I miss my LCD pj

Messiah

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I sold my LCD pj to buy a cRT and that I did. However, because the room is not yet ready I am not able to use the CRT and remember how easy it was to simply set the LCD up on a table (as I did the first day I got it) and enjoy the big screen experience.

Oh, how I yearn for an LCD again but also look forward to getting the CRT setup and start watching. Choices, decisions, more choices and more work.

Having been there I can honestly say that the simple set up and plug and play nature of an LCD (or DLP) has got to be worth quite a lot IMO. Roll on another few weeks when I can start watching films on the big screen (8ft) again (eyes rolling, head in the clouds :D )
 
Sympathy, sympathy.....

My choice of LCD was influenced big time by the ease of set up, but when making my decision I thought long and hard about a CRT..... Wife and I agreed that it wasn't really a runner to mount in our living room, and I was concerned about set-up, convergence maintenance, noise, black-out requirements etc. However I was attracted by the pic quality - no doubt, properly set up they fly !

We have now agreed to do some internal re-organisation - I'm swapping my office (boxroom size) for my wife's workroom (13*8ft), which I intend to convert to a permanent HC - planning now underway. She's extraordinarily supportive, as well as being technically knowledgable (it background) and adept (both serious diy-ers). I'm conscious that the room is small - but for us its preferrable to having a 7ft screen and loudspeakers permanently in our living room. I'm reading up on av interiors (for technical issues, the US love afair with Art Deco detailing, and some of the more outrageous colour schemes are not my cup of tea.

I'm currently thinking of a clean contemporary look,

black screen wall (probably black speaker grill cloth stretched on a frame, Screen "floating" about an inch away from wall with backlit boundary;

dark blue carpet, fabric covered walls with acoustic foam behind, thinking along beige above a dado rail, mid/dark blue below;

cornice about 4" from ceiling level, with white/blue/red ropelights to illuminate a ceiling painted light graduating to dark blue in centre - should allow a cycle from daylight/dusk/sunset ;

I'm measuring up to see if I can install a raised platform at one end to give me raised seating - hoping for two at floor level, three on platform.

I'm going to ceiling mount my AE100, and I'm currently working on a design which will allow the proj to cantilever up into a box on/insetinto the ceiling - I'm conncerned to have it in a dustfree environment when its not in use.

So, while you're not watching movies on your projector - there's always something to think about !!!!!!!!!!!!

Good luck,


Sean G.
 
Sounds cool.

Check out mine as it sounds similair.
 
OK here is a stupid question . . . I think,

What is the main difference between CRT and other formats? :blush:

Regards
Amelia
 
Gojira,

I can't get a response from the link in your post, but I'd love to see it...... thanks for responding.

Amelia,

I'm a "newbie" here but have followed your posts and the attendant replies with great interest. lets face it, theres no such thing as a stupid question, just stupid answers ! Here's hoping my answer isn't too stupid; I'm sure Gordon or one of the others will put me right if I make any boo-boos.....

CRT consists of three mini TV screens which put out very very bright images in Blue, Red and Green. These three bright images pass through three individual lenses and are individually focussed, and converged together on the screen. It has the best contrast ratio and black level available, because where the image is supposed to be black, the projector doesn't send out any light.

LCD and DLP are different insofar as they use a very bright light source to shine through three LCD panels, or in the case of DLP to bounce off one or three DLP Chips, which are tiny devices whose surface is covered in tiny mirrors controlled by the chip.

DLP uses a rotating colour wheel alternating red, blue and green filters which th light from the DLP chip passes thru on its way to the screen. DLP generally is capable of greater black levels that LCD, because it is possible to place the mirrors on the DLP chip closer together than pixels on an LCD panel.

The cause of the "greyness" of black or dark scenes from LCD in particular is that when LCD puts out a black image, its supposed to let no light through. However, because of the gaps between the pixels on the LCD panels, some light does get through, causing the grey image.

