CurtPalme.com Home Theater Forum

HighDefMike · Joined: 20 Aug 2008 Posts: 61 Location: Florida

It's been 3-4 months since Barry supplied me with color-corrected HD145s (that he modified with the adaptors for me); it took me this long to find a qualified CRT Front Projector calibrator touring Central FL! There are few things more frustrating than having HD145s in your possession, and knowing they can't be installed without getting everything re-calibrated...especially grayscale!

But the ISF Calibrator that answered my call was ChadB in Ohio; who has a Marq. 8500U @ home, but without HD145s & Joustmods.

We were both impressed on how easily the lenses went on & how the holes in the adapters PERFECTLY matched those within the projector. I remember remarking after Chad installed them, "...well, that was just too easy wasn't it?." Great workmanship Barry.

Chad, for his own personal interests, decided to measure & compare how close the primaries matched the CIE Chart before and after the lenses were installed as well.

And after probably 13.5 hours(!), Chad was satisfied the calibration was PERFECT.
While he was here, we only had time (since it was near 11PM!) to check out a couple of titles/scenes...but it was enough for Chad to remark somethin to the effect of "..I don't know a digital that can look like this."

4 days later, I've had time to check out quite a few more titles and scenes.

And even though I've had my M8500 professionally calibrated before, I must say the COMBO of Chad's skills + the adaptors/lenses with their color-correction, is even better than my initial calibration! Sharpness & detail galore; shadow and all! Nuances and gradations in color across various objects & surfaces; not the least of which is human faces.

Every now and then, I find myself fixated on something minor in a frame & thinking, "...I don't remember that standing out like that before...; whether it's the result of its color or detail present, or both!

So thanks Barry and Kai (ChadB too of course), for helping me get more outta my lowly 8500...since everyone seems to have moved on to the 9-inchers. I'll get there one day....but looks like I'm gonna have to have one with color-corrected lenses only now.

Mike

**Joust** · Posted: Sun Jun 19, 2011 4:39 am Post subject:

That's Awesome Mike.
I hope you enjoy it.
Thanks for the nice write up.
Barry

Tom.W · Joined: 09 Mar 2006 Posts: 6368

Good luck finding color filtered c elements for that that future 9 incher ! Wink

**Joust** · Posted: Sun Jun 19, 2011 1:23 pm Post subject:

9 inchers are overrated.
8500LC can outperform it in some aspects. the extra inch only gives you a tad more light output but some of that is so near the edge of the aperture that its harder to get under control.
I know I'm off on a bit of a tangent but felt like kicking an ant hill Smile

besides, this is my forum .....bwahahah.

AVphile · Joined: 02 Dec 2008 Posts: 282 Location: Ottawa, Ontario

Reading this makes me excited. I got a great deal on these lenses in the classifieds and comissioned Joust to make some adapters. Unfortunately this was back in November and some personal events have delayed the installation.

Using color gels behind the stock lenses instead is driving me mad! They cut so much light output that my greyscale is impossible to get flat. However the color is so dull without them I can't go back ... Arghhhhhhhh!

HighDefMike · Joined: 20 Aug 2008 Posts: 61 Location: Florida

**Joust** · Posted: Sun Jan 15, 2012 6:15 am Post subject:

Sparky015 · Posted: Sun Jan 15, 2012 2:35 pm Post subject:

Barry, my best to you and your wife, and I will certainly keep you both in my prayers.

HK-Steve · Posted: Sun Jan 15, 2012 2:40 pm Post subject:

Best wishes to you both,

Cheers
Steve

HighDefMike · Joined: 20 Aug 2008 Posts: 61 Location: Florida

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Mon Jan 16, 2012 11:56 pm Post subject:

Damn, sorry to hear that Barry, a speedy recovery goes out to her.

Nashou66 · Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2012 12:13 am Post subject:

Damn, My prayers will be with you both.

Athanasios

**Joust** · Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2012 1:27 am Post subject:

Thanks a lot guys. It means a lot to both of us.
Good news. I got the lenses modded and handed them over to AVphile today.

AVphile · Joined: 02 Dec 2008 Posts: 282 Location: Ottawa, Ontario

Thanks to Barry, installation of the modded HD-145s was literally plug and play. Moving the projector closer to the screen and recalibration was another time-consuming matter, of course. But you guys were right... what an improvement in color, sharpness, clarity and contrast!

The black level is RPTV-like now, without the halos. Much has been said about the better color, and I've come to expect that, but I was not expecting the jump in transparency.

Attached is my CalMan report. You can see that the primaries are almost perfect - red and green are dead on now, closer than with the gel filters.

**Joust** · Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2012 3:00 am Post subject:

Gee Stefan, that is a thing of beauty.
post a picture of the PJ. don't think there are any pix of a Barco with HD145's on it.
I'm glad you are happy with them.
Barry

**kal** · Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2012 1:40 pm Post subject:

Having always lived with CRT projectors with either tinted glycol or tinted c-elements, I know I could never enjoy a projector that was clear. The colours simply are not right.

How "much" not right can be seen here:

The correct primary colours are the 3 corners of the triangle. Green is the most critical. Look at how much closer the green HD145 dot is the target than the uncorrected. What's interesting to note is that the red HD145 dot actually moves farther away from the correct point than the uncorrected. The uncorrected red measurement appears almost correct but it is somewhat into the 'orange/red' area. The HD145's moved it farther out into the "intense red" area, but kept the right shade of red which is fine. Blue is never filtered.

Kal

AVphile · Joined: 02 Dec 2008 Posts: 282 Location: Ottawa, Ontario

I missed it the most upgrading from the 801 which had tinted glycol, and now that problem is solved Very Happy

I have to say the RED HD-145 works even better in my 808 with the Sony tubes than that 8500 result. My reading (posted above) is almost dead on, compared to that one where it drifted out.

PS - I measured against CIE 1931 so that might be different than SMPTE C, I forget the relationship.

HighDefMike · Joined: 20 Aug 2008 Posts: 61 Location: Florida