CurtPalme.com Home Theater Forum

unkyjoesa · Joined: 13 Dec 2007 Posts: 84 Location: Marion TX

Greetings all,

It has been a while since I have posted, I have been off again on again with my 8500 since I purchased it from Dragnm a couple of years ago.

I have included some pictures in this message for you guys to peruse and advise me on.

I have the unit roughly setup and dialed in, and it is throwing an exceptional picture at 720p, however I want to make sure it is setup to achieve the following.

1: Correct usage of the raster and tube face.
2: Correct position of the projector for use on a coffee table "until I modify the ceiling to hold this thing +12 months away"
3: Correct focus - convergence etc
4: Correct source setup.

So anyway, I will place a link here www.flickr.com/unkyjoe for the pictures, I have taken pics with the tubes lit up and the lenses off so you can get an idea of how much tube face I am using "16x9 setup"

I have taken pictures with the tubes off to get an indication of the wear on the tubes. Blue is worn, and it is affecting my color balance, this will be the first tube I replace before ceiling mounting. Please tell me what you think of the green and red tubes as well, replace all three at one time "after saving up the money" or replace one at a time.

I have also taken some pictures so you can guide me on the proper physical setup of the projector on this table.

My screen size is 100" diag, it is simply a painted wall for now. But still gives an excellent image.

I have a Moome Component card in the unit, an old one purchased from a member here on the forums, and I think it is suffering from the gamma issue, as the black detail is a little off and smudgy on dark scenes.

So here is the deal, I am trying to get you guys to do a little hand holding so I can get this thing setup properly while down on the table.

Take a look at the pictures and start sending me pointers on the setup. Please be patient with me as well Laughing

unkyjoesa · Joined: 13 Dec 2007 Posts: 84 Location: Marion TX

Ok I will get things started Rolling Eyes

When mounting the projector on the table, I do not have the back of the projector lifted, in other words it sits with the back end down and the front tilted up 15 degrees I guess.

When you look at the face of the tubes the image is in a trapezoid, I remember Draganm telling me if I was going to use this mounted on a table I would be best to tilt up the rear of the projector so that the image was not trapazoidal on the tube faces?

How do I go about this? How much should I tilt up the back of the projector? Anyone know the best way to accomplish this?

Also does the amount of usage on the tubes "other than the trapazoidal image" look about right to you?

Someone please chime in and let me know.

Many Thanks Mr. Green

Nashou66 · Joined: 12 Jan 2007 Posts: 16171 Location: West Seneca NY

it depends on the placement of the screen , if you lift the PJ back you will lower the image, maybe off the screen. So to compensate you need to raise the table or PJ higher, I have an 8500 floor mounted for testing out my mods and it is about20 inches off the floor the same hight as the bottom of the screen. I have an almost perfectly square corners.

Athanasios

perisoft · Joined: 29 Aug 2007 Posts: 2920 Location: Ithaca, NY

Ouch. That wear pattern is nasty. You'll probably have to have the PJ further back than normal to stay inside, which, given the severity of the wear, is a must (barring craziness and an HTPC). That's probably one of the first things to check.

unkyjoesa · Joined: 13 Dec 2007 Posts: 84 Location: Marion TX

The chassis has about 48K hours on it.

Even with the wear on the tubes the thing throws a damned good image. That being said the unit is going to be re-tubed. "Eventually Embarassed

"

Anyone care to offer some answers to the questions I posed?

Thanks in advance.

garyfritz · Joined: 08 Apr 2006 Posts: 12088 Location: Fort Collins, CO

**AnalogRocks** · Posted: Sun Aug 31, 2008 8:01 am Post subject:

unkyjoesa · Joined: 13 Dec 2007 Posts: 84 Location: Marion TX

Greetings,

Thanks for all the help guys, but after sitting and talking with the better half we have decided it is time to go digital Embarassed

Considering the high hours on the chassis, 49k, the condition of the tubes, and the fact that our mouting options are limited we have decided to go with an Optoma HD65 unit and to part out the 8500.

Thanks again for all the help over the past 3 years with this projector, but it is time.

I will be hanging around and reading, and I am sure wishing later I had not done this but alas I am getting older and dont have time to jack with this and the business.

Take Care.

P.S. If anyone is in need of some Marquee Parts I will be dissasembling the unit over the next few weeks and posting the avail parts in the for sale section.

**AnalogRocks** · Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2008 5:35 am Post subject:

NO wait!! DON'T GO INTO THE LIGHT!!

Awww nut's we lost another one.

unkyjoesa · Joined: 13 Dec 2007 Posts: 84 Location: Marion TX

So whats the rule?

