[Simon]

I want to buy a decent projector to use as a home cinema to watch my DVDs. I will be hooking it up to my PowerBook (closed-lid mode) or to a dedicated Mac mini through DVI. Mainly I'll be watching DVDs, but maybe also some MPEG4, avi or divx through VLC. I might even want to control iTunes and use the projector as a display for the mini, but that's not crucial.

A friend (who seems to have an idea when it comes to projectors but doesn't use a Mac) suggested I take at look at these three models which all cost roughly the same (about $2000):

• Sanyo PLV Z3
• Panasonic PT-AE700
• Hitachi PJ-TX100

Now, they all seem to be pretty similar (1280x720 HDTV resolution, DVI input, quiet 26dB operation, etc.) and I don't have a clue what's really important when it comes to movie projectors. Can anybody here point me towards a certain one of these projectors? Any experience/success using one of these projectors with a Mac? Do they work well? I hope I get some advice here, because I have no means of testing the projectors myself. I figure any experience or user report is better than just choosing the cheapest one of these models...

[kikkoman]

Probably more info then you'd ever want to know here...

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forum...amp;forumid=68

[Mithras]

You might also consider the Infocus 4805, which is cheaper (~$1200), mainly because it's lower res. But if you're mostly watching DVDs, the lower resolution is fine and possibly even better, because you won't be rescaling.

[Simon]

Originally Posted by Mithras

You might also consider the Infocus 4805, which is cheaper (~$1200), mainly because it's lower res. But if you're mostly watching DVDs, the lower resolution is fine and possibly even better, because you won't be rescaling.

I don't quite understand. The beamer would not have to scale up would it? I mean, it could show the DVD native resolution (whatever that would be) and leave the remaining pixels black like the black borders you can get on your screen, right? I actually like the 1280x720 resolution because it's, well high (duh), but also because it's HDTV which means future-proof. BTW, the Infocus 4805 also has only 750 ANSI lumens, which is lower than the 1200 I've seen on others. I guess that matters, doesn't it?

Thanks for your help.

[Simon]

Originally Posted by kikkoman

Probably more info then you'd ever want to know here...

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forum...amp;forumid=68

Thanks for the link!

Problem is, that forums like that one contain tons of geek information, but unfortunately I don't understand too much of it. I don;t know jack about projectors and I don;t really want to learn much about it either. I'd just like to buy a good one.

Additionally, such boards are normally pretty PC-focussed (of course as always) and I'm only interested in using it with my Macs. I had also tried to search google for information on one these projectors, but there I had the exact same problems.

That's why I wanted to just ask quickly on this board. I was hoping somebody here had had some positive experience using one of these projectors with a Mac and could point me to a certain model.

[jebjeb]

I have the Hitachi PJ-TX100 and it is great. Quiet, manual lense shift (which means even if the projector is mounted a little off centre you can straighten it up without the quality issues of electronic keystone correction), great contrast (When I watch movies, I switch the iris to level 4 out of 10 which makes the blacks very black but the picture still bright and punchy) and it looks good in my opinion.

Make sure you get a proper screen. I used my old projector on a cream wall for a year or so and although it worked, going to a proper screen has made the colours so much better as well as framatically increased the contrast and brightness. Plus it looks great to have a nice screen on the wall. My screen is actually a sheet of MDF painted with two types of special screen paint called "Screen Goo". It is actually a very light grey in colour which drops the brightness compared to pure white but also increases the contrast.

Have a look at http://homepage.mac.com/jebjeb/PhotoAlbum6.html to see the screen. Unfortunately, it is connected to a HTPC rather than a mac.

Give me a yell if you want any more advice.

Jeb

[Simon]

Jeb, thanks a lot for that input. I guess if you like your PJ-TX100 and it works with your Mac, it will be fine for me.

I'm not sure about the screen. I will be projecting onto a white wall, but it's kind of rough, so I guess I won't want to project onto the wall directly. Screens tend to be a bit bulky however and their black borders make them kind of eye-catching which I don't like too much. What about a piece of 3 by 2 yards white linen nailed firmly to the wall? Would that be OK? I'm not a freak, just interested in decent quality.

