Heh. I caved in. I bought a CRT front projector (NEC XG-1100). My OHP is folded up and sitting in a closed. Sorry guys. I just couldn't find any information on the Ultrasharp LCDs, and nobody seems to know of a cheap enough fresnel lens that will fit a 15" w/o resizing. Now I have to give up the 150" screen and settle for a 92", and if I have the balls to play any video games, I'll be stressed out to the point where it's not worth it. Oh well.
I did the same thing. I was pleased with my Sharp Qa-1800 for a couple months then learned about crt. The contrast just wasn't good enough for me so I bought a Sony VPH-1031q. It only cost me $200 with barely any wear on the crts, so it cost somewhat less then my lcd projector. Also, it puts out a lot less heat and uses half the wattage. It can also produce high definition pictures.
I guess these are just the steps that some of us make. A lot of us started out with the $10 150" big screen tv from ebay, and thats what started us on the lcd projectors. Then finally some of us took it a step further and went crt/lcd/dlp.
I guess these are just the steps that some of us make. A lot of us started out with the $10 150" big screen tv from ebay, and thats what started us on the lcd projectors. Then finally some of us took it a step further and went crt/lcd/dlp.
Hey, long time lurker, first time poster here 🙂
I'm looking to setup a projector at home here and im in the process of researching what path i am going to take. I was pretty much set upon going the OHP + LCD monitor (not lcd projection panel) route to allow me a good quality high resultion picture. I was also intending to retrofit the OHP to a MH globe. All up for this process I was looking at about $600 Australian (~$400 US) because I was also going to need a video (s-vid, composite, etc) -> VGA converter. But you guys have just brought up CRT projectors.
Zreon - u said you got yours for $200 (US I assume). Now this is about half the price of my original plan and you guys seem to imply that it is better quality than a DIY LCD. So in that case my question is - is it easy enough to find a good CRT projector for under $400, and also what would be the maximum age I should go for, and finally what are the running costs like on these things???
Thanks a ton in advance,
Adam
I'm looking to setup a projector at home here and im in the process of researching what path i am going to take. I was pretty much set upon going the OHP + LCD monitor (not lcd projection panel) route to allow me a good quality high resultion picture. I was also intending to retrofit the OHP to a MH globe. All up for this process I was looking at about $600 Australian (~$400 US) because I was also going to need a video (s-vid, composite, etc) -> VGA converter. But you guys have just brought up CRT projectors.
Zreon - u said you got yours for $200 (US I assume). Now this is about half the price of my original plan and you guys seem to imply that it is better quality than a DIY LCD. So in that case my question is - is it easy enough to find a good CRT projector for under $400, and also what would be the maximum age I should go for, and finally what are the running costs like on these things???
Thanks a ton in advance,
Adam
CRTs are very complicated and there are a ton of factors. I would lurk around avsforum for at least a month before commiting to anything.
Yes, I bought my crt projector off of ebay for $200 + $89 shipping US. If you buy one off of ebay, make sure that they pack it very well and try to arrange your own shipping. CRT's are also very complicated to setup as Lifter said. Also, they weight a ton. The Sony 1031q which is what I have is considered a small one, and it is still 85lbs.
If you want the best picture possible, go with CRT. Be prepared to have a long setup. Once you finally get it set up, you should only have to mess with it 2-3 times a year after that.
If you want a easy set up with an ok picture, go with LCD. You wont get as good contrast in dark or light scenes with a LCD, but its still good.
Also, this is somethign I noticed. After I had my projector with lcd panel on it, the electric bill went up about $40. That was with a 500watt bulb in it. My CRT uses 215watts, so that right there saves me over $250 a year 🙂 It also doesn't put out as much heat.
Finally if your going to buy a CRT projector off ebay, ask to see some pictures of the crt's to see how much wear they have on them. Also, do some research on them before you buy them. Ask a few people if they've used them. A great website to find information about crts is www.avsforum.com A great starting unit is the Sony 1031q. Many said that when they got it, they were planning on upgrading soon and they just wanted this as a test unit. A lot of people actually kept them, and they only cost a couple hundred on ebay.
It really all depends on your situation on which one you should get.
If you have any more questions, feel free to ask.
