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Home Theater sales, calibration, & service!

We sell and service CRT projectors and carry other home theater products & accessories including a complete line of calibration tools made for all display types. We also offer hundreds of free home theater tips, as well as a discussion forum! Why CRT? With true blacks and real contrast ratios beyond 40,000:1, in 2011 people still choose CRT projectors for home theaters and movie mixing studios where HDTV and Blu-ray playback quality is paramount. Carefully refurbished and tested, our projectors will provide you with thousands of problem free hours of service. Since 1985 we have worked on over 5000 projectors and stock lots of spare parts. We offer trade-ins and can advise on what's best for you!

ChromaPure calibration software and bundles at exclusive CurtPalme.com prices!
Add 3D to any TV or projector!
Get the absolute best picture out of your TV/projector! Add an HDMI 1.3 input card to your CRT projector to watch Blu-Ray and HD at up to 1080p FULLHD!

Latest News

Marquee Anti-Banding Mod now available
December 12, 2011


The Marquee banding problem
as seen on a convergence grid

Fix the banding issues on your Marquee, Vidikron Vision One/Two, or Madrigal CRT projector with this mod!

The Marquee Anti-Banding Mod removes bunching and spreading of scan lines that appear as lighter and darker bands across the image, especially on white. If you find that your Marquee picture has waves or an picture with uneven brightness, this mod is for you.

An additional custom programmed EPROM chip is added to your control (CLM) board to give rounded waveforms in place of sawtooths. We also store your settings, replace the lithium backup battery, and restore settings so nothing is lost.

This mod is available for all Electrohome Marquee CRT projectors and clones, including:

  • Marquee 8000, 8110, 8110+, 8500, 8500LC, 8500LC Ultra, 9000, 9500LC, 9500LC Ultra
  • Accurate Imaging Technologies Accurate 8, 9, XL
  • Accurate Imaging Technologies Integrated 8
  • Accurate Imaging Technologies Modular 8,9
  • Accurate Imaging Technologies Ultimate 8-X, 9-X
  • Crystal View CV-1, CV-2, CV-3
  • GTT Audio Video HT Reference 8, 9
  • Madrigal MP-8, MP-9
  • Reference Imaging CinePro 8x, 9x, 9x Elite
  • Spatz Tech RE8000, RE9000, RE9500
  • Theater Automation Wow (TAW) HD-800, HD-900
  • Vidikron Vision 1, 2, 3
  • Visual Dynamics Reference 8/9

For complete details see our Marquee Anti-Banding Mod page.

More Information »   


ChromaPure and Radiance are winners in the Best of 2011 awards!
December 5, 2011


Secrets of Home Theater & High Fidelity recently announced their Best of 2011 awards, and a big congratulations goes out to:

  • Tom Huffman and his team for winning in the 'Best Calibration Software' category with ChromaPure 2! Two years in a row!
  • Jim Peterson and his time for winning in the new category 'Best Video Processor' with the new Radiance Mini 3D!

We've always thought the two make a killer combination and the editors at Secrets seem to agree:

"Initially, we were very impressed with ChromaPure and are happy to say that with the latest version that still holds true. The interface is still very clean and straightforward, making it easy to get started for anyone. The additional features offered in the new version have added more power and customization than was previously available, yet without added complexity.

Overall, ChromaPure is still my choice for calibration software and what I plan to continue to use. When combined with the Lumagen Radiance, the results that I was able to achieve were even better. I had thought that an external CMS was somewhat outdated now that most displays and projectors included some sort of CMS, but I was certainly wrong in that regard. With the Radiance I was able to achieve results far beyond what I could do with the display controls, and a far better image as a result of it.

Given all of the issues that we have found recently with Blu-ray players, receivers, and processors with how they handle colorspace information, adding an external CMS can resolve all of these issues, and give you a far better image to boot. It’s a piece of gear that I didn’t want to return, and that I hope to pick up for good in the future."