[jebjeb]

Originally Posted by Simon

Jeb, thanks a lot for that input. I guess if you like your PJ-TX100 and it works with your Mac, it will be fine for me.

I'm not sure about the screen. I will be projecting onto a white wall, but it's kind of rough, so I guess I won't want to project onto the wall directly. Screens tend to be a bit bulky however and their black borders make them kind of eye-catching which I don't like too much. What about a piece of 3 by 2 yards white linen nailed firmly to the wall? Would that be OK? I'm not a freak, just interested in decent quality.

A white sheet will work but, of course, won't be the best solution. If you are after something that isn't going to stand out too much, I would look at a retractable (roll up) projection screen. If you can forgo the electric action, you can find a good manual screen for not too much. You will notice the difference. Have a look at http://www.bigondigital.com/display....mp;Brand=Elite Sorry, I am not from the US (I assume you are!) so don't know the best places to get things. Just do a search on Google for projection screens.

Your other options are to just buy some projection screen material http://www.dazian.com/html/projection_screens.html and hang that up (make sure you attach it to a nice straight strip of timber at the top and bottom to keep it as smooth and flat as possible). If you really want to go for the least expensive way, I would look at something like a white shower curtain. I have used them before for a quick and dirty front and REAR projection system. The smoothness and lack of weave compared to linen can be good. Best thing is to work out how much you want to spend and go from there. I would recommend that it is worth $150-200 for a pull down screen.

Good luck!

[Simon]

Thanks again, Jeb.

I just noticed that you actually mentioned you use it with a PC and not a Mac. I'm interested how it will work with a Mac. Do you have an idea if everything will be the same (and thus fine) or if there might be any problems using it with a Mac. I was thinking about hooking up my 15" Al Book or a dedicated mini via DVI. Any issues maybe?

[jebjeb]

I have tried it via VGA on my Tibook. No probs. You will have no problems with DVI. I know the Mac mini can output a native 1280x720 and I am sure that your powerbook can as well. If there were any issues there is a resolution hack out for OS X which allows you to create any res you want.

Personally, instead of building my HTPC, I should have just got a second-hand G4 tower and filled it with hard drives. I would much rather have a Mac for the job. Oh well, the PC is doing the job.

Make sure you get a decent DVI cable as I assume it will be fairly long. Try not to go over 7 or 8 metres. The good thing is that there are not many cruddy long DVI cables out there.

[Simon]

The DVI cable will actually be rather short, since the projector will be on a stand with a shelf mounted just underneath for the PowerBook or mini. I guess the cable could be as short a 2 meters. The audio cable will go from the Mac to my stereo system and likely be a tad longer but not much, since it's all in the same 'cinema' room.

[jebjeb]

Sounds like that will be fine, Simon.

Thats one of the great thing about the TX100. The lense shift lets you have the projector either mounted upside down on a ceiling mount (like mine) or right-way-up on a shelf but still shining down lower than the base of the projector. I am actually going to lower my screen a bit further so it is more eye level.

Make sure you post some pics when you have it setup!

I have all my AV equipment at the front of my theatre. Long DVI cables are much cheaper than good speaker cable for my front speakers.

Are you looking at having Dolby Digital? If so, assuming you have a surround amp/receiver, you will need some form of digital audio output for you PB/mini. Something like the M audio sonica or theatre. Lots of options out there. Or are you just looking at stereo/Prologic?

[Simon]

No DD, just plain old stereo. I'm not an AV freak, I just want a projector and I figured I might as well get a decent one. My main concern is that the projector should work well out of the box with my Macs and that its human interface should be simple and clear.

[jebjeb]

Now you mention the interface, I find the Hitachi to have a great one. There is a simple menu (which amazingly has nearly every thing you want in it!) and a full menu. There are presets you can save as well. I have two presets plus the three built in ones I use. I mainly use "Off" which opens the iris fully so it is very bright but the contrast is lower. The I use my two presets. One is with the iris at 6 and the fan on whisper and the other is iris at 4 with fan on whisper. If I have the lights on in the room I use "Off", if the lights are off and I am just doing some casual viewing I use the 6 setting and then for movies I use 4.