David
If you want the best picture possible, go with CRT. Be prepared to have a long setup. Once you finally get it set up, you should only have to mess with it 2-3 times a year after that.
If you want a easy set up with an ok picture, go with LCD. You wont get as good contrast in dark or light scenes with a LCD, but its still good.
Also, this is somethign I noticed. After I had my projector with lcd panel on it, the electric bill went up about $40. That was with a 500watt bulb in it. My CRT uses 215watts, so that right there saves me over $250 a year 🙂 It also doesn't put out as much heat.
Finally if your going to buy a CRT projector off ebay, ask to see some pictures of the crt's to see how much wear they have on them. Also, do some research on them before you buy them. Ask a few people if they've used them. A great website to find information about crts is www.avsforum.com A great starting unit is the Sony 1031q. Many said that when they got it, they were planning on upgrading soon and they just wanted this as a test unit. A lot of people actually kept them, and they only cost a couple hundred on ebay.
It really all depends on your situation on which one you should get.
If you have any more questions, feel free to ask.
David
Awesome, thanks for the replies guys.
I'm really interested in CRT's and a long setup process doesnt really bother me (just adds to my knowledge and gives me experience 😉).
I think I'm gonna keep researching CRT's and i'm checking and reading info on here and avs daily 🙂. I dont have the money saved atm and have to pay off my registration and service my car b4 I start spilling off too much money so that waiting time will allow me to spend my time researching and figuring out the best route to go.
For $200US it would be awesome picking up a decent CRT projector, the only downside is the shipping costs to Australia... ~$300AU 🙁 But still, it will end up being ~the same total cost as it would me building an LCD projector with an LCD monitor and I will save a ton on electricity (my dad will love me if I tell him that its not gonna cost him a heap in electricity 😛).
Just a couple of quick question bout CRT projectors...
1. In a medium lit room (day time with the blinds closed...) are CRT projectors bright enough, and are they typically brighter than DIY LCD projectors?
2. Will you be using yours for TV watching or gaming (if ur a gamer 😛) and not just movies, and is it not too much of a hassle using CRT projectors for this sort of use (aswell as movies of course)?
3. I heard something somewhere (cant remember where now) that CRT projectors can get burn-in if you leave them on for a while at a time, can u elaborater on this at all...
Thanks,
Adam
On a side note - I was browsing through some of the avsforum guys HT's and I nearly cried!!! These ppl have dedicated rooms setup like theatres!!! its nuts, that sort of thing is still a dream for me (heck, im 17 living with my parents who arent massive movie buffs really)!!! ATM I think my plans for just a big screen in our lounge room are very reasonable considering Im 17 working part time while studying... 🙂
I'm really interested in CRT's and a long setup process doesnt really bother me (just adds to my knowledge and gives me experience 😉).
I think I'm gonna keep researching CRT's and i'm checking and reading info on here and avs daily 🙂. I dont have the money saved atm and have to pay off my registration and service my car b4 I start spilling off too much money so that waiting time will allow me to spend my time researching and figuring out the best route to go.
For $200US it would be awesome picking up a decent CRT projector, the only downside is the shipping costs to Australia... ~$300AU 🙁 But still, it will end up being ~the same total cost as it would me building an LCD projector with an LCD monitor and I will save a ton on electricity (my dad will love me if I tell him that its not gonna cost him a heap in electricity 😛).
Just a couple of quick question bout CRT projectors...
1. In a medium lit room (day time with the blinds closed...) are CRT projectors bright enough, and are they typically brighter than DIY LCD projectors?
2. Will you be using yours for TV watching or gaming (if ur a gamer 😛) and not just movies, and is it not too much of a hassle using CRT projectors for this sort of use (aswell as movies of course)?
3. I heard something somewhere (cant remember where now) that CRT projectors can get burn-in if you leave them on for a while at a time, can u elaborater on this at all...
Thanks,
Adam
On a side note - I was browsing through some of the avsforum guys HT's and I nearly cried!!! These ppl have dedicated rooms setup like theatres!!! its nuts, that sort of thing is still a dream for me (heck, im 17 living with my parents who arent massive movie buffs really)!!! ATM I think my plans for just a big screen in our lounge room are very reasonable considering Im 17 working part time while studying... 🙂
hi guys,
I'm considering the same move. How is the brightness of your CRT projectors when compared to your DIY setups??? I would really appreciate the feedback. Thanks!