- Chris Heinonen of HomeTheaterHiFi.com

Links:

Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity best of 2011 awards
ChromaPure software and meters at CurtPalme.com discounted prices
Lumagen RadianceMini3D video processor - currently on sale until Dec 31

Complete list of awards »   


New discounted package: Display 3 PRO + ChromaPure Standard + Auto-Calibrate
December 1, 2011

Comprehensive video calibration has been made easier with this new, lower-priced package. Simply add a RadianceMini3D (currently on sale) for a complete low-cost auto-calibration solution!

ChromaPure Auto-Calibrate allows anyone with little or no training in video technology to fully calibrate their display with almost no user input. Just setup a few simple options, click Auto-Calibrate, and then just go have a cup of coffee while the process completes. In less than 10 minutes your display will be full calibrated to professional standards. The package of tools does all the work for you!

ChromaPure Auto-Calibrate works in conjunction with a DVDO Duo or Lumagen Radiance external video processor. The processor acts as both a test pattern signal generator and calibration device. The ChromaPure Auto-Calibrate software controls the processor and the Display 3 PRO color analyzer to get the most out of your display. It will even generate a before and after calibration report for you.

For complete details on this package, see our ChromaPure order page.

Watch the Auto-Calibrate demo video.

Confused about meters?  See our FAQ: Which meter is right for me?
Questions? Email us at: chromapure@curtpalme.com

More Information »   


RadianceMini 3D Video Processor SALE - Save an extra $200!
November 22, 2011

Save an additional $200 off our already discounted Radiance video processor, now only $1395! That's $600 off the regular price! Free US/Canada shipping and equivalently discounted international shipping. Sale ends Dec 31, 2011. ORDER NOW »

The RadianceMini 3D features the same award winning video processing as the bigger units but simply reduces the number of input/output connections available.  Perfect for today's home theaters where you route and switch everything through a receiver or pre-amp anyway!

As with the other members of the Radiance line, proprietary No-ring™ scaling, linear-Gamma RGB-color-palette CMS, 21-point parametric grayscale calibration, video deinterlacing, MPEG artifact reduction, temporal noise reduction, and other features, combine to provide the best video quality available.

HDMI 1.4 3D is also supported, including scaling and aspect ratio control for 3D Blu-ray movies for use with an anamorphic lens, such as those produced by Panamorph®. For dual-projector 3D, two units can be used with each receiving 3D and outputting video for either the left-eye or right-eye.

Combine it with the award winning ChromaPure software to auto-calibrate any display: Anyone with little or no training in video technology can now calibrate their display in just 5-10 minutes.

Buy once, use forever!

The Radiance 3D is the only video processor that we know of that, over the years, has kept up with new features and offered upgrades to existing users - often through completely free software upgrades! Most other companies we know of do not do this. Instead, they make you buy a new model as new features are introduced.

You don't hear this often but CurtPalme.com is comfortable in saying that the Radiance is the one true "buy once, use forever" video processor that has stood the test of time. The Radiance is completely over engineered with processing power that has proven that it can take on just about anything. Truly phenomenal support from Jim Peterson and his crew!

See our Radiance order page for more details and pictures!

Questions? Email us at lumagen@curtpalme.com

More Information »   


Sale on select HDMI cards - Limited time only!
November 15, 2011

Moome's having a limited time sale on his HDMI cards for Electrohome Marquee projectors & clones (Madrigal, Vidikron, etc) and NEC XG / Runco 991 projectors.

These cards are a must-have for enjoying Blu-ray 1080p Full HD on your CRT projector!

Both feature two HDMI inputs, IR remote control, adjustable gamma boost for perfect black details, and more. Installation takes 5 minutes (plug and play).

Sale ends January 15, 2012.

For complete details visit the Marquee VIM-FULLHD or NEC XG-FULLHD order pages.

Questions? Email us at: moome@curtpalme.com

More Information »   


New lower price on Display 3 meter packages
November 1, 2011

We've just dropped the prices on our Display 3 / ChromaPure meter packages!

This new groundbreaking meter performs three times faster and is able to read lower light levels than our previously recommended general purpose meter, the Chroma 5. Better features, better performance, and at a substantially lower cost - now even lower still!

