Shane Come Back
Agent
It's been awhile since I've posted anything here...
My current projector that I've been using since 2006 - and still produces a DAMN good image for a 13 year-old, 720p native machine - is a Panasonic TH-AE900. It was considered the best projector in its class at the time. It's been thru a lot. From getting whacked with sticks while the kids were playing Anakin vs. Obiwan, to tall people cracking their head on it as they walked by. Even came crashing down one time by the latter event. It's been back to the manufacturer, once, for bulb replacement and maintenance. Now, although the image is fine, it treats us to no less than 3 unannounced intermissions per film (intermittently shuts down and reboots itself, for some unknown reason - overheating?).
So, I figured it's time for a new projector, and not being wealthy, I ordered an Optoma HD143X for around $550, which had good reviews and its predecessor HD142X is the #2 overall recommended projectors on CNET. Go to set it up in the same spot as my current machine, and the image is way to large for my 80" screen, with the manual AND digital zoom all the way out. I take it down and no matter where I place it, I cannot get it to conform to my 16:9 screen, even tho I set the projector aspect ratio to 16:9. The image still does not fill the screen horizontally. The best I could do was to sit it on an ironing board in the middle of the room, about 8' from the screen, in front of the viewing area, so people would have to look OVER a projector practically in line of sight to view a movie. The thing is, most all the settings are digital and when I try to adjust the the image up, down, side to side, or do any kind of keystone correction, it looks like just the center of the image is moving, while the image edges hardly move at all. On max correction, the image moves only a few inches, or so. I spent like, 2 hours just trying to get the image to conform to my screen from the most optimal (for the projector) position, could NOT get it done. Is this how it is with all projectors these days or just Optoma? Am I doing something wrong? With my Panasonic, even back in 2006, I put the machine where I needed it, fired it up, zoomed it out manually, focused it, put the image where I needed it with the image shift lever, badabing-badaboom! Done in minutes! What's with this new seemingly aggravating digital process?
I've boxed the Optoma up to send back, but I am all ears for suggestions on setup, if I'm doing something wrong. I am also open to recommendations for a different sub-grand, 1080p projector. Thank you!
My current projector that I've been using since 2006 - and still produces a DAMN good image for a 13 year-old, 720p native machine - is a Panasonic TH-AE900. It was considered the best projector in its class at the time. It's been thru a lot. From getting whacked with sticks while the kids were playing Anakin vs. Obiwan, to tall people cracking their head on it as they walked by. Even came crashing down one time by the latter event. It's been back to the manufacturer, once, for bulb replacement and maintenance. Now, although the image is fine, it treats us to no less than 3 unannounced intermissions per film (intermittently shuts down and reboots itself, for some unknown reason - overheating?).
So, I figured it's time for a new projector, and not being wealthy, I ordered an Optoma HD143X for around $550, which had good reviews and its predecessor HD142X is the #2 overall recommended projectors on CNET. Go to set it up in the same spot as my current machine, and the image is way to large for my 80" screen, with the manual AND digital zoom all the way out. I take it down and no matter where I place it, I cannot get it to conform to my 16:9 screen, even tho I set the projector aspect ratio to 16:9. The image still does not fill the screen horizontally. The best I could do was to sit it on an ironing board in the middle of the room, about 8' from the screen, in front of the viewing area, so people would have to look OVER a projector practically in line of sight to view a movie. The thing is, most all the settings are digital and when I try to adjust the the image up, down, side to side, or do any kind of keystone correction, it looks like just the center of the image is moving, while the image edges hardly move at all. On max correction, the image moves only a few inches, or so. I spent like, 2 hours just trying to get the image to conform to my screen from the most optimal (for the projector) position, could NOT get it done. Is this how it is with all projectors these days or just Optoma? Am I doing something wrong? With my Panasonic, even back in 2006, I put the machine where I needed it, fired it up, zoomed it out manually, focused it, put the image where I needed it with the image shift lever, badabing-badaboom! Done in minutes! What's with this new seemingly aggravating digital process?
I've boxed the Optoma up to send back, but I am all ears for suggestions on setup, if I'm doing something wrong. I am also open to recommendations for a different sub-grand, 1080p projector. Thank you!