Timothyy,

I sympathise with you. The user reviews on other forums shows that your problem is not an isolated case. I look at it this way:

If the reasons that made you choose the Panny in the first place are still applicable, then you should try a replacement unit. Make sure they don't send you a recond unit!! But check that the full refund option is still available in case the replacement is a dud. The fact that you saw another Panny AX100 in the service center does not bode well for Panasonic.

If you are swayed towards another project ala Epson EMP TW700 , then go for a full refund.

So what's it gonna be?

Bro dirtrun..... to lure the young padawan to the darkside u must be more cunning. Take Senator Palpatine's lead.... first be his friend, offer him advise and help..... poison him with wonderful promises..... then when he is ready, he will willing join on his own accord.....

Timothyy..... now the poison come..... you can come view the Epson at my house if as good as the Panny then can ditch itlah... less headache and u get peace of mind.

I sent u a PM, dun want to advertise where I staylah.

Actually, de Panny when working as it should is a very good projector. The one that I auditioned in the first post of this thread had very slight discolouration that is not visible when watching normal movies.

Just so that we understand the Panny AX100 situation, let me try to explain a bit. If we take Bro Tim's case and the projector that I audtion as a representation of all Pannys AX!00 quailty is unfair, coz its a statistic of only 2 projectors.

There are thousands of owners worldwide, out of that only a handful post on forums like AVS and dis wan. And out of this handful, its the ones that have de problems that gets the most attention. The other thousands that are happy are prolly staying home and enjoying their projector without posting any comments on the forums. So while the Panny thread on AVS forum is scary, its not a fair representation of the Panny AX100 in general.

Makes sense ah? So in reality the Panny AX100 Quality control may just be typical of all projectors. Its just its intial popularity combined with the large number of negative forummers versus the small number of positive forummers.

This post has been edited by jasonlky: Mar 25 2007, 09:28 AM

Then why all the hassle with refund.... request for replacemebt unit but make sure the option for refund is still available... in case the replacement unit is not satisfactory. Must demand for your consumer rights.

By HD I presume you are referring High Definition support. I.e, 1080i or 1080p signal input from your selected source to the projector. Most projectors will accept 1080i input, and the newer ones will accept 1080p input. However the output will depend on the native resolution of the projector, a 480p projector will only be able to project upto a maximum of 480lines, even if you feed it 1080p. A quick check of the projector's specification will telly you if the projector will accept HD1080 sources.

Only native 1080p projectors will faithfully reproduce the HD1080 source. For budget of RM3000, go back a page or 2 and you will find some recommendation from Timothyy and myself.

Cheers

Aiyo, I dunno how to answer about how to read the product specs. Basically you have to do your own research and visit the various user forums to get your answer. Google will be a good place to start your journey. Forum wise, I have found AVSforums to be helpful.

However if you want a projector to fully support the PS3, then you will need a 1080p projector. And these babies start at RM12k till more that RM250k. I will recommend you to look at Epson's EMP TW1000 or Panasonics AE1000. There are also very good offerings from Optoma, Infocus and Benq. And a forum member swears by his Sony. Take your pick


Jes go for it bro, life is too short. Why waste the time you have on this earth worrying about HOW to enjoy yourself.

All the equipment I am using can be found in my sig. BTW do you have your new projector yet? Give us your review!!

I have just increased my investment in the projector by buying the Ratshack sound meter and the Avia HT Guide. Should be here in one weeks time. With shipping, it cost me USD77.48.

This post has been edited by jasonlky: Mar 28 2007, 12:04 PM

I was a newbie once and so I know the feeling. Please treat google as your best friend and you will be able to learn a lot. Just to start you off.....

1080, 720 and 420 refers to the vertical resolution of the picture.... i.e 1080 means 1080 lines from top to bottom, 720 means 720 lines and so on. So all things being equal, more lines = better resolution. Standard DVD only has 480 lines and HD upto 1080 lines.

Now for the i and p.
The i = interlaced, where the lines that we discussed above is divided into even and odd numbered lines. First the even numbered lines are scanned, next the odd numbered lines are scanned and so on and on. Because this is done very quickly.... 30 to 60 frams per second, you do not see the interlacing. Your normal TV is done this way. Thus the name interlace.

The p = progressive, where each line is scanned in sequence from top to bottom to create a complete picture. Thus the name progressive scan.