The new X-Rite Display 3 offers near professional performance at a price affordable to any enthusiast and home user. In fact, its performance is so close to professional colorimeters, such as the Klein K-10 or X-Rite’s own Hubble, than it has become extremely difficult to justify purchasing such devices that come in at 10-20 times the cost. 

For complete details on the performance of the new Display 3 including videos, see our Display 3 order page.

Confused about meters?  See our FAQ: Which meter is right for me?
Questions? Email us at: chromapure@curtpalme.com

More Information »   


Mid & high end projector blowout
October 28, 2011

See our CRT Primer to read why CRT projectors are still used in home theaters where picture quality is paramount. Our Projector Rankings page will show you how they stack up. Not sure what projector is right for you? Email Curt for help!

It's time to blow out some of my mid and high end projectors at great prices!

Marquee 8500: I have two only with excellent condition tubes, very low hours on them. 1200 lumens, 1080p capable, filament and other reliability modifications done to the sets. $1500 each.

Sony G90: Brand new green tube, no wear on the R and B tubes. New Dallas chip. Original Sony remote included. Fantastic condition overall, a phenomenal 1080p image. $3500.00

Marquee 9500 Ultra: October 2002 build date, all new tubes in the set. Rare HD10E lenses included, which are equivalent to the HFQ900 lenses. The Ultra build date has all the latest performance mods in it. $6500.00

Marquee 9500 Ultra: Also a 2002 build date, very light wear on the tubes, a low hour (<2000) chassis and on the tubes. $3500.00

Barco 909: Two sets available. Mint condition, these were re-tubed literally 100 hours before they were pulled out of service. HFQ 900 lenses, the best possible CRT lenses. 2500 X 2500 resolution possible. Nice blue cases in great shape. P43 LUG tubes makes these sets ready for 3D to boot. Original shipping cases and remotes included. It doesn’t get better than this! $7000.00 each

See our eBay listings for additional items. Interested or have questions? Email Curt!
 

See All CRT Projectors »   


ChromaPure 2.2.7 now available
October 13, 2011

ChromaPure 2.2.7 is now available for immediate free download for existing customers.

New features:

  • PRO meters now include corrections for LG LED backlit LCD and LG standard LCD displays for even greater accuracy.
  • In consultation with X-Rite, we made an adjustment to our i1 Display Pro III support that provides significantly better repeatability at low light levels.
  • The Color Management module now includes a CIE chart.
  • The Advanced Color Management module now includes support for the Lumagen Radiance as a signal generator.
  • When initializing the JETI 1211 spectroradiometer, the application now automatically measures and sets the cycle rate of the target display.

Bug fixes:

  • The AccuPel signal generator would lose default settings after working in the Advanced Color Management module. This has been fixed.
  • Connection to the selected meter would be lost when cancelling out of the Options module. This has been fixed.
  • If the user neglected to initialize a meter before selecting auto-advance, the system would become unstable when taking grayscale readings.
  • The system allowed users to select a null value from the signal generator drop-down. This has been fixed.

To download, visit our our ChromaPure order page.

Confused about meters?  See our FAQ: Which meter is right for me?
Questions? Email us at: chromapure@curtpalme.com

More Information »   


Projector parts blowout: Part 2
August 19, 2011

The "Almost Free Stuff"

OK, over the next few weekends I'm clearing out a whole bunch more CRT stuff to make room for the higher end stuff coming in.

I've mentioned this a couple of times, but this time I'm serious! I'm going to be getting rid of most of my ES focusing stuff, 7" tubes, and anything to do with the older CRTs. I'm virtually giving this stuff away, just cover the packing material, postage, and a couple of bucks for my teenage helper(s) (girlfriend's son) to pack the stuff.

