CurtPalme.com Home Theater Forum

[drewman21]

I have a few questions in regards to the video and computer inputs to a sony 1251q. I read in the manual that it can do a max PC VGA resolution of 1024x768 at 60hz over the BNC connectors. That being said how does one get it to output a 720p resolution via a PC VGA input?
And also without the use of a HTPC how can the BNC RGBHV inputs do 720p with say the HDfury? Does it encode it someway to get past the 1024x768 resolution cap?

I want to find out how this is possible and if it is more of a tweek kind of thing or is it more of a out of the box that way thing.
Thanks!

[ecrabb]

There is no hard resolution "cap". The numbers in the specs are just a guide - a sort of rating - not a limit... Which is why, if you hook up an HTPC running 720p, or a BD player (via an HD Fury), the projector has no problem display 720p.

I'd highly recommend you test 1920x1080i from whatever source you're connecting to the HD Fury. For a BD player or cable/sat box, 1080i looks great on 12xx machines. You'll probably want to stick with 720p for a desktop PC, otherwise the icons and UI text get too small and difficult to read.

SC

[dturco]

I'm confused. I thought with a P/C 15 pin out VGA? to bnc break out would just hook up to the P/J and work? Why would you need a Fury?

[ecrabb]

I don't think he's saying outright that he needs a Fury. He's just confused about resolutions, and what the 1251 will accept, and what devices "get around" that. I answered it.

Yes, all you need to connect a PC is a DB15-to-4/5BNC breakout cable... The source resolution is irrelevant - it's just a cable.

SC

[drewman21]

Ecrabb is right. I didn't want to start jamming out high end resolutions into the projector and ending up "letting out the magic smoke" as i have heard some people say around here. My big thing is I want to do some PC gaming on the 1251Q and some movie watching. I am still just trying to work out if i want to try to set it up as a 16x9 or just leave it as a 4x3 setup. For anything non HTPC I think I will be using my HDBox Pro. It will do 16x9 in a 4x3 image and scale up quite a bit inside a 1024x768 image or if i can push that to a higher rez 4x3 image that would be great too. So that seems like a cheap and easy way to go for me. I know its not true HD but it gives me a easy way to get my component inputs into the projector and to switch to my computer back and forth.

[AnalogRocks]

[AnalogRocks]

[ecrabb]

Drewman, what source(s) would you like to use besides the HTPC?

SC

[drewman21]

Well i am looking at getting a HD-DVD player here in a week or so and would like to have the option of HDMI in but for the most part I am looking to do alot of older gaming systems that use my RGBS to Component box that i built that plugs into my HDBox Pro. I am cool with watching movies with a HTPC and even running DVD's through it too but i have no problem with a DVD player running through my HDBox too. I have used it with 36" RCA crt monitor and it looked fine for what it is for no HD sources. I realize with Blueray and HD-DVD or even a nice upscaling DVD player i am going to run into a HDMI wall so to speak with my 1251Q. I just can't justify the cost of the HD Fury or other solutions on that Curt showcases on this site. I have found some cheaper sub $100 solutions from Chinese manufacturers that will do HDMI to VGA and remove the HDCP signal and let me use the 1251q with those players. I do find myself a videophile but i am a realist on what i want to spend on older or on the way out hardware. I'm trying to strike a balance of cost to quality i can get as money is tight as i'm still trying to finish off the basement theater that i am building around the projector.
I mean I could run everything from a HTPC with ripped movies, blueray drive, game roms but I would like to use some of the systems and players i have now too i guess.

[imprez25]

HDFury is well worth the $100 from this site. I run a PS3 and HD DVD A2 to my 1251q and the picture is great, a softer than a digital but the contrast and colors are amazing. I'm sure you can pick up an inexpensive bluray player between now and christmas for around $100 add in the $100 fury and you now have a great hd video chain for less than 1/2 of what just a bluray player cost a year ago.

[ecrabb]

I agree with Imprez. I understand you don't want to spend much money to make the new stuff work with your "legacy" projector, but don't be penny-wise and pound-foolish. The $50 HDBox will probably be worth little to nothing a year or two from now. A $100 HD Fury will probably still be worth ~$50 a year or two from now.

So, while the HD Fury may cost you a little more up-front, it won't really cost you any more in the long run. In exchange, you get to plug in and use current/new HDMI devices into a known-high-quality product. The HD Box... You save $50 up-front, but you're locked into a component, and how knows if the scaling or picture quality are wort a damn?

SC

[drewman21]

I think for the most part since i have the Hd box already for a year and have used for most of my gaming and movie use it seems like a waste to spend more on the HD Fury. I would like to use hdmi sources with the sony but just having the HD fury to use it wouldn't be good for much else after the projector is toast. Unless we are talking the Fury 2 with its RGB and component out but that still is asking alot for its current price when the Fury 3 is coming out soon. If there was price drop it might be a reasonable purchase for the cost. I don't see how component is all that bad in this setup as all my pre-current gen game systems can use component it seems to be decent. I would have to convert them some how to use them with the HD Fury and that seems even more costly.

On a side note a few months back i got to work on a ps3 and hooked it up to my HDBox and it would let me run it in game mode at 1080p with no problems. I know that it won't do me any good for Blue-ray watching but at least for gaming is decent.

[AnalogRocks]

[AnalogRocks]