Dont I still qualify as a member of the CRT community as long as I have some CRT parts lying around but not really to benefit myself, you know like Curt Wink

I will still lurk here and I sure will kick myself for going with the flashlight at some point Smile

draganm · Joined: 08 Mar 2006 Posts: 8990 Location: Colorado

unkyjoesa · Joined: 13 Dec 2007 Posts: 84 Location: Marion TX

Once Again Draganm,

Yeah I went digital with the X1 from Infocus. It lasted about 2000hrs and I suffered horribly from rainbows, I could not watch for more than 1-2hrs without getting a headache.

I have seen the HD65 in action, as good as the 8500? Hell no, but it does shoot a nice image for me as well as no rainbows with the non white color wheel.

720p is the best my eyes can see, I see no dicernable difference between 720p 1081i or p.

If I were to do anything more with the 8500, it would be to retube it totally. I want new tubes dammit! Are they still running at $600 each new? Or have they gone up.

Mounting this beast is not the issue, it's size is! I can do the mods to the ceiling to mount the projector, hell I built the room it is in out of two bedrooms, this is not the issue, the issue is where to put this thing while the ceiling is being constructed and the funds are gathered to do the re-tube. Space in our home since starting my business is at a premium right now.

I was so hoping you would not chime in, I mean this with all due respect, I thought I had made my piece with getting rid of this thing, and all the time and effort it was going to save me. Now I have to try and find a way to hide it from the wife until I can get the ceiling done.

So what do the rest of you think, the digital is allready purchased and on its way, it can always be resold or used for a gaming projector.

I can part out the unit or keep it and try to convince the wife I am actually capable of making a decision on my own, and then actually staying the course.

But damn those digitals are easy to setup and use Sad

Nashou66 · Joined: 12 Jan 2007 Posts: 16171 Location: West Seneca NY

do what you want, another 8500 or 9500 will be for sale in better shape than yours now so dont sweat it, use the digital till it dies which will be sooner than a retube would. So this can be a blessing, in ayear or two you can get a 9500LC for the same price of a retubeing your current marquee!

Nashou

garyfritz · Joined: 08 Apr 2006 Posts: 12088 Location: Fort Collins, CO

unkyjoesa · Joined: 13 Dec 2007 Posts: 84 Location: Marion TX

garyfritz,

Yeah the thing is going to be parted out. I went to the wife and before I could open my mouth she put me in my place Crying or Very sad

I have seen the HD65 in action and to my eyes it looks great, no rainbows when moving my head from side to side.

The wife also reminded me that even if we did mod the ceiling to take the 8500 it would still hang too low for people in the back row of seating, how in the hell did I forget that. Oh well no more drinking before noon Laughing

What is this variable iris you speak of sir.

garyfritz · Joined: 08 Apr 2006 Posts: 12088 Location: Fort Collins, CO

Variable iris: when the scene is mostly bright, the iris opens up all the way. This lets lots of light through so the image looks nice and bright. When the scene is mostly dark, the iris shuts way down and reduces the light going through. This makes the dark areas look darker. You get a better on/off contrast figure that way.

However, depending on the iris implementation, this can vary from somewhat noticeable to damn annoying.

Imagine a space scene. Lots of stars, inky black background. Let's say your Optoma looks great in this situation. Now the camera moves a little and a bright star appears in the screen. The iris says "lots of light! open up!" and suddenly your black starfield looks washed out and gray. A planet moves in front of the star, and wham! Suddenly the gray starfield goes black again. Or: you have <something> in the picture with a light background. The lights get turned off in the background but the <something> is supposed to stay the same. But because the iris says "black background, shut down iris!" your <something> suddenly gets dim too.

I've seen bad implementations of this, and it *sucks*. I can't stand it. It's much worse than rainbows. I don't know if the HD65 does it well or not.

unkyjoesa · Joined: 13 Dec 2007 Posts: 84 Location: Marion TX

Gary, thanks for the information on that.

I guess we will see how it performs when I get it.

I know on my 8500 the blacks were getting washed out becuase of the Moome card I was using did not have proper Gamma? Or something to that effect.

I have been reading the HD65 thread over on AVS and they have several posts on how to adjust this.

Once I get it setup properly I will try and take some pictures and post them in the digital forum, I know screen shots are subjective though Razz

P.S. Kudos for the lively debate over in the digital forum Laughing

Elaine Benes · Joined: 25 Apr 2006 Posts: 1416

draganm · Joined: 08 Mar 2006 Posts: 8990 Location: Colorado

Well if the Ole Lady has the final say in the HT then the CRT is doomed for sure. hopefully the Floptoma treats you well, they seemed to make some of the most unreliable DLP's in the past, hopefully the new ones are better.
It might also be premature to part out the 8500 right now, wait until your sure you can live with the DLP?

unkyjoesa · Joined: 13 Dec 2007 Posts: 84 Location: Marion TX

Oh I plan to wait, until she sees the picture for more than 2 hrs,

She forgets she suffered from RAINBOWs as well.

After 1.5hr movie she was getting headaches from the eyestrain.

We shall see.