This applies to, but is not limited to:

  • AmPro 2000, 4000, any Ampro sets prior to the 2000 (1500, etc.)
  • Barco ES focusing analog projectors, including 400, 600, 1000, 1001, 1500, 1600, etc.
  • Barco 500, some 800 boards
  • Electrohome ECP
  • Vidikron 7" stuff (same as ECP)
  • Zenith PRO 851/Runco 750/GE Image 150, 160, etc.
  • NEC GP3000, NEC DP1200 (select parts are still here)
  • Sony 1000 series, all of it.
  • Some Sony 12XX stuff (email for details)
  • Any SD 130, SD187 and 07MS tubes showing any signs of wear.

Most of the boards are good, some are labelled as 'defective', some might have minor damage (bent transistors, snapped controls on the Sony 10XX boards, for example.

The "Not Free Stuff"

  • The 'more' valuable ES focusing items, like ECP HV and LV supplies. Cheap, but not quite free.
  • I do have some new R and G SD187 and 07MP tubes that I'll be selling at attractive pricing, ditto for used G and R tubes showing no wear. Email for details. No good blues left in stock as far as I know.

If you're still running these sets, here's your chance to stock up on spare parts, as I won't be buying any more sets unless someone gives them to me, and they are local.

Email me if you think I should be giving away some ES stuff not listed above.

Sony Qualia 004 Digital Projector Repairs

The Sony Qualia 004 projector is the high end, $27K USD SxRD projector that Sony came out with in about 2003 that was the first digital projector image that I thought was reasonable. Although marketed to the broadcast and pro industries originally, a lot of high end home theaters were also outfitted with this projector model. Subsequent to the Qualia 004, lower end models were introduced at lower prices, but they never looked like the original Qualia (in my opinion).

Well, the day has come that it’s now in excess of 7 years since Sony discontinued the Qualia 004, and I have had two calls in the last week from customers that have defective Qualias as Sony no longer supports the product. Sony allegedly won’t even take the units in for repair. Now that the Qualia is a few years old, the power supplies are dying often, resulting in intermittent operation, or a dead set.

Fortunately, I’ve repaired a few of these now, and I can repair a Qualia power supply for far less than Sony was charging for a new board. I’ve identified the weak spot in the power supply, and upgrade the parts so a repeat failure is unlikely. The better news is, I only need the power supply PC board, not the whole 100lb projector to complete the repair.

Please pass my name on to anyone owning a Sony Qualia, as it is likely that it will need servicing at some point in time.

Interested or have questions? Email Curt!

See All CRT Projectors »   


High End Barco 909 CRT projector available
July 6, 2011

See our CRT Primer to read why CRT projectors are still used in home theaters where picture quality is paramount. Our Projector Rankings page will show you how they stack up. Not sure what projector is right for you? Email Curt for help!

We've got one Barco 909 CRT projector available!

This is a top of the line set, 1080p capable and beyond. It's the highest end CRT projector Barco ever made with 9" tubes and a completely redesigned chassis. The 909 is the industrialized version of the Cine 9. Both have identical specs:

  • 3200x2560 max resolution (nearly x4 the resolution of 1080p)
  • 180Mhz bandwidth
  • 180Khz max scanrate
  • 9" tubes with advanced 6-pole beam correction
  • 81 zones of convergence

More information is available on the Barco 909 brochure/spec sheet. The Cine 9 / 909 is rated #1 on our CRT projector rankings list.

The Barco 909 is hard to find and this one's in good shape with only 1100 original hours. Case is blue with a couple of minor scuffs, the keypad cover is intact (the ones that always break off), comes with original remote. Top of the line HFQ900 lenses installed. Zero tube wear, mint condition all around electronically,  $8500.00 plus shipping.

Interested or have questions? Email Curt!

See All CRT Projectors »   


The  new EyeOne Display 3 colorimeter: A true game changer!
June 22, 2011

Buy direct from our ChromaPure partner at prices lower than buying off their own website! Same product, same support, just more money in your pocket at the end of the day. ORDER NOW »

dis·rup·tive tech·nol·o·gy: "a new technology that unexpectedly displaces an established technology by providing substantially new or improved functionality or similar functionality at a significantly lower cost."

