Sharp’s new models are big as the company continues to migrate its image and marketing to be known as  “the big screen HDTV maker”. Sharp brings to CES five new series topping out with an 80-Inch 3D Smart TV. Read on for details.

945 Series

Sharp’s 945 series is its top of the line and includes its 1080p Quad Pixel Plus II (red, blue, green, yellow) LCD panels with active Full HD 3D using its 3D X-Gen Panel. Sharp claims its new panel is the brightest panel its ever produced.  Other improvements are 3D depth enhancement, full LED backlight with local dimming (available in the Elite line this is a first under the Sharp nameplate).  Other enhancements are 240Hz (likely to be 120 Hz with scanning backlight as in its Elite models).

Smart TV functions include a newly designed user interface with full screen or dock views caled SmartCentral, an Internet browser and more that 100 services and apps including CinemaNow, NetFlix and Vudu and Aquos Advantage Live online customer support. 945 models include built-in WiFi and 5 HDMI inputs.

The 945s ship in June in the 70 and 80-Inch screen sizes.

847 Series

The 845 models use a “Quad Pixel” LCD panel and offer the same functionality as the 945 but in an edge lit LED array instead of full backlight. The series is ultra slim with a narrow bezel with brushed aluminum finish. This model includes 3D, 240 Hz refresh, built-in WiFi, 4 HDMI inputs and all the same Smart TV functions. The 845s are available in April in the 60 and 70-Inch screen sizes.

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745 Series

Edge lit LEDs with 120 Hz refresh, 3D, ultra slim with narrow bezel with brushed aluminum finish, 3D, Smart TV, WiFi built-in and 4 HDMI inputs. The 745s ship in March in the 60 and 70-Inch screen sizes.

640/540 Series

Features include X-Gen three color sub-pixel (red,blue,green) LCD panel, edge lit LEDs. 120 Hz, ultra slim design with narrow bezel, Smart TV, built-in WiFi and 4 HDMI inputs. Shipping in March the 640 series is available in the 52,60 and 70-Inch screen sizes. The 540 models ship in March in the 42 and 46-Inch screen sizes.

XV-Z30000 DLP Front Projector

Sharp’s latest 3D front projector ships next month. Here is a list of features as appears in its press release.

Center Lens 3D Full HD DLP Theater Projector

Lens Shift Horizontal / Vertical Shift for accurate setup

Exceptional 3D Image Quality Free From Cross Talk

Two Pair 3D Glasses and Built-in IR Emitter included

3D Glasses have both 3D and 2D selection modes

50,000:1 High Contrast Ratio

1,600 ANSI lumens High Brightness

Image Shift + Eco Quiet Mode

2 Iris modes Brightness / Contrast

6x Speed / 6 Segment Primary (RGB) Color Wheel for Natural Color Reproduction

2.35: 1 Cinema Scope Vertical Stretch mode

Dual HDMI Terminals (Ver. 1.4 – 3D over HDMI)

Component / S-Video / Computer Inputs

HQV Reon VX-210 Imaging Processor incorporated

Gamma Adjustment and Color Management System

RS-232 Control Port + 12 Volt Trigger + RJ45 LAN

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Whether you’re trying to decide which HDTV to purchase, how to get the best deal or how to hook-up and set a new HDTV for the best image, we have all the answers to these issues and more. Below find holiday advice on all things HD.

LED, LCD, Plasma, DLP? Connected TVs, 3D and more our “How To Pick the Right HDTV” article with chart will guide you through.

Buy an HDTV from a brick and mortar store or online? Check this out.

Want to learn about negotiating a better price?   This article will tell you which stores will let you bargain a better price and how to do it.

Just bought a new HDTV?  Our article will guide you getting the set from the store to home without hassles or problems.

Amazon’s  Top Holiday Deals

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HDTVs For $500 and Less

You just gave the family a new HDTV for the holiday? Click here to learn how to set it up.

Read this before you are misled into overpaying for an HDMI cable. Need a longer HDMI cable?  Read our HDMI test report.

Perhaps you don’t want to run a cable or can’t due to brick or concrete walls. This article compares wireless HDMI systems.

Ready for theater like surround sound? Check out our Surround Sound receiver buying guide.

Are you really watching programs in HD? You may not be. Make sure by reading this.

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Copyright 2011 HD Guru Inc. All rights reserved. HDGURU is a registered trademark.

If you haven’t adjusted the settings on your new HDTV, you’re not getting its full performance

By eye or with a Blu-ray setup disc, having an understanding of what each picture control does is crucial to getting the best picture.

With a Goldilocks-esque “just right” amount of technical bits and practical advice, our guide should have you on the road to a better picture in minutes.

Picture Modes

Nearly all TVs have picture modes that adjust multiple settings to create a certain “look” to the image. The best idea is to start with the “most accurate” setting, then adjust as you see fit. With nearly all TVs, this mode is called “Movie,” “Cinema,” or something similar. If these aren’t options, “Standard” is likely close.

If you’ve been watching your TV for a more than a few minutes, switching to one of these modes is going to be a shock. It will seem red (warm) and soft. It isn’t, which I’ll explain as we go.

Contrast

This control adjusts the bright parts of the image: Clouds, white shirts, snow, etc. The idea is to set this control high enough that the image “pops,” but not so high as to mask detail. All TVs have a maximum contrast setting, above which you’re not making the image any brighter, you’re just making near-white objects totally white.

If you’re using a setup disc, the contrast pattern will have a ramp of progressively whiter bars. The idea is to be able see most of these (but not those labeled “above white”).

