CurtPalme.com Home Theater Forum

baltor · Joined: 06 Apr 2013 Posts: 14 Location: Toronto

Hey guys,

Its been years since I frequented these forums, so after a minute of trying to figure out my old username (email has changed) I just made a new account.

The reason I'm back is because I just acquired a runco dtv 1100 (barco 1209) and Faroudja dtv 3000. I assisted in its installation while working with my former employer maybe 10 years ago or so, and scored this unit while helping with a theater "upgrade" to a new 4k JVC digital. I haven't checked the hour meter yet, but I expect it to be quite low given the client. I know the history of this unit since new.

Here's my dilemma, and why I'm posting here: What the heck should I do with this thing?! My jump into the crt world was over 12 years ago when I converted a room in my parents place to a dedicated theater. I bought a used Sony 1272, spent weeks tweaking and learning, and loved everything about it. The picture, the 'film like' quality etc. Years passed, the tubes softened, I moved out and gave the projector to a friend who's still using it to this day. The picture is quite poor/soft now, but theres something to be said for the build quality and longevity of some of these old projectors.

So in a nutshell, should I hang onto this thing? What would I need to add an HDMI input? The moome unit or a HDfury? I have a large room in my attic that I've always dreamed of converting to a theater. To be honest, I was kind of thinking a big LED Samsung or something similar when the time comes, just for the sake of ease. Is this unit still viable when compared to modern, high contrast fixed pixel displays and projectors? I'm not afraid of the work, but on the other hand it may be a while before I get to this project, and if I decided to sell this I think it would be a logistic nightmare for anything besides a local sale.

I apologize if most of my questions have already been answered elsewhere, but when doing searches many forum results etc are over 5 years old. Also, I'm lazy Wink

thanks for your patience,
Jon

gjaky · Joined: 05 Jun 2010 Posts: 2802 Location: Budapest, Hungary

If the tubes are in good condition, then keep it and enjoy, it is a huge step up from a sony 1272, more brightness, sharper etc.
For HDMI you need a moome or HDFury, yes.

baltor · Joined: 06 Apr 2013 Posts: 14 Location: Toronto

I just briefly fired it up to retrieve the hour count. 3600. Not too bad. I also pulled the green lens to look at the tube - there's a barely perceptible burn (was on a 16:9 screen). I had to stare a while to see it, so I think over all its a pretty good score.

Also, its an 1101. I have a vague memory of it being opened up at some point and boards being replaced. I don't know what that was about, but maybe the change from 1100 to 1101?

I don't know much about it, but it looks like 3 of these boards have a different number (serial or revision number?)

ecrabb · Posted: Sat Apr 06, 2013 8:48 pm Post subject: Re: Runco DTV 1100

Phoenixed · Joined: 13 Oct 2011 Posts: 514 Location: The mitten

If you're super lazy. I will take the 1101 off your hands Wink

baltor · Joined: 06 Apr 2013 Posts: 14 Location: Toronto

haha I should have clarified - when it comes to researching and tracking information down I tend to be lazy. When it comes to building a "man cave" there are no limits to how far I'll go! Well, except for money of which I have little since the birth of our 8 month old. It'll be a major project as it will need gutting, old insulation all removed, old tongue and groove pine and framing removed, and a staircase relocated. I've had the idea in my head for a few years, but now there's some motivation.

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Sun Apr 07, 2013 3:29 am Post subject:

BTW, there is NO difference between the 1100 and 1101. Runco just needed to charge an extra $2K/change the model number methinks. I researched this massively last year. The only post that I found was someone here a few years ago that said that an 1101 is a 1209se later model 1209s, but that's not the case. Performance/specs are the same as a Data 1209s. it will show some foldover at 1080p with most sources, but a video scaler/processor with a size adjustment will fix that.

Get a Moome box from www.moomecard.com to get HDMI to the projector, if you have no composite sources, get rid of the Faroudja.

**AnalogRocks** · Posted: Sun Apr 07, 2013 4:35 am Post subject:

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Sun Apr 07, 2013 1:42 pm Post subject:

His is a DTV3000 as per his first post (hey, I finally read a thread all the way through! Razz

)

Worthless for anything HD, but will do a nice job with an Svideo or composite signal.

baltor · Joined: 06 Apr 2013 Posts: 14 Location: Toronto

Yes, a 3000. I wish it was a 5000 or a 1080, but hey - that's what there was. I cant imagine needing any composite, or even component sources. What I may do is use the projector strictly for movies. I'd prefer a fixed screen, but I could use a motorized with an older Samsung LCD 46" I have for screwing around, tv watching, going online etc that I could mount behind. I'm not a big tv watcher to begin with (we just have an OTA antenna which gives us about 15 stations), so I'd like to connect a blu ray player and maybe our apple tv or some other form of content streaming device.

Do I need a video processor at all in that case, or will the moome be good enough? I wasn't sure how the projector would handle slightly different signal paths coming in, if there were "memories" like I could set up on the old sony 1272.

banzairun · Joined: 10 Jul 2006 Posts: 129 Location: NJ

I picked up a low-hour 1101 a few months ago; thing has a Runco build date of Dec. 2001, new-style EHT and 7.22 software.

Isn't that basically what makes the 1101 a Data 1209sE? They were already well into making 909s by that point, right?

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Sun Apr 07, 2013 6:23 pm Post subject:

Keep in mind that RUnco had sets sitting around for years lots of times. Their 'build date' is their ship date I think. Iv'e had Runco PG Xtras in with a 2001 build date as well. The latest NEC PG Xtra I've had in was 1997 I think,

banzairun · Joined: 10 Jul 2006 Posts: 129 Location: NJ

Yeah, I'd think it's their ship date as well. You would certainly have a better idea than anybody, but I'm sure it's never a priority to check Barco dates vs. Runco dates.. I have a 943 (with 250 hrs!) with a Runco date of 10/99. The Barco dates are mostly 3399, 3499.. so that's a pretty quick turn-around.

FWIW, the date codes on the 1101 are all mid-2000: 2400, 2600, etc. So, it sat around about a year depending on how soon Barco ships after building them up -- probably just a handful of weeks...but probably still well into 1209se territory, no?

I noticed the Runco logos are different on the 1101.. Just the screened Runco logo, whereas the 1100 also has '1100' screened on.

baltor · Joined: 06 Apr 2013 Posts: 14 Location: Toronto

Yet another question - I downloaded the Runco DTV 1101 operating manual, but it doesn't include installation instructions.

Should I use the Barco 1209s installation manual/procedures? I heard that Runco specifies a longer throw, but that doesn't make sense to me. I think the tubes are good enough to mount closer (probably an 8 when cross referencing the scale on here), but what do you guys think?

Phoenixed · Joined: 13 Oct 2011 Posts: 514 Location: The mitten

Ignore the throw distance mentioned in manuals, theyre rough guidelines at best. Max out the raster on the tube face, then max the image within the raster, slide the pj back until it fills the screen. WAHLA.

UNLESS theres wear on the tubes that can be seen projecting white, then you may need to play around with the raster so it cant be seen.

baltor · Joined: 06 Apr 2013 Posts: 14 Location: Toronto

Here's a shot of the green I took (flash on). The transition is visible, but faint - so hoping I'm good to go! It was on a 110" diag screen before I think. I'd like to do 100" or less this time. I'll be starting on the room 2 weekends from now. Should be a fun project I think, but will likely take some time given the amount of work required.

secstate · Joined: 20 Mar 2006 Posts: 720