The new X-Rite Display 3 colorimeter is truly groundbreaking and certainly disruptive: It performs three times faster and is able to read lower light levels than our previously recommended general purpose meter, the Chroma 5. Better features, better performance, and at a substantially lower cost as well!

Features

  • Excellent low-light performance (real-world performance shows good results down to approximately 0.003 cd/m2)
  • No dark reading
  • Built-in tripod mount
  • Built-in hinged high-quality diffuser
  • Very good accuracy
  • Extremely fast
  • Available in PRO configuration, which enhances accuracy even more

The new X-Rite Display 3 offers near professional performance at a price affordable to any enthusiast. In fact, its performance is so close to professional colorimeters, such as the Klein K-10 or X-Rite’s own Hubble, than it has become extremely difficult to justify purchasing such devices that come in at 10-20 times the cost of the Display 3

When it comes to home theater calibration, the color analyzer is often the weakest link in measuring and adjusting a display device. Because of the unprecedented price/performance ratio of the Display 3, it is most certainly one of the most important products ever developed for display calibration. Technology marches on!

A new Display 3 PRO is also now available for order that takes the meter one step further and offers substantially enhanced accuracy across multiple display types with colour and white point accuracy that in most cases exceeds that of the EyeOne Pro spectroradiometer.

When someone needs to choose one single sub-$1000 meter for video calibrations, the Display 3 PRO is now the number one choice as it offers professional grade performance at a price affordable to the amateur hobbyist or enthusiast. No other single meter even comes close. This title used to be held by the Chroma 5 PRO, but with the introduction of the Display 3 PRO, we see no reason to suggest the Chroma 5 PRO anymore.

For complete details on the performance of the new Display 3 including videos, see our new Display 3 order page.

Confused about meters?  See our FAQ: Which meter is right for me?  (newly updated!)
Questions? Email us at: chromapure@curtpalme.com

More Information »   


 Older News »   

Get every last ounce of performance out of your Home Theater and CRT projector with these advanced procedures!

Use our Troubleshooting Tips to get your CRT projector up and running again!

A discussion group with a sense of fun and community. Let Curt and other enthusiasts help you choose what's best for you. Now with real-time chat!

If you're confused about CRT projectors and Home Theater, this primer is a must-read!

Hooking it all up! (How to add Blu-ray players and other new HDMI devices)

Stay informed on site updates, specials, and new projectors for sale! Sign up now or view previous newsletters.

SPECIAL REPORTS: Read about Curt's visits to shows and home theaters around the world!

 
Blu-ray disc release list and must-have titles. Buy the latest and best Blu-ray titles to show off in your home theater!
Drive 
Killer Elite 
Boardwalk Empire: The Complete First Season 
The Lady Vanishes 
Rise of the Planet of the Apes 
Meet Me in St. Louis 
Kung Fu Panda 2 
Final Destination 5 
Life, Above All 
The Help 
The Smurfs 
The Hangover Part II 
Cowboys & Aliens 
5 Days of War 
West Side Story (50th Anniversary Edition) 
Water for Elephants 
Super 8 
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 
The Change-Up 
Toy Story 3 - 3D 
Toy Story 2 - 3D 
Winnie the Pooh 
Captain America: The First Avenger 
Cars 2 
African Cats 
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides 
Pulp Fiction 
The Lion King 
Ben-Hur: 50th Anniversary Edition 
Transformers: Dark of the Moon 
Star Wars: The Complete Saga 
X-Men: First Class 
Hanna 
Mars Needs Moms 
Rio 
Paul 
Rango 
Source Code 
Sucker Punch 
Battle: Los Angeles 
True Blood: The Complete Third Season 
The Mechanic 
The Illusionist 
The Green Hornet 
Human Planet 
The Incredibles 
Taxi Driver 
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1 
Tron: Legacy 
Tangled 
Mad Men: Season Four 
Treme: The Complete First Season 
127 Hourss 
The Rocky Horror Picture Show 
Alice in Wonderland 
Never Let Me Go 
Red Hill 
Secretariat 
The Social Network 
COMPLETE LIST »      




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