If you’re not using a setup disc, find a TV show (ideally a live sporting event) that takes place outside. Skiing works great for this, though baseball does as well (fly balls, any shot of the sky). The idea is to be able to set the control so that you can still see detail in bright white objects. There should almost never be bright white blobs on the screen. If there are, turn the contrast control down some.

There is no average number to use as a guideline for this setting, but it’s almost never 100 or anything close. Try somewhere around 80% and go from there.

Brightness

This is the opposite of the contrast control. It adjusts the dark parts of the image: Shadows, black hair, black leather jackets. The idea here is to set this control low enough that the picture has lots of contrast (as in, the difference in the light and dark parts of the image), but not so far that there’s just huge swaths of blackness on screen during any night scene.

If you’re using a setup disc, the brightness pattern will have a ramp of progressively darker black bars. The idea is to be able see most of these (but not those labeled “below black” or similar).

If you’re setting this by eye, any night or darkly lit scene will do. Set the control fairly low, past the point where you lose detail. Now gradually increase it until you see detail. If the picture looks gray or washed out, you’ve gone too far.

Color/Tint

Generally speaking, you shouldn’t have to adjust these at all. These are holdovers from the old tube TV (CRT) days. With component and HDMI connections, the TV shouldn’t need adjustment to color or tint.

But so you know, color is color saturation. Set too high, people will look sunburned, and everything will seem cartoony. Tint adjusts the green/red in the image (Martian/lobster). Without specific color filters (that usually come with setup discs), you can’t adjust either of these settings these correctly. Skip.

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Sharpness

This is a highly misleading control. Generally speaking, the Sharpness control adds enhancement to the image to make it appear sharp. Ironically, by doing so, it’s actually masking true fine detail in the image. This setting should be set as low as possible. Some TVs actually soften the image if you set it too low (bizarre, to be sure), so watch out for that. Look for dark lines on a bright background. Edges of buildings work great. Lower this setting so there isn’t any ghost line next to the dark edge. This ghost line is called “edge enhancement,” and goes a long way in making the image look artificial.

Once you get used to the naturalness of the image without edge enhancement, you’ll never go back.

Color Temperature

This one is going to be tough. Not because it requires any labor on your part, it’s just going to do something to the image that at first is going to seem bad.

Color temperature is how bluish or reddish the image looks. Picture a typical scene of people walking down a street. Set the color temp too cool, and it will look like they’re walking down the street in winter, with that season’s normal bluish tones. Set the color temp too warm, and it will be a reddish warm day instead.

With most TVs, the idea setting is “Warm” or “Low.” In some cases, this is too warm, and “Normal” is closer. If you’re changing the settings for the first time, and the TV was set in the “cool” color temp mode, it is definitely not accurate and even “Normal” will appear to your eye as too warm. Give your eyes time to adjust. Watch on “Normal” for a few hours, and “Cool” will seem incredibly blue.

Check out my article on color temp over at CNET for more on this.

Backlight

If you’ve read Gary’s buyers beware article on TV backlights, you’ll know the importance. Interestingly, no setup disc offers instructions on how to set this control. This is an LCD/LED LCD specific control. Plasmas don’t have backlights.

The backlight setting is like a volume control for the image. Turn it up, and the entire picture (bright whites and dark blacks alike) get brighter. Turn it down, and everything gets darker.

If you leave this turned all the way up, not only are you wasting energy, but at night your TV can be hard to watch. Modern LCDs are extremely bright, and watching such a small bright object in a dark room can create severe eye fatigue.

During the day, set this as high as you want.

For critical viewing, or watching at night, the idea is to get the best black levels, while still creating a watchable image. Once the you set contrast and brightness correctly, turn the backlight control all the way down. This will likely be too dark for most viewing. Turn it up to the point where it looks the best. Often, at night, this could be as low as 20%, depending on the TV.

Check out my article on Contrast Ratio for more info.

Conclusion

It’s not possible for a TV to be set at the factory with the best settings possible for your home. Twenty minutes or so on your end can drastically improve the picture quality of your TV. We strongly suggest a setup Blu-ray. They’re cheap, and the Disney WOW disc is especially helpful and easy to follow.

Beyond that, a local ISF Calibrator will dial in your TV perfectly, including calibrating the color temperature and often the actual color points of the TV.

Geoff Morrison  @TechWriterGeoff
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Lets say you into 3D. Lets also say you think active shutter glasses are the work of the devil.

Well Tru3D has a solution for you: a converter that turns any 3D projector requiring active shutter glasses into a 3D that only requires cheap passive 3D glasses, plus all the brightness benefits that go along with that.

Background

All 3D projectors under $15k for the home market currently use “active” 3D technology. This means they require active shutter glasses, battery operated LCD lenses shutter in sync with the image to allow/not allow light to enter your left or right eye. In addition to the cumbersome nature if these glasses, they reduce the apparent light output of the projector. Even a bright projector will be dimmer in 3D mode while wearing the glasses. A bright 3D projector, in 3D mode, will offer marginal-to-mediocre brightness. A marginally bright projector, will be outright dim in 3D mode.

Most movie theaters use a different method, called passive 3D. The glasses required for this method have simple circular polarized lenses. These let far more light through to the eyes. Passive 3D puts some of the heavy lifting on the projector (instead of splitting the burden with the glasses, as with active). It also requires the use of a screen that maintains the polarization of the light, which most don’t. These two factors are why you don’t see more passive 3D projectors for the home.

Enter Tru3D, with their “Polarization Modulator,” a device to convert an active 3D projector into a passive 3D projector.