DLP proj can give rise to a "rainbow" effect on the boundaries of bright and dark images - some people are more sensitive to this phenomenon than others - to the visually sensitive it causes headaches.

LCD, as you know, when in sharp focus it is sometimes possible to see the individual pixels that make up the image.. This is commonly referred to as "screendoor", it being similar to a fine net mesh being stretch infront of the screen.

CRT suffers from none of these issues, and once properly installed, calibrated and converged and fed with an approriate signal (with data grade CRT projectors, from a HCPC, progressive scan) are capable of throwing an astoundingly filmic image. They also have a life of 10,000hrsor more, and are capable of being serviced and upgraded comprehesively. When new (8 or more years ago) top models sold for £10,000 or more depending on the model. They are now available often at prices £1000 and less. The downside (for some if not most) people, is that they are large, some very noisy, do require maintenance of their convergence, and can look very intrusive in a conventional residential setting. But make no mistake, in my opinion, CRT does create the best image by far when properly set up - it really is the benchmark.

I'm sure that there is much more detail which could further explain the differences, and the amounts of money I've mentioned above are intended for guidance only - I hope one of the CRT gang spots this post and fills in any gaps or corrects any errors.


I am well committed to my AE100 though - for us it gives the best compromise between cost, convenience and picture quality. We've just finished watch Monsters Inc. with my daughters, and Black Hawk Down (visceral stuff !) on our own, and the image I get from the laptop on which I'm typing this post, with a slight lens de-focus is gobsmackingly beautiful, from a box with a footprint smaller than a sheet of typing paper which will go carefully back inits carton when its finished cooling off and can be kept well out of harms way.


Sorry for the long post.

Regards,,,,



Sean G.
 
If I had the room, I would definitely go for CRT. Unfortunately I haven't (and believe me, measured *every* possible setup (even vertical mounting)). I would love have a 808 or even a 909, but alas. But, even the best CRT have issues and you do have to pay a lot of attention to your other hardware to get the best out of it. HTPC or a cinematrix PSM-1 are definitely the way to go. BTW, you have to be able to black out the viewing room completely. Because of the low black levels of a CRT, even the glare from the displays of your amp and DVD player can be visible on the screen . Any less than total blackout , and you won't enjoy the best possible picture.

BTW, ease of setup can also be a drawback, as you probably won't get the best performance when you just plonk the PJ on a table. IMO a real HT has a fixed mounted PJ.

Hope you have lots of luck with your niet PJ, and be sure to put up some piccies whenever your HT is ready.
 
Originally posted by theritz

Sorry for the long post.

Sean & Mr. Custard,

Thank you for the info. I guess I understood what DLP and LCD was, but didn't know any thing about CRT.

I guess for now I had better stick to my AE100 :D

On a side note: I only just got Monsters Inc (my nephew brought it over from the UK) It still doesn't get release here until end of the month!!

Best Regards
Amelia
 
Originally posted by theritz
Gojira,

I can't get a response from the link in your post, but I'd love to see it...... thanks for responding.


Sorry, server issues!

Should be ok now.
 
Gojira,

Cool - your room is about the same size as mine and I'm really impressed.

I'm curious as to how the size of the room affects the sound quality - care to make any comments ? I guess I'm thinking about problems with reflected sound - my room is 91" wide and my 84" scree won't allow me to place the speakers R an L either side of the screen, unless I put sattelites in the corners - this is regarded as sub-optimal according to some posts.

Anyone care to coment on speaker placement in such a room ?



Again - Cool Job, Gojira.......


Sean G.
 
To be fair, I've not found any problems although my speakers are quite small & are never cranked very high. When they have gone loud (when the missus is out!) they've been great. Everything sounds like it's coming where it should be etc

I guess it depends on what you use as a benchmark - compared to my previous set up this seems 1000% better.

Everybodys taste differs - get it how YOU like not how someone tells you.

Look forward to some piccys of yours when finished.
 

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