I'm considering the same move. How is the brightness of your CRT projectors when compared to your DIY setups??? I would really appreciate the feedback. Thanks!
Adam, I too am 17 years old living with my parents who aren't big movie buffs. Luckily I have a 850 sq ft basement all to myself to set up all the stuff I want. As long as you don't have lights pointing directly at the screen, you can watch movies fine. Of course it looks best with all of the lights off so you can see the true blacks and what not. I use my projector for gaming, tv, movies, everything... One thing you will need, unless you get a projector that accepts component input, is a transcoder($150-200$) or a dedicated computer. I just use my computer that I had up in my room, eventually though I am going to put together another computer just for the projector.
My CRT projector is at about 50% brightness and it is considerably brighter/whiter then my diy lcd projector. My lcd projector was a Sharp QA-1800 on a 500watt retrofitted OHP.
Burn in occurs if you leave the same image on the screen for a while. As long as you remember to turn your projector off after doing something, this won't be a problem.
Feel free to ask any more questions. I'm still new at CRT but I am learning about them quickly. So I'll try to answer them the best I can.
David
My CRT projector is at about 50% brightness and it is considerably brighter/whiter then my diy lcd projector. My lcd projector was a Sharp QA-1800 on a 500watt retrofitted OHP.
Burn in occurs if you leave the same image on the screen for a while. As long as you remember to turn your projector off after doing something, this won't be a problem.
Feel free to ask any more questions. I'm still new at CRT but I am learning about them quickly. So I'll try to answer them the best I can.
David
Hehe, cool, someone in the same boat as me 😛 good to know im not the only one 😉
Unfortunately for me we have a big house, but no real big room right for a home theatre room. Initially I think I will set it up in our lounge room to finally replace our TV (once its configured and I can show my parents that it is worth it 😛), but after a while I think I'll end up rearranging our current computer room into something that will work for a home theatre. Its the perfect size, just has too much crap in here atm.
I think I'm settled on the CRT route now, Im just gonna wait for a month or so to research and understand a bit more, and make sure i have the money (damn cars costing so much!!!).
Thanks heaps for ur help David.
I'm sure I'll have more questions for u soon 😛
Unfortunately for me we have a big house, but no real big room right for a home theatre room. Initially I think I will set it up in our lounge room to finally replace our TV (once its configured and I can show my parents that it is worth it 😛), but after a while I think I'll end up rearranging our current computer room into something that will work for a home theatre. Its the perfect size, just has too much crap in here atm.
I think I'm settled on the CRT route now, Im just gonna wait for a month or so to research and understand a bit more, and make sure i have the money (damn cars costing so much!!!).
Thanks heaps for ur help David.
I'm sure I'll have more questions for u soon 😛
Spend some quality time on avs forums. I have a crt pj and it does rock. The resolution is typically less, but the contrast and brightness blow our lcds out of the water....always buy from a reputable person....a lot of crts out there are junk
Mine should arrive Friday. Resolution has always been the most important factor for me, ever since I first watched a DVD on my PC monitor back in the 90's (I love saying that). The NEC XG-110 accepts up to a 2500x2000 resolution, and can resolve somewhere between 800-900p (16:9). I spent $1000 on ebay from a reputable AVS member. The tubes are old, but in good shape and the wear is even and covers a large area. Much more time left on 'em then any bulb I would imagine. And new tubes are $550 each, so even if I bought all new tubes today, I'd have spend $2650 on a projector that sells for $6000 on crtcinema.com.
An XGA DLP projector for $1000 or less is a rare find. And that's XGA. My CRT resolves about the equivilant of UXGA.
Anyways, I must correct you eebasist. The resolution is NOT typically less on a CRT. If you are comparing a used CRT to a used or new digital that costs the same, the resolution is ALWAYS better. This will of course change in the next 2 years, but right now, resolution is much better on CRTs.
I've always been down on CRTs before because of the inconvinence, the burn-in potential, and the fact that $500 or less generally gets you either burnt tubes or NTSC only. But the prices on some of these babies is really hard to pass on.