The core of the Tru3D system is a single-plane polarizer. Mounted in front of a projector lens, it twists the light depending on which eyes information is displayed. On your face all you need are cheap circular polarized glasses like you steal borrow get at most 3D movie theaters. The only trick is you need a silver screen that keeps the polarization of the incoming light. This, of course, is an added cost.

If you have a big family or have big movie parties requiring a lot of glasses, this could be cost effective. Also, if you’ve got a huge screen, the extra brightness possible with non-active glasses 3D will be extremely welcome.

Setup

My review sample was an Optoma HD33 with Tru3D rig attached. They sell this setup, for $3,300.  Separately, the Tru3D Polarizer is $1,499 and will work with any “single-lens stereoscopic 3D projector (up to 6K Lumens) “. The polarizer hooks up to a small box that itself plugs into the service port on the back of the projector.

My review sample also came with a Da-Lite silver screen, though it was a small portable unit that isn’t fair to review on its own. As far as screens that maintain the polarization, this silver Da-Lite fits the bill. Stewart makes a  screen that is said to work well with both 2D and polarized 3D.

Firing up the projector, I can see a potential issue right away. The polarizer acts as a mirror, reflecting a bright image exactly backwards. I calculated about 10% of the brightness of your projector is now lopped off and shot backwards. So tabletop placement is out of the question, as is any placement that would put the polarizer in your line of sight. Depending on your room, this reflected image will make your back wall a second screen. At least mostly, the bottom part of the reflected image hits the projector itself.

The fix for this would be fairly easy, some sort of black matte cloth acting as a sort of shroud between the lens and the polarizer (but not much more, you don’t want to cover any of the projector’s vents).

Even in home theater we not immune to the laws of physics, so all that light bouncing backwards is light not going on the screen. So right away some of the advantage of a passive 3D system is being lost (i.e., the added brightness). It didn’t seem to matter much.

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Testing

The 3D effect is quite good, with a lot of depth. There’s also a naturalness to it I find lacking in most active shutter systems. Maybe it’s a subconscious revulsion of the shutters. As far as 3D goes, it’s more relaxing to watch than many other 3D projectors, though how much of this is the extreme brightness of the small silver screen in my review sample, I honestly can’t say. I did get the mild eye strain I’ve gotten with some active shutter glasses though, so that’s something. There was some slight cross-talk, but not any more than I’ve seen on some other 3D displays. It had a slight red tint, but it wasn’t that overly noticeble. If you move off to the side, the 3D effect flattens a little, but not badly. Overall Irate the 3D as “very good.

How much light is lost with this system is debatable. The passive glasses themselves certainly seem to pass more light, compared to active shutter glasses. Putting them on doesn’t have the intense sunglasses at night feeling you get with actives. When you add in the light lost to the reflection, plus what’s lost in the polarizer itself, I’dsay that there’s still an advantage in brightness going for passive, but not as much as it may seem at first.

The most notable difference between active and passive, though, is there’s always light going to your eyes with passive. That seems to have an effect on perceived brightness, though whether this is psychosomatic or physical, I can’t say.

Conclusions

Being such an odd product, I feel I have to qualify this review slightly. The small silver screen used in this review created an extremely bright image. Brighter is always better, even to trained eyes. On a normal sized screen, with normal projector brightness, I bet the difference between active and passive would be less severe. That said, the lightweight glasses and added perceived brightness are definite and worth considering.

So overall, the Tru3D is an interesting, if niche, product. It’s a bit pricy in my eyes, but then again I’m not keeping a family of 5 in $100 3D glasses. If you watch a lot of 3D and are tired of replacing batteries or recharging, or you like to have big movie nights and don’t feel like buying $1,000 worth of 3D glasses, the Tru3D certainly looks a lot more appealing. Also, and it may seem trivial, but wearing passive glasses is way less annoying than active. Lastly, the extra brightness of the 3D image is very welcome. If this seems like something you’d be interested in, I can say that it works exactly as advertised (placement concerns aside).

The Tru3D Active-to-Passive 3D Polarizer is priced $1,499.99 at Tru3d.com. HDGuru.com awards the Polarizer a ♥♥♥.5 out of ♥♥♥♥♥ heart rating.

Geoff Morrison   @TechWriterGeoff
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You did your research, checked the reviews, the viewing distance chart, and our article on how to avoid what the biggest mistakes people make when choosing a HDTV (link).

Now that you’ve decided on the right set, it’s time to find the right dealer. Brick and mortar or on-line, we’ll look at both.  We’ll also discuss the store’s policies (which may be hidden).  To avoid problems you must know all the store polices before you pluck your money down.

1) Return Policy

You would be surprised how many brick-and-mortar and on-line retailers have a “no return” policy when it comes to HDTVs. The store does not care if the set has shipping damage or is dead or what the problem is, they simply refuse a return. Your only alternative is to get the manufacturer to repair the set. If said manufacturer doesn’t have local parts or service you may have ship it to the company’s US offices… possibly at your expense! Furthermore, if the set has physical damage, they may not repair it under warranty.

2) Exchange Policy

So you thought you bought the ideal HDTV. Then you get it home and discover it is a fraction of an inch too wide for your custom made home entertainment unit. Then you check the store’s exchange policy and learn they don’t accept any TV exchanges or it’s past the short exchange time period. In other words, don’t take too long to check that the TV is the perfect one for you, or buy from a store with a decent exchange policy.

3) Restocking Charges

More and more on-line and B&M stores are instituting restocking charges for returns or exchanges, regardless of the problem or issue. These can be as high as 15 to 25% of the purchase price. An example, hidden deep on its website, Radio Shack charges a 10% restocking fee for Cinego DLP TV projectors.