BTW The PS3 is indeed powerful, the nvidia chip used is impressive, but a PC could go all the way up to 1920 resolution, and this was 2 years ago. Current generation fx cards for the PC can come close to rivaling the speed of PS3. So the PS3's 1080 is nothing to shout about. What is nice is that Sony has been nice to include the ability to play Blu-ray DVDs. So by default you have a HD ready DVD player.... nice. Now if only we could just stroll down to our local DVD store to get Blu-ray titles!!

Everyonr swears by progressive. Most new DVD players and projectors will come with a de-interlacer. So it will convert the interlaced signal which is the format of most material to a progressive image. I think progresive is more film like, while interlaced is more TV like. View both and come up with your own opinion.

This post has been edited by jasonlky: Mar 30 2007, 02:40 PM

But Bro, your PS3 alresdy outputs in progressive, so do not really have to worry about this matter.

The thing is, there are only a handful of shops that sell HD material and even then there is a hefty premium on the price because of its novelty. Once it becomes mainstream in Malaysia and is comoditised, then the prices will drop. Still can't see myself paying over RM100 for a movie while Standard DVD is going for less than half that price (ahem DVD no need to saylah). So if you must be the among the first few adopters of HD, then you must pay for that priviliege. For those like me who don;t have the privelege, will have to wait for better prices, better availability and better choices. Make no mistake HD is coming, just have to be patient. Let the market decide HDDVD or Blu-Ray or both.... Don't wanna end up like last time... with Betamax and VHS at home.

Good things come to those who wait. For those who can't wait and there is plenty of HD material over the net.... free.

banchiau, aiya......I oni request for review of the projector.... and you give review of me... Thank you for your kind words... paisehlah. I am just glad I got to help. I would have liked to have handed the projector to you personally, but I thought should not keep you waiting, since delay by a few days already. Still waiting for your thoughts on the projector.

dirtrun and Timothyy, thanks for your kind words. Both of you have been no less helpful as well in this thread!!


Jackygwh,
The IN72 is a 480p projector with good contrast ratio thats y the colour is so nice. Unfortunately they don't have powerful bulbs so your viewing is limited to the dark room. If DLP floats your boat, then must have a look at Benq for affordable DLP projectors that are just as good as the Infocus. Call Benq HQ and ask them where you can audition, they will be more than happy to help. (Ps The In72 projector is sold at bargain basement RP of USD799 in the US... so even after allowing for Malaysian custom duties and a healthy profit margein RM4999 seems excessinve, the street price should be a lot lower than dat.... so shop around)

What's the diff, you can do a comparison... goto the following websites and check out the other 480p projectors.
Projector Central
and/or
Projector Reviews

This post has been edited by jasonlky: Apr 9 2007, 10:33 AM

I vote YES to the outgoing Optoma HD70, if you can live with DLP and the HD70's shortcomings, but it may be out of Jackygwh's price range. So still have to look at 480p projectors.

I am interested in the pearl vs HC5000 shootout. If you will announce the time and location.... this weekend can ah?



Happy to help. Hey, you coming over this weekend?

The JVC-RS1 is a dream machine, and all reviews put it heads above all other mainstream 1080p projectors e.g. Sony pearl/ruby, Benq W1000, Panny AE1000, Epson TW1000 etc. The superb contrast ratio is obtained without the use of any iris or similar devices. Just a modified version of the LCOS technology. And it even uses the superb Fujinon lenses... jes like my Epson TW700 . Can't wait to have a look at this one. Hey if anyone sees one in Malaysia, come and tell us here yah !!!

Have a look here and here

With so much consumer interest and sellers pushing HD.... Full 1080 HD may be upon us sooner than we think. Free PS3 summore.... so nice of them.

psp_boy, I am waiting for the shootout..... then can checkout the PS3 deal at the sametime.

Jackygwh, help u make decision.....

Do you have a dedicated room that can be fully light controlled..... and placement of projector is flexible (i.e. dun need to use a lot of zoom)?

If Yes then go for Optoma HD70, Panny AE900 or Epson TW600.... all 720p but previous generation but HD ready.

If No, then I have another question:

Do you want to be able to use the projector anytime of the day?

If Yes, then I would advise you to raise your budget a little bit to get the current generation light cannons, coz they are flexible and can watch almost anytime of the day. E.g. Panny AX100 and Epson TW700.

If No, then Optoma HD70, Panny AE900 or Epson TW600.

