CurtPalme.com Home Theater Forum

**Curt Palme**

Guys, need some ideas on what to do with older super expensive 720p digitals.

I've personally got a Runco VX-5 100 lbs beast here that I bought for cheap out of San Fran. Got no remote with it, so I haven't even fired it up.

Today I get a call from a HT company in Seattle, saying I can have a VX-5000ci with ceiling bracket and remote. I'll go get it on Friday. Very Happy

New, they were $30K+. Used, they might be worth $500, if I'm lucky. If that.

I know the pix are pretty decent on them, but they aren't 1080p.

Any ideas? Anyone semi local want one to play with?

ecrabb · Posted: Tue Mar 19, 2013 7:02 pm Post subject:

Backyard/outdoor theater has gotten pretty popular over at AVS. Some guys are interested the bigger, brighter machines for that purpose. But, I don't think the big Runcos are even very bright. Not only are they 720p (which isn't that big of a deal), but they have crap contrast and are big and heavy (which is a bigger deal).

Like CRT, the size/weight of these things is actually a big negative, but unlike CRT, they don't have a picture that anybody at all is interested in. With as cheap as decent projectors (with superior image quality) have gotten, I'm not sure what, if any market there is for the old Runcos.

Hey, do they have lens shift? Maybe you can collect two of them and somebody could use them with a VIP 3D evolver.

SC

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Tue Mar 19, 2013 7:09 pm Post subject:

DUnno yet, will let you know though.

BTW, the guy that I am getting the 5000 from told me a story today about how he was rummaging through a client's stuff to be thrown out. Most was indeed garbage, DVD players, VHS machines, etc. That was, until he picked up a pile of cables, and saw what looked like a receiver underneath.

It was a 4 channel McIntosh amp. He grabbed it. Not sure of the model, but... HE SUCKS!!! Smile

ecrabb · Posted: Tue Mar 19, 2013 7:23 pm Post subject:

Wow, a four-channel Mac? Total cha-ching! Super-sweet find of all finds, and he definitely sucks!

SC

**AnalogRocks** · Posted: Tue Mar 19, 2013 9:32 pm Post subject:

Stack them 5 high x 2 and put a 4x8 sheet of 5/8" plywood on them and viola, you have a $300 000 table!

Spanky Ham · Joined: 22 Mar 2006 Posts: 5643 Location: Comedy Central

I need one to replace my G90. Mr. Green

I actually went to look at another G90 today. What is wrong with me? Wink

CIR Engineering

CIR Engineering · Posted: Tue Mar 19, 2013 10:05 pm Post subject:

**AnalogRocks** · June 26, 2000

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

Blend them .

Nashou

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Wed Mar 20, 2013 3:36 am Post subject:

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

**AnalogRocks** · Posted: Wed Mar 20, 2013 4:08 am Post subject:

Sell the projection lenses and tell 'em they come in a 100lb carry case

Jeremy112 · Joined: 28 Sep 2006 Posts: 2649 Location: Fond du Lac, WI

HogPilot · Posted: Wed Mar 20, 2013 1:58 pm Post subject:

The VX-5 is a 5:4 aspect ratio 3-chip DLP with larger 0.9" chips, and according to the spec sheet it's capable of putting out 3,000 lumens with its Xenon bulb. Given that it was a 3-chipper, the optics on that thing are probably pretty high quality, so if nothing else it is going to put out a sharp, bright image. The contrast ratio is only spec'd at 400:1, it only accepts up to 1080i, a replacement lamp would most likely cost more than the projector is worth, and it weighs in at 175 lbs (I know, you CRT types are used to this anyways). But it would be perfect for an oudoor projector as was previously mentioned before.

The VX-5000ci is only a single-chipper, with better contrast (2500:1-3000:1) and 1500 lumens. But again, the optics are definitely going to be superior to any budget 720p (or 1080p) projector you could buy today, which is not something to take lightly if you've ever had to suffer with the chromatic abberation and general blurriness that you get with cheap optics. You probably could get a couple hundred bucks out of it with a new bulb.

Runco was one of the few companies that didn't overinflate their light output and contrast specs, so you should be safe taking the above specs at close to face value. I've owned many budget 720p projectors, and their measured performance doesn't come close to the specs above, let alone their own advertised specs. I think the only unknown is the reliability of the units themselves.