All of these are accessible direct through one button on the remote. No hunting in menus which is great.

[Simon]

Jeb, thanks for that information. That sounds very good. We have a projector in a conference room here at our lab and it drives you nuts if you just want to do simple stuff; no way I want something like that at home. I'm glad to hear that the Hitachi PJ-TX100 seems to be easy to control. I guess I just made up mind.

[Simon]

Jeb, I do have one more question about the Hitachi PJ-TX100: how long does its lamp last and how expensive is it to get a new one? Is it some standard lamp that's easy to find or is it a proprietary Hitachi lamp that's more difficult to get your hands on?

[jebjeb]

Simon, I believe the lamp lasts 2000 hours plus. It also seems to be one of the cheapest lamps available. I am not sure if there are non-hitachi versions of it but the genuine lamp goes for under $270 in the US (off Froogle). This is better than most. The projector only came out about 9 months ago and it is still fairly easy to get lamps for projectors about 5 or 6 years old (well at least on the older projectors I have at work).

[Jordan]

Simon - if you can wait a few days for an answer I am in the process of installing a Panasonic PTAE700 at my place. It is being mounted in the roof on a motorised elevator with a motorised screen and a host of other things. Okay, it may be a bit of a Rolls Royce solution and it's costing over $25k but the underlying components are a Panasonic PTAE700, a Yamaha DSP amp and a G5 Mac.

I actually toyed with using a Mac Mini and still haven't given up on that yet however at the moment it's going to be wired into a G5.

If you are interested wait a few days until it's finished and I'll give you a review along with a few photos if you want. Workmen arrived on Monday and are due to finish by Friday.

Regards,

Jordan

[Simon]

Jordan, thanks, I'd love to hear your experience with the Panasonic projector. I actually haven't bought the Hitachi yet, because I just had too much work to do and didn't find time to go out and buy/install it. I'm anxious to hear your report. How did you decide to get the Panasonic? Any clear advantages over the Hitachi or Sanyo?

[Jordan]

It came highly recommended by the professionals that are installing my theatre. I was looking at another one that was over $8,000 but they said that honestly, the Panasonic gave the best bang for the buck. These guys used to work for Sony repairing projectors before starting their own business.

The screen went in today as did all the speakers. The centre speaker is motorised and lowers down to better project the sound forward. Very nice. Screen is fantastic. The lift has gone in but there is no projector attached to it. It's all getting very exciting.

Tomorrow the projector gets installed, the amp hooked up and all the cables wired up. The HDMI cable has been pulled through to the G5. They will put a small DVI to HDMI plug on the end so I can go from the Mac to the wall with DVI then it will come out on the projector in the other room.

The whole thing is controlled by a Marantz programmable remote control. The Mac will be run by the keyboard and mouse over bluetooth. I only hope that the range is good enough. Otherwise I will have to look at some sort of bluetooth booster...

Anyway, taking more photos tonight and hopefully the finished ones tomorrow.

Cheers,

Jordan

[jebjeb]

Jordan, The PTAE700 sounds pretty good. Initially I though that you were looking at some pretty different price ranges but I just noticed your on Aussie dollars! Be interested to hear your opinion of it.

Simon - I haven't seen the Panasonic in person but it specs wise it looks like it has the same panels but is capable of higher contrast. Looks to be about an extra 30-40% price wise on the Hitachi.

[Erik]

Originally Posted by Jordan

It came highly recommended by the professionals that are installing my theatre. I was looking at another one that was over $8,000 but they said that honestly, the Panasonic gave the best bang for the buck. These guys used to work for Sony repairing projectors before starting their own business.

The screen went in today as did all the speakers. The centre speaker is motorised and lowers down to better project the sound forward. Very nice. Screen is fantastic. The lift has gone in but there is no projector attached to it. It's all getting very exciting.

Tomorrow the projector gets installed, the amp hooked up and all the cables wired up. The HDMI cable has been pulled through to the G5. They will put a small DVI to HDMI plug on the end so I can go from the Mac to the wall with DVI then it will come out on the projector in the other room.

