CRT Projectors Anyone ?

[scottkelly]

I am looking for the best bang for the buck on a projector and just as I found the Ascend community (totally by luck) I have found a great resource and I believe I just stopped myself from making a grave mistake . http://www.curtpalme.com/ These guys really breakdown the digital vs analog controversy . I was just checking to see if anyone here has owned or recently purchased a CRT projector ? If so what are your impressions ?

[scottkelly]

Granted I am a bit new to this hobby but when I first got the idea of using a projector I went the usual route to get some input . So there I was on AVS asking questions , trying to get the best projector for the best price when someone asked my price range I listed $ 2500 for everything . They got a kick out of that one because I wanted to use the HD-DVD , PS3 , Wii , HD-Cable Box all on a projector that would get 1080P . Well it turns out I would have have to spend about $8,000 or so they said to get all of this and that was their lowball price. One gentleman sent me a link to a private website (Curtpalme.com) so here I go research ya know . I remember seeing these things (CRT projectors) in the bars about 10 years ago . Giant box usually big screen with funny colors . Then I saw what people had done with these in their homes and it really got my attention . After a ton of research I decided to get one to try it out . I received my Electrohome Marquee 8500 on Jan 5th since then I have read about 100 pages of tech manuals and have inlisted 100's of questions from the forum that supports most brands of CRT projectors .The only thing I can say is MY GOD what a picture . I am running a 100" screen at 1080p and it is flawless . This is not easy as I have no help and went in blind , but once you learn a new language and understand what all the remote buttons do it is really still complicated BUT WELL WORTH IT . Just as when I first calibrated the Ascend 7.3 setup that feeling of yea I did make the right decision , I got this feeling the other night when I made the final adjustments and the picture popped out and I felt I could reach out and jump inside the screen (really the 3D effect is amazing ) So just as I feel I got the best sound for the money with Ascend , I now know that a CRT projector is by far the cheapest best way to get 1080P . All for a little over $2,000 Screen included . I hope this helps just one person who might not have heard of CRT projectors . There are options out there you just have to be willing to do a bit of work .

[Quinn]

Very cool!

I just bought a 65" CRT RPTV for $1200 last month. The bang for the buck is incredible as everyone wants flat panels. I'm fortunate to have the space it. 3-4 years ago a similiar set would have been around $5K.

[sensibull]

Or you could go DIY and build your own projector. For less than $200 in parts (including a bulb that will last 12,000 hours and only cost me $10), I just finished building this (the wood still needs staining).



Screen shot on a plain gray wall, about 100" diagonal. Resolution is only 800 x 480, but for a big screen on the cheap, I'm pretty happy.

[drewface]

Or you could go DIY and build your own projector. For less than $200 in parts (including a bulb that will last 12,000 hours and only cost me $10)

WOW! can you point me (us) in the direction of your resources for this project? also, what sort of features does the DIY projector have? can it switch between 4:3 and 16:9, do progressive scan, etc? the screen shot of it's projector looks great, i'd really be interested in doing this.

[sensibull]

Well, in the interests of full disclosure, you will probably have to do a LOT of reading before you can even start a build with any confidence (and hope for decent results). You will also have to luck into some serious deals on ebay to keep costs as low. $300 is probably a more realistic number for your average build. You will also need a light-controlled (more or less lightless) viewing environment. Overall brightness is the biggest drawback to DIY (though it can be alleviated to a certain extent with higher wattage bulbs).

My PLOG (projector log) for this build can be found here.

Take a look at the references and tutorials section at Lumenlab, and thoroughly digest both the basic .pdf guide and the more current wiki (you may need to become a member to to get access to the latter).

As far as aspect ratios and other features, that all depends on the LCD panel you choose. The more features/higher resolution the harder it will be to find a good deal. I kept costs down by scoring a high-end portable DVD player for very cheap and harvesting the panel from that.

Sorry about hijacking your thread Scott (and I have no doubt your CRT destroys my lowly DIY build). The enthusiasm of a newly completed project got the better of me.

[scottkelly]

That is truly amazing . I would have never thought of building one myself . I dont even think the gurus that repair and mod the expensive ones have ever tried anything like that . It just goes to show you what a little ingenuity and a lot of hard work will do for you .

[drewface]

thanks. that looks like a fun project. i might try it once i'm done with school.