CurtPalme.com Home Theater Forum

stefuel · Posted: Mon Nov 03, 2008 1:40 pm Post subject: It never ceases to amaze me...

How the masses here will spend thousands on projectors, mods and c-elements to drag that last little bit of performance out of these sweet machines but wouldn't drop a hundred bucks on a factory mount to hang it. I should by stock in Uni-Strut. Rolling Eyes

Rant off...........for the time being.

Z-Photo · Posted: Mon Nov 03, 2008 1:52 pm Post subject:

Thats exactly the way I fell about people using AMPROs .

Why not just spend a little more and buy a real projector.......... Shocked

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

Mods &etc can arguably produce a better picture, and people are willing to pay for that. Factory mounts make it easier to hang the projector, but other than that they don't produce any benefit to actual viewing pleasure. (Assuming of course that you hang it properly with the unistrut.) Makes sense to me that factory mounts would be lower on people's priority lists.

My last two projectors had factory mounts, but only because one came with the projector, and the other one was a screamin' steal. I *AM* a cheapskate, but that's not the only reason I wouldn't spend much on a mount. I just don't think they give much benefit/payback.

On the other hand I spent over $400 for HD145's and lens mounts, and to this day I'm delighted with the purchase. My picture is dramatically better because of it. Whereas the factory mount is just a big hunk of iron hanging on my ceiling.

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

I love my Factory pulley mount and it was worth the 150 i spent on my first one, then I found a second one for even less. Its so nice to be able to mount and dismount my Marquee's by myself .But yes Gary the HD-144's are a great improvement to a AC marquee.

Athanasios

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

Yeah, that's different if you're going to pull it off the ceiling real often. Then a pulley mount or other hoist setup is a lifesaver. But for somebody who just wants to hang his projector and watch it, a mount doesn't do much for you.

Person99 · Joined: 09 Mar 2006 Posts: 4899 Location: Flower Mound, TX

ecrabb · Posted: Mon Nov 03, 2008 9:50 pm Post subject:

I agree. I don't see the big deal, either. Dave - You have it exactly right calling it an ROI issue. It's putting the money where you'll gain the most benefit - the best return. My mount is a hybrid. Half factory mount bought from Ray (thanks, Ray!) on the projector, and half custom-fabricated mount attached to the joists in the ceiling. I could have nearly as easily saved myself some money and fabbed the part that attaches to the projecter! I just didn't feel like it - I wanted to get it hung and start watching some movies!

Another example is my rack. It's made of MDF, shelf standards, and handmade shelves. Probably cost me <$100 to scratch-build it into the wall (and a fair chunk of time, of course). That's funny because I have probably somewhere north of $5000 worth of equipment sitting on it. Now, I could certainly have spent $500, $600, etc. on up to buy a MidAtlantic rack, shelves, hardware, strips, faceplates, etc., and that would have been really nice, but I didn't feel the money spent offered me anything at all in the way of a better or more enjoyable movie-watching experience. So, I built my own and saved a chunk of change.

Now, the prepro with HDMI switching and advanced audio decoding I just bought? That DEFINITELY enhances my movie-watching experience!

SC

CRT_Ben · Joined: 28 Aug 2006 Posts: 1684 Location: Northern Virginia

Brian Hampton · Joined: 22 Apr 2006 Posts: 1173

Well,

I used to have the factory mount for my 1271 and it was very nice. I always added some uni-strut rails though to distribute the load to more then 2 ceiling joists.

Every since I moved over to Marquee and now back to G70... My mounts have been made of nothing but uni-strut.

The end result is .... the same. There is no reason to not use uni-strut if you ask me.