The whole thing is controlled by a Marantz programmable remote control. The Mac will be run by the keyboard and mouse over bluetooth. I only hope that the range is good enough. Otherwise I will have to look at some sort of bluetooth booster...

Anyway, taking more photos tonight and hopefully the finished ones tomorrow.

Cheers,

Jordan

I'm interested in whether you had any trouble with hdcp when you connect your mac computer to the hdmi input on the ae700. Are you getting a picture that is better than through the monitor or S-video ports?
Erik

[tooki]

Originally Posted by Simon

...The beamer would not have to scale up would it? ...)

<off topic> You know that "beamer" is German for a projector? Like "handy" for a mobile phone, it is a pseudoanglicism that means nothing in English! </off topic>

tooki

[Jordan]

Originally Posted by Erik

I'm interested in whether you had any trouble with hdcp when you connect your mac computer to the hdmi input on the ae700. Are you getting a picture that is better than through the monitor or S-video ports?
Erik

Erik,

Been a bit of delay on the set up. I went to Europe for 3 weeks. Everything is installed and it all looks great. Only thing that is not installed is the connection to the Mac. Was waiting on the purchase of my new Mac which will be Monday now. Will take about a week to deliver, then I get the guy back in to finish the config.

Still planning to post the finished set up.

Projector is fantastic!

Cheers,

Jordan

[oliverw]

Hi Jordan!

I'm just about to buy an AE700 and dying to hear your verdit on the AE700 to Mac connectivity issue.


Cheers,
Oliver.

[Jordan]

Hi Oliver,

Purchased the G5 but then before I could get it set up I had a processor failure and now it's back at Apple being fixed. Been there a week now so expecting it back soon...

My guy came around to set up everything but I didn't have the computer so we couldn't get that part going. However, on a whim I plugged it into my PB and it worked perfectly. Very crisp for the OS but it did struggle a little with displaying the full resolution of the randomiser in iTunes. (Not surprising on a PB though...)

I had the PB hooked up to the wiring closet in my office and a DVI to HDMI convertor plug on the mini-DVI to DVI connector. That went to an HDMI cable that went about 10 metres to the projector which is mounted in the ceiling of the living room.

Very satsified with the projector so far. Using a Pioneer DVD player for watching movies. Haven't tried the Mac for that yet. Will wait until I get the G5 back.

My AV guy is so impressed with the AE-700 and he's an independant professional that does this for a living.

If you want to wait a week or so I will have the G5 back and can test that too. Reckon that if it works on the PB it will work on the G5.

Cheers,

Jordan

[Jordan]

Oliver and others that are interested....

Finally got my G5 back after not one but two processor replacements. Not happy that it needed that.

Anyway, it's all plugged back in and works perfectly.

Was a little challenge finding the right combination of screen resolutions but in the end everything is working fine.

The Mac immediately recognised the projector when it was plugged in as an AE700 so there was no need for any further calibration. Out of interest I've run a 15m HDMI cable from the projector through the ceiling into my office. That's then attached to an HDMI to DVI convertor plug that goes straight into the Mac. Sound is from the optical output port straight into the Yamaha amp.

It works fantastically well with the iTunes visualiser. The video card in the PowerBook struggled to display the full resolution.

Couldn't be happier with the set up but I don't really have anything to compare it to. Worked seemlessly out of the box. A very Mac experience....

Cheers,

Jordan

[paulvail]

Hey all,

I have a client with a G4/450. The ATI Rage128 pro won't support both the apple cinema 23 and an external InFocus ScreenPlay 5000 projector. With only 16 Mb RAM on the vid card, I suspect the minimum res on the projector (1280x768) is too much. Am spec'ing a second PCI card for the G4. Any recommendations would be most welcome.

[Simon]

Just for the record, I bought the Hitachi Lumina PJ TX100 yesterday. It's awesome! Works with the Mac just fine. Hooking it up through DVI is flawless.

[paulvail]

Thanks Simon... I guess I should have mentioned I would simply like a decent VGA card -- and not use the DVI (we already own a 10 meter high quality VGA cord and everything is wired).