I do not envy newcomers to Home Theatre, the learning curve is steep indeed. There is so much information to be digested, decisions to be made... one word... tough.

Those of us 'veterans' have been through it, we have asked countless questions on various forums. Read opinions or different reviewers and users of the same equipment to get different points of views. Did feature, function and cost comparisons. I guess this is the school fees that one has shell out.

Now we are trying to visualise projectors as cars... keeps things interesting. I think the TW700 and AX100 is like the Mazda Miata (since Japanese), a mid range sports car.... just good engineering and like psp_boy said, can perform like Ferrari. Cannot be Wajalah since not Made in Malaysia.

Finally, about light controlled room. Not that the room must be dark, if you remember your last time at the theatre... it was not completely dark. They have some lights on while the movie is playing. By light controlled, I mean you are able to determine how much AND where the light shines. E.g. some wall lights with dimmer function that shine up and down is quite acceptable... this is to set the moodlah. But a table lamp, moon light or street lamp light shining on to the screen is a big no no. The light should not be between you and the screen as well.

Since bro Tim started this, I thought it would be good to contribute what we watch on our projectors. Last weekend I watched Lady in the Water. Full of suspense, both photography and sound effects are really good. My heart jumped out of my chest more than once during the movie... plus I still have my wife's hand grip marks on my arm. I like M. Night Shyamalan's work. Recommended.

Great write up dirtrun. Unlike Timothyy, I don't need pics.... coz we are EpsonTW700 braders oledi. So I know what you see . BW how far do you sit from thw screen and is the pixel structure visible. If it is visible does it bother you?

Unfortunately, the projector is not a simple plug and play thingamajik like the LCD/Plasma/CRT set top boxes. I think you have to either build or convert your living room into a HT room to realise its full benefits. As such aside from the initial RM6k+ outlay, still have to think about the renovation, screen, and the list goes on.

I watched Ultraviolet this afternoon, the colours are nice. Action sequence is really good and the fact that Milla has a nice bod is just bonus.... she did all the action sequence herself. Story is so so onilah. Actually I watch before on my 29inch, just wanted to watch it again on de big skrin again. Then just to give the audio section a further workout, I put on Eagles Hell Freezes over.

Bro dirtrun, pixel sructure - SDE. I can see it sitting 10ft from my 100+inch picture... only when I look for it.

Bro Timothyy, if the 1080p TW1000 can get at TW700 prices I'll be the first to change up!! U joking or wat? In addition the "Lady in da water" is full of suspense... where got horror?

Bro psp_boy, sounds like you had a nice time, how come diden invite uslah? Your description of it is so nice make me wanna come.... in both sense of the word. Is the shoot out still on or was this it?

This is unbelievable, sticker price of RM12k++ equivalent This is the cheapest 1080p projector the world has seen to date. I guess have not been keeping up with the news, luckilly bor Timothyy is still trolling the projector sites. I guess the US price for the 810 (Our TW700 720p projector) will now drop to sane levels at about USD1999 ala Panny AX100. Thankfully the TW700 in Malaysia is already priced below the AX100. As such the Epson Home Cinema 1080 should slot in right under the Panny AE1000.

Not familiar with your Oppo and Pioneer, so here goes.....

When output in 720p from Oppo, the Epson TW700' scaler does not have to do any processing, so by leaving the Epson TW700 aspect setting in "Auto", the projector will just show pixel for pixel, exactly what the Oppo is sending. A question: If the Oppo is set to "Normal", will the Epson TW700 upscale to 720p and use the correct aspect? i.e.show full screen image?

Now from your info, the Pioneer cannot upscale, so by default it outputs in 480p. The Epson TW700 says 525p coz the Pioneer actually sends 525 "lines", the 480 for the picture and the other extra 45 lines contains other "information". If you are interested to know the contents of the information, google it. What I am guessing is that the TW700 cannot upscale the picture or determine the correct aspect to use for the picture. Reason: Pioneer is not sending the required information to Epson TW700. I am using an ancient Pioneer DV555K, and I have the same experience as you have described.... but only on ahem DVDs, and even then only those badly encoded. All my proper DVDs have no such problems.

Have you had a chance to view the dell "data" projectors? If you have then just for kicks, go and view a proper Home Theatre projector at one of the reputable AV houses around town. Then decide if the 1k for dell is worth it.

Cheers