4) Return Freight

If the store or on-line dealer charges for delivery to your home, odds are they’ll charge you return freight… if they accept returns at all. Pre-check the cost before making your purchase, not after. Amazon Direct is one of the few companies that always pay the return freight on HDTVs.

5) Must Use a Servicer For Repairs

Many retailers (on-line and otherwise) require the customer to call the manufacturer for repairs on any HDTV, even if it’s brand new. If this is the store policy, be prepared to wait days or weeks for a serviceman and possibly an additional wait for parts. We do not recommend stores that employ this anti-consumer policy.

6) The Set Was Delivered Yesterday, It’s Too Old For Refund!

A number of dealers require reporting a defective TV with 24 hours upon delivery to be eligible for a return and refund. For example, here is the policy of on-line HDTV seller Beach Audio as appears on Amazon.com:

“Damaged Items – In the rare event that an item arrives damaged, please refuse shipment if the damage is external or notify us within 24 hours if the damage is concealed. WE CAN NOT ACCEPT DAMAGE CLAIMS AFTER 24 HOURS from sign date. Beach Audio, at it’s sole discretion, will either ship a replacement or issue a full refund when and if the claim is settled with the carrier.”

7) No Replacement TV In Stock

If the store makes exchanges, what happens if you bought the last one in stock, or if the store is no longer stocking that model? Will they give you a refund, full store credit for another model or a free upgrade if you can’t get a replacement?  You don’t want the dealer to tell you to wait weeks or months for them to get in the another unit of the same make and model. Check inventory and the store exchange policy before making your purchase

8) What Happens If The Store You Just Bought The Set From Goes Out of Business

In this economy, consumer electronics stores are closing all over the country. Recently, 35 year old 6th Avenue Electronics closed all operations in New York, Delaware and Pennsylvania. Its website is still up, however it only list hours of 9-6 Monday through Friday. 6th Avenue  continues to operate three brick and mortar retail stores in New Jersey.

A quick Google news search of 6th Avenue Electronics back in March would have revealed its serious financial problems. That’s when GE, its floor plan company, filed a lawsuit against them for nonpayment. Check out a retailer on line for news stories and complaints. Consumeraffairs.com is an excellent source of reports on retailers and etailers.

9) Bad Installs

If you need your new HDTV connected and set-up, research the company’s installation department before buying. Many retailers outsource their installs to subcontractors, others simply do shoddy work. Check out from previous clients how good the store is beforehand, again consumeraffairs.com is a good place to begin to find complaints. The Better Business Bureau keeps records of complaints against businesses nationwide.  CEDIA.net, a custom installation trade organization, lists certified installer members by area.

10) Make Sure the Store Takes The Right Credit Card

If you want to double the manufacturer’s warranty for free, you need to use the right credit card. Our article (link) provides the information to the credit card companies rules. For example paying with an American Express can double the manufacturer’s warranty up to one year. Some online retailers do not accept it, locking you out of the free extension. Make sure the retailer or etailer you pick takes the right card before placing your order.

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All TVs manufactured after May 10th (that’s now!) are required to prominently display one of the Federal Trade Commissions’ stylish new Energy Guide labels.

Starting July 11, websites that sell televisions will be required to display an image of the full label as well, given that you can’t, you know, see the TV.

More info and Guru-tized analysis after the jump.

The Energy Guide labels are similar to those found on appliances, and must be displayed conspicuously on each TV. Each label will show the estimated yearly cost of that particular TV, based on a certain number of hours and cost per hour of electricity. In current (pun!) examples, this is $0.11 per kilowatt hour, with 5 hours a day of use.

More useful on the label is the comparison to other TVs of similar size, and where the TV discussed fits in the range of best and worst in that size category.

The power consumption is found using ENERGYSTAR testing procedures. We first wrote about ENERGYSTAR here.

Analysis

We at HD Guru think it’s a great idea to give consumers power consumption data, but there are a few details our readers should know when comparing different TVs.

The first is the real difference between “energy efficient” LED models, and “power hungry” plasmas. In a recent discussion with LG, for example, they said their 47-inch 47LW6500 LED LCD will have a Energy Guide yearly estimated cost of $13. Their 42-inch 42PT350 plasma, on the other hand, will have an estimated cost of $21. Given the vast price discrepancy between the average plasma and the average LED LCD (in our example, over $500), it is highly unlikely you would ever see a return on your investment, power consumption-wise (62.5 years, between these two).

The second is that if you change your TV’s initial settings, the power consumption will change. With LCDs (both LED and regular), increasing the backlight will increase power consumption. With plasmas increasing the contrast setting in the picture menu will increase power consumption. Increasing the contrast control with LCDs will have a negligible effect on power consumption.

As we’ve said before, the best setting for any LCD is the lowest backlight setting you can stand. This will supply the best black levels and conveniently the lowest power consumption possible while still creating an image you can actually see.

John Taylor, VP of Government Affairs for LG Electronics USA, told HD Guru: “LG embraces the new FTC labeling, as we believe it’s always helpful to give consumers more and valuable information.”

We expect other manufacturers would voice similar sentiments.

You can read more about the new labels here.

Geoff Morrison @TechWriterGeoff
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A few days ago I wrote an article espousing the virtues of front projection. I am an unabashed fan and hopelessly biased towards PJs. But to get the best performance out of a projector, you’re going to need a screen.

And this is the point where I lose the audience.