I figure that in 2 years, $1000-$2000 will get me something 5 times better than what costs $200,000 today.
An XGA DLP projector for $1000 or less is a rare find. And that's XGA. My CRT resolves about the equivilant of UXGA.
Anyways, I must correct you eebasist. The resolution is NOT typically less on a CRT. If you are comparing a used CRT to a used or new digital that costs the same, the resolution is ALWAYS better. This will of course change in the next 2 years, but right now, resolution is much better on CRTs.
I've always been down on CRTs before because of the inconvinence, the burn-in potential, and the fact that $500 or less generally gets you either burnt tubes or NTSC only. But the prices on some of these babies is really hard to pass on.
I figure that in 2 years, $1000-$2000 will get me something 5 times better than what costs $200,000 today.
Well you're not totaly correct either. Your CRT PJ had high resolution....however one mentioned in the thread is the Sony 1031 wich has lower resolution than the lcds. So you spent 1K on your PJ, but those looking to spend less like 3-500 on a CRT PJ might end up with a lot lower resolution. And one other note, those that spend less on the CRT will most likely also have analoge convergence wich is a PITA to setup the first time, and requires regular tweaking as they drift.
I have looked at a few crt pj's too. They were heavy/bulky/difficult to setup and have low lumen output.
They dont focus unless you have a curved screen and even then it is a bitch to get it decent.
The theoretical resolution is KILLED by both the focus problems and the low bandwidth of the electronics.
They do have good contrast levels though, its just a shame you wont see that unless you use the pj in a completly darkened room with black walls/ceiling (thx to the low lumen output)
I know there are good crt pj's out there, but I haven't seen one yet.
(ps: I was offered a working crt pj last year for free and I said no thank you)
They dont focus unless you have a curved screen and even then it is a bitch to get it decent.
The theoretical resolution is KILLED by both the focus problems and the low bandwidth of the electronics.
They do have good contrast levels though, its just a shame you wont see that unless you use the pj in a completly darkened room with black walls/ceiling (thx to the low lumen output)
I know there are good crt pj's out there, but I haven't seen one yet.
(ps: I was offered a working crt pj last year for free and I said no thank you)
Only the 1st generation of CRT PJ required curved screens......Even the late 80s/early 90s CRT PJs used flat screens and focused really well. You'd be suprised at how sharp and bright CRTs have become over the years. Much different than the old days
^^^ Very true. Also, the whole low-lumen dark room thing is very misleading. First of all, no matter how bright you PJ is, the image is going to be seriously messed up by ANY ambient light that reflects off the screen. That's how a screen works. Your black levels are only as good as how dark your room is. And that's all projectors.
Lumen output on CRT's is not the same as digitals because it varies on how much white is on the screen. How often will you be watching a 100% white screen?
Honestely, what does $4-500 get you as far as commecial DLP or LCD goes? At that price range, I think DIY is the way to go. But $800 or more, I think CRT is the only option right now.
Lumen output on CRT's is not the same as digitals because it varies on how much white is on the screen. How often will you be watching a 100% white screen?
Honestely, what does $4-500 get you as far as commecial DLP or LCD goes? At that price range, I think DIY is the way to go. But $800 or more, I think CRT is the only option right now.
I've not seen any recent crt's so i can't comment on that. The ones I've seen just s*cked.
But when you are going to spend $800 why not go for a digital pj?
You can/could get a X1 for $899, and an Iiyama lpx100 for 999 euro's.
Anyway, a good diy will beat a cheap crt pj, unless you are very lucky and find a recent crt pj.
But when you are going to spend $800 why not go for a digital pj?
You can/could get a X1 for $899, and an Iiyama lpx100 for 999 euro's.
Anyway, a good diy will beat a cheap crt pj, unless you are very lucky and find a recent crt pj.
First off, I have a Sony VPH-1031q. I upgraded from my qa-1800 for this. My sharps resolution max was 800x600. I am currently running my 1031q at 2200x1080i. Also, I can watch it in a fully lit room with 4 long flourescent on in the room. Sure, the picture isn't great, but its clear enough to watch a movie or read anything on the screen.
