CurtPalme.com Home Theater Forum

[wallace123456]

I have having the damnest time trying to get my 1272 to the point where I can see the dots in the H on that test pattern.

The pj has about 7,900 hours on it, 07msp tubes, PT-65 lens.

Any suggestions, please? I know I probably am doing something wrong, as usual.

wallace

[ecrabb]

That's a lot of hours on those tubes. Are you using the internal sync as opposed to an external source? You probably won't see the dots over 480p - if even then.

I have a 3500-hourish 1271 with well-focused PT-65's, and I don't know that I can see discrete dots, either. I know focus is good because I have some weird spots on the face of the red tube... they look like water spots. They're very sharp compared to the projected image, so I know it's the tubes that are soft as opposed to the mechanical focus.

Maybe I could see dots with the internal clock a little... I can't remember.

Hey, maybe we should have a 12xx shootout where we all take closeup pics of our H's, dots, etc. so we can compare setups. I've been wanting to see how my setup compared to others' 12xx's for a long time.

Anybody else game for a 12xx focus shootout?

SC

[1031]

[wallace123456]

[ecrabb]

Aspect ratio... that's really excellent point. Squeezing the raster to 16:9 really squeezes the scan lines together, making the dots blend together much more than at 4:3. Now that I see that image, I'm pretty sure my dots are pretty visible on the internal sync. I'll try it tonight and snap a photo.

SC

[ecrabb]

[GEBrown]

Back when I had a 1272, I asked the same question. As I remember, I was told at the time that I'd need to connect a S-Video external source and then bring up the H's test pattern in order to see the dots.

So basically the same thing Ecrab is saying - they apparently only show up at lower resolutions.

My 2 cents

[Brian Hampton]

You may get them with 480p if the tubes are good.

I could see them at 480p after I re-tubed my 1271. But I had AKB off and contrast around 40, that makes all the difference. I still had enough light for me in my fully dark room with small-ish 70" wide screen

[Sonynut]

At 7900 hours the guns themselves have worn quite a bit, no doubt.. The S-Video trick should work, though. By the way.. Two more machines in my house, and still no luck on another good blue and green...What really sucks is that the new additions are both low hours(668 and 1684), just had been setup incorrectly, and driven too hard.. aargh

[CZ Eddie]

[1031]

One thing more to add to this "dots on letter H" thing. i have owned just one 12xx series projector(1272) So I´m not 100% sure but there can be different software versions on Y-card or different Y-cards. Y-Card makes those internal patterns and those patterns can be different depending what model or what verision you have. Maybe Sonynut have more experience is there difference on those patterns?

Here is one more for comparation.

[perisoft]

I just got a 1271 that seems relatively minty, though I don't know the hours. Can anyone tell me how to switch test patterns? The manual on Curt's site is hosed - it starts correctly, but jumps to page 72, then goes to the end, then starts again at 1 and ends at 50! Naturally the bits I was looking for the other day were between 50 and 72...

[ecrabb]

Press and hold the TEST key for 5 or so seconds, the PJ will say "ENTER SERVICE MAN MODE, PRESS (UP)". Press the up arrow, and you'll be in service mode.

Then, if you keep tapping the TEST key, the PJ will cycle through all available test patterns for the selected adjustment mode.

SC

EDIT - Cycle through status pages with the PAGE key. In service man mode, there are a couple of additional page (or one) that shows hours.

[perisoft]

Ahh - I got into SERVICE MAN mode (which always makes me chuckle for some reason... Up in the sky! Coming to save the day, and converge the projectors of the city! It's SERVICE MAN!!) to do convergence but didn't try hitting the test key. Thanks.

I'll take a look at the Hs when I get a chance - I've got to fix this stupid fan first, though. I oiled it and it still doesn't want to start (fan on the LVPS). If I poke it it starts going fine - not even noisy. Doesn't feel like it's resisting any more than the other one, either, so either I need to figure it out or attach a pony-fan to it to get it going on startup.

[ecrabb]

OK, here are my test pattern sharpness shots. This is my good old 1271 w/about 2800 hours on the tubes. Very, very light wear - probably 9-10 all across. Ceiling mounted, dead-on physical setup, and decent mechanical and electronic setup.

Screen is 96x54, WilsonArt DW.

I'm no expert, but I'm pretty obsessive compulsive about image quality being a design/photo/video guy. Let's just say I'm pretty damn anal and leave it there. I went a little conservative on throw/raster max for better uniformity and corner focus, and I think it might have paid off. As you'll see, my bottom corners still need some work. I haven't even done the mooneyass mods yet, but I think it's a damn good image for a projector this old.

These were all using the internal sync signal, which I think is about 480p.

One good thing about these old 12xx's is that even when they're set up as sharp as possible, they're just soft enough at 1080i that it really looks "filmy". MUCH better than SD, but very "solid" - as in no gaps, lines, pixes structure, etc. Practically no scan lines visible, even right at the screen. Looks very film-like from the seating position. Saves lots of money on 1080p processors!

SC

[tony359]

On a 1272 I had on my hands, I could saw easily dots with composite interlaced DVD source. Then, "H" dots were there, sharp and well defined. When running higher definition, the dots were not defined.

Check the photo, projected on a wall!!



Ciao
A

[ecrabb]

Tony,

OK, so 480i. Was that 4x3 or 16x9?

Nice dots.

SC

[tony359]

Oh, that was just a test on a wall, but was 4:3 setup.

Ciao
A

[wallace123456]

Hhhmm, those look really dog-gone good!!!

Sc, I see DOTS!!! Big time! I'll bet the picture is great as well.

Ciao,
I also see DOTS big time.

Do you guys have any source cable hooked up? Are you just using the internal test pattern?

I did not get a chance today or tonight to fire up the pj; I was stuck trying to pu a new front door in all day!!!!

GGRRRRRR!! What a PITA!!

wallace

[wallace123456]