Still with me? Screens may seem boring, and there’s a lot to learn, but if you’re spending any amount of money on a projector you owe it to yourself to get a screen that lets you get the most from your new purchase.

Size (That’s What She Said)
The first thing to determine is how large a screen you can fit in your room. A custom installer (if you go that route) can fine tune it, but getting a rough idea is always a good, um, idea.

I’d recommend starting with a 100-inch diagonal 16×9 screen. This is a pretty average size for a screen, it’s large enough to give a “damn that’s a big TV” feeling while still being “small” enough to let you use any projector to create a bright image. This will mean a screen that’s roughly 87-inches wide, and 49-inches tall. You’ll need some space on the top and bottom (and maybe sides if you have a narrow room) depending on the frame, but we’ll get to that later.

If you want a wider-than-widescreen, 2.35 or 2.40:1, I’d still recommend starting with 49-inches tall, as you want to make sure that what you’re going to be watching most (16×9 material) is still large. This will depend on your room, of course.

For me, I have a 120-inch (ok 117.5) wide 2:35:1 screen, which means TV watching is about 102-inches.

The major determining factor in how tall of a screen you can fit (and by extension, how wide) is how far from the floor you want the bottom of the image. Too low, and it’s going to look weird. Too high and you’ll waste space. You want enough room below the screen to fit a center channel, but not so much as the center of the image is way above your seated eye line. Again here a 49 or 50-inch tall screen should fit nicely in a room with an 8-foot ceiling.

(We are living in a) Material (World)

Screen material is your next choice. These days, with most projectors, screen material is often just personal preference than any necessity based on the technology. In the early days of digital projection, the black levels were so poor that screen companies developed “grey” screens that made it seem like the black levels were better. This isn’t strictly necessary anymore. Most projectors have black levels that are at least decent enough that they’re not distracting. As I mentioned in the PJ article, some offer better black levels than then vaunted KURO plasmas.

Positive gain screens are the opposite. They focus the light so more light bounces towards the seating area, and less is scattered towards the walls, ceiling, and floor. While this may seem like a good thing (and in some cases, it is), keep in mind the black level is going to go up with a high-gain screen. Also, very high gain screens can have a hot spot, where the center of the image is noticeably brighter than the edges. People sitting off to the side will also enjoy a dimmer image, with more light being focused on the main seats.

In a large install, its desirable to place speakers behind the screen. Not only is this aesthetically pleasing, but it allows voices and sound effects to come directly from the screen (like a movie theater). This is possible because of perf, or perforated, screens. Millions of tiny holes that let the sound pass through reasonably unmolested. Pretty much all perf screens these days have holes that are small enough that they won’t interact with the pixels from a projector. You will lose a little overall light output though. A version of the perf screen is a woven screen (like those from Screen Research, Screen Excellence, and SI).

Slide Up, Slide Down, Slide Stationary
The ultimate in cool is an electric drop-down screen. Hidden in a ceiling or in a nondescript hosing, the screen remains rolled up and out of sight until you need it. Certainly more pricy than fixed screens, electric screens allow you to use the room for other things than watching movies.

What’s quite common now is a low cost LCD/plasma for daytime viewing, with the screen coming down at night for movies and serious TV viewing. Granted this adds $700-$1,000 to the total cost of the system (plus an HDMI D/A), but if you’re contemplating a drop-down screen, this money won’t likely break the bank.

An alternate version of the drop-down screen is the drop, well, up screen, where the housing lives on or in the floor, and the screen rises up.

(Another Brick in the) Walls
The color of whatever walls you can see when you’re watching the screen affects what you perceive on the screen. In other words, if you have a bright red wall, the image on screen will appear to have less red in it. This is true for TVs too, by the way. Ideally the wall around the screen will be a neutral color, like gray, but any mild color is better than something bright.

On a Budget
Can’t swing spending much money on a screen? There are options. Some DIYers will tell you to just paint a wall, or use some goo to create a reflective surface. If you want to go this route, I doubt I could talk you out of it. I won’t, however, recommend it. The main reason is that the screen surface is visible, it is part of the image. If you’re using a screen, then in most cases you won’t notice it. If you’re using a wall, every little imperfection, paint stroke, and most importantly texture is going to be visible when watching a movie. It can look… well, lumpy.

There are so many low-cost options available, I don’t understand the desire to paint a wall. Here’s a sampling of what I found on Amazon.

Vutec Lectric I 16:9 Motorized Projection Screen – $576.02 (38% off)

Elite Screens EzFrame Fixed Frame Projection Screen – $429.39 (46% off)

Elite Screens ER120WH1 120″ Diagonal Sable Frame Series Screen – $320.09 (32% off)

Draper Accuscreens 92″ Diagonal Electric Wall/Ceiling Screen – $260.10 (36% off)

Vutec Silver Star 110″ Diagonal Fixed Frame Projection Screen – $1,905.32 (13% off)

Setup. Begin enjoyment… now!
All screens are going to have an effect on the color temperature of the projector. If you’re buying the two at the same time, then this isn’t a big deal. When you calibrate the projector it will be part of a “system” with the screen. But if you change screens, you’ll need to re-calibrate. It may just be a subtle shift, but if you’re looking for the most accurate image possible (aren’t we all?) then this is something to keep in mind.

Now that I’ve scared you off with over a 1,200 words of screen info, let me close with this, there is nothing better than a projector for watching movies and TV at home. Nothing. If you can make it work, you’ll never regret it. You’ll also never go back to a lowly, boring “TV.”