-Brian

ecrabb · Posted: Mon Nov 03, 2008 11:02 pm Post subject:

**AnalogRocks** · Posted: Mon Nov 03, 2008 11:11 pm Post subject:

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

i dunno, I'm kind of with chipster on this one. If not just about where you spend your money, it's how you want your HT to look. Some of the uni-strut mounts look like the cats ass. Eye bolts, lead pipe, ropes, ect. On top of that adjustment is limited, there's no side to side swivel, and tilt usually involves unscrewing nuts and bolts while hoping you don't go too far and have the whole thing crash on your head. I know one thing, I would never install a PJ for someone without a factory mount. If your too cheap to buy a mount for a hundred bucks then just leave it on the floor. Thumbs Down

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

There's no side-to-side swivel in my factory mount, either. It's got front/back tilt and that's it. All the rest of the adjustment I've got (including forward-backward-side-side adjustment and a limited amount of swivel) comes from the unistrut.

Brian Hampton · Joined: 22 Apr 2006 Posts: 1173

Well,....

This thread made me think back to when I had the factory mount for my 1271 and I went over to ebay to look up projector mounts and for about $200 I could get a mount that's like the factory mount for my G70....

But to use it I would have to put up some uni-strut because the factory mount would not span 3 ceiling joists.

So... It would be money for nothing.

Besides.... the hush box covers it all anyway.

If you have a pretty mount and don't bother with the hush box then... I think you've still made a mistake.

-Brian

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

mike calcott · Joined: 18 May 2006 Posts: 307 Location: Australia

Lets face it, CRT projectors were originally made for the commercial market and are not the prettiest thing to have hanging from your ceiling. Why not mount the thing correctly in the first place? it looks better, the last thing I want is my theatre room looking like a mechanics workshop with a block and tackle arrangement hanging from the ceiling. As far as maintainance is concerned, I have changed tubes, and boards with my projector mounted on the ceiling, and the only reason to take it down would be for real major surgury.

betel · Posted: Tue Nov 04, 2008 2:58 am Post subject:

The mounts aren't all that expensive. I paid about $100 for my G70 mount. I wouldn't pay the 5 or 600 they originally cost. Most of the pictures I've seen of unistrut mounts look like crap. I happen to like the way my G70 looks hanging from the ceiling and putting a unistrut mount, while functional, really degrades the appearance.

By the way, here are some pictures of the G70 mount I modified to be a pully mount. Very inexpensive to do. The pullys are the wheels from a sliding glass door.

johnsmith808 · Joined: 15 Oct 2008 Posts: 100

I'm pretty sure the OP was referring to my inquiries on how to mount my G70 with unistrut. I recall him going off in another thread about this same topic. Must be a very sensitive subject for him.

In my case, I haven't spent "thousands" on my crt projector. It was only what I could afford to buy for an LC pj. I don't have much left to spend on a mount.

A G70 is not as expensive as it used to be, so owning one doesn't require you do be rich or only have nice things. Some people need everything in their home to match and look great. I've always been a more function over form kind of guy. You don't even want to see my av rack.

At this point, with the pj I'm buying(the G70) being shipped over the Pacific Ocean, somehow fitting into my van, removed from the crate, and lugged up a flight of stairs, I'll be happy once it's hanging SAFELY from my ceiling, no matter what the mount looks like. I just want to enjoy the beautiful picture it'll throw on my screen that has suffered too long with digital grays.

If a G70 OEM ceiling mount could end up on my door step for anything remotely what I'm paying for the unistrut route, I would consider it. However, shipping alone to this little rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean would be more already.

Besides, with a perfect fade to black, you won't even be able to see the ceiling mount.

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

betel, I LOVE the pulley conversion!! Very clever. Does it raise it all the way to the "hook-up" point?

Wish I'd thought of something like that. But my 8500 is on the ceiling now and (knock on wood) it ain't comin' down. Not until it comes down for good.

Mr. Green · Posted: Tue Nov 04, 2008 6:40 am Post subject:

I guess it depends on where the projector is and how you want it to look. Mine is not in the basement and is instead in our family room so my home made shelf system looked even more like crap in daylight. I had to go with a proper mount and it makes me that much more proud of the projector. To each thier own though. If unistrut works for you. Sounds good to me.