ht or a 11ht if its the right price .i looked at that site with the ht10 lower than £4000 soundS great ,BUT the 3 million dollar question ,how do i tell if it a gray inport or the real thing ?,i have a 400qm sony that ive had for 3 years and it has given me hours and hours of fun and been very reliable ,making the jump to a new projector is a must now with progressive scan ,etc,my question is there some way of finding out if its a grey import or a must have and if it goes wrong i can send it back with no trouble

Give Marata Vision a call on 020 83481496, they will tell you if its a import or not.I hope you spend some time in the demo room,im the ass who ordered a HT200 without having demo of it and i felt well gutted when it was home,6k for such a bad machine i thought.But Sevenoaks have had it back which was very good of them,so i would try and find a place that might take it back within 7 days if you wasnt happy with it.
Im sure if i had orderd my HT200 from a mail order shop that did have it cheaper im sure thay wouldnt have took it back.So i guess the best price is not always the best price in the long run !
Rob

[leon]

thx for the reply rob im sorry to hear about the ht200 sevenoaks have always been good to me "maidstone branch"that is .ill phone them when i see the 10ht i want ,