More Resources

Stewart Filmscreen (world renowned, made entirely in the US, highly recommended)
Da-Lite (great screens and resources for choosing screens and sizes)
Elite (great value and options)
Vutec (Silverstar high-gain screen)
Screen Research (Acoustically transparent woven screen)
Screen Excellence (Acoustically transparent woven screen)
SI Screens (Black Diamond screen claims to be watchable with ambient light)
Draper (Not Don. In business since 1902)

—Geoff Morrison

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HD Guru extends our sympathies to the victims and their families of the disasters in Japan.

To aid victims of the Japan Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami with a direct contribution, here is a link to the  Red Cross Relief Website.

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(March 18,2011) Big screen TV maker Mitsubishi announced today that it is exiting the LCD TV market this year to concentrate on its DLP rear projection business.

Mitsubishi remains the only maker of rear projection televisions sold in the US with an assembly plant in Mexicali, Mexico. The company has a storied name in the TV business, having introduced the first 35″ CRT in the 1980s and one of the first plasma TVs in 1997.

An early proponent of rear projection TVs, Mitsubishi made an early transition from big screen CRT models to lamp driven microdisplay sets. As the TV industry moved on to flat panels, Mitsubishi opted not to built its own LCD panel factory, relying instead on outside vendors.

They currently offer 2010 models in 60-Inch , 65-Inch , 73-Inch and 82-Inch screen sizes. All feature 3D capability. Rear projection provides viewers with the biggest HDTV screens for the lowest prices in the industry (article link), starting at under $850.00 for the 60-inch model widescreen 1080p HDTV and under $1200 for a 73-inch. By comparison the largest LED LCD offered today is a 65-Inch The Samsung models prices begin at over $4000. (Sharp and LG will begin selling a 70-inch and 72-inch models respectively, later this year for even higher prices).

Mitsubishi UHP lamp and Laser driven rear projectors will continue with 2011 models in sizes 73-inches and above according to its corporate communications department.  Mitsubishi announced at 2011 CES  92-inch model to ship later this year.

Notice To Our Readers

HD Guru extends our sympathies to the victims and their families of the disasters in Japan.

To aid victims of the Japan Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami with a direct contribution, here is a link to the  Red Cross Relief Website.

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Copyright ©2011 HD Guru Inc. All rights reserved. HDGURU is a registered trademark.

If you love movies. And I mean really love movies, a tiny little TV just won’t suffice. By “tiny” I mean anything below 65-inches. To get that true cinematic experience with Blu-ray and even TV, you need a projector.

Of course, there are a few considerations to take into account…

In the past ten years, projectors have gotten smaller, brighter, better, and better and better and better. These days, many projectors offer far superior picture quality than any LCD or Plasma. What’s even more amazing is that they’re often no more expensive than a big flat panel. Intrigued? I’d hope so.

The Tech

There are three technologies projectors can use to create an image: LCD, DLP, and LCOS.

Mitsubishi HC7000

LCD projectors are very similar to their flat panel brethren. In this case, three small LCD panels (one for each color) manipulate the light to create the image on screen. The biggest benefit of LCD projectors is cost. They’re often among the cheapest projectors available. Unlike LCD projectors of yore, there isn’t really any “screen door effect” with LCD projectors anymore, at least not that you’d notice from where you’re sitting. Black level and contrast ratio are the main drawbacks. Auto-irises will help with this somewhat, but in this regard they’re going to be the lowest performing of our bunch. That’s not to say they can’t look great. I’ve seen LCD projectors that look better than many DLP projectors which cost a lot more.

projectiondesign avielo optix superWide235

DLP, or Digital Light Processing, is really the progenitor of high-end but affordable projection. A DLP projector uses either one or three DMD (Digital Micromirror Device) chips that are thousands of tiny pivotable mirrors. If a pixel needs to be lit on screen, the mirror pivots to reflect the light from the lamp towards the screen. If the pixel needs to be dark, it pivots away. There’s an incredible range of pricing with DLP projectors. Tiny, single-chip DLP projectors can cost under $1,000. On the other end of the spectrum, big 3-chip DLP projectors can cost $30,000 and upwards to Bentley/Rolls/cottage range. Across the wide range of prices, DLP projectors offer consistently excellent motion resolution (one of the best technologies for this). Some models are highly accurate, some are exceedingly bright, there are many, many possibilities. Contrast ratio and black level performance can be a little better than LCD, but not as good as LCOS.

Sony VPL-VW85

LCOS, or Liquid Crystal on Silicon, can be thought of as a hybrid of the other two technologies. It uses a liquid crystal layer (like LCD) but this is positioned over a mirrored layer. Light enters the chip and reflects off the mirror, but is manipulated by the LC to determine if the light makes it to the screen or not. Two companies make LCOS projectors (with other companies modifying their chassis): Sony and JVC. Sony’s version of the technology is SXRD, or Silicon X-tal Reflective Display. JVC’s is D-ILA, or Direct-Drive Image Light Amplifier. Not sure which abbreviation is worse. Though similar, they function and perform slightly differently. JVC’s projectors consistently offer the best contrast ratio of any display technology. Current models are even highly accurate. Sony models offer performance that’s close enough that really either option is good.

Buying a PJ

I have yet to see an LCOS projector that wasn’t excellent. Both Sony and JVC offer models at a wide range of prices, and I’d highly recommend starting with one of them first.

There are some great deals to be had on Amazon for slightly older models, like:

2009/2010′s HD550 ($3,896.19) and HD350 ($3,299.99).

For the newest models, it’s best to find a dealer near you and talk with them.

As far as LCD projectors go, Epson, Panasonic, and Mitsubishi make excellent projectors. They’re often extremely quiet, which is a really big deal if you have a small room. The Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 8350 ($1,152.59, 53% off) is a good example. I reviewed the big brother and came away greatly impressed.