As for all of the price debate, I spent $200 +$89.99 shipping to get this projector. It has HACC/HD-6 lenses, which are one of the best for this model, and practically brand new tubes. Once you see a crt in action, you will never want to go back to LCD.
Rapsac, you said that you were offered a working CRT projector last year for free but you said "no". I'm sure that never happened, and even if it was, I'm sure everyone agrees with me that you would be a complete fool to pass that offer up/or very rich and don't want to waste your time with a lower model. Even if you were offered a Sony VPH-1000q that accepts video only at 480p, there would have to be something wrong with you not to take it.
Also, the 1031q is fully analog, but in a way, analog is better. Sure it takes a while to get it right, but so does digital. Once its setup, you only have to adjust it 2-3 times a year. The drift isn't bad at all as long as your room temperature stays the same year round. They say there is a warm up time, but I can watch a movie as soon as I turn it on. The convergence is slightly off, but you only notice it if you look very closely.
My suggestion is that if your knocking on CRT projectors and you've never seen one, go find someone who has one then come back here and talk about it. I guarantee if you see a properly setup CRT, you will be completely amazed. Especially if you watch a HD DVD or TV.
So I spent $289.99 for a projector that has at least 9,000 hours left on it, with the blackest blacks and whitest whites possible. Meanwhile, I spent a little over $300 for my DIY LCD with poor black and white contrast ratios.
Even with the DIY LCD's with a 400:1 contrast ratio, compare that to the 1031q's 15,000:1. Or the big boys with 35,000:1 with 2200+ lumen output.
As for all of the price debate, I spent $200 +$89.99 shipping to get this projector. It has HACC/HD-6 lenses, which are one of the best for this model, and practically brand new tubes. Once you see a crt in action, you will never want to go back to LCD.
Rapsac, you said that you were offered a working CRT projector last year for free but you said "no". I'm sure that never happened, and even if it was, I'm sure everyone agrees with me that you would be a complete fool to pass that offer up/or very rich and don't want to waste your time with a lower model. Even if you were offered a Sony VPH-1000q that accepts video only at 480p, there would have to be something wrong with you not to take it.
Also, the 1031q is fully analog, but in a way, analog is better. Sure it takes a while to get it right, but so does digital. Once its setup, you only have to adjust it 2-3 times a year. The drift isn't bad at all as long as your room temperature stays the same year round. They say there is a warm up time, but I can watch a movie as soon as I turn it on. The convergence is slightly off, but you only notice it if you look very closely.
My suggestion is that if your knocking on CRT projectors and you've never seen one, go find someone who has one then come back here and talk about it. I guarantee if you see a properly setup CRT, you will be completely amazed. Especially if you watch a HD DVD or TV.
So I spent $289.99 for a projector that has at least 9,000 hours left on it, with the blackest blacks and whitest whites possible. Meanwhile, I spent a little over $300 for my DIY LCD with poor black and white contrast ratios.
Even with the DIY LCD's with a 400:1 contrast ratio, compare that to the 1031q's 15,000:1. Or the big boys with 35,000:1 with 2200+ lumen output.
I hate to tell you, but not everyone can get a great a deal as you did. You got an incredible deal, most people are lucky to get a semi-decent CRT with maybe half the life left on the tubes for more than you paid. You can't tell everyone they should stop what they are trying and get a CRT projector because they only cost 300 dollars, because most of them cost a lot more than that, or are very poor projectors.
You can easily get a Sony 127xQ series for under $1000. That's just standard w/o looking for a good deal. To me, 800x600 looks like garbage on my 17" monitor. Why would I want that blown up to 100"?
Ehuwiko, 1031q's got for $200 on ebay all the time. The most expensive one I've seen in the past couple months is $210. Most of them have little or no wear. Quite a few of them pop up like mine, with no visible wear on the tubes at all. I'm not telling anyone to stop what they are doing and buy a CRT. I'm sure a lot of people are happy with there LCD projectors. All of us have different standards. I'm just saying that for about the same price of what I paid for my LCD I got a very nice CRT. It all really depends on your situation too. If your in a smaller room, then LCD is definitely better. If you have more time and room, I'd go with CRT.
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