There are many single-chip DLP projectors out there, and most are very good. They’re just not going to offer the contrast ratio of the LCOS projectors (often for similar money). If you’re looking at a single-chip DLP and an LCD at the same price, that’s going to be a hard call and I highly recommend checking them out in person before you buy.

If you want a really big screen, 3-chip DLP is really the only option. I have a 10-foot wide 2.35:1 screen (102-inch 16×9 diagonal) and most projectors create a plenty pleasing 15 foot-Lamberts. If you want to go much bigger than this, high-end 3-chip projectors are affectionately referred to as “flame throwers.” One recent 3-chip projector I reviewed I got an incredible 30 foot-Lamberts on my screen. Most old 36″ tube TVs couldn’t do that.

Remember, for every 10% greater screen diagonal, your brightness is going to drop by roughly 20%.

Screens

With any projector you’re going to need a screen. Some advocate just painting a wall, but I can’t abide by this method. There is no way to make the wall smooth enough so as not to have bumps and ridges you can see in the image. If you’re really strapped for cash, ok, but after spending good money on a projector, you owe it to yourself to get a screen so it can perform its best.

There are a lot of variables with screens (which I’ll dive into further detail in an upcoming article). The short version is: size, material, aspect, and gain.

Determining the size you want is the first step. Go big. As big as you can. For me, I determined how high from the floor I wanted the bottom of the image to be (so I could still fit a center channel speaker and not have to look too far down. Then I figured how close to the ceiling I could go, and worked out the size from there. Ideally you’ll have the center of the screen roughly at eye level when your seated, but that’s hard to do without having your seating on risers.

I always rail against mounting TVs too high, as looking up to watch TV is a sure way to get a stiff neck every night. But with a huge screen this is a little less of an issue as your eyes are wandering all around the screen (as it fill so much of your peripheral vision). There are all sorts of ratios that you can go by too if you want. Ideally, you’ll talk with a custom installer and they’ll give you pointers.

Screen material is another concern. If you want to mount speakers behind the screen, you’ll need a perf or a weave screen. Most modern perf screens have holes that are small enough that you won’t get an interaction with the pixels in the projector.

Gain is a tricky subject. I use a 1.0-gain screen, but I don’t recommend that for most people. I use it because I use the screen to measure projectors. Positive gain screens (numbers higher than 1) will get you a little more light. They do this by basically “focusing” the light like a lens. The higher the gain screen, the more light and more focus. Worst case, you can end up with a “hot spot” where the center of the screen is brighter than edges. All positive gain screens will also drop off the light as you move off axis. So if you have a really wide room, the people sitting off to the sides won’t have as bright an image. Unless you’re really trying to force a low output projector to fill a huge screen, you really don’t need much gain. All projectors can easily fill a 100-inch 16×9 screen.

Negative gain screens (numbers less than 1), came about in the early days of digital projection when black levels were terrible. These days, that’s not the case. It’s personal preference, but I don’t think modern projectors need a negative gain screen. Just remember that negative gain screens don’t just magically create better blacks, they do it by lowering the light output of the entire reflected image. So you lose total brightness too, thereby shrinking the overall size that’s possible with any given projector.

This may be blasphemous to some, but I’d go so far as to say get a positive gain and larger screen than a better black level and smaller. The black level on nearly all modern projectors ranges between “good enough” and “fantastic.” So go big!

For aspect ratio, check out my article here.

There’s even more to screen selection, but I’ll write about that in the screen article next week.

Major Considerations

You will, necessarily, have to live in a cave. No matter how bright the image is, or how neeto the screen is, it can’t compete with ambient light. Turn on a lamp, the image will be washed out. Watch the game on Sunday, close the drapes. Many people get a cheap LCD to watch during the day and use the projector at night. Others, like me, are insane enough to just use the projector for everything. As long as you can control the light in the room, you’ll be fine.

Most projectors use lamps, which age, dim, and need to replacing. These cost several hundred usually, but last thousands of hours. Depending on use, you may need to replace one every year, or every few years.

Some new projectors are using LEDs, which last a lifetime and have some really impressive color accuracy. So far these are pretty expensive, though, and aren’t as bright as some of their competitors.

You’ll need somewhere to put the projector, obviously, but every projector can be mounted to the ceiling, or put on a shelf.

Did I say it already? Go BIG!

I’ve used a projector as my sole display for nearly ten years. In that time the picture quality has increased dramatically while the prices have fallen. It’s so addictive to watch TV characters that are larger than life, and movies that are bigger and better than what you get at the local cinema. I hardly ever go to the movies anymore. Why would I? My setup at home is better, doesn’t cost me $16, and if the phone rings I won’t get arrested for beating the crap out of myself. I don’t think I could ever go back to some tiny 60-inch TV.

—Geoff Morrison

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Once upon a time, all big-screen TVs were RPTVs. If you wanted something bigger than a tube TV, projection was your only choice. With the advent of flat panels, the reign of RPTVs was clearly at an end.

Except, it wasn’t. Not completely. So the question is, with today’s cheap flat panels, is there any reason why someone should get a RPTV?

Well, yes, actually.

Let’s get one thing straight up front: there’s only one company that makes RPTVs anymore and that’s Mitsubishi. So any discussion of RPTVs is going to be intrinsically linked to that brand. This article isn’t, though, a review of their various models. Instead, we’ll take a look at the technology as if Samsung,  Sony, Toshiba, Panasonic, JVC, et al. hadn’t pulled out of the business a few years ago.

Pro: Size
When it comes to sheer dollar-per-screen-inch value, still nothing beats RPTVs. For a comparable dollar, an RPTV could easily have 10-15 inches more screen diagonal. Take, for example, the Mitsubishi WD-65638 ($817.36 with free shipping). Compare that to the new Panasonic TC-P46ST30 or Samsung UN46D6000 (both $1,299.99). Mits has models up to 82-inches right now, with a 92-inch model coming soon. If you really just want a huge TV without robbing a bank, RPTVs are fantastic.

Pro: 3D
All of Mitsubishi’s RPTVs are 3D-ready. With the 2010 models you’ll only need to buy Mitsubishi 3D glasses for the TV to display 3D. Previous model years are upgradeable to 3D. So if you’ve bought a Mits RPTV in the past few years, you probably have a 3D TV already. All you need is one of Mitsubishi’s 3D Starter packs.

Con: Size (the other kind)
Even though RPTVs are far thinner than they once were, they’re still 10+ inches deep. On the other hand, most people don’t care. Studies have shown that regardless of what they want to do before they buy it, well over 50% of the people who buy a flat panel never mount it on a wall. This means that it’s on a table/TV stand, or in a cabinet. In these cases, the depth of the TV is irrelevant.

Well, almost irrelevant (see “Not a flat panel” below).

Pro: Brightness (Sort of)
RPTVs are generally on par with LCDs and plasmas in terms of brightness. More importantly, they are WAY brighter than front projectors. Front projection offers even larger screen sizes than RPTVs, but you need to have absolute light control in the room in order for them to work. Not everyone wants to always be in a dark room watching a TV. In this case, RPTVs offer plenty of brightness for such a large screen size.

Con: Contrast Ratio
The comparison to the Panasonic plasma and Samsung LED LCD above isn’t entirely fair. The picture quality isn’t going to be quite as good as those TVs, and that mostly has to do with contrast ratio. The DMD chip that is the core of every DLP display has a decent but not amazing contrast ratio. The recent generation of chips I’ve reviewed in front projectors have performed pretty much the same as those from 4-5 years ago. They haven’t gotten much better while LCDs and plasmas have.

That other aspect that reduces a RPTV’s contrast ratio is the amount of light inside the cabinet. Some of the light that is supposed to reach your eyes ends up bouncing around inside the cabinet. Eventually it makes its way out, but not in the same place it was intended. If there’s a lot of bright areas on the screen, the dark areas will not be able to be as dark as they would be on a plasma or local dimming LED LCD. Mitsubishi has historically had excellent cabinets with the least about of errant light in their designs, but it’s not possible to be perfect.

Yes, there are irises and variable light sources that help to create a decent dynamic contrast ratio (how dark a black screen can be compared to how bright a full white screen can be), but like all dynamic contrast ratios, this isn’t what really makes the image “pop.” A real contrasty image requires an excellent intra-scene contrast ratio, and on a RPTV that is limited by the DMD and the light in the cabinet.

If you plan on watching the TV during the day, though, this is less of an issue as you won’t be able to notice deep blacks anyway.

Pro: LASERS!!!!!
Mitsubishi’s LaserVue models use frickin laser beams as a light source. There are two models, a 75-inch (L75-A91, $5,279), and a 65-inch (L65A90, $6,299). As cool as lasers are, there is little reason to pay such a substantial premium for them. The contrast ratio is still limited by the DMD, and the claims of substantial color potential is negated by the fact that even color-wheel, lamp-based RPTVs can easily exceed the maximum color potential of Blu-ray/HDTV. In other words, the “200% HDTV color” boast just means that they are more colorful, however by exceeding the rather constricted HDTV color standard they can’t be accurate. Thankfully, Mitsubishi has a mode that brings the color gamut close the HDTV standard.

The big advantages of lasers is the lifespan and low power consumption. The lasers should last a lifetime, while the bulbs in the lamp type RPTV need to be periodically replaced. The LaserVue TVs are also incredibly energy efficient, using less power that other big screen TVs.

Con: Lamps
With the exception of the LaserVue models, Mitsubishi RPTVs use lamps as their light source. These have a finite lifespan and must be replaced (usually around 6,000 hours). Worse, they don’t age gracefully. They get dimmer over time, and then eventually they just go “poof.” In addition, nearly all of these lamps are UHP designs which contain mercury, and mercury isn’t remotely eco-friendly so please properly dispose. (BTW, CFL lamps for standard light fixtures also contain mercury.)

Mits doesn’t exactly hide the fact their TVs need lamps. Lamps for current Mitsubishi models cost only $100, older models lamps from Mitsubishi and other companies can cost more.

Con: Not a flat panel
As mentioned above. No matter how big or how cool an RPTV is, it just isn’t a flat panel. Keep in mind that you’re going to have to justify your purchase to those not “in the know.” If you drive a Toyota not a Lexus, a Ford not a Lincoln, and your speakers aren’t found in Best Buy, then you probably won’t care that your neighbor doesn’t get why your TV is so deep.

If on the other hand there are logos visible on all your clothes and you own any Bose product, it’s likely you won’t be happy with an RPTV.

Conclusion
What it comes down to is this: if you want a really, really big TV and don’t want the strict blackout conditions required for a front projector (or having to plunder your kids college fund to build a dedicated home theater) then RPTVs are still the high-value option for a new TV, and do look pretty damn good.

Mitsubishi seems to still think RPTVs are the way to go. After all, they don’t show any signs of giving up a market they have entirely to themselves.

